He is Speaking

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1:1, 14

            From the very beginning, before time, God spoke His Word in our behalf.  In Genesis 1, He spoke and the world came into being.  He spoke, and we were created in His very image.  He breathed life into us, and walked and talked with us in the garden.  When we sinned and fell, He spoke hope of a redeemer to us.

            Later He spoke to Moses, giving him the law that would allow some kind of relationship between Him and us, and that would remind us of a need for a savior.  He continued speaking through the judges, kings and prophets.

            And then, when time was ready, He spoke the final Word.  He reached across eternity, beyond the differences between Himself and us, and spoke the one Word that we could understand.  He spoke Jesus.  His Word became incarnate.  In that one Word, He bridged any communication gap that might exist. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word became flesh and lived among us.  He lived the grace and truth of God in human flesh.  Instead of God around us, He was Emmanuel, God with us.  Then He became sin for us, died and rose for us, and indwelt us.  Peter says that we were “born again not of the seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding Word of God.” (I Peter 1:23)  In the end, it is the Word of God who will come again and redeem the world.  “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called the Word of God.”  (Rev. 19:13)  He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last Word.  We were created by the Word, saved by the Word, and now indwelt by the Word.  

What word do we communicate to the world around us?  If we live as a light shining in the midst of a dark world, we communicate the Word of life.  If we blend into the world around us, we speak nothing at all.  We must hold fast to the work of truth, letting it dwell in us richly and living it so that it communicates to those around us.  We must live truth and grace, revealing God through our lives.  It is the way God chooses to communicate now.  It is the Head, speaking through the body.  It is the hope of our generation.

What word are you speaking to the watching world around you?

Just a Beginning!

The presents have all been opened, the wrappings have been discarded, company may have gone home and you may be working on the leftovers from Christmas dinner. You may be feeling a little of the Christmas blues, that let down after all the build up and frenetic activity that leads up to Christmas. It’s over so fast.

But part of what makes Christmas so awesome is that it’s not over; it’s just the beginning.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned! Isaiah 9:2

That first Christmas is when the light got turned on; Christmas isn’t over the next day, it’s a new beginning. It is truly a day to celebrate! We commemorate that light.

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called 

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. Isaiah 9:6-7

Jesus is the beginning. His birth as a baby, while wondrous as it was, was only the start. Every day since that day God has reached to people through his Son, in a more direct way than ever before. The man Jesus lived God’s love for us. He died and rose again, and then sent his Spirit at Pentecost to indwell us. Today he reaches to every man, and does it through his people who are indwelt by his Spirit.

"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."

2 Corinthians 2:14

Jesus is the beginning, and he is also the end. He leads us in triumph! Live each day in that triumph. It is that joy and relationship with God that is a fragrance to those who don’t know him.

So, no after Christmas blues. We have a light to shine in the darkness, that lights the land of the shadow of death. People living in sorrow need that light. Christmas is a great start, but it’s only a start, so keep living the love of Jesus to everyone you come in contact with.

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine…

Breathe...

STOP!

Just for a minute, stop. Get a cup of tea, find a comfortable chair, and sit down.

Take a deep breath.

Think of all the blessings in your life.

            You are breathing.

            Think of the people who make your life rich.

In your mind, name them.

Think of sunshine on your face,

            Snowflakes on your tongue.

Think of the joy of your salvation.

Say “Thank You”

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!”

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

There is amazing economy and simplicity in the telling of the birth of Jesus. The God of creation became one of us, was born in the normal human way, and lived among us. Because of the miracle of this, we have hope for a life of hope and joy.

We complicate Christmas. We have traditions to keep and gifts to buy and baking to do, and while these are good things, they are not the main thing.

Jesus is born. Hallelujah!

           

Person of Influence?

By any account, Joseph was one of the little people. He was a Jew, the smallest and most insignificant of countries. He was a carpenter, a craftsman, whose day was probably filled with repairing common household items and building common farm implements. In Jewish economy, he was strictly blue collar.

And yet, in God’s economy, he was the elite, that man with a heart that sought to be God’s man. He was that man of integrity and kindness who would not marry a woman who was unfaithful to him, but still couldn’t bring himself to publically disgrace her. When God stepped in and told him to go ahead and marry Mary, that the baby was of the Holy Spirit, he didn’t question his own sanity but obeyed. He didn’t ask, or at least it isn’t recorded that he asked, what this all would mean for him, personally. He had to know that people would talk. His reputation would be dragged through the mud, just like Mary’s would. People would assume they had sinned.

Joseph was that insignificant man of great significance. He would raise God’s Son, teaching him a trade, and what it means to be a man, and a man of God. Joseph is, like many of our dad’s, that largely unsung hero who is rarely mentioned but had great influence.

God seems to have a special place in his plans for insignificant people. Little people, like shepherds and village girls and carpenters. Perhaps they are more willing to let God have the glory, aware of their own insignificance. God can do big things with little people. The birth of Jesus shows in so many ways that little people are precious and noticed by God.

