Dec 12 - Luke 2:8

And in that region there were

shepherds out in the field,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

Luke 2:8

When God sent out birth announcements for the coming of his Son, who received the news first?

It wasn’t kings or governors. It wasn’t royalty or the rich. It wasn’t even priests or scribes. It was shepherds -- dirty, rotten, stinking shepherds.

Actually, I don’t know if they were “rotten” – or any more or less rotten than any of the rest of us. Yes, we’re all sinful. But these men of the field surely smelled more ripe and rotting than the rest of us.

They were a forgotten class. The people “with class” wandered the streets of cities – rubbing elbows, trading goods, kneeling publicly in sanctuaries. Shepherds were not quite outcasts, but they were mostly out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

But no one is out-of-mind to God! The Father chose a peasant girl to carry his Son. Then he announced the birth majestically to those farthest from majesty. He ministered to beggars and lepers and foreigners and prostitutes. Our God cares about everyone … including the lowly!

And that means he cares about you. And it’s not in your strength and competence that he cares about you; it’s in your weakness, humbleness, and vulnerability. Why? Because when you’re vulnerable, then you’re finally real. When we puff ourselves up, we’re usually wearing the mask. We may think others will be impressed by our disguise, but God sees beneath the illusion. And when we’re humbled and honest and vulnerable, we’re finally who God has created. And that’s who he loves.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who loves the Shepherd

who loves the shepherds

Dec 11 - Luke 2:7

And she gave birth to her first-born son

and wrapped him in swaddling cloths,

and laid him in a manger, because

there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:7

God in diapers.

That’s the miracle of the manger. That’s the inspiration of the incarnation. Not only did God become human, but the King chose to be humbled. He was little. He was powerless. He was naked and swaddled in scraps of cloth. 

He spent the first years of his life constantly displaced. The Romans made these Galileans tromp to the Bethlehem hills for a census. A Jewish king made the family flee to foreign Egypt under the threat of death. Even on the night of his birth, there was nowhere dignified for the son of man to lay his sweet head … except a lowly cattle trough.

God in diapers. How undignified.

Why did he do it? Love.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who thinks

Christianity’s oldest hymn

sings this miracle best …

Listen to The Message paraphrase of Philippians 2:5-12

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death - and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion. Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth - even those long ago dead and buried - will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Dec 10 - Luke 2:6

                                                                And while they were there,

the time came for her to be delivered.

Luke 2:6

In Greek, there are two words for time.

The first is chronos. Chronos is watches and calendars and days and weeks. It is a time line. And yes, according to the calendar, about nine months had passed and it was chronos for Mary to be delivered.

The second word for time is kairos. Kairos is “God’s time” or “the right time.” Nine months on the calendar might have said that it was chronos for Mary to have her baby, but it was bigger than that. The whole history of the universe was pointed to this holy moment, This was the kairos. This was God’s perfect timing.

Traditionally even the secular world marks history around this event. It’s labeled, of course, as “before Christ” and “after” (BC and AD, anno domini, “the year of our Lord”).

But it’s still much bigger than that. The manger is the dividing point between darkness (BC) and light (AD) … between despair (BC) and hope (AD) … between bondage to sin (BC) and freedom in grace (AD). Jesus brought healing into a world of sickness, blessing into a world of guilt, resurrection into a world of death, and joy into a world of grief.

This was the moment in all of history.

What’s the moment in your history?

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wondered whether

Luke 2:6 read kairos or chronos

Which do you think? (answer below …)

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Actually the answer is … neither !!! ( … and kind of both.)

The Greek is literally translated as “it came to pass” (more chronos)

and “the days were fulfilled” (thus, ultimately much more kairos).

Leave it to God to work in both our time and his time!!!

Dec 8,9 - Luke 2:5

to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed,

who was with child.

Luke 2:5

We know what marriage is, right? After ceremonies that often include white dresses and tall cakes, a legal union is formed.

But it’s much more than that!

Love turns into promises. Promises turn into commitment. Commitments often turn into families. And still there’s more …

As Genesis 2 puts it discretely, “the two become one flesh.” Marriage is designed to be a union of mind, of spirit … and of body … intimately. To use the terminology of today, it is friends (and commitments) with benefits. In its traditional form, that’s what marriage is, right?

But what is “betrothal”?

It was engagement, but it was much more. It was friends and total commitment … but without benefits. It was a union of mind and spirit … but not of body. The two hadn’t yet become one flesh.

So what do you do if you’re an honorable man, like Joseph, when your supposed honorable fiancé turns up pregnant? What do you do? 1) You’re shocked. 2) You’re disheartened. And 3) you “decide to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly” (Mt 1:19 NLT).

