December 10, 2016

"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 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. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12

Love has a Name and it's Jesus!

His coming as God in the flesh of a man was the ultimate act of love that gave us significance, security and satisfaction in the deep places of our lives!

Do you know that love?

Have you come to know Jesus as your Savior?

If not, why not?

All you have to do is receive His gift by confessing your sins and receiving His gift of forgiveness and eternal life!

Peace has a Name and it's Jesus!

When Jesus came as Savior, Messiah and Lord He came with the ability to help you find peace with your past, your present and the prospects of your future!

Peace is another gift that comes with the gift of salvation!

God not only promises peace He promises "perfect peace"!

"You (God) will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." Isaiah 26:3

When you trust your past to God's mercy and grace you will have peace! When you trust your present to God's powerful presence you will have peace! Not just peace is possible but perfect peace!

And there's more!

If Jesus is your Savior, your Messiah and your Lord you can have a peace about your prospects of the days ahead! The Jesus Who helps you make peace with your past, and Who speaks peace to you presently will also put you at peace about your future! And not just peace but perfect peace!

Christmas brought the gift of peace! And each Christmas Season gives us a reminder that peace is possible for those who do not yet know that peace.

Peace has a name and it's Jesus!

Do you struggle with guilt and regret over your past? You can have peace with your past when you know Jesus as your Savior!

Are you troubled by a lack of peace in your life today? You can have a present peace when you know Jesus as your Messiah!

Do fears of your future practically paralyze you? You can have a perfect peace about your future when Jesus is your Lord!

Peace and love have a name and it's Jesus!

Peace Has A Name

"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

Peace has a name and it's Jesus!

Isaiah called Jesus the "Prince of Peace" hundreds of years before He was born. And, indeed, that is what He became!

What does it mean that Jesus is the "Prince of Peace"?

How does He give peace?

What is the peace He gives?

First, it is peace with your past and peace from your past!

As Paul said to the Romans, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

The idea of sin Paul is referencing in this verse is that sin is a "missing the mark" of perfection and holiness Jesus demonstrated for us.

I have sinned and fallen short of the mark in my past. So have you.

I have done things I am sorry for and ashamed of. So have you.

I have been troubled over regrets of past sins. I'm sure you have too.

But then, I believed in Jesus and trusted Him to be my Savior. When I received Him as my Savior I received His forgiveness from my sinful past. Through the shedding of His blood on the cross Jesus atoned for my sins. On the cross Jesus took the guilt and of my sins upon Himself so that I could be forgiven and freed from my past!

There is a Prince of Peace Who frees me from my shameful past and His Name is Jesus!

Second, the Prince of Peace helps me win my struggles with sin in the present.

I don't know about you but for me sin and temptation can be a daily battle. When I face these battles I want to win them. I don't want to be overcome by sin and guilt. I don't want to have the spiritual peace I enjoy to be stolen by my sin.

Thankfully, there is a Prince of Peace Who helps strengthen me in my battles against sin! His Name is Jesus!

He can help you, too!

The Prince of Peace can give me peace with my past and peace in my present struggles, but third, He can give me a peace with my prospects!

Fears over the future can rob me of my peace. 

Have you ever worried about your future?

I have.

The best way I have found to calm my fears about my future is to focus on His many promises that assure He is in control of the circumstances that will shape my future. I can rest confidently that as He has been faithful in my past and helpful in my present He will keep me in peace about my future.

Peace has a name and it's Jesus. Jesus is the Prince of Peace!

The Prince of peace has given me peace with my past, peace with my present and peace regarding my prospects in the future!

Do you that peace?

Are you at peace with your past?

Are you enjoying peace presently?

Are you at peace with the prospects of your future?

Is the Prince of Peace your Savior?

December 8, 2016

"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 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. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths 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 heaven,  and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:8-14

The Beatles sang about it.

Nearly every beauty pageant contestant talks about it.

The shepherds were interested in it and the angels announced it.

What is IT?

World peace, or as the angels put it, "peace on earth".

So, if Jesus came to bring it why don't we have it?

The short answer is this, "Peace doesn't come to planets it comes to people and it comes from a Person." 

This Person that peace comes from is named Jesus, the One the angels announced as "The Savior" and "The Messiah" or "The Lord".

Why three names for one person?

I think the three names give us some insights into the origins of securing peace.

Peace is found in the Savior! 

