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!

 

“Giving thanks always for all things”

“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”     – Ephesians 5:20

Sometimes truth gets lost in personal translation. Many times we reinterpret words to fit our own understanding or our own plans. We read subjectively, selectively. We read with subjective selection. We read with a built in auto-correct or auto-edit so that if we don’t approve what we read we instantly dismiss it. There are a lot of reasons for our doing this.

For some subjective selection is a defense mechanism. We get our bank statement that indicates we’ve overdrawn our account and think that just can’t be, there’s no way I did that. We get a notice of employment termination and we respond they can’t do that. We read a blindsiding note from a paramour who wants to end our relationship and we think no, they wouldn’t do that. We read the results from a physical exam that has found a life threatening illness and we think this can’t be happening. In all these circumstances we defend against unwanted information by dismissing the information. But we do so to our perils of reality.

For others subjective selection is the result of rebellion. We read something and dismiss it because we don’t like what we see. We see a notice of a dress code and we take pride in disregarding it. We see, “No bare feet,” and we walk in with bare feet. We see a posted speed limit and callously step on the accelerator. We see “no smoking” and we steam and smoke away. We see signs limiting alcohol consumption and we drink away. The sinful nature is an inherent anarchist.

But admittedly some signs demand dismissing. We live in a better world because of those who defiantly disregarded signs that read, “No Blacks allowed,” or “Jews need not apply.” One day we will see signs like “no Christians wanted” or “Christians need not apply,” or “unisex bathroom.” We will one day see some form of “if you don’t accept same-sex marriage, lesbians, homosexuality, bi-sexuality, transgender you need not enter here.” When we see such words we will need to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. . . . [and] stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). 

And for others subjective selection is the result of misunderstanding. Maybe we read something and we just don’t understand what the message is. We don’t understand that chemistry formula or how an element is constructed and we cast its worth aside. We’re confused at the form at the Department of Motor Vehicles. We can’t understand the tax code. Who can figure out the car manual? Who can understand (or has the time to read) that online explanation for the newest software or latest IPhone agreement? In this age of information it’s hard to understand and easy to misunderstand.

But for whatever reason, when we come to something in God’s word that we don’t like or can’t accept, or don’t understand it’s never a good idea to go into subjective selection mode. It’s never a good idea to ignore what you simply view in God’s word as negative or not relevant to your world view. It’s never appropriate to delete what you don’t like and parse verses out of your personal interpretation. We see this in the politician’s selectivity when it comes to quoting scripture. They quote a verse that supports their purposes but neglect other scriptures that don’t serve their talking points. We see this when God’s word prohibits immoral lifestyles and people ignore or discount that part of God’s truth. They do that to excuse or even make it appear God condones the sin He so clearly prohibits. You can’t cherry pick God’s word.

We are not in a position to pick and choose what we will and will not accept as God’s word. God exalts His word above His own name (Psalm 138:2). The entirety of God’s word is truth (Psalm 119:160). God’s word is perfect (Psalm 19:7). God’s word is “holy,” it is unique and high above any other form of words (Psalm 119:140; Romans 1:2). God’s word is powerful (Hebrews 4:12). God’s word is effective; it will accomplish God’s purposes (Isaiah 55:11). God’s word defines sin, depicts its dangers and shows us how to avoid it victoriously (Psalm 119:11; 1 Corinthians 10:13). And that is why in His word God commands, “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2). We would be wise to accept God’s word as it is. If we ignore, omit, purposely misinterpret, or discount something in God’s word because we don’t like what it says, we need to understand God’s word will stand (e.g. Matthew 24:35). Our words will fall when they hit the righteous wall of God’s word. We will wither like grass. God’s word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).

