December 16, 2015

“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

Given that I am a rebellious sinner at my core, I really need God’s grace. What great news to hear that Jesus came from God “FULL OF GRACE”!

Grace is such a wonderful concept! Someone expressed it this way – GRACE = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense! Grace means that when you and I deserved judgment and justice from God instead He gave us mercy! When He should have sent the Sheriff He sent His Son! And His Son didn’t come as a social worker He came to be a sacrifice for my sins!

God’s grace means I have a choice! I don’t have to live in guilt and bondage to sin!

God’s grace means I have a chance! I get a “do over”! I get a “mulligan” in life! If I receive God’s grace by accepting the Gift of His Son as our Savior, I can live in relationship with God!

God’s grace means that if I make my choice and take the chance and I can have a change! I can change from a sinner to a son of God! I can change from an enemy of God to an ambassador for Him! I can change from death to life! I can change from being full of guilt to filled with grace!

Christmas celebrates the greatest gift ever given – the gift of grace!

Another wonderful fact about His grace is that He is “FULL OF GRACE” and yet when He offered His grace to all the world He had no less grace to give! You can receive His grace and I can receive His grace and He is still “FULL OF GRACE”!

However, just like any gift you will give this Christmas, it must be received! God was so very gracious to give this amazing gift, you must be humble enough to receive it! What a shame to let grace be given in vain.

Do you need a new choice?

Could you use another chance?

Are you ready for a change?

Take the gift!

December 15, 2015

“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 men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 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 1:1-14

Here is another amazing paradox in the Christmas story: The Creator became Christ, the creature, in order to allow you and me to be re-created in Him!

Think on that for a moment!

Before I elaborate on the significance of the “Word” becoming flesh, let me talk about what it means for you.

God, the Word, put on flesh in order to correct us – “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it”

Sin had plunged the human race into spiritual darkness. Darkness is the symbol of spiritual ignorance and sin. Light stands for God’s truth and His holiness.

Have you ever been in total darkness? Maybe you were in a cavern or in a cellar and you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face. If you can relate to that experience and how it felt, then you have a clue about your spiritual condition apart from Jesus, the Word of God,

We were so morally and spiritually lost in the darkness of sin and ignorance we did not even know we were lost. We thought God grades on a curve and we can do enough good things to earn a passing grade.

Jesus, the Word that became flesh, came to declare the truth about out lost condition. But, praise God, He proclaimed the truth in grace!

God, the Word, put on flesh to connect us – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”

Because the Word was God and because He “put on flesh and dwelt among us”, He was uniquely able to as a Holy Son to introduce us to His Heavenly Father.

That connection did not become possible just because The Word was born in a manger, but it happened because He died on a cross. In fact, the reason He was born in human flesh was so He could die on the cross to atone for our sins. His atoning sacrifice on the Cross paid the price of your adoption as a child of God.

Because the Word become flesh, the Son of God, died to pay the penalty for your sins, trusting Him to be your Savior will connect you to God by faith!

God, the Creator, was born into the world in the flesh of a creature, to make it possible for you and me to be recreated – from the inside out! Have you been made new?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” II Corinthians 5:17

December 14, 2015

"A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. The Birth of Jesus Christ." Matthew 1:1-17

Over the past decade or so there has been an increasing interest in tracing family trees. Websites like Ancestry.com have sprung up to respond to this trend.

Do you know your family history? How far back can you go in your know of relatives?

I would like to have a better grasp of my family lineage. It is interesting to know about your heritage.

While this is interesting information for us, it was essential information to the Jewish people to whom the Gospel of Matthew is addressed. That explains why it was tucked in at the beginning of the Gospel record. You and I tend to skip over this portion of the Gospel when we do our Bible reading. It holds little interest to us. But the Hebrews were big on family pedigrees. For them to accept the story of Jesus, His ancestry had to be established beyond question.

In my next couple of posts I want to share why this rather obscure group of verses should matter to you and me.

As you look through these names, there are a few celebrity names that are easily recognizable. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David are "superstars" who jump off this page. I'm sure we all have a few ancestors we point to proudly, while ignoring the weird uncles, etc.

But again, the strong message of Christmas is clear - God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things! The fact that you are familiar with most of the names should be an encouragement to you!

