December 1, 2011

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

I am a proud alumnus of Indiana Wesleyan University (in a humble sort of way). IWU has been a leader in distance learning – that is, via extension centers and the Internet. That concept allows people to get a good college education without the high cost and without actually going to Marion, IN.

Not only is this less expensive it fits our human nature. It is our nature to know as much as we can with as little effort and sacrifice as possible. I am not being critical, if I could have gotten a college degree without actually going to college and studying and paying off student loans for ten years I would have taken it in a heartbeat!

You would, too!

Knowledge is power and to have more knowledge without working for it or paying for it is an irresistible idea. Who could pass on that deal?

God did!

What?

Re-read these verses!

Another awesome amazing truth about Christmas is that God, Who knows everything that there is to know and possesses all power, did not settle for long distance learning in regard to the human experience.

Rather than cling to power, He relinquished it.

Instead, of resting in knowledge, He released it.

Unlike you and I, who do our best to avoid pain and suffering and death, He embraced it!

WHY?

This text tells us:

1) So He can completely identify with us!

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are”

 2) So He can compassionately intercede for us!

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God”

One of the primary responsibilities of a High Priest is to represent his people before God and God before his people.

3) So we can confidently interact with Him!

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

God did not settle for knowing you from a distance, He sent Jesus to get personally involved in the pain and passion of your human experience! Christmas means God’s Son got up close and personal with your human experience! He desired to know you more intimately so you may know Him more intimately!

That’s AMAZING news! “Good tidings of great joy” as the angels proclaimed!

Why would you settle to know God at a distance when you can know Him personally? Why would you cling to your illusions of power when you can be intimately connected with the God of the universe?

November 30, 2011

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” Matthew 1:24

“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt” Matthew 2:13-14

“After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.” Matthew 2:19-21

Meditating on the Christmas story the other day a thought occurred to me, “I had trouble trusting my teen-agers with the car, but God trusted two teen-agers with the Christ!”

From everything we know about Mary and Joseph, that is what they were – teen-agers!

Once I got my mind around that I began to ponder why they were so trustworthy when mine weren’t.

My teens were immature – so were they.

My teens were inexperienced – so were they.

My teens were impulsive – they may have been.

Let me focus on the obvious and most significant difference – obedience. God could trust Joseph and Mary.

The proof is in these three verses chosen from the first few chapters of Matthew. In each of these verses Joseph obeyed God IMMEDIATELY.

That will build a little trust!

When I saw God trusting teens with the birth and care of the Savior I began to comprehend the power and potential of obedience. Wow!

After I got a grasp on that I begin to wonder what could happen in my life if I would become more obedient – instantly obedient.

What about you? How is your obedience?

God used two obedient teens to change the course of human history, not to mention the possibilities for eternity!

Our world may be only a few “obediences” away from a dramatic improvement. If only God could trust us!

November 29. 2011

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons." Galatians 4:4-5

Christmas happened at the perfect time and Christmas means that God's time is always perfect! God is always on time! He has never been late!

I am sure you have wondered about His timing. His timing is almost always different from ours.

Probably Joseph and Mary questioned God's timing. His plan sure messed up theirs. You know that nice big wedding they were planning? It never happened because God's timing was different than theirs.

And remember that census thing when they they had to go all the way to Bethlehem for Joseph to register? Bad timing! Mary was extremely pregnant when that all happened. They had to pack up their bags and hop on a donkey and ride over bumpy roads through rugged terrain. Not a comfortable trip under normal circumstances but REALLY bad when you are nine months pregnant. Terrible timing!

Mary and Joseph were not the only ones traveling to Bethlehem for the census, but they did come far and they did travel slolwy. So, when they got to this small town with limited lodging they arrived at a bad time - after everyone else! By the time they went to check in to the inn they where left out of the inn because the inn was out of rooms! Not good timing.

