Advent Series #17. A Story Stranger than Fiction. A Christmas Reading for your Family

 

A Story Stranger than Fiction

A Christmas Reading for your Family

No story is better known. No story better captures the heart of a child - small or grown - than the one we celebrate today. No matter how many times we hear the story it never grows old, it never disappoints, and never ceases to evoke deep emotions of wonder, awe, and comfort. An angel’s proclamation to illiterate shepherds, a teenage unwed mother, a loyal carpenter fiancée, the evil king Herod, and a cold, clear, Bethlehem night without a place to stay. A messy birth in an animal’s stall, alongside a dirty alley in the dark of night. Confused cows watching unknowingly as the Son of the universe stares back unknowingly at the very animals He had created eons before. A mother, a child, a carpenter, a few agitated animals, and the pungent smell of manure.

This is a story so absurd that it could only have been scripted by a Divine hand. No other writer would have attempted such a script. If they had they would not have claimed it to be true: fiction maybe, but not reality. This is not how the One whose voice had echoed off of a billion galaxies would make His entrance. Without CNN and Fox News, into a hovel known affectionately today as Bethlehem but then nothing more than a tiny village on the path to Jerusalem. 

His entrance was marked not by a proclamation to kings but to astonished herdsmen sleeping with sheep. The heavens opened with ten thousand voices – not over Jerusalem the ancient capital – but over a tiny grazing field for a handful of insignificant shepherds. They would be the only witnesses of the grand entrance of a King. No other writer would have written such a script. 

No other author would have taken such a chance. For behind this story, there are echoes of another story - equally incredulous. Centuries before in the vastness of eternity past – when infinity kissed infinity, The Master of Infinity spoke into being the universe in which we live - 3,000 of whose stars are visible to the careful eye, 30 billion visible from a large telescope, - the other 90% of the universe still hidden from our eyes. Its splendor is an eternal testimony to the Author of the story.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render: O help us to see
Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.
(Walter Chalmers Smith)

The Author’s heart had love that could not be contained. A heart full of love is not easily satisfied. Transcendent goodness longed to give away infinite love. Again the Author spoke: A planet was expertly crafted. One among billions. A people wonderfully created – in the image of the Author. Free to love, free to experience the infinite goodness of the Author. Free to revel in His infinite Love. But above all free. Love cannot be forced and remain love.

We are not the sole owners of broken hearts. No heart suffered such sorrow as Infinite Love rejected. Image bearers rejected the Image Maker. The story’s characters fired the Author to write their own script. Unmatched, searing pain pierced the Author’s heart as the loved one jilted the Lover.

Chaos infiltrated beauty. A planet was hijacked and spun out of control. Poverty of spirit supplanted endless joy. Unfulfilled hearts realized the pain of lost love. Without the Author, individual storylines faltered – and failed. Sadness reigned. Darkness descended in seeming endless gloom.

Truth can be stranger than fiction. For in the pained heavens the grieving Author plotted love’s revenge. An awesome revenge that only Divinity could contrive – that only Divinity would contrive. Having lost His loved, the Lover would send His most loved to reclaim His heart’s desire. The rejected Creator would kiss the unfaithful created. Tender mercy in place of deserved destruction. An astonished heaven broke into unbelieving applause. Image bearers would be reclaimed by the Image Maker. Light would once again prevail over darkness. Brokenness would be made whole. Peace would triumph over chaos.

All was silent in the heavens on the chosen night. Angels held their corporate breath. For nine months the Son had been absent, resident in a young girl's womb, coming to us, not as a king but incognito, just one of the thousands of children that would be born on a lonely planet that night – into the darkness that our word had become. Placenta covered the Son of the universe arriving to claim back His beloved: this time, one by one, heart by heart. Tender mercy arriving in disguise: one of us, one like us. On that night, the Author personally entered our story. 

Such humility our world has never known. A stunning reversal for a world gone astray. A Heart full of love is not easily satisfied. Transcendent goodness longing to give away infinite love, arriving under cover of night in order to “shine on those living in darkness…to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1:27).

When an author writes, each character is unique; each has his or her own story-line. We, each have a story – unique, unrepeated, singular. Each story has its own joy, its own pain, its own pathos and unmatched quality. But each shares one singular, astonishing feature. We are made in the Author’s image, and He will not rest until we have invited Him to join in our story. 

More astonishing than the script He has authored, the story we celebrate today is that He also wants to enter into your story. This is the most ancient of stories but it is also the most contemporary of stories. The Christmas story is but one chapter in the Author’s divine script. The Author is still writing. And every person who invites Him into their story becomes a separate and unique chapter in His unfinished book. And into each story, He brings His light and peace. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17.)

Have you invited Him into your story? 

Father, my heart is amazed anew at your love. This Christmas, I thank you again for the greatest gift ever given of your Son. Amen

Advent Series #16. Silence, Chaos, Rejoicing, and Holy Awe

Silence, Chaos, Rejoicing, and Holy Awe

Silence

The heavens held their collective breath for the Son was gone. The unimaginable was unfolding. The One who had superintended creation was now ready to be born a creature. What could this mean? Majesty of heaven rejected for the poverty of a squalid earth and a people who had rejected truth too many times to count. They had traded the garden for a lie and now the creator traded majesty for obscurity. It was a silence of unbelief, awe, apprehension, and wonder!

