Questions for a Quiet Christmas #31

For our final passage in this series we turn to where we were on day 1, and once again on Christmas Day itself: John 1 

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

Having made this profound announcement about the Incarnation of God the Son in verse 14, John then gives a parenthetical comment in verse 15: "This is the one John the Baptist told you about, who was before himself not only in time, but in priority." In other words: "Keep your eyes on Jesus." John the writer then gives his own commentary and witness: "Jesus Christ has revealed to us what God is like." Here is a question to wrap up this quiet Christmas: Have I learned anything more this Christmas about what God is like? Has my celebration of Christ's coming drawn me closer to God or further away from Him? Secondly, have I received what Christ brought: grace and truth? When Christ came, he brought God's Grace: the God-given ability to do what we cannot do on our own.  He came to bring salvation, which we cannot do. He came to make us generous, when we on our own tend to be selfish. He came to help us do something of value for God, which we are often to afraid or lazy to do. His grace changes us. And He came to bring truth. What lies has Christ brought you to realize, repent of, and reject? When Christ come, all lies are exposed, because He is truth.  The new year is a great time to not take these lies with you into it. 

We are going to continue on beginning tomorrow following after Jesus, walking through the Gospels with Him to see the cleansing, change, and newness He can bring. May the quietness of Christmas continue to dwell in you richly. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #30

The last two days we have spent looking in Luke 2 at baby Jesus and His parents at the temple. Today we look there at one more scene: 

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Anna was a godly older woman. She was a prophetess - she spoke for God. She was a rare breed in her day: committed to worship and prayer, and to watching for the Redeemer. When she came that day, she recognized Him immediately, and told others about Him.  That brings back to the surface this question: What can God with me for the rest of my days? No matter your age, that question never grows old. Let's keep that question in context here: Why was Anna there? She was there to worship and pray. That leads to this second question: What do I need to be doing daily so I can see and hear what God wants? Anna was there, every day.  She did not want to miss Him, or the opportunity to tell others about Him, so she did not sit around living life aimlessly while she waited. Everyone could depend upon her, and so, when the day came, they were ready to listen to her? Do you live life getting people ready to hear you? 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #29

Mary and Joseph had been through quite a bit with their newborn Son, since before He was born: the angels, the journey, the shepherds. You would think not much could surprise them. But notice their response to the words of Simeon we read yesterday in Luke 2:

 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

They marveled. They were awestruck when they heard it announced in the temple that Jesus was God's appointed Savior.  Somehow, daily life wears away the things we should marvel at.  Do I still marvel at Who Christ is and what He has done? Simeon goes on to be used by God to give this prophecy about how people will respond to Jesus: many will fall humbly before Him in faith and worship, then join Him in His resurrection. But many will also oppose Him, bringing deep grief not only to Him and His Heavenly Father, but also to Mary.  Are we grieved when others reject Him? I think often we become offended and angry - even vindictive against those who reject Christ, but do we grieve, hurt as God hurts over them? These two questions are well worth our consideration during this quiet Christmas. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #28

Yesterday we talked about Mary & Joseph's commitment to holiness and obedience, in living out their lives before God as His children and as parents for Jesus.  Today we continue in Luke 2, looking at another man who was faithful: 

 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

Simeon was righteous.  The Bible does not say that about a whole lot of people individually, so when it does, we need to take notice. What does it mean to be righteous? Simply that He was in right relationship with God. It is often seen in actions, like Simeon being devout, committed, concerned to do what God wants.  It involves developing a closeness to God that puts you in tune with God's plan. He knew that the Messiah was coming, so he was there ready and waiting to meet Him.  Do I see myself getting closer to God so I sense more of what He is doing?  Before this event, Simeon lived a life of contentment and peace with God, but afterwards, there was a fulness to that contentment and peace like never before.  That does not mean he gave up living, or living to please God, but that he knew he had been on the right path, even as he waited all those years for this one day.  Do I have that peace and contentment in life - That I am good with God, where He wants me to be, but that I am also in a place where I'm ready to receive them more fully?

