Advent: Love

When I think about Christmas, I’m overwhelmed with the realization of the depth of God’s love for us. 

 

It was God’s love that promised on the very day of the fall of mankind that He would send a Savior to crush the power of sin and death and redeem mankind. 

 

It was Jesus’ love for the Father and for us that caused Him to leave the throne of Heaven and come to earth to be that Savior. 

 

Even though He faced the hatred of those He came to redeem, Jesus’ love carried Him to the cross. 

 

This was the purpose of the baby in the manger: to fulfill God’s love toward mankind and to bring us back into His loving purposes. 

As I look back on Bethlehem and the love that brought Jesus into this world, I want to also look around me for ways to share that love with others.

 

Luke 6:35

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

 

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

 

John 13:1

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

 

John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

 

John 13:35

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

 

John 14:21

He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.

 

John 14:23

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

 

Advent: Hope

As Christians prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ, church congregations around the world consider four themes: Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.  I like to meditate on what each theme meant to Israel as they awaited their Messiah and what each means to us today as we await the return of Christ. 

 

Hope must have been difficult to cling to as the people waited, generation after generation, for prophesy to be fulfilled.  Sometimes, it seems as that we will never see the fulfillment of God’s promise of a new heaven and a new earth without sin, death or sorrow.

 

As He was faithful to his promises to the children of Israel, He will be faithful to his promises to us.  King David faced challenges worse than we can imagine, yet he held on to hope.  As we look back on the coming of the promised Messiah, let’s remember David’s words and make them our own.

 

Psalm 39:7  “And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.

 

Psalm 62:5  My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.

 

Psalm 71:14  But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.

 

Psalm 119:116  Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

 

Psalm 119:166  I hope for Your salvation, O Lord, And do Your commandments.

 

Psalm 130:5  I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.

 

Psalm 146:5  How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God

Palm Sunday: Right Savior, Wrong Salvation 

During times of personal or societal upheaval, there is a tendency for people to look to God in prayer, and good for us. He is truly our only source of real and lasting hope.

But I want to dig a little deeper to see if there is wisdom below the surface that we’re missing. 

Looking to God for salvation is nothing new. The power of God has been so evident throughout history that even rulers who deny His authority have sought His protection. There is nothing particularly Christian about praying to God to save us from calamity.

In 33 A.D., the Jewish people, God’s chosen people, did more than call on God. They rightly recognized His Son, Jesus, as their long-awaited Messiah, and met Him with Palm branches, their symbol of nationalism and victory, and with cries of “Hosanna! Save us now!” They were ready to crown Him as their King and to follow Him in armed insurrection against the Romans. They were ready for salvation.

Luke 19:29-40
When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners said the them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord has need of it.” They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”

They had the right savior, but they were asking for the wrong salvation.

Jesus was indeed the King who had come in the name of the Lord, but the victory Jesus came to bring at that time was a victory over the bondage of sin and the power of the grave, not over an oppressive government. Tragically, the people’s failure to see the salvation being offered actually cost them salvation on both fronts.

Luke 19:41-44  
When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

God offers His salvation, but He will not force us to live under His protective will.  The life of the unrepentant is the life of the unprotected.

I believe we are repeating the error the people made on “Palm Sunday” all those years ago. I believe we are looking to the right Savior, but we’re asking Him for the wrong salvation.

Jesus rode that donkey into a Jerusalem that was rife with anger. What were the topics that had the people so angry? So ready for revolution? From what did the people want to be saved? From an oppressive government, poverty, class distinctions, injustices, sickness and disease, and more. It’s a terrible list.

During our present period in history, America is rife with anger, and what are the topics that have us so angry? So ready for revolution? The list should look familiar. Governments are limiting the activities of citizens. Families have lost their means of support. Individuals are being segregated into classes labeled “essential’ and “non-essential” and are being idolized or shelved according to those labels. Healthcare and financial aid is being granted in ways that seem unjust. Sickness and disease have taken over the globe. And we cry out for salvation, but from what? From that list? It’s still a terrible list.

To be clear, Jesus does want us to be free from those things, and for His children, that day is coming. But there is something much worse than the items on that list. One problem outweighs them all. Only one source of bondage will follow us beyond the grave. Hunger can’t. Poverty can’t. Injustice can’t. Only sin has the power to hold us in tormented bondage in both this life and the next. And that’s what Jesus came to deal with first.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Romans 6:4-9 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.

Are we reporting to God as an angry mob equipped with pitchforks and torches, ready to help Him rout the enemies of government and societal ills and sickness? Or are we falling before him in broken repentance and in recognition that the real enemy is sin?

