What’s the Message of Christmas?

What is the message of Christmas?  Is it gifts and giving, shopping and spending?  Is it love and joy, eating and spending time with family and friends?  Is it Santas and sleighs, trees and garland?  Is it a time of sacrifice and serving others who aren’t as fortunate as us, or is it just another Holiday to be enjoyed?  Is that all it is or is it the outgrowth of something deeper?

To remember what Christmas is really all about we need to go back to the basics for a few minutes and think about how the Christmas came to be in the first place.

(1)   Christmas is about the ultimate gift – a Savior.  God sent His Son to save us from our sin.  Birthed in the heart of God before the world was ever created God the Father planned Christmas.  His best gift for those who needed it the most.  Born of a virgin without a sin nature so that He could redeem us from our sin.

(2)   Christmas is about the greatest love ever shown.  He loved us before we breathed our first breath.  I think the greatest desire in the heart of any person is to be loved.  Not for what they might do or could do, but because of who they are.  Jesus came to lay down His life for us that we might know God’s love for us.  And when our hearts overflow with His love then we can’t help but love and bring joy to those around us.

(3)   Christmas is about enjoying the most blessed fellowship that we can know.  We enjoy the times of food and fellowship with our families and friends during the holiday season, but to be adopted into His family is the ultimate fellowship.  Our fellowship with family and friends here is a temporary thing, but to be a part of His family is a fellowship that will last for all eternity.  And because we are accepted into His fellowship and family we can and should accept others.

(4)   Christmas is about the life giving sacrifice of Jesus.  We are free to celebrate not presents or pageants, parties or programs, but the forgiveness we have in Jesus Christ.  And because of His sacrifice we are free to serve others in whatever way we can to make a difference in their lives.

We need to see the bigger picture of Christmas.  Christmas is not all about us, it’s all about Him!  Let’s celebrate it this year for its true meaning.

Thanksgiving, Are We Thankful?

Around November of each year you probably, like me, try to focus on those things we should be thankful for.  We talk of faith, family, friends, our churches, and our country (as off track as it is right now), among a host of things. 

I was reading a American Family Association publication this afternoon and saw a list of things that we either aren’t aware of, or do not normally think of.  I thought it would be good to share it.  It comes from J. Lee Grady’s column “10 basic blessings you should be thankful for.” 

1.       Clean water:  88.4 million people lack access to clean water.

2.       A Bathroom:  40% of the world does not have a toilet.

3.       Electricity:  1.6 billion people live without electricity.

4.       Shelter:  2.5 million in America are homeless and 640 million children worldwide do not have shelter.

5.       Food:  28% of children in developing countries are estimated to be under weight or have stunted growth.

6.       Your Stove:  2.5 billion people use fuelwood, charcoal or animal dung to meet their energy needs.

7.       Regular Income:  Most of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.

8.       Education:  Nearly 1 billion people cannot read a book or write their names.

9.       Health:  2.2 million children die each year because they are not immunized.  Annually there are 300-500 million cases of malaria including 1 million fatalities.

10.   Freedom to worship God:  More than 400 Christians die for their faith every day across the world.

Makes you think doesn’t it?  Should help us to thank God for His blessings, but also to pray for those who don’t have what we do.

It’s That Time of Year

Fall.  It’s that time of year when the leaves begin to fall, the first frost hits, and the days fluctuate between beautiful sunny times and damp, drizzly days.  There are so many holidays to prepare for in the fall.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas just around the corner, not to mention football games, cheerleading games and events, band competitions, and a host of other fall related activities.  Makes us want to set some boundaries on our time.  What we will do and what will we forgo.

 

Throw in a Chili Supper, Trunk or Treat, Thanksgiving Meal, Christmas Dinner, Revival, Christmas program preparations, and a host of other Church related activities and it’s enough to make us all want to go and hide for a while.  All these things are good in themselves, but obviously we all can’t do them all. What are the priorities?  What should you and I do?  Which things should we be most concerned about?

This is a story I have seen on the internet for years.  I’ve adapted it a little for our church family, but it’s truth always reminds me of life’s priorities.

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.  When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter.  He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. 

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.  He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.  He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous - yes.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things - your faith, your family, your children, your health - Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are really important. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your life. Spend time with God, make family and friends a priority, worship with fellow believers.

"Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

Ever had a Bad Day?

I read the following a few years back and have hung onto this to remind myself that we all do have bad days from time to time.

