Category: faith

Bethlehem: The Birthplace of Faith

Advent{ures}: Let’s Go to Bethlehem
 
 
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)
 
 
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV)
 
 
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
(Luke 2:10-12 ESV)
 
 
 
Hope. Substance. That which undergirds. Desire, expectation, wanting something to happen.
 
Faith is the reality of hope. Faith offers tangible reality. Hope and faint not. Trust completely. Love with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.

Hope does not disappoint. Faith comes wrapped in the hope of things to arrive. Hope generates a longing for someone to show up who is able to help and save us. Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Enter our hearts, our homes. Transform us with things hoped for, with real love and experience. Show us. Reveal your presence. In a burning bush. In waters parted. In blood poured out. In a child swaddled and lying in a manger.
 
With an infant’s smile pierce our hearts and let us embrace hope once again.
Posted on by kelrohlf 3

Setting the Table

Advent{ures}: Let’s Go to Bethlehem
 
 
Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it.
(Numbers 4:7 NIV)
 
 “Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it.”  (Henri Nouwen)
 
 
When making bread, you must wait. After combining the ingredients and kneading the dough, (with a food processor or a bread machine or even with your hands) you wait. You wait for the yeast to do its work, growing the dough into a loaf. Then more minutes pass as the oven does its work to finish the bread. Finally, you place the warm bread on the counter savoring the aroma, rummaging for a knife, some butter and jam. The promise of slicing into it and devouring its goodness is realized as it melts into your mouth.

This whole idea of heading to Bethlehem holds promise. I have journeyed there before in my imagination, but for some reason this year, I hope to discover something new. What does this “house of bread” have in store for us? All the familiar allusions to Jesus as the Bread of Life and Our Daily Bread come to mind. And the Old Testament practice of placing bread before God as an offering, what does that mean? Soon we will know, as we continue the journey, more will be placed before us, nourishing our souls.
 
 

As the season of Advent approaches, I sense God setting the table. I imagine Him spreading fresh faith over our hearts, placing plates, dishes, bowls and jugs of delicious fare centered on the best bread ever, the bread of His Presence.
 
Let’s go to Bethlehem to taste and see the Goodness of God.

 

 
Posted on by kelrohlf 2

Doubt: To Lack Confidence In

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ( James 1:6 NKJV)
The Intuition Diaries 
About midway through our Lake Michigan boat trek, I had a bout with doubt.

We left Rock Island early to cross the wavy sea to make our way to Escanaba, a small town on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The waves tossed us to and fro, as we were travelling in a beam sea, which means the waves push your vessel from the side. Nice rocking motion if you want to put a baby to sleep, or get seasick.

I tried to fight the motion sickness, and Les offered me the remedy; drive the boat. But even taking the helm was difficult today, because at first I had nothing on the horizon to focus on. I had to go on faith, trusting the computer chart to direct me. I wanted to quit driving, but I knew the alternative would be worse, headache with nausea all day.

I had to roll with the waves, and trust the unmarked route. I had to rely on the tried and tested navigation aids that would get us through this turbulent sea.  Several minutes into the rocking and the rolling, I spotted a stationary object on the horizon. Just the focal point I needed to persevere on the path.

 

This light stands out on the middle of the lake far from the shore. It marks an underwater shoal, a natural rock wall that can cause damage to a ship. Before this adventure, I didn’t even know that these lights existed on Lake Michigan.

 

This person of faith may know her destination, but at times when nothing is on the horizon, doubts buffet me like the waves of a beam sea on a vessel crossing the water.

 

Thanks be to God for putting unexpected markers along the route to realign my faith in Him, and lead me to the ultimate destination—forever with HIM!

 

Posted on by kelrohlf 3