01-29-17 WWJD vs WWJHMD?

Scripture    1 Peter 2:1-23

You received eternal life from Jesus through the Word that was preached to you…(Therefore)

1 Peter 2:1-21

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

          4 As you come to him (Jesus), the living Stone* — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones*, are being built into a spiritual house (Mt 16:18 “On this Rock-living stone-I will build My Church”) to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: (Isaiah 28:16) "See, I lay a stone in Zion (Jerusalem), a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

          7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," 8 and, "A stone that causes men to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message — which is also what they were destined for. (Living Stones VS Stone Tablets/10 Commandments [Law VS Spirit])

          9 (The Jews were God’s chosen people in the OT – in the NT it Christ followers) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (Quoting Hosea 1:6 & 10 where the Jews were now ‘not God’s people’ but would once again become His people – NT The Gentiles were once not God’s people but through Christ are now God’s People)

          11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

          13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

          18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

Do you remember the WWJD craze?

SLIDE 1 What Would Jesus Do?

The phrase "What would Jesus do?" (abbreviated WWJD) became popular in the United States in the 1990s and as a personal motto for Christians as a moral imperative to act in a way that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through action.

WWJD—is associated with a type of wristband which became a popular accessory for many Christian Youth. SLIDE 2 WWJD?

The Roman Catholic Church emphasizes the concept of Imitatio Christi (imitation of Christ), which is summarized in the phrase "What Would Jesus Do?"

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, in 1766 promoted a concept of Christian perfection, visible in outward good works and a rigorously moral lifestyle – the idea being that we should live like Jesus lived - WWJD

Charles Spurgeon, a well-known evangelical preacher in London, used the phrase "what would Jesus do" in quotation marks several times in a sermon he gave on June 28, 1891. In his sermon he cites the source of the phrase as a book written in Latin by Thomas à Kempis between 1418 and 1427, called “The Imitation of Christ”.

Charles Sheldon's 1896 book, “In His Steps” SLIDE 3 In His Steps was subtitled "What Would Jesus Do?" Sheldon's novel grew out of a series of sermons he delivered in his Congregationalist church in Topeka, Kansas. In the novel Rev. Henry Maxwell encounters a homeless man who challenges him to take seriously the imitation of Christ. The homeless man has difficulty understanding why, in his view, so many Christians ignore the poor:     I heard some people singing at a church prayer meeting the other night, "All for Jesus, all for Jesus, All my being's ransomed powers, All my thoughts, and all my doings, All my days, and all my hours."

It seems to me there's an awful lot of trouble in the world that somehow wouldn't exist if all the people who sing such songs went and lived them out. The Congregation members ask “What would Jesus do?” when faced with decisions of some importance. This has the effect of making the characters embrace Christianity more seriously and to focus on what they see as its core — the life of Christ.

Janie Tinklenberg, a youth group leader in Holland, Michigan, is credited for starting the WWJD movement to help her youth get serious about living for Jesus.

Consider these scenarios:

• I'm hustling out the door to church with the family in tow. Pulling out of the garage, I glance in the rearview mirror and see my neighbor across the street. She's working alone to clear her yard of debris from a recent storm. A thought races through my mind: Stop the car. Go back inside, and change your clothes. Skip church today, and prove to your neighbor you love her. What would Jesus do?

• I've been setting aside money for the construction of a new ministry center at our church. We're reaching people for Christ, and the expansion is necessary. But on the day I intend to write my check, I discover that an unemployed friend is in danger of losing his house. What would Jesus do?

But WWJD is the wrong question – it should be WWJHMD? SLIDE 4 What Would Jesus Have Me Do? What Jesus would do and what Jesus would have me do may be two different things. What Jesus would have me do- will likely be different from Jesus would have you do. If the need is financial maybe I can help and you can’t. If it is time, maybe I can’t help now but you can.

So we need a bigger bracelet for more letters and a bigger understanding of what peter meant when he said: 1 Peter 2:21 that Jesus left us "an example, that [we] should follow in his steps." These hypothetical situations presupposes we have already answered question: What would Jesus Have Me do? If we don't know what Jesus did in his life, how can we expect to guess what he would do in ours?

1. He sought the Father

Forty-five times the gospels tell us that Jesus went alone to pray.

2. He embraced the outcasts

Always eating at the home of sinners, or talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, or coming into contact with people who have leprosy.

3. He restored broken lives

The deaf hear, the lame walk, the blind see the demon possessed are made to live in peace.

4. He confronted hypocrisy

Jesus demonstrated the heart of God by standing against lifeless religion.

