This will be my last post of 2015. Somehow in my human pride I imagine that this will cause tears and mourning for someone (probably my mom). While there, in reality, will be no tears from the absence of another post (due to the fact that I will be on vacation!), there is often a sense that comes at the end of the year of retrospection and introspection that can sometimes cause sorrow as we look back and find ourselves disappointed with our accomplishments for the year. After all, we made resolutions and goals that this was going to be the year that we _____________________ (fill in the blank) and as of December 22 ____________________ remains undone. And yet in the sadness and disappointment is a glorious reminder of the gospel.
Jesus came to earth precisely because of our failures. On a much larger scale we must understand that our sin required that Jesus came to be born to die. My failures to accomplish what I set my mind to should remind me of my failures to accomplish what God designed me to, and in that failure breaking the very relationship that I have with God. But the glorious birth of our Savior reminds us that there is a beginning in the end. Yes, the year is ending, we will never have another 2015. But, there is a glorious beginning we have because of Christ. Eternity with God. We get to live forever with God. And my temporary life on earth is just the beginning of this eternal life.
What this actually reveals to me is how shortsighted my goal formation actually is. I will make goals and plans for a 2016 that I am not even sure how much of it I will be around for. After all, Christ could return tomorrow. Perhaps my goal formation should be a little more eternal - doing and planning to do the things that matter most. Now please do not misunderstand what I am saying, I am not saying that every moment of 2016 should be spent in church or witnessing or passing out tracts to people. If you did this you would fail your important God-given responsibilities as a husband, or a mother, or a daughter, or a son. But what I am suggesting is that your "mundane" responsibilities should be focused on the beginning in the end. When you go to work, do so with the mentality that Christ is returning and He asks you to do your work as unto Him. (Colossians 3:17) When you are at home realize that you playing with your children has eternal implications. In point of fact, the return of Christ being imminent gives increased value and meaning to each activity that we do and makes them that much more valuable.
And yes, for most of us, there are things that we could do differently. We could put down the remote for a few minutes and read our Bibles. We could set the computer mouse aside momentarily and stop looking at cute cat videos and spend some time in prayer. But Christ coming to earth has given meaning to life here on earth. And we should realize that the baby in the manger was Immanuel, which means, "God with us". And that God will be with us for eternity. This really is just the beginning in the end. Or more precisely, the beginning of the joy that never ends. And in this we are indeed reminded of the gospel.
Thank you Jesus. And Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
The Spirit of Christmas Future
Ebenezer Scrooge fell asleep and was awakened by three spirits in the classic Dickens' tale, A Christmas Carol. When I think of this, I am reminded that the real story of Christmas has an impact on the past, the present and the future. For the story, the impact of the future was still negotiable, and Scrooge asked if he could change. For the real Christmas story however, the impact of the past is real, the impact on our present is real, and the impact on the future is just as real.
We think of the past of Christmas often as we reflect on baby Jesus laying in a manger, surrounded by Joseph, Mary, likely a few animals (although this is simply assumed) and a few moments later the Shepherds arriving. We think on the humility of this event and are often astounded. Every time I drive by a nativity scene I am reminded of Christmas past - an event that really happened and shaped the course of history.
We also can find ourselves focusing on Christmas present. Not the gifts and wrapping, although these often do consume much of our focus, but on the impact that Christ coming has in the here and now. I have salvation because Christ was born, I have life because Christ was born, I have the Spirit of God and the Word of God all because Christ was born. These are glorious truths both past and present, but they do not present the complete picture of the Christmas story.
This is why I think the book of Revelation contains the narrative of the birth of Christ. In Revelation 12 we are reminded that "And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne." (Revelation 12:5, NASB) This is a part of the larger context of the battle between God and Satan, between ultimate good and everything that opposes good. The glory of this story is ultimately recorded for us in Revelation chapter 20 when this adversary of God, the opposition to God is finally defeated along with all of those who chose to side against God. In other words, God wins. And the Christmas story is a large part of the narrative of God winning. It is because Christ conquers death that God wins. It is because Christ conquers the grave that God wins. It is because Christ conquers sin that God wins. God chooses to use the birth of this baby in humble circumstances to be the means by which victory is ultimately won.
But in our present it does not seem to be that God has won. Children are murdered, women are assaulted, brother fights against brother, sister steals from sister, families are disintegrating, we face moral ills on every side and it does not seem that God has won. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem that became a song that captures the heart of this struggle well.
