Twelve, going on Thirty

Yesterday we were in Luke 2, where Jesus had stayed behind in the temple, instructing the teachers by asking questions, and then doing the same when His parents questioned His decision to stay there  The next part of His life is summarized by two brief statements:  51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.  52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

So early in His life we had all these proclamations, while May pondered all the special memories, then had to wait until Jesus actually began His ministry.  God was waiting for Jesus to be old enough and mature enough for people to take Him seriously.  As we look ahead to the coming year, there may well be some things you want to see happen right away. They may be things you know God has promised to you.  Move forward, but learn to wait.  Often the best things we wait for take the longest. Do not lose heart. 

The Boy Who Asked Questions

Luke 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 

In the life of a Jewish young man, this would have been the trip to Jerusalem he had longed for. Having turned twelve he would have been taught, and held responsible to know, everything about His faith as a Son of Israel.  But for Jesus, this was more for the benefit of others, as while there He was able to call into question some of the ways they had interpreted the Scriptures. As we will see in his ministry later, Jesus liked to ask questions to elicit a response that would be instructive - many times a shocking response that challenged the person whom He asked.  That's what He does here with Mary and Joseph: "Why are you so surprised that I am here? This is the first place you should have looked for me."

The Favored One

Luke 2:39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

This brief statement summarizes the first twelve years of Jesus life on earth.  And Luke says more than the other three Gospel writers. It's all we need know.  Mary and Joseph were obedient and submissive to God. Jesus grew up to be physically, mentally, emotionally, and morally strong. And the favor of God was upon Him. This is consistent with everything they had been told by those who encountered Jesus, even before He was born. Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Anna had all pronounced this life of blessing and favor. In fact, the word used here is found in different form in the proclamation of the angel chorus:

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” God's favor, His pleasure had come to earth when Christ came.  Jesus was the one people should have wanted to be with; His presence was something they should have been glad for. The same is true for us. May we seek His presence for strength, for wisdom, for God's favor and good pleasure.

The Prophetess

Luke 2:36 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 prophetess; her job was to proclaim truth.  She had been doing that faithfully for years, day in and day out.  She was not an arrogant, boisterous woman; she humble and devout, depending on God to provide her needs and to speak through her.  She was always ready to have God use her and speak through her, so she was ready and waiting to give the announcement that the Redeemer had come.  It's interesting to see the varied responses of people here in Luke's Gospel, from Mary's "pondering in her heart" to Anna's proclaiming it to all.  What has your response been this year to the news of Christ's coming? has it been one of joy and thanksgiving?  Has it been something you've pondered and shared, or simply ignored?

Holding Hope

Luke 2:25 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.”

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.”

The older I get, the more I appreciate this passage.  Here was Simeon, faithfully serving God, and waiting. He was waiting in hope of what God had said He would do, and finally it happened: He saw Christ come. Not only that: he held Him in his arms, and he had the privilege of praying over and for Him. He was holding light in the flesh, God's powerful means of salvation, the sword of the Lord that penetrates hearts. What an awesome privilege and hope received.  What hope are you holding onto today?

A Real Boy

We continue this week in Luke 2:

 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. 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.”

When Christ came to earth, He lived the life of a normal human boy.  He received the sign of the covenant with God; He was given a meaningful name - Jesus meaning savior or deliverer; He was taken to the Temple as a firstborn Son to present a special sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.  His parents were not rich or elite, as is shown by the sacrifice they were able to afford. His life in human terms was unspectacular. Yet this short description is meaningful.  The name choice was significant, indicating what His assignment was to be; He was a first-born Son, which carried with it not only greater honor, but greater responsibility; He lived on the earth in a place where it could truly be said he had no earthly advantages; everything He would do would come from within, not from the world around Him.  The world was waiting to see. 

Christ Has Come!

Luke 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.

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.

May we ponder these things in our hearts and praise God today!

