Rolling the Dice on Eternity

I have struggled to understand why anyone would gamble with eternity. People hear the gospel and tell me that they are willing to take their chances that I am wrong. They believe a myriad of things which will get them another chance or obtain the grace of God some other way.  Some believe they will have another appeal or that they will be given another chance to prove their worthiness of heaven. They do not understand the finality of this life. They do not realize that they will not make a decision of faith at the last moment. Yes, it is possible but it is a small percentage.

They believe many things which keep them from seeing the truth. That should not be a surprise. After all, a math problem will have only one correct answer but can have an infinity of incorrect ones. Lies can be fashioned to the individual. The truth is merely the truth no matter who hears it.

Thus, we can have preachers saying that no one will go to hell if they are good people. We have social media groups absolving each other's wrongdoings so that sin is no longer sin. Some will use reasoning powers to deduce that God will give another opportunity or that the interpreters of the Bible have been wrong for centuries. The same lie will not be believed by everyone but custom-made lies can convince one at a time.

Our world lives under the principle which states: It must be true if enough people are saying it is true. The majority of the world says that Jesus isn't the way to salvation. The majority is saying to live life without regard to the existence of a holy God. The majority says that everyone will make it to heaven somehow. They don't even try to explain what happens to the Hitlers and Ben Ladens. They know evil exists but they don't want to believe in an eternity for evil.

The Apostle Paul understood that he there were forces working against him as he preached the gospel. That should be evident to every person who shares the gospel today. The world has been speaking a language that has been naturally understood. It points toward heaven on earth without considering another heaven.

People who do not know Christ aren't really rolling the dice. They aren't considering the possibility that they could be wrong. The stakes are too high to roll the dice. They believe they are right. They do so because they have been blinded.

So, I love people that do not love the Lord because I believe that is what Jesus does. I believe that their eyes can be opened but I don't believe it is because I will make a more convincing argument. The gospel is plain. Jesus came to pay the price of sin so that those who believe in Him will have peace with God. Peace is necessary for the entrance into heaven. This is too plain to put it in fancy words which will distort the meaning. It is the truth and it must remain such.

And I pray for people because I know that they will never be able to see the truth unless there is someone fighting for them in spiritual places. The battle is not intellectual but spiritual. No one is ever argued into heaven. They must believe as an act of obedience rather than coercion. They must be able to see the truth. They must have the scales removed from their spirits so that they can see.

Yet, I also hope for I see God bringing people to Himself.

A young lady came to me Sunday after church and told me she had given her heart to Christ. She wanted to follow in baptism. Her friends were around her. They had brought her to church. They had loved her and prayed for her. And she received the gospel because of it.

I'm not rolling the dice on eternity either. I wholeheartedly believe that God is bringing people to Himself. It isn't chance. It is His love.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (ESV)
³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 

Real Faith Is Not Casual

People get religion and faith mixed up all the time. Some of them come to me and say, "I'm not a very religious person. . ." and I generally interupt with, "Good, neither am I." You see, I go to church a lot but I don't do it for religious reasons. Church should be an exercise of my faith rather than a religious act.

Faith causes me to worship the Almighty whom I believe to be in the room. You can hardly be casual when you talk to someone that you can't see. And you do this with others who can't see Him either! That's just not casual.

Real faith grasps things that can't be known without the commitment that the faith requires. For example, Jesus speaks of laying down His life for His friends. That certainly isn't casual. Then, He calls His disciples friends. He reveals Himself to them because they have been committed to do what He has asked.

John 15:14-15 (ESV) ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Some people say they are following Jesus but show no actions taken beyond that which is convenient. Following after Him is a denial of all the world says is valuable. It means believing that the relationship with Him is more important than those things which make us happy. That is never casual.

Luke 14:26-27 (ESV) ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Christianity can't be a casual faith. Jesus compared it to selling all that you have in order to have this faith. He spoke of it as having a value beyond anything this world has to offer. He spoke of having this faith to the exclusion of all other things. In other words, you would put it all aside in order to have this faith.

