Repentance, Part 2

peace spoken to the wind

healed broken by my sin

found sinner saved

wayward returned again

love comes in waves to win



peace flies with olive branch

dry land is found tonight

lost at home now

pilgrim on solid ground

Love's Champion is crowned

Victory Bought

Uneven
irregular heart
beating for You
broken by me
overcome by worry
needing sincerity

In Your arms
all alarms cease
no harm to me
Your presence settling
like a calming voice
guiding my choice

grace envelopes
measures my own voice
steadies my gait
readies, I await
realizes purpose known
lost now found

cleanses my error
renews forever
changes the pace
blesses by grace
the hidden manna
the revealed mystery

The Glory of Christ: The Aftermath

Christians are not exempt from forgetting to acknowledge Jesus at Christmas. We are prone to wander, and if we are not reminded often, we can drift from life-sustaining truth and swerve into oncoming strength-draining error. We must, as 2 Tim. 2:8 tells us, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead”. He came to die; that’s why He was born.

In the midst of the hurried post-Christmas let-down I want to call attention on what happened soon after Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:21-40. The Story begun earlier continues. Jesus was named according to the Word of God. His parents presented Him to God 40 days after His birth. The birth of Christ was acknowledged by 2 prophets: Simeon and Anna. The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple at the exact time Joseph and Mary were bringing Jesus. He was “in the Spirit”, under the influence of, directed and guided by the Spirit of God. When Simeon took the Child in his arms and God’s Word was fulfilled to him right then and there. The Holy Spirit revealed that to him.

Simeon says Jesus will bring many in Israel to the point of moral decision; some to destruction, collapse, they will fall, disbelieving, stumble on Jesus (to those who reject He is as 1 Pet. 2:8 says “a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense”); others will be exalted, resurrected, they will rise, due to faith in Christ as the only way to salvation. Mary will deal with the sword of personal grief watching her Son die. The divisions caused by people’s sin and rejection of Jesus would deeply affect Mary. How could they not.

And there was Anna who rejoiced in Jesus. A prophetess, we do not have a direct quote from her but she spoke of God accurately & praised Him. Hers is an example of continual worship & service. Godly Anna, 84 years old, continually served God; a humble servant who lived in God’s presence. If you think you don’t have much to offer God, take heart, He accepts whatever is brought with a willing heart. Anna offered fasting and prayers. Nothing is too little; everything counts in God’s economy.

I see this pattern in Luke 2:21-40 that is seen elsewhere in Scripture. Promise, fulfillment and praise. God making a promise, keeping it, and the resulting worship people give Him. You can see it on a micro level, in what Simeon and Anna said and did; and on a macro level…in what God did throughout history.

1st there is God’s Promise. God is faithful to all His promises. His promises are rooted in His eternal purposes; He doesn’t have plan B’s. Christmas wasn’t God’s second plan. It didn’t start in Bethlehem or Jerusalem, but before the foundation of the world. He purposed to save a people for His glory before the world was. And He always acts for our good and His glory.

2nd there is Fulfillment. Simeon holding the Child. God brings His plans to fruition exactly how and when He has planned; no plan of God can be thwarted. Waiting for God’s fulfillment calls for expectancy, patience, endurance. Ps. 37:7 rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him. Ps. 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. His timing is perfect.

3rd there is Praise for what God has done. He instigates, enables and sustains it by the Holy Spirit. Worship & service are sometimes seen as separate; but Biblically speaking they are very connected. The Greek word Latreuo, means to serve God, to worship God; means to serve or worship voluntarily, with gladness, not under compulsion or forced. Refers to the Levites service; their service was worship; their worship was service; one and the same. Responding in praise, calls for service flowing from a worshipping heart (Ps. 100:2; Col. 3:23-24; 1 Pet. 4:11).

We are waiting for God to act. We wonder what to do in life. We wonder where God is leading us. We need to follow the example of Simeon and Anna. They acted on the promises of God. We are called to do the same. We must love Jesus, stay connected to His Word, and trust the Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth.

REPENTANCE

Friend lost
great cost

Rend me
bend knee

Mend heart
new start

Friend found
Solid ground

The Aftermath

After all
The arrival was
Obscure
Non-descript
Unnoticed by the important
Valued by the poor

Royalty
Righteousness
And pain
Was His goal
To fulfill
To make whole

But He was seen
As dated
Shallow
Narrow
Accused of many things
That did not stick

Arms length perspective
Upends the ruse
Reveals shallowness
Betrays false confidence in man
Simple truth prevailed
God’s timeless wisdom won

Hollow the wisdom of the world
To be abandoned
The Cornerstone is settled
Of great worth
Jesus is forever
True wisdom, strength and depth

What happens after Christmas?

We know what happens after Christmas in our culture: return shopping, sale shopping, ‘going to get what you really wanted but didn’t get’ shopping; football games, decorations taken down, and just a general letdown after such a big buildup. We take a breath for a few days and then dive in for more after New Years. Oh, and exercise equipment sales balloon after everyone’s waistlines grow from eating so many goodies.

And all of this can and does often take place without any thought or mention or acknowledgement of Jesus Christ being born in Bethlehem so long ago to ultimately die in Jerusalem some thirty years later. People just live for themselves with no thought of God. Many who read these words today once lived like that. But now, by grace through faith in Christ you have been reoriented. Your life has been changed by Jesus, who came to earth and became one of us, to die for sinners.

