Christmas Eve

Luke 2:7 is where it all happened. It says, "and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." If you've ever witnessed a woman giving birth, you know that it's not as neat as these few words seem to make it. It's the same for life and faith. I keep thinking of a Yogi Berra quote I used for the Blue Christmas service last night: "The future ain't what it used to be." This says a lot about my experience in 2009, but it says nothing about the promises of God that were fulfilled in Luke 2:7. The future will be exactly what God says it will be. And the whole point with the inn that had no room is: it doesn't matter. The inn represents ALL that does not matter. Christ represents (and is) ALL that does matter.

Since this is my last entry for Advent 2009, I want to thank you for reading this little devotional blog. May God grant you a rich celebration of the birth of His Son and a blessed new year. May 2010 be a year of laughter, worship, healing, rewarding service, love, and joy for you and all those you love.

Merry Christmas!

Ginger Bread House

I made a Ginger Bread House with my daughter the other evening. Kelsie's on the cusp of being four years old, so the project for her was limited to working out ways to eat as much of the frosting (glue) and candy (furnishings) as she could while I read the directions or became otherwise distracted. The house is the same model as the one pictured here, although ours looks a little like this one might after a hurricane. Of all the things in our home these days that serve as reminders of the birth of Christ, this miniature scale distressed property may be the most accurate. Micah 5:2 says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Bethlehem means "house of bread." Out of the geo-political equivalent of our gingerbread house came the ruler of all houses. Our gingerbread house is sweet, but The One born in Bethlehem is the source of all that is spiritually sweet. Jesus is all good. There are no downsides to Christ. As vulnerable as our gingerbread house was to Kelsie's culinary interests, so Jesus opens Himself to us that we might partake of Him at will. He will always feed and satisfy any soul hungry for the sweetness that only He offers. So, today, I simply want to enjoy Him. How about you?

What's today look like for you? Is there an opportunity to focus more on the goodness of Christ than usual? Is there anything in the way?

News and Justice

Misdeeds of people fill news reports every day. Watching the news (or getting it via the internet) can be a deflating and disheartening experience. Constant reports about evil behavior and violence can make us numb to evil behavior and violence. Some might think the Christmas story is a safe harbor from all this, but it is not. We looked at these verses before, but they deserve another look. In Matthew 2:16-18 it says that "when Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 'A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.'" This means that this scene of horror and tears was part of the prophecy validating the birth of Christ. We don't have any carols that stream through the sound systems in our shopping malls that tell this story, yet it is central to the story of Advent. It is, however, very different in result than our daily news. When you hear the report about someone doing something awful to someone else, your soul may ache for missing justice. Something must be done. Someone must be caught. Where is God in all of this? In the Advent story we find God in all of this! He's right there smack in the middle in the the form of a helpless child. He was born right into the middle of all that is wrong in this world to forever change it. Herod is, as I pointed out in an earlier entry, a reflection of the self-seeking worst in all of us; the representative of each of us breaking the 10th commandment and coveting our way down the highway of inhuman brutality. Jesus stands in the middle of this highway, blocking all that opposes Him. The lack of comfort in the Rachel prophecy further points to Jesus. For He is, in fact, the only comfort we have in this life. And He is an amazing comfort. Once I remember the good news about Him, it changes the way I read today's news. Despair surrenders to hope. Violence surrenders to peace. Fear surrenders to faith.

How are you dealing with the news in your life and in your world today? Does it hit you hard? Do you hit it back with your faith in Christ? Are you trusting Him for hope and justice today? If not, why?

Let's Go See

In Luke 2:15-16 we read, "When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.' So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger." A couple of thoughts:

1) The angels always leave. They seem to come for short visits, do what they came for, and make a hasty retreat. Who can blame them? I wouldn't hang around either. Scripture, however, says they are everywhere doing God's work and watching over God's people, but this is all silent and invisible work. When they have to make an audible and visible appearance, it tends to be brief and to the point.

2) After the angels left, the shepherds had to start thinking again and talking to each other. This is key. It's not one shepherd standing alone in the field. He has friends. They encourage one another. They've shared the experience of seeing an amazing angelic display. They, together, knew that this was the Lord. They probably helped each other know this and be sure of it. This is still how it works; it's an enduring life principle. We all need people near us who can say to us, "Let's go and see." We all need people we can check with to make sure they saw the same thing we did. This helps us make sure that we, in fact, did see what we thought we saw. This is what church is. When it comes to God and God's things, this is important. There are good reasons why we need two or three gathered together.

