"You shall call His name Jesus" - Christmas 2019

In each Gospel account of the birth of Jesus – Matthew and Luke – both Mary and Joseph are told exactly what to name their miracle baby. In Matthew 1, we read Joseph was told that Mary was going to give birth to a baby that was conceived by the Holy Spirit; “and you shall call His name Jesus” (verse 21).  In his book “Why the Nativity?” Dr. David Jeremiah explains, “Jesus is just the Greek equivalent of Joshua, which means “God saves” ”.  This makes the second half of Matthew 1:21 all the more powerful: “and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

To be saved from sin is a big deal.  A Got questions.org article states, “We are all infected with sin (Romans 3:23).  We are born with sin (Psalm 51:5), and we all personally choose to sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8).  Sin is what makes us unsaved.  Sin is what separates us from God.  Sin is what has us on the path to eternal destruction.” (Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/how-can-I-be-saved.html).

Some people see this sin dilemma, and they pursue works of righteousness to try and fix it.  But this endeavor is doomed to fail.  Interestingly, this is demonstrated in the film “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012).  This movie is something of a mixed bag – in fact, in 2014, I blogged about both the great moments of this film, and the moments that weren’t so great – I was already thinking about this movie for today’s blog, but on this specific point, I must credit author Bruce Green.  He notes,

“One of the storylines is the saving of Selina Kyle…We find out early in the movie that she is pointedly aware that her use, abuse, and stay-one-step-ahead lifestyle will catch up to her someday so she is pursuit of “a clean slate” a program that will erase her record from all databases and allow her to start over.  In her desperation for this new life, she is willing to temporarily push further into the darkness and work for those who are truly evil in exchange for the clean slate.  She is cheated by them (they have no such device)…Her own attempts to clean her slate and begin a new life have come up despairingly empty…It’s not hard to see the gospel parallels…Her pursuit of the new life through her guile is the sinner’s fruitless attempt to save themselves apart from Christ and His grace”  (https://sites.google.com/site/atasteofgracewithbrucegreen/Home/at-the-movies/-there-s-more-to-you-than-that-the-dark-knight-rises).

Maybe you can relate to Selina Kyle’s quest.  I have in mind that someone is going to read this who has been plagued with guilt.  You have done things that you feel are so reprehensible, you feel you are beyond redemption and forgiveness.  Sure, you may go through the motions of this Christmas season, but in your heart and soul, you are bowed down under the weight of your sin and shame.  I hope and pray that today you can see the truth of Christmas: Jesus Christ was born in a manger.  But there’s much more to the story than that.  He grew up, lived a perfect life, and He paid the price for all of your sin.

That same got questions.org article says, “Because the just penalty for sin is infinite and eternal, only God could pay the penalty, because only He is infinite and eternal.  But God, in His divine nature, could not die.  So God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ.  God took on human flesh, lived among us, and taught us.  When the people rejected Him and His message, and sought to kill Him, He willingly sacrificed Himself for us, allowing Himself to be crucified (John 10:15).  Because Jesus Christ was human, He could die; and because Jesus Christ was God, His death had an eternal and infinite value.  Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and complete payment for our sin (1 John 2:2).”

How did the story end for Selina Kyle?  Once again, Bruce Green puts it so well in his description of the film:

“In the end, Wayne gives her the device.  It’s a free gift; she’s done nothing to earn it and she says as much (“You’re going to trust me with that?  After what I did to you?”).  But there’s a call that comes with the gift.  He needs her help.  Later, he repeats it when she suggests she is simply going to go her own way.  He tells her, “There’s more to you than that.”  And there is.”

 

Ultimately, Selina proves him right and fights by Bruce Wayne’s side.  In fact, at the film’s very end, after he had saved the city, we see that Bruce had ran away with Selina to live in solitude and anonymity.  Evidently, she had used the clean slate device after the battle; free of her past sins, but now devoted to Bruce.  Jesus has the same offer for a clean slate for you.  “You shall call His name Jesus,” Joseph was told in Matthew 1:21, “For He shall save His people from their sins.”  My prayer is, if you haven’t accepted the gift of forgiveness of sins and fellowship with Jesus, make today the day. 

Kevin

"Prone to wander"

I want to begin today by stating that this year is the 80th anniversary of the beloved classic The Wizard of Oz.  There are so many memorable quotes, characters, and moments that I could highlight, but let me give this one. When Dorothy was about to conclude her adventure in Oz and return home, she said her tearful goodbyes to her friends.  When she came to the Tin Man – who initially didn’t have a heart – he remarked, “Now I know I have a heart, because it’s breaking.”

Last month, I heard the news that author and speaker, Joshua Harris has essentially disavowed his Christian faith.  Let me quote his words, and give the accompanied link:

“I have undergone a massive shift in my faith in Jesus.  The popular phrase for this is ‘deconstruction,’ the biblical phrase is ‘falling away.’  By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian.”  He went on to say: “I have lived in repentance the past few years – repenting of my self-righteousness, my fear-based approach to life, [and] the teaching of my books.”

