December 22, 2016

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

In the heavy-duty hustle and Holiday hype it is easy to lose track of our hope during the Christmas Season! Ironically, when the angels appeared on the evening of Jesus' birth they announced good news of great joy to a world that had largely lost hope.

Throughout this Advent Season I have been commenting on the "big ideas" associated with Christmas: Love, Peace, Hope and now, Joy! It is impossible to separate these ideas from Christmas.

So, what is joy?

Could joy be the presence of love, peace, and hope in a human heart?

Certainly, it is hard to have a heart filled with love, peace and hope but not feel joy!

I hope that in your often manic quest for a memorable Christmas you won't find yourself losing your love, peace, hope or joy!

But the joy the angels proclaimed was not just joy. They proclaimed "Good news of GREAT joy!" Great joy sounds even better than joy!

The good news the angels announced is that joy has a name and the name is Jesus. And Jesus will bring more than joy He will bring GREAT joy because He will be the Savior, the Christ and the Lord!

Jesus brings joy as a Savior because only He could bear the awful penalty demanded by our sins. Only He, the Second Adam, born sinless by the miracle of the virgin birth, could be the Savior for you and for me!

Do you know Jesus as YOUR Savior?

Joy has a name and it is Jesus, the Savior!

He wasn't born as the Savior, He had to die a brutal death on a rugged to get that title.

But joy has another great  Name, Jesus the Messiah! He is the "Anointed One", the "Promised One", the "Perfect One" to reconcile God and Man! The perfect combination of God and man come as prophet, priest and king rolled up in One! As Messiah He could conquer sin for us on the Cross!

Joy has a name and it is Jesus, Messiah!

Do you know the joy of knowing Jesus your Messiah?

Joy has a third Name and it is Lord! Jesus as Lord is our Sovereign Ruler! He became Lord when He arose from the dead! Jesus wasn't Lord when they put on swaddling cloths but He became Lord when He took off His grave cloths!

Joy has a name and it is Jesus, Lord!

Do you know the joy of having Jesus as your Lord?

The good news is God has given Jesus to be your Savior, your Messiah and your Lord! Great joy comes when you receive the gift of Jesus!

Becoming Savior and Lord

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." Luke 2:11

We sing that beautiful and iconic carol, "Silent Night" and it moves us deeply as it should, because it poetically depicts the greatest story ever told!

No doubt we will sing this carol at our Christmas service this Sunday! I hope so, anyway!

But as much as I love this song, at the risk of being cast out of the temple, I must call a few of the lyrics into question.

I know, take a deep breath, and remember how much you love your pastor. Here's the question, "Was Jesus really Lord at His birth?"

Let me pose it another way, "Did Jesus become Lord when they put on the swaddling cloths OR when He took off the grave cloths?"

Think about that for a second.

"But, PB" you may protest, "The Bible quotes the angel announcing Him as 'the Lord'"!

Yes, he did! But he also announced Jesus as Savior. Was that beautiful little baby boy a Savior as He lay helpless in the straw?

If you answered, "No, not yet" you would be right! 

He was a miracle baby!

He was born sinless because He was conceived of the Holy Spirit! Therefore, He was the only One who would be able to provide the atonement for the sinners of this world.

But He didn't provide that salvation at His birth did He?

Otherwise we would have mangers in our churches and on our steeples and as the charm on our necklaces but we don't do we? No, we have crosses!

The immaculate conception and the virgin birth are essential truths in Christian doctrine that identify and qualify Jesus as the Son of God Who would and could become the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world! But it wasn't His birth that brought salvation it was His death on the cross that conquered sin.

So, Jesus became your Savior and my Savior when He died on the cruel cross to provide the atonement for sins.

To be accurate but far less sentimental the carol would go "Jesus Savior at thy death"!

So, if it is proven that Jesus wasn't Savior at His birth neither was He Lord at His birth. He became Lord at His resurrection!

As I said earlier, Jesus wasn't Lord when they put on his swaddling cloths he became Lord when HE took off His GRAVE cloths!

Was His birth miraculous?

Absolutely!

Was His birth glorious?

Absolutely!

Was He born to become Savior?

Undoubtedly!

Was He born to become Lord?

Surely!

But becoming Savior and Lord required more than just a crib! It would also require a cross and a crypt!

