Would You Sacrifice the White Towel?

The thought came to me one day back when my sons were young. We were playing hop on pop in the living room.  My wife had been washing clothes while we were playing, and I being the wonderful dad that I am gave my children Kool-Aid® - red Kool-Aid®. 

The mothers reading this are already shaking their heads, and with good reason.  My younger son decided to climb up on the sofa to get better hang time as he jumped on me.  Just as he was beginning to jump his little, pudgy feet slipped and his knee hit the large glass he had been drinking out of.

I was able to catch him before any of his bodily parts banged into the wooden table, but I watched in horror as the red drink tumbled almost in slow motion over on its side.  I panicked.  I knew there would be no way to get the red stains out of the carpet.

And then I saw my salvation, a warm, snow white towel that my wife had folded neatly on the sofa.  It was one of our best towels, and it would be ruined.  I hesitated, but only for a moment.  I grabbed the towel and absorbed the red stain before it tumbled over the side of the table.

It made me think of another stain, the stain of sin that was going to ruin humanity, a mess of lives running along a broad path, about to tumble into an eternity of darkness.  And then God took his precious, snow white son, who willingly took the stain upon himself – the sacrifice of love. 

What if instead of a white towel I would have had to sacrifice my own son.  Could I?  Not for a red stain, but for mankind, could I willingly give my son to save the world? 

This is the gift of love that Christmas time is all about.

Jesus or Joshua

I've always loved children, especially young ones. But of all of the wonderful, beautiful children I have known, there was a time when none was as special as my firstborn son, Joshua.  I don’t mean to imply that he is more wonderful than other children, but on the day he was born, for me there were no other children.  That little toothless, chinless, hairless, wrinkled baby boy did something to my heart that no child before him had ever done.

I was captivated by him.  Of course, that fade a little during the sleepless nights that followed, but even today I am still captivated.  Since the day of his birth, other people’s children have taken a different role in my mind.  They just aren't as dear to me as children once were.

When my second son, Andrew, came along, I felt the same thing.  I don’t think these feelings are something I alone feel.  I believe that most parents feel that way about their own children, and so I wonder how Elizabeth felt on the day Mary visited her.

  That night in her own bed did she struggle with the fact that the child in her own womb – a special child, promised by God, pronounced by the angel Gabriel himself – this very special child was not as special as the child that Mary carried.  Could it be that Elizabeth realized someone else’s baby was more important than her own.  I wonder, what would I have done?  How would I have responded? 

Jesus or Joshua, which one would I have chosen? 

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Silent Night...NOT!

Mary was a mother giving birth to her first child,

And Jesus as a newborn, I don’t see him meek and mild.

There were angels in the pasture singing with all their might,

No matter what the song says, it was not a silent night.

It was peace on Earth and goodwill towards men,

But the fact remains there’s no room in the inn.

Everyone and his brother had come back into town,

And I can’t figure how they got them all to settle down.

Angels came to shepherds while there flocks they tried to keep.

The Bible says the men were scared, but what about the sheep?

Hundreds of bleating animals, running streaks of white,

I wonder why they ever thought it was a silent night.

Too many in our world today choose to believe the song,

But God, I’m sure thinks we have been silent for too long.

God came to Earth to save all man on that holy night,

And that’s the song we need to sing, and sing with all our might.

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Wise Men, Shepherd, the Lamb and the King

Wise men and shepherds, they were some of the first to see God’s gift of hope; the shepherds seeing the Lamb of God who would be slain for an undeserving world, and the wise men seeing the King of Kings who has the power over death and hell.  Shepherds and wise men, blessed by God to see hope in the flesh, yet both these groups left the manger and went back to their old lives.  I wonder if it is a coincidence that Jesus chose no shepherd or wise men to be his apostles.

He chose instead, fishermen – Peter, James, John, and Andrew.  He chose those who were willing to leave behind their fathers, boats, and nets to begin a new life.  He chose a tax collector who immediately left his booth to follow Jesus. 

He chose those who wouldn't go back to their old life, but would begin a new one instead.  He’s still looking for followers who will leave behind the old, follow him, and find hope in the unknown path he leads them down.  Jesus is still looking for fishers of men.  He’s still looking for people like Matthew who will leave everything to become men collectors. 

When you bow before the manger, do you leave trusting your wisdom to figure out life’s confounding issues?  Do you leave praising God, but hurrying out to the hillside to take care of the details of life? 

