Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Giving Is Part of a Believer's DNA

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Sunday, December 13, 2015 5:05 PM

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Christians are givers not takers. Those who’ve genuinely experienced the life rescuing grace of God have been turned from selfish grabbers to selfless gifters. God has built it into the DNA of His children to be generous, that’s what grace does to a person! Notice how Paul uses the believers in Macedonia to prove this point:
“We want you to know brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” (2 Corinthians 8:1-2, emphasis added).
Even though affliction was their experience, generosity was their expression. The specific affliction they were suffering (at least one of them) was their poverty. The fountainhead of this generosity is God’s grace. Grace received responds in a like manner…it offers whatever we have to others. We are not the judge and jury of another’s need; their need is between them and the Lord. When we are made aware of a genuine need we don’t respond by looking at our needs and comparing to see if we are in a worse condition. The Christians in Macedonia were in the worst financial condition of all the churches under Paul’s care, but they were the ones who responded most generously.
The Christmas season is simply a trigger or platform for believers to give in specific and generous ways. We have families in our church who are in need financially. All you have to do is keep your ears and hearts open and you will see what I mean. I want to challenge you to give to those you believe are in need. You can do this anonymously by sending a gift through the church and simply designating it to the family in need.
There, I’ve given you a practical way you can express generosity even if you’re experiencing hostility. No matter the condition of your circumstances, they should never dictate the direction of your heart. God bless you as you give to others for the cause of the kingdom of God.
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Our Hope Is Anchored in God's Steadfast Love

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Wednesday, December 09, 2015 9:57 AM

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By the end of this week the turkey will be a history, the family gathered around telling funny stories from years passed will be a pleasant memory, Christmas music will be cranked up 24/7, the Christmas tree will be half decorated, and shopping will just have begun! Oh the joys this week signals. It is perhaps my favorite time of year because of all that it reminds me of: Jesus, family and hope.
The world we live in is pretty messed up, but it is not without its redeeming qualities. The world God created is a wonderful place to live, and everyday we look around we can find cause for rejoicing and even some hope. However, if all we ever do is look to the surrounding culture to give us hope then we would ultimately without hope. The hope that is offered “out there” is temporary at best and deceiving at worst. But if we allow this season of the year to remind us of the hope God offers then everything can change around us.
“O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption” (Psalm 130:7).
This instruction to Israel to place their hope in God is not a misplaced hope and is a promise that still holds true today. Turning to the Lord replaces hopelessness with hope because in the Lord we find steadfast love and redemption. The hope that comes from God is redemption and redemption radically changes everything.
So let the mistletoe, tinsel, music of the season, trips to the mall, the smell of cookies baking, and Christmas parties remind you of the hope God has given to us through Jesus Christ. Hope is what we all look for and hope is found in Jesus.
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Don't Fall for the Shadow of Christmas - Go for the Substance!

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014 3:33 PM

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Christmas is that time of year that can be an opportunity for a blessing or it can be an opportunity for pain. The choice is up to us. Let me take a run at this in reverse order.
This time of ear can be filled with a great deal of pain if we focus on the shadows of the season. Have you ever tried to hug a shadow? Have you ever had a meaningful conversation with a shadow? If you have, well that’s a problem for another day. Shadows will leave us feeling empty and disappointed. Shadows show us that something of substance is present, but it is foolish to be satisfied with the shadow when we know the substance casting the shadow is much better. The shadows of Christmas are the decorations, the movies, the presents under the tree, the parties, the shopping, the traditions, etc. All of these are good and they are things that create an atmosphere of fun. We should be involved with these things, but we should be enjoying them knowing that they fall short of the real thing.
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17 ESV)
The substance of Christmas, and of everything, is Jesus. He is the reality of everything we experience during Christmas. Jesus is the opportunity for blessing and genuine joy during Christmas. Behind every song, decoration, sermon, poem, party, parade, and present stands the true meaning of Christmas – Jesus Christ. Since He is the focus then He should be the centerpiece of all that we do. He truly is worthy of all the attention, and He deserves it all year long.
So let’s treat Christmas as a trigger to remind us about how amazing God is to show up and rescue us.
Merry Christmas,
Scott

Prophet, Priest & King All Rolled into ONE!

