Tag: JEsus

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Bless Technology in Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. There are many who are involved in conducting worship, some in more noticeable capacity and others behind the scenes. Thank you for those with the technological expertise to make sure that the sights and sounds of worship amplify and exalt Christ rather than distract from him. May their gifts also be a blessing to those unable to worship in person, so that they can participate online. Let all who serve in these roles feel appreciated as they use their abilities to edify their fellow believers in these ways. Finally, guide your church as she seeks to utilize technology to extend worship and the reach of the gospel everywhere.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Have Faith in Your Feet

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(Romans 10:12-17)

It’s required to navigate icy walkways in the midwest after a snowstorm. The hiker on a precipitous trail needs it. So does the baby learning to walk. The older we get the more we struggle with it. Having faith in one’s feet. When our steps are uncertain or unsure, we’re more likely to misstep or stumble. When we step forward sure-footed and with confidence, however, we’re usually alright. It makes a difference to have faith in our feet. Each step depends on it.

Paul says it’s important, too, albeit for a much more important reason. When we have faith in our feet as we carry out the mission Jesus has invited each one of us to join him on, we have what amounts to the difference between life and death for others. When our feet bring the good news to others, we have what the Holy Spirit uses to create faith. So let’s make sure we have faith in our feet for the reason that matters most. 

First, Paul reminds us why faith is so important: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (v.13). To state it as simply as possible, believers of Jesus Christ go to heaven. So, then, how does one become a believer? Paul lays out how that happens by essentially reverse-engineering the process. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?” (v.14-15a). 

In order to believe in Jesus Christ, a person first has to hear about him to know who he is. And, if anyone is going to hear about him to know who he is, that means someone has to communicate that to them. And, to know who is responsible for communicating that to them, one has to know who’s responsible for it. 

It’s often said that one something is everyone’s responsibility, then it ends up being no one’s responsibility. In other words, unless a responsibility is delegated to a certain specific person or group, then everyone tends to assume someone else is taking care of it. Ultimately, because everyone assumes someone else is taking care of it, no one does it. The thing is left undone.

But when it comes to the process Paul is describing here, it really is everyone’s responsibility. Every Christian was called to communicate Christ when they were called to Christ. To be a follower of Christ is to a disciple-maker of others. It isn’t complicated. You don’t need me to dissect these words and walk you through the process of disciple-making, because what is asked of us couldn’t be easier: people who know Jesus talk Jesus to people who don’t know Jesus. Pretty simple, right? Not complicated at all. 

So rather than focusing on how we do that or why we don’t, or how to overcome whatever hangups we have, or addressing any fears we might have, or dismantling the excuses we shield ourselves with, we’re going to give more of our attention to the important outcome. It’s the person on the other side who makes this process so important. Here’s the why that drives all of it: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (v.17). 

This verse, coupled with verse thirteen, is essentially everything we’re about. If someone asks you why your church exists, why it’s here, don’t get so caught up in everything else that you forget that we’re here to lead people to be saved by calling on the name of the Lord, and that happens only when faith receives and believes everything Jesus has done for them. That is why we are here. We want everyone to be saved. 

Do we speak enough about that these days? Are we more concerned about offending someone or making someone angry? Maybe it’s a lack of knowledge. Maybe it’s indifference. Whatever is behind it, we cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend to ignore the reality for everyone who does not call on the name of the Lord: they will be cut off from him forever. 

There is a real hell, and everyone without faith in Jesus will end up there. And I think part of the reason we as Christians may not be as comfortable speaking about it is because we are so concerned about giving the impression to outsiders that we somehow derive a sick, twisted joy from getting to declare that. We feel as if nonbelievers have pegged us as getting a kick out of telling all the sinners out there in the world that they’re going to hell, so they better shape up. They see it as an “us vs. them” thing rather than the reality that we’re all on the same sinking ship of sin, it’s just that in Jesus, we’ve found the only life boat that can rescue us. 

While on this hard topic of hell and how we handle it with nonbelievers, it also affords us the chance to ask ourselves how/if we have contributed to the negative perception others have of us in this area. Do they notice us more naturally talking to them about going to hell than about Jesus taking them to heaven? Are we more comfortable announcing warnings than we are the good news? Is it possible that nonbelievers know we’re believers, but are surprised that we don’t talk more about it or care enough about them to share what’s important? Do they interpret our silence as indifference or a lack of concern about them? 

In a video over fifteen years old, a man expressed his admiration for Christians sharing their faith. He talked about a time someone handed him a Gideon’s Bible, and the impact it had on him. He said, “If you believe there is a heaven and hell, and you think it’s not worth telling someone about it, how much do you have to hate him to not proselytize? To believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell people? This man cared enough about me to proselytize.” While the man in the video was sure to point out that this kind effort didn’t change his mind about being an atheist, we can appreciate the point he is making. You may recognize the man in the video: self-proclaimed atheist, Penn Fraser Jillette, half of the comedic magician duo known as Penn and Teller. 

Whatever the reason for our lack of evangelism efforts, we need to go back and apply these verses to ourselves. We need to repent and rejoice that all of our sins have been forgiven, including our dismissal of our calling as Christians to evangelize. Make no mistake – that sin is as deadly and damnable as any other, and even more damaging than many other sins, because not only does that sin accuse and condemn you and me, but it also by default leaves our neighbor who never heard the gospel lost in unbelief! So when Christians clam up, we sin against our holy God, but we also leave our neighbor condemned in his ignorance. Lord, have mercy on us for forgetting and neglecting our own spiritual health and that of our neighbor when we refuse to be the beautiful feet bringing good news to others! 

And he has! Remember, the good news we fail to share is also the good news we need to hear: we are fully forgiven in Christ. Let the Lord’s words to Isaiah resonate in our hearts: “your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (6:7). Let Jesus’ words to Simon Peter ease our fears and sharpen our focus: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people” (Luke 5:10). Without fear, and filled with faith, we embrace Christ’s calling to fish for people.

Let’s be clear. The only way anyone can be saved is through faith in Jesus. How does the Holy Spirit create faith in a person’s heart? Through the good news of the gospel, that in Jesus, sinners have the Savior they need. 

Let’s also be clear. That means that the family living two houses down from you will not come to faith because you are a good neighbor. Your boss and co-workers will not  come to faith because you are the understanding and patient employee. Your friend will not come to faith because you are a good listener when she is struggling. The panhandler will not come to faith in Jesus because you gave him lunch or a couple bucks. Your family member will not come to faith because you were trying to be sensitive and not “push your religion” on him. Now, are all of these things good things? Yes! Do we want to be and do these things? Yes, absolutely!

But they can’t be the only thing. No one will come to faith unless we take that next step and share the good news, for “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). Don’t leave the job of letting your light shine undone by avoiding the crucial step of sharing the only message that creates faith. 

What difference can you really make? It depends on whether or not you believe that what Paul wrote about God is true. Is he the “Lord of all [who] richly blesses all who call on him…?” (v.12). If he is, then believe he’ll richly bless your efforts, and let’s get to work in leading others to call on him so that he can also richly bless them. Let’s get to work in leading others to call on him because ““Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (v.13). Let’s go out and earn the reputation of having beautiful feet. Let’s get our beautiful feet to work bringing the good news to wherever we live, and marvel at God doing his thing through our efforts.