5. He taught God's Word

Even though Jesus was the incarnate living Word he was always directing them back to the written Word of God.

6. He served

At the last supper, he put on a towel and washed his disciples' feet.

7. He equipped leaders

Jesus demonstrated God's character by equipping leaders who continued his mission and changed the world after his departure.

If we don’t know what Jesus did, we will just be guessing at what he wants us to do with our lives. WDJD = What did Jesus do? Then you have a great chance at living the best life possible by answering WWJHMD? = What Would Jesus Have Me Do?

01-22-17 Is that the Holy Spirit or Indigestion?

Scripture  Acts 16:5-10

“Where is Jesus?” is what we asked last week. The answer is that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. Jesus has sent to us His Spirit in place of his physical presence – that is: His Holy Spirit.

The HS is important to Jesus!

Matt 12:31-32

And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. A sense of Familia Protectiveness

          Blas = injur --- Pheme = words / to speak against

The Holy Spirit is almost never seen more active than in a few obscure verses in Acts 16:5-10

SLIDE: MAP

So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Swimming the English Channel

It was a fog-shrouded morning, July 4, 1952, when a young woman named Florence Chadwick

SLIDE flo 1 waded into the water off Catalina Island. She intended to swim the channel from the island to the California coast. Long-distance swimming was not new to her; SLIDE Flo 2 she had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions.

The water was numbing cold that day. The fog was so thick she could hardly see the boats in her party. Several times sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire. She swam more than 15 hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to swim on since they were so close to land, but when Florence looked, SLIDE Flow 3 all she saw was fog. So she quit. . . only one-mile from her goal.

Later she said, “I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land I might have made it.” It wasn’t the cold or fear or exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail. It was the fog.

Many times we too fail, not because we’re afraid or because of the peer pressure or because of anything other than the fact that we lose sight of the goal. Maybe that’s why Paul said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).

Two months after her failure, SLIDE Flo 4 Florence Chadwick walked off the same beach into the same channel and swam the distance, setting a new speed record, because she could see the land.

The Fog Lifted

          It was June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo. The French under the command of Napoleon were fighting the Allies (British, Dutch, and Germans) under the command of Wellington. The people of England depended on a system of semaphore signals to find out how the battle was going. One of these signal stations was on the tower of Winchester Cathedral.

          Lat in the day it flashed the signal: “W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N- - -D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D- -.” Just at that moment one of those sudden English fog clouds made it impossible to read the message. The news of defeat quickly spread throughout the city. The whole countryside was sad and gloomy when they heard the news that their country had lost the war. Suddenly the fog lifted, and the remainder of the message could be read. The message had four words, not two. The complete message was: “W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N- - -D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D- - -T-H-E- - -E-N-E-M-Y!” It took only a few minutes for the good news to spread. Sorrow was turned into joy, defeat was turned into victory!

          So it was when Jesus was laid in the tomb on the first Good Friday afternoon. Hope had died even in the hearts of Jesus’ most loyal friends. After the frightful crucifixion, the fog of disappointment and misunderstanding had crept in on the friends of Jesus. They had “read” only part of the divine message. “Christ defeated” was all that they knew. But then on the third day – Easter Sunday – the fog of disappointment and misunderstanding lifted, and the world received the complete message: “Christ defeated death!” Defeat was turned into victory; death was turned to life!

Sin blocks the Spirit

Gifts of the Spirit

Fruit of the Spirit

Acts 2:42

STORY: The Butterfly Story

Part way thru story talking about butterfly on leg SLIDE btf

01-15-17 Where is Jesus?

Scripture     Acts 1:1-11

There is a web site: http://whereisjesus.com like a where is Waldo? SLIDE (not recommended)

STORY: Meeting Jesus on a path in the woods and coming to a fork in the road.

In my former book, Theophilus,   (End of Luke 24:39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." Luke 24:50-51  When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.)   I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

5 year old understands where Jesus is

“But I believe in Jesus too,” a five-year-old said to her father, unconvinced by his explanation why she couldn’t have some of the bread and juice during communion at church.

Here is how the father recounts that story:

We had slipped out of the service after I received the elements because she became rowdy with questions. I led her a little bit away from the crowd and knelt down to meet her eye to eye. My hands were on her shoulders, posturing to seize the moment, until my unsatisfactory answer quickly led to a bigger talk as she continued her case.

Now staring off in her own thoughts, she replied, “Dad, I believe in Jesus, but I mean, I’ve never seen him before. I’ve never heard how he talks.”

