Kiss the Son

"Kiss the Son . . ." - Psalm 2:12a

 

Our nation is divided. One of its greatest divisions is between those who believe in God and those who do not. An example of this is atheists have paid for a national campaign to encourage people to stay home for Christmas and not go to church. Playing on the theme of the wise men coming to see Jesus one of their bill boards has the caption, “You Know It’s a Myth.” Another has a supposed note to Santa from a child that reads, “Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is to skip church! I’m too old for fairy tales.” President Elect Donald Trump on the other hand stated at one of his recent victory rallies, “We’re gonna start saying Merry Christmas again!”

The apostle Paul was inspired to warn that in the last days there would be a great divide. There will be a clearer differentiation between those who seek God and those who do not, between the godly and the godless. Paul wrote:

·         2 Timothy 3:1–7 (NKJV) - But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

“Having a form of godliness but denying its power” refers to a divide between those who define God from a Biblical perspective and those who do not. Those who define God from a Biblical perspective understand the pattern and standard of righteousness for life that God has conveyed in His word and that is the path to abundant life (e.g. John 10:10b). These people understand that God’s plan for them is to conform them to the likeness of Jesus Christ (e.g. Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). Those who define “God” by personal opinion or from sources outside the Bible find themselves caught up in practices that are very unchristlike. God created man in His own image (Gen. 1:26), but people who neglect the Bible in understanding God create and “God” that is in their own image; or what they conceive in their limited minds what God would be like. Such a “God” usually approves or at least condones various sinful practices this group indulge in.

All of this can be very disconcerting for the Biblical Christian. We can get caught up in politics, racial/generational/economic divides, the injustices and lies present in the world and a host of other negative life factors and it can bring us down. The world can be pretty depressing. What are we to do in response? We are to go to God and His word for instruction and hope.

Psalm 2 was written by David (cf. Acts 4:25) some 10 centuries before the incarnation or birth of Jesus Christ. It is a royal psalm[1] and therefore recited at the inauguration or crowning of Davidic kings. One commentary sets the context of the Psalm stating:

Its contents describe a celebration at the coronation despite opposition by rebellious people in surrounding territories. In a word, the psalmist exhorted the pagan nations to abandon their rebellious plans against the Lord and His anointed king and to submit to the authority of the Son whom God has ordained to rule the nations with a rod of iron. ^[2]

Studying this Psalm in light of the upcoming presidential inauguration should not lead us to too closely associate the next president with an anointed kingship. But what a study of this Psalm should do is encourage us to adopt a hopeful and heavenly perspective on the world we live in. There are some very encouraging truths in this Psalm that can prove to be a blessed Christmas gift to us. If we look at our future in light of this Psalm from the past, it will give us strength to press on to victory.

Psalm 2

¹           Why do the nations rage,

And the people plot a vain thing?

²           The kings of the earth set themselves,

And the rulers take counsel together,

Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

³           “Let us break Their bonds in pieces

And cast away Their cords from us.”

  

God is in control. In another Psalm it is written, “For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge; He puts down one, and exalts another” (Psalm 75:6-7). The prophet Daniel was inspired to tell the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” (Daniel 2:20-21). In the New Testament John the Baptist stated, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven” (John 3:27). Later in the New Testament Paul is inspired to write, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Romans 13:1).

Some rage against God. The Psalm refers to pagan nations and their kings and those who do not believe in God. They oppose God’s chosen leaders and God’s people. They “rage” against those chosen by God (Heb. Ragas meaning to be in a tumult, commotion, looking to conspire against.) There is an opposition to those anointed by God to lead. But such opposition is useless as it opposes one that God has “Anointed.” “Anointed” is translated from the Hebrew term masiyah from which we get the English word messiah. It refers to one consecrated or set apart to a position (e.g. king; priest; or saint). It refers to one in a God-given position. And as one in a God-given position, if that person looks to God for wisdom and power to lead God will give it. Problems in leadership arise when leaders look away from God to themselves and others for power. We should look to others to help in leading, but only after we have first sought God. An effective leader is one who puts God first in all things.  

Wise is the leader who realizes his position it ordained by God. Powerful is the leader who trust in God to lead him. Look at these proverbs in this regard:

 

·         Proverbs 8:12–17 (NKJV) - ¹² “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion. ¹³The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. ¹⁴Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. ¹⁵By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. ¹⁶By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth. ¹⁷I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

 

·         Proverbs 16:12 (NKJV) ¹²    It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,

For a throne is established by righteousness.

 

·         Proverbs 20:26 (NKJV) - ²⁶ A wise king sifts out the wicked, And brings the threshing wheel over them.

 

·         Proverbs 20:28 (NKJV) - ²⁸ Mercy and truth preserve the king,

And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

 

·         Proverbs 21:1 (NKJV) - The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

 

·         Proverbs 29:14 (NKJV) - ¹⁴ The king who judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established forever.