Matthew 13:44-46 (ESV) ⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, ⁴⁶ who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Apostle Paul never understood his faith as casual. He left all that he was and had to follow after Jesus. He considered his former things as the refuse that is flushed down toliets. He wanted to follow after Jesus. He did so with the same faith that is required of us. He said it was all worth it. That's just not casual.

Philippians 3:7-11 (ESV) ⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

But there are many people who believe that faith is casual. They will complain if the preacher's message is on tithing and justify their complaints because Christmas is coming in three or four months. They refuse to serve Christ in the church because of the lake house they visit on the weekends. They miss worship services and discipleship classes in order to participate in or attend ongoing sport activities. They stay at home if it rains and go to the beach if the sun is shining.

They have tried to make their faith casual. I don't think it is possible. I believe they "got religion" but have no real faith. What do you think James was asking when he said:

James 2:14 (ESV) ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

I don't even wonder about it. I don't believe real faith is casual.

What do you think?

A Spoonful of Sugar

Hebrews 12:15 (ESV)
¹⁵ See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

There are some scriptures that I keep returning to for they explain things going on in the world. They come to me in new applications as I read them again and again. Thus, it is with Hebrews 12:15.

I have wondered why the people with the most flaws are the quickest to point out the flaws of others. They have the most acerbic tongues, the most critical spirits and, often, have no basis for the castigation they fling on others.

I believe that somewhere they have failed to receive grace. This may have come from a degrading, over-the-top critical parent. It may have come from a long time of teasing because of their physical makeup, i.e. they had big ears, large nose, overweight, etc.. This refusal of others to offer grace has created a refusal in their own hearts.

They have developed a root of bitterness. The root springs forth new plants of criticism which denies grace and forgiveness. Every other person represents those who refused him grace at one time. Every other person receives his vile anger.

Meanwhile this person is longing for someone to give him grace. Yet, people do not commonly extend this grace to someone who is so critical. They have a great difficulty in complimenting and extending grace to someone who has had no grace for them. Then, the bitterness grows deeper.

The bitter person takes the personage of the devil. He steals the joy, kills the spirit and destroys whatever is going on. The bitter person comes to the business meetings of churches with this purpose in mind. He hopes that people will see how smart he is for pointing out the flaws in every idea. He is joined by the other critical people who pat him on the back. They do not realize that they have really joined with the devil to stop an act of faith by pointing out what was guaranteed or practical. Faith often lacks guarantees and practicality.

Bitter people are allows to rule because they bully the rest of the congregation. Most people don't want to come to church to fight. They want to fellowship, worship and study the scripture. They have too many struggle in their own lives to take on another fight. But the bitter people relish these opportunities to beat on others.

Bitter people flock to the church because no other organization would put up with them. The church members don't know what to do with them because they see themselves as those who must extend grace. The bitter people don't even recognize the grace which is being given to them. They believe their own strong personalities keep people from opposing them. And, yes, many times it isn't grace but fear that allows bitter people to go unabated.

Unfortunately, bitter people generally don't know they are bitter people. They can't see their criticism of others as harmful. They can't see their actions taking the personage of the devil.

There are two solutions and each of these requires a great deal of energy. One is to become the opposing voice to the critical spirits of bitter people It means standing strong during church meetings and giving solid reasons of faith why things need to happen. One must be careful in this response because it needs to be covered with grace rather than bitterness.

The other solution is to offer genuine grace to bitter people. These people live in fear of confronting their own flaws. Opposition keeps them from looking at themselves. Grace has an amazing effect. It can cause the coldest heart to turn to Jesus. Many a hardened criminal has become a spiritually sound person of grace after receive the grace of the Lord.

The solutions are not one or the other. They are both. The bitter people will either leave to terrorize another church or come to the grace of Christ. The former may happen but the latter is the goal of these solutions.

Make sure that even the bitter person receives grace. Grace has changed more hearts than anything else I have known.

Mary Poppins said it well: "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."

Blessing the Children

Matthew 18:5 (ESV) ⁵ “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,

New Testament parents loved their children as much as parents do today. Yet, children had no status. They were essentially the parents' property which could be done with any way the parents pleased. Jesus elevated their status.

