Love Made Visible

Dave Brubeck isn’t well known for music that makes profound theological statements about Christmas.  He is better known for progressive jazz songs like “Take Five” and “Take the ‘A’ Train.”  But, later in his career, Brubeck and his wife Iola crafted a lyric that could inspire the best of Christmas sermons.

One day, while driving down the road, Brubeck announced to his wife that he had finished a new song.  Being familiar with the song, Iola disagreed.  She said, “No, you haven’t finished it.” Brubeck asked, “Well, what did I leave out?” She suggested a new lyric: “God’s love made visible. He is invincible.  God’s love made visible.”  Brubeck said that her lyric “finished it.”

I think that statement could finish a lot of talk about Christmas.  Christmas is the time when God’s love is made visible.  The Gospel of John agrees in saying, “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  On Christmas morning, the glorious love of God was seen in Jesus Christ.  His people experienced that love as they came to know Jesus.  That love spreads through them as they love the world.  As Jesus works in and through the actions of His people, the world sees the love of God.

As you go through Christmas week, make God’s love visible.  Look for Jesus Christ in the midst of all the holiday business.  As you see Him, let His love flow through you to a hurting world.  God’s love is visible this Christmas.  Your life can be a testimony to the truth of that profound lyric.

The Christmas Jesus That Preaches Repentance

I love the Advent story in the Gospel of Mark.  Jesus arrives and says, “The time has come, the Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news,” (1:15).  In other words, “Check yourself! The Son of God is looking you in the eye. Pledge your undying allegiance to me!” Mark does not mention the birth or childhood of Jesus. He allows Matthew and Luke to fill in that information.  He doesn’t wax theologically about the Word incarnate.  He leaves that to John.  Mark instead announces a grown up Son of God who proclaims God’s authority, demands repentance, and imparts the Holy Spirit. This not-so-cuddly Jesus is just as much a part of the Christmas story as the baby Jesus introduced in the other gospels.

Mark’s Christmas message is different than what we hear at the mall.  The scene is set at the mall: everyone adores the sweet baby Jesus because He is as cute as a cabbage patch doll (a great stocking stuffer for your daughter, on sale for only $49.99 at Toys R US). Seldom does the mall’s depiction of the Christmas story tell the rest of the story. It doesn’t mention the perfect God of the Old Testament. It doesn’t mention human sin and the death that sin causes. It doesn’t mention that because God became human in Jesus Christ, God has conquered sin and death! That little, wonderful baby holds the keys to the world’s salvation!  The mall doesn’t share that message. It might be bad for business.

At Faith Center, don’t let the mall’s portrayal of Christmas change the Christian’s portrayal of Christmas. This Christmas, don’t let your worship stop at the historical fact that Jesus of Nazareth was born a couple of millennia ago.  Let the reason WHY Jesus came penetrate your life. Whether you are a new convert or lifelong believer, take Mark’s good news to heart. Jesus Christ is Lord of heaven and earth. He is declaring the closeness of His Kingdom. He is calling you to repentance. Believe His good news and follow Him.  Jesus will save you.  Merry Christmas!

The Gift of Ol' Saint Nick

Saint Nicholas was a Christian Bishop who lived during the fourth century in Turkey.  Among many other things, Nicholas became known for giving gifts anonymously.  Legend has it that Nicholas gave to a poor man who needed money to help his daughters.  Saint Nicholas gave the money anonymously by sneaking purses filled with gold coins into the poor man’s house.  He gave one purse, three nights in a row, one for each daughter. 

           

After giving the second purse, the poor man realized Nicholas was the giver and confronted him.  Nicholas insisted that God had provided for the poor man.  In order to not be seen the third night, Saint Nicholas climbed on the man’s roof and dropped the third purse down the chimney.  The third daughter had just so happened to wash her stockings that night and hung them above the embers of the fireplace to dry.  The third purse of gold fell into the stocking, helping the poor man’s last daughter.

Anonymous giving is a healthy spiritual exercise for all Christians – not just Ol’ Saint Nick.  It allows the giver to serve others out of complete devotion to God.  Anonymous giving removes any temptation to give out of a desire for recognition or something in return.  It also allows the recipient to recognize God’s provision through His people. 

Jesus uses vivid imagery in promoting anonymous giving.  In Matthew 6, Jesus tells His followers, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.”  Though it is impossible for our left hand to not know what our right hand is doing, it is a helpful illustration of the importance of giving without recognition.

Faith Center is organizing an opportunity for our church family to give anonymously.  We have placed Christmas ornaments on the Christmas tree in the sanctuary.  Each ornament lists needs and wishes of families who could use help this Christmas.  You, your family, or your Growth Group, can take those ornaments, purchase gifts, return them to the church, and we will make sure they make it to the family in need.  Your left hand will be none the wiser and God will be honored because of it.