(https://www.christiantoday.com/article/joshua-harris-now-says-he-is-no-longer-a-christian/132922.htm)

This made me think of the Tin Man’s statement because this development broke my heart.  I’ve heard Joshua speak.  I have read his books.  Certainly not everyone agreed with his first work I Kissed Dating Goodbye, but it was clear that he had a strong voice for Christ and a desire to please God.  To see where he is now, throwing in the spiritual towel and turning his back on God, fills me with tremendous sadness.  

I thought I would share what I would say to Joshua if I had to opportunity to speak to him.  As I do this, maybe it will help you too.  I would begin by acknowledging that any honest Christian will admit that it is easy to drift away from God, if you aren’t careful.  The old hymn puts it this way: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.  Prone to leave the God I love.”  If you aren’t vigilant and on guard, it snowballs, and then one day it dawns on you just how far you’ve drifted.

The question is: what do you do at that point?  After a lifetime of espousing the truths of Christianity, you declare, “I’m no longer a Christian.”  Or maybe you are reading this and you’ve suffered a tragedy you never thought possible. A loved one has committed suicide.  You lost a family member in a car accident.  Perhaps you haven't gone as far as Joshua Harris and disavowed your Christianity (although maybe you have).  Maybe you are just holding on by a thread, spiritually speaking.

First of all, I want you to hear my heart on this.  I know very well that life is tough and can be full of heart-breaking pain.  The Bible says, “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).  I would never minimize or deny the reality of your pain.  Having said this, I want to submit the words of Rebecca St. James from decades ago.  I think they are just as relevant as the day she said them.  In a TV special that was presented back in the late 90’s she conveyed the message that I would say not only to Joshua Harris, but also to you in your time of struggle and need.  She said this:

“God is the only one that’s not going to let you down.  He is the only one that’s going to be that strong foundation that we need…To the person who is hard, to the person who has given up and said, ‘Yeah, Christianity, whatever.  I’ve seen those televangelists.  I’ve seen them fall; I’ve seen them have affairs.’  [To] the person that is like that I would say: trust again; try again; hope again.  He will not let you down.  He is there.  Soften your heart towards God.”

Kevin 

"I'll follow You anywhere"?

There is a song called Follow You Anywhere by the Christian group Passion that grips me emotionally.  The chorus says, “You are the refuge I run to.  You are the fire that leads me through the night; I’ll follow You anywhere.  There’s a million reasons to trust You, nothing to fear for You are by my side, I’ll follow You anywhere.” 

The writer of this song, Kristian Stanfill, speaks of the story behind this song at this website (https://www.newreleasetoday.com/article.php?article_id=2571).  At one point, she states, “I wrestled with the lyrics in the bridge: “Wherever you lead me/Whatever it costs me/All I want is You.”  To be completely honest, I can feel people shrink back from those lyrics.  It is a costly thing to say…I like my life and my comforts and the stuff that I have.  Am I okay with saying yes to whatever Jesus asks me to do?  The answer has to be yes.”  Perhaps that’s why I get so emotional whenever I sing this song.  It is a song of surrender.  It’s a chance to stop and think about how and where God is leading me.

For example, when I was a teenager, I read Eric and Leslie’s wonderful book When God Writes Your Love Story.  In one chapter, they tell the story of a man named Matt who married Lisa, after years of waiting for God to lead him to the right woman. Matt was 32 years old when they got married.  Tongue in cheek, the statement is made that some of the readers were surely praying, “Please don’t make me wait until I’m 32!”  I never would have envisioned when I first read that section, that I would be single at 38.  “Am I okay with saying yes to whatever God asks me to do?”  Kristian Stanfill asks.  “The answer has to be yes.”  I’m willing to wait for God’s best; God’s choice for me.  And that’s not always easy.

Or for another example, I recently celebrated my 15 year anniversary at my current job.  I cannot believe that it has been that long.  Furthermore, to be transparent, sometimes I feel like I don’t the physical or emotional strength for the job anymore.  The work was always stressful (trying to make someone happy when they are hungry is extremely challenging), but I was able to throw the stress off easier in my younger days.  Yet I’m still there, and I will be until God leads me somewhere else.

I could give other examples, but frankly at the forefront of my mind is how, 4 years ago, my life took an unexpected turn when my dad passed away at the age of 60.  “You are the refuge I run to,” Passion’s song declares.  “You are the fire that leads me through the night; I’ll follow You anywhere.  There’s a million reasons to trust You, nothing to fear for You are by my side, I’ll follow You anywhere.”  Through it all, I can say as the classic hymn puts it: “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.”

Kevin 

Homesick

For 10 years, the Bauer family was blessed to sit under the Biblical teaching of Bill Oudemolen.  But not long after my dad passed away, for various reasons, my mom and I decided to begin attending another church.  It was sad, but seasons inevitably change.  In 2017, Pastor Bill wrote a blog that recently came back to my mind.  I was so impacted by his words, I wish I could cite more, but I’ll refrain.  I will, of course, have the link below, and I would encourage you to read his words that day in their entirety.  Here is some of what he wrote:

“After 24 days in Michigan it feels amazing to be home.  My own bed.  My own shower.  My own towels.  My own car.  My own drawers, closets, and easy chair… Being away from home can be refreshing and exciting.  It's fun to see different places, have different experiences, and eat in different restaurants.  Travel can be just what the doctor ordered.  But after a certain period of time, I find myself longing to get home.  I think that is one of the benefits of travel - it makes you long for home.  Home is where you feel safe, comfortable, and at ease.  You don't have to be up or get ready for anything...you just get to be home.