Jesus becomes your Savior only after you have been saved! Saved from what? Saved from your sinful selfish rebellious destructive human nature! By surrendering to Jesus as your source of peace He can begin to calm the war within your soul.

Peace is found in the Messiah!

As the "Messiah", Jesus was the One anointed by God to be the Deliver of His people. 

Deliverer from what? From sin! From rebellion! From alienation and self-destruction! From guilt! From shame! From the fear of judgment!

Deliverer to what? To peace with God! To peace within!

Peace is found in the Lord!

A lord is one who owns, possesses, holds absolute authority over another. A lord is one who is served by those under his authority.

When you recognize Jesus as your Lord you are declaring absolute surrender. What does absolute surrender do? It ends a war! What does the end of a war bring? It brings peace! The enemy is conquered and the lord reigns!

Peace can't be realized by writing it into song lyrics.

Peace can't be won by winning a beauty pageant.

Peace was won by a Person! That Person is Jesus! Jesus was God born into flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit to win the battle over sin and death and give peace a chance!

Peace has a Name and it's Jesus!

Know Jesus, know peace!

No Jesus, no peace!

Love & Christmas

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heave and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:13-14

Love and Christmas are inseparable. It is the power of Christmas that brings significance, and security and satisfaction. I have found that love and experience those blessings.

Have you?

Love has a name and it's Jesus!

Just as love is bound up in Christmas so is peace. The prophet Isaiah foretold of the coming of God's Prince of Peace and for centuries the faithful waited and watched.

And then in the most unexpected way in the least expected place at a completely surprising time, the angels announced it to the shepherds, "Peace on earth was possible because peace was born into the world and Jesus was His name!"

But Brad, there was no peace! 

Herod dogged Jesus as a child wanting to kill Him. Joseph and Mary had to flee to Egypt in the middle of the night to find some freedom and safety.

John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod.

Jesus was eventually arrested, brutally beaten, mocked and then savagely nailed to a Roman cross.

All of His disciples except one were arrested, imprisoned and killed in horrible ways.

Christians all across the vast Roman Empire were hunted down like animals, persecuted, tortured and put to death in unspeakable ways.

So, what was actually accomplished by this Prince of Peace? What was worthy of celebrating with these Heavenly Host?

Jesus didn't come to cause the world in peace. Jesus came so His peace could live in me and in you. Peace is being right with God! Peace is having your sins forgiven and delivered from the power of sin. Jesus came to make forgiveness possible! Jesus came to bring Heaven within reach!

Jesus came not to make peace automatic but His coming, His inspired teaching, His sacrificial death and His miraculous resurrection from the dead made peace available to all who will believe in Him!

Peace doesn't protect you from the stresses, pressures, pain, battles, and opposition from those who hate God and despise you. But peace can keep you strong and secure in the middle of those difficult days!

Peace is possible!

Peace is in a Person!

Peace has a name and it's JESUS!

December 6, 2016

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in 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! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,"  Philippians 2:5-9

Christmas could also have been called "Christ-yes."

What do I mean by that?

I mean that Christmas could not have happened without several willing "yeses". Over the next few posts I am going to show you what I mean.

The first "yes" was out of this world! It had to come from Heaven because the first one Who had to say "yes" was Jesus, the Son of God.

Our Scripture text assures us that He did.

When Jesus said, "Yes" to Christmas, He was saying "no" to all the safety, security, and splendor of Heaven.

When Jesus said, "Yes" to Christmas it meant saying "no" to eternity and stepping into the restrictions and limits of time.

When Jesus said, "Yes" to Christmas he also said "no" to the power, the privilege and the paradise of Heaven.

When Jesus said, "Yes" to Christmas in order to come as God's gift to the world, it meant He had to give up everything that was special or advantageous about being equal to God.

When Jesus said, "Yes" to Christmas He was saying "no" to the peace of Heaven and facing the pain of an evil planet filled with wicked people.

Christmas was not an easy "yes" for Jesus. It required saying "no" to some pretty precious privileges. Christmas would be no holiday for Jesus. He would leave all that was holy, and familiar and deserved, to live among sin and strangers and sacrifice.

Christmas was actually Christ-yes. It could not have happened unless several people were willing to "yes" to God and "no" to all that was comfortable or convenient to them. The first among that group was none other than Jesus Christ Himself!

In view of all the hard things that Christ said, "Yes" to for you,  where do you need to say "yes" to Him?