Chaos

Nativity scenes are peaceful and neat but this night in Bethlehem was anything but. The tiny town was full of travelers, the inns and taverns were full and noisy and crowded and smelly. Desperately, a man tried to find a place for his wife, swollen with child, water about to break, a place where a child could be born in dignity but it was not to be. Instead, it was the to be with the animals, hay and manure, the sounds and smells of the adjacent Inn intruding on this holy moment.

Rejoicing

The silence of heaven gave way to song and praise and rejoicing penetrating the chasm between heaven and earth so that even poor shepherds heard the choir and angelic announcement. This first musical Christmas card came not to the mighty and powerful but to the poor and powerless: A symbol of the Kingdom that was coming - good news for those who needed the same. Good news of a great joy which shall be for all people. Even us, even today! A Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Now there was silence on earth as the shepherds tried to understand the import of the news. 

Holy Awe

There was one who knew that the universe had changed and that what was, was not what would be: Mary. Too young to be jaded, faith-filled, and in awe of the child that lay at her breast. For she knew that He was not of this earth though she did not know the price He would pay. She remembered the angel who had visited her upon her pregnancy. Now she heard the report of the shepherds who came to visit. All the people wondered at their report but Mary, treasured up these things pondering them in her heart. She knew, not fully, but she knew! 

We know fully for we know the rest of the story. Does it move us as it moved the heavens, the angels, the shepherds, the people of Bethlehem and Mary? This is a day to consider, to rejoice and to be awed at the love that drove a rejected Savior to save the broken, the needy, and each of us who have received Him in faith.

Father, I bow in reverence today thinking of your amazing love and grace. Thank you for the incarnation where you showed us who God is and made it possible for us to join Your family. Amen

Advent Series #15. When the fight between good and evil became personal

 

When the fight between good and evil became personal

The birth of Christ brought a whole new level of conflict between good and evil into our world. Specifically between God and the evil one. Many don't know that the first prediction of a coming messiah who would destroy Satan is found in Genesis 3:15 when Adam and Eve were evicted from the garden because of their rebellion against God. 

On that day of judgment for our original ancestors, there was also an amazing word of grace. Three key statements lay out that grace. First, God says that he would put enmity between the woman and the serpent (who had convinced her to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree). Second, he says that that enmity would extend to her offspring and his (speaking of those demons who accompanied him in rebellion against God. Third, God says there is coming one male offspring of the woman who would crush Satan's head although Satan would strike at His heel. That one male offspring would be the Messiah who would one day destroy Satan.

Satan knew on that day that his days were numbered. He knew there was one individual who would one day destroy him. He just didn't know who and when and where. What he did know was that this individual would come through the tribe of David. In fact, you will remember that when the wise men told Herod that they were looking for the King of the Jews who had been born that he had all the male boys under 2 years old killed. Who inspired Herod to do that? None other than Satan who wanted to cut off the threat.

When did Satan figure out who that One was? Most likely at the public baptism of Christ by John the Baptist and immediately afterward, he followed Jesus into the desert to tempt him. From this time on, the conflict between Jesus and Satan was intensely personal. Who would win?

But it became intensely personal for us as well. Satan cannot destroy God so he does the next best thing. He tries to kill God in effigy by hurting those made in His image. This is how Jesus frames that personal conflict that we have with the evil one. Jesus says in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." He is telling us that we have an enemy and we have a friend. One comes to diminish and one comes to bless. Thus the divine conflict now impacts us and has since our ancestors rebelled against God in the garden.

But, in the incarnation, Jesus shows us that His power is always able to bring life and defeat evil. When Jesus healed, forgave sin, called people to Himself, invited them to join Him in His work, welcomed them into His kingdom, gave the hopeless hope, the sad joy, the marginalized honor, the sinful, forgiveness, and those without any power, the power of His Holy Spirit that no one could diminish - He demonstrated that in a personal relationship with Him, the evil one has been defeated. That is the power of the incarnation and the power we have today.

In the incarnation, the fight between good and evil became intensely personal. But even more personal for us as the Good Shepherd came and lived among us, showed us His grace and His love, and demonstrated time and again that His love envelops us and His power protects us. In the incarnation the fight became good and evil became personal, but our Savior became even more personal as He showed us His character and invited us into His family. Jesus wins over Satan every time. His subsequent death and resurrection sealed Satan's fate forever. 

Remember today, you have an enemy. More importantly, you have a friend. The first wants to diminish your life. The second wants to bring ultimate fulfillment to you. And it is personal because the second invites you to join His family, His work, and His kingdom.

Father, thank you for taking the battle to the enemy for our sake. Thank you for personally defeating him and thank you for personally inviting us into Your family, Your work, and your Kingdom. Amen

Advent Series #14. Radical Proposals

 

Radical Proposals

Jesus was the great disrupter of the status quo. And He constantly made proposals to those around Him that were equally disruptive. Consider:

In a world that is focused on self, he said to people, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." And astonishingly, people immediately left what they were doing to follow Him.