And for Him to become YOUR Savior and Lord you will have to have a crib experience (be born again) and a cross experience (die to self) and a crypt experience (receive the fullness of the Spirit)!

December 20, 2016

Christmas often brings with it as much stress and tension as it does hope and joy. Honestly, maybe even more.

Even as a pastor I feel pressure to find fresh ways to celebrate the birth of our Savior on the Sundays of December. It's such a significant story it's impact must be preserved from year to year.

This morning I took a fresh look at how Mary praised God when the wonder of the Christmas Angels fully settled into her spirit. It is often called "The Magnificat" but I just call it powerfully sincere worship!

Feel free to compare it with your worship this Season.

"Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly,

You’re so blessed among women,
    and the babe in your womb, also blessed!
And why am I so blessed that
    the mother of my Lord visits me?
The moment the sound of your
    greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
    skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
    believed every word would come true!

And Mary said,

I’m bursting with God-news;
    I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
    I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
    the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
    on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
    scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
    pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
    the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
    he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
    beginning with Abraham and right up to now."

Luke 1:36-55

That's what true worship looks like!

True worship is spirit-inspired, sincere and simple!

Keep this in mind as you worship during this Christmas Season!

December 19, 2016

"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." Isaiah 9:6

What would be your perfect gift? A gift that is practical, a gift that is enjoyable, a gift that is helpful, and a gift that is valuable. Is there such a gift?

I don't know about your world but in mine I usually have to choose between what I really WANT and really NEED. What I WANT is a new set of wedges for my golf club set. What I NEED is stuff like socks, underwear and pj's. Guess which I will get? I hope you have better luck!

So, is there a gift that gives you what you need as well as what you want? There most definitely is!

Where would you find such a gift?

You only have to look as far as your Christmas catalog, otherwise known as the Bible!

The perfect gift has been given by, none other than - God! Who else?

And what is that gift? Rather, WHO is that gift?

It is the gift of His Son, Jesus, the second person of the trinity.

Here are four reasons why this is the Gift that is both what you need and what you want:

First, in this complex and confusion maze called life, we need counsel and guidance. Isaiah tells us this Gift is a Wonderful Counselor! When you have this Gift you have all the wisdom, and the insight and the discernment to know which path to take, which choice to make and the fine line between what is good and what is best! WHAT A GIFT!

Second, God created us with a need for Him. In the very core of our being is a God-shaped void. Until you find that missing piece you feel incomplete. You know something is missing but may not be sure what it is. The Gift IS God! Receiving Him connects us spiritually with God and gives us a personal intimate relationship with Almighty God!

Third, this is the Gift of peace. When you receive the Counselor and the Almighty God, you have peace! When you are at peace with God you find peace with yourself spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. Finding peace with God and peace within naturally results in peaceful relationships with others. God blesses peacemakers - and He IS the peacemaker.

The Fourth and final gift of this Gift is that it's affordable! In fact, it is free! This Gift is offered at no cost to you because the price was paid by Jesus on the cross!

If you have been in search of the perfect gift, this is it! Should you be looking for a gift that is both what you WANT and what you NEED - this is that rare combination!

So, you want this Gift. You need this Gift. Why would you not receive this Gift? What is keeping you from taking it?

Or, if you have received this Gift, what is keeping you from sharing it with others?

December 17, 2016

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

Secular people go into Christmas hoping. Spiritual people go into Christmas with hope!

What's the difference?

The hoping people approach Christmas focused on what they want while people with hope rejoice in what they have!

Which are you?

People with hope have Jesus and their hope comes from Him. Hope has a name and it's name is Jesus!

The reason for hope is found in what the angel said to Mary, "For nothing is impossible with God!" Or, to put in another way, "Everything is possible with God!"

I find a lot of hope in that! 

How about you?

Heading into this Christmas celebration I am one who has hope! Here is why I have hope and how you can find hope, too!

I hope in Jesus because of creation!

John writes in His gospel, "In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God! Everything was created by Him...."

Jesus shared in the creation of the universe! At His word everything that is appeared suddenly from nothing!

How do I know that? Because it's in the Word!

Why do I believe that? Because it's in the Word AND because nothing is impossible with God!

I hope in Jesus because He came in the flesh!

When "the Word became flesh" and Jesus was born as a baby in a Bethlehem manger through the mystery of the incarnation, as many as 300 specific prophecies were fulfilled!

