FORGETTING AND REACHING!

 

Sunday, December 31, 2023

 

FORGETTING AND REACHING!

 

Phil 3:13-14

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

          Paul was probably referring to his past attachment to strict Judaism. He had given it all he had but when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was empty and frustrated. He had been ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit and was pursuing a painful goal that would leave him even more miserable.

 

          We borrow from his language to suit our purposes. On this last day of a difficult year, we are eager to forget those things that are past. The pain of some of those things lingers and we anxiously wait for that pain to subside. We’d like to be rid of it along with the year.

 

          The word “apprehended” is best understood by thinking of a police officer chasing a criminal. With lights flashing and tires smoking, the goal is just out of reach. We long to be done with the chase and to “cuff and stuff” our prey. Until then the chase continues.

 

          But our goal is to firmly grasp Christ in all that that means. Paul helps us when he describes his desire in verse 10.” That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” Phil 3:10

 

Dear Lord, in the year just ahead of us, let us forget the past, honor you in the present, and trust you for the future. AMEN

 

FATHER TIME AND BABY NEW YEAR!

 

Saturday, December 30, 2023

 

FATHER TIME AND BABY NEW YEAR!

 

James 4:13-17

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

 

          The image of Father Time is the familiar image of a year grown old and tired with use and abuse. Certainly 2023 has been a difficult year for many and, while we may feel sorry for old Father Time, we will be glad to see him go! Waiting in line is the infant 2024 with his behind powdered and pampered. On his head is a shiny top hat cocked just so. There is a confident smile on his face, and we are anxious to follow him into the future. But isn’t that just what we felt at this time last year? Didn’t we wear our funny hats and honk our silly horns just one year ago?

 

          James reminds his readers that we should give some consideration to the frailty of life. He calls it a vapor; a fog that lifts with the morning sun. In his advice I see five things on which we might focus this morning.

 

          Presumption (verse 13)! James clearly warns that the plans we make have no guarantee of being accomplished. Chance and circumstance happen to all and we are not sure that we will buy, sell or get gain. We quickly read over it but please consider the presumption in the phrase “and continue there a year!” Isn’t this our presumption as well?

 

            Uncertainty (verse 14)! Like a rude slap to the face, James warns us of the uncertainty of life. Please focus on just three little words in this verse: “ye – know – not.” These little words are designed to make us careful, but we ignore them. This statement is based on Proverbs 27:1 - "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

 

            Consider God’s will (verse 15)! The God who knows the day and all the events within it should receive some careful consideration when we make our plans. God reveals His will in His Word, and yet most people ignore the Bible. In the Bible, God gives precepts, principles, and promises that can guide us in every area of life. Knowing and obeying the Word of God is the surest way to success (Josh 1:8; Ps 1:3).

(from The Bible Exposition Commentary.)

 

          Foolishness (verse 16)! I see in the word “boasting” our own annual celebration which includes fireworks, funny hats, and fuzzy headed hangovers from a night of drinking oneself stupid. One year is thankfully dismissed while another is welcomed by saying: “this year will be better!” All such boasting is foolish. James calls it sin.

 

          Neglect which is sin (verse 17)! Each day provides many opportunities to do what is right. Knowing the right that we should do and not doing it is sin. When confronted with our sin we protest by saying “I didn’t do anything” and that is just the point. When there was mercy to show we didn’t do anything. When there was wisdom to apply, we again did nothing. It can’t be said better than James said it: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

 

This attitude expresses even more pride than does the first; for the person says to God, "I know what You want me to do, but I prefer not to do it. I really know more about this than You do!" "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them" (2 Peter 2:21).

 

Dear Lord, let me not be so proud as to think I know better than you do. Let me go forth warily depending upon you for guidance and grace. AMEN

 

 

THE DANGER OF CYNICISM

 

Friday, December 29, 2023

 

THE DANGER OF CYNICISM

 

Eccl 1:1-4

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

 

          As we approach a fresh calendar upon which we will scribe both good things and bad, it is important to remind ourselves that we are people of faith and hope. While our eyes may not be encrusted with stardust and our mouths besmeared with powdered sugar, we press on.

 

          We wait expectantly while various news outlets prepare what is commonly called “the year in review.” If you are observant, you will notice that each one has a particular point of view. One may list those who have died in the past year. Another may list the political circumstances and yet another may list the financial prospects for the coming year. Not many will sing “happy days are here again.”

 

          William Shakespear offers a soliloquy by Macbeth that captures the essence of cynicism. Too many disappointments had caused him to lose hope.

