When we are miserable ingrates

Just about every parent has heard this complaint in one way or another.  “You never do anything for me.”  Perhaps it is because our child's friend just got that latest greatest smartphone while she has to use last year’s model. Or, maybe he hasto share a room with his brother and his friend has his own room complete with LCD TV!  In love, we overlook the ingratitude, though failure to appreciate a home, a full table, and all that we provide does sting.   

Not so long ago I was drawn into a conversation that was full of bitter complaint. “What has God ever done for me? Why should I trust Him?” I wanted to remind the person that he was breathing air the Lord provided, enjoying salvation He purchased with His life, and living in a world that He made.

Yes, we all forget His providence from time to time.

God’s people were led out of slavery in Egypt, ate manna every day that He gave, and lived under His umbrella of protection. Were they grateful and obedient? "He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them …But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test." (Psalm 106:13-14, NIV)

With all the excesses of an American Christmas thrown at us, we, like those ancient people,  can “soon forget what God has done” for us.  The family scenes and celebrations make my heart so sad this year. I can quickly slip into self-pity and complain bitterly. It's not pretty! What about you? What triggers your complaints? Is it that new car your brother showed off last week? How about the trip to Europe your neighbor has scheduled, or the home that is twice the size of yours?  There are hundreds of ‘reasons’ we can complain, if that is what we choose to do.

The passage I quoted helps us to understand that our ungrateful attitude is more than just being rude. When we complain against Him, it is just a short step to self-will, to making our own way, then to indulging our sinful nature.  When we become rebels, we cut ourselves off from His fellowship, walk alone, and invite His discipline.  Don’t do it!  

If your heart is boiling with emotion, seething with resentment,  find a quiet place and hit the pause button on life for a while.  Exercise your power of choice and take control of those impulses, presenting them to God.  Need to cry? Go ahead. Need to scream?  Go for a ride in your car and let it out!  And, get perspective.  A good faithful friend who won’t fan the flames of your sense of entitlement is a gift.  Ask that friend to listen, to turn your heart back to the One who loves you deeply.

God is a wonderful Father. He is full of mercy. In this Advent Season, let’s be people who remember all the gifts that He provides in grace, even when life disappoints us.

Here is a word from the Word. "Still, when God saw the trouble they were in and heard their cries for help, He remembered his Covenant with them, and, immense with love, took them by the hand. He poured out his mercy on them while their captors looked on, amazed.

Save us, God, our God! Gather us back out of exile So we can give thanks to your holy name and join in the glory when you are praised!" (Psalm 106:44-47, The Message)

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Love Came Down At Christmas

Worship we the Godhead

Love incarnate love divine

Worship we our Jesus

But wherewith for sacred sign

Love came down at Christmas

Love all lovely love divine

Love was born at Christmas

Star and angels gave the sign

Love shall be our token

Love be yours and love be mine

Love to God and all men

Love for plea and gift and sign

Love for plea and gift and sign

For plea for gift for sign

Christina Georgina Rossetti | Gilbert M. Martin

© Words: Public Domain

Another Cute Baby?

Jesus’ arrival, a baby boy born to traveling parents, laid in a manger, gets ‘prettied up’ in our retelling. We bring all our ooh’s and aah’s as if he arrived in the hospital maternity wing, the next beautiful baby to love and admiration.  Truth is, he came to a desperate situation, to a world that was not wonderful, with a mission from His Father that would turn history inside out!  That cute baby was the Lord of Glory who declared war on sin and evil, who confronted hypocrisy and empty religion, and who offered Himself as a sacrifice, becoming sin for me- for you.  The spiritual world was shaken in ways beyond our wildest imagination when the Creator entered His Creation, God become Flesh.

Set aside the cultural wrapping and read what John says about Jesus’ birth:  "He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves." (John 1:10-12, The Message)  "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish." (John 1:14, The Message)

He did not come to make life marginally better, to improve our standard of living. He came to declare war on sin, to defeat Satan, and to set captives of death free to live. This is the amazing meaning of our celebration of Advent. When we believe that, the Truth changes us: hopeless to hopeful, unloved to loved, sinner to saint. 

But, the whole story was not written 2,000 years ago. Luke tells the story of the baby who grew to be the Savior. Advent’s celebration of the Birth is incomplete with an anticipation of the King’s arrival, described in John’s Revelation: "Riding the clouds, he’ll be seen by every eye, those who mocked and killed him will see him, People from all nations and all times will tear their clothes in lament. " (Revelation 1:7, The Message)  "I turned and saw the voice. I saw a gold menorah with seven branches, And in the center, the Son of Man, in a robe and gold breastplate, hair a blizzard of white, Eyes pouring fire-blaze, both feet furnace-fired bronze, His voice a cataract, right hand holding the Seven Stars, His mouth a sharp-biting sword, his face a perigee sun. I saw this and fainted dead at his feet. His right hand pulled me upright, his voice reassured me: “Don’t fear: I am First, I am Last, I’m Alive. I died, but I came to life, and my life is now forever. See these keys in my hand? They open and lock Death’s doors, they open and lock Hell’s gates." (Revelation 1:12-18, The Message)

The King will come- to set things right, to judge the world, with His reward.  That is the rest of the story.  What a vision.  Go back and re-read it. Yes, it’s weird language but John is attempting to describe the Majesty that assures us when death threatens, when life goes terribly ‘wrong’ for us, when we are tempted by fear.  The Cute Baby is the Lord, Majestic and Powerful.