Popularity Is Not Proof of Success

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(2 Timothy 3:14-4:5)

438. That’s how many followers I have on Instagram. 22 is the number of subscribers I have on this blog. 12 is how many average plays each episode of my podcast gets. With those kind of numbers, it’s probably no shock to you that at the beginning of this year I considered donating 100% of my salary to charity and simply living off the income I generate online. 

The reason you’re laughing right now is because you know how unimpressive those numbers are, so it’s quite laughable to think those numbers represent anything remotely resembling popularity. But it illustrates what we tend to accept as general truth today, which is, if something or someone is popular, that makes them a success. We live at a time when something going viral can lead to celebrity success or product or branding success seemingly overnight. What does that reinforce? Popularity proves that something is successful. If a lot of people like it and everyone has to have it, well, isn’t that success? If it leads to more exposure for the celebrity or generates skyrocketing revenue for shareholders, isn’t that success? 

In my previous sermon post, I mentioned that these two messages would serve as compliments to each other. They are both warnings against determining the success of the Word on the basis of its results. Previously, when we saw Jesus just about corralled off a cliff as a result of how unpopular his message was, the point was made that Rejection is Not Proof of Failure. That is, rejection – the deplorable behavior in response to Jesus’ preaching – did not and does not indicate that the Word is a failure or ineffective. The Word always works. The warning this time, though, may be an even more challenging truth for us to accept in our culture: we may have to be even more on guard against the other extreme of allowing popularity to serve as proof of the Word’s success.

If we’re going to focus on success this, it seems a worthwhile exercise for us to step back a moment and check our definition of success. Are you personally successful? What standard of measurement would you use to answer that question? Is it a matter of income – how much you make? What about how impressive sounding your job is? Does a trophy spouse or a large house equal success? Kids that excel academically or athletically? Is it who you know, rubbing elbows with the heavy hitters and name-dropping left and right? What standard or expectation needs to be met for you to consider yourself personally successful?

How would we answer the same question if we asked it of our churches? What standard of measurement would you use to answer that question? Sunday morning attendance? If so, by total number each Sunday or by percentage of members who worship weekly? Compared to other churches our size across the country or just in CA? Compared to ten years, twenty-five, or forty-five years ago? What did we average last year? 99. If popularity is gauged by numbers and numbers equal success, then we’re failing – quite miserably at that! In forty-five years the best we can do is 8 fewer people in church on average each week (the worship average forty-five years ago was 107)??? 

But if we only go back to COVID, our attendance since then has actually increased steadily each year… Or if we look at this or that or the other thing, well, eventually we’ll find something we can count as successful. Offering totals? Building projects? Awareness in the community? What standard or expectation needs to be met for you to consider our church successful? 

Realize something about our measurements of success: it’s natural for us to find them where we want to look when we’re the ones defining success. But that isn’t terribly helpful, is it? There must be some objective metric for success. Hmmm… I wonder where we could ever hope to find such an indicator of success. Call me crazy, but let’s try the Bible. 

As Paul wrote to Timothy, do you suppose he was providing guidance for Timothy on how to kill his church? Was Paul trying to sabotage Timothy’s ministry so that it would fail miserably? Of course not! Paul was giving advice and encouragement to help him succeed in ministry and life. 

Oh, and if you wish to analyze the numbers Paul highlights in his recipe for success, you’ll only come across one mention of numbers – and it isn’t positive. The only time Paul references numbers is the negative impact that large numbers of false teachers will have in fleecing people by telling them “what their itching ears want to hear” (4:3). 

So if Paul doesn’t point to numbers to encourage Timothy toward a successful ministry, what gets his attention? It may be best summarized in verse two: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 

This encouragement is the essence of everything that Timothy should be busy with in his life and ministry, given the gravity of what preceded. Paul set a very serious tone by calling God as his witness! “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge” (4:1). This verse builds up and crescendos in such a way that we’re hanging on Paul’s words. What is it? What is the charge? What is such a big deal to God? 

That we preach his Word.

Because that is what God uses to do his work. He has given us no other charge as his church and his people, and no other assurance that he works through any other means than his Word. There is no, “the Word and…” – just the Word! Paul was communicating to Timothy that preaching the Word was not just the most important thing on a list of many other responsibilities, but rather that it’s the only thing; there really is nothing else at all than preaching the Word! 

So if we want success, if we want to be and do what God is interested in us being and doing, then he must be the one accomplishing that in and through us. And he does it in only one way: through his Word. 

Earlier I wrote about defining success in your personal life and defining success as a church. But I fear such a distinction may be unhelpful, because it leads us to think of them as separate things: there is my church life over here and there is my personal life over there. 

But that’s a false distinction, because there isn’t one or the other, but simply the believer’s life. When we read the words of Paul to Timothy, Paul doesn’t make some artificial distinction between what happens on Sundays versus the rest of the week, or what happens at church versus everywhere else. 

No, everything Paul is writing to Timothy has to do with his whole life, and more specifically, the role of the Bible in it. He doesn’t refer to what Timothy does during his office hours in his study at church and then what he does later on when he’s at home. He simply points out how the Word is to work in his whole life, including his personal life. 

When we take a good hard look at the Word’s popularity in our own lives, an honest look will lead us to appreciate how off the mark this idea is that popularity is proof of success. If popularity is the criteria for success, how popular is the Word when compared to the time we give to other interests in our life? Does the Word look as popular as, say, sports, whether watching, playing, or shuttling kids around? How about your favorite streaming service? Reading? Hobbies? And that’s all outside of your job, which of course nobody brings home with them these days. How successful does the Word look if based on its popularity in our own homes? Thank goodness popularity is not proof of success, even in our own homes!

Nevertheless, just as Paul’s encouragement to Timothy with the Word was not just a church thing, but a whole life thing, that same encouragement holds for us, too. Do you realize that the work of the Word in the church is synonymous with the work of the Word in your whole life? In other words, the success of the church depends on the success of the Word in each of our lives. The church that is successful is the one made up of people letting the Word dwell in them richly all the time. 

The work of the church is your light shining in the workplace. The work of the church is Bible stories at bedtime with kids. The work of the church is husband and wife focusing together on Jesus in their marriage. The work of the church is the neighbor you point to Jesus when she’s struggling. The work of the church is you promoting the blessings of our elementary school to other families with little ones.

It’s helpful that Paul points out the ways we apply the Word and put it to work in our lives. We spend the time reading and studying it so that we can be prepared, so that we can correct, rebuke, and encourage one another. So that we can be trained in righteousness. So that we – and many others along with us! – can be wise for salvation, the most important thing of all! And flowing from that certainty of salvation, we apply the Word so that we can be equipped for every good work.

But these blessings aren’t only for your benefit; God intends the way he shapes you with his Word to be a blessing to others, too. After all, when Paul brings about the conclusion of the Word’s work, what is it? “So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (v.17). And who do you suppose is blessed and served by good works? My neighbor. 

As we look around in the world today, do we see any need for our good works to make a difference? Absolutely! How can we rely on the world to carry out good works when the world has redefined what “good” is? Isaiah issued a warning regarding those who don’t know what good is. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Is. 5:20). 

The world doesn’t know what good is. We do. But if we aren’t allowing the Word to work in us to accomplish that good, then what right do we really have to sit back and whine about how bad everything in the world is? Change it! Do good! Let the Word work good in you for the good of the world! 

The same author of these verses to Timothy is the one who wrote to the believers in Rome, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). The Word will equip every servant of God thoroughly for every good work. Will you let it? 