This wasn’t a crisis. She was just stating a fact. It actually came off a little bashfully, as if her faith might not be as credible as mine because she’s never seen Jesus or heard his voice. She was thinking out in the open, not realizing that her uninhibited inquiry actually gets at heart of what we are doing here, of what it means to be Christian in this world. What was fresh to a five-year-old mind is something, I think, too few of us stop to consider. It’s the fact that we love and talk about a person with a blaring dissimilarity to everyone else we love and talk about, and that is, he’s not here. We’ve never seen Jesus.

Jesus Is Not Here

          This is not a problem and it’s nothing new. Believing in the Jesus we have not seen is an early-established staple of the Christian life (1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy). But what occurred to me in that conversation with my daughter was how this truth is much more obvious to a little girl than to me, to many of us, I would guess. The reality strikes her that our lives revolve around a real person who is alive but unreachable. She doesn’t dismiss the fact he’s not here. Right now, Jesus really is away (John 14:28-29 "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.”) — and that’s important.

Jesus is also with us, as he said, in the sense of his Spirit. (Matt 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”)

But the ministry of the Spirit isn’t the physical presence of Jesus. I wonder if we (myself at least), because of the Spirit, assume Jesus is around in the wrong ways. That’s why we’re okay with illustrations of Jesus sitting in the pews of our churches. Or with the image of Jesus meeting us on a path in the woods. But these images are wrong. Jesus is not a disembodied spirit who shows up when he wants…or when we want.  The truth for us to remember is that The Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Spirit is God, but Jesus is not the Spirit or the Father. The Father is not Jesus or the Spirit. The Spirit is not Jesus or the Father. They are one and the same. They are one but not the same! And that means, at least for the past 2,000+ years, Jesus has not been making footprints in the sand.

Seated in the Heavenly Places

So if not here, where? Where is Jesus? The Bible tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places:

Eph 1:20-21

…which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Luke 22:69

But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.

Acts 2:32-34

God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

Rom 8:34-35

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Col 3:1-4

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Heb 1:3-4

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

And his being there is good news.

Why?

Jesus is the ascended priest, king, and man, fulfilling the glory of humanity for which we were created. The ascension matters for our salvation because if Jesus’s sacrifice is to be effective and his kingship is to be real and his humanity is to be glorified, he must be ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father.

Ephesians 1:18-23

   I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

And here’s the part that’s literally out of this world: we are ascended with him. Just a few verses later, in Ephesians 2:6, Paul tells us that when God saved us in Christ he actually raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places. Right now, united to Jesus by faith, we are spiritually seated with him at the Father’s right hand.

Eph 2:1-10

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.

6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Where is Jesus? In heaven at the right hand of God the Father. We are there with him, by the Spirit. Jesus continues His work through the church by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:12-17

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

01-08-17 SEE a New Song!

Scripture   98:1-9

God’s word says we need to see a new song!  Did I say that right?  God’s word says we need to see a new song!  There is something wrong with my mouth or my brain: God’s word says we need to see a new song!  OH oh oh – SING A NEW SONG!

          “It’s a wonderful life” Clarence the Angel had a terrible deficiency. What was it? No not his wings…he wasn’t able to see clearly what others could see.  When he won his wings he would be able to see more clearly as well.  Wings would have meant nothing without the ability to see clearly. (VIDEO)

          Two years ago in a musical, I was complemented on my singing. That is always odd to me because I have always had a low opinion of my singing ability…and with good reason: I can’t sing very well. OK I can carry a tune and do ok sometimes but don’t have much trust in my ability because I used to not be able to carry a tune in a bucket.  It is even worse if it is a song I don’t know – you know – a NEW SONG. Today in church NEW SONGS are harder and easier than ever to introduce. Harder because they don’t always have the melody played out note by note like most hymns. Harder because we no longer have notes to follow.  Harder because we don’t learn how to sing in school like we used too.  Harder because the generation gap of music - no that has always been true.  Easier because generations have now grown up without hymnals and they more quickly catch on. Easier because most new church music is also played on the radio.

          What does your new song look like for 2017? Can you see the lyrics and the notes?  Can you see the key signature and the timing and the repeats? Can you see the crescendo and the largo? Can you see the treble and the bass cleft?  What does your new song look like? Let’s SEE what God’s word says about “New songs!”

The 1 through 3’s

PLAY WITH SKILL, SING A NEW SONG, SHOUT FOR JOY

Psalm 33:1-3

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

SING WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU AND OTHERS WILL TRUST HIM

Psalm 40:1-3

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

PROCLAIM GOD’S SALVATION GLORY AND MARVELOUS DEEDS

Psalm 96:1-3

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

WHY SING A NEW SONG?

