"There is born unto you, this day, a Savior..."

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”  I enjoy the overall message of the program.  As you’ll recall, Charlie Brown is depressed at how Christmas has become too commercial.  He wants to feel an inner joy and happiness, but he doesn’t.  Finally, fresh off the disappointment of picking out the worst Christmas tree on the lot, he says, “I guess I just don’t know what Christmas is all about.”  He cries out in desperation, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”  His friend, Linus, steps up.  “Sure, Charlie Brown,” he says.  “I can tell you what Christmas is all about.”  Linus goes on to quote Luke 2:8-14 from memory.

 

Linus’ monologue encourages Charlie Brown.  He realizes that there is more to Christmas than all the commercialism.  Linus is right: there is more to Christmas than all the external stuff that has been attached to it.  If Christmas consists of just purchasing the most presents or having the best Christmas lights on the block, there’s good reason to be depressed like Charlie Brown was.   That kind of Christmas is not enough.  Real Christmas is achieved by focusing on Jesus; who He is, and all He has done for us.  Who is He?  What has He done for us?  The answer is found in Linus’ Scripture reading.  Notice Luke 2:11; it says, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (NKJV; italics mine).

You may be thinking, “Why does the Bible say that Jesus is a Savior?  What does that mean?  What does Jesus save us from?”  Well, I’m so glad you asked.  In Matthew 1 we read the account of how Joseph discovered that Mary, his betrothed, was pregnant.  You remember the story.  Joseph intended to merely divorce her quietly, but an angel tells Joseph, “don’t be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (verse 20).  Then the angel makes this statement in verse 21: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (italics added for emphasis).  Jesus came to be the Savior of the world.  He came to save people from their sins.

In John 3, Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (verses 16-17).  God knew that the world needed a Savior.  So He became a man, Jesus, God incarnate.  Jesus took the penalty of our sins on Himself when He died on the cross.  He resurrected from death on the third day.  All that remains now is our response to what Jesus did.  We have to choose to put our faith and trust in Christ.  The Biblical word is to believe.  Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”  Have you?

Kevin

A book commendation

The other day I was browsing at a local Christian bookstore.  I came upon a book that I had never seen before, but its title gripped me.  It’s called “Embracing Obscurity.”  The subtitle is “Becoming Nothing in Light of God’s Everything.”  It came out a few months ago.  I haven’t read the whole book yet, but it is fascinating.  The author’s primary assertion seems to be that we as Christians have bought into the false notion that we need to live to make a name for ourselves, to promote ourselves, and to attain notoriety.

The author puts it this way in the introduction: “We’re intoxicated with a desire to be known, recognized, appreciated, and respected.  We crave to be a “somebody” and do notable things, to achieve our dreams and gain the respect of others” (page 1).  You’ll notice that I haven’t given the author’s name of this book yet.  Incredibly, I cannot do so, because this author chose to write the book anonymously!  I want to express kudos to the author’s decision to remain unknown.  It’s a move that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.

The message of the book has been a tremendous benefit to me.  I think we all need regular reminders that we must live for the approval of God alone.  Speaking for myself, I’m aware that I may not attain fame, recognition, or accolades in life, but that’s okay.  I really just want to “embrace obscurity.”  I want to fade into the background and quietly do everything I do as unto the Lord.  It’s about His glory and fame, not my own.

Kevin

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30)   

Big girls (and boys) do cry

I have a confession to make: whenever I watch the ending of Spider-Man 2 (starring Tobey Maguire, Kristen Dunst, and Alfred Molina), I always cry.  I can almost feel Peter’s ache: he yearned to be with Mary Jane, but yet he also believed that he never could be with her because he wanted to protect her from his enemies.  But Mary Jane made it clear that she wanted to take the inevitable risks and be with him and no one else.  Peter and Mary Jane kiss until police sirens blare, MJ encourages Peter by saying, “Go get them, Tiger.”

