New Year's Eve Thoughts

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:15-20 ESV).

I must confess I am sitting in my home office this morning nearly two weeks before New Year’s Eve to write today’s “thought.” I rarely struggle to find words for the day. The worst case scenario is that I just tell a story. Call it a gift or a curse, I have no trouble spinning a yarn. Like a beagle in a field full of cottontails, I can run another trail very easily. That may be where I am today. So, I decided to simply follow the next trail. It happened to be our reading today. The Apostle Paul is reflecting on his life in the midst of a discussion about the law. His admission is simply, “I do not understand my own actions.” Then he goes on to describe this battle of wills within his mind. He knows what to do, he just doesn’t do it. His explanation is simple. It is the presence of sin that dwells within him. Well, I am certainly not going to dispute that truth. I cannot make any claims to be any better than Paul. The things I want to do, I don’t. The things I don’t want to do, I do. That’s the truth. However, I want to get on that other rabbit trail for a moment. Truth-telling is important, but grace-giving must also be applied or we lose the essential balance of God’s grace. Let me make two observations. First, relax a bit. God’s love for us is dependent on His grace and not our performance. Scripture makes this very clear: God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God’s love for us was settled by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. (Romans 5:8). The result of God’s work in us is not finished. It will be, that’s His promise. When you fail (sin or not) that failure is not final; and, it does not define us, God’s work does that. Second, this life is not about what we can do for God, but what He can do in and through us. God does not need us (cf. Acts 17:25), but He still desires to use imperfect instruments like us to accomplish His God-sized purposes. Remember the results of our good works are not our concern. That’s above our pay grade. So in the middle of all your resolutions in the year ahead, resolve to trust God for the process of your redemption. He is working it all to your good. Of course, commit yourself to changes that will improve your life, but trust Him. He’s got this!

2020... Now What? - Pt 4

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1-2 ESV).

The grist mill was an essential part of every settlement during the pioneer days of the 1800’s. This was especially true in the mountains along the eastern side of the United States. The picture I’ve selected for today is from the Smoky Mountains. The essentials to life were simple: shelter, food, and clothing. Traveling to nearby population centers was not easy, even if they had money or good to trade for the necessities. These hardy pioneers farmed and hunted for their food. They fashioned the wood for their shelter from the plentiful supply of hardwoods in the mountains. Even much of their clothing came from the pelts and furs of the animals they trapped or hunted for their food. It was hard work to merely survive. Yet, they thrived. I believe it was in large part because of the understanding of reality. We should be conscious to what is real in our spiritual life. The world has conditioned us to measure progress in all the wrong ways. We spent twenty or more years learning a little more math, or a little more history, or a little more science, and we measured ourselves year after year by test scores and final grades. But the Christian life is not simply a Systematic Theology course. Maturity is measured by a spiritual heart monitor, not a theological Scantron. By character, not head knowledge. The means to achieve this is through prayer. Prayer is the match that lights the kindling of knowledge we’ve gathered over time. Tim Keller writes: Prayer turns theology into experience. Through it we sense his presence and receive his joy, his love, his peace and confidence, and thereby we are changed in attitude, behavior, and character. . . . Prayer is the way that all the things we believe in and that Christ has won for us actually become our strength. Prayer is the way that truth is worked into your heart to create new instincts, reflexes, and dispositions. (Prayer, 80, 132). Too often we have loved what we’ve learned about God more than God himself, and when we do, our lives remain essentially the same. We learn more and more, but never change. But if we never really change, we haven’t really known God. That is the difference between reality and perception. “Perception” is not reality when it comes to our relationship with the Lord. As the sun sets on another year, make relationship with Him your singular goal in life.

2020... Now What? - Pt 3

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:1-5 ESV).

Among the structures still remaining in the Smoky Mountain National Park nestled in Cades Cove is the John Oliver historical cabin. It is set back from Cades Cove Loop Road with a short walk back from the road itself. We visit the cove almost every time we visit the park. We have made the easy hike to the cabin many times. John and Lucretia Oliver, the original owners of the cabin, were the first permanent white settlers in Cades Cove. When they moved to Cades Cove in the 1820s, the only road into the cove was a primitive trail. There was not a working grist mill at that time. In the absence of a grist mill, the Olivers had to beat corn into cornmeal using only a mortar and pestle. During the early years, Lucretia feared she would starve to death. As more settlers came to the cove, I am not surprised that some of the first structures built, other than their homes, were the churches. It is amazing to see the work of God when we understand a broader expanse of history. I’ve stood behind the pulpit of the Primitive Baptist Church and imagined what it might have been like to preach to settlers of that land. They faced difficulty from many challenges that we take for granted today. However, their example of perseverance and faithfulness still speaks clearly to the millions of visitors in the park every year. It is a testimony to how little we know of God. Satan is so devious that he turns even our knowledge of God into a temptation to sin. Ignorance of God will always lead to evil, but even knowledge of God can become ungodly. We may know enough about God to be saved, but most of us also know plenty to become proud. As the apostle Paul warns, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God” (1 Corinthians 8:1-3). It is tragic when the theology that should utterly humble us strangely causes us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (cf. Romans 12:3). Our reading today helps us understand that true theology sounds like worship (vv. 3-4). As God shows you more of himself, ask him to help you to see just how little you know, and just how little you deserve to know what you do. Ask him to make you humble.

2020... Now What? - Pt 2

Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! (Psalm 119:17-19 ESV).

Yesterday I wrote encouraging you to be aware of the constant conversation God has with you. My hope is that this year you will begin each day with the same prayer we see in our reading today: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (v. 18). With the Spirit in us, and the infinite wonders of the very words of God himself before us, we never have any reason to be content with what we already know. Without a doubt, we should expect to see and understand things about God this year that we’ve never seen before. The picture I’ve attached to this devotional is a watercolor by Jim Gray that we purchased many years ago. The title is “A Light in the Window.” The setting is in the Smoky Mountains (of course). Every time I see it I am reminded of the faithfulness of God to continue to draw us home. He really does “leave a light in the window.” We don’t need a light to lead us home. He knows the way and comes to get us in order to take us there. However, it is a picture for me in the darker days of the journey. Somehow, I am always able to see the light when I merely look up instead of down. I am then encouraged by the truth that I am not going to a place of emptiness, but warmth and safety. This is one of those continuous prayers of our life. We should never stop praying that God might “give [us] the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of [our] hearts enlightened,” that we might know more of him — his hope, his wealth, his power (cf. Ephesians 1:17-18). Satan spends every second of every day lying to us about God (cf. Revelation 12:9). We expose and defeat him with “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit” (cf. Ephesians 6:17-18). My problem usually is in the fact that the steeper the incline, or the darker the valley I find myself looking to my path rather than the horizon. I find myself stooped over from the burden of circumstances. This year, remember to pause in your journey whenever you’re tempted to do that. Straighten your shoulders and stand with your face toward home. You’ll see the light in the window.