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #27

Today we continue in Luke 2, to see what happens with this Child that has been born: 

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

Like we noted yesterday, everything appeared to be "normal" for this newborn Jewish boy. The next step was for his mother to go through purification after childbirth, so she could once again enter the temple. This brings us back once again to one of our original questions from day 1 of our study: Am I hiding in the darkness? Am I living like a Child of God? Mary and Joseph were committed to holiness before God. Are we? The reason they wanted to go to the temple was for the Baby's presentation to God. This was obeying the instructions of God going all the way back to the original Passover: God had redeemed their firstborn sons from the death angel when he led them out of their slavery in Egypt; they were to present every firstborn son and redeem Him.  As we said when we looked at this passage last Sunday, this redeemed Baby is the One God sent to redeem us.  The question for us then is Have I been Redeemed?, "Have I been bought back from sin and death?", which is very close to our second original question: Am I a Child of God? As we can see, not only the birth, but the life of this Child answers the most important questions. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #26

 

In many peoples' minds, Christmas has come and gone, and their heart and mind has moved on from the Questions.  But for those serious about spiritual matters, the story has only begun. Luke 2 continues:
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 
Christmas was not just one day; it was at least another week afterwards. In other words, before we rush into the new year, let us continue to sit around and hold the baby Jesus, and think about what God has in store for us through Him. Our first question today is: How much more time am I willing to invest in focusing on Christ? Can I keep on doing it for one more week, or even longer? Just like any other Jewish boy of His day, Jesus was circumcised, showing a covenant commitment to a relationship with God.  Just like any other boy He was named at that time, but in this case the physical parents did not choose the name; His Heavenly Father did.  Just like in any of our lives, God's angels are around, but their presence at times will be much more obvious in His life, because the presence of God is so much more observable. In other words, as we follow on into Jesus' life: Where can I see that Jesus faced everything I do as a human person? while also asking Where can I see that Jesus is truly God and able to do what I cannot? That is what we will see not just in what He says and does, but in how people respond to Him His whole life through.  Let's keep the questions coming. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #25

If there is one verse for us to meditate upon for one minute on this one day, while we celebrate the Incarnation of God the Son, it is: 

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John says very simply: Jesus Christ, the Word, God the Son, has come into the world. We have seen Him, and we have gotten a glimpse of His glory.  He is the answer to so many questions: What is God like? What is God up to? What is really real? Despite all the distractions that the commotion of Christmas can bring into our lives, doing it every year can do this: It can help us refocus on Christ, and go on from here really focusing on Him as the One Who provides us the answers we need.  He brings us back to truth. He gives us the grace to go on and do what we cannot do on our own. He is God's greatest gift of all. May we rejoice today that He has come, and He is coming again. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #24

Luke 2:  8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

A quiet evening gone terribly crazy: angels shouting in the skies; shepherds shaking in their sandals, then storming in to see this Son who had been born, then shouting all the way home: Glory to God in the Highest! One simple question: What does it take to stir you up about the Son of God? Our quietness in preparing our hearts for Christ's coming should not lead to complacency; It should stir us to see and share. Mary mulled over these memories for years, but they did move her actions throughout her life whenever we see her mentioned: telling people to follow her Son's instructions, trying to get to hear Him preach when He was in town, coming to the cross to watch Him die, praying with those who carried on His mission.  After all this quiet pondering on a quiet Christmas, may we not go on unchanged. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #23

We continue on in Luke's gospel today to chapter 2:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In our minds we rush in this passage to the last verse, with the baby Jesus all snuggled up and lying in this feeding trough.  We have created in our minds this quiet, calming, almost romantic scene, sterile from its surroundings and insulated from the noise of a crowded inn, with no air conditioning to drown out the snoring neighbor in the next room or bed. We glamorize this long, rugged trip that was required for more government control and taxation.  We forget the lack of conveniences we take for granted. Yet, there is a real sense in which it is all peaceful, calming, quieting.  Though this is usually one of my busiest times of year, I always find great peace. Why?  The Son has come.  As we get very close to celebrating Incarnation Day, ask yourself today: What makes me peaceful, quiet in my soul at Christmas? Have I somehow lost that? and What can I do to help others find that peace like I have? 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #22

As we continue to quietly prepare our hearts for the Advent of Christ, we continue in Luke 1, where the focus turns away from the perspective of the women to this Song by Zechariah:

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

The last verse of this song, verse 79 reminds us of those overriding questions we saw on our first day: Am I hiding in the darkness? Am I living like a Child of God? John the Baptist grew up to point the way to the Light of the World. John lived life not to focus on himself, but to prepare the way and point people to Christ.  As John did so, there were key ingredients in his message and in his lifestyle, found here in verses 77 and 78: the knowledge that God saves, He forgives, and is a merciful God.  So here is the question for today: What is there about what I say and how I live that points people to a forgiving and merciful Savior? Notice how closely that question is related to our two overriding questions, but they are more focused: Do people see me as one forgiven and forgiving, and merciful like God is? If not, what will I do about that? 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #21

Again today we are in Luke 1, considering the Advent of Christ from the perspective of these two women, Mary and Elizabeth. In our paragraph today, the focus goes back to Elizabeth and her son. 

verse 57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

The first question that comes out if this passage is Why would you do that? That is what people asked when Elizabeth announced, and Zechariah confirmed that they were naming this son John.  Why would they do that? Because the angel God sent told them to. That question really can be asked of any of the leading characters in this event, including Mary and Joseph: Why did they do what they do? Why did they name their baby Jesus? Because God told them to.  Which leads to the more personal: Am I doing what I do because God tells me to? Am I willing to simply trust and obey? Am I willing to be quiet enough this Christmas to listen for God, hear what He has to say, and willingly obey? The second question the people murmur in the background: What then will this child be?  They did not have the rest of the story as we do. What would this John grow up to be and do? It was obvious that the hand of the Lord was with him, on his life. In the quiet of this Christmas, take time to look around at those with you, or those who normally would be with you but cannot be - children, grandchildren, and others important to you: Imagine, what they could be. Pray that they will be willing to simply trust and obey God. Most importantly, take time to ask God about this next year, and the rest of your days, and ask: What could my life look like if I were willing to simply trust and obey the Lord the rest of my days?

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #20

We're looking at Luke 1, and God's preparation of these women, Elizabeth and Mary, who were integrally involved in the coming of Christ. Their reflections are instructive for us as we ponder the questions of Christmas:

46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

That last verse alone poses a thought: Mary spent, if you will, three months in isolation, staying with her relatives, before moving on with her marriage. She had a lot of time to think, to meditate on it all. God has given us more time this year than normal to think/ponder/meditate on His plan. Are we using this time He has given us? It may be to learn more, or just to come to a place of fuller trust and obedience, but we have no excuses for not growing during this time.  So what does Mary say in this song we call The Magnificat, this song of celebration? She is overwhelmed at the blessing of God - on her and on her people. Yes, she might be gossiped about; life might be awkward; there would be no more "normal" life for her.  Her people would still be under the iron rule of Rome. But those things pale in comparison to her blessings as the mother of the Messiah and the mercy God was showing His people.  Are we dwelling on God's blessings and mercy? Or are we stuck on what we want, what things were like, what we do not have? Read Mary's words over and over. Can you identify? What phrases spark a flame in your life? Magnify the Lord! 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #19

We've been looking in Luke 1 at the women involved in the Advent Account. We began with Elizabeth, who faithfully served God and found herself without child, and then Mary, whose marriage had not yet been consummated, but found herself with child. Verse 39 brings them together:

 39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

These two women were related, but their relationship is about to become much closer. Both of them will experience the joys and heartaches of having their special sons called to a special ministry for the Lord. As we look on this family reunion, we want to step back and look on the family reunions that will, or maybe will not, take place this year.  Here is the overriding question of the day: Am I rejoicing with those who rejoice? When Elizabeth sees Mary, feels her own baby leap for joy, and recognizes that Mary is mother of the Messiah, she does not do what most of us are prone to do: compare and complain. She does not ask "Why does she get to be Messiah's mother, while my son will wander in the wilderness?" So many family gatherings are filled with comparing and lack of contentment. This year, many hearts and homes will be filled with longing for Christmases past, instead of seeing what is right in front of us and within us. Here is where the key is; it is in the last verse we read, as Elizabeth says: "blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.  The place of blessing is contentment and gratitude for the part and the presents God has given. Our second question to contemplate today is this: Do I believe and give thanks for what God has given and shown to me? At this point, neither baby has been born yet. No visible miracles have appeared; they both are within these women's wombs. Lots of things can still go wrong. But they believe; they rejoice; they encourage one another. May we do the same.

