Life Preserver

     Sunday evening April 14, 1912 was a calm, clear night. Standing on the bridge of the mighty Titanic, the ship’s crew witnessed an awe-inspiring spectacle. Stars sparkled like diamonds against the velvet backdrop of the heavens. Below deck, saloons and smoking rooms contained merrily entertained passengers. Staterooms held deep-sleeping passengers such as John Jacob Astor, one of the world’s wealthiest men. 

    All was well aboard the Titanic for “not even God could sink that mighty vessel” with its fifteen watertight steel compartments. No need to fear. 2,340 passengers, twenty lifeboats with a capacity of about 1,100 – far more than would ever be needed. 

     Earlier that day, the German steamship Amerika radioed a warning reporting large icebergs directly in the Titanic’s proposed path. Despite this warning she forged ahead at her normal operating speed of about twenty-six miles per hour. The alarm rang. The snooze button was hit.

     Sometime after 11:15 p.m., lookouts in the Titanic’s crow’s nest thought they spotted an iceberg off the bow. They telephoned the bridge to relay the information but no immediate answer was forthcoming. Two or three minutes passed before an officer on the bridge even answered the lookouts’ call. What could have been so important that kept the phone from being answered? Alarm #2 went unheeded. 

     Too late. One does not alter the course of an 882-foot long ocean liner as if it were a Porsche handling hairpin turns. The movement of the Titanic was so imperceptible that the passengers didn’t even know evasive action was taking place. At 11:40 p.m. the iceberg began shredding the underside of the Titanic as if she were a tin can. Water poured into the ‘air-tight’ compartments and the unthinkable scenario began.

      Alarm #3 was sounded: “Within a few minutes stewards and other members of the crew were sent round to arouse the people. Some utterly refused to get up. The stewards had almost to force the doors of the staterooms to make the somnolent appreciate their peril, and many of them, it is believed, were drowned like rats in a trap.”[1]

     The same fate seemingly could have fallen upon Joseph and Mary along with their precious passenger – Jesus. The John Jacob Astor’s of their world had just visited Joseph and Mary in their Bethlehem stateroom. Magi from the east had come on their maiden voyage bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, bowing down and worshipping Jesus. How could they perceive an iceberg named Herod sought to block the child’s path to his destination?

     Then the lookout from on high sounded out the alarm.

     “When they [the Magi] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord said through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’”  (Matthew 2:13-15)

     The angel did not need to repeatedly pound on the door to get Joseph’s attention. Herod was on the move. Joseph leapt into action. He “got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.” Immediate obedience in the face of an unexpected warning. 

     Unfortunately, Montreal banker H.J. Allison onboard the Titanic did not follow in Joseph’s footsteps. Rather, he “laughed at the warning, and his wife, reassured by him, took her time dressing. They and their daughter did not reach the Carpathia [the vessel which rescued the survivors]. Their son, less than two years old, was carried into a life-boat by his nurse.”[2]

     Many of the families aboard the Titanic were not so fortunate. Not only were the number of lifeboats pitifully inadequate, but also the individual boats themselves were ill equipped. In spite of all these miscues, 705 passengers managed to survive. The other 1,635 perished in icy graves. One would have hoped for a much greater survival ratio from the invincible Titanic.

     Yet, the survival rate for the children in Bethlehem was even worse.  The best preparation on high assured that the life of the child Jesus would be spared. Yet his peers were not so fortunate. 

     “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.’” (vs. 16-18) 

      The Titanic’s survival rate was over 30%. Bethlehem’s was dismal in comparison.  Due to the small population of Bethlehem, most scholars estimate that there may have been as few as twenty children who died due to Herod’s rage. If this is accurate, only 5% survived the crushing blow of Herod bearing down upon Bethlehem, tearing open the hulls of many a human heart.

     “After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.’ So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’”  (vs. 19-23)

     Three warnings sent from God. Three immediate acts of obedience. God has sounded an alarm for you also. The Judgment Day will come. You are either for Jesus or against him…no middle ground. He is the Lifeboat! If you have heeded the alarm, are you sounding it for others to hear?