 

⁴           He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;

The Lord shall hold them in derision.

 

So ridiculous its funny. What is humor? If you think about it humor is composed of absurdity on such an astonishing level that it causes a reaction of laughter. Humor involves introduction of something unexpected or so obviously ridiculous that it causes laughter. God knows everything so He can’t be surprised into laughter. But He does laugh at the ridiculous absurdity of anyone who would “rage” against Him or oppose Him. The absurdity of opposing God is expressed by the inspired psalmist by attributing to God the idea of ridicule in the form of  being laughed to scorn. To Him who is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent opposition in any form is something to be laughed to scorn. For us this would be a kind of “Oh really?” expression with a snicker when faced with a response from opposition that is so patently false and obviously untrue or hopeless that it solicits a chuckle.

Always remember God is not threatened by the challenges of human beings. God is big enough to take the attacks of the ungodly. God doesn’t run away from the questions or even accusations of people. And truthfully, the attacks and accusation of unbelievers and those opposed to God’s plans causes God to “laugh” (Heb. Sahaq) which here means laugh to scorn, deride, laugh mockingly, make sport of, laugh in contempt. So futile and weak does God view the accusations and attacks of those who oppose God that it causes Him to laugh in response. It’s as though a toddling child in their weakness opposes a full grown adult.

God’s derision. That God holds those who oppose Him and His anointed in “derision” (Heb. la’ag) means He derides, makes fun of them with unintelligible words, mocks, ridicules. It’s as though God responds to opponents with the words “Blah, blah, blah, blah blah.”

God is Eternal, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and so much greater than any other source of opposition as to create a comical situation when He is opposed.

 

⁵           Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,

And distress them in His deep displeasure:

 

Woe! Woe! Woe! No! No! No! Santa in his secularized red suit and jolly temperament says, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” But to ungodly opponents God says, “Woe! Woe! Woe!” Opponents of God, His Anointed and His people try to proclaim “Woe! Woe! Woe!” against God and His people. To that God says, “No! No! No!”

God steps in to protect His people. God sets the parameters of what can and cannot be done by humans. Even Satan has to secure God’s permission to attack God’s people (e.g. Job 1-2). God is merciful and loving, but there is a limit He sets where His patience runs out.

God’s righteous wrathful response. When God’s patience runs out in “wrath” (Heb. ap) or in deep profound anger like a fierce blowing of the nostrils God will express His “deep displeasure” Heb. haron) or a burning anger, fierce anger, fury, wrath. God by nature is love (e.g. 1 John 4:7-12). God is “holy”; there is none like Him (e.g. 1 Peter 1:15-16). But “righteousness and justice are the foundation of” God’s throne (Psalm 89:14). In Psalms it states, “Clouds and darkness surround Him righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. A fire goes before Him, and burns up His enemies round about” (Psalm 97:2-3). All of this is to say that we should not negligently presume upon or try to take advantage of God’s grace, mercy, patience and love. We should never lose our reverence or “fear of the LORD” (e.g. Proverbs 1:7).

In the New Testament it reveals, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). That is especially the case when one understands that we all fall short of God’s glory and have all sinned against Him (e.g. Romans 3:10, 23). With that in mind we should be very thankful that because God is gracious that “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13b). This is the heart of Christmas.

 

⁶           “Yet I have set My King

On My holy hill of Zion.”

⁷           “I will declare the decree:

The Lord has said to Me,

‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.

 

The birth of our Redeemer/Savior King Jesus. God has set His kings on His holy hill of Mount Zion. But all these earthly kings are a mere shadow of the King of kings, LORD of Lords, the Son of God King Jesus. Yes, we are lost in sin and hopelessly lost at that. There was, is and never will be anything we can do in our own strength to appease God’s just wrath toward our sin. We alone cannot atone for our sins. We are separated from God by our sins (Isaiah 59:1-2). We deserve eternal death, . . . but God who is rich in mercy has made a way and provided a provision to deal with our sins and sins’ penalty, death. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor, 5:21; cf. also Romans 6:23; Titus 3:4-7; Isaiah 53).

Jesus is the unique begotten Son of God. We can become sons and daughters of God, but only Jesus is the unique Son of God; the Second Person of the Trinity.

 

⁸           Ask of Me, and I will give You

The nations for Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

 

Jesus, anointed by God to be King. Jesus was born into the world and anointed by God with the Holy Spirit (e.g. Matthew 3:16-17). He was then lead into the wilderness where He was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4). One of the devil’s temptations to Jesus was to take a shortcut to accomplish His mission to redeem the world to God. All Jesus would have to do is bow to the devil and the god of this world would give Him the kingdoms of the world. But Jesus refused. Instead He followed through fully on God’s plan to redeem the world from sin and fallenness. That meant He had to go to the cross. The cross is where our penalty for sin (i.e. death) was paid by Jesus (cf. Psalm 22; Matthew 26-27; 1 Peter 1:18-19). God’s plan to redeem and regenerate this fallen sinful world goes through the cross of Christ.