One example of a portion of scripture that tempts us to question involves the circumstances in which we are to be thankful. Certainly it isn’t wrong to wonder how God would want us to be thankful “always for all things.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 it says, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” When Paul writes this we question what “everything” means. We are tempted to think, that can’t be. We’d like to think that the word “everything” doesn’t really mean everything. We subtly ponder, surely God couldn’t mean for us to be thankful in times of tragedy, pain, hardship, loss, offense, persecution . . . .  But if God’s word says something, just because we question it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. God’s word stretches our understanding. God’s word is written from an eternal perspective. To disregard the “everything” in this verse about thanks would rob us of one of the transcendent glorious truths of God’s word. When God’s word says “everything,” it means everything. That’s the truth.

Look closely at that verse in 1Thessalonians 5:18. The “in” gives us an out. It doesn’t say we are to be thankful for all things but in all things. In other words we may not like what is happening but we are to maintain a spirit of thanks to God in the midst of and through difficulties. I can understand that a bit better. I can get my mind and heart around that instruction. But in light of the many hardships life so frequently comes with, it’s a much harder sell to be thankful “always for all things.” That’s what Paul says elsewhere. He is inspired to exhort his readers “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). How is it possible for us to give thanks “always for all things”?

There doesn’t seem to be any out or getting around Paul’s words about giving thanks always for all things. Those words seem pretty straightforward and almost provocative to anyone who has experienced or knows someone who has experienced the harsh realities and trials of this life. Is that a heartless call to those who experience pain? What about those words, should we dismiss them; auto-edit them; auto-delete them? Is this a verse for subjective selection? No, I don’t believe so. In fact, if you join me in studying this verse I believe it will open the door to not only being thankful always for all things, but it will open the flood gates of God’s joy for you. Let me share a few things in response to these questions.

First, giving thanks for all things is made possible by God’s grace through faith. The phrase “giving thanks” is translated from the single Greek term eucharistountes. Not to get grammatically technical but the grammar of this term (Present/Active/Participle) conveys the idea of an ongoing life attitude. The idea is to have a spirit or attitude that is always giving thanks. This is an attitude we need to actively pursue by faith. It is a product of God’s grace.

The word from which we get this participle is eucharisteo which means to be thankful, give thanks, return thanks, or pray. This is a word of worship. Worship involves faith expressing thanks to God. Further, this is a compound word the root of which is charisteo. Charisteo means to give freely, bestow favor, gratify. Charisteo is linked to the word charis from which we get the English word “grace.” Charis means grace, attractiveness, or unmerited undeserved favor. For example, we are saved by God’s grace. Grace is undeserved favor. Salvation from sin isn’t something we deserve; it is something God offers us freely as a gift of His grace. He offers this gracious salvation from sin in love (e.g. John 3:16; Romans 5:8). We receive God’s gracious gift of salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

But the effect of God’s gracious salvation is life encompassing. We live by grace through faith. We live “from faith to faith” (Romans 1:17). And we live by God’s grace. Paul through whom God chose to write about this attitude of thankfulness also was inspired to write, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Do you see the sustaining grace in that verse? Do you see how by faith Paul “labored more abundantly”? The first thing we need to understand in “giving thanks always for all things” is that it is something we can only do by God’s grace through faith.

Second, giving thanks always for all things is the result of looking “to God the Father.” God our Father is Sovereign. He is in command. He is in control. Nothing that happens to us happens without His permission. Job was severely tested by the devil. But the devil could do nothing to Job without God’s permission (cf. Job 1-2). While Job was experiencing the devastating hardships shared in the Book of Job, he, his wife and his best friends didn’t understand what God’s purpose and plan was. We the reader are given insight in the spiritual element of these circumstances from the very start. But Job, his wife and family and the friends that came to help him all were unaware of this crucial contextual information about the involvement of the devil and spiritual warfare.

Job and his friends go back and forth throughout the book trying unsuccessfully to decipher and make sense of the tragedy and affliction that had come upon this righteous man Job. Job complained and even got angry, but he continued to believe in God. Job reasons, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? (Job 2:10). Though he was severely tested Job persisted, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). Interestingly, Job and his friends attribute all his hardship to acts of God. God permitted the hardship but the evil instrument was the devil. Job and his friends never consider this. Without this book maybe we wouldn’t consider it either. The Book of Job provides us therefore with valuable insight into reality that proves a comfort of understanding to others in history who suffer.