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #18

Yesterday we began looking in Luke 1 and considered the perspective of Elizabeth, the mother of the forerunner, John the Baptist, and her part in preparing the way for the coming of Christ. We pick back up in verse

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 

Here is another woman's perspective on the Incarnation.  Our first question for today might not be so obvious, but it is worth considering: Have I taken time to consider other peoples' perspectives? On Sunday mornings we have been looking at the Quiet Men of Christmas, but that is only half, or a third of the story.  God wants us to pause to consider these women's perspectives and involvement in this great event. In some ways their responses are similar: Joseph, Zechariah and Mary all exhibited initial fear. For all of them, character mattered; Mary was pure and favored by God.  All of them also wondered how this could be: How could an old couple have a child? How could a sexual chaste couple have a child? But they also had differing perspectives that added flavor to the event; each had a differing role to play in its unfolding. Our second question today is even deeper: Have I considered the work of each person of the Triune God? First, as this Son was born, the Father was giving Him the promise of he throne, and an eternal kingdom. Secondly, the Son, in every way as holy as His Father, would reign. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit would be at work in the background, as usual, doing powerful things only God can do.  On this Quiet Christmas, how can you see each of them at work in your life? May God give you more questions and more answers as you spend time with Him today. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #17

Many of you will recognize Luke 1 as the seed thought for our recent messages on The Quiet Men of Christmas. 

Verse 5: In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

In our studies at church we focused on the character of Zechariah, but today let's consider Elizabeth. She had given up on the joy of motherhood. There's a tough question to ask ourselves: What is there that I have given up on?  At the end of the passage above we see the effect this burden had on her: she had felt shame and reproach because she had no children. These questions lead to deeper questions like : What is wrong with me, that God is not answering my prayers? These are hard questions when we are already struggling to "get in the Christmas spirit", but when we dig deep, and ask God to "restore the joy of our salvation", sometime down the road of life we will find God surprises us - maybe not with the thing we had given up on - but a realization of all the Lord has done for me, which gives us that sustaining joy. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #16

Mark, the Gospel writer, did not like boring details. He, like the fast-paced, "can't-wait" young people of today wanted to get right to the heart of things. Maybe we all feel like that this Christmas, and after a year of bad news are asking like the author who reflected on the life of the Peanuts' characters are asking: "When Do the Good Things Start?" Mark has the answer: 

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In this opening paragraph Mark answers some key questions for us to ask ourselves. First, Where can I find someone who cares?  We all have questions about what is going on. We look around us and see all the discontent and feel it in our own hearts at times. Who out there really seems to care? In Mark's day, John the Baptist did. John was not socially-acceptable, mainstream or even well-received, but his message resonated with hurting, searching souls.  So what was John talking about? Cleansing and Forgiveness. So another question for us to ask ourselves is: Is what I really need true holiness and forgiveness - not only for myself, but toward others? Are those missing elements in society and in my soul?  It seems in Mark's day that they really were, because people did come out for that baptism that identified them with these ideals. But John the Baptist knew his place. He was not the Savior. There are plenty of people out there who want us to believe they are, but all fall short. So the final question we are pointed to is: Are these people pointing us to Someone and something greater than they themselves can do? Do they want us to just jump on board with their agenda - what we as people can accomplish - or what God has in mind to do? Only when we look beyond the plans of man will we find the beginning of really good news. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #15

Today we look at a prophecy given to Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Since he was the last prophet in the Old Testament, many in Israel during the time of John the Baptist and Christ remembered the Last Words God spoke trough him.  Maybe that is also a valid question for us in this Quiet Christmas: What was the last thing God told me? When was the last time I heard His voice? Have I ever listened to Him? Keep those in mind as we listen to Malachi 3:

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.
These are words worth contemplating for both Christ's first and second Advent.  God sends messengers, like John the Baptist to "clear the way" or as Isaiah says "make the path straight."  Then the Lord comes. But notice what he says: the Lord whom you seek. There's a question for us: Am I seeking the Lord? or day one: Am I hiding in the darkness? Notice what the Lord is able to do when He comes: refine and purify. He is like the purifier of precious metals, using heat and fire to refine, and He is like the one who scrubs - He has a lot of cleansing to do.  Another question: Do I welcome the Lord's cleansing, purifying in my life? Where does He begin? With His representatives, His priests, who are charged with helping others come to Him.  For those awaiting His first Advent, that group was clear: the ones who cluttered the temple were often corrupt and clogged up the way to God, instead of making the path to Him clear. Who are the priests now as we await the second Advent? Those who claim to be followers of Christ. So the question is: Am I clearing the way for people to find God, or clogging it up? So many questions. So much time to consider them. Have a quiet day. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #14

 

Yesterday we read that most interesting prophesy in Isaiah 7:14, about the miracle of the Incarnation. Today we find it fulfilled in Matthew 1:

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Matthew states it very matter-of-factly: "This is how it happened." There is no doubt about the miraculous in his mind. He had seen plenty as he followed Jesus.  From God's side, things are going exactly according to plan.  We are the ones who often struggle with the way God chooses to do things.  Let's think for just a few moments about Joseph. He had his plans to marry his betrothed, start a family together, build a name for himself and a successful business to pass on to his sons.  Before he even gets started, God shakes up his plans by choosing Mary to carry the Messiah, and Him to be an adoptive father. His name might well be shamed, and this firstborn Son will not carry on the family business. Most troubling of all, he will have to watch his wife suffer the woes of a ministry family.  During this Quiet Christmas, Do you struggle with God's plan being different than your plan? Do you wrestle with emotional and even mental anguish because life is not under your control, but God's?  Joseph was wise enough. He did not talk back. He did not stomp off. He obeyed and did whatever God said. He married Mary; he protected her reputation; he gave the Messiah the name that says it all: Jesus.  Was it worth it? He then got to hear others call this Son "God with us." Dwell on this: What would happen if I truly said to God: "I give you whatever You want"?

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #13

Before we look at today's passage, let's remind and refresh ourselves on those first two overriding questions for this quiet Christmas:  Do I love darkness more than light in my own life? and Am I a Child of God?, which we then put together to ask: Am I hiding in the darkness? Am I living like a Child of God? Let us not lose sight of those questions throughout our study.

After spending a few days in Psalm 139, we return to probably the most interesting prophesy of Isaiah, which is in chapter 7: 

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 

This is the passage Gabriel quoted as he brought the message to Joseph about the Child Mary was to have.  It was the support passage for the announcement that Mary had not been unfaithful to her vows of betrothal, but that God the Holy Spirit had placed within her this child.  That fact is that behind and before the picture of the holy family in the barn is this most dramatic event: the incarnation. This statement brings to our minds and hearts a most important question: Do I believe in miracles? Do I believe God acts in history at times in ways that supercede His creative design and the effects of the Fall? Do I believe Jesus Christ is God the Son taking on human form? It is one of those questions that divides believers from unbelievers, those in the light from those in darkness, those who are children of God from those who are not.  Without the miracle of the incarnation, the Christmas story is nothing more than another warm and fuzzy Hallmark movie. Let us not make our Christmas celebration less than it should be. It's a miracle.

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #12

As we wrap up our examination of Psalm 139 in light of Christ's coming, we look at the final section, beginning in verse 17: 

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!

Like David, when we think about a God who is everywhere and sees everything every moment of the day, our thoughts tend to stray away from ourselves and to everything and everyone else that bothers us. We cannot stand the heat of His knowing us better than we know ourselves, so we look at others, especially those we consider worse than ourselves - our enemies, blatant outward sinners, fools who say there is no God. We cannot stand them. Our righteous indignation rises up, until and unless we pause to answer this question: "Is there any wicked way in me?" Is there anything in my life that grieves you God? That is one of the key questions we need to get to during this quiet Christmas, choosing not to focus on everything that is wrong with the world, but mostly my part of the world - me. And we do not want to just think about it, we need to go on to the last phrase of this Psalm: Lead me in the way everlasting! I need to ask the Lord: What is the path to pleasing you? What changes need to happen to show Christ's coming in my life?

