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Restoring The Image Of God In Us

Dec 23, 2020

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  – Romans 8:29

Jewelry breaks.  Toys break.  Electronics break.  You and I break.  God made us in His image but our sin fractured our likeness to Him and our relationship with Him.  But Christmas is for the broken.  God loves the broken.  He sent Jesus for the broken.  The Son of God came to do what we could not do, and die for what we could not do, perfectly bear the image of God. Then, after Jesus did what was necessary to restore our relationship with God, God began to restore His image in us by conforming us to the image of Jesus.  It is through our union with Jesus, because our faith is in Jesus, that we are made like Jesus.  God will not stop until the good work in us is done, loving us just as we are, but never content to leave us that way.  We are His beloved unfinished masterpieces, treasured works-in-progress that are always under the skilled brush of God who graciously, patiently adds His loving strokes to who we are so we can become who we were made to be. Though there are days when we look nothing like Jesus, God does not abandon us.  Therefore, confident in this, let us repent of areas of un-likeness to God and say “no” to sin, remember the promises that are “yes” for us because of Jesus, and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us live happy, holy lives.  Rejoice today! For the Christ Child left the manger and made His way to the cross where the Christmas Gift of God’s Son was broken for the broken so that we could be made right with God, made to look more like God, and made to live forever with God.

He Will Save His People

Dec 22, 2020

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.  – Matthew 1:21

We try to ignore it.  We try to downplay it.  We try to run from it.  We try to overcome it.  But no matter what we do, it is an exercise in futility, because it doesn’t change reality.  This world is undeniably broken.   From bullying to human trafficking, from idolatry to adultery, from back-stabbers to glory-robbers, from cancer to consumerism, from shattered dreams to battered women, from addictions to frustrations, from self-centeredness to unkindness, there is a never-ending, ever-increasing list of horrors and heartaches and hurts that we have created in our open rebellion against God and each other.  Our world is the inevitable ruin that comes when every person does what is right in their own eyes and chooses to do what feels good over what God says is good.   Look inside your heart and outside your window; you know it is true.  Any honest survey of our societal landscape would show that we are in trouble.  Oh, that this would create a loathing in us for our sin and a longing in us for our Savior! We need a Hero to save the day.  We need a Liberator to set us free.  We need a Healer to make us whole.  We need a Satisfier to make us content.  We need a Ruler to reign over us for good.  We need an Intercessor to stay the hand of God’s wrath. We need a Savior to save us from our sins.  We.  Need.  Jesus.  That’s why He came, to be all of these things for us and to be there for us as we await the day He comes again.  Until then, turn to Him for hope and help when you’re not alright and when things are not okay.  He will give you all that you need for all that you face so you can endure with joy until the glorious day comes when He fully relieves our burdens, rights all wrongs and reigns forevermore.

We Can Know God

Dec 21, 2020

He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  – Colossians 1:15

People have all kinds of ideas in their heads about God, and these ideas, right or wrong, shape how we view the world and influence how we live in it.  When Jesus came to live in this world with us, He made it possible for us to know what God is really like.  He displayed God’s character, heart, authority, holiness, righteous anger and love for all to see in real-time, real-life, real-world situations just like the ones you and I face today.   In looking at Jesus, we see… Forgiveness for the repentant.  Compassion for the broken.  Rebuke for the self-righteous.  Freedom for the enslaved.  Peace for the fearful.  Humiliation for the proud.  Exaltation for the lowly.  Hope for the hurting.  Guidance for the confused.  Strength for the weak.  Authority for the rebellious.  Supply for the needy.  Joy for the downtrodden. Grace for the unable.  Love.  For.  Everyone.   But that’s not all He did.  He also made it possible for us to show others what God is like.  Jesus is our model, means and motivation for living in such a way that others see, even through our imperfections, glimpses of the image of God.  Through our deeds and words, we show and tell the onlookers in our lives that God is not distant from us and unknown to us; He is not disengaged from our everyday lives and uninterested in what happens in them.  The Creator of the universe invites us to walk with Him in an intimate, one-on-one, Father-and-child, every day, everlasting relationship.  We can know what God is like ourselves when we put our faith in Jesus, and we can show what God is like to others when we walk by faith in Him.  And this is the one idea about God that should be ever-present in our heads, ever-shaping our views, and ever-influencing how we live in front of others:  He is infinitely more glorious, and knowing Him is infinitely more wondrous, than anything we could ever imagine.