2020... Now What? - Pt 1

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV).

I’m always a little amazed by the renewal that naturally generates at this time of the year. People seem to be more reflective and committed to change than at any other time of the year. We seem to conjure up new dreams and hopes much more easily than at other times of the year. We examine our lives and develop our plans for the changes we desire in ourselves, our marriages, our families, or our jobs. Some of us may have been thinking about this since late last January when our shiny new resolutions had already grown stale and started to fade. We wonder how we could have let the entire year pass without making any of those dreams come true. Far too many resolutions fail because we fail to pray. We set out with courage, ambition, and even some exhilaration. We might pray over our resolutions on that first day of January, like praying in the driveway before a long car ride. But before we’ve even made it out onto the highway of another year, we’ve already left prayer behind, and with it, the power needed to persevere in any new habit or pattern. Without prayer for God’s help, our most meaningful resolutions will either fade and fail altogether, or even worse, seem to succeed, but fail to say anything significant about God. Before you make any new resolutions, resolve to pray. If you don’t resolve to do anything else this year, resolve to pursue change and growth through prayer, and not through your own resolve. I am not suggesting that you carve out hours of time to seclude yourself, praying through endless petitions and supplications, though if that’s something you do regularly, great. My suggestion is for you to practice becoming more aware of God’s presence in every experience of life. It is the breaking of dawn or the setting of the sun with the end of day; it is the serendipity of a chance meeting with an old friend; it is the sights and sounds of our world whether it is in the quiet rest of winter or the full bloom of spring. Pay attention to God in your way through life. You’ll be surprised how that will turn naturally to “unceasing prayer” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This is the path to learn more about God and yourself than ever before. This is how you will find the will to persevere. This is how to soar with the eagles!

The Day After Christmas

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 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, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:9-13 ESV).

Our Christmas season has ended with some very eventful things. It was a wonderful season for us. However, since our tendency is to build toward these momentous events the stage is set for normal events to be deflating. It is natural to ask once the fun and excitement is over, then what? We all face the temptation to end Christmas too soon. The Good News of Christmas did not end in a stable in Bethlehem. Instead, that was the beginning of an epic true story that would be played out for over two thousand years! Jesus came, in an unassuming and humble way. He came in the tender state of a newborn. But the entirety of the promise of Messiah was present in the manger. Mankind just had to wait patiently as the story unfolded for over 30 years. After their fateful meeting, life resumed as normal for the wise men. The humdrums of life in the field continued for the shepherds. Simeon and Anna went back to their everyday lives, though strengthened by the promise that they had witnessed. Joseph and Mary alone experienced the obvious permanent change in their lives. But the truth of his miraculous birth and majestic reign were still a reality in the uneventful normalcy that defined most of His next 30 years. Life happens between the highpoints. Most of life is lived in the work-a-day reality. But none of these tangible realities can touch the intangible truth that Messiah has come. And because He was born and lived a sinless life, dying as the unblemished sacrifice- we can enjoy the peace of God and peace with God. Oh, but it does not end there! We can walk in his favor every day of our lives! He came and was not received in the inn. He was not received by high society. He was received by the shepherds. So, if you’re experiencing the let-down of Christmas, family and friends have departed, the joy seems to have evaporated in the daily plodding of your journey, please be encouraged with this simple truth. God is now forever with you. This day you can walk in peace and favor with God!

Let It Be Christmas Everywhere

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14 ESV).

Merry Christmas, Y’all! I know that may be a bit difficult for some who are not as familiar with the “Southern” dialect. However, I trust you will understand it comes as a very sincere hope that today will be the best of days for each and everyone who reads this little thought. I have also included one of my favorite Christmas songs from Alan Jackson. He was born October 17, 1958 and is best known for honoring a “neotraditional country” musical style, and for penning many of his own songs. He has recorded 16 studio albums, three greatest hits albums, two Christmas albums, and two gospel albums. His Christmas song, “Let It Be Christmas Everywhere” has been a favorite of mine. This will be the last “carol” I’ll feature for a while. I hope you listen to this one. It is found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP2iZjefvss&list=RDmP2iZjefvss&index=1. Few things are more tragic than taking Christmas for granted. Sometimes I think we tend to merely view it in stride. It’s as if the spirit and magic, that alluring sense of supernatural goodness, are just things meant for children. Somehow we have confused the truth of Christmas with the fable of Santa. I hope I never get used to Christmas. Think of it. There is something so remarkable that pagan astrologers take to flight for the long, arduous journey westward. Something so good is in the offing that a wicked king commands the slaughter of innocents. Something so unusual that simple shepherds, who thought they’d seen it all, are filled with great fear, then leave their flocks in haste to find this baby the angels have spoken about, and then can’t keep quiet. This great first-century wonder, worth announcing with angelic host, and telling everyone who will listen, finds its heart in this: “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Not only is this the advent of the long-awaited Messiah, but this is “the Lord.” God himself has come. Here, finally, after centuries of waiting, is the true Immanuel. Here is “God with us” (cf. Matthew 1:23). It is news too spectacular to say all at once. Day after day will pour forth speech in the life of this child. Act after act will reveal piece by piece that this human somehow shares the divine identity of Yahweh, “the Lord” of Israel and the nations. Page after page in the Gospels, story after story, will show us progressively more and more that this one who is so manifestly man is also truly God. This is the great spectacle for those shepherds and magi, and it is the wonder we ourselves, who have lived our blessed lives knowing this truth, should aspire to taste again each Christmas. In case you rushed through the lyrics of the song… read them more closely: Let it be Christmas everywhere In the hearts of all people both near and a far Christmas everywhere Feel the love of the season wherever you are On the small country roads lined with green mistletoe Big city streets where a thousand lights glow Let it be Christmas everywhere Let heavenly music fill the air Let every heart sing let every bell ring The story of hope and joy and peace And let it be Christmas everywhere Let heavenly music fill the air Let anger and fear and hate disappear Let there be love that lasts through the year Let it be Christmas Christmas everywhere Let it be Christmas everywhere With the gold and silver, the green and the red Christmas everywhere In the smiles of all children asleep in their beds In the eyes of young babies their first… Yep… Merry Christmas, Y’all!

