Do They Know It’s Christmas?

The holiday season can be a time of great stress for most people. This time of year carries a lot of emotion and with that emotion comes expectations. Much like the bride who is crushed by the rain on her wedding day, it takes very little for many of us to feel that Christmas is ruined. In fact, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, depression rates increase at this time of year. Their website reads; “while suicide rates do not increase over the holiday season, depression rates do. Numerous studies, as well as anecdotal evidence from the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario and the Toronto Distress Centre, confirm that both the number and severity of calls by depressed persons increases every year through November and December, returning to normal volume towards the end of January.”

Most of us can identify with being stressed out and angry while we try to navigate the chaos that is Christmas shopping. In fact, when you see the stress that we put on ourselves this time of year, it is not hard to see why heart disease is the number one cause of death. I find it ironic that the Christmas season will see some of the most unchristian behaviour from otherwise caring people.

So, how do we change this? I believe that I have to stop expecting so much from this time of year. If I relax my expectations I will probably begin to enjoy this time of year much more. I need to remember what this time of year is about. Commemorating the birth of my Saviour, and spending time with, as well as showing my love and appreciation for, my family and friends. Those of us who call ourselves Christians would do well to follow the teachings of Jesus by taking our focus off of ourselves and being attentive to those around us. Want to see Jesus at Christmas? Why don’t you let the other driver into line, instead of being focused on making a beeline out of the mall parking lot. How about smiling at the woman scowling as she hurries through the department store. Take the focus off yourself, try being more interested in being a blessing than being blessed. Finally, it may be cliche, but step back, take a deep breath and ask yourself the most important question you can ask at Christmastime.

WWJD?

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Tragedy

As I watch news reports of the disaster that has taken place in South East Asia, I am left completely speachless and awestruck. Trying to wrap my mind around destruction of this magnitude is just not possible. As I write this, the death toll is at 80,000, with estimates of the final casualty count exceeding 100,000.

The words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 25 come to mind:

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

I would encourage you to make a donation in any amount that you are able. You can donate online with the Red Cross. For those of you in Canada, there is a Canadian Red Cross site.

It is incumbent upon those of us who live in the western world to do what we can to assist those in need. Whether you are a believer or not, we are all members of the human family.

The Sanctity of the Everyday

When God handed the law down to Moses there was no part of life that was left untouched. Everything, from how God’s people would conduct their business affairs, marriage, cleanliness, diet, etc. God left nothing out.

Why did God do this?

First you have to examine why God gave us the law. Many still mistakenly believe that the law was given to show the path to salvation for man. However, as Paul wrote in Romans 3:20 “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight (God’s sight) by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin (brackets mine).” It’s not that God gave us the law to save us. Jesus was not forced to bear the burden of our sin because of imperfect observance of the law. As Paul wrote, the law was given to make us conscience of sin. Jesus’s sacrifice was part of God’s plan from the beginning.

When God handed down the law, He was showing us the depth of sin in our lives. Every area of our lives is affected by our sins. Apart from Jesus, these sins can never be washed away. However, I believe that God included such minute detail for another reason as well. You see, God cares about everything we do. From our business affairs, marriage, cleanliness, diet, etc., none of it bores God. In fact, He loves you so much that He wants to be a part of everything.

So why do we shut Him out?

If God so deeply cares about us, why do we choose to only include Him in certain “Godly” aspects of our lives? We mistakenly believe that we would be overburdening God by sharing other areas of our life with him. Some of us seem to believe that we only get a certain number of prayers per week so we better save our quota for the big stuff! This belief is wrong. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray continually.” This means that not only do we not get a certain quota of prayers, but that we should never stop praying. Ever!

For some of us, this is going to call for a radical reshaping of our thinking. The time has come for us to begin to recognize the sanctity of the everyday. We need to begin to see God’s presence in everything. Every moment is holy. Every moment is God breathed.

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Merry Christma.. err, Seasons Greetings!

The holiday season will often give people pause to reflect on their lives. Looking back on the last year, where our lives are at right now, and the importance of friends and family, will help us to put life in perspective, seeing what is really important. It’s ironic that this period of reflection is preceded by a flurry of consumerism that reduces normally calm people to anger and violence.

Another part of the reflection that happens this time of year is the way in which people will reach out to the Divine. People who never go to church any other time will attend services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (sometimes both!). Those who never pause to give thanks before a meal, will stop and ask for God’s blessing before diving into the Christmas turkey. It seems that somewhere in the deepest fibre of our being we know that this time of year carries a solemn divinity that must be observed. Aside from Christmas,God spends the rest of the year as a disinterested bystander to the humdrum everydayness of our life.

Why is this? Why is it that when things are going smoothly and life is good, God is rarely, if ever, thought about? Only when a crisis arises, like the death of a loved one, financial trouble, or bad news from our doctor, does God get a call from us. In the weeks and months that followed the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, church attendance spiked considerably. However, after the shock of these events wore off, church attendance returned to pre 9/11 levels.

