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"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! SEASON'S GREETINGS! HOLIDAY WISHES! You've heard it all before, beloved, and if anything it becomes more pronounced with each passing year. Those 'PC' blues! Trying our best not to offend or put anyone off because of their religious beliefs or lack thereof. As a result, Christmas has become a sterile, surface-only, secular celebration.
Would you like to really enjoy this year a not so 'PC' Christmas? Would you like to get back on track and genuinely celebrate CHRISTmas? If you would, then all you need to do is to reflect with me on the prophetic words of Isaiah spoken hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Note first here the manner of His coming. The promise that "a child will be born to us" emphasizes His incarnation and reminds us that God has given to us in Him the Son of Man. He laughs with us, cries with us, hurts with us, but most of all has died for us as He has taken our sins upon Himself.
But Isaiah also declared that "a son will be given to us." This promise emphasizes His divinity as surely as the word "born" emphasizes His humanity. Thus, the Son of God became the Son of Man by becoming "Immanuel" - God with us!
The prophet then went on to say that "the government shall rest upon His shoulders." Hear the word "government" and instantly an institution comes to mind. The Hebrew word here however actually means "a governing" and refers not to a national governmental structure but rather to His Lordship over the lives of men. Isaiah was promising to us that with His coming we would receive our own King of Kings. Every detail of our individual lives lies in His hands.
And what of the specific ministry of His coming? Isaiah told us that He would be called "Wonderful Counselor." He is the One to whom we can turn for direction for life's living. This Christmas child would have all the answers for all the questions that pluck at the strings of our hearts. He would be able to show us the direction in which our lives should go.
The prophet said also of Him that He will be "Mighty God." The Hebrew word here means "strong" in the sense of the One who gains the ultimate victory. So as the Wonderful Counselor He gives us the direction we are to go, as the Mighty God He gives us the power to go in that direction.
But Jesus is also to us the "Eternal Father." In that role He provides us with assurance about life's living. His kingdom within us is an unending one, so there is never a need for us to fear for our future. The Christmas child makes possible for us an eternal relationship with the Father.
Finally, He comes to us as "Prince of Peace." Because of Him we have first of all peace with God. And then we also are enabled to be at peace with ourselves. And when we are at peace with God and with ourselves, we should always be at peace with our circumstances no matter what they might be.
There you have it, beloved, the makings of a genuine not so 'PC' Christmas! It is after all the real Christmas message and it's about time we took it back from the Grinch that is stealing it from us. Merry CHRISTmas to each and every one of you!
Ron
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Yesterday I Met Santa Claus
"But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31)
Yesterday I met Santa Claus, beloved. It's true! I was walking down the hallway at church prior to the very special and inspiring morning worship service. I ducked into one of the classrooms and there he sat chilling out: Santa Claus! Or rather one of our fine young men dressed up in an enormous, pillow-stuffed Santa suit complete with snow-white wig and snowy beard with rimless glasses. That he took me by surprise is an understatement!
You see, yesterday morning we were all privileged to be led in worship by our young people as they presented their annual Christmas play, this one appropriately entitled: "That's What Christmas Is All About" and written by one of our fine young college-and-career men. Fantastic! As the play pointed out so well to all of those present, including the visiting parents and family members and friends who joined our regular members, we often miss the message concerning what Christmas is really all about. How unique that Santa should be present in our service of worship, not only to share in it but to try to explain that he is not the focal point of Christmas. By the way, one look at our Santa doing his best to stay in his enormous pillow-packed trousers as he made his way down the aisle and your day would have been made just by the sight.
At the end of this precious dramatic presentation I had the distinct privilege of stepping "on stage" to interact with the characters and to share with them and all others in attendance what God says that Christmas is really all about. I chose to focus upon the name "Immanuel" or God with us. That God would choose to come to us, beloved, and out of His limitless love and grace to die for us so that as we put our trust in Jesus Christ we will have Him with us is truly what Christmas is all about. Lose that truth and you lose Christmas, at least in any way that really matters.
