Not having any money can put a real drag on the enjoyment of life.

If you were of the Jewish faith in the time of Jesus, not having enough money also meant that you were not capable of being a worthy Jew. It took money to do the things required by law that made you a “good” Jew. Giving sums of money to the Temple in a public display was one such requirement.

I so much enjoy how Jesus can take a serious situation in our lives and turn it in a whole new direction. This happened when the widow put her two mites into the offering.

The Pharisees think they have everything in smooth working order until Jesus comes along and says, no, no, no, no.  He says, “Here is the new view about money, about faith and tithing to the Temple.” Jesus says it is not how much you give that matters the most. This raises eyebrows of disbelief from all who hear it, including His disciples.

A denarli is one day’s wage. One denarli = six meahs. One meah = two pondions.  One pondion = two issarines. One issarine = eight mites. Two mites is 1% of a denarli which makes it 1% of a day’s wage.  (A mite can also be translated as a “crumb/morsel of bread.”)

It is true today that we have to have some money to buy food and maintain a living condition. So what is the deeper message here with the widow and her two mites and why did she place both of them into this massive round offering plate in front of this massive, ornate Jewish Temple?

It is true that the Jewish culture of that time did have a social system to “take care” of widows and orphaned children. It was a Jewish dictate, a law, that they do this in a sincere way. So if the widow had absolutely no money, she gave all she had, then she would clearly be supported by this Jewish requirement. But there is more to this story than simply the act of her giving all she had.

Jesus, watching as the long line progressed by giving their tithes, realized there was a deeper, more personal issue going on. It was a matter of sincerity, devotion and trust. There was the matter of her faith. The money was to be used for God’s purposes. The widow believed in Yahweh; she believed He would take care of her. She said by her actions, “I trust You. I believe this is the right thing to do. I give you all I have in obedience to Your love and care for me.” Then she dropped her two mites into the plate and walked away not knowing what the future would bring.

During this Advent Season we are called to refresh our awareness of what really happened when God gave us His All. By giving His only Son, who entered this world like every person who ever lived, God gave us the opportunity for a new life, a bright future and a Holy Spirit in this life to guide and show us what is right and wrong. God gave us His all knowing what the final outcome would be. And that final outcome is for us to live as Jesus lived to bring about heaven on earth and life eternal to all believers.

You are loved!
Steve Mayberry

As we join Jesus on his final journey to Jerusalem, he stops in the city of Jericho. As always, there is a large crowd following him. One man in the crowd, a very short man, wants so badly to see Jesus that he climbs a tree to get a better view. And guess what?!? Jesus not only notices him but stops to talk to him. So, Luke introduces us to Zacchaeus, a Jew by birth but, as the chief tax collector, an enemy to his countrymen. Definitely not a crowd favorite. And, even worse in their eyes —a sinner! And yet, Jesus saw into the heart of this “sinner.” He told him to come down and then he invited himself to stay with Zacchaeus. The crowd is appalled! But, Zacchaeus “welcomes him gladly” and in his response to Jesus pledges one-half of all his possessions to the poor. In addition, he promises to pay back four times the amount of money to those whom he may have cheated. Wow! For a man once defined by the pursuit and love of money that is what I call a transformation! To the stunned crowd, Jesus reminds them Zacchaeus is like them, a son of Abraham. Could that possibly mean that they, too, were sinners? Above all, Jesus proclaims that he “has come to seek and to save what was lost.” I wonder how many truly heard him.

We still sing the favorite children’s song,

Zacchaeus was a wee little man A wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree 

The Savior for to see. And as the Savior came passing by He looked up in the tree. And he said, “Zacchaeus, you come down from there! For I’m going to your house today.” 

It’s a great song and it’s wonderful to hear a group of kids singing Bible stories together. But this isn’t the whole story. In fact, it completely misses the significance of Zacchaeus and, I know it it had nothing to do with being a “wee little man.” Zacchaeus was a sinner! His sins of greed, cheating and selfishness were evident to all. But Jesus saw beyond the external and into his heart. When Zacchaeus met Jesus, he immediately obeyed him and gladly took him to his home. Zacchaeus was convicted that he needed to change and he did! In fact, he was completely transformed.

In my personal meditation, I don’t see many differences between Zacchaeus and myself. I know how it feels not to be able to see over the heads of the crowd around me. But, my true connection to Zacchaeus is this, “I am a sinner.” I thank God that he sees inside my heart and loves me enough to save me and to change me.

In this season of advent, we focus so much on the images of the sweet innocence of baby Jesus. But Advent’s true meaning and celebration should be on what that child would and does mean to the world for all eternity. He came to seek and to save what was lost! And that means me and you! I pray that his love and forgiveness will transform us all into more of his likeness as we move past Advent and into the 2020.

You are loved,
Sharon

On this day, 176 years ago, Charles Dickens waited anxiously for the dawning of tomorrow, December 19, 1843, when the first edition of A Christmas Carol would be published.  Struggles with printers and publishers had exhausted Dickens and the young writer, still eager to achieve success, wondered how British readers would react to his story.  The story met with great acclaim as the first printing of 6000 books sold out by Christmas Eve. Continuously in print all these years, the book still captures the hearts of readers around the world.

Because of Dickens, Scrooge is universally used to describe a miserly, joyless, selfish person and bah-humbug is the quintessential expression dampening the enthusiasm of others.  While Scrooge and his routine expression of bah-humbug may be the most recognized parts of the story, the true meaning is captured in the minor character of Tiny Tim, the young crippled son of Scrooge’s employee, Bob Cratchit.  Tiny Tim becomes the antithesis of Scrooge counterbalancing bah-humbug with “God bless us, every one!”  Dickens’ novel connects the characters of Tiny Tim and Scrooge and uses the boy’s plight and enduring, endearing, loving attitude to soften the heart of Scrooge.

Luke 18 reminds us that a trusting, loving attitude as demonstrated by Tiny Tim is indicative of the kingdom.

“Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”” Luke‬ 18:15-17‬ ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬

Luke 18:18 introduces us to a character known as the rich young ruler.  In many ways he seems to be admirable. However, his reaction to Jesus’ response to his question, “what must I do to inherit eternal life,” reveals the heart of Scrooge. The young man loves money more than God.  We don’t know what happened to the rich young ruler. Perhaps he lived out his life outside the kingdom. Or maybe, like Scrooge, he encountered a change of heart and was transformed by the promise Jesus offered at the end of the encounter.

“And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”” Luke‬ 18:29-30‬ ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬

Christmas brings hope to all of us as it helps us understand that the Gospel is Good News. It has the power to transform the “scroogiest” of us and turn our bah-humbugs to hallelujah!

You are loved!
James Peterman

When I read Luke 17, I think of the Casting Crowns song Called Me Higher.  The song talks about how God has a plan for all of us and has called us to do higher and bigger things than we could ever imagine.  And in Luke 17, Jesus talks about how we will all face sin and the consequences of it, but we have to focus on what God has called us to do and go to God for help to get through those trials.

Whatever you’re struggling through this Christmas, remember that God has called you to higher and bigger things and try to focus on that calling.

Watch here > https://youtu.be/Y8mMp3bKDt0

You are loved!
Zoe Henegar

Recently my parents came to visit from Florida. My dad isn’t very high tech and doesn’t use a phone or GPS system. Unfortunately, this is not a formula for success if you are traveling around a new city. His cousin came to town to visit his family who also live in Raleigh. The two of them were going to meet up and go fishing together! My dad looked up the directions online and thought he was prepared to find his way to where they were going to meet. Well around 5pm that afternoon (hours after we thought he would come home), he walks through the door with a big smile on his face and says, “Boy am I so happy to be back I could kiss the floor!” Needless to say he had gotten lost driving not only to the lake that morning but also on the way home that afternoon and had been driving all over Raleigh for the past two hours. I think he had probably seen all of the city by this point.

Have you ever been lost? What emotions have you felt while lost? Frustrated, angry, frantic? The joy you feel when you finally find your destination is immense!

Luke 15 gives us 3 parables about being lost and then found: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.

Flip it the other way and what emotions have you felt when you lost someone or something? Have you ever lost your keys or phone? Or have you been in a store or at the park and lost sight of your child? Even if it’s for a split second, the feeling of sheer panic engulfs you!

