The Christmas Story: The Good News

 The Birth of Jesus 

     In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[E] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

     So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

     And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

     Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,             

     “Glory to God in the highest heaven, 

          and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

     When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

     So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)

Merry Christmas and blessings for the coming year!

Prelude to the Christmas Story, Part 3

Zechariah’s Song 
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn[C] of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,to guide our feet into the path of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit[D]; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Luke 1:67-80 (NIV)

Prelude to the Christmas Story, Part 2

Mary’s Song

And Mary said: 
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 
     for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. 
From now on all generations will call me blessed, 
     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. 
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
     from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
     he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
     but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
     but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
     remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever,
     just as he promised our ancestors.” 
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Luke 1:46-56 (NIV)

Prelude to the Christmas Story

The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[B] the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Luke 1:-45 (NIV)

GOD'S RELIGION

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

A lot of people want to define religion as spiritual bigotry and dismiss the term altogether. Religion, as God sees it, is a good thing.  You just have to be religious in God's way.

In simple terms godly religion is focused on others, specifically those less fortunate who struggle caring for themselves and being in the world but not of it.  

One of the underlying themes of James is real Christianity. He has a real ability to cut to the chase. He's one of those people who after saying something that sort of jars you would say, "Just keeping it real." 

It's ok to be religious, if your religious God's way. God way is serving others and serving him. 

Father, help us to keep things real and live truly for you. Praise be to you in us today. 

SPEAK OR NOT?

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives and his religion is worthless." James 1:26

If the Apostles Paul and James were boxers you would call Paul the boxer and James the brawler. Paul sets you up with jabs and then nails you with a hook. James just throws hooks, big body shots, overhand rights and lefts, uppercuts and just goes to knock you out with every punch.

Here in verse twentysix James throws a haymaker a nails us with our mouths. I would say that with the advent of the internet and social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram that what we say in writing is included in this "uppercut" from James. 

The meaning is straightforward and you can't dodge it. If you think you are religious, you know, spiritually mature and you can't control what you say, your not. Pretty convicting. 

Now, I am going to make a bit of a stretch here and ask the other side of the question. I get that I should be careful to NOT say some things that would not glorify God. But, what about NOT speaking up when we should? What about situations where injustice is happening or God is being blasphemed and I remain silent? Should I? Maybe the Spirit of God is nudging you to share with someone that Jesus died for their sins and that person is open for that moment. Is controlling your tongue opening your mouth or keeping it closed? 

Father, help us to submit ourselves to you and let you reign even over our what we say. Give us wisdom to be silent when we should and to speak up when we must. Praise be to you in us today!

"I'M DONE,GOD!" REALLY?

"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." James 1:25

I have been teaching sixth grade this year and one habit I have been trying to break them of is the, "I'm done, teacher!" thing. Usually they aren't actually done. Maybe they wrote "Yes" or "No" to a question that was asking for an explanation that demonstrates their understanding of some process we have been studying. Or they just wrote gibberish. 

Sending my wife a "Love you!" text (which is a good thing) is different than sitting with her while she tells me whatever she needs to tell me (and actually trying to listen). Reading the Bible tells me to love my wife. If all I do is send my wife a "Love you!" text every now and then, maybe that's my version of "I'm done, God!" Looking intently at the Bible tells me I need to be patient and kind with my wife, even if I don't feel she is being patient and kind with me. 

What I am getting at is that looking intently into the word means that I consider things on a deeper level. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is a double-edged sword. Sometimes I should feel the truth cut me a bit. I should notice the plank in my eye when I am asking God to get the speck out of someone elses. I should listen...wait...listen, and then obey, do what I know is right. 

Look intently into the word of God. Don't rush. Let the Spirit work. Obey what you know is the best thing to do. 

Father, help us to wait upon you and to see and do what you want us to do, to love as you have loved us. Praise be to you in us today!