"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down." 2 Corinthians 13:5-10
Today, let's examine the next sentence of these verses: "Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you?" Why would Paul ask this question? The commentary noted for this passage at www.biblegateway.com says that Paul was being sarcastic. (My kind of guy!) The NIV translation uses the verb "realize," although a better translation might be "recognize." In other words, Paul is asking, "Don't you even recognize Jesus among you?" He's pointing out that if you can't see Jesus in your life, in your ministry, in your church - there's a huge problem!
How do we recognize Jesus? How do others see Him in us? Is it in the way that we are impatient with the cashier in the Walmart checkout line? Do our children see it when we snap at them in frustration? Perhaps the more frightening question is this: Can Jesus Christ recognize Himself in us?
Don't you think that Jesus, when He looks at us, desires it to be almost like looking in a mirror? Doesn't He have the right, as the one who died for our sins, to examine our lives? I want Him to see evidence of His work in my life when He looks at me! And not old work, written in the history book of my life. But current, new work, like new skin growing over old wounds.
To be able to recognize Christ in ourselves and our work and our church takes a bit (well, not a bit - a lot!)of effort, discipline, and thought. We don't accidentally become Christ-like. It's a purposeful, life-long endeavor that is a result of knowing Him more and more fully. Paul says in Philippians 3:10 that he wants "to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings." Becoming Christ-like isn't just about sharing in the power of His resurrection. It's about sharing in His sufferings, too. That's the part that we might not like so much. But think about it - is life defined by the suffering, or by the joy?
Resolve to recognize Him in your midst. Allow others to recognize Him in you. It takes a decision - to make an effort, to allow love to reign, to be defined by joy instead of sorry. But it's worth the effort. When I get to heaven one day, after the first thousand years or so of sitting at Christ's feet and soaking in His presence, I might look around and be amazed.
Maybe, just maybe, I'll recognize the Walmart cashier from that long checkout line.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down." 2 Corinthians 13:5-10
I'd like to spend this week examining this scripture in detail. Let's start with the first part: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves." What a great piece of advice this is!! It reminds me of Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit in me." KJV If we are not consistently examining our faith, inviting God to examine us, don't you think that means we have something to be afraid of?
Why are we afraid to challenge ourselves, or even worse, to be challenged by others? I wonder if deep down it's because we don't know God well enough to be able to examine Him and His impact in our lives. Sometimes we fall into a rut of faith. We do the same things we always done, in the same way, at the same time, but never stop to think about why we are still doing them. Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." But it doesn't say that WE are the same. The fact that WE change is a good thing. The fact that HE doesn't is a GREAT thing!
Years ago, when I was in college, I was in a Bible study on the book of Revelations. (Shout out to Karen Wenger for that time in my life. Holla!!) She brought in a friend who was extremely knowledgeable about this area, and this friend pointed out that there are different times of dispensation throughout history. These dispensations, or ages (see Ephesians 3:1-5, especially the New King James Version), are marked by increased knowledge by man about God. In other words, there are things we understand and see clearly now that we might not have seen clearly in another age.
The fulfillment of the law by Jesus Christ is a perfect example of this. Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to enforce it. Read . . . I don't know, all of the gospels if you are unsure about this! Though many didn't understand it at the time, we understand this now. We understand that a menstruating woman doesn't need to be purified, or live in a tent by herself for a week or two (although some men may appreciate that!). Many biblical scholars believe there are seven dispensations throughout history (seven is the perfect number, remember), and we are now in the sixth.
Now, I say all that because the faith you have now is hopefully not the same faith you had a year ago. Or two years ago. Or ten years ago. And so on. Because, as you grow in the faith, your knowledge of God increases, your love for Him grows to encompass that love, and as a result your convictions, standards, and beliefs grow and change.
Say you were a smoker when you got saved. You fell in love with Jesus, and for awhile you still smoked, because you didn't know it was harmful for your spiritually, as well as physically. Then the pastor introduces you to a new scripture, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." You have an aha! moment - your knowledge has changed, and now you have a choice to make with what you know.