In a world that is focused on ego and power, He said that the blessed are poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek and humble, those who thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, peacemakers, and the persecuted. Who would say such a thing?

In a world focused on material possessions, He told His followers to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth and that they could not serve both God and money. 

In a world focused on fear and anxiety, He said therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life but seek first my kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

In a world that loves to judge others, He said, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

In a world that is tired and weary, he said, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." And He says that He, God, the Master of the universe, is gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.

In a world that is fixated on getting ahead, He said that the Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field and when a man found it, he went and sold all he had and bought that field - betting everything on that treasure.

In a world where people love to be first and great, He says, unless you become like little children and take the lowly position of a child you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.

In a world that holds grudges and keeps score of wrongs, He told His followers to forgive again, and again and again. And then He forgave Peter His denial. And us - our sin.

In a world where death is final, He rose from the grave and said that we would as well.

Jesus is still the disrupter of the status quo and He desires to do so every day in our lives. His proposals are so far out as to be crazy if they were not true which is precisely why the incarnation changed everything and continues to do so as we respond to His teaching. Allow Him to disrupt your life today - and tomorrow. It is a disruption that will change the equation of your life. Accepting His proposals is truly the game changer.

Father. Thank you for disrupting my life and I invite you to do it again and again as I choose to follow You. Disrupt, change, empower and fulfill my heart's desires in ways that only you can. Amen

Advent Series #13. The Treasuring Practice

 The Treasuring Practice

Mary, the mother of Jesus is a fascinating woman who gets far too little appreciation at least in evangelical circles. She was a woman of great faith at a young age, was chosen by God to be the mother of Christ, and one can only imagine the difficult job she had trying to figure out what this was all about. The song, Mary Did You Know captures the mystery she was handed as the mother of Jesus brilliantly.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has come to make you new?

This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will calm the storm with his hand?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little baby

You kiss the face of God

The blind will see, the deaf will hear

The dead will live again

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak

The praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Would one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy

Is heaven's perfect Lamb?

That sleeping child you're holding is the great, I Am

Of course, she didn't know although she had a glimpse from her encounters with the angel who told her she would be with child by the power of the Holy Spirit, her encounter with Elizabeth, her song given her by God, Zechariah's Song at the birth of John and then her encounter with the Shepherds and the angels at her son's birth as well as Anna and Simeon at the temple.

But here is what I love about Mary. As she encountered these events, and even though she did not fully understand them twice we read that "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). Twelve years later when Jesus accompanied his parents to the temple in Jerusalem and he was found teaching the teachers we read again, "But his mother treasured all these things in her heart" (Luke 2:51).

Mary's secret was to thoughtfully ponder what she saw God doing or saying. She didn't look for ready answers but she was one to think and ponder and treasure what she was experiencing. She gave the Holy Spirit room to give her understanding and perspective. She took the time to think about, meditate on and treasure what she was seeing God do. She valued it and paid attention and allowed it to germinate in her heart and life. 

We run busy and hectic lives. We often don't have time to think let alone ponder and treasure what God has done and is doing in our lives. It is why I choose to journal. It makes me slow down as I put on paper my thoughts, prayers, and the deep questions of my heart. There is so much I don't understand but when I take the time to be still and think of God's work in my life, many things come into perspective. 

In these next days before Christmas and the New Year, take a lesson from Mary. It is the Treasuring Practice. What do you need to treasure in your heart?

Father. Help me to take the time to think more deeply and ponder more carefully so that I treasure your work in my life and pay attention to your love and work on my behalf. Thank you for the example of Mary. Amen

Advent Series #12. What Kingdom do You Live in?

 

What Kingdom do You Live in?

In the incarnation, God came incognito into a world of power, politics, and racial and gender inequality, with slaves and free, tremendous poverty and suffering, and the powerful Roman government that imposed its will with a ruthless iron hand. Religiously there was tremendous poverty of spirit as people who lacked meaning in their lives looked for paradigms and religious systems to give their lives coherence and hope. Life was cheap and those without power were at the mercy of those who had it. 

And then, Jesus, as He started His public ministry started talking about a strange new place that no one had heard of. He called it the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. You could not see it although you could see its results. You could not travel to it but could enter into it through Him. It had no armies but it had power that no one else had. Money didn't matter in this Kingdom. Power didn't matter. Social position didn't matter. In fact, those without any of these qualifiers were the first and most likely to enter. 

What it did require was repentance of one's sins and faith in God mediated by a carpenter's son with a band of twelve guys who no one would have hired to change the world. And it was an all-in proposition. No holding back. No reserves. As Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field" (Matthew 13:44). Once you found a treasure like this, nothing else took a higher priority.

In this kingdom, the powerless had the power of God, the marginalized were lifted up by God, social divides were bridged by the cross, the currency was faith, humility trumped pride and ego, God intervened in the lives of mere humans, there were physical and emotional healings, and kingdom people knew that a day would come when all evil would be eradicated and His will would prevail everywhere. In the meantime, we were to pray that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven and bring pieces of God's will to the places where we had influence and inhabit.