I've been relishing being home all day today, and then out of the blue it struck me that I'm actually not home yet.  Yep, here comes the sermonette!  The great theologian Carrie Underwood refers to this as our "Temporary Home."  There's a praise song with this lyric - "All I know is that I'm not home yet."  The old Gospel song put it this way - "This world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through."  For the Christian, our earthly homes are temporary dwellings.  This is not our final home.  In many ways, we’re just camping here.”

(Source: https://milehighrev.typepad.com/mile_high_rev/2017/07/home.html)

This month marks the 4 year anniversary of my dad unexpectedly entering his eternal home in Heaven.  To lose him was the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me.  I miss him.  But there is great comfort and hope in knowing that because of his personal relationship with Jesus, Dad is home in Heaven.  The Christian group Mercy Me expresses my heart’s cry with this line: “I’ve never been more homesick than now” (full lyrics can be found at http://www.metrolyrics.com/homesick-lyrics-mercy-me.html).

Kevin

Birthday thoughts

I recently heard a supposed minister of the gospel proclaim, “You know the directions to Heaven?  Turn right, stay straight.”  I vehemently disagree.  The Bible says that only the person who has a right relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, will enter the blissful existence of Heaven.

In John 14, Jesus said these words to His disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you.  I am going to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place I am going."  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me” (verses 1-6).  What are the directions to Heaven?  It’s not through effort, conduct, or works; it is through Jesus Christ alone.

You see, humanity chose to turn its back on God, because of sin.  No one is perfect or sinless.  “There is no one righteous, not even one.  There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).  “We all, like sheep, have gone astray,” says Isaiah 53:5, “each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  Jesus, the unique God-man, shed His blood on the cross to atone for our sin.  One just needs to put their faith, trust, and confidence in Jesus to save them.  “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

It is my birthday.  As I look at my life, I recall how the Lord transformed my life when I was a boy.  That was the starting point of the most exciting journey with Him.  Don’t get me wrong: I haven’t followed Him perfectly.  I resonate with the Christian singer Carman who stated, “He has been better to me than I’ve been to myself.”  He went on to sing, “I’m so glad that the Lord saved me.  If it had not been for Jesus, where would I be?  I’m so glad that the Lord saved me.”  Amen and amen!

Kevin

Sports news

I wanted to extend my congratulations to the Toronto Raptors; they won their first world championship last night over the Golden State Warriors.  I have been keeping a close eye on this series because I know how incredible the Warriors are (after all, you don’t just happen to win 3 titles in 4 years).  But the Raptors proved to be the best team.  What an accomplishment!

This development came on the heels of the NHL finals finishing up as well.  The St. Louis Blues also won their first championship after defeating the Boston Bruins.  The series went to a winner-take-all, game 7, in Boston.  St. Louis won the game 4-1.  I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that St. Louis shocked the world in this series.  Congratulations to the St. Louis Blues.

It is fitting, with Father’s Day coming up, that two underdogs took down the favored teams.  My dad always rooted for the underdog; that was just a part of his DNA.  I know he would be pleased to see these two teams win it all.  Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

I wish I could end on that high note, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this last item.  Everyone is Colorado, and in the NFL world, was saddened to hear of the passing of Pat Bowlen last night.  He was 75.

The Broncos had amazing success with Mr. Bowlen as the owner.  He bought the Broncos in 1984, and check out the results: “No NFL owner during the last 35 seasons had more winning seasons (21) and playoff berths (18) than Mr. Bowlen, who helped Denver become the only team with 90+ wins over each of his first three decades of ownership.  Denver posted a league-low seven losing seasons under Mr. Bowlen while being the only team to rank among the top five in wins during both the pre-free agency…and post-free agency…eras of his ownership.” (https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/statement-from-the-bowlen-family-on-broncos-owner-pat-bowlen).

I want to express my condolences and sympathy to the Bowlen family.  He is survived by his wife, Annabel and his 7 children.  To lose someone you love is the most emotionally gripping pain imaginable.  I know firsthand about this.  I hope it is a small comfort to realize that Bronco nation, and the entire NFL community, is grieving today as well.

Kevin

Memorializing the heroes

I've been thinking about two quotes on heroism.  Joseph Campbell said, "A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."  And Oliver Queen, in the TV show Arrow once remarked, "The essence of heroism is to die so that others may live." 

Today, Memorial Day, I want us to pause from our activities and think about the heroes who gave their lives.  I'm so humbled at the valor and heroism these brave men and women displayed.  A simple thank you seems inadequate, but for today, we stop and remember their noble sacrifice.  We will never take it for granted.

Kevin