December 18, 2017

"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

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!

December 17, 2017

"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

Christmas is supposed to be a season of joy. In this series of posts I am taking a closer look at this topic of joy. What is it and where does it come from?

Joy comes from God's presence. Christmas is when God came to us in the person of Christ.

Also, joy comes from God's pardon.

Jesus came to be our Savior. Savior from what? He saved us from the penalty of sin. As sinners we were spiritually dead and destined for eternal death. But Jesus, because He was without sin, took our sins upon Himself. He died for you and me.

Because He took our penalty, we can be pardoned.

It would be the equivalent of you receiving a death sentence because of a heinous crime you committed. You are arrested and tried and found guilty by a jury - because you ARE guilty. When you appear before the judge he sentences you to death and you are taken to death row. You remain there for several years until the time comes for your sentence to be carried out and you hear footsteps coming down the long hallway toward your isolated cell. Your heart quickens, a big lump develops in your throat and there is a sinking feeling in your stomach. "This is it!", you think to yourself. But, the guard opens the door and announces, "You are free to go!"

"What?", you reply.

"You are free to go. Report to the Warden and he will make sure you get your belongings."

"But........why........how?"

"The Warden's son volunteered to take your death sentence. He will die tonight in you place! Since he has taken your sentence you are free!"

As the news begins to sink into your consciousness, you feel a great sense of relief and then slowly a joy arises in you as you realize you are free! You will get to grow old! You will get to see your children grow up! You will live out your days in freedom because someone's son died in your place!

That is the pardon you receive in Jesus when you put your faith in Him. And that is why Jesus came at Christmas. He came to pay the penalty for your sins so you can be pardoned!

Joy results from God's presence and joy arises from His pardon. 

Christmas is where it all began!

December 16, 2017

for behold, I bring you good news of great joy......" Luke 2:10

Like you, I have had good news and I have had bad news and good news is definitely better! But, not all good news brings great joy. The news about Christmas did! Why?

I want to examine this "joy thing" over the next few posts and perhaps you can gain a better understanding of what the angel was talking about and why you don't experience more of it.

How does that sound?

As I meditated on this question, "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!

Grasping Infinity

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."  II Peter 3:8

I have always had a hard time trying to wrap my mind around the concept of eternity. When I was a kid I would lie in bed thinking about forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and........I would drift off to sleep. A finite mind like mine can't grasp infinity.

But I believe in it! I am counting on it! I have invested my life in the faith that there is a forever!

Just as I struggle to comprehend eternity, I wonder if Jesus must have struggled a bit when He stepped FROM eternity into the constraints and limitations of time! Imagine the One Who had measured time in millennia now had to meter it in minutes. Imagine the One Who is timeless having to learn how to tell time!

Of all the adjustments Jesus had to make when He emptied Himself of all the advantages of divinity to be born as a flesh and blood baby in a stable on planet Earth, learning to live in time must have been one of the toughest.

But one of the many amazing aspects of the Christmas story is that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" stepping out of eternity into time!

Understanding that He did that is important. Understanding why He did it is even more important. He submitted to the constraints of time so He could make it possible for you and me to enjoy the freedoms of eternity!

So, with that in mind, will you make time for Him in the midst of this busy Christmas season? Will you find time to seek Him in His Word? Will you make time to talk to Him in pray? Will you set aside time to meditate and hear His voice? It takes time to become eternal!

And the next time you feel under time pressure around the Christmas rush let it remind you that the Son of God put Himself under time pressure in order to help you last forever!

December 14, 2017

^"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.  Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation,     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” Luke 2:25-32

There is a saying, "Seeing is believing."

Christians shouldn't say that because it is not a statement of faith. For those of us who are of the Faith, "believing is seeing!" and Christmas demonstrates it!

In this portion of the Christmas story Simeon believed in the Christ Child long before he saw him! When the Spirit of God revealed to him that he would not die until he saw the Messiah with his own eyes he believed it! He began hoping for it! It energized his life, while at the same time, freeing him to die!

This is true throughout the Christmas story!

Mary believed it before she saw it. She believed it in spite of the fact that a virgin has never conceived before or after her. It became real before it really happen for Mary!

Joseph believed it before he saw it. He had some crucial decisions to make at a critical juncture of his life and he had to decide if he would base those decisions on what he saw or what he believed. He believed before he saw!

Elizabeth believed before she saw. For many years this barren woman had lived with the belief she could not bear a child. That fact had shaped her reality. Now she was confronted with the promise of a new reality. What would she believe? See chose to see herself as a mother before she became one!

Ironically, the one who seemed to have the hardest time believing without seeing was the priest - Zechariah! The man of faith seemed to have the biggest struggle with faith! He laughed at the announcement! A priest laughing at God is not a good formula. You would think faith would come easier for someone who stands in the presence of God.

You cannot contemplate the Christmas story and draw the conclusion that "seeing is believing". This marvelous miraculous narrative illustrates the principle of faith that "believing is seeing"!

Do you have to see it to believe it or do you live by faith?

Your Good News Report For The Day

"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 uncertain economy, an ever-expanding and increasingly oppressive government, and a faith 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!

December 12, 2017

"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!