When I was young and immature, I had a hard time with the parable of the lost son. I had selfish feelings and thought very similarly to how the brother felt. From a human perspective, it was hard to understand why we should receive the same reward If I had been living my whole life faithful and my friend/peer/etc had been living a sinful life for so long and suddenly runs back for forgiveness. However, now that I’m older I see this story very differently. I FEEL very differently. I now understand better God’s love and forgiveness. If it was my sibling who was lost and came back crying and asking for another chance, I would feel as the father felt; overjoyed and ready to forgive him instantaneously. This is how we should feel towards not only our brothers and sisters in Christ but to complete strangers who come “home” to Jesus. Being lost can be lonely and scary. Let’s be a source of comfort and support to those looking to be found!

You are loved!
Lacey Dellapace

From my infancy until my teenage years, 16 or 17, I spent many of my summers on my grandparent’s cattle farm. They lived a simple life on their 160-acre homestead.. There was no running water or indoor plumbing. Water was pumped either from the cistern next to the house or drinking water came from the spring pump my grandpa built on top of a hill in the 1930’s. They used coal in the pot belly stove for heat in the cold winters and counted on the 200-year-old oak trees surrounding the house to keep them cool in the hot summers. It was an uncomplicated, self-sufficient way of life. They were not simpletons by any means, but every day they did live a simple lifestyle.

Grandmother milked the cow, Betsy, twice a day and kept the chickens laying eggs; Grandpa butchered the hogs and cattle to keep food on the table for them and the farm hands. You went to bed soon after the sun went down and you were up and dressed ready to work when you came down the stairs for breakfast before the sun began to shine. I loved every summer and holidays I spent on that farm. It taught me more about what mattered and was real about life and death than anything else I have ever done; fishing in the pond, flying kites, seeing faces in the clouds, working hard, being with family and friends, feeling deeply loved and accepted.

Jesus lived a simple, uncomplicated lifestyle. His message of God His father and of heaven was direct and uncomplicated. His message of salvation and of being the Son of God never wavered or was burdened down with details or complexities.  We see this in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10:21 where we read Jesus saying “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.”

This single verse comforts me. It expresses a profound insight into how Jesus shared His message of salvation and joyful living and purpose in life. It speaks to me in the midst of my very busy, very complicated and distracted way of “living” in the culture I sometimes find myself. We live in the age of technology and intellect and moral freedom. We live in an age where money and intellectual superiority often gives people the illusion of power and privilege to get their own way, right or wrong.

In the wisdom and love of God as expressed through Jesus Christ, His message of salvation comes to us in the universal, most common starting point of a new born child in a manger surrounded by mother and father and magi from the East bringing gifts. It is a picture adored by little children.  The story of the birth of Jesus Christ can bring comfort and well being if we slow down long enough to hear.

You are loved!
Steve Mayberry

“Do You Hear What I Hear?”

“When is he coming? How much longer must we wait?”

“Has he forgotten us?”

“What will he bring?”

I don’t know about you, but my brothers and I asked these questions every year as Christmas approached. And my children asked them every year and now my grandchildren ask them every year. Oh the anticipation of something wonderful that is going to happen!

For a moment, try to put yourself in the place of those who actually lived before that first Christmas. They had been waiting and anticipating the arrival of Jesus the Messiah for 400+ years. I suspect their questions mirrored our own Christmas questions.

When is he coming? How much longer must we wait?

Has he forgotten us?

 What will he bring?

When Jesus finally arrived as promised and later began to fulfill his mission to proclaim the “good news of the kingdom of God” (Lk 8:1) the responses to his message were as individualized as the ones who heard him teaching. In Luke 8:4-10, Jesus shares a parable that gives insight into the “why” of the various responses and exhorts “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (v. 8) As I doubt the audience was comprised of those with hearing problems, what exactly did Jesus mean by that? From the text, we hear his disciples ask him that very question. Jesus’ response is timeless and echoes through the ages resounding in our ears today—if we just listen.

Four types of soil representing four types of hearts are scattered with seed which is the “word of God”. Only one produces a crop. Jesus explains that “the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15).

It is obvious that Jesus is not talking about the hearing we do with our ears, but the hearing we do with our hearts. And when we hear with our hearts, Jesus changes us and, in that transformation, we persevere and share that same “good news of the kingdom of God.”

I pray that God will continue to teach me to listen with my heart open to Him and to persevere in Jesus’ mission to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to everyone I meet. May we all honor him together with our listening hearts.

You are loved!
Sharon Cooke

At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe. – Billy from the Polar Express

In the fanciful children’s story, The Polar Express, a young boy named Billy begins to doubt the story of Santa Claus.  His emerging disbelief exhibits itself through his inability to hear the ringing of a tiny Christmas bell. Billy’s belief is restored by a journey on a magical train, the Polar Express, that takes him to the North Pole.  After meeting a host of characters and witnessing the manufacture of countless toys for Christmas gifts to all the world’s children, Billy’s belief is restored and he once again can hear the bell.

Luke chapter 7 presents 4 episodes in the ministry of Jesus and introduces us to many characters.  These characters fall into one of three belief categories; believers, doubters and unbelievers.

The first episode in Luke 7 tells of a Roman Centurion whose belief overshadows that of many of the Jews.  He fully trusts in Jesus’s power to heal his beloved servant so much that he says don’t bother to come, just say the words.  Jesus remarks with, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”  A few verses later, his healing power was again demonstrated by raising a widow’s son. Belief took root in those who witnessed the miracle with their proclamation that “God has visited his people!”

The final story of the chapter introduces us to a strong believer amidst a group of staunch unbelievers. While dining with Pharisees a woman known for her sinful living boldly interrupts the feast and, moved with true conviction, begins to wash Jesus’s feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, then anoints his feet with perfume from an alabaster flask.  In contrast to her faith, the Pharisees ridicule Jesus for allowing a sinner to approach him.

Inserted in between these stories contrasting believe and unbelief is a fascinating account of a question from John the Baptist.  Struggling with doubt, he seeks confirmation that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus’s answer for John is simple; consider what you have seen and heard.

Belief can be elusive and at any point in time our belief in God can vary on a continuum from extremely weak to overwhelmingly strong.  Like waves at the seashore, our faith can ebb and flow on a daily basis across the spectrum of belief. This can be frustrating and even frightening.  We must not get discouraged but work with resolve to trust through the times of doubt. When doubt arises, let’s all be like John and return to Jesus with our questions, then consider what He has said and done.

During this Christmas season we all face the challenge of doubting that God truly sent his son to earth as a baby to an unwed teenage mother.  How outrageous does that sound? But look at what he did and said. I pray that we will all be like Billy in the Polar Express… Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.

Listen for the bell.

Live Jesus, Give Jesus.
James Peterman

So, when I read Jesus’ words in Luke 6: 20-23,

Blessed are you who are poor,

    for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

    for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now,

    for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you,

    when they exclude you and insult you

    and reject your name as evil,

        because of the Son of Man.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,

 because great is your reward in heaven,

I think about all the real, awful things people go through that most of us don’t even know about.  And then I think about what Jesus is saying, which basically is that God’s love is bigger than all that stuff.  It reminds me of a song by For King and Country called, “God Only Knows.”

Watch here > https://youtu.be/Q5cPQg3oq-o

We don’t know all the things that other people are going through, but God does, and His love is bigger than those things.  He turns it all upside down. So whatever you’re going through right now, I hope you’ll feel a little better knowing that God knows, His love is bigger, and better things are coming.

You are loved!
Zoe Henegar

“When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness and laying his hands on each one, he healed them….” Luke 4:40

There are so many sections of Luke 4 that can be studied and dissected further. Many of these passages you have probably read several times in the past- the temptation of Jesus, the rejection of Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth, the healing of Simon’s mother in law, etc. I challenge you to read this chapter and these “stories” again to find something new; something you may have missed in the past.

If you’re like me, I often start a chapter with intense focus but by the end, find myself losing attention. The last verses won’t get near as much thought or meditation on as the first ones. When I was reading through Luke 4 this time, the last verses stood out to me. The realness of Jesus came to life in this passage. After a night of healings, he went out at “daybreak to a solitary space.” (Luke 4:42) 

“The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.”

“But he said, I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 

What stands out to you? Have you ever felt this way? Exhausted and needed so much that you just had to have a few moments of time to yourself. How real is that!? But even when the people came looking for him, Jesus wasn’t rude or insincere. In fact, despite him being tired, he knew he must go on; doing the mission he was sent here for.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think rest is so important! Let’s face it, if you aren’t well rested and you’re feeling overwhelmed you aren’t much good to anyone. And as you see in these verses, Jesus also needed time alone. What do you think he was thinking about during this time of solitude?

