Humility and Unity

The Philippian church was a model church but there seemed to be some division. It was a multi-cultural church and they were also being persecuted for their faith. Whatever the source of the division, the apostle Paul wrote to encourage them to conduct their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel. He exhorted them to stand together in unity, practicing and proclaiming the gospel. He reminded them not to be alarmed by the enemy who opposes them and challenged them to diligently pursue unity and harmony with their fellow believers.

Our enemy Satan still causes division today. He divides and then conquers. He prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. With thousands of years of practice, he is good at what he does. We see division today between Christians of different denominations and different races, and there’s even division within specific churches. How quickly we forget that we have an opponent, an unseen enemy. We fall into his trap when we promote our own selfish interest, escalate petty differences, gossip or slander each other because somehow we think we are better than others.

Unity is rooted in humility. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the model for the mindset of humility. His incarnation, life, and death provide us with the ultimate example of humility.  

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3-4

Selfishness seeks personal gain at the expense of others. Humility desires the advance of others at our expense. Pride and empty conceit are a part of our fallen human nature, it causes us to compete with others, rather than to contribute to their well-being. If we are truly humble, then we are not desperately seeking to enhance our own standing. We are to treat one another as better than ourselves. Their interests are to come higher on our agenda than our own selfish interests. The cure for selfishness is servanthood. Humility prompts me to serve others, assigning my interests a lower priority.

Paul reminds them of the ultimate example of humility - our Lord Jesus Christ.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8

Though equal with God (or equally God) our Lord did not seize this as an opportunity to further His own interests. Instead, He emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant. Jesus never ceased to be God; He divested Himself of self-interest, so that He could glorify the Father and bring about our salvation. Jesus did not reduce His deity; but He added sinless humanity and this was prompted by His humility.

The humbling process had several facets.

1) He left the splendor and glory of heaven to dwell on earth. Since the glory of heaven is beyond our human ability to comprehend, we have difficulty grasping the sacrifice that was required for our Lord to leave heaven and come to live on this earth that He created.

2) Then He humbled himself to take on the form of a man, a servant. The Creator became the creature. He came as the Lamb of God who would become sin for us. He came to die the most cruel and ignoble death possible—crucifixion. It is one thing to come as a servant, but Jesus' service consisted of being condemned as a common criminal and a sinner against a holy God.

3) Jesus stooped so low in His humility that He was elevated to the highest possible place of honor by the Father. As a result of His humility and obedience, God highly exalted Him, giving to Him a name above every name. Jesus dwelt among men, was rejected and crucified; but one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

We don’t have to promote our own interests. God will take care of that when we humble ourselves. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:5-6

The Rebellion of Korah

I'm currently reading through the Old Testament and found an interesting story in the book of Numbers chapter 16. The Israelites were camped out in the wilderness and were not permitted to enter the Promised Land because of their lack of faith in God. Obviously they were frustrated and disappointed and tempers began to flare. One man named Korah had incited a group of 250 men to rebel against Moses, God's appointed leader. They didn't like the idea that Moses was running the whole show. They complained about the fact that Moses had lead them out of Egypt and not delivered on his promise of taking them to the land of milk and honey. They failed to realize that it was their lack of faith kept them out of Canaan. When confronted with the rebellion Moses threw himself on the ground and prayed for wisdom.

Then he (Moses) addressed Korah and his gang: "In the morning God will make clear who is on his side, who is holy. God will take his stand with the one he chooses. Now, Korah, here's what I want you, you and your gang, to do: Tomorrow, take censers. In the presence of God, put fire in them and then incense. Then we'll see who is holy, see whom God chooses. Sons of Levi, you've overstepped yourselves!"

Moses said to Korah, "Bring your people before God tomorrow. Appear there with them and Aaron. Have each man bring his censer filled with incense and present it to God—all 250 censers. And you and Aaron do the same, bring your censers."