Or, do you bow down and worship the Lamb of God, the King of Kings, swearing allegiance to Him, forsaking the past, and holding to the hope of the future?  And, when you finally get up to leave is it because you need to go out and bring someone else to the Savior?

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The Wise Men

What about the wise men?  I wonder if those wise men were confounded on that day so long ago, that day when they came to worship the newborn King.  Did they wonder why they found this King in such a humble setting?

Were they perplexed over the years when they never heard the news of this baby becoming King?  I wonder if these wise men were confused on the day when news of a man who had been crucified traveled east.  It was said that above his head when he died, hung a simple sign that read, “King of the Jews.”

When I think about the wise men, it’s hard not to have the phrase, “Wise men still seek Him” run through my head.  It seems that every year I hear or see the phrase somewhere, but is it true?  Recently there’s been a push in ministries across the country to develop “seeker ministries.”  These ministries design services to speak to the needs of and answer the questions of the seeker. 

“What is a seeker,” you may ask?  From my vast studies on the subject, I’ve found that a seeker is someone who is seeking.  Pretty deep, huh, but that about sums it up.  They are seeking – happiness, fulfillment, comfort, answers, and yes, ultimately God. 

But, do they really know they are seeking Him?  No. That is what the ministries are designed to help them realize.  Do wise men really seek him?  I think Jesus said it best in John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”

What I think is interesting is that not only do wise men not seek God, but wise men have to become unwise to even understand God’s call.  Wise men seek to find answers on their own wisdom.  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end is death.”  God confounds the wise men of this earth and they go on their way. 

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The Shepherds

I find it interesting, that two of the most well known shepherds in all of history come from the same area of the world, Bethlehem, the City of David. David was for sure one of the most popular shepherds – the shepherd boy who grew to become a giant killer, king of a nation, and friend of God.  And then, two thousand years later, God would send his angels down to those same hills that David roamed to sing the good news to shepherds there.

I’m sure the life of a shepherd could be quite boring at times.  Just sitting on a hard rock or leaning with our back up against the rough bark of a tree watching a herd of sheep munch grass.  It had its occasional bouts of excitement when a wolf or lion tried to steal a sheep, or when there was a search and rescue mission for a lost little lamb, but I don’t think it could have ever been very exciting – until that night, the night when God’s angels burst through the darkened sky to declare the good news. 

I’ll bet they talked about it until the day they died.  I’m sure their children and grandchildren who sat out on those same rocks dreamed about something like that happening to them.  It must have been exciting.  They knew they were really part of something big, but could they comprehend just how big?

The Bible says they went and saw Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus, and then went back to their sheep praising God and thanking him for letting them see all of it – for it had been just as the angels had told them.  They were excited.  They had seen the baby Jesus, the Lamb of the world, but did they see the eternal Savior?  Did they see in that manger God’s plan for man’s redemption?  

Or, was it years later when they stood among a crowd of people trying to hear what the man was saying; the man some were calling the Messiah, that their minds went back in time.  “Could it be the baby from so long ago?”  Did his eyes meet theirs when he said, “I am the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep”?  I wonder if maybe on that particular day the shepherds heard, “I bring you good tidings of great joy.  I am your Shepherd, your Savior.”  Did they hear the angels singing again that day, the day they bowed down to the little Lamb who had become their Shepherd?

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Teens Leaving the Church

unchristian by David
Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons

"Most young people who were involved in a church as a teenager disengage from church life and often from Christianity at some point during early adulthood, creating a deficit of young talent, energy, and leadership in many congregations. While this is not a uniquely Buster or Mosaic (16-29 years-old) phenomenon - many Boomers did this too - our tracking research suggests that today young people are less likely to return to the church later, even when they become parents." (David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons, UNCHRISTIAN, p. 23)

Parents, you don't have to watch your children do this. Equip them to live as a disciple of Jesus, not just go to church and claim to be a Christian. You are the strongest influence they may ever have, but if you don't take the responsibility seriously, Satan will be happy to influence them for you.

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How to Live Like a Vampire in a World of Mere Mortals

This weekend, “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” was released. I think it’s already grossed ½ a bazillion or something. (Guys are just thinking "it's gross".) I got to wondering why there is such hoopla over vampires, anyway.

I saw a teenager a while back, wearing a t-shirt stating her wish to be a vampire. Really? She wishes she could kill people and drink their blood? I’m guessing that wasn't what she was really thinking, or at least I hope not!