GOD HAS WORKED HIS SALVATION, MADE IT KNOW, AND WE HAVE SEEN IT!

Psalm 98:1-9

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2 The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn — shout for joy before the Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

MY COMMITMENT TO SING A NEW SONG (Servant & King)

Ps 144:9-10

I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you, to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David from the deadly sword.

SING A NEW SONG IN THE ASSEMBLY

Psalm 149:1-5

Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. 2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. 3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. 4 For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. 5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.  IN THE ASSEMBLY AND EVERYWHERE  Isaiah 42:10-13   Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands. The Lord will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.

LOOKING THROUGH CLEAN WINDOWS

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

'That laundry is not very clean', she said. 'She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap'

Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: 'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her how to do it?'

The woman’s husband said, 'I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.'

And so it is with life. What we see while watching others, depends on the purity of the

window through which we look. [SLIDE: Dirty Window] (Why people who hate their life lash out at others – projected anger OR like here, projected judging)

          Your new song for 2017 might have been dependent on what others say and do – Now you realize that the only one who can see it…and sing it…is you. You write the lyrics based on the new vision God has given you for this new year. How your music looks and sounds – what the melody is, is determined by your relationship to the one who created music – the one who created you…His name is Jesus.

Revelation 5:6-13

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power.”

12-25-16 Christmas: It’s hard to believe!

Scripture  Philippians 2:5-11

Children all over the world believe in Santa Clause. A fat guy, hundreds of years old who lives at the North Pole with Elves who make toys all year long. Then on one night a year he delivers personally selected toys to people all over the earth being transported by a group of flying reindeer. He shimmy’s down dirty chimney’s, has milk and cookies and is off to the next house. The idea of a Santa Clause is hard to believe – but still – people believe. The real Christmas story – the one about Jesus, is actually even harder to believe.

God is somewhere distant – heaven – he decides to leave there and come here and become a man. The he serves man and dies for man, rises form the dead and goes back to heaven promising to come back sometime and take us to live with him forever in heaven.  Let’s take a closer look at the journey Jesus made.

NAZARETH VIDEO

(Mary and Joseph went from Nazareth to Bethlehem (from lush wine country to grazing hillsides for sheep) – Jesus went from HEAVEN to Nazareth to Judea to Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazareth to Jerusalem to Calvary to Galilee then back to Heaven. A much longer journey than Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph had struggles on their journey from finding out about this pregnancy to leaving the country and raising the son of God. – The struggle for Jesus – it wasn’t more miles that caused him to have a much longer journey – it was where he was leaving and what he was coming to: Heaven TO Earth!

Philippians 2:5-8  (NIV)

          Christ Jesus: being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8 (THE MESSAGE)

          Christ Jesus had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death — and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.

         

          Imagine the distance Jesus had to travel. In real time and real places. He left heaven 9 months before being born here and it would be years before he was aware of who he was.  We think faith in Jesus is difficult – Imagine how hard it must have been for Jesus to accept who he was. This was not a David Coresh mentally ill ego trip – this was a human being named Jesus who had to accept he was God in human flesh and that he would have to sacrifice his life for everyone around him and all who would come after.

          When he saw sin he must have felt the pain of death. When he saw those who believed it must have strengthened him to accomplish the purpose for which he made this longest most unique journey the world would ever know.

ILLUSTRATION OF INCARNAITON: “If only I were a goose”

There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments.

          One snowy night, his wife was taking their children to a service in the farm community in which they lived. They were to talk about Jesus' birth. She asked him to come, but he refused. "That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That is ridiculous!"

          So she and the children left, and he stayed home. A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet.

          When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn't go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. Obviously, a couple of them had flown into his window.

The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm.

          So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn't catch on.

          Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe. "Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?"

          He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human. "If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud. Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn--and one-by-one, the other geese followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: "If only I were a goose, then I could save them!" Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That is ridiculous!" Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese--blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us.

          As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood why Christ had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer: "Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm.”

Another place in scripture we clearly see this Unique Journey of Jesus coming from Heaven to Bethlehem.

VIDEO: The true miracle of Christmas (Word became flesh)

          You would think that seeing the real physical - born of a virgin - Messiah would cause people to believe – but it isn’t believing in a man (like every religion in the world) it is believing that God became man and gave His life for us.

John 1:10-13

The Word/Jesus was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

          Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus tells us how we can now make our most Unique Journey from earth to heaven: John 3:3 Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.  John 3:5-6  No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  John 3:13-17  No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man.   Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 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.