Actually, if you’re like Joseph, you do one more thing – you listen to heaven speak before you act!

Yes, heaven kind of forced Joseph to listen. But the Christmas story should remind us that it’s always wise to listen to heaven before we act. 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who often acts before he thinks,

… but needs to learn to pray before he acts

Dec 7 - Luke 2:4

And Joseph also went up from Galilee,

from the city of Nazareth,

to Judea, to the city of David,

which is called Bethlehem,

because he was of the house

and lineage of David

Luke 2:4

As we said on the first day of these Christmas devotions, Luke was the evangelist – and historian – to the Greeks.

Luke didn’t heavy-handedly dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s in terms of prophecy – at least like Matthew did – nevertheless, he definitely wasn’t ignorant of the them either! In this verse alone, at least three powerful prophecies are fulfilled (without Luke even bothering to draw much attention to it).

•      Saying that Jesus was of “the lineage of David” fulfilled countless prophecies and centuries of expectation. (See, for example, God’s promises to David himself in 2 Samuel 7:16 – “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”) Matthew, the most Jewish of the Gospels, highlights this Davidic connection prominently through, for example, the frequent use of “son of David” as a repeated title for Jesus.
• 
  
•      Saying that Jesus was born in Bethlehem fulfilled prophecies too, this time from Micah 5:2. In Matthew 2, when the wisemen and then Herod were pondering, "2 Where is he who has been born king of the Jews ?” The chief priests and scribes responded, "5 In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 6 'And you, O Bethlehem … from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'"
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•      Saying that Jesus was from Nazareth also fulfilled a prophecy according to Matthew 2. “23 [Jesus’ family] went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’”

In a world that too often doubts the validity of scripture and the reality of God, the simplicity and subtlety of Luke’s mentioning of David, Bethlehem, and Nazareth actually lends validity to the historic nature of Jesus’ birth. If Luke were inventing the divinity of Jesus, he would have made up details to mirror prophecy. But you can’t make up the circumstances of someone’s birth and death – especially when witnesses are still alive to testify to the truth. Furthermore, that Luke simply and almost casually mentions these places – without referencing prophecy – assures us of the likeliness that it simply happened this way.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s studied about Jesus

fulfilling about 400 prophecies

that were each at least 400-years-old

Dec 6 - Luke 2:3

And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.

And Joseph also went up …

Luke 2:3-4

A second theme in our Christmas story is about “citizenship” and “circumstance.”

Just about every person in just about every era has had to submit – to some degree – to some human being or earthly authority. Whether it’s a king, a governor, a tribal leader, warlord, parent, or pimp just about every one of us has to submit – either wonderfully or fearfully – to some human authority.

•      In our American day and age, our submission generally comes in terms of paying taxes and following laws.
•      In other times and places, citizens must submit to conscription into the king’s army.
•      Some people in some places have had to bow to kings and statues.
•      Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem in Judea because it was the time of the census.

God gave dominion of this world to imperfect people.

Imperfect people set up imperfect societal structures.

We should always wish – and even push – for just and equitable forms of government. But we should be wise enough to realize that it will never be heaven on earth. This is not our home.

Like it or not, each human life will be dropped into some societal context. As Americans, we’re pretty fortunate. But we don’t get to choose. Some are born in poverty; some are born to royalty. Some are born into democracy; some are born under the thumb of dictators. Some are born in times of peace; others are born in times of violence and war.

We don’t get to choose.

But, think about it, Mary and Joseph didn’t get to choose either. Therefore, a pregnant mom bounced upon a donkey through the hills of Judea to satisfy an earthly king’s decree … and to fulfill a five hundred year old prophecy decreed by an eternal King!

God has a purpose for each of us. We may not see it … or understand it … or welcome it … or want it … in our life time, but the Christmas story tells us that in the midst of whatever our circumstance – good or bad – God can work powerfully through it. Therefore …

•      to all the powerless in every time and place, the Christmas story reminds of a great king who willingly became a powerless infant who, though he was in the bosom of a loving mother, was also at mercy of the forces of a cruel world.
•      to all the slaves throughout history, the Christmas story tells of a Savior who was born a Jew in an age when Jews were essentially enslaved to the Roman Empire.
•      to all who are oppressed by the harshness, pettiness, or judgments of others, the holy Christ was born a Jew in an age when a once simple and holy religion had slipped into oppressive legalism.
•      to all who have to hide from violence, the King of the Jews was born in an age when an earthly king, Herod, was so threatened that he systematically executed helpless children.