 

⁹           You shall break them with a rod of iron;

You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

 

A King powerful enough to enforce God’s righteousness. The cross of Christ may have at first seemed to be a great defeat. But it was at the cross where Jesus wiped away our debt record of sin and disarmed and publicly shamed Satan and all opponents to God (cf. Colossians 1:11-15). The benefits of the cross of Christ are offered to any and all who would turn from their sin and trust Him as Savior and Lord (e.g. Romans 10:9-10; also Romans 3-5).

In our present day even though Jesus has paid our debt of sin on the cross and risen from the dead, we still live in a fallen world. We still see the powers of darkness reigning and clinging to power in this world. But a day is coming when our prayer of “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) will be answered. When Jesus returns at His Second Coming (Rev. 19) He will establish His Kingdom on earth for a thousand years (cf. Rev. 20).

The first time Jesus came as a Suffering Servant Savior to redeem the world. The second time Jesus comes will be as the King of kings and LORD of Lords to reign on earth. His reign is described by God as “You shall break them with a rod of iron” or Jesus will enforce His rule in power.

 

¹⁰         Now therefore, be wise, O kings;

Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

¹¹         Serve the Lord with fear,

And rejoice with trembling.

¹²         Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,

And you perish in the way,

When His wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

 

The only wise response to God. In light of God’s prophetic word on His ultimate victory the only wise decision to be made (that needs to be made) by both kings and their subjects, people in high positions and those in lower positions, for all people to make, is to turn to the LORD. We need to:

 

1.      “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.” – “Kiss” (Heb. nasaq) means fasten oneself to, to kiss, to touch. In other words, embrace Jesus by faith. By faith fall in love with Jesus. Make Him your all in all. Be married to Jesus (e.g. Eph. 5:21-33). Commit yourself for life to Jesus.

There’s another aspect of “kiss.” It also means to equip with weapons; be armed, be ready to rule. The idea is to take up your weapons and get ready to follow the king. Yes, we need to fall in love with Jesus in faith, but we also should step in His ranks to follow Him into battle. We need to put on the armor of God (e.g. Eph. 6:10-18). We need to prepare to war not merely in the strength of our flesh but in the power of the LORD! (e.g. 2 Cor. 10:3-4; Acts 1:8).

Trust Jesus as the only way to God (John 14:6). Go to God relying by faith in Jesus as your Savior. His atoning work on the cross is the only just basis for God who is Just and Holy to forgive your sins.

 

2.      “Serve the LORD with fear [reverence], and rejoice with trembling.” – Give your life to God in service. Revere God for His costly redemptive plan. By mercy (i.e. not getting what we deserve) God has made a way to avoid His just penalty (i.e. justice is getting what we deserve) and by grace (i.e. getting what we don’t deserve) God has opened the door through Jesus to an abundant life; one where we can know the living God and Jesus Who He has sent (John 17:3).

 

3.      “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Life with God in Christ is a blessed life. There may be troubles and trials, but through all of them God in Christ will be there (Heb. 13:5). And with God in Christ there is the hopeful prospect of eternal life with Him where there will be no tears, sorrow, or hardship of any kind.

 

In this world we will often hear and feel “Woe! Woe! Woe!” But we need to remember that to that God says, “No! No! No!” He has His own “Woe! Woe! Woe!” to naysayers. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). It’s a done deal folks. Victory in Christ is in our future. Psalm 2 predicts it. Jesus in His own words promised it. God says, “No! No! No!” to any “Woe! Woe! Woe!” coming from this world. Kiss the Son. Embrace Jesus. Then step behind Him into the ranks of those wo call Him and follow Him as Lord. Follow Him to victory!

 

 

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[1] Other royal psalms are 18, 20–21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, 144.

^[2] Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 791). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Highly Favored

 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

- Luke 1:28

. . . to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

- Ephesians 1:6

When we look at the Bible account of the incarnation of Jesus we see that Mary was referred to by the angel Gabriel as “highly favored.” The words “highly favored” (χαριτόω - charitŏō, khar-ee-tŏ´-o) come from a single Greek term and mean to give grace, to bestow favor, “ to endue with special honor; make accepted, be highly favored.”^[1]  God looked down on Mary and bestowed special honor on her by showing she was acceptable to Him for a very special task.

Some people have taken this “highly favored” reference to Mary and exalted her to a position of adoration and even worship. But the Bible tells us to worship God alone:

·         Exodus 34:14- ¹⁴ (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),

·         Matthew 4:10 - ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

·         Revelation 19:10 - ¹⁰ And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

·         Revelation 22:9 - ⁹ Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

It’s important we have a correct understanding of what it means to be highly favored. And there is a blessing for us in this understanding.

When we look at Mary, the words spoken to her by others, and the words of response she herself gave to her “highly favored” status, it gives us insight into this status. What did being “highly favored” by God mean for Mary?