The incarnation, God becoming man in the person of Jesus Christ is the single most important event in history. And so many live without thought of the One who lived and died so people made in His image might have life. Today I want us to focus our attention on what happened soon after Jesus’ birth. In the story I hope you will see as 2 Cor. 5:15 says, that "the love of Christ controls us, having concluded that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and rise on their behalf". We who live can live life to the fullest because God has gone to the fullest extent to give us life. That the reason we have reason for living is because God is faithful – He has made a way possible for us to be made new and in faithfulness He sustains us. Because God is always faithful we can live fruitful lives for His glory.

In Luke 2:21-40 you see what happened soon after Jesus Christ was born. What happened after Christmas. How a man and a woman responded to God in the flesh. It shows that men and women responded to Jesus, the rich, the poor, the old, the young, whosoever will come to Him, God accepts those who choose to respond in trust and obedience as He enables and directs. All He expects of us is trust, obedience and action; He provides the necessary tools, all the gifts, abilities, heart and desire required.

But we must act. Some friends of ours were on that Northwest flight that was interrupted by a would-be terrorist on Christmas day - a passenger ignited something that would have caused much harm if someone had not acted and acted quickly. Someone acted to apprehend the perpetrator before something terrible happened. It was his time to act and he did. The old saying that the only thing it takes for evil to spread is for good men to do nothing held true in that situation.

It reminds me of Daniel 11:32 “the people who know their God will display strength and take action”. Like God said to Joshua as He was commissioning him to replace Moses: “Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous…only be strong and very courageous, be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart form your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success (act wisely). Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5-9)

Time is not waiting for us. Time doesn’t wait, it keeps going. The time is now to act, the time is now but we are always waiting for ‘someday’ aren’t we? Danger is in waiting for someday and it never comes, because today was our someday.

If you know Jesus, God is with you, He has given you His promises, and He has either fulfilled them, is fulfilling them, or will fulfill them; so you can move confidently, dependent on Him for strength and wisdom, to do what is good, right and true. Take a step of faith. And see what God will do.

The Glory of Christ: The Arrival

The actual arrival of the baby born in Bethlehem – seen in Luke 2:1-20 - can seem so everyday, so obscure, so quiet. It was on many levels. What God did in sending His Son, God in the flesh, was genius in its simplicity. Too much fanfare would have called too much attention. God invaded time and space and showered His amazing grace on humankind, in a universe-exploding way; sending His Son behind enemy lines; so stealth, so perfect, only God could pull it off.

How do we respond to such understated glory? How do we grip its significance? By going to the actual story & seeing what we can see in its plain and straightforward words. Lead off is that Caesar called for a head count, a census. By AD 6 wide-scale censuses were taken every 14 years. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, probably on foot or borrowed animal; 80 miles or so over rough territory. While there Jesus was born. Nothing in the text indicates they showed up late at night with Mary about to burst. They may have been there for weeks. The way the story is commonly told conjures up pictures of going to a local motel and being turned away, with a rude innkeeper to boot. But inns in those days were dangerous places to stay; robberies were common. God was protecting and providing for His Son. He led them to a quiet, warm, safe place away from crowds. Bethlehem, which means house of bread, was the birthplace of the Bread of life.

God announced Christ’s birth to lowly shepherds who were watching flocks, probably those raised for temple sacrifice, since they were nearby Jerusalem. Despised shepherds, whose work kept them from participating in the temple activities, were pasturing the flocks at night, suggesting that is was probably summer not winter. The angel told the shepherds “I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord”. The gospel is always good news! Great joy is the result of a true understanding of Jesus. It is about all people; the message is all inclusive of races, cultures, languages, people groups. It is a message of urgency: now is the day of salvation. It is about a Savior who is needed because sinners need to be rescued. Christ means anointed one; the Messiah; the promised deliverer; Lord means master; one to be followed & obeyed; worthy of allegiance.

The Shepherds went to see Jesus. Amazed, they came and saw. And after that they shared the news. They followed Is. 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come; the glory of God has risen upon you”. They told Joseph & Mary what they’d heard about Jesus! What confirmation of what His parents had been told!

In the Arrival story we see God’s greatness. Caesar Augustus (Octavian) was ruler of the entire Roman world; all the inhabited earth. The great-nephew of Julius Caesar; he fought his way to power by defeating Antony and Cleopatra. The 1st to be called “Augustus”, which means “holy” or “revered”. The Roman senate voted to give him the title and he did not refuse it. Up to that point the title was reserved only for the gods. While he ruled people started thinking of Caesars as gods. At the time Luke wrote some Greek cities in Asia minor had adopted Caesar’s birthday, Sept. 23, as new year’s day, calling him their “savior”. Some called him “savior of the whole world”. Rome and Augustus had beaten every opponent into submission. At the controls of the known world was a self-proclaimed, universally accepted lord and savior. Luke shows the contrast, the real Savior had finally come, all imposters were to be rejected. This passage is all about Christ v. Caesar; He who was humble and gentle in heart v. he who was pompous and arrogant of heart. God the Son who allowed Himself to be made lower v. man who allowed himself to be worshipped as a god. Luke is showing how great Jesus is compared to Caesar. Kent Hughes said The baby Mary carried was not a Caesar, a man who would become a god, but a far greater wonder – the true God who had become a man!

