I'm delighted to share the following New Year's Message with you! May it challenge you to unprecedented growth in your Life with Jesus. I'd like to take credit for the entire message, but confess up front that it is paraphrased from an article written by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson many years ago.
"I never make New Year's Resolutions anymore," the man told me, "I never keep them, anyway." I can remember all too many resolutions I've made and let slip away, too. But I believe New Year's resolutions are worth making. Let me tell you why.
First, we all need changes. Some we find very hard to admit to ourselves. I've heard people who say, "I have no regrets about my life. If I had it to do over, I'd do it the same way again." But that attitude is way too blind and self-serving so far as I'm concerned. There is great power in confession--to ourselves, to God, to others. Owning up to our failures is the first, painful step on the road to something better.
Second, when we change calendars is a good time for reassessment. How did last year go? What do I want to do differently this year? This time of year always reminds me of a passage of scripture, better understood by farmers than suburbanites: "Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among thorns" (Jer 4:3). It makes sense. The more land you put into production, the more prosperous you'll be. But some of us are stupid enough to try to sow seeds in land overrun by star thistle without breaking up the soil and taking care to root out the thorns as they come up. Call it laziness. Call it stupidity. What percentage of your life is producing something of value to God? How much "unplowed ground" do you have that ought to be broken up in this coming year and made useful? Reassessment. The brink of a new year is a good time for reassessment.
Third, New Year's is an excellent time for mid-course corrections. Sure, we might fail in what we set out to do, but if we fail to plan, the old saw goes, then we plan to fail. If you're so fearful of failure that you never set up your row of tin cans to shoot at, you're not very likely to hit any at all. Failure is not the end. For the person who determines to learn from it, failure is a friend. One of my heroes in the Bible is the Apostle Paul. Talk about failure! Throughout his life he was opposed, persecuted, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, deserted by trusted co-workers, slandered, and scorned. Sometimes it seemed that projects to which he had devoted years were turning to dust before his eyes. But from one of his stints in prison, we can see an unwillingness to quit. "Forgetting what is behind," he wrote, "and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:13-14, NIV) No wonder he made a mark on his world. He stopped looking back, and looked forward instead. He didn't let the fear of failure keep him from trying again.
Fourth, New Year's is a time to learn to rely more heavily on the grace of God. Now I've met a few self-made men and women and so have you, but so often these people seem proud and driven. There is another way: beginning to trust in God's help. One more secret from the Apostle Paul: "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength," he said (Phil 4:13, NIV). And God's strength saw him through a lot--through pain, through joy, and through accomplishment.
If this last year, you didn't practice relying on the Lord as much as you should have, there is no time like the present to make a New Year's resolution. In fact, why don't you say a short prayer right now--use these words if you like: "Dear God, I want the new year to be different for me." Now spell out in prayer some of the changes you'd like to see. And close this way: "Lord Jesus, I know that I'm going to need a lot of help for this. So right now I place myself in your hands. Help me to receive Your strength. Amen." Good. Now you've got a much better chance of a Happy New Year."
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
HOLY DAYS
As snow begins to fall and the deep freeze of winter sets in, we again gather with family and friends, singing and dancing around the Christmas tree or lighting the menorah or Kwanzaa candles. All will be well as we let the holiness in us shine forth, celebrating what is Holy in others and in the universe. Ah, what peace and joy. What greater abundance than the love of family and friends celebrating together!
Hmm. Time for a reality check? This serene scenario may play out in a few fortunate families. Let's face it, however, for many of us, the reality of the Christmas season is something entirely different.
For starters, the pace of life has gotten so frantic that the added demands of preparing for the holidays often seem to intensify life's difficulties. As much as we all love our families, being around them for extended periods of time may cause tempers to flare and old wounds to resurface. We may love giving and receiving gifts, but many of us end up buying too many gifts that cost too much. Ugly materialism and debt creep in, despite our best intentions. Children are delighted with some gifts and disappointed with others that didn't meet expectations. Family members complain behind other's backs. One person is left to do most of the cooking and clean-up and is besieged with work. Too much food is made, and, despite our resolutions to the contrary, most of us end up eating too much, feeling bloated, stuffed and guilty afterwards.
For others, the holidays can be the loneliest time of the year.
In short, amidst all the hectic demands of the Season, sometimes we lose touch with what the holidays really mean. The peace and tranquility of the holidays get overshadowed by emotional remnants of the past, over-consumption, and sheer exhaustion. The holidays are anything but Holy Days.
Yet, holidays can be an opportunity to go inside and reconnect with what is important. It can be a time to reflect on the role of Spirit in our life; a time to dwell in the presence of God, Divine Spirit, or the Universal Life Force, however you want to think of that mysterious, sacred force that pervades existence. The holidays are here to remind us that life truly is a miracle of holiness. It is a chance to look inside and to feel the presence of the Holy in our life.
Although life is more pressurized and intense than ever before and at times may feel like more than you can handle, the difficulties and challenges, the pain and suffering--amidst the joy and happiness--are what real life is all about. Holidays will continue to bring us challenging and joyful moments, tons of work, conflicts, and "stuff" to deal with. They are supposed to! We all mess up from time-to-time, forget the Spirit inside, and go off track. Making mistakes is how we learn. Trouble and suffering gives us the opportunity to again seek Spirit. Even bad times can contain grace.
True peace and joy is not about living a neatly sanitized, practically perfect life. It is about being totally authentic in every way. Living life fully--with sorrow and joy, pain and happiness, agony and ecstasy--is what true spiritual practice entails. It is only our limited perception and false expectations that make us think things are imperfect. This is the true core of any spiritual teaching: that we have the potential for living an authentic and full life with the divine spirit infused in us, integrating both suffering and happiness.
So keep the holidays holy, by being fully you, and knowing that the God and the Divine Spirit, your higher Self, the innermost, divine part of your own nature is with you and always available to you
Hmm. Time for a reality check? This serene scenario may play out in a few fortunate families. Let's face it, however, for many of us, the reality of the Christmas season is something entirely different.
For starters, the pace of life has gotten so frantic that the added demands of preparing for the holidays often seem to intensify life's difficulties. As much as we all love our families, being around them for extended periods of time may cause tempers to flare and old wounds to resurface. We may love giving and receiving gifts, but many of us end up buying too many gifts that cost too much. Ugly materialism and debt creep in, despite our best intentions. Children are delighted with some gifts and disappointed with others that didn't meet expectations. Family members complain behind other's backs. One person is left to do most of the cooking and clean-up and is besieged with work. Too much food is made, and, despite our resolutions to the contrary, most of us end up eating too much, feeling bloated, stuffed and guilty afterwards.
For others, the holidays can be the loneliest time of the year.
In short, amidst all the hectic demands of the Season, sometimes we lose touch with what the holidays really mean. The peace and tranquility of the holidays get overshadowed by emotional remnants of the past, over-consumption, and sheer exhaustion. The holidays are anything but Holy Days.
Yet, holidays can be an opportunity to go inside and reconnect with what is important. It can be a time to reflect on the role of Spirit in our life; a time to dwell in the presence of God, Divine Spirit, or the Universal Life Force, however you want to think of that mysterious, sacred force that pervades existence. The holidays are here to remind us that life truly is a miracle of holiness. It is a chance to look inside and to feel the presence of the Holy in our life.
Although life is more pressurized and intense than ever before and at times may feel like more than you can handle, the difficulties and challenges, the pain and suffering--amidst the joy and happiness--are what real life is all about. Holidays will continue to bring us challenging and joyful moments, tons of work, conflicts, and "stuff" to deal with. They are supposed to! We all mess up from time-to-time, forget the Spirit inside, and go off track. Making mistakes is how we learn. Trouble and suffering gives us the opportunity to again seek Spirit. Even bad times can contain grace.
True peace and joy is not about living a neatly sanitized, practically perfect life. It is about being totally authentic in every way. Living life fully--with sorrow and joy, pain and happiness, agony and ecstasy--is what true spiritual practice entails. It is only our limited perception and false expectations that make us think things are imperfect. This is the true core of any spiritual teaching: that we have the potential for living an authentic and full life with the divine spirit infused in us, integrating both suffering and happiness.
So keep the holidays holy, by being fully you, and knowing that the God and the Divine Spirit, your higher Self, the innermost, divine part of your own nature is with you and always available to you
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Where Is Christ In Christmas?
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
The angels' joyful announcement was worthy of a Heavenly King. But how do we celebrate His majesty?
The world’s preparation for Christmas shuts Him out. Jesus, our Lord -- the long-awaited Messiah --simply doesn’t fit today's vision of pluralism. That's why signs and symbols of the celebration bearing His name have been censored from schools and public places from coast to coast.
Never mind that He created the universe and has each future day written in His book. Or that He alone can fulfill our longing for genuine peace and lasting joy. His guidelines offend the world. Unless its masses can re-imagine a god more like themselves [Ps 50:21], they resent His name. His holiness violates their comfort zone, so they hide from Him (like Adam and Eve), deny His existence, or fill their days with shallow distractions and alternatives.
Meanwhile, many of us are too busy planning His party to seek His will or grieve His absence.
The King whose birth we celebrate may be sad, but He’s never surprised. John 2:24 Long ago, He stood in Jerusalem watching a world too blinded by human wants and ambitions to see the Savior in their midst. "If you had known," He said with unspeakable sorrow, "the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." Luke 19:42
The Compromising Church
Today, almost 2000 years later, religious leaders still lead the anti-Christ crusade. Many have accepted the new global consensus on spirituality: all religions are equally good -- except Biblical Christianity. It is too narrow to be tolerated in this new millennium. The envisioned "Culture of Peace" won’t make room for God's "divisive" Biblical values. Faith in His unchanging truths clashes with the global standard for mental health. And at the forefront of this cultural transformation stand countless compromising churches that teach a cross-less and Christ-less distortion of Christianity.