Acts 17:30-31 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed on a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed [Jesus], having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

The Resurrection is coming! But while we contemplate Holy Week, let’s not forget what it’s really all about. Let’s not forget our need of a Savior to save us from our sins.

Now that I think about it...

If I had known at almost twenty or almost thirty how many things I would see differently at almost forty, I question whether I would have found it worthwhile to have any opinions or thoughts at all at the time. Come to think of it, in ten years I’ll be almost fifty, and ten years after that I’ll be almost sixty, and I wonder whether I’ll look back then at almost forty and ask the same question.

At any rate, and in honor of my upcoming milestone, I’ve decided to put some thoughts down for posterity. At the moment, these all seem like bits of wisdom—things I know now that I wish I had known then. But who knows if in ten or twenty years, these pearls will be embarrassing reminders of how much I still didn’t know?

Well, risk not, live not. Here I go. Things I’ve come to realize, whether or not they’re true:

1. A husband who is treated as though he is a man worthy of respect and admiration stands a decent chance of becoming a man worthy of respect and admiration.

2. Raising children is the most meaningful work with which a mother can occupy herself.

3. God’s way is always the best way. There are no exceptions. There never were. There never will be. Not even when we think there are.

4. Struggles we label as our “crosses to bear” are often the result of not having lived by #3.

5. No husband can live up to the romantic standard of the fictional characters in books and movies who were edited into their concocted perfection.

6. No fictional character in books or movies can live up to the romantic standard of the God who paints the sky with stars and sunrises and serenades us with breezes and birdsong.

7. Home education is easier to defend biblically than any other form. This is true even if it offends people.

8. Confident, intelligent children get filthy and break things, often on purpose and in the name of research.

9. Motherhood is a profession with its own dress code, skill set and professional development opportunities. And contrary to popular belief, the pay is fantastic.

10. For the Christian mother, losing a child through miscarriage is as sweet as it is bitter. What greater joy can a woman know than to imagine her child in the presence of God Himself who created each one and is the Source of love and protection, and of His Son who held the children in His lap and may be doing so now for all we know?

11. Carpets cannot be cleaned.

12. This list will change.

Sheep: The Dream

(Written on Friday, September 18, 2009. It is a retelling of the dream I had the night before, which began with a Tim Burton-type, dark and distorted, eeriness then...well, I'll let you read for yourself.)
 
I had a dream last night.

  Whether I lived next to the farm house or not, I can’t tell you, but as my dream opened, I approached it's front yard down a gentle, grassy, overgrown slope and through a misty haze. There were sheep in the yard; beautiful, white, playful, young lambs. They were not in the safety of a pen as they should have been, but were playfully hopping about the yard, some wandering aimlessly into the narrow country road.

  Worried for their safety and desiring to guide them to the sheepfold, I tried to get their attention. I called. I waved. I got the attention of one adorable little lamb with large eyes. She walked cautiously toward me. I called gently, but in earnest. Just before reaching me, she turned and sprang away into the road.

  As I made my way quickly through the chilly fog to warn the farmer in his house, I found myself dodging discarded tools and broken farm implements left in the machinery graveyard that was the lawn--the rusting remnants of a brighter past.

  The house itself stood high and narrow, enormous in its leanness. Dark paint peeled from shutters which hung in disrepair. Whether the darkness within was real or an illusion created by the filth which covered the windows, I could not yet tell.

  Entering, I found a very young man, a teenager I think, sitting silent and alone in a parlor. I think he was holding a book. The wallpaper, his shirt and the upholstered chair he sat in were all of a dirty yellow that was somehow both dark and pale. I told him the sheep were out of their pen and wandering into the road. He replied sluggishly that he supposed he should let "them" know.

  I followed curiously as he made his way into the next room. In the deep darkness, I could just make out that, like the room next to it, this was all one dirty color. This time, though, the color was a suffocating, dark and fluid blue. The color seemed to move like water promising to drown me. I wasn't afraid, and I think the blue knew. It was a bedroom, and on the bed was a fat, greasy woman sleeping under an ocean of blue bedding. She moved in her sleep as if she were drifting in a pool. I understood her to always be just as I was seeing her—wallowing in a darkness which swallowed. I knew she had authority over the boy, but her obvious uselessness made me wonder how that could be. Upon waking to my companion's news, she rolled like a whale, looked at me with eyes equally as large as her disdain at being bothered, and told the boy to tell "him."