1.      It meant she was “blessed” – Luke 1:28b

2.      It meant she was troubled and surprised by her encounter with God’s messenger – Luke 1:29

3.      It meant she was afraid – Luke 1:30a

4.      It meant she had found favor with God – Luke 1:30b

5.      It meant being called to fulfill God’s purpose – Luke 1:31

6.      It meant connection with a King (Jesus) – Luke 1:32-33

7.      It meant not understanding – Luke 1:34a

8.      It meant being challenged culturally – Luke 1:34b

9.      It meant being empowered by the Holy Spirit – Luke 1:35

10.  It meant full surrender and trusting God for the impossible – Luke 1:36-38

Later in what is called Mary’s Magnificat we see more of Mary’s response to her “highly favored” status when she says:

·         Luke 1:46-55 - ⁴⁶ And Mary said:  “My soul magnifies the Lord,  ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. ⁴⁸ For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;  For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. ⁴⁹ For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. ⁵⁰ And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. ⁵¹ He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ⁵² He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. ⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. ⁵⁴  He has helped His servant Israel,  In remembrance of His mercy, ⁵⁵  As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

In these beautiful words we see Mary’s response to her “highly favored” status was to:

1.      Magnify, rejoice and worship the LORD – Luke 1:46

a.       Because God was her Savior – Luke 1:47

b.      Because God regarded her even though she was lowly  - Luke 1:48a

c.       Because God’s calling on her would cause other generations to call her blessed – Luke 1:48b

d.      Because God had done great things for her – Luke 1:49a

e.       Because God’s name and therefore His works are holy (unique; special) – Luke 1:49b

f.        Because God is merciful – Luke 1:50

g.      Because God shows His strength through the humble and defies the proud – Luke 1:51-52

h.      Because God fills the hungry and empties the rich – Luke 1:53

i.        Because God is faithful to fulfill His prophetic word – Luke 1:54-55

Mary’s response was to worship God, not draw others to worship her. We can learn a lot from Mary’s humble surrender to God and humble worship of God.

But where is the blessing in all of this for us? What does this matter to us? Mary’s response to her “highly favored” status matters to us and is a blessing to us because God uses the same word in regard to us; His followers.

In the opening verses of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he is inspired to write:

·         Ephesians 1:6 - to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

The phrase “made us accepted” is a translation of the same Greek term (χαριτόω - charitŏō, khar-ee-tŏ´-o) used with Mary in Luke 1:28. Mary is “highly favored,” but so are we! Therefore we should understand God has given us the honor, grace and favor, the privilege to serve Him. That’s incredible! But what does that mean to us?

When we look at the context of Ephesians 1:6 it should cause us to burst into our own Magnificat as we consider the grace and favor God has bestowed on us. Look at what God has done for us:

·         Ephesians 1:3-14 - ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. ¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹² that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

A summary review of these verses reveal some of the particulars of God’s highly favored status bestowed on us:

1.      We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ – Ephesians 1:3

2.      We are chosen in Christ to be holy in His love – Ephesians 1:4

3.      We are predestined to adoption as His sons by Jesus Christ – Ephesians 1:5

4.      We are accepted in Jesus our Beloved – Ephesians 1:6

5.      We are redeemed from sin through His blood – Ephesians 1:7a

6.      We are forgiven our sins in Christ – Ephesians 1:7b

7.      We are products of His wisdom and prudence – Ephesians 1:8

8.      We are enlightened about His will, good pleasure and purpose for us – Ephesians 1:9

9.      We are included in God’s plans of bringing all together in Christ – Ephesians 1:10

10.  We are receivers in Jesus of a rich inheritance – Ephesians 1:11

11.  We are worshipers who get to bring praise to God’s glory in Christ – Ephesians 1:12

12.  We are sealed with the Holy Spirit who gives us assurance that all of this is real and will be fully realized in the culmination of God’s plans – Ephesians 1:13-14.

What a glorious thing it is to be highly favored by God! Like Mary we should humbly bow in full surrender to the Lord. We should surrender for God to use us as He sees fit. And then we should worship and praise Him for the honor and privilege of what He has called us to do in life. You are highly favored by God! He has made you accepted in Christ! Rejoice! Worship Him! Serve Him! Enjoy!

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^[1]Strong, James: The New Strong's Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1996, S. H8674

Christmas Presence

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

 

Christmas Presence. That’s not a misspelling. Though we might feel as though Christmas is primarily about getting and giving presents, it is supposed to be so much more than that. In fact, Christmas is supposed to be primarily about a presence. When the angel of the Lord was announcing the birth of Jesus to Joseph he quoted Isaiah saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Mat. 1:23; cf. Isaiah 7:14; 9:6). Christmas is meant to celebrate Immanuel, God with us, the presence of God, Christmas presence.