   Prayer

“Heavenly Father, we praise your name. We stand in awe that throughout history you have sought to communicate clearly with mankind. Help us to drink deeply from the well of your Word so that our feet will stay upon the straight and narrow path. When we encounter your commands for our lives, help us to imitate Joseph, who did not question. Rather, he ‘got up’ and obeyed immediately. Help us to trust that you have our best in mind. Help us to have faith in your future grace when we read the words in Scripture, ‘and so was fulfilled.’ What a glorious truth – you are the Promise Keeper. From Genesis to Revelation your Word proves this. Help us to remember that no one, not even a person as wicked as Herod, can thwart your will. Your plans are from eternity past. Yet, we still need daily doses of peace and assurance as we see the black-hearted wickedness that entangles this world, and mires our own hearts all-too-often. Help us to remember your trustworthiness when we see devastation and pain that make no sense to us. What must it have been like for Joseph and Mary to hear of the slaughter of the innocent boys in Bethlehem – especially knowing it was meant for Jesus? This world is not our home. We are aliens and tenants. Help us to live rightly, for we often love this world more than we treasure you. Help us to live such good lives before men that they see our good works and give glory to you, our Father in heaven.” Ω

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[1] Caplan, Bruce M. (Editor); The Sinking of the Titanic – 1912 Survivor Accounts. Bellevue, WA: Seattle Miracle Press, 1997, p. 50.

[2] Ibid.

Worship Jesus or War Against Him

     Ever chasing the sun, they headed west. Days blending together like raindrops descending from a cloudburst – one indistinguishable from the rest. Forging ahead. Never knowing how much longer.

    But today seems different. 

     As they stop for a much-needed late afternoon rest, gentle breezes caress their faces. Even the swaying palm trees seem to be waving their fronds in expectation of the night ahead. Dusk begins pulling down the shades on the landscape. Trees begin morphing into silhouettes on the horizon. Necks crane, eyes squint looking for the sign that will lead them.

     Silence enshrouds them in the moonlit night.

     “There it is!” one of them shouts, jumping and pointing with the enthusiasm of a child chasing a butterfly. A blinding light bursts forth, calling the weary travelers to follow. Fists punch the air in jubilation. Heads bow in adoration. The men push on, following the star like none they’d ever seen.

     “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’” (Matthew 2:1-2)

     Searching the skies, these men diligently sought a sign that would lead them to this King. There prevailed throughout the entire East at this time an intense conviction, based upon ancient prophecies, that a powerful monarch would soon arise in Judea and rule the entire world. Could this Jewish King be the One? When the never-before-seen star crested the horizon, the Magi meticulously planned their journey to Judea. 

     But their question stirred up a hornet’s nest of activity throughout the royal city.

     “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” (v. 3)

     Herod fumed and fussed when the news reached his ears. His heart thumped in his chest, his head throbbed, and the arteries bulged in his neck. “King of the Jews? Do they not know who I am?” He winced at the Magi’s question. If the stars were signaling the birth of another “King of the Jews,” that led Herod to only one conclusion. The same star signaled his demise!

     Fear spread through the city like a wildfire cutting through the forest. The hushed whispers combined and grew to a roaring flame. Ashen faces recalled Herod’s past reactions to anyone challenging his authority. Hotspots still remained.

     Like a rattlesnake slithering out from its lair, fangs carrying stored winter venom, Herod struck fear into the people. His ascent to the palace was along a bloodstained path. Herod executed anyone who resisted his rule – his own wife, her uncle, his own sons, members of the Sanhedrin, nameless Jews by the hundreds. No one was safe.

     When he [Herod] had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” (vs. 4-6)

     With a slight stirring of his rattle, Herod called together the religious leaders and teachers to find out where to dispatch his venom. Without their knowledge, he would remain coiled not knowing where to strike. The religious leaders wanted to make sure the venom hit its intended target rather than recoil upon them.

     “Bethlehem, hmm.” With the inquiry complete, Herod summarily dismissed the religious cadre with a wave of his hand.

     Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” (vs. 7-8)

     Tightly coiled, Herod readied his fangs. Naively the Magi provided the usurper with the first chance to strike. “So the child is less than two years old.” Not content with this knowledge, however, Herod desired to know the exact identity of the child. Sinking the fangs deep into the flesh of this little one would save his throne – at the cost of his soul. 

     “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”  (vs. 9-10)

     The pagan Magi traveled hundreds of miles and pressed on in a joyous procession to worship the King of the Jews. Meanwhile, the blind chief priests and teachers of the law, who had always had the location at their fingertips, didn’t make the five-mile journey when they heard of the King’s birth!

     “On coming to the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” (v. 11)

     What questions must have flowed through their minds as they approached the house?  “Why is Herod in the capital city, dressed in fine clothing, and surrounded by excessive wealth – and the King of the Jews is living in this comparative hovel? And why isn’t anyone else here? If Herod really cared, why didn’t he just come with us?”

     Yet their lack of answers did not keep them from acting wisely. They proceeded into the house, fell upon their faces, and worshipped the King, presenting Him with the finest gifts from their homeland.