Three Days - Pt 3

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1-6 ESV).

Finally, the third implication of the double truth that Christ came to destroy our sinning and to forgive our sins is this: Christ will really help us in our fight. He really will help you. He is on your side. He didn’t come to destroy sin because sin is fun. He came to destroy sin because sin is fatal. It is a deceptive work of the devil, and it will destroy us if we don’t fight it. He came to help us, not hurt us. Somehow Christianity drifted into a mindset that God is so holy that he is separated from us. While it is true that God is perfect, holy. It is also true that he has not separated himself from us. In fact the great truth of Christmas is that he became one of us to redeem us forever. The Apostle Paul saw it like this: Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 ESV). That’s the great miracle in Christmas. Our God is not a mere creator who has finished his work of creation and removed himself for it to spin out of control. He is intimately, personally involved in every aspect of our lives so that we may be completed. He is making us perfect so that we may inhabit the prefect realm he has already prepared for us. So here’s your third Christmas present: Christ will help overcome sin in you. That’s the meaning of today’s reading: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Jesus is alive, Jesus is almighty, Jesus lives in us by faith. And Jesus is for us, not against us. Trust him.

Three Days - Pt 2

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2 ESV).

The second gift to highlight in the birth of Christ is the twofold truth that Christ came to destroy our sinning and to forgive our sins is this. We make progress in overcoming our sin when we have hope that our failures will be forgiven. If you don’t have hope that God will forgive your failures, when you start fighting sin, you give up. Many of you may be thinking about making some New Year’s resolutions. Cahnges in our lives in the New Year ahead are usually good things. Often we take a personal inventory and recognize some habits or patterns of life that need to be changed. You want some new patterns of eating. It may be new patterns for entertainment, giving, new patterns of relationships. It could involve a change of pattern in our devotional an prayer life. For many of us, particularly as we age, we desire to form new patterns of sleep and exercise. Most of these are rooted in something we are struggling with, wondering whether it’s any use. Well, here’s your second Christmas present: Christ not only came to destroy the works of the devil — our sinning — he also came to be an advocate for us because of experiences of failure in our fight. So, let the truth found in our reading today encourage you that past failure will not have the last word in your life. Let that truth give you the hope to fight. I would also encourage you that you take care not to turn the grace of God into license for sin. We cannot think that our failures don’t matter. We cannot surrender the need to persevere against our sinful nature. The old Native American proverb is true. There are two wolves that live within us. One is good and pure; the other is wicked and evil. The one who will triumphs is the one we feed the most. Feed the good and pure in your life. What God is saying to you is this: Let Christ’s covering of your failure give hope to fight. “I write this to you that you might not sin, but if you sin you have an advocate, Jesus Christ.” While we often think of what we will give to Jesus at Christmas, be encouraged in what He has already given to us. Unwrap that present today!

Three Days - Pt 1

Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:7-10 ESV).

Just three days until Christmas… it always seems to sneak up on me. AS I began to think of a direction to take in these three days, it occurred to me that we often talk about the “gifts” we exchange, but rarely do we understand the depth of the gift we have received in the birth of Jesus. So, for the next three days I will examine just three of those. The first is a clear purpose for living. If the Son of God came to help you stop sinning, to destroy the works of the devil and if he also came to die so that, when you do sin, there is a propitiation, a removal of God’s wrath, then what does this imply for living your life? It implies that you have a clear purpose for living. Negatively, it is simply this: don’t sin — don’t do what dishonors God. “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (cf. 1 John 2:1). “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (cf. 1 John 3:8). If you ask, “Can you give us that positively, instead of negatively?” the answer is: Yes, it’s all summed following our reading today. John summarizes it well when he writes: “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us” (1 John 3:23). These two things are so closely connected for John he calls them one commandment: believe Jesus and love others. That is your purpose. That is the sum of the Christian life. Trusting Jesus, loving people the way Jesus and his apostles taught us to love. Trust Jesus, love people. The wonder of that simple principle is in the truth that when we have a clear purpose we can then act on reaching that purpose. I find that as my intention is clear I feel much more in “control.” That feeling is rooted in the knowledge of a clear desire of God for my life. Anxiety is replaced with peace, and uncertainty is replaced with calm resolution and commitment. We have been given the gift of the power to accomplish this desire in our lives. Of course, I am not calling us to perfect behavior. Rather I am saying that the birth of Jesus is the first step in God establishing in us His power to become perfect. That’s an incredible gift!

The Carols of the King - Pt 11

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15 ESV).

If there’s one song that has the “Christmas Spirit” it’s “The Christmas Song.” It is one of the great classics, so I’ve chosen a classic version of it. It is performed by Nat King Cole. The video version is well done, you may find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I65_S78WHJY. It makes us think of a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. We may even imagine carolers coming to our doors while we offer them some mulled apple cider fresh off the stove. We may attend parties at friends’ houses and services at church. And, even for those of us who live in Texas, we may get all bundled up on Christmas morning with our families even though there’s not one snowflake falling anywhere within the state! Of course we often have a different picture painted for us in reality. In the midst of our Christmas illusions, our children storm might be storming into the room yelling “Mom!” or “Dad!” because someone hit them, or because one of them is using the other’s iPad without asking. Our prayer then becomes, “Oh, for the love of all that is good and right in the world, can we not stay in our little piece of Christmas paradise just a tad bit longer?” That’s life, isn’t it? No matter how perfect we try to paint the canvas of our lives, there will always be something extra put on it that wasn’t in our minds when we dreamed it. There will be something that disrupts our perfect picture. It may be something that breaks our heart. Perhaps it is a relationship that ended, a loved one who died too early for us, or the betrayal of a friend. God is never surprised by the interruptions in our lives. In fact, nothing surprises Him. Don’t mistake bad things happening in your life as His loss of control. No, this is not about His ability but about His sovereignty. While we may wish that bad things would never happen in our lives, they will happen. Jesus said we’d have trouble (cf. John 16:33), but He also promised that He’d calm us in the midst of it (cf. John 14:16). So, no matter where we are in life, whether we expected to be on the path we are on or not, rest assured, that our God will make all the broken things beautiful. God works for the good of those who love Him, who’ve been called according to His purpose (cf. Romans 8:28). That is what we really celebrate on this wonderful day!