Jesus told those listening (which includes us) that we have a responsibility for these children beyond ensuring that they make adulthood. The phrase "in my name" has two possible meanings. It can mean "for the sake of" or "to bring a blessing to." I choose to believe that it means both.

We should embrace children for the sake of Christ. It will mean that we do so as if we are embracing Him. It will mean that we will bring them to Him. It will mean that we will sacrifice for them and thus for Him. It will mean that we will give them status as if He were with us. We will listen to them even though they may not give us great wisdom. We will care for them. We will give them value and in doing so we have given Him value in our lives.

We should bring blessings to the children. The greatest blessing anyone can share with a child is faith in Christ as savior. This means more than patting them on the heads as they come to church. It means giving so that teachers will have literature and visuals which will help the children hear the story of Christ. It means providing a place to learn and to worship the Lord. It means being a teacher of these children. It means sharing with them the true joy of Christmas rather than only telling them of Santa Claus.

Children are important in the kingdom of God. Our own relationship with Jesus is affected by how we treat children. I believe I can say that I have rejected Him if I have rejected children.

Bless a child today. Receive them in Jesus' name.

We Weep with the People of Newtown

I really cannot imagine the hurt being felt by parents, siblings, friends and others of Newtown, Connecticut at the loss of twenty children and seven adults. It was horrible even for those of us who watched the news. What was it like for those who lived it?

Soon, people will rush forward with reasons why this happened and solutions to prevent it from happening again. There will be those who will point out how relatively rare these events are when one considers the number of students and number of schools. That will not matter for the people of Newtown. The reasons and solutions are too late. And as far as the rarity of the event; it's 100% for the people of Newtown.

Right now, these people need something I can't give them. They need comfort and I don't know how one is comforted when a child is lost in such a senseless tragedy. I don't know how to say things are going to be okay. I don't know how to tell them that things are going to get better. None of that makes sense to me either.

So, I pray to the Almighty as He has received these little children into His presence that He will give comfort to these families who are feeling the greatest loss they can know. I don't know how He will be able to do this. But He is God and He can do what I consider as impossible.

I know Satan appears to have had a great victory yesterday. I believe that God will defeat him. Satan has always sought to steal, kill and destroy. Right now, it looks like Satan is winning.

So, I take my Lord's lead when I consider the pain of the people of Newtown. I weep as He wept for those who had lost a loved one.

He must also be weeping with them now.

John 11:33-36 (ESV)
³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.³⁴ And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”
³⁵ Jesus wept.³⁶ So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 

For the "Least of These"

It is easy to look past people. There are so many. They can blend in with the scenery and you will never notice them. They go to work with us and live next to us. They cross the streets as we wait. They sit next to us on planes, theaters and football stadiums. And, too often, we never notice them.

Sometimes they come to our churches. We greet them without any concern.

I taught a group of people at one of the churches I served to ask a simple question of those who came to church for the first time. I taught them to say, "We believe people come to church because of a need. We would like to help you with your need. Is there anything you would like us to pray with you about?"

And, amazingly, they told us.

Some of the people who started doing this regularly decided to take it outside the church. They went to a restaurant after church and said to their waiter, "You have served us, so now we would like to serve you. Is there any need you have we can pray for?"

At first, the waiter said, "No."

I believe he was shocked and didn't know how to answer. He left but came back and gave them a need they could pray for.

This same waiter brought most of the wait staff by their table the next time they came to the restaurant. Each one had a prayer request. (And they got excellent service too!)

How many times do we look past people and fail to realize that we can do something for them? We can pray. We can welcome. We can give them a glass of water.

Is this important for us? Is what we do with others important to our Lord?

Most Christians simply do not get this:

When we do it for those who are the least, we are doing it for the Lord.

Let those who have eyes see those who are blending into the scenery.

Matthew 25:31-46 (ESV) ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
   ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Handing Someone Over to Satan

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (ESV) ¹ It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. ² And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. ³ For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. ⁴ When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

1 Timothy 1:19-20 (ESV)
¹⁹ holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, ²⁰ among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Thers is a disruption in your church. Either a group or someone is causing problems in the fellowship. They may be corrupting the church's purity or creating a bad reputation for the church or teaching blasphemy. The church however doesn't know what to do with them. The church does not know how to defend herself..