I am so thankful that a Baby came to become my Savior, but I am also so thankful that a King will come with my reward, with the long awaiting vindication of those who have lived and died, often without recognition, for His cause.

As you head into this Monday, anchor your life in the Savior/King. Enrich the celebration of Advent by telling the whole story.

Here is a word from the Word.  "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth." (Philippians 2:5-10, NIV)

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 Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Come, Thou long expected JesusBorn to set Thy people free.From our fears and sins release us,Let us find our rest in Thee.Israel's strength and consolation,Hope of all the earth Thou art.Dear desire of every nation,Joy of every longing heart.

 Born Thy people to deliver,Born a child and yet a King.Born to reign in us forever,Now Thy gracious Kingdom bring.By Thine own eternal Spirit,Rule in all our hearts alone.By Thine all sufficient meritRaise us to Thy glorious throne!

Charles Wesley © Words: Public Domain

Loving the Light!

On a run to the hospital last night, I drove through residential areas and the child in me started to take note of the houses that were decorated with lights.  Some, like mine, included a polite nod to the Season. I have white lights on a two trees in front my home. That’s it!  Others were works of art, displays of color and craftsmanship that required hours of work. Some were tasteful, others – well, not so much. As I write this morning, at the periphery of my vision is a little tree in the bay window of my kitchen, sparkling with a couple of dozen multi-colored lights.  

About 300 years ago the Christmas tree and candles were matched in the celebration of Christmas but too often with disastrous results.  Imagine a pine tree that is drying out that has real candles attached to its branches. Who decided that was a good idea?

Near the end of the 19^th century, as Edison was perfecting his light bulb, he looked for ways to promote his new invention. Lights strung on a Christmas tree in place of dangerous candles was a perfect thing and the first ones dazzled those who saw it, though it was a treat reserved for the very rich.  Around 1900 a single string of lights cost about $300 in today’s dollars!  But as electricity and light bulbs became part of our American lives, so did the brightly lit Christmas tree and decorations that are universal in 2016.

Those lights remind me of the Light! 

As you read John’s words ask the Spirit to make them radiant with joyful hope for you. "The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created,  … to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. …  the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." (John 1:4-14, NLT)

Jesus came to Light up the darkness, to bring the radiance of God to us who were captives of sin, living in the dark. What a story!  Just gaze on Him. Where hate, bleak and miserable, divides us, He radiates love, beautiful and warm,  to unite us. Where addictions to Self, sex, and substance drag us into dark dungeons of slavery, He brings the light of freedom to lead us to pleasant places of fulfillment and joy. Yes, He is the Light.

Choose to live in the light, Christian.  Don’t hide from Him. Don’t let the fear of exposure cause you to scurry back to some dark place. Take the life that comes with the Light. Like moon that hangs in the night sky, invite the Light to shine brightly on you and reflect that radiance into the places where your orbit in life carries you. 

When you are driving past those displays let each one be a reminder that the true Light has come who give light to everyone.  And, rejoice!

Here is a word from the Word. Lord shine on us and make us to know the radiance of the Father. "For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6, NIV) Amen.

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Here I Am To Worship

Light of the world

You stepped down into darkness

Opened my eyes let me see

Beauty that made

This heart adore You

Hope of a life spent with You

So here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You're my God

And You're altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

King of all days

Oh so highly exalted

Glorious in heaven above

Humbly You came

To the earth You created

All for love's sake became poor

Tim Hughes

© 2000 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Don't get mud on your face

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have built a partnership that has made the Patriots a great football team. Belichick is a coach of amazing insights. Brady, a record holding quarterback. Yet both have ‘mud on their face.’  A few years ago the coach made a stupid choice to cheat that brought dishonor to himself.  Brady sat out the first four games of this season after the NFL concluded that footballs were tampered with for some small advantage.  Why would men of such abilities make choices like that?  Because they are just men, subject to the same failures as the rest of us. These blots will be part of their legendary records. Let’s be careful as we consider this.

Making dumb choices, choosing to do the wrong thing, is not such a rare thing that we should be surprised. 
Remember Bill Clinton, the President? He was an amazing leader whose name is forever linking with predatory sexual behavior. 
Remember Jimmy Swaggart? The evangelist was touched millions when it was revealed that he had real issues with lust.
How about Alex Rodriguez, the Yankee who marred an amazing career by using performance enhancing drugs?

Those people deal with having their sin in headlines. But, let’s not forget – temptation is common to us all!   Decades of stellar work can be eclipsed by a single choice to cut corners, bend the rules, indulge the Self.  These people who have found their failures in headlines should remind you and me that we are all quite human. 

If we want to avoid wearing mud on our face, we need to kneel humbly before our God, ask the Holy Spirit to guide, and rise to make the choice for integrity every day! Before the temptation presents itself, before the pressure to 'win again' makes itself known, before the opportunity to enrich ourselves with 'just a little thing that no one will ever know about' comes knocking at the door - it is important to admit our humanity and accept the guidance of God’s Spirit. The defeat of the world, the flesh, and the Devil demands a daily infusion of Divine strength. We cannot simply resolve to overcome temptation with our own will. We need the Spirit of God to live in us, to keep our hearts true, and our minds clear.

The writer of the hymn puts it well -
"Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter,
bind my wand'ring heart to Thee.
Prone to wander; Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart; O take and seal it.
Seal it for Thine courts above."

Jeremiah takes quite a dim view of human nature, accurately reflecting the state of the person who lives without the Light of God, without the powerful Presence of the Spirit. He says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV) It is true! But there is hope. We are not victims of our depravity because there is a Savior, a Deliverer, who stepped in. 
Part of what we celebrate in this season of Advent is the arrival of the Warrior whose love purchased our salvation.  We join another spectacular sinner in a humble prayer that depends on the mercy and grace of our Father - "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin … Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:1-2,10, NIV)

The same writer of the hymn says in the next verse -
"I know Thy hand will bring me,
safely home by Thy good grace.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God.
He to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood." - Come, Thou Fount

Got mud on your face? God washes us, makes us clean, and gives new hearts for old.
Don't walk in fear of your sinful nature! Instead, remember that 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' So, fear God, not man.

Walk in grace, not guilt. Live wholly and holy and when the game is over, you will wear the victor's reward.

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Joy to the world the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King 
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing 
And heaven and nature sing 
And heaven and heaven and nature sing

No more let sins and sorrows grow 
Nor thorns infest the ground
 He comes to make His blessings flow 
Far as the curse is found
 Far as the curse is found 
Far as far as the curse is found

 He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders wonders of His love

Isaac Watts

The treasures in your heart

Talk to me over dinner and I’ll tell you about the work of ministry which is my passion, my adult children that I love.  Pictures of my grandchildren will appear on my phone in the course of the evening.  And,  the Lord Jesus will be there in the words, too.  I’ll most likely talk about grief a bit, even though I try to keep that to myself. However, since I shared 41 years with her, we probably will end up talking about my late wife at some point.  Engage in a conversation with a person and, as they lower their guard, you will discover what they love, what they believe, who they are.

Jesus said “out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” What is stored away in your heart? What kind of memories have you cataloged and organized that shape who you are and what you say today?  James reminds us that fresh water does not flow from a salt spring!  That is one reason to choose wisely what you decide to keep, what kind of information you accumulate, where you feed your mind. The songs on your playlist are forming your thoughts.  The TV shows that you watch in the evening are more than entertainment. The books you read are more than words on a page. All of that ‘input’ gets stored away and begins to purify or pollute the well that is our heart.

One of the blessings of coming to know Christ is the promise of a transformed life that flows out of a new heart.  When we receive Him as Savior, when we take our failures, our faults, our sins to Him with confession, He forgives and makes us clean and new! The Word says "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18, The Message)  A dark heart, full of hate, bitterness, lust, and pride is flooded with light when Christ enters and change begins.  Yes, there is a process that continues. Old habits and patterns don’t just evaporate in a moment. However, as we continue in the Christian life, the treasure store is emptied of the trinkets and filled up with eternal riches.

The Word encourages us to “let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:3 NLT)  How does that change occur?  It is a cooperative effort. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit Who comes to live in us.  And, there is our part – the daily practice of the spiritual disciplines; meditation, prayer, Scripture intake, worship, service, confession, that allow Him to replace our trinkets with treasures.

Take this line from Mary’s experience as the word from the Word today.  As she lived through the amazing night of Jesus’ birth and heard the words of shepherds about angelic announcements she made an important choice that would become a foundation for her life as the mother of the Messiah. "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19, NIV)

Create a heart full of the treasures of heaven’s wisdom!
Take time to ponder what God is saying!

Live well!

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Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Hark, the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King.”

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled.

Joyful, all ye nations rise,

Join the triumph of the skies.

With th'angelic hosts proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark, the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King.”

Come, Desire of nations, come;

Fix in us Thy humble home.

Rise the woman's conqu’ring seed,

Bruise in us the serpent's head.

Adam’s likeness now efface,

Stamp Thine image in its place.

Second Adam, from above,

Reinstate us in Thy love.

Hark, the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Charles Wesley © Words: Public Domain