So what is it about vampires that’s so appealing? How about this: power, vampires are strong. They have power mere mortals don’t have. Also, what’s there to be afraid of if you’re a vampire, wooden stakes and garlic? Who’s afraid of toothpicks and herbs? Besides, you’re already dead – sort of. Which, is pretty cool too – eternal life…of death (or something like that).

Perhaps vampires are popular, because they offer something more than our own humanity. Too bad more Christians don’t live the life God has given them, a life of power and fearlessness. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love and a sound mind.

Too bad Christians don’t live as if they have eternity already in their grasp, instead of grasping for every pleasure this world offers. If we did, perhaps teenagers would wear “I wish I was a Christian” t-shirts. Perhaps we could show them how they could live like a vampire in the world of mere humans. We could show them how to live as children of the all-powerful God.

Do you know a vampire lover? Why do you think people love vampires? Let me know.

Carry Them to the King

Isaiah 66:18-24

And the time is coming… (vs. 18). It just sounds like a phrase of hope. It’s filled with anticipation, especially when God says it. And the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. When this was written, Israel was the chosen nation, no others. But, the time is coming…

I will set a sign among them… (vs. 19). Stop reading for a minute, and turn to Isaiah 7:14. Do you realize what this means? The time has come! No more waiting.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman…” (Galatians 4:4). It is finished! Okay, not quite. Jesus has finished His redemptive work. He has brought hope for every nation and tongue. But, there’s one more part. One more reason to wait.

After God set His sign – our Savior – among us, He said, “And from them [those who have seen His glory, His salvation] I will send survivors to the nations…and they shall declare my glory among the nations” (vs. 19). Before we can say, “It is finished,” there is a task for us. We are to declare His glory to the nations.

Where do you live? I’m pretty sure you live in one of the nations that need to see the glory of the Almighty. Sure, God may want you to tell someone across the world, but I guarantee He wants you to show His glory to the ones across the street, or down the hall.

I love verse twenty. “And they [the ones sent to the world] shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on camels, to my holy mountain, Jerusalem, says the Lord…” When you think about bringing an offering to God, do you think about your family, your neighbors, coworkers or friends? This was God’s plan

.

Look at how we get them to Him, horses, mules, camels, chariots, litters, however, just carry them to the King. Perhaps your family has been living in your own little world. The time is coming… no, the time has come for you to move out, to share the glory of God, to bring them to the mountain of the Lord.

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America & the Gap

America is becoming a spiritual cesspool. This once-“Christian” nation has embraced spiritual relativity, where right and wrong are situational. It has chosen tolerance as a motto, claiming that Jesus is only one way to God instead of THE Way.

People chase after every type of evil imaginable. Slave trade is one of the fastest growing industries in the country, with most of it geared toward sex commerce. Pornography is a billion-dollar a year business. Greed is the backbone of our capitalistic economy. Hatred and murder are daily occurrences, giving newscasters and Hollywood producers fodder for their film.

•   Truth has become a fleeting spectral image, not even Ghostbusters can capture.
• Justice is a word thrown out by anyone who doesn’t feel they’re getting what they deserve – even when they have done nothing deserving.
• And the American way has become a wide, straight highway that leads to destruction.

But what about God’s church in America?

The divorce rate among Christians is the same as that of non-Christians. Churches are suing pastors and vice versa.  They spend millions of dollars on beautiful buildings for their own meetings, while giving pennies to the poor. They claim love, but judge and gossip and hate.

What must God be thinking? He described another nation that sounded very similar in Ezekiel 22:23-31.

Again the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’ There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says’—when the LORD has not spoken. The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.

It is a sad picture, but if we were to continue to read, the story goes downhill. In verse thirty, God said, “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” There was no one to stand between the people and God. “So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done,” declares the Sovereign LORD (verse 31).

If God were talking about America, could He find anyone? Will you stand in the gap, interceding for America? Will you stand for your kids, so they can see real Christianity? Will you build the wall, preserving the people? 

If not you and I, then who? 

Are Your Children Ready for the Real World?

Jenny grew up in church. She went to Sunday School every week, was active in the youth ministry, and even considered becoming a missionary for a while.
Now Jenny is twenty-two, pregnant, living with her college boyfriend, and she has left her faith and her church behind.

What happened?