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #11

Today we are again in Psalm 139, with an eye searching for questions this Advent season: 

9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

As we saw yesterday, God is everywhere we can go - high in the air, deep in the oceans, anywhere we may go.  This Christmas Astronauts in space and crews on submarines are not out of His sight or concern. He even sees us when we think we can hide in the dark, going back to one of our questions from our first day. As we also saw yesterday, one question we should ask is: Am I living life recognizing God is watching me? As we get to the core, the center of this Psalm, David goes even deeper, to the question: Why am I here?  God formed you; made you His workmanship, wove you, and developed a plan for you in His purpose.  That conviction goes long in helping us answer this deep question. If we are fearfully and wonderfully made, maybe we are more resistant to the things we fear than we think. Often times we pine about people who think they are "God's gift to the world," because of the way they speak and act with pride. But there is a sense in which we all are "God's gift to the world," in that He has a purpose for us to be here. Of course, understanding ourselves as a gift requires that we see and respond to God's greatest Gift, His son. And if we are made on purpose, for a purpose, maybe we need to ask more sincerely and faithfully: Am I wasting myself as a gift on things less than God's intended purpose for my life? and What should I do about that?

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #10

 

For the next three days we will be looking at a Psalm we usually do not associate with Advent, but more with Sanctity of Life, but there is a connection here: Psalm 139:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

God knows all about us. That is the short summary of this Psalm He knows where we go, what we do. He even knows what we say before we say it. His presence is all around us both in time and space. His Spirit is everywhere, from the highest heights to the lowest depths.  So what does that have to do with Advent? Everywhere God goes, Christ the Son goes, has gone and will go, for us. Think about Christ as He came and walked on earth: He knew what was in people's hearts even before they spoke a word; He knew what their intentions were when they talked to Him, even looked at Him. He was fully controlled by the Spirit of God in His decisions and actions, even under the most difficult of situations. He went to Sheol, the place of the departed dead, for us, then ascended back to heaven.  One overriding question for us to ask ourselves during this time of preparation for His coming, and His coming again, is this: Do I live like I am under the searching eyes of God? Not just as judge, but in such a compassionate care for me that He cared enough to come for me, sinful though I be. May we, like David, be overwhelmed by the thought of that question. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #9

Before we get into today's passage, let's remember those overriding questions we saw on day one: Do I love darkness more than light in my own life? and Am I a Child of God? Christ came as Light to darkness so we could become the children of God. 

The last several days we have looked at prophecies about the coming Messiah given through Isaiah; today we look at one given through Jeremiah, in the 33rd chapter: 

14 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

During Jeremiah's day, Jerusalem and Judah were about to fall, just like the northern half of Israel had. Things were at an all-time low. Where could they find hope? The Righteous Branch.  We have seen this issue of righteousness come up before in our study. When the Light comes, righteousness and justice come with Him.  Here's a question: "What are justice and righteousness? Do we even know what they are, let alone know how to get them? To start thinking about that, let's be extremely simplistic: justice is people doing what they ought to other human beings; it is us treating one another the way God wants us to. We do not do very well at that on our own. Governments are unable to make that happen. God shows us the way. He has especially shown us the way in His Son, the Christ, who has come.  That leads to righteousness, to also be simplistic: treating God the right way, living the way we should before Him, and for Him. Again, we do not do righteousness well on our own. That's why we need the Lord as our Righteousness. Christ came, in part, to live life right with God perfectly.  Our lives can only be Righteous, right with God, because of Him. So that leads to this question. Is Christ my Righteousness? Only then can we begin to understand and answer the question: Is what I am doing just? Lots to think about this Quiet Christmas.

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #8

 

As God continues to speak through Isaiah about the coming Servant of the Lord, especially in light of their current experience as they saw their nation crumble, he gives them hope and a challenge in chapter 52:   

6 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”

7 How beautiful upon the mountains
    are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
    who publishes salvation,
    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8 The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
    together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
    the return of the Lord to Zion.
9 Break forth together into singing,
    you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared his holy arm
    before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
    the salvation of our God.