We also come face to face with God’s presence. Whenever an angel brought good news he would say do not fear, assurance that God was with the person, on their side for blessing. God with us. Emmanuel. Don't miss the reality of what God did because it is so commonplace to us now; the incarnation, God in the flesh; unfathomable (See John 1:1-14). God Almighty became one of us to do what we could never do. Sinless, perfect, Spirit-led Jesus became sin for us so we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

A growing awareness of God’s greatness and presence leads to Great Joy. We look desperately for things to save us from pain, loneliness, despair – we make them our functional saviors, our “Caesars” - when there is only one true Savior who brings true joy. Joy is not found in all the things we try and find it in, but in God Himself, specifically in a relationship with Jesus Christ, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Because of our sin our joy is often negated, replaced by sorrow and misery. But God is great, and He is present and He gives great joy. Give glory to God.

We celebrate the day of Christ’s birth. One day some 30 years later Christ died for sin. When Caesar Augustus died some comforted themselves with the thought that he really didn’t die because gods don’t die. Futile. Because Jesus died for us we are comforted with the truth that if we believe we will never die. Christ was born to die. When Christ was born God was saying This is War. He was declaring war on sin and death. The battle had been ongoing. This was God sending troops; actually His troop, to deliver the final blow. One man, on one mission, settled forever, soon to be accomplished. All for God’s glory, so that He who is truly magnificent, Jesus Christ, would be praised forever.

Soli Deo Gloria

The Arrival

Ransom of a thousand words
Spoken before faith gave sight
no crown or swords
to rescue those who had no right

He went in behind the lines
For haters and talkers, for liars and thieves
His arrival perfectly timed
For better and worse, for you and me

Counted along with the lowest rung
This One to Whom millions had sung
Praises and blessing and hallelujahs
Even before He ever was born

Sent, protected and assured
slandered, accused yet completely pure
Dead, buried and Risen, salvation secured
Incomparable love found the cure

This One, my Savior
This One, Forever
This One, no other
Jesus Christ

Glory to God.

Christmas Words Highjacked!

The world, the flesh and the devil have hijacked several deep and meaningful Christmas words and turned them into shadows of their true meaning. We're stealing them back!

Love, peace, hope, joy have been stolen from their Biblical context and turned into farces – humanistic emblems unworthy to be called by their true name.

Love. The world says it is merely an emotion, a feeling based on how others make you feel; therefore treat others how they treat you, so love to the world is a reciprocal thing – more like like, dependent on how you are treated. The biblical meaning of love soars, towers, skies over the worldly one: God says love is a choice based on His eternal, unending commitment, not something that depends of people’s feelings 1 John 4:7-8.

Peace. The world says it is the absence of opposition from others; everyone going along with whatever you want to say or do. Peace on earth to the world means tolerance for anything and everything. God says peace is the absence of strife based on what He has accomplished.

Hope. The world says it is wishful thinking based on chance; God says hope is future certainty based on God’s promised. We hope for what we do not yet see, because God has promised and He is faithful to all His promises. There is 100% certainty to our hope. No wishful thinking here.

Joy. The world says it is short-lived euphoria based on circumstances going our way; God’s says joy is abiding well-being due to God’s doing independent of circumstances. When the angel appeared to the shepherds (Luke 1:10) he said he brought them "good news of great joy which shall be for all the people". God gives joy. It is not found in all the things we try and find it in, but in God Himself, specifically in a relationship with Jesus Christ, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

To "rejoice" means to have a deep, abiding sense of well-being because God is with us. It operates independent of circumstances. Rejoice means to remember the joy, to remind yourself of the joy you have in Jesus. Joy flows from peace (Like in Is. 26:3-4; when our minds are fixed on Jesus we have peace, which enables joy to freely flow.). As Michael W. Smith sang “when I walk with God His joy will always come”.

The Story, The Glory, the Arrival

I have been thinking a lot about the story of the birth of Christ and the glory of God (His greatness, His magnificence) that it reveals.

When you come to the actual arrival of the baby born in Bethlehem, after all the build-up, it can seem so normal, so everyday, so obscure, so quiet. But it was so glorious! God had invaded time and space and showered His amazing grace on humankind, once again, but in such a universe-exploding way. So stealth, so perfect, such a wonderful plan. Only God could have pulled it off.

How do we respond to such understated glory? How do we grip it's true significance? By going once again to the actual story and seeing what we can see in it's plain and straightforward words.

In the Arrival story in Luke 2:1-20 we see the time fulfilled, the baby born, the announcement to shepherds and much celebrating. Shepherds and angels responding to the glorious news. In this story, the details of which are great and the facts contained within are so important, we see three noteworthy things in particular that cannot be missed:

1. Glory. Three times we see the word used. First, in God's announcement to the shepherds, Luke 2:9 says the glory of God shone around them. When God is near, glory is present. Jesus is the glory of God. Second, in Luke 2:14, the heavenly host said "Glory to God in the highest". They knew where the credit was due for what God had done and was doing. Third, when the shepherds left (Luke 1:20), they were "glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen".

2. Joy. When the angel appeared to the shepherds (Luke 1:10) he said he brought them "good news of great joy which shall be for all the people". God gives joy. It is not found in all the things we try and find it in, but in God Himself, specifically in a relationship with Jesus Christ, by grace alone,through faith alone, in Christ alone.

3. God with us. Emmanuel. Amazing. Earth-shattering. Don't ever miss this most important of points. Don't reach for something 'different' only to miss the reality of what God did because it is so commonplace to us now. Plain, simple and unfathomable, incomprehensible. God Almighty became one of us to do what we could never do. Sinless, perfect, Spirit-led Jesus Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Oh my, what glory.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Glory to God.

