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