     Their journey complete, their joy unbridled, the Magi turned to go home. “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” (v. 12)…The snake would have to stay coiled awhile longer.

   Prayer

“Lord Jesus, thank you for breaking into history and being born in Bethlehem just as the prophecies foretold. Your unwavering character as the Promise Keeper gives us hope and assurance when we search your Word. You constantly affirm the reliability of the Scriptures by giving us historical references to times, places, and people that can be confirmed by outside sources. Grant us wisdom and discernment to know how to use these to help the world understand that the Bible is not a fairy tale. Heavenly Father, your ways truly are above our ways. First you use shepherds, then a couple of elderly ‘lay’ people, then Gentiles to proclaim the birth of Your Son, the Messiah. Please help us to see how you want us to proclaim that same truth today. Do not allow us to be mired in comfortable traditions when you are seeking to do a new thing to reach the world around us. Use us too! Grant us the courage, the desire, and the passion to proceed like the Magi who traveled far from their homeland to worship you. How much more should we, who have been given the full revelation of Scripture, be willing to go when you call? Help us to hear your voice, see any ‘signs’ you have placed in our pathways, so that we will be walking in tandem with you. Forgive us for times when we are no different than Herod or ‘all Jerusalem.’ We, too, become disturbed because you rock our comfortable worlds and show us how, selfish rather than selfless, we are. Help us to avoid the complacency of the religious leaders who knew where you were, but failed to act upon your revealed knowledge. Grant us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to follow only you. Holy Spirit, help us to hold fast, believing you will guide us where we are to go, when we are to go, and how we are to go – be it across the living room, across the street, across the town, or across the world. And let our joy overflow like the Magi as we follow you. Lord Jesus, we bow before you in humble adoration. We lay our time, talents, and treasures at your feet. Please accept our offerings and grant us direction on how to travel throughout this day – and throughout our lives. Ω

Duty or Delight?

     After months forging their way through the pounding surf of the unforgiving high seas, Hernando Cortez and his men triumphantly stood on the shores of Mexico. Planting the Spanish flag on the beachhead, they proceeded to unload the ships’ supplies. The Aztec Empire and their storied hoard of gold lay ahead. Daydreams of returning home to Spain vanished. Mutinous ponderings from days earlier ceased instantly.

    Cortez left them no choice.

     “Burn the ships!” he commanded. What nature had failed to do on the arduous voyage from Spain, Cortez accomplished with several well-placed torches. Eleven fire-engulfed, smoke-encased, flame-crackling ships vanished into the air and beneath the ocean’s depths. No turning back. Cortez understood the definition of duty. He left his men no choice.

     Cortezian commitments, however, are not what God desires. There was no forced servitude for Joseph or Mary either. They chose to follow from the beginning. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary had answered. “May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).  Even when the skies darkened and the seas billowed in anger, Joseph and Mary continually chose to push on. 

     “On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons.’”(Luke 2:21-24)

    The trustworthiness of God’s Word, the Law of the Lord, lit the fuse that sparked the fire in this couple’s hearts long ago. The angels’ earlier appearances stoked the flames of joy-filled, willing obedience:

     1.  Jesus was circumcised. 

     2.  He was named ‘Jesus.’ 

     3.  Mary was purified through the offering of a pair of birds

     4.  Jesus was presented/consecrated unto the Lord. 

     Mary and Joseph needed no forced march to follow the Lord’s commands. Cortez wished he could have counted on his men to make such whole-hearted commitments. The closer the fire burns to the heart, the higher the odds of such dedication.

     “That’s great,” you may say. “But I haven’t had angels telling me what to do. Is it realistic to think that I could or should have such whole-hearted conviction that leads to immediate obedience? To be in a place where obedience is a delight?”

     “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.  He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. Then the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.” (Vs. 25-33)

     What prompted Simeon’s commitment? He was “righteous and devout,” and “the Holy Spirit was upon him.” The prophet Isaiah foretold of a Messiah who would come and comfort His people – a Messiah that would also be a light to the Gentiles. No angelic appearances spurred on this time-tested veteran. The Word was Simeon’s foundation, the Holy Spirit His guide. Obedience to the Law and the Spirit called this meeting to order. Is it any different for you? Do you have the Word and the Spirit as your guide?

     “Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (V. 34-35)

     Feel another wave crash against the hull of the couple’s faith. The joyous occasion was dampened by a squall arising in the distance. Not all would rejoice at the birth of this child. Not all would worship him as the Messiah, the Redeemer of mankind.