I am one of those ordinary people who no one has heard of. So are you! Sometimes we wonder if it is worth the sacrifices we make or the struggles we endure trying to be obedient to God and true to the faith. What difference will it make! How can I be sure it matters? No one will ever hear of me. No one will care about what it took for me to remain faithful.

This geneology testifies that it DOES matter. You have no idea who may come along in a generation or two in your family line. If you compromise your faith or sell out to selfishness, you can be sure that the blessings will cease. I would venture to guess that every person listed in this genealogy had decision points where they wondered if it was worth it. They became discouraged. They struggled with faith. They knew the loneliness of being misunderstood because of your values. BUT they remained faithful! And it mattered! Through them came a Savior!

From the Christmas Story comes the great news that faithfulness matters! It matters for individuals. It matters in families. It matters to God. He notices. He blesses. He moves in and through those people. Ordinary people in ordinary families who commit to exceptional faith make and extraordinary difference under the Hand of God.

We all know that Christmas is a family Holiday. Now you know that it REALLY is! In more ways than you imagined. God emphasized that at the very beginning of the story! Before He told the amazing story of Christmas, He told the story that made it possible!

Will you embrace that truth? 

Will you take encouragement from it? 

Will you recommit to creating a legacy of faithfulness in your family?

December 13, 2015

“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

I wanted the GI Joe Commando Kit that Christmas but I got new socks and underwear instead.

That is what happened growing up in a family with lots of kids and limited cash. Christmas usually was about getting what you needed not what you wanted. But, what kid really knows what he wants anyway – not to mention what he needs.

My mom understood that I needed to have enough underwear that I could always wear a clean pair. As you well know, it is essential to always be sporting a clean pair of undies in case you happened to be in a car accident,

Parents know better what their children need and place a higher priority on needs than wants. They are better at distinguishing wants from needs that children are. So is God! That is what Christmas is all about!

Christmas was God sending us exactly what we needed – A SAVIOR! We needed salvation and God had a Son Who would come to be our Savior.

We didn’t ask for a Savior. We thought we could save ourselves.

We didn’t know that we needed a Savior. We thought we were good enough to save ourselves. In fact, many religious people thought they already had salvation because they were born into God’s chosen people, the Jews. They foolishly believed they could keep the Commandments and earn their salvation.

What they wanted from God was credit for their “righteousness”. God sent them what they needed, the Christ! There was desperate spiritual need they couldn’t meet and God wanted to meet that need. Christmas proves how much God wanted to meet man’s need for salvation from sin.

Now that I am older and wiser I am a little better at knowing the difference between my wants and needs. I know I need salvation and I know I want Jesus as my Savior. He is the point where my need and my want join in faith. When I stopped living by what I wanted and accepted what I needed, I got them both in Him!

Have you acknowledged your need of salvation? Have you confessed that you are a sinner and you need to be saved? Do you know for sure that if you were to die before you finish reading this article that you would immediately find yourself in Heaven? If you are not sure, do you want to be?

You need to be!

December 12, 2015

"Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” Luke 1:18-20

“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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month." Luke 1:34-36

Have you ever noticed how most people find it easier to believe bad news than to believe good news?

When Zachariah and Mary were presented with some of the best news ever shared, they questioned it. Understandable - but not acceptable.

However, it is encouraging to notice how Gabriel responded in each case. He gave them evidence! And I believe he did so because he understood that they wanted to believe but they weren't used to such good news! so, he helped them!

In Zachariah's case, he struck him dumb, so he could not speak. At first glance it looked like a judgment, but I believe it was evidence. I think it was for Zachariah's benefit. How better to believe a supernatural report than to see something supernatural happen?

For Mary, the angel gave her two proofs, a longer-term proof - pregnancy; and a shorter term proof - her formerly barren cousin, Elizabeth's pregnancy.

Here's the good news I get from both of these examples, God not only asks to have faith, He gives it to us! When He knows we really want to believe He will give us evidence to believe. I like that! I need that!

Now on my part, I need to work on my faith until I find it easier to believe good news from God, from His Word, and by His Spirit. I must condition my faith to expect good things from the Hand of God and to know that He will also turn the bad news into good in His time! That is my part! But I can even count on His grace to help me there! And I can condition my heart and mind and spirit by saturating them in the Word of God.

