My first Christmas in Australia was memorable. I can't remember the last time I had a fever on Christmas Eve and Christmas! I am now feeling better after a bout of "gastro," which involved chills, fever, nausea, and overall feeling lousy. At a point I was wondering if I would be able to deliver the Sunday message. But I figured God had given me a message to deliver, and He wouldn't have given me the message without the strength to deliver it. Preaching was very much an act of faith on a different level, and that's how I ought to live every day!
This morning in prayer I was struck by the truth of Psalm 23:6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." God does not grant goodness and mercy to men because some are more deserving than others. It is all through the riches of His grace. Goodness and mercy were granted me both on a sickbed and in health. Not only do born-again Christians have this promise in life, but also lay hold of the ultimate promise of living forever in the presence of God. Wherever a person goes, the goodness and mercy of God follows them. Christians are simply the ones who receive this goodness and mercy through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who opens our eyes to see.
Christ is both Giver and Gift. He is life for all who trust in Him. In the days following Christmas, millions of people will return unwanted gifts back to retailers for money or store credit. For many, Jesus is tragically one of the most often returned, unopened gifts. Yet there is no gift more valuable! The story of Christ's birth, death, and resurrection is more than a curious legend we tolerate for one day of the year: it is the miracle of love come down from heaven so all sinners could be saved. God has given the greatest gift in Christ. To think that some people keep their trinkets, games, and digital devices but return unopened the love, redemption, and reconciliation with God afforded man through Jesus!
Let us celebrate the joy of Jesus every day, regardless of the season. Every day is the season of celebrating our Saviour!
26 December 2011
23 December 2011
Way of pain - Way of Life!
With our boys enjoying holidays from both school and sport, over the last week we have spent much more time together as a family. One of the things we did was watch The Lord of the Rings and eat popcorn made from a old-fashioned machine Laura picked up at the Salvos. In Tolkien's classic Sauron, the dark lord and maker of the ring, threatened to take shape and cast the world into shadow. Gandalf went to seek counsel from the leader of his order, Saruman. Having been corrupted by Sauron, in the movie Saruman tried to convince Gandalf it would be wise to ally himself with the evil lord Sauron. Gandalf refused. After a brief wizard's duel, Saruman proved more powerful than Gandalf. As he lifted him in the air Saruman shouts, "You have elected the way of pain!" When Gandalf eventually escaped with the aid of a giant eagle, Saruman says almost to himself: "So you have chosen death."
Saruman's sentiment was ironic, seeing that it was he who later died and Gandalf lived. With Christmas right around the corner, I have been thinking about the miracle that God became flesh and dwelt among us as a man on earth. Instead of coming in angelic splendour or on the wings of giant eagles, Jesus was born as a fragile baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and placed in a feeding trough because there was no room for Him in the inn. He elected for Himself the way of pain. He chose to endure life as a human being complete with emotions, bodily functions, weakness, fatigue, and need of food, water, and sleep. Jesus was sent to His own and they did not receive Him. He experienced grief, sorrow, and heartache like none on earth can know.
The life of Christ is described by more than simply the experience of pain. He lived a flawless existence according to the Law. Unspoiled by a sin nature, Jesus demonstrated the love the world could not and still does not fathom. He taught people the wisdom of God, fed the hungry, healed the blind and deaf, cleansed the lepers, cast out demons, raised the dead, and called men from all walks of life to follow Him. Jesus did not only choose a life of pain but embraced His own death. It was through His sacrifice on Calvary that all who repent and trust in Him as Saviour find eternal life by grace. It is by His stripes - painful lacerations - that we are healed (1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus died to Himself daily before He was nailed to a Roman cross died in the sight of many witnesses. Three days later He rose from the dead, proving His power over Satan, sin, and death.
Hebrews 4:14-16 reads, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." No matter what pain we face in this life on earth, Jesus can empathize with our weakness, temptations, and hurts. We are entreated therefore to boldly come before His throne of grace in prayer that we may "obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." In this time of year which often emphasises what we receive, God grants us grace so we might help. God is our Helper, and we are to help others. How awesome is our God and King, full of mercy and grace!
The life of a Christian is one who chooses the way of pain and death so we might experience abundant life through our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is a life of sacrifice, but it is not bitter. Jesus invites us in Matthew 11:28-29: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." All people experience pain, but Christians have hope, help, and healing found only in Jesus. These are gifts already given: have you received them? Rejoice in the One who has brought peace, joy, and salvation to men!
Saruman's sentiment was ironic, seeing that it was he who later died and Gandalf lived. With Christmas right around the corner, I have been thinking about the miracle that God became flesh and dwelt among us as a man on earth. Instead of coming in angelic splendour or on the wings of giant eagles, Jesus was born as a fragile baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and placed in a feeding trough because there was no room for Him in the inn. He elected for Himself the way of pain. He chose to endure life as a human being complete with emotions, bodily functions, weakness, fatigue, and need of food, water, and sleep. Jesus was sent to His own and they did not receive Him. He experienced grief, sorrow, and heartache like none on earth can know.
