Christmas Hope

Reality sets in as another Christmas has arrived and another year is about to begin. During the course of time, much changes, and yet many things remain the same. The change in our culture during my lifetime has been startling. We have abandoned truth for individual happiness. At the dismissal of right and wrong, man is doing what is right in his own eyes. Darkness deepens as our culture moves away from the Light and into the abyss of self centeredness and ignorance. What remains the same is the reason for season. Jesus Christ is born. The incredible grace and mercy of our Creator is always enough to sing about-no matter how deep the darkness, and sordid the sinfulness of man. Because Christ came and because He lives and is coming again, there is always hope for mankind. This hope penetrates the darkness, and confronts our selfishness with a call to repentance and faith. As mankind looks in the mirror this Christmas season, we must confess we are masters of an ever increasing mess. The Anointed One has come and men love darkness instead of light-some things don't change. A child is born, a Son is given and the message of hope rings loud and clear at this Christmas time. Thank you Father for the gift of the Son! I have hope!

Advent Hope

Hope is not about escaping the reality of today, it is a way of living in time, in the moment, no matter how painful and disappointing that may be. Hope is knowing that each day, each moment is working for Christ's people a greater glory (2 Cor. 4:16, Rom. 8:18). We live in hope, and our hope is in His name-Jesus Christ. His kingdom, His rule over us today is our foundation for hope. I believe, therefore, I hope. This hope is not in Mohammed, Ghandi, Joseph Smith, Mother Mary, L. Ron Hubbard. These are mere mortals who need to find hope outside themselves. Our hope is in the One who came from above, who ascended back to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We must repent for placing our hope in anything but Christ. All around the birth of Jesus was the annoucement of hope. Good news of great joy-a Savior is born-Glory to God in the highest. When Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God, it was a call to hope. A call to look forward, to live forward, to believe something greater is still to come and all that we encounter today is working toward that end. God is not dead nor does He sleep-Christ's people are a people of hope. Christmas is a time to rejoice in the hope we have in Christ.

Advent Hope

The irony of the incarnation is that God's perfect self expression was not what anyone could have come up with on their own. No man would have written the story with the Eternal God beginning as a baby with a dirty diaper, dependent for life upon a Jewish teenager. It's the great come down-the Word became flesh. They taunted Jesus to come down from the cross, but the great come down had already taken place. Jesus the Nazarene was from above. He was heaven's gift. Unlike Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Ghandi, Mother Mary, Confucious, Jesus was from above. All others are only men, Jesus is the God-Man. An inexplainable mystery, but a mystery with a face on it in Jesus of Nazareth. John 3 speaks of the great come down. Of Jesus being from above. Unlike John the Baptist, or any other prophet, priest or king in Israel's great history, this King was sent from the Father full of grace and truth. Hope lives because God has responded to the need of man with the perfect gift from heaven-a child was born, a Son was given!

Advent Hope / Matthew 12:21

Matthew 12:21-In His name the nations will put their hope. The NLT reads, 'and his name will be the hope of all the world'. This is a hard lesson for arrogant mankind to learn. We are the enlightened species and we can solve all the problems of the world, etc. The hope of the nations is not in politics, religion, military might, economic strength, government assistance, etc. The hope for mankind is the person of Jesus. In His Name-there is the power to bring peace to the most troubled heart, to bring light into the darkest life. Our greatest sin is that we continue to look away from Jesus. Man loves darkness because his deeds are evil (Jn. 3). Repentance is for 'bad' people, and we are not bad, just uneducated. At this Christmas time, let us hear the invitation of Almighty God to put our hope in the Son. Those who came to Jesus in the gospels, those who came expressing their need, humble and contrite, willing to submit to His authority, went away filled with hope and life. Joy to the world the Lord is come-let us put our trust in the Name above all names, Jesus Christ.