The Carols of the King - Pt 10

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:17-21 ESV).

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was originally recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943, and it quickly became one of America’s most popular holiday songs. The song is written from the perspective of a soldier serving overseas during World War II. While the melody is one that lingers in our minds, the meaning of the song is actually quite somber as the closing line reveals that being home for Christmas isn’t quite a reality just yet. The song particularly struck a nerve with overseas GIs and their families awaiting their return from serving their country in WW II. The GI magazine said Crosby accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era. It has been recorded by many artists through the years. Some could argue that Crosby’s first recording of it is the best. Be that as it may, you can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYOvd2PZoPU. Our home is the place where we spent most of our years growing up and making memories. It’s where we took our first steps. It’s where we learned to drive a car. It’s the place where we graduated high school and college and maybe even met our spouse. A place where we’ve grown into the people we are now. Home for us is where we feel at ease with those we love the most. It’s the place where we can be ourselves and not worry about the world outside. Or is it? The Scripture says “our home isn’t in this world” (cf. 1 Peter 2:11). There is nothing wrong with enjoying places on earth. We have wonderful memories and experiences in different places throughout our lives. But we weren’t meant to be at home here. Our home is with our Jesus in Heaven. Until He says it’s time to be with Him, we’ll stay here. And as much as we love our earthly homes, we’ll never be fully satisfied. Think of what songwriter Laura Story says in her famous song, Blessings: "What if my greatest disappointments or the aching in this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy." Only Christ can satisfy. Only His presence and peace can bring us pure, unadulterated joy. Only His comfort can truly take us off the ledge of disappointment and disaster. One day we will truly be home with Him. Not just for Christmas but for eternity.

The Carols of the King - Pt 9

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20 ESV).

The next carol for our little trip through Christmas preparation is relatively new, written in 1962. It is “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Noel Regney wrote it during the Cuban Missile Crisis as a powerful plea for peace by a man who had experienced the horrors of war. The song’s message of peace is as desperately needed today as it was then. That October, as Noel Regney walked through the streets of New York, a sense of despair was in the air. No one smiled. Christmas, which was supposed to be a time of peace and goodwill, was approaching. Noel Regney had been asked by a record producer to write a holiday song. “I had thought I’d never write a Christmas song,” he recalled. “Christmas had become so commercial. But this was the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the studio, the producer was listening to the radio to see if we had been obliterated. “En route to my home, I saw two mothers with their babies in strollers. The little angels were looking at each other and smiling. All of a sudden, my mood was extraordinary.” A glimpse of these babies filled Noel Regney’s heart with poetry. The little ones reminded him of newborn lambs. Thus, the song begins, “Said the night wind to the little lamb…” It is performed by Celtic Woman here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zPaKwA7838. Over 2000 years ago, the Savior of the world was born. This great good news of the birth of the Savior, Immanuel, was spread from one person to another. Before very long the entire world would hear this same good news. And, that is our calling as followers of Christ. God reveals Himself to all of us in different ways, depending on our personalities and gifts. For some, He shows us visible things about Himself, like a star in the sky. Others may grow closer to Him best through reading scriptures, some through singing praises to Him. The question is what are we doing with what God gives us? We have to realize that God will use us to bring people to Him through what He has revealed to us individually. In this song, God chose a shepherd boy’s voice to tell others about what he had heard and, as a result, an entire nation heard about Jesus’ birth. What about today? If we want people to know about a Savior that has been born, we have to take the time to share with others what He is revealing to us. Lives are changed when we tell the people in our lives what God has shown and done for us.

The Carols of the King - Pt 8

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-6 ESV).

No other carol is so mysterious in its origin than “Away In A Manger.” The origin of this popular Christmas hymn is shrouded in apocryphal associations with Martin Luther (1483-1546). However, Methodist hymnologist Fred Gealy (1894-1976) noted that “evidence suggests that [“Away in a Manger”] is wholly an American product. The original two-stanza form probably originated among German Lutherans in Pennsylvania about 1885.” Indeed, most sources note that the hymn first appeared with two stanzas in Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families, a Sunday school collection published in 1885 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America. Regardless, it is a wonderful reminder of the incredible grace God has bestowed on us. There are many artists to choose from in this hymn. I’ve decided to go to Orla Fallon of the Celtic Woman. You may find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw_yH55dBIA. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is born in a manger with not so much as a bed to lie on. The humble beginnings of our Lord’s life remind us that we are to be humble and thankful for what we have been blessed with. The true meaning of Christmas is reflected so poetically in the story of Jesus’ birth that we cannot help but find ourselves grateful for all that was given to us on that day. This song describes how even when Jesus wakes, he does not cry out or make a sound. This day was a day of rejoicing, and the baby lying awake on the hay was no ordinary child, He was the Savior of men! The last verse of the song asks the Lord to stay beside us, to lead us, and to eventually take us to Heaven to live with Him. That is our daily need. Stay beside me Lord as I make my way through this earthly life. How glorious and beautiful is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We celebrate His birth and the life that was given to us by Him through His life, death, and resurrection.

The Carols of the King - Pt 7

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 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). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (Matthew 1:20-25 ESV).

Today we will look at an old favorite of many believers, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. Listen to Enya perform it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPHh3nMMu-I. This hymn, originally in Latin, takes us back over 1,200 years to monastic life in the 8th- or 9th-century. Seven days before Christmas Eve monasteries would sing the “O antiphons” in anticipation of Christmas Eve when the eighth antiphon, “O Virgo virginum” (“O Virgin of virgins”) would be sung before and after Mary’s canticle, the Magnificat (cf. Luke 1:46b-55). Put together, the first letter of the second word of each antiphon spells SARCORE. If read backwards, the letters form a two-word acrostic, “Ero cras,” meaning “I will be present tomorrow.” Time after time, the Israelites found themselves separated from God - always by their own doing. And God would eventually deliver them, only to be betrayed by His chosen people again. So we find two constant themes in the Old Testament: First, the Israelites, no matter how hard they tried, were unfaithful to God; and second, God remained faithful and fulfilled the promises He made to them. One of those was through Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14). The name Emmanuel translates as “God with us.” It’s a remarkable promise - the Ultimate Being and Creator of the Universe promising to make Himself physically present with the people who have proven themselves unworthy. In one of the most somber Christmas songs, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”, we see Israel again in exile, separated from God yet again. But they choose to rejoice in the promise God has made to them. With nothing else to cling to, in the midst of desperation and loneliness, they recall and proclaim the promise that God would be with them, in spite of their unfaithfulness. No one could have expected a baby in a manger to be the start of God’s perfect plan to be “with us.” His faithfulness is greater than our failure. And His presence is all the reason we need to, once more, rejoice!