In this crazy busy world, you can feel pulled by so many things. Your boss may be asking more of you, your kids may be needing your attention, your family wants more time with you. You may feel like some days you are going to implode if one more person asks something of you. This may make you lose sight of your mission here on

Earth. You may want to do what’s “comfortable” because you’re exhausted and feel you can’t give one more thing to one more person. Balance can be hard to find.

But there is one more voice asking something of you. And this request is the most important. It can be easy to block God out because he isn’t constantly tapping your shoulder or sending you a thousand texts & emails. But his requests and mission for your life are of the greatest!

Let this season of the year be a time to slow down (without guilt) and focus on what God is asking from us. Let it be a time to find balance and if needed, a few minutes of solitude to collect your thoughts and refocus. Our life here on Earth is a gift and God has a mission for each one of us.

You are loved!
Lacey Dellapace

Christmastime has always been a time of baking in our house.  At the moment, while I’m writing this, my two youngest sons are making gingerbread men with my wife. I’m sure they’ll be delicious, but my favorite cookies this time of year are sugar cookies. My mother’s recipe for sugar cookies are the best I’ve ever tasted. But even when I follow the recipe to the letter, mine never seem to taste as good. The first time I tried to make them didn’t turn out so well. I was about twenty years old, living on my own and was feeling homesick, so I decided that a good sugar cookie would make me feel better. Unfortunately, one of the main ingredients in her recipe is butter – lots and lots of butter, and all I had in my refrigerator was a tub of “I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter.” I figured that should work and went about making my cookies with the butter substitute that claimed to do a great impersonation of real butter. I let the dough sit in the fridge for a day just like the recipe told me to do. I put them in the oven for the correct time at the correct temperature. But what came out of the oven looked nothing like what I was looking forward to seeing. Instead of the moist and delicious cookies I had been raised on, they were dry, flat clumps of dough that crumbled to pieces when I tried to use a spatula to take them off the cookie sheet. Instead of comfort for my homesickness and the taste of my Mom’s famous cookies, I was met with complete and utter disappointment.

What I learned from this experience was that substitutions don’t always work. Just because it looks like butter and claims to act just like butter, when the recipe calls for butter, nothing else will do. A few years later, after the creation of Google, I was able to look up the reasons that my experiment failed. Butter along with eggs are the catalysts that hold everything else in the recipe together. Margarine doesn’t have the needed ingredients to cause the chemical reaction that occurs in the oven that produces the perfect cookie.

Colossians 1:15-20 tells us how Christ is the exact image of the God who has always been and always will be. He is literally Immanuel (“God with us”). If you want to see God, look to Jesus; if you want to know God, look to Jesus. But verse 17 reveals another facet of who Christ is for us, “In him all things hold together.” All creation relies on Christ whether they know it or not. He is the catalyst that holds everything in all creation, the whole universe, together. Without him everything crumbles apart.

During the Christmas season, it’s easy to be disappointed when things don’t go the way we plan. We spend all day looking forward to this time of year and it usually doesn’t live up to our expectations. This often occurs because we forget the “reason for the season” (I know that has become a cliché, but it fits here). I believe this happens because we try to use substitutes in our recipe for the perfect Christmas. Our family, which is certainly an important ingredient in the holiday celebrations, can crumble when we do not remember Christ. Our church family, also an important ingredient cannot do what Christ alone does for us. The perfect gift, either given or received, pales in comparison to the gift that God gave us in Christ. Christ is the ingredient that holds it all together. Without him, all the hopes that we have in the perfect Christmas crumble into disappointment.

During your time with your friends and family, if you find that they are not meeting your expectations, double check your recipe. Make sure you haven’t tried to use a substitute for Christ. He is the only one that can hold it all together. He is the only one that will not disappoint or let you down. Today, enjoy some Christmas cookies (with lots of real butter) and remember that Christ is the ingredient in your life that makes everything else possible because he is the perfect image of the God we long to know and see. Accept no substitutes!

You are loved!

David

The Advent season is all about the miraculous. I was struck by this obvious fact the other day when I was reading about Jesus’ birth story with my kids. As they repeated the basics of the story back to me while we read, it stuck out to me that the things we were talking about so matter-of-factly were really amazing and super-natural events! I find this same principle at work when I read through the introduction (1:1-18) to the Gospel of John. I have read and studied this passage so many times that I can explain the key concepts and big ideas without much thought about the miracle behind it all:

Jesus was with God in the beginning. He was not created by God, he is God. In fact, everything that was created was created through Him. I have long accepted these facts, but I have not often stepped back to marvel at miraculousness of what they mean.  Just sit back and think about what this passage means about Jesus. Jesus was intimately tied to creation even before he became flesh to be in creation. He is immensely powerful and his work in creation cannot be overstated. We have no way in understanding the power that is required to create, but when we read the creation story in Genesis 1:1, we are reading about Jesus and His power. And yet with all that, Jesus decided to become a small, vulnerable child even though he knew what awaited him in the world. That type of vulnerability became the hallmark of Jesus’ life on earth. He submitted himself to rulers, even when it was clear that he knew they were wrong. He spent his life illuminating injustice and visioning his kingdom where the gross wrongs of this world would be eradicated, and yet he made himself so lowly that he suffered the greatest injustice of all time. The one with all the power came to do something besides show how powerful he was. He asked us to trust in his miraculous power, but also to trust in the ways he would decide to use it.

The significance we find this season is due to the fact that, from the beginning Jesus’ existence has been miraculous. In all he has does in his creation and incarnation, Jesus can never cease to be miraculous and that miraculous nature is now a part of us, through his Spirit. This Advent season we are being constantly reminded of Jesus’ nature, but this nature is not simply something that calls us to remember. The vision of Jesus as a child also calls us to believe and profess that someday, Jesus will return again. His powers of incarnation and creation will be perfectly united, and we will finally know what it is like to be with Him in his full glory and power. What a great time to remember that we will one day live in the miraculous where Jesus will have no reason to hold back his power.

You are loved!
Jon

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.” Malachi 4:2 (NLT)

I long for healing.

Maybe you do too…

Healing from thinking…

That you have to change your spouse, if you’re going to be happy.

That you have to stay on top of everything, if you’re going to impress people.

That you have to do everything right, if your children are going to turn out OK.

That you have to control what others think about you, if you’re going to feel valued.

That you have to be successful, if you want your parents approval.

That you have to behave a certain way, if you want God to love you.

If so, Christmas is for you.

The first coming of Jesus is a reminder to all of us that God is more willing to clean up our messes than we are willing to mess things up.  The arrival of the Son of Man—God in skin—frees us from the pressure we feel to save ourselves from loneliness and lostness, despair and disappointment.

He comes to bring healing from our malady of self-salvation.

When Jesus came, He took away the pressure of having to find, fix & free ourselves.

We no longer are held tyranny to the need to be right, regarded respected or revered.

We don’t have to live under the oppression of “if it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

Jesus came to give us what we could never earn, and as a result we don’t have to be worn out trying to establish, justify and validate ourselves.

Christmas shouts:  “You are free!”

Jesus became nothing so that you—as nothing—could have everything.

You are loved!

Kent

The principal of the elementary school where my kids attended used to finish the morning announcements the same way every day.  Bent over some mammoth-sized copier or carefully cutting around the edges of giant, overly enthusiastic (for the morning, in my opinion) animals, on volunteer days I would smile in anticipation of her closing comment.  Make it a great day, she would say, implying a whole paragraph about how our own choices can influence such an outcome.

Malachi’s prophecy as recorded in Malachi 4 carries exactly the same implication, but with much more severe terms.  When Malachi writes about “that great and dreadful day of the LORD (5),” the word he chooses for “great” means everything from marvelous to intense to significant.  It will be a great day, at least in terms of magnitude, but for those who revere–literally, fear–the Name of the LORD, “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.  And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves (2).” Contrast this with Malachi’s opening warning to evildoers. That same sun will burn everything and everyone that’s evil to stubble (1).

Everytime I read these verses, I feel both exuberant anticipation and deep dread.  The prophecy still lands effectively, even today. I think of my children and their constant struggles with bodies that don’t work as they should, of their trouble with communication (two of my children have Autism), their need for insulin to survive (two have juvenile diabetes), their frustration and pain over side-effects caused by medicines they need to be functional (one has epilepsy and anxiety).  At this point in their young lives, my children love Jesus. They rely on Him, worship Him, pray to Him, and claim Him as their Hope. I imagine that Day coming and that Sun falling on their faces, and all of their challenges melting right away. I cry tears of joy over the promise that one day they will find complete healing. I imagine them happy dancing over finally being fully well.

