Its Christmas morning, so I’ll try to keep this short and sweet…
Christmas is like no other day. Presents, food, wrapping paper scraps that you find in April… There’s just nothing else like it!! For some, it is simply a celebration of family. To others, it’s a mildly religious celebration, but a great excuse to spend money and get stuff. And to one more group, it is a day of profound meaning and blessing because of the Person that we celebrate. No matter which group you fall into, I think we can all recognize that the reason Christmas is so unique is because the One we celebrate on this day is so unique!!
There are a lot of things and people that get worshipped in our world… There are a lot of different gods. Some gods, are just things that we spend way too much time obsessing over, like money, cars, etc. Some gods are people that have done their best to be set apart from the rest of us and be worthy of worship (they’ve done the supernatural)… Then there is a group of gods that has always been in another realm. They kinda just hang out there, and maybe people bug them from time to time. But the God we celebrate at Christmas is just a little different…
Jesus isn’t just an object we obsess over (in fact, very few of us probably give Him the attention He deserves). He’s not a guy who did some crazy stuff and now we build statues in His honor. He’s not a deity that keeps His distance so that He doesn’t get easily annoyed. He is Immanuel!!
Immanuel is what the angel said Jesus would be called in Matthew 1:23, and it means, “God with us.” Our God didn’t ascend from amongst us, or sit in Heaven looking down on us… He became one of us!! He is Immanuel!!! He is with us!! He has walked more than a mile in our shoes (He even walked in our skin!). The book of Hebrews says He faced temptation and trials. He suffered the scourge of our sin, and ultimately died our death…. And He didn’t have to… He didn’t have to be Immanuel…
He could have kicked back in Heaven and let us be destroyed by our own wickedness and sinfulness. He could have let us keep digging our grave. But He didn’t! He became one of us. He then took the grave-digging shovel from our hands, and laid down in that grave. He died our death. He paid our penalty. And He didn’t have to. He had a pretty good view from Heaven, but He gave it up and became Immanuel.
Immanuel is why we celebrate this day… Don’t forget to take a few minutes to thank Him…
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Problem With Following Stars
I was camping with my family this summer when my oldest son pointed out something that I knew, but I had forgotten. He said “Man Dad, look at all the stars you can see when you’re camping!” We like in Salt Lake City, and just like any other city, sometimes you just don’t see the stars (add in the fact that Salt Lake has some of the worst air quality in the country, and you really don’t see stars!) So, the problem with following stars, is that you don’t always know where they are!
That’s what happens to the Wise Men in the first part of Matthew 2. They say they got to Jerusalem by following the star they saw rise in honor of King Jesus. But after they got to Jerusalem, apparently the star wasn’t all that apparent! So, what do you do when your star isn’t there anymore? What do you do when the plan you’ve been following isn’t giving you the answers?
As Christians, we are following God with our lives. There are many times that we feel like we know exactly where we are going and what we are doing. You’ve gotta love those days where you can wake up quoting Jeremiah 29:11 and walk out the rest of that day in the confidence of its truth. There are certainly days when the star you’re following (God’s plan that you’re following) is bright and clear.
But then again, there are those days when the star isn’t shining. There are those days when you don’t know why God loves you, or what His plan is for you. Those are those days when you almost want to find a happy Christian that’s full of purpose and plan, and punch them in the face!! Why?? Because you don’t see the star… You can’t see God’s plan or His direction for your life… You can’t figure out what to do or where to go…
So, what did the Wise Men do when they didn’t have a star to follow?? They kept on task! They continued their mission! They took up the navigating! They went around Jerusalem asking if anyone knew where they could find this new King that had been born. They didn’t let a change in the plan hold the plan back. They knew they had been directed by God. And what God starts, God finishes!!
Check out what happens! Once they’ve asked around, and they know which direction they should be going, Matthew 2:9 says that the start reappeared!!! God’s plan seemed to have disappeared, but really, His plan was for the Wise Men to do a little bit of the direction-finding for themselves.