Who are the influential people in your life? Are they giant slayers or kings? More likely they are laundry slayers or servants. Mothers and fathers and teachers and bus drivers and Sunday school teachers and youth group leaders and salesmen and neighbors, people who looked beyond themselves and lived in obedience to God.

You don't have to be a 'person of influence' to be influential. In fact, the most influential souls in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me. ~ Scott Adams

Have you thanked those little people of influence in your life recently? As you go through your day, who are you influencing? It may be by the kindness you show to the new kid at work, or the smile you give the homeless lady you pass on the street at lunchtime. Maybe it’s the attention you show to the middle child at home or the too-loud attention-seeking child in your class. Maybe it’s the lady who watches you when you don’t even know it. Maybe it’s the harried sales clerk or the driver of the car stuck in traffic next to yours.

In God’s economy, no one is insignificant.

Joseph reminds us of that. Mary. The shepherds. God will use who He wills, and who is willing.

Are you willing? How will God use you today?

Anna and Simeon

She was old. Really old. She had lived a normal life, having married, and then lived as a widow. For the past years, she lived as a prophetess, fasting and praying and never leaving the temple. She spent her time worshipping, and waiting for the Messiah.

And then she saw him. The Messiah.

The poor, young couple had brought him to the temple for his circumcision and consecration to God. They made an offering of two pigeons, and then ran into Simeon. The Holy Spirit had told him he would not die until he saw the Messiah, the “consolation of Israel.” When he saw Jesus, he took him in his arms and praised God.

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32

Simeon then told Mary that a sword would pierce her heart.

Anna and Simeon lived their lives in expectation, waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the Savior. They met him and everything changed. Their lives had been spent waiting, and now the waiting was over. From here on their lives would be about witness, and about worship.

As we prepare for Christmas, every day should be about the same things, witness and worship. As we go about the busy-ness of this next week, we are witnesses to the difference Jesus makes in our lives, and we worship him in gratitude. As we interact with people at work, at school, in the mall or in the parking lot, we are witness to the joy and the hope we have in Jesus.

Anna lived her life looking forward to the redemption of Israel, embodied in this tiny baby. We live looking back, grateful for the life of this man, Jesus.

How will you worship today?

God IS With Us!

I’ve so enjoyed reading your Facebook posts, the ones where you show off your trees, all pretty and decorated, a pile of perfectly wrapped presents underneath. I love all the recipes for the different cookies you’ve been busy baking, and the projects you’ve been sewing and handcrafting.

When my kids were at home, I did a lot of this stuff too. We always went the Saturday after Thanksgiving to a tree farm up in the Columbia River Gorge and cut our tree. We hoped for snow, and we were usually rewarded. We’d throw snowballs and somebody would cry, and we’d stand around the fire they had going to warm up while Dad tied the tree to the top of the Jeep. We’d get home and the kids would hang all their wet gloves and hats and coats over the railing around the stairwell to dry. On Christmas Eve we always had soup for dinner, and then went to church as a family, and usually several of us were performing in either a pageant or in song. Christmas Day meant presents and a huge dinner. There were caroling parties and madrigal feasts and lots of dinners with friends. There were school programs, and lots of shopping.

Christmas is different now. My kids have all grown and moved into homes of their own. No school programs, no cutting a tree, and Christmas at church is different, more modern. Last year I cooked Christmas breakfast for my kids who live in town, and then drove three hours to have dinner with my daughter. I drove another two hours and finished the day with my Mom. There is less shopping, and more gift cards.

We all have different ways of celebrating Christmas, and those celebrations change with our place and season in life. The really great thing is that we have reason to celebrate. God, the same God who created the universe, who hung the stars in the night and stretched the rainbow across the sky, this same God, wanted to be with us. He became incarnate, the Emmanuel. He came to earth and inhabited human flesh. When Mary looked into the manger and smiled at her little baby, she was smiling at God.

 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “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.” Matt. 1:23

This idea of God wanting to be with us is prevalent throughout scripture. God walked with us in the garden, he had his people build him a tabernacle and dwelled in it in the wilderness, and he came to earth and became one of us.

He didn’t stay a baby, though. He grew up and lived and died and rose again for us. And then this God who would be with us, indwelt us.

We have reason to celebrate. Our traditions may change, our life situations will certainly change, but God never changes. He still wants to be with us.

However you celebrate, whether it’s Christmas or just being alive and saved, don’t forget about Jesus. So much of our preparations for Christmas are harried and busy. We are so focused on getting everything done and decorated that we forget the point; God wants to be with us. Don’t leave him out. Don’t ignore him. Be with him.

How will you be with him, who loves you and calls you Beloved?

Celebrate!

I have received several emails about why Christians shouldn’t celebrate Christmas. They make the arguments that Jesus wasn’t actually born on December 25^th, and that much of what we do to celebrate has pagan roots. We should have no participating in paganism.

While I agree that I do not want to give any kind of glory to Satan, I also don’t want to give him too much credit. Nothing I do at Christmas has anything to do with paganism. It might have at one time, but I am not a pagan, and the traditions I keep come exclusively from family history and a love of all things shiny and sparkly.

