Joy to the World

Tis the season, or so they say. Just about everyone spreads the sentiment of peace and joy and brotherhood during these last few months of the year. Everyone seems to agree that this is a good thing but the atheist or the skeptic will be quick to argue that faith is not required to spread peace and love to others and that Christmas can be just as meaningful without Christ. Many Christians flounder for a response to this and tend to mumble something about commercialism or the "true" meaning of the holiday but what if I told you that both sides may be missing the point?

We read the beautiful story of the nativity in Luke one and two, and we can almost hear the chorus of angels say "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" But do we really get understand this? The meaning of the nativity and of this proclamation -like the cross itself- is tied to our past. In order to understand the right side of the Bible we need to know the left side; the Old Testament.

In the beginning God created. Now without getting into a creation argument (which is not the focus of this writing) we can see that God made man -specifically Adam and Eve. According to the book of Genesis mankind was, in those early days, perfect. We were were without sin or the knowledge of it and enjoyed a perfect communion with God. Simply put: we were truly good and there was nothing keeping us from or restraining our relationship with God.

Everything changed at the fall. Adam was given very little instruction, but chiefly he was told not to eat the fruit of a certain tree.

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

(Genesis 2:15-17)

This command was translated to Eve after her creation and things seemed to go as normal for a time. However, Eve chose to disobey God when temptation came to her and Adam -instead of correcting her- followed suit. In that moment their eyes were opened to evil and they “fell” from their perfect state and passed that sin nature on to their descendants, us.

This sin nature has plagued humanity ever since, it is a wedge between the creation and the Creator and makes us creatures of wrath rather than sons of glory. We're the spiritual cockroaches of the universe. The important point to remember here is that while we once enjoyed close companioship with God we are now estranged and more than that we are His enemies.

“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

(Romans 8:6-8)

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened....being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

(Romans 1:20-21, 29-32)

So the world and all the people in it are naturally at odds with the God who created them. This brings us back to Luke and the angel's proclamation, “ Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” People tend to throw this verse around while pushing for unity in mankind and the brotherhood of humanity but the angels, I think, had a very different meaning in mind.

You see, they weren't here to spout empty blessings or hollow promises. They weren't here to warm hearts and calm minds. They had come to proclaim the birth of the King! Man was estranged and at enmity with God, doomed to a just punishment and eternal separation from their creator. The flames of Hell lie in front of us and we are powerless to alter our path, but God has made a way.

The story of Christmas is the story of salvation, of God come to earth in the form of man that a way to Heaven may opened to us! Jesus, that little baby in the manger, was more than the offspring of Mary. He was and is God in flesh, Deity in humanity, the infinite within the the finite. He was the same man who would grow up to face death on the Cross that we might receive life in eternity. His sacrifice paid the price for our crimes and allows God to forgive us, putting our sins on Jesus' account.

The angels didn't come to make the shepherds feel good as they cowered in that field. They didn't come to proclaim peace throughout the nations. The angels were a delegation from the King to His people in rebellion, they were messengers of His intentions of peace towards us. The goodwill toward men is His goodwill! Though we are haters of God and though we have rejected Him at every opportunity He has goodwill and peace intended for us! He extends the olive branch and offers us a way of reconciliation.

Now through Jesus Christ we can look foreword not to the unending flames of Hell but to the peace and rapture of Heaven.

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

(Revelation 21:1-7)

We need not fear tomorrow and we need to war against our maker. We who were the enemies of God have been shown peace and forgiveness. Remember this Christmas that the birth of Jesus is only understood when viewed in the light of the our past and that baby's future. God came to man when man would flee from God, He has built a bridge over the chasm we had built.

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!" So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

(Luke 2:8-20)

All Things New

'Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new...”'

(Revelation 21:5)

     Hello again! Happy new year to you all and I hope it was a blessed time of celebration for everyone. Coming into 2015 got me to think about the new year and newness in general. We serve a God who is not only the eternal unchanging God but one who delights in the “new.” From His perspective of course nothing is 'new' but we really mean new from our perspective. He will not leave things as they are but will, in His time, remake them so they shine anew.

     The world is old, very old, not nearly as old as some people think but compared to the average human lifespan it's darn old! The earth was formed many years ago and like your dad's old Buick, time has not been kind to it. Everything we see is in a gradual state of decline and breakdown that if given enough time would lead to nothing more than a cloud of disparate particles floating through space. The curse of sin has brought death to more than man. God however, sees a work unfinished, a canvas with only a few rough sketches and brushstrokes just waiting to be completed.

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”

(Romans 8:20-22)

At the end of days when the sons of God are glorified we won't be living on this same old dusty ball. The whole of reality will be renewed right along with us into a glorious new future that we can't even imagine! How lovely is nature now while burdened by sin, how beautiful will it be when freed from those bonds and renewed by the master artist of creation?

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

(Revelation 21:1-2)

     We as well will find ourselves remade in God's final design; still ourselves and still human but glorified into a form that will last for eternity. The life of a Christian now is a struggle, a battle against the ongoing sin the beguiles and attacks us. We are freed from sin's price and it's power but in those moment we will be freed from it's presence as well! The church will never sin again and never fail their King, from that moment to eternity the relationship between God and man will never be hindered again.

“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

“For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.”

(Romans 8:29-30)

     All of this newness is yet to come but now, at this very time, we have access to another new thing, the new covenant between God and man. The covenants of the Old Testament were primarily between God and the nation of Israel. The prescribed how man could be obedient to God and thus demonstrate their faith. Unfortunately they did nothing for the state of man's soul. That all changed when Christ came to earth. He first showed us how the old law was meant to show us our need for God. The rules seen as impossible to follow really were impossible and that was the point! We could never measure up to the perfection of God and are thus in desperate need of Him and of the grace and mercy only He can give. When Christ died on our behalf and rose again a new covenant was made; Christ had paid a price so much greater than the cost of our sins that His one sacrifice was enough for all time!

“When he speaks of a 'new' covenant, he declares the first one obsolete. And what has become obsolete and has grown old is close to disappearing.”

(Hebrews 8:13)

“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance”

(Hebrews 9:13-15)

“Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life.”

(2 Corinthians 3:4-6)

     We look forward to a day when all thins are new, when the sins of old and the crimes of the past are no longer even a distant memory. We eagerly await that coming dawn when the glory of God lights our day and we need never fear the darkness. God is from forever and will never change nor come to His end but still He brings the joy of newness into the lives of His creations. How I long for the time when the new sun rises and we find ourselves in the never ending peace and joy of a glorious new day.

More Than Humanity: A Higher Perspective

     Society all around us is fractured, some would say failing. Our husbands and fathers have become lazy buffoons ripe for parody and mockery. Our wives and mothers are overworked, cynical and depressed; unwilling to fully trust their men and doubtful that they should at all. Our children and teens are jaded, rebellious, narcissistic, and corrupt; unable or unwilling to see past their smart-phones or the opinions of their peers. And in between them all we have an army of the young and unwed, obsessed with themselves and their desires, oblivious to any higher calling and suspicious of anything that claims to be true. These people, our people, need help. This world needs something more than what we see.

     At the heart of this problem is, of course, sin. Mankind will always desire to do what satisfies the flesh rather than what is truly good; all we need is the chance. Every one of us has the potential to be the abusive husband or the cheating wife or rebellious child or whatever. We sin, not just because we have to, but because we want to. The reason these ills seem “more” prevalent now is that we have simply given people the opportunity to sin in greater amounts and more freely than ever before. The proposal and rapid acceptance of naturalistic evolution and the advent of “higher criticism” have made it easier and easier to reject God and His Word. We have “science” telling us that God didn't create and so we can ignore the arguments the Bible makes without even reading them. Those who do read them, find that the critics tear them apart so much as make them seem to lose all meaning.