In the first verse above, verse 6, God reminds them Who it is that is speaking and acting: It is the great I AM, the Lord God Almighty. So the first question for us today is: Can I hear God speaking? Have I become so wrapped up in my troubles and my own solutions that I have stopped listening to Him? Verse 7 is one of those many verses we have seen quoted in the New Testament, reminding us that God rules and He reveals Himself, and His good news, just like he did to the Shepherds on the hillside, bringing joy into their hearts and lips. And then look at the second half of verse 8: for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Seeing eye to eye means to be on the same page, to be so close you are one. So today we ask: Are God and I seeing eye to eye on things? Am I looking at my life, history, and His plans the same way that He does? If not, guess who needs to change.  God then exhorts us to break forth into singing - let us joyfully sing our carols of praise to God. Why? He has comforted and redeemed and saved us. Why do we sing at Christmas? Is it to "get ourselves into the mood?" Or is it a response of thanksgiving and praise as we remember, recognize and realize that God is really God, has revealed His plan, and redeemed us?

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #7

Today we move on to the next chapter in Isaiah, Chapter 43:

 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
    Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
    and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
    peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
    I will bring your offspring from the east,
    and from the west I will gather you.

God begins with the most basic reminder here: "I have created you." He infers that Israel as a nation had forgotten Him as their Creator individually, and as a people. The incarnation of Christ reminds us that we are created by God. Our first Question for today then is: Am I living like I have forgotten God created me? Are we as God's people living as if God created His church, not us? He then goes on to give two extreme opposite examples: water and fire. The Bible is full of illustrations where God delivers through water: the ark, the Red sea, the storms on the sea - God delivers from them all, when we are helpless. And there are trials by fire: the testing of gold and the fiery furnace. These bring up the question: Where do I turn in these times of trial? Do I remember my Creator? God then gives the bottom line in verse 4: you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you.  Because God creates us, individually and corporately, we should know we are loved and cared for. That brings up the question: Have I been living as if I believe God cares about me? The final verse, verse 5 reminds us that we are in the midst of the incarnation story: "Fear not" - stop being afraid. God has a plan which involves not just me, or our little group, but many more. God is going to gather His people from all over the world. He is the great big God over all creation. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #6

As we move further into Isaiah's prophecies about the coming Messiah, His Servant, we come to chapter 42, with a lot of phrases and descriptions often quoted in the New Testament: 

 Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged
    till he has established justice in the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his law.
5 Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
    and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
    I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
    a light for the nations,
7     to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
    my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
    I tell you of them.”

This servant of the Lord is coming to bring justice. But How? He is not going to go around like some rebel-rouser yelling in the streets; He will be gentle.  He will be resisted in His work, yet he will not grow faint or be discouraged. We are the ones who become weak and discouraged and want to give up; it is in Him what we find strength to go on.  Then, in verse , God shifts from the third person to the second, giving His personal promise to His Servant: "You are called; I will be with you; I will give you as a covenant."  What does that mean - I will give You as a covenant for the people? God had made covenants with people before: with Abraham, the people of Israel, David. But now He was going to give His Servant as a covenant promise to The people - what people? the nations, the spiritually blind, the prisoners of sin.  Perhaps we get a glimpse in Jesus' words in the upper room with His disciples in Luke22: 20 “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." God gave His Son, His servant, Who gave His life for us. It is His righteousness, not ours, that makes us acceptable to God. True justice has been served not by some rebel, but by God's obedient Son, always doing what is right. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #5

We began our series of Quiet Christmas passages with those two basic questions in the background: "Do I love darkness more than light?" and "Am I a Child of God?" When we put the two together, we end up with: Am I hiding in the darkness? Am I living like a Child of God?  I'll try to remind us of those bigger picture questions every few days, to keep things in perspective. Today we go further into Isaiah 40:

6 A voice says, “Cry!”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
    and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.

Summarized in a short sentence: Life is short. When we celebrate Advent, anticipate Christmas, and get all caught up in the memories and experiences of Christmases present and past, we are reminded of just how short life is, how fast each year goes by.  So the questions become: "What have I done with my life since last Advent? What am I doing with my life this Advent to make my life significant? What will I do until Advent comes next year to make every day of my life count? By no means is life an endless cycle of Advent seasons until the new Christmas movies come out in July; it is a series of days, months and years and lifetimes that are headed into eternity.  What stands stable? God, His Word, His plan and His purpose.  Are we allowing Him to affect our everyday lives from year to year? Are we allowing His light to shine ever brighter every day? Are we showing signs of life for the time we do have on this earth? 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #4

We have seen that last couple of days that the prophet Isaiah raises, and answers, a lot of questions about the coming Messiah - both His first coming and the second.  The occurrences increase when we get to chapter 40:

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
    that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
    double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

These words of course are applied in the Gospels to John the Baptist, the forerunner preparing the way in Israel for Christ to come - the one who brings both peace and forgiveness.  His task is like that of the road-maker - to set as straight a course as possible, as level as possible, and as smooth as possible for people to get to God, and God to get to people.  Here's a question for us to consider: What can I do to make the road smooth, straight and level to help people find their way to God? to be able to see Him on the horizon? With all the craziness we have seen this past year, one might think people in desperation would be searching diligently for truth, for God. Are we making the path clear?  What can we do so that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed?   What kind of comfort can we bring people? What kind of peace can they see in our hearts and lives? Do they see evidence of forgiveness in our lives - that we know that we are but forgiven sinners who also have learned to forgive? So many questions. Let's quietly consider them.

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #3

We noted yesterday that the most often quoted prophet from the Old Testament, called upon to answer the questions about the Messiah in the New Testament, is Isaiah. Another such passage is chapter 11:

 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
    or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
    and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
    and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

The question for the Old Testament reader was: Who is this Root of Jesse, this descendant of David? We know now. One of the questions we asked yesterday was What does Peace really look like? Isaiah pictures it for us here in verses 6-9 with how wild animals will cohabit with domestic ones. Obviously, the fullness of this peace is yet to come.  But the questions only become deeper: Where does that peace come from? The answer is in verse 5, quoted in Ephesians 6 - Christ's Righteousness. What is it that makes Him the source of Peace? Because He embodies the wisdom, understanding, knowledge, might and fear of the Lord.  And then what does it mean that He is this signal for the peoples? I'll let you work on that one. But here's a clue: think of the signal as a beacon, a lighthouse, a guiding light. So many questions.... Take some time today to discuss them with God.

Questions for a Quiet Christmas #2

Of all the Old Testament Prophets, the one we find especially informative about the coming Messiah is Isaiah.  We begin with this classic passage in Isaiah 9: 

2 The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
    and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

For the Israelites of Isaiah's day and several centuries after, there were lots of questions: Who was this Child? When would He come?How can He take care of evil in High places? For us who are waiting for His second advent, His coming again, we have similar questions: When will He come? How will He deal with all the darkness and oppression  we see around us? But focusing on the promise of verses 6 and 7, two more pressing and personal questions should concern us as well: What does peace really look like? and What kind of citizen am I in His Kingdom? Those questions do not have to wait for His return. Those questions are real for our quiet Christmas now. These things are from this time forth and forevermore. Let us ask Him to allow His peace, and His authority to rule and reign in our lives today. 

Questions for a Quiet Christmas

As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ's coming this year, most of us will have a lot less commotion than usual. We will have a much more Quiet Christmas.  That should give us more time to search the scriptures and search our hearts, to ask some questions. We begin our Quiet Christmas in John 1:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Two piercing questions come to mind for us to ask ourselves over the next few weeks.  Do I love darkness more than light in my own life? Am I willing to try to keep things hidden from others and from God, rather than allowing Him to expose them, cleanse them, change me? The second question we also want to take time to seriously consider is this: Am I a Child of God? The question is introduced here that will resound throughout John's gospel: "Have I been born of God?" - not physically, but spiritually born again, to join this Son and the Heavenly Father in a forever family that lives life together even now? We'll see a lot more questions the next few weeks, but may these two always be in the background: Am I hiding in the darkness? Am I living like a Child of God? 

Let the Thanks Come Out! # 30

In our previous two passages in Revelation, we have seen the twenty-four elders give thanks for Creation by Christ and Salvation through Christ.  In our final Song of Thanksgiving we find them Giving thanks for the Accession of Christ to rule over all nations. Revelation 11:

15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

Christ has risen to power to rule over all, and many are not happy about it. Human leaders, in their Satan-induced pride want to revolt. They refuse to bow down, which will unleash the fulness of God's wrath and judgment.  But the elders, who understand history, and His story, are moved to thanksgiving. Why? Because Christ has finally taken His place ruling over the earth, which is what we all really long for and need.  When we allow Him to rule and reign in our hearts and minds, even if storms are brewing around us, even if many are resistant to His rule and reign, we can and will find reason to give thanks to Christ, Who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We will see that things are becoming the way they ought to be.