The Face of God

E. Stanley Jones said, "Christianity put a face on God and Jesus is that face." Moses asked to see the face of God and was spared the experience. Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord and claimed to have seen the face of God. Joan Osborne's song, "What if God was one of us?" asks the question, "If God had a face, what would it look like?" The people around Jesus were certain it wouldn't look like Jesus the Nazarene. The Good News of the Kingdom is that in the face of Jesus the Nazarene we see the God of all glory. Eventually the disciples were able to say, 'we beheld His glory-the glory of the One and only Son sent from the Father full of grace and truth (Jn.1).' We have seen-they did see the true and living God in a new dimension. The representatives of Judaism had marred the image of God with their legalism, judgmentalism and general lack of love for everyone else. Jesus looked with compassion on the broken, the lost and the least. Jesus revealed the prodigal God whose love seemed to know no limits. He invites you to look into His face. The God of all ages has revealed Himself in the glory, simplicity and purity of Jesus the Nazarene.

Blessed

The Beatitudes offer an alternative picture to everyday life. Our Creator and Redeemer identifies what makes for the blessed life. Christ is the center of this life, the source of this life. To be blessed is to have Christ in you, the hope of glory. To be blessed is to feed upon the Bread of life. To be blessed is to have the witness of the Spirit that declares I belong to the King, I'm a child of His love. To be blessed is to find a righteousness from God in Christ that sets me right from the inside out. To be blessed is to discover the gift of living in the Father's house. To be blessed is to not get God to do what you want, but to align yourself with the Father's heart, live under His authority and for His glory. Paul proclaims this new life in Ephesians 1-we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. Thank you Jesus! I want to live blessed!

Fifty Five

I remember when the speed limit was 55-that was a good speed for the 73 Pinto with a top end of around 73. Now I celebrate 55-which reminds me that life is short-we are a vapor, quickly vanishing. The cemetary is full of markers reminding us that life has no guarantees on duration. Death comes, sometimes it comes in a rude manner. Today I count my blessings. I am grateful for a great wife, two beautiful daughters and a great son in law. I am grateful for a mom who still prays for me, for a dad who showed me the Way, who walked the talk. I am grateful for the good people of Christ-who love, give, serve, pray, and stay faithful even when it would be a lot easier to be selfish. Today I read Ps. 103 and Eph. 3:14-20 to begin the day. Both remind me of amazing grace, of the incomprehensible nature of God and the awesome provision of salvation in Christ. God is able. God is slow to anger, compassionate, abounding in love. At this point I sing, 'all the way my savior leads me what have I to ask beside' and 'just as I am without one plea but that Your blood was shed for me.'

Bulls Eye

The Word of God is the bulls eye for all of life. Jesus came to do the Father's will. God's Word is a revelation of the Father's heart. A heart that desires life for His choice creation. Life that comes as we place our trust in the Word of God (Jesus Christ) and as we follow the Word of God. Jesus didn't turn stones into bread (Mt. 4), He followed the Word of the Father. He was hungry, but a greater desire was to do the Father's will. We must desire God's Word, be hungry for God's Word, submissive to God's Word. Jesus says we are live by every Word that comes from the mouth of God. We cannot afford to be selective in our obedience-when we are we miss the bulls eye-we miss the mark-we sin-death begins to work in our spirit. Our culture rejects the Word of God. At best it is one of many options for our cultural mindset. Deut. 8 sets the stage for Mt. 4. Be careful to obey every command. James says the doubleminded person is unstable-unable to hit the bulls eye. Let us submit wholehearted to the Word of God-this the only source of life.

How Long

Sunday we looked at Psalm 13. The point of the Psalm for me is the choice to sing to the Lord in the middle of the 'how long' of life. For too many the song has gone silent, the music of grace has died in their spirit. They are moaning and groaning about life and the injustice and pain, and the seeming silence of God instead of making the choice to rejoice in the Lord. At times it is much easier to moan and groan than rejoice. But the easy thing is seldom the path of the Kingdom of God. David was under attach from Saul, life was not as it should be, he was the anointed king but living as a fugitive, one of Saul's most wanted. It would have been easy for him to get stuck in the 'how long'. But David still had the song. God's grace brings a song to the human spirit. A song we should be willing to sing at midnight even if we are shackled in a Roman prison (Acts 16). There was a point when David probably lost the song and Psalm 51 records this. David cries out for God to restore the joy of His salvation-I need the song back. God restores the song when we repent and let go of our moaning and groaning. Maybe this song is the heartbeat of God planted within the spirit of the person of faith. Thank you Lord for the song (Psalm 40).

