Noel

Don't you just love Christmas carols?  Singing to celebrate our Lord's coming to save us from our sinful selves is such joy!

Let's continue our Christmas Carol lessons with The First Noel.  Noel comes from Latin, through French meaning "birth."  This rich carol tells of a one-of-a-kind, first & all time birth.  The coming of God to earth as a human.  This rich carol can teach us lessons today too.

The first Noel the angel did say, Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay; In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep, 
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

You're a shepherd.  A societal outcast.  Cast out because you've got a menial job.  Cast out because you got a smelly job.  Cast out, well because your job keeps you out with the sheep & not in town.  But you are doing your job.  Watching your sheeps & hangin with your peeps when... An angel.  An angel appears & God's glory shines round your shepherd band.  Terrified.  Dumb struck.  Frozen.

"Don't be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." the angel says in Luke 2:10.  I'm not a shepherd, but I have a question: Do I fear God’s power?  Do I fear God's awesome power?  His righteousness & justice?  Or do I fear his mercy & grace?  Which do I deserve more?

For all to see there was a star, Shining in the east, beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light, And so it continued both day and night.

You're a smart person.  At the top of the societies pyramid.  At least close.  You've got lots of education & enough means to support yourself in pursuits of the mind.  You & your intelligentsia pals notice a new star. One of you connects that star with a new king.  It's a great star.  It must be a great king.  Let's roadtrip.

"We saw his star in the east & we have come to worship him," says one wise man in Matthew 2:2.  We get pretty busy in our hustle-bustle days.  So I gotta ask, do I see God’s signs?  When God shows up, am I paying attention?  When God lights the answer to my prayer up in neon do I notice?  When He points one of those big arrow signs toward his will for me do I see it?

And by the light of that same star The wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent, And to follow the star wherever it went.

And when I do see God pointing the way - when I am clear He has a plan for me to follow -  do I obey? Do I follow God’s lead?  Do I get up & get moving?  Do I change direction because God has changed my mind? What am I gonna do about it?

Then let us all with one accord Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made heaven and earth of naught, And with his blood mankind hath bought.

If you were a shepherd outcast outside Bethlehem, then were one of the first to know the great news, of great joy for all people.  "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord," Luke 2:11 tells.  Wow!  Lowly me?  The King.  The Savior.  Came for me?!

How good is that news?  How many people would you be telling?  Facebook status.  Twitter tweets.  Texting homies.  Skypin far off friends.  Emailing your entire address list.  Or just plain talking & telling the news.  It hurts me to think, with how much - or how little - enthusiasm do I share God’s story?  A story of salvation for all people.  It's my news to tell!

Fear God's grace.

See God's signs.

Follow God's lead.

Share God's story.

It's CHRISTmastime.

Rejoice!

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.

O Come

Don’t you just love Christmas Carols?  Aren't you thankful we can sing these meaningful songs every year?  What a way to celebrate the birthday of the King!

In the next weeks, let's look a little carols to remind us why we sing.  As we celebrate this Advent, we'll begin with O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel was first sung during Christmas Eve worship services by the medieval church in the 12th Century.  Each stanza offers a unique greeting to the Babe Messiah based on titles given him within Scripture.  Each stanza offers hope to Christ followers throughout the ages based on those same prophetic names.

O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear.

Emmanuel we know from Matthew 1:23 literally means, "God with us."  Isaiah 7:14 prophecies the coming of a Savior Messiah, God in flesh, among us.

And why did he come?  To set us free.  To pay the sin debt that no amount of our human goodness could ever repay.  The name Emmanuel teaches that God is with us.  No matter the challenge. 

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer, Our spirits by Thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

The Dayspring, or Dawn, as the photo above depicts, is a title applied to the Lord in Job 38:12 and remembered in Luke 1:78.

What would cause you call someone the Dayspring?  Our Lord Jesus bears that title to remind us that he is our Dawn.  No matter the night.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, And order all things far and nigh;

To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go.

Wisdom with a capital W comes from 1 Corinthians 1:24 & 30.  Jesus is both "The power & the wisdom of God."  And as verse 30 says, he "has become for us wisdom from God -  that is our righteousness, holiness & redemption."

I don't know about you, but life leaves me with lots of questions.  Maybe I am not supposed to answer them all, but one thing I can know: Jesus is Wisdom.  No matter the question.