So they all did it. They brought their censers filled with fire and incense and stood at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron did the same. It was Korah and his gang against Moses and Aaron at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. The entire community could see the Glory of God. God said to Moses and Aaron, "Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I can finish them off and be done with them." They threw themselves on their faces and said, "O God, God of everything living, when one man sins are you going to take it out on the whole community?" God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the community. Tell them, Back off from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram." Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram. The leaders of Israel followed him. He then spoke to the community: "Back off from the tents of these bad men; don't touch a thing that belongs to them lest you be carried off on the flood of their sins." So they all backed away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

... Moses continued to address the community: "This is how you'll know that it was God who sent me to do all these things and that it wasn't anything I cooked up on my own. If these men die a natural death like all the rest of us, you'll know that it wasn't God who sent me. But if God does something unprecedented—if the ground opens up and swallows the lot of them and they are pitched alive into Sheol—then you'll know that these men have been insolent with God." The words were hardly out of his mouth when the Earth split open. Earth opened its mouth and in one gulp swallowed them down, the men and their families, all the human beings connected with Korah, along with everything they owned. And that was the end of them, pitched alive into Sheol. The Earth closed up over them and that was the last the community heard of them.

You would think that the Israelites would have learned not to rebel against Moses after watching Korah and his gang get swallowed up by the earth. But the very next day the congregation grumbled against Moses and Aaron and then the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud. God brought a plague that killed 14,700 people before it was all said and done because they complained against their appointed leaders.

The things written in the Old Testament were written for our learning. Only Joshua and Caleb and those who demonstrated faith in God to subdue and deliver the Promised Land into the hands of the Israelites actually entered the land. Likewise those who demonstrate lack of faith in Jesus Christ to deliver us from destruction will never enter into the Promised Land (new heaven and new earth). We also see the danger in slandering God's appointed leaders. Too many people grumble and complain about their spiritual leaders instead of submitting to his God-given leadership positions.

Here's what the Apostle Paul had to say about this topic in the New Testament....

Never speak harshly to an elder, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others. I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone. 1 Timothy 5:1, 17, 19 - 21

May the words of your mouth be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. Amen.

Resurrection Sunday

One of the things I love about this time of year is how various colors emerge as nature resurrects from its winter death sentence. This is also the time of year when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

With remarkable accuracy, Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies concerning his life, death, burial and resurrection.

Here's the account from the Gospel of John...

Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her. So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. John 20 11-20


Not only did Jesus appear to his immediate disciples after His resurrection but He also appeared to over 500 of his followers at once! At the time the apostle Paul wrote about this fact many of the witnesses were still alive who would corroborate his story. Paul himself persecuted Christians until Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, years after His ascension to heaven. Here is how Paul describes the good news about Jesus death, burial and resurrection...

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. 1 Corinthians 15:3-9

I believe these things by faith, but still there are many skeptics today. However many agnostics and atheists like Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ) and Josh McDowell (Evidence Demands a Verdict) took the initiative to actually study the claims of Christ. The overwhelming evidence lead them to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Even Josephus, the secular 1st century historian attests to evidence of Jesus' resurrection...

" ... About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats and as a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appeared to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvelous things about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared." Josephus' Testimonium Flavianum, from Antiquities of the Jews 18:63-64

The Gospel of John closes with the reason for his writing. His purpose in writing his gospel is that you will be presented with the factual truth about Jesus and hopefully come to believe his claims. We who believe in Him have hope beyond the grave... because He rose from the dead, so shall we!


Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:30-31

What's good about Good Friday?

God loves us because we are His creation. I am amazed at the lengths that He went through to
provide salvation. You might ask, "Why do I need to be saved? What am I being saved from?"

It all goes back to the Garden of Eden. The story is found in the Book of Genesis. God created Adam and Eve and gave them simple instructions which ultimately they disobeyed. God had warned them that their disobedience would result in death. They chose to listen to the lies of Satan rather than the clear, single command of God. The result was their banishment from the Garden, eventual physical death and separation from God. However, God promised that He would provide a way of reconciliation for them. Since all of us descend from Adam and Eve, the same curse is upon us. We're born, we live for a certain number of years, and then we die. And without God's intervention we would be eternally separated from him in a place of torment, outer darkness, fire and brimstone.