When it comes to God’s work, popularity doesn’t indicate success. Neither do numbers. 

What determines success is the Word, when we put it to work. If you do – when you do – then you will know what success is. 

Rejection Is Not Proof of Failure

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(Luke 4:16-30)

There were 1.46 billion iPhone users as of last year. TikTok has over one billion users. Netflix has 300 million subscribers. An estimated 203 million will watch the Super Bowl. 

Those are not small numbers. Yet, if we take those same number as a percentage of the total population of people in the world, the numbers take on a different look. Only 18% of the world owns an iPhone. Just 13% of the world has a Tik Tok account. Netflix has a a mere 3.75% subscribers, and only 2.5% of the people in the world will tune into the Super Bow. Suddenly those numbers don’t seem as large.

Nevertheless, we still wouldn’t claim that such numbers are an indicator of failure. Not at all! Those are very successful companies and services we’re talking about. 

So is it really fair for us to have an expectation for witnessing, or the Word in general, of a 100% success rate when it comes to conversions? Might we be a little too quick to conclude that the Word must have failed when it isn’t embraced every single time, but is instead rejected? 

That rejection doesn’t mean it failed. When we sow the seeds of the Word then, whether that work takes place among believers as we serve the found, or in witnessing to unbelievers as we seek the lost, rejection is not proof of failure. Heads up: we’ll look at the flip side of this in the next sermon post, which is that popularity is not proof of success. In this post, though, we give our attention to the matter of rejection when it comes to people’s reception of the Word of God. 

Rather than just seeing this post as an evangelism encourager or confidence booster, I want you to make it more personal. I want you to think instead of just becoming more comfortable talking about your Savior and your faith. 

Do you know why some in the world think Christians are weird? Because we are. We make it about as awkward as one could when talking about this stuff. We use weird words and terms that others have never heard. We struggle and waffle when someone asks us simple questions, like why we believe what we do. But since this whole subject is the most important thing, shouldn’t it also be the most natural thing for us to talk about?

I mean, let’s be honest, some of us are far more comfortable talking about far weirder things than Jesus and our faith. So let’s focus our attention on working to get comfortable with talking about this stuff so that it becomes second nature to us. We want to be able to speak about our Savior and our faith in him as effortlessly as we share a recipe or bring up last night’s big game, or as naturally as we gush about the latest new series that everyone’s streaming.

We rightly encourage each other when we remind one another that when others reject our message, it isn’t really us they’re rejecting, but Jesus. This account clearly displays that truth. Notice the rather abrupt change in how the people initially received Jesus compared to how it ended up. 

First, “the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him” (v.20) and they “spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips” (v.22). Imagine having Jesus as  your guest preacher! Imagine how glued to him you’d be! He would have been unlike all the other teachers and rabbis. The Gospels tell us that people heard Jesus and were amazed because he didn’t teach like other rabbis, but taught with authority. He stood out. His teaching was riveting, and they were soaking it all up.

But, as Jesus continued preaching, their mood and reception of him changed. “All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff” (v.28-29). Quite a drastic change! If Jesus was a Netflix special, he went from being the number one streamed show to “leaving this month” – and all of this over the length of time it took him to preach one sermon! How does one go from such a meteoric rise to almost literally getting thrown off a cliff that quickly?1? 

There seem to be two significant matters that Jesus’ fellow Jewish listeners tend to take issue with. One, his family roots. “‘Isn’t this Joseph’s son’ they asked” (v.22b). They remembered he was just a local. One of them. Nothing special about his background, upbringing, or family name. 

Secondly, what appears to turn their effusive praise into furious rage is when Jesus communicates that God’s favor stretches beyond the reaches of his chosen Jewish people, often even skipping over them. Jesus illustrated that when he brought up the widow in Zaraphath and Naaman the Syrian. In those cases, God’s favor passed over his people onto Gentiles, those non-Israelite people from outside nations. 

So it will likely go with your efforts – if you haven’t already experienced it. When others find out your family roots – that you are a Christian, a member of God’s family, they may sour on you just as they did Jesus on that day. Then, after pointing out that the good news is for all people (yes, even the Hitlers of the world!), when you point out to those who scoff or write you off that this foolishness is for others who won’t reject it, that message may not sit well with them. While you likely won’t have to worry about being thrown off a cliff, you might get unfriended or unfollowed. You might get ghosted as your texts go unanswered. Those you used to get together and hang out with may not end up including you in their social plans much more. 

But just as it wasn’t in Jesus’ day, so neither is rejection today proof of failure. Otherwise, we’d expect to see Jesus go back to the drawing board and drum up a different game plan after this incident. But what do we see him doing in the rest of Luke and the other Gospels? 

The exact same thing. Luke tells us it was his custom to go to the synagogue, just as he had been brought up to do, and he would continue to do that. When he would no longer be invited to speak in the synagogue, he would preach anywhere. But he didn’t do anything differently. He continued to point listeners to the Lord. 

Let us do the same. Even when it’s hard. Which is always. It’s never easy, really, is it? One of the reasons it’s so difficult? 

Us. 

We make it more difficult. Consider an experience just about every one of us has had. You were having a conversation with someone you suspect might to be a nonbeliever. You aren’t absolutely certain, but from what little of her you know, that’s what you’d guess. In your conversation, she tosses you a softball, an opening that was custom fit to bring Jesus into the conversation, an opportunity so easy even a caveman could do it. 

But you don’t. 

Why? Because even though you saw the opportunity and you had a pretty good idea of how you’d go about it in your head, you fast-forwarded and anticipated her negative response. You pre-determined the outcome in your own mind because you were sure you knew how she would respond. So you ended up saying nothing. 

Sound familiar? When we drum up an imaginary negative response someone “will probably have,” we’ve just shut the door on that person’s opportunity to hear the absolute best news they could ever possibly hear in the gospel. Let’s admit that in a number of cases, we make this harder than it needs to be.

Because on the other hand, it couldn’t be any easier. We don’t have to figure out some formula; we just have to proclaim his promises. There isn’t a single believer who is not qualified to share the gospel message: Jesus died for sinners like us. It’s that simple. Jesus came to save sinners, which he did by living perfectly in our place and dying to pay for our sins. Because of that, we have peace right now and the joy of eternal life. It really is that simple.

But, there are a lot of things that are easy – that doesn’t necessarily mean we do them. Just because it’s easy doesn’t mean we’ll do it. 

So what motivates us to do it? The same thing that motivated Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (v.18-19). The spiritually poor need to hear the good news. Those imprisoned by the impossible demands of the law need to hear they’re free. Those without Jesus who can’t see the right religious path need sight. The exact same work that Jesus began on that day with one of his first sermons needs to be carried out by his people today. 

And what happened to Jesus himself will also happen to us: the message will be rejected. But unlike those wildly popular products and services I mentioned earlier, which aren’t very successful at all in terms of the percentage of the overall population, the Word that you share has a 100% success rate. It will not always result in conversions, but it will work 100% of the time. God promises it. His Word doesn’t return to him empty (cf. Is. 55). It always works. So let’s always work it, and let God be the one to decide what kind of results he’ll get from it. 

Prayer Priorities

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(Ephesians 3:14-21)

There are just certain types of stories that are always going to make the headlines in the news. We can always expect to hear about any sort of catastrophic disaster that happens anywhere in the world. Prominent people falling from grace or passing away unexpectedly will make the news. Shocking crimes and courtroom drama won’t be overlooked. Radical changes in laws or policies, sports milestones, and weather extremes will be included. And of course, perhaps near the top of the list of the most newsworthy items: who’s dating who? 