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Tuesday, December 09, 2014 2:56 PM

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Christmas is definitely a time to think seriously about the three-fold office of Jesus Christ. The Bible describes the Savior as a prophet, priest and king.
As a prophet Jesus stands between man and God representing God to us; He reveals God to us so clearly that our ignorance can be overcome.
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers – it is to him you shall listen – (Deuteronomy 18:15)
Moses is referring to the promised Messiah, and because Peter uses this passage (under the direction of the Holy Spirit) to refer to Jesus it is speaking of Christ (Acts 3:22-23).
As a priest Jesus gives Himself on behalf of sinful people to the Father; He offers Himself to wipe out the guilt we carry around every day.
“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind; you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)
The author of Hebrews applies this psalm to Jesus Christ (Hebrews 6:20).
As a king Jesus holds out His ruling scepter of hope that He will one day completely destroy the tyranny of sin. The book of Numbers is an odd place to find a prophecy about Christmas and Balaam is an interesting prophet because he’s a bit of a rascal, but in spite of that God uses him. Balaam is hired by the king of Moab to prophesy against Israel. Keeping in mind that the king of Moab actually paid for this, here’s what he prophesies
“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.” (Numbers 24:17)
The king of Moab is asking the prophet what he sees and his answer is not exactly what the king hoped for, he didn’t get his money’s worth. He tells him he sees a king coming from the tribe of Jacob who will crush him, the King of Moab, and annihilate the sons of Sheth.
Here’s what happening. God is taking the promise He made with Adam and Eve, the covenant He made with Abraham, the covenant He made with David and He’s joining them together to be one in the same. So the promise made in Genesis 3 and Genesis 12 carries on into the promises made in Numbers, Psalms and Deuteronomy.
The Old Testament treats those three offices separately, however what we see in Jesus Christ is a brining together of all three offices. He is the prophet who speaks the true words of God to us, He is the priest who atones for our sins and He is the king who rules over everything.
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Givers vs. Takers

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Tuesday, December 02, 2014 9:53 AM

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The loudest voices I seem to hear this time of year is about what we can get out of the season. Children are wondering if they are going to get what they’ve been asking for, for the last three months. And moms and dads, we’re wondering if the people in our lives have been paying any attention to the litany of hints we’ve been putting out there about what we want for Christmas. But I just kind of wonder…is this really what Christmas is all about – you know, the decorations, presents, songs, parties, etc.? All these things are nice and we certainly can have some fun with them, but we have to keep in mind that they are all shadows that should point us to the true substance of Christmas: Jesus Christ. And what was Jesus about? The answer to that question would take more space that I have time for, but as I reflect on Christmas I’m thinking that the answer, at least in part, is giving. Jesus came into this world to give Himself for the glory of the Father and the salvation of humanity.
From this we can surmise that believers should follow suit. We are in this world to give. God saved us to give our lives for His glory and for the good of other people. You see, when we got rescued from Satan, evil and death, God also saved us from selfishness. This salvation changed everything. Paul said it best:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)
God created His children to be givers, not takers. It is truly not in our new nature to hoard all the stuff of this world, but to give to others willingly, freely, enthusiastically and joyfully. But a problem enters and interrupts this ethic when we listen to the world’s voices and make selfish choices. Now we think Christmas is all about what we can get and not what we can give; and Christmas is just a small snapshot of how we tend to live the rest of the year. I struggle with this, don’t you?
So, I want to encourage all our hearts to think a little differently. Let’s trying to put giving at the top of our lists instead of our wants. Here are some great giving opportunities to prime the pump:
  • Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (Missions): our goal is $2,000
  • Student Food Pantry Ministry: this month’s list includes sugar, flour, soup, pasta, salt, pepper, canned goods, cereal, grits and oatmeal (who doesn’t love oatmeal!)
  • Archibald Rutledge Apartments (http://www.shasc.org/cornucopia-of-giving/): their list includes: detergent, dishes, glassware sets, food storage containers, inexpensive appliances, cooking utensils, pots and pans, and clothing
  • Paying down the principle on our loan: we owe $350,000…wouldn’t it be great to have available the $33,000 we spend each year on this loan for other mission projects?
Let’s end 2014 and begin 2015 giving, not taking!
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Advent Conspiracy - Give More!