Oh, in this kingdom the first would be last and the last would be first, those who were humble would be lifted up, those who mourned for their sin would be comforted and those who were persecuted would see God. In a massive re-arrangement of the "rules" of our world, the real power and influence were no longer with those who thought they had it but with those whose faith was in Jesus. This is why twelve guys would change the world after the ascension of Christ. It is why the world is still being upended by people of faith who belong to an unseen kingdom inaugurated in the advent and which will culminate in His second coming.

If you know Jesus, this is the kingdom you are in. And it is the most powerful force on this planet. Nothing can prevail against it. No evil can destroy it. No one can erase it. Its currency is faith. Its secret weapon is prayer. Its vision is hope because God will prevail and evil will be defeated and the wrongs of this world will be made right. That day is coming. In the meantime, this invisible kingdom brings the power of God to everyday situations as the Holy Spirit empowers us to live and move and act in the ways of Jesus. In this way, Advent is at work in you bringing light and life to those around you. 

Father, help me appreciate the Kingdom that I belong to. Help me live increasingly in its orbit and bring Your light and life to a needy world. Amen.

Advent Series #11. Generosity and the Incarnation

 

Generosity and the Incarnation

This is the time of the year when my wife Cleo makes a list of people back home in the Philippines who she can bless with a financial gift or a gift of rice. Many of these are friends from the past who took her in when she traveled, went to college, or was involved in ministry communities. 

Most on her list are poor and live job to job on meager pesos. But what Cleo always remembers is how they opened their humble home and always shared the little they had with her. It might have been a bowl of rice, a dried fish, and a vegetable but she was always welcome at the table and could sleep on their floor for the night. They shared their lives, their table, and their home. 

When Cleo talks about these women, she is profoundly moved by their generosity to her and tells me how little they had. How poor they were. And usually, how involved in ministry they were. All these years later, the love they demonstrated to her is just as vivid and hence she wants to bless them in return.

Where does this kind of generosity come from? It comes from hearts that have been changed by God's love toward them. In the incarnation, God gave the very best that He had - His Son. The King became a human, the creator, a creature, the Sovereign of the Universe, welcomed by cows in a manger unknowingly looking into the eyes of the one who created them. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). And He fills our lives with His grace and invites us to be generous in every way with others as he has been with us. 

In his encouragement to the Corinthians to be generous, Paul writes this. "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but it is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:10).

Our generosity to others reflects God's amazing generosity to us. And our generosity on behalf of Him brings praise back to God as we bless those who need it. It is a virtuous cycle and is rooted in the incarnation. 

And here is the thing. We don't need to be wealthy to be generous. Cleo's friends were not. They were poor and gave out of their poverty and it left a lasting impression on her. Here is my challenge today. Who can you be generous with this Christmas season? Who can you bless as you have been richly blessed? Today we received a video of one of her friends receiving two 25-pound bags of rice. The joy on their faces and memories of Cleo was priceless. 

Father, give me your heart of generosity. Give to me an incarnational heart that wants to bless others as You have blessed me. Amen

Advent Series #10. What we can learn about Humility from the Advent

 

What we can learn about Humility from the Advent

Ego is one of our intractable enemies. Ego causes us to elevate ourselves at the expense of others. It keeps us from seeing our own issues even as it specializes in seeing the issues of others. It keeps us from apologizing when wrong, seeking reconciliation when estranged, and allows us to justify our sinful side and resist the correction of God and of others. Ego causes us to deal with others harshly rather than gently, to choose "truth" over "grace" in our interactions, and is at the root of all kinds of destructive behavior. Ego is truly the enemy.

What does ego have to do with Advent and what can we learn about humility from the incarnation? Think about this. Many of us will not walk across the street or make a phone call to apologize to someone we have wronged but the God of the universe left heaven and became a creature to bring reconciliation between God and man even though we were the ones who had created the chasm. 

To be humble, says Paul, is to be like God and to imitate what God did in the incarnation.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:1-8).

Now that puts humility and ego in perspective. In fact, it is our ego that keeps us from humility, and yet it is humility that mirrors God. Jesus himself says, "I am gentle and humble of heart." Wow. How often do I realize that I am neither! 

Here is the fundamental issue with pride and ego. They are about us and they cause us to disregard others and their issues or their humanity. It puts "me" before others. The incarnation is all about God choosing to put aside the prerogatives of the creator to rescue the created. Thus He came to live with us and teaches us to enter into the lives of those around us in His name. Ego and pride remove me from others while humility causes me to engage with others.

To think of Advent is to think deeply about the posture of my own heart and my willingness to live with humility. It is humility that allows me to minister as Jesus did and to enter into the humanity of others. Ego kills that. Humility nurtures a Jesus attitude.

Father. I confess that I am prone to pride and resist humility. Help me to be like you so that I value others above myself and look not just to my interests but to the interests of others. Amen.

