December 26, 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." John 2:10

Over the past several days I have been focusing on the announcement made by the angels to the shepherds that holy night. What was this "good news of great joy"? Why don't we see more joy in the church among believers?

We have recognized there should be joy in the presence of God and joy in the pardon from God and because of the peace of God though Christ. Also, you can find joy in the power of God. Christmas was impossible but impossible things happened so Jesus could be born!

How about another reason for joy?

You can take joy in the promises of God! In the events leading up to and culminating in the birth of Jesus there were 360 prophecies fulfilled. That means that 360 things that God predicted in advance were going to happen happened! And they happened exactly as they were foretold!

That incredible fact proves that God had His fingerprints all over the events that led up to the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! And the accuracy of these predictions should give us joy in knowing that the promises of God are true and reliable!

Whatever His Word promises He will do!

There is no one else you know and love who could keep his promises 100% of the time! Every person over promises and under delivers. BUT NOT GOD!

If you are facing a difficult circumstance right now and you desperately need Him to be Who His Word says He is - rejoice! Jesus is everything He promises He is and He can do and possibly has already done what ever He says. What He can do is posted in His Word. Read it, memorize it and claim it!

Find joy in praising Him that He will do what He promises to do! 

Christmas proves it!

December 25, 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." Luke 2:10

"What was it about Christmas that brought joy?" I came up with a number of answers that worked for me. We will see if they matter to you.

The first source of joy in the Christmas story is God's Presence!

God's greatest present was His presence! Jesus was "the Word that became flesh" to dwell among us! Jesus was "Immanuel", " God with us!

For centuries only the High Priest could enter presence of God and only on special occasions. But now, because of Jesus, God would realize His greatest desire and your deepest need could be met! He could dwell in you and you can live in His presence! Since that is exactly what you were created for, that brings joy!

Will you know the joy of His presence today? Will you enter in? Will you welcome Him into your spirit? Will you fellowship with Him by faith? Will you walk with Him in obedience? Will you commune with Him through prayer? Will you encounter Him in the Word? Will you partner with Him in service?

You will never know joy apart from the presence of God. And the good news of great joy is that Jesus has come to dwell in you!

Christmas brings great joy. There is the joy of His Presence. Jesus came to be "Immanuel", "God with us". Because of Christmas you can live in the presence of God! Take joy in His presence!

Also, there is joy in His pardon. Jesus redeemed us by dying to pay the penalty for your sins. "The wages of sin is death", says the Scriptures. So, the sinless Lamb of God came to take away your sins and deliver you from the guilty and shame of sin! What joy there is in being pardoned!

This morning I want to remind you of another source of joy from the Christmas story. In addition to the joy of His presence and the joy from His pardon, there is the joy of His peace!

Peace has several aspects but essentially, peace comes from being reconciled with God. That reconciliation is possible once you have been pardoned from sin. When the barrier of sin is removed and you connect with the Father through the grace of Jesus, the net result is peace!

Jesus would be the Prince of Peace because He would come to reconcile His people to God.

He would be known as the Prince of Peace because he can give a rest from the burden of your sin and the nagging bondage of living in sin. God is given the central place in your life and when He filled the God-shaped void in your life, you slowly grew in your knowledge and understanding of His peace.

There is great joy in having that peace!

And, find joy in the fact Jesus not only provided for your peace - HE IS YOUR PEACE! That is a source of great joy!

Joyous Christmas to you!

Here is another reason why the good news of Christmas brings reason for joy.

Christmas brings the joy of His presence, and the joy of His pardon, and the joy of His peace. Anyone of those is reason enough alone - but ALL of them are available to you through Christ!

Want more?

Find joy in His power!

It was the power of God that caused an elderly couple to conceive and give birth to John the Baptist, the greatest prophet ever! From their weakness came the strength of God! From their impotence sprang a miracle! His power brought Zachariah and Elizabeth great joy!

Why?

Because "nothing is impossible with God"! That is His power!