As we grow, we should consistently check our thoughts, actions and attitudes against the scripture. Why would we want to struggle in those areas? When the Holy Spirit is working on you - let Him! We want so much of God, so why not give Him more and more of us?
Are you willing to examine your faith, and test it before God's eyes? Are you willing to check your thoughts, actions and attitudes against the scripture? Do it today, and I promise you - God may ask you for something difficult, but the rewards will be great - and eternal. And you know what else? You'll never regret it.
See you tomorrow! Keep blazing!
I'd like to spend this week examining this scripture in detail. Let's start with the first part: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves." What a great piece of advice this is!! It reminds me of Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit in me." KJV If we are not consistently examining our faith, inviting God to examine us, don't you think that means we have something to be afraid of?
Why are we afraid to challenge ourselves, or even worse, to be challenged by others? I wonder if deep down it's because we don't know God well enough to be able to examine Him and His impact in our lives. Sometimes we fall into a rut of faith. We do the same things we always done, in the same way, at the same time, but never stop to think about why we are still doing them. Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." But it doesn't say that WE are the same. The fact that WE change is a good thing. The fact that HE doesn't is a GREAT thing!
Years ago, when I was in college, I was in a Bible study on the book of Revelations. (Shout out to Karen Wenger for that time in my life. Holla!!) She brought in a friend who was extremely knowledgeable about this area, and this friend pointed out that there are different times of dispensation throughout history. These dispensations, or ages (see Ephesians 3:1-5, especially the New King James Version), are marked by increased knowledge by man about God. In other words, there are things we understand and see clearly now that we might not have seen clearly in another age.
The fulfillment of the law by Jesus Christ is a perfect example of this. Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to enforce it. Read . . . I don't know, all of the gospels if you are unsure about this! Though many didn't understand it at the time, we understand this now. We understand that a menstruating woman doesn't need to be purified, or live in a tent by herself for a week or two (although some men may appreciate that!). Many biblical scholars believe there are seven dispensations throughout history (seven is the perfect number, remember), and we are now in the sixth.
Now, I say all that because the faith you have now is hopefully not the same faith you had a year ago. Or two years ago. Or ten years ago. And so on. Because, as you grow in the faith, your knowledge of God increases, your love for Him grows to encompass that love, and as a result your convictions, standards, and beliefs grow and change.
Say you were a smoker when you got saved. You fell in love with Jesus, and for awhile you still smoked, because you didn't know it was harmful for your spiritually, as well as physically. Then the pastor introduces you to a new scripture, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." You have an aha! moment - your knowledge has changed, and now you have a choice to make with what you know.
As we grow, we should consistently check our thoughts, actions and attitudes against the scripture. Why would we want to struggle in those areas? When the Holy Spirit is working on you - let Him! We want so much of God, so why not give Him more and more of us?
Are you willing to examine your faith, and test it before God's eyes? Are you willing to check your thoughts, actions and attitudes against the scripture? Do it today, and I promise you - God may ask you for something difficult, but the rewards will be great - and eternal. And you know what else? You'll never regret it.
See you tomorrow! Keep blazing!
Friday, January 22, 2010
That One Moment
"The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'" Genesis 15-17
In yesterday's blog, a phrase from this verse caught my eye and I decided to ponder on it today. It's something I never noticed before. Look at the last phrase: "for when you eat of it you will surely die." Not if, but when.
I can't believe I didn't notice it before. And as I read through this account in Genesis, I see that knowing that Adam would eventually eat from the tree didn't stop God from giving him His good and perfect gifts. He made Adam ruler over the garden, bringing before him each and every animal that he had made and allowing Adam to name them. Not only that, but He gave Adam a wife, created from his own side.
I can't help but wonder if that one moment, the one where God predicts Adam's sin, is a defining moment in history. At that moment, God tells us in His word that He knew exactly what Adam was going to do, but God kept His love for him, and for the rest of mankind in the generations to follow.
It must have been bittersweet. Knowing, absolutely knowing, as we discussed yesterday, that His way is the way of good, and yet knowing just as certainly that we would walk astray, we would stumble. It kind of breaks my heart for God, you know what I mean?
The facts of this story are proof of God's love for us. It takes strength to let someone go off and do their own thing. It takes strength to love someone who doesn't love you back. It takes strength to give all you have to someone who is unappreciative. I know that we were created in God's image. I'm so glad it's not the other way around! If God were created in our image, He'd be whining, fussing, selfish, unreliable, unloving, unloveable, purposeless, drifting in the wind from one thing to another.
But no, we were fashioned after Him! Chapter 1, verse 27: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
If you're like me, that's a verse I've passed over many times and not really examined deeply. But that's a shouting hallelujah verse!!! HE created us. HIM - creator of each and every star in the sky, the creator of all things from the heights of the heighest mountain to the depth of the deepest sea - HE is the one who created us. And not only that, He created us to be like Him.
Why do I bring that up? (Besides the obvious worship time I'm having?) Because of love. His love. His love began for us before we were formed. His love has endured no matter what we have done or how many times we have sinned against Him. He knew we were gonna do it and He loved us anyway.
With a love like that, how can we hold anything back?
In yesterday's blog, a phrase from this verse caught my eye and I decided to ponder on it today. It's something I never noticed before. Look at the last phrase: "for when you eat of it you will surely die." Not if, but when.
I can't believe I didn't notice it before. And as I read through this account in Genesis, I see that knowing that Adam would eventually eat from the tree didn't stop God from giving him His good and perfect gifts. He made Adam ruler over the garden, bringing before him each and every animal that he had made and allowing Adam to name them. Not only that, but He gave Adam a wife, created from his own side.
I can't help but wonder if that one moment, the one where God predicts Adam's sin, is a defining moment in history. At that moment, God tells us in His word that He knew exactly what Adam was going to do, but God kept His love for him, and for the rest of mankind in the generations to follow.
It must have been bittersweet. Knowing, absolutely knowing, as we discussed yesterday, that His way is the way of good, and yet knowing just as certainly that we would walk astray, we would stumble. It kind of breaks my heart for God, you know what I mean?
The facts of this story are proof of God's love for us. It takes strength to let someone go off and do their own thing. It takes strength to love someone who doesn't love you back. It takes strength to give all you have to someone who is unappreciative. I know that we were created in God's image. I'm so glad it's not the other way around! If God were created in our image, He'd be whining, fussing, selfish, unreliable, unloving, unloveable, purposeless, drifting in the wind from one thing to another.
But no, we were fashioned after Him! Chapter 1, verse 27: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
If you're like me, that's a verse I've passed over many times and not really examined deeply. But that's a shouting hallelujah verse!!! HE created us. HIM - creator of each and every star in the sky, the creator of all things from the heights of the heighest mountain to the depth of the deepest sea - HE is the one who created us. And not only that, He created us to be like Him.
Why do I bring that up? (Besides the obvious worship time I'm having?) Because of love. His love. His love began for us before we were formed. His love has endured no matter what we have done or how many times we have sinned against Him. He knew we were gonna do it and He loved us anyway.
With a love like that, how can we hold anything back?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Eve Who?
Good morning! Where have you all been? I've been searching and searching for you . . . okay, not true. Sorry for not blogging for awhile. I've been sick since Christmas and it has really only been the last 5 or 6 days that I've felt like myself again. I've had some gastro-intestinal issues, really for a year and a half, including a bowel blockage, bouts of pancreatitis, and gallbladder removal. So to feel good is really a gift and a blessing.
One of the things that happened at my doctor last week was the removal of dairy from my diet. When she first told me that she wanted me to not have milk or dairy products for two weeks, I thought, sure, no biggie. But she wanted me to be VERY careful - lots and lots of processed foods contain dairy, as does that extra food group - chocolate.
Now THAT'S hard! I did fine the first few days, but it has become tough! I WANT dairy! Who cares what the doctor says! A little bit of cheese in my soup isn't going to hurt me. Eating a couple of pieces of chocolate is GOOD for me! And, quite frankly, I want MILK!
This morning I was lying in bed, and it hit me smack upside the head. I'm Eve!! I've always wondered how Eve could have blown it so badly. Girl, you have ALLLLLLLL the other trees in the garden from which to eat. Don't eat from that one. It's just one tree. Dr. Phung was saying to me, in essence, girl, you have five other food groups from which you can eat. But until you're better, don't eat from just one. And instead of me walking around going, woo-hoo!!! I get to eat from 5 of the 6 food groups, I've been walking around whining about how hard it is to not eat dairy.
Let's look at this story in Genesis. "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.' When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:6-7)
We could spend weeks dissecting these two chapters, showing how Adam and Eve began first by sliding into sin, then jumping in wholeheartedly. But I guess today I'm just focusing on how much this is like my experience of the last week. Instead of focusing on all they could do, they focused on the one thing God told them not to do. I've always wondered how they could do that. How could they be so close to God, and yet disobey? How could they want the one thing they shouldn't have? Didn't they have enough?
Well, this week has shown me. WOW. I'm exactly the same. I have wanted the one thing I shouldn't have. It's not that I can't have it, I'm physically able to open the refrigerator and get out the milk. But my doctor, who by the way went to medical school (as opposed to me!) might know a thing or two. And God, who created the Garden and everything and everyone in it (as opposed to Adam & Eve creating it!) might know what's good for those He loves.
Why do we fight Him? Why do we assume that He is trying to take away good things from us? Our first instinct when we don't get something we want should be, "Praise God! He's got a better plan in store!" But so often, it's "No fair! I wanted that!"
Why do we fight Him? Because we have an enemy, and this enemy is smart and quick to try to manipulate our feelings and circumstances. We have to be vigilant against him and his ability to destroy us with our own selfish desires. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 1:8-9
Let's not fight Him. His way, His gifts are perfect and are only for our good. This week, if something gets taken from you, or you don't have something you want, remember to claim His way, His love, His good gifts for your life. Join me in thanking Him. Join me in remembering that He has a plan for me, a perfect plan, one that is filled with hope and love, and is only for my good.
Thanks for letting me come back, after almost a month of absence! Keep blazing!
One of the things that happened at my doctor last week was the removal of dairy from my diet. When she first told me that she wanted me to not have milk or dairy products for two weeks, I thought, sure, no biggie. But she wanted me to be VERY careful - lots and lots of processed foods contain dairy, as does that extra food group - chocolate.
Now THAT'S hard! I did fine the first few days, but it has become tough! I WANT dairy! Who cares what the doctor says! A little bit of cheese in my soup isn't going to hurt me. Eating a couple of pieces of chocolate is GOOD for me! And, quite frankly, I want MILK!
This morning I was lying in bed, and it hit me smack upside the head. I'm Eve!! I've always wondered how Eve could have blown it so badly. Girl, you have ALLLLLLLL the other trees in the garden from which to eat. Don't eat from that one. It's just one tree. Dr. Phung was saying to me, in essence, girl, you have five other food groups from which you can eat. But until you're better, don't eat from just one. And instead of me walking around going, woo-hoo!!! I get to eat from 5 of the 6 food groups, I've been walking around whining about how hard it is to not eat dairy.
Let's look at this story in Genesis. "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.' When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:6-7)
We could spend weeks dissecting these two chapters, showing how Adam and Eve began first by sliding into sin, then jumping in wholeheartedly. But I guess today I'm just focusing on how much this is like my experience of the last week. Instead of focusing on all they could do, they focused on the one thing God told them not to do. I've always wondered how they could do that. How could they be so close to God, and yet disobey? How could they want the one thing they shouldn't have? Didn't they have enough?
Well, this week has shown me. WOW. I'm exactly the same. I have wanted the one thing I shouldn't have. It's not that I can't have it, I'm physically able to open the refrigerator and get out the milk. But my doctor, who by the way went to medical school (as opposed to me!) might know a thing or two. And God, who created the Garden and everything and everyone in it (as opposed to Adam & Eve creating it!) might know what's good for those He loves.
Why do we fight Him? Why do we assume that He is trying to take away good things from us? Our first instinct when we don't get something we want should be, "Praise God! He's got a better plan in store!" But so often, it's "No fair! I wanted that!"
Why do we fight Him? Because we have an enemy, and this enemy is smart and quick to try to manipulate our feelings and circumstances. We have to be vigilant against him and his ability to destroy us with our own selfish desires. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 1:8-9
Let's not fight Him. His way, His gifts are perfect and are only for our good. This week, if something gets taken from you, or you don't have something you want, remember to claim His way, His love, His good gifts for your life. Join me in thanking Him. Join me in remembering that He has a plan for me, a perfect plan, one that is filled with hope and love, and is only for my good.
Thanks for letting me come back, after almost a month of absence! Keep blazing!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Gifts We Bring
Hectic week this week! No excuse to not blog, but . . . that's the best I can do. :0)
I wanted to talk today about the Magi. This will be my only message this week. Let's look at Matthew 2:
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (verses 1 - 12)
There are so many topics to cover here, don't you think? First of all, some background: who were the Magi? There's an article about ten years old that I found on the internet at http://ldolphin.org/magi.html that shares a ton of information. I will continue to talk about the Magi next week, but for today, I want to talk about the three gifts they brought: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
These gifts were prophetic, "speaking of our Lord's offices of king, priest, and savior. Gold speaks of His kingship; frankincense was a spice used in the priestly duties; and myrrh was an embalming ointment anticipating His death."
Which makes me think about the gifts that I bring Him on a daily basis. Do my gifts of my life, my actions, my thoughts . . . do they represent Him as king, as priest, as savior? When I speak of Him, or speak for Him, can He see that He is king of my life? Can others see that He is my priest, my shepherd? Is my heart reflective that Christ is my savior?
As you enter these next two days, exchanging gifts, eating, hanging out, think also of the gifts represented in your heart and life. Are they worthy of the Christ child? The Christ who was and who is and who is to come? Nothing we could ever offer is worthy- no gold or silver, no castles or lands. The only thing He wants . . . is everything. All of us. All we own, all we care about, all we love, all we hate, all we think about . . . all of it. As a King, He could come in and just take it. As a Priest, He could force us into a religious rituals. But as the Savior, He destroys those myths and shows us daily, continually, continuously, that a King is strong enough to serve. That a Priest refutes religion and strives for relationship. And that a Savior loves so passionately, He would humble Himself, be born as a babe, and give the ultimate sacrifice.
So. Hmmmm. All He wants is everything. Are you giving Him everything? Your good stuff, bad stuff, in-between stuff? He wants it more than anything. So this Christmas, give Him the best gift, the only gift - give Him you.
I wanted to talk today about the Magi. This will be my only message this week. Let's look at Matthew 2:
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (verses 1 - 12)
There are so many topics to cover here, don't you think? First of all, some background: who were the Magi? There's an article about ten years old that I found on the internet at http://ldolphin.org/magi.html that shares a ton of information. I will continue to talk about the Magi next week, but for today, I want to talk about the three gifts they brought: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
These gifts were prophetic, "speaking of our Lord's offices of king, priest, and savior. Gold speaks of His kingship; frankincense was a spice used in the priestly duties; and myrrh was an embalming ointment anticipating His death."
Which makes me think about the gifts that I bring Him on a daily basis. Do my gifts of my life, my actions, my thoughts . . . do they represent Him as king, as priest, as savior? When I speak of Him, or speak for Him, can He see that He is king of my life? Can others see that He is my priest, my shepherd? Is my heart reflective that Christ is my savior?
As you enter these next two days, exchanging gifts, eating, hanging out, think also of the gifts represented in your heart and life. Are they worthy of the Christ child? The Christ who was and who is and who is to come? Nothing we could ever offer is worthy- no gold or silver, no castles or lands. The only thing He wants . . . is everything. All of us. All we own, all we care about, all we love, all we hate, all we think about . . . all of it. As a King, He could come in and just take it. As a Priest, He could force us into a religious rituals. But as the Savior, He destroys those myths and shows us daily, continually, continuously, that a King is strong enough to serve. That a Priest refutes religion and strives for relationship. And that a Savior loves so passionately, He would humble Himself, be born as a babe, and give the ultimate sacrifice.
So. Hmmmm. All He wants is everything. Are you giving Him everything? Your good stuff, bad stuff, in-between stuff? He wants it more than anything. So this Christmas, give Him the best gift, the only gift - give Him you.
Friday, December 18, 2009
"The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." Luke 2:20
The shepherds are an awesome bunch. They didn't have anything to offer Mary and Joseph, didn't come to the manger to show off or measure up. They didn't come out of obligation. They didn't come with phoniness. They came because something spectacular had happened to them, and during that angelic encounter they were given a promise.
God has many promises for us in the Bible. Sometimes we just sit and do nothing and God's promises are revealed. But sometimes His promises are two-fold: do something, and He will do something greater. That's what happened to the shepherds, right? They were told to go and search, and they would find the Christ child. And the angel told them how to find Him: He will be the one who is wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Because they followed the angel's instructions, they were the first of all mankind to witness the Messiah.
What promises does God have in store for you? What has He asked of you? Do you think He asks more of you than He did of the shepherds? (Let me take a second here. I have typed the word shepherds about 50 times over the last three days. Spelled it wrong every single time. What's up with that?) It couldn't have been easy for the shepherds to go into Bethlehem, where they wouldn't have been eagerly embraced, and go door to door looking for a baby! But they went, and when they had seen Jesus, it's easy to imagine they went back to those same homes, and told them what they had seen: "When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child." Luke 2:17 The shepherds didn't wait for Jesus to come to them. They got up! They took off! They moved. They acted on the information they were given.
Sometimes moving and acting look different then what we think. Look at the favorite promise of countless Christians, Isaiah 40:31: "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength." Waiting isn't a passive thing. Waiting is an active, feet planted, not gonna move, not gonna be swayed, gonna hold onto my God no matter what it takes, kind of thing. The important thing to see here is that our waiting is part of God's promise: once we wait, He renews our strength.
Look at another promise: Psalm 37:4. "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." First, delight in God. Revel in Him, enjoy Him, drink Him in. THEN He will give you the desires of your heart. Why do you think God designed this promise this way? Could it be because He knows that once we are swimming in the sea of His goodness, His love, His life, the desires of our heart could change? The wants and wishes we have could become more like Him and His, setting us up for eternal success instead of failure?
Isn't that what today's verse is all about? The shepherds returned to their fields, praising and glorifying God. They were certainly delighted in Him, weren't they? I'll bet they couldn't sleep that night! Not only did they see the Messiah, but it happened exactly as they were told. God's promises aren't negotiable. What's that old song? "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me!" Think about that - not only did they go exactly as the angel had told them to, but they found exactly what the angel said they would find!
The shepherds (spelled it wrong again!) teach us so much. It doesn't matter who we are, God wants to reach us. God can use us. They didn't let themselves become encumbered with physical, emotional or mental baggage, providing an excuse to not go when God called them. And they took action, believing God's promise to be true.
Who would have thought a seemingly small part of the Christmas story could teach us so much about life?
The shepherds are an awesome bunch. They didn't have anything to offer Mary and Joseph, didn't come to the manger to show off or measure up. They didn't come out of obligation. They didn't come with phoniness. They came because something spectacular had happened to them, and during that angelic encounter they were given a promise.
God has many promises for us in the Bible. Sometimes we just sit and do nothing and God's promises are revealed. But sometimes His promises are two-fold: do something, and He will do something greater. That's what happened to the shepherds, right? They were told to go and search, and they would find the Christ child. And the angel told them how to find Him: He will be the one who is wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Because they followed the angel's instructions, they were the first of all mankind to witness the Messiah.
What promises does God have in store for you? What has He asked of you? Do you think He asks more of you than He did of the shepherds? (Let me take a second here. I have typed the word shepherds about 50 times over the last three days. Spelled it wrong every single time. What's up with that?) It couldn't have been easy for the shepherds to go into Bethlehem, where they wouldn't have been eagerly embraced, and go door to door looking for a baby! But they went, and when they had seen Jesus, it's easy to imagine they went back to those same homes, and told them what they had seen: "When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child." Luke 2:17 The shepherds didn't wait for Jesus to come to them. They got up! They took off! They moved. They acted on the information they were given.