     What about you? Do you rejoice at the birth of the Christ-child? Or has age zapped you of that passion? You may be saying, “I’m not young anymore like Joseph and Mary. My strength has long since departed. The once-roaring fire carries more smoke than flames skyward these days. Let the young ones do the work. What value do I have?  Aren’t these my golden years, my time to relax and enjoy?”

     There’s no such thing as retirement in God’s kingdom. Consider Anna’s life:

     “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them [Mary and Joseph] at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking

     This woman was in her Golden Years, yet actively seeking to advance the Kingdom of God. Whether you are male or female, young or old, the Lord delights in your service and he wants you to also delight in serving him. But never forget that you are not the source who fuels the flame of delight: ‘…it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure’ (Philippians 2:13).  Follow the Flame and join the sacred dance!

   Prayer

“Holy Spirit, place a fire in our souls that ignites a desire to always obey your Word out of a joy-filled delight, not a dour, drudge-filled duty. Help us to be like Joseph and Mary who obeyed your Law and your messengers without hesitation. Open our eyes that we, too, may see wonderful things in your law. Let it be that your statutes are our delight and our counselors. Teach us, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then we will keep them to the end. We want to be like Simeon who never lost hope in your promises. Father, help us to be righteous and devout like Simeon – joyfully, expectantly walking in your ways. We praise your holy name that we, too, have the Holy Spirit upon us. Forgive us for walking blindly along so many times each day. Bind Satan as he seeks to distract us with the stuff, hurry, noise, and trinkets of this world. Grant us ears to hear you, eyes to see you, and hearts to move where you lead, Holy Spirit. Help us to remember that your salvation is for all people. Your desire is for it to reach far beyond where we live. Lord Jesus, help us to see how you want us to participate in evangelizing the nations. And help us to not be surprised when the thoughts of some hearts reveal their animosity towards you. Though many are called, few will follow. Grant us hearts like Anna’s that we might passionately worship you night and day for our lifetimes. Show us how to do that in the midst of our day-to-day lives. Draw us close to you. Never let us go.” Ω

Peace on Earth?

     Once upon a time...“there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’”  (Luke 2:8-14)

     Peace on earth, goodwill towards men – isn’t that how the song goes?

     “Bah Humbug!” A fairy tale if ever I’ve heard one.

     Where is this peace of which the angels sang? Where is this goodwill toward men? Anger, violence and hatred appear to permeate every corner of the world. 

     At Least 40 Killed in Iraq Car Bombing. Parent Body-Slams Referee at Youth Basketball Game. Amber Alert: 11 year-old Abducted from Parking Lot. Austin Chemistry Teacher Killed in Benghazi. One Year Anniversary of Newton Shooting.

     These high profile headlines are endemic of the millions of stories that daily go untold. Angry, abusive husbands lash out verbally and physically at their families; bedraggled mothers pull their children rag-doll-like through shopping malls; rage entangles drivers in deadly road warrior rituals; youth draw guns to solve any number of problems...

     Was life really that different in the first century that the shepherds believed such a song?

     How many peasants, people located on the bottom of the power and privilege grid of life, experienced peace and goodwill? Because their main tasks were providing water and grass for their flocks, they were often on the move, resulting in a constant life of transition from one temporary dwelling to another. 

     How many outcasts experienced peace and goodwill? The nature of their occupation often times made them unclean so they were unable to observe the Law's requirements.  Consequently, they couldn't participate in worship at the temple.

     How many people lacking a firm educational foundation experienced peace and goodwill? Shepherds had no formal training in the study of the Law, so they were considered ignorant. No sheepskin hanging on their walls.

     Three strikes: peasants, outcasts, ignorant. And these are the guys that are exuberant at the angels' anthem?

     Perhaps we need to back up to the beginning of the story, before the singing started, to find the hope that drove these shepherds forward.

     "An angel of the Lord appeared to them" Did you catch that? The angel appeared to these peasants, these ‘unclean’ shepherds.

      "...and the glory of the Lord shone around them" 400 years had passed since Israel had seen a recorded, visible sign of God’s presence among His people. Now these lowly shepherds witnessed the visible manifestation of God's presence, his Shekinah glory.  

     "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." It is "for all the people"! The unclean shepherds, unable to participate in temple worship, are included in the biggest party to come. The great banquet hall in heaven has a place reserved for them.

     Then a multitude of angels sing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men on whom his favor rests." Whoa! Wait a minute! Those poor, ignorant shepherds understood the song clearer and quicker than many of us who have sung the stanzas in centuries since. The secret of "peace on earth and goodwill toward men" was given on this very night to the shepherds.

