December 16, 2018

"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 ever worsening economy, an ever expanding increasingly oppressive government, and a religion 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 15, 2018

"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!

The Relationship of Relationships with Christmas

"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

Everyone who has ever struggled in a relationship should be thankful for Christmas!

I guess that would include about all of us! I know people who do relationships better than others but I don't know anyone who hasn't struggled with a spouse or a parent or a sibling or a co-worker or a neighbor or someone!

There is a simple reason why we struggle with relationships - SIN! That's right, sin! Sin, as in selfishness. Sin as in self-seeking! Sin as in selfish ambition. When sin rules in your heart and mind, you are a user not a lover. When sin rules in your heart and mind, you are separated from God and God is love. Sin not only brings separation it brings isolation, it brings alienation, it brings humiliation, it brings degradation, and it brings complications.

Christmas reminds us of how much God desires to be in relationship with you and me! He literally moved Heaven and earth to remove the barriers that separated us and Him. I'm not sure any of us will ever understand why He loves us that much, but the "good news of great joy" is that He does love us and Christmas proves it.

There has never been a great or more damaging relationship breech than the one that separated God and man. Only God could bridge that gap and Jesus became that bridge! Because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit He was born sinless and lived His life in perfect obedience. That allowed Him to bear the guilt and penalty of our sins!

Relationship with God is now possible through Christ! Once you enter into relationship with God, healthy relationships with others becomes possible!

As Christmas 2018 draws near, is there a relationship or two that needs some healing? I understand it takes two to heal a relationship (actually it takes three), but with God's help and with Christ's example, you can begin the healing! If Christmas can bridge the gap between God and you, is there any relationship that can't be healed?

Christmas says, "No!" 

What will you say?

Christmas Love

"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

I am having trouble getting my mind around this Scripture. This is pretty radical stuff! On one hand it sends a comforting message of how much God loves us, but it also confronts us with our responsibility to love each other like Christ loved us! What Christ demonstrated at Christmas must be how we love each other year-round!

Let's examine that love again today.

The first thing I notice is that Christmas love sees the needs of others.

Romans 5:8 tells us, "God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us!" 

Wow! God provided for our need before we were even aware we had a need! He provided a solution before we even understood the problem!

How attuned are you to the needs of others? Are you too consumed with your own problems and pains that you become oblivious to the plight of others? Christmas love sees the needs of others and seeks to ways to minister to those needs. Christmas love is not selfish.

Can you imagine a church fellowship where each member saw the needs of others and stood ready to help? What a radical place that would be!

Christmas love also serves the needs of others. Jesus wasn't simply an observer that saw rhe needs from the security of Heaven and waited for someone else to do something. Christ, the omnipotent sovereign Son of God, shed all His power and privileges to become a servant! He surrendered control and became vulnerable so He could serve a needy race! Christmas love is humble in order to be helpful.

How about you? Are you willing to humble yourself to serve someone else? Are you willing to give up control and allow yourself to be vulnerable if it means meeting the needs of others? Can you be weak to strengthen someone else?

Imagine a fellowship like that! What a radical place that would be! Why can't there be a place where members see each others needs and step up (or down) to serve those needs?

Also, Christmas love sacrifices for the needs of others. This may be the most radical of all because it usually involves death. For Jesus, the sacrifice didn't begin at the cross. It because at the throne of His Father in the most exalted place in Heaven! Everything we dream about and desire, Jesus had - and He laid them down! He saw our needs and judged our crisis to be more urgent than His own comfort. Christmas love willingly traded Paradise for pain. How can God die? BECAUSE HE WANTED TO!

What have you sacrificed for someone else? It is nice to see a need and feel compassion. But Christmas love sees the need, serves the need and sacrifices what ever it takes to solve the need. Love is hard work! Love is costly! Love hurts! You can't love safely and conveniently - you must love sacrificially!

I dream of a fellowship where Christmas love is a reality. Why can't we love until it hurts? Why can't we die to serve others? Didn't Jesus call us to "deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him"? What if there was a group of believers who actually decided to be that radical!

Christmas love will cost you, but Christmas love will change you - and everyone around you! Christmas love could create a contagious fellowship! It could be Christmas in July - and August, and September and...........