 

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

 

          The Bible is, perhaps, our last refuge of hopefulness. It presents both the miseries of Job and the providence of Ruth and Esther. It believes in the One who has kept promises.

 

Hab 3:17-18

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

 

Jer 29:11

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 

Thank you, Lord, for your wonderful thoughts toward me. AMEN

 

CHANGE, FEAR AND HOPE!

 

Thursday, December 28, 2023

 

CHANGE, FEAR AND HOPE!

 

Josh 3:3-5

3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord  will do wonders among you.

 

          We are just days from exchanging the old year to the new. Three things capture my thoughts: change – hope – and fear. 2023 has been a very stressful and difficult year for many and change is both welcomed and feared. Hope is encouraged.

 

          Change may have come in the form of empty chairs due to the tragic and sorrowful death of family members and friends. Other chairs, usually vacant, are now filled because of loss of employment. Nothing brings change like a new baby but even this can bring stress along with joy. Nothing is so unchanging as change.

 

          Uncertainty almost always encourages fear. It is why we dip our toes into the water before plunging in headlong. It is why investors are often called speculators. Uncertainty is a travelling companion of change. Uncertainty also travels with eager expectation which leads us into our third thought of the day.

 

          Hope is the expectation that things will turn out well. Sometimes it is based only upon itself. Hope in hope! In better times hope is based upon calculated circumstances and trends. It is what turns speculators into investors! The best hope is based upon solid character – such as the hope we have in Christ.

 

Heb 6:18-19

18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

 

Dear Lord, we cannot stop change. We ask for help with our fears as we place our hope in you and your solid character. Thank you for your steadfastness toward us. AMEN

 

JESUS’ PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR!

 

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

 

JESUS’ PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR!

 

John 17:9

9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

 

          This morning finds me sorting my emotions. I am surrounded by rich blessings, quite undeserved, and at the same time there is a deep longing for something that is unfulfilled. There is a childlike sadness as if I were the victim of a bully. There is anger and indignation for the injustices I am not responsible for resolving. These are just a few of the snowflakes I have been able to catch on my tongue but there is a blizzard of unsorted emotions waiting to be shoveled off my path.

 

          Jesus never expected the world to be an agreeable place for believers. We are not of the world. Literally the Greek in verse 16 is ek tou kosmou ouk which reads “of the world, not!” It means that believers have another point of origin, another ultimate destination, and another point of view. Our birth into this world was physical but our NEW birth makes us citizens of heaven and aliens here.

 

          Our hope for the New Year is that we might have some rest from moral decline, but Jesus does not expect any great moral resurgence. Jesus did not pray for the destruction of “the evil” but that we might be kept from it. The word poneros means “that which is hurtful” and the definite article “the” makes it personal. Jesus prayed that believers would be protected from the one who causes hurt. We should not be surprised when there is hurt all around us.

 

2 Tim 3:13

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

 

          Jesus prayed for our “sanctification” which in the Greek hagiazo means “to make holy.” This is done through the Word of truth. The more a believer associates with the Bible the less he will be welcomed in the world. We can expect the world to be a hostile place and increasingly so if we draw closer to the Lord. However, we will not be made safer by abandoning God and embracing the world. The world will not return our embrace but knows, better than we, that we are aliens. The word “keep” in verse 15 indicates a garrison of soldiers posted to keep watch. Ah, that is comforting!

 

          If you are waiting at the gate for the departure of your plane you will watch and listen for announcements and signals that you need to board. I have consistently watched men and women clog the entry with documents in hand. I have never seen them wait their turn, but they stand in anxious anticipation until their row is called. We also need to be ready to board.

 

Heb 10:23-25

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 

Dear Lord, I can sense a stirring at the gate of departure. As your coming draws nearer let me draw closer to you. AMEN

 

POST CHRISTMAS MELANCHOLY

 

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

 

POST CHRISTMAS MELANCHOLY

 

Luke 2:15-19

15 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.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

 

          For many, there is an after-Christmas letdown. It feels like someone sucked all the oxygen from the room. The festive tree sits there a bit undone like a beautiful lady before her morning coffee. The presents are gone and the expectation with them. The weather devices say that it is 34 degrees but that it feels like 29. Who determines that?

 

          For Mary, there was the exhaustion of fresh motherhood. The shepherds had gone, and the Magi wouldn’t arrive for several more days. It was quiet and her body ached. She didn’t feel beautiful or special on that first morning.