Many times churches and, thus, individuals in the church act in the same manner as the one who is causing the disruption. There are business meetings to oust the troublemaker. There are secret meetings to keep the person off of committees. There is campaign to destroy the person. These are all wrong.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that the church shouldn't oust the person. That may be necessary but the removal of a person from a church has one goal: repentance and the subsequent re-entering the fellowship of the church.

This is also the goal of handing this disruptive, sinful person over to Satan.

The church will never be completely pure as long as believers have a sin nature. We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory. We are all in need of repentance and confession to be cleansed from our unrighteousness again and again. I want to make it clear that I am not talking about taking every issue people commit to the church leadership. This would result in a constant witch hunt. The church would never have the time to make disicples.

This concerns the unrepentant corruption of the church. This is a public sin which does not need to be shared with others because it is already known. It should be met with tears and grief at its discovery. It should be handled carefully. It should be an act of love even though the action(s) against the person may be harsh.

The battle must be fought in the realm where it originates. Turning the person over to Satan is an act which removes God's hand of protection from the individual so that he or she will be "sifted" by Satan. Satan's desire is to destroy us all. It is revealed in the Garden of Eden and continues with the murder of Abel. We cannot imagine the evil Satan is capale of and would bring upon us if God did not hold him back.

It is through this act that we learn the charge given to Peter when Jesus told him He would give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The church may bind and loose things on earth and in heaven. Here the church looses Satan to do as much as God permits to bring the recalcitrant person to repentance. (I know this is not the common interpretation of this verse. Most commentators are especially vague when they explain Matthew 16:19. I do not understand this verse as overruling the will of God concerning someone. I see it as participating with God to see someone brought back into God's grace and discipline.) Paul appears to have done this as an individual when he speaks to Timothy. Apparently, he was acting within his own authority as an apostle.

So, there are times when someone who is unrepentant and who is disrupting or corrupting the fellowship of the church should be turned over to Satan. It is really a harsh action to take and must be done with extreme care.

But, sometimes it needs to be done.

What Should We Do When Craziness Is All about Us?

Each day I watch or listen to the news. Each day brings a tragedy. Many of these tragedies are acts of violence done by human beings to human beings. Many of them make no sense.

A young professional football player shoots his wife and himself. A man walks into a mall and starts shooting people. He ends his rampage with suicide. Someone is shot while sitting in his house because someone else has chosen this house for target practice. Houses, barns and abandoned buildings are set on fire for no apparent reason.

The world asks why this happens? Prevention is seen as the answer. But how can you prevent something if you don't know why it happened?

I believe that many of these cases come from people who are mentally ill. There were traumas in their lives which left them scarred. These difficulties came slowly. These tragic events caused them to slowly become the people who act in terrible violence.

Many others are chemically imbalanced. They either have introduced chemicals into their own bodies or these chemicals naturally occured to cause a mental imbalance. We do not know what to do with these people as a society. So, we leave them on the streets or allow them to function as marginal psychotics. One day they step beyond that margin.

None of this helps the victims. Often these victims are the ones left behind after someone commits an act of craziness.I don't use this word to condemn. I use this to exemplify the senslessness of the violence and evil. It is craziness to the victims and so it should be.

Unfortunately, the answer to the problem is beyond us. Jesus told us to pray that His kingdom should come in the Lord's Prayer. The world will continue to act in the sin which was introduced by mankind until His kingdom comes.

Does that mean we should do nothing until God intercedes for all mankind? Absolutely not! We should get help for people.

Yesterday a man came into the church and told me that he had a gun. He had been drinking. I let him talk, prayed with him and saw that he left. (Literally walked him to the door.) Almost immediately I knew I should have taken him more seriously. I got in my car and tried to find him since I knew he would be on foot. I couldn't immediately find him so I called the police. (About ten to fifteen minutes had elapsed.) He had come back to the church and the police arrested him right outside. I still do not know if he had a gun since I never saw it. I believe that calling the police was the right thing to do for that man and everyone else.

This does not eliminate evil. It will exist as long as the Lord delays His return.

