Christmas is about Messy Relationships and Receiving a Gift

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." - John 1:14

It's hard to believe 2014 has almost come to an end! This next week, we will be celebrating Christmas. This holiday has stolen our radio stations, our TV's, our homes, and if you work in retail, our sanity. But this time of year truly is “the most wonderful time of year" for personal reflections for many. Amidst the chaos of shopping, “Elf”, and long hours, let’s take time to reflect on what Christmas means for us, whatever our perspective

What is Christmas about?
The problem is when people go about doing "Christmas reflections" they are often reflecting on their own idea of Christmas, not the actual one. Reflection on our own ideas will lead us to nothing but pride and arrogance. Today's Christmas reflections can often be self-indulgent and legalistic. "Was I giving enough?" "Did I spend enough money?" "I sure hope they like what I got them." "I'm thankful I am so fortunate." These can be good things to think about, but they miss the point.

Christmas has never been about us. Christmas is about God. If we are going to take Christmas seriously, we must see it as Christians do (Say what you want about it being a Pagan holiday, so are the days of the week, but no one is whining there). And for Christians, Christmas is about mystery.

The mystery of Christmas is found in one word...wait for it...incarnation. As John 1 puts it, the "Word became flesh." The Divine perfectly united with the human. The inconceivable was conceived, while never ceasing to be eternal and infinite. The Infinite became finite. In darkness, the light entered the world. God- in the flesh. Christmas is about God.

The Triune God sought to save a rebellious humanity through an obedient human, Jesus Christ. He came as a man, so that He could truly sympathize, but was God so that He would be a perfect sacrifice. He was made man so that He could suffer; He was God so as to be without sin. Two natures, one true person, He was without conflict in mission. His mission was to "save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21). Only Jesus could do it.

Therefore Christmas is also a celebration of the cross. Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice, bearing the wrath of a Holy God. Jesus would die, be buried, and rise again to conquer sin, death and Hell. By faith in this work, He rescues and ransoms people for His glory.

Yes, Christmas is about gifts. A gift. The gift of eternal life. And that is what Christians celebrate and what personal Christmas reflections call us to. We are called to reflect on the gospel- the good news- the work of Jesus Christ and the glorious mystery of His incarnation which is foundational to the gospel itself. We must reflect on the incarnation because without it, our gospel has major holes in it. In fact, without the duo-nature of Christ we have no salvation.

5 Reasons Christians Should Sing and Sing Often

This is a photo from my church choir at Christmas.
http://yellowcreekbaptist.com/worship/

I’m sure we’ve all met those people who “just don’t sing” at church.  Whether due to their lack of vocal ability, shy personality, or (supposed) unfamiliarity with the songs; I have heard tons of excuses for why people do not want to sing in church.  While, certainly singing is not a requirement for being a Christian (faith in Christ alone is!) we find that singing is right at the heart of our faith.

1) Jesus was a “singing person.”  Jesus was all about singing!  One example of this is found in the Last Supper He shared with His disciples.  “After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”- Matthew 26:30.  Jesus does this during a crucial moment in His ministry.  He is sharing what would be His last supper with His disciples before the cross, but He also is instituting an ordinance for His church!  This was a moment to be cherished and remembered and what does Jesus do?  SING!  This raises so many questions I wish we could know!  What vocal range was Jesus?  What song did He sing?  Was this spontaneous or planned?  What we can know is that singing was used as a part of the celebration and was a part of the Son of God’s preparation to suffer.  This bring us to number 2….

2) Singing helps us endure suffering  We can also draw the conclusion that Jesus was a singer because of how much He seemed to cherished God’s inspired song book: the Psalms.  We find that 14 times in the Gospel of Matthew that Jesus quotes the Psalms (ESV Study Bible, pg.2609-2610).  One of the most profound moment we find is when Jesus is on the cross, and of all He could declare, He quotes lyrics to Psalm 22 (Matthew 26:45-46).  In Jesus darkest hour He found comfort in songs overflowing with Holy Spirit inspiration.  As Jesus Christ was bearing out sin, He had a song in His head.  Should not songs of truth be a bedrock for us in the midst of suffering?

3) Singing is a means of fighting temptation.  Once again, in the ministry of Jesus we find another example of Jesus singing.   Jesus, when faced with temptation found power in Holy Spirit inspired Torah and Psaltery.  In Matthew 4 Satan actually tempts Jesus through misquoting Psalm 91, but, He knew Psalm 91 and counteracted with a quote from Deuteronomy.  A song was a means by which Jesus overcame temptation, how much more for us?  Yes, we have the Psalms, but the truth of Scriptures can be communicated via the songs we sing corporately.  Gospel saturated songs have sin conquering power.  In the midst of heavy temptation I often find myself singing, “When Satan tempts me to despair, And tells me of the guilt within, Upward I look and see Him there, Who made an end of all my sin.”  If Jesus fought temptation through singing God’s truth, how much more should we?

4) We will sing in Heaven

Corporate worship is an earthly shadow of a Heavenly reality (Hebrews 9-10), so when we sing we are mimicking (and joining in with) the choir off Heaven!  Revelation 5 pulls back the veil and we hear that the Gospel truth is declared even by glorified saints, “And they sang a new song, saying ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.’” (Rev. 5:9)  Heaven will be far to glorious to want to hold back due to being “shy.”  Worship will not be cold or dead in Heaven.  In fact, many may think we are Charismatic (this coming from a non-Charismatic!).

Certainly we are going more than sing for all eternity, the next verse says we will be reigning as well, but this passage and many others make clear that much of the joy of Heavenly is going to be found in expressing our salvation in song.  Song is not sinful, but in fact even in the garden was expressed by God’s image bearers to express delight (Gen. 2:23).  Singing is at the core of what it means to be human.  Even God Himself expressed his delight in song, which is why we need not fear singing to Him…

5) Because God’s singing over us will always be louder than our singing to Him

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” – Zech. 3:17 (ESV)

The glorious news is that God does not accept us because we sing well, or because we sing loud, but God sings over us because of His great love for us in Christ.  Christ died that God might sing.  Sing over sinners.  Delight over you.  You.  In the gospel, God sings a song over you.  Even on our “best” worship days, the singing of God over His people will always be louder than a congregation in chorus together.  That, my friends, is good news.  News good enough to sing about.

What Does it Mean to be Filled with the Spirit?

Photo Credit and Helpful Blog Via Cripplegate

So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;  always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;  and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. – Ephesians 5:18-21 (NASB)


     What does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit”?  Many have given attempts to answer this question, but often I find the answer is not found using the Scriptures but subjective experience.  Often the Holy Spirit of God has been put in a box to be nothing more than a “warm fuzzy” which seems to only come when the slow songs are playing, and on the 6^th repetition of the bridge.  "We can unleash Him, we just have to get the situation right."  "We just have to set the mood."  But, according to the Scriptures, we have it reversed.  Being “filled with the Spirit” is not produced by our Sunday gatherings, but our being filled with the Spirit produces our Sunday gatherings!

What Window Blinds can Teach us about Corporate Worship

"Also for the house he made windows with artistic frames." - 1 Kings 6:4

The windows in the temple of God communicate much to us about worship.  First, we know based on how other translations rendered this verse, they are "latticed","beveled" or "recessed" (i.e. the windows of the temple have blinds!).  What does God's interior decorating teach us?  First and foremost,worship must be functional.  The blinds serve a basic purpose, light the sanctuary so the priests can work.  So whatever is done in corporate worship must be done for a purpose, so the people of God (priests)  may do the work they are meant to do (the meaning of liturgy is “public- work”). What is our work?  Our work is to worship God through proclaiming the Gospel.  All of a worship service is about the Gospel: from the songs we sing (Col. 3:16),to the ordinances  we observe (Roman 6, 1 Cor. 11:23-34), to the sermon that is preached (Luke 24:44).  Our worship must function for the end of proclaiming the Gospel.

I'm Back!!!

After the advice of a friend I am back to blogging.  Hope to do it as the Lord gives me insights into His Word and grants the opportunity to share it with others.  Not going to allow it to consume me, but to be consumed by Him!  May it richly bless others.

Hebrews 13 is a reminder that "acceptable worship" has nothing to do with which instruments we play or the clothes we wear, but the lives we live.

A Prayer for Overflowing with Thankfulness

--Scotty Smith

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 

Col. 2:6-7

 Dear Lord Jesus, I want to be a man who gives you the quality and quantity of thanks of which you are so absolutely worthy. Not like a slow drip, a babbling brook, or a meandering stream, but like a geyser—a gospel geyser—spontaneously erupting with gratitude any and every moment. I want to overflow with thankfulness, to the praise of your glory and grace!

I have every reason to be like the healed Samaritan leper, who with a stunned heart and irrepressible gratitude returned to give you heartfelt thanks (Luke 17:11-17). I return today, and I want to return every day, to express my profound thankfulness.

From the first nanosecond I was given faith to receive you as Savior and Lord, I was fully and firmly rooted in your righteousness and love. Now, completely forgiven, I have no other righteousness than yours. Just as I cannot add one iota to your righteousness, I can never, ever be separated from your love, and your love, alone, is better than life. You have already set me free from the penalty of sin, you are continually setting me free from the power of sin, and one day you will set me free from the very presence of sin.
Jesus, I want to live in you—reflecting upon your glory with an unveiled face and marinating in the riches of your unfailing grace. I want to be built up in you, maturing by the same grace that saved me, being liberated for the race that you’ve set before me. I want to be strengthened in you, forgiving others as you have forgiven me; forbearing with others as you forbear with me; accepting others as you accept me—loving as your beloved.

Lord Jesus, how I would love to be already done with all of my carping and droning, all whining and complaining, all boohoo-ing and Eeyore-ing, and with every other expression of ingratitude. But until that Day, rise up in me this day, and set my heart, voice, hands and feet free to love you and serve those around me. Oh, Fountain of Grace, Oh, Artesian Spring of Life, set me free. So very Amen I pray, in your glorious and grace-filled name.

Great God Of Wonders

By Samuel Davies

Great God of wonders! All Thy ways
Are matchless, Godlike and divine;
But the fair glories of Thy grace
More Godlike and unrivaled shine,
More Godlike and unrivaled shine.

Crimes of such horror to forgive,
Such guilty, daring worms to spare;
This is Thy grand prerogative,
And none shall in the honor share,
And none shall in the honor share

Angels and men, resign your claim
To pity, mercy, love and grace:
These glories crown Jehovah’s Name
With an incomparable glaze
With an incomparable glaze.

In wonder lost, with trembling joy,
We take the pardon of our God:
Pardon for crimes of deepest dye,
A pardon bought with Jesus’ blood,
A pardon bought with Jesus’ blood.

O may this strange, this matchless grace,
This Godlike miracle of love,
Fill the whole earth with grateful praise,
And all th’angelic choirs above,
And all th’angelic choirs above.

Who is a pardoning God like Thee?
Or who has grace so rich and free?
Or who has grace so rich and free?

"If you think the worship services are too long now, wait till you get to Heaven, it'll last forever."