So yesterday I met Santa Claus...at church! And the memory of that moment and of that entire gospel presentation will always be special to me. But far more important for me, and for each of you as well, is that one day long ago I met the babe of Bethlehem who became instantly my Savior and Lord. That meeting transformed my life just as it can transform yours if for whatever reason you do not yet know Him personally. Anyone can meet Santa, beloved. I am living proof of that. But to meet the Christ of Christmas, now that is what life is all about! Want to meet Him? I'd love to introduce Him to you.
Ron
Yesterday I met Santa Claus, beloved. It's true! I was walking down the hallway at church prior to the very special and inspiring morning worship service. I ducked into one of the classrooms and there he sat chilling out: Santa Claus! Or rather one of our fine young men dressed up in an enormous, pillow-stuffed Santa suit complete with snow-white wig and snowy beard with rimless glasses. That he took me by surprise is an understatement!
You see, yesterday morning we were all privileged to be led in worship by our young people as they presented their annual Christmas play, this one appropriately entitled: "That's What Christmas Is All About" and written by one of our fine young college-and-career men. Fantastic! As the play pointed out so well to all of those present, including the visiting parents and family members and friends who joined our regular members, we often miss the message concerning what Christmas is really all about. How unique that Santa should be present in our service of worship, not only to share in it but to try to explain that he is not the focal point of Christmas. By the way, one look at our Santa doing his best to stay in his enormous pillow-packed trousers as he made his way down the aisle and your day would have been made just by the sight.
At the end of this precious dramatic presentation I had the distinct privilege of stepping "on stage" to interact with the characters and to share with them and all others in attendance what God says that Christmas is really all about. I chose to focus upon the name "Immanuel" or God with us. That God would choose to come to us, beloved, and out of His limitless love and grace to die for us so that as we put our trust in Jesus Christ we will have Him with us is truly what Christmas is all about. Lose that truth and you lose Christmas, at least in any way that really matters.
So yesterday I met Santa Claus...at church! And the memory of that moment and of that entire gospel presentation will always be special to me. But far more important for me, and for each of you as well, is that one day long ago I met the babe of Bethlehem who became instantly my Savior and Lord. That meeting transformed my life just as it can transform yours if for whatever reason you do not yet know Him personally. Anyone can meet Santa, beloved. I am living proof of that. But to meet the Christ of Christmas, now that is what life is all about! Want to meet Him? I'd love to introduce Him to you.
Ron
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Going Back for My Teeth
"This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever" (John 6:58)
It was not my finest moment to be sure! I knew that something was wrong when as I backed slowly down the driveway my tongue informed me that something was missing. My teeth...I had forgotten my partial. Quickly I stopped the car there in the driveway and ran back into the house to retrieve a very necessary item in order to face my day. How embarrassing would that have been! Surely I would have realized my mistake later as soon as I bit into a sausage biscuit.
I am convinced, believe it or not, that there is a tremendous spiritual lesson to be learned in this seemingly trivial experience of going back for my teeth. You see, beloved, many professing Christians today treat God's Word as if it is something that is light and airy, an addendum to life, much like sprinkles on top of ice cream or flavoring on your favorite meat or vegetable or even, dare I use the analogy, "pixie dust" showered over us that is supposed to make us healthy and wealthy and satisfy every desire of our hearts. We go to church and we allow the message to fall lightly upon us and then we leave the place of worship, glistening with a dusting of spiritual truth. Maybe it will sink in and "flavor" us and maybe it won't.
I was fascinated to discover that Jesus spoke quite frankly about "eating" His body and His blood, of actually ingesting Him into our lives. In fact, in the verse displayed above the word "eats" is from the Greek verb trogo which means literally "wear away" by crunching and grinding with the teeth. Other forms of this Greek word, trogalia and trokta, refer to fruit and nuts that are used as dessert. You get it...things that have to be chewed thoroughly and ingested.
If you are going to be a Christian, then, and I mean a serious follower of Jesus Christ, you must have your spiritual "teeth" with you at all times. You've got to be able to "chew on" the truths of Scripture, to digest them thoroughly, to apply them vigorously to every situation that you face in life. In other words, they have to become a part of you if you are going to "eat the bread" that will cause you to live forever. Jesus is not an ice cream topping, beloved! He is the "main course" and He must become your life if you are ever to realize God's great plan and purpose for your existence. Go ahead! Go back for your teeth!
