December 24

Little things.

It was the collision of my experience from India to the cold embrace of an early Winnipeg winter that fuelled the idea for this blog.  I was going from Curry to CandyCanes (TM) much faster than I expected and had put in my mind to write daily about advent as a means to prepare for the event of Christmas itself.  I'm not sure what I was expecting and I wasn't able to write everyday but when I missed a day I missed trying to capture the little moment that God had set aside for me that day.  And perhaps that was what surprised me the most in this little venture was how God often spoke, encouraged and shed light on something through the little things in life.  Normal things, experiences of each day that I pass by, I simply miss miracles and stories that God has set aside for us to notice.  The frustrations of a leaky rink, a flopsy mattress and a slow moving train became moments that could be unpacked, observed and digested as though they were real physical items...gifts packaged only for me...but I had a choice to open or reject it.  Perhaps one of the gifts I gained this advent was that each moment of the day, God is at work, God is drawing us to Himself, God is pleased to reveal Himself afresh.  He does not slumber, he does not sleep (Psalm 121), I began to see in the writing of this blog that days, weeks and months are not to 'get through', not to arrive at some magical moment (like Christmas morning), but actually each hour God has set aside something quite remarkable.  Can we see it?  Can we take the time for it?  A smile, a kind answer, an engine that starts on a cold morning, a friends' unexpected phone call, the sound of the church singing rich carols.  The list can go on, but perhaps in my writing of this you can consider the little things that God puts in your life simply to bless you, to remind you that He loves you, that he cares for you and is preparing a home for you.  I'm often drawn to where the big things and moments are, thinking anything small and 'ordinary' is not worth my time.  But what if life was not a journey simply to get to the end, what if each minute was an exploration to see what God has packaged for you, like a scavenger hunt with clues and riddles...seems kind of mischievous of God to do that doesn't it?   I'm quite sure that as Christmas moves on, I will move on as well to bigger and busier things...and will drive past the little things God has set aside for me.  I hope not.  Life seems more pleasant, even holy when I see him actively involved.  Perhaps the word, Emmanuel (God with us) is a title I use only when times are really tough, or confusing, but I fail to see Emmanuel in the little things, but it seems this past month for me at least God has been alive, bearing fruit even bursting the seams of the little things to squeeze life into my soul each drop of the way.  Just to be clear, I'm not drifting into some mystical avenue, Scripture stayed the main diet and light for the path, in fact scripture when read slowly with the expectation that God has something afresh for today became real food for the soul.  And it gave light to the experiences I was having, helped me remain humble when my kid laughs at me, or when I could not see my way through a tough turn.  God so graciously gives us His Word, alive, active, sharper than a two edged sword!
Merry Christmas to you, thank you for reading, I trust this was somewhat encouraging.  I'm not sure if I will write much more or what project will be on my mind but I will keep this blog up to post new thoughts along the way.  Let me close from a quote from a friend of mine who wrote recently, quoting Buechner:

“I never heard a tall tale I’d sooner have true than that tale. 

How the Light of the World come into the darkest night ...

so there’d never be cause to fear darkness again" - Frederick Buechner 
             
            wishing​ ​light to you and yours this Christmastide​ ...​

December 23

Isaiah 61.

This is the text that Jesus reads at the inauguration of his ministry, an open statement that this is what he is about and why he came:

"The Spirit of the Lord God is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and freedom to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of our God’s vengeance;
to comfort all who mourn,
to provide for those who mourn in Zion;
to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
festive oil instead of mourning,
and splendid clothes instead of despair.
And they will be called righteous trees,
planted by the Lord
to glorify him."

Isaiah 61:1-3

This night, before the eve of Christmas read these 3 simple verses again.  Look carefully at what Jesus was coming to do, can you see a need in your life for his work?  Where are you at tonight?  Do you need good news?  Do you hope that your heart might indeed heal from its dark wounds? That  chains to habitual sin would be broken?  To hear words of hope...that this year will be full of the Lord's favour?  Comfort?  Honour?  Shame taken away?  That joy might replace mourning?  Despair wiped clean and replaced with a life clothed with purpose?  To belong, to be known and to be given a purpose  by the Lord...to glorify him?  This is what Jesus came for, made possible through his blood and his sacrifice, but this passage is deeply personal and relevant to anyone who has longed for God's hand to work on their behalf.  Take a moment, read the verses again but this time prayerfully ask the Lord to do his great work in your soul, this day, this night, this season...so that you might again experience what it is like to be planted by Him to glorify Him!

December 21

Final Preparations.