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Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:25 PM

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Why are we amazed at generosity? One of the reasons we are so moved by generosity is because we are wired to be generous. God created us to be givers, and deep down we know that generosity is right. We are meant to live and interact with one another on a level of giving, not taking.
From last week article I don’t want you to think of me as Pastor Grinch who stole Christmas by encouraging you to rebel against the economic empire of more. I certainly don’t want to turn you into Scrooge. I want us to give but give differently. It is an absolute joy to give; giving is a blessing. I want us to enjoy giving because we’ve been made by God to be givers.
Our giving should reflect the indescribable gift we’ve been given by God. God gave us the gift of His Son.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1)
That is God’s artistic was of describing God. He is simply saying that Jesus was God. Before there was anything there was Jesus. This reminds us that Jesus is eternal.
“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3)
The stars are here because of Jesus; the trees are here because of Jesus; Fido and Flumpy are here because of Jesus; we are here because of Jesus.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
John is telling us that this incomprehensible and eternal Christ stepped out of heave and came here. He entered the story of our lives. You know what’s amazing about this? Jesus actually knew what He was doing. He knew what was going to happen. He knew the conclusion of His life. He knew He would end up on the cross. That is a gift that is so generous and so sacrificial that there is no other gift like it. This is the gift of presence.
If we are going to celebrate and honor Jesus this Christmas then we need to take our cue for giving from Him; we are going to need to follow His example. Our giving should reflect what God has given us. Here are just a couple of ideas:
First, we need to give specifically where people have need (Matthew 25:35-36, 40). If we want to love the way He loved then we need to give to the least of these which means to meet people’s real needs. Don’t give what we want, give what they need.
Second, give something personal (John 1:14). Think about it this way – God spoke this world into existence. To meet our deepest need, which is spiritual, He could have spoken, but He didn’t – HE SHOWED UP! The story of Christmas is that God came in close. Maybe this year we can give gifts that grow our relationships deeper. Giving this type of gift takes some thought. Here’s a kick-start for us: give the gift of presence, not presents. We have to think about it and we’re going to have to give our time.
Spend Less…Give More,
Scott

Advent Conspiracy - Spend Less!

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Tuesday, November 11, 2014 3:51 PM