December 5, 2016

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

How would it impact your job if you were never at your best? How far would your worst get you on a regular basis?

What would it do for your relationships if you always showed your worst side?

How would you feel about your worst moments? What if you judged yourself only by your really bad moments? How would that affect your self-esteem?

What would you get for Christmas if Santa made your list based on only your worst days?

Give those some thought and I doubt if your answers will be positive.

As you think about what results from your worst efforts and poorest attitudes in life, let me brighten your day a bit!

There is good news of great joy from the reality of Christmas! As this verse from Romans reminds us, God's response to man's worse was giving His best!

Who does that? Who would give his very best for people who are doing their very worst? Who would send the best they have to redeem those who have already seemingly wrecked their his dream? Who would do that?

Other than God - no one! But God did!

From the moment that Adam exercised his will against God and activated the sinful nature in the human race, God announced His plan to redeem the race. The only way that God could restore a fallen race and rescue it from its worst self was to send His very best!

That is exactly what He did!

Did we request it? No, we were clueless.

Did we deserve it? Not even close.

Did we need it? Absolutely! It was our only hope.

Why would He do it? Ah, that's the good news of Christmas!

It is called unconditional love! It is called grace! It is free - but it is not cheap. It cost God His best for a people at their worst!

Joy, to the world, the Lord has come!

December 4, 2016

Really Bad Baby Gifts:

1) A Cactus

2) English Leather Cologne And After Shave Combo

3) A Reversible Electric Power Drill

4) A 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

5) A Pit Bull

6) A Craftsman Tool Kit

7) Velcro Sheets

8) A Sonic Toothbrush

9) A Bowling Ball

10) Soap On A Rope

Now, let me tell you about the best baby gift ever! The most perfect baby gift ever was A PERFECT BABY!

This perfect Gift was motivated by a perfect love!

God, the Perfect Father sent the Perfect Baby Gift – HIS SON, JESUS!

God GAVE His Baby In Order to SAVE Your Baby!

That is the exciting news of Christmas! That is the “good news of great joy” announced by the Angels to the shepherds on that first Christmas!

It is why Christmas is such a favorite Holiday – because it celebrates that glorious truth that never grows old – God sent His Baby so that your baby can someday go to see Him!

This is especially significant in light of what we have done this morning – dedicating your babies back to the God Who gave His Baby!

Here is how it is announced in the Bible:

“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.” Isaiah 9:6-7

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:30-35

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.The Word became flesh and made his dwelling 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 1-4, 14

The reason I still excited about Christmas after all these years is because of the PERFECT BABY GIFT that God gave you and me – the gift of a Savior!

WHAT DEFINES A PERFECT BABY GIFT?

Who Gave the Gift?

The more significant the giver of the gift then the more significant the gift will be. When the giver is precious to you the gift they give will be as well!

The Perfect Baby gift was given by God - the Giver of all good gifts.

How Much Did It Cost?

While you never know exactly how much a person pays for a gift because they take the prince tag off and it would be very tacky to ask, but most people know a costly gift from a less expensive one. When someone who could afford to purchase an expensive gift gives a cheap gift, it can bother you.

God's Perfect Baby gift caused Him everything! He is the most expensive gift every given!

The Thought Behind The Gift

When a gift is so special or unique it shows a good deal of thoughtfulness, that makes it extra special as opposed to someone who knew you were expecting a boy and gives you a pink dress.

God thought of us before we were ever created - that's why we were created. And, while we were still sinners the Bible says that God sent His Son to die for you and me.

How Long Will The Gift Last!

A good gift will not be too small to wear or so poorly constructed that it falls apart, but will be the right size and the best quality.

This Perfect Baby gift not only lasts forever but will allow you and I to last forever.

How Appropriate To The Need?

A good baby gift will meet a need that will make life easier for the mother and the newborn.

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior."

CHRISTMAS MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WE NEEDED A SAVIOR AND GOD GAVE HIS CHILD TO SAVE YOUR CHILD – AND YOU!

Can you imagine how much God loves YOU to send His Son?! HE LOVES YOU AS MUCH AS HE LOVES HIS SON!

Here is what it looks like – watch!

http://youtu.be/GhkpxpjHIRg

Christmas means God sent the PERFECT BABY GIFT – He Gave His Child To Save Your Child!

A Gift Like That Should Be Received Gladly! How Could You Refuse It?

What other plan do you have for your salvation?