In Christ’s Love,

A guy who’s learning what the apostle

means when he says,

“give thanks in all circumstances”

(1 Thes 5:18)

Dec 5 - Luke 2:1-2

In those days a decree went out

from Caesar Augustus that

all the world should be enrolled.

This was the first enrollment, when

Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Luke 2:1-2

Did you ever love hearing the words, “Once upon a time …”? Those words signaled the beginning of an unbelievable adventure!

Luke begins the Christmas story in the exact opposite way. Although Christmas is as fantastic as any fairy tale, Luke took great care to let us know that this wasn’t “once upon a time.” He wanted us to know that this was a real adventure that took place at a real time and in a real place.

Each of the Gospel writers had a different audience to whom they were writing. Thus, each told the exact same story with an emphasis on slightly different details. Matthew, for example, wrote to Jews; therefore, he focused on more Jewish matters. He loved to talk, for example, about the repeated fulfillment of prophecy through the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Thus, in Matthew’s telling of the Christmas story, he would frequently say things like, “this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet …”

Luke was different. He had a different audience, at least originally. He wrote more to Gentiles. A medical scientist and a historian, the first thing Luke did was set the scene. Yes, the nativity was a fantastic story, but it took place in a real time and in a real place. “Go look it up,” he was challenging his original readers, in an age when Jesus’ contemporaries were still alive.

In Christ’s Love,

a real guy who’s found

that the more I “look it up,”

the more I simply look up

Dec 4 - John 2:11

Jesus revealed his glory;

and his disciples believed in him.

John 2:11

“Oh, how easy it would have been,” too many people say, “to have lived back in Bible times. If only I could have seen Jesus turn water into wine or heal a blind man, I would have believed.”

I can understand that.

So could Jesus. When Thomas wasn’t there for the resurrection, this Apostle said to the others, “Unless I see with my own eyes and touch the nail scars with my own hands, I will not believe.”

“Oh, how easy it would have been,” too many say, “if Jesus would show in person for me like he did for Thomas. If only I could see and touch.”

That’s one of the reasons we call it “faith” rather than “certainty.” As it says in Hebrews 11:1, “faith is … the conviction of things not seen.” Indeed, that’s why Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who do not see and yet still believe.”

We can wish it were different, but this is the way that God has chosen to work. (In fact, if you ever get to be God, please feel free to choose to do things differently.) But in the meantime, hopefully you know that the best way to see God’s glory is to slow down. To listen. To look deeper. Why?

•      Because God has absolutely revealed his glory in the past. Therefore, will we choose to trust the witness of others? including ancient prophets? and persecuted apostles? and faithful witnesses who daily intersect with your life?
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•      Because God still powerfully reveals his glory in the present. Do I open my heart daily to see his majesty in the wonders of creation? (see Romans 1:19-22)
• 
  
•      Because God is always speaking (in the present and always into the future). The only question is … Do I stop enough to listen? Do I read his Word enough so that I know his “voice” and can “hear him” when he intersects with my life? Do I place my life in the hands of other faithful pilgrims, allowing them to help me see when the threads of life are weaving a tapestry that’s more glory than mere coincidence?

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who needs hearing aids –

like faith-filled friends

who help me hear

Dec 3 - Deuteronomy 5:32

You must therefore be careful to do

as the Lord your God has commanded you;

you shall not turn to the right or to the left.

Deuteronomy 5:32

“No left turn.” That’s what some signs read.

Others read, “No right on red.”

When you think about it, that’s the essence of what “the Lord your God has commanded you.” Go straight. Live straight. Run straight to Him. And deal straight with others.

Isaiah calls us in a similar fashion. He says, "prepare the way of the Lord, make straight … a highway for our God” (Isa 40:3).

At the beginning of the Gospels, this passage was applied specifically to John the Baptist (see Mt 3:3). John’s prophetic call was to help God’s people avoid the roadblocks, detours, and dead ends, and return to God straight-away. In this manner, he was preparing the way for the revealing of the Messiah.

That’s our call too. To turn from sin and turn toward God straight-away. Indeed, that’s how we prepare the way for Jesus in our lives. We are careful to do what the Lord commands.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants to merge

my will with his

Dec 1,2 - Proverbs 8:13

The fear of the Lord

is hatred of evil.

Proverbs 8:13

What is the fear of the Lord?

•      It is profound respect.
•      It is finally comprehending the planet-spinning power of the God our King … and our infinitesimal and finite power in comparison.
•      It is, therefore, falling down occasionally in awe.
•      It is Psalm 95:6 – “O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”
•      It is trembling and quaking as we are utterly overwhelmed by the offense of our sin (and then equally overwhelmed by the immensity of his love).