Inevitably you have been asked, or will be asked...or perhaps have asked the question of the season:  "Are you ready for Christmas?"  It usually insinuates...have you bought all the gifts you need to buy, is your house ready for guests, do you have food in the fridge and baking in the freezer...something like that.  I was reminded today that the early church did not celebrate Christmas, but rather celebrated Epiphany, the start of Jesus' public ministry.  In that case, John the baptist came along as "A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:  Make straight the way of the Lord--Just as Isaiah the prophet said."  John 1:23.  He's not talking about paving roads, but getting our lives ready to meet our Maker.  In essence he was calling out to the crowds--are you ready to meet the Messiah?  Are you ready for what he is about to say and do?  Are you ready to serve him as your king?  Steve Bell wrote in an advent song, 'Ready my heart for the birth of Emmanuel', echoing what John is asking the people to do.  Get ready!  Some of us are going into the weekend about to run ragged from children's activities, family events, last minute shopping and church events...all good, but these are not the means by which we get ourselves ready for the Lord.  My son lamented the other day that he does not feel the Christmas spirit (he's only 9!), somehow we and the world have convinced him that he should feel a certain mood to experience Christmas and get the most out of it.  But John the baptist is not after a mood, but rather a heart attitude--a recognition that at the coming of Jesus we are in the presence of the divine, listen to his view of Jesus, "He is the One coming after me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to untie."  John 1:27.  If you are after a mood today you'll get disappointed as easily as your hot chocolate gets cold.  The hearts that Jesus came to were the ones ready in humility, ready to receive Jesus as Lord, master and maker.  The ones who humbly asked for help and forgiveness, for mercy and for wisdom, the ones who recognized their brokenness.  But the ones who spent their lives preparing the outside of their lives were the ones who did not recognize him when he came, they spent their lives worrying about the periphery stuff (how they look in public, religious duties, following laws instead of loving people) and in the end, these were the ones who had Jesus crucified.   But who does the Son of God come to:  the humble, the lowly who recognize their need of him, and these were the ones He was willing to call children, even friends:  John 1:10-13 "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."  Lets get ready for sure, but lets get ready by receiving him, by making straight roads in our lives through obedience, confession and even repentance.  These are the marks of the season, far more eternal than tinsel and gingerbread.

December 19

Wisdom from John Piper.
So today, a pastor with a few more miles on him dropped by the church to offer some wisdom and in our discussion he referenced John Piper's daily advent devotionals, so today I would like to simply forward us on to his devotional thoughts for this day.

John Piper's advent devotional for December 19:

"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)
Jesus became man because what was needed was the death of a man who was more than man. The incarnation was God’s locking himself into death row.

Christ did not risk death. He chose death. He embraced it. That is precisely why he came: “Not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

No wonder Satan tried to turn Jesus from the cross — in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11) and in the mouth of Peter (Matthew 16:21–23)! The cross was Satan’s destruction. How did Jesus destroy him?

Hebrews 2:14 says that Satan has “the power of death.” That means Satan has the ability to make death fearful. “The power of death” is the power that holds men in bondage through fear of death. It is the power to keep men in sin so that death comes as a dreadful thing.

But Jesus stripped Satan of this power. He disarmed him. He molded a breastplate of righteousness for us that makes us immune to the devil’s condemnation. How did he do this?

By his death, Jesus wiped away all our sins. And a person without sin cannot be condemned by Satan. Forgiven, we are finally indestructible. Satan’s plan was to destroy God’s rule by condemning God’s followers in God’s own courtroom. But now, in Christ, there is no condemnation. Satan’s treason is aborted. His cosmic treachery is foiled. “His rage we can endure, for, lo, his doom is sure.” The cross has run him through. And he will gasp his last before long.

Christmas is for freedom. Freedom from the fear of death.

Jesus took our nature in Bethlehem, to die our death in Jerusalem — all that we might be fearless in our city today. Yes, fearless. Because if the biggest threat to my joy is gone, then why should I fret over the little ones? How can you say (really!), “Well, I’m not afraid to die but I’m afraid to lose my job”? No. No. Think!

If death (I said, death! — no pulse, cold, gone!) if death is no longer a fear, we’re free, really free. Free to take any risk under the sun for Christ and for love. No more enslavement to anxiety.

If the Son has set you free, you shall be free, indeed!"

John Piper, desiringgod.org, 2017 
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/christmas-is-for-freedom

December 18

What was Gene Autry thinking?