     Do you see it?

     We've been asking the wrong question. We need to start at the beginning of the song. Where is the "glory to God in the highest"? “Ultimately God is due all glory

     We cannot expect man to be in right relationship with his fellow man unless he is first in a right relationship with God. We will not see peace on earth any other way. Peace with God must come before peace with man will arise.

     It has not come through racial reconciliation groups. It has not come through diversity training. It has not come through sensitivity training. It has not come through round-table discussions. 

     True lasting "peace on earth, goodwill toward men" will only come one way. All other efforts will mete out a seasonal cease-fire at best.

     The result of God’s visit to the shepherds? “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in a manger.” (15-16)

     Nothing keeps them from immediate action – not even their job. They chose to worship the Lord of the work rather than the work of the Lord.

     The result of the shepherds’ visit to God?  “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (17-19)

     The shepherds became the first fishermen of the Christian era. The impact of this good news in the flesh upon their lives compelled them to go forward to “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.”

     The end of the story?  "The shepherds returned, glorifying God and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." (v. 20)

     The shepherds heard the angels’ song. They understood the song. They lived the song. 

     Join the chorus! “Glory to God in the highest!”

   Prayer

 “Gracious and heavenly Father, thank you for using the shepherds to show that your value system is not the same as the world’s. Help us to look through the glitz and the glamour, the grease and the grime, to see people with Spirit-enhanced lenses. Forgive us for placing people in categories and labeling them like merchandise. Let your love flow through our lives. Oh, what a delight to see time and again that you are not silent. You desire to communicate with your creation. One angel wasn’t enough for the One who is able to do ‘exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever hope or ask for.’ You sent an army of angels that sung your praises on that precious night. And yet, they were but a mere flicker in comparison to the flame of your glory that shone forth. Help us to praise you, worship you, and not what you have created – be it angels or otherwise. Holy Spirit, help us to see the idols in our lives so that we might cast them down in pieces before you. To you alone be all glory, and honor, and praise! Lord Jesus, let our hearts sing forth your praises - as the angels did. Your favor rests upon our lives. You are Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! Let our hearts hurry to delight in coming into your presence - as the shepherds did. Let our minds ponder the mysteries of who you are – as Mary did. You truly are the Promise Keeper. Is it any wonder that the shepherds returned glorifying and praising your name when everything they heard and saw was exactly as you promised? Heavenly Father, thank you for being a God who delights in revealing yourself. ‘In the past you spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways. But in these last days you have spoken to the world by your Son, whom you appointed heir of all things, and through whom you made the universe.’ Let our hearts, minds, souls, and strength be spent searching out your Son that we might spread the Word concerning what you have shown us about Him.” Ω

Experiencing God’s Sovereignty

     Her tiny body shakes uncontrollably with each cry that emanates from her lungs. Strapped in a car seat, her head alternates between bobbing from chin to chest and jerking straight up – each time with a beleaguered wail. She rubs her eyes sleepily as tears trickle down her rosy cheeks.

     The couple, faces illuminated only by the glow of the instrument panel lights, exchange weary glances…and continue down the night-enshrouded highway. Construction detours plague their path. Their simple plan has gone awry. They left at 6:30 with the intent of driving ninety minutes to the next town to spend the night. But the indigo green numbers on the dashboard tell a different tale as they scream out “11:00 p.m.!” “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” they wonder aloud.

     Did Mary and Joseph have similar thoughts?

     Consider their journey. Within the past year they had been betrothed, promised to each other in marriage, and were excited about a future together. Then their trip slowly unraveled as the previously straight path began twisting and turning around ominous bends in the road. 

     “Highly favored? Me?” Mary thought as the angel’s message foretold of a child she would bear. How could her mind not race with at least a tinge of angst about the possible repercussions of an unwed pregnancy? “How can I tell Joseph so that he will believe me?” “What will my parents think?” “The neighbors?” “What will happen to me? “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Yet her faith in God’s sovereignty sustained her even at the start of the trek, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

     And what about poor Joseph? Before they came together as husband and wife, he found out that Mary was pregnant. What else could he conclude? Mary, his fiancée, had been unfaithful. Talk about a detour. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Then an angel intervened and told him the truth regarding the conception of Mary’s child.  Joseph’s faith caused him to take pregnant Mary home to be his wife.

     Yet the path to parenthood had further detours.