But I also think of a dear friend of mine who, at just twenty-one, lives in pain every day.  She has most recently come to a point when it seems unlikely that she’ll ever be able to live her life without needing a wheelchair.  I love my friend. She has a heart for helping difficult, challenged kids find success. Every week, my friend pushes herself past pain and limitation and exhausts herself helping other people.  But she doesn’t know very much at all about Jesus, which is of course the most important reason God made us friends. While I could hardly ever describe my friend as evil, Jesus Himself proclaimed that “no one is good except God alone (Mark 10:18)”, and we know that “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23)”.  Sometimes we lose our awe over the fact that the Sun of righteousness could fall with healing on any of us, when the truth is that without Jesus, none of us would escape those flames.  When I hear again Malachi’s prophecy about that Day, I know that God loves my friend more than I do, and that as much as I want her to experience His complete healing, God wants that for her even more.  God gave Malachi this prophecy because He desperately wants to save as many as possible. As Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).”  It hurts my heart to think of that great Day arriving as a dreadful day for my friend or others like her, and I think that’s exactly the response God looks for in me.

Our celebration of Advent must evoke more in us than fuzzy feelings or even joy over what we have now in Christ.  Part of looking toward the comings of Christ includes remembering the reasons He came and thus, the mission we have as God’s redeemed children.  Advent should awaken in us an urgency to give the greatest gift of all–Jesus, and by Him the gifts of God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness and healing–to those still lost to the pain and destruction of sin.  How can any celebration of the season not move us to share the gospel and help our hurting friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers make it a great day?

Today, we can:

• Intentionally tell someone in need of Jesus why He is the greatest gift we’ve ever known.
• Make a list of people who are in our lives specifically because they need Jesus and make a commitment to pray for them by name each day.
• Look ahead to the new year and carve out time that is for spending time with and loving people who need to hear the good news we have to share.

Live Jesus.  Give Jesus.

You are loved!

Elysa

It was a beautiful Christmas morning as we gathered around the tree to exchange our gifts.  As is our tradition since she was a small girl, Rebekah began to remove the gifts one by one from under the tree and pass them out.  At the very back of the tree next to the wall remained one very large box. This box had intrigued and frustrated Rebekah every day since it had been placed under the tree.  You see, the gift had no tag to show to whom it belonged, and Andy and I refused to reveal the person who would receive it. We insisted that Rebekah save that box until all the others had been distributed, and then we finally told her that the box was hers.  Of course, it was the first one she wanted to open, but she knew based on past experience that if this was the present deemed to be “the very best one” then she would have to wait and open it after all the other gifts.

After what must have seemed like an eternity to her, only this large yet lightweight box remained.  Rebekah tore into the package and revealed – another box. She opened that box and found another smaller box.  Her questioning looks made the rest of us smile knowingly in anticipation of the revelation. After two more boxes, she finally arrived at an envelope.  She gently opened it, and as she withdrew tickets and held them in her trembling hands, she began to read the note inside. Her eyes filled with tears which brimmed over and ran quietly down her cheeks.  Choking back the emotion, she said, “It’s tickets to see Renee Fleming in Washington. We’re going to see Renee Fleming! She’s my favorite opera singer!” Yes, dear daughter. We know.

The Magi were influential and powerful figures.  They were highly educated men who studied the heavens to find meaning and understanding, and apparently knew the Messianic prophecies well.  When they visit Herod in Jerusalem, they tell him that they have seen the star of the one who has been born king of the Jews, and they have come to worship him.  The star appears again and guides them to Bethlehem to the place where they find Jesus. After they bowed down and worshiped him, they offer their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Scripture doesn’t tell us why these particular gifts were offered. We know that they were appropriate for a King due to their great value, but tradition suggests that they may have been chosen for another reason.  Gold to symbolize the deity of Jesus; frankincense, which was highly fragrant when burned, to symbolize His willingness to become a sacrifice for us; and myrrh, which was a spice used for embalming, to symbolize the suffering of Jesus on the cross.

In this season of gift-giving, what gift can I bring to Baby Jesus?   A song comes to mind that I think answers my question perfectly.

What can I give Him
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring Him a Lamb.
If I were a wise man,
I would do my part.
Yet what can I give Him
Give Him my heart.
Yet what can I give Him
Give Him my heart.

You are loved!
Melissa

One of the traditions in our family when I was young is that on our birthdays my mother or father would tell each of us the story of how we were born. I was born, for instance, during Christmas week and was in such a rush to be born that I couldn’t wait for the doctor to get to the hospital. Each of the six children in my family have a very different birth story. In hearing our parents tell us how we came into the world and how excited they were to meet us gave us a special bond with our parents that, in a large family, made each of us feel especially loved. With my own children I have tried over the years to continue that same tradition. However, two of my children are adopted, so I don’t know their birth stories. I do know, however, the story of how they came to be my boys. I tell them about how excited I was to have them become my own children and how God had prepared us to be there family before they ever came to live with us.  So, when I read of Jesus’ birth story in the Gospels, I wonder how it impacted his relationship with Mary and Joseph.

Luke tells Jesus’ birth story from Mary’s perspective. Most likely he interviewed her and heard the narrative from her first hand while she was living with the apostle John in Ephesus. There are hints of this in the way Luke tells the story when he uses phrases like “and Mary treasured these things in her heart.” However, Matthew tells the story from Joseph’s perspective. From Joseph’s view, this story is a testament to faith and trust. I imagine that when Jesus heard his birth story from his mother’s perspective, he felt special because God had chosen her to be his mother. But when he heard Joseph’s side of the story, I imagine he felt a special bond because Joseph chose, through faith, to be his adopted father.

One of my favorite sections of Matthew 1:18-25 is rendered by the ESV, “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” Joseph had already decided what he was going to do. In his mind, it was obvious that Mary had been unfaithful, but he still loved her too much to shame her publicly. But God stepped in and told His side of the story. Once Joseph heard what was really going on, he had a choice to make. He could have thought about all the shame and gossip that would come from his neighbor’s who knew about Mary’s condition. He could have focused on the fact that the child to be born would most likely look and act nothing like him. Instead he chose to focus on the fact that he would be honored to raise this child who was literally a gift from God.

I imagine that Joseph’s version of the birth story might have bothered a lot of people who would hear it at family dinners or wedding parties. But I think that when Jesus heard it, he felt special. When Mary told the story she said, “God honored me by choosing me to be the mother of His anointed one.” When Joseph told the story he said, “God gave me a choice, and I chose whole heartedly to call you my son.” As I have learned over the last few years, that is the beauty of adoption. There is a special feeling that comes with it. With my natural born children, God chose me to be their parents. I didn’t have much say in it. But with my adopted children, I saw them, I knew them, I knew their backgrounds and their sometimes unsavory or shameful stories, but I still chose to be their father; I chose to call them my own.

How much more meaningful, in light of Joseph’s side of the story, are the verses in the New Testament that refer to our adoption as God’s children! Ephesians 1:3-6 (ESV), for example, says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has bless us in the Beloved.” Like Joseph and Jesus, we have a special bond with God our father, who chose to take us as His own, even if our past story was shameful or embarrassing. God looked at us and said, like I did with my own adopted children and like Joseph did with Jesus, “If you will take me as your Father, I will proudly take you as my child.” That is part of the good news of Christmas that we don’t often hear about because Mary’s story is more exciting and looks better in a paining or on a Christmas card. But Joseph, as a normal man who struggled with his faith, gives us another side of the story to bless us with the opportunity to choose to trust God’s plan and to become his children.

Today, ponder the ways that your birth or adoption stories have affected your view of yourself and your parents. Meditate on the love that God has for you. Think about how he wants you to be His! He looks beyond anything you’ve done or anything you’ve been and says, “I choose to be your Father – will you choose to be my child?”

You are loved!

David

Since the world began, people have been asking themselves, “What is God like?” There have been attempts to classify God according to the things he has done, the words he has spoken, even the images that he has used to display his power to us. In the Bible, we see God teach the Israelites about himself through the law, showing them his character and his invisible attributes through his relationship with his special people. If we look back into the Old Testament, we find that God always had a deeper purpose, a special plan where he would eventually make his character known in an understandable and plain way to all people.