This is one of the many joys of the Christmas story - it reminds us that our future is secure, right does prevail because our God lives and is still accomplishing His perfect plan for our world. God has redeemed us in Christ, He has saved us from our sins, and He will save us finally and completely at some time designated in the future. Until that day we cry out to the Savior born of a virgin, "Come quickly Lord Jesus." Which is a cry to make the promised future our present. And what a glorious gift it will be.
We think of the past of Christmas often as we reflect on baby Jesus laying in a manger, surrounded by Joseph, Mary, likely a few animals (although this is simply assumed) and a few moments later the Shepherds arriving. We think on the humility of this event and are often astounded. Every time I drive by a nativity scene I am reminded of Christmas past - an event that really happened and shaped the course of history.
We also can find ourselves focusing on Christmas present. Not the gifts and wrapping, although these often do consume much of our focus, but on the impact that Christ coming has in the here and now. I have salvation because Christ was born, I have life because Christ was born, I have the Spirit of God and the Word of God all because Christ was born. These are glorious truths both past and present, but they do not present the complete picture of the Christmas story.
This is why I think the book of Revelation contains the narrative of the birth of Christ. In Revelation 12 we are reminded that "And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne." (Revelation 12:5, NASB) This is a part of the larger context of the battle between God and Satan, between ultimate good and everything that opposes good. The glory of this story is ultimately recorded for us in Revelation chapter 20 when this adversary of God, the opposition to God is finally defeated along with all of those who chose to side against God. In other words, God wins. And the Christmas story is a large part of the narrative of God winning. It is because Christ conquers death that God wins. It is because Christ conquers the grave that God wins. It is because Christ conquers sin that God wins. God chooses to use the birth of this baby in humble circumstances to be the means by which victory is ultimately won.
But in our present it does not seem to be that God has won. Children are murdered, women are assaulted, brother fights against brother, sister steals from sister, families are disintegrating, we face moral ills on every side and it does not seem that God has won. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem that became a song that captures the heart of this struggle well.
And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
The Importance of Truth
I have a pet peeve. It may seem like a small thing, and perhaps it is - I know at least that most people probably do not take this as seriously as I do, but my peeve is with Christmas carols. You read correctly - Christmas carols. I am as joyous about the holidays as the next guy, but my difficulty comes when carols seem to be for some people a source of truth about the coming of the our Savior. For instance, when Jesus was born, did he cry? "Away in a Manger" tells us no, but if Jesus does not cry when he is born, he was not born human, for that first cry is what allows a newborn to draw breath. How many wise men were there? The Scriptures do not say, but the song does, and some long forgotten tradition does. People remember what they sing.
I am not fighting against sentiment. Please do not misunderstand - I have no problem with singing these Christmas songs, even the ones that have things in them that may not be true. I love watching my children sing these songs during Christmas plays and programs. I even enjoy singing the songs, particularly while caroling and encouraging people who may not be able to get out. I am NOT anti-carols. I am however against every instance where people develop their understanding of anything apart from the authority of Scripture.
There seems to me to be no better time to remind us of the importance of the Scriptures than the time when we celebrate the coming of the central figure of the Scriptures. There is no tradition, no song, no historical understanding that should inform us above the Scriptures. Truth is important, and Truth has been given to us in not only the person of Christ, but in every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God - which is the Bible. What a privilege we have to be able to have such a glorious gift from God. May we be careful not to squander it. May we be urgently engaged in reading and studying it. And may we be sure not to neglect it.
So may I remind us all this Christmas time to be discerning about what we hear, and see, and think and understand. May we run every single element of truth through the purifying filter of the Word of God and determine what is Truth and must be obediently followed and believed. The rest we may need to reconsider our response to, and realize that songs, or the opinions of myself or other, are not gospel truth and pale in comparison to the Gospel Truth that we have - our Bibles. Hold tightly to Truth. Be willing to let the rest go!
I am not fighting against sentiment. Please do not misunderstand - I have no problem with singing these Christmas songs, even the ones that have things in them that may not be true. I love watching my children sing these songs during Christmas plays and programs. I even enjoy singing the songs, particularly while caroling and encouraging people who may not be able to get out. I am NOT anti-carols. I am however against every instance where people develop their understanding of anything apart from the authority of Scripture.
There seems to me to be no better time to remind us of the importance of the Scriptures than the time when we celebrate the coming of the central figure of the Scriptures. There is no tradition, no song, no historical understanding that should inform us above the Scriptures. Truth is important, and Truth has been given to us in not only the person of Christ, but in every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God - which is the Bible. What a privilege we have to be able to have such a glorious gift from God. May we be careful not to squander it. May we be urgently engaged in reading and studying it. And may we be sure not to neglect it.