In our secularized Christmas it’s not surprising that the presence of God has been hijacked by presents. In 2009 the buying frenzy included the following statistics:

 

• For the holiday season from November 1 to December 20, US online retail sales reached $24.8bn, a 4% increase over the same period in 2008.
• Spending on 'Green Monday' December 14 was $854m, 1% less than the previous year, but the three following days each surpassed $800m.
• Tuesday, December 15 set an individual day spending record with $913m. By comparison, spending on Cyber Monday (Nov. 30) was $887m. ^[1]

Christmas is big business. The livelihood and continued existence of some companies and businesses is determined by sales during the Christmas season. The result is pressure to buy, buy, and buy. We are inundated with commercials and “great buys” and “sales,” and a host of other marketing propaganda to get us to spend, spend, spend. Now there’s nothing wrong with giving. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Getting is not that bad either. But when the material aspects of this sacred holy day of Christmas crowd out the core purpose of it, we need to reassess and get back on course. If we miss the presence of God at Christmas, we’ve missed Christmas.

 How’s your Christmas spirit? Or more importantly, are you in the Spirit this Christmas? Are you focused on the presence of the Lord or presents under the tree? Maybe you’re just having a real hard time sensing the presence of the Lord this year.  Maybe you’re grieving the loss of a loved one. Maybe you’ve lost a job or are in danger of being laid off. Maybe you’re finances are so deep in debt you can’t imagine going further into debt for Christmas presents. Maybe, for whatever reason, you have a severe case of the Christmas blahs. There’s cure for that. The cure is Christmas presence. Let’s look at what God says in His word about His presence, the reason some people don’t sense it and how we can enter into and live in the presence of the LORD. Let’s ask a few questions and answer them. Hopefully we will, with God’s help, experience true Christmas presence as a result.

 Where is the presence of the LORD? The presence of the LORD is everywhere (Psalm 97:5; 114:7; 139:7-10). The theological term for this is omnipresence. God is everywhere all the time. You can’t escape God’s presence.

 What is the presence of the LORD like? In Psalms the presence of the LORD is described in the following way: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).  On the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles and disciples of Jesus in power that Peter quoted this verse in his Pentecostal message that led to the salvation of thousands (Acts 2:28). That sounds pretty wonderful; that’s something that everyone should yearn for and live in. The presence of the LORD is the greatest present. But why don’t people seek out the presence of the LORD?

 Hell is described as being removed from the presence of the LORD. In scripture it states of those in hell: “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 3:9). The greatest punishment is being removed from the presence of the LORD. If God’s presence is so great why then do some people run away from it or just don’t care about it?

 Why don’t we sense the presence of the LORD? Why do some people flee from the presence of the LORD? Why don’t we sense God’s presence? Why don’t we feel it or experience it? The problem is not with God. He is not limited in any way or absent from any place. The problem is with us. Why can’t we sense the presence of the LORD? The simple profound straightforward answer is sin.

 There was a time when humanity was first created that God walked and fellowshipped with us. It was a beautiful loving time of fellowshipping with God in His presence in the Garden. But Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God (Gen. 3). The consequence was our first parents no longer felt comfortable in the presence of God (Gen. 3:8).  Sin caused a great disconnect between humanity and the presence of God. When we disregard God’s word and act like Adam and Eve we too will feel uncomfortable in the presence of the LORD.

 It should be mentioned that sometimes even Christians miss the presence of the LORD. This may be due to simply living in fallen bodies affected by planetary sin, or the physical problems connected with the physical fall of creation under the influence of sin (Rom. 8:18f.). But there are other times when we are indeed to blame for not experiencing the presence of the LORD.

 Jealousy quenches the presence of the Lord. Cain and his jealous unloving self-centered premeditated murder of his brother Abel resulted in departing from the presence of the LORD (Gen. 4:16).  When we act like Cain in a jealous unloving self-centered manner, we too will be sent from the presence of the LORD.

 Rebellion against God leads to people fleeing from the presence of the LORD. Jonah rebelled against God’s call and tried to flee the presence of the LORD. He was tracked down by God with a serious storm and great fish at sea (Jonah 1:3, 10). That got his attention and finally he turned back to God (cf. Jonah 1-4).

 Sin desensitizes us to the presence of the LORD and its blessedness. Satan exacerbates the departure from the presence of the Lord by coming into the presence of the LORD himself to bring accusations against Gods people (Job 1:12; 2:7). And sometimes we sinfully simply forget to make God a priority in our lives. The presence of God is here. If you don’t sense it, ask Him, “Why?” Maybe this poem will explain why you aren’t in the presence of the Lord:

 

Into The Day

 

I got up early one morning

And rushed right into the day;

I had so much to accomplish

I didn’t have time to pray.

Troubles just tumbled about me

And heavier came each task.

Why God doesn’t help me, I wondered,

He answered, “You didn’t ask.”

I tried to come into God’s presence,

I used all my keys at the lock.

God gently and lovingly chided,

“Why child, you didn’t knock.”