Isaiah 7:14 makes this plan plain when it says, “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (NRSV) The name “Immanuel” means, God is with us and points to the coming of Jesus. One of the reasons that the virgin birth is such an important part of the Advent story is because it confirms who Jesus is, he is God with us. As we pursue a better understanding of God, we cannot find a better example than Jesus. Many of the attributes of God that have been difficult to see throughout history are revealed through the person of Jesus and there is no more important question to those who wish to know the character of God than “What would Jesus do?” or perhaps “What did Jesus do?” We cannot lose sight of how important Jesus is even when we are asking big questions about God and his character. If you search for God, you will find Jesus, and if you follow Jesus, you will be transformed into the character of God. Of all the things we celebrate this season, let’s celebrate that God is with us in Jesus and that he is always close enough to follow.

You are loved!
Jon

Several years ago, the famed writer John Grisham wrote a holiday book, “Skipping Christmas.” The title sounds tempting.

Just think.  You disappear on Wednesday, November 28, and show back up on Sunday, January 6, 2019.  No crowded malls, no to-do-lists, no cards to mail, no worries about the perfect present, no maxed out credit cards.

By skipping Christmas, you may get to enjoy peace on earth, goodwill to men, and possibly even a Silent Night.

Sounds fun, huh?

The book “Skipping Christmas” was turned into a holiday movie titled “Christmas with the Kranks.” The plot begins with a dad (Luther Krank) who is upset that his family spent over $6,000 on the previous Christmas, and now they have little or nothing to show for it.  With his daughter in the Peace Corps, Krank convinces his wife to skip Christmas for a year, and use the cash for a Caribbean cruise. They avoid all the holiday accoutrements and events. The story is about how the neighbors react, especially the man who organizes the neighborhood Christmas light show, and who gets cranky with the Kranks for not participating.

But the Kranks discover that their decision to skip Christmas has some unforeseen consequences, especially the surprise arrival of their daughter, who expects them to be carrying on the usual Christmas traditions.

The movie is entertaining, yet it calls us to wonder what really matters during the holiday season.  Most of us will do our usual holiday thing—perusing Amazon, trips to the mall, the decorating, the entertaining, and the presents.  And in the midst of this frantic activity, there’s a strong chance we’re going to be skipping Christmas and not even know it.

In Isaiah 60, God is encouraging His people after a period of thick and desperate darkness (Isaiah 59:9-10), and telling them about a glorious rescue coming from the Redeemer.  God says:

“Though you were once despised and hated,
with no one traveling through you,
I will make you beautiful forever,
a joy to all generations.
Powerful kings and mighty nations
will satisfy your every need,
as though you were a child
nursing at the breast of a queen.
You will know at last that I, the Lord,
am your Savior and your Redeemer,
the Mighty One of Israel. Isaiah 60:15-16 (NLT)

“Your Savior and your Redeemer” aren’t names we normally associate with the holidays.  It isn’t going to be on many Christmas cards, carols or decorations. Yet, if we miss it, we might end up skipping the true meaning of Christmas.

Jesus is all about redemption.  He came to reconcile broken humanity with a holy God.  He came to show that our righteousness comes only from God.  God makes us righteous through the Christ. It isn’t about what we can do—but solely based on what he has done.

“Your Savior and your Redeemer” means that it isn’t our political affiliation, our religious tradition, our economic position, our racial distinctions.  The ribbon between redemption and Jesus is the very meaning of Christmas.

And it’s too good to skip.

That’s why I look forward to Christmas.  I want to have an open heart to what Jesus brings.  He comes to us as God’s personal holiday card in which he shows us his great love, offers the gift of forgiveness, and the present of redemption.  He comes to reconcile us to God—with a right relationship that has all the hallmarks of a righteous life.

The coming of Jesus isn’t about religion—us finding God.  It is about relationship—God finding us. Righteous living is a relationship with God.

Go ahead and put Frosty in the front yard, string the lights around the tree, and make a clear path for Santa.  But don’t miss the chance to focus your attention on the coming of “Your Savior and your Redeemer”.

Because if you miss it, you will be skipping Christmas!

You are loved!

Kent

On December mornings, I become a lightbringer.  I walk through the still, sleeping house and set everything to twinkling, plugging in glowing Christmas trees and strands of lights that suddenly bring magic to dark corners and make even our foot-worn, stained carpets look soft and inviting.  I enjoy the idea that when my children wake up they will open their eyes to a home that just barely hints at the radiance of God. In fact, especially at Christmastime, it feels as though the Light of the World shoots out of all our cracks and around the broken edges of things.  I turn on the lights, thinking about Jesus, about Matthew’s testimony that, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Matthew 4: 16); about John’s exiled, cave-sheltered writing that, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5).”

The writer John Burke compiled a book called Imagine Heaven, comparing the “near-death” experiences of men and women of a variety of ages and situations.  One of the fascinating similarities Burke discovered was that many of these people noticed light “(which felt like love) coming out of grass and leaves.”  In fact, Brad, who had been born blind, described his experience this way:

There was a tremendous light up there.  It seemed to come from every direction…It was all around and everywhere that I happened to be looking…It seemed like everything, even the grass I had been stepping on, seemed to soak in that light.  It seemed like the light could actually penetrate through everything that was there, even the leaves on the trees. There was no shade, there was no need for shade. The light was actually all-encompassing.  Yet I wondered how I could know that because I had never seen before that point (112).

Regardless of what you believe about “near-death” experiences, the idea that Heaven throbs with the light of God is certainly Biblical.  From the first moment God appears on the pages of scripture through to the denouement of John’s Revelation, God describes Himself as a lightbringer.  In fact, not merely a lightbringer, but as the light itself. As John also writes, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (John 1:5, emphasis mine).”  Jesus said, “I am the light of world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).”  So maybe it’s no accident that we begin our earthly lives as children looking for nightlights in the darkness and finish them grumbling about the dim lighting in restaurants. Maybe that’s not just about who we are but also about whom we’re meant to become. Since God is light, we have somewhere threaded into our hearts a longing to seek His light to See.  Since God has set eternity in the hearts of man (Ecclesiastes 3:11), He has with it given us the longing for a place with walls called Salvation and gates called Praise, were God himself is our everlasting light (Isaiah 60:18-19).  In that place, God says, “you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy (Isaiah 60:5).” Light-seekers gazing into the glory of the one who is the Light become Light-bearers. But that isn’t just a promise for Heaven.  As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

Isaiah 60 describes the resplendent, restored glory of Zion, where God dwells once again with us and our “days of sorrow will end (Isaiah 60:20).”  I imagine Isaiah exhaling with force, pausing to find more air, after he proclaims, “I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly (60:22).” And then, breath restored, out of the prophet rushes Spirit-filled words that belong to Jesus, words that will later fall from God’s own lips:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:1-3).

The Light came and made His dwelling among us; God became man and once again, human beings heard the sound of His feet on the earth.  Restoration began with the first coming of Christ. God turned ON the Light. But unlike our twinkling Christmas lights, God’s Light doesn’t just make things look better.  His light actually transforms the world.

During Advent, why not let every glowing tree and twinkling light strand draw us to worship?  As we gather in the beauty of the season, we can shift our spiritual gaze to the all-transforming glory of God.  We are Light-seekers who, by grace, became Light-bearers with a mission to be Light-bringers. As we reflect Christ in every dark corner, He transforms the world into a place with walls called Salvation and gates named Praise.

You are loved!

Elysa

p.s. Have some fun with this.  Go out with family or friends to see Christmas lights.  Drive through neighborhoods and do a Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt (our family likes this freebie).  Each time you see something glorious and breathtaking and beautiful, think of Jesus and imagine what the Light will be like when He comes back.

As I watched the coverage of the funeral services for President George H. W. Bush, I was struck by the depth of the feelings that people had for him.  They mentioned his faith and trust in his Savior, and spoke of his humility, kindness, gentle spirit, love for all people, and that he was a role model for how to live a full, productive, joy-filled life of service to God, family, and country.  I was reminded of Paul’s words in chapter two, verse two of his letter to the Philippians where he tells them to make his joy complete by being “like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit, and of one mind.”  He goes on to say they should do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but they should humbly value others above themselves.  They should not look to their own interests but to the interests of others, and they should have the servant mindset of Jesus who willingly came to earth in order to humble Himself before God and be obedient – even to death on the cross.