Your Kingdom Come

The rule, reign of God in the human heart is the firstfruits of when this world will no longer be dominated and darkened by the sinfulness and selfishness of man, but will be the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:13). Until then, Christ's people, must embody that Kingdom in their relationships and attitudes, priorities and pursuits of daily life. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) pictures this radical lifestyle, the unselfish attitudes, the other world priorities. Brennan Manning states that when we live in compassion towards others, the Kingdom of God comes. Our compassion connection has become disconnected. Christians are known more for their political efforts and statements on morality than for their love of others. They will know we are Christ's by our love for each other. A love that then carries over into the marketplace to touch the life of our neighbor, who may also be our enemy. The fruit of the Spirit is love...The greatest of these is love...the fulfillment of the law is love...the greatest command is to love God and others. Jesus had compassion on the multitudes. The deepest part of his person was moved to weep, give, serve, lay down his life for those who loved darkness more than light. The Kingdom had come and even the most religious were repulsed by its picture. Dare we pray, Father in heaven, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth...To truly pray this is to be the channel through which the Father shows His compassion, love, mercy. I beseech you, in view of God's mercy, be a living and holy sacrifice (Romans 12:1-3).

Fools Paradise

Here we are approaching another prediction of the end. An individual has 'heard from God', spent a million dollars, and is thoroughly convinced of his date work. I am puzzled by this in light of Christ's own words that no man knows the hour or day (Mt. 24:36). Maybe I am reading that wrong, but the guy in 1988 who then changed it to 1989 missed it too. The guy in 1000 AD that set a day missed it. Watch and pray Jesus said. We would rather get lathered up about a date than to watch and pray. Watching and praying are no fun, receive no media attention, and are easily replaced by watching TV and playing. Jesus is coming again-be hope filled as you live in the midst of the chaos. Know that it is well with your soul because the King of kings lives in you. We don't need to live in a fools paradise of guessing games and probability. We can live with faith's assurance that God will keep one more promise and the trumpet will sound and Christ will come and establish the new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness. Whenever God fufills that promise I am fine. It's His ballgame, I'm just glad to be on the team.

Radical Sacrifice

How many sermons about Jesus dying for us do we need to listen to before we will become a different church? Sometimes I wonder if saying some bad words will get our attention & awaken us to the radical truth, this unparalleled story of God dying for man. Can I grasp the magnitude of such a gift, the expense, the radical act of sacrificial love, the depth of unselfishness, the expanse of mercy & grace that rescues a chaotic world from the destruction of sin & selfishness? Can I grasp the intensity of sin, its hideousness, its hellishness, it destructive power & damning purpose? When I see Jesus broken, beaten, abused, mocked, tortured beyond comprehension, am I awakened to the putrid reality of my sin? God in his infinite wisdom declared that without sacrifice there would be no redemption. That sacrifice was a life given to redeem. Not merely something, but a living being had to be given to pay the price. A sacrifice that cost-a life was given, death was experienced, someone had to stop breathing & enter the darkness of death to become my Savior. The gap, the chaos of sin & selfishness that exists between man & God demanded a sacrifice greater than I can give. The Son left heaven, emptied himself, laid down His life, took my place, died my death, became sin for me-hideous, obnoxious, repulsive sin-the holy, sinless one got the raw end of the deal so that I can be alive & free & know rest of God & escape chaos.

Radical Sacrifice

How many sermons about Jesus dying for us do we need to listen to before we will become a different church? Sometimes I wonder if saying some bad words will get our attention & awaken us to the radical truth, this unparalleled story of God dying for man. Can I grasp the magnitude of such a gift, the expense, the radical act of sacrificial love, the depth of unselfishness, the expanse of mercy & grace that rescues a chaotic world from the destruction of sin & selfishness? Can I grasp the intensity of sin, its hideousness, its hellishness, it destructive power & damning purpose? When I see Jesus broken, beaten, abused, mocked, tortured beyond comprehension, am I awakened to the putrid reality of my sin? God in his infinite wisdom declared that without sacrifice there would be no redemption. That sacrifice was a life given to redeem. Not merely something, but a living being had to be given to pay the price. A sacrifice that cost-a life was given, death was experienced, someone had to stop breathing & enter the darkness of death to become my Savior. The gap, the chaos of sin & selfishness that exists between man & God demanded a sacrifice greater than I can give. The Son left heaven, emptied himself, laid down His life, took my place, died my death, became sin for me-hideous, obnoxious, repulsive sin-the holy, sinless one got the raw end of the deal so that I can be alive & free & know rest of God & escape chaos.