Advent Series #9. Entering in like Jesus

 

Entering in like Jesus

One of the defining practices of the life of Jesus was the way He was willing to enter into the lives of others. Tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, marginalized individuals, the family of Lazarus, the blind, the lame, the disciples, and the sick. Jesus didn't simply pass them on the street or say nice things or look the other way: He entered in! In fact, this was at the center of the Advent, of the incarnation. As John said in John 1:14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." He didn't just send a prophet or a word but He personally came and lived with us. He entered into our lives!

There is no practice that is more like Jesus than when we enter into the lives of others, Into their pain, their lives, and their situations. This was the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is so very easy to walk by the messy situations of others. It is easy to say nice things, wish people well, and tell them we will pray for them. But Jesus, like the Good Samaritan, stopped and met a need. He was willing to change His schedule, enter into the pain of others and meet their needs. 

We live in an individualistic society that places our needs first and many don't want to be bothered by the messy situations of others. We have our own problems to solve, our own financial issues to deal with and our schedules are full. Yet the incarnational life is always a life of "entering into" the lives of others. If we want to be Jesus to others we will look at those around us with the eyes of Jesus, becoming acutely aware of their needs and situations and then, like the Good Samaritan do what we can to help our neighbor, our friend, or our acquaintance. In His name. With His love.

How do we even know the situations others face? One of the things that Jesus did was to take the time to talk to people. If you want to know what people are dealing with all it takes are some questions. It is taking the time to spend time and listen. And having listened, to "enter in" where we can and bring the hope and healing of Jesus to those who need it.

My friend Glenn Paterson passed away a week ago. His father abandoned him as a child. Just left. No good by. No further contact. It was a massive lifelong pain that never left him. But Jesus met him and Glenn spent his life looking for the marginalized, the kid in trouble, those who had no hope: entering into their lives. His widow, Mary, told me tonight that one time, they were going on vacation to Florida and he said, hey, we are stopping to pick up a kid. She said, "you mean he is going on vacation with us?" He said yes. They were already in the car and it was the first time she had heard about it. A few minutes later they pick up a kid who was the biggest bully in his school. And off to vacation and a lifelong relationship they go.

Glenn's memorial service was full. Mary said that almost every one of those present had been in their home for a meal. I have on several occasions. This was a couple who entered into the lives of hundreds and impacted many more. They lived the incarnational life and there are hundreds of stories like the vacation story that people tell. 

The advent is about "entering in." Jesus calls us to enter into the lives of others with His love. We are in His family because He entered into our lives. He invites us to join Him by entering into the lives of others.

Father, thank you for coming to dwell with us. To enter into my life. Give me a passion to live like you by entering into the lives of others. Amen

The Advent Series #8. Who do You need to be Reconciled with?

 

Who do You need to be Reconciled with?

Think for a moment about how divided our society is. We are deeply divided by politics, preferences, and theology, and division has become more common than unity or peace between individuals. What is most interesting is that these divisions are also common among God's people and Jesus came to bring peace between us and God and between us and other members of His family. 

In fact, think of the significance of the announcement to the shepherds in Bethlehem on the eve of Jesus' birth. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Peace is one of the most elusive of humanity's desires. It has always been so since our forefathers left the garden. And into a world of conflict, the Savior came to be our peace (Ephesians 2:14) and reconcile us to God. And, to reconcile us to one another (Galatians 3:26-29). The words and message of reconciliation and peace blanket the New Testament.

Think about this. Jesus became man and died so that we could be reconciled to God. And then He called us to be reconciled to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and to live at peace to the greatest extent of our ability with all people. If Jesus cared so deeply about reconciliation, we should as well - starting with our families where estrangement is so common, our churches where unity is often compromised, among fellow believers where we are too quick to live with critical spirits, and a society that loves to divide rather than unite.

And the thing about Advent is that God did not wait until we asked for reconciliation. He took the first step. He came to us when we were not looking for Him. He humbled himself (Philippians 2:1-11) rather than waiting for us to humble ourselves. What gets in the way of our taking the first step? Ego and pride. This is why it is so fascinating that Jesus describes himself as "gentle and humble in heart" (Matthew 11:29). 

And we are called to emulate that humility in our relationships with one another. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8).

And God did not wait until we asked for reconciliation. He took the first step. He came to us when we were not looking for Him. He humbled himself (Philippians 2:1-11) rather than waiting for us to humble ourselves.

This raises some questions worth considering:

• Is there someone I am estranged from that I can attempt to be reconciled to?
• If there is, am I, like Jesus willing to humble myself and take the first step even if I am the aggrieved?
• Are there ways that I can help bring reconciliation between others who are estranged?
• How can I help bring reconciliation between races and people groups who live in estrangement?

Reconciliation is a deeply Christian value rooted deeply in the incarnation where the God of Scripture did what no other God of any religion had ever done: Became a creature so that the creatures could be reconciled to the Creator. Every time I pray for reconciliation, attempt reconciliation, or humble myself to bring reconciliation, I mirror the character of Jesus. The mark of a believer is that he/she has been reconciled to God in Jesus and in turn, brings reconciliation between peoples who are in conflict.