So, I take whatever action I can and pray for His kingdom to come.

Matthew 6:9-10 (ESV) ⁹ Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Silence Is Golden

I am a preacher. I make a living by talking. Lots of people tell me that they don't know how I do it. They say that they are glad they don't have to stand in front of hundreds of people each week and talk. It's easy for me. I don't think about it.

I think about being quiet. However, I must not think about it too much because I continue to talk when I really should have been quiet.

Knowing when to open your mouth and when to shut comes from wisdom. It is foolish to speak when it is unnecessary. O that I  would ever learn this!

I like to laugh and make people laugh. This desire overrules wisdom. I say things that are neither appropriate nor funny. These things cause me to look foolish, careless, uncaring, arrogant and, sometimes, like a big jerk!

And you can't unsay anything that you have said. You can say that you wish you hadn't said it but it is still indelibly etched into the minds of the hearers. So is their opinions of what you said.

I don't have a problem talking in front of people I have a problem shutting up.

I keep thinking the pain of each appropriate statement I have made will teach me this lesson. So far, I am still talking when I should be quiet.

I understand the statement "Silence is golden" differently from others. It isn't that I need to hear silence. I just need to be silent.

Proverbs 17:28 (ESV) ²⁸ Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

The Reason They Don't Know What Is Right

There is a lot of discussion about the fiscal cliff or avalanche or abyss or whatever you want to call it. The deadline is coming. It and other new taxes will probably send us into another recession.  Most Americans have no idea of the impact. They are like people who continue to party while the ship sinks. Everything seems fine right now. Why worry?

So, the Democrats and Republicans continue to jockey and gamble with the future of the nation. Each one believes his own philosophy. Each one considers his own political future. Each one tries to convince the American people that disaster looms ahead if the other side gets their way. Meanwhile, the ship continues to sink.

The truth is that neither party knows exactly what to do no matter how passionate they argue their positions. They both agree that they don't want to increase the taxes on the middle class. They both agree that the deficit spending must stop (though they have definite differences on the definition of deficit spending). Both parties want a minimum of pain in the solution. The Democrats have determined that the "wealthy" should shoulder a portion of the burden for the sake of the poor. The Republicans have said that taxing the "wealthy" will result in less investments and, thus hurt the working poor since they could lose their jobs. Both have strong points.

This debate can go on until the ship hits the bottom of the ocean. Something needs to happen which will bring the two parties together. I am afraid that there is nothing on earth other than a unprovoked attack on the United States which would unite them. So, the American people suffer because neither party knows what is right.

What could bring us together? A common religion? No,  the Middle East is largely Muslim but has more conflict than America. They are in constant battles with one another. They have factions within their factions. I'm afraid that mere religion will fall inadequate.

But, make sure that you understand that I said "religion." I didn't say relationship. America became a great nation because of allowing people to believe without coercion. But America did believe because faith was held high until the past fifty or sixty years. There was virtue in a relationship with the Lord. Knowing what is right came from prayer and depending on this relationship to reveal what needed to be done. It was through this relationship that the poor were helped.  It was through this relationship that hospitals and schools were established.  People knew what was right because of this relationship.

Sure, there were plenty of fakers. They were the ones who could talk the talk but revealed who they really were by their unloving actions. They were cold. They gave Jesus a bad name. Unfortunately, almost everyone can point to someone in their own churches who were just plain mean. The problem is that these have become the face of those who reject a relationship with Christ. I know. I rejected their religion too but I didn't reject Jesus. That has made all the difference.

There are times when the Bible does not specifically say what you should do. This is when the relationship is oh so necessary. It is then that prayer becomes the means of knowing what to do because simply doing what others say or what "feels" good will lead you to destruction. It's not magic. Its a loving Lord leading His people to do what is best.

Many people will say that faith needs to stay out of politics. I will agree to a point. I do not support candidates publicly because of my position as pastor. I believe that Jesus died for all parties and offers all salvation. However, I will not go so far as to say that a relationship with the Lord wouldn't help those who need to make decisions. I do not understand why the God who helps me find which car to buy my wife won't help a nation find out what is right in much larger matters.