The timing was terrible for Mary and Joseph! There is no two ways about it! God's plan for these two teens was not timed for their comfort or convenience. Were you to have pulled them aside for a moment and asked them, "Hey, guys, what do you think of God's timing?" I am sure they would have been hard pressed to give you a positive answer about God's timing.

But, the important fact is this, they obeyed God! If they questioned His timing they didn't doubt His purpose. They understood that even though God's plans messed up the timing of their plans and caused them terrible stress, they knew there is never a good time to disobey God. That time never comes!

The writer of the Epistle to the Galatians acknowledges that God's timing was the perfect when He sent His Son to save the world. Christmas proves that God's timing is always right. Mary and Joseph had trouble seeing it then, but they know it now!

Are you struggling with God's timing in your life? Have you been waiting for Him to do something that seems overdue? Are you way past impatient and bordering on doubtful? Let me point you to the Christmas story to remind you - GOD IS ALWAYS ON TIME!

Christmas proves it!

November 28, 2011

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him 'Immanuel' which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

There is so much good news that surrounds the Christmas story! It tells us a lot of good things about God and how much He loves us.

In two separate accounts about the coming of Christ the good news is revealed regarding God's desire to be with us. He was to reveal Himself to us. He wants to be known by us. He wants to fellowship with us. Amazing isn't it?

We have always known that God is for us. He created us! The Old Testament is filled with the news that God is for us. It it rife with demonstrations of His power and might on our behalf. There is no way you can read the Old Testament and not conclude that God is for us.

If there is someone you want to be for you it is most certainly God!

The wonder of the Christmas story is how a God Who is for us came to be with us. It happened in a most amazing and wonderfully peculiar way! Only the mind of God could conjur such a perfect plan! All the Gods of the pagans demanded that their adherents somehow measure up to their status. But our God, the true God of the universe, humbled Himself and condescended to us!

More amazing than the fact that He did it is how He did it. God called a teen-aged virgin to be the mother of His Son. This child would have to be conceived by the Holy Spirit so He could be born sinless. Why sinless? Because only a sinless Son could become an atoning sacrifice for sin. Perfect!

God, through the mystery of the incarnation, came to be with us because He was for us!

But the news is even better! The God Who is FOR us came to be WITH us because He wants to be IN us!

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"  John 1:12

God's desire is for us to receive Him through faith in Jesus so He can fill us with His Spirit and transform our heart and mind. He wants us to deliver us from our spiritual death and darkness and lead us into His life and light! When He does that He tranforms our mind and gives us eternal life.

So here is the wonderful news of the Christmas miracle, the God Who was FOR us, came to be WITH us, so He could be IN us - because He wants us to be WITH Him for eternity!

Christmas is "Immanuel" - God with us! That changes everything! Will you let Him change you?

November 27, 2011

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" Genesis 3:8-9

"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46

Here are three of the most tragic verses in the entire Bible. They are tragic because they speak of broken relationship. Pain oozes from these words. Loved one who desire to be in fellowship have found that their fellowship has been severed.

It is painful to be separated from someone you love and desire to be with but there is a barrier preventing that from happening. You want to be with them but you can't.

I remember when my parents were divorced. I was just a very young child but I remember missing my dad after he left and wishing I could be with him. But then, when I went to be with him I would miss my mother. I was grieved that I couldn't be with them both. I often fantasized about how great it would be to have my parents together. So my childhood was haunted by this empty feeling of broken fellowship.

Many of you know what I am talking about.

God knows what I am talking about. So does Jesus. They both knew the heartache of being separated or alienated form the one you love.

Every morning since Adam had been created He and God had walked hand in hand, face-to-face in the beautiful Garden known as Eden. Obviously, Adam enjoyed it (who wouldn't!) but amazingly, God looked forward to it as well. Think about that - God wanting to fellowship with you!

But one sad and fateful morning God came to the appointed place at the regular time - but no Adam - nowhere. So God calls out, "Adam! Where are you?"