      “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.” (Luke 2:1-3)

    Roman rule held a throat-wrenching grasp on the Jewish nation. Even though this was the period of the supposed Pax Romana (Peace of Rome), it was not the ideal setting in which to birth a baby - at least not for parents who bowed to Yahweh, the One true God. For the Romans worshipped their emperors, and Caesar Augustus was no exception. He accepted the title of Pontifex Maximus or Highest Priest, the head of all religious worship. He was hailed throughout the land as the ‘savior’ and ‘god.’ Even his birthday was considered the beginning of the good news throughout the world.

     But the ruts in the road were more than spiritual. Mary would physically feel every one of the bumps, thanks to Augustus’ decree. Everyone went to his own town to register. The imperial edict demanded that every male servant of the ‘savior’ be enrolled in a tax census. Whether or not they bowed their knee to Augustus didn’t matter. A head count was underway. The Roman IRS was on the move. And so were Joseph and Mary.

     “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.” (Vss. 4-5)

     In obedience to the authorities God has placed over them, they go, Mary riding sidesaddle while Joseph walks and guides the donkey. The couple’s countenances seem to shout, “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”  Yet they forge on. Mary rocks side-to-side, feeling the pockmarked landscape jolting her with each step of the animal. Joseph, brow furrowed like the landscape they travel, steals glances at Mary – awaiting the moment. The journey is slow. The tension is high…and then Bethlehem came into view.

     Yet the sovereign detours were not over yet…“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.” (Vss. 6-7)

    “Contrary to the traditional Christmas story, the ‘inn’ was probably not an ancient hotel with rooms to rent and an innkeeper, but either a guest room in a private residence (see 22:11) or an informal public shelter where travelers would gather for the night. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke uses a different term for a public inn (10:34). In any case, crowded conditions force Joseph and Mary from normal lodging to a place reserved for animals.”[1]

      How long they were in Bethlehem before the baby was born is unknown. But the time came! Mary is heavy with child, body writhing with the surge of each contraction. A look of desperation crosses her face when they spot the manger. No more time. No more looking. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Or was it?

     Jesus gave up the glory of heaven to be born in a lowly manger. Hardly the surroundings one would expect for the King of Kings. The God of heaven who deemed that a census should be taken so that his Son would be born in Bethlehem could also have provided a luxurious birthplace. But that was not his plan.

     The Living Water and Bread of Life received life-sustaining nourishment from a teenaged mom, under the watchful eye of a surrogate dad, with a feeding trough as his resting place. Remember this next time you find yourself traveling that pock-marked path to placed unknown. Jesus not only understands…but He is traveling with you!

   Prayer

“Gracious and heavenly Father, open our eyes to the truth that you alone place rulers on the throne and you also remove them from their seats of power. You alone are the Sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth. Open our eyes, Holy Spirit, to see how you have used rulers like Caesar Augustus as a tool for your divine agenda. The one person that people thought was the savior of the world was merely a conduit through which you birthed the true Deliverer into the little town of Bethlehem. Help us to feel your presence as we journey over the daily ruts of the road – when we’re often pregnant with apprehension. Calm our fears. Let our lives be like Joseph’s and Mary’s, who willingly obeyed those in authority over them – even when the circumstances were highly unfavorable. Grant us the wisdom from your Word to know if a time arises when we need to defer to your Kingship and disobey a worldly authority. Let our knees bow to you alone, Lord Jesus! Let our attitudes be the same as yours: ‘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.’ We desire that the ‘Vacancy’ sign burn brightly in every area of our lives. Help us, Holy Spirit, to passionately prepare the inn of our hearts for the return of the Anointed Traveler.” Ω

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[1] Arnold, Clinton E. (General Editor); Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary – Vol.1. Gran Rapids, MI:  Zondervan Publishing House, 1978, p. 341-342.

“Your Will Be Done”

     Early on in life, the traditional method of praying via the Presbyterian Church became my staple diet. Head bowed, eyes closed, fingers clasped so tightly that knuckles turned white…all the while wondering what we were doing. Any peep during the service, other than from the responsive reading, met with scolding glares. Never mind the fact that I couldn’t understand half of the responses – “Wither thou goest, I will beith with theeith for evereth.” 

     Tapping my brother’s leg, I whispered out of the side of my mouth, “This stuff sounds a lot like that country singer Mel Tillis when he tries to talk. Maybe we should stick with singing, too,” I added.

      Opening one eye with my best Popeye imitation during prayer time caused further wrath to descend upon me during my early years. (How they knew I opened an eye without opening theirs I will never know). They sensed it…the gift of oversight? All the white knuckles around the sanctuary reminded me of being on a flight experiencing serious turbulence. Maybe Jonathan Edwards was onto something with that sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” This scene repeated itself wherever I visited friends and relatives; Methodists did it. Lutherans did it. Even Baptists did it – the only difference was the preacher’s ability to say Jesus in more than two syllables.