How to Tell When It's Going to be a Rotten Day

You call Suicide Prevention & they put you on hold

You see a "60 Minutes" news team waiting in your office

Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles

You turn on the news and they're showing emergency routes out of the city

Your twin sister forgot your birthday

Your car horn goes off accidentally & remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell's Angels on the freeway

Your boss tells you not to bother to take off your coat

Hopefully none of these things have happened to you, but bad things do happen to good people.  Sometimes describing them as bad just touches the tip of the iceberg.  And we often ask why?  As Joni Eareckson Tada says, we often ask, “Why me?  Why now?  Why this?”; as if we should be immune to trouble. 

There are reasons we suffer and hurt.  All of our pains cannot be explained, but they will usually fall into one of the following categories:

1.)       The Sin of Adam – Because Adam and Eve sinned, this world was cursed and the penalty for sin was death.  We live in a fallen world of sinful people and death, pain, and suffering came as a result of their failure.

2.)       Our own sin – we do reap what we sow.  Our lifestyles and the decisions we make all have consequences.  God doesn’t shield us from the effects of our decisions.

3.)       Sin of Others – You’ve probably heard it said that no man is an island and that is certainly true.  Our sin affects those around us, from our homes, to our communities, to our nation.  If you don’t believe it, look around at how many children are suffering today because of the sins of their parents.

4.)       Because of Satan – Luke 13:16 says, “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”  It doesn’t give us a lot of details other than to say Satan was the cause of her infirmity.  Job was living a righteous life when Satan challenged God to allow him to afflict Job.

5.)       Sometimes it’s the trying of our Faith that puts us through the storm.  Check out Job, Abraham, Isaac, David, Paul, or just read Hebrews 11.

6.)       And there are always the times that we suffer for God’s Glory.  Remember in John 9:2 when the Disciples asked Jesus why a man was born blind?  In John 9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”  Sometimes God is working in ways we do not understand to show Himself and His Glory to an unbelieving world.

You don’t know why you’re going through the trial you are right now?  As my dear friend Pastor Tom James says, “When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart”.  I concur.  He will not let you down.

Things I Love #2

I love it when children are excited to see me.  They just accept me and others for who they are.  They want a hug, a handshake, a high-five, or just anything to make contact and I can tell you sometimes they can hurt you!  Not intentionally, of course, but they can deliver a blow!  I had a young boy once give me a hand slap, but he forgot that he had a pencil in his hand and ended up stabbing me in my palm.  Not good…

I am encouraged by their smiles and simple faith in God and you.  I have the great privilege of sharing a children’s sermon each Sunday to a lively group of about thirty children ranging in age from 2-8.  They sit and wait expectantly for me to share something with them and they love it when I ask them questions.  They love to be involved in the sermon.  They are a blessing to me, their parents, and our church.  I must confess that I am not very good at children’s sermons, but you know what, I have never heard one of them tell me how bad my sermon was or if I could have done better.  They just take me as I am and move on.

I can learn a lot from our children’s sermon time.  Not from what I attempt to teach, but from the lessons they teach me.  What do I learn from them?

1.    I learn to be patient until they get settled in and are ready to listen.  I wish I were as patience with God.  He’ll show me what I need to know when I’m ready to listen.  They remind me to be patient and wait on God.

2.    I learn to enjoy the simple things of life.  A laugh, a smile, a funny story, or just laughing at myself.  Life is too short to be uptight about a lot of things.  I’m not sure sometimes if they’re laughing at my attempts at humor or me.  But you know, it really doesn’t matter, a merry heart does good like a medicine.

3.    I am learning I need to not dwell on what just happened in my life, but to look forward to the next thing God has for me.  When the children’s sermon is over they are ready for children’s church and all that comes with it.  I tend to want to rehash what happened yesterday and fret over that, rather than letting the past be in the past.

I sometimes wonder what our adults think of my ‘Children’s Sermons’.  Thoughts like, that was dumb, or did they even understand what he was talking about?  I’m pretty sure the children probably couldn’t tell their parents when they get home what my sermon was about and the parents more than likely can’t either, but this what I hope they do remember, that their Pastor loves them and that Jesus loves them even more.  That’s really what it’s all about isn’t it?