So this is the good news of Christmas - for those who believe and those who are wanting to believe more - there really is only good news! There is immediate good news and there is ultimate good news! 

That is the God we serve! Christmas is the evidence!

December 11, 2015

Has your “expecter” expired? Have you have been disappointed by God? Are you got tired of praying and believing without seeing an answer? Are you tired of expecting little – and getting it? Would you like to expect big things?

“Expecters” are powerful because expectations are powerful. Expectation and faith are “kissin’ cousins” and faith is powerful. Faith is expecting God to be Who He says He is and to do what He says He will do.

The challenge of faith is to keep your “expecter” expecting.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is an example of someone who had a good “expecter”. What if Mary would have had the same mindset that Leah and Lydia had? But she didn’t! She believed God!

Even though nothing had happened in Bethlehem it didn’t keep Mary from believing it could! Rather than believe what she had seen she chose to believe what God said, “Nothing is impossible with God!”

Here’s the story:

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob 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 upon 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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:26-38

So, what can you do if your “expecter” is expired? How do you inspire your expired expector?

What you have to do is develop a “Mary mindset”. You need to have the same expectations of God that she had.

We have two very different mind-sets on display here! One mind-set says:

“NOTHING EVER HAPPENS HERE”

The other mind-set says:

“NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD”

Could it be possible that nothing ever happens here (where you are) is because nothing is happening here (in your head) or here (pointing to heart)?

Last week I talked about a “Joseph Heart” – being willing to do whatever God asks you to do, be willing to not do want you want to do and be willing to get no credit.

When you develop a “Joseph Heart” that is one of the things that must happen here (your heart). This morning I want to talk about what needs to happen here (point to head) and that is a “Mary mind-set”.

How do I inspire my “expired expecter”? How do I get a “Mary mind-set”? How can I get to where I believe that something CAN happen where you are?

LEARN FROM MARY:

1) MARY EXPECTED GOD TO BE BIG AND POWERFUL
2) MARY EXPECTED GO TO DO BIG AND POWERFUL THINGS
3) MARY EXPECTED GOD TO USE HER IN BIG AND POWERFUL WAYS
4) GOD EXPECTED MARY TO BE USABLE

BIG THINGS HAPPENED IN BETHLEHEM BECAUSE THINGS HAPPENED HERE (POINT TO HEART) AND HERE (POINT TO HEAD) FOR MARY AND JOSEPH.

WHEN YOU HAVE A JOSEPH HEART AND A MARY MIND-SET YOU WILL SEE SOME MIRACLE MOMENTS HAPPEN WHERE YOU ARE.

IS YOUR “EXPECTER EXPIRED”?

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN YOUR HEART?

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN YOUR MIND?

December 10, 2015

"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 2:5-8

Christmas was driven by love.

In these three incredible verses Paul reveals the motive of why Jesus gave up His exalted position and all the privileges of being God and did some serious down-sizing to become flesh and blood. He stepped out of eternity and into time. He came from a serene and secure paradise to a sinful, selfish and savage world.

What would possess Him to do such a thing?

LOVE! No other explanation makes sense.

Not only was Christmas driven by love but it defines love.

Love begins with an attitude - "have the same mindset as Christ". No one loves accidentally. No one loves naturally. Love is a decision. You and I love because we choose to love. Even Jesus, Who was God - and God IS love - had to set His mind on leaving Heaven.

Love becomes an action - "He made Himself nothing". Love has to be more than a thought or a feeling. Love has to be demonstrated with corresponding actions. Love seeks! Love serves! Love sacrifices! The Bible says that God loves us BUT Christmas showed it!

Love bought atonement - "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross"

Love properly expressed results in life-change. Real love is transformational! It changes the heart, it changes the head and it changes the habits. Loving like Jesus loved changed the world! When you receive His love it changes you - it helps you love yourself. Loving yourself enables you to live for God and love others. Paul begins this portion of Scripture by commanding us to love like this in ALL of our relationships!

What drives your life? What defines your life? 

What difference does your life make?

Christmas demands an answer! Christmas holds you accountable to love! Christ took away all the excuses!