Tag Archives: Jesus

The Third Sunday of Advent

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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)

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Christmas Card Theology

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I wrote a post two years ago with the same title.  It’s very short, here’s a link.  In that post I begged the question what if everything we know about Christmas we learned from reading Christmas cards?  You know, details such as exactly 3 wise men were at the manager with the shepherds on the night Christ was born, and that angels are beautiful women with blonde hair, hymn books and choir robes.  I worked that into a sermon last year and it’s a shame I don’t have all those pics online somewhere.

Well, here’s a Christmas card that I like.

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The First Sunday of Advent

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Advent is a season of waiting and preparation for the nativity of Jesus Christ.  I have been pleased to see many friends doing the “30 days of Thanksgiving” thing on Facebook.  I’m more encouraged by 30 days of Thanksgiving than by 60 or even 90 days of Christmas.  If you watch some classic movies, from say the 40’s or 50’s, you’ll see Dad bringing home a tree on Christmas Eve!  The family decorates the tree, hang their stockings, then celebrate Christmas the very next day.  Part of the beauty of Christmas is waiting for it to arrive. Continue reading →

The Rich Young Man; Look Again

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He came to Jesus professing he had kept all the commandments from his youth.  After Jesus told him to sell all he had and give to the poor, the man left very sad for he had great possessions.  We all know this story, there’s nothing else to learn from it right?  (It’s a trick question, don’t answer.)

The story of the Rich Young Man (or Ruler, historically) is accounted in Mark 10:17-22.  He asks Jesus what he must do in order to have eternal life.  Perhaps you’ve heard religion is what we do, the gospel is what Jesus does for us.  But Jesus tells him to keep the commandments.  The man replies he has kept all of the from his youth.  Now we know that he is either lying or more likely has deceived himself.  He thinks he is good, bound by the notion that what he does will earn him salvation.  For those of us that know this story, the way I thought I knew this story, look again at verse 21:

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Jesus looked at him, loved him, and then responded.  Jesus was actually listening to him, not just waiting for his turn to speak.  This man left sorrowful because he had many possession.  The scriptures do not say that Jesus was sorrowful, but we know that it is God’s will that no one should perish.  Jesus wept over Jerusalem and prayed for the ones that hung him on the cross.  Jesus loved the rich young man.  This was a good person that was tragically attached to his worldly possessions.  Jesus loved him.  But this person, like so many others, found something else that he loved more than Jesus.  He went away sad that day.

Every single person you met today: Jesus loves them.  There is a lesson to be learned about how to receive eternal life, but look at the lessons here for Christians.  Look at people.  Listen to them.  Love the way that Jesus loves.  And remember that there are no Super Christians.  Every person that Jesus witnessed to did not get saved either.

From the Mouths of Babes

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Our daughter Johannah is 26 months.  This past Sunday she looks at the mural behind our baptistry and says “Jesus is taking a bubble bath.”

It was adorable at the time, perhaps because a bubble bath is the only kind of bath she knows about.  It took me three days to realize she can recognize pictures of Jesus when she sees them.  Wow.

The Gospel of the Old Testament

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Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the Gospels in that they tell the story of the life of Jesus.  Jesus preaches in Mark 1 “repent and believe in the gospel.”  More than those four books, gospel means good news.  Jesus died for our sins; he is the way, the truth and the life; he brings the New Covenant, and we are no longer under the Law; all things things are part of the gospel message.  Paul says the Law is bad news; it cannot make us righteous, only more guilty.  But there is more to the Old Testament than the Law, and it’s not all bad news.

The Bible has many stories and characters, but only one message.  (Have you read this?)  The Old Covenant was about keeping the Law and bearing the mark of circumcision.  Paul has many analogies about the difference between the Law and the Gospel; the Gospel brings life, the Law only brings death.  But my point is that there is plenty of good news in the Old Testament as well.  It is part of God’s message. Continue reading →

What Is A Blogger?

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People that don’t blog probably have a pretty negative image of what a blogger is.  Computer geeks, emo girls, tree huggers and every single personality on G4 all come to mind.  Many blogs are driven to generating profit, whether for the entertainment industry or marketing products and services.  But then there is the other type of blogger; enter the world of the Christian Blogosphere.

Michael Spencer, the original Internet Monk, introduced me to blogging.  He was neither 24 years old nor living in his parents’ basement at the time.  The internet is a tool, just like books, radio and television.  There are some Christians that will never let a t.v. in their house but there are also some good Christian programs on it.  There are Christian radio stations and Christian book stores.  The internet is neither inherently good nor evil but could be used for either.  And some of us are using this tool to reach people and places with the Gospel that wouldn’t let missionaries or a case of Bibles cross the border.

I recently added Meeting in the Clouds to my blogroll.  My mother is 71, and knows how to push the space bar to pause Netflix.  That’s the beginning and end of her computer literacy.  Cloud Watcher is 74.  Notes from a Retired Preacher is authored by former pastor Jack Weaver.  His is a spry 82.  He uses the Internet to reach the world that he is no longer as capable of physically getting around in.  We may not agree on everything (if we did one of us would need to stop blogging) but he is not short on passion for sharing the Gospel.

Whatever a “blogger” looks like, the Christian blogger is sometimes a whole other animal.  In a sense, blogging is all about saying “Look at me!”  The Christian blogger is saying “Look at Jesus.”

Is Anything Too Hard for the LORD?

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God had first spoken to Abram when he was about 70 years old, promising him many descendants and lots of land.  Abram didn’t hear from God again for about 15 years, but when God reminded him that he would have his very own son, Abram believed him.  God counted his faith as rightousness, making Abram the first person made righteous by faith.  God explains that although his descendents will be innumerable like the stars in the sky, they will not be given the land for 400 years.  God’s schedule is not our schedule; he will speak to Abram again in another 15 years. Continue reading →

Did God Need to Rest?

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God created the heavens and earth in six days, made man in his own image, and on the seventh day Genesis 2 says he rested.  He blessed the seventh day, made it holy, and rested.  Everything but man was spoken into existence.  He is infinite, almighty God; did one week of talking a lot really wear him out?

In the first place, the text doesn’t say he collapsed from exhaustion.  There is a difference between dropping dead and taking a break.  Rest is a gift.  Recall that when criticized for breaking the Sabbath by doing good works Jesus points out that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  (ref)  One need not be on the verge of collapse to rest, but that’s still not even the point.

God did not rest because he was tired.  God leads by example.   Continue reading →

The Star Trek Sermon

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I’m a Trekkie.  I don’t think it’s ever come up here before, but I make no apologies for being a big fan.  I don’t have a Star Fleet uniform or anything, but do enjoy most of the series.  The original Star Trek aired on NBC from 1966 – 69.  That series made social and political commentary, sometimes dealing with very controversial issues, but in a sci-fi setting.  Gene Roddenberry wanted to share his vision for a better world, a world of peace and racial equality, not just entertain an audience.  There was always a “moral of the story” but some people were so entertained they were unaware of being educated.

Each Trek series has at least one character wrestling with the idea of being human.   Continue reading →