The Carols of the King - Pt 6

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:35-38 ESV).

Today we look at a contemporary favorite, “Mary Did You Know.” It was originally written by Mark Lowry as part of a Christmas musical. When writing the music he talked with his mother about Mary and how she must have felt. His mother said, “‘If anyone on earth knew for sure that Jesus was virgin born - Mary knew!” That inspiration then launched him to write this wonderful carol. Pentatonix sings it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCWN5pJGIE. This touching song has been played for well over three decades during the Christmas season. The lyrics are beautifully written and contain powerful phrases like, “Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand…” and, “This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.” It’s a stirring line of questions asked by the songwriter that cause listeners to stand in amazement at the power of our God. We really don’t know much about Mary except that she was a virgin and probably in her early teens. According to our reading today, we know that she was “highly favored” and that “the Lord was with her.” Even without a stunning resume, God used her. Sweet, little Mary who kept to herself and wasn’t a big “playmaker” was invited by the Creator of the universe to change the world. Many think the reason He chose her was because of her willingness. Upon hearing God’s plan for her life, Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1:38) Mary simply said yes to her Lord with no conditions whatsoever. I am always challenged by the examination of where I am in my life today. I wonder how much have I really “surrendered.” This song ought to recall the great sacrifice Mary made. It ought to remind us that our lives are not our own and that you’ve been “brought with a price.” We have a Messiah. His name is Jesus. He is the Savior of the world. He walked on water without a single bit of effort. He came and died to make us new. He gave sight to a blind man with some dirt and saliva. He woke up from a deep sleep and calmed a raging storm with his human hand. He fed over 5,000 people with a tiny bit of bread and fish. He conquered death in his resurrection. He does the miraculous. What miracle is he planning for you today? Celebrate Him!

The Carols of the King - Pt 5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4 ESV).

Our next installment in our journey through some of the carols of Christmas is “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" was written by Edmund Sears (1810-1876), pastor of the Unitarian Church in Wayland, Massachusetts. It appeared on December 29, 1849 in the Boston Christian Register. I’ve chosen Josh Groban’s performance. Find it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zs9A88YQyM. When the angels first sang about peace on earth and goodwill to all men, the shepherds must have wondered what was going on. They certainly didn’t hear angelic choirs everyday, and first century Palestine was hardly a peaceful place. The streets buzzed with rumors of revolution and the tension often boiled over into violence. Society was split along lines of gender, race, wealth, and religion. The shepherds themselves were only a few rungs above beggars on the social ladder. For some of us, Christmas is a time to be with friends and family, but for others it reminds us that we are alone or separated from loved ones. Two thousand years later, we seem to be as far as ever from “heaven on earth.” Many people in the first century were expecting a quick fix for the world’s problems, and of course that didn’t happen. It still hasn’t happened. But Christmas reminds us of God’s promise to bring in a kingdom where wars, injustice, and even death will be a thing of the past, and where we will live together with God. That’s our hope. God does have a plan. The best really is to come. In the meantime, God continues to show His love to us in so many ways. He provides for our needs. He answers our prayers. He invites us to start living today like citizens of the kingdom that has not yet been fully revealed. We can love one another as Christ loved us here and now. We can show His compassion and His unconditional love to others today. We can experience a foretaste of the new Heaven and earth right now. We can share that experience with others. And we can do all this in the knowledge that God’s Kingdom will prevail and that the whole of creation will one day see the truth that those shepherds heard on a remote, Palestinian hillside.

The Carols of the King - Pt 4

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace! (Psalm 29:7-11 ESV).

I hope you are enjoying the days leading to Christmas. Today I’ve chosen the carol “I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day.” The lyrics originate from the poem “Christmas Bells” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written on Christmas day in 1863. It was not a feel-good song but one born in grief. Longfellow’s wife had died in a fire in 1860. And on December 1, 1863, the widower received the news that his eldest son, 19-year-old Charley, had been nearly paralyzed by a gunshot wound fighting for the Union in the Civil War. It was with that background that he penned this poem about the dissonance between the Christmas bells, the singing of “peace on earth,” and the world around him of injustice and violence and finally ending with the hope for peace in Christ. I’ve chosen the version by Casting Crowns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7670CXvPX0. It can be easy to view God simply as a friend to go to in times of trouble or a magic genie that grants all of your prayers. But God is so much more than that, and the blessings He wants to give to you are endless! He offers so many wonderful things, including hope, joy, and peace for your heart. God wants nothing but the best for you. That’s never easy to imagine in the midst of the challenging circumstances of life. Perhaps no one knew this better that Jesus. The life he chose to accept on our behalf was not one of ease. I can’t imagine the early childhood of Jesus. When he finally returned to the small town of Nazareth, after fleeing for his life in the arms of his parents, he would not have had an easy childhood. He would not have been protected by the community or relatives. Joseph and Mary must have struggled with the jeers and rejection they faced from others. Jesus certainly knew this by the time he was an adolescent. However, that childhood bullying would be nothing compared to the last three years of his life. It finally ended with the false accusations from those who should have known better. Beaten beyond recognition and nailed to a cross to die slowly in agony was not peaceful. But it was for peace. Although our circumstances may be difficult that doesn’t mean that God isn’t there. He cares about you, loves you with a perfect love, and is waiting for you to let Him be your peace. So this Christmas don’t forget to stop and remember that only God can provide you with the unwavering quiet strength that comes from His peace.

The Carols of the King - Pt 3

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 ESV).