Christmas Is About Greatness

Dec 19, 2020

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.  – Mark 10:44-45

God wants you to be great. But your greatness will not be found merely in your personal achievements, resources, influence, popularity, or any other metric in which you strive to be first. Your greatness will come when you strive to put others first.  God wants you to be great … as a servant. In the world we live in, the more people who serve you, the greater you are.  But in the kingdom of God, the greater you are, the more people you serve.  It’s not about getting more for yourself from others, but giving more of yourself to others. That may seem like giving up a lot.   Until we consider Christmas.  Until we think of Jesus coming to us and what He came to do.  Until our hearts are moved by how much Jesus gave up to serve us.  In light of all that we have gained, it doesn’t seem like giving up anything at all.  He is a beautiful picture of both our model and motivation for the greatness that comes through serving.  Jesus showed us what it looks like to have a servant’s heart and then melts our own self-serving hearts so that we can be great in His kingdom. We long to be first.  We long to be great.   God is in favor of both of those things.  He just measures them in ways that are radically different than the world.  He measures greatness in the finished work of Jesus and in every act of His children that expresses that same kind of servant love towards those in need of it.  Christmas is a reminder that Jesus came to serve and calls us to serve.  So… Be great today.  Be like Jesus today.

From Heaven To Earth, From Earth To Heaven

Dec 18, 2020

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. – John 6:39-40

From heaven to earth.  From Bethlehem to Calvary.  From a manger to a cross.  From God to man.  Christmas begins an epic story of just how far Jesus would travel, and just how hard His journey would be, to bring us back into a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Jesus came from heaven to earth to make a way for sinners like you and me to go from earth to heaven.  His story births our stories where every step we take together is assured because of His willingness and faithfulness to do the Father’s will:  namely, to keep us until the end of this life and raise us up at the beginning of the next.  Ours will be a journey full of mountains and valleys, victories and failures, eases and hardships, prosperities and poverties.  Yet through it all, we will be empowered by His presence and encouraged by His promises as we rely on Him in faith.  Christmas reminds us Who Jesus is, why He came, and where He is taking us.  Destination:  Heaven.   He will not lose us on the way.  He will not let us lose our way.  He promises acceptance and perseverance to anyone who truly believes.  Believers are followers, and as we follow Jesus wherever He leads to do whatever He wills, let us remember that He didn’t bring us this far to bring us this far.  Step by step on the way to our eternal home, let us hold on to the hope of this promise:  Jesus is holding on to us until we get there.

Christmas Is A Declaration Of War

Dec 17, 2020

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.  – Genesis 3:15

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Christmas is a declaration of war on everything that separates us from God and the life with Him that we were meant to enjoy now and forever.  Satan deceived Eve, she and Adam sinned against God, and the perfect relationship they enjoyed with Him in paradise was fractured, catapulting all of mankind into sin for which there is no human-merited, human-earned, or human-devised escape.  But God sent Jesus to be born, to live and to lay down His life in the fight for our salvation.  He died in battle, but did not lose the battle, because in atoning for our sins and rising from the dead, He disarmed and defeated Satan.  For those of us who entrust ourselves to Jesus, He forgives us and frees us from our sin and our enemy.  Sin no longer separates us from God!  Sin no longer has power over us! And until Jesus comes again to give us final deliverance from it, we expect, endure, hate, expose, resist and overcome evil, but we do not give in, give up or give out in our fight against it.  We have been equipped with the armor of God, the Word of God and the Spirit of God to empower us as we fight our battles, secure in the truth that Jesus has already secured our victory.  Today, by grace, through faith, for God’s glory… Fight against temptation; fight for holiness.  Fight against despair; fight for joy.  Fight against religious activity; fight for gospel living.  Fight against lies; fight for truth.  Fight against every form of evil; fight for every form of good. Never settle for less than God’s best for your life! Because of Jesus, make war not excuses.