The last time I watched this movie,  as I was again crying my eyes out during that final scene, God brought a verse of Scripture to my mind that has since become a precious verse to me.  It was Psalm 56:8: “put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in your book?” (NKJV) 

Ever since the Lord brought that verse to my mind, I’ve been cognizant of tears.  Both men and women cry.  We cry tears of joy, tears of sorrow, and we even sometimes cry after laughing a long time.  I came across a sermon from a great website called preaching point.com.  By the way, I want to express a big thank you to preaching point.com for granting me permission to quote from their website.  A preacher named Rick Lance apparently once delivered a sermon on Psalm 56 entitled “Your God and your tears.”  Here’s the link…

http://www.preachingpoint.com/templates/System/details.asp?id=43859&PID=632654

I like what Lance says, “He puts your tears in a bottle.  Now, what does that mean?  It is a quaint way of saying that your God knows your sorrows and struggles.  He knows every tear that you shed.  If your God knows and cares for the birds of the air and all other living creatures, He certainly knows and cares about your situation” (this excerpt is found under point 1: Your God knows and cares about your tears).  

Lance then goes on to state this in another section: “The text also describes your God as Divine Accountant.  He records your tears on a scroll or a ledger.  Like an accountant, He records those tears, not that He needs to be reminded of them but, rather, it is a way of helping you know that your tears are sacred” (also under point number 1).

I love the thought that God considers my tears sacred.  I love thinking about God as a “Divine Accountant” who cares about me so much that He makes note of all the tears that I cry.  What a comforting notion!  I would encourage you all to read more of Rick Lance’s sermon from the included link.

Kevin

Happy Birthday, Bill!

I’ve spoken of Bill Oudemolen many times in this blog, but I don’t think I’ve ever extended a birthday wish to him here before.  Today is his birthday.   In honor of this special day, I composed a top ten list of reasons why I love and appreciate him (#1 being the most significant, but all are important).  There are certainly more things that could be listed, but I thought I’d limit it to ten.

#10: His witty sense of humor. 

#9: His generosity. 

#8: His servant’s heart.  

#7: His protection of the church congregation God has given him.   

I have to break in and comment on this one.  In a sermon, Bill once declared that his name, William, means “great protector.”  He certainly lives out the meaning of his name.  In an effort to protect, he lovingly warns his church congregation of spiritual threats, such as heretical doctrines being presented as truth but not found anywhere in the Word of God.

#6: His authenticity.

#5: His humility.

#4: His good example. 

#3: His faithfulness and devotion to his wife, Jan.

#2: His love for the truth of the Word of God. 

#1: His love for God. 

I’m blessed by God to have Bill as my pastor and my friend.

Kevin

Jesus is the reason for the season

Not too long ago, I had an interesting conversation with my dentist.  The two of us got into a conversation about the impending Christmas holiday.  In the course of our chat, she stated that she wasn’t giving gifts this year, nor was she expecting her family or friends to get her anything.  She didn’t say whether this was for financial reasons or some other reason (and I didn’t think to ask), but I did say to her, “Well, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus anyway.”

This dentist is not alone.  I saw a segment on a TV news program that asserted that 45 percent of Americans are not going to be participating in the usual gift giving festivities this Christmas, primarily because they don’t have the money to do so.

As I said to my dentist, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  It concerns me how we get ourselves so busy fighting the crowds in search of “the perfect gift” that we forget that Christmas is about Jesus, not the purchasing of gifts to be given every December the 25th.

To be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving gifts away on Christmas.  The Bible says that it’s a good thing to give (Acts 20:35).  I can vouch for the great blessing that comes from giving to others, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year.  It’s a wonderful benefit to take your eyes off of yourself and to put them on others.  There’s nothing inherently wrong with choosing to exchange Christmas gifts.  

Having said all this however, it’s important to remember what the late Dr. Adrian Rogers once said.  He said that the greatest gift is not found under a Christmas tree; the greatest gift is Jesus Christ Himself!  Why did Rogers say this?  I think it’s because a lot of us get stuck on the image of Jesus as an infant in a manger.  We forget that Christ actually grew up.  He had a mission that He obediently carried out: to die a substitutionary death on the cross of Calvary for you and for me.

Every human being on the planet has a problem: sin.  1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  Fritz Ridenour in his book “So What’s the Difference?” (this is a book that contrasts various worldviews with Christianity) writes, “When Jesus Christ – God incarnate – died on the cross, He rendered satisfaction to God’s holy standard and paid the penalty for the sin of all mankind.”  All one has to do now is put their faith and trust in Jesus alone to save them.  Galatians 1:16: “Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law” (NLT).

Kevin