When I read these words, I find myself wondering if I could have been the servant that Jesus was.  Could I have given up the glory of Heaven to be born as a baby in a humble stable to earthly parents?  Could I have submitted myself to their authority, and later to the authority of teachers, the Roman government, and even to the financial support of women?  What about experiencing temptation? Would I have been able to withstand the forces of Satan? How would I have treated Peter when he disowned me? How many days would I have been able to endure the knowledge of what was to come when my time on earth reached its end?  What about the pain of the lashes and the torn flesh as the nails were driven into my body? The crucifixion. Devastating humiliation. Complete separation from God. He endured it all for you and for me. For the joy that was set before Him. To purchase our salvation and reconcile us to the Father.

As we celebrate Advent together, let’s remember that Christmas is about God the Father taking the initiative to send His only begotten son to offer His life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

You are loved!

Melissa

In recent years, one of our family traditions during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas has been to watch the movie Elf at least once a week. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Buddy the Elf learns that Santa is coming to the department store he is working at. He begins yelling and shouting, “Santa! He’s coming here? I know him! I know him!” He’s so excited that he can’t stop smiling. Buddy stays up all night getting the store ready for Santa’s arrival. He makes a giant Lego model of the North Pole, he cuts paper snowflakes and popcorn strings and mistletoe to decorate the store, so it will be ready for Santa’s arrival. In case you haven’t seen the movie, the thing that makes this scene so funny is the fact that Buddy isn’t really an elf – he’s a man in his 30s played by Will Farrell, who is dressed like an elf and truly believes in Santa. Those who see his childlike exuberance for Christmas and “elf culture” respond in one of two ways throughout the movie. They either catch the contagious joy that Buddy radiates, or they (especially those who have lost the Christmas Spirit and don’t believe anymore) cross their arms and glare at him in judgment for being weird and not fitting in with the rest of the grumpy people who are trying to get through Christmas. It’s an odd comparison, I know, but when I read Isaiah 40 I can’t help but think of Buddy the Elf.

“A voice cries:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together,

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken’” (Isaiah 40:3-5).

This verse has been taken several different ways throughout its History. From the perspective of most of the Jewish people who would have originally read it, it would have been good news that God was going to bring them home after they had served their time in captivity. They were to make a clear path in their community and in their hearts for God’s return as their Lord and Savior. Other people of the Jewish community saw this as a Messianic Prophecy, speaking of the promised anointed one who would return God’s people to the Glory they had known under David and Solomon. In this case, Isaiah 40 was a call to prepare the way for God’s Kingdom which would cause all other kingdoms of the world to kneel. The Gospel writer Matthew states, through the Spirit, that this verse refers directly to John the Baptist who “prepared the way” for Jesus’ ministry (Matthew 3:3). But like most verses, there are personal applications for us – even if we aren’t Jews who are being exiled or men in the wilderness living on locust and wild honey.

The image this verse conjures up is of a herald. A man who would go ahead of the king or ruler and clear the road for him. As the conquering king would return to his city, the Herald would run ahead and clear the way and shout to all who would listen, “The King is Coming! Make way!” Yes, this was the calling of John the Baptist, but it’s also our calling. We are to be heralds of God’s gospel. We don’t want there to be any hardness in us or any bumps in our relationships that will keep the King from being able to make it to his destination. We need to prepare our hearts to receive Him, we need to prepare our community to be ready for him. Being ready to celebrate Christmas means more than making sure our shopping is done and the presents are wrapped and the food is cooked. It also means fixing anything in ourselves or between us and others that might keep us from missing the true gift of Christmas!

“Go on up to a high mountain,

O Zion, herald of good news;

lift up your voice with strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of good news;

lift it up, fear not;

say to the cities of Judah,

“Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40:9).

Do you see the parallel now? Between us and Buddy, I mean. Christmas is the celebration that God is coming into the world, He is going to live among us, He is stepping into history and changing everything. When Jesus talks about us receiving the Kingdom of God like a child (Mark 10:15), I think he’s telling us to be like Buddy the Elf. We should be just as excited about God coming as Buddy was about Santa coming. We should jump up and down and not be able to control our smile while we shout to all who will listen, “God is coming! I know Him!” We should stay up all night preparing for his arrival by fixing up any areas in our lives that might keep us from seeing Him in our lives! We should have the kind of excitement about God’s arrival that means those around us are forced to either catch the Joy we exude through God’s spirit or to stand in judgment against us for not fitting in with the world around us.

Today ask yourself, “What do I need to do to prepare the way for Immanuel (God with us) in my life? How can I be contagious in my childlike exuberance for the God who is coming? How can I keep from telling everyone I meet, ‘God is coming! I know him! I know him!’”

You are loved!

David

They must not speak bad of anyone, and they must not argue. They should be gentle and kind to all people.  Titus 3:2

What does the Advent season mean for the lives of those who follow Jesus? It can be easy to remember the mercy and grace that was poured out on the world when God sent his own son to be a sacrifice for all sin. It is a different thing altogether to remember just what that means for the way we live our lives, interact with our neighbors, and exist in a world that will not always see things the way God does.

The Christmas season can be a great time of year. A lot of people seem more friendly than usual and we are quick to give blessings and receive unexpected kindnesses. What a great thing to be associated with the birth of our King Jesus! However, we know that for many of us, that wellspring of joy can quickly dry up. In fact, the holidays can serve as a way to distract us from our less-than-jolly “normal” lives.

In Titus, we are confronted with the reality that Jesus isn’t only the “reason for the season” but he is the reason behind how we live every day. How will I approach my coworker about a potentially difficult problem? How do I reflect Jesus when I am stuck in line at the DMV? How can I ever let go of the anger I feel when I speak to someone who has hurt me in the past? You see most of the time, we aren’t dealing with holiday stress, we are dealing the with stress of our everyday lives. For the Christians being addressed in Titus, this everyday stress included a real worry that their entire lives could be disrupted, or even ended, because they followed Jesus.

It is in this world that Paul delivers a message that may have been difficult for people to understand or even hear: be kind (Titus 3:2). Yes, in this passage he says to live upright lives, to follow Jesus’ example by being morally driven, even to submit to others’ authority. But it must have been difficult in a situation where it seemed like the world was against you to be told to “be kind.” In reality, we are God’s chosen people, forgiven and promised with new life because of God’s kindness. This is the quality and type of kindness Jesus expects us to have, a kindness that reflects everything we know about how kind He is and has been to us. Mother Teresa said, “We shall never know all the good a simple smile can do.” As we greet each other with simple smiles this season, let’s remember the kindness that should be behind it. The type of kindness that is an emptying, humbling acknowledgement of the kindness that Jesus has brought into our lives and woven in to our DNA. More importantly, let us not let our smiles stop with the new year, but pray that as we strive to Live Jesus, that we don’t forget to Give Jesus through kindness.

You are loved!

Jon

One of my favorite books is CS Lewis wonderful story, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  He writes of a fictional country called Narnia, which is under the curse of the White Witch.  This villainous queen has placed a spell on Narnia so that it is “always winter and never Christmas.”  While she has control, the future of Narnia seems hopeless.

Yet word begins to leak out that “Aslan is on the move.” In the book, Aslan is a noble lion who serves as a Christ figure.  He is coming to set things aright. He is coming to rid Narnia of the White Witch and reverse the curse on the land.

One of the first signs of Aslan’s movement in this wintry scary land is that the snow begins to melt—“spring is in the air.”  As the sun’s rays warm the earth, it chases away the cold, promising the dawning of a brand new day. All of Narnia begins to change.

The birth of Jesus and His incarnation is the certain and absolute sign that “God is on the move.”  The coming of Jesus, over two thousand years ago, proclaimed that God has started the process of reversing the curse of sin and initiated the renewal of all things.  In Christ, God was making it clear that, in the words of C.S. Lewis, “winter began stirring backwards.”

Everything about the ministry of Jesus—His teaching, His miracles—and everything in between—were meant to show that things will not be as they once were.  The arrival of The Christ child was meant to show that God in the flesh was bringing the restoration of the way God intended things to be. He was set to reverse the curse of death, disease and discomfort.  It was, and still is, the Great Reversal.

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

You are loved!

Ken

The music in the arena pulsed so powerfully that it made my chest vibrate.  Kevin and sat on the floor in an empty row in the back, waiting as volunteers to “spring into action” when the headlining band, For King and Country, began singing the song that would serve as our cue.  We sat among a scattering of other volunteers, all smiling briefly at each other in acknowledgment of our mutual purpose and a bit of shared knowledge yet to be revealed to the rest in the room.  Of course, at this point, For King and Country had yet to even take the stage.  The band had not one but three opening acts, graduating in notoriety until the main event.  I scanned the crowd and noticed varying degrees of investment on the part of those waiting. Some of the audience stood, engaged with the supporting artists, singing and entirely responsive.  Others sat and thumbed their phones, looking no different than they would if waiting, say, at the DMV. Others chatted with friends and moved in and out of the rows getting drinks or buying merchandise.