Father, thank you for taking the step that brought me into a relationship with you. Give me the humility and courage to reconcile with those I have differences with to the extent that I can. Help me to emulate you in bringing peace to a divided world. Amen.

The Advent Series #7. What is your Vision for your Life?

 

What is your Vision for your Life?

What is your vision for your life? Think about that for a moment! When you come to the end of your days, what do you hope you look back on? Many of us are focused on the wrong things, or more concretely, our personal vision is often too small. 

Jesus loved to simply invite people to come follow Him. And amazingly, many did. His band of twelve included people from many walks of life. Ordinary people. In fact, very ordinary people from society's point of view. But Jesus was inviting them to something big and bold. To join Him in building His kingdom. In fact, this was His announcement: The Kingdom of God is upon us.

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus has a conversation around one of the most significant issues we all face: anxiety and worry about life including whether we will have enough and the whole pursuit of wealth and security. All of us have lived there or do live there. But Jesus says, don't worry about all that. Your Father knows your needs. And then He challenges the listeners to elevate their thinking to a higher place and a higher vision. "But seek his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." 

Basically, He is saying, your vision for your life can be about you or it can be about God and what He is accomplishing on this earth. The first is common and mundane. The second is an amazing opportunity to join Him in changing our world and bringing His values to the places we have influence, work and inhabit. 

The incarnation is an invitation to a life of much greater meaning and significance. It is no longer about us but about joining Him in His work in our world. It is the difference between our own small dreams and God's transformational work to change what is to what He designed it to be.

This is why Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The word "workmanship" there means a unique work of art. You are unique. You are one of a kind. You have been gifted with unique gifts which God prepared in advance for you. Why? He wants you to join Him in His work - His Kingdom work and to join Him in changing our world and bringing His values to the places we have influence, work and inhabit. 

That is a life of significance. Don't settle for the common and ordinary. Accept the invitation of the incarnate God - Jesus - to join Him in what He is going to accomplish in our world. It is desperately needed!

Father, help me not settle for small dreams but to join you in all that you are going to accomplish in our world. Help me follow you fully and use the unique gifts you have given me for your purposes in this world. Amen

The Advent Series #6. Redefined Faith

 

Redefined Faith

It is incredibly easy for our Biblical faith to become corrupted and to take us down roads that were never intended by the author of our faith to be followed. We substitute religious rituals for a personal relationship with Christ. We take practices and make out of them legalism where what it means to be a follower of God is all about the rules and the keeping of the rules defines our faith. Or, we may elevate "truth" to a place where there is no room for "grace" and we become hard in our attitudes toward others, denying them the very mercy and grace that God has extended to us. 

Such aberrations of what God intended for us rob us of our joy and make our "faith" a chore rather than a gift and a blessing. It is why Gandhi famously said in 2016, "I'd be a Christian if it were not for the Christians." He loved the teachings of Christ but he was repelled by the attitudes and actions of many Christians. Many are today as well!

The religious world into which Christ was born had lost much of the meaning of what it meant to follow God. People were not treated as if they were made in the image of God. The rules and regulations of the Pharisees strangled the last ounce of joy from the Jewish people. Legalism had supplanted the meaning of what had been originally taught. The religious show was more important than the attitude of the heart. Rules had been heaped upon rules till it was impossible to even remember them all. 

When it says that Jesus appeared as a light in the darkness and came full of Grace and Truth in John 1, that applied to the religious establishment as well. With the incarnation came One from God who redefined what a relationship with God looked like and restored the original intent of what was taught in the Scriptures. It was not a redefinition of what was taught in the Old Testament but a restoration of what God intended and what man had corrupted.

Think of the Sermon on the Mount, for instance. His teaching was radical and countercultural. He said "you have heard it said but I tell you" time and again. And then He would bring them back to the original intent of what God had revealed. What they had been taught was a corruption of what God had originally taught. He redefined prayer, fasting, treasures, worry and anxiety, the judging of others, the generosity of God, the basis upon which we build our lives, and what it means to be blessed in the beatitudes. In each case, He brought the people back to the original teaching of Scripture and scuttled the aberrations that had been allowed to supplant it. 

In the incarnation, Jesus showed us what faith really was and meant. It was a relationship with Him and the Father fueled by a love that brought obedience and a life lived for His Kingdom rather than our own. It was a life of repentance and obedience that resulted in a supernatural joy and purpose. 

One of the best ways to celebrate Advent is to renew our acquaintance with the Gospels. It is here that we see what faith looks like in real life. It is here that the God of the Universe shows us how to live and how to love Him and those around us. It is here that we see misconceptions of faith tossed aside and the essence of what it means to follow Him demonstrated. It is here that we discover the character of our God in His person in a way that we can emulate and follow.

In the incarnation, Jesus redefined faith and restored it to its original intent. It is something we need to do all the time for we are as easily waylaid as those in His day.