O come, Desire of nations, bind All peoples in one heart and mind;

Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease, Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.

The fourth verse refers to Jesus as the Desire of nations.  God spoke this prophecy in reference to rebuilding His Temple in Haggai 2:7.  "I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, & I will fill this house with glory," God said.

Life is challenging.  We tend to have lots of wants.  But sometimes we can't even meet our needs.  This title for Jesus tells us that he can meet our Desire.  No matter the need.

No matter your challenge.

No matter your night.

No matter your question.

No matter your need.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee.

It's Not About Me

You gotta love this picture: The James Family Four jumping for joy.

The grinning Mom is a friend I'd never met.  Beth James is the wife of a college buddy, David.

Beth James is battling cancer.

That word.  The C-word.  Stirs each of us.  Deeply.

Strong images & emotions within.  Fear.  Sickness.  Pain.  Sadness.  Suffering.  Death.  Anger.  Uncertainty. Hope.  Survival.  Faith.  Future.  Eternity.

Beth is in the midst of the battle of her life for her life.  Read about its unreal beginnings written by David here.

And then do not miss reading Beth's amazing perspective just two months into her battle here.

Join me in praying for Beth & her family.

And, as you read their story, be strengthened.  Be encouraged.

No matter your battle.

It's not about you.

God knows.

God loves.

He will carry you through.

'Tis the Season

‘Tis the season of giving.  Opportunities are everywhere.  Bell-ringers at storefronts.  Charities year-end needs in your mailbox.  Special offerings at your church.  ‘Tis the season we can be otherish in our love. 

Otherish love is God-powered, self-sacrificing, & other-centered.  Otherish love is God’s love.  “God so loved the world that he gave his one & only son,” says John 3:16 (italics added).

But with so many choices, what's a person to do?  Wouldn't it be nice as a follower of Christ to make Spirit-led choices?  Guilty-conscience choices can dominate your mind & rob your joy.

Your time.  Your talents.  Your treasures.  Each of these resources have limits.

How can you make good choices with your resources?

• Know your heart.  What are you passionate about?  There will be many appeals to you, but which appeal best fits your God honoring, personal passion?

• Know your budget.  Have you ever got into financial trouble through giving too much?  Not sure?  Think back to recall previous January’s credit card bills.  Give generously, Brothers & Sisters, but not at the expense of your financial obligations or into debt.

• Know your God.  God is a giver.  He has blessed you with time, talents, & treasures to give.  Ask Him where He would have you give each of them & obey.

• “No” what doesn’t fit.  If any request to give doesn’t fit the three “knows” above, then kindly say, “No, thank you,” with no regret.  You give as God calls.

I pray that you become more deeply aware of who God has called you to be & how He desires you to serve Him & others.

I pray that you give generously as you share God’s otherish love by word & deed as God calls.

I pray that you know God's abiding joy as you give this Christmas.

God so loved.

So He gave.

You so love.

'Tis the season.

To give.

Love Well

Have you ever wondered why God allows things to go on like He does?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why the suffering of innocents all around us?

If God is real, loving, & powerful, why does He allow all this mess?

Why do some appear so blessed & others accursed?

When I look around the world.  When I stop to count my blessings.  When I seek to name all I can give thanks for.  I am staggered of just how blessed I am.  That God chose me.  That God loves me.  Due to no good on my own, but His sovereignty.

In response I feel a responsibility to do something.  To be something.  To love in a God powered, other centered, self sacrificing way.  To be like.  To love like.  Jesus.

Steve Saccone writes (Relational Intelligence p.18, italics added):

(God) could have chosen to give us extraordinary powers to heal the sick or help the paralyzed walk.  He could have given us the ability to bring sight to the blind, or even given us the ability to coerce people to believe in God.  He could have told us how to become super human in our talent or intellect.  But instead of teaching us to be loudest with our voices, Jesus invited us to be abundantly free with our love.  He didn't admonish us to dominate with power, but to bend a knee and serve others.  He didn't indulge the part of us that wants to rule, but instead appealed to our hearts & invited us to love well.  He didn't command us to force our opinion of truth on others, but to live out His truth with love in our lives.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving.  As you count your blessings.  Hear God's appeal to your heart.

Accept His invitation.

Love Him.

Love others.

Love well.