     I’d heard the Catholics did things differently than Protestants – including praying.  Something about Hail Marys and ‘grocery beads’. Now I confess that paying close attention was not one of my strong suits growing up. Just ask Miss Morris. I apparently didn’t learn everything I needed to while in her kindergarten class.

     Being of Irish descent, a visit to my Catholic kin in Pennsylvania gave me a chance at a first-hand education. My first Mass we solemnly paraded down the center aisle, each person dipping his or her finger in water, kneeling and doing the sign of the cross before entering the pew – except for me. Felt right at home as every eye wagged its finger at me as I scooted in without washing my hands or taking a knee. The tell-tale lump in my throat got me to reflecting, “Maybe this Protestant/Catholic divide isn’t as big as they all think.”

     Didn’t get any better as the service progressed. Have you ever seen the person in the marching band who is a step behind, frantically looking side-to-side only with their eyes in an attempt to figure out which direction to head next? That was me. Like a fully automated factory, every other person rose in synch, sat in synch, genuflected in synch, and flipped the kneeling pads down and back up in synch. Looked more like an up/down football drill than any worship service I’d been to. 

     Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, prayer, sign of the cross, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk. Sounded like the seats at Shea every time the fans rose in unison for a big play by the Mets, and then settled in until the next hurrah. No trouble telling which farm team was training me for the big leagues. 

     Frantically flipping through the Catholic order of worship, I’d just get to the right page when they finished their prayers – which everyone else had memorized. “...Died under Pontius Pilate, buried, rose three days later…” I thought the Mel Tillis imitation was bad until the priest broke out praying in Latin! 

     “There’s gotta be a better way to figure out this prayer thing.”

     After becoming a disciple of Jesus at age nineteen, I figured that praying would be a snap. Open mouth, prayers flow forth, done deal. Wrong. I sounded more like Mel than Moses...at least how Charlton Heston portrayed him parting the Red Sea.

     I searched everywhere I could think of to get a grasp on prayer. Talk about chasing after the wind. Healing services plopped me in a pew next to a person speaking something that sounded like a variation of Fred Flinstone’s, “Yabba, Dabba, Doo.” (At the time no one had explained to me the phenomenon of praying in tongues). I had one eye on that lady the entire time of prayer…and afterwards. I didn’t care if a cadre of elders escorted me out of the sanctuary – I was kind of hoping they would! 

     Charismatic prayer times seemed like a spiritual aerobics class. I kept waiting for Richard Simmons to show up and lead everyone jumping on one leg, head whipped back, left palm high toward heaven, right hand shaking the Bible as if it were a clacker at a football game. All the hootin’ and hollerin’ left my ears ringing and my head shaking. I didn’t understand a word. “Is this the right way to pray, Lord?” 

     Certainly graduating from a Christian university and two seminaries would bring fluidity to my prayers. Unfortunately, all that formal training didn’t include one class on prayer. So the words of James continued to haunt me. Were my prayers “self-centered, seeking to squander what I received on myself?” “Did I have evil motives or pure ones?” “How could I possibly know with certainty that I was praying God’s will?”

The true end of prayer is to say to God, ‘Thy will be done.’ The prayer of the man who is pleasure-dominated is: ‘My desires be satisfied.’ It is one of the grim facts of life that a selfish man can hardly ever pray aright; no one can ever pray aright until he removes self from the centre of his life and puts God there. In this life we have to choose whether to make our main object our own desires or the will of God. And, if we choose our own desires, we have thereby separated ourselves from our fellow-men and from God.[1]

   

     “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Are you living your life so others may live?

     “Lord, your will be done!”

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, grant me the passion to go where you tell me because you know what is best for me. I praise you, Lord Jesus, for coming in the flesh so I might see and understand you more clearly. Help me to fall at your feet and worship you who I see throughout Scripture. And Holy Spirit, help me to perceive when the Great Deceiver is in my midst. I never want to doubt the reality of who my resurrected Lord is – and fail to properly worship you. What a joy to know that you, Lord Jesus, constantly pursue me because of your great love. I do believe that you have all authority in heaven and on earth. So ‘I bow my knee before your throne, I know this life is not my own.’ Grant me the eyes to see where you want me to go to make disciples, the wisdom to know when to baptize them, the ability to teach them your commands, and the heart to believe that truly you are with me always. You alone can empower me to love you with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind, and all of my strength…and to love my neighbor as myself. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” Ω       

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[1] Barclay, William; The Letters of James and Peter. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 2000, c1976 (The Daily Bible Study Series, Rev. Ed), S. 102.