Heart-breaking isn't it?

Want some good news?

God wanted to be with us and have fellowship with us far more than we wanted to be with Him! Yes, He did! And so God did something to repair the breech, to redeem our race, and to restore the fellowship.

"But God commended His love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us."

God loves us that much? Yes! And it would cost Him one more painful separation. He would have to send His Son to earth, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a woman, to become a sinless sacrifice for the sins of mankind. That meant Jesus leaving Heaven.

Because Jesus took our sins upon Himself and died on the cross as a sinner, God had to turn away from His Son. For the first time in all of eternity Father and Son were separated. It was the only way that Jesus, the second Adam, could undo the damage of the first Adam.

That is the amazing, joyous news of Christmas! God bore the pain of separation so that we would never again have to be alienated from Him!

November 26, 2011

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

I don't have to think very long to identify reasons to be thankful. I can't even list all of them.

This week-end after Thanksgiving I am thankful that one of my bad days is still more blessed than many peoples' good days.

What a faith! What a God! What a way to live!

How can I say that? Because it is fact! James verifies it in the first few verses of his letter to the believers.

If you were writing a letter to bless and encourage struggling Christians how would you begin that letter? I am not sure I would begin it by reminding them of their sufferings but James did. And it makes sense when we think about it.

These are some of the very first believers. This Christian faith is a brand new phenomenon. They have seen the signs and wonders. They have experienced the freedom and the fellowship. All the wonderful benefits that have come from receiving Christ and joining these Christians almost seemed too good to be true. How long can this last? What am I missing here?

Now they are facing the pressures of persecution. Some of their beloved leaders have been jailed. It is risky to identify yourself as a Christ follower. Public worship is becoming a thing of the past. The heat is being turned up on every hand. BUT through these trials and tribulations they have discovered something very significant - THEIR FAITH WORKS! Everything is true! God is real! Suffering as a Christian is better than prospering as a pagan! What would have destroyed them before they believed now develops them!

What sort of faith is this! What an incredible God! What a blessing to have a faith that works! What a joy to know the truth - because the truth is in the Truth. Pain now has a purpose! Suffering now has significance! Heartache now helps me understand the heart of God!

Can I count it joy when I suffer? What sort of notion is that? Is that healthy? Is it a delusion?

No! It is the blessing we have as Christ-followers! It is real! It is His reality! "All things really DO work together for the good of those who love Him....."!

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I thank God that because He is so good and so strong and so holy that living for Him and with Him makes my worst day make sense!

How about you?

November 24, 2011

“1Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! 2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. 10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:1-13

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

The Apostle Paul wrote to this group of Christians while he was in prison and while they were facing some challenges and instructs them to be thankful and rejoicing!

How could they do that in the face of all they needed? These where tough times and they are supposed to rejoice? How?

Simple! He calls their attention to several things they CAN do! Be thankful for those things that you can do in Christ!

Paul says:

You CAN Get Along With Others!

“ I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Verses 2-3

Sometimes good people disagree. Sometimes feelings get hurt. But rather than be a pouter – be a peacemaker. You CAN get along with others in the strength God has given you!

You CAN Rejoice!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” V. 4

How can you rejoice always? Be “in” the Lord! Paul’s admonition is to rejoice “in the Lord”!

You CAN Have Peace!

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Vv. 5-7

When you are tempted by anxiety – pray! When you feel worried – pray and give thanks! Put God in charge of your life and then you can let Him take control of your troubles!

You CAN Think Right!

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” V. 8

You can’t feel right or act right or be right if you will not think right! To think right, think on right things! Simple refuse to entertain wrong or negative thoughts!

You CAN Be Content!

“ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Vv. 9-12

Doesn’t it make sense that when you begin focusing on what you love rather than on what you lack you will find yourself feeling more positive – more content?

Today be thankful for ALL the things you CAN do! And you can do them because you have the strength and presence of Christ!

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”