3) The angels told the truth. The shepherds followed up on what they said and found things as they said. This is also how it is with God and God's things. They are inspectable. You can kick the tires. You can see for yourself. You can put your hand in the wounds. You can visit the holy family. When you do the equivalent in your life you'll say like Thomas and like the shepherds, "My Lord and my God!"

Do you have someone to check with in life, especially when it comes to God and God's things? With God and God's things, have you "inspected what you expect?" How would you respond if an angel appeared to you?

Gabriel, where is he now?

At the end of each year lots of retrospectives show up in the news and on the internet. I just looked at a "where are they now" presentation of the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story" on www.foxnews.com. Ralphie got his BB gun and now, as 38-year-old Peter Billingsley, produces films. Others did well too, some not so well. I wonder, though, about those involved in the real Christmas story. For example, how about the angel Gabriel? What's he up to now? In Luke 1:11-38 he is busy. He meets with Zechariah to tell him (and then scold him for a lack of faith) about the birth of John the Baptist, his son. Then he meets with Mary to tell her about Jesus, her famous son that she'll have even though she's a virgin. Gabriel is powerful, more than we can imagine, but his actual task is that of a messenger. In fact, that's what angel means. In Revelation 2-3, the "angels" of seven churches are addressed. Since angel only means messenger, it can be translated as pastor! I know that most people don't see their pastors as angelic, but we are, like the angels, despite all the other trappings of our vocations, simply messengers. Gabriel had messages that he was ordered to give. He gave them. Now what? Perhaps you can see why I'm interested. We read about what Gabriel did in Luke 1, but we tend not to ask much more about him. What's he up to now? Well, he's consumed with the glory and wonder of his Creator God. There's a lesson for me in this, and maybe for you too. I am not, in the end, what I do. I am ordered, like Gabriel, to bring fantastic, life-changing messages, that are not my own, to people. Where Gabriel performed perfectly, I do not. What Gabriel encountered - unbelief in some (Zechariah) and belief in others (Mary) - I also encounter. What Gabriel is doing now must also be my major focus in life and in the next life. Jesus was born and died so that I could tell His story when called upon to, but also so that I could have the glory of God be the point and content of my life. I exist to be consumed by the wonder of my Savior. There are many parts about Christmas that, surprisingly, help with this. "Angels we have heard on high ..."

Where are you now? Is your life about God and His Wonders, or is it about other things? Do you have a task that you could mistakenly assume is your identity?

A Warrior's Advent

In Isaiah 9:5 it says, "Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire." This month, like every month, we at the base where I serve as a chaplain are sending people to war on the other side of the world. As troops come to see me (they are procedurally obligated to) we speak briefly about the stresses of deployment and the holidays. Ones I've recently spoken to get to stay home for Christmas. Many others, of course, do not. There's very little in all of this that regular, nonmilitary people can empathize with or even imagine. Most of the people I work with now, though they certainly face danger, are not headed over to live in the line of fire. With no fatalities, it's a far cry from my last assignment at Dover AFB. There I saw daily the fruit of war. I saw these boots and clothes of the slain the Scriptures say will be burned. So, for me, this Scripture verse couldn't be more filled with light and hope, though for the average person it seems sober at best. Most of the people I know who serve in the military serve for peace. They know someone has to stand up to defend our way of life in a world so fallen that without defense we would not be able to live at all, never mind live the way our consciences dictate. So even though Jesus didn't promise peace and warned that He would cause great division in this world, His advent was about true peace, inside and out, and the end of all war. Wars end when they're fought through to the end. His Advent was His first step to the cross, where He fought and won the greatest of all wars against the source of all wars: sin.

A Primer to Pray for Warriors

"Lord, I pray for those who will soon deploy and their families. I ask you to watch over them and all who are in harm's way. They do what they do so I can read this blog without fear. I know that simply reading these words in some parts of this world would be to risk my life or at least my freedom. Bless those who defend me on earth by defending them on earth and in the heavens. Thank You that one day soon all wars will cease and all the things of wars will be destroyed according to the promise of Scripture."