While we may brush that last one off, since many of us claim not to care about who’s dating among the rich and famous, apparently such stories generate enough buzz that the news outlets are sure to keep us posted on the latest relationship details. When you think about it, though, it’s kind of silly thing for that to be such a big deal when you consider the point of dating. It’s just two people interested enough in each other that they want to get to know each other better. That’s why we commit to either dating one person exclusively, or dating a variety of people – in order to get to know someone better. 

Paul’s words to the Ephesians may not mention the word “date” anywhere, and his words aren’t likely to make major headlines in our world today, but his prayer is that we would get to know our Savior better. And even though getting to know the Savior better isn’t going to generate a buzz or make for click-worthy headlines, he does want it to be a major story in our own personal life. While that may not serve as any revelation or epiphany to you (most believers are well aware that part of Christianity is getting to know God better), perhaps our epiphany moment is the realization that our prayer life can go a long way in helping us get to know Jesus better. In a previous post I said baptism may be one of the most underutilized and under appreciated blessings of the Christian faith. Prayer probably deserves to be in that discussion, too. 

We want to see how a significant shift in our prayer lives can aid us in knowing Jesus better. You’ve probably heard more sermons on prayer than you can recall. But even if you can’t remember how many of them you’ve heard, I am guessing you can summarize your takeaway from just about every one of them: “I should pray more.” Sound about right? Well, today I don’t want you to walk away with that same conclusion. Today I want to challenge you to focus not just on praying more, but praying differently.

When you reflect on your personal prayer life, prayer requests from others, or prayer-related comments on someone’s social media post about a tragedy or health issue, what is the primary focus of those prayers, by and large? Aren’t they overwhelmingly related to physical and temporal requests?

It’s natural for us to pray for – and request prayers for – everyone affected by the wildfires. We don’t think twice about it. We’re comfortable divulging the diagnosis or disease a family member just discovered and asking for prayers for them. We aren’t shy about sharing news about our recently unemployed neighbor, a friend’s child who is struggling with this or that, or someone going through a divorce – we gladly request prayers on their behalf. And that’s good! We certainly don’t want to stop doing these things!

But let’s consider how we might approach these prayers differently. After all, there is no physical concern that doesn’t also have a spiritual element connected to it. Everything is spiritual, because that is who we are in Christ: spiritually made new. So there will never really be a prayer request that is limited to just the tangible and temporal; everything is spiritual. 

Think of how this relates to some of the examples just listed. The physical loss experienced as a result of the wildfires will test the faith of many, strengthening the faith of some and perhaps stripping the faith of others, because questions about God’s love and providence will naturally arise. These are spiritual matters. Diagnoses and diseases lead to thoughts of healing and possibly even life and death. These are spiritual matters. Things like unemployment, struggling kids, and divorce most often involve spiritual breakdowns somewhere along the line, or at least open the door for it. These are spiritual matters. So what portion of our prayers in regard to such things is spiritual? See how it isn’t just a matter of praying more, but also praying differently. 

A question for consideration: is a prayer life that focuses primarily on physical blessings reflective of a life that is lacking spiritual focus? On the one hand, any sort of prayer life, even one made up primarily of the physical and temporal, is still a reflection of some measure of spiritual maturity, since prayer is an expression of faith. Let’s acknowledge that and celebrate it. Anytime prayer is regularly incorporated as a spiritual discipline it is a good thing. But the next step in growth is to give greater consideration to the content of our prayer life.

As you skim through these words from Paul to the Ephesians, do you notice anything? Now that I’ve already been highlighting it, the content of his prayer stands out even more, doesn’t it? Notice how many physical or temporal requests he includes? By my count, it’s zero. 

Let’s break down Paul’s prayer. First he writes, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (v.16-17a). When we face a tough task, feel under qualified, or are just too exhausted to accomplish something we had planned on getting done, we explain it by saying, “I don’t have it in me.” We know what someone means when they speak those words.

It is true that we don’t have it in ourselves, but Paul doesn’t pray for that; instead, his prayer is that we see that what is inside us that is even more powerful: Christ. His prayer is that through the Spirit, we may be strengthened with power so that more of Christ resides and rules in our hearts. When Christ rules prominently in our hearts, that leaves less room for all the other stuff in the world and in our lives that is constantly seeking residence there, all of which would harm us spiritually. When is that last time you prayer for Christ to dwell in your heart more?

Paul goes on, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…” (v.17a-18). As a child you may have learned the beautifully simple song, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” It’s true! He does, and even a child can grasp what it means that God loves us. But Paul takes it to another level.

His prayer is that our understanding of God’s love for us in Christ would expand, that as we deepen the roots of our faith and build on the established foundation, we would begin to see how much bigger God’s love for us in Christ really is. Do we have a limited vision of God’s love, as if it’s a small cabinet space or cardboard box that a small child tries to squeeze into? How wrong that is!

God’s love is so expansive that there is more than enough room for all of us, no matter who we are or what we’ve done. And no matter how much we think we know God’s love right now, there’s room to grow in knowing it even more. When is the last time you prayed to better know the depth of God’s love for you?

And Paul wants to make sure we don’t just know God’s love, but that we know God’s love, “and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (v.19). Paul isn’t just interested in God’s people sitting in a classroom and taking notes on his spiritual lectures so that we know all the right answers for some final test. He wants for us to know a love that surpasses knowledge. Stop and think about how illogical that is, humanly speaking. How can someone know something that surpasses knowledge? 

By knowing it not just intellectually, but also experientially. Paul’s prayer is that head Christians would grow into heart Christians. When that happens – when what we know about God’s love from our knowledge of the Bible and its promises – becomes what we know because we’ve experienced it, that is when we are filled to the measure of all fullness.

Christianity isn’t just facts to memorize and spit out at others, but truths that shape our entire lives and experiences. How do we, who know from experience what it is to be loved deeply by God, ever explain that to an unbeliever? We can’t. The Spirit does it, as he takes the knowledge and truth of God’s love for us in Christ, and through faith injects it into our spiritual DNA so that it becomes who we are and shapes how we live. Who doesn’t want to be filled to that measure of the fullness of God? So when is the last time you prayed to know God’s love more experientially?

Finally, as intimidating as all of this may sound, remember this about the One hearing your prayers: he is “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (v.20). When we look at ourselves, we may shake our heads at all of what Paul is praying for and conclude it’ll never be us. It just won’t. It may be for some people, but I’m just too much of a mess or not spiritual enough or too bad a person or whatever else we may tell ourselves. So Paul reminds us that none of what he’s prayed for is contingent upon the Ephesians – or us, for that matter; rather, it’s all dependent on God, the God who is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” You think too little of God if you do not ask him to carry out all of these prayers of Paul on your own behalf, too. 

Yes, he can do more than you ask of him, and, that power by which he does it is already at work in you. Right now! Today! This very moment! We aren’t talking about starting from scratch. We aren’t talking about the daunting task of trying to figure out where to start. We aren’t wasting our time wondering if this will all work, because it’s already at work in us!

You have faith. You are a believer. You are already his – the heaviest lifting has already been done by God’s grace in bringing you to faith. Don’t you imagine he’s interested in finishing in you what he started by helping you know him better?