Christ is Coming @28

Ephesians chapter 2 begins with the bad news of man's sinful condition, but beginning in verse 4 we find the good news:

 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Often in the Old Testament we find God responding in mercy to the cries of His people and reaching down to help, deliver, or provide for them.  This goes a step further. Here God reaches down -in fact, comes down and does something by His grace.  Both His mercy and His grace are connected to His great love.  He reached down and came down so we can be taken up with Him some day.  In the Christ Child we have all bundled up God's love, mercy, grace and kindness, given to us freely. May we joyfully receive Him.

Christ Is Coming #27

We pick up where we left off yesterday in I Corinthians 13

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Faith trusts that God really is in control and receives His Son as what we need.  Hope believes that all He tells us is true and will come true.  Love is what helps us grow up and grow out of our selfishness. When there is no more need for prophesies and promises because they have all come true, and when there is no more doubt because everything will be fully seen, love will still stand, fully visible and complete. It will radiate from the Father and Son and surround us, and we will finally grow up to be God's complete children.  What that should do now is "stretch us forward" to grow up in our love for Him and one another.

Christ is Coming #26

When we think of scriptures about love - even during Advent - we cannot help but turn to I Corinthians 13: 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

In the first paragraph above we have all sorts of things that draw attention to oneself: noisy things, powerful things, even a name for doing good things like a great philanthropist. Yes, even being a generous person - even one who gives the ultimate sacrifice - is too small to define love adequately. Love is not loud. It is found in the everyday expressions of selflessness, a purity deep to the core, a patience and forgiveness that goes beyond comprehension. Love is seen in the way Jesus walked and talked and treated others. God is love; Jesus is God the Son; Jesus came to show us and tell us how to truly love.

Christ is Coming #25

Yesterday we looked at the Apostle John's call to love in I John 4. Today we look at his conclusion to that call in verse:

17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

John makes a direct correlation between loving fellow believers and assurance about our relationship with God.  If we have received the love of God, then we will have no fear of judgment day, because we and God are at peace.  That peace and love will flow over into every relationship in our lives; God's love and peace are our source for love and peace.  If it is not present in our other relationships, we better make sure we truly have received it from Him.  What believer do you not want to spend eternity with? That may be a problem.

Christ Is Coming #24

As we said yesterday, the Apostle John greatly emphasized the blessing of Love that came with Christ. We see that in his first letter, chapter 4:

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  

God so loved us. How do we know that? He sent His Son. The separation itself was enough of a sacrifice, but God went far beyond that when He made Him our payment price for sins.  That is so overwhelming, John says, how could we not respond to it? But how? We cannot do that in return.  What we can, and should, and must do, he says, is love fellow believers with the same sacrificial and sincere love.  Will we give God the gift He asks for this Christmas?

Christ is Coming #23

The Apostle John is known as The Apostle of Love.  It is a theme throughout his gospel and his letters. No place is that theme more concentrated than in his account of the upper room discourse. For example, chapter 15:

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Christ demonstrated the deep love of God when He came down to earth to give His life for His friends, His followers.  His expectations, and those of God the Father, were that we would love Him back - not by laying down our life for Him, but by willingly and lovingly keeping His commandments and showing His love to one another.  Something else to note here is how once again, these blessings of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, intersect. Here it is joy; joy and love go and grow together.  Both are to be shared with fellow followers, as well as with God the Father and the Son.  May we learn to abide in His love and be full of His joy. 

Christ is Coming #22

Today we begin week 4 of Advent with that ever-familiar John 3:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

The opening chapters of John's gospel have in the background the questions: "Who are you and why are you here?  These words written by John about Jesus encapsulate the answer so well it is one of the most memorized and quoted scriptures.  Jesus is God the Son, and He is here because God sent Him; He sent Him because He loves people, the crown of His creation, and wants us to have a restored relationship with Him.  He sent Him because without His intervention, we are condemned. In context, it is part of the response of Jesus to Nicodemus - that the greatest need of mankind is to have life. Jesus gives that life.  So, as we begin Week 4 of Advent, let us never lose sight of the Love of God that is behind it all. 

Christ is Coming #21

Psalm 30 

 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

This psalm of David was written for the dedication of the temple, which he himself would never see. It represents well his passion for the presence of God. For many years he had been on the run from Saul and from the Philistines, so that he was not able to go to the Tabernacle, the place of the presence of God, and worship. He missed that desperately; it was like he was stuck in the night, waiting for morning to come, and when it did, he greatly rejoiced.  The coming of Christ is also a time to celebrate the presence of the Lord. At the incarnation, God came to be with us, ending the darkness, and bringing great joy.   