I celebrate Christmas for the following reasons:

1. God makes a pretty big deal out of it.

            He didn’t hide the birth of his Son. He brought out a choir of angels, summoned Kings from afar to bring special and costly gifts, and hung a special star in the sky. He gave special prophecies telling people what to look for, and then he fulfilled them. He gave people dreams, and divinely protected this baby. Jesus was, IS, a big deal!

2. I love Jesus.

         I am so grateful for the gift of Jesus in my life. I love that he loves me and did everything necessary for me to live in relationship with him. I love that at this time of year it’s OK to talk about Jesus. I love that more of us think about going to church, and that I can worship and give thanks publically. I love that Jesus is glorified.

3. I love people. Neighbors. Friends. You. And so does God.

         Christmas is the world wide celebration of Jesus’ birthday. Yes, I know that few of the people who celebrate know or care that it’s Jesus birthday,  but some of them do, and at this time of year, its OK to talk to others about Jesus. I love you. I want you to experience the same relationship with God that I have, and the Bible tells us that the only way to the Father is through the Son. I love you enough to publically celebrate Christmas, hoping you will be drawn into relationship with him, too.

So, yes, I celebrate Christmas. If you don’t want to, that’s your choice, but honestly, I think that the church should take as many opportunities to celebrate as we can. Living in the joy that God gives us is attractive. And it makes us more pleasant people.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For god did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17

Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!

      Zacharias was old.  He has faithfully served the Lord as a priest for most of his life. Because his wife Elizabeth had been unable to bear a child, the temple had been where he had poured his energy and passion.  But things were about to change. 

            The angel Gabriel, who stands in the very presence of God, had been sent to speak to him. He had told Zacharias that the time was ready for the coming of Messiah, and that Elizabeth would have a baby who would prepare the hearts of the people to receive Him.

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; to give His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.”  Luke 1:76-77

            Zacharias was standing in the temple of the Most High God, before the altar, talking with an angel.  You’d think this would be proof enough that this would really happen.  But Zacharias and Elizabeth are old, and Zacharias had a hard time believing that this can be possible.  Because of his disbelief, and perhaps as proof of the truth of the prophecy, Zacharias is struck dumb until the baby is born and named.  After the birth of John, Zacharias’ tongue is loosed, and the first words out of his mouth are praise to God, and then a prophecy of what was about to come;

            “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people…”

            About the baby, John, Zacharias was very specific; this baby would grow up to prepare the way and the hearts of the people for Messiah.  He would give the people knowledge of salvation by forgiveness of their sins.  John preached repentance.  By the time Jesus began His ministry John had shown them their sinfulness and need for a savior.

            This is our job, today.  With the advent of Christmas we have a unique opportunity to prepare the way of the Lord.  While Jesus has already come, for some the only time He enters their consciousness is at Christmas through TV specials and carols on the radio.  For them, Jesus is coming.  We need to prepare the way, to help them understand their sinfulness, their need for redemption, and the gift of grace.  While we know that the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts of sin and draws men to salvation, we are to be ready with an answer for the hope that we own and live.  At Christmas we have an open opportunity, unlike any other time of year, to share faith.  We need to live the difference salvation makes. 

May hope, peace and grace ever be on my lips and visible in my life.

Grace To Share

“You say grace before meals. 
All right.


But I say grace before the play and the opera, 


And grace before the concert and the pantomime,


And grace before I open a book,


And grace before sketching,

painting,
swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing; 


And grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”

CK Chesterson

Some say grace, a blessing or word of thanks, before we eat a meal. We thank God for his provision, and ask him to bless it to our health. This is a good thing. It is good to remember that every good thing comes from above, and that we are a blessed people, indeed.

Others live grace. With every action, every breath they take, they ask God’s blessing. They know that apart from God, they have nothing to offer. They know that with the grace of God, anything can be sacred, able to bring him glory and do his work.

“God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” 2 Cor. 9:8

He makes his grace ABOUND to us, so that we will have an ABUNDANCE for every good deed. Sometimes I don’t feel like I have a lot to give. I’m tired. I’m depleted. But I am a recipient of grace, that is for sure. And God is able to multiply that, like loaves and fishes, so that we have more than enough for every good deed, every act of mercy that he calls us to, every sacrifice he asks us to make.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel ready for the Christmas season. Its dark and gray and rainy, and there is so much to get done, and so many people everywhere. I don’t feel like I have much grace to share. Not enough energy for another smile. Not enough breath for another prayer. 

Certainly not enough to remind a dying people that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because we don't have to die. 

The good news is that I don’t have to worry about that. God is the one who gives grace in the first place, and he’s the one who multiplies it. So smile at the clerk in the store; chances are she feels more depleted than you do. Crank up the Christmas Carols and decorate the house. Invite the neighbors over. Send a note or card to your kids teachers. You have grace to share. You have an abundance of grace, enough for every good deed!

So, say grace. Say it when you drive, at work, at school, in the grocery store. Give it to your family. Bathe your day in int. Say grace. Live grace.