Today we’ll look at a wonderful Christmas carol, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” It is not one that would be sung in “high church,” but none-the-less an important contribution to the inspiration and encouragement we ought to be reminded about at this time of the year. Josh Groban sings today’s carol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjGd3eAgCL8. Songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine wrote the classic song for Judy Garland's 1944 movie, Meet Me in St. Louis. Hugh Martin said in a 1989 interview: “The original version was so gloomy that Judy Garland refused to sing it. She said, ‘If I sing that, little Margaret will cry and they'll think I'm a monster.’ I was young then and kind of arrogant, and I said, 'Well, I'm sorry you don't like it, Judy, but that's the way it is, and I don't really want to write a new lyric.' But Tom Drake, who played the boy next door, took me aside and said, 'Hugh, you've got to finish it. It's really a great song potentially, and I think you'll be sorry if you don't do it.' So I went home and I wrote the version that's in the movie." He certainly was right. It has become a classic recorded by hundreds of artists over the last 65 years. One other thing that is right is the fact that Christmas can seem like a rat race at times. There is all of the hectic last-minute shopping at crowded malls, struggling to find the perfect gift for someone, the decorating of the house (including checking every single bulb on the strand of lights to find the one at the very end that shorted out the rest), wrapping present after present after present, or preparing for your extended family to take over your house for the day. It is easy to get lost in the busyness of Christmas, and to miss the things that are really important. This is the story of our reading today. We see this happen in the book of Luke, when Jesus went to eat in the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha spent her time running around cooking, serving dinner, and cleaning. These were all very good things, but “busy” things. It is great that you are willing to be like Martha, and make sure that all of the popcorn is strung up, but it is not worth missing the opportunity to have a real conversation with a family member you don’t see often, or when your child’s face lights up because Santa indeed got that letter and delivered exactly what they asked for. It is not about all that we have to do, the list of things we have check off, but it is all about the moment. This year, don’t miss out on what is better. Take the opportunity to enjoy the time you have with friends and family. Take time not to worry about the things you have to do, but to enjoy the people you get to be with. Be present where you are, because that is what is better, and have yourself a merry little Christmas.

The Carols of the King - Pt 2

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV).

The carol I’ve chosen today is one which is very familiar. It is the French noel tune associated with “Angels We Have Heard On High.” You may wish to listen to the BYU Chorale as they sing it. The address may be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URZ3BUowc3Y. The popularity of this carol stems from its refrain. It has all those cascading phrases in which we attempt to imitate the angels' chorus that we see in our reading today. It is completely anonymous. It has always been printed with no known lyricist or composer. The beautiful carol tells the story of Christ's birth, when the angel choir told the good news to nearby shepherds. The chorus, "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," reflects the chorus of the angel choir that long-ago Christmas night. Many years ago shepherds in the hills of southern France had a Christmas Eve custom of calling to one another, singing "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," each from his own hillside. The traditional tune that the shepherds used may have been from a late Medieval Latin chorale. It became the magnificent chorus of "Angels We Have Heard on High." The night Jesus was born was the most monumental and awe-inspiring event that has ever occurred in human history. God became a man and came to earth so that we could have eternal life. There has not been an event in history before or after Christ’s birth that resulted in such celebration that the angels themselves made their physical presence known and their voices heard in song. It is a moment so majestic that we probably cannot fully comprehend what it was like simply because none of us have encountered such a sight. It seems we tend to have fewer experiences these days of awe. Technology has brought so much of the world to our fingertips that we feel uninspired. Unfortunately, most of us probably have fewer awe-inspiring moments with God than we should. Our relationship with Him often becomes too comfortable and even ordinary. Don’t let your relationship with Him be ordinary, but rather make it extraordinary.

The Carols of the King - Pt 1

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” (Nehemiah 8:9-11 ESV).

I’m completely addicted to the Christmas Season. I can’t wait to decorate every year. I start listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. I start watching the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies as soon as they air. In fact, Alexa has now memorized my voice command, “Alexa, play Christmas music.” I fully expect her to say, “Again? Wouldn’t you like another selection?” It takes very little for me to get into the Christmas spirit! With that in mind, that brings me to the series we’ll start today. I am choosing a different Christmas Carol to highlight each day. Today we are looking at “Joy to the World.” If you want to view a video of this carol by Pentatonix before reading the devotional, you may find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xo64Q2ucQ8. Isaac Watts wrote “Joy to the World” in 1719. Since then, every Christmas season, carolers cast those words into the air like a lighthouse shines its beam through the fog and rain of the storm for every ship seeking a safe port. Every one of us has had those storms in life we are called to sail through. The thrill of hope within the message of this carol is the Gospel that touches a weary world with anticipation of making it home safely. Joy came to the world because God, our great Creator, loved His creation so much that He sent His Son to reveal His story, so that over time, His character and ultimate good will toward mankind would be recognized. The impact on earth of Christ’s birth will never diminish despite enemies’ attempts to stop it. I like the truth found in John’s Gospel that reminds us that the world would not be able to contain the books that could be written about what the Lord did while on earth (John 21:25). Since then many more testimonies of His transforming love have been and will be written. Our reading today records that Nehemiah, the leaders, and the people celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with great joy, after sharing God’s Word. This season, we too can rejoice! We rejoice at the thought of the Savior’s birth, His purpose, and His inheritance. What will you rejoice about during this Christmas season?

Come and See - Pt 7

Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:8-11 ESV). As we come to a close of this series of devotionals leading us to Christmas, please go to the hymn sung by the Celtic Women and spend a few minutes listening to this great old song once again. It is a quick viewing. You may find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtTj7ZMzK0w. It was written by John Francis Wade. He was particularly seemed impressed by the way the shepherds responded together when they heard about the birth of Jesus. In 1760, Wade felt inspired to write both words and music to a hymn he called Adeste Fideles. Although he was an Englishman, Wade wrote in Latin and never translated his hymn into English. The English version began with Frederick Oakely who, in 1841, translated the first three verses and gave the song the name “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Later, William Thomas Brooke added two additional English verses. Our reading encourages us to Come and See this wonder of the Savior’s birth together. Wade and Oakley gave us a song that focuses on the worship of Jesus. We can “come and behold Him, born the King of angels.” It reminds us that Jesus changes our lives. As we are changed, we ought to desire to join our hearts and lives with other believers. Once the shepherds heard the words the angels spoke, they knew they needed to do something. They had to go, together, to “see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” The power of the Gospel is so real and dynamic that it changes our lives and gives us an entirely new attitude. The circumstances of life fade in importance when we are able to gather in our community of believers, all focused on the singular message of the love of God, who brings to us the gift of eternal life. It makes the pain of life and darkness of inequity fade into the background. It reduces all of these challenges to a mere footnote in our lives as we journey to our eternal home in heaven with Christ, who has secured our life by his substitutionary death on the cross. That is worth celebrating. This Christmas season, revel in every opportunity to gather with other Christians to sing the praises of our Savior: “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” As you fellowship and worship God together, celebrate the miracle of Jesus’ birth. If Jesus has changed your life, make this a worshipful Christmas season. Worship Jesus. Adore Him. He is Christ the Lord!