Then let’s pray for more of that in our lives, and less of the stuff that is short-lived and ultimately unsatisfying. Let’s pray for the spiritual goods, and do so with the confidence that the one able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine is more than capable of delivering.

Married? Single? Dating? Off the market? No matter your dating status, pray to know Jesus better.

Remember Your Baptism

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(Titus 3:4-7)

I was recently reminded of what I don’t particularly care for this time of year: the pronounced darkness. Not so much the darkness outside – that I’m used to. The darkness is the most striking inside immediately after all of the Christmas decorations have come down. In our home those include the warm glow of Christmas nightlights accenting the outlets, subtle string lights woven through the greenery on the fireplace mantle, and various other Christmas pieces throughout the house that have regularly cast their subtle flicker or glimmer every evening. I’ve gotten accustomed to their cozy welcome at night since the beginning of December until Epiphany, and now the darkness is so much more pronounced.

That’s also illustrative of how many people feel this time of year. While it’s said to have started as a marketing ploy, what’s been dubbed “Blue Monday” usually takes place the third Monday in January. There are a number of reasons why many might struggle that time of year: for some it may literally be the darker days, as less daylight can contribute to Seasonal Affective Disorder. Bills that come due from the December spending and already-broken resolutions are some other contributing factors. Really, whether it’s this time of year or any other, when we struggle with being down, as helpful as it is to identify the cause, what’s more helpful is finding the solution. And that solution may be much easier – and far more helpful than you’ve ever realized: remember your baptism.

You’ve heard the words before. They’ve been offered as encouragement. They sound like something a pastor or Christian might say to another Christian. But what do they actually mean? How do we actually remember our baptism? Why should something so plain and ordinary on the surface be able to actually do anything meaningful for me in my daily life?

If you look at the font in the front of my church, you’ll see how plain it is. It’s not ornate. There’s not a single design or engraving on it. There are no colors or special attention-grabbing features except the cross protruding from its top. It has just four legs supporting a plain base that holds a plain and simple stainless steel bowl. Into that bowl goes plain water right from the tap. There may not be many fonts out there that are more plain than this ours. 

But what happens there is anything but plain. It is profound. It is powerful. It is also pictured in Paul’s letter to Pastor Titus. “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (v.4-7). When you hear the words “remember your baptism,” remember these words. 

A business may determine it’s time to reinvent itself. Maybe it’s a result of some bad publicity. Maybe it’s because profits have been sliding. Maybe it’s some other reason. But whatever the reason, it decides to inject a new look or a new approach. The desired outcome of course is that reinventing itself will get the business back on a healthy track.

Individuals sometimes take the same approach. It’s more than just getting a makeover, although that may be a part of it. It’s a whole new you, different from what people have become accustomed to.

But as believers, we don’t need to reinvent; we just need to remember. We need to remember who we are because of whose we are, and whose we are was established at our baptism. There you were marked and sealed as belonging to God. In your baptism, God set you apart and gave you an identity that serves and secures you not just for your time here on earth, but for eternity.

If you aren’t sure who you are or who you want to be, it’s less about looking ahead and contemplating all the changes you need to make, and more about looking back and remembering all the changes God already made for you that he poured on you at your baptism. Remember these words: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (v.4-7).

But there’s a difference between being told all of this spiritual talk in church (or reading about it in a devotion or on a blog during the week) and living in the joy of that identity. We agree that the verses from Titus 3 are nice-sounding, and they certainly line up with everything the Bible teaches, and we even believe them to be true.

So why do so many walk out the door on a Sunday morning and immediately slip right back into trying to reinvent themselves or pursue some other identity? Why do we say to ourselves, “Oh, that was a nice little spiritual pep-talk this morning,” but nothing real happens in our lives, no real changes? 

I am convinced it has a lot to do with not reflecting on and thinking about so many of the words and promises of God, like the ones we have before us here from Titus. So which words shall we focus on? Which ones do you have to start believing to see yourself differently? Which ones do you have to believe to grasp how radically changed you are in Christ?

Let’s start with the phrase that is repeated twice: “he saved us” (v.5). How often do you stop to soak up what that means? Apart from “the kindness and love of God our Savior” (v.4), we know where we would be headed, right? Making it sting even more, we’re not just talking about some younger version of ourselves that didn’t know better and needed saving; we’re talking about the you today and the you tomorrow that will again and again demonstrate why you need saving. You can’t stop sinning. You can’t give it up. You keep on doing it, whether it’s calculated, consciously, or carelessly. Every single day you demonstrate why you need saving. 

And so every single day, these words ought to be life for you and me: “he saved us.” While you keep daily demonstrating why you need saving, his one-time sacrifice in the past already rescued you. That is your status: saved. No Seasonal Affective Disorder, no December bills, and no already-broken resolutions can ever change that identity. You are saved. Remember these words!

And let there be no doubt about how: “through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (v.5). Who needs reinventing when we remember that through baptism we’ve already been reborn and renewed? See how Paul gushes about baptism, echoing the words of Jesus to Nicodemus to be born again of water and the Spirit (cf. John 3)! 

The new year is always swarmed with publicity and promotions selling a “new you.” And everything from skin creams to day spas promise to rejuvenate and renew you.

But they promise what you already have in your baptism. The new you reborn at your baptism doesn’t age or deteriorate, but only grows in sanctified living and loving Jesus. Your renewal is daily, as you remember the sins that Jesus washed away and drowned along with your old self. Whenever you cast those sins away through confession, you are renewed again and again, without limit. Remember these words!

And be sure these words are reliable because “through Jesus Christ our Savior, [you have] been justified by his grace” (v.6-7). Let it be this simple: God says you are not guilty because of Jesus.

Read it again: God says you are not guilty because of Jesus.

That is what grace declares you to be: not guilty. Remember these words!

But wait, there’s more! If, as God declares, you are not guilty, and there is nothing to deny or disqualify you from heaven, then that makes you “heirs having the hope of eternal life” (v.7).

How much would your life change, not just decades down the road, but today, if today you found out you were an heir to an estate valued at hundreds of millions of dollars? Even though it may be years until that fortune is yours to manage, you would start living like it today. You would make all kinds of plans. You’d envision paying off all debt. You’d imagine splurging on a wild spending spree. You’d think about how it will change your family tree. You’d start discussing causes to support and generous gifts to give. You’d plan out a legendary legacy. You would do so much right now even though as an heir you won’t inherit anything until the future. 

Can it be any different as an heir who has the hope of eternal life? This is not church talk or religious speak here – that inheritance is worth ridiculously more than some multimillion or even billion dollar estate. Is there any reason you can’t live like that right now? Absolutely not!

Your debt has already been paid. You can splurge spiritually and feed your soul like never before. You can change your family tree by putting Jesus first and helping your loved ones do the same. You can discuss causes to support and generous gifts to give that build up Christ’s kingdom. You can plan a legendary legacy that will see that your kingdom impact will continue long after you’ve gone home and received your inheritance in heaven. You can do so much right now as “heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Remember these words!

Does it make sense yet? Do you get it? Can you articulate what it means to remember your baptism? It means to remember all that you are and have through Jesus because all that he did for you is yours in baptism. 

Your identity is secure. Live with confidence. Live over fear. Live out your faith. Live in the light.

Live in your baptism. 