Christ is coming #20

Psalm 33 comes from the perspective of the God of creation looking down on all of human history. It concludes this way:

 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.

Here we find tied together the first and third blessing of Advent: Hope and Joy. In fact, the psalm begins with the words: Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!  The picture is that when we know God is watching, and we believe that He is in control of His creation, and we trust in Him and His plan, we have a reason to hope and every cause for joy: our soul waits for Him and our heart is glad in Him. These two responses are parallel, in sync, working together to guide us in life, and to make us a blessing to others. May hope and joy be "our lines on the highway" to guide us today.

Christ is Coming #19

Isaiah 12:

 You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
    for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
    that you might comfort me.
2 “Behold, God is my salvation;
    I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
    and he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:
“Give thanks to the Lord,
    call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
    proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
    let this be made known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
    for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Like all the prophets of Israel, Isaiah was compelled to give some messages of judgment he would rather not have had to do. But he was also privileged to give some of the greatest announcements of hope and joy, like this one here.  When we experience the salvation of God, the comfort of God, the strength of God, and most of all the presence of God, there is an internal and eternal joy that shouts out and will not be silenced.  That is what happened when the Holy One of Israel, Jesus Christ came into their presence and that is what happens when He comes to us today. 

Christ is Coming #18

As Peter thinks about Christ's coming, he cannot help but think about the whole of Christ's Incarnation, from birth through resurrection. The result is a celebration of hope, love, and joy:

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Christ's birth has brought our new birth. The Messiah hoped for has given us a living hope.  This great act of love has prompted us to love the unseen God.  The inheritance we have and will receive has given us a great rejoicing - yes, in fact, we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.  May we show that joy today. 

Christ is Coming #17

There is a lot we can learn about joy from the prophets - even the so-called "minor prophets" like Habakkuk. His prophecy closes this way:

 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer's;
    he makes me tread on my high places.

Simply put, even in the hardest of times true joy still shines through.  Habakkuk was given the sad task of announcing God's judgment.  Even though he also could foresee that God would judge even more wicked peoples who oppressed his own far in the future, the fact was that life now was tough - real tough. There was famine in the land and no hope of relief in the near future. Still, God would provide the strength and the stability to stand firm in his faith and keep on serving Him. Therefore, he kept rejoicing in the Lord. No matter what we are facing today, may we say: "The Joy of the Lord Is my strength."

Christ is Coming #16

Isaiah is full of prophecies about the coming Servant of the Lord, like in chapter 61: 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

    because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor;

    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,

    and the day of vengeance of our God;

    to comfort all who mourn;

3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—

    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

In the New Testament, we find Jesus using the first verse of this chapter as evidence for John the Baptist to reassure him that Jesus was the Christ. By the time we get to the last verse, we find that the bottom-line blessing is Joy: people wearing party hats, having gladness, and praising and glorifying God. The Coming of Christ is something to be celebrated with great joy. May we do that more this week. 

Christ is Coming #15

We begin Week 3 of Advent with Zephaniah 3:

14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;

    shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

    O daughter of Jerusalem!

15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;

    he has cleared away your enemies.

The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;

    you shall never again fear evil.

16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

“Fear not, O Zion;

    let not your hands grow weak.

17 The Lord your God is in your midst,

    a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

    he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.

God calls His people to a full-blown joy. Why? The Lord had "taken away judgment," and has come, never to leave again.  When Christ came, God was present with His people; when He returned to the Father, His presence remained; He is in your midst. Jesus said that wherever two or more of us gather in His name, He is present; He is powerful; and He is rejoicing. Why should we rejoice? He is rejoicing, and He is here with us.  

Christ is Coming #14

We end this second week of Advent with our focus on Peace in Isaiah 9: 

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.

What is it we are looking for and need? We are looking for a Leader who is wise, powerful, dependable and Who will bring us Peace - a truly lasting peace. Notice, there is almost a mirror image here between verse 6 and 7: What will God do? Give us His Son. Who will He be? The Great King. What will He do? Be the Prince of Peace. Then, in verse 7, it goes in Reverse.  What will He do? Increase Peace? Who will He be? One after the throne of David? Who will do this? The Lord.  What is the core of the Passage? The Peace we need and long for. May you have true peace this Advent season. 

Christ is Coming #13

Today we have another one of those passages that we have heard so much that we can tend to ignore it due to familiarity. John 14:
 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 

These words of assurance in the upper room were designed to "build the case" for what Jesus then says at the end of their time in the upper room: 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. Jesus wanted them - and wants us-  to know this peace only He can give.  Why talk about these words at the end of Jesus' ministry? Because they point back to what was said when He began His life on earth: "Peace on earth."  Jesus did not come to bring peace on earth only to take it back with Him when he left; He came to give peace once and for all. We can be at peace not because of His physical presence, but because of His presence within and His promise of our presence with Him when He comes again. If we trust in Him, peace is here to stay, and no one can take it away. Let not our hearts be troubled today. 

Christ is Coming #12

Some passages of scripture are so well-known and over-used that I often hesitate to use them, but one that we cannot avoid when talking about Peace is Philippians 4:

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The peace of God - the peace that comes from God and His presence in our lives, the peace that is so different, and distinct and overwhelming that we cannot have it apart from God, comes to us through Jesus Christ.  That all began at the incarnation, when He came down to earth to live among us and the angelic message was "peace on earth." Jesus was peace on earth, Who then became peace in our hearts and minds. Only we can rob ourselves of that peace. How? When we ignore God, when we don't trust Him, and talk with Him and ask Him for what we need. Christ paid a great price for our peace; let's no throw it away.

Christ is Coming #11

In Romans 5 we find all four of the Advent blessings within the opening five verses:

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Through Christ's first advent we have joy and hope, because God has "poured into" us His love through the Holy Spirit. But the first blessing Paul mentions is peace: We have "peace with God". The hostility brought into that relationship between us and God has been taken care of; we now know that we and God are "okay"; we realize that even death will not be able to separate us from His love, mercy and forgiveness. This peace fuels our hope and joy; it helps us appreciate His love; it calms all our fears.  Do you have that peace, that sense of safety, which also give you hope and joy and makes you feel loved?

Christ is Coming #10

 

In Numbers 6, when God was giving instructions for how the priests were to serve His people, He gave this blessing as the one they really needed:

24 The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

What is it we really need - both individually and collectively as God's people? We need His blessing. We need to understand and appreciate the fact that all we have comes from Him. We also need His grace.  We need Him to reach down and help us and give us what we need, even when we are too stubborn to ask for it. Next, we need His attention. We need to realize both that He is watching over us and that we cannot and should not hide from Him; we need Him in our lives. Lastly, we need the peace that only He can give. Life will never be right, never be "under control" unless we admit He is sovereign and things are best under His protection and control.  May we experience His full blessing today and live in His peace.

Christ is Coming #9

Isaiah 53 is a chapter we often associate with Good Friday, but it has everything to do with the Incarnation as well:
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.
The Apostle Paul would put it this way: Jesus is our Peace. He is the One - and the Only One - through Whom we can find peace with God and peace in our hearts.  We can stop running away from God and run to Him because of what Christ has done for us. He had to come here from heaven to do that. He wanted and still wants us to have peace - to know that all is well, and will be well, when He comes again. Are you at peace with God?

Christ is Coming #8

 Isaiah was writing to a group of God's people who needed encouragement. They were despondent over losing their homes and being taken into exile, but God had some good news:

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.

What was the Good News? Peace and salvation.  God was going to turn the wasteland of their homes and hearts into a place of restoration; He was going to redeem, to buy back, His people. He was going to show His strong arm of salvation and deliver them, and they would have peace in their heats and homes.  This is the good news of Jesus Christ: God has accomplished His salvation and offers peace. 

Christ is coming #7

We've been talking this week about the hope we have because of Christ's first and second Advents. The writer of Hebrews expresses well the response we should have with two of his exhortations: "Let Us" in chapter 10:

 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 

Because of what Christ has done in His first Advent: giving His life, then rising and ascending back to the Father, We should come to God in prayer with assurance that He hears, will answer, and has forgiven us. We should also cling to our faith not because we are so faithful, but because He is so faithful.  We hold fast because He holds fast to His promises and holds us fast in His hand. We have every reason to hope.

Christ is coming #6

Looking back on Christ's first advent and looking forward to His second advent, Paul found every reason we have to be a people of hope. In Romans 15 he writes:

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”
12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

There is Hope for everyone who will call upon the name of Jesus Christ. We will all rejoice together. We should all be rejoicing together now.  As Paul ended this passage, so we will end these thoughts today: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Christ is Coming #5

As we celebrate Christ's coming and the hope we have in Him, we are reminded of the life we live here and now between His two advents. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 1:

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

We share in a living hope with all believers - from the first to the last. We all share in the inheritance, which is more of a trust: we have access to its riches now, but we also know for sure we will have what we need in eternity; it will never run out. It is guaranteed, and we can be assured of our part by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  In short, hope should fill our hearts and minds and be reflected in the way that we live, because what we look for - and what we live for - is not just a wish or a dream, but something we know we have. 

Christ is Coming #4

Isaiah 40 begins with the prophecy of the forerunner and then proceeds to tell of the Servant God will send to deliver His people.  It ends with this familiar challenge full of hope:

 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

God begins by asking the question: "Don't you know what God has in store? Haven't you heard the good news?" We're talking God here. He is all-powerful and He shares what He has with His people. He gives strength, courage, and hope to those who are weak, discouraged, and hopeless. God has been around forever and will be around forever. This story is not over. God is not done; neither are you if you trust in Him. Listen and learn to the Good News of Christ's coming. Take heart and trust in Him. 

Christ is Coming #3

Psalm 130 is one of the Songs of Ascents that the people of  Israel would sing on their way to Jerusalem for one of their holy assemblies or special celebrations.  It contains in it this aspect of hope we associate with Advent:

 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2     O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
    to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
    that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

Notice here the deep convictions about the character of God: He is merciful; He is forgiving: He is faithful. The resulting response then is a heart that anticipates what God will do: He will hear: He will answer; He will come and do what needs to be done. That is exactly what Christ did when He came. During Advent this year, may we have that same sense of anticipation and trust the Psalmist has here. 

Christ is Coming #2

Many believers will recognize the title "The Hiding Place" as a book and movie about believers who did and did not survive the tortures of the Nazis.  That phrase comes from Psalm 119

114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
    I hope in your word.
115 Depart from me, you evildoers,
    that I may keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
    and let me not be put to shame in my hope!

The hiding place is not so much a physical location, but where we place our hope and trust. David here says that God is his hiding place, his place of protection.  He trusted in what God said.  The way that many are discouraged and distracted in life is by not trusting, and therefore not obeying, God's Word. It is in God, His Word, and our calling out to Him for help that we will find true Hope.  As we celebrate Christ's coming this year, may we not be distracted into doubting or disobeying. May we make God our hiding place. 

Christ is Coming #1

Today is the First Sunday in Advent. The way the calendar falls, we will have four full weeks to prepare our hearts for Christmas Day - the day we celebrate Christ's Coming.  We begin in Mark's Gospel:

 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,’”

John Mark records: This is how it all started: This is the beginning of the Good News of how the Son of God was incarnated and came down to earth. He then immediately refers us back to the prophecy in Isaiah about the forerunner who would come calling out" Prepare the way!"  In other words: "Get ready. You've got to get ready for Christ's coming. Over the next few weeks we will have plenty of distractions from what really matters - lots of ways we can spend our time, money, and energy which really miss the point. Christ is coming. Stop and think about what that really means for you, for the world. Are you getting ready? 

Making a Big Deal of Thanksgiving Day 6

We've been in Numbers 10, looking this week at God's way of moving the nation during the forty years of wilderness wandering. He had the leaders sound the trumpet, pack up the tabernacle, organize by their tribes, then move out in an orderly fashion, following after the cloud of His presence. When the cloud would stop, they would stop, set up the tabernacle, pitch their tents in an orderly way, and wait for the Lord to call them to come together. The chapter concludes 

33 So they set out from the mount of the Lord three days' journey. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days' journey, to seek out a resting place for them. 34 And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.
35 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” 36 And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.”

Moses wanted the people of Israel to be constantly reminded of God's presence and protection as they traveled. As is often said in scripture, "He went before them," scattering their enemies. Only a few ever dared to mess with Israel in the wilderness, and they were always sorry they did. They had every reason to feel safe and secure in their camp, and in the knowledge that God would always provide for their needs. We have the same reasons and more.  As we continue in our journey, may we always recognize His presence, His protection and His provision, and pause often to give Him thanks.

Making a Big Deal of Thanksgiving #5

We are still in Numbers 10, looking at God's instructions to His people for their time of wandering in the wilderness.  Verse 

29 And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the Lord has promised good to Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.” 31 And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. 32 And if you do go with us, whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same will we do to you.”

Now that we have come through Thanksgiving Day, we do not want to just forget it and move on. We want to hold on to why we are thankful.  Moses had some very supportive in-laws, including this young man he highly valued.  Notice as he encourages this man to go with him, the incentive he gives him: God does good to us. Over and over that phrase is repeated here.  Why did we take a break in life and celebrate yesterday? Because God is good to us. Why are we ready to get back into life and face tomorrow, even with all of its uncertainties? Because God is good to us. Why should we encourage others and bless others? Because God has been good to us and blessed us and called us to be a blessing to others. God is always good. 

Making a Big Deal of Thanksgiving Day 4

We turn again today to Numbers 10
17 And when the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who carried the tabernacle, set out. 18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out by their companies, and over their company was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things, and the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. 22 And the standard of the camp of the people of Ephraim set out by their companies, and over their company was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25 Then the standard of the camp of the people of Dan, acting as the rear guard of all the camps, set out by their companies, and over their company was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ochran. 27 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. 28 This was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out.

Every time the Cloud of God's presence moved, the tabernacle was taken down and the encampment of the people of Israel moved, in a very organized manner.  Why take the time to read this detailed history? First, it is part of God's revelation, so it has a reason.  Secondly, then it comes to worshipping and obeying God, He has a plan, a method, and a reason for everything.  It is to be done freely, with no holding back, yet, as Paul says to the Corinthians, decently and in order.  As we look back today to those who celebrated their first Thanksgiving in America, they were a people of order. They made specific plans for their celebration and did so for specific reasons. They wanted to give God thanks in a way that would honor Him. May our way and our day do the same.

Making a Big Deal of Thanksgiving Day 3

We are looking in Numbers 10 at the instructions God gave concerning the response of the people in the wilderness to the trumpets God commanded them to sound. We find in verse 

11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, 12 and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time at the command of the Lord by Moses. 14 The standard of the camp of the people of Judah set out first by their companies, and over their company was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

This is the first time the plan was put into motion: the trumpets were played, the people set out in orderly fashion and they moved from one place to another.  So what's the big deal? Two things. First God's plan works - it always works best. Second, gratitude is shown through obedience.  This is not automatic. Often, the more we give our children, the less they obey. The same is true of adults - even God's people. But if we are truly thankful, we will obey promptly. Let's think about that as we celebrate Thanksgiving this week.

Making a Big Deal of Thanksgiving Day 2

We started looking yesterday in Numbers 10 at the instructions given to Israel during the wilderness wanderings about trumpets.  Much like the bugler in an army, the different sounds of the trumpets meant different things. We pick up in verse 
7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm. 8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 9 And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. 10 On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

Lest we get the wrong idea here: the purpose of the trumpets was not to wake up God and ask Him for His blessing. The trumpets were a reminder to the people to think about God and be thankful: thankful that they did not go out into battle alone; thankful that when we offer Him our thanksgiving and praise, we are worshipping and thanking the true and living God.  Today, may we hear the trumpets sounding: God has blessed us with so much both physically and spiritually. May we gather together to give Him thanks.