Back in 1946, Gene Autry rode down the streets of Hollywood during the Santa Claus parade as the crowd shouted, ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’.  Here is his take on that event:  “Each year out in Hollywood, California they have what they call the Santa Claus parade.  A few years ago, while I was riding in this parade, I saw smiles on thousands of faces, both young and old alike waiting for a look at that most popular man all over the world.  I can hear 'em shouting now
"Here comes Santa Claus!”
That inspired him to write the famous song by the same chant…’Here Comes Santa Claus’.  It has a nice jingle, but what this song does that no other Christmas song (that I know of) attempts to do is blend a piece of Christian doctrine along with the myth of Santa Claus to create a holiday cocktail for our radios. See if these lines bring the tune to your mind, but the irony is kind of obvious:
 
     Peace on earth will come to all, if we just follow the light
So let's give thanks to the Lord above 'cause Santa Claus comes tonight

I’m not sure if Autry is trying to point people to the true light (Jesus) or to happily blend his Christian faith with the rapidly popular Santa figure.  Whatever the case, it is sad that the most popular man around was Santa Claus, whereas advent points us to the true light.  Here is John’s take on that first advent:
John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
The darkness has not overcome, or as some translations put it, has not understood it.  Isn’t that our day and age today?  We sing and celebrate, put up lights and enjoy the wonders of the season, yet can easily miss the whole point.  We do not understand that God became man to rescue fallen man, to give more than a new pair of slippers or an xbox.  Autry saw the faces of young and old 'waiting for a look at the most popular man all over the world', a mythical figure who represents some of the peace, joy and hope of the season, yet it was the baby Jesus who held the real power to bring peace, to change hearts, to cross every cultural barrier and bring light and life to mankind.  He came to rescue our souls, to give peace on earth by making peace for us with God.  What a great gift!  God is so good, lets give thanks to the Lord above that Jesus came that night so long ago!

December 16

R.C. Sproul,  1939-2017

The man who first challenged my view of God as being far too small, passed away this week.  His book, 'The Holiness of God' would be in my top 5 reading list for any Christian.  For a short reading this evening, here are a couple quotes from Dr.Sproul as quoted in Christianity Today.  He is writing about the peace a Christian has in death, a peace brought to us by Jesus setting us free from the fear of death, Hebrews 2:15.

“When we close our eyes in death, we do not cease to be alive; rather, we experience a continuation of personal consciousness. No person is more conscious, more aware, and more alert than when he passes through the veil from this world into the next,” he wrote, six years before passing away in a suburban Orlando hospital.

“Far from falling asleep, we are awakened to glory in all of its significance. For the believer, death does not have the last word. Death has surrendered to the conquering power of the One who was resurrected as the firstborn of many brethren.”

December 15

Leaky Faith

Winter in Canada means ice hockey in Canada.  I am attempting to make an ice rink on my front lawn, about 18x24 with 8" boards around; its a great way for the kids to learn how to skate, and for the neighbours to stop by and enjoy the same.  This is my second year at this, and last year it was used more for sliding than skating but we'll give it a try again.  I recently noticed that you can buy a tarp for hockey rinks (full size), it kind of creates a big shallow tub that the water sits in till it freezes...but its fairly pricey.  I decided to go with several tarps, overlapping them nicely and covering the rink tucked in behind the 8"boards...sounds good!  Last night I started to flood the rink, seasoned rink advice says 'put the water hose in the middle, turn it on and leave it for a few hours'.  So that is what I did...only to discover my rink leaked (or should I say poured) onto the shared sidewalk in front of our home, turning my rink into a funnel to flood the shared sidewalk.  There I was, 6am this morning salting, sanding and bemoaning my lack of foresight.  The water went under the tarps where they overlapped, creating a mushy slush bed under my tarp instead of a crisp flat ice surface on top.  I have no idea how this is going to turn out, I may wait till it gets much colder to attempt to flood this again but as I watch my dreams of a rink leak onto the yard I was reminded of something.  On one hand I was challenged to stop being cheap, I should have bought the big pricey tarp, that probably would have solved most of my problems.  But honestly, I thought of our series at church right now on Galatians (weird I know), but as I watched my work turn to mush I knew there was an easier and better way, but it would cost more...I had been convinced I could jerry-rig this my own way.
In Galatians Paul is rebuking (almost pulling out his hair) at the young church for believing there was an easy way to get right with God and find peace in our lives--obey all the laws and all the rules...in essence, get really religious and God will like you and all will go well--That's how you become a good Christian!  But Paul is saying that they have become bewitched, that in the end their faith will hold no water (pun intended!), because their faith is based on their works, not the perfect work of Jesus.  Galatians 4:4-5  "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." At the perfect time, God sent his perfect Son to be a perfect plan to restore imperfect man--the gift born at Christmas.  On this Friday, perhaps entering a ridiculous weekend of shopping, gatherings or home prep...I invite you to look at your life, pause, slow down, turn off the radio of all the distractions even for a moment...and look at what you are building your life on and around.  Faith that feels secure by your good works or by having just good things come our way (the hope of Christmas for many of us!), is like my leaky rink...unable to handle the challenges of life, embarrassing because it is obvious to others that it is not making a difference and even dangerous to others nearby.  Zechariah did not have faith to believe what the angel told him about Jesus and John, so he was struck mute till John was born to teach him to trust...that was merciful.  We have just over a week to 'get ready for Christmas', perhaps the best way to get ready is to take an inventory of your life and see if you are depending on your own wisdom and strength to jerry-rig your life--hoping you can hold it together...when in reality the seams and the layers of sin and character flaws overlap each other, letting all the joy, hope, love and peace leak out.  We hope, quite subtly that God will delight in our good works, when in the end God has made it fairly clear what he delights in:

Psalm 147:10-11
His delight is not in the strength of the horse, 
    nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love.