I wanted to see joy and beauty,

But the day toiled on grey and bleak,

I called on the Lord for the reason—

He said “You didn’t seek.”

I woke up early this morning

And paused before entering the day.

I had so much to accomplish

That I had to take time to pray.

—Author Unknown ^[2]

 

 

How can we experience the presence of the LORD? The answer is that we need to repent of our sin. At Pentecost Peter in the power of the Spirit connected times of refreshing in the presence of the Lord with repentance from sin – “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times o refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).  To repent is to change your mind about sin and practically turn away from it. We need to turn away from our sin and turn toward God. To be “converted” also carries this idea of turning to God. When we do this God washes away our sins that separate us from His presence and invites into His presence (cf. Heb. 10:19-23).

Isn’t that what we need this Christmas, a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord? The word “refreshing” means rest relief, refreshing, recovery of breath, revival. Do you want to experience a revival that flows from the presence of the Lord? Go to God in prayer and ask Him to search you and then repent of any sin He points out (Psalm 51; 139). Then times of refreshing will flow into you from the presence of the Lord. We need a revival. Our nation needs a revival. It will come through repentance and conversion by God’s grace through faith in Jesus.

 Have you seen those random acts of culture on You Tube? They take place at malls and highly populated areas. People will be at the food court and then all of a sudden music from Handel’s Messiah will begin to play. Then a single person stands and begins to sing a portion of The  Messiah, then another and another until the food court is filled with the sounds of the glorious Hallelujah chorus. It really can bring a lump into your throat. But sometimes those involved in those random acts of culture are living lifestyles of rebellion toward God. If we are to experience the presence of the Lord we must move beyond mere cultural performances to a genuine desire to be pleasing in the sight of God. We need more than culture. We need consecration to God. We need more than random acts. We need life impacting repentance.

Examine yourself and let God point out any sin in your life. Don’t be too quick to think you are without sin. The apostle John was inspired to say if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and if we say we have no sin we make God a liar  (1 John 1:8, 10). We need to humbly go before God and ask Him to search us and point out any sin that is keeping us from His presence (e.g. Psalm 139:23-24). If we casually allow sin to go persist in our lives, God will wait and let us try to live without His presence until we confess and repent of our sin (Psalm 66:18). If we confess our sins God is faithful and will forgive us (1 John 1:9).  If we want to experience the presence of the Lord we must confess and repent of our sin.

 When we repent and come to God we are then suited to experience His presence. His presence is facilitated in our praise of Him (Psalm 22:3). And His presence is facilitated when we gather together in the name of Jesus (Mat. 18:20). All of this speaks to the importance of fellowship. When you come to the Lord, if you want to experience His presence fellowship in church with other believers is essential (cf. Heb. 10:24-25).

 How should we respond in the presence of the Lord? The Holy Spirit directs us in how to respond to the presence of the Lord (John 4:23-24). Sometimes the Spirit will lead us to be silent in the presence of the Lord (cf. Zephaniah 1:7). The Spirit will always lead us to be reverent in the presence of the Lord (cf. Haggai 1:12). And the Spirit will impress on us to be humble in God’s presence (1 Cor. 1:29). There is no place for pride in the presence of the Lord (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:5-6). The Spirit will impress on us appreciation for His presence and a spirit of  thanks in the presence of the Lord (Psalm 140:13). Lastly, the Spirit will fill us with a heart to worship the Lord in His presence. Psalm 100:2 states, “Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing.” There’s a lot of singing at Christmas time. Make sure you remember your singing is in the presence of the LORD.

All of our responses to the presence of the Lord are summed up in worship. For all the Lord has done for us, we ought to worship Him. Since God inhabits the praises of His people, worship creates a cycle of His presence for us to dwell with Him in. Worship is the climax, the hallelujah chorus of experiencing the presence of the Lord. Glory! Glory in His presence. Glory to God in the highest!

 Christmas is more than presents. It is, or should be, about the presence of God. It is about Immanuel, God with us, the presence of God. I pray you have a merry Christmas presence. God bless.

 

 

 

 

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[1] http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/5157-xmas-2009-online-retail-stats-round-up

^[2]Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers. Garland TX : Bible Communications, 1996, c1979

Have You Room for Jesus?

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

- Luke 2:7

 

Are you in the Christmas spirit? This past presidential election was pretty withering. If you’re your candidate won you might be more inclined to be in the Christmas spirit. If your candidate lost, you might be packing to leave the Christmassy confines of the good ole US of A. There are new gadgets out: a Three-D pen, new IPhone 7, ionizing sports water bottles, compact wallets, and tactical space pens are all the rage. But if you’ve become infatuated with some new gizmo maybe the frenzy to buy gifts threatens to crowd out Christmas and the Christmas spirit. Even Christians can get caught up in the rush to spend rashly. Atheists have a new promotional drive this year they are calling “Skip Church this Christmas.” They are promoting the idea that you don’t have to be religious to celebrate Christmas; you can just gather with loved ones, eat a big meal, and share gifts, all without Jesus. There are a lot of reasons people choose to shut the door on Christmas. Some may go so far as to shut the door on Jesus. Have you room for Jesus?

