Tis' the season to celebrate what God has done. While we celebrate that God has given to us by giving to others, let's not forget why he gave to us.
Let's not forget why his gift is so good.
God's gift of his son was so good because Jesus was an ambassador. Jesus was an ambassador to foreigners who did not know him and who were not know by him.
This is why we are taught that both knowing and being known by God is a big deal. We know God by revelation and God knows us by relationship. These were both made possible through the advent of Christ.
Jesus came to make peace where there was no peace. Jesus came to offer a way when there was no way. He came to grant life where there was only death. This is why the gift of God is amazing, this is why the gospel is such good news.
We were at odds with God, with no way into his presence, and he made a way.
This is why Jesus proclaimed when asked about the way to the Father.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
The awesome gift of God in his Son Jesus was to provide a way to himself.
Paul explains this in detail in Ephesians 2:12-20:
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
This is a reason to gather as family and as Christians at Christmas. Christ not only brings people together, but he gives his people a reason to gather together. He has made us one, he made a people where there was just many individuals.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
He brings us peace, formerly we did not have peace with God, we did not have peace with fellow man. Jesus came not only to grant us peace with himself but to teach us the way of peace with fellow man. This is part of the Christmas spirit, and the Christian message. The angels announce “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2.
Obviously we do not see the culmination of the many benefits of his coming until Easter but without Christmas there would be no Easter. He had to first come and present himself to the world. As the angel tells Joseph as recorded in Mathew 2.
"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”'
And thus:
19 Consequently,
you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with
God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
So when we are busy trying to complete our gift lists and make it to the parties and squeeze all the busyness of the Christmas season into a few days, remember why we are doing this. It is similar to that passage where it says we love because he first loved us. Likewise we should remember our giving is because he first gave to us, or at least it is supposed to be.
thanks
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Unhostile Takeover
There are some people who have a bit of a problem with the idea of Christmas. Why? Because yes some of the traditions do have some pagan origins.
Some of the symbolism comes from a pagan festival with a pagan god. Some have taken this to mean that we are deceived and our Christian holiday is not so Christian. So some have distanced themselves from the holiday as if it is an affront to God. Some are concerned over the exact dating of the event. Still others may simply want to avoid the commercialism and materialism that veers it's ugly head in full force during this season. The latter may be worth looking into.
But the truth of the matter is that while these things may be true they are not what is celebrated. What is celebrated is what won out. What won out is the Christian tradition, our emphasis.
Try to have Christmas without the song Joy To the World. What Joy to the World would there be without Jesus in the manger. The little town of Bethlehem is know throughout the world as the birthplace of Christ. The power ballad O' Holy Night' continues to challenges and inspire pop stars to this day. These songs tie Christmas to the King.
Christians decided to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th to replace the Roman Saturnalia for the winter solstice. A pagan holiday more similar to our current Halloween with a bit of the roman gods thrown in for good measure. But Christians challenged the use of the holiday and made it another occasion to "do this in remembrance of me" as Jesus taught at the last supper.
This is similar to prayers before we eat. For some this tradition can be linked to prayer of protection in pagan rituals. But again we do this as honoring to God our father our provider. We acknowledge him as the one who gives us our sustenance as we were taught to pray in the Lord's Prayer. We redeem meal time. We reflect on God and bring him glory in something as mundane as stuffing our faces.
And the awesome thing is that it worked! We think of God now when we eat. In the same way we now celebrate the 3 wise men instead of Odin or Saturn. We celebrate gift giving for a reason instead of a kidnapping troll. We celebrate the birth of our savior instead of a reversal of societal norms and gambling. We focus on the true God instead of some roman gods. We know the biblical Christmas story instead of the pagan history that I have mentioned here.
Obviously there are songs about Santa as well. But in looking at who he actually was, we learn that he was a great man worth celebrating and in even mimicking.
Sincter Klaas a Ducth man actually did live and he did show love and gratitude to his fellow man because of the great things God has done. He was generous he did give gifts, and he helped those in need. His legend did grow into the Santa Claus we have today. Christmas both for us and for him have never been stripped of the reasoning behind the generosity. We give because he first gave to us.
So celebrating the reason of the season is very important. It is also what we celebrate because of choices made. So let's continue to celebrate Christmas specifically, not just the holidays. Just as music of the season tie Christmas to the King, let us also realize that Christians decided to tie December 25th to Christmas and continue to tie Christmas to the true King.
Let's continue to join with God and be in the business of redeeming things not picketing them.
thanks
Some of the symbolism comes from a pagan festival with a pagan god. Some have taken this to mean that we are deceived and our Christian holiday is not so Christian. So some have distanced themselves from the holiday as if it is an affront to God. Some are concerned over the exact dating of the event. Still others may simply want to avoid the commercialism and materialism that veers it's ugly head in full force during this season. The latter may be worth looking into.
But the truth of the matter is that while these things may be true they are not what is celebrated. What is celebrated is what won out. What won out is the Christian tradition, our emphasis.
Try to have Christmas without the song Joy To the World. What Joy to the World would there be without Jesus in the manger. The little town of Bethlehem is know throughout the world as the birthplace of Christ. The power ballad O' Holy Night' continues to challenges and inspire pop stars to this day. These songs tie Christmas to the King.
Christians decided to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th to replace the Roman Saturnalia for the winter solstice. A pagan holiday more similar to our current Halloween with a bit of the roman gods thrown in for good measure. But Christians challenged the use of the holiday and made it another occasion to "do this in remembrance of me" as Jesus taught at the last supper.
This is similar to prayers before we eat. For some this tradition can be linked to prayer of protection in pagan rituals. But again we do this as honoring to God our father our provider. We acknowledge him as the one who gives us our sustenance as we were taught to pray in the Lord's Prayer. We redeem meal time. We reflect on God and bring him glory in something as mundane as stuffing our faces.
And the awesome thing is that it worked! We think of God now when we eat. In the same way we now celebrate the 3 wise men instead of Odin or Saturn. We celebrate gift giving for a reason instead of a kidnapping troll. We celebrate the birth of our savior instead of a reversal of societal norms and gambling. We focus on the true God instead of some roman gods. We know the biblical Christmas story instead of the pagan history that I have mentioned here.
Obviously there are songs about Santa as well. But in looking at who he actually was, we learn that he was a great man worth celebrating and in even mimicking.
Sincter Klaas a Ducth man actually did live and he did show love and gratitude to his fellow man because of the great things God has done. He was generous he did give gifts, and he helped those in need. His legend did grow into the Santa Claus we have today. Christmas both for us and for him have never been stripped of the reasoning behind the generosity. We give because he first gave to us.
So celebrating the reason of the season is very important. It is also what we celebrate because of choices made. So let's continue to celebrate Christmas specifically, not just the holidays. Just as music of the season tie Christmas to the King, let us also realize that Christians decided to tie December 25th to Christmas and continue to tie Christmas to the true King.
Let's continue to join with God and be in the business of redeeming things not picketing them.
thanks
Thursday, December 11, 2014
A Sermon, Blindness and John 9
This is a sermon/talk I gave back in April that I wanted to re-post here simply to have it close by. Some of you may have heard this already. I won't write much about this because this sermon will take about 35 minutes of your time to listen to. If interested take the time to listen to the way God desires us to see him in John 9. He desires us to respond with eyes of faith. Plus there are some good stories of me in there as well.
Friday, December 5, 2014
He Didn't Start the Fire
With my birthday around the corner, I am a year older. I have been thinking about this blog and I realized I have an obvious theme going so far. This year has been so trying. This year has been a challenge. This year has been a time when doubt has crept in and I have felt the squeeze. I am a bit older but I feel a bit weaker in my spirit.
But faith does not grow without a little doubt in the mix. Faith does not grow without a little opposition.
So another year, and more faith for me.
In fact I recently just read a really useful blog post from Douglas Wilson:
"When we have a trouble, and have been praying urgently for deliverance, we should view every day without that deliverance as just another bucket of water on the altar — so that when the fire falls, God will receive greater glory."
Another bucket of water on the altar. He is of course referring to the Elijah incident from first Kings 18. It records that awesome story of God revealing to the people that he was God not the Baals, as the false prophets had proclaimed. Just to emphasize the point that God was there and that he was working, Elijah had many buckets of water to drench the wood that he was going to try and start a fire with. Elijah used twelve buckets of water to cover and soak the offering and the wood, probably to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. One bucket for each tribe that needed to witness the true God.
Drenched wood, doesn't burn.
Elijah made it clear, this is not a fire that he can start. In other words Elijah was making the point that he couldn't prove that God is God. Only God can prove that he is God and in our midst. Only God can reveal himself to his people. Only God can come and rescue in this dark time. Only God can deliver us from evil. Only God can prove himself to be bigger, better, and stronger than the other gods.
My mess is drenched wood. Only God can start the fire.
The hope at the end of the day is that when God finally does let his fire fall his people will give him praise and him only. Elijah prays when he calls down the fire, his prayer that God will display his power.
"So these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
This is similar to what Jesus says when he raises Lazarus from the dead from the gospel of Luke.
“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Jesus makes it clear that this is a display of God's power, this is to validate the message. While some may think it harsh that Jesus waits around for Lazarus to die before he comes to save him, it is made obvious that this was to reveal God's power.
Our struggle may just be so that more of God's power can be revealed. I know that this year I am in a place now where I can only hope on God's power. God raises the dead. God lights the fire. Not Elijah, not me.
So in the end I am a year older but perhaps God has caused my faith to grow several.
thanks
But faith does not grow without a little doubt in the mix. Faith does not grow without a little opposition.
So another year, and more faith for me.
In fact I recently just read a really useful blog post from Douglas Wilson:
"When we have a trouble, and have been praying urgently for deliverance, we should view every day without that deliverance as just another bucket of water on the altar — so that when the fire falls, God will receive greater glory."
Another bucket of water on the altar. He is of course referring to the Elijah incident from first Kings 18. It records that awesome story of God revealing to the people that he was God not the Baals, as the false prophets had proclaimed. Just to emphasize the point that God was there and that he was working, Elijah had many buckets of water to drench the wood that he was going to try and start a fire with. Elijah used twelve buckets of water to cover and soak the offering and the wood, probably to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. One bucket for each tribe that needed to witness the true God.
Drenched wood, doesn't burn.
Elijah made it clear, this is not a fire that he can start. In other words Elijah was making the point that he couldn't prove that God is God. Only God can prove that he is God and in our midst. Only God can reveal himself to his people. Only God can come and rescue in this dark time. Only God can deliver us from evil. Only God can prove himself to be bigger, better, and stronger than the other gods.
My mess is drenched wood. Only God can start the fire.
The hope at the end of the day is that when God finally does let his fire fall his people will give him praise and him only. Elijah prays when he calls down the fire, his prayer that God will display his power.
"So these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
This is similar to what Jesus says when he raises Lazarus from the dead from the gospel of Luke.
“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Jesus makes it clear that this is a display of God's power, this is to validate the message. While some may think it harsh that Jesus waits around for Lazarus to die before he comes to save him, it is made obvious that this was to reveal God's power.
Our struggle may just be so that more of God's power can be revealed. I know that this year I am in a place now where I can only hope on God's power. God raises the dead. God lights the fire. Not Elijah, not me.
So in the end I am a year older but perhaps God has caused my faith to grow several.
thanks
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