2010
As we come to the beginning of a new year and a new decade, we often wish we could turn over a new leaf or have a fresh start. No doubt about it, there have been certain things we have said or done in this past year that we now regret.
Wouldn't it be great to just start over again? In reality, as a Christian you can have a fresh start. The new year is still a blank slate. There are opportunities ahead of you. You decide which path you are going to walk in this coming year. "Thus says the LORD: 'Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls'" (Jeremiah 6:16). You decide what your priorities are going to be. You decide which direction you are going to take every day.
Maybe you need a fresh start in this coming year. Here is a great opportunity to claim one. We don't know what the new year is going to bring. We don't know what problems we are going to encounter. We don't know what changes are going to come. We don't know what blessings the Lord has in store for us. But whatever the new year holds, we don't have to be afraid because Jesus Christ is going to be waiting there for us.
I like the words of that wonderful woman of God, Corrie ten Boom, who said, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
God is in control of your future. He is ready to bless you in 2010.
Happy New Year
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
OUR CHRIST EVE SERVICE
Last night, I read this to the children during our eleventh annual Christmas Eve Service at Gatetree.
It was the night before Christmas and a beautiful young girl and a devoted carpenter had been traveling to his hometown. Now the beautiful young girl was going to have a baby and in order to get to the devoted carpenter’s hometown, she had to ride on the back of a donkey for 3 days and 3 nights. She became so tired she could barely hold her head up.
When they got to his hometown, there was no place for them to stay. Back then, there weren’t hotels on every corner—so the carpenter remembered a place where the animals stayed. It wasn’t clean and it wasn’t even made for people—but it was the best he could do for her.
So the devoted carpenter made a soft place for the beautiful young girl to lay—right next to the mother goat and her three little ones. While she lay there, she knew it was time for her baby to be born—right there in that place where the animals stayed.
Not far from there—some sheep herders were working in the field—making sure all their sheep were safe and ready to move out when the morning’s sun arose. And while they sat there listening to the silence of the country side, they were almost knocked over by what they saw. It was a great angel in front of them, shining so brightly that they almost had to look away. But they didn’t.
And chills ran up and down their necks as the great angel began to speak. The great angel said, “Don’t be afraid because I am here to tell you something that will make you very happy. Right now, not far from here, God has come down for a visit.” Well the sheep herders couldn’t believe their ears—God—the one who made the universe and everything in it—down here?
And the great angel said, “YES! And unbelievable as it may seem, tonight, God is a baby. And he’s lying in a trough, in a place where the animals stay. He’s come here as a gift to you and to the entire world.”
AND SUDDENLY—the whole sky seem to suddenly appear as an explosion of light—as if the moon had blown up right in front of their eyes. They’d never seen anything like that.
And then there were thousands of angels that began to sing—like a giant rock concert in the sky. And the great angel, with his volume turned all the way up, began to sing “It’s time to celebrate; God has come to earth for a visit because God can do anything He wants to do—and this is what He wants to do.” It was INCREDIBLE!
Well, as all of this was happening—the baby (who was God come to earth) lay fast asleep in the arms of the beautiful young girl.
And the cows he created—watched him sleep. Up rafters, the doves he’s covered with wings—watched him sleep. And the donkey who carried him to this place—watched him sleep. And sitting close by—the devoted carpenter watched him sleep.
And as he watched—the devoted carpenter thought to himself, “The world will never be the same because God has come down for a visit.”
Last night, I read this to the children during our eleventh annual Christmas Eve Service at Gatetree.
It was the night before Christmas and a beautiful young girl and a devoted carpenter had been traveling to his hometown. Now the beautiful young girl was going to have a baby and in order to get to the devoted carpenter’s hometown, she had to ride on the back of a donkey for 3 days and 3 nights. She became so tired she could barely hold her head up.
When they got to his hometown, there was no place for them to stay. Back then, there weren’t hotels on every corner—so the carpenter remembered a place where the animals stayed. It wasn’t clean and it wasn’t even made for people—but it was the best he could do for her.
So the devoted carpenter made a soft place for the beautiful young girl to lay—right next to the mother goat and her three little ones. While she lay there, she knew it was time for her baby to be born—right there in that place where the animals stayed.