Only God is perfectly good. We are all born as sinners. Some people will readily admit to being sinners but others believe we are basically good. The problem is that we have the wrong standard. We think we're good because we're not as bad as others who may be drunks, murderers, rapists or thieves. But God is the one who sets the standard and His standard is nothing short of perfect righteousness. 

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood." Romans 3:23-25

I don't understand why God loves us so much, but I'm just glad that He does. Because of His great love for us, He provided a way to be reconciled to Him and escape eternal punishment. If you will accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and allow Him to have control of your life, you will become righteous in the eyes of God and receive His free gift of eternal life. No strings attached.

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:6-8

I'm currently reading through the Gospels as we approach Resurrection Day. It's good to be reminded of the price that Jesus paid to redeem us from the penalty of our sin. Today the cross is glamorized as jewelry or clothing adornments but crucifixion was the most brutal form of execution ever devised by man. But God decided that this would be the method by which Jesus would willingly give up His life.
  
"Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face." "...So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull. There they nailed him to the cross." John 19:1-3, 17

So, what is "good" about Good Friday? Jesus was beaten, bruised and bloodied beyond recognition and He suffered the ignominious death on the cross, but it was "good" for us because He became the sinless substitute on our behalf. God poured out His just and holy wrath on His own Son, whom He had made to become the very embodiment of sin. All you need to do is believe it and receive Jesus Christ by faith as your Lord and Savior. Turn from the way you now live and give Jesus control of your life. Good Friday can be "good" for you when you choose to become a follower of Jesus Christ.  

"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:21

A word from the real Saint Patrick

I am Patrick, yes a sinner and indeed untaught; yet I am established here in Ireland where I profess myself bishop. I am certain in my heart that "all that I am", I have received from God. So I live among barbarous tribes, a stranger and exile for the love of God. He himself testifies that this is so. I never would have wanted these harsh words to spill from my mouth; I am not in the habit of speaking so sharply. Yet now I am driven by the zeal of God, Christ's truth has aroused me. I speak out too for love of my neighbors who are my only sons; for them I gave up my home country, my parents and even pushing my own life to the brink of death. If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples; even though some of them still look down on me.

1 Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 2:30

Could I have come to Ireland without thought of God, merely in my own interest? Who was it made me come? For here "I am a prisoner of the Spirit" so that I may not see any of my family. Can it be out of the kindness of my heart that I carry out such a labor of mercy on a people who once captured me when they wrecked my father's house and carried off his servants? For by descent I was a freeman, born of a decurion father; yet I have sold this nobility of mine. I am not ashamed, nor do I regret that it might have meant some advantage to others. In short, I am a slave in Christ to this faraway people for the indescribable glory of "everlasting life which is in Jesus Christ our Lord."

Acts 20:22; Romans 6:23

Excerpt from "A Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus"

Living by Faith

I am surprised that there are some people who have followed Jesus for years, yet they still are lacking in faith. God has sustained you and provided for decades and yet when trouble comes; fear, doubt, worry and anxiety creep in and you fail to remember what God has done for you in the past and what he has promised. There is an interesting incident in the gospels where Jesus shows the contrast between faith and fear.

 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27

The Sea of Galilee is about 13 miles long and eight miles wide. It’s not unusual for violent storms to sweep across the water all of a sudden. The sky was probably dark and cloudy, there may have been thunder and lightning, and the text says that a fierce storm struck the lake and their boat began taking on water. They were being swamped by the high, crashing waves. This must have been a brutal storm because some of these men were experienced fisherman who had weathered many storms in the past, but this one had them shaking in their sandals. They were scared to death but Jesus was sound asleep. They went over and woke Jesus up and said, “Save us, Lord; we are going to drown!”

When you look at the circumstances surrounding them you could see why they were terrified. But it looks like this whole scenario was designed to be a test of their faith. Because the first thing out of Jesus mouth when he wakes up is “Why are you afraid, you have so little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed saying, "Who is this man? Even winds and the waves obey him?" (Jesus is the Master of the sea).