 

The Reason For The Season And Everything Else

Dec 16, 2020

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  – 1 Peter 3:15

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Every belief, action, fact, event, spoken word, attitude, and outcome has one. There is a reason for all things.  Some are known.  Some are unknown.  But there is a basis, cause, explanation or motive for why things are what they are.  Christmastime and Christianity are based on this one:  Jesus is the reason for the season and the reason for our hope.  Not favorable conditions.  Not an optimistic outlook.  Not our resources or connections.  Simply Jesus.  And it’s not just hope that Jesus has caused for us who revere Him in our hearts as Lord.  He’s the reason we celebrate all of the amazing gifts we’ve already been given and the reason we anticipate that the future promises of God will be fulfilled for us, and we will be given even more.  He’s the source of our unending hope, joy, peace, purpose, courage, victory, security, faith, strength, truth, acceptance, approval, guidance, access, help, rest, forgiveness, blessings, provision, freedom, life, eternal life, everything.   Remember this today:  Jesus didn’t come to earth only to rescue us from sin, condemnation and hell; He also came to invite us into the most complete, most lasting, most satisfying life that begins right now and will extend into the never-ending reaches of eternity.  The greatest testimony we can give for Jesus is to submit our lives to Him because of this hope that we have in Him.  Onlookers in our lives need to see and hear us really living like our hearts are full … because of Jesus … because they really are.  Here’s the question:  Why do you have hope and happiness? Here’s the answer:  Jesus.

He Knows What You’re Going Through

Dec 15, 2020

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14

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When Jesus took on flesh to dwell among us, He didn’t come with an entourage of personal attendants to ensure His well-being.  He didn’t book a suite at the first century equivalent of a Four Seasons for His stay.  He didn’t plan out an itinerary that was filled with pleasantries and luxuries.  He didn’t insulate Himself from the ugliness, brokenness and sinfulness of this world.  What He did was join us to suffer like us only a thousand times worse than us.  Jesus knows the trials, troubles, tests and temptations that we face in our daily lives because He faced them down too.  Life for Jesus on earth was filled with the same things we go through:  difficult people, difficult circumstances, difficult tasks, and difficult experiences. And the greatest difficulty always loomed in front of Him:  to be crushed on the cross to atone for our sins and secure our trial-free, trouble-free, test-free, temptation-free eternity with God.  He suffered.  He endured.  He conquered.  And now He is with you to ensure that you do the same.   Jesus knows all about your hurts; and one of the reasons He came was to help you through them and heal you from them.  Take heart today and trust in the One who loves, understands, cares and helps you live with God-glorifying, joy-experiencing, hope-filled endurance no matter what you come up against. He doesn’t just know what you are going through. He didn’t just go through it too. He went through it for you.

What Does Jesus Want For Christmas?

Dec 14, 2020

And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. – Matthew 2:11

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What does Jesus want for Christmas? It’s not our begrudging submission, reluctant giving, half-hearted worship, indifferent service, or lukewarm affection.  These may be costly gifts, but they do not shine, and they are not sweet-smelling to our King.  No, what Jesus wants is our happiness.  Not our happiness in possessions, achievements, circumstances, people, or experiences that we often look to in order to find, but never find, contentment. He wants us to love, value and care about Him so much that it floods our hearts with real and deep and lasting joy.  After all, Jesus is honored in us when we are happy in Him, which is why living for Him should always flow out of loving Him.  What He wants most for Christmas is for us to get what we most want for Christmas because, whether we realize it or not, that’s Him. The search is over for what to give Jesus; it’s our contentment in Him.  The search is over for where to find our contentment; it’s given to us in Jesus. The greatest gift we can give Jesus is to receive His gift of joy that comes in really knowing and delighting in Him.   Therefore, let us prize Him and prefer Him and pursue Him over all other things.  Because He doesn’t just want our treasure; He wants to be our treasure.