Because Jesus' coming filled every promise of the ancient prophets I know I can trust all of His promises! When I hope in His promises I will never be disappointed!

I can hope in Jesus promise when He says He will come again! 

I hope in Jesus because of changed lives!

Writing in his second letter to the Corinthians referred to those changed lives as "new creations"! Certainly if He created everything in the beginning He can recreate a heart that hopes in Him for salvation!

I know He can change lives because He changed, and continues to change my life! And over forty years of ministry I have watched Him change hundreds of lives!

I don't have to come into Christmas hoping but I can can in hope! I hope in Him because of His creation, because of how He came in the flesh as prophets foretold and because of how He has changed lives!

During this Season and throughout 2017 I will celebrate the hope I have in Jesus!

Hope has a name and it's name is Jesus!

Do you have that hope?

December 18, 2016

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

The angel came bringing good news!

And not just good news - good news of great joy!

That announcement presupposes that there was some bad news going on. Uh, yeah! This proclamation came to a people whose politics were bad news. They lived under Roman oppression. And their economy was bad news. They earned very little and much of what they did earn went to the Romans. There was an ultra-wealthy ruling class and a lot of really poor folks and no welfare program. Even worse, their religion was a disaster! It was oppressive, demanding, impersonal and corrupt. This was the world the average Jew lived in! And there was no hope on the horizon!

But then in a remote pasture to some lonely shepherds, hope came! Good news was announced!

As a pastor, I live in a world of bad news. Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear some bad news about someone. I have my own bad news to deal with, too. How do I cope with all the bad news? What am I to do in an ever worsening economy, an ever expanding increasingly oppressive government, and a religion that is daily attacked and minimized?

What are you to do?

Well, I am a minister of "the Gospel". What is the "Gospel"? The "Gospel" means "good news"! In a world of bad news I believe the good news! The very same good news that the angel brought to the shepherds! The good news that Christ has come! A Savior is born! The Savior died for my sins to conquer sin and rose again to conquer death! For me! For you! For everyone who believes and receives the good news!

Am I to deny the bad news? Am I to ignore it? No! I speak good news to it! I deal with bad news in the power of the good news. I live in the knowledge the the good news is more powerful and longer lasting than the bad news! The good news is more real than the bad news! The good news means more and brings more joy in light of the bad news! My hope is in the good news!

As we move into this week before Christmas and as you celebrate Christmas at your church and with your family and in your quiet time with the Lord, rejoice at the reality of the "Gospel" the good news of salvation! God has conquered sin and death and through the power of the good news living in and through you and me He is conquering evil. Rejoice that the bad news will end but the good news is eternal - and only gets better!

That is your good news report for today!

Now Faith is Confidence...

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

I've heard it said that a person can live longer without oxygen than he can without hope. Here's hoping you never have to face that dilemma.

But hope, one of the powerful benefits of the Christmas Story is essential not only for your physical existence but also for your spiritual life. Hope is vital because it is foundational to faith.

That truth becomes evident as you study the account of faith heroes in Hebrews 11. Let's examine a few of these accounts by adding the phrase "in hope" and see what it does to the Scripture:

"By faith ("in hope") Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead." Hebrews 11:4

Why did Abel offer his sacrifice in obedience to God's command? Was it because He hoped to please and honor God? Did that hope inspire his faith?

I think so!

When God wants to increase your faith He speaks hope into your spirit.

"By faith ("in hope") Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith." Hebrews 11:7

What drives a farmer to become a ship-builder who has never seen a ship, has never seen rain and doesn't really know what a flood is? It was the hope that he could save his family from destruction! He feared God's judgment and hoped in God's promise of mercy for his family. Could hope be the anti-dote for fear?

I think so!

When God wants to strengthen your faith and help you overcome your fear He speaks hope into your heart!

"By faith ("in hope) Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith ("in hope") he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations,whose architect and builder is God." Hebrews 11:8-10

What would possess someone who is living quite comfortably in his home town surrounded securely by family members suddenly pick up everything and head off into the wilderness for an unknown destination? Could have been the hope of a bigger and better life? Was it possibly the hope from a promise God spoke into Abram's spirit?

I think so!

When God wants to increase your faith He speaks hope into your spirit!

You can apply this paradigm to each faith hero throughout this moving chapter and I believe you will find it works!

Hope precedes faith!

Hope came down at Christmas!

Hope has a name and it's Jesus!