December 14

Fear not.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid...'"  Luke 2:8-10

That is what the angels tell the shepherds, its what they tell Mary (Lk.1:30) and Zechariah (Lk.1:13)...its a common theme whenever the angels show up that they tell people...don't be afraid.  Why is that?  Probably because, as Sally Lloyd Jones describes these celestial beings--as warriors of light, their image is startling even terrifying.  Zechariah is gripped with fear, the great Roman soldiers when they see the angel at the empty tomb are frozen in fear and become like dead men.  Even in the Old Testament, the angels come to Elisha's defence in the great deliverance of chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:15-18).  They are so amazing that even John in Revelation bows down to worship them two separate times he is in such awe at their presence and power.  Its enough to be said that these angels, Gabriel, Michael and other servants of the Lord are majestic, displaying the holy glory of God and the response of humans is shear terror.  Its ironic though isn't it, these mighty beings sent to display the glory and prepare people for One who was greater than they are, yet the One they would sing about was the One who formed them...and yet, He did not come in such glory and power.  Rather, he came helpless, as a baby to a poor family in a small village in a dangerous time.  As Paul says in Philippians 2 he humbled himself in his incarnation.  There is not a more humble and gentle way that God could have chosen to come other than a newborn baby, so that we would fear not, but that he would draw us to himself...not unlike a newborn draws so many to look upon him with wonder and joy.  Philippians 2 goes on and says, "Therefore God exalted him, to the highest place and gave hi the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven (including the mighty angels!) and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-10.  The fear that holds us, the fear of death, the fear caused by sin Christ came to abolish.  So as we worship Him, along with the angels this advent, he teaches us to Fear Not!

December 12

Longings (Part II)

Have you ever said something only to hear someone else say the same thing...but a little better? I came across this writing by Joni Eareckson Tada today about longings at Christmas.  I trust this will encourage you in your advent journey.

"God announced his intentions about the Messiah when he made a promise to Abraham.  And what did Abraham do?  Romans 4:3 tells us that he believed God.  That's all he needed to do.  The rest was credited to him as righteousness. But I wonder how Abraham felt two weeks later. Or months later.  How did his children feel many years later? And what about his descendants, thousands of years later? How long did these people wait before they finally stopped believing? The fact is, many did stop believing. They had no faith. They didn't reckon that God was the promise keeper. As a result, they had no righteousness to their credit.  But others continued to believe. They dreamed of the day, they hoped for the future, they put their confidence in the promise of God. These, no doubt, were the ones who recognized Christmas when it happened.  These were the ones who knew Jesus. These were the ones who waited for the promise. Zechariah, in Luke 1, said, 'Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come...(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago)...to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham' (Luke 1:68, 70, 72-73).  On this side of eternity, Christmas is still a promise.  Yes, the Saviour has come, and with him peace on earth, but the story is not finished.  Yes, there is peace in our hearts, but we long of peace in our world.  Every Christmas is still a 'turning of the page' until Jesus returns.  Every December 25 marks another year that draws us closer to the fulfillment of the ages, that draws us closer to...home.  When we realize that Jesus is the answer to our deepest longing, even Christmas longings, each Advent brings us closer to his glorious return to earth.  When we see him as he is, King of kings and Lord of lords, that will be 'Christmas' indeed!...Christmas is an invitation to a celebration yet to happen.  If you've got a Christmas longing, you're about to be satisfied, too.  Just hold on and say with me...Maranatha!  Come Lord!"

December 11

Snow.

Psalm 51:1-7 (ESV)
             1      Have mercy on me, O God,
      according to your steadfast love;
                  according to your abundant mercy
      blot out my transgressions.
            2       Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
      and cleanse me from my sin!

