To Worship Him

If you attended a Christmas pageant at some time over the last few weeks, the wise men probably showed up on stage before the shepherds had left. In fact, the wise men almost certainly didn’t make it to Bethlehem for quite a while. Not only had the shepherds gone back to their fields, but the folks who took all the rooms in all the inns in town had returned to their homes, as well. So when they arrived—whether it was a couple of weeks or a couple of years after Jesus’ birth; the wise men found Joseph and Mary and the baby in a house—not a stable.

Although it is interesting to consider when and where they found the Christ child, what is more important to note is what they did when and where they found him: they worshiped him. They told Herod that was the purpose of their trip. “We have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). There is wisdom in seeking the newborn king, but those who are truly wise worship him.

As you move into a new year let me encourage you to renew your commitment to worship the Christ. Admit that there are many things that keep God from being the first priority in your life. Ask God to help you recognize and resist those things that lead you away from him.

Acknowledge that God—the One who has revealed himself to you as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer—is the only God, and the only One worthy to set the agenda for your life. God loves you and gave Jesus as the only way and means of coming to him. If you have any reservations about accepting Christ, lay them aside. The only merit any believer has is the righteousness of Christ.

Realize that a life of worship will not be easy. Jesus warns his followers of opposition, ridicule and suffering. He also assures them that the lessons he has taught them will lead them to a life filled with love and joy.

That’s what I pray for you in this new year: a life filled with love and joy.

Letting God Have His Way

Someone may have recently encouraged you to follow your dream. You had shared some of your goals with them, and they knew you were struggling to make progress. They didn’t want to see you give up, and you sure didn’t want them to think of you as a loser; so you hunkered down and pressed on. Perhaps another voice was calling you to a different response.

Consider this testimony from Judson W. Van DeVenter:

For many years I had been studying art. My whole life was wrapped up in its pursuit and the thing farthest from my mind was active Christian service. My dream was to become an outstanding and famous artist. After graduating from college, I studied drawing and painting under a well-known German teacher. To help me financially, I taught school and eventually I became supervisor of art in the public schools of Sharon, Pennsylvania.

It was during this period in my life that a revival was held in the First Methodist Church of which I was a member. I became very interested in these meetings as a personal worker. The Spirit of God was urging me to give up teaching and to enter the evangelistic field, but I would not yield. I still had a burning desire to be an artist. This battle raged for five years. At last the time came when I could hold out no longer and I surrendered my all—my time and my talents. It was then that a new day was ushered into my life. I wrote "I Surrender All" in memory of the time when, after the long struggle, I had surrendered and dedicated my life to active Christian service for the Lord.

Sometimes God calls people to give up their dreams because God's plan for the world is bigger than anything they can imagine. Mary and Joseph had plans, but when God announced a new course for their lives they responded with faithful obedience.

May God give you the strength and the courage to respond to his call to join him in the work he is doing, so that all people may come to know of his faithful love.

Rejoice Always

When faced with the challenge to quote a verse of scripture from memory, many people have at one time or another turned to John 11:35—a verse that is well-known for being the shortest verse in the King James Version of the Bible: “Jesus wept.” While this verse is an important sign of Jesus’ compassion for his friends—Mary, Martha and Lazarus; it is not an accurate indicator of the predominant tenor of Jesus’ emotional state. Indeed, one of the chief complaints the religious leaders had about Jesus was that he was always going to parties; and even worse than that, they were parties where people seemed to be having fun.

Jesus’ life is marked with joy from its very beginning. Even before either of them is born, John leaps for joy in his mother’s womb when Mary goes to visit Elizabeth. Mary breaks into song as her heart is filled with joy.

When the angel appears to the shepherds in the fields outside the village of Bethlehem, he proclaims, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10). When the shepherds told Mary and Joseph—and anyone else who would listen—about their experience with the angels, they were amazed . . . and the shepherds couldn’t help but praise God for everything they had heard and seen.

When a group of wise men showed up in Jerusalem looking for a new born king, it disturbed Herod—which disturbed most of the other residents of the city. Nevertheless, once they got their bearings and turned their gaze toward Bethlehem; they spotted the star again. “When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!” (Matthew 2:10).

During his last few hours with his closest friends, Jesus reveals the purpose of all the things he has taught them: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).

It is no wonder then that Paul would tell the early followers of Jesus to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Joy has always been one of the marks of the people of God.

So if this season begins to wear on you, and you feel your joy beginning to fade; let me suggest you commit another scripture verse to memory. It is nearly as short as John 11:35—just two words. Here it is: 1 Thessalonians 5:16—“Rejoice always!” And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you as the one who was born in Bethlehem fills your life with joy.

Remembering Saint Nicholas

As we prepare our homes for the visit of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, many people around the world are preparing to celebrate the feast day of Saint Nicholas on December 6. Children around the world know and love Saint Nicholas, even though he is known by different names and looks different from place to place—for he brings gifts and treats in December.

Nicholas was born during the third century in the Greek village of Patara. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man.

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of Saint Nicholas' life and deeds. One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters were destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home—providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold—tossed through an open window or down a chimney—are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes as they eagerly await gifts from Saint Nicholas.
Other stories tell of Nicholas saving people from famine, sparing the lives of those innocently accused, even calming the sea. He did many kind and generous deeds in secret, expecting nothing in return.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith. He was exiled and imprisoned. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea—called in 325 to preserve the unity of the church which was being threatened by competing claims about the nature of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Nicholas died December 6, 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church. Within a century of his death he was celebrated as a saint. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, Saint Nicholas Day. Today he is venerated as patron of a great variety of persons—children, mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors, victims of judicial mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers! He is known as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need. As we remember his example, let us renew our commitment to befriend and protect those who are in trouble or need.