So, what do you do when your star disappears? Keep going! Keep moving forward! Keep pursuing God’s plan!! Keep going in the direction that God has been guiding your life! You may never be certain that the direction you’ve chosen is the right one. But after you do your best to keep following God’s plan, trust that the plan disappearing actually was part of the plan!! Just keep going!!
The problem with following stars is that you can’t always see them (kinda sounds like following God!). But, when we can’t see the star, when we can’t see the plan, we need to keep pursuing the King!! We need to keep seeking Jesus!! We need to keep moving toward our ultimate goal… Just like the Wise Men did. We need to keep getting ourselves closer and closer to being able to bow down before the King in worship.
That’s what happens to the Wise Men in the first part of Matthew 2. They say they got to Jerusalem by following the star they saw rise in honor of King Jesus. But after they got to Jerusalem, apparently the star wasn’t all that apparent! So, what do you do when your star isn’t there anymore? What do you do when the plan you’ve been following isn’t giving you the answers?
As Christians, we are following God with our lives. There are many times that we feel like we know exactly where we are going and what we are doing. You’ve gotta love those days where you can wake up quoting Jeremiah 29:11 and walk out the rest of that day in the confidence of its truth. There are certainly days when the star you’re following (God’s plan that you’re following) is bright and clear.
But then again, there are those days when the star isn’t shining. There are those days when you don’t know why God loves you, or what His plan is for you. Those are those days when you almost want to find a happy Christian that’s full of purpose and plan, and punch them in the face!! Why?? Because you don’t see the star… You can’t see God’s plan or His direction for your life… You can’t figure out what to do or where to go…
So, what did the Wise Men do when they didn’t have a star to follow?? They kept on task! They continued their mission! They took up the navigating! They went around Jerusalem asking if anyone knew where they could find this new King that had been born. They didn’t let a change in the plan hold the plan back. They knew they had been directed by God. And what God starts, God finishes!!
Check out what happens! Once they’ve asked around, and they know which direction they should be going, Matthew 2:9 says that the start reappeared!!! God’s plan seemed to have disappeared, but really, His plan was for the Wise Men to do a little bit of the direction-finding for themselves.
So, what do you do when your star disappears? Keep going! Keep moving forward! Keep pursuing God’s plan!! Keep going in the direction that God has been guiding your life! You may never be certain that the direction you’ve chosen is the right one. But after you do your best to keep following God’s plan, trust that the plan disappearing actually was part of the plan!! Just keep going!!
The problem with following stars is that you can’t always see them (kinda sounds like following God!). But, when we can’t see the star, when we can’t see the plan, we need to keep pursuing the King!! We need to keep seeking Jesus!! We need to keep moving toward our ultimate goal… Just like the Wise Men did. We need to keep getting ourselves closer and closer to being able to bow down before the King in worship.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Andy's Commentary on Prayer
Someone sent me this commentary on prayer from Andy Rooney. Not only does Mr. Rooney make some great points, but any guy named Andy is a guy I will listen to for at least a minute or two! Take a minute to check it out!
Andy Rooney says (and Andy Smith agrees!):
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.
But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.
Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.
If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.
And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome .....
But what about the atheists? Is another argument.
What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humour us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.
The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want. It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honour Him. That is your right, and we will honour your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"
God bless us one and all...Especially those who denounce Him, God bless America and Canada , despite all our faults, We are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.
Let's make 2011 the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars.
Keep looking up.
Andy Rooney says (and Andy Smith agrees!):
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.
But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.
Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.
If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.
And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome .....
But what about the atheists? Is another argument.
What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humour us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.
The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want. It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honour Him. That is your right, and we will honour your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"
God bless us one and all...Especially those who denounce Him, God bless America and Canada , despite all our faults, We are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.
Let's make 2011 the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars.
Keep looking up.
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