Ron
It was not my finest moment to be sure! I knew that something was wrong when as I backed slowly down the driveway my tongue informed me that something was missing. My teeth...I had forgotten my partial. Quickly I stopped the car there in the driveway and ran back into the house to retrieve a very necessary item in order to face my day. How embarrassing would that have been! Surely I would have realized my mistake later as soon as I bit into a sausage biscuit.
I am convinced, believe it or not, that there is a tremendous spiritual lesson to be learned in this seemingly trivial experience of going back for my teeth. You see, beloved, many professing Christians today treat God's Word as if it is something that is light and airy, an addendum to life, much like sprinkles on top of ice cream or flavoring on your favorite meat or vegetable or even, dare I use the analogy, "pixie dust" showered over us that is supposed to make us healthy and wealthy and satisfy every desire of our hearts. We go to church and we allow the message to fall lightly upon us and then we leave the place of worship, glistening with a dusting of spiritual truth. Maybe it will sink in and "flavor" us and maybe it won't.
I was fascinated to discover that Jesus spoke quite frankly about "eating" His body and His blood, of actually ingesting Him into our lives. In fact, in the verse displayed above the word "eats" is from the Greek verb trogo which means literally "wear away" by crunching and grinding with the teeth. Other forms of this Greek word, trogalia and trokta, refer to fruit and nuts that are used as dessert. You get it...things that have to be chewed thoroughly and ingested.
If you are going to be a Christian, then, and I mean a serious follower of Jesus Christ, you must have your spiritual "teeth" with you at all times. You've got to be able to "chew on" the truths of Scripture, to digest them thoroughly, to apply them vigorously to every situation that you face in life. In other words, they have to become a part of you if you are going to "eat the bread" that will cause you to live forever. Jesus is not an ice cream topping, beloved! He is the "main course" and He must become your life if you are ever to realize God's great plan and purpose for your existence. Go ahead! Go back for your teeth!
Ron
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Putting the 'S' Back in 'Sacrifice'
"However, the king said to Araunah, 'No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing'" (2 Samuel 24:24)
Have you ever thought seriously about the "sacrifice" of heartfelt worship, beloved? Did you know that what your offering of worship "costs" you is very important to God? David is a classic and glorious example of this truth in the life of every true worshiper. But take a moment with me to consider just how important the sacrifice of your worship is to God. The children of Israel had fallen into a dangerous trap in offering their sacrifices unto the Lord and the problem lay as much with the Levitical priesthood as with the people themselves:
"You also say, 'My how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the Lord of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" (Malachi 1:13)
Israel had lost all sense of the greatness of God, beloved, as evidenced by the fact that worship was to them completely ceremonial or "surface." They "sniffed" at each act of worship and "yawned" their way through them. If they had worn wrist watches in those days, I am sure they would have been checking them to see when the service was going to end! No wonder, then, that God in righteous indignation declared:
"'Oh, that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,' says the Lord of hosts" (Malachi 1:10)
Contrast such divine outrage with how pleased He was with His servant David. When offered by Araunah the Jebusite not only land for the altar but the oxen for sacrifice and the threshing sledges and yokes for wood for the fire and all of that free of charge, David wisely put the 's' back in 'sacrifice' when he refused and declared that any act of worship which costs the worshiper nothing also means just that to God...nothing.
When we enter into an act of worship today, beloved, and our thoughts are anywhere but on that worship, we are "sniffing" at the act itself and showing that we consider it to be "tiresome." When we hear the Word of God preached and are thinking instead about what we are going to do when "church" is over, we are offering to God worship that costs us nothing. When we sing the all too familiar words of praise in a rote manner while thinking of other things, we are offering to God an act of worship that is meaningless to Him.