Not far from there—some sheep herders were working in the field—making sure all their sheep were safe and ready to move out when the morning’s sun arose. And while they sat there listening to the silence of the country side, they were almost knocked over by what they saw. It was a great angel in front of them, shining so brightly that they almost had to look away. But they didn’t.
And chills ran up and down their necks as the great angel began to speak. The great angel said, “Don’t be afraid because I am here to tell you something that will make you very happy. Right now, not far from here, God has come down for a visit.” Well the sheep herders couldn’t believe their ears—God—the one who made the universe and everything in it—down here?
And the great angel said, “YES! And unbelievable as it may seem, tonight, God is a baby. And he’s lying in a trough, in a place where the animals stay. He’s come here as a gift to you and to the entire world.”
AND SUDDENLY—the whole sky seem to suddenly appear as an explosion of light—as if the moon had blown up right in front of their eyes. They’d never seen anything like that.
And then there were thousands of angels that began to sing—like a giant rock concert in the sky. And the great angel, with his volume turned all the way up, began to sing “It’s time to celebrate; God has come to earth for a visit because God can do anything He wants to do—and this is what He wants to do.” It was INCREDIBLE!
Well, as all of this was happening—the baby (who was God come to earth) lay fast asleep in the arms of the beautiful young girl.
And the cows he created—watched him sleep. Up rafters, the doves he’s covered with wings—watched him sleep. And the donkey who carried him to this place—watched him sleep. And sitting close by—the devoted carpenter watched him sleep.
And as he watched—the devoted carpenter thought to himself, “The world will never be the same because God has come down for a visit.”
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
WHO ARE WHO'S?
My wife, Mary Ann, loves Dr. Seuss's story, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." So every year, she watches the the program...and I watch her. I don't know which of us enjoys it the most. You know the story--the main character discovers that no matter what happens, Christmas can not be stopped. Even the Whos (whatever they were) understood that the reason for Christmas was not found in gifts, parties or decorations. Christmas is a celebration that takes place in the heart.
Many who celebrate Christmas believe the significance stops at the birth of Jesus Christ. However, the season's significance transcends the mere fact that Jesus was born. Furthermore, it is not just that Jesus was born a virgin, lived a virtuous life or died an agonizing and sacrificial death. What makes Christ's birth so significant is the awesome reality that Jesus conquered death.
The significance of the resurrection as it relates to Christmas cannot be stressed enough. When Jesus walked on earth He claimed to be God in the flesh. Had He died and remained in the grave, His claims would have been dismissed. However, an empty tomb and subsequent appearances to His followers validated his "outrageous" pronouncements.
What makes Christmas so very significant, so special, is Easter.
The Grinch learned that Christmas cannot be stopped. It is not a celebration dependent on symbols or external motivation. It is a celebration of the heart.
While the populace may bury the Gospel truth under gifts, trees, tinsel and lights, the fact remains that the reason for the season is a crucified and risen Savior.
May our hearts be enlarged this year in order to accommodate the whole Christmas story -- which includes the cross and the empty tomb.
My wife, Mary Ann, loves Dr. Seuss's story, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." So every year, she watches the the program...and I watch her. I don't know which of us enjoys it the most. You know the story--the main character discovers that no matter what happens, Christmas can not be stopped. Even the Whos (whatever they were) understood that the reason for Christmas was not found in gifts, parties or decorations. Christmas is a celebration that takes place in the heart.
Many who celebrate Christmas believe the significance stops at the birth of Jesus Christ. However, the season's significance transcends the mere fact that Jesus was born. Furthermore, it is not just that Jesus was born a virgin, lived a virtuous life or died an agonizing and sacrificial death. What makes Christ's birth so significant is the awesome reality that Jesus conquered death.
The significance of the resurrection as it relates to Christmas cannot be stressed enough. When Jesus walked on earth He claimed to be God in the flesh. Had He died and remained in the grave, His claims would have been dismissed. However, an empty tomb and subsequent appearances to His followers validated his "outrageous" pronouncements.
What makes Christmas so very significant, so special, is Easter.
The Grinch learned that Christmas cannot be stopped. It is not a celebration dependent on symbols or external motivation. It is a celebration of the heart.
While the populace may bury the Gospel truth under gifts, trees, tinsel and lights, the fact remains that the reason for the season is a crucified and risen Savior.