So may I remind us all this Christmas time to be discerning about what we hear, and see, and think and understand. May we run every single element of truth through the purifying filter of the Word of God and determine what is Truth and must be obediently followed and believed. The rest we may need to reconsider our response to, and realize that songs, or the opinions of myself or other, are not gospel truth and pale in comparison to the Gospel Truth that we have - our Bibles. Hold tightly to Truth. Be willing to let the rest go!
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
God With Us
" 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which translated means, 'God with us,' " (Matthew 1:23, NASB)
This verse never ceases to amaze me. When I read the Scriptures, it is amazing to me that God would be with me at all. In fact, there are myriads of reasons why God should not be with me. Sin is introduced in Genesis chapter 3 and separates mankind from God. When I was born, I was born in sin and was separated from God who made me, and yet here God promises to humble people that Mary will have a child and they will call Him "God with us". God himself came to be human. God the Son left heaven above and the glories of the throne-room of God the Father in order to be born as a fragile infant child in a much smaller space than He was used to, in a bed of hay, needing to be fed, cared for and nurtured into a good young Jewish boy. This was God with us. No fanfare, no trumpets heralding to the world that He had come. The heralds went instead to a field where Shepherds were watching their flocks. And yet this baby, born in humble circumstances, would be the solution to the separation that mankind had from God. He was God with us.
This singular statement is something that separates Christianity from many of the other world religions who believe that God is so "otherly" that their deity is above mankind to the extent that there is gulf fixed between them that cannot be breached. And while we as Christians contend that there is a gulf fixed between us and God, it is one that has already been breached by the Son of God and that is bridged by His shed blood. What a glorious truth to recall at Christmas. The baby came and was born to die so that you and I could have life. He is God with us who enables us to be with God. This is the truth of Hebrews 10:19-22. We have access to God and can be with God because God was first with us. God with us.
The statement also gives us something to look forward to. We not only have God with us, not only can we be with God, but we will be with God in a tangible way that involves the removal of the presence of sin and the glorious eternity of heaven on earth with Christ as Ruler over all that is. This promise of a new heaven and a new earth inaugurates a new era where all is restored and even made better than what it was at creation. A time when the dwelling of God is with me and "He will dwell among them and they shall be His people. . ." (Revelation 21:3, NASB) God with us in an ultimate way that will never change - a time with no more tears, no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain. God with us.
And all of this made possible because of God's movement toward us in the form of a little baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a feeding trough. What a glorious paradox - the restorer of humanity came as humanity to demonstrate that our frailty can be overcome. Praise be to God. God with us.
This verse never ceases to amaze me. When I read the Scriptures, it is amazing to me that God would be with me at all. In fact, there are myriads of reasons why God should not be with me. Sin is introduced in Genesis chapter 3 and separates mankind from God. When I was born, I was born in sin and was separated from God who made me, and yet here God promises to humble people that Mary will have a child and they will call Him "God with us". God himself came to be human. God the Son left heaven above and the glories of the throne-room of God the Father in order to be born as a fragile infant child in a much smaller space than He was used to, in a bed of hay, needing to be fed, cared for and nurtured into a good young Jewish boy. This was God with us. No fanfare, no trumpets heralding to the world that He had come. The heralds went instead to a field where Shepherds were watching their flocks. And yet this baby, born in humble circumstances, would be the solution to the separation that mankind had from God. He was God with us.
This singular statement is something that separates Christianity from many of the other world religions who believe that God is so "otherly" that their deity is above mankind to the extent that there is gulf fixed between them that cannot be breached. And while we as Christians contend that there is a gulf fixed between us and God, it is one that has already been breached by the Son of God and that is bridged by His shed blood. What a glorious truth to recall at Christmas. The baby came and was born to die so that you and I could have life. He is God with us who enables us to be with God. This is the truth of Hebrews 10:19-22. We have access to God and can be with God because God was first with us. God with us.
The statement also gives us something to look forward to. We not only have God with us, not only can we be with God, but we will be with God in a tangible way that involves the removal of the presence of sin and the glorious eternity of heaven on earth with Christ as Ruler over all that is. This promise of a new heaven and a new earth inaugurates a new era where all is restored and even made better than what it was at creation. A time when the dwelling of God is with me and "He will dwell among them and they shall be His people. . ." (Revelation 21:3, NASB) God with us in an ultimate way that will never change - a time with no more tears, no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain. God with us.
And all of this made possible because of God's movement toward us in the form of a little baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a feeding trough. What a glorious paradox - the restorer of humanity came as humanity to demonstrate that our frailty can be overcome. Praise be to God. God with us.
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