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Okay, 43 days, 4 hours, and 2 minutes until Christmas! So this week I’m going write about the second pillar of the Advent Conspiracy – SPEND LESS! Now for some of you that sounds like good news from a far country, like cold water to a thirsty soul, or, as Southerners would prefer it, like a tall glass of sweet tea on a hot day! For others, meh, it’s bad news because either we like spending money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like, or because we like people spending lots of money on us…yes, I’m being a little snarky there. But here goes…
We need to learn to resist the empire of consumerism, and resisting this empire is going to take intentionality and strategy. You see, the empire of this world demands our allegiance at the risk of our souls.
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36 ESV, Jesus)
Let me give you a taste of the empire we’re up against. Some of the hottest Christmas toys through the years: Mr. Potato Head (1952), Pet Rock (1975), Atari (1979), Cabbage Patch Dolls (1983), Game Boy (1991), Tickle Me Elmo (1996), Playstation 3 (2006), and Zhu Zhu Pets (2009). I wonder what it will be this year? What will be that one thing people need, can’t live without, and will go to any extreme to obtain even if it means they can’t afford it?
We live in a kingdom of gold and glitz. It is an empire of power, wealth, and materialism. How do we successfully resist this empire of our day? I believe the storyline of the Bible gives us the answer we are seeking. Our only hope of resisting the empire of spending more is the power of the gospel. What transformed and rescued us in the first place is what transforms and rescues us today.
Jesus entered the human scene during the time of Herod the Great. He was ruthless, wealthy, thirsty to conquer, and insecure (he killed his own family members because he felt threatened by them). Herod was more interested in saving his empire than he was in saving his soul. When the news of Jesus’ birth hit Herod the Great’s ears the Bible records that he was “troubled.” This means that he was thoroughly agitated, greatly distressed, and highly anxious. And when Herod wasn’t happy, nobody was allowed to be happy.
At this point Herod went on the attack. Because he felt threatened by a child born into poverty, he ordered the slaughter of all the baby boys in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16-18). He was not about to be outdone by some would-be poor, baby king born in an animal stall. He was going to squash the competition.
However, the empire will not threaten God’s purposes. He subverted Herod’s plan and power by waking Joseph in a dream. God’s plan of rescue through redemption will not be threatened by another kingdom (Matthew 2:13-15).
The power of the gospel is our only hope to resist the empire of today. We must intentionally plan ahead to spend less. We can’t wait until we get to the mall. Don’t go into debt to the empire of cultural consumerism; it only leads to a deeper bondage into the empire. If we rebel against the day of extravagant spending we need to be prepared for an attack. This attack may come from friends or family or even brothers and sisters in Christ, but resolve to spend less to give more. And that’s next week. And now we have only 43 days, 3 hours, and 15 minutes!
Grace & Peace,
Scott

The Advent Conspiracy - Worship Fully

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Monday, November 03, 2014 10:32 AM

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As I write this there are just 51 days, 14 hours and 34 minutes until Christmas. That means that most of our shopping will be done in the next 30 days (give or take). Yes, Christmas is exciting, magical, wonderful, heartwarming, loving, and whatever adjective you can think of to describe this time of year. With that in mind, I wanted to get a good jump on the Christmas rush with a challenge I’ve been pushing for the last four years – Advent Conspiracy. Some of you may be new to this and so, for the sake of clarity I want to give you a brief synopsis of what this means…
The Advent Conspiracy is an idea a friend of mine in Illinois told me about (you can see more about it at www.adventconspiracy.org). The idea is that we take back Christmas from consumerism. It is simply a conspiracy among believers to recapture a true celebration of Christmas in the midst of a culture that is clamoring for more stuff while giving less of themselves to each other. The conspiracy can be summed up in four succinct tenets:

·      Worship Fully
·      Spend Less
·      Give More
·      Love All
Worshipping fully is about getting back to the true message of Christmas:
“This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.” (1 John 4:10 The Message)
Christmas should be a time of getting caught up in the story – His story. We’ve messed everything up with our sin. Just take a look around during the holidays and see how many people are fighting, depressed and stressed. This just proves that we need someone to step in and rescue us; we need a hero; His name is Jesus. Jesus came into our story to change our story from tragedy to triumph, from doom to redemption. God’s amazing grace changes everything in our lives and that is what should capture our attention during Christmas. This knowledge transforms us from spenders to worshippers. God rescues us to create a worshiping throng. This is what happened to the shepherds and what should happen to us.
“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20 ESV)
And now we have even less time before Christmas!
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Christmas Giving Reminder

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Monday, October 07, 2013 10:47 AM

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As I write this there are only 78 days, 13 hours, 56 minutes, and 18 seconds until Christmas! In the grand scheme of things that is not much time. These “countdowns” for Christmas are everywhere, and as you well know usually the Christmas decorations are up in the stores before the Halloween candy turns moldy. Now that I have you thinking about Christmas I want to encourage you to think about others with your giving. Certainly don’t forget about your family and some of your friends, but I’m talking about not forgetting about those who struggle just to feed themselves.
We will have giving opportunities surface all around us and I understand we need to be selective, but that’s my point: please select and give outside your family and friends. I actually think we should rebel against the office party white elephant giving or the Sunday school gift exchange or the secret Santa rigmarole. Let’s refuse to get caught up in the giving frenzy that is so often flavored by selfishness and greed. Do you really need another Christmas tie that plays music and lights up? Let’s use this money spent on the frivolous and be a blessing to someone outside our walls and maybe even our country.
I am issuing a challenge to all of us to intentionally sit down with our families and plan some of our Christmas giving ahead of time.
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
So with that in mind let me present some options:
1.            Upstate Family Resource Center. This is a local organization that is helping families in the upstate. They provide some great services to families in need.
2.            Greater Spartanburg Ministries. Here is another local ministry that we already partner with as a corporate body. Due to their location they are able to meet needs of people who are facing extreme poverty.
3.            Nicaragua Mission Team. This team will be leaving November 16. All of the money given to them will go directly to helping and ministering to the Nicaraguans. Their projects will include family food packs that will feed a family for a week ($5 each), family survival packs that gives a family sustainable goods including livestock, tools and feed ($100 each), and feeding stations ($800 each).
4.            Operation Christmas Child. Our goal this year is 250 shoeboxes. This giving opportunity gets us out shopping and not just writing a check. It is so cool to be able to pack these boxes with toys and candy and toothbrushes and soap and whatever. This involves time and that is another gift we can give to needy children all over the world.
Each of these is a giving opportunity to express love so that a bridge can be built. Once the bridges are built then gospel conversations can take place. You see it all starts with love and love gives! We cannot say that we love without giving.
Now we have just 78 days, 13 hours, 29 minutes, and 12 seconds before Christmas. What will you do this year to show love?
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Christmas Gatherings

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Monday, December 17, 2012 3:42 PM

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We are on the brink of another Christmas. At this point if your shopping is not done you’re out of luck. Sorry, but that’s reality. It’s going to be tough on those of you with little ones. The next couple of nights bedtime is going to turn into an epic battle, and I hope you are ready to get up at 5 am on Christmas morning. Oh don’t I paint a bleak picture. No, not really. These are great times. They are times of gatherings.

Family Gatherings. We need to cherish every time we get our family together. In a flash those babies will be walking down the isle, graduating from high school. Our family is a gift from God. Let me encourage you to stop from the hustle and bustle and enjoy those who call your place “home.” Barb and I have a wall hanging in our home that reads: Home Is Where Your Story Begins.

Church Gatherings. These are precious times for us. We gather for the purpose of worshipping the King of Kings. We strive to honor the One who split human history at His birth. This is Jesus, the God-man who came to live with us and sacrifice Himself for our redemption.

Our gathering last Sunday night was special. The choir did a beautiful job, right? And the children, oh what a blessing it was to see and hear the kids. I’m so thankful for the leadership and the sacrifice of everyone involved to lead us to worship.

The Final Gathering. This is what believers ultimately long for. For some this gathering holds more meaning because of the deposit you’ve made of a loved one. Because of their faith you know they are on the golden shores. They have experienced what all believers desperately long to experience – worshipping Jesus face-to-face.

Our hearts are heavy for those who’ve lost, but we rejoice with you in the knowledge that God’s grace receives them into His embrace. This is a tough time for many we know, and now a very difficult Christmas for the parents and families of those who lost someone in Newtown, CT. The peace we long for now is a peace found by those who died in Christ.

I just wanted to encourage you with these thoughts. Enjoy your gatherings this Christmas season. Hug your family long and hard, worship the King, and share some sweet memories of those you’ve loved and given back to Jesus.

Merry Christmas,
Scott

Overspending Is Dangerous

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Thursday, December 13, 2012 9:15 AM

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Honestly, what do we really need? What can’t we do without? I want to engage your imagination and I hope doing that will illustrate the point I’m trying to make…

Imagine you’re in a burning building…what would you save? Let me add an element to this. Imagine you are in a burning building and you had to make a choice between someone’s life and Rembrandt’s “Portrait of a man, half-length, with his arms akimbo” worth $32 million, what would you save? No question, we’d choose the person’s life every time.

The reason? I believe we ultimately value people above possessions. The problem? We have a tendency to value lesser things in everyday life when the choices we make are not life and death. We don’t think we’re sacrificing our family over stuff when we choose to overspend. It just doesn’t register in our minds that we’re doing anybody any harm when we bow to the altar of “more.” But the truth is we are doing great harm to our relationships every time we do this.

I love what Joseph did when he was warned that his new baby was in danger. At this point in the Christmas story Jesus is a toddler, and King Herod is looking for this revolutionary with a pacifier, hard on the heels of the would-be king of the Jews in a diaper. An angel comes to Joseph and tells him to get out of town. The Bible records this young father’s response:

            And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt. (Matthew 2:14)

He got out of Dodge. Why? Joseph did this because he knew that little baby meant a whole lot more than his security in Bethlehem. And remember, Bethlehem was Joseph’s hometown. He was comfortable with his familiar surroundings, but his family was more important than his comfort. He made a decision to get them out of danger.

Are we not putting our lives in danger when we give into the Empire of Greed? Are we not teaching our children and friends that their soul can only find satisfaction with things when we dive into the pool of hyper consumption? This is something with which we all must wrestle. I just want to encourage each of us to shift our focus at least a little. When it comes time to spend and give, and there is great joy in giving and receiving, think along the lines of how that gift is going to build your relationship. With some creative thinking I believe we will begin to walk away from the danger of overspending this Christmas.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Jesus Came & Declared War on Sin

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Wednesday, December 05, 2012 11:48 AM

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Got a question for you: “Have you been doing Advent?” By that I simply mean have you been able to focus time and energy on the true meaning of the coming of Jesus? Before the stores and parties and concerts and gathers highjack our time I think it’s necessary for us to reflect on what the Advent of Jesus means.

Celebrating the coming of Jesus cannot become just another opportunity to spend money, go to parties, and have a Christmas musical. Let me be clear: I’m not against any of the festivities and traditions of Christmas, but I don’t want the true meaning of Christmas to be completely ignored either.

Jesus came into this world on purpose; God gave us the gift of His Son for a reason. Throughout Scripture we find that purpose laid out. This week I’d like to draw our attention to one of those Scriptures and unwrap at least part of the reason Jesus came.

            You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. (1 John 3:5)

            …The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

And there you have it – in part at least. Jesus came (“appeared”) to deal with sin.

Sin is what destroyed the beautiful relationship God intended for us to have with Him. Sin is debilitating relationally. God has always known that we would be powerless to change our human condition no matter how hard we try. Amazingly He was not satisfied to leave us in that sinful condition.

God in His wisdom and mercy acted by giving His Son to remove (“take away”) sin. It is through believing and trusting that Jesus came, lived a sinless life, was publicly executed on a cross, rose from the dead, and is coming back that we will receive forgiveness and relational rightness with God.

Jesus effectively dealt with the problem of sin by destroying it. The only way sin could be removed from our lives and the works of Satan destroyed was by Jesus facing them head on at the cross. The cross makes a difference in our lives that will last for eternity.

Jesus was born for this battle. His purpose was to go to war against sin and the devil. Ultimately that cosmic fight took place at Calvary. The good news is that Jesus won!

And so, part of our reflection during Advent season is to remember that it is about a child who came to save us in a battle we couldn’t win, but He could. In a sense, those first cries 2000 years ago from the Village of Bethlehem were battle cries declared against sin and the devil.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Be Intentional About the Christmas Story

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012 5:08 PM

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Christmas is upon us once again. This is a most exciting and wonderful time of year. I find it fascinating that right in the middle of the most commercially charged time of year, where consumption reigns as king, God has placed a loud and clear reminder of what Christmas is all about: the coming of Jesus! At what other time of year will you hear people singing about the birth of the Messiah? When will our neighbors be more open to us sharing the gospel?

We have all sorts of Christmas pointers that surround us during the next four weeks…

·      Music
·      Decorations
·      Special Church Services
·      Movies
·      Parades

A concentrated focus on Christ during this time is not automatic, we must prepare ourselves personally, our family, and our community to sit up and take notice of the God-intended meaning of Christmas. Just how do we prepare? We need to begin through spending intimate time with God in the Bible and in prayer. Luke 2, Matthew 1-2, Isaiah 9 and Jeremiah 23 are good places to mediate on the birth of Jesus. After you’ve gotten yourself there, get your family to these Scriptures. Read them together, talk about them, and pray.

These are also great passages to memorize so we can pull them up at any time. With that in mind I am issuing another memory challenge: memorize the following verses during the Christmas season…

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. (Isaiah 9:2)

4In him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

8The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

12…To all who receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:4-5, 8, 12)

Begin today and memorize one each week. By the time Christmas rolls around we will have them hidden in our lives and maybe God will open up a door for us to share the true meaning of Christmas through these simple but profound verses.

Every year we have a golden opportunity from God to point others to the Savior. It is during this time of year when people are more open to the gospel than any other, and point we must.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Christmas Is the Path of Glory

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Tuesday, December 13, 2011 9:47 AM

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A couple weeks ago our son, Ben, sang This Is War written by Dustin Kensrue. This song rings a bell not heard very often at Christmas, but its message is so true that it needs to be heard over and over again.

This is war like you ain't seen.
This winter's long, it's cold and mean.
With hangdog hears we stood condemned,
But the tide turns now at Bethlehem.

This is war and born tonight,
The Word as flesh, the Lord of Light,
The Son of God, the low-born king;
Who demons fear, of whom angels sing.

This is war on sin and death,
The dark will take its final breath.
It shakes the earth, confounds all plans;
The mystery of God as man.

We readily sing songs that bring us joy and happiness, songs that celebrate the coming of the King, and this is right that we do. But we must remember that the occasion of the birth of Jesus that causes us much celebration is also one that caused Him much pain. His birth was the result of difficult choices. God the Father made the difficult choice of sending His Son. Jesus the Son made the difficult choice of leaving the glorious majesty of His Father to be born a human. The immortal God took on mortal flesh. He became like one of us!

Jesus spoke of His death as the hour He would be glorified, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). And just a few verses later He stated that He came for the very purpose of His death so He could glorify His Father (“But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name” [vv. 27-28]). The cross was the path for His own glory and the glory of His Father.

So even though it was a path of great pain, ultimately it lead to unadulterated joy as Jesus returned to the Father, and so He will forever be enthroned!

Jesus’ difficult choice leads me to the conclusion that our lives are going to be full of difficult, but necessary, choices. The path of our King will be the road we will travel as well. So as we celebrate Christmas this year let’s certainly celebrate, but let’s also not forget what lies ahead.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

A Biblical Christmas

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Monday, November 28, 2011 4:26 PM

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Shopping lists, parties, parades, groceries, stocking stuffers, trips to the mall, Christmas cookies, caroling, TV specials, and on and on the Christmas list of "things I've got to do" goes. But what is missing in all of this is Jesus. How many times have we come to the end of the Christmas season and said, "Next year is going to be different. Next year I'm not going to focus so much attention on stuff and getting stuffed, but I'm going to really, really celebrate Christmas as a time of focusing on the birth of Jesus"? Well, this is the reminder to make this year the year that we do exactly that! Before we get caught up in the nonsense of commercial Christmas let's get caught up in the real sense of a biblical Christmas. How do we do that? Glad you asked...here's what I'm thinking -

First, get a Scriptural focus. We begin where the story begins - in the Bible. Everyday make it a habit of getting into the Bible and rediscovering the authentic Christmas story. Read the prophets in the Old Testament to get their perspective on the Messiah promised from God to Israel who would deliver them not from the oppression of a government but from the oppression of their own sin. Meditate on passages such as Isaiah 7 and 9, Micah 5:2, Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53.

Next, let the joy of the birth of Jesus capture your attention. Imagine yourself a shepherd on the night the angel announced the good news of great joy. Allow your voice to sing praise to the majesty and glory of God for the gift of His presence in the person of His Son. Let your mind dwell on Luke 2.

