WAITING TO BE FOUND

 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

                As I was doing my devotions this morning, I was struck by a thought from my childhood. It was a strong sense of wanting to be sought out. Let me explain.

                I was always a shy child. Somewhere along the way I got the idea in my head that it was wrong for me to put myself out or promote myself. Consequently, I found myself in the position of waiting for others to take notice of me. The more I waited, the more isolated I felt. I can remember several times when I was alone and longed for someone to seek me out. As I moved into adolescence, this got worse. I was caught between wanting to be noticed by the “right” people and hoping that I wasn’t noticed by the “wrong” people. When I was in college, I began to learn how to initiate interactions with others in a positive way. Yet, even today as a mature adult, I still have times when I long for others to take the initiative to seek me out.

                I believe this desire to be seen, to be found, to be known, is hardwired into all of us. We don’t all respond to this desire in the same way. Some people tend to live in the shadows hoping that someone will notice. Others intentionally step into the spotlight calling people to notice them. Most people navigate a middle ground, being content with whatever interactions come their way.

                I think this desire to be found comes from our need to connect with God. The vast majority of people in the world are engaging in religious activities in order to get God’s attention; to be noticed by God. Many people satisfy their desire to be known by God through human relationships. They place other people in the place of God and try to find their desire fulfilled through them. Still others take an aggressive “I don’t care” attitude and go through life as if they can do it all on their own. All three of these approaches fall short of satisfying that need to be not just noticed, but to be known.

                God understands our need to be found and so He entered our world looking for us. God sent Jesus into the world for the express purpose of seeking us out. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:10 (NIV) The parable of the lost sheep tells us that God is seeking us as individuals who are lost and need to be found. Jesus has opened the door for us to know Him and be known by Him. Through the Holy Spirit, He continues to reach out to us to assure us that we are seen and loved. All of the world’s religions are attempts to seek out God. Only Christianity reveals the truth that God is really seeking us. He has taken the initiative and is waiting for us to respond.

                As it says in Revelation 3:20, Jesus is standing at the door of our life waiting for us to let Him in. He has already reached out to us. He has already noticed us. He sees us as valuable and worthy of having a relationship with Him. He knows all that there is to know about us and still loves us unconditionally. All that is needed is for us to open our hearts to Him and receive the gift of friendship that He is freely offering.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7 (NIV)

 

IS CHRISTMAS REAL?

 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

                This Sunday we will celebrate Christmas. It is an exciting time for most people. Most people, in one way or another, will celebrate Christmas, even if they are not religious. At the heart of Christmas is the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. For all of the other things that have been added to Christmas, the birth of Jesus is still at the center. The question that needs to be asked is, is the story of Jesus’ birth true or is it just a religious myth?

                Christmas is so embedded into Western society that most people would not bother with the question of it being true or not. It just is an annual tradition. Yet there are those who routinely want to eliminate Christ out of Christmas; to make it a purely secular holiday. But without the birth of Jesus, Christmas falls apart. It has no real meaning or purpose, other than to benefit the retailers we make an enormous amount of money off of it. If the story of Christmas is true, it has important implications for all of life. If the story of Christmas is just a myth, it has no relevance at all.

                Those who want to oppose Christmas point out that December 25 used to be a pagan holiday and has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. This seems like a legitimate argument, except upon closer examination it is really a paper tiger; irrelevant. Every thoughtful Christmas knows that December 25 is not the actual date of Jesus birth. No one knows the actual date. December 25 is the date the church has chosen to celebrate Jesus’ birth. It was intentionally chosen to counteract the pagan practices associated with that date.

                There is really no problem with celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25. In Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth the II’s birthday was celebrated on the first Monday of June, even though her actual birthday was April 21. In the US we celebrate Presidents Day, originally named Washington’s Birthday, on the third Monday of February. Our celebration of Jesus’ birth on December 25 is no different.