Getting a Grip on Glory

[Some concepts are hard to explain and tough to comprehend. At least they are for me. In the interest of grasping the idea more clearly, this is a condensed version of a previous post]

When I was a kid we’d go to my grandma’s and grandpa’s home in Joshua Tree for Grubstake Days, where there would always be a greased pig contest, they’d grease up a pig and people would try to capture it. In the world of words Glory is like a greased pig; hard to get a handle on.

We use the word glory a lot in Christian circles. It’s sounds spiritual but what does it mean? If you can’t grasp it it means nothing to you; which would be tragic because it is an important Biblical word filled with meaning. In the OT glory comes from the Hebrew word kabod meaning weighty or heavy; related to a word meaning beautify; signifies how worthy God is of our praise. In the NT the Greek word for glory is doxa. When applied to people it focuses on the value people put on others based on accomplishments. The Greeks highest goal was to be honored and praised by others. In the Bible, glory based on human opinion was radically transformed into glory as the majesty associated with God’s revelation of Himself to mankind.

God's glory is not rooted in our evaluation of Him but in His very nature. By the Glory of Christ we mean His reputation, high position, excellence, greatness and the resulting praise, honor, glory that is due Him. Heb. 1:3 "He is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power".

The Glory of Christ: The Acceptance

On Sunday mornings at Grace we’ve been focusing on the birth of Jesus in Luke’s gospel: the Announcement, the Acceptance, the Arrival and the Aftermath. We want to see & celebrate His greatness & goodness in sending a Savior daily (not just once a year at Christmas) as we focus on the glory of Christ in the story of Christ.

In Luke 1:39-56 we see the Acceptance by Mary (& Elizabeth) of the purposes and plans of God. The news they received didn’t fit with what they were planning for at that point (Elizabeth had resigned herself to having no children, Mary was planning to marry Joseph). In the Announcement story we saw the glory of Christ theologically in the VB; so important the Christian faith hinges on it. It links Jesus to God organically, points to His position as God; and His sinless Perfection. It inspires our trust, as recipients of God’s grace, to know God is in control. Luke 1:37 says Nothing will be impossible with God. God had invaded time and space and Mary was the chosen recipient of wonderful grace. And as there is in any endeavor where Almighty God enters into human affairs, some will worship and some will scorn and at the hands of the unknowing there will be a human price to pay. For her there would surely be questions, whispering, disbelief, scorn, contempt. Such would be the case for Mary, and she bore it beautifully.

Mary visits Elizabeth; goes from Nazareth to the hill country of Judah (100 miles south, a 3-5 day journey). When she arrives it was John who first communicated by leaping in Elizabeth’s womb. Pre-birth John testifies to the baby Jesus! His ministry begins 3 months before his birth (it was lived out some 30 years later, see John 3:29). Elizabeth responds with a prophetic double blessing: “blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb”. She recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Mary sings a song of praise; really a declaration of faith on her part. It includes praise for God’s work for Mary, praise for God’s acts to all, and for His acts for Israel. And God directed the whole process; orchestrated things, cared for His own. Gifted Mary with Elizabeth for 3 months.

The Glory is seen in God’s Action. Acting unilaterally, He promises Jesus, chooses Mary, fulfills His Word and fills people with the Holy Spirit. Our Response is important. Mary believed God, cooperated with Him, worshipped Him, and walked in the Spirit. Filled with God’s Spirit she lived accordingly. The question for us is: How do we cooperate with God, how do we accept His will and plans when it doesn’t fit where we were thinking things should go?

1. We must acknowledge God’s direction and involvement. Acknowledge His sovereignty, Lordship, greatness, because yours or His will be functionally acknowledged. Be dependent on Him and confident in His abilities not your own.

2. Ask God to change our perspective. Ask God to give you wisdom to know where you are off track. Ask Him to show you the truth. Perspective matters.

3. Choose to think and act differently. Choose to praise v. complain, cooperate v. rebel. You are not a victim; it is not by chance it happened, it was allowed by God for some higher reason. Mary didn’t choose to be the mother of Jesus; she chose to cooperate with God. God prepares the hearts of those He’s chosen so they’d be able to respond appropriately to His leadership. He is sovereign and we are responsible for our actions.

4. Live in humble obedience. This is the follow-through step. Continue to take action based on your belief, trust & acknowledgement of Christ’s love and Lordship. 2 Cor. 6:1 says “working together with Him, we urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain”. Read Phil. 2:12-13; Prov. 16:9. The high road of humble obedience is better than low road of arrogant rebellion.

The Result? Blessing and peace. Elizabeth said 1:42 Blessed (Eulogeo) speak well of among women are you, and blessed (Eulogeo) is the fruit of your womb; and blessed (makairos) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord. Makairas means indwelt by God and therefore fully satisfied. Mary said all generations will count me blessed (Makarizo). Makairas is often translated happy, which sells it short. We say we are happy when we get what we want. Read the Beatitudes; they weren’t ‘happy’, they were mourning over sin, persecuted, hungering, thirsting for righteousness. They were indwelt by God therefore fully satisfied in Him in the midst of hardship. When we seek God’s blessing we are asking Him to invade our plans & show us His own. Mary was a ‘living beatitude’; she was filled with God and therefore fully satisfied and at peace.

Peace is harmony with God that results in contentment. Rom. 5:1 “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Ps. 119:165 “Great peace have those who love Your law and nothing causes them to stumble”. Is. 26:3-4 “the steadfast of mind You will keep imperfect peace, trust in the Lord forever for in God the Lord we have an everlasting Rock”.