Are you involved in anything that you would describe as a war? How do you expect it to end? How are God and His Word guiding through your conflict?

A Week Left

One of the interesting things about Christmas is how soon it's all over. A week from today it will be done. I'll write my last Advent entry, we'll all open presents, and the "shopping days" countdown will be reset for 2010. Sure there will be a few stray parties and post-holiday sales, but Christmas 2009 will be history. In Luke 2:20 it says, "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." The important thing to remember is that the shepherds went back to being shepherds. They had to take their amazing experience of the birth of Jesus back to their mundane lives and figure out how to merge the two. It's the same for us. The key for all who have any kind of experience of Jesus Christ is to follow the shepherds' example. They were "glorifying and praising" their way forward in life, even though they were not relieved of their station in life, which, by the way, was a low one. If Advent and Christmas mean anything to us, we have to hold on to them all year long. Though the tasks and problems of our daily lives sometimes seem immune to and unchanged by whatever we go through spiritually, the change we experience on the inside can be real and significant. If shepherds can do it, so can we. We can be what's changed the most about our lives. The shepherds didn't win the lottery or even get better jobs after meeting Jesus, but they did gain their souls and a new song.

What long-term, spiritual differences are you looking for inside yourself in 2010? When Advent and Christmas end, what about them doesn't end for you and how does this make a difference in your life?

Merry Christmas, that's an order!

Merry, per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means delightful, mirthful, marked by festivity, quick, brisk, blithe, jocund, jovial, or jolly. The antonym for merry is miserable. Have an Unmiserable Christmas! This doesn't quite have the same ring, does it? Here's the interesting thing; the phrase "Have a merry Christmas!" could be an imperative. This means it just might be a command. God and Jesus basically speak in commands. Whenever we're saying "Merry Christmas" to someone or they're saying it to us, someone may be giving someone else an order! This is certainly in accord with the Scriptures. We've looked at it before; in Luke 2:10-11 it says, "But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'" "Do not be afraid." "Fear not," it says in the King James. This is a command. You and I are ordered to cease and desist from our fear. It is forbidden. To fear is to reject God and His Son born to redeem us. For me fear and misery are twins. Have a Fearless Christmas! This might be a greeting (or command) I like better, but I'll receive all the Merry Christmas commands in the Spirit they're given to me. "Yes, Lord. I choose by faith to be merry and unafraid this Christmas. I do this only because I know this will please You and You alone give me the power to do it."

What kinds of fears tempt you around the Christmas season? How do you fend them off? Are you choosing to be merry or miserable this Advent season?

Christmas Cookies

There are so many cookies, and all of them great. There's also candy, food, cake and chocolate. It's all everywhere. I feel like the surfaces (tables, desks, etc.) in my life are being covered with food designed to fatten me up and slow me down. We put up a resistance to it, but this doesn't mean much. We eat more during the Christmas season than any other time of year. And it's not just that we eat a lot; we like it a lot. In Micah 5:2 it says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” I've always enjoyed that Bethlehem means "house of bread." Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." The one miracle besides the resurrection that's in all four gospels is the miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000 people (probably more) using a boy's lunch. It was a miracle of food - easy to understand. Dear friends of mine are Hasidic Jews. For them, food is spiritual. Everyday they expend great effort to eat certain things and not eat other things. Every decision carries great spiritual weight. Food is spiritual. Well, of course it is. The bread of life was born for us. In communion, Christ describes us as eating His flesh and drinking His blood. We feed on Christ or we don't live. He is our essential spiritual food. To believe is to receive and feed on Him, to take Him in. More than this, it is to enjoy feeding on Him. No joy or satisfaction exceeds this. Our overeating is sometimes a sign that we are not satisfied, that we have not fed on the only One who satisfies: Jesus Christ.

How much are you eating and enjoying food this Advent and Christmas season? How spiritual is your eating? Are you feeding your soul as well? Are you feeding on Christ?

