Reposted from December 18, 2011
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
In Luke 2 the sky was filled with the heavenly host proclaiming the gospel of peace to a few lowly shepherds. Last week, Joy, was about the shepherds. They found the baby as the angels had said, and went out of Bethlehem rejoicing and praising God. This week we celebrate Peace and light the Angels’ Candle. Continue reading
Happy Monday turns 20! No, not years. This is the 20th post titled Happy Monday. It’s been five months of helping get your butt out the door with a smile on your face. Okay, on with the show.
Ever see the painting Dogs Play Poker? I call this Dogs Play Christmas. I can’t believe they have wise men but no sheepdogs; or at least a German shepherd. What were they thinking?!? Continue reading
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
-2 Corinthians 8:9
He became poor. He didn’t loose his riches, nor were they taken from him. Philippians 2 says he humbled himself and took the from of a servant. Jesus said in John 10 that no one takes his life, but that he has the authority to lay it down and take it up again.
He became poor. He became small, weak, tired, hungry, thirsty, despised and rejected by men. He was laid in a manger the night he was born and in a grave the night he died. Why? Because only he could. Neither the Law, nor sacrifices, nor good works could make us righteous. On our own, we could never have clawed our way out. We were guilty, condemned, lost and… hopeless. I have often said that when we could not come to God, he came to us. C.S. Lewis said “The Son of God became man to enable men to become sons of God.”
God is in the manger. And that is the best gift ever.
Merry Christmas!
Reposted from December 11, 2011
The third week of Advent is about Joy and we light the Shepherds’ candle.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV)
I went to Miriam Webster .com to define joy. The first entry was “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” No, that sounds too much like happiness. That’s not the biblical sort of joy. That’s not what the Apostle Paul is talking about. Let’s try entry 2: “a state of happiness or felicity.” That is happiness. Happiness is conditional; if the conditions change so can the state of one’s emotions. One phone call can turn a person’s state of happiness around quick. On to definition 3: “a source or cause of delight.” That’s what we’re looking for. Continue reading
It’s Christmastime Charlie Brown originally aired in 1965. Charlie Brown and Rudolf are lifetime favorites, Home Alone and The Santa Clause are a little bit newer (but perhaps still old movies to some of you). And I watch them all again every year.
Here’s a couple of oldie but goodies here on the Master’s Table that come back around every Christmas. Prayerfully consider the scriptures and see what you think.
Rethinking the Angelic Choir:
What is the first thing the angel says to the shepherds? Most of the time when angels appear in the Bible (unless in disguise) the first words out of their mouths are “Do not be afraid.” There must be a reason for this. Either the stature, or brilliance, or something we are not told about angels evokes fear in regular people. Note the words “heavenly host.” Anytime the Old Testament says anything about a host it is in reference to an army. I want you to carefully consider all of this together. An angel appears to a group of shepherds whose natural tendency is to run in fear. The sky was then filled with the heavenly host, singing and praising God. This was not a choir, made up of beautiful women in choir robes; it was a vast military force, an army of angels, possibly with swords drawn ready to do battle. Is all of this baseless conjecture? I do not think so. READ MORE
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
And what about myrrh? See myrrh is different. It’s a resin similar to frankincense, but offers a bitter aroma rather than a sweet one. In Biblical times its most common use was as an embalming agent. Had the women found Jesus on Sunday morning after the crucifixion, they would have anointed him with myrrh among other herbs. Gold and frankincense are obviously valuable gifts, but why offer myrrh? READ MORE
A couple of weeks ago, our Sunday School lesson focused on how the first Christmas was for a Jewish audience. Joseph and Mary, the inhabitants of Bethlehem, and the shepherds who visited on the night of Jesus’ birth were all Jews. Jesus came first to his own people, knowing he would be rejected, all to fulfill God’s plan.
This week we looked at Christ’s birth for Gentiles. Consider these words of Simeon, who met Jesus at his dedication at the Jerusalem temple:
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
(Luke 2:29-32 ESV)
It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Christ in his lifetime. Notice that when Jesus was only weeks old, Simeon recognized he was both light for the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. Sometimes we get this funny idea, even if we don’t put it into words, that throughout the Bible God sort of rolls with the punches. Sometimes we make it up as we go along, but that doesn’t mean God does the same. He didn’t come up with the plan of salvation after Israel failed to keep the Law. And offering salvation to the Gentiles was not some sort of plan B when the Jews rejected Jesus.
God knew all along, and the birth, life and death of Jesus were all part of his great plan. The birth of the Christ is good news for all mankind.
Shivering in the Night
A baby shivers,
A mother glows.
Emanuel’s light,
Falls like snow.
Hope soon covers,
Wherever God’s felt,
Warming iced egos,
In pools of snow melt.
Come Emmanuel,
Enter from the cold,
Rest in faith’s warmth,
And glow within this soul.
©2012 by Chris Clody
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Copyrighted material, used by permission.
Have you ever seen a live nativity? Instead of plastic figures of shepherds and wise men, a live nativity scene has actors in costume, and for an hour or two each evening you can drive by and see them. The shepherds bow and worship, the magi present their gifts, perhaps Mary rocks her baby in her arms, or else Mary and Joseph simply admire him. It’s unlikely, even at a live nativity, that they have an actual newborn present. The “baby Jesus” might be a toddler, or even an infant, but you wouldn’t want to keep a real baby out in the cold for very long. Even a live nativity scene will often use a doll, or even just pretend there is a babe wrapped up in swaddling clothes and lying in the manger.
Contrast that scene with the night Jesus was born.
Biker Santa wishes you Happy Monday Continue reading
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