If there’s no room for Jesus in your holiday season it wouldn’t be the first time there was no room for Jesus. The first time He came there was no room for Him. In the Gospel of Luke it states, “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”  (Luke 2:7).

Theologically this speaks of the incarnation of Jesus. It speaks of the humiliation of Jesus. And it speaks of the providential workings of God to carry out His redemptive plan in Christ. But there are other down to earth revelations intertwined in the incarnation of Christ. They speak to our present state of affairs; especially this year.

God’s ways are not our ways. God works in ways that we don’t readily understand. His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:7-11). In Romans 12:2 it tells us not to be conformed to the world. A reason for this is that God regularly works in ways that the world and even in the religious community cannot relate to. The ways of God are nonconformist and unorthodox by secular and religious standards. Who would have thought that a single Teacher with an inner core of 12 rag tag disciples would turn out to be not only God in the flesh but the Savior of the world?  Who would have thought the Savior of the world, God in the flesh, would be born in a stable because there was no other place for his mother to birth? (I’ve seen what such “stables” look like. They are dark and dingy; only a poor needy family would resort to birthing their baby in such a place.) Who would have thought this child would be the way the truth and the life and the only way to eternal life with God? God’s ways are not our ways.

Our plan can be opposed to His plan. God’s ways are not our ways. God’s plans may keep us from things we think are best for us. But God’s plan is always the best plan. He has only the best of intentions for us. If He says, “No,” to a request of ours, it is only because He has something infinitely and eternally better for us. We are limited and finite in understanding. He is infinite and all knowing. It’s always best to trust the LORD; even when we don’t understand.  And, at the risk of turning people off with a political statement, I would say to those who are disgusted at the election of Donald Trump to be president to take a step back and consider that maybe God is at work in this. I would say that to my liberal friends. I would say that to “never-Trumpers” too. God’s ways are not our ways. He is always at work. And maybe, just maybe, God is planning a great big Christmas present for us and our nation. We can only hope and pray.

God is able to accomplish His will even when all seems lost. Mrs. A. E. Gadsby of Niagara Falls, Canada, in December 1940 mailed a Christmas parcel to her daughter in Prestwick, Scotland. The ship carrying the mail was torpedoed off the west coast of Ireland. All seemed lost in terms of that letter ever reaching its destination. But a favorable tide floated the package unerringly ashore on the beach of Prestwick. The contents were soaked but perfectly usable. The address was still legible and the package reached the addressee two days after Christmas. God has a plan and He will work it out come hell or high water (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Hope in Him (Psalm 42).

God incorporates human free will in His plans. Human free will does not take God by surprise. But it does make for an interesting journey in God’s plans. Because of human free will Joseph in Old Testament times was sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned, forgotten for a time, then surprisingly (to us not God) exalted to the second in command in the Egyptian empire and ultimately used by God with all of his hardship, for God’s good purposes to preserve the Messianic line (Genesis 50:20). God works His providential ways in spite of human free will. Human free will is no great obstacle to our sovereign Lord.

Because of human free will there was an innkeeper who had no room for Jesus. Because of human free will Jesus was betrayed by one of his closest and most trusted disciples. Yet God used all of this to bring salvation to the world through His Son. God uses human free will and because of that we can’t always see His plan. God unfolds His plan bit by bit. As we follow His lead we begin to see. Sometimes the full plan won’t be seen until glory. Through it all, no matter what, the best plan is to, trust in God, hope in God, love the Lord and let Him bring to pass His good plan (Romans 8:28). 

Obstacles don’t necessarily mean we are out of God’s will. What if Joseph and Mary said, “Okay, there’s no room here for us to have the baby, let’s go to the next town”? If they had done that Jesus would not have been born in Bethlehem according to Messianic prophecy (Micah 5:2). And that would have disqualified Him as Messiah. But they trusted in the Lord and made due with what God provided. There is no record of any complaints on their part. There is only a record of humble submission. Christmas is a time notorious for combustible complaints and chaos. It starts in the stampedes of Black Friday, continues on the chaotic cyber Monday, and rushes on through Christmas and then the after Christmas returns and even better sales period of shopping. God’s word tells us to “do all things without complaining and disputing” (Philippians 2:14). Maybe we should take action so that there’s room for Jesus but no room for bad Christmas attitudes.