 

In many Western Christian traditions, there are 12 days of Christmas, culminating around Jan. 6, known as the feast of the Epiphany. That’s when many believe the “Magi” or “wise men” or “three kings” arrive to see the newborn baby Jesus.

 

Slowly, we begin to realize that the day after Christmas is not only the end of one thing but the beginning of another. Soon, or eventually, things will return to whatever is normal.

 

Ps 5:11-12

11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

 

Lord, encourage the hearts of all those who must return to whatever is normal. AMEN

 

THE REAL SAINT NICHOLAS!

 

Monday, December 25, 2023

 

THE REAL SAINT NICHOLAS!

 

Isa 7:14

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

 

Matt 1:23

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

 

          "A Visit from St. Nicholas", more commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837. Some commentators now believe the poem was written by Henry Livingston, Jr.

 

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads

 

          The real Saint Nicholas was Nikolaos of Myra, a historic 4th-century Greek Bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor (modern-day Demre, Turkey).  His legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus through Sinterklaas. He was cast into prison during the persecution of Diocletian but was released after the accession of Constantine and was present at the Council of Nicaea.

 

          The Council of Nicaea was convened, among other things, to determine the true nature of the Son of God and His relationship to the father. Questions lingered regarding the virgin birth and whether Jesus was “begotten” and had no beginning or “created” and therefore did have a beginning. The amazing thing to me is that a group of men believed they could convene to determine truth! Truth stands regardless of the consensus of any council. Greek iconography indicates that he either slapped or punched Arius who did not believe in the virgin birth or the deity of Christ.

 

          It seems appropriate to me that the man who gave birth to Santa Claus would historically be involved in defending, literally, the truth that Jesus was virgin born.

 

Luke 1:35

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

 

Dear Jesus, thank you for your virgin birth, your sinless life, your sacrificial death, and your victorious resurrection! AMEN

 

THE WAITING IS ALMOST OVER

 

Sunday, December 24, 2023

 

THE WAITING IS ALMOST OVER

 

Ps 130:3-5

3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

 

Luke 2:6-7

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

 

          It occurred to me on this eve of Christmas that much of the Scriptures is about waiting. The Jewish slaves in Egypt waited fearfully behind bloody doors until the danger passed over. Then they waited forty years while they trudged through the barrenness of the wilderness. And few have written of the four hundred years of silence from Malachi to Matthew. Waiting! Anxious, hopeful, waiting.

 

          This season finds us focusing on the waiting of Mary. Bulging belly, aching back, and swollen feet were reminders that the waiting would soon be over. She spent her days in wonder and in preparation. The journey to Bethlehem tested her physically and challenged her mentally. “Breath of heaven, hold me together, be forever near to me. Breath of heaven.” Mary must have prayed and sang within herself as she swayed back and forth upon her ride. It was effort, but the waiting would soon be over.

 

          Now we wait for Christ’s return in power and great glory. We have endured centuries of sermons telling us that Christ would come soon. We have studied both Scriptures and newsprint hoping to find clues to His coming. Deep within our soul we can feel that the waiting will soon be over.

 

Heb 11:13

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

 

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, because you have never defaulted on your promises. AMEN

 

A SPECIAL BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT!

 

Saturday, December 23, 2023

A SPECIAL BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT!

 

Isa 9:6

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

Luke 2:11

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

 

          I was born on Thanksgiving Day and today is my sister’s birthday. She was almost born on Christmas Day. I’m sure we two babies added something special to those holidays for my parents. I am sure the family and neighbors were told and all the vital details given of our length, weight and color or hair and eyes. I’m not sure why but those things are always important to parents. Friends and relatives would certainly gather around and chatter endlessly about the babies using words that end in “—est.” This baby was the cutest, his eyes the bluest or his hair the curliest they had ever seen.

 

          Perhaps the most unusual birth announcement was a mistake in printing. It seems a pastor of a church had ordered a sign for the church’s outdoor nativity scene. The sign maker asked what should be the wording on the sign and how big the sign should be. The pastor emailed the sign maker with the information and soon the sign arrived with this message: “For unto us a child is born 8 feet long and 3 feet wide.”

 

          The birth of Jesus was certainly a big deal. It made news in heaven and spilled over into earth. Isaiah talked about him in words that ended in “est”. He used words like wonderful, mighty God and everlasting father. He would be the Prince of Peace.

 

          The announcement to the shepherds focused on the most important aspect of all. The angel said, “unto you is born a savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Well, He’s here and He’s perfect! He has his mother’s eyes and his Father’s strength of character.

 

Dear Lord, let me tell the good news and let me get it right! AMEN