No wonder embarrassed theologians joined the public outcry two years ago when several presidential candidates dared to name Jesus in public.3 To offended "Christian" leaders, evasion and lies would have been more tolerable than Biblical truth and light. But then, such was the religious climate that glorious night when our King came to earth and angelic jubilation pierced the stillness of the skies.
For Jesus was born into a culture ruled by the same spiritual mastermind that prods the masses today. The apostle John, said it well: "The whole world lies under the sway of the evil one." 1 John 5:19
That’s why the religious leaders during His time on earth had little tolerance for His call to purity and separation. "Come unto Me…" meant leaving the acceptable ways of the world, a dangerous notion that threatened the establishment. Unless the long-awaited Messiah would conform to contemporary teachings, He was not welcome in their midst. John summarized the tragedy as well as the triumph:
"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:10-13
Human nature doesn’t change with time, nor does the spiritual battle that still rages against Jesus Christ, His Word, and His followers. Churches still conform to the culture, and statistics tell us they do so quite consistently.
For the most part, the world will tolerate stars, angels, Christmas trees, or a sweet little baby sleeping in a manger. But there’s still "no room at the inn" for a King who invites us to walk His lowly path. And if we choose to let Him "be born in us" we must also share His suffering and bear with Him "the offense of the cross" – the world’s hostility toward the separated and crucified life Christ grants to those who love Him. Galatians 5:11
The Counterfeit Christmas
But the main problem with Christmas is not the way we trivialize angels and shepherds. Nor is it the season of the year. I doubt that Jesus cares whether we celebrate His birth in December or closer to the unknown date.
Nor is it the religious alternatives to Christmas. While Kwanza, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice may have replaced Christmas programs in public schools and homes, they alone wouldn’t weaken the Church. Just look at China. Where true believers face the greatest challenges to their faith and families, they demonstrate a growth in faith and perseverance (as well as in numbers) that puts the American church to shame. Luke 6:22
Nor is it the pagan roots of most popular Christmas customs. Few are even aware of the history behind Christmas trees, mistletoes or the ancient midwinter celebration of a mother-goddess with the midwinter babe. While these unholy roots may contribute to the spiritual complacency, the real crisis is more personal.
Our root problem has to do with our view of God and our relationship to Jesus. We have been taught to think of the King of the universe more like a super-Santa than a jealous God who holds us accountable to His Word. We forget that His favors are designed to conform us to His image, not meet all our wants.
He grieves when we, His people, turn worship into self-indulgence -- or pretend to please Him while we serve ourselves. His lowly birth in Bethlehem points to the hardships our Savior was willing to bear for our sake. Without diminishing His glorious stature as eternal King, His humility prompts us to give Him our lives, surrender to His will, endure persecution and fix our hope on eternity.
Peter didn’t understand such single-minded love. So when Jesus described His coming death, Peter reassured Him, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" He meant well, but he was wrong. Jesus had to correct him –- for our sake as much as for Peter. Turning to His friend and follower, he said something that would hardly fit today’s politically correct consensus process:
"Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. . . .If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:22-24)
Celebrating the King
Peter had set His mind on "the things of men." How can we set our minds on "the things of God" this Christmas?
Two millennia ago, God touched the hearts of three men who would have treasured the truths we have available today. With joy, they received the little information He gave, then set out on a long, risky pilgrimage to worship the newborn King:
"…behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." (Matthew 2:1-2)
These pilgrims were willing to risk their own lives to make the long, dangerous journey, and the gifts they brought were chosen with care. They gave Him their very best – offerings worthy of the King of heaven and earth. God must have been pleased. He didn’t need their gifts but He saw their loving hearts.
Other gifts have pleased Him less. When Ananias and Sapphira pretended to give their all but secretly withheld some of their wealth, they were struck dead -- a frightening consequence for what seemed to be good intentions. But God chose to show us something about Himself. He longs for whole-hearted devotion, not a pretentious show of piety.
Back in Old Testament days, God’s chosen nation pretended to follow His guidelines. They offered the prescribed sacrifices out of cultural obedience. They had to; people were watching each other. But they cheated their all-knowing God by giving as little as possible – blemished gifts, worth little to man and less than nothing to God. The best they kept for themselves. So God warned them:
"Cursed be the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male …
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished --
For I am a great King,"
Says the LORD of hosts,
"And My name is to be feared among the nations."
