Don't Let Your Religion Get In The Way

There is a fascinating picture in the Christmas story that has always puzzled me.  In fact, it scares me and troubles me.  The Magi travel a long distance to seek out this newly born King of the Jews.  As they arrive in the territory of Judea, they went to the logical place to find a new king.  They go to the palace.  They assumed the current king's family just had a baby.  Little did they know they were talking to the disturbed maniac who would eventually try to assassinate the new king.  But that is another story.

The disturbing part to me is that when the Magi inquire as to the whereabouts of the new King, Herod calls for the religious leaders. Here is the account from Matthew 2:

4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘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 shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”

These were the people's religious leaders and they knew immediately the answer to the question.  But they were missing the birth of their Messiah.  They were too busy being religious that they missed God.  These same people would later plot against Jesus to try and kill Him because He threatened their position of religious importance and influence.

Is it possible today that there are many people who deem themselves "religious" but are missing God?  That is what scares me.  I know it to be true.  It is possible to be very involved in a religious system and yet miss the very One you supposedly are looking for.

The good new today is that as you read through the Gospels there were a number of people among the religious leaders who truly heard Jesus and followed Him.  We don't have to remain blinded by our own religious importance.

Do you consider yourself religious or one who is seeking Him who has been born King of the Jews (and Gentiles)?

The Power of a Child

Janessa Grace Krueger

This is our newest granddaughter, Janessa. She survived our recent family picture taking adventure by.....sleeping.  Even as she was being posed between her siblings and cousin she seemed oblivious to her rapidly sinking sitting arrangement.  Nor did she mind or even know about the huge flower growing out of the side of her head.  She simply slept at peace.

 There is something almost paradoxical about a child.  They are absolutely dependent and vulnerable yet they hold great power over those who love and care for them.  Perhaps its the idea that their condition reminds us of the vulnerabilities and helplessness we can feel inside.  As they grow, their interactions with the world around them, their joy and laughter; their insatiable explorations; their wonder about simple things; brings us all back to the essence of life.  In the end, despite our efforts to control and master our lives, we are all as needy and vulnerable as a child in the face of all that is important in our world.  And eternal.....

The power of child-likeness.  I wonder if that is why God chose that means to identify with us by stepping into His creation as a baby.  Isaiah put it this way:

For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

  The One who spoke the world into existence and holds it together by His own power became a baby.  He entrusted Himself into the hands of those whom He formed in wombs of their mothers.  And Luke says that as they cared for Him in his formative years that He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and with man.  (Luke 2:52)  And once He began to teach, He said that unless we come to His Kingdom like a little child, we will never enter into it.

This will be a fun Christmas for us as we watch the little ones find as much enjoyment in the bows and boxes as they do what is inside them.  But my prayer is that we can feel our need to be just like them.  Innocent. Unpretentious; Dependent; and Loving.  Charles Wesley wrote of the end game of all this in his hymn "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"

Finish, then, Thy new creation;

Pure and spotless let us be.

Let us see Thy great salvation

Perfectly restored in Thee;

Changed from glory into glory,

Till in heaven we take our place,

Till we cast our crowns before Thee,

Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Do you enjoy the peace of a sleeping child in the midst of the chaos around you like Janessa?  Jesus came as a child, lived as an obedient Son to both His earthly parents and Heavenly Father, died and rose again, in order to restore child-like qualities in all of us.  And the good news is that we all can experience that this Christmas.

Listening to God's voice

Pam and I are no different than you.  There are times I just don't listen to her (her take) or hear her (my take).  Either way, I miss it.  She feels, and at times it is probably true, I allow other things to distract me and I listen to them rather than her.   She is gracious towards me, but I would save some heartache if I'd take time away from the distractions.  Listening breeds true relationship and joy.

The Christmas story reminds me of how important listening is.  Mary is shocked when an angel appears and tells her she is going to bear God's Son.  Details about Him including His name are given.  She asks a procedural question (How can I have a baby when I am a virgin?)  But she does not allow her lack of understanding to distract her.  She humbly submits to be used of the Lord and spends her life pondering amazing things in her heart.