Read that last description again. When we truly comprehend the offense of our sin … when we realize that our anger, pride, greed, and lust necessitated the execution of Jesus upon the cross … then we have no choice … we will hate evil.

The fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who allows himself

to hate only one thing

Nov 30 - John 11:40

Jesus said to Martha,

“Did I not tell you that if you believed,

you would see the glory of God?”

John 11:40

I watched the first “Christmas Experience” video the other night. It was powerful.

C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was quoted. During the rule of the White Witch, Narnia was described as if were always winter and yet never Christmas. Pastor Kyle helped us think about how many of us are caught in that state. It’s cold. We’re waiting. And God’s presence (Christmas or hope) never seems to come.

•       Martha wondered if God’s help would ever arrive, and now she was losing hope because her brother’s illness had turned into death.
•  
•       The Israelites wondered if God would ever show up. He’d been promised for a hundred years and they were losing hope too.
•  
•       How about you? Are you waiting … waiting for the biopsy results to come in … waiting for a child to come home … waiting for a new job? Are you waiting, crying, “How long?” Is it winter? Are you losing hope?

Christmas is the ultimate assurance that God rewards those who wait. The Messiah did come. God is real. “Martha, did I not tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?”

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who doesn’t want

to be called “Martha”

Nov 29 - Philippians 4:6

Do not worry about anything,

but in everything by prayer

and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made

known to God.

Philippians 4:6

Have you ever tried to tell someone not to worry?

How well does it work?

Telling a person not to worry tries to engage their head rather than their heart. And indeed, sometimes a person can reason through the unlikelihood of the sky falling. Yes, sometimes a person can logically arrive at a place of lesser anxiety. But … if we’re honest … most times the head and the heart don’t talk. Am I right? If a fear is real in the heart, it’s hard to talk it away.

• That’s why, when trying to conquer our fears, Paul aims at a different part of our bodies to conquer our runaway minds: Our knees. He says essentially, “Do not worry about anything, rather … pray!”
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•      Then he mentions “supplication.” Supplication is prayer too. It is humble prayer, on-your-knees-prayer. It is pleading – and trusting – that there is one more powerful than you that can solve the problems you can’t solve.
•  
•      “Thanksgiving,” then, is prayer too. Directed toward God, thanksgiving is a form of praise. But thanksgiving also has a powerful effect directed at us. Thankfulness repeatedly retrains our heart. Instead of a heart that quakes with uncertainty, gratitude trains us to have a heart of wonder, hope, confidence, peace, and awe.
•  
•      “Let your requests be made known to God” is yet one more form of prayer. It is a form of trust. It is letting go of our sense of control – which is all an illusion anyway – and it is placing our hearts, our lives, our families, our jobs, our nation, our reputation in God’s hands. Trust, too, is a powerful antidote to worry.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants a

multiplication of supplication

Nov 28 - Ephesians 5:19

Sing psalms and hymns  and

spiritual songs among yourselves,

singing and making melody

to the Lord in your hearts.

Ephesians 5:19

Are you like me … with a tune or lyric occasionally running through your mind? What song are you singing in your heart today?

At our house we have a rule of sorts: No Christmas music until the Friday after Thanksgiving. It’s after the day after! So normally I’d think that Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire or Herald Angels Singing would be in my head this week. They’re not. At the moment (for no reason other than a history of praise) the song running through my heart is All Creatures of Our God and King.

Do you remember the second verse of this old hymn. “Lift up your voice and let us sing.” This hymn was written well after the age of the Apostles, but the Apostle Paul’s heart clearly sung hymns like this regularly. Why? Because that’s his prescription to the people of Ephesus today.

In a scriptural book that’s known for its warnings about spiritual attacks and the warfare of the devil (see Ephesians 6), Paul is prescribing a powerful antidote to life’s trials: Sing psalms and hymns  and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who sings more frequently

during this Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Nov 27 - Colossians 2:13-14

God forgave us all our trespasses,

erasing the record that stood against us

with its legal demands.

He set this aside,

nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:13-14

What was nailed to the cross? Two things:

1.       Our Savior’s hand, and …
2.       Our handiwork.

Unfortunately, what we work is not very handy. As it says in Colossians 2, our record that’s nailed to the cross is only and utterly a criminal record.

Santa may make a list and check it twice, and our record, according to North Pole lore, will be an evaluation of both naughty and nice. In heaven, however, this record is only naughtiness and criminal complaint. Sin.