Come and See - Pt 6

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5 ESV).

The fifth candle of the Advent wreath, which is optional with some denominations, represents light and purity and is called the "Christ Candle." If it is used, it is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day. It is the central thought of the entire story of the birth of Jesus. In one stroke God is with us! Our reading today is from the perspective of the Apostle John. He does not begin with the birth narrative. He begins with creation itself. He declares the divinity of Jesus without leaving any doubt. He is the Son of God, fully man and fully divine. Imagine the scene with me. The stable falls silent and then, through the pain of birth there is a different cry. It is the tiny cry of an infant, so welcome to the waiting parents, to the laboring mother. Mary breathes a sigh of relief and falls back on her improvised pillow, laughing and weeping at once. As the Joseph wraps the baby warmly and delivers him into Mary’s waiting arms, creation shares in her delight: the wait is over. The work is done. Emmanuel, God With Us, has come. As we reviewed each candle on the Advent wreath this season, we recalled the prophets, the town of Bethlehem, the shepherds, and the angels, all of whom were single lights pointing toward the great light, for “the true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (v. 9). The years chronicled in the Old Testament were tempered with pain. Adam and Eve felt it when they were banished from the garden. The Israelites felt it as they wandered, lost, on the doorstep of the Promised Land. They felt it as they were exiled and, as prophet after prophet cried out against their sin, calling them to repentance. God’s people, his chosen people, turned against him repeatedly, favoring gods fashioned by their own hands, gods that dimmed their eyes and hardened their hearts, making the Israelites more and more like themselves with every sacrifice offered. Creation felt it. Blistered by drought, buckled by earthquakes, submerged by floods, the earth itself groaned under the weight of Adam’s sin, its cycles broken by creation’s disharmony with its Creator. But in a manger outside Bethlehem, a light flickered into being, pushing back the darkness. In that one child, the cry of generations was answered, the promises of Scripture were fulfilled. Though his earthly life had just begun, Jesus’ presence on the earth lightened the darkness, lessened the pain. Relief, at last, had come. This is how we begin the Advent season… knowing Christ is our Savior!

Come and See - Pt 5

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV).

We come back to a previous reading for our look at the fourth candle of the Advent wreath. It represents peace and is called the "Angel’s Candle." The angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace. He came to bring people close to God and to each other again. Angels have a recurring role in the Christmas narrative. An angel is God’s mouthpiece first to Zechariah about the birth of John the Baptist (cf. Luke 1:8–20), then to both Joseph and Mary about the birth of Christ, communicating God’s marvelous plan and the young couple’s involvement in it, even answering their questions and easing their fears (cf. Luke 1:26–38; Matthew 1:20–25). Later, an angel appears to the shepherds at night, surrounding them with God’s visible glory and the famous “fear not!” greeting. The sky bursts with heavenly fanfare, a host of angels heralding the Savior’s birth for their lowly and astonished audience (cf. Luke 2:8–14). Even after Jesus’ birth, Joseph is warned by an angel in a dream to flee to Egypt with his family because of Herod’s vicious intent against the Christ child, thereby fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy: “out of Egypt I called my son” (cf. Matthew 2:13–15; Hosea 11:1). The appearances of these angels are awesome. It is heaven bursting forth into earth at this crux of God’s redemptive plan. We can only imagine what it would be like to stand before such a messenger as Mary did, or gaze with the shepherds into the starry sky and watch it fill with angels proclaiming God’s glory and his humble condescension. But the cornerstone of their messages, their heralding, their warnings, was — and is — Jesus Christ. Angels seem like the most dazzling part of the Christmas narrative, and are certainly the only characters in the nativity with any “sparkle” to speak of. But every angelic appearance, and the amazing spectacle of the heavenly hosts across the skies, proclaimed one unified message: Glory to God, the Savior has come to earth! That is the message that brings “peace on earth.” It is a peace to us as individuals now, and a peace to all the people of God ultimately! Rejoice!

Come and See - Pt 4

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:8-15 ESV).

The third candle symbolizes joy and is called the "Shepherd’s Candle." To the shepherd’s great joy, the angels announced that Jesus came for humble, unimportant people like them, too. In liturgy, the color rose signifies joy. We should not overlook the background of this reading. The shepherds were waiting for morning. They were waiting for the sky to light up the sun rose in the eastern sky. It was not to witness the beauty of God’s handiwork. It was because that meant another night was over and their sheep were safe. When the sun came up, there would be other shepherds to help watch the flocks by day. Night was more dangerous for sheep: it was easier for them to wander off, and there were more predators around. So the shepherds waited for morning. And instead of morning, they saw something totally unexpected: a sky full of angels, singing the praises of God and the Savior who had just been born. Their normal night was turned into something extraordinary and a night they would never forget. They were busy waiting for the night to be over, but something better than morning was coming. During the mundane times of our lives, sometimes when pain seems endless, it feels like the night will last forever. Perhaps you have trouble sleeping and it seems like the night will never end. Or perhaps you’re slightly afraid of the dark and it feels like it goes on forever. Or maybe the days at school seem to drag on. Maybe you watch the clock for the last hour of the day, waiting and waiting for the bell to ring and the school day to be over. But sometimes, amazing things happen. Like the shepherds, we don’t always expect extraordinary things to happen in our ordinary days. But sometimes, God breaks into our days and we are awestruck. Maybe God does something big, like answer a prayer in a huge way. Or maybe it’s something small, like when someone gives you a hug and makes your day better. Whatever it is, spend your days waiting with anticipation that God will do something. God is always at work even we don’t always see it. God probably isn’t going to send thousands of angels to sing the good news like He did for the shepherds when Jesus was born. But as we go through our normal days waiting for them to be over, make sure to also be on the lookout for God to do something. He always will! That is the story of Christmas!

Come and See - Pt 3

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 ESV).