            3       For I know my transgressions,
      and my sin is ever before me.
            4       Against you, you only, have I sinned
      and done what is evil in your sight,
                  so that you may be justified in your words
      and blameless in your judgment.
            5       Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
      and in sin did my mother conceive me.
            6       Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
      and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

            7       Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
      wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow
            8       Let me hear joy and gladness;
      let the bones that you have broken rejoice

David writes Psalm 51 after he is caught in his sin by Nathan the prophet (see 2 Samuel 11-12).  This is the notorious sin of David (the man after Gods' own heart!), who makes a series of sins that lead to his affair with Bathsheba and then orchestrates the murder of her husband to cover up his tracks. If you read the story its shocking that he doesn't seem to feel any conviction that what he did was wrong until Nathan the prophet exposes him (only because God tells Nathan what happened).  But when he is confronted, David demonstrates what repentance looks like and what conviction feels like.  We don't know how long after this encounter David writes this famous Psalm, but it couldn't have been too long as the tone and conviction seem driven by the reality of the new light shed on a dark sin.
Last night it snowed here in Winnipeg, fresh, new and white.  The dirt, the ice, and the dead grass are all covered with a blanket of new snow and I think of this Psalm--the cleansing of sin and the covering of death with a blanket of grace.  How many of us have sins that linger with shame and guilt that we could only a faint hope that we would be whiter than snow...it would create joy again wouldn't it?  Joy is a resounding theme of advent, David wants and craves for joy (vs 8) after experiencing the crushing weight of his sin, not because he got caught but because he has sinned against a Holy God and recognizes only this Holy God can restore and heal him and create a clean heart.  This is the theme of Christmas!  The author of 'Joy to the world' caught this in the 3rd stanza reflecting on the grace that would come through Jesus:

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

Far as the curse is found in our lives, God's grace cleanser deeper.  Yesterday at church we sang 'though our sins they are many, his mercy is more'.  On this day (assuming you're in Winnipeg), look at the new snow and see that as God has made the city anew, his grace makes anew our souls.  Rejoice!

December 9

Joseph wasn't just a dreamer.

I'm not talking about the Joseph in Genesis (colour coated guy tossed into a pit because his brothers were sick of his arrogance), I'm talking about Joseph in the nativity.  According to Matthew (by the way, it is Matthew who records Joseph's side of the story, and Luke records Mary's), Joseph is a righteous man (Matt.1:19) and wants to avoid shaming Mary due to the strange and very suspicious  pregnancy...Dream 1 (1:20) the angel says: "This is of God! Marry Mary"...my paraphrase. Dream 2 (2:13) After Jesus is born, the wise men show up drawing the attention of the power crazed Herod who vows to kill all the children in Bethlehem 2 years or younger to wipe out any threat to his kingdom (sounds a lot like Pharaoh trying to kill off the Israelites in Exodus). This time the angel says 'take the child and mother and flea', they become refugees in Egypt.  Dream 3 (2:19), another angel appears to him (in a dream) letting him know that Herod has died and they can return.  Dream 4 (2:22), on the journey home, he's warned in a dream about his travel route and he eventually settled into unsuspecting Galilee.  Four dreams leading from Bethlehem to Galilee. Seems like a dreamer to me.  But this evening as I prepare for my sermon tomorrow (spoiler alert!), I'm thinking on the subject of adoption based off of Galatians 4:1-7--that we are adopted by God--wonderful news for sure!  But in my preparation, I was reading a book about adoption by Russell D. Moore entitled 'Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches', and he notes something I had never thought of before regarding Joseph.  I mention the Pharaoh comment before because it seems that Satan has been trying to thwart God's plans through history especially as it pertains to children and the promise of Jesus (see Revelation 12:5...the dragon crouching to devour the child at birth).  Pharaoh gets threatened by the swarms of Israelites and has an order that all the male children under 2 years are to be thrown into the Nile (Exodus 1:22).  Fast forward to the nativity and Joseph is more than a dreamer--he is a pivotal character standing against the forces of hell that are attempting to devour the baby King.  No one would have faulted him if he had dismissed Mary quietly, if he had married a pious girl and lived a quiet life having his 'own' children.  He is more a man of faith than is often given credited for--he believed God even though Mary's pregnancy was a first and no one would believe him.  He believed God even though he had no evidence to be afraid of Herod.  He believed God at every turn, a great example of a child of God (Galatians 3-4). But Moore makes a further comment about Joseph that I will leave you with this evening to consider:  "Joseph's faith was the same kind of faith that saves us.  Very few, if any, of us will have a dream directing us to adopt a child   None of us will be directed to do what Joseph did--to teach Jesus Christ how to saw through wood or to recite Deuteronomy in Hebrew.  But all of us are called to be compassionate.  All of us are called to remember the poor.  All of us are called to remember the fatherless and the widows...Its a shame that Joseph is so neglected in our thoughts and affections, even at Christmastime.  If we pay attention to him, though, we just might see a model for a new generation of Christians.  We might see how to live as the presence of Christ in a culture of death. We might see how to image a protective Father, how to preach a life-affirming gospel, even in a culture captivated by the spirit of Herod."

December 8

Dad, you're not the Special.