May our hearts be enlarged this year in order to accommodate the whole Christmas story -- which includes the cross and the empty tomb.
Friday, December 18, 2009
CHRISTMAS TREES
QUESTION: Should Christians celebrate Jesus birth with Christmas trees?
ANSWER: Some Christians object on the basis that at one time or another, mankind has worship practically everything in creation—including trees. Today they even hug them. I see absolutely nothing wrong with the traditional Christmas tree.
It is believed that Boniface, English missionary to Germany in the eighth century, instituted the first Christmas tree. He supposedly replaced sacrifices to the god Odin's sacred oak with a fir tree adorned in tribute to Christ. Other accounts claim that Martin Luther introduced the Christmas tree lighted with candles.
However, even if a pagan background were clearly established, that wouldn't mean we could not enjoy the use of a Christmas tree.
Most people do not even know about this religious superstition. Similarly, few know anything about the worship of trees. When a child pulls a large present out from under the Christmas tree and unwraps a present, no one views that object as an idol. Nor do we view the Christmas tree to be some kind of gift god. We understand the difference between a toy and an idol just as clearly as we understand the difference between an idol and a Christmas tree.
There is no connection between the worship of idols and the use of Christmas trees. We should not be anxious about baseless arguments against Christmas decorations. Rather, we should be focused on the Christ of Christmas and giving all diligence to remembering the real reason for the season.
QUESTION: Should Christians celebrate Jesus birth with Christmas trees?
ANSWER: Some Christians object on the basis that at one time or another, mankind has worship practically everything in creation—including trees. Today they even hug them. I see absolutely nothing wrong with the traditional Christmas tree.
It is believed that Boniface, English missionary to Germany in the eighth century, instituted the first Christmas tree. He supposedly replaced sacrifices to the god Odin's sacred oak with a fir tree adorned in tribute to Christ. Other accounts claim that Martin Luther introduced the Christmas tree lighted with candles.
However, even if a pagan background were clearly established, that wouldn't mean we could not enjoy the use of a Christmas tree.
Most people do not even know about this religious superstition. Similarly, few know anything about the worship of trees. When a child pulls a large present out from under the Christmas tree and unwraps a present, no one views that object as an idol. Nor do we view the Christmas tree to be some kind of gift god. We understand the difference between a toy and an idol just as clearly as we understand the difference between an idol and a Christmas tree.
There is no connection between the worship of idols and the use of Christmas trees. We should not be anxious about baseless arguments against Christmas decorations. Rather, we should be focused on the Christ of Christmas and giving all diligence to remembering the real reason for the season.
Monday, December 07, 2009
CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS
Over the next few days, I want to address some of the most common questions Christians ask regarding the celebration of Christmas. I hope they are helpful for you.
Why December 25?
QUESTION: Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th? Doesn’t it have something to do with paganism?
ANSWER: December 25 is the traditional anniversary of the birth of Christ, but most scholars are unsure about the true date for Christ's birth.
The decision to celebrate Christmas on December 25 was made sometime during the fourth century by church bishops in Rome. They had a specific reason for doing so.
Having turned long ago from worshiping the one true God and creator of all things, many early cultures in the Roman empire had fallen into sun worship. Recognizing their dependence on the sun's yearly course in the heavens, they held feasts around the winter solstice in December when the days are shortest. As part of their festivals, they built bonfires to give the sun god strength and bring him back to life again. When it became apparent that the days were growing longer, there would be great rejoicing.
The church leaders in Rome decided to celebrate Christ's birth during the winter solstice in an attempt to Christianize these popular pagan celebrations. For the most part their efforts failed to make the people conform, and the heathen festivities continued. Today we find ourselves left with a bizarre marriage of pagan and Christian elements that characterizes our modern celebration of Christmas.
Regardless of the pagan background of so many December traditions, and whether or not Jesus was born on December 25th, our goal is still to turn the eyes of all men upon the true Creator and Christ of Christmas. The light of the world has come. And the Christmas season and celebration presents the church with a wonderful opportunity to preach the good news--that men can be made righteous and have peace with God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Over the next few days, I want to address some of the most common questions Christians ask regarding the celebration of Christmas. I hope they are helpful for you.
Why December 25?
QUESTION: Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th? Doesn’t it have something to do with paganism?