Through the power of God a virgin gave birth to the Son of God without ever knowing a man! It is impossible, but it happened! Because "nothing is impossible with God"! He has the power to accomplish everything He wishes to accomplish. And he can do it through weak human beings! Mary found exceeding joy through the power of God at work in her!

Christmas demonstrates the amazing power of God! Nothing is impossible because of His great power! And that power resides in you when you walk in Christ and His Spirit!

Perhaps you are facing some difficult challenges as you celebrate Christmas 2016. Find joy in the power of God! Take joy in the knowledge that "nothing is impossible for God"!

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 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. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12

An angel broke through the night sky in the fields near Bethlehem and announced joyous news!

This amazing night was the beginning of joy because joy has a name and it's Jesus and He was born in a manger in that Bethlehem stable. And not only was joy now possible but great joy is within your reach!

Joy began with a birth. There are few experiences in life that bring as much joy as the birth of a baby! But this birth was like one never seen before or since that glorious night because that baby boy was like no other baby ever born! Joy has a name and it is Jesus!

Do you have joy this morning?

A stable isn't a place you would normally bring a child into the world, let alone the Son of God! How could that be considered a joyous birth?

It's important to understand the nature of this joy the angels foretold.

Joy is what happens when Jesus is your Lord!

But contrary to what one of my favorite Christmas carols declares, Jesus was not "Lord at His birth". Jesus did not become Lord when they put on the swaddling cloths He became Lord when He threw off the grave cloths!

Sure, His Lordship began in a crib in a stable but it also required a cross and then a crypt. He was born to be the Lord but He had to die a brutal death on the cross and be raised from the dead to become Lord over sin and death.

And, for you to have Him become your Lord and for you to know His joy it requires a crib, a cross and a crypt for you!

The crib experience happens when you confess your sins, repent of your sinfulness and ask Jesus to be born into your heart by faith!

Have you experienced the new birth?

The crib experience must lead to a cross experience. Once God's will becomes active in your life your will must die to His will. That is the cross experience, dying to self and to your selfish nature.

When you die to your sinful self His Spirit can fill you with His Spirit - the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead!

How will you know that you have had a crib experience and a cross experience and a crypt experience? You will know because you will have His joy operating in your life!

Save The World on Christmas Eve

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. The Shepherds and the Angels 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 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, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." Luke 2:1-20

Here is your Christmas Eve eve assignment. I want you to take a couple of minutes and come up with a plan to save the world from its moral degradation. Your plan must provide a way to satisfy the penalty for all the sins of the world. Your plan must have a universal means of restoring fellowship with God. When this plan is appropriated by an sinful individual, it must be about to instantly bring life to their spirit and transform the way they think about God, their self and others. This salvation scheme of yours must assure people of eternal life and remove the guilt and shame of their sinful past. Finally, this plan must provide an inner moral strength that will allow those who claim it to resist the power of sin.

Okay, time is up! What is your plan?

That's what I thought. I don't have one either.

Thankfully, the "good news of great joy" that is Christmas unfolded God's remarkable plan!

I would have never thought of it. Neither would you!

In fact, amazing as it it, God's plan is a strange way to save the world.

Who would give the best they have to save the worst they have - at their worst?

Who would allow a holy and innocent person to assume the penalty, guilt, sin, shame and sickness of every other degenerate person is the world?

Who would put the only hope of redemption for the world in the hands of two teen-aged peasants?

Who would reduce the most powerful Child in the universe to a helpless infant? What all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise sovereign would dare to make himself that vulnerable?

Who would trust the proclamation of this incredible message into the hands of eleven weak, timid, uneducated, and unproven men?

Who, having absolute power, would choose to save the world through weakness rather than by wielding his power?

What a strange way to save the world! Who would come up with a plan like this?

I wouldn't!

Neither would you!

God did! Only He could! Only He is holy enough, wise enough, powerful enough, committed enough, and loving enough to conceive and execute such a strange AND wonderful plan!

I am SO thankful He did! This strange plan has transformed my life!

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!