Malachi 1:14
Then as now, a lukewarm show of obedience to Biblical guidelines is hypocrisy – a pretense of loyalty to the Christ whose name we bear. But the opposite, the genuine devotion God seeks from His followers, was demonstrated by Mary. Listen to her response to the angel’s awesome message – one that called her to endure the shame of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy in a culture where sexual promiscuity called for death:
"The angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!' "But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS….'
"Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God….For with God nothing will be impossible.' "Then Mary said, 'Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.'" Luke 1:28-38
God chose Mary, for He knew her heart. He saw that she was willing to to do whatever He asked. Her gift to Him was her faith, love, life and future. Understanding that the Old Testament "bondservant" meant willing surrender of everything to His service, she offered herself as a "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God…." Romans 12:1 The next verse describes our part in God’s lifelong process conforming us to the life of Jesus – making us a living testimony of His goodness to the world:
"...do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
In other words, the gift God desires from us is our own lives fully dedicated to Him. Only then can He fully use us to fulfill His purpose here on earth. This means a deep lifelong commitment to feed on His Word, follow His way, and demonstrate His life. It is summarized in an old command, taught through Moses and emphasized by Jesus:
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit… walk… lie down, and… rise up." (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)
That means all we think, feed our minds, share in our families, and show the world will be to and from our King. His life is our message – and our lives are His message. It’s a big calling, but when we consecrate ourselves to Him and rest in His arms, He will accomplish it.
"My King and my God….
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage." (Psalm 84:3, 5)
God’s path for His own beloved Son led through a lowly stable. His only worshippers were his parents and the poor shepherds who, in the secluded stillness of the night, could hear the angels sing. On our pilgrimage, how can we best worship Jesus today and this Christmas?
Please show and enable us, precious Shepherd and King.
'Twas a humble birthplace, but O how much
God gave to us that day,
From the manger bed what a path has led,
What a perfect, holy way.
Alleluia! O how the angels sang.
Alleluia! How it rang!
And the sky was bright with a holy light
'Twas the birthday of a King.
..........COME LET US WORSHIP AND BOW DOWN.................
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
The angels' joyful announcement was worthy of a Heavenly King. But how do we celebrate His majesty?
The world’s preparation for Christmas shuts Him out. Jesus, our Lord -- the long-awaited Messiah --simply doesn’t fit today's vision of pluralism. That's why signs and symbols of the celebration bearing His name have been censored from schools and public places from coast to coast.
Never mind that He created the universe and has each future day written in His book. Or that He alone can fulfill our longing for genuine peace and lasting joy. His guidelines offend the world. Unless its masses can re-imagine a god more like themselves [Ps 50:21], they resent His name. His holiness violates their comfort zone, so they hide from Him (like Adam and Eve), deny His existence, or fill their days with shallow distractions and alternatives.
Meanwhile, many of us are too busy planning His party to seek His will or grieve His absence.
The King whose birth we celebrate may be sad, but He’s never surprised. John 2:24 Long ago, He stood in Jerusalem watching a world too blinded by human wants and ambitions to see the Savior in their midst. "If you had known," He said with unspeakable sorrow, "the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." Luke 19:42
The Compromising Church
Today, almost 2000 years later, religious leaders still lead the anti-Christ crusade. Many have accepted the new global consensus on spirituality: all religions are equally good -- except Biblical Christianity. It is too narrow to be tolerated in this new millennium. The envisioned "Culture of Peace" won’t make room for God's "divisive" Biblical values. Faith in His unchanging truths clashes with the global standard for mental health. And at the forefront of this cultural transformation stand countless compromising churches that teach a cross-less and Christ-less distortion of Christianity.
No wonder embarrassed theologians joined the public outcry two years ago when several presidential candidates dared to name Jesus in public.3 To offended "Christian" leaders, evasion and lies would have been more tolerable than Biblical truth and light. But then, such was the religious climate that glorious night when our King came to earth and angelic jubilation pierced the stillness of the skies.
For Jesus was born into a culture ruled by the same spiritual mastermind that prods the masses today. The apostle John, said it well: "The whole world lies under the sway of the evil one." 1 John 5:19
That’s why the religious leaders during His time on earth had little tolerance for His call to purity and separation. "Come unto Me…" meant leaving the acceptable ways of the world, a dangerous notion that threatened the establishment. Unless the long-awaited Messiah would conform to contemporary teachings, He was not welcome in their midst. John summarized the tragedy as well as the triumph:
"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:10-13
Human nature doesn’t change with time, nor does the spiritual battle that still rages against Jesus Christ, His Word, and His followers. Churches still conform to the culture, and statistics tell us they do so quite consistently.
For the most part, the world will tolerate stars, angels, Christmas trees, or a sweet little baby sleeping in a manger. But there’s still "no room at the inn" for a King who invites us to walk His lowly path. And if we choose to let Him "be born in us" we must also share His suffering and bear with Him "the offense of the cross" – the world’s hostility toward the separated and crucified life Christ grants to those who love Him. Galatians 5:11
The Counterfeit Christmas
But the main problem with Christmas is not the way we trivialize angels and shepherds. Nor is it the season of the year. I doubt that Jesus cares whether we celebrate His birth in December or closer to the unknown date.