A Gift for Everyone

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(1 Kings 10:1-9)

With Christmas now behind us, it’s probably time to start thinking about next year’s gifts. Wouldn’t Christmas shopping be so much easier if you could just get the same gift for everyone? Some are disgusted by such a thought, as they love the experience and challenge of finding the perfect gift for each person on their list. Others, though, would love the idea of a one-gift-fits-all solution. 

Of course it wouldn’t realistically work. Children don’t want the same types of gifts that adults would appreciate receiving. People have different likes and interests. And inevitably, there’s always one or two who already have the gift you got them. It’s a nice thought, but wishful thinking to imagine the same gift would work for everyone.

There is an exception, though: Epiphany. When we celebrate Epiphany, what we’re really celebrating is A Gift for Everyone. The Savior is for everyone, and the whole season of the church year known as the season of Epiphany (which means “revelation”), draws our attention to this truth and our role in making it known. 

When someone explains that they’ve had an epiphany regarding something, they aren’t saying anything about that thing or that experience itself changed, but rather that their perception or understanding of it is what has changed. Some revelation or unknown detail becomes known to them and now they look at it differently. 

So it is with Jesus. You already know who Jesus is. You already know what the Bible says about him. He hasn’t changed and won’t change. But what can change is our perception or understanding of him, so that we look at him differently. 

We notice this even within Christianity. One Christian is passionately engaged in church life or vocal and active in some ministry, while another is rather ho-hum about his faith in general, really kind of indifferent – could take it or leave it. What accounts for the difference? Has Jesus changed? Is he one type of Jesus for the one Christian but another type of Jesus for the other? 

No. Same Jesus. Just a different perception or understanding of him. Which description do you think God desires to apply to believers – the first or second type of Christian? Then let’s pray that, as we need it, the Spirit provides an epiphany and adjusts our perception of Jesus so that we embrace what it means that he is truly A Gift for Everyone.

The queen of Sheba had a certain perception of the Lord, which at least in part prompted her visit to Solomon. She wasn’t just star- struck by his fame; “his relationship to the Lord” also played a role in her curiosity. Was she, like the wise men who traveled to worship Jesus, interested in seeking out the true God, that she might worship him, too? It’s possible. However, as a powerful leader herself, she may also have been interested in the religious element from the standpoint of pursuing anything that might possibly work to her own benefit and advantage. If Solomon was truly as successful as the news about him indicated, then surely it wouldn’t hurt to look into the matter some more and see if there were some additional religious bases she could cover in hopes of replicating his success for herself. Wanting to do some investigating, she journeyed to Jerusalem with gifts in hand, preparing to “test Solomon with hard questions” (v.1) and “talk[ed] with him about all that she had on her mind” (v.2). 

Even the brightest among us today is light years apart from matching the wisdom or wealth of Solomon. We ought not hold our breath waiting for international visitors to pay us a visit and pepper us with penetrating questions to put our wisdom to the test. 

But you do have something in common with Solomon that will lead to questions from others: your “relationship to the Lord” (That assumes, of course, that others know about your relationship to the Lord because you don’t seek to keep it a secret. Or live a double-life that looks the part on Sundays while walking in-step with the world Monday-Saturday. Or avoid discussing it because you don’t wish to offend, turn off, or make others uncomfortable). 

But if you simply live out your calling as a Christian in an increasingly Christ-less society, you will stand out – and in a good way. And people will notice. And when people notice that something is different in a good way, they want to know why. So they ask questions. They will ask you questions.

How would Solomon respond to the Queen’s questions? Would he rise to the challenge? “Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her” (v.3). Solomon didn’t disappoint. The magnitude and magnificence of his kingdom left her “overwhelmed” (v.5) (the original literally means it took her breath away). In her own words, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard” (v.6-7). 

But as impressed as she was by Solomon and his kingdom, it was the conclusion she drew about it all that is noteworthy. She didn’t just fawn over him with flattery, like some love-struck or gold-digging pursuer might. Instead, she genuinely expressed what a blessing Solomon must have been to the people he ruled. And, even more shocking from a Gentile ruler, she lavished praise on the Lord! “How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness” (v.8-9). 

It would not be a stretch to conclude that when the queen departed after her visit with Solomon, she did so as a believer. Her own words certainly imply as much. Additionally, Jesus’ own words in the Gospel of Matthew could also be understood to support this. In chastising the Pharisees for asking him for a sign to back up who he was, Jesus said, “The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here” (Mt. 12:42). Whether or not she ended up a believer, what is obvious about her time with Solomon is that God was glorified. So it may have been Solomon’s wisdom and wealth that initially captured her attention, it all worked out so that God ended up being the hero of Solomon’s story.

And that’s the goal when others come to us with their questions: we want to make God the hero of our story. Because he is. 

Stick with me on this thought for a moment, because working through it may be what provides a bit of an epiphany for some of you regarding your relationship to God. When others come to us with their questions, do you see that as an opportunity to make God the hero of our story? If it’s not, then let’s ask why. 

Could it be because you want people to know you for you and your accomplishments or reputation, and not to label or identify you by your faith or religious affiliation? Essentially then, you want to be the hero of your story, not God. If that is the case, your own pride will remain a wedge between where you are now and the epiphany that needs to take place for you to see who Jesus really is for you. 

Or, if making God the hero of your story isn’t your goal, is it because you’re ashamed of being associated with him by others? Do you feel it necessary to keep your belief in him on the down low because of the flack you’ll take for it? The Bible does have a warning or two for those who profess to be believers, but are ashamed of God or being associated with him. Is this the epiphany that needs to take place for you to see who Jesus really is for you?

Here’s the real kicker: if for either of those reasons or any other, we refuse to let God be the hero of our story, we are blatantly displaying this ugly reality: we don’t deserve him. We don’t. If God is an after thought in your life, if he’s way down on the totem pole, if he’s conveniently tucked away in your back pocket and hidden from others, you don’t deserve him. 

Honestly, what is your faith made of if you treat God like your dirty little secret that you don’t want anyone else to find out about? Is it really faith? Why bother hanging on to him by a thread any longer if that’s all he is to you? Just let him go and relieve yourself of the constant burden of having to keep him hidden from others. Some need to have an epiphany and see that this really is an alarming description of their current relationship with Jesus.

Solomon didn’t try to keep God hidden from the queen. In fact, he did quite the opposite. He made it known that the Lord was responsible for all of his blessings of wealth & wisdom. What conclusion do you suppose Sheba drew about how highly Solomon thought of the Lord based on what she witnessed of his worship? Remember that list that impressed her so much? Included in it was “the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord” (v.5). While the original there could also be taken as a reference to the impressive appearance of Solomon’s Temple, either way we interpret it, his worship of the Lord was evidently a priority. So during her visit, two things were obvious to Sheba: 1) how much the Lord meant to Solomon, and 2) how much Solomon meant to the Lord.

When others come to you with their questions, are those two things obvious? Can they tell how much the Lord means to you, and can they tell how much you mean to the Lord? When God is the hero of your story, they will.

And how can he be anything but the hero of our story? What do we have and what can we claim that isn’t from God? Physical blessings abound, but those are much further down the list than the spiritual blessings. My baptism serves as the adoption papers that I belong to God’s family – how much must I mean to the Lord?!? He regularly gives himself to me in Communion to ease my guilty conscience and refresh my worn out soul – how much must I mean to the Lord?!? Jesus’ birth took place so that he could be my Savior – how much must I mean to the Lord? He endure the shock and shame and beatings and the brutality of the cross for me – how much must I mean to the Lord? He defeated the one enemy who was literally capable of making my life an eternal hell – how much must I mean to the Lord? 