Receiving The Gift Of God’s Son

Dec 11, 2020

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  – John 1:12-13

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You can’t think about Christmas without thinking about gifts.  Gift-shopping.  Gift-wrapping.  Gift-giving.  Gift-exchanging.  Gift-receiving.   You recognize most of these things when they happen as you make the payment, put the bow on top, hand a box or bag to someone and take what is given to you.  But there is something more about “receiving” that must be considered.  What does it really mean for someone to receive a gift?  It means that the gift has had its intended effect in the life of the one to whom it was given.  The gift wasn’t ignored, but rather was… worn, admired, enjoyed, watched, sprayed on, driven, laughed at, listened to, eaten, put to work or played with.  In a very real sense, an unused gift is an unreceived gift.  That’s why some people become children of God and some do not … they are either changed by the Christmas gift of God’s Son that is offered to them or they live as if He isn’t even there.  People who have “received him, who believe in his name” are forever being transformed by His presence in their lives.   His grace is having its intended effect upon them as they become more like Him, walk more with Him, look more to Him and long more for Him in everyday life.  How can you and I know if we have received the gift of God’s Son?  We do not ignore Jesus.  Instead, by faith in Him we regularly-though-imperfectly look to Him to… Rule our lives.  Satisfy our hearts.  Heal our hurts.  Guide our decisions.  Lift our spirits.  Forgive our sins. Control our destiny. Meet our needs. Prompt our repentance. Fuel our hope.  Motivate our service.  Merit our salvation.  This and much more are yours today if you will just believe and receive.  For the more we embrace and experience this Gift to us, the more wonderful and beautiful it gets to us.

There Shines An Everlasting Light

Dec 10, 2020

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

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Christmas is a broken string of lights for many of us.   It’s there, but it doesn’t seem to do what it’s supposed to do.  It’s bleak, not bright.  It’s melancholy, not merry.  This time of year is disappointing, discouraging and depressing for a lot of people for a lot of reasons.  Bad memories.  Missing loved ones.  Financial burdens.  Unrealized expectations.  Busyness.  Jealousy.  Commercialism.  Rude shoppers.  Overshadowed birthdays.  Ungrateful gift-recipients.  Like the string of lights that isn’t working, there are things in our lives which are broken.  We’re a broken people in a broken world where there is much that is not as it ought to be.  But there is hope for us, because Jesus came for the very reason so many struggle in this season … to fix what has been fractured in us and our world, in part now and in fullness when He comes again.   As we await the future and full restoration of all things, we can experience a sense of renewal in the present because of what we have received in the past:  A Son who is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.  This is what makes our lives merry and bright!  That Jesus is our sympathetic listener and best-advice-giver ever.  That Jesus is our strong provider in every area of need and weakness.  That Jesus is our caring patriarch who will never walk out on us.  That Jesus is our inner peace who brings deep well-being for our troubled and tired spirits.  In those moments when we find ourselves struggling, let us turn to Him and trust in Him to illuminate the darkness we are walking in, because there is no greater wisdom, no greater power, no greater care, and no greater peace in the universe than His.  For even in the midst of the brokenness of this world, there shines an everlasting Light in our hearts.