Nor is it the religious alternatives to Christmas. While Kwanza, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice may have replaced Christmas programs in public schools and homes, they alone wouldn’t weaken the Church. Just look at China. Where true believers face the greatest challenges to their faith and families, they demonstrate a growth in faith and perseverance (as well as in numbers) that puts the American church to shame. Luke 6:22
Nor is it the pagan roots of most popular Christmas customs. Few are even aware of the history behind Christmas trees, mistletoes or the ancient midwinter celebration of a mother-goddess with the midwinter babe. While these unholy roots may contribute to the spiritual complacency, the real crisis is more personal.
Our root problem has to do with our view of God and our relationship to Jesus. We have been taught to think of the King of the universe more like a super-Santa than a jealous God who holds us accountable to His Word. We forget that His favors are designed to conform us to His image, not meet all our wants.
He grieves when we, His people, turn worship into self-indulgence -- or pretend to please Him while we serve ourselves. His lowly birth in Bethlehem points to the hardships our Savior was willing to bear for our sake. Without diminishing His glorious stature as eternal King, His humility prompts us to give Him our lives, surrender to His will, endure persecution and fix our hope on eternity.
Peter didn’t understand such single-minded love. So when Jesus described His coming death, Peter reassured Him, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" He meant well, but he was wrong. Jesus had to correct him –- for our sake as much as for Peter. Turning to His friend and follower, he said something that would hardly fit today’s politically correct consensus process:
"Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. . . .If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:22-24)
Celebrating the King
Peter had set His mind on "the things of men." How can we set our minds on "the things of God" this Christmas?
Two millennia ago, God touched the hearts of three men who would have treasured the truths we have available today. With joy, they received the little information He gave, then set out on a long, risky pilgrimage to worship the newborn King:
"…behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." (Matthew 2:1-2)
These pilgrims were willing to risk their own lives to make the long, dangerous journey, and the gifts they brought were chosen with care. They gave Him their very best – offerings worthy of the King of heaven and earth. God must have been pleased. He didn’t need their gifts but He saw their loving hearts.
Other gifts have pleased Him less. When Ananias and Sapphira pretended to give their all but secretly withheld some of their wealth, they were struck dead -- a frightening consequence for what seemed to be good intentions. But God chose to show us something about Himself. He longs for whole-hearted devotion, not a pretentious show of piety.
Back in Old Testament days, God’s chosen nation pretended to follow His guidelines. They offered the prescribed sacrifices out of cultural obedience. They had to; people were watching each other. But they cheated their all-knowing God by giving as little as possible – blemished gifts, worth little to man and less than nothing to God. The best they kept for themselves. So God warned them:
"Cursed be the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male …
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished --
For I am a great King,"
Says the LORD of hosts,
"And My name is to be feared among the nations."
Malachi 1:14
Then as now, a lukewarm show of obedience to Biblical guidelines is hypocrisy – a pretense of loyalty to the Christ whose name we bear. But the opposite, the genuine devotion God seeks from His followers, was demonstrated by Mary. Listen to her response to the angel’s awesome message – one that called her to endure the shame of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy in a culture where sexual promiscuity called for death:
"The angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!' "But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS….'
"Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God….For with God nothing will be impossible.' "Then Mary said, 'Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.'" Luke 1:28-38
God chose Mary, for He knew her heart. He saw that she was willing to to do whatever He asked. Her gift to Him was her faith, love, life and future. Understanding that the Old Testament "bondservant" meant willing surrender of everything to His service, she offered herself as a "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God…." Romans 12:1 The next verse describes our part in God’s lifelong process conforming us to the life of Jesus – making us a living testimony of His goodness to the world:
"...do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
In other words, the gift God desires from us is our own lives fully dedicated to Him. Only then can He fully use us to fulfill His purpose here on earth. This means a deep lifelong commitment to feed on His Word, follow His way, and demonstrate His life. It is summarized in an old command, taught through Moses and emphasized by Jesus:
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit… walk… lie down, and… rise up." (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)
That means all we think, feed our minds, share in our families, and show the world will be to and from our King. His life is our message – and our lives are His message. It’s a big calling, but when we consecrate ourselves to Him and rest in His arms, He will accomplish it.
"My King and my God….
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage." (Psalm 84:3, 5)
God’s path for His own beloved Son led through a lowly stable. His only worshippers were his parents and the poor shepherds who, in the secluded stillness of the night, could hear the angels sing. On our pilgrimage, how can we best worship Jesus today and this Christmas?
Please show and enable us, precious Shepherd and King.