As Christian parents, we want our kids to be able to face anything the world can throw at them, anything Satan can send their way. But statistics tell us that almost 60% of faithful church-going kids leave their faith behind once they are eighteen years old. Jenny’s story above is played out every day in America.

Does this mean Sunday schools and youth ministries are failing our youth? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t that easy. We live in a world of professional ministers and professional ministries. Because of this, many parents are leaving their children’s spiritual development to the professionals.

God leaves it up to YOU.

Train up your child in the way he should go... is not a command for the church ministries (though they can be an incredibly valuable resource to help).  What your kids really need is you leading them spiritually – and family devotions can play a huge part in this.

Why do many parents not lead their children in family devotions?

It’s not that they don’t care. Usually it is for one of three reasons:

1.       We didn't know we were supposed to.

2.      We didn't know how.

3.      We didn't have time to prepare.

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What Would Jesus Say To You?

The man spoke with authority, as if he knew the author of the book personally. People weren’t used to that. Most of their teachers were detached, unsure and unconvincing, not this man.

Many who heard didn’t know what to make of his words. His words challenged the status quo, ruffled feathers, stepped on toes. But he spoke with such conviction it was hard not to believe him, or at least want to hear him speak again. Unless you were the status quo, then you were just mad. The religious elite drove him away, pushing him out of town.

But he spoke with such power, the people followed. Multitudes moving through the wilderness shadowed the speaker. His voice pierced their ears. His words pricked their hearts. And they followed.

It was not just his words, but his works that amazed them. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind. He made leprosy leave, demons depart and cripples dance.

When he looked at them – people with problems, pain, bad attitudes, bad marriages, secrets too dark to ever share – it was with tenderness. When he reached out to touch their dusty, dirty, broken bodies, it was with love.  And when he spoke to them, he spoke with such compassion.

Those who drove him out of the city were arrogant, spiteful, sinful people. Those who followed him into the wild were also. The difference was all in the choice they made. Those who follow the teacher find forgiveness, compassion, healing and hope.

Oh, and when he spoke, he spoke to you too. 

Family Thought:

Too often we make God out to be the big guy who's going to catch our children if they do something wrong. "God is watching..." And He is, but we need to make sure our kids know God isn't looking to squash them. He wants them to be obedient because He love them, and wants them to love Him. 

How Can You Be Sure God Cares

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent world by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matthew 11:2-3)

As Mary entered Elizabeth’s home, John the Baptist, still in his mother’s womb, leapt for joy. As a fetus, he recognized the coming of the Messiah – who was still in his mother’s womb also. He couldn’t see the Savior, didn’t hear his voice, yet, somehow, he knew.

Though they were cousins, there is no evidence John and Jesus ever met until they were adults. Thirty years after John leapt in the womb, he recognized the Messiah again. “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.’” (John 1:29)

Jesus wasn’t wearing an “I AM” t-shirt. He didn’t have a golden halo of light around his head. But still, John knew.

If John had any doubt – which he didn’t – God would have dispelled it. The Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove, and the confession of the Father’s love came from above. John knew Jesus was the Savior.

But there came a moment, a time of desperation. Doubt crept in. John had ticked off the king and was in prison. He wasn’t going back home.

During this dark minute, John needed assurance. So, he sent his disciples to Jesus for a final confirmation. “Are you the one?”

Jesus could have responded with, “Oh you of little faith. How can you doubt? You watched the dove descend. You heard the voice of my Father call me his Son. What more do you need?”

But he didn’t.

Instead, Jesus had compassion, and used a Messianic passage from the book of Isaiah to help John’s disciples see that Jesus was the one. “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them.” (compare to Isaiah 61:1-2) This was the assurance John needed.

There was one part of the prophecy Jesus left out, however. In Isaiah, it says the Messiah will “proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Jesus was telling John, “Yes, I am the one. The Messiah you’ve waited for, preached about, put your faith in has come, but the prison doors I’m going to open are not the ones that hold you.”

This may sound tough, but underneath it is full of hope. John only left the prison after they cut off his head, but the Messiah had come. The prison doors of death would never hold John. There will be tough things you have to face in life – and sometimes it will feel as if God doesn’t show up. But be assured, the Messiah came, and your future is filled with hope.

In what areas do you struggle to remember He is in control?

Great Faith

Near the beginning of Jesus earthly ministry, he and his disciples were at a wedding. You know the story. The host ran out of wine, and Jesus’ mother turned to Jesus for help. He, of course, turned water into wine.