     We once lived in a society -in a world- where you had no choice but to at least consider the possibility of God. Creation screamed at you, the preacher spoke to you, the Spirit whispered to you, and all the world tried to be “good people.” Things are different now aren't they? Creation has been muzzled and painted over with a landscape of death and change, the preacher has been compromised and spends more time building his flock than actually teaching them (not to mention that virtually no one goes to listen anymore but those who already believe), and all the world sings to the tune of “just follow your heart.” Never mind that God tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked...” Those who we trust with leadership have put forth an immense amount of effort to drive our view earthward, away from the sky and the Son.

     We need to recapture eternity. Our lack of perspective has given people the means they need to pursue their sins. Their is no 'ever-after' so find all the joy you can today, right? There's no judge to make the rules so you decide how to play the game, it's your game after all isn't it? No one made us this way, so we can be whatever we want to be and be with whoever we want to be with. There is no right and wrong only mine and yours. If all we have to look at is the ground around us, is it any surprise that our worldviews have gotten so muddy? When God is on His throne and in His proper place in our minds, we see things as they should be. Our actions have consequence and meaning because they will echo in eternity, who we are matters because He has fashioned us for a purpose, and what we do matters because reality reflects the very nature of its Creator.

     God is more than just a crutch for hard times. He is more than just a nice thought on holidays or a cultural hold-over. God is the very thing that gives our lives meaning and worth. If there is no God then there is no law-giver for reality. If there is no law-giver then there is no objective law by which to differentiate good and evil. If there is no good and no evil then nothing we do can rightfully be condemned. If we make the rules then every argument is simply a matter of survival of the fittest and our future will be nothing but cannibalism, as we devour each other in our effort to have things our own way.

And Who Am I to Speak?

I am reminded of how little I am. What do I think I'm doing with all these words? Who am I to speak to others and to tell them what truth is? I am no prophet nor am I some great man of God. My imperfections glare at me from the mirror and I know that I am so very little worth. I am no great scholar, I am no enlightened thinker, but what I have is the Word. That is all I or anyone else has to say that has any meaning. 774,746 words that contain anything of any eternal bearing or meaning or purpose. In the end I'm just finding new combinations of words to express ideas that God has already given to us.

In a way I guess I am a prophet. The job of the prophet has always been to take the words of God to the people. In times past those words were new and directly given, now we have them already recorded. Still the job remains the same. In that way, everyone who teaches is a prophet, and like a prophet of old, we all must be very careful not to get in the way. His words truth must not be mixed with my opinion, my thoughts must be shaped by His commands. When I write, when I speak, when I try to explain this text, then I must stay within that text. If I stray into uncharted lands then I am lost and worse than that, I may drag others with me. Remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees?

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides...”

(Matthew 23:15-16)

Is that what we do as modern day teachers? Do we go about making disciples, teaching them what we believe, only to make them even more fit for a residence in eternal torment? How often do you examine yourself, how often do I, to make sure we are on the path? Can we check too often? Too much? Why do I never see the experts on TV or the Internet carrying Bibles? Why does the preacher always have one but the pundit does not? Do we really care if people see us as less of an authority because we have to read or look up a text? Wouldn't it be better to be accurate for sure then appear to have great knowledge?

I pray that I'm doing what I should be here. I pray that in taking up this mantle, for trying to teach the truth, that I am in fact doing just that. Dear God let my words reflect Your truth and may I not lead a single soul astray by my thoughts expressed. There is terror here if you understand what is at stake, but there is hope and comfort in Him. Like in all things our understanding of God helps us. I may hamper or hinder some poor soul by some errant teaching, but I will never be responsible for their salvation or damnation. No matter how well written the article I will never save anyone from hell and no matter how poorly I screw up a doctrine I can never damn anyone to it either. We are each of us responsible for our destiny and God will -will- save those who are His.