Oh, that we would learn how today to put the 's' back in 'sacrifice', that worship would be totally about Him and not at all about us or our busy lives. Oh, that we would think of what we bring before the Lord as seriously as David did the altar that he built on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, that site which, by the way, became the site of the temple. For God to bless us with His presence in worship, beloved, that worship must be real. It must cost us something. Specifically, it must cost us the rule of our lives. It must involve us yielding personally and continually to the control of the Spirit of God. Only then will we know that we have truly put the 's' back in 'sacrifice.' Only then will God be pleased with our worship.
Ron
Have you ever thought seriously about the "sacrifice" of heartfelt worship, beloved? Did you know that what your offering of worship "costs" you is very important to God? David is a classic and glorious example of this truth in the life of every true worshiper. But take a moment with me to consider just how important the sacrifice of your worship is to God. The children of Israel had fallen into a dangerous trap in offering their sacrifices unto the Lord and the problem lay as much with the Levitical priesthood as with the people themselves:
"You also say, 'My how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the Lord of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" (Malachi 1:13)
Israel had lost all sense of the greatness of God, beloved, as evidenced by the fact that worship was to them completely ceremonial or "surface." They "sniffed" at each act of worship and "yawned" their way through them. If they had worn wrist watches in those days, I am sure they would have been checking them to see when the service was going to end! No wonder, then, that God in righteous indignation declared:
"'Oh, that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,' says the Lord of hosts" (Malachi 1:10)
Contrast such divine outrage with how pleased He was with His servant David. When offered by Araunah the Jebusite not only land for the altar but the oxen for sacrifice and the threshing sledges and yokes for wood for the fire and all of that free of charge, David wisely put the 's' back in 'sacrifice' when he refused and declared that any act of worship which costs the worshiper nothing also means just that to God...nothing.
When we enter into an act of worship today, beloved, and our thoughts are anywhere but on that worship, we are "sniffing" at the act itself and showing that we consider it to be "tiresome." When we hear the Word of God preached and are thinking instead about what we are going to do when "church" is over, we are offering to God worship that costs us nothing. When we sing the all too familiar words of praise in a rote manner while thinking of other things, we are offering to God an act of worship that is meaningless to Him.
Oh, that we would learn how today to put the 's' back in 'sacrifice', that worship would be totally about Him and not at all about us or our busy lives. Oh, that we would think of what we bring before the Lord as seriously as David did the altar that he built on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, that site which, by the way, became the site of the temple. For God to bless us with His presence in worship, beloved, that worship must be real. It must cost us something. Specifically, it must cost us the rule of our lives. It must involve us yielding personally and continually to the control of the Spirit of God. Only then will we know that we have truly put the 's' back in 'sacrifice.' Only then will God be pleased with our worship.
Ron
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Where Are the Nine?
"And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, 'Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?'" (Luke 17:15-17)
Genuine "thankfulness" seems to have become a rare commodity indeed, beloved! Even in Jesus' day when He graciously healed ten men of the dreaded disease of leprosy, only one of them showed true gratitude of heart and returned to thank Him after showing himself to the priest according to the dictates of the Mosaic Law. And when he returned and fell on his face in thanksgiving before Him, Jesus rightly posed the question that should be on our hearts today: "Where are the nine?"
This sad but true incident in the life of Jesus reveals to us a number of key truths concerning genuine thankfulness today. The first is that a thankful heart will always recognize that help has come from outside to one who is essentially unworthy. No one in Hebrew society was considered more of an outcast than a "leper." No one afflicted with this horrible and terminal disease was allowed within the walls of a city, much less in any public building. The penalty was often death. Likewise truly grateful hearts today will recognize and freely acknowledge that, as Paul told the Ephesians about their life before Christ: "You were dead in your trespasses and sins" and that "by grace you have been saved through faith" (2:1, 8). Before God you and I are all equally unworthy of a second look from God and completely, like those ten lepers, unable to improve our standing.
But a second wonderful truth that should be obvious in this account, beloved, is that genuine worship can only come from genuine gratitude. Much of what is called "worship" today and what men mistake for worship is actually only structured religious ceremony. No matter how it is contrived or carried out, whether it is "traditional" or "contemporary"/"liturgical" or "charismatic" - it matters not - unless it is prompted by genuine and heartfelt gratitude for God's grace, it is shallow and empty and means nothing at all to God. The cry of "Thanks be to God!" from a single heart touched by His grace and transformed by His power is more of "worship" than the loftiest anthem or the grandest sermon ever delivered.