Sometimes moving and acting look different then what we think. Look at the favorite promise of countless Christians, Isaiah 40:31: "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength." Waiting isn't a passive thing. Waiting is an active, feet planted, not gonna move, not gonna be swayed, gonna hold onto my God no matter what it takes, kind of thing. The important thing to see here is that our waiting is part of God's promise: once we wait, He renews our strength.
Look at another promise: Psalm 37:4. "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." First, delight in God. Revel in Him, enjoy Him, drink Him in. THEN He will give you the desires of your heart. Why do you think God designed this promise this way? Could it be because He knows that once we are swimming in the sea of His goodness, His love, His life, the desires of our heart could change? The wants and wishes we have could become more like Him and His, setting us up for eternal success instead of failure?
Isn't that what today's verse is all about? The shepherds returned to their fields, praising and glorifying God. They were certainly delighted in Him, weren't they? I'll bet they couldn't sleep that night! Not only did they see the Messiah, but it happened exactly as they were told. God's promises aren't negotiable. What's that old song? "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me!" Think about that - not only did they go exactly as the angel had told them to, but they found exactly what the angel said they would find!
The shepherds (spelled it wrong again!) teach us so much. It doesn't matter who we are, God wants to reach us. God can use us. They didn't let themselves become encumbered with physical, emotional or mental baggage, providing an excuse to not go when God called them. And they took action, believing God's promise to be true.
Who would have thought a seemingly small part of the Christmas story could teach us so much about life?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Shepherds Take Off
"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'" Luke 2:15
It's amazing to me that these shepherds, these inconsequential non-members of society, weren't content to sit with what they knew. They might have not been educated or wealthy, but they were smart enough to know that something amazing had happened, and they wanted to be a part of it! They didn't doubt for one minute that they had heard from God. They didn't take time to organize a committee or map out a plan. They took action - look at the verbs that they used. "Go!" "See!" Those are action words!
Perhaps another reason God chose to use shepherds was because they were transient. They were able to spontaneously take off, unworried about the sheep and focused on finding this baby. They didn't have to pack anything - not that they had anything to pack anyway - and all they wanted to do was see what the Lord had told them about.
Are you ready? Are you unhindered by physical, emotional, and mental baggage, so that when God calls you to see, you are able to go? So often we are worried about God calling us to "do" something. Yet what is more likely is that God is calling us to "see" something that He is doing. Yes, many times when we see what God is doing, we are impassioned to get involved. But it's not about our doing. It's about His.
Live today this way. Make a choice to be willing to be unencumbered, so that when God has something for you to see, your eyes will be open to see it. We've got one more day with the shepherds - tomorrow we'll see how they responded to seeing the Christ child.
It's amazing to me that these shepherds, these inconsequential non-members of society, weren't content to sit with what they knew. They might have not been educated or wealthy, but they were smart enough to know that something amazing had happened, and they wanted to be a part of it! They didn't doubt for one minute that they had heard from God. They didn't take time to organize a committee or map out a plan. They took action - look at the verbs that they used. "Go!" "See!" Those are action words!
Perhaps another reason God chose to use shepherds was because they were transient. They were able to spontaneously take off, unworried about the sheep and focused on finding this baby. They didn't have to pack anything - not that they had anything to pack anyway - and all they wanted to do was see what the Lord had told them about.
Are you ready? Are you unhindered by physical, emotional, and mental baggage, so that when God calls you to see, you are able to go? So often we are worried about God calling us to "do" something. Yet what is more likely is that God is calling us to "see" something that He is doing. Yes, many times when we see what God is doing, we are impassioned to get involved. But it's not about our doing. It's about His.
Live today this way. Make a choice to be willing to be unencumbered, so that when God has something for you to see, your eyes will be open to see it. We've got one more day with the shepherds - tomorrow we'll see how they responded to seeing the Christ child.
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