So what about you? Are you consumed with fear or do you walk by faith? Do you allow fear to overcome your faith or does your faith extinguish your fear?

If you really claim to follow Jesus; then that means you must live by faith. Even when the storms of life come and you think you’re going to drown. Have faith in God. If you’re dealing with grief or sorrow, sickness or disease, heartache or loneliness, disappointment or despair, fear or anxiety, marital or financial problems; have faith in God. Just as the disciples did, cry out to Jesus. He understands. He's been there. He's gone through the human experience and sympathizes with your weaknesses.

We begin by faith
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

We are saved by faith
For by grace you have been saved through faith. Ephesians 2:8

We live by faith
We walk by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

The Real Valentine

Valentine was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor named Claudius who persecuted the church. He had an edict that prohibited the marriage of young people. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because married soldiers might be afraid of what might happen to them or their wives or families if they died.

Valentine lived in a very permissive society. Polygamy would have been much more popular than monogamy. And yet some young couples seemed to be attracted to Christianity. But obviously the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. And so it immediately presented the problem of what the church should do about this.

The idea of encouraging them to marry within the church was what Valentine was all about. And he secretly married them because of the edict.

Valentine was eventually caught, imprisoned and tortured for performing marriage ceremonies against the command of Emperor Claudius the second. There are legends surrounding Valentine's actions while in prison.

One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law was a man called Asterius, whose daughter was blind. He was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became a Christian.

In the year 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution of a beating, stoning, and finally decapitation all because of his stand for Christian marriage. The story goes that the last words he wrote were in a note to Asterius' daughter. He inspired today's romantic missives by signing it, "from your Valentine."

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:7-11

Groundhog Day

In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays meteorologist Phil Connors. He travels to Punxsutawney, PA with his producer and cameraman to cover the annual festivities where Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog is the star.

A blizzard develops and forces them to stay in Punxsutawney. Connors awakens the next morning to find it is February 2 again, and his day unfolds in exactly the same way. However, he is the only one aware of the repetition. Everyone else seems to be living February 2 exactly the same way and for the first time. This pattern continues for many days, maybe even weeks.

I love the fact that many great Bible teachers seem to find analogies in every day things. Rarely does this happen to me. But this movie seems analogous to trials in the Christian life. It may not be the best analogy but it works for me.

When Phil Connors realized that the same things were happening everyday, he began to memorize events, so he could manipulate people and take advantage of his situation. Later when he begins to get tired of being stuck in Groundhog Day, he tries to fight against it but the repetition continues nonetheless. Finally when he examines his life and priorities and makes the necessary changes, Groundhog Day stops and he wakes up on February 3rd a better man. Lesson learned.

The analogy may be loose but it just reminded me of the trials we go through as Christians. Whether it’s a “blizzard” in your life or just a minor testing of your faith, trials are inevitable. God is doing a work in the life of the believer and He allows things to happen along the way to develop our character. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6

God allows trials in our lives because there is obviously something He wants us to learn from that particular situation. When we don’t pass the test it seems that God continues to bring that particular trial back into our life until we do pass the test...kinda like in the Groundhog Day movie.

Like Phil Connors sometimes we try to manipulate or take advantage of the situation we’re going through, other times we try to fight against it. But when we finally stop and examine our lives and priorities, then we pass the test and move forward. We learn and grow spiritually from the situation.

Many of us complain when we are tested. We pray for patience, and God allows us to be tested so we can develop our patience, and then we complain more. Our character is both developed and revealed by the testing of our faith. “When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your patience has a chance to grow.” James 1:2-3

It's not a matter of "if" the storm is going to come, it's just a question of "when". People have this idea that when you turn your life over to Jesus you won't have any more difficulties. Christians are not immune to difficulties and hardships but we are responsible for our reactions to the trials we encounter. The Apostle Paul probably suffered more hardship than any other Christian and yet he learned to welcome the trials. He said “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Romans 5:3-4

Waiting for the Promise

I have a confession to make. I don’t like to wait, but waiting is such a part of life. As a child, waiting for Christmas seemed like it took forever to arrive. As time progressed, I couldn’t wait to become a teen, and then an adult, but still I had to wait. 