                What is more important is the truth of the story. Christmas is not just about any baby being born to a young woman in a stable in Bethlehem. It is about the promised Messiah being born to a virgin in Bethlehem. If the “historical Jesus” born on that occasion was just another Jewish baby, then Christmas has no meaning. If the Jesus born on that occasion was the incarnate Son of God, then it makes all the difference in the world.

                C.S. Lewis, in his book “God in the Dock”, makes the argument that the real issue isn’t if Christianity is helpful or desirable, it is if Christianity is true. If it is just another human philosophy to help people cope with the trials of life, then it is of no real value. But if it is true, then it changes everything.

                I want to suggest that it all begins with Christmas. According to the Bible, God invaded our world in person on that first Christmas.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-2,14 (NIV)

                In his account of the birth of Jesus, Luke is very careful to record the important details of the event. He places the event in real time and in a real place. Along with Matthew’s account, they show how the birth of Jesus fulfilled the promises about the coming Messiah. He was born of a virgin. He was born in Bethlehem. He was born into the line of David. None of these things could have been manufactured artificially, unless somehow Mary and Joseph were the most amazing coconspirators of all time.

                When you strip away all of the trappings and traditions that have surrounded Christmas, we are left with one thing, the birth of a child. Not just any child, but the very Son of God. If this is true, then it changes everything. If it is just a heart-warming myth, then it isn’t worth celebrating. Each of us must make the choice for ourselves. As Ripley said, believe it or not.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 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." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

 

REDISCOVERING INTERDEPENDENCE

 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12 (NIV)

                There are two competing forces in our world that seem to be tearing us apart. These forces have been solidified in political movements, which have shaped the landscape of our world. They keep nations at odds with one another. They have been the catalyst for wars on a large scale and internal conflict on a smaller scale. What are these two competing forces? They are radical dependence and radical independence.

                In large parts of the world, radical dependence holds sway. In its most blatant form, we see it in Communist societies. In these settings, the individual is absorbed into the whole. What is most important is what promotes the success of the whole, even if it means the sacrifice of the individual. The value of the individual is measured only in terms of what they can contribute to the whole. Ultimately, the individual is expendable.

                On one of my trips to Ukraine, we were taking a bus tour of Kiev, the capital. At one point on our tour, we passed the former headquarters of the KGB. At that point, our guide began to complain that under Communism everything was for the masses, but nothing was for the individual. She felt like her life didn’t matter. She is just a cog in a larger political engine.

                We see a similar situation in China, although its roots go deeper than Communism, all the way back to Confucius. Historically, Chinese people have been taught that their top loyalty is to the collective whole. Their individual dreams and well-being must be sacrificed for the collective whole. Their well-being is dependent upon the government, who controls what they do and where they go. This is often called “The Golden Rice Bowl.” A person owes their loyalty to the one who feeds them.

                On the other end of the spectrum, we find radical independence. This way of thinking is valued in the West and promoted in “democratic” societies. In these societies, the needs and desires of the individual trump the needs and the desires of the whole. Independence fosters a self-centered and selfish approach to life. We see this being played out in America today. “I can do whatever I want with my life, and you cannot tell me differently” has become the dominant cry in our society. Total independence leads to arrogance and a disregard for others. Right and wrong become relative and in many cases irrelevant. Many people in America have fallen under the spell of “I can do whatever I want, as long as I am not hurting someone else.”

                To be fair, there are positive aspects of both dependence and independence. Dependence acknowledges that we have limits and that we need other people in our lives. Independence acknowledges that we have value and worth as individuals. Both of these are part of what it means to be human.

                The Bible takes these two concepts and melds them into a third alternative; interdependence. The Bible teaches us that we are totally dependent upon God. Our very life comes from Him. Our abilities are a gift from His hand and not something that we have created ourselves. At the same time, the Bible teaches us that we have been created in the image of God. We have value and worth that goes beyond our abilities. In addition, God has created each of us as unique individuals with different gifts and abilities that we can use and offer to others.

                This concept of interdependence is seen clearly in Paul’s writing, as he describes believers as the Body of Christ.

