Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation.” Luke 2:28-30 (NIV)

I was struck by the first part of this verse. “Simeon took Jesus in his arms.” Of course Jesus was a baby then, but imagine now being able to warmly and secure possess Jesus in your arms right now. Clenching to Him in the midst of your anxieties, fears, doubts, lack of confidence. You know He wants too. There is constant encouragement in the Gospel’s from Jesus saying “Behold the Son!”

Better yet imagine with me the outcome when we look at Him, even with a single glance. If our emotions woudl be stired with excitement by getting to hold Him in the midst of our struggle, hear what happens to Jesus when we just glance at Him.

“You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride;You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes…” SGS 4:9

Wow!!! He is that excited about me looking at Him. That is amazing, He is the God of the universe and much greater and bigger than Me, yet I am a poor wretched man living half the time in my own self-righteousness, yet He isn’t ashamed of me, but encourages us to look at Him and embrace Him.

Look to Jesus today and embrace Him.

I just got back from Urbana, and came back very discouraged. I know the history of Urbana has been great in raising up laborers to take the good news to the ends of the earth. However it seems that they too are falling into the trap that Christians fell into at the beginning of the 20th century, the social gospel, and neglecting frontier missions. I am not saying that this gospel is wrong, but left to itself it is incomplete. There was much talk at Urbana about social injustices in the world, the AIDS crises, and caring for the environment, however when they talked about saving people from this problems they never explicitly and directly stated what we are to save people too. I know there was one comment that we need to rescue people not only from the hell they are going to, but the hell they are living now. I believe Jesus would have had us place our emphasis on both. He after all did command us to “Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and to heal the sick.” We are to rescue individuals not only from their social plights, but their spiritual plights as well from leading them saving relationships with Christ that we lead them out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love. For more information the missing session that should have been at Urbana I want to recommend this article, “Lost Missions” (published in Christianity Today July 2006)