In Christ Hope

The amazing hope that is prepared in Christ for His followers does not negate the reality of our humanity with all its weakness, nor does it negate the reality of life's uncertainties. Hope in Christ is our bridge to tomorrow. The follower of Christ awakens each day to new grace and the opportunity to journey with the living God. This hope is not a mind game with the realities around us, but is a settled state of spirit and mind as one embraces the truth that Jesus Christ reigns. Watchman Nee captures the tension that we often experience as we live as aliens and strangers in this world. "The chistian life is a paradox of power in weakness, joy amid pain, faith triumphing in the presence of doubt. When the Christian is strongest in the Lord he is often most conscious of inabiilty; when he is most courageous he may be profoundly aware of fear within; and when he is most joyful a sense of distress readily breaks upon him again. It is only the exceeding greatness of the power that lifts him on high (Nee/Table In The Wilderness, 3/24)."

Consider Jesus

At Amarillo First Naz we have been exploring Hebrews 12:1-4-The Great Race. The writer at one point exhorts us to 'consider Jesus'. In the middle of the race, when it is difficult, painful, unfair we are called to consider Jesus. The people receiving the letter were suffering for their faith in Christ. Life was not fair, God did not seem to be hearing their prayers because the circumstances weren't getting any better. The answer to their problems?-'consider Jesus.' Remember His suffering and pain. Remember the injustice He experienced. Remember that He was sinless, innocent, underserving of anything that He received. Remember that He did what He did because of my sin and ungodliness. Remember that God didn't even spare His Son but freely gave Him up for us all. Remember that there is no other message like it. Remember that there has never been or will be a greater sacrifice. Remember and be thankful, humble and available. Remember and be wholly His. Always remember the three nails.

The Great Race & Holiness

I've been digging in Hebrews 12: 1-3 for preaching material for the new year. The great race, the race of faith, following Christ. As I continue to dig into Hebrews you come to grips with the fact that the race is about holiness. Christ our sanctifier, died to make us holy (13:12, 2:11). We are called to live in holiness (12:14). We are his brothers, his family as we share in His holiness (2:11). How tragic that the church has abandoned the call to holiness, or watered it down to merely something positional. This holiness is to be personal and practical. This holiness is Christlikeness and sets the body of Christ apart from the confused world. The throne of grace is to provide grace and strength to live the holy life. We share a 'heavenly calling'(3:1) holy brothers-called to be different and make a redemptive difference-to be holy. This holiness is not legalism, but the life of Christ in us. The better covenant is for this purpose. We can draw near so our hearts will be transformed and we will find the faith that presses forward. We are holy in Christ and we are being made holy as the Father disciplines and the Spirit leads and we obey (10:14, 12:10). Let us go to the throne of grace to receive what we need for holy living. In a confused world I have a purpose and calling.

The Great Race

The writer of Hebrews is making a call to faith. Living in a confused world, sometimes it's not easy to live by faith, to trust in the true and living God. Faith is not something we create or work up, but a response to God, who He is and what He has said. Faith is a response to something else and as Christians we are responding to the person and work of Jesus Christ. The race we are running is a marathon. It's not easy, it's not a quick fix, it demands concentration, focus, commitment, sacrifice. The marathon runner builds his/her life around running the marathon. Every day decisions are made according to the commitment to run the long distance. We must build following Christ into everyday. Jesus said, deny self, take the cross and follow me daily. Daily we decide to follow Christ. Daily choices are driven by the commitment to be pleasing to the Lord. Our confidence to run the race is Jesus Christ. Let us focus our attention on Him and run and keep running the race. The world is in confusion. They don't know where they are going, or who they are following. Christ's people are confident about the future. The Author and Finisher of their faith calls us to keep running.