For more info on Saint Nicholas, check out www.stnicholascenter.org

Waiting Room

How do you spend the time when you have to wait? I am thankful that I don’t have to spend very much time in a doctor’s waiting room; but I will admit that when I’ve had to wait for my turn, I have been fascinated by how differently people pass the time.

Some folks seem content to just sit there until their name is called. Others park themselves in front of a television. Some people pull a book or magazine out of their bag and resume their reading. There are usually stacks of magazines lying around for those who didn’t plan ahead. A few folks bring work from home or the office. There are usually a couple of folks who have a friend or family member with them and they spend the time in conversation.

No matter what activity they are using to occupy their time; every time someone comes to the door to call for the next patient, all of them stop what they are doing, look up and listen for their name. No one wants to miss their turn. Each one hopes this is their opportunity to move closer to keeping their appointment.

Advent is a season of waiting. When you have an appointment to see the doctor, it’s pretty clear what you are waiting for. With Advent it’s a little more ambiguous. Are you waiting to see what will be under the tree on Christmas morning? Are you waiting to impress your friends and family with lavish decorations and a sumptuous feast? Or are you waiting for something else?

While Advent begins our season of preparation to celebrate the birth of the Christ child, it also serves as a time to recall that we are still waiting for the triumphant return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus assured his followers that he would return to establish his kingdom. Jesus also urged them to live in eager anticipation of his return. Jesus did not want anyone to miss out, so he urged them all to stay alert.

There are a lot of different ways you might spend this season of Advent. Some of you may choose to spend time in silence listening for God’s voice. Some may choose to read passages from the Bible that speak of God’s plan and purposes for the world. You may find the writings of others who lead you to discover the deep truths of God.

However you choose to spend this time of waiting, I pray that you will make room in your life to focus on the hope we have in Christ. May this be a season when you hear God call your name. May you realize your opportunity to move closer to God.

Who’s in Charge?

Most people manage life pretty well as long as most things happen the way they expect them to. The alarm clock works. There is cream for the coffee. The car starts. Even if the traffic into work is not what you would prefer, after a while you get used to it and find ways to make the most of the ride.

Even the slightest variation can throw you off, though. If the power goes off for a few minutes during the night . . . . If someone puts an empty carton back in the fridge . . . . If all you hear is a “click, click, click” when you turn the key in the ignition . . . . If there’s a fender bender (even if you’re not involved in the actual collision), it can leave you feel out of control.

Now if something really significant and unexpected happens, it calls on a whole new set of coping skills. Unfortunately, it seems that these kinds of events are occurring more frequently each day. World markets fluctuate wildly making it difficult, if not impossible, to feel confident about saving for the future. Political leaders—at home and abroad—seem intent on placing blame than on fixing the problems governments face. Even the weather seems to have become more unpredictable.

On a more personal level, “downsizing” and “underemployment” are terms that feel much more threatening now than they did a couple of years ago. You find yourself at the funeral home much more often than you would have expected. As people make accusations and raise questions about the behavior of venerable public figures, you find yourself asking, “Who can I trust?”

It is exactly in the midst of this kind of uncertainty that it is important to recall who is in charge of your life—and your destiny. The people who were living in Ephesus in the first century were experiencing greater and greater uncertainty. In the midst of their anxiety, Paul prays that they will remember “the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him,” and “the authority of Christ”—who is “far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come” (cf. Ephesians 1:19-21).

The world can seem mighty scary at times. The uncertainty can threaten to disable us. As we gather as a community of faith, let us join with Paul and pray for one another, “that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.”

Preparing for Thanksgiving

The flood of catalogs has already started. Most retailers have completed the transition from orange and black to red and green. Several online merchants are featuring countdown clocks to “Black Friday.” In the midst of all the voices calling you to start your Christmas shopping early this year, it could be easy to shortchange your celebration of Thanksgiving.

If your “cash flow” is feeling more like a “cash trickle,” you may even be wondering what you have to be thankful for. With so many voices encouraging you to spend your way to a “happy holidays,” you may have a growing sense of dread as December approaches. That’s even more of a reason to make a decision now to make sure that Thanksgiving is more than just the start of the shopping season for you and your family.

It is good to remember that the first celebrations of Thanksgiving in this country were observed in conditions that were much less than ideal. The colonists who were trying to establish a settlement at Plymouth had seen many of their friends and members of their families pass away due to the harsh conditions. Even with a better harvest that summer, they may not have had enough to feed everyone if the Wampanoag Native Americans had not helped them out.

When David moved the Ark into the city of Jerusalem, he appointed priests whose primary job was to lead the people in giving thanks to God. That first day David gave them a new song to teach the people. It begins, “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done” (1 Chronicles 16:8).

While Jeremiah was still confined for disturbing the peace, God reassured him that the day would come when God’s people would be restored. And when that happened God told Jeremiah, “The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing, ‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for the Lord is good. His faithful love endures forever!’” (Jeremiah 33:11).

It is from prison that Paul writes to the Colossians, “and whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17).

You can begin to prepare now to make this season of Thanksgiving a celebration that acknowledges God’s unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for all—especially for you!

May this holiday be a blessing to you and your household.