'Twas a humble birthplace, but O how much
God gave to us that day,
From the manger bed what a path has led,
What a perfect, holy way.
Alleluia! O how the angels sang.
Alleluia! How it rang!
And the sky was bright with a holy light
'Twas the birthday of a King.
..........COME LET US WORSHIP AND BOW DOWN.................
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
FEARING THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS
Am I imagining things or has the Grinch index gone up a notch this year?
No bell ringers outside of Target. No Christmas songs about baby Jesus in school. Kids are home for "winter break" rather than "Christmas vacation". My favorite coffee shop even asked me if I would like "holiday blend" rather than the usual "Christmas blend."
Christmas seems to highlight the fact that some in our society have a Godaphobia complex. Why all the hysteria and humbug about the true history of Christmas?
As I reflect on this, I have to wonder. What is so threatening about celebrating the arrival of a baby? What could possibly be so intimidating about observing the birth of Christ that the politically correct want to deny historical fact and reshape our nation's heritage?
Why are some so fearful? Even outraged?
Are we anxious that a baby will make us change? I've seen many people embrace Jesus and change for the better. They have become better parents, given up drugs, settled down and become responsible people. To be perfectly honest, I've never met anyone who truly embraced Christ and regretted it. I have, however, seen people embrace 'religion' and later find it distasteful, boring, and restricting. I've also met many people who wish they had accepted the Christmas child sooner than they did.
Do we worry that if we acknowledge Christ we will have to give up something? Many have given up drugs, crime, cheating on their taxes and spouses, prejudice, racism, gossip, porn, and a host of other vices and been the better for it. They have found true peace by welcoming the One born to be the Prince of Peace.
So why all the Christophobia at Christmas?
In a society that supposedly values tolerance and diversity we find that the Christ of Christmas is not always tolerated. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but it kind of seems like a double standard.
If some regard the Christmas story as a mere myth, then why all the objection? The power of their protest actually lends creditability to the fact that Jesus did come and the world has been the better for it ever since. The calendars we use are daily reminders that time stopped and started all over again with the coming of Christ. The very fact we call this a "holiday", i.e., "holy day" tells us that something holy has happened. Why would people even use the name of Jesus to swear if there wasn't something to Him?
Things really haven't changed that much in 2000 years. When the baby Jesus first arrived King Herod was so disturbed he wanted to kill him. He wasn't sure as to the baby's whereabouts so he had all baby boys murdered in Bethlehem and its vicinity. Better to kill all the babies than to let the world think that one of these kids was special. Like today, we can't acknowledge the uniqueness of Christ so therefore nobody should sing about Him. It's a mentality motivated by fear not fact. Unfortunately, the spirit of Herod still lives in government while the songs and spirit of Jesus' birth have been hushed.
When your personal identity is threatened, it's easier to silence a miracle than to embrace it.
The message to Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds regarding the miracle of the Christ child is the same message the world needs to hear today "Fear not!" You've got nothing to lose!
(This above was "borrowed" from www.grantsgraceland.org. I thought it was great, and wanted to share with you!)
No bell ringers outside of Target. No Christmas songs about baby Jesus in school. Kids are home for "winter break" rather than "Christmas vacation". My favorite coffee shop even asked me if I would like "holiday blend" rather than the usual "Christmas blend."
Christmas seems to highlight the fact that some in our society have a Godaphobia complex. Why all the hysteria and humbug about the true history of Christmas?
As I reflect on this, I have to wonder. What is so threatening about celebrating the arrival of a baby? What could possibly be so intimidating about observing the birth of Christ that the politically correct want to deny historical fact and reshape our nation's heritage?
Why are some so fearful? Even outraged?
Are we anxious that a baby will make us change? I've seen many people embrace Jesus and change for the better. They have become better parents, given up drugs, settled down and become responsible people. To be perfectly honest, I've never met anyone who truly embraced Christ and regretted it. I have, however, seen people embrace 'religion' and later find it distasteful, boring, and restricting. I've also met many people who wish they had accepted the Christmas child sooner than they did.
Do we worry that if we acknowledge Christ we will have to give up something? Many have given up drugs, crime, cheating on their taxes and spouses, prejudice, racism, gossip, porn, and a host of other vices and been the better for it. They have found true peace by welcoming the One born to be the Prince of Peace.
So why all the Christophobia at Christmas?
In a society that supposedly values tolerance and diversity we find that the Christ of Christmas is not always tolerated. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but it kind of seems like a double standard.
If some regard the Christmas story as a mere myth, then why all the objection? The power of their protest actually lends creditability to the fact that Jesus did come and the world has been the better for it ever since. The calendars we use are daily reminders that time stopped and started all over again with the coming of Christ. The very fact we call this a "holiday", i.e., "holy day" tells us that something holy has happened. Why would people even use the name of Jesus to swear if there wasn't something to Him?