The second candle represents faith and is called "Bethlehem’s Candle." Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, which is also the birthplace of King David (cf. Micah 5:2). It also symbolizes preparation. We all prepare for Christmas in different ways. Some spend their time securing that perfect gift; others spend their time preparing for the perfect meal; and yet others plan for the perfect activity. We start earlier every year, even though we never seem to get fully prepared. This is nothing new. Long ago, the world was not preparing itself for Jesus to come either. Yesterday, we saw some of God’s prophecies about the Messiah’s. Micah even told the exact place where the Savior would be born and they still were unprepared. The people of Bethlehem were busy preparing for something else. The Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, ordered a census where everyone had to return to their birthplace. That meant Bethlehem would be very busy. Bethlehem was the home city for King David. Many people were descended from his family. Bethlehem had to prepare for these visitors, making enough inn rooms and having enough food to sell. When the time did come for the Savior’s birth, Bethlehem didn’t even have room for this most important guest anyone could have. Bethlehem had no room for the Savior. Even though people were not prepared, that did not mean God’s promise would be broken. Joseph finally found a dry place for Mary to give birth. It was a stable. And it was here that the Savior for all mankind was born. In a similar way, people today have "no room" for Jesus in their lives. Their lives are full. The good things in this life control them. The cares and worries in life control them. People don't want to let Jesus in their lives. To let go of our control is terrifying. The great truth is that God prepares us just as He did Bethlehem. Think about that. The Old Testament prophesy about Jesus being born in Bethlehem was written by Micah was written 700 years before He was born. God did that. Mary and Joseph did not plan it for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. God did that. God influenced the Roman emperor to order a census so that Mary and Joseph would have to travel to Bethlehem. When Mary and Joseph arrived at a full town, God saw that there would be a safe place. God influenced someone to feel compassion and allow Mary and Joseph to use their stable. Bethlehem was prepared for the Savior to be born because God prepared everything for the Savior to be born. He is doing that for you this year. Listen to Him!

Come and See - Pt 2

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:26-33 ESV).

I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s short devotional inspired by my granddaughter’s birthday. Today we return to the season of Advent leading us to our celebration of Christmas (If you missed the first in this series, it was posted on December 2nd.) The Advent wreath’s first candle symbolizes hope and is called the "Prophet’s Candle." There are many prophecies in the Old Testament that call our attention to the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. You may want to do a little extra reading in the prophesy of Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 7:10-16; 9:1-7). The impact of this symbolism is in our anticipation of the coming of the Messiah. Jesus is the Anointed One. He is the only one who can restore hope in our lives. I am aware of the political and athletic references made to individuals concerning the title of “Anointed One”; however, there is only One who can rightly claim that title. He is the only One spoken of in the prophets and revealed in the person of Jesus. His coming is woven like a golden thread all the way through Old Testament history. God’s people were abused by power hungry kings, led astray by self centered prophets and half hearted religious leaders which resulted in some longing for God to raise up a new king who would teach them to be God’s people and lead them in righteousness and truth. They yearned for a return of God’s dynamic presence in their midst. While the people expected a new earthly king, their expectations fell far short of God’s revelation of Himself in Christ. And yet, the world is not yet fully redeemed. So, we again with expectation, with hope, await God’s new work in history, the Second Advent. This is not a hope that “wishes something will happen” but a hope that knows it will happen. Because God was right about the First Advent which came 735 years after the prophets said it would, our hope is based on knowing God will do what He said He would do and so we wait expectantly knowing that Jesus is coming back. Perhaps the question for each of us today is: Are we ready for the Second Coming? What should we do to help others get ready for His coming? There is no better time than this season to invite others to your church activities. There the Holy Spirit may be able to touch them with the Gospel in a life-changing way!

Happy Birthday, Maggie!

[Jesus said] See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:10-14 ESV).

The most amazing miracle, other than our redemption through Christ, is the birth of our children. That miracle extends its wonder to grandchildren, and, should you be so bless, to great-grandchildren. In fact, throughout our lineage God bless each generation with their progeny. Today is my next to the oldest granddaughter’s 5th birthday. Happy Birthday Maggie! As you can see from the picture I have chosen today, she doesn’t lack any exuberance for life. In fact she lives it on tip toes! Whether she is “watering the grass” (I know she’s just playing in the water, but I won’t tell if you won’t), or “studying her numbers and letter” from school, she does everything with life. And isn’t that the greatest lesson we can all be taught from each of these “little ones.” Jesus says in our reading today that we are not to “despise even one of these little ones” (v. 10). The word in the original language is kataphroneō. It means to “think little of,” or “disregard.” I find it very common for adults to ignore children. Perhaps it’s because we find their incessant curiosity and resulting questions tiring. I remember forty years ago while waling hand-in-hand with one of my sons when a well meaning older woman walked up from behind and said, “I bet you wished you had a dollar for every question he asks!” Evidently she had been following close enough to overhear the constant “whys” and “whats” my son asked of me. I did my best to answer his every question, though I must confess to falling to the temptation of simply saying “because” too often. We must be careful in our regard for every child, ours and others as well. This is so simply because God does not disregard them. God’s promise is that “not one of them will be lost” (v. 14). Like a shepherd watches after every sheep in his care, so God watches over every one of the children. Dare we do any different? As a grandparent, that means praying for them unceasingly. It means modeling the life of a committed, obedient believer. It means loving them unconditionally. My personal prayer is that I will be found faithful in these things. I hope you will be as well!

Come and See - Pt 1

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 ESV). Throughout the remainder of the month we will be looking at the birth of Jesus. I will skip tomorrow as it is my tradition to honor the birth of my children and grandchildren with a special devotional inspired by my experience in watching how God uses them. Tomorrow is Maggie’s birthday. We’ll see more from that special day then.

Today we continue the season of Advent by looking at what most Christians call “the Advent Wreath.” The Advent wreath first appeared in Germany in 1839. A Lutheran minister working at a mission for children created a wreath out of the wheel of a cart. He placed twenty small red candles and four large white candles inside the ring. The red candles were lit on weekdays and the four white candles were lit on Sundays. Eventually, the Advent wreath was created out of evergreens, symbolizing everlasting life in the midst of winter and death as the evergreen is continuously green. The circle reminds us of God’s unending love and the eternal life He makes possible. Advent candles are often nestled in the evergreen wreath. We will go into further detail on the purpose and meaning behind each advent candle later in the days to come. Additional decorations, like holly and berries, are sometimes added. Their red color points ahead to Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the cross, shedding his blood for our sins. Pinecones can symbolize the new life that Jesus brings through His resurrection. Families begin lighting a candle on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and they light another candle each subsequent Sunday. Advent candles shine brightly in the midst of darkness, symbolizing and reminding us that Jesus came as Light into our dark world. The candles are often set in a circular Advent wreath. A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. No matter how we choose to celebrate the season of Advent, we must remember the grace of Jesus. He entered our dark, broken world on the first Christmas long ago, and He’s working even now to restore light, peace, and life. Focus on Him and Him alone!