This Christmas, join the tradition of Ol’ Saint Nick.  Give out of complete devotion to Jesus.  Give so that the world knows that God is providing.  Give because the God you love gave all, two thousand years ago, in a manger in Bethlehem.  

A Wonderful, God Given Life

There is a famous Christmas movie about a guy named George Bailey.  George Bailey dreams of leaving the small town he grew up in and exploring the world.  George never fulfills his dream because the circumstances at his family business wont allow it.

At one point, the family business gets into financial trouble.  George panics and feels trapped.  He has sacrificed a lot for the Building and Loan and, all of the sudden, it looks like it might be lost too. 

At the depths of disappointment, George meets an angel.  The angel shows George what his small town would have been like if he had never existed.  George realizes how meaningful his life is.  The change in perspective gives George a new outlook on life.  He appreciates all that he has been blessed with and recognizes how wonderful his life is.

We all can learn from George Bailey.  The disappointments and challenges that come our way discourage us too.  We forget what God is doing through us with co-workers, children, spouses, and on, and on.  We need a messenger of God to give us a perspective check and remind us of all that we have to be thankful for.

           

The Apostle Paul gives us that kind of perspective check.  Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica, telling them to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  In other words, look for the good in every circumstance and thank God for it.

As you enjoy this holiday season, be on the lookout for all the amazing ways God is using and blessing your life.  Pay attention to your children and how they bless you.  Remember neat things that God has done through you in your work place.  Look for, take note, and thank God for the good things that are going on in your life.  As you do, you will realize that God is indeed at work in your wonderful life.

Gets me every time...

Voter Registration, Aggressive Drivers, and the Grace of God

There is a woman in Arizona who thinks it is very important to vote.  She thinks it is so important that she ran over her husband for failing to do so.  Wow.

This is how it happened: the woman’s husband admitted that he hadn’t participated in this year’s election.  The woman got mad, her husband fled the scene, and she followed in her car.  Police caught up with the couple and found the husband pinned underneath his wife’s vehicle.  He told the officers that his wife ran him because of his “lack of voter participation.”

We laugh at that odd news story, but how many of us behave that way in our spiritual life?  Someone does something that is bad (worse than not voting) and we go after him or her.  We point out the sin, describe how wrong it is, and then park on it.  We want the person to pay the price for the mistake and we are happy to enforce it.

           

The sad thing about that approach to sin is this: it robs people of the opportunity to change.  So much damage is done in emphasizing the sin, we never get the chance to mention God’s forgiveness or redemptive work.  Basically, we ruin our chance to point to a real solution.

The Gospel of John says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  Jesus came to forgive people of sin so that they might be changed for the better.  Jesus came to offer a solution.  No car chase needed.

As you go through the coming week, see how grace opens doors for real change. Don’t get offended by a problem and park on it.  Be gracious and tell people about a God who forgives and redeems the broken.  You’ll find that focusing on the solution is way more effective than focusing on the problem.  And, it will be a lot easier on your tires.

Jesus...Redeem Me

Last month, the New York Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs.  Though they are well known for their lineup of hitters, the Bronx Bombers had a hard time connecting with the ball.  They lost close, low scoring games.

People are quick to point the finger when consistent winners like the Yankees lose.  Third basemen Alex Rodriguez was one of the players fans blamed first.  Rodriguez batted poorly throughout the playoffs.  Because he draws a large salary, many thought Rodriguez was particularly responsible for the team’s poor performance.

I read an article this week that noted a symbol of the fans’ blame.  During their last series, a frustrated fan painted a sign for Rodriguez.  He stood in the stands at Yankee Stadium and held it high for everyone to see.   It read, “A-Rod…Redeem Yourself.”

That fan’s sign represents a common mindset in our society: we need to redeem ourselves.  In the case of the Yankees, a few more hits, a few more RBI’s will fix everything that went wrong in the past.  Redemption is a swing away.  If we just work harder and do a little better, we can fix it.

There is an obvious spiritual parallel to the message on that sign.  Humans feel like we need to redeem ourselves from the brokenness of our past.  Many are trying.  We are doing our best.  We are working hard to do the right thing.  We get frustrated because it isn’t producing the results we want.

The Apostle Paul suggests that it will never produce lasting results.  Paul writes to the church in Ephesus: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”  Redemption is not something we earn by performing better, but a gift given to us by God.

As you go through the coming week, call on God for grace.  Stand in the bleachers of your life holding up a sign: “Jesus…Redeem Me.”  The good news is that Jesus will.  By calling on Jesus, and getting to know Jesus, we will be set free from the strikeouts of the past.