Father, thank you that in the incarnation I can see you as you want to be seen. That I can learn from your example and your teaching and keep my faith genuine and authentic in its character and conduct. Bless you, for your willingness to show up in person and help us see You as You truly are. Amen

The Advent Series #5. God's Amazing Heart of Love

 

God's Amazing Heart of Love

Have you ever considered the question of when God knew that He would invade our world with His son? Many people assume that He made that decision when He had to evict Adam and Eve from the Garden because of their sin. Now, His perfect creation had been broken, Adam and Eve were estranged and it would take the death of His son to pay for their - and their descendants - sin. Plan A had failed so now we needed a divine rescue in Plan B. 

That would be an amazing decision on God's part. Especially in light of His creation's rebellion.

But the story is more intriguing than that. Far more!

The decision to send a savior into the world was actually made before the world was created. When God made the decision to create our planet and its inhabitants He also knew that those inhabitants would choose to rebel against Him. He knew there would a fall before there was a creation. He knew that if that creation was going to be rescued it would take a Savior. He knew that the cost of that Savior would be His Son's life. 

He knew! And yet He created this planet anyway! That is total, irrational, divine love for people who would reject Him and cost Him His Son to rescue. In His decision to create us, He was also making the decision to redeem us and that would involve His Son becoming like us, living with us and dying for us. 

In Revelation 13:8, we read this intriguing statement. "The lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made." How can that be? Very simply God had already chosen to rescue us through His Son before the world was even created. In fact, this was plan A from the very beginning!

Many of us struggle with understanding God's love for us. We feel unworthy - and we are. We know we don't deserve His love and we don't. We find it hard to believe that he forgives us for our sin but He does. This struggle with our own unworthiness keeps us from living in the center of His grace and love all too often. We don't feel worthy to be there so we tiptoe around that grace and love rather than living in its center. 

But God would say this to you: "Before I created you I knew you would sin. And I had already created a solution for that sin so that you could know me fully. It was the incarnation and the gift of My Son. That is how much I love you. That is how deeply I want to be in fellowship with you. Before you were I was making a way for you to know me."

"Before you were I had planned that Jesus would come and live among you so that you would have a perfect High Priest who understood your situation and could walk with you through any events of your life. Before you were I knew your name and wanted to adopt you as one of my forever family." 

You see, the Lamb of God was slain before the foundations of the world. For you! That is God's amazing heart of love. For you.

Father, as I celebrate this Christmas season that heralds your coming. Let me never forget the amazing heart of love that lies behind this divine Gift of Your Son. You gave him to us before we were. Thank You. And give me a heart of gratitude for that gift today - and every day. Amen.

The Advent Series #4. The Incarnation and Hope

 

The Incarnation and Hope

None of us can live without hope. When hope dies all is lost emotionally as those who suffer from deep depression know. All of us need hope in some area of life. It may be that a relationship will be reconciled, an illness cured, depression and sadness lifted or some life circumstance fixed and healed. 

The incarnation - the birth of Christ - is all about hope. Hope that life can be different. Hope that sin can be forgiven. Hope that God will stay with us. Hope that there is a future for us. Hope that God's promises are for us today. When you think of the incarnation when God became man so that man could know God, think of hope. 

On the eighth day after the birth of Jesus He was presented at the temple for His circumcision. There was an elderly man present. We read the account in Luke 2:25-35.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him 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, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.

What sustained Simeon was hope. What Simeon communicated to Mary and Joseph was that this baby was the hope of salvation for all people. Both Gentiles and Jews. In fact, he was now ready to die as he had seen the hope of the world. 

The Incarnation speaks of hope for each of us. We live in the in-between time for the Savior has come with His Kingdom, yet we still live in a world that is broken and sinful. That will change with His second coming which is an amazing hope. But the coming of Jesus to enter into our lives, our messiness, our dysfunctions, our joy, and our pain gives us hope that things can be different, that healing can come, that we are not alone, and that we have an eternal future as well as a life of meaning and significance now. 

This is a real hope described by Paul in Romans 8 this way. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how well he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is hope and it all stems from the incarnation when God chose to enter our world and our lives with His identification with us. Hope comes ultimately from God who is able to meet our needs, change our hearts and invade our lives. He came to give us the hope of Himself. 

Father, thank you for your identification with us through your birth, life, death, and resurrection. Help me today to focus not on my problems but on your presence and the hope that you make available to me. Amen

The Advent Series #3: New Beginnings

 

New Beginnings

Have you ever needed a new beginning? Needed it badly? Do you need one now? This is the story of advent. It is about hope and new beginnings for people who need it badly. Into a world of need, sorrow, disappointment, injustice, poverty, and the brokenness of life generally, a savior came to bring new beginnings. To bring hope. To renew our joy and to walk with us through the darkest days we face. And the good ones. 

In the days of the prophet Isaiah, hundreds of years before His birth, the prophet spoke of renewed hope. It is found in Isaiah 9:5-7.

"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of the Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan -

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; On those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Into the darkness and gloom, light will come. Moreover He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Think about those four names. The savior who is coming will be our counselor - providing light for our lives. He will be a father to us, the perfect father and an everlasting father. He will be the Mighty God with the power to change us, to change our circumstances and to change lives on every side. And finally, he will be the Prince of Peace. Bringing peace between us and God, between us and others, and between peoples and races that have been divided. This is the One you have invited into your life. He is those things to you today.

