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.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord!

Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. 

Let us come before His presence with 

Thanksgiving!

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 

For the Lord is a great God, 

and a great King above all gods, 

in whose hand are the depths of the earth; 

the peaks of the mountains are His also. 

The sea is His, for it was He who made it;

and His hands formed the dry land. 

Come, let us worship and bow down; 

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For He is our God, 

and we are the people of his pasture

and the sheep of his hand. 

Psalm 95:1-7  

     Today in the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving, and truly, we have much to be thankful for. My prayer is that we will not forget Who to give thanks to. 

     Now, GET OFF THE COMPUTER. Go find someone to love and enjoy. 

And have a Happy Thanksgiving. 

Walking in Sonlight

“He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands apart.  Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness and for His wonders to the sons of men.” 

Psalms 107:14-15

            Imagine a world where there is no color.  Everything appears in shades of gray, as if at twilight or just before the sun rises.  Everything is muted.  Lines blur.  Everything seems slightly surreal and out of focus.  This is life as we know it apart from faith in Jesus.  We live our lives in darkness, under the curse, covered by the shadow of death.  We have a hard time making choices because all the lines are blurred and out of focus. 

            Once the Son comes up everything is different.  The light of God’s glory brings out the color, sharpens the lines, brings focus to a fuzzy world.  Sin becomes apparent and avoidable when seen through the scope of God’s holiness.  Darkness flees.

The good news is that we don’t have to stay in the dark.  Jesus came and broke the curse of darkness so that we could enjoy the light with Him. 

            The Nation of Israel, when wandering in the wilderness, chose darkness.  They saw the face of Moses that shone from talking with God, and rather than sharing in the glory, they were afraid.  They asked him to veil his face and hide the light.  Lest we be too hard on the Israelites, we are not so different.  We have the opportunity to share intimacy with God through prayer and a personal relationship with Him, and we often withdraw – content to hide in the shadows rather than face the glory and scrutiny of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus calls us out of the darkness.  He said

“I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”  (John 8:12) 

We don’t have to be afraid of the light.  We can instead choose to walk in it, giving thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness and for His wonders to us.  As we walk in increasing intimacy with God, perhaps our faces will begin to shine.  Shadow or light – which one for you today?

            “You were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of the light.”  Ephesians 5:8 

Joy in the midst of weeping

“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.  The are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:21-22

The book of Lamentations is a book of five poems, thought to have been written by Jeremiah, Israel’s weeping prophet.  It is a book of intense mourning.

Jerusalem had fallen. The nation of Israel had fallen into idolatry and rebellion and so God gave her over to the Babylonians.  Jeremiah made it clear that the only reason she fell was because of the anger of the Lord, not because of the national strength of Babylon – God caused it.  Jeremiah weeps over the destruction of the city.  He mourns because of the sin of the nation that led to the anger and rejection of Israel by God. God had told them that this would happen, and that he would do whatever it took, including being exiled, to bring them to repentance.

           

Almost exactly in the middle of this sad book, Jeremiah remembers and reaffirms the love of God.  In the center of the destroyed city, Jeremiah remembers who God is, and he finds hope.

“This I recalled to my mind, therefore I have hope,” he says.  “If He causes grief, then He will have compassion, according to His lovingkindnesses.”  (3:21, 32)

Jeremiah understood something of the nature of God.  God is holy and will not tolerate sin forever, but God is also love.  He disciplines us for a season, to correct and direct us away from sin.  He loves us too much to allow us to continue in a direction away from Him.  In His compassion, in His faithfulness, He disciplines.  Because Jeremiah understood, in the midst of destruction he could say, “the Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning.  Great is Thy faithfulness.”

As we go through our lives, we will be unavoidably confronted with difficulties.  Sometimes God disciplines us.  Sometimes we go through rough times because of the sin of another.  Sometimes stuff just happens.  The only way through it is to remember the nature of God, and to allow it to give us hope.  In the midst of our weeping, we, like Jeremiah, can remember God’s compassions, His lovingkindness, and can stand firm on truth.  We can only hold on to what we know; we can only remember what we have learned. 

How well do you know God?  If you are not in His word, studying His nature and getting to know Him and in fellowship through prayer, when hard times come you will have little or nothing to stand on.  Turn off the TV, the radio, the movie – the noise.  Exchange the need to be entertained for a solid foundation of truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit to the quiet and receiving heart.  Give yourself a reason for joy in the midst of sorrow, a reason for joy now.