“And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.'"

(John 6:35-40)

Use my words oh God, if You will. Though I can offer only a pitiful sacrifice. Keep me on a short leash, let me only say your Truth and Your words. Let me never lose sight of how little I am and how big You are; the awesome God who created and keeps all things, who has laid out the plan of creation and carries it out, who has given us the words of life (John 6:67-68). It's not much but all I have is all I can give. Like the song “So Great a Salvation“ from the O.C. Supertones: “I could never thank you enough, but here's my life for whatever it's worth.”

To Whom Do We Compare?

     We are none of us perfect, and all a work in progress. It can be disheartening, falling down again. We push and we struggle and we try for every inch of holiness and still we have so far to go. Worse yet is the sight of those who are “further along” than we are. It would be easy to get lost in the comparison. It would be easy to see yourself as less, or wrong, or even to doubt your salvation because you're not moving as quickly or as far.

     Don't let that happen. We must remember that we all started at different places, at different times, and as different people. We all walk our own road to heaven so to speak and it would be folly to compare the paths. Don't confuse what I'm saying by the way, there is only one way to heaven and to God, namely through Jesus Christ, but what I'm saying is that no one walks the same steps on our journey. Some of us had the blessing of growing up in Christian homes with Christian parents or having a great biblical church to attend or having great teachers to learn from; others did not. Some people started in more shadowed worlds, or eventually found themselves there. Some of us have more dust to shake off than others.

     What is important is not your position on the journey but that you're making it all! Whether you're a baby Christian experiencing God for the first time or an elder nearing the end of a lifetime with Jesus, we're all going home. Don't worry so much about how much more work God has to do in you, the greatest saint is a horrid creature when compared to God.

     Ultimately God is the one to compare ourselves to, the one and only standard. We may be saddened when we compare our black soul to another's shining white but when laid before God we are all just shades of gray, only He is perfect! It should be a humbling and a hopeful thing to see ourselves compared to the Holy God. We appear so much worse and He appears so much better. Let that remind you that we are all just travelers on the journey, no one any better than another, and to all of us God has blessed us greatly with salvation undeserving.

     If we can keep a right perspective on ourselves and others we will be better prepared not only to continue our own journey but to help out others with theirs. That perfect saint you see may be battling demons inside that are tearing him apart or that struggling new Christian with the course mouth may be just bursting with the love of God! Remember that our only comparison should be vertical, Man to God. Forget how others may look to you or how you may look to others, ask God to help you see everyone -yourself included- as He see's them. That's how to move forward, onward and upward, to eternity.

What We Fight For

     You might hear it if you listen, the battle cry of the faith. Rise up Christian soldiers and stand against the tide! The world we're told, is falling, and we cannot stand aside! And yet some people do. There are a good many people who simply do not educate themselves on true doctrine or who do not stand up for the gospel. Some are just lazy of course, still others simply aren't saved to begin with, there are some however that will question why we need to 'defend' the gospel at all. Isn't God, God, they'll say. Doesn't He not need our help? Why bother?

     First off, and you'll find this is often the first answer regardless of the question, because we've been commanded to! We stand for God's word and proclaim it to those around us because we have been expressly ordered to by our God and King and by the example set forth in scripture.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear...”

(1 Peter 3:15)

“...just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.”

(Philippians 1:7)

(emphasis mine)

It seems kind of heavy handed to say and it may sound like I'm skirting the real issue but frankly many of the questions we might have as Christians come down to a sort of “because I said so” from God. We have lost some of that prophet, priest, and KING teaching about Jesus these days and we don't always hear about how he is to be obeyed. Not just listened to or taken under advisement but obeyed!