Grotto over Mary's Home in Nazareth

Joseph was in a very difficult spot.  He had a fiancee who tells him she is pregnant but not to a man but by the power of the Holy Spirit.  That is hard to swallow.  The same angel shows up and affirms her story and gives Joseph the same details, including His name.  Joseph was not distracted by what will certainly be social ridicule and embarrassment.  He takes Mary home as his wife and does not have relations with her until after Jesus is born.  After the birth, he is told in a dream to take the child immediately and leave to preserve His life from King Herod.  Out of jealousy Herod was going to have all baby boys two years of age and younger killed.  Joseph listens and spares Jesus' life.  God pays for the trip by gifts that had been brought to them by the Magi.  Joseph listens once again when the way is clear to return home from Egypt.  But he wisely chose to head north to Nazareth rather than stay in Bethlehem.  By listening this time, it all fulfills prophecies made about the Messiah.  These obedient acts were part of the proof of who Jesus was and is.

Today I want us to be encouraged by a couple things.  First, God knows how to communicate with us.  He uses His Word, dreams, impressions and other means to do so.  The exciting thing is that He wants to communicate.

Second, it is clear from Christmas that when we stop the distractions and truly listen to the Lord, He will involve us in some of the most amazing events and opportunities.  He will protect, provide and direct.  And we will be blessed through it all.

How well do you do at listening?  Or do you allow all the noise of this world to distract you?  I encourage you this Christmas to be still, and listen, and see what He has to say to you.  You will be blessed and amazed by what you hear.

What's Around Us?

Ever  feel insignificant?  I have.  I watch the achievements of people around me and I'm amazed.  I could never do anything like them or be a part of something as significant as what they are doing.  So I shrink into the landscape and just do what I do each day.

Shepherd's Field adjacent to Bethlehem

That may be how the shepherds felt.  They helped raise the lambs that were slaughtered for the sacrifices at the Temple.  But because of what they did they were not even allowed to go near the Temple when they delivered their lambs.  They were considered unclean.  Outcasts.  Looked down upon by the religious elites.  So they spent their lives under the stars praising and worshiping God. And they joined in heart with other people of faith in desiring to see their Messiah come.

A well in the Shepherd's Field

Suddenly, the sky lit up and a whole angel army filled it.  Where did they come from?  They never experienced that before.  And the head angel tells them that they came to tell them good news of great joy that will be for everyone.  They had never seen angels before.  But they were there.  The shepherds had not felt that they were significant before, but God was choosing them to proclaim that His Son had been born.  And they were invited to go and see.  They did.  And it says that they returned rejoicing and praising God for all that they had seen just as it had been told them.  Notice it wasn't the religious elites that got the invite.  God chose simple folks to share the news.


Later, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Our significance is found in Jesus, not in comparison with other people.  If no one else thinks we are significant or gifted or special, God does.  God places high value on people who know they are foolish, weak, lowly and despised.  It is in them that He can display His power, wisdom and strength.

Two thoughts for the day:

1.   No matter how you feel in comparison to others, you are significant to the Lord who created you.

2.  God is always surrounding us with powerful servants who do His bidding even when we don't see them.  He says they encamp around those who fear Him.  So when you feel isolated, alone, overwhelmed or fearful, you have angels watching over you.

How significant are you feeling today?  What are you basing your significance on?

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Can you hear the tune?  "O Little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.......  I wonder how often we deceive ourselves into believing that the world in which Mary and Joseph were living was idyllic and pastoral, almost like a Norman Rockwell painting.  Or worse yet we may think it a fairy tale made up by weak people for weak people.  If it did exist, it could not have been as tense, violent, or stress-filled as today.  Or could it?

Much as the picture above, Bethlehem would have been a crowded place.  Life was lived under an occupying army.  The government insisted on a forced census, causing a lady who was about to deliver her first child to make an arduous journey by donkey and on foot.  The group with which they traveled probably spent time speaking of the economic hardships they were facing; desires to see the current government overthrown; and perhaps even the idea that God must not care about them at all. How could He allow such things to take place if He really existed?  And there would have been distinctive conflicts between people from different religious persuasions.  The tall structure in this picture is a Muslim minaret and if the camera was turned the other way, you would see the Church of the Nativity,  built over the place where tradition says Jesus was born.  Very stark contrasts and real tensions.