Have you ever tried to move a used queen mattress by yourself?  Its not unbearably heavy, lots to hold onto giving you a misleading sense of optimism...but the moment you try to pick it up it takes on the characteristics of a wet sponge.  The other night I was moving one such mattress out of Anthony's room (kids had a sleep over).  I stood it up on end no problem, and in the attempt to pick it up and carry it on my back I nearly knocked out the lights and cleared off one of his toy shelves.  It was at this point, Anthony slyly stated:  'Dad, you are not the Special'.  If you've seen the Lego Movie, you know what he is talking about.  The Special is a guy named Emmett, a simple lego man that is prophesied to be the special one to save the lego universe from ultimate destruction.  I guess as Anthony observed his clumsy dad wrestling with this enormous mattress it was obvious to him that I will not be able to save the universe...I can't even move a mattress across a room!  I had to laugh at his quick comment, and in a split millisecond I went from angry (what does he mean I'm not the special...you try to move this thing!), to laughing at the truth of his remark.  I'm quick to think I can do and take on more than I am able to, thinking I am the Special, or at least have Special abilities that it was downright funny to be humbled in the sight of my 6 year old.  I am not the Special.  Advent celebrates that the Special (God's own Son) was coming, to deal with our greatest enemy and problem--sin in the human heart and the curse because of it.  Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah, the Special in Isaiah 9:2, 8
2"The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
    a light will shine.

8For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
One writer remarked that the greatest thing we can do is recognize that there is a God and we are not him.  We are the people as in verse 2--walking in darkness needing light to break in.  The titles reflect who the Messiah would be but also what he would do...and what we would need:  a mighty God, a wonderful counsellor, an everlasting father and a prince of peace.  Closing off this first week of advent take a few moments and consider these four great titles of Jesus asking yourself--how could these titles of Jesus bring comfort to your life at this very evening?

December 7

Do they understand what they hear?

I was in a big box store earlier today with my kids having a bite to eat in the food court when I noticed something strangely out of place but very appropriate. Christmas carols were playing quietly in the background, not of the Santa Claus or 'All I want for Christmas' variety, but real carols.  Hark the Herald Angels Sing, The First Noel, Joy to the World, it was lovely.  And for a moment I just listened to these familiar carols playing in an unfamiliar environment...He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove, the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love and wonders, wonders of his love...Hark the Herald angels sing, glory to the new born king, peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled...O come let us adore him Christ the Lord...the last carol played and I watched people pay for their goods, pack their bags with Christmas ornaments, wrapping paper and obvious gifts, along with the day to day necessities.  The irony was arresting.  O come let us adore him...Christ the Lord...and I wondered--do they understand what they are hearing?  Do they get the profound depths of the meaning behind the beloved melodies they're humming along to?  I thought of the shepherds that night, 2000 years ago:

Luke 2: 8-15  "That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

The carols of the season are so special, the musical varieties are refreshing but the message declares (like the angels) the great beloved event of the incarnation. Yet I, and most of us hear these carols and cherish the melody and the sentiments that go along with them above the message...not unlike the folks at the store today.  But I think these carols were meant to draw us back to Christ, to marvel at the wonders of his love and worship him as the angels did and to leave us as the shepherds in Luke 2:20 "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praise God for all they had heard and seen..."  Perhaps this advent when the carols come on the radio, let the melody give you the emotion to match the power of the message leaving you to glorify and praise God for what you know and have seen!

December 6

Longings

Advent is a season of preparation, waiting and longing.  As most kids in North America, I saw advent as a season to long for presents and special food that only comes around once a year.  I definitely did not have a clue of the sense of desperation and deep soul longing the Jews had for the promised messiah, you hear an echo of that with Simeon's encounter with the baby Jesus in Luke 2:25-26 "Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.  He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ."  This evening, I was biking to my parents' for supper, yes I bike in winter.  Most days biking in winter is fine, I have studded tires and I dress quite warm.  But tonight, as I biked down the dark streets of Elmwood, I turned a corner only to see the red flashing lights of a train crossing. I slowly biked the block to the train tracks assuming (and hoping) it was a short train.  No luck.  Waiting for a train can be infuriating, there's nothing to do but listen to the radio or if you've fortunate enough to have a podcast, its a brief moment in our hectic well oiled day that is completely out of our control.  At worst its an inconvenience, but when you're on a bike and its -15' celsius its a totally different matter, the urgency is heightened with every passing car.  I stood there for about 10 minutes, it was a long train and I was not dressed to stand in that kind of weather.  I got a new perspective on longing...what do you do when you sit and look at a train?  You look for the end!  You look, longingly, for the end of the train so you can get on with your day.  When it comes, there is a sigh of relief.  Tonight, in the dark listening to the ringing of the railway crossing and looking into the shadows of the train cars passing one after another and feeling the cold creeping into my clothes, I longed to be on the other side.  I knew a warm home, with a delightful dinner was waiting just 5 minutes past, but with the train in between I might as well have been on the other side of the city.  I waited and waited, frustrated and getting cold, the more I looked down the dark tracks the longer the train seemed to appear.  What struck me though, was that as a Christian we long for Jesus to return, right?  During advent we prepare for Christmas, but advent is meant to prepare us for the second coming as well, to long for Christ to call us home, to a place that Jesus has prepared for those who love and trust him, to invite those in who are his family.  This is how the heroes of the faith lived their lives:  Hebrews 11:16 "they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."  A problem at Christmas is that we can long for the good things of this world (not bad in themselves and I hope each of us can enjoy some special memories), but that longing should prepare us to long for our heavenly home--where the fires of hope and peace, joy and love will never be extinguished, a place where we will be invited into the warm presence of our Heavenly Father in our heavenly home.  That's worth longing for!