     Let me further say that God -is- God. He really doesn't need our help in any sense. If no one spoke the gospel He could make the rocks beneath our feet sing hymns to His glory! If He desires to preserve His Word it will endure; as it has through all these centuries. That being said, one important reason we 'defend' the gospel is because we aren't defending the gospel at all. What we are defending is the gospel's opportunity to impact, we are defending people! There are people out there -men, women, and children- who might only hear a little bit of the truth over there whole lives. Will you sit back and let that little bit of truth be mired in an ocean of lies? These people we see around us are dieing! The are headed to eternal fire and the world we live in is throwing up a smokescreen of falsehood to blind them off the edge of the cliff! We quiet the noise of evil so that the sweet sound of the gospel can make it to the ears of the unsaved! These people need God, and they need the truth about God; so we fight for that truth to be heard and we strike down falsehood without mercy.

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

(Romans 10:14)

     Remember that our lives are for eternity, our actions here will echo in forever. In defending the gospel we defend those who will be saved by it. In fighting for truth we help to free those enslaved by lies. When we do the work that God has laid out for us, His name is glorified among the people. Don't neglect your work, don't leave these fallen desperate people undefended. Fight, protect, defend, and stand firm.

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Dual Citizenship

     I love my country. I thank God that He has so blessed me that I live in a place that -at least officially- recognizes personal liberty. Where I can openly practice my beliefs and share them with those around me. A nation where I need not fear violence should I speak out against the common beliefs of society. I am blessed that I may seek my future as I see fit, where I may read what I want, say what I want, and think what I want. I am blessed to be so free. I am free to worship my God how I so chose. I am free to gather with my brothers and sisters in the Lord every Sunday. I am free to choose the path of my life and the path of my soul. I am free.

     My country is not perfect. Like every earthly institution it involves people, and people are never perfect. Those in charge of our governance have made mistakes and many of them quite public and quite tragic. Those who did the best they could are intermixed with those who simply did what they wanted. We have held up the noble as heroes and cast down the innocent as villains. My country is not perfect, but it has such great potential. At its heart is the Constitution, a document that outlines a government protected -as much as possible- from strife and greed and power-mad fools. Our laws were drafted with God in mind, for a nation of people who knew that God ruled His creation and that leaders were at best delegated ministers. We have made mistakes, we have made poor choices, but we try. We try our best to do our best, and as a whole we have done rather well.

     I love my country, but my country is not my home. These green fields and busy streets, these blue skies and lofty buildings, these empty plains and busy cities are not my destiny. This beautiful land where nature takes the stage and man's ingenuity raises lofty structures high into the clouds is not enough for me. This land, that I love, is not my final home.

     I am a Christian. This life you see is an illusion, for I died long ago. My heart may keep on beating but I laid myself down on the alter of heaven and died along with Christ that I may live with Him as well. This life, this soul, this existence has been bought and paid for by the sacrifice of one far greater than I. His blood, the blood of Jesus, has paid my way out of darkness and into light. My name has been written down in the records of a higher citizenship. My home is with the Lord. When the grand display of this present world is faded, when Christ returns to claim His own or when my time has run its course and I am left an old and failing form, when every one of our grand designs has crumbled into dust, then I will find the pathway to eternity open and the doors to heaven waiting for me at last. I will walk the streets of gold and follow the pathways of the stream that flows from the throne of God. I will know peace, for heaven is my home.

     I love my countries. This nation that God has blessed me to be a part of is a wonderful earthly place, imperfect and flawed but granted such grace. My heavenly home will be the fulfillment of our every dream. I love my country, but I know this place is not my home. I will fight for its honor, I will support its good and I will decry its evils, but most of all I will hold to it with a loose hand. Every rolling hill and vast city, every reaching mountain and endless suburb will fade and come to its end in due time. My God has blessed me with this nation and I thank Him for it, but I will not cling to it nor let it distract me from the forever that awaits. This whole wonderful terrible world we live in has a deadline, an expiration date, an end; I will keep my eye on the endless.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ...”

(Philippians 3:20)