The Acceptance

[Bringing news is one thing
Accepting it is quite another
And what others do not have to bear
They cannot comprehend]
---
Glory untold
Was beginning to unfold
And dishonor unknown
Became her own

And she accepted it
She embraced it
She resembled it
In godliness and wonder

Still no one could imagine
What dread filled her soul
As misunderstanding took its toll
Save God alone

She was not alone
She had family and friends
And a kindred spirit
With which to share

But still the thought of such sacrifice
To be made
And now unfolding
Surely overwhelmed her

And yet what Grace
What undeserved favor
What composure
Held her to her Lord

Accepting the Will of God

In Luke 1:38, Mary expresses wonder and desire for the will of God. He had invaded time and space and she was the chosen recipient of wonderful grace. And as there is in any endeavor where Almighty God enters into human affairs, some will worship and some will scorn and at the hands of the unknowing there will be a human price to pay. Such would be the case for Mary, and she bore it beautifully. For her there would surely be questions, whispering, disbelief, scorn, contempt.

Mary's response to God? She worships Him. In Luke 1:46-47 she says "My soul exalts (magnifies) the Lord…my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." She accepts and cooperates with His plan and finds true peace and contentment.

Amy Carmichael wrote a poem entitled “In Acceptance Lieth Peace”. It begins like this: He said, "I will forget the dying faces; The empty places; They shall be filled again; O voices mourning deep within me, cease." Vain, vain the word; vain, vain: Not in forgetting lieth peace. It goes on to say that we cannot find peace in ignoring, forgetting, busyness, withdrawal…and closes with these words…He said, "I will accept the breaking sorrow Which God to-morrow Will to His son explain." Then did the turmoil deep within him cease. Not vain the word, not vain; For in acceptance lieth peace.

It kind of mirrors Mary’s response doesn’t it. I am Your servant Lord, Your will be done…be it done as you have said. Our response must be similar if we are going to make progress in Christ likeness. We aren’t initiators with God, but we are responders. We need to respond like the character in Carmichael’s poem as well as Mary in Luke chapter 1; accepting humbly what God lovingly brings, no matter what the personal cost, no matter the discomfort, no matter the short-term outcome because we know it is working for the glory to be revealed that is far superior to anything we know here on earth. To the praise of the glory of His grace.

What does "Glory" mean when referring to God?

When I was a kid we’d go to my grandma’s and grandpa’s home in Joshua Tree for Grubstake Days – and they would always have a greased pig contest, where they’d grease up a pig and then people would try to capture it. It was messy and tough. Glory is one of those words that is like a greased pig; hard to get a handle on.

We throw the word "glory" around a lot in Christian circles – Glory to God, we want to glorify God, the glory of Christ – sounds great – but what does it mean? What is it? Glory is not a word we use in everyday speech, but in the Bible it is an important word with lots of meaning. Glory in the Biblical sense gives perspective to our values. It calls us to deeply worship God. When we talk about the Glory of Christ we mean His reputation, His high position His excellence, His greatness. 2 Cor. 4:3-4 says "and even if our gospel is veiled it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God".

Glory is who and what Jesus is as the image of God, God Himself. God dwells in glory. That’s what we see in phrases like in Hebrews 1:3 "He is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power". In the Old Testament glory comes from the Hebrew word kabod meaning weighty or heavy; points to how impressive and worthy God is of our praise. It is also related to a word meaning to beautify. The glory of humans is subjective; the glory of God is objective. Human glory is rooted in the evaluation of others; God's glory is not rooted in evaluation by others but in His very nature. So when we speak of the Glory of Christ we mean who He is in and of Himself as God. When God’s glory is recognized by humans, all the things we take pride in humanly fade to nothingness.

In the New Testament the Greek word for glory is doxa, which when applied to people is focused on the opinions of others; expresses the value people put on others based on their accomplishments. The Greeks highest goal was to be honored and praised by others. This meaning is completely transformed in the Bible. When the translators of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek chose doxa to translate the Hebrew word kabod; glory as mere human opinion was radically transformed into glory as the majesty associated with God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. What we consider great and famous pales in comparison to the glory of God.

What we mean by the Glory of Christ is: who He is, what He does, His magnificence, His greatness, His majesty, His fame, independent of all. His is self-contained glory, dependent on no one. The world is impressed by appearances – wealth and position are equated with glory and fame; and people desperately seek the admiration and approval of others trying to get it. Christians have a much different view; a different set of values. True glory is found only in the splendor and magnificence of God. We recognize it as we recognize His greatness as shown in His actions.

Our response? We offer Him praise. We give Him glory. We recognize and acknowledge who He is in and of Himself and we give Him the appropriate response: Worship.

God's Sovereignty and Man's Reponsibility

For those who say that man has the final say in everything, for those who champion human autonomy apart from God’s sovereignty – and even for Christians who seem to major on human responsibility over against God’s sovereignty; I want to take a good look at things Biblically. It seems to me, and this is my opinion, that the Bible teaches that God's sovereignty, Him being in control; expects or requires man's responsibility. That God’s sovereignty without man’s responsibility is monopoly and man’s responsibility without God’s sovereignty is anarchy.