The Things Of The Season Call Us To Worship

Dec 9, 2020

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:1-2

 

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Jimmy is not the reason for the season.  Jimmymas is not a thing.  No one sings “joy to the world” upon my arrival, has a scene of my birth in their yard, or holds a candlelight service to celebrate who I am and what I mean to their life.   This time of year is not about me.  And it’s not about you.  Yet, it’s easy to make it about us, isn’t it?  We can get caught up in what we enjoy about, what we receive because of, and what we get to do during Christmastime and spend very little time getting caught up with Christ.  It’s the most wonderful time of the year not because of the festive music, favorite movies, familiar decorations or family traditions that can rightly be a part of our holiday experience; it’s a time of celebration and jubilation and exaltation of Jesus.  The days leading up to and climaxing on December 25th are a reminder that every day, every person, every experience, every place in time and space in the created universe shines a spotlight on Jesus at the center.  No matter how good it is for us, it is not about us.   It’s His story.  It’s His glory.  The sights and sounds and smells of the season are a bright light that beckons us to come worship Him.  Our King was born.  Our King reigns.  Our King is coming again.  Hallelujah!  So, let us be glad for all of the special, social, sentimental and seasonal things that we look forward to and like about the holidays; but may that gladness for our personal favorites explode into real adoration of Jesus that centers Him in our hearts and our minds and our lives with such intensity that it kickstarts a daily pursuit of Him that lasts until this time next year when we get to do it all again.

Your Hope Is In The God Of Hope

Dec 8, 2020

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13

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It is easy to lose hope when we lose a loved one, lose a job, lose a battle, lose control, lose our health or lose our way, but there is a sure and steadfast hope that is ours as a gift of grace that is always there when we need it most.  This hope isn’t some self-created positive attitude that things will turn out the way we envision in our heads; it is a Spirit-produced confidence in the faithfulness of God to keep His promises that is settled in our hearts.  He promised that Jesus would come, and He did.  He promises that Jesus will come again, and He will.  As we reflect on what God has already done, we are reassured of what He is yet to do even as we wait in-between… The beginning and the new beginning.  The already and the not yet.  The first coming and the second coming.  The earthly and the heavenly.  The suffering and the pleasure. The seeing through-a-glass and the seeing face-to-face.  The temporary and the eternal.  Even as we await our entrance into heaven then and there, we can experience our heavenly citizenship here and now.  Its peace.  Its joy.  Its King.  How?  By believing.  Believing that hope in Jesus is never a lost hope.  Believing in the promises of the God of hope.  Believing that the Holy Spirit will cause us to abound in hope.  Yes, this world is full of hurts and heartaches, but no matter what you face today, you can live in celebration of what Jesus has already accomplished for you and in anticipation of the day He will return to heal your hurting heart fully and forever.  He has been with you all along.  He is with you even now.  He will be with you always.  Your hope isn’t in your ability to figure out how to make it work out; your hope is confidence that He already has, and though things aren’t yet perfect, the day is coming when they will be.

God Didn’t Lower His Standards For Us

Dec 6, 2020

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ … if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. – Galatians 2:16a, 21b

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Who Jesus is and what Jesus accomplished will always be a cheap gift and insignificant to the way we live our lives until we realize the gracious reason it was given and just how much we desperately needed it.  By nature and choice we sinned against God as an idolatrous and rebellious people who regularly preferred things over Him and refused to obey Him.  We were hell-bound under an eternal death sentence, and there was absolutely nothing we could do to change the inevitable outcome of ruin that awaited us.   But God did something.  God demanded that we be perfect in order to go to heaven, declared that none of us are perfect and therefore are condemned to hell, and then delivered us by sending Jesus to take our imperfections and be our perfection so we can have everlasting life.  Don’t you see? Here is what WON’T get you into heaven:  good deeds, church membership, communion, mass, charitable contributions, baptism, religion, parents, denomination, obeying the Ten Commandments, confirmation, sincere belief, Bible knowledge, morality, or being a “good person”. Here is what WILL get you into heaven:  Jesus. God didn’t lower His standards for us; He lowered His Son for us.   And that changes everything for those who are trusting in Him!  We were… Lost, but now found.  Bankrupt, but now rich.  Condemned, but now pardoned.  Enslaved, but now free.  Dead, but now alive.   We will truly treasure Jesus when this amazing truth about God’s amazing grace penetrates and resides in our hearts:  our salvation and everything it includes comes not from the sweat of our brows, but because of the thorns on His.