The life of Christ is described by more than simply the experience of pain. He lived a flawless existence according to the Law. Unspoiled by a sin nature, Jesus demonstrated the love the world could not and still does not fathom. He taught people the wisdom of God, fed the hungry, healed the blind and deaf, cleansed the lepers, cast out demons, raised the dead, and called men from all walks of life to follow Him. Jesus did not only choose a life of pain but embraced His own death. It was through His sacrifice on Calvary that all who repent and trust in Him as Saviour find eternal life by grace. It is by His stripes - painful lacerations - that we are healed (1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus died to Himself daily before He was nailed to a Roman cross died in the sight of many witnesses. Three days later He rose from the dead, proving His power over Satan, sin, and death.
Hebrews 4:14-16 reads, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." No matter what pain we face in this life on earth, Jesus can empathize with our weakness, temptations, and hurts. We are entreated therefore to boldly come before His throne of grace in prayer that we may "obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." In this time of year which often emphasises what we receive, God grants us grace so we might help. God is our Helper, and we are to help others. How awesome is our God and King, full of mercy and grace!
The life of a Christian is one who chooses the way of pain and death so we might experience abundant life through our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is a life of sacrifice, but it is not bitter. Jesus invites us in Matthew 11:28-29: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." All people experience pain, but Christians have hope, help, and healing found only in Jesus. These are gifts already given: have you received them? Rejoice in the One who has brought peace, joy, and salvation to men!
20 December 2011
Seeking and Saving
Have you ever misplaced something in your home? You look in all the usual places and scratch your head. "Hmm. Where could I have put it?" So you check the same usual places again with greater care. Not finding the item, you now expand your search to very unlikely places. Finally, sheer desperation causes you to search everywhere, thoroughly examining places you know the item should not or cannot be. It is the value placed upon the item that drives us to drop everything and search until the thing is found.
Yesterday my wife and I had such a moment. Of all things, we were looking for an important receipt. At first Laura was the only one searching. Before too long, I was knee-deep in the file cabinet searching carefully. The search expanded through the office, bedrooms, closets, even the bathroom! Finally, after looking for over thirty minutes, our search was rewarded with success. Note to self: avoid stashing receipts in shoe boxes. That's a lesson I didn't think I needed to learn. What was really funny is I was struck by how few places there were to look, and Laura was troubled by how much stuff we have!
Had it been a receipt from Hungry Jacks or Spotlight, our search would have concluded in mere minutes. We would have shrugged our shoulders, resolved to put the receipts in the proper place next time, and moved on. In this case, finding the lost receipt was critical because of specific information written on it, in addition to proving the cost and retail value of our purchase. It reminded me of a parable Jesus told in Luke 15:8-10: "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
When the woman in the story misplaced one of her 10 silver coins, she did not wait for the light of morning to aid her. When she first recognized her loss, the woman lit a lamp and searched carefully. She swept the floor again and again. She retraced her steps and checked pockets, looked in vessels, even examined under the furniture! Her persistence paid off and she found the lost coin. She rejoiced to find what was lost, and desired that all would rejoice with her. Jesus summed up His point: just like a woman searches for a lost coin and rejoices when it is found, so God and the angels rejoice over one sinner who repents. The woman is not angry at the coin for rolling under the table. She did not yell or threaten the coin with a time-out. She was relieved and rejoiced because what was precious to her had been safely restored.
Our search for that dumb receipt yesterday has prompted the question: how much value do I put on lost sinners? I am willing to drop what I am doing to look for a receipt I feel is important, but how much effort do I put into seeking and saving the lost through sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Is it possible that Christians could value misplaced items over lost souls of sinners? If we value people lost in sin like Jesus does, we will expend much effort in seeking to have them reconciled to God through repentance and faith in Christ. God used this receipt episode to show me I need to value people more like He values them. When we value others, we will invest time, love, and grace in them.
I thank God that He rejoices over those who are found, and with those who are part of His restorative process of justification and sanctification. Luke 19:1-10 relates a compelling story: "Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." What more can be said? I want to be like Zacchaeus and Jesus, not like all the complainers who despised God's grace. Today is the day of salvation!
Yesterday my wife and I had such a moment. Of all things, we were looking for an important receipt. At first Laura was the only one searching. Before too long, I was knee-deep in the file cabinet searching carefully. The search expanded through the office, bedrooms, closets, even the bathroom! Finally, after looking for over thirty minutes, our search was rewarded with success. Note to self: avoid stashing receipts in shoe boxes. That's a lesson I didn't think I needed to learn. What was really funny is I was struck by how few places there were to look, and Laura was troubled by how much stuff we have!