When all of this work of Jesus on my behalf plays over and over again in my heart and mind, my life will also clearly reflect how much the Lord means to me. I will jump at the opportunity to talk him up and brag about him. I will eagerly acknowledge to others that every good thing in my life – including the good he brings out of the bad – is from his loving hand. I will welcome the questions others have as a chance to bring my Savior into the conversation and make sure he is the hero of my story. Because he is. And when others come to see how much I treasure this gift of Jesus for everyone, they might come to treasure him as their gift, too.

The Perfect Gift for Getting the Job Done

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(Isaiah 50:4-9)

It’s a pretty common formula in movies: the main character or group is tasked with securing some desirable object or treasure either for themselves or on behalf of someone else. After overcoming obstacles and adversity from things like boobytraps, rivals, or villains, they eventually succeed in getting their hands on the object. However, getting their hands on it is only part of the job; the rest of the challenge is getting away with it and/or being able to get it to the person who requested it. If that doesn’t happen then the job was only half done. And half done isn’t good enough.

When we explain to others why Jesus’ birth is such a big deal in Christianity, it isn’t uncommon to offer the simple explanation that Jesus had to be born so that he could die on the cross to pay for our sins. And this is true. But if Jesus’ death was the only reason we understand that he had to be born as a man, then the job would be only half done. And half done isn’t good enough. 

Because if we just fast-forwarded to Jesus’ death, as if what happened between his birth and death didn’t matter, we would be missing a big part of what made his death so significant. In order for his death to matter, he had to be the perfect sacrifice. And in order to be the perfect sacrifice, he had to live perfectly, without any sin whatsoever. When later reflecting on Jesus’ life, that was exactly what Peter described:  “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake” (1 Peter 1:18-20).

While the prophet Isaiah served seven centuries before Jesus’ birth, his words before are still serving us twenty centuries after Jesus’ birth! More than any other prophet, Isaiah delivered descriptive details that specified the Messiah with precision. God used Isaiah in a unique way at times in his ministry to speak as the Savior himself. We read Isaiah’s words, but we hear Jesus’ voice. The specificity and precision of Isaiah’s words don’t allow for us to take his words in any other way than as those of Jesus himself. And, since we have the added blessing of the New Testament as a historical cross reference, we can see through Isaiah’s writings when and how Jesus’ words and works were carried out. Through them, we have confidence that Jesus didn’t leave the job only half done, but flawlessly carried out the mission his Father entrusted to him and secured our salvation. 

As we consider the first portion of the verses from Isaiah 50, the Gospel this morning provides an excellent example. Through the written word of Isaiah, Jesus said, “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears” (Is. 50:4-5a). Luke gives us a glance of Jesus’ “well-instructed tongue” in action as he dialogues with the religious leaders in the temple as a boy. He isn’t there merely as student, but as teacher, already at a young age enlightening all who would listen to his instruction. Even as a boy, Jesus knew “the word that sustains the weary.”

As the Gospels provide us with the narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry as an adult, we also see his dedicated love and commitment to his Father and the Word. He worshiped regularly, teaching in the synagogues as he was allowed. But even when he was no longer welcomed or invited to speak in the synagogues, that didn’t deter his teaching the Word of God. He delivered his Sermon on the Mount, he taught one-on-one, and he directly instructed his disciples repeatedly. He took one-on-one time with his Father in prayer and devotion. He honored God’s name through his unwavering commitment and dedication to Word and worship.

How desperately we need a Substitute Savior to do what we so often defer and even despise! How many Christians that belong to a local congregation did not set foot inside their church even once in 2024? What does that say about where God’s Word and worship rank in their lives, and ultimately, what they think of God? Do you know that there are some who belong to a local congregation who did set foot inside their church many times in 2024, but who might as well have been somewhere else, since their hearts and minds were filled wisth other priorities? Do you know there are those who belong to a local congregation who hardly ever crack open their Bibles and who pray sparingly, as if prayer was a paycheck and every day is like the end of the month? See how desperately we all need not just a Savior to pay for our disregard of Word and Worship, our failure to love God perfectly, but also a Savior to keep it perfectly for us!

Nor did he stop there. We also hear Jesus speak through the written word of Isaiah about his resolute determination to fully adhere to God’s command to obediently and perfectly love our neighbor. “I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame” (v. 5b-7). 

While we see these words most clearly fulfilled during the week of Jesus’ Passion, when he endured the suffering that led up to his crucifixion, by no means was it the only time Jesus kept his faithful obedience on track. He was constantly challenged throughout his ministry, questioned and tested, but never lost his composure or despised even his enemies, and always loved with a perfect love. And, even though Satan tried to deter him from following the path of obedience that led to Jerusalem and the cross, he was resolute in his determination to finish the job. Through all of this Jesus was fulfilling God’s command to perfectly love his neighbor.

How desperately we need a Substitute Savior to do what we on a daily basis fail miserably to do: lovingly obey, love our neighbors – including our enemies – and faithfully carry out our callings with resolute determination! Our obedience is often conditional: we’ll follow the rules so long as we agree with the rules, but they’re optional otherwise. Our love for others is also often conditional: we’ll love those who love us back or at least acknowledge or appreciate our efforts, but those who are negative or even just neutral sometimes are undeserving of our love. Our commitment and dedication are also often conditional: we’ll follow through, depending on what’s in it for us (assuming we also don’t get bored, sidetracked, or lose interest!). See how desperately we need a Substitute Savior to do what we on a daily basis fail miserably to do: lovingly obey, love our neighbors – including our enemies – and faithfully carry out our callings with resolute determination!

Jesus was so confident in his outward obedience because he knew nothing was hidden in his heart that would disqualify him from the perfection required as our Savior. “He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me. Who will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up” (v.8-9).

How desperately we need a Substitute Savior to do what we on a daily basis fail miserably to do: maintain perfect obedience not only externally, but from a pure and holy heart! Our Christian lives are so much like a poorly chosen gift that is dutifully wrapped. We get better at making sure the outside looks good, putting in much effort to come across as having our lives together, but once the outside wrapping comes off, what is revealed inside is exposed. Our minds think thoughts and our hearts entertain emotions and feelings that would clearly condemn us, but because we are able to keep our lips sealed and our outward actions inline, we fool even ourselves into thinking that we’re not half bad. But we are not like Jesus – Satan’s accusations stick when it comes to us, because we cannot hide from God what is inside. How desperately we need a Substitute Savior who had nothing to hide inside, because his heart alone was pure and holy. 

Jesus’ pure heart and absolute confidence gave Paul – and it gives us – the same confidence against the accuser, Satan, and any other accusers who would stand with him. Because of Jesus’ perfect record of obedience – externally and internally in the core of his pure heart – we express the same confidence: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:1, 33-34).

As swiftly as time flies by, we’ll be into the season of Epiphany, which will usher in another Lent, where we will end up at the all-too-familiar place of the cross. Again we will stand in bewildered appreciation for our Savior who was willing to die as our perfect sacrifice. For our sins it was necessary for him to die.

But, for our righteousness it was necessary for him to live. Not one to leave the job half done and not good enough, appreciate that Jesus first carried out the important work of our salvation by being willing to live as our Substitute. As our celebration of Christmas continues, rejoice with double the joy, for the one born in Bethlehem was not born only to serve as our Sacrifice, but also our Substitute. This Gift of God, his Son, is truly the perfect and complete gift we all need this Christmas and for eternity. 

