Tag: Christmas

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The Dilemma is Resolved

Its one week away!  Schools out!  And this is my last day of work for the year, no not the year, the decade!  The big day is just a week away.  Its time for more classic 80’s Christmas from Josh. Today, its back to the early days of MTV  Bill Squier and Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You.  Nice!  Merry Christmas!

Yesterday’s post centered on the frustration of living with sin and duplicity of mind, so it seems just right today to keep going in Romans right in to the next chapter.  Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters – the way it begins, the way it ends.  It tells the entire story in one chapter. I find it so rejuvenating.  So lets take a look today right at that beginning.

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.  Romans 8:1-4 (NIV)

Thats right now condemnation.  and then the Message.  Wow it brings it straight home

1-2With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

3-4God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.

The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. (Romans 8:1-4, The Message)

The Dilemma is Resolved!  Wow, those are great words.  The Law is gone, Forgiveness has arrived – full of mercy and full of grace.  This is why Christmas is so excited.  Its not just the presents and the time off work with family, but the arrival of Grace, the arrival of Mercy.  The arrival of the resolution of the matter!

Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel.

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Double Mindedness

I am always amazed about how easy I can drift off course.  Sometimes I blame it on the myriad of conference calls I have each day and the mental context switching it requires.  Other times I realize its just how we are all made.  This week I have noticed how quickly I can go from singing a song of praise to shouting words of rage.  Or maybe its thinking about the gift of Jesus, and then being disgusted with the beggar at the South Terrace/ Belvior intersection?  Its this double mindedness, this schizophrenic behavior, this inability to focus on Jesus one hundred percent that frustrates me more then anything else in my daily life.

Its the reason that songs like Jars of Clays “Two Hands” have such meaning.  Even Paul talks about it in Romans 7

21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am!

And I think it because of this struggle that we struggle so much with works and grace.  I know I do.  I want to work.  I want to produce good fruit.  I want to love deeply, I want to give, I want to serve.  Not because I think I can earn my way to heaven, but because I know that the fruit of righteous living is exactly what the Lord wants, and that its creates peace.  But I am sure glad for grace.  Because its grace and mercy that brings me right out of the rage and back to the song of praise.  Its grace and mercy that hits me in the head like a two by four and says – thats a person, a son of God standing on the side of the road.  Its grace and mercy that brings us to a place where we understand that works are not the means, but the fruit of a person who realizes how dependent they are on grace and mercy.  I also believe its this understanding and not by working harder, that will reduce the double mindedness of our lives.  I am going to test that.

Ephesians 4:31-32 (New International Version)

31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

You see I so badly want to follow Ephesians 4:31-32, but a fail miserable quite often.  But I can take solace in the last 7 words.   Those 7 words full of grace and mercy.  The seven words full of a Christ, who came willingly.  Those 7 words can provide a place of hope and a starting place move to from double mindedness to obsession.  Will you move with me? Paul concludes that is the way as well in the rest of Hebrews 7

Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So lets start by celebrating the fact that the Christ, the newborn king, come to Bethlehem with the full intention of bringing forgiveness to you.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

Oh, the with 9 days to Christmas, lets finish this on rocking note.  From Josh’s List its another cheezy 80’s Christmas song with a “Rebel Yell”- Billy Idol’s Jingle Bell Rock.

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Faith?

Wow, so the school Christmas programs are over – that means that big day is pretty soon.  There were several comments on my selected present from yesterday, but I could still use some suggestions for Amy.  Add some comments!  Josh’s countdown continues today with , get ready, The Jonas Brothers!  YES!  Not quite NKOTB, but close – Here it is Girl of My Dreams.

I have still been thinking about those shepherds and magi, and the faith it took for them to go to Bethlehem to find this new born king.  So that on top of the fact that I am slowly going through Crazy Love by Francis Chan. ( I say slowly because the book is so challenging I have to stop and think and process after a few pages, but its a great read.  I recommend it for Christmas).

Anyway, I have been thinking about faith.  The shepherd’s faith and my own faith.  Mr Chan asks this question in the his book “What are you doing right now that requires faith?”  Its a really really tough question.  How much faith does it take for me to go to work?  To type this blog?  To do each of my conference calls?  Recently, I ate lunch with a family who a few years ago, packed up, took their 4 children out of an exception private school, and went to China to live and teach for a year.  I sit in awe when I think about the faith it takes to do that!  I am not saying lets all head to China ( or maybe I am), but I am suggesting as you visit the new born king over the next few days, examine yourself.

Examine yourself, your faith, ask yourself – what are you doing right now that requires faith?  I don’t think this is a flippant question.  Its a hard question.  but its one that we all should examine.  So when you are sitting around at night, think about these shepherds,  think about these Magi.  Think about your faith, and then go visit the new born king, and see what that does to your answer to this question!

Hebrews 11:6

New International Version (NIV)

6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

And then check the whole of Isaiah 58.

oh by the way, I still am finding myself singing

Glória in excélsis Deo

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Westward Leading – Still Proceeding

Sometimes, I have writers block when I can’t think a thought in the world.  Today, I have so many thoughts circling in my brain, I can’t determine what to write about.

So lets start with that 80’s countdown – Thanks Josh.  This one is a classic.  Last Christmas by WHAM.  What a fun way to countdown to the such a great day.  Its almost here.  Man, I have to figure out what to get Amy!  Any ideas out there?  I was thinking about this.  I love that sight!

Anyway, Westward Leading.. Could you imagine being the shepherds in the field.  I have thought about this for years and was reminded Saturday and Sunday night about how incredible it was for them to have the angels speak to them.  Could you imagine what was going on with the wise men as they followed the star?  What where there thoughts? “Lets go follow a star  to a baby. Yeah, that sounds good!”.  That’s pretty amazing.

However, today we are asked to do the same thing.  Follow the Star of Bethlehem.  Will you?  Today, look up, find the Star, and follow it, just like these wise men.  ( I love that bumper sticker “Wise Men Still Follow Him”)

Matthew 2:1-2

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[b] and have come to worship him.”(NIV)

And the Message

1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.” (MSG)

Have a great day, and follow that star .. “westward leading..still proceeding…..”

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Word became flesh

Lets start off the day with Josh’s tune of the day: Do they know its Christmas Now that’s some rockin’ 80’s!  And if you want to help “Feed the World” – Donate to Healing Hands International.

And now on with the show.  After a really great weekend, I have lots of thoughts to share.  Hopefully this is an interesting week.

John 1:14

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NIV)

Do you know how big of a deal this is?  The Word, Jesus, the creator of the universe, God’s son, left heaven, and was born, as a baby, as a man, like us!  WOW!. Emmanuel, God with us! GOD with US!!  Take a look at the message

14The 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. (MSG)

He moved into the neighborhood!  Emmanuel, God is with US!  That’s a big deal.  And its because of that that I can’t stop singing!

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of Our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world In sin and error pining,
‘Til He appear’d And the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope The weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks A new and glorious morn. ( O Holy Night )

And what is really really cool, is this is just the beginning of our delivery.  He came full of grace and truth, and later on , the veil is torn, his blood is shed and we are FREE!.  But lets not get ahead of ourselves, here we are Christmas time.  Let us remember this incredible event – Emmanuel – God is with us!