Had it been a receipt from Hungry Jacks or Spotlight, our search would have concluded in mere minutes. We would have shrugged our shoulders, resolved to put the receipts in the proper place next time, and moved on. In this case, finding the lost receipt was critical because of specific information written on it, in addition to proving the cost and retail value of our purchase. It reminded me of a parable Jesus told in Luke 15:8-10: "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
When the woman in the story misplaced one of her 10 silver coins, she did not wait for the light of morning to aid her. When she first recognized her loss, the woman lit a lamp and searched carefully. She swept the floor again and again. She retraced her steps and checked pockets, looked in vessels, even examined under the furniture! Her persistence paid off and she found the lost coin. She rejoiced to find what was lost, and desired that all would rejoice with her. Jesus summed up His point: just like a woman searches for a lost coin and rejoices when it is found, so God and the angels rejoice over one sinner who repents. The woman is not angry at the coin for rolling under the table. She did not yell or threaten the coin with a time-out. She was relieved and rejoiced because what was precious to her had been safely restored.
Our search for that dumb receipt yesterday has prompted the question: how much value do I put on lost sinners? I am willing to drop what I am doing to look for a receipt I feel is important, but how much effort do I put into seeking and saving the lost through sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Is it possible that Christians could value misplaced items over lost souls of sinners? If we value people lost in sin like Jesus does, we will expend much effort in seeking to have them reconciled to God through repentance and faith in Christ. God used this receipt episode to show me I need to value people more like He values them. When we value others, we will invest time, love, and grace in them.
I thank God that He rejoices over those who are found, and with those who are part of His restorative process of justification and sanctification. Luke 19:1-10 relates a compelling story: "Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." What more can be said? I want to be like Zacchaeus and Jesus, not like all the complainers who despised God's grace. Today is the day of salvation!
19 December 2011
Silly Season?
In Australia the term "silly season" is often used as a reference to the Christmas season, where Christmas is associated with sun-soaked beaches, family barbies (BBQ), seafood, mangoes, and drunken revelry. With kids and adults on holiday the potential for silliness reaches new highs or lows, depending on your perspective! It is silly to go into debt for the whole year to purchase gifts. But I think to gloss Christmas as "silly" goes way too far. The commercialism of Christmas should not stunt our wonder or dull the glory of Christ's coming. There's nothing silly about my Saviour.
Christmas is celebrated in different ways and for widely different reasons across the world. Some may celebrate Christmas merely from family or cultural tradition. It is an opportunity to gather with friends and family over special food and give gifts. Others see it as a huge waste of time. There are some who see it as a Christianization of a pagan holiday. I see Christmas as an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah sent to seek and save the lost. As far as I can see, Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season and all others. Jesus is the Giver, and He has given Himself as the Gift: providing forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life for all who repent and trust in Him.
The Bible describes a future event when the world will rejoice over the death of the two witnesses sent by God. After their testimony is complete, Satan will slay them. Their dead bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem and everyone will rejoice, refusing to bury them. Revelation 11:10-13 reads, "And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven."
When the people on earth saw God's witnesses were dead, what was their response? They rejoiced, made merry, and sent gifts to each other. After three days, however, God will raise the dead men to life and ascend to heaven. When Jesus came to earth, wise men brought gifts in worship. If even heathen people rejoice over death by giving gifts, it is certainly not silly to rejoice and worship Christ - the Giver of Life to all who will believe - through giving gifts to one another. It is not silly to give! The end result? May our celebration begin and end with giving glory to the God of heaven.
However you celebrate Christmas, may you do it as unto the LORD. Romans 14:5-9 says, "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living." As long as we live, let us live as children of the Most High God! Jesus is not dead, but alive! He came to set the captives free, open the eyes of the blind, and deliver mankind from sin and death. Sound it from the mountains, spread the Good News in the valleys: "Joy to the world, the LORD is come! Let earth receive her King."
Reign this Christmas, LORD Jesus. Reign now and always!
Christmas is celebrated in different ways and for widely different reasons across the world. Some may celebrate Christmas merely from family or cultural tradition. It is an opportunity to gather with friends and family over special food and give gifts. Others see it as a huge waste of time. There are some who see it as a Christianization of a pagan holiday. I see Christmas as an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah sent to seek and save the lost. As far as I can see, Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season and all others. Jesus is the Giver, and He has given Himself as the Gift: providing forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life for all who repent and trust in Him.
The Bible describes a future event when the world will rejoice over the death of the two witnesses sent by God. After their testimony is complete, Satan will slay them. Their dead bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem and everyone will rejoice, refusing to bury them. Revelation 11:10-13 reads, "And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven."
When the people on earth saw God's witnesses were dead, what was their response? They rejoiced, made merry, and sent gifts to each other. After three days, however, God will raise the dead men to life and ascend to heaven. When Jesus came to earth, wise men brought gifts in worship. If even heathen people rejoice over death by giving gifts, it is certainly not silly to rejoice and worship Christ - the Giver of Life to all who will believe - through giving gifts to one another. It is not silly to give! The end result? May our celebration begin and end with giving glory to the God of heaven.
However you celebrate Christmas, may you do it as unto the LORD. Romans 14:5-9 says, "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living." As long as we live, let us live as children of the Most High God! Jesus is not dead, but alive! He came to set the captives free, open the eyes of the blind, and deliver mankind from sin and death. Sound it from the mountains, spread the Good News in the valleys: "Joy to the world, the LORD is come! Let earth receive her King."
Reign this Christmas, LORD Jesus. Reign now and always!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)