When we encounter obstacles we should follow the leading of the Spirit. Mary and Joseph were humble enough to follow the Spirit. They didn’t come to Bethlehem expecting to have Mary give birth in a stable. But that is where the Spirit led them and that is where they went. The Spirit will never lead in a way that is contrary to God’s word. In fact, the Spirit most often leads us by the word of God (Romans 8:14). We discover God’s will by giving ourselves to Him as living sacrifices. To discover His will we have to surrender ourselves and our own agendas to Him and His will (Romans 12:1-2).  Don’t be so quick to give up your heaven sent dreams and life visions. Sure there may be some obstacles, but seek the leading of the Holy Spirit. It’s a holy season. What God shuts won’t be opened. What He opens won’t be shut. Learn in the Spirit to discern between the two (cf. Isiah 22:2; Revelation 3:7-8).

There is an enemy who wants to shut Jesus out. The devil wants to destroy Jesus and all who love Him. We see this in the slaughter of the innocents ordered by Herod (Matthew 2:16-18). Herod and many other people in history have been enemies of Jesus and His people. But the ultimate enemy of Jesus is Satan. Of Satan it is stated: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”  (1 Peter 5:8-9). You’ve heard of wolves in sheep’s clothing? There are also wolves that look like reindeers, maybe even elves, and dress even in a jolly red outfit. Santa is bogus! Keep Jesus Christ in Christmas.

Jesus came to destroy the works of Satan (Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8). We have an enemy and he seeks to distract, deceive and destroy everything connected with Jesus. We have seen our own version of the slaughter of innocents through the cutthroat evil wicked genocidal acts of ISIS and its sleeper cell demons. We look at such evil and it tempts us to allow the spirit to be punched out of us. The enemies’ objective is to make sure there is no room for Jesus in your life. He is ruthless and merciless in this effort. Don’t let him succeed! Make a conscious effort to have meaningful devotional times with the Lord each day during this time of year. This will help you make room for Jesus each day. Cultivate spiritual sensitivity to how Jesus might want to use you to help others make room for Him.

Not everyone has room for Jesus. Jesus states, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev. 3:20). Jesus especially knocks on the door of the church seeking to come in and fellowship. But not everyone has room for Jesus. Some have their own petty ideas or agenda to follow. Some are too angry to let Him in. Some have so many opinion points that they can’t get close to others and others can’t get close to them. It’s not always about your “points” or opinions. Yes, we are to speak and obey truth. But if all we do is lay out points and legalistically order obedience, well, there is little Spirit in that. Truth spoken and obeyed by a child of God must be done in love (Eph. 4:15). That love is the true spirit of Christmas. Some are too proud and busy caught up in self-love and worshipping themselves to let Christ in. And still others want to rule on the throne rather than have Jesus be Lord. When Jesus knocks, open to Him. He is the reason for the season. Don’t forget that. Don’t be cheated out of the presence of Jesus this Christmas (Colossians 2:8, 23).

Do you have room for Jesus this Christmas? Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart right now. You may have never paid attention to His knocking but now He is getting your attention. Will you open the door of your heart and invite Him in?

Admit you have sinned against God’s holy law and deserve eternal damnation (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Remember, the severity of sin is not measured by merely the sinful act, it is measured by Whom the sin is ultimately against. If I have a snowball fight with friends and hit one of them it’s no big deal. I can pummel them mercilessly and it’s still all in fun (even if I’m secretly getting some revenge – well I’ll leave that up to God to determine.) But if an elderly senior citizen happens to be walking by and I hit them, it’s much more serious. And if I happen to hit a police officer, I’m in trouble; that snow ball becomes a weapon under the law and I’ll be hauled off in handcuffs; not so innocent anymore. And let’s just say the president of the United States just happens to walk by and gets in the way of one of my snowy fastballs, well, I’ll be swamped by secret service officers and doing time in a federal prison before you can say “Merry Christmas.” Any sin is ultimately against God Most High, Creator of the universe, Almighty Holy God! Therefore, any and all sin is a serious offense (Romans 3:23; James 2:10; Galatians 3:10).

Acknowledge that Jesus died for your sins upon the cross; He died in your place on the cross; He paid the penalty you deserved for your sins on the cross. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). That is the greatest Christmas message of all. And we should to acknowledge that truth before God and in the sight of humanity (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10).

Ask God by faith to forgive you of your sin based on your accepting what Jesus as Savior has done for you on the cross (Romans 6:23; 5:8).  When you do this God will forgive you and the Holy Spirit will indwell you providing you a second birth; a spiritual birth (John 3; Romans 8:9-11). You must be “born again” as Jesus said, if you want to enter heaven.

Advance in the Spirit (who is now in you) and depend on God to help you bear spiritual fruit and live for Jesus. God knows us and knows who easily we are tempted to sin. He promises to show us a way around sin so that we can stand up to every test (1 Cor. 10:13). That is true for the “little” temptations as well as the “big” ones. What causes people to stumble varies greatly, but God’s promise to all is to show them how to overcome and march through to victory.

We can learn a lot from that short verse in the gospel of Luke. But the thing we need to consider is do we have room for Jesus in our lives, in all of our lives? Have you room for Jesus? That’s the question before us right now. Have a meaningful Christmas and make room for Jesus!