Jesus Had A Riches To Rags Story

Dec 6, 2020

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9

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It is a riches to rags story.  Jesus willingly exchanged all the wealth of His deity for the poverty of His humanity when He took on flesh and came to dwell on earth.  Not to a palace, but to a manger.  Not to comfort, but to suffering. Not to glory, but to shame. Not to a throne, but to a cross.  He left a place where He was worshipped and obeyed to come a place where He would be rejected and killed.  Why?  It wasn’t because heaven was empty and God was lonely.  It wasn’t because God was needy for us to join Him, but rather we were needy for Him to join us.  The Bible says He did this “for your sake.”  Let that sink in.  For.  Your.  Sake.  You couldn’t get to God, so He came to get you. You couldn’t live up to God’s standards, so Jesus lived perfectly for you.  You couldn’t break free from sin, so He set you free.  You couldn’t atone for your transgressions, so Jesus died in your place.  You couldn’t defeat death, so He conquered the grave so you too will rise. You couldn’t earn an eternal retirement, so He paid for your inheritance.  You have become rich in salvation, forgiveness, joy, peace, glory, kindness, favor, righteousness and love because of the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Everything good in your life and everything bad that is turned around for good was purchased for you through the finished work of Jesus.  And long before it was finished at Calvary, it was started in Bethlehem.  For your sake.

In Receiving Jesus, We Receive Everything

Dec 5, 2020

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. – John 3:16

 

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When was the last time you thought about eternity and what it would be like to perish forever?  When was the last time you rejoiced that you have a completely different eternity awaiting because God gave His Son? When was the last time you contemplated the implications of receiving this gift? Everything bad is turned around and traded in for good when we trust in Jesus! Because in Jesus, through Jesus, by Jesus and from Jesus we are given forgiveness, joy, peace, hope, power, identity, purpose, security, acceptance, courage, transformation, comfort, companionship, help, guidance, endurance and everlasting life.  And every entry on this list has a sub-list of its own with staggering promises and provisions from God to those who are born again into His family. And every entry on every sub-list has its own listing of countless practical, everyday ways that God’s gracious gift shows up for us in this life.  And this life is not even as much as one drop from all the water contained in all the oceans, seas, lakes and rivers of the world in comparison to what we will receive in eternity when we go to be with God.  All this is a gift.  An understated gift, for there is much more that could be said of the benefits and blessings of knowing Jesus.  An undeserved gift, for there is much more that could be said of the depths of our sinfulness apart from Jesus.   In receiving Jesus, we receive everything.  For who could add anything to the gift of God’s Son that would make that gift better? Unwrap its blessings afresh today by believing and by loving the One who gave you this Gift as you think about the preciousness and pricelessness of what He means to you.

Everybody Loves Good News

Dec 4, 2020

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. – Luke 2:10-11

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Everybody loves good news.  Why?  Because good news makes us happy.  And in a world full of bad news and sad news, we could all use more glad news!  The way to battle the negativity of sin and sorrow that is around us and a part of us is not merely to fill our thinking with positivity.  We all know that doesn’t fix how we feel or act for long if it fixes anything at all.  We fight for joy by “preaching the gospel to ourselves.” That is, we tell ourselves the good news of Jesus over and over, specifically as it applies to what we are struggling with in the moment.  We remind ourselves of the things that are true for us because of Who Jesus is to us and what Jesus accomplished for us.  We recall promise after promise that has been made to His people by the great Promise-Keeper Who never fails to do what He says.  We remember the words of peace and grace and love that Jesus spoke in the Bible and now speaks into our lives.  Remembering leads to rejoicing.  The more we trust in that message of joy that a Savior and Lord has arrived to save us from bad and rule over us for good, the more we will experience the “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10-11) no matter what we are facing.  Today, don’t fill your mind with the garbage of this world; fix your mind on the glorious good news of Jesus.  If He’s your “Savior” and “Lord” then… Your past is forgiven.  Your present is empowered.  Your future is secure.   This is not just good news; it’s the best news ever!