This is not how God intended your life to be. He created us to live in communion with Him. We are His greatest joy and His deepest desire is to be part of our lives, all of our lives. A Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches the philosophy of living a life of mindfulness. This involves living each moment to its fullest, no moment is taken for granted. Nothing is done just for the sake of doing it, every moment is seen for the natural beauty it contains. As Christians, we can learn from this by recognizing Gods presence in every part of our lives. God is present in everything we do, by recognizing that fact, our lives can only become more fulfilling.

Don’t relegate God to the relative you only visit on the holidays. Allow Him to be a part of your everyday.

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Choices

Matthew 27:15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.

It never occurred to me until I saw Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ earlier this year, that it was out of cowardice that Pilate chose Barabbas to stand beside Jesus on that platform. At the end of the day, Pilate, in spite of the great power he held, was afraid to release Jesus. Here is a man who had the power to decide if someone would live or die, afraid to make a tough decision that he knew to be right. Pilate didn’t want to crucify Jesus. By choosing Barabbas, he thought he had the one person that they would choose over Jesus. He obviously miscalculated.

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that the real reason that Pilate sent Jesus to the cross was because God planned it that way. However, this realization about Pilate’s lack of courage got me to thinking about all of the bad decisions that I have made in the past. How often have I fallen short of God’s best for me because I have lacked the courage to make a difficult decision and follow through with it? How often do we compromise because we do not wish to make a decision that we believe will be unpopular?

We must choose to stand for what we know to be right. Our resolve must be strong, our attitude humble, and our faith unwavering. Seeking out God’s will for our lives with each step we take. This path will not only lead us into God’s plan for our lives, but will also allow us to live with fewer regrets.

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Fellowship

Often when I talk to people about God and the church I hear people say that they are not ” good enough” to go to church. Many people (including committed believers) feel that the church is some kind of closed society that they are unable to gain access to.

Where does this perception come from? I believe the root cause of this problem is twofold. First, the negative self image that the person saying the statement may have must be taken into account. They may feel this way because they are unclear on the true message of the Gospel, feeling that their sins or lack of good works, are beyond the forgiveness of God. However, the other part of this problem is the image that the church has portrayed to the outside world. Like any group of people that assemble on a regular basis, friendship groups will form. This is a great thing, fellowship is not only a great joy, but is a way to help you grow in your Christian walk. However, we must not allow our cliques to to become exclusive. While it is understandable to want to spend time chatting with the people you are familiar and comfortable with, we must strive to identify and welcome anyone who is a new attendee. Ask yourself some tough questions. How well does your congregation welcome those who do not fit the “Christian image”? If someone came in with tattoos and ripped jeans, would they be welcomed or would you clutch your children a little bit tighter? What if a homeless person came into your church on Sunday morning? What would the reaction be? How well does your church welcome a new attendee? If the answer is negative, we need to change. The church must be a lighthouse that the lost can come to on their foggiest night. We have to be open to everyone or we are not fulfilling the Great Commission.

The webzine Ship of Fools began an interesting experiment in May of this year. They created a virtual church that allowed people to fellowship and pray together. They even held weekly services with guest speakers. While the experiment had some glitches, (including a visit from Satan!) overall it was a success. Many people enjoyed regular fellowship there. The experiment came to an end after three months. Recently though, the church reopened to allow single users to go in, pray, sing hymns, and be alone with God.

It is obvious from the success of the Church of Fools that it was filling a niche. Think about it, a virtual church was regularly filled to capacity while brick and mortar churches sit mostly empty on Sunday mornings. It is time for a change in thinking. Churches must become more welcoming. While the truth of the Bible cannot be compromised, our presentation of this truth to the outside world needs to be rethought.

After all, if we lose our saltiness, can we become salty again?

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Got Faith?

Mark 6:1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
4 Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

How big is your faith? Is your faith nice and safe or is it a radical faith that opens up all the power of heaven to you? Go back and read verses 5 and 6 again. He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

Jesus, unable to do any miracles? The One who fasted in the desert for fourty days, then defeated the devils temptations. The Jesus who fed thousands with a couple of loaves and fish. Healed hundreds of a variety of sicknesses. Raised people from the dead. Went to to the cross bearing your sin and my sin. This same Jesus, unable to do something?

It is hard to believe that Jesus could be constrained by anything, and yet the Bible is clear. He was held back by their lack of faith. I wonder how many of us are the same way. I know that I am guilty of this. Even after I see Jesus work miracles in my life, blessing my career, my family, and, my finances I still catch myself worrying and trying to control things. Even though I know better than this, I still think that God needs my help to make everything turn out OK.

I am tired of being a “safe” Christian. I want a radical faith that will see me move into all of the abundance and peace that God has for me. When I read a book like Gods Smuggler, I am amazed at what I read. Not because of the ability of the Gospel to change peoples lives. I am amazed when I read about the miracles that Brother Andrew was able to see God perform. Imagine communist soldiers searching his car, unable to see the boxes of Bibles right in front of their face. I know if it was me in that position, I would be seeing myself in front of the firing squad before I even got to the checkpoint.