ANSWER: December 25 is the traditional anniversary of the birth of Christ, but most scholars are unsure about the true date for Christ's birth.
The decision to celebrate Christmas on December 25 was made sometime during the fourth century by church bishops in Rome. They had a specific reason for doing so.
Having turned long ago from worshiping the one true God and creator of all things, many early cultures in the Roman empire had fallen into sun worship. Recognizing their dependence on the sun's yearly course in the heavens, they held feasts around the winter solstice in December when the days are shortest. As part of their festivals, they built bonfires to give the sun god strength and bring him back to life again. When it became apparent that the days were growing longer, there would be great rejoicing.
The church leaders in Rome decided to celebrate Christ's birth during the winter solstice in an attempt to Christianize these popular pagan celebrations. For the most part their efforts failed to make the people conform, and the heathen festivities continued. Today we find ourselves left with a bizarre marriage of pagan and Christian elements that characterizes our modern celebration of Christmas.
Regardless of the pagan background of so many December traditions, and whether or not Jesus was born on December 25th, our goal is still to turn the eyes of all men upon the true Creator and Christ of Christmas. The light of the world has come. And the Christmas season and celebration presents the church with a wonderful opportunity to preach the good news--that men can be made righteous and have peace with God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23)
I read a recent statistic stating that the percentage of Christians believing in the virgin birth of Jesus is dropping. I had to read the article twice for it to really sink in. The most glaring statement was one from a mainline, Christian religious leader who said, "In our church, we don't make a big deal out of these kinds of things. Instead, people want to hear about hope and happiness instead of theological paradoxes."
This past Sunday, I preached a message on the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ. You can listen to the message on the Gatetree webpage.
It really is an amazing thing to think about the mysterious moment when God became a man. Jesus Christ—God the Son—was born in a manger. He went from the throne of heaven to a feeding trough. He went from the presence of angels to a cave filled with animals. He who is larger than the universe became an embryo. He who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young virgin.
Some people have a hard time believing in the Virgin Birth. If you believe the Bible, you have to believe in the Virgin Birth. The Bible teaches that God Almighty was supernaturally conceived in the womb of a virgin (see Matthew 1:23). This makes sense if you think about it. If God had chosen to, He could have sent Jesus to this earth as a fully grown, yet sinless human being. A shaft of light could have come out from heaven with Jesus descending to the ground as an adult man. But if Jesus came to us in that way, who could have related to Him as a person, as a part of the human race? God also could have had Jesus come into the world through two ordinary human beings—but still with a divine nature. But then most of us would have doubted His divinity. That's why the Incarnation makes sense.
This coming Sunday I will preach “The Power of a Name.” If you’re in the neighborhood of Gatetree, we’d be delighted if you would drop in for worship at 10:45 AM. I hope to see you then.
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23)
I read a recent statistic stating that the percentage of Christians believing in the virgin birth of Jesus is dropping. I had to read the article twice for it to really sink in. The most glaring statement was one from a mainline, Christian religious leader who said, "In our church, we don't make a big deal out of these kinds of things. Instead, people want to hear about hope and happiness instead of theological paradoxes."
This past Sunday, I preached a message on the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ. You can listen to the message on the Gatetree webpage.
It really is an amazing thing to think about the mysterious moment when God became a man. Jesus Christ—God the Son—was born in a manger. He went from the throne of heaven to a feeding trough. He went from the presence of angels to a cave filled with animals. He who is larger than the universe became an embryo. He who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young virgin.
Some people have a hard time believing in the Virgin Birth. If you believe the Bible, you have to believe in the Virgin Birth. The Bible teaches that God Almighty was supernaturally conceived in the womb of a virgin (see Matthew 1:23). This makes sense if you think about it. If God had chosen to, He could have sent Jesus to this earth as a fully grown, yet sinless human being. A shaft of light could have come out from heaven with Jesus descending to the ground as an adult man. But if Jesus came to us in that way, who could have related to Him as a person, as a part of the human race? God also could have had Jesus come into the world through two ordinary human beings—but still with a divine nature. But then most of us would have doubted His divinity. That's why the Incarnation makes sense.
This coming Sunday I will preach “The Power of a Name.” If you’re in the neighborhood of Gatetree, we’d be delighted if you would drop in for worship at 10:45 AM. I hope to see you then.
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