  We found the farmer at last in a narrow, dirty passageway. He was not old, but lean, wrinkled, leathered and hard. His one upper tooth hung diagonally from behind his lips which I thought unable to smile. His eyes were a beautiful, pale blue, but glassy, as if real observation was not possible. He cursed the sheep and said, "If they die, they die," and went on his way.

  Alone again on the front lawn, I became aware that the fog, while still there, was lifting slowly, and there were small patches of sunny, bright sky taking over. The chill I had felt moving across the long, damp grass just a short time before, was leaving too, as a gentle, warm breeze blew it away. The most amazing change was in the sheep themselves. They were suddenly grown into large, robust, mature adults. No more youthful and aimless, they walked calmly, but with purpose across the road, down a slope and onto a straight, narrow path I had not noticed before, although I had looked at the very spot. The most inexplicable change of all? The sheep were black.

  I stood watching as the sheep left for better pastures they could not yet see, away from the lethargy and darkness of the towering home which contained only shadows of life. My chest filled with admiration for their quiet strength and purpose. As I stood amazed, I wondered why they were now black. Weren't black sheep bad? "No," came the revelation, "but the inhabitants of the farmhouse will never understand."

On Acts Chapter 2 and Daydreams

Imagine the center aisle of your church. Now imagine the center aisle of your church long and filled with runners. Just in front of the platform is a huge banner that reads Finish Line hanging between two brightly-colored poles. Under the banner is a crowd of people waiting, reaching for you, cheering you forward, clapping you on the back and hugging you when you arrive. Picture their faces. You know who they are. Your Sunday school teacher and small group leaders are there, ready to hang medals around your neck. Your pastor. The senior saint who gives you a hug each week. All cheering and celebrating with you. Balloons and confetti join the laughter and applause.

Slowly, things wind down. The cheering turns to happy conversation as the last pieces of confetti flutter to the carpet. The smiling crowd makes its way to the back of the sanctuary and into the foyer. The last person to leave reaches an arm back through the doorway and snaps off the lights as the banner, too, falls gently to the floor. The sanctuary is dark and still.

But you keep watching the platform.

Imagine now the faintest light begins to glow from the back edge of the platform, from behind the place where the banner had hung. As the light grows slowly and steadily brighter, you recognize the form of a man sitting in a chair. He looks like a man, but you realize He is so much more. This is merely a man like Aslan is merely a lion.

"Why didn't they come? I was right here. Waiting. Arms outstretched. But no one came. Why did they stop just short of where I was waiting?"

The wretched thought hits your forehead and stomach all at once. No one finished the race.

The colors, once festive, are garish and gaudy. The memory of medals--dime-store trinkets--sickens and embarrasses you. The path had been disguised, a false goal set up, and no one knew. Not even the ones in charge.

You stand, weak-kneed and heart-sick, and make your way slowly up the few stairs and across the platform. As you approach, you look deeply into the eyes of the Man and know that He can look deeply into you. You sink, curling your feet under you and sit at the feet of the Man. Ready to learn.

Ready to finish the race.

A Lesson on Encouragement from Mary

Luke 1:46-55 "The Magnificat"

And Mary said, "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviorl For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name; And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him. He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered [those who were] proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from [their] thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever."

To be unmarried and pregnant could have meant death for Mary and certainly meant the disdain of her neighbors. We can't prove from scripture that she wasn't afraid or incredibly lonely, but in this passage, we see her doing a couple of things that keep her from drowning emotionally in the negative aspects of her situation.

1. She immediately surrounded herself with people who believed that God's word was true just as it was given.

Luke 1:38-45
And Mary said [to Gabriel], "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of our womb! And how has it [happened] to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of our greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed [is] she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."

Luke 1:56

And Mary stayed with her [Elizabeth] about three months, and [then] returned home.

2. She focused on the immediate positives as they related to her personally.

Luke 1:46-48a (Part b is coming in a minute.)

And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, for He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave…"

3. She focused on the long-term positives as they related to her personally.

Luke 1:48b (there it is)-49

For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name."

4. She focused on the big picture--God's justice and plan for the redemption of Israel.

Luke 1:50-55

"And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him. He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered [those who were] proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from [their] thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever."

When I'm going through a tough time, I need to remember this lesson from Mary. I need to surround myself with people who believe and depend on the inerrancy of God's written word and that it means just what it says. I need to remember that God has good things in store for me personally when I yield myself up to be His servant. And I need to be humbled and honored that God has chosen to write me into His story.