Finally, just before their last song, the final supporting artist, shouted, “Are you ready for For King and Country?

We cheered.  I looked around:  the question had snagged everyone’s attention.  People outside their seats began to move more quickly to get into place.  Others stuffed their phones in their pockets and stood on their feet. Conversations ceased as we all turned our attention toward the stage.  And this happened even though we knew that this act had one more song; even though, predictably, it would take still a few moments more for the stagehands to set the stage.  Just the suggestion that the moment we waited upon was coming very soon without delay excited us and moved us to prepare and focus our attention. And it made me wonder: Do we wait less urgently upon Jesus because we often fail to heed Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, when he urges us to “encourage one another with these words (4:18; 5:11)” about the return of King Jesus?

In this section of scripture, Paul urges us not to grieve like those who have no hope (4:13), because not only will our Lord return, but those who have died in Him before that day will arise first (4:16).  All of the Christ-following loved ones we’ve lost, all the ones we miss especially during Advent, will appear with Christ. Maybe, depending on the day, some of the rest of us now living in Christ will appear with them.  So maybe we grieve them now, but we do so with hope in the advent of Jesus. For those in Christ, this long anticipated day, our “main event,” will come not as a thief but with great celebration, because we have received salvation through Christ.  In the meantime, whatever influence we have has been given us that we might point the way to Jesus. He’s the headliner, and we merely His supporting artists. It’s our job to joyfully shout out, “Are you ready for Jesus?” Of course, we could ask that question with so many attitudes, but the tone that stops people in their tracks and draws them out of their disinterest is the one that conveys the truth that Jesus is the best of everything, the One for whom we’ve been waiting, the only One worthy of glory.  During Advent, let’s take advantage of a season when even more people have come to wander around in our arena, and encourage one another with these words of hope.

Jesus is coming soon.  Hallelujah!

You are loved!

Elysa

A teacher was hired by a large hospital to tutor school aged children who were in the hospital for an extended stay.  She would talk to their teachers and then go by their rooms to help with work. One day she visited a boy who had been terribly burned.  His appearance was so shocking that she almost backed out of the room. But she introduced herself and said, “I’m a school teacher who works for hospital.  Your teacher has asked me to help you with some school work.”

A few days later she was on the same hall and a nurse stopped her and asked, “What did you say to that boy?  He was so despondent before.  But from the day you visited he’s been fighting back. He’s responding to treatment.”  The teacher said, “I didn’t say anything.”  The two of them went in the room together, and the nurse gently asked what had made the boy more cheerful. He teared up and said, “I figured they wouldn’t send a teacher to help me with math if I was dying, would they?”  What was different after the teacher’s visit? The boy who had been hopeless was now filled with hope. He had received a great gift from a simple message spoken by a stranger.

In Acts 2, we read that following His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His apostles, and over the course of the next forty days, He spoke to them about the kingdom of God.  Once, when He was eating with them, He commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the gift the Father promised. This reminds us of the words of the angel Gabriel when he spoke to Mary in Luke 1.  Both the book of Luke and the book of Acts begin with the Holy Spirit moving in the world to bring about something new – in Luke, the birth of the Messiah, and in Acts, the birth of the church and its witness.

And it’s the same way with us.  The Holy Spirit brings about something new in us; changing us into the person we want to be; helping us be more and more like Christ.   Here are some ways we can allow ourselves to be more and more filled with the Holy Spirit:

• Invite the Spirit to take control of our lives by continually asking the Spirit to lead us, to guide us, and to help us do the things God wants us to do.
• Allow the Holy Spirit to comfort us when we are hurting.  Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will bring us peace.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the things that God wants to change.  Not only will the Spirit work to make us aware of sin, He will fill us with the power to stop sinning.
• Trust that the Spirit helps us when we don’t know what to pray for.  Maybe the pain is too deep, the burden unbearable, the fear too great, the confusion too difficult.  Whatever it is, we can be confident that the Spirit himself will intercede for us. He will bring our needs before the Father in words that we cannot express.

Let us always remember that the Holy Spirit is a gift from God, that He lives with us forever, and that He will never leave us or forsake us.  These are reasons to have great joy and comfort. Thank God for this precious gift of the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives!

You are loved!

Melissa

Ask anybody what is on their Bucket List and you will get a multitude of answers. Some would like to travel and see distant lands, some would (for some strange reason) like to run and finish a marathon, some would like to earn a certain amount of money or learn a special skill before they die. I’ve been fortunate to do most of the things on my bucket list. However, one thing I still want to do before I kick the bucket is to see the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (nee Constantinople).  During my first venture into University I studied English Literature with a minor in Art History. During that time, I studied and fell in love with Christian architecture. I loved the Gothic and Byzantine styles and the symbolism built into the structures that housed the church over the centuries. Before I got married and had children, I had the opportunity to travel all over most of Europe and see many of the more famous Cathedrals and chapels: Notre Dame in Paris, St. Basil’s in Moscow, and many more. However, I never made it to the Mediterranean. I never got to see the Acropolis in Athens or the Pyramids in Egypt or the Temple in Jerusalem. To be honest, I could go without seeing many of these places now that I’m older and my priorities are closer to home then they were before I had a family. But one thing I always regretted was not seeing the Hagia Sophia. So, for years, this destination has been paramount on my bucket list.

In Luke 2 we meet a man named Simeon who had a bucket list of his own. Apparently, he had only one item left on his list: to see the “consolation of Israel.” His bucket list wasn’t a destination, it was an action of God. He wanted to live long enough to see God work to bring comfort to his nation through the promised anointed one. And because he was “righteous and devout” in his waiting for the Messiah, God had revealed to him that he wouldn’t die until he had crossed this last item of his bucket list.

How many people do you know that would have a bucket list item like this? “I just want to see God’s plan in action before I go.” What does that reveal about the kind of heart Simeon had? His priority wasn’t worldly things like money and skills or even to visit a holy place like Hagia Sophia. His paramount desire was to see God in action. And he waited expectantly. He didn’t just wish and pray for it to happen, he expected it to happen at any moment. Do we have that kind of faith? Do I? Unfortunately, no. I pray daily for God to work in my life, I pray daily that Christ would be manifest in my life, but rarely do I expectantly wait for it, knowing that it’s going to happen. And because of this, I believe I’ve often missed seeing God’s hand in the mundane things in my everyday life.

Jesus being brought to the temple in Jerusalem was not a big deal to anyone except his parents. Everyday parents brought their sons to the temple to be blessed. During his lifetime Simeon had probably watched thousands of babies being brought through the streets of Jerusalem up to the temple to be consecrated for God. But because he was expectant of God, he didn’t miss Him at work in this everyday activity, even though it was in one of the least expected places. Most Jews of the day who new the Messianic texts of the Old Testament would have been looking for a soldier on horseback entering the gates of Jerusalem or a king regally dressed in purple. Not many would have recognized God’s anointed one wrapped in common cloth in the arms of a young mother. But Simeon was blessed to catch what no one else did. God allowed him, through His Spirit, to recognize what no one else did. God was working, His plan was set in motion and Israel was about to be consoled for the years of oppression and ridicule by other nations. God had become flesh in order to bring salvation to those who could not help themselves. And how did Simeon respond? With praise and prayer: “Now I’ve seen everything!”  That’s a paraphrase, of course. What he actually said was,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32 ESV).

The ancient Simeon saw a new born baby and said, this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for, my bucket list is all checked off, I’ve seen everything, now I can rest in peace.

I pray that during this season of advent, as we wait for the Lord, we will wait expectantly. I pray that I will not be distracted by all the hustle and bustle and work it takes to pull off the perfect family dinner. I pray I won’t be so focused on buying the perfect presents that I miss His perfect presence. I pray God will bless me with the ability to recognize Him in the faces of my family, in the kindness of a stranger or even in the innocence of a baby. I pray He will allow me to make my experience with Him paramount on my bucket list… although it would be nice to get to Istanbul someday.

You are loved!

David

Zechariah had a hard time believing God’s promise about his son. In Luke 1:18-20 we are told that Zechariah is punished for his lack of faith and cursed with silence. As we rejoin the story of Zechariah in verse 57, the things Zechariah doubted have come to pass and there is no longer any room for doubt. As the time comes to gives Zechariah’s offspring a name, his submission to the naming of his child outside of the cultural expectations confirms his faith and Zechariah’s speech is returned.  When Zechariah’s first words are spoken it is obvious that the Holy Spirit is speaking through him and he begins to prophesy about the impending work of God the world.

While the story of Zechariah is amazing by itself, popular Bible scholar N.T. Wright* reminds us that this is a “reflection on a smaller scale of what was going on in the Israel of [Zechariah’s] day.” Indeed, up to this point there had been a prophetic silence in Israel for hundreds of years. Beginning with the stories of Jesus’ family in Luke chapter 1, we are given insight into the boundary-breaking event that is Jesus’ birth and again we see a God who uses human stories and events to represent and even bring about global Kingdom movements.

From this point in history onward God will pour out his Spirit intentionally on the world as a way to advance the message and the reign of his Kingdom. Over and over in the Bible we are assured that God can use our own story to bring about his larger purposes in the world. Especially in this Advent season, we remember that Jesus was the first-fruits of a larger initiative. We do not celebrate Jesus’ birth as a memorial, but as the moment where the reality of our world was changed.  As we live into that reality, we can be assured that our stories matter. God tells us that when the Spirit grows within us, just like it did with Zechariah, we begin to reflect and even bring about the larger story of God’s will. So what will you do this season not only to remember Jesus, but to become a part of God’s story? How will the Spirit empower you with the boldness and courage to proclaim and walk in step with Jesus’ will? May all of our joy and acknowledgment of what God has done through Jesus move us to action so that our own stories intertwine with his in big and beautiful ways.

You are loved!

Jon

*N.T. Wright’s “Luke: 26 Studies for Individuals and Groups”

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Luke 1:46 (ESV)

My friend Palmer Trice, a great Christian counselor, once told me something that I will always remember.  He said that Christmas is a magnifier for most people. If things are good in your life, then Christmas tends to magnify that goodness.  It moves things from good to great. A good family becomes great. A good party becomes great. A good memory becomes a great one. Christmas magnifies the good.

On the other hand, Christmas can magnify what is difficult.  Christmas can make struggles seem more difficult. Financial stress, which is tough any time of year, becomes unbearable in December.  Fractured relationships often become full breaks during the holidays. Loneliness, which is a battle for some all year long, becomes a full blown Pearl Harbor.

Magnify means to make something bigger than it appears to our eyes.  Binoculars and telescopes are used to bring objects far away, closer.  Magnifying what we are looking at doesn’t make what we are looking at bigger, but helps us to see them as they really are.  

Mary could have chosen a thousand fears to magnify.  Rather than allowing her mind to drift to uncertainties and unknowns, she reflected on what she did know.  More importantly, she focused on what knew about God. Her God was:

• “The Mighty One who has done great things for me…” (Luke 1:49)
• Merciful (Luke 1:50)
• The One who “has lifted up the humble…” (Luke 1:52)
• A God who “Has filled the hungry…” (Luke 1:52)
• Faithful to His promises (Luke 1:54)

Mary gives us a great lesson on what to magnify.  When we get unexpected news, what do we magnify? Our circumstances, situations and dilemmas? Or will we magnify the Lord?

This Christmas (and every day afterwards), make God a bigger part of your life.  How would your life be different if you allowed his plans to consume your thinking?  How would your life be different if His presence was the greatest present in your life?

Not many days ago now, we stood together, my friend and I, appraising what God had done, how He’d taken a bit of me and a bit of her and blended it into something better than we could have created alone.  We laughed out loud, with wide grins. We slung our arms around each other’s shoulders and sighed.

“Isn’t God just cool?!” one of us said.  We felt so unified in that moment in fact, that it’s hard to say where her exclamations began and mine ended.

God had given us a shared vision for something that required a measure of faith, and we had put on our mud boots and walked into the flooded river of it together.  This is, of course, the way God has always wanted it to be for his kids. The Bible includes 59 “one anothers;” Jesus prayed that we would be one (John 17:21); and Paul famously wrote that we should live and breathe like one body–the body of Jesus, with all the parts working together for the mutual benefit of the others (1 Corinthians 12).  We were never meant to be Lone Ranger pilgrims. We live in a world hungry for community, and as Jesus people, we’re meant not just to do life together but to commune.

We need not drag our fingers far down the page in Luke 1 to discover what it meant to Mary to learn that her cousin Elizabeth already knew all the edges of miraculous pregnancy.  Luke tells us that after the angel visited the young mother of our Lord and mentioned by way of encouragement that, “even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month (v.36),” Mary “got ready and hurried to Elizabeth (v.39).  Every woman alive understands this reaction.  Mary needed a friend, someone to walk right into the flooded river with her; someone who knew what it meant to be used by God in a way that no one else expected or understood.  Elizabeth knew the walk by faith; and Mary knew Elizabeth would be a trusted confidant with whom she could share both her tired mama stories and her God-sized, God-given dreams for the future.  In a startling, life-wrecking moment, God gave Mary someone who would share her laughter and understand her tears. God gave Mary a partner in the gospel.

From prison, Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now (Philippians 1: 3-5, emphasis mine).  The encouragement of like-minded, vision-sharing friends spurs us on, no matter where our faithful following takes us.  God asks us to walk by faith, to focus on the unseen, to be Kingdom-builders, but He doesn’t ask us to do it alone. In startling, life-wrecking, risky-faith moments, God demonstrates His faithful presence (the with-ness of Jesus, our Immanuel) through the love and support of partners in gospel, our relatives in the faith.

I love the way Elizabeth greets Mary when she arrives, don’t you?  All of Elizabeth’s words are the building-up kind, and they must certainly have blessed every listener.  It’s important to note that Elizabeth’s words in Luke 1 really aren’t Elizabeth’s words.  Verse 41 says that Elizabeth “was filled with the Holy Spirit,” and then out of her mouth in greeting flowed words of life.  “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear!…Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her (v.42-45)”!  I read that and think, “When have I ever offered such eloquent encouragement?”  But Elizabeth didn’t purpose to say those things; she allowed the Spirit to say them through her.  And in Christ, all of us have been filled with the Spirit. We need not wrangle with what to say; we need only to submit to the Spirit and allow Him to speak life-giving words through us.

Advent is a time for celebrating the great blessing of our partnership in the gospel, for looking together at the first coming of Christ and eagerly toward his second coming as KIng.  It’s a time to live out our faith in community.  To that end, let’s let Jesus be Lord of our Advent calendars.  This season, you and I can…

• Make a coffee or lunch date specifically to share faith-filled dreams, hopes, and struggles with a trusted friend.  Mary hurried to Elizabeth.  Block out time for this kind of partnership before it’s gone!
• Plan one “interruptible” day a week and ask the Spirit to reveal the “Marys” in need of “one another” fellowship.  Hide the to-do list; this day is about people!
• Stop the madness for thirty minutes a day and ask, “Whom can I encourage today?”  Send texts; write emails; write notes. Be intentional. Pray before starting and let the Spirit speak life-giving words.

You are loved!

Elysa

When you think of Christmas, what part speaks most to you?  I am drawn to the complete trust that Mary and Joseph had in God.  Imagine being in Mary’s shoes. At the age of perhaps fifteen or sixteen, she is visited by an angel of the Lord and told that because she has found favor with God, the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will conceive and have a son whom she will call Jesus.  Her response in Luke 1:38 is:

“I am the Lord’s servant.  May it be to me as you have said.”

Mary and Joseph were betrothed in a legally binding agreement.  If Mary was found to be pregnant before the wedding, the assumption would be made that Joseph was the father of her child.  If he was not, Joseph would be well within his rights to divorce her. We aren’t told in scripture how her parents reacted to her news, but Matthew records that Joseph did not want to publicly humiliate her and was going to divorce her quietly.  That is, until he had his own visit from an angel telling him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The son that Mary will have will save his people from their sins. This took place to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14:

“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel.”

Both Mary and Joseph knew of God’s promise of a Savior.  In the days leading up to the birth of Jesus, they must have been reminded over and over about God’s character in blessing His people and keeping His promises.   Perhaps, just like other couples awaiting the birth of a child, they sat together and dreamed new dreams, imagined what might be possible, and looked to the future with hope.

In this Advent season, let us follow their example of trusting in God, imagining what might be possible, and looking forward with hope.  It is because of the birth of Jesus that we have hope. He is our Hope!

You are Loved!

Melissa