Whenever I checkout at the grocery store, I have a tendency to pick the slowest moving line, and so I wait. When I go to Starbucks, all I want is a plain old cup of black coffee, but I have to wait for the woman who wants a Venti, sugar-free, non-fat, vanilla soy, double shot breve latte, no foam, extra hot, Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with light whip and extra syrup, double cupped. And so I’m learning to wait.

Back in the Garden of Eden, God made a promise to Adam and Eve after they sinned against Him. He promised to send a Redeemer who would crush Satan, but the world had to wait thousands of years for the promise to come to fruition.

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15

Two thousand years later, there lived a man named Abraham. God asked him to leave his country and his kinfolk and go to a foreign land that God would show him. He obeyed and God made a promise to Abraham.

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3

All the people on earth would be blessed through the coming Messiah who would descend from Abraham. But it all began with one child of promise. God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, but they waited twenty five years for Isaac to be born. 

The nation of Israel began with Abraham and one of his best known descendants was King David. When the prophet Samuel anointed David to be the next king, David still had to wait. He waited over 15 years before he would take the throne of Judah and he waited another 7 years before he ruled over the united kingdom of Israel and Judah. And several years later God makes this promise to David.

The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:11-13

That last phrase refers to the promised Messiah, but Israel waited another thousand years before He came. Three hundred years after King David, God raised up the prophet Isaiah. This promise came through the prophet.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

The virgin birth is important. We’re all born with a sin nature because we are descendants of Adam and Eve. In order for God to take on flesh and blood without the sin nature, he bypassed the earthly father. The child in Mary’s womb was miraculously conceived by Holy Spirit. Therefore, Jesus was able to live a sinless life and was qualified to be the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God.

After the prophecy of Isaiah, Israel still had to wait seven hundred more years for the coming of Messiah. And many didn’t even recognize Him when He came. They didn’t realize that He would first come to suffer and die and at His second coming He would establish His earthly kingdom. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  Many failed to recognize that the promised one is Jesus.

In his gospel record, Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Abraham.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1

And so after the world waited over four thousand years, the promised Messiah came to earth to save His people from their sins. That's what Christmas is all about.

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 

Jesus lived a perfect sinless life, was crucified, died and was buried, and on the third day He rose again victorious over the grave, death and hell. He is alive forevermore. Those who receive Jesus as Lord are given the right to become children of God and citizens of His kingdom. Jesus promised to return, and still we wait. For over two thousand years we’ve been waiting for His promised return.  

God’s timetable is not the same as ours. One day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day to the Lord. So from His perspective, Jesus has only been gone for a couple of days! Peter encourages our hearts and reminds us why Jesus has not returned yet.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient and merciful toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9 

And so as we celebrate His first advent this Christmas, we anxiously await His second coming. And everyone who has this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

"There's No Place Like Home!"

When I was a child, we used to watch the Wizard of Oz every year. One of the most memorable lines from the film was when Dorothy said, “There's no place like home!”

Home is a place of familiarity, where you grew up, where you have some fond memories.  Home is a place of security, where you can let your guard down.

No matter where you currently live, once you receive Jesus as Lord you have a dual citizenship. Your real home is in heaven.

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. Philippians 3:20-21

When you belong to the family of God, sometimes you actually get homesick for heaven.  You may feel restless for home because God created you that way, with a spirit that longs to be with God. It's like we have a homing instinct guiding us there.

It's amazing that God has built this homing instinct even into animals. The salmon return home from the sea to lay their eggs in the rivers of their birth. Birds migrate home over long distances every year.  God designed something in them that brings them home.

Likewise, God has built into each one of us, a desire, a longing to be home with Him. 

God has planted eternity in the human heart.  Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

I believe we were all created for heaven. C.S. Lewis put it this way...

"Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists.  A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food.  A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in the world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." (Mere Christianity)

We were made for another world. You and I will never be fully satisfied with life here on earth.  Ironically, many people think that if they have a nice big house, a loving family, a stable job, two cars - then they will be happy and content.  But look at how many rich people have it all and yet they are some of the most miserable people in the world.