What Are We Waiting For?

Dec 3, 2020

And coming up at that very hour she (Anna) began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. – Luke 2:38

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Advent is a time of hopeful waiting.  The question is:  what are we waiting for?  Life will frequently leave us disappointed and dissatisfied if we are waiting for the right time and the right things to make us feel the right way.  Many of us can’t be happy until we land that dream job, achieve that life goal, meet that perfect mate, unclutter that schedule, overcome that health challenge, get out of that hard situation, fix that nagging problem, or discover that magic pill to satisfy us once and for all.  It usually doesn’t come; if it does come, it doesn’t live up to our expectations; if it does live up to our expectation, it doesn’t last.  And so, we wait.  And we wait.  And we wait our lives away. The reason we can’t find our satisfaction in the people, places and things of earth is because we were never meant to.  Perhaps this frustration and futility is God’s gracious and loving way of showing us that our longings are not being fulfilled because we are not looking to Jesus to give to us what this world never can.  As you and I wait for His second coming, because of His first coming, we can be set free from the bondage of sin and its enslaving desires and be fully happy with all that we have in Jesus. So, when you feel dissatisfied, let it be a gift from God to reorient your heart and redirect your gaze to the one place where real contentedness is found … the gift of His Son.  Give Him your heart and He will give you His heart satisfaction.  What are you waiting for?

Thanks Be To God For His Indescribable Gift

Dec 2, 2020

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! – 2 Corinthians 9:15

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The sights and sounds and smells and savoriness of the season bring a warmth to my heart every December.  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.  But only when we remember that it’s all about Jesus!  So… As we walk past the Salvation Army worker, let us pause to remember that Jesus came to earth to work for our salvation.  As we hear the Christmas music, let us smile because Jesus has put a new song of praise in our hearts.  As we see the decorations adorning our surroundings, let us thank God that one day a crown of thorns would adorn the head of the Christ child.  As we notice a beautiful evergreen tree with wrapped packages, let us think back to a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes who would grow up and hang on a tree to bring everlasting life.  As we find the perfect gift for a loved one, let us focus on John 3:16 as we realize afresh that God sent us the perfect gift of His Son because we are His loved one.  As we see the glow of multi-colored lights, let our own hearts be merry and bright because the Light Of The World has come.  As we enjoy a festive meal with our family and watch It’s A Wonderful Life, let us realize that because of Jesus, George Bailey isn’t the only one who is rich with blessings.  Over and over, may every fleck of tinsel and every note of a carol and every morsel of a cookie direct our attention to the stunning wonder of Jesus so that we erupt in joyful praise, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

When We Could Not Get To God, God Came To Us

Dec 1, 2020

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).  – Matthew 1:22-23

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There is something about closeness that increases the intensity of the experience and decreases the insensitivity to it.  Nearer to the sun produces greater light.  Nearer to the fire produces greater warmth.  Nearer to God produces greater hope and happiness.   If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then surely presence makes the heart grow fuller.  But there is a problem:  our sin prevents nearness to God because it separates us from Him with no possible way from our side to bridge the gap between us.  This is why Jesus came, to become “God with us” so we can be with God.  This is why Jesus lived.  This is why Jesus died.  This is why Jesus rose.  So you and I can draw near to God.  In doing so, He unleashed the light and warmth of His love with all of its countless benefits and blessings that come from knowing and being close to Him.   We who are trusting in Jesus for forgiveness of and freedom from sin need no longer be distant from real peace, real hope, real joy, real comfort, real security, real wisdom and real love because we are no longer distant from God.   The greater our trust in Him, the nearer we are to Him.  So… Let us look to Him with confidence that He will satisfy our hearts; let us live for Him by faith that He will secure our way; let us long for Him with hope that He will come for us so we can be perfectly and pleasurably in His presence forevermore.  And let us remember and rejoice that it’s all because of Immanuel.  When we could not get to God, God came to us.