What are we responsible for and what is God responsible for? 1st there is God – He is responsible for salvation, sanctification and glorification – all the God-stuff. Then there is man - we are responsible for responding appropriately to God in His strength – all the mankind-stuff. God’s sovereignty anticipates or expects man’s responsibility for his own actions. God is in control. Man has responsibility to respond appropriately to God. We are held responsible for our own sin – can’t blame God or any human for it. We must own it. If we are saved it is because salvation is a sovereign act of God, not a choice of man. Man chooses to respond to God who has worked previously in his heart to give him the ability to respond by faith. Faith and grace are gifts of God Eph. 2:8-9.

Think about the Biblical Christmas story. Did Mary choose to be the mother of Jesus? Did she choose to be chosen? Or did she choose to cooperate? Choose to praise? Choose to go in God’s way and therefore be blessed and experience His peace? I firmly believe it is the most Biblical position to say the latter, not the former. The former puts her in the driver’s seat, where she could drive the plan, and even foil the plan. God is always previous. His grace is prevenient, going before to prepare the hearts of those He has chosen so that they would be able to respond appropriately to His leadership. We are not puppets, nor are we independent contractors. The answer, as is almost always the case, lies somewhere in between, in a quandary of how to humanly explain the unexplainable. God is so high above us, higher than anyone, and His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts (Is. 55) – of course we cannot adequately explain it. But God is good and He is over all and He will one day explain all things to us.

The Announcement Revisited

Luke 1:26-38 should come with a warning:

Warning: this is familiar territory, don’t miss the scenery and especially don’t miss the main attraction. The details point to the Glory of Christ.

The Announcement Story basically goes like this: God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a small agricultural town, obscure and unimportant in that day, but in God’s plan destined for significance; to give special news to Mary, a virgin engaged to Joseph. What Gabriel tells Mary marks the end of all she knew as normal from that moment on. He tells her she will soon be the mother of the Savior of the world; amazing, frightening, incomprehensible news; glorious, but definitely unsettling. God promises Jesus. You will conceive…bear a son…you shall name Him Jesus.

In the story we see the Glory of Christ; His majesty, favored position, His reputation and the resulting praise, honor, glory that is due Him. When Jesus was only 40 days old a man in Jerusalem named Simeon called Him “the glory of Israel”. When he saw Jesus he praised God 2:29-32 & gave a word of prophetic blessing to Mary 2:34-35. [Is. 60:1-3] In Jesus, Simeon saw the fulfillment of the hopes and dreams of the Jewish people across the centuries. After all those years, God's promises were coming true.

There are implications in this for our beliefs as well as our behavior.

We see the glory of Christ theologically; Jesus was born of a virgin. Linked Him to God; He is God. Why is the Virgin Birth so important? Only because the Christian faith hinges on it! There are specific truths fundamental to Christianity: The virgin birth; the perfect life and deity of Christ; the substitutionary death; the bodily resurrection; the physical return. All things we’d die for. So far reaching, remove one and we fall; essential because it is what our holy, loving, perfect God says in His inerrant, infallible Word.

It highlights Christ’s glory seen in His position and perfection. The One who always existed has come in the flesh. He will in sovereignty rule and reign over the house of Jacob. He will have the throne of David, His kingdom will not end. He is the highest, the Greatest, the Best. He is above all, over all, greater than all. He is God. The virgin birth highlights His sinless nature, what is called the doctrine of Christ’s impeccability (unable to sin), His sinless perfection as a virgin born Son of God, God in the flesh. 100% human, 100% God, He didn’t inherit s sinful nature & disposition from Adam because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Totally depraved humans need a sinless Savior.

We see the glory of Christ in our relationship with God; as we trust Him, receive His grace and rest in His sovereignty. Mary trusted God in real time, without knowing the whole story. All Mary and Joseph had to go on was God’s promises. People waited with untold anticipation for the first arrival of the promised Messiah - relying solely on the Word of God. We too need to rely fully on God's Word as we wait for Christ's second coming.

Gabriel called Mary “favored one”; said she had “found favor” with God. The Greek word favor is charis, grace. Mary had found grace with God. Some misunderstand God’s Word and venerate Mary; lift her to a higher place in their hearts than Jesus Himself. She was the recipient not the giver of grace. God showered His unmerited favor on her. It was God's choice of grace, not Mary's piety that was the factor in her being chosen. God picked a virtuous woman, but her virtue did not earn her that favor. It was all of grace, just as it is when we come to faith - by grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone - not by any merit on our part. Chosen by God, selected undeserving, overwhelmed by God's grace.

God is sovereign, not man. God is in control. Gabriel said, in light of Jesus' impending miraculous birth (and with John the Baptist's coming birth to her who was called barren), “Nothing will be impossible with God”. Sweet comfort to all who realize they cannot live without Him who was promised that day in Nazareth, born one day in Bethlehem, died one day in Jerusalem, rose one day from the grave; and has promised one day to return. Nothing is impossible with God.

Christ’s glory is revealed in the lengths God went to save lost sinners without hope in the world. The Highest became the lowest. The Sinless One became sin for us. The Holy One took all our unholy acts and nailed them to a cross where He disarmed rulers and authorities; cancelling decrees of debt against us having triumphed over them by the cross (Col. 2:13-15). He did all that when we were dead in sin, unable to do anything to help ourselves. By faith He made believers alive with Him. We then are able to daily celebrate the love of God in promising and sending a Savior while we await His return.

Taking Another Look

I encourage you to take another look at the Biblical Christmas story this year. Focus on the story of Christ: its basics, its intricacies, its wonder, and focus on the glory of Christ in the story of Christ. See and celebrate His greatness and goodness.