Why is it that I believe that Jesus bore the burden of my sins and yet cannot believe that He can still work miracles in the here and now? Why are we so quick to rob God of His majesty? As believers, our lives belong to God and He is more than capable enough of providing for us. The only thing that can hold Him back is our lack of faith.

Don’t hold Him back from working a miracle in your life. Open yourself to a radical life changing faith and just watch what God will do.

Through The Eyes Of A Child

Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Why did Jesus say that the kingdom of heaven belonged to little children? First we have to understand the position that children held in society in the time of Jesus. Children did not have the importance placed on them that they do today. They were expected to be seen and not heard, and their needs were not really an object of concern. Jesus sympathizes with the underdog. In fact he cautions us as believers not to seek to exalt ourselves. We are to be humble, remembering that the “last will be first and the first will be last.”

However, the main reason I believe that Jesus said that the kingdom belongs to children, is the size of their faith. From Abraham to today, no one is justified by anything else except faith. Children tend to have a beautiful faith that is uncluttered by all of the reasoning that comes as people age. As we mature into adulthood we tend to analyze things. Children do not do this, they are able to see a moment for the beauty that it contains and are not concerned that they are not getting the laundry done or that they are running late for an appointment. Children come before God not needing to earn their place. They come to God accepting His grace; enjoy the beauty of it for what it is, and do not worry about impressing themselves or anyone else. This is exactly how Jesus wants us to be. We need to understand that we have nothing that is of value to God except ourselves. We need to come to God without any pretense. Open ourselves to his unmerited favor, and thank Him for his grace. We must empty ourselves of who we think we are, allowing ourselves to be identified with who He is. Only by doing this can we find the person that we were created to be.

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Consequences?

As believers in Christ are there no consequences for our sins? Should we use the grace of God as a license to live in willful disobedience? The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:1 “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” As Christians, we cannot practice sin and expect to not reap some consequences from our actions. In fact, believers can expect similar consequences from their sin to those who have not professed faith in Christ. The consequence for sin is separation from God. For unbelievers, this means eternal separation from God. For believers this means that you will not grow in communion with your Heavenly Father. Your spiritual life will stagnate as you continue to allow your sinful nature to control your life.

Does this mean that a Christian must live a sinless life? As I have said in my previous posts, this is not possible. However, many of us continue to do things that we know God does not approve of. I know from personal experience that if I feel spiritually dry, if God feels distant from me, there is a sinful attitude or behaviour that is reigning in my life. As I confess this sin and allow God to change my attitude, communion is restored.

Sometimes there are sins in our life that we have trouble letting go of. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try a certain behaviour or attitude has been a part of our life for so long that we can’t let it go. We will pray for deliverance and sincerely want it, yet we will not experience victory. Why does this happen? Why are some people instantly freed from crippling addictions by God and others will struggle for years before God finally delivers them? For this I have no answer. What I do know is that becoming Christ-like is a process. It does not happen instantly but is a life long journey that will continue as long as we live in this life. Over time, as you become more like Jesus, you will begin to experience victory in the areas of your life that you struggle with.

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I’ve Never Been to China

Often we hear people talk about the unfathomable love of God. We hear preachers speak on it, read books written about it, and listen to songs that sing about it. Yet, if you’ve never felt or experienced this love for yourself, it can be kind of like hearing about your best friends trip to China. Sure, looking at the pictures is great, and hearing about her visit to the Great Wall is exciting. However, the next morning when you are at work, you don’t go telling people you went to China the night before.

So, how do we go about experiencing His love for ourselves? Do we have to be perfect and without sin before it can happen? Since none of us will ever be completely without sin the answer must be no. The idea that only those without sin can experience a loving relationship with God is a human invention that only serves to rob God of His majesty. I believe the way we begin to experience this love is twofold. First we must repair our image of God. By doing this we must begin to understand who He is. We need to understand that He is both righteous and forgiving. That He is all powerful and all merciful. Essentially, we need to stop being afraid of God.

As an aside to this idea, a search of the New International Version of the Bible returns 254 occurrences of the word fear. Verses like Psalm 19:9 “The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous” and Psalm 33:18 “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love”, do not refer to a knee shaking, afraid of bodily harm type of fear. The fear of the Lord that the Bible talks about is an expression of the deepest kind of respect that human beings can imagine or muster. It is an abiding awe at the presence of the Most Holy.

Once we have stopped being afraid of God, we must begin to stop holding ourselves up to a higher standard than God does. Read John 11:1-11. Jesus doesn’t require the woman to repent before he decides to forgive. Does this mean that she should continue to live in this adulterous lifestyle? No, but if she returns to it, God won’t love her any less. Jesus doesn’t say to her “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin”, to condemn her. He says it to correct her as any loving parent corrects their child.

We need to learn to stop carrying the guilt of sins that God doesn’t even remember anymore. We need to move into the abundant life that the Bible talks about. A life free of condemnation. A life lived in communion with our heavenly father.