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:14-27 (NIV)

                There is an important concept that Paul wants us to understand. We are part of a collective whole, but we do not lose our individuality. Paul makes it clear that we are all dependent upon one another. One part of the body can not say to another part, I don’t need you. In order for the body to be healthy and function properly, it needs all of the parts working together. On the other hand, no part of the body should feel inferior to any other. Each part of the body has a unique roll to play that is just as important as all the other parts. In other words, we are interdependent. We have value as individuals and we have a responsibility to the whole. Holding these two things together promotes health and vitality. Separating these two things results in a total breakdown of the body.

                Our society today is divided into two extremes: those who want to champion the collective and those who want to champion the individual. As believers in Christ, we can offer a healthier alternative; care for the whole, without losing the value of the individual. Each of us has value and worth as an individual. We all need one another for support and encouragement. We have great abilities and we have limits. We were not created to live in isolation, but in relationship with one another and with God. We have been called into a life of interdependence where we freely offer what we have to others and freely receive what they have to offer us. By doing this we all thrive.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:1-4 (NIV)

Joy in a Grief Filled World

 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)

                As we enter this Christmas season, joy does not seem to be the prevailing feeling. Ukraine is still embroiled in a war with Russia that has devastated the country. Iran continues to face reprisals from an oppressive government that is willing to sacrifice their own people for their ideology. China is in upheaval over the restrictive COVID policies put in place by the government. And our own political system here in America is in turmoil as we fight over election returns, inflation, and immigration issues. The joy of this season seems to be overshadowed by despair and gloom.

                All that is going on in our world reminds us of the impermanence of our world. Everything around us is temporary and one day will disappear, including ourselves. As our world seems to be falling apart, it is easy to fall into a spirit of depression and hopelessness. That is why, more than ever, we need to message of Christmas.

                When Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, the world they lived in seemed just as oppressive and discouraging as ours. They made the trip because Caesar Augustus decided that everyone had to be taxed; at best an imposition and at worse another reminder of their lack of real freedom. Although there was relative peace in the land, it was kept in place by the iron fist of Rome. All dissention was quickly squashed with brutal force. There was not much joy in Judah.

                Then God broke in with a message that has changed the course of human history. It was a message of hope and of joy. The long-awaited Messiah had finally come. God delivered this important message to a group of shepherds. But it was not just for them, it was for all people: a savior has been born.

                2000+ years later, that same message rings true. A savior has been born to us; He is Christ the Lord. It is a message of good news and joy to all who will receive it by faith. How can this be?

                The answer to that question is found in John 3:16. 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. Our joy is based on God’s promise of eternal life and not upon our current circumstances. The joy we can have in Christ transcends our temporal world. It is an eternal joy that God implants within our very souls. It is a joy that can weather any storm we face in this life, because our life is secure in Christ.

                There is more. Our joy is based not just on the promise of eternal life, but also on the reality that we have been given a new status: we have become children of God.

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:4-7 (NIV)

                Through the one who was born in a stable and laid in a manger, we can become a part of God’s eternal family. We are adopted as full heirs of all of God’s blessings and riches. We are brought into an intimate relationship with God the Father through Jesus. We can approach Him, not in fear, but in love. We can rejoice because we have been accepted, we belong, we have value and purpose. We have been set free from our slavery to sin and death. We have been embraced by God Himself.

                The book of Revelation tells us that the circumstances of our world are going to get worse over time. The kinds of things we are seeing will continue. There will be wars and rumors of wars. There will be famine and disease and natural disasters. From a worldly perspective, things are going to go from bad to worse. But in the midst of all of this, God continues to hold out hope. He invites us to come to Him in faith and receive, with joy, the salvation He has to offer.

                Jesus said it clearly in John 16:33. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

                There is joy, even in a time of grief. Our grief awakens us to our own frailty and our deepest needs. Jesus comes to us in our grief and offers us hope and His joy; a joy that can shine even in the darkest hours.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)