So our world is not so different.  And while their world was much like ours, into the darkness of that night was born one who would be called the Prince of Peace and Light of the World.  The Word who created the world was coming into it.  Isaiah the prophet said much more:

For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace

    there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

    and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

    with justice and righteousness

    from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

    will accomplish this.

Peace.  What a wonderful thought.  What a sought after goal.  Yet in the midst of the chaos of their world and ours, it is possible to experience being in the company of the Prince of Peace. And this peace will never end because the One who provides it will reign forever more.  He will accomplish all this.

So this Advent season, how is your level of peace?  I'm not suggesting you can and will live without conflict.  For that you would have to leave this world.  I do know you can experience His peace even in the midst of any conflict you encounter.  So how much at peace are you?

Joy is Contagious

When a baby is born, there is usually great joy.  And at Jesus' advent, it is no different.  But it wasn't just about His birth.  God shows us a foretaste of how those of us who know Him will experience an unspeakable joy.

Gabriel said that John would bring his parents great joy and many would rejoice because of his birth.  (Luke 1:14).  Later, at his birth, it says that many relatives and neighbors heard and came and shared in Elizabeth's joy.  (Luke 1:58)  

When Mary came to visit Elizabeth, as she entered the house and greeted her cousin, the baby in Elizabeth's womb leapt for joy.  (Luke 1:44)  Interesting to see that a six month old fetus can have an emotional response.  

The angel told the shepherds that he was bringing them good news of great joy that will be for all people. (Luke 2:10)  And after they saw the baby they returned praising God.

We can go on through the Gospels reading about Jesus being full of joy;  how the shepherd who finds a lost lamb is filled with joy; how the friend who attends the bridegroom is filled with joy; and Jesus telling the disciples that they will experience His joy.

It is clear that joy is important to God.  He created us to experience it.  And when we welcome Jesus into our lives, hang around where He is working, or share life with His servants, we find His joy.  So during this advent season, my prayer is that His joy will fill all of us and we can share it with others.  If you are not experiencing joy right now, make sure you take this opportunity to spend time with Jesus.  He will fill you with joy.

Adventures at Advent

During this Advent season, I wanted to share a thought for each day.  I have always been fascinated at the amount of work God the Father did surrounding the birth of Jesus.  He prepared the timing.  He prepared the people.  He had to communicate and guide the events of history to have Mary and Joseph in place in Bethlehem.  He had to stretch the laws of nature to cause a lady on the edge of child-bearing age (Elizabeth) and a virgin (Mary) to both conceive and bear a son.

We could consider more but I think this is sufficient to point to and substantiate the sovereign power of God.  And in the midst of the Advent preparation story, there is an encounter.  The encounter is between a faithful priest whose wife and he had prayed for a child for decades.  And yet they remained childless.  Now, as he serves his turn in the holy place as a priest, God sends Gabriel, the chief angel in charge of communications, to convey a message.  This faithful couple is going to be used to raise the man who will serve as a forerunner for the Christ.

Here is the encounter:
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”  19 The angel said to him, “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. 20 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 appointed time.”

I wonder how I would have responded if I were Zechariah?  You have a dream that you pray over for decades and now when it seems to be impossible,  you are told by divine revelation that you are going to receive it?  I may have wanted some reassurance too.  But Gabriel seems indignant at the questioning of Zechariah.

"I am Gabriel and I stand in the presence of God."   It is amazing to think that we as human beings can and do stare divine revelation in the face and question it or ignore it.  Sin is so deceptive.  We are so frail but we act as if we are so powerful. Gabriel then tells Zechariah that he will now remain silent until this all takes place because he failed to believe the words the angel had delivered to him.  The words of God are powerful.

Two thoughts for the day:

1.  Never give up on God-inspired dreams.  He searches always for faithful people who trust Him despite their dreams not being fulfilled.  And He may just use those folks for greater purposes than they ever could have imagined.

2.  The words of God are powerful.  He is trustworthy.  So we can receive what He has revealed to us without question.