Who Are You?

    

     What’s your name? How did you get it? Have you ever named a child? How much thought and wrestling went into it? You didn’t casually toss any old name on your child, did you? Why not? Because names matter – oftentimes knitting and binding children together with their ancestors…and sometimes giving them a sense of destiny/purpose.

     Ask my brother Dann. Before Dann was born, dad wanted to name him ‘Patrick.’ Mom was opposed to it, so ‘Patrick’ became Dann’s middle name…except to dad. From Dann’s birth until dad’s death, Dann was always called ‘Patrick’ by dad. That naming aided in a bond that caused them to be closer than dad was to any of his other five children…as witnessed by the fact that Patrick chose to be dad’s primary caretaker throughout his battle with Parkinson’s. Patrick saw dad through his daily suffering and helped him cross the great chasm from death to eternal life…because he felt called by God to the endeavor.

     If that doesn’t convince you regarding the importance of names, ask Elizabeth.

     “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.’” (Luke 1:57-60)

     Like rain upon a parched land, grace upon grace showers down upon this aged couple. Every promise brought by the messenger Gabriel came to pass. The family legacy will live on through this young boy. Rejoice!

 

     Then like a dry, chafing desert wind, the neighbors and relatives try to name the child. Elizabeth will have none of it. It is not a mild response she gives, but rather an emphatic “No!”

     But the neighbors aren’t content with their idea being summarily dismissed: “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.’” (61-63)

     If they didn’t get Elizabeth’s intent, Zechariah’s strikes like a lightning bolt, “His name is John.” Zechariah does not fear what his neighbors and relatives think. Rather, his desire is to be obedient to God’s message brought by Gabriel. Zechariah responds with faith, not doubt as he did in the Temple nine months earlier.

     “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.” (65-66)

     More soul-refreshing rain falls from heaven as Zechariah’s mouth opens. Then, like a drenching summer storm sending flood waters rushing down the desert ravines, the news descends upon the entire region. And what words shower forth from Zechariah’s lips after a nine-month drought?  Praise, sweet praise, singing of God’s great mercy:

     “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 of our days.’” (67-75)

     If the neighboring tongues were set loose merely by John’s given name, this was going to whip the gossip into the storm of the century. “God has come to redeem his people? The mighty and glorious Messiah? After all this time, it’s really here?  Salvation from our enemies? God desires that we serve him without fear?

     Like thunder reverberating against windowpanes, tremors shake the people loose from their apathy. Suddenly the significance of this little one named John is felt (“Yahweh is gracious”). “What then is this child going to be?” Ask Zechariah:

     “‘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 and will 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; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.” (76-80)

     John’s task was to ready the people to meet their Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, Jesus Christ. The way of the Lord is the way that leads to salvation. Darkness would soon be fleeing as the voice cried out from the wilderness – “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”

     Who are you? If you have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, you have been adopted into the royal family. You are a child of the King! Are you living out that calling upon your life? Or is the Great Deceiver trying to convince you that you haven’t received a new name, a new life, and that you are a new creation?      

     Cling tightly to the words of John, and live in that light: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, we praise your Name. You are the eternal Promise Keeper from age-to-age. Great is your faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies we see. Help us to be like Elizabeth’s friends and relatives who rejoiced with her because of your manifold blessings in her life. Never let us be jealous or spiteful of the blessings you bestow upon our brothers and sisters. Holy Spirit, grant us the boldness to stand firm on your commands, like Elizabeth, even when those closest to us balk. Help us to be like Zechariah. When we open our mouths, let your praises ring forth. Let our lives and words be melodies that cause the world to desire to dance to your tune. We do praise you, Lord Jesus, for sending the gift of the Holy Spirit. Only by his indwelling are we able to know any of your will for our lives. You are the God of Israel and we have been grafted into that marvelous tree of life. Praise your merciful Name for remembering your Holy covenant with Abraham. What joy to know that we are part of that family, children of God, and all those promises belong to us also. Thank you for promising to rescue us from the hand of our enemies. And we, too, will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Bind Satan, the deceiver. For you enable us to serve you without fear in holiness and righteousness before you all of our days. We receive these promises in the name of Jesus. Let our lives mirror John’s calling – help us to give people around us the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Use us to shine your light into the darkness and the shadow of death in order to guide others’ feet into the path of peace. For you are the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.” Ω