Things really haven't changed that much in 2000 years. When the baby Jesus first arrived King Herod was so disturbed he wanted to kill him. He wasn't sure as to the baby's whereabouts so he had all baby boys murdered in Bethlehem and its vicinity. Better to kill all the babies than to let the world think that one of these kids was special. Like today, we can't acknowledge the uniqueness of Christ so therefore nobody should sing about Him. It's a mentality motivated by fear not fact. Unfortunately, the spirit of Herod still lives in government while the songs and spirit of Jesus' birth have been hushed.
When your personal identity is threatened, it's easier to silence a miracle than to embrace it.
The message to Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds regarding the miracle of the Christ child is the same message the world needs to hear today "Fear not!" You've got nothing to lose!
(This above was "borrowed" from www.grantsgraceland.org. I thought it was great, and wanted to share with you!)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
BLESSED ARE THE MEEK
From the pen of one of my favorite Christian Apologists,Anton Bosch.
(www.antonbosch.com)
"“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5).
Modern Christianity, with its emphasis on believers aggressively asserting themselves, has no room for meekness. They wrongly argue that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12), means that we have to aggressively assert ourselves and our claim to the Kingdom. To them meekness is synonymous with weakness. In these virulent and forceful forms of dominionist theology being meek is equal to being a failure in the Kingdom.
Yet, the teaching of all of Scripture is not that we must be assertive, but that we should be meek. The first mention of this word is in Numbers 12:3 where it speaks of Moses, the greatest leader of all time: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” Jesus was spoken of as “meek , and sitting upon an ass” (Matthew 21:5). It is therefore incumbent upon us to not only understand what meekness is but to learn meekness from Jesus who said: “I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your soul” (Matthew 11:29).
Meekness is not limpwristedness, weakness or passivity. Meekness is strength under God’s control. Jesus exhibited this perfectly. Who was stronger than He? He could have called legions of angels to defend Himself and to deliver Him from those who so cruelly mocked and crucified Him. He could have destroyed His enemies with one single word. But He surrendered Himself fully to the Father’s will and did not for one moment assert Himself or His rights.
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7). Pilate marveled that He did not say a single word in His own defense and that He was silent in the face of so many lies and false accusations (Matthew 27:14).
The secret to Jesus’ restraint lay in the fact that He knew that the real power did not lie in the hands of Caesar or of the soldiers but in the hands of the Almighty. We catch a glimpse of this truth when Jesus said: “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). Jesus had fully surrendered His will to that of the Father and He knew that Pilate was simply a tool in His Father’s hand to fulfill His Glorious will. “[Jesus] who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1Peter 2:23).
Here lies one of the secrets to true meekness. Meekness becomes a reality, rather than a theory, when we finally realize that God is working out His sovereign will in our lives and that every situation and every person, we come across is simply a tool in the hands of the Father. It is therefore futile to fight with the tool as though it is something we need to overcome. We need to see the hand behind the tool and surrender to Him and His dealings in our lives.
Saul was a real fighter. He fought for the rights of his people and to defend his faith. He was so zealous that he was willing to travel huge distances and even to kill in order to achieve his goals. In the process he was fighting with, and kicking against, the very goads that God was using to guide him to a meeting with the Resurrected Christ. At that meeting Jesus said to him: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:14). The goads or pricks were sometimes attached to the front of the cart to teach the oxen not to kick against the cart and to bring them to a point of submission where they would willingly do the will of the master.
Only oxen that had not learnt submission and meekness kick against the goads, the others have learnt that they are wasting their time and willingly submit to the will of the master. In the same way, Christians who are constantly agitated and fighting have not learnt meekness and are fighting against the very things that God is using to guide and to train them.
In countries where oxen are still used to pull carts or plows, young, untamed oxen are often yoked together with older, more mature and calmer animals so that the wild one can be calmed by the tame one. In the same way Jesus invites us to take His yoke on us, that we may learn meekness from Him: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
One of the ways we learn meekness is by taking His yoke upon us and by walking with Him. In so doing we learn meekness from Him. But when we go at things on our own and constantly have to fight circumstances and situations, we become more aggravated and less meek, rather than meeker. Thus the value of the whole painful exercise is lost as it becomes counter-productive in our lives.
Once Paul had learnt these lessons, he became a very different kind of man. He was no longer doing things in his own strength, but realized that God had to do them (through Paul), He also learnt to be content in every circumstance, whether good or bad and he became totally submitted to the will of God.
Jonah was also called by God but he was exactly the opposite of Paul. (Paul came from Tarsus while Jonah fled to Tarsus). Paul learnt meekness and totally surrendered to the will of God, even to death. But God had to fight Jonah for every inch of obedience. Jonah never learnt that he could not possibly win the battle against the Almighty and felt that he could by his own stubbornness and assertiveness make God conform to his own selfish will. Jonah was never content and never found peace, even though he was a legitimate prophet of God.