A Better World

In the movie, Kingdom of Heaven, the lead character, Balian, speaks to his dying father, Godfrey, as they travel together to Jerusalem during the crusades. After being told by his father that he must serve the King of Jerusalem, he asks, "What could a king ask of a man like me?" His father answers with, "A better world than has ever been seen." I think God is looking for the same thing from us who encounter His Son, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. The message of Advent and Christmas is not just that Christ was born, but that He was born to change the way we live. We are called to live in such a way as to make "a better world than has ever been seen." This involves vision and sacrifice. Canadian educator Claude Thomas Bissel is credited by some with the following quote, also know as the West Point Cadet Maxim: "Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible." The principle behind these words and countless others like them, at least to my mind as I look back over history, has only one possible source: the Advent of Christ. God risked, cared, dreamed, and expected more and He calls us to do the same through His Son, not just at Christmas, but all year long. He's asking us for a better world. I'm reminded of this every time I look up in Goodwill Church's old sanctuary and see the quote from angels, as recorded in Luke 2:14, on the front wall above the altar: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." This is where our church got its name. Our King commissions us to give God glory and, in His strength, make a better world.

How can you make your world better today?

Advent and the Snake

The first verse in the Bible to speak directly about Jesus Christ and, therefore, His promised advent or arrival is Genesis 3:15 - "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” The first to hear directly and officially from God as to what His plans were to redeem fallen humanity is the mascot of fallen humanity himself: the Serpent. Merry Christmas, Snake. This may be a good model for us to follow. Before we write out Christmas cards or wrap Christmas presents for people in our lives, before we light candles and sing Christmas praise songs to the reason for every season: Christ our Lord, before we do anything else, maybe we should talk directly and officially to the adversary of our souls and say, "Christ will crush your head in my life, so no matter what size bite you take of my heel, I will not be swayed!" Christmas can be more spiritual warfare than sentimental journey for the serious Christian, even though most of us are not ashamed to enjoy every aspect of the season. So, if the evil one has stolen or attempted to steal something from you, fight back. The Advent of Christ, His birth we celebrate at Christmas, gives you all the ammunition you need for this fight. The promised prophecies of God cannot be repealed or resisted by anyone or anything. God will have His way. God will honor His Word. This is what makes Him God. Enjoy the strength of Christ even as you marvel at how vulnerable He became entering our fallen world through Mary's womb. Be encouraged. Be emboldened. Believe and hold to Scripture more than you believe your eyes. Be a believer in the Lord of Lords and stand your ground.

Are you in the midst of spiritual warfare this Christmas season? Are you getting the prayer support you need for this? Are you asking for it from other believers?

Church Optional

One the most important things for me as a pastor to remember is that Christians don't need me. They don't need a church either. They need the disciple-making leadership and fellowship that me and a church I pastor should provide, but all the other nonsense that tends to flow out of a typical church, well, no one on earth needs a bit of it. Last week we had a desperate and powerful prayer meeting at our church due to all we're going through. At the end I said that the church is not supposed to be about the church, but it so often is. It so often is all about us. It is Christians looking in mirrors. It is Christians performing in choirs for each other, but making zero impact on the surrounding culture, making zero difference for Jesus Christ in a world dying to know Him. The world is not dying to attend church services or listen to worship songs or sit through sermons. People need the Lord. They want Jesus. This is not news for most of us. The first Christian church service ever is recorded in Matthew 2:11: "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." We all need to see Jesus, worship Him, and give Him our best treasures. When we're together in His Name, there ought to be a sense that we've arrived, that we're home.

Are you "going to church," but unsatisfied with your spiritual life? Are you looking for the same thing the Magi were when you attend a worship service?

First Gifts

We give gifts at Christmas. Many of us give gifts to others that we intend to be gifts to God as well. The only way we can really give to God is to give to others. But before we give God anything, we have to give Jesus our sins. Let me speak personally here. As the days unfold at Goodwill, certain sins of certain people (no, not me) will become the news of the day, at least in our circles. This happens in cycles and ought not surprise us. Every time a certain person's certain sins surface in a certain community everyone in that community has an opportunity to examine their own sins and their own souls. This is unpleasant at best. Some say it's good and necessary, but I tend not to have such an optimistic view of the effects of sin. I guess if you need surgery, it's a good thing, but it's best just not to need it. I wish I didn't need it, but I do. I've got sins to give to Jesus for Christmas. If I don't give them to Him, I'll keep them and soon they'll be keeping me. I'm either a slave to Christ or a slave to my sins. No middle ground. The Magi knew this and chose to honor Christ over Herod, a human embodiment of sin. In Matthew 2:16 it says, "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi." Sin, like Herod, is a terrible, murderous king. When I see Herod's reaction I recoil at it because, in the horror of honesty, I recognize myself. Without Christ, I'm not a better man than Herod. If I think I am a better man on my own, I will surely become my own brand of Herod. Even with Christ, I'm sorely tempted and spiritually frail. My sins are my first gifts to Jesus. He takes them from me because, before I was born, He took them onto His body on the cross. He paid for them. I'm not saying that I'm a sinner because this is what preachers do. I really am. I really need a Savior. I'm that messed up. He's that good.