Saint Nicholas and he was born to a wealthy, elderly couple in what is now Turkey in the 3rd century AD. When his parents died, he was left with a large inheritance and gained a reputation for generously giving to the poor. He entered a monastery and eventually was ordained Bishop of the coastal city of Myra. Nicholas was known for miraculous answers to prayer, confronting pagan “Diana” worship and being cruelly imprisoned during Roman Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians. When Constantine ended the persecution, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea and helped write the Nicene Creed. Saint Nicholas died on December 6, 343AD. Early American writer Washington Irving, creator of Rip Van Winkle and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, was instrumental in transforming Saint Nicholas into jolly ol’ St. Nick!

As hard as it was for him, Nicodemus believed that God had become man and his name is Jesus. St. Nicolas inherited great wealth and used that wealth in the name of the one in whom he put his belief – his name is Jesus. It’s fun to believe in Santa clause – It’s hard to believe in Jesus. When someone puts their belief in Jesus, that is the true miracle of Christmas.

12-24-16 What Child is This?

Scripture     Luke 2:1-20

What Child is this?

Luke 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

          Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

What Child is this?

John 10:30-33 - Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.”

John 8:58 - Then Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

John 14:6-7 - Jesus said, “I AM the way, the truth, and the Life…”

John 20:28 - And Thomas answered and said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”

Acts 4:12 - “Nor is there salvation in any other than Jesus, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Philippians 2:5-7 - Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Colossians 2:9 - For in Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

1 Timothy 3:16 - And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

Revelation 22:13 - “I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”... 22:16 - “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches.”

Luke 2:9-11 - An angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and said, "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 1:1-3 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made... 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,

Matthew 1:23 - “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

What Child is this?

          William Chatterton Dix (150 years ago) England.  He managed a marine insurance company (selling insurance for ships).  His true passion was poetry.

Dix became seriously ill, and was confined to his bed for an extended period of time.  He underwent a true spiritual crisis during this illness, and spent much time in prayer and the reading of Christian literature.  During this time he wrote several hymns, one of which is “What Child is This?”

It was first published in 1865 in Britain. The song begins in the manger with the child sleeping on Mary’s lap, accompanied by angels and shepherds.  But the second verse asks why he would be lying “in such mean estate.” or humble place? It goes on to speak of Jesus’ purpose— to plead for the salvation of sinners—and alludes to the nails and the cross that he will face as a man.

The third verse moves to a joyful tone, asking us to bring Jesus incense, gold and myrrh.  The reason is simple.  The King of kings has come to bring us salvation, so we should respond joyfully in his honor.

The tune “Greensleeves,” had been around for 100 years and applied to the poem to create the hymn as we know it. “Greensleeves” was written in a minor key, which gives it a sad feel in the first two lines.  However, while the key remains minor, the last two lines take on an enthusiastic, joyful character that contrasts nicely with the earlier lines.

What Child is This?

What Child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ, the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate, where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here the silent Word is pleading.

This, this is Christ, the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh, come, peasant, king to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings; let loving hearts enthrone Him.

This, this is Christ, the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

What Child is this?

DRAMA:

Luke 2:1-20

(Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus enter up C isle from back)

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

          And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; (Mary is seated holding baby Jesus, Joseph stands behind/side them) because there was no room for them in the inn.

          And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. (looking up at angels) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

          And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. (Joseph sit beside Mary) And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

          And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary (Mary snuggle Jesus close to her) kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

SING: What Child is This?

What Child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ, the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate, where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here the silent Word is pleading.

This, this is Christ, the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

(Joseph rises and lights a candle form the Christ candle and returns to standing behind Mary / unless baby Jesus is too fussy, then Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus can exit up C isle at this point. Otherwise, the pastor will light his candle form Joseph’s at the end of the song)

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh, come, peasant, king to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings; let loving hearts enthrone Him.

This, this is Christ, the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary!

Candle lighting and singing Silent Night!

12-18-16 My son was born just before Christmas

Scripture  Luke 1:5-80

          In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; (A priest of the 8^th division of 24, the division of Abijah and served at the temple for two one week periods a year. There were 18,000 priests. A priest only served at the sacrifice once in his lifetime – this was my one time.) his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. 

          Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. (As the officiating priest, it was Zechariah's job to place incense on the heated altar and then prostrate himself in prayer. The incense represented the prayers of the people. Outside, the people were reciting this prayer during the incense offering: "May the merciful God enter the Holy Place and accept with favor the offering of his people.")

          Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.   Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." 

          Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. 

          When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

          In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. 

          At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. 

          When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

          On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. 

          His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."   And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.