Augustine said, "Thou hast made us for thyself and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee." We will always be restless if we try to find rest here on this earth and through things of this earth.  We need to realize this world is not our home and that true rest can only come when we finally return to our eternal home in heaven.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. Colossians 3:1-2

The more pain I experience, the more evil I see, the more funerals I perform, the more I long for heaven. No more sin, sickness or sadness there. God will wipe away every tear. The greatest thing about heaven is that we will be with our Lord. 

How do you get there? Not by good works. You must admit you are a sinner, repent of your sin, ask God's forgiveness and receive Jesus Christ as Lord of your life.  

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 

Jesus has provided the way of salvation through His death, burial and resurrection. God has prepared a home for you in heaven and He is waiting for you to come to your real home. I pray that you know Jesus as Lord and that you too will be homesick, not just for your earthly home but for your true eternal home in heaven.

Humility and Prayer

Reading through the Old Testament I see a continuous cycle. Israel saw God's miracles first hand, He destroyed their enemies, yet they quickly forgot God, they worshiped pagan idols, got involved in sexual immorality, they failed to care for the poor and needy, they abandoned the Lord and He turned them over to their enemies. They would repent, cry for help and in due time God would deliver them.

Fast forward to King Solomon, and on the day he dedicated the temple, the word of the Lord came to him and said, "... if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

I know this verse was written for the nation of Israel, but the principles remain true today for the people of God. Many New Testament verses that tell us to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, turn from our wicked ways.

Humility

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. 

When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:3-11

Serve each other in humility, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 1 Peter 5:5-6

Pray

Watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak! Matthew 26:41

The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Philippians 4:6

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18

Seek His Face

James spoke about the need to seek the Lord, "so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles — all those I have called to be mine. The Lord has spoken — he who made these things known so long ago." Acts 15:17

We should seek God in His Word... All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16

Turn from our wicked ways

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church...
"you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?" 1 Corinthians 3:3

Our greatest need is not more intellectuals or people of great social influence. We need men and women of faith, men and women of humility and men and women who are strong and fervent in prayer. These are the things that will create spiritual success in the life and work of the church.

I have a dream that the living and true God would be glorified in our country. My dream is that Christians would be known by their love, rather than hypocrisy. I envision Christians not just going to church on Sunday but being the church all week long, building relationships, sharing their faith and making disciples.

I hope that the true believers would look for ways to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, visit the sick and imprisoned, house the homeless, clothe those in need, care for widows and orphans, remembering that Jesus said ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Give Thanks!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Give thanks. This is a command from God. He wants His children to be grateful and remember how much you have been given. Expressing thanks helps you remember that everything comes from the hand of God.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 

Too many people receive God’s blessings and never give thanks or even think about where their blessings come from. God’s mercies are new every morning. He provides salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, life, breath, health, food, clean water, clothing, shelter, transportation, jobs and money to meet your needs. You receive all that God gives, but do you take time to acknowledge the giver?

Give thanks to the Lord because He is good. His love endures forever.  Psalm 107:1

Be grateful for the good things as well as the bad. When you learn to thank God in every situation that comes into your life, then you won’t become bitter. You can’t be thankful and bitter at the same time. You can even thank Him for your suffering, because God uses suffering to develop your character. His goal is to make you more like Jesus, and He was perfected in His suffering (Hebrews 2:10).

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. Romans 5:3-4

You can be sick and still be thankful. You can grieve and still be thankful. Sometimes things happen to us that just don’t seem to make sense. Only God sees the big picture. You may not understand why God allows certain things in your life but God paints on a canvas much larger than your tiny vision.

We all have our share of sorrow. And some people seem to receive more than their fair share of pain. We are unable to give thanks in every situation without the help of the Holy Spirit. Left to your own devices, the pain of life can drive you to bitterness and despair. But when you factor God into the equation, and you believe that your life and times are in His hands, then you can say “Thank you, Lord,” no matter what happens in life. If you belong to Jesus, this is how God wants you to live.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28