I am convinced that people will continue to make bad decisions as long as they don't know what is right. Just think of both parties coming together and forgetting their own philosophies to look for what is right instead of seeing how they can get popular opinion to go their way.

Do I know the end of this political wrangling? I am afraid I do.

Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)
¹² There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. 

Christmas Is for You, Too

This is for all the Marthas in the world. You are those people who are working hard to do what you can for everyone else. You are the ones who are preparing the house, the food, wrapping the presents and making the phone calls for family and friends to arrive. You are the ones who don't expect anything nor do you really want anything. You may even feel like you don't deserve anything.

But Christmas is for you, too. Jesus didn't come to this world just so that everyone else would hear of His birth. He did not come so that you would have to work hard to make it a special time for others and never receive the joy of Christmas. He didn't overlook you. He came for you, too.

I know. Some of you Marthas may think it is more important to do all the work than to enjoy the presence of Christ. It isn't. You are very special to the Lord. You are believing a lie if you don't believe that. He crossed over from heaven to earth for you, too.

This is also for all you who haven't been so close to the Lord this past year. You are the people who didn't come to church much. You are the ones whose Christian walk hasn't been that close. You are the ones who want to walk with the Lord, try to walk with the Lord but always fall away after a few days of effort. You are the ones who have rededicated your lives to the Lord but can't seem to get it too stick. Christmas is for you, too.

This is for all of you who do not think Jesus would come for you. You may think you are not good enough. You may think you are so good that you don't need Him. You may think that He has forgotten you or has never thought of you. Let me assure you: He came for you, too.

Jesus didn't come into the world just so that we would go to church or read our Bibles. He came so that our lives would be changed. He came so that we might know that we are loved while we are yet sinners. And since He came for all sinners, He came for you, too.

Sometimes we don't get the significance of the angels coming to the shepherds. They were considered to possess quesitonable character since they nomadicly led their flocks from place to place. It was easy to blame a shepherd when something went missing. It was easy to blame them because they may not have been part of the community. They would not have thought that the Lord came for them. And they were wrong.

So,  Jesus came for them, too.

And if He has come for them, He has come for you, too.

Luke 2:8-18 (ESV) ⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” ¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

A Christmas of Joy

Lots of people are under tremendous stress this Christmas. They drive hurriedly in heavy traffic to find a parking place at a full mall to go into an overcrowded store to find the last one of what they are looking for to stand in a long line so that they can go home, make their houses look Christmasy and cook too much food for overfed people. They don't know if they can afford what they have paid for a gift that they don't know will be right for someone who may not need what they are giving. Even if the giftee says they like Star Trek- is that the Original Series or the Next Generation or any of the movies of either?

Christmas joy has become the moment that it is all over. It is only then that people can lament over or congratulate themselves for what they have done. There is very little joy in that.

So, what would make it a Christmas of joy? Why did the angels tell the shepherds that it would be great joy of all the people? It wasn't simply that a baby was born, though that is a cause of some joy. It wasn't that there was a great light show being put on by the angels. It was something more.

Christmas must be a time we remember why Jesus came if we are to have Christmas joy. He came to establish a relationship with us that will last for eternity. He came so that we would have hope for live beyond this life. He came so that we would know Him so that we will never be alone when we face the struggles of this life. He came so that we could have someone to depend upon when our needs are lacking. He came to heal, love and, most importantly, forgive.

But my joy would also be extended if I see others come to know Him. I want others to know who Jesus is so that they can have Christmas joy too.

Last night one of my church members came to me and asked if I ever thought of surveying people after a worship service to see if they "got" what the message was about. I told him that I was afraid to do so because I am afraid of what may be interpreted.

He told me that this is what he got out of Sunday's sermon: That Christmas wasn't just about the birth of a baby. That it was about people receiving salvation. That it is a great time for us to tell others about the true meaning of Christmas.

I said to him that he got it. But he got more than sermon. He got the meaning of Christmas and the key to Christmas joy.

Luke 2:10-12 (ESV) ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

What Ever Happened to Justice?