So the question is: Are you more like Jonah, or more like Paul? Have you learnt surrender to the will of God, or does God have to arm-wrestle you every time He wants you to do something? The sad reality is that it is not the Lord who suffers because of our stubbornness – it is us who continue to feel the pain of the goads and the frustration of fighting the very things that should be drawing us to the center of His will.
The meek man has stopped fighting and has discovered the joy and peace of surrender to God’s perfect will.
(www.antonbosch.com)
"“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5).
Modern Christianity, with its emphasis on believers aggressively asserting themselves, has no room for meekness. They wrongly argue that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12), means that we have to aggressively assert ourselves and our claim to the Kingdom. To them meekness is synonymous with weakness. In these virulent and forceful forms of dominionist theology being meek is equal to being a failure in the Kingdom.
Yet, the teaching of all of Scripture is not that we must be assertive, but that we should be meek. The first mention of this word is in Numbers 12:3 where it speaks of Moses, the greatest leader of all time: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” Jesus was spoken of as “meek , and sitting upon an ass” (Matthew 21:5). It is therefore incumbent upon us to not only understand what meekness is but to learn meekness from Jesus who said: “I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your soul” (Matthew 11:29).
Meekness is not limpwristedness, weakness or passivity. Meekness is strength under God’s control. Jesus exhibited this perfectly. Who was stronger than He? He could have called legions of angels to defend Himself and to deliver Him from those who so cruelly mocked and crucified Him. He could have destroyed His enemies with one single word. But He surrendered Himself fully to the Father’s will and did not for one moment assert Himself or His rights.
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7). Pilate marveled that He did not say a single word in His own defense and that He was silent in the face of so many lies and false accusations (Matthew 27:14).
The secret to Jesus’ restraint lay in the fact that He knew that the real power did not lie in the hands of Caesar or of the soldiers but in the hands of the Almighty. We catch a glimpse of this truth when Jesus said: “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). Jesus had fully surrendered His will to that of the Father and He knew that Pilate was simply a tool in His Father’s hand to fulfill His Glorious will. “[Jesus] who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1Peter 2:23).
Here lies one of the secrets to true meekness. Meekness becomes a reality, rather than a theory, when we finally realize that God is working out His sovereign will in our lives and that every situation and every person, we come across is simply a tool in the hands of the Father. It is therefore futile to fight with the tool as though it is something we need to overcome. We need to see the hand behind the tool and surrender to Him and His dealings in our lives.
Saul was a real fighter. He fought for the rights of his people and to defend his faith. He was so zealous that he was willing to travel huge distances and even to kill in order to achieve his goals. In the process he was fighting with, and kicking against, the very goads that God was using to guide him to a meeting with the Resurrected Christ. At that meeting Jesus said to him: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:14). The goads or pricks were sometimes attached to the front of the cart to teach the oxen not to kick against the cart and to bring them to a point of submission where they would willingly do the will of the master.
Only oxen that had not learnt submission and meekness kick against the goads, the others have learnt that they are wasting their time and willingly submit to the will of the master. In the same way, Christians who are constantly agitated and fighting have not learnt meekness and are fighting against the very things that God is using to guide and to train them.
In countries where oxen are still used to pull carts or plows, young, untamed oxen are often yoked together with older, more mature and calmer animals so that the wild one can be calmed by the tame one. In the same way Jesus invites us to take His yoke on us, that we may learn meekness from Him: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
One of the ways we learn meekness is by taking His yoke upon us and by walking with Him. In so doing we learn meekness from Him. But when we go at things on our own and constantly have to fight circumstances and situations, we become more aggravated and less meek, rather than meeker. Thus the value of the whole painful exercise is lost as it becomes counter-productive in our lives.
Once Paul had learnt these lessons, he became a very different kind of man. He was no longer doing things in his own strength, but realized that God had to do them (through Paul), He also learnt to be content in every circumstance, whether good or bad and he became totally submitted to the will of God.
Jonah was also called by God but he was exactly the opposite of Paul. (Paul came from Tarsus while Jonah fled to Tarsus). Paul learnt meekness and totally surrendered to the will of God, even to death. But God had to fight Jonah for every inch of obedience. Jonah never learnt that he could not possibly win the battle against the Almighty and felt that he could by his own stubbornness and assertiveness make God conform to his own selfish will. Jonah was never content and never found peace, even though he was a legitimate prophet of God.
So the question is: Are you more like Jonah, or more like Paul? Have you learnt surrender to the will of God, or does God have to arm-wrestle you every time He wants you to do something? The sad reality is that it is not the Lord who suffers because of our stubbornness – it is us who continue to feel the pain of the goads and the frustration of fighting the very things that should be drawing us to the center of His will.
The meek man has stopped fighting and has discovered the joy and peace of surrender to God’s perfect will.
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