Things I Love

People often ask each other what they like, what is important to them, or what they like to do, so I’ll tell you upfront that I enjoy writing.  It’s kind of neat for me to put my thoughts down on paper or should I say into the computer.  Then to display them on my blog (http://whereheisfirst.blogspot.com/) and watch and wait to see who reads them, and if they have any comments, is always a joy.  I am always amazed how God can take some small thought and encourage or challenge someone to grow in their faith in Him.  And I give Him all the credit, if any is due, as I couldn’t write anything if He had not given me the grace to share my thoughts.  With that in mind I want to share the first of several things that I love.

I love people who are excited about life and what God is doing around them.  They may not be the bubbly, overflowing, incessantly speaking folks who are always talking about how good God is and what Jesus is doing in their lives.  They may just be the ones who have that joyous, radiant smile that brightens the whole room when they enter.  They love people because Christ has put His love in their hearts (Romans 5:5).  Their whole countenance suggests that they would like to be your friend.  Every church has them because God knows we need them around us to lift us up when things are not going well.  When I come into our church on Sunday mornings, or for any other service, I usually try to greet a few of them first because I know that if I’m not in the right frame of mind they will help me to get there quick!  Gotta love the Debbie Downers and the Frustrated Freds, but they can sure drain your joy.  I just love the Barnabas Christians, not that I don’t love the others, but those ‘Sons of Consolation’ sure know how to pick up your spirits!

Eleanor H. Porter, in her story of Pollyanna said this, “People radiate what is in their minds and in their hearts.”  When church members have the Lord in their hearts and are filled with His love and joy it just comes out!  And I’ll tell you, it’s hard to be all down and out when their joy is just radiating from their very being.  Being a ‘Pollyanna’ is not a bad thing or something to ridicule.  In fact, we need more Pollyannas in our world today.  Life is too tough to live it without any joy.

So let me conclude.  Most Barnabas Christians (encouragers), don’t realize that they are.  They are just living life and enjoying God and His people so don’t forget to thank them and encourage them because they need to be uplifted too.  And maybe, all of us need to stop and ‘smell the roses’ because as someone said once, “I’m too blessed to be distressed”.  ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise what the Lord has done’, as the old songs says.  Don’t forget to thank those who the Lord has put into our lives to brighten our days and most of all to thank Him who created us all.

I love people who have a smile on their face and the Joy of the Lord in their hearts, don’t you?

Does Our Church Need Revitalization?

I copied the following from an article by Ron Edmondson.  He pastored in Auburn, KY. a few years ago.  I think his points are well worth the time for all of us to consider.

Here are 7 vital components in church revitalization:

1.  Admitting you need to revitalize – That’s hard isn’t it? Recently a senior member of our church visited another church that has undergone revitalization. She saw the excitement and came back with a new understanding. Her comment to one of our staff members was, “We have to change some things, don’t we? We don’t have a choice!” The church as a whole must come to that level of understanding.

2.  Letting go of right to control - This is what makes or breaks revitalization in many churches. If the “No Change Allowed” sign is hung…or even the “but not that change”…on issues that aren’t even Biblical, then revitalizing the church will be very difficult.

3.  A vision of something better – What’s next for this church? Where are we going? How are we going to get there? There must be a compelling vision, such as loving a community for Christ and clear avenues for people to be involved in reaching that vision.

4.  A history worth revitalizing – This will be the toughest part of this post. There are some toxic churches that seem to have never been healthy. They’ve run off every pastor they’ve called. Many of these churches wouldn’t follow Jesus well either. They are stuck in systems and personal agendas and aren’t going to budge. (I realize that’s a cruel statement, but it’s a sad reality.)

5.  Leadership willing to lead change – This is more than the pastor. In many cases, the pastor is only the figure head of vision and change. Change is hard. It requires trusted leaders within the church willing to step up and lead along side the pastor. I wrote recently the difference in trust and popularity as a leader. Read that post HERE and understand the difference. It’s what makes collective leadership that much more important, especially in the early days of revitalization.

6.  The tenacity to weather storms – It won’t be easy. It’s far easier to start something than to try to grow again after a period of decline. Some pastors, leaders and churches have the patience. Some don’t.

7.  A few committed people – You need some people already established in the church who love the church more than their personal agenda. These might be leaders or might not. Many times newer people attracted during times of change don’t have the roots or credibility to do this. As great as they are…and even with them as a primary focus…the church needs longer term people to embrace a new future. These people have to support the pastor, speak up for the changes and create an atmosphere conducive for growth again.

Well, those are my candid observations. They aren’t based solely on opinion, but they certainly aren’t a product of extensive research either. They are derived from hundreds of conversations with other pastors and personal experience - Ron Edmondson

Hope these speak to you as they did me.