The pendalum of public opinion swings. The things which were wrong have been seen with such compassion that they are now considered right. An absent dad and rough environment gets a robber probation without additional time behind bars. The illegal alien is hidden by his neighbors. Excuses are made for the punch thrown by the athelete in the bar.

Sure, there should be compassion but where is the justice?

The radio reported that most Latinos know someone who is an illegal. They feel compassion for those illegals and support them. That is why they voted for candidates who rejected policing immigration. I am all for the compassion but doesn' t this show no compassion for those who went through the legal process of becoming citizens? Is the legal process unjust?

The compassion of our society has led our nation to largely support homosexuality as an approved lifestyle. While I will never support hurting homosexuals, I must take a look at the Bible and wonder if the Bible has forgotten compassion when it states that homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord. Yes, I have met homosexuals and do not want them to be hurt but I can't approve their lifestyles either. I must have compassion but I also must have justice.

Justice is found in obedience to the law. It is found in the correction of a society to be one of law. Chaos will eventually rule in a society which has all compassion but no justice. Oppression rules in a society which has all justice and no compassion. The two must be balanced.

Jesus did not dispense with justice. He told the woman who was caught in adultery to "go, and sin no more." How was a woman who was well known in this particular sin supposed to make a living if she didn't do what she had done? Everyone wants to see the compassion He had for her in His pardon but not the justice He had for her in His command. The two are balanced.

Yet,the farther we get from a Christian world view, the farther we get from justice. We simply don't know what is right or wrong. We have taken right and wrong as things that change by the minute. They are determined by whether we like the accused rather than whether or not what was done is wrong.

Yes, we don't understand justice. What does that say of us?

Proverbs 28:5 (ESV) ⁵ Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.

Missing Greatness

My wife and I stood in line at the Delta counter in Tel Aviv. We had just taken a group of people to the Holy Land and we were making the journey home. The process was familiar to us. We didn't expect anything other than getting our boarding passes, waiting and boarding. The Delta agent told us that we had been bumped up to first class. It was extremely exciting because it was also our anniversary.

We boarded first and found our seats on the second floor of the Boeing 747. There were about twenty seats in the whole cabin. The two flight attendants began serving us immediately. We had our own storage areas, seat controls which truly laid flat, menu in which we ordered dinner and bunches of other things I fail to remember.

We took off in the greatest comfort I have ever felt on a plane. The flight attendants served our every want. They even made my wife a special dessert because she didn't want the choices on the menu. I had ordered a steak which was as good as I have had. My family has raised their own cattle for some time. I know what a great steak is. This was one of them.

It may have been an hour or so into the flight when the captain came over public address system:

"Good evening, folks, this is Captain (I've forgotten his name.) and I have some good news. It seems that the wind patterns are favorable and we should be arriving in New York about an hour early."

My wife said aloud, "Nooooooooo!"

It felt great to be treated this way but it was not greatness. The people serving us were greater than we were.

People often tell me that they believe they were created for something great. Most of them can't tell me what that is. They have not found the greatness they were created for. Again, I blame the language that the world has taught us. The world says that greatness comes when you are famous, powerful, rich and beautiful. That is why books by the famous, powerful, rich and beautiful sell. People want to be like them because they have been deluded into thinking that this is greatness. Chasing these delusions keeps us from greatness.

Greatness is being the servant of all. It is not writing books, entertaining, being photogenic or being all powerful.

Even Jesus own disciples didn't understand this. His teaching wasn't getting through to them. I understand His frustration. I sometimes think that my own preaching isn't getting through to anyone. I may not have done it as well as Jesus but I have been doing it longer than He did. But greatness is not found in preaching either.

This lesson was so important that He got a towel and washed their feet. They wouldn't understand it right away. It came to them later. How could they be greater than their Lord? If He would wash their feet to demonstrate His greatness, shouldn't they also wash the feet of others?

Greatness does not come because people call you great. It does not come because you are served or recognized or have made what the world would consider an impact. It comes because we make ourselves as the servants of all others.

And that's the reason that most people miss genuine greatness. They want to be recognized by mankind as being great. The truly great person is known as great by God. And maybe God alone.

John 13:3-17 (ESV) ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴ rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
¹² When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.