December 5

The Christmas Spirit.
After writing yesterdays' story I came across some words from J.I. Packer in his book Knowing God, on the subject of the Christmas spirit.  This was helpful for me, so I share it with you:

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich."  2 Corinthians 8:9

"It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas, that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie.  "The Word became flesh" (Jn 1:14); God became man; the divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises. Needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. And there was no illusion or deception in this; the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation...
For the Son of God to empty himself and become poor meant a laying aside of glory; a voluntary restraint of power; an acceptance of hardship, isolation, ill-treatment, malice, and misunderstanding; finally, a death that involved such agony--spiritual, even more than physical--that his mind nearly broke under the prospect of it.  It meant love to the uttermost for unlovely men and women, who 'through his poverty, mighty become rich.'
This Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity--hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory--because at the Father's will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross.  It is the most wonderful message that the world has ever heard, or will hear.
We talk glibly about the 'Christmas Spirit' rarely meaning more by this than sentimental jollity on a family basis.  But what we have said makes it clear that the phrase wshould in fact carry a tremendous weight of meaning.  It ought to mean the reproducing in human lives of the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas.  And the Christmas spirit itself out to be the mark of every Christian all the year round...
The Christmas spirit does not shine out in the Christian snob.  For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor--spending and being spent--to enrich their fellow men and women, giving time, trouble, care, and concern, to do good to others--and not just their own friends--in whatever way there seems need.  There are not as many who show this spirit as there should be.  If God in mercy revives us, one of the things he will do will be to work more of this spirit in our hearts and lives."

December 4

$0.25

In Winnipeg, as in most major city centres there are plenty of folks standing, cap in hand asking for any help possible--often at street corners or standing near mall entrances.  My son, who just turns 9 next week often asks me when we see these folks--'dad, why don't you give him something?'.  I never really know what to tell him, the truth is I actually do not have money and feel fairly comfortable that I am 'giving plenty elsewhere'...not to mention the difficult conversation about enabling someone who may use the money in ways I would not approve.  But then what is the purpose of giving?  Is giving only right if we know everything about where we give to whom we give and how they will use it?  If that's the case, I'm not sure what I should do with most of the toys my kids open on Christmas morning only to find them discarded into the closet or some shelf.  Money wasted...yes, if all I am thinking about is an efficient use of my money in where I give.  So the other day I was with my 9 year old, off to pick up a few things for dinner and was stopped by a gentleman probably 20 years my senior and asked if I had $0.25, I gave him the shrug, the dumb half smile and mumbled 'I'm sorry I don't have anything', I was quickly on my way to go buy something (ironic right?) but before I could slip away from him, he smiled and then said, 'thanks for acknowledging me sir'.  My observant son, who had been watching this guy from a distance told me afterward that people would walk past him and completely ignore him and were rude to him--even though he was gentle and had a kind disposition.  I had to walk past him again (after purchasing my goods in a bag I am now carrying) and I wished him a pleasant afternoon, he smiled and offered the same to me.  When I sat down in the van, I knew I missed something...my usual defences about not giving to a beggar were challenged.  I started rifling through the vehicle for some change, anything...only to find $.50.  I got out of the van, walked up to him and handed him the coins--he was jubilant as though it was a spring morning.  I walked back to the van actually feeling pretty good but what really arrested my attention were two smiles:  the smile and the warmth offered by the man begging, and secondly the beaming smile of my 9 year old--a look on his face saying 'that was the right thing to do...dad you treated him like no one else had'.  So I think I learned something, or am learning something.  Classic Christmas cliche...its better to give than receive has truth to it.  I'll never miss that $.50, and I will never know how it was used.  But I saw the impact it had on the man himself, on my own heart, and in particular on my 9 year old who is trying to form a sense of morality and justice in this world.  I guess it cost me $.50 to see what happens when we treat others with generosity, kindness, mercy and love when they are need.  I'm thankful God slowed me down enough to catch that opportunity.  Next time I walk past that section, I will look for him and see if I can hear his story.

December 3
Encouragement from Whitefield...

So tonight at our candle light service (which was fantastic!), I opened the evening with a brief reflection written by George Whitefield some 250 years ago from a sermon he preached in England.  Here's his contagious encouragement to take seriously the celebration of the birth of Christ.

"It was love, mere love; it was free love that brought the Lord Jesus Christ into our world. What, shall we not remember the birth of our Jesus? Shall we yearly celebrate the birth of our temporal king, and shall that of the King of kings be quite forgotten? God forbid! No, my dear brethren, let us celebrate and keep this festival of our church with joy in our hearts: let the birth of a Redeemer, which redeemed us from sin, from wrath, from death, from hell, be always remembered; may this Saviour’s love never be forgotten!  But may we sing forth all his love and glory as long as life shall last here, and through an endless eternity in the world above!  May we chant forth the wonders of redeeming love and the riches of free grace, amidst angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, without intermission, forever and ever!  And as, my brethren, the time for keeping this festival is approaching, let us consider our duty in the true observation thereof, of the right way for the glory of God, and the good of immortal souls, to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; an event which ought to be had in eternal remembrance.
What can we do to employ our time to a more noble purpose than reading of what our Redeemer has done and suffered; to read that the King of kings and Lord of lords came from his throne and took upon him the form of the meanest [least significant] servant; and what great things he underwent. This, this is a history worth reading, this is worth employing our time about…"

December 2
Hope (Part II)

Hope:  "An expectation or belief in the fulfillment of something desired. Present hurts and uncertainty over what the future holds create the constant need for hope. Worldwide poverty, hunger, disease, and human potential to generate terror and destruction create a longing for something better. Historically people have looked to the future with a mixture of longing and fear. Many have concluded that there is no reasonable basis for hope and therefore to hope is to live with an illusion."  P.K. McAlister

That leads to a cynicism towards Christmas doesn't it?  The world seems to get worse not better, people's hearts seem to harden not soften, injustice continues its sad march through our streets and to hope that it will get better, for some feels like an illusion.  But Christmas opens up the door of hope again, advent invites us to peak into the corners of hope...but its not a hope based on ourselves, on our 'warhorses' of our abilities to change our world that is false hope.  But its a hope based on God, on his reputation and character:

Psalm 33:20-22

      Our soul waits for the LORD;
      he is our help and our shield.
      For our heart is glad in him,
      because we trust in his holy name.
      Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
      even as we hope in you.

And yet...to live without hope is like living without God “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12).

Read the verses of Psalm 33 again, slowly, ask yourself--what keeps your soul from waiting on the Lord?  What keeps your heart from being glad in him?  What robs you of still hoping in the Lord today?
"Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you."

Day 1  December 1

Today is the first day of advent, the official kickoff to the Christmas season, although, the stores have been getting ready since summer…they seem to take preparation for Christmas a little more serious than the rest of us.  I will confess, I am actually writing this on November 18th, I’ve just returned from a missions trip to India to find my Christmas tree set up, snow on the ground, Bing Crosby singing white Christmas yet my heart is far from a reflective Christmas mood.  I’m going from curry to candy-canes and my mind cannot keep up.  So, I am endeavouring to write 24 reflections of advent as a way to push myself into some corners of Christmas I often neglect or simply disregard.  I am tempted to run the same list as last year:  Christmas gift panic, family gathering (panic!), food to prep…nostalgia to be met and my children to be given an unforgettable season of joy and bliss.  There’s a lot of pressure isn't there? I could do all that 'stuff' and still miss the supernatural event that Christmas really is all about.  So for these next four weeks, I invite you to join me on this little journey, I promise the writings won’t be long, they will be fairly candid and personal, and some will be borrowed from others…but I will be committed to reflecting on what the Bible is saying, where it is pointing and perhaps (with God’s help), will see how hope, joy, peace, and love are summed up in the baby in the manger 2000 years ago.

Hope (Part I):

Psalm 33:18-21(ESV)
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.

https://www.facebook.com/elmwoodmbchurch/The war horse in the ancient military would be like having the biggest tank available, it was intimidating and powerful…terrifying the enemy and giving you a distinct advantage in a battle.  But according to the Psalm it is a false hope, it cannot rescue, obviously the Psalmist is thinking of something other than a military battle, something much greater that we need hope for.  Hope is a central part of the advent season—more than hoping for presents of some sort, it is a hope for God to restore peace and life to a violent dark world.  Hope that our children will inherit a future full of life and opportunity.  But the Psalmist gives us something greater than these to hope for:  that our hearts would be glad in Him, that our souls would know that God is our help and shield, and that we would again feel and know the power of God’s steadfast love…as we trust in his holy name.  Hope comes swaddled in the little town of Bethlehem, hope for weary heavy laden souls (Matthew 11:28).