Finally, a truth that should rivet our attention upon the nature of true redemption is that only the one who is truly grateful gives evidence of having been truly converted. In Jesus' closing words to this one of ten who returned to fall on his face and give thanks, we find His promise that "your faith has made you well" (v. 19). But wait a moment! Were not the ungrateful nine just as healed of leprosy as was this one who returned? What then did Jesus mean? Here the word for being made "well" or "whole" means literally "saved you." Jesus said to the one who came back: "Your faith has saved you." That one man, then, not only went home that day free from the curse of leprosy, beloved, but free from the eternal curse of sin and its condemnation as well.
So to pose Jesus' question once more: "Where are the nine?" Are you one of them? Am I? Not if we truly understand that in and of ourselves we are not worthy of what Jesus did for us in love on the cross. And not if we understand that only hearts that are grateful for what He did for us can in turn give Him the worship that He so richly deserves. And not if we understand, above all else, that only a truly grateful heart will show to our world what a truly saved heart and transformed life is like.
So where are the nine at this Thanksgiving season? Let's hope that all are on their way back to fall again at His feet and to thank Him for His glorious grace!
Ron
Genuine "thankfulness" seems to have become a rare commodity indeed, beloved! Even in Jesus' day when He graciously healed ten men of the dreaded disease of leprosy, only one of them showed true gratitude of heart and returned to thank Him after showing himself to the priest according to the dictates of the Mosaic Law. And when he returned and fell on his face in thanksgiving before Him, Jesus rightly posed the question that should be on our hearts today: "Where are the nine?"
This sad but true incident in the life of Jesus reveals to us a number of key truths concerning genuine thankfulness today. The first is that a thankful heart will always recognize that help has come from outside to one who is essentially unworthy. No one in Hebrew society was considered more of an outcast than a "leper." No one afflicted with this horrible and terminal disease was allowed within the walls of a city, much less in any public building. The penalty was often death. Likewise truly grateful hearts today will recognize and freely acknowledge that, as Paul told the Ephesians about their life before Christ: "You were dead in your trespasses and sins" and that "by grace you have been saved through faith" (2:1, 8). Before God you and I are all equally unworthy of a second look from God and completely, like those ten lepers, unable to improve our standing.
But a second wonderful truth that should be obvious in this account, beloved, is that genuine worship can only come from genuine gratitude. Much of what is called "worship" today and what men mistake for worship is actually only structured religious ceremony. No matter how it is contrived or carried out, whether it is "traditional" or "contemporary"/"liturgical" or "charismatic" - it matters not - unless it is prompted by genuine and heartfelt gratitude for God's grace, it is shallow and empty and means nothing at all to God. The cry of "Thanks be to God!" from a single heart touched by His grace and transformed by His power is more of "worship" than the loftiest anthem or the grandest sermon ever delivered.
Finally, a truth that should rivet our attention upon the nature of true redemption is that only the one who is truly grateful gives evidence of having been truly converted. In Jesus' closing words to this one of ten who returned to fall on his face and give thanks, we find His promise that "your faith has made you well" (v. 19). But wait a moment! Were not the ungrateful nine just as healed of leprosy as was this one who returned? What then did Jesus mean? Here the word for being made "well" or "whole" means literally "saved you." Jesus said to the one who came back: "Your faith has saved you." That one man, then, not only went home that day free from the curse of leprosy, beloved, but free from the eternal curse of sin and its condemnation as well.
So to pose Jesus' question once more: "Where are the nine?" Are you one of them? Am I? Not if we truly understand that in and of ourselves we are not worthy of what Jesus did for us in love on the cross. And not if we understand that only hearts that are grateful for what He did for us can in turn give Him the worship that He so richly deserves. And not if we understand, above all else, that only a truly grateful heart will show to our world what a truly saved heart and transformed life is like.
So where are the nine at this Thanksgiving season? Let's hope that all are on their way back to fall again at His feet and to thank Him for His glorious grace!
Ron
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