I’ve heard people say, “Jesus was such an obedient son, he did what his mother asked.” There’s no doubt Jesus was an obedient son, but technically she never asked for anything. She told him, “They are out of wine,” and then she said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

What kind of faith is that, to trust he would do something not even asked for? Can you imagine going to Jesus, and just saying, “Here is a need,” and then believing he would help with it? Jesus always responded positively to faith. When four men ripped open the roof to lower their paralytic friend to Jesus, he didn’t discipline their destruction. Instead, seeing their faith, he forgave the man’s sin and healed him.

In one instance, a centurion, a Roman soldier, asked Jesus to heal his servant. His faith was so great, he believed Jesus didn’t have to go to the centurion’s house, but only speak. Jesus rewarded the man’s faith and the servant was well.

When the Canaanite woman, not a Jew, came and asked for help, Jesus declined. However, seeing the woman’s persistent faith, Jesus relented saying, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”

But how many times do we also read the reprimand, “O you of little faith”? Storms on lakes, meals for multitudes, powerful demons, were problems with simple solutions for our Savior, yet for his disciples, these situations brought fear, confusion and discouragement.

What about you? Are winds and waves about to wash you away? Are you surrounded by a multitude of hungry people, longing for a taste of the bread of life? Is your servant sick?

The God who spoke the waves into existence can, surely, command them still today. Why do you doubt? The Savior, who sacrificed his own self, can still satisfy every need of everyone. Why do we live without forgiveness, without power or without wisdom? Do you doubt he can provide?

God rewards great faith. Can you imagine the joy of hearing these words from the Creator of the universe, “Be it done for you as you desire”? Knowing if He said it, it would happen. There is nothing that can overcome what He speaks.

Yet, even though this is true, how often do you doubt? How often have you felt God must be in heaven, shaking His head, saying, “O you of little faith”? You don’t ever have to hear those words again. 

Believe. 

Trust.

He is…the Mighty God…the Lord of Heaven’s Armies…a Mighty Fortress…Faithful and True…a Strong and Mighty Tower…a defender of the weak…Love…Life…

A Holy Priesthood

For sixteen years the temple had been silent, sacrifices stopped, worship suspended. Judah followed an evil king, Ahaz. He led them away from the Almighty and into idolatry. He led them to defeat and discouragement.

“But Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem… And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place… And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord…” (2 Chronicles 28:27-29:2) One of Hezekiah’s first acts as king was to round up the Levites and priests so they could clean up the temple. Ahab had brought elements of the false gods into the temple.

The priests and Levites had to purify themselves, and purify everything in the temple. This was what God had appointed them to do. The rest of Judah couldn’t worship God in the temple – nor would God enter the temple – unless this was done.

Once things had been purified, their job wasn’t finished. They had to make sacrifices for the people – lots of sacrifices. “They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven male goats” (2 Chron. 29:21). With these sacrifices complete, the people came and worshiped the Almighty.

But the job of the Levites and priests wasn’t over. They had to help the people restore their relationship with God. There were more sacrifices. “The number of the burnt offerings that the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord. And the consecrated offerings were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep.” Wow! This was some tough work.

Obviously, if these men had been doing their jobs over the past sixteen years, this wouldn’t have been such a big ordeal, but they hadn’t. They had gotten lazy. They hadn’t been worshiping other gods, just going through life – eating, drinking, buying and selling – but not doing their job.

What about you? God has called us to be “a kingdom of priests” and “a holy priesthood” (Rev. 5:10; 1 Peter 2:5). Have you been going through life, or have you been maintaining the purity of God’s temple…your body? Have you been busy sacrificing so others can come and worship our glorious God? Have you been sacrificing so others can restore their relationship with the Father?

Priests stood between the people and God, working to bring them together. Without their work, there would have been disaster for the people. It was a tough job.

It still is. Almost five billion people in our world are moving, each day, closer to disaster – an eternal separation from God…in hell. Your Father has appointed you to stand between, to move them towards Him. If you saw someone drowning in a swimming pool, would you:

• sacrifice the time it would take to pull them out?
• sacrifice the discomfort of jumping in a cold pool with your good clothes on?
• sacrifice your own safety, knowing they could pull you under if you weren’t careful?

Or, would you stand sadly at the edge, wishing there was someone to help? You are that someone. Make the sacrifice. Jump in.