John chapter one mirrors this theme of light coming into darkness. Speaking of Christ it says, "In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness" (John 1:4).

What did Jesus bring with Him?  John says He came full of grace and truth. Grace to enter into our lives and truth to understand our need for Him, His salvation and how we should be living. This is what new beginnings are made of. This is why new beginnings are possible. Whatever you need today, you have a counselor, A God of mighty power, an eternal father and one who brings peace.

Father, Thank you for new beginnings. I need a new beginning in my life today. Bring me hope today as your light penetrates my life and my circumstances. Amen

The Advent Series #2, The Great Disrupter

 

THE GREAT DISRUPTER

God is the great disrupter! And the incarnation was the greatest disruption our world had ever encountered. A baby is born in the humblest of places to the most common of people. No Netflix series like The Crown to tell the story. This was a birth that would change the equation of our world forever. He was called "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." And He came "full of grace and truth." (John 1:9; 14).

This child would disrupt the world of His day and for all eternity! He would defeat the enemy Satan whose downfall was first predicted on the day Adam and Eve were evicted from the garden (Genesis 3:15). In that moment of judgment, God has also a word of grace, for one male offspring of Eve would one day appear who would crust Satan forever. Now the disrupter had come!

This child would disrupt the social constructs of our world. In His presence, women would no longer be marginalized but elevated starting with a sixteen-year-old girl who became His mother. In His presence, the poor and the children would be given honor. In His presence, all would be invited to the table to eat and drink and learn from Him, especially those on the margins of society and those that polite society did not eat with. He would leave behind the church - His family made up of every race and color, slave and free, Jew and Gentile rich and poor who together would penetrate every corner of the world with His grace and truth.

This child would disrupt the social paradigms of power and influence. No longer would the rich and famous be those who wielded the greatest influence. No, it would be people who had no power to speak of except the power of God. Paul writes, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body" (2 Corinthians 4:7-11). 

This child would turn conventional wisdom on its head. Now the blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn for their sin, the humble would inherit the earth, those who hungered and thirsted for righteousness would be filled, the merciful would be shown mercy, the pure in heart would see God, peacemakers would be called sons of God and the persecuted would be blessed and inherit the kingdom of God. (Matthew 5). This was not the way of society but this was the way of God.

And, if you know Christ, this child would disrupt your life forever, cleansing you of sin without any work on your part, giving you purpose to join Him in His work, gifting you with His Spirit to walk with you each day, and giving you hope for the future. Empowering you to live lives that break the bondage of addiction and sin and do extraordinary things on His behalf.

As you think of Advent, give thought to all the ways that the world - and your life has been changed and disrupted by the God of the universe choosing to become one of us so that we could once again know Him. That is the craziest notion in all religious notions, yet it is exactly what happened in the incarnation.

Father, thank you for disrupting the world with your presence. A baby who was actually the king of the universe, coming incognito into a needy world and our needy life to disrupt, bring life, and forever change the equation of our lives. Amen

The Advent Series #1, Emmanuel: God with us

 

The Advent Series

December 1, 2022

Emmanuel: God with Us

 

On this first day of December, take a moment to reflect on the state of our world. The cold has settled into Ukraine where the slaughter continues. In Europe, heating bills are extraordinarily high. The economy has seen better days and in our own nation, the divides are great. In addition, each of our own families has unique challenges that concern us. This year the global population has passed the 8 billion mark, and there is famine in significant parts of our globe. Covid continues to be an issue in many countries.

There was another day when life was bleak, and hope was lost. It was in the time of the prophet Isaiah that the Lord gave this promise to Israel: Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. This was to be a sign of hope and that ancient sign predicted the coming of Christ into a lost and dark world full of needy people.

Immanuel is my favorite name for Jesus because it means “God with us.” With the coming of Christ, there would never be a time when God’s people would be alone and without Him. No matter what your situation today, God is with you and Jesus came to make that a reality. This is no small thing. The creator who had been rejected by His creation would come as one of the created and dwell among us so that we could once again know the creator.

Many of us lament the state of the world today. Or our personal circumstances. But the theologian Carl Henry made the astute observation that “the early church didn’t say, ‘Look what the world is coming to!’ They said, ‘Look what has come into the world.’” The coming of Immanuel changed everything. Now God was with us. He chose to become one of us. And at his ascension, He left Himself behind to live within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. You are not alone! We are not alone!

John put it this way in his Gospel. “The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of Grace and truth” (John 1:14). Grace to meet us in our individual brokenness and truth to lead us to a new life in Christ. No two words better describe the One who is with us: Immanuel.

I would encourage you to make this Advent season the season of Immanuel: God with us. Whatever your situation and whatever your challenges today you are not alone. He is with you. He is Immanuel.

Father, thank you for sending one to be with me. Thank you that He came full of grace and truth. Remind me often this December that behind the lights, trees, gifts, and parties is the God of the universe who came to be with us. Amen.