But what happens to it?!!

1.      When we put our trust in Christ (present tense) …
2.      our sins will have been nailed to the cross (present and past tense) …
3.      and we will be set free eternally (present and future tense).  

In Christ’s Love,

A guy who’d rather be

On Jesus’ permanent list

Than Santa’s ever-changing list

  

Nov 26 - Jeremiah 10:6

There is none like you, O Lord;

you are great, and your name

is great in might.

Jeremiah 10:6

We are starting a season of greatness.

With Thanksgiving, at least according to its roots, our country set aside a day to give thanks to God for his abundant blessings.

Then for the next four weeks, at least in theory, we will be pointing to the manger and to the incredible love of our Savior. The Apostle Paul records the love at the nativity like this,  “though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross” (Phil 2:6-8).

If we put those two pillars – God’s love and our thanks – at the corners of this year’s holiday season, it will indeed be a season of greatness. “O Lord, there is none like you!”

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who doesn’t want busyness

to be a pillar for this season

Nov 24,25 - John 6:68-69

Simon Peter answered him,

“Lord, to whom can we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

We have come to believe and know

that you are the Holy One of God.”

John 6:68-69

•      In John 6, Jesus taught some things that were “hard” – true, but hard.
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•      As a result, many of his closest followers turned away from him.
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•      As a result, Jesus was, of course, deeply saddened. Why? It’s important to note that his ego wasn’t bruised! Jesus wasn’t prideful, saddened by a sense of personal rejection. Rather, the Savior was grieving because when the people he loved rejected him, they were really rejecting his Father, the kingdom, and the keys to eternal life.
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•      Therefore, with a heavy heart, Jesus turned to the twelve, asking if they’d turn away too.
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•      Peter answered, “Lord, who else could we turn to? You only have the words of eternal life.” (I love that wisdom and faith … even in the midst of things a human couldn’t understand!)
• 
  
•      Today, Jesus asks you and me the same question? Day by day are you turning away … or are you turning up the heat on your faith, claiming moment-by-moment and however imperfectly, that you “believe and know that [Jesus] is the Holy One of God.”

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s come to believe

Nov 23 - 1 Samuel 16:7

Mortals look on the outward appearance,

but the Lord looks on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

Israel wanted a king. Who was their first? Saul, literally the tallest, handsomest man in the land.

When Samuel – at God’s beckoning -- was sent to anoint the next king, he went to the tallest (and oldest) of Jesse’s sons. It wasn’t the tallest and oldest. The next tallest and next oldest? It wasn’t him either. It was the little guy … David … the youngest brother … the ruddy shepherd-kid who’d just come in from fields.

Samuel was surprised. But God taught him – and us – an important principal: Mortals look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

Today – the day after Thanksgiving – if God looked on my outward appearance, he’d have more of me to love (about four-and-a-half pounds more). Thankfully, that’s not how he judges my worth. Other than super-models, most of us are glad that God looks upon the heart.

Yesterday, we took a moment to stop and give thanks. When those moments of thanksgiving are ever-more-present in our hearts, we’ll be more beautiful in God’s eyes … because we’ve learned to see him more beautiful through our eyes.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s hunting Christmas trees,

making Chex Party Mix

and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” today

(I’m thankful for that!!!)

Nov 22,23 - Daniel 4:2 ... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

It is my pleasure to tell you about

the miraculous signs and wonders

that the Most High God

has performed for me.

Daniel 4:2

What are you thankful for?

When we gather for Thanksgiving each year with Mary Louise’s family, we go around the room and say a few things we’re thankful for.

Daniel 4:2 is a Thanksgiving verse. And I don’t think Daniel reserved his praise and witness for one day a year.

Today, tell others what you are thankful for – and be sure, of course, to tell of God’s goodness. But don’t just save your witness for a Thursday in November. Make it an ever-more-urgent goal to proclaim it every day!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s considering

wearing pants with

an elastic waistband today

Nov 22 - Daniel 4:2 ... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

It is my pleasure to tell you about

the miraculous signs and wonders

that the Most High God

has performed for me.

Daniel 4:2

What are you thankful for?

When we gather for Thanksgiving each year with Mary Louise’s family, we go around the room and say a few things we’re thankful for.

Daniel 4:2 is a Thanksgiving verse. And I don’t think Daniel reserved his praise and witness for one day a year.

Today, tell others what you are thankful for – and be sure, of course, to tell of God’s goodness. But don’t just save your witness for a Thursday in November. Make it an ever-more-urgent goal to proclaim it every day!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s considering

wearing pants with

an elastic waistband today