A Real Christmas Is (Not) All About You

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(Luke 1:39-55)

Whether you have it on repeat or you skip it every time it comes on, the song is popular enough to engrain in our hearts and minds that Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year.” Even if it’s been a while (or never) since you’ve sung carols in the snow (especially if you live in CA), toasted marshmallows, or gone “mistletoeing,” the song ushers in warm and fond memories of Christmases past that put us in the mood to celebrate once again. For so many, it really is the most wonderful time of the year.

But there’s another possible label that is very fitting for this time of year. It could also be known as “The Most Deceptive Time of the Year.” Consider how much of an emphasis is placed on giving. The expression “it’s better to give than to receive” probably gets more exposure during the month of December than it does the other eleven months of the year combined. Organizations have Giving Trees displayed to help those in need. Retailers even guilt us with the enticement to shop at their store to make sure you’re giving the perfect gift.

It might sound like I’m blasting all of those examples outright, as if they are inherently sinister or shady. That certainly isn’t the case. As they stand on their own, they are good reminders, and necessary ones, so that I don’t allow a season associated with gift exchanges to become entirely about what gifts I’m getting. 

No, the warning comes in recognizing how persistently our pride seeks to make everything – even giving – about us. Yes, our pride is such a master of disguise that it can even expertly hide behind something that on the surface appears to be all about other people. That’s why this season can be so deceptive. A season of giving and putting others first is simply another way for my pride to place itself on a pedestal for all to see.

Don’t underestimate our pride’s ability to hide behind giving. A whole season that is supposedly all about giving is the perfect cloak under which to hide my pride. So when I hear the reminder that it’s better to give than to receive, my pride perks up at the word “better,” and immediately zeros in on my own selfless acts of generosity and raises them up far above those other people who only complain about not getting this gift or that gift, or how cheap someone was toward them in their gift exchange. I don’t hesitate to impress others with my stories, making sure they haven’t missed the news of my participation in this Giving Tree campaign or that toy drive or that other cause for people in need. When others come to know me as the person who always gives such good gifts, is my giving really about finding that perfect gift for the other person or has it become more about keeping up that reputation of world’s greatest gift-giver? In each of these cases, can we see ourselves as the puffed up pharisee standing next to the tax collector, thanking God that he’s not more like that guy? It’s such a natural bent that we have toward sin that pride can even make something like giving all about me. Then we’re doing the opposite of everyone’s favorite Christmas magnet, “Keeping Christ in Christmas,” by taking out the “Christ” and replacing it with ourselves.

But here’s the rub: if we are going to experience a real Christmas this year, we have to come clean with our natural inclination to make it about us. As long as we imagine that the responsibility of making it a real Christmas or giving someone else a real Christmas, we’re going to end up with an artificial attempt that is worse than a fake tree so bad that not even Goodwill can unload it. So, want a real Christmas? Realize it’s not about you. 

Don’t you get a clear sense of that from both Mary and Elizabeth? Well, kind of, anyway. It was about them, but not about what they had done or achieved or about being recognized by others, but rather about what they had received: God’s grace. And as they express their amazement of being on the receiving end of such favor, they clearly realize how little they deserve it!

Appreciate first how Elizabeth reflected this. “In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (v.42-45). Elizabeth’s attitude wasn’t one of arrogant expectation that Mary would visit her, since she would after all be giving birth to John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Savior. No, she asks why she should be deemed worthy of a visit from the mother of the Savior of the world. That’s genuine humility! And following that, she belts out blessings to Mary, not praising her for any Mother Theresa-type good works or anything along those lines, but simply for having a humble faith that believed what God had promised to do for her. Remember, Mary was the one who came to visit Elizabeth,yet Elizabeth made it all about Mary.

Mary did something similar. She came to celebrate the good news with Elizabeth, but her celebration was all about her Savior. Her song, known historically in the church as the Magnificat, is a beautiful example of genuine humility. When Mary references herself, it is only in the context of being on the receiving end of what God has done and is still doing for her. Otherwise, the whole song is filled with “He” – as an ode to all of the amazing things that God has done and continues to do for his people. So both Elizabeth or Mary didn’t make it about themselves; they made it about their Savior. They humbly – yet jubilantly! – praised their Savior.

A real Christmas is about giving. But not about using giving as an outlet to put our pride into practice. And, even in those cases where our giving is genuine (and not a pretense for our pride), it’s still misguided if the intent of our giving is to somehow manufacture a “real’ Christmas. Instead, the kind of giving that makes for a real Christmas is giving Jesus the attention that Elizabeth and Mary did. 

And he deserves it, because as Mary confessed, in his mercy, he doesn’t give us what we deserve. “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation” (v.50). “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever…” (v.54-55a). God’s mercy means our pride no longer damns us! Mercy means God hasn’t treated our selfish pride as it deserves. Mercy means we have just as much reason to celebrate the Savior as Elizabeth and Mary did!

But for those not interested in that mercy, who prefer to remain in their pride, God has something for them, too. “He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones…” (v.51-52a). Pride is nothing more than a human attempt at raising oneself above God, and God is no stranger to dealing with it. He has shown throughout history how he handles it, and he won’t hesitate to humble those insisting they have something of which to be proud.

But that is not God’s greatest desire. Think about it differently. If God’s greatest interest was merely behavior modification (for example, to make us more humble), if that’s all that Christianity was about – doing the right things and living the right way, then God would have addressed pride (and all other sin!) much differently. He would have sent his Son – but perhaps with a team of elite angels to sniff out sin and immediately punish it wherever they found it. That would get people to shape up very quickly, wouldn’t it?!?

But his preference is to show mercy. And Christmas is proof. God didn’t send his Son to change your behavior; he sent his Son to be your Savior. When we set aside our pride long enough to see that Christmas isn’t about us, that’s when we’re free to see Christ clearly, and see that… he already made Christmas all about us! 

Do you get it? When I make Christmas all about me, I suffer the most, because I am blinded to the reality that God already made Christmas all about me. If not, he would not have sent his Son to save. But he did, which is how you can be certain that Christmas is all about you.

When we know that Christmas is actually all about us – in the right way! – then we can revisit that whole matter of giving. And we can do so by following in the footsteps of humble Elizabeth and Mary. Yes, give. Give glory and praise to God this Christmas! Make Christmas about Christ. Give to God by going to church. Give to God by getting in the Word. Give to God by giving a special Christmas offering. Give to God by taking time over the twelve days of Christmas to consider how to give him more of you in the next year. Give thought to how you can make Mary’s words your own and how you can put those words into practice in your life: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” (v. 46-47). 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For the Gift of Jesus

Christ my Savior,
To us a child is born! To us a Son is given! On this Christmas Day, I am elated to celebrate your birth, which ushered in grace that could be seen and touched in flesh and blood. Although my finite mind will never grasp the miracle of your incarnation, my heart will nevertheless ponder it in awesome wonder. 

Who am I – who are any of us – that you should willingly choose to dwell among us, the very ones who in sin daily rebel against you and reject your will for our lives? How deeply you must love and treasure us to subject yourself to such opposition, so that you might save the very ones who oppose you. Work in me such heartfelt gratitude for this gift – for you! – that my rejoicing is reflected not only in singing and song, but also in loving others as deeply as you love me. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.