Why take the time to do this? Christmas in our culture gets overly familiar, like a ride at an amusement park you’ve ridden since you were younger. You stand in line waiting, you get on, you ride to the end and you’re done until next time you go through the process all over again. We are surrounded right now with lots of Christmassy things; happens like clockwork; the day after Thanksgiving: stores selling, songs playing, decorations hanging; we are busy with list making, party going, food eating. These are all things that are not bad in and of themselves; but can tend to cloud the real significance of Christmas that by the way nowhere is commanded to be observed only once a year but meant to shape the entire life of those who believe. Its like in Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" where the white witch made it always winter and never Christmas; it’s meant to be Christmas always and never business as usual.

Why look closely at the Biblical account of Christ's birth? So we’d be impacted, changed, strengthened in our thinking and our living. That we would see, know and comprehend that there are significant implications in to our belief as well as our behavior. It is meant for our up-building, our transformation; our growth in salvation and sanctification. Being transformed by the Holy Spirit of God through the Word of God; and therefore daily celebrating God’s love in sending a Savior.

It is why Luke wrote; Luke 1:1-4. He maintains that Jesus’ life and ministry fulfills or completes what OT prophets foretold. Eyewitnesses had passed the truth on from the start. Luke investigated everything carefully; took time to study the facts; wrote so Theophilus (prob a non-Jew who had come to faith in Christ but didn’t feel connected to the family of God) would know the certainty of what he’d been taught; so the familiar isn’t neglected. God wants you to know and live the truth daily that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises and therefore can be trusted, even in the midst of persecution from those outside the faith or lack of connection with those in it.

So take another look at a familiar story. Read what God says in His Word and be changed.

The Announcement

Announcing news
No one had heard
No one had dreamt
No one had found

Revealing the Answer
The mystery hidden
Planned before time began
To benefit the sons of man

People thought they had unlocked the code
Thought they had opened the safe
Wondered what the plan might be
Watched for perfect time

Until at last the lock was sprung
The case opened, the door ajar
Mystery unleashed
Far as the curse be found

Forevermore to help the lonely
The awkward, the diseased soul
The wandering spirit
Far will the promised One go

No more to be silent
Unleashed in obscurity
Riding in victory
For what will be never impossible

To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace

Ephesians 1:3-6 says that God has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ", that He "chose is in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him", that He "predestined us to adoption as sons according to the kind intention of His will", and that this was all to happen "to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."

What amazing, glorious news! What life-transforming truth! That I was known by God, chosen by Him, to be blessed so greatly and to turn and praise His glorious grace as a result. It matches John Piper's assertion that God's love for sinners does not lead Him to make much of them, but that it leads Him to free them and empower them to make much of Him. Everything exists and finds its ultimate purpose in praising the glory of God's grace.

The birth narratives of Jesus Christ's first advent to earth show these truths. What God had planned long ages before the world began; promised (since Genesis 3:15) and repeated so many times by His prophets through the years, was also perfectly timed for man's good and God's glory. Galatians 4:4-5 tells s that when the "fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."

So when we read the accounts of Christ's birth while knowing the rest of the story up to His impending second advent to earth, we must remember that they who first heard and experienced it did so in real time, without knowing the rest of the picture. And the answers God gave within the story are the same answers we need to walk through life embracing, really clinging to. "Do not fear, God is with you". "You have found grace with God". "Nothing will be impossible with God".

God sympathizes with us in our weakness - when we are misunderstood as Mary surely was, when we are lonely, wounded, hurting; because we know that things aren't always what they seem. The news announced to Mary was cosmically glorious and humanly shocking at the same time, open to much misunderstanding on many levels - Mary and Joseph's honesty, integrity and purity were questioned - though they were intact and blameless - only they and God knew.

We rejoice in the good news that God in Christ brings hope to hurting sinners. We bask in God's grace. Even in the midst of heart-wrenching illness, relational challenges, vocational struggles and economic woes. We rest content knowing that everything is in the hands of Him who purposed such miraculous wonderful things; and that even in the midst of misunderstanding, and doubt, God's glory still shines through in redemptive connections seen all throughout life. We see how He has worked "all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). How good is God!

We desire not to be made much of, not to be the center of attention; but to make much of God, to make Him the center of all our attention and adoration.

The Glory of Christ: The Announcement

The story is familiar. God sends the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to a virgin named Mary. He tells her that she will soon be the mother of the Savior of the world. Amazing, frightening, incomprehensible news. Glorious, but unsettling.

The story (Luke 1:26-38) is so familiar it's theological and relational clarity is often overlooked or missed. God unveils some significant truths in Gabriel's announcement to Mary: regarding the perfection and position of Jesus Christ. It highlights His impeccability, His sinless perfection as a virgin born Son of God, God in the flesh. It also points to His sovereign rule and reign.

There are deep implications for our beliefs as well as our behavior. Mary trusted God in real time, without knowing the whole story like we do on this side of the timeline. People waited with untold anticipation for the first arrival of the promised Messiah - relying solely on the Word of God. It reminds us that we too need to rely fully on God's Word as we wait for Christ's second coming.

Another implication has to do with the grace God showered on Mary. Gabriel's first word to Mary was "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." (Luke 1:28) What loving comfort in such a terrifying situation! He went on to say "Do not be afraid Mary; for you have found favor with God" (Luke 1:30). He called her by name, signifying that she was known and special to God, and he reassured her. The Greek word "favor" is charis, grace. Mary had found grace with God. It was God's choice of grace, not Mary's piety, that was the determining factor in her being chosen. Yes, God picked a virtuous woman, but no, her virtue did not earn her that favor. It was all of grace, just as it is when we come to faith in Christ - by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone - not by any merit on our part. We are chosen by God, selected, unmerited, overwhelmed by God's love, grace and mercy.

Finally, the power and glory of Christ is seen in the fact that Gabriel also said, in light of Jesus' impending miraculous birth (and with John the Baptist's coming birth by her who was called barren), "Nothing will be impossible with God". It is God who is sovereign, not man. God holds the keys to life and death. Our times are in His hands.

My Preaching Prayers

I often find myself praying these words (or something similar) before I go up to preach on Sundays (they are also written in the front of my Bible):

"Lord, Your will be done; Your strength and power be evident; Your Name be praised; Your people be blessed; Your Word go forth; all for Your glory. Amen."

"Lord, I pray that the words You give me for others will be words that create in them a hunger for You and Your Word. That they would be consumed with thoughts of You! For Your glory, for Your kingdom, for Jesus' sake, in Jesus' Name, Amen."

"Do a miracle Lord."

"Lord, what do You want to say to Your people today?"

"Lord, thank You for giving me work that I love and is a passion for me. May only helpful words flow from my mouth and only helpful actions from my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

"Lord, help me go beyond the obvious."

"Lord, I am nothing and can do nothing without You!!!"

"Lord, use me for Your glory!"

"Lord, use me however You want. Let me be transparent, nothing hindering Your work. Available. Ready. Trusting. Your will be done. All praise and honor to You!"

Come to think of it, these are good things to pray every day!

On Preaching

Contrary to popular opinion, preaching is good. As long as you are preaching the inerrant, infallable, perfect Word of the Living God that is.

I am a preacher. I am called by God to preach the Word of God; to preach the gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. The idea of "preaching" means many things to many people. What does it mean to me? Let me tell you. It means a lot. But before I tell you, let me share with you some of the things I remember often (these are all written in the front of my Bible) regarding preaching:

*"Do you have something significant to say? Can you say it in such a way that I want to listen?" (Gary Stubblefield, my former pastor at Voyagers Bible Church said that)

*"Be yourself and preach the Word" (What Gary Neilan, one of my mentors and former College pastor, told me when I began to pastor Grace Church)

*"Only bring to the people what God gives you. Anything else will rot. Trust Him one sermon at a time" (Gene Binder, former colleague at Voyagers Bible Church said that)

*"Think yourself empty, read yourself full, write yourself clear, pray yourself clean, let yourself go" (Allistair Begg said that)

*"To love to preach is one thing; to love those to whom you preach is another thing. Love them all. Compassion. Those who hurt you most need you most." (Alex Montoya said that)

*"Preaching must be Bold/Authoritative (Acts 2:14-15); Text-driven (Acts 2:16ff); Christ-centered (Acts 2:22ff); Heart-piercing (Acts 2:37ff). Read it (God's Word); explain it (what it meant to them and means to us); support it (cross-reference); synthesize it ("therefore"); apply it (to sinner and saint - "you") (Steve Lawson said all that)

*Exegetical understanding (what does it mean?); Experiential understanding (How does it affect and change my life?); Expositional understanding (How to explain and apply it?) (I think Alex Montoya also said that)

*"3 ingredients to a good message: 1) Meat (logos, God's Word); 2) Milk (simple gospel message); 3) Manna (Rema, specific word for the specific audience. Fresh.)" (Bob Botsford said that)

Now back to my original question: what does preaching mean to me?

It means that I must be open and honest before God and do the hard work of digging and studying and digesting the Word of God, so that I have something to say that is not from me but from God. I must hear from God and be faithful to what His Word actually says, not just what I think it says or want it to say. My task is, as a fallen, sinful human being, to bring a word from God Almighty to the congregation each Sunday. It is a humbling, terrifying, amazing thing to get to do. It is something I love, embrace and desire to do to the best of my God-given ability. I trust God to do in and through me what only He can do.

As I think about preaching, I am well aware that it is often misunderstood, taken for something that is not Biblical. It is good to know what it isn't. Preaching isn't counseling. I am not a therapist, helping people to process their issues and cope with life and 'get through the week'; but God may use me to bring a word of hope and healing to hurting, hungry people.

Preaching isn't about gathering a following. I am not a guru, getting people to focus on me and my way of seeing things; but God may grant someone His wisdom and clarity after being directed to Jesus by me.

Preaching is not for those with a "messiah" complex, thinking they can solve everyone's issues. I am not God; I am not all-knowing, ever-present, sovereign - obviously; but I can be used as an instrument of God to communicate His message to others.

Preaching is not merely motivating others. I am not a motivational speaker who pumps people up to go do something. But God can use me to inspire someone to think great thoughts of Him (God wants us to be Christian thinkers) and yield to Him in such a way that He uses them for His good purposes, so they accompish great things by God's strength, for God's glory.

Preaching involves handling accurately the Word of Truth; giving God's message to spiritually hungry people. What am I? I am a proclaimer and explainer of truth. I am "a voice" of one crying in the wilderness "make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight". I am simply a servant of the One True God, Who alone is Awesome and awe-inspiring, that desires to fulfil His calling on my life and glorify Him.

I am a God-called and chosen communicator of Biblical truth, whose feeble efforts God can maximize and use to reach others with His life-transforming truth. So that people might know the truth and live accordingly in God's strength.

May Jesus Christ be praised.