What first "gifts" do you need to give to Jesus this Christmas, in other words, what sins do you need to confess? If you are setting confession of sins aside or postponing doing it, what is a higher priority to you? How can it be?

Sovereignty

Here's a morning message to myself as a believer in a letter form:

Good Morning,

First of all, there's nothing you can do to make today better or worse than God has planned. The decisions you make in these early moments of your day have nothing to do with your day and everything to do with your heart. Christianity isn't sorcery. You have no power. Your preferences are irrelevant. This day is about submission. God has planned everything today and asked for no advise. You can't love God as you are trying to influence Him. You must aim to do one or the other. This requires radical trust. Pray for your agenda to match His, not for His sake, but yours. Pray for His strength. Get in His Word. Pray it as you read it. As your mind wanders away into the perceived troubles of the day, place those troubles and challenges on the table of prayer. Capture anxieties and fear. They are trying to steal life and energy that belongs to and must be harnessed by faith. Imagine Mary's heart as, in Luke 2:34-35, "Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: 'This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.'” Did she pray against this? Did she "not receive this word?" Of course not! Clay doesn't bargain with The Potter. It is your task today to be soft in The Potter's hands, willing for and committed to His shaping. Let your soul be pierced by the Word of God. Let your heart be revealed and neither apologize for nor downplay all that rises and falls by the hand of God. He knows what He's doing, and you don't. This is not a source of frustration, but the only source for the "peace that passes understanding."


Would you write a similar letter to yourself today? Would it be different? Simeon prophetically reported "the child's" destiny to his mother, Mary, as a future fact. What parts of your life have this same sense to them?

Christmas Lights

You see them everywhere. All of us develop very early memories of them. At night, the glow and warmth Christmas lights draw our eyes to storefronts and people's yards. I have to admit, I think they are beautiful. They get me every time. On the street where I live just about every house is a strategically planned display of high-electric-bill Christmas cheer. The manufacturers of the lights are getting better too. Some of the outside lights show colors and brilliance I don't remember from past years. What's funny is how these lights look during the day in storefronts and especially in yards. They look sad and trashy. Only in the dark do these lights bless. It was dark in more ways than one when Christ was born. After the Magi left Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, it says in Matthew 2:13 that "an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.'” Can you imagine? This is a reminder of how dark a time it was and how evil some men were. Joseph has already been through so much, and now this. He has to make a run for it. Again, notice that he is in charge. He has to do this: protect his betrothed and her newborn son. Still, all this takes nothing away from the hope and glory of the birth of Christ. In fact, it adds to it. Christ is that much more beautiful in the context of the evil and darkness that surrounded His birth, life, death, and resurrection. This can help us today. Whatever evil we face, inside or out, with the light of Christ focused on with eyes of faith, the darkness can be transformed. Jesus came to change everything. The lights and lit-up decorations on my neighbor's yard change everything about how his yard looks at night and remind me of The Light of the World.

What darkness do you face today? How are you intentionally shining the light of Christ on it? Are you a believer and will you live like it today?

A Moment

Luke 2:36-38 says, "There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." I get it. She hoped for what the Scriptures promised. She waited for "the redemption of Jerusalem." The most important fact in all of this for me is that she spent her days in the temple worshipping, fasting, and praying. Today our church is fasting and tonight we will all be praying in a worshipful gathering. Our actions are based on our hope in Christ. We wait for the redemption of Goodwill Church. We each wait for many other things as well, whether they have to do with what the whole world is going through or what we alone are going through. A lifetime of worship, fasting, and praying can sometimes be only about a moment. Anna's moment is recorded in Scripture. Ours will not be, but Scripture teaches us that if we want to live a life for God we have to be willing to have it all boil down to one grateful moment. Sometimes hindsight can show us that everything we do is really only about a moment.

When you read about Anna do you see her life as unfortunate or blessed? Are you willing to do everything you do for God for one moment? When you worship, fast, and pray, what is it you seek?

Sorry, I'm late

My posting today was very late. There are all kinds of reasons for this that I won't write about here. It reminds me, however, of God's timing. I often consider Him to be late. I often think that I'm waiting too long. Advent is about the fact that 400 years of silence and waiting were pierced by a voice (John the Baptist's) calling out in the desert, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him." (Luke 3:4b)

Generations were born, lived, and died waiting for God in these 400 years between what we call the Old and New Testaments. How those people's ears must have ached to hear the Word of God. Second Temple Judaism, as it is referred to now, developed as a political authority under authority. The answer to the question, "Who's the boss?" changed from the Persians to the Greeks, to the Jewish Hasmoneans, and finally to the Romans. John the Baptist broke the chain with his prophetic cry. He still does. His command is still relevant. I need to remember this today. My entire job and life's purpose is the prepare the way for Him and make a straight path for Him. He's the star. He's the point. As the sign in front of our church says, "Jesus is the reason believers endure any season." He's not just the reason for the season, He's the reason for everything.

What in your life seems late? How has your experience of God's timing helped you understand His faithfulness?

Bigger than Life

A good life is always about more than a good life. It's always bigger. A great life has a purpose that transcends it. The birth of Christ brought together and lifted the life purposes of many people, a few of which we meet in Scripture. In Luke 2:25-26 it says, "Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ." Scripture tells us accounts like this for a reason. We're supposed to look at our own lives. What are we waiting for? The answer to this question reveals our destiny. Is it a fulfillment of something we've heard from God, or is it something less? I feel the Holy Spirit constantly reminding me that settling for something less is never His will. Think of the anticipation of Simeon. It framed his life. It filled his mind. It informed his every decision. He was set up by the Holy Spirit to long for and look for Jesus. His eyes were trained for any sign of the sight of Him. Every day he woke up and thought, "This could be the day that I see the Savior with my own eyes!" One day it was!

What are you looking forward to today? Is your anticipation for Jesus or for something less? Do you have anything in your life that is bigger than your life?

Madrigals

I make fun of my own singing all the time. I'm no Bono, but, actually, at The University of Connecticut in the 80's, I was a bass section leader for the Concert Choir. People filled large venues to hear us perform Handel's "Messiah," Faure's "Requiem," Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms," Brahms' "A German Requiem," and Mendelssohn's "Elijah," to name of few masterpieces I had the privilege of performing in my early 20's. I was also a Madrigal, a member of small, select ensemble from within the choir that performed Baroque and Renaissance choral music, especially around Christmas.

For weeks in December, we performed for people in period costumes in a theatrical setting while they ate first rate meals. People paid well for these events, which were sold out far in advance. Even some of the food was authentic to the 16th and 17th centuries. I love these memories. My two loves at the time, music and theatre, combined into a labor-intensive, rewarding experience. The best part came from watching how much fun people had. It was a highlight of the season for many people. We sang from table to table and performed all manner of carefully scripted hijinks. We ended the evening with the best choral performances one can find in a large University setting anywhere. I'm not ashamed to say that I was proud to be a part of these troupes of performers. Though we were only students, we were a driven and able group. We did our best so that our audience/customers enjoyed themselves. I think these experiences help me understand the viewpoint of the angels on the night Christ was born. They put on a show for unsuspecting shepherds that had never been seen and will never be seen again. Luke 2:13-14 says, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'" There's no way that the shepherds were too busy to notice, yet I wonder about us now. I wonder if the way we live our lives renders us deaf to the voices of angels.

Are you too busy to notice God's attempts to inspire you? Do you appreciate the heart and effort behind all that God does and plans for you? Do you know how much God loves you and loves to bless you?

Government for the People

Isaiah 9:7
"Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."

As I read this verse this year I keep staring at the word "government." A few things come to mind:

1) I should want nothing more than government by God. Our world suffers at the hands of men. Our country, great as it is, is being brought down by men, like every over great country in the history of the world. What is government by God? I have no idea. It certainly is not government by people who claim to be Christians. That's what we've had and what we've got now. It must be something different. It must be something spiritual. What thoughts do you have on this?

2) All human governments will end. We place our faith in them at our own peril.

3) Government by God means peace. If there's a lack of peace, there's a lack of God. War is a test, not a validation, of the character and faith of people.

4) False peace is the most deceptive power on earth. It is a "form of Godliness" with no power.

The problem I see in my life is that not only do I want to trust the human government over me, but I want to trust the human government within me. All of it eventually fails. Advent reminds me of this fact and of what God offers as a better alternative: "Christ in me, the hope of glory."

Who's running things in your life and world today? Is there a lack of peace that shows a lack of God in your life?

Christmas Cartoons

When I was kid we didn't even have remote control for our televisions. The first one I saw was a dial exactly like the one on the set with 15-foot, heavy wire leashing it to the television. We also didn't have hundreds of channels. We had three main channels (ABC, NBC, and CBS) and channel 13 (PBS). This meant that when "Frosty the Snowman" or "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" came on in the weeks before Christmas, it was huge event for us. We knew in advance thanks to the TV Guide and we would plan our evenings accordingly. We even made popcorn, which we had to eat out in the hallway; no food in the family room back in those days. I remember thinking that these shows and the nights we watched them were perfect. The greatest of all these shows for me was "A Charlie Brown Christmas." I still get chills when I watch and hear Linus quote from the King James Bible in their Christmas pageant. It was the highlight of the show and the show within the show. Linus read Luke 2:8-15: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." The point of the story of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is, of course, that we need to remember the real meaning of Christmas, exactly what these verses describe. By the way, Luke 2:14 is written in wooden letters above the cross and altar in Goodwill's sanctuary.

It's three short weeks till Christmas. How are you doing with the real meaning of Christmas? Do you know the peace the angels were talking about?

Tinsel and Tinkles

Shannon and I went to see The Nutcracker at the NYC Ballet a few years ago. She had never seen it. Tchaikovsky is a great composer, so much so that this solid classic is not even one of his best works. Nevertheless, the Nutcracker is like Christmas on steroids. My little sister took ballet and I remember her scurrying across the stage in her tutu every Christmas every year for what felt like the first eighty years of my childhood. Even now, as I'm writing about it and you're reading about it, we can all hear the music in our heads. If you can't, go to the iTunes store, type in Nutcracker, click on the 2nd song they list and hear 20 seconds of it for free. Don't worry, it'll play in your head for the rest of today and tomorrow. There's something about Christmas and fantasy that clings to our minds. It starts when we're kids. I wonder sometimes if this isn't more connected to the true meaning of Christmas than we all realize. In speaking about the quest of the Magi in Matthew 2:9-10 it says, "After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." Maybe all that is tinsel and tinkles about Christmas is our subconscious attempt to join the Magi in their chase of that eastern star. How brilliant and riveting a sight it must have been. Nothing stokes our imaginations like a chance to touch The Creator of imagination. Every curiosity and fascination of our minds is secondary and subservient to our curiosity and fascination with God. The promise of Christ manifested at His birth is the promise of our curiosity's satisfaction. In Christ, and in Christ alone, we will see God!

Is God the most interesting part of today for you or is there something else? Does faith in Christ inspire your imagination?

Obligated to Give

Sometimes the holidays land us in a position where we feel obligated to give a gift. In Matthew 1:24 it says, "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife." It seems Joseph was the first person to give a obligatory gift. He had to give up his rights to his future wife to God. I'm always fascinated with Joseph. He was just as chosen as Mary. I could argue that he was more so. His name and pedigree would have to be and would be assigned to Jesus legitimately and permanently. He had to accept bearing Jesus just as much as Mary did. Mary's DNA was used, but something equally intimate from a Biblical standpoint, Joseph's name, was also required. It's what all those "begats" are all about. Joseph was the human father. This meant, in his day, that he was Jesus' main parent. He was the head of the house and 100% responsible for raising Jesus. Imagine this. More than any other human being and much more than Mary while he was alive, Joseph was responsible for Jesus. He had to protect him, feed him, teach him, discipline him, and provide for him and his mother. There's not much written about Joseph, but there would be nothing written about Jesus if Joseph hadn't stepped up to his calling to be Jesus' adoptive father. The thing is, unlike me, he didn't set out to adopt. He was obligated to give himself to Jesus by God. It's important to remember that some obligations end up being worth everything.

What do you feel obligated by God to give? How are you doing with this in your life?

Hidden in Plain Sight

The tradition of wrapping gifts is a good one to my mind. It helps gifts to be savored, anticipated, and, most importantly, appreciated. The birth of Christ is, of course, a gift. It is the ultimate gift. God gives us His Son. Gifts of socks, pants, Altoids, DVDs of movies Shannon thinks I'll like, and books she's picked out for me will soon be hidden in plain sight under our tree. Wrapping paper, Scotch tape, and bows will provide thin but effective camouflage. The gospel of Christ can be similarly camouflaged. It can be hidden in plain sight. The gifts under our tree are sure to be opened. The gift of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, may not be for many people. In Luke 2:12 it says, "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Despite the star and the concert of angels the shepherds beheld, many in Bethlehem missed unwrapping the gift of Jesus. Consider how many people in this town lived through this event and their entire lives completely oblivious to Christ. All they saw, if they noticed anything at all, was a baby born out of wedlock in a barn. How could this be anything to pay attention to, never mind rejoice in? This is like thinking that all there is to those gifts under the tree is wrapping paper, tape, and bows held in place by empty boxes.

Is Jesus Christ a gift you have received (opened) or one you have ignored? Does it feel like God is hidden in plain sight today?

"I don't know how to worship You, Lord."

Confessions like this are powerful and transforming. I haven't just confessed that I don't know how to worship Him, but that I don't know how to love Him, serve Him, offer Him to others, live for Him, or trust Him. Each time I make such a confession I sense God's presence and blessing. God loves the truth more than anyone I know. When I tell Him the truth, no matter how hard it is, I feel His pleasure and am assured of His love. In Luke 2:9 it says, "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." I've often been completely taken by the glory of God in such scenes, but I realize lately than the terror of the shepherds was truth-based and, therefore, had to be pleasing to God as well. The shepherds knew God and knew their own hearts. It wasn't just the appearance of the angel, but how they, the shepherds, appeared and were revealed by God's light that got to them. No one can hide anything from God. To imagine things from God's perspective, our attempts at hiding from Him must be deeply offensive to Him. We actually have record of this in Genesis 3:9. I can still hear The Father in my own life asking, "Where are you?"

Have you told the truth to God this morning? If not, what's keeping you from doing so? Where are you?

The First Day of Advent

Advent means arrival. When we celebrate Advent we celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ into our world. It is not a one time event, but a continuing event. We continually need God in our lives. We need Him to make an entrance and change the core meaning of everything. I remember my first Christmas as a believer. I insisted on attending church, but had no idea how. A friend of mine was Catholic and agreed to take me to "The Midnight Mass." I remember being lost in the service and in the community within the church. I was 19 and had never attended a church service in my life. The elements of the service were entirely mysterious to me. It seemed like so little was connected to the little I knew about God and Jesus. It was a blur of standing, sitting, and waiting in a line to see the priest up front. I don't remember anyone singing or smiling. The service, which would certainly qualify as beautiful to me now, was simply alien. This, however, was somehow appropriate. Jesus was indeed an alien who had arrived in my life. He seemed to never stop doing strange things and making strange requests of me. (I later learned these were demands.) Some of this initial strangeness has never left me. Jesus never intends to visit with people, but to move in. In Luke 2:11 it says, "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." He wasn't voted in. If people didn't think they needed a Savior, Jesus doesn't seem to have cared. He came to take over. He always does. To mention David is to bring up the idea of a king. This is what Jesus is. At advent we celebrate the arrival and Heaven-imposed reign of The King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

How is He a King to you today? Will you serve Him or someone else today?

Capture Your Holiday in a Havahart Trap!

It's here! It has been marching your way all year. There's nothing you can do to stop it. It is one week before the end of the year. (My calendar runs out a week later, which, according to our culture's logic, means the world will end even before 2012.) The Biblically dubious season of Advent and Christmas, upon arrival, will do everything possible to chew through December and disappear into 2010. You've got to capture it in a Havahart trap. Who cares if it's more secular than sacred in origins. (I'll explain all this in future postings.) Jesus owns it now and most of us have seen Him use this season to draw hundreds of millions of people all around the world closer to Him. May He do just this with each of us and our families. May he slow down all that typically races by. May we remember the worship services, songs, laughter of children, food, and the things we did for others that blessed them deeply.