Along with Job many have been brought to a place where, though like Job they don’t understand all that is going on in their lives, still they proclaim, “For I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). And also, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). These are precious eternal insights. But it isn’t until God speaks in chapter 38 that the truth comes out. And even then, God does not provide all the insight we the reader are aware of from the first two chapters. It isn’t until the last five chapters of a forty-two chapter book that God thunders, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2).

The point here is that even though we may not understand our life circumstances, because we do not have all the facts that God has, we should trust Him and be thankful no matter what. While the trials and tribulations God allowed into Job’s life stretched him to his limits and cost him in many ways, the product of God’s plan was a book included in His canon of holy writ that has proved to be profoundly helpful to others throughout history who are experiencing trials and tribulations.

Third, giving thanks always for all things can only be done “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In Romans 8, the pinnacle of scripture, it states, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31b). It says that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:37-39). Whatever we go through in this life goes past the approval process of God’s desk. God is writing a poem and our life is part of the many stanzas (cf. Ephesians 2:10). God has a plan for us (cf. Jeremiah 29:11-13). God really is for us. He has our best interests at heart. We may not always understand that or even believe that but it is true. To prove it God inspired, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

It’s not by accident that in Romans 8:32 God mentions how He, along with His Son Jesus, “also freely gives us all things.” Here is the basis for giving thanks for all things even when the things God allows in our lives do not seem eligible for our being thankful. There is a far greater purpose in life than our comfort, material prosperity, ease, and even our health.  There is a far greater purpose in life than the comfort, material prosperity, ease and even health of our loved ones and others as well.

God’s paramount purpose for all who follow Him is to conform us to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:29). The finished poem of which I spoke above is a poem written with lines of Christ-like followers. God is preparing us for eternity with Him. That requires Christ-likeness.  And the bottom line is that being Christ-like involves sacrifice. Jesus came to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Jesus came to serve in death (Philippians 2:5-11). “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Jesus went to and died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins (1 Peter 1:18-19). And we are called to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21) and walk like He did (1 John 2:6).

We add nothing to the saving work of Jesus. But when we live like Him for His purposes we honor Him and our lives become a living sacrifice of worshipful thanks to Jesus. God’s plan for us is that we come to a place where we can say, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Just as Jesus loved us we must come to a place where the love of Christ compels and motivates us (2 Corinthians 5:14-16). When you get to that place in your walk with the Lord, you will be eternally thankful for all things always.

Lastly, giving thanks always for all things is a work of the Holy Spirit in us. The context of Paul’s inspired words about giving thanks always for all things is an exhortation to allow the Holy Spirit to work in those he was writing to. “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:17-19). Be wise. Don’t try and drown your sorrows with drinking or drugging. Be continuously daily filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will put a song in your heart. The Spirit will give us songs in the night (cf. Job 35:10; Psalm 77:6; Acts 16). Giving thanks always for all things is a work of the Holy Spirit. It’s not something we do in our own understanding or our own strength. Giving thanks always for all things is a product of the Spirit’s illumination. It is the Spirit’s empowering revelation that enables us to be always thankful.

The next time you go through a trial or difficulty remember what Peter was inspired to write – “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1-2). Suffering doesn’t save us. Suffering does provide us with a greater depth of understanding and ability to relate to Jesus. We draw close to Jesus when we fellowship with Him in suffering (Philippians 3:10).

A faith untested cannot be trusted. A faith tested true will never let you down. It will bring you closer to Jesus. It will be a reason to be thankful. It will be a reason to rejoice. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith -  the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9).

Now do you understand a bit more why God said to give thanks always for all things? Do you see how it can be done? Now it is up to us to present ourselves to God for help to obediently practice what God’s word says. By God’s grace through faith let’s be “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen!