Christmas: Christ came to live and die for us!

Tonight is Christmas Eve, we say we are preparing for the Lord Jesus as we remember his humble birth in a manger. Lets set the scene properly for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus didn't come to a world full of wealth and christmas trees. Jesus didn't come to a people who were righteous.

What was the state of the world?

Isaiah 9:1,2 which is quoted in Matthew 4:16 says:

the people living in darkness

    have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

    a light has dawned.

We were living in the land of the shadow of death. 

We were living in darkness. 

Jesus did not just call us to love one another or even call us to that first. Jesus called us to first turn to God. 

Matthew 4 is the recording of the beginning of Jesus ministry:

Matthew 4:17

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

The solution to our sin isn't just to try harder to love each other. The answer is repentance and forgiveness by Jesus. And it certainly isn't about the presents or the building of our earthly kingdom, but the coming kingdom of heaven where God reigns that Jesus began to usher in. 

Because only God can bring a dead heart to life. Only can change our hearts so that we would love one another, love ourselves and love God. 

As Jesus was born fully God and fully man he was born with a purpose. He willingly came so that he could suffer and die for us as we humiliated him. Jesus' short earthly life from the beginning was marked for his end. I think its ironic we celebrate Christmas with a Christmas Tree from perhaps Germanic traditions and yet the end of Jesus earthly story is dying on a tree made into a cross for us. 

I want to pray into all of this and remember the reality of sin and death and hopelessness without Christ. Lord let my heart know the whole worlds need but especially my own desperate need for a savior this Christmas. Father God I want my heart to break because I know I need your Son Jesus so much. And yet break my heart for the death Jesus willingly walked into even as he was born humbly as a baby in a manger. 

Merry Christmas

Amen

Lord of the Rings: Guardian or King

I was studying Galatians today and the image that came to mind to visualize this text was Lord of The Rings. Which who knows Tolkien was a Christian so perhaps this was part of his intent.

The image is of a guardian like Lord Denethor vs the rightful king by the promise: King Aragorn.

Galatians 3 teaches us about the law and faith and how they relate and yet faith rules.

²³ Before the coming of this faith,^[j] we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. ²⁴ So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

The law was our guardian making us aware of sin and guiding us. But Israel was still dark and in decay and under sin. Life under the law looks a lot like Gondor under Lord Denethor. Gray, dark and decaying. Yet when the king came and Aragorn led his rightful people they came to beautiful life. They glowed white and fought valiantly against Mordor even to the black gate. The people were the same people and the guardian was important. 

For us Israel was kept under the guardian of the law, but then our King Jesus Christ came to give us our full life by faith in him! We are no longer slaves to sin. We can be who we were made to be by God through Christ. The law was our guardian but we are no longer under the rule of the guardian the law. 

For those that rejected Aragorn there was only death and hopelessness and so to are those under the law without faith in Christ. But by faith we who know Christ no longer live under the law without hope but have life and hope!

Galatians 3

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Through faith we are children of God! We too are heirs of the promise of eternal life!

Amen

Guardian

King!

Godliness with contentment is my prayer

Dear Lord,

I believe you have put it on my heart tonight to pray for and pursue godliness with contentment.

1 Timothy 6

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

God help me to believe that the gain is great and their are eternal lasting joy that comes by learning to be content. 

I was thinking about the Sunday School lesson I helped teach to 4 and 5 year olds at my church Calvary Bible Church in Boulder, CO. The lessons and impact those simple truths should have on my life even as an adult are profound. 

This weeks lesson was focused on:

Key Question: How do we know God loves us?

Bottom Line: Jesus came to us.

Memory Verse: “God has given a son to us.” Isaiah 9:6, NCV

When I think about this I am amazed. Because it reminds me of the truth that I know God loves me and other because he gave his only Son Jesus. I don't need anymore than I already have received through Jesus.

I spend a lot of my time and energy looking beyond that, but in the eternal perspective faith and who God shapes me to be are the only things that last forever. Jobs, success, accomplishing something, even InterVarsity and relationships won't last forever.

Its good to live this life abundantly and to pursue many of those things which God designed us for but to not make them idols or things we look for contentment in.

So this is my prayer God: help me want what I have and to pursue Godliness with contentment!

Amen

What do we hope in?

Recently I have spent a lot of time in the Old Testament during the time of exile. Today at church one of the scriptures and the sermon was about a prophecy of hope in God at the last day which was a powerful reminder!

Really this brings up the question of what will we put our hope in? 

Isaiah 2: 1-5

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

² In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.

³ Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
⁴ He will judge between the nations
    and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war anymore.

⁵ Come, descendants of Jacob,
    let us walk in the light of the Lord.

For me this scripture and the sermon made me think about the way I spend my time during rest and vacations and especially with Ivanna. Do I live every day with my hope in God? This past week was a wonderful time of rest and joy over thanksgiving. This week was such a blessing from God and Ivanna and I were able to praise him for his good gifts! Yet I think its something to be careful of to put my hope in God and not in the blessings and gifts God gives. I love Ivanna but I know both of us want to put our hope in God, our faith in Christ, and set our Lord first in our lives and our relationship!

God help me to set my heart and hope on you, because you have already won it all in Christ and promised us a future! Then I want to rejoice in this life in the times of celebration and the times of flood. 

The other scripture today at church was Matthew 24:44
⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
This is such a powerful reminder that our life does not last forever and our hope is in Christ coming to finish the work he started on the cross! For this world is dying and decaying. I am young and think I am invincible often, but the reality is life is so fragile and imperfect. My life could end any day, Christ could come today and yet I have nothing too lose. When I consider how much I love Ivanna its hard to imagine how God is an eternal hope worth everything. 

God help me to see the world with spiritual eyes. Help me keep my eyes on the prize Christ Jesus. For the world wants me to look at my success, my possessions, my status and my accomplishments. But all that lasts eternally is my identity in Christ and salvation in Jesus death on a cross and his resurrection life! But while I am here let it all be for your glory, for you make beautiful things even in a broken world. Let my relationship with Ivanna be for your glory  and help our relationship to be centered on you Christ with our hope in God alone!
Amen!