But don't leave Jesus as a baby. It is essential that we get caught up in the whole storyline of the Savior. Our redemption wasn't accomplished in a feed trough in Bethlehem; it was done on a cross outside the city of Jerusalem. Read the gospel accounts of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Remember, and store in your heart, that He did this to reveal the Father to us.

Don't raise our generation of kids thinking that Christmas is about them and what "stuff" they get. Raise them to know the meaning of Christmas is the gospel of redemption for the glory of God!

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Presents vs Presence

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Monday, December 13, 2010 11:27 AM

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What will alter the way we think about Christmas? What will change our mindset from "presents" to "presence."

I don't think it's too far of a stretch to believe that we get it--that we get it's not about getting, it's about giving. The older I get the more I come to appreciate and live this out. When Barb and I became parents it was a wonderful experience to wake up on Christmas morning and watch each of our kids open their presents. (I am so thankful for video cameras!)

But I think we need to take this a step further. I believe we need to fully examine Scripture and let the Holy Spirit teach us lessons about Christmas that will strip away the lessons we've learned from the empire of cultural consumerism. Think about this: What if we began cutting back on presents in order to spend more time with each other? The danger of modern Christmas shopping is getting caught up in the mood of buying stuff we can't afford. I didn't say we couldn't buy it--plastic money makes it possible to buy almost anything--we just have to pay for it latter. And just how do we pay for something later we couldn't afford in the first place? Businesses call it overtime. We buy things we don't need at prices we can't afford to satisfy a longing that is only fleeting. And come January, when we get the invoice in the mail, we discover that we have to work extra hours to make ends meet. The extra hours we work cheats our family out of the time we should be spending with them. Nobody really wins.

The biblical record of God's gift was the gift of Himself. He didn't give something that would rust, fade or go out of style; no, God gave us His eternal Son whose birth would change the world forever! I believe Christmas can still change lives. I also believe we go about celebrating Christmas wrong. I realize accomplishing this is difficult and that is why I propose we go about it slowly, but intentionally. Start small this year and let it grow as the years pass.

I wish all of you reading this a Merry Christmas. My hope and prayer is that you find peace and contentment through the gift God gave.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Getting Caught Up in the Story of Christmas!

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Wednesday, December 08, 2010 11:17 AM

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I have a sneaking suspicion that we all love a happy ending. Most, if not all, the stories of Christmas have the ending we expect. Hallmark seems to have the corner on this market; they know how to spin a Christmas story in such a way to make us glad the lights are turned off so the rest of the family can't see the tears in our eyes...it touches us in all the right places. Hallmark has eight new Christmas movies for 2010:

  • The Night Before, The Night Before Christmas
  • The Town Christmas Forgot
  • Call Me Mrs. Miracle
  • November Christmas
  • Farewell, Mr. Kringle
  • An Old-Fashioned Christmas
  • The Santa Incident
  • Three Wise Women
The other night we watched November Christmas, and let me say you ought to watch it!

The story line of Christ's birth recorded in God's Word has all the elements to bring tears to our eyes. The problem is that we have become so familiar with it that it no longer touches us. It is the birth of the King of kings that leads to the tragedy of the cross that leads to the triumphant and glorious resurrection that eventually leads to His return to set things right in the world. Ultimately the true Christmas story has a happy ending for believers and we should celebrate this, especially this time of year.

To sincerely celebrate the birth of Jesus we must get caught up in the story; we must lose ourselves in the plot of God as He unfolds it through Scripture and in our lives. Take Jesus' birth personally because that is the way it is intended. Jesus came personally to put on display the glories of His Father. Part of this display is believers. We read in Ephesians 1:4-6,

In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.

The purpose of our adoption into God's family is to "the praise of his glorious grace." This is, at least in part, the happy ending for which we are looking. It is the ending that should bring tears to our eyes because the Hero (Jesus) has triumphed over what was killing us (sin and Satan). Here is the reason we can joyfully sing His praises this Christmas.

Grace & Peace,
Scott
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