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James Tissot - The Bad Rich Man in Hell, 1886 - 94

Luke 16 – Using The Thing of This World For God’s Glory

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As we start chapter 16, we find Jesus speaking with his disciples. He tells a parable of a business manager who has been accused of squandering the rich man’s possessions. As a result, the rich man tells the manager. The manager makes a decision to have each of the rich man’s debtors come in so that he can cut their debts. His reasoning is that if he does this for them, they will be willing to welcome him when he no longer has his job.  It turns out that the rich man is impressed by how shrewd the manager has proven to be. Jesus is using this as an example for his disciples. He says, “make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.) (v 9, NASB)

Now honestly, this seems a little too self-serving to be something Christ is recommending for our behavior. But if we look closely at this, we see that Jesus’ point is not to be self-serving, but to be generous.  He is saying to be wise in the ways of the world because Christians often fail in this. This is what Jesus means when he says, “for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.” (v 8)  We should use the wealth of the world to make friends. It is through these relationships that we can impact people for eternity.

Jesus tells them that if they can be faithful in small things, such as worldly wealth, then they can be faithful in big things, such as heavenly wealth. He makes it clear that money is a necessary part of this world, but it can not be our focus and purpose. Instead, it a tool to be used for God’s purpose. Jesus tells them, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (v 13)

Jesus then speaks directly to the Pharisees, who had been listening and scoffing at his views of money. He tells them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” (v 15)

Jesus then seems to take an odd change in direction with a statement that the law does not pass away and a discussion on divorce. How does this fit in with what came before? I think Jesus is still addressing the Pharisees. They are the ones who are supposed to be teaching and supporting the law. But they have instead put their selfish desires ahead of the Law, because as Luke has stated, “were lovers of money.” (v 14) He even gives a clear example of his point in the positions taken on allowing divorce for any reason.

In the second half of this chapter, Jesus presents a parable to explain what worldly wealth is meant to be used for. He tells of a rich man who lived in great splendor and contrasts him with a poor and sick man, named Lazarus, who laid at the gate. Jesus actually gets quite graphic in the description of the Lazarus. He says that he longed, “to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.” (v 21)

He tells that the poor man died and was taken to “Abraham’s Bosom” (v 22), which is a term to describe paradise in the afterlife. Similar to heaven, but not in the presence of God as the redemption Christ had not yet taken place on the cross. The rich man also died and was buried, but found himself in Hades, what we more commonly refer to as hell. The rich man then cried out in agony look for something as little as a drop of water on his tongue. It is to Abraham that he cries out, as Abraham is the father of Israel. Abraham replies, “Child, remember that during your life, you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.” (v 25) Abraham then points out that on top of this, there is a great chasm that separates them.

As we read this, we can begin to see this in the context of his earlier parable about using worldly wealth. The rich man had all the world could give, yet he kept it to himself. He did not use his wealth to help others, and Lazarus stood as a clear example of his selfishness. He did not, “make friends for (himself) by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fail(ed), (he was not received) into the eternal dwellings.” (v 9)

The rich man makes a new attempt to help others, though this time it is his own brothers. “He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’” (Vv 27 – 28) Abraham explains to him that this will not make a difference. “he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” (V 31)

This ending stands as a foreshadowing of what is to come. I believe that he seems to be pointing out that even though they have all the information in front of them (the law and the prophets), the religious leaders are still missing the point. What is more, even though Christ himself will rise from the dead, many of them will still not be persuaded.

My takeaways from chapter 16 are: 1) We need to use what we have been given in this world to build relationships with people and to reach for Christ. 2) The word of God stands for eternity. And 3) all the law and the prophets point the way to God (in Christ).

Luke 2 – Jesus Childhood

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Countless volumes have been written on the life of Jesus over the last 2,000 years. Starting with the Gospels to studies of today. There is, perhaps, no person of whom more has been written yet probably 99% of what is written covers only the final three years of his life. We are told very little about the childhood of Jesus. In fact, it is only here in Luke 2 and in Matthew 2 that we find any description of the childhood of Jesus.

Here in Luke 2, we begin with a story that is so familiar we can recite it. Actually, most of us probably do as we listen to Linus in the Charlie Brown Christmas special. This is the account of the birth of Jesus. Yet what is fascinating to me is that many times as we have read and heard this account, how much we get wrong or how much we have unknowingly added to it.

“Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.  While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:4 – 7(NASB) Look at this and tell me; Where is the donkey that Mary road? The passage makes no mention of a donkey, yet every picture we see shows Joseph leading a donkey while Mary rides. How far along was Mary in her pregnancy? The passage says that “while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.” Yet once again, we have an image of them arriving just in time to deliver the child that night. Where is the Innkeeper? It says that there was no room in the inn, but there is no innkeeper who turned them away, but once again, we have vilified this non-existent innkeeper as being uncaring. What is interesting is when we realize that the word for inn is actually better understood to mean guest room. It is the same word used later to describe the room in which the last supper took place.

This is a reminder for us. There is an old expression, “familiarity breeds contempt.” The saying means that the more comfortable we become with something, the less reverence and respect we have for it. In this case, we have become so familiar with the story that we have allowed these misconceptions to creep in without returning to the source. It is crucial that we regularly spend time in the scriptures and do not simply rely on our fallible memories of what they say.

Another thing that strikes me is how we so often end this passage with verse 15 “ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” We remember that the shepherds went to see Jesus, but we forget that after seeing him that they take it a step further. Verse 17 tells us that “When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.” The shepherds did not merely keep this information to themselves. Instead, they began to tell everyone what they had been told. It makes me rethink the word of the “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The second line says, “how still we see thee lie.” But imagine being one of the shepherds. Imagine seeing what you have seen. How quite could they have really been as they spread the news? No, it is quite possible there was a lot of energy in the streets that night.

Luke then tells us of Jesus’ dedication at the temple. Here we are introduced to two individuals for the only time. These two elderly individuals, Simeon and Anna, have each independent of one another, faithfully served God awaiting the fulfillment of prophecy through the arrival of the Messiah. Simeon declares in verses 30 – 32, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” Simeon knew that God had been faithful and allowed him to see the Messiah. I make special note that Simeon did not see the Messiah as a gift only for Israel, but for the gentiles a well. Anna, for her part, was a prophetess, and God spoke through her to proclaim Jesus to those who were present.

Luke then skips ahead 12 years to present another visit to the temple by Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This time Jesus stays behind at the temple when his parents leave. Since they were traveling as part of a large caravan, it took a while for them to realize they had left Jesus behind. When they return, they do not find a lost and forgotten child, but instead, they find in listening to and questioning the teachers of the law at the temple. For the first time, we hear Jesus speak, and what he says is quite telling. He says, “Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house (or about my Father’s business)?” Jesus was far from a lost child but rather was seeking to honor his heavenly father in what he was doing.

As I read this passage, a few things stand out to me. First, we find a particular expression repeated twice in this passage in verse 19, following the shepherd visit, we read, “But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” And then again in verse 51, after they find him with the teacher in the temple, we read, “and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” This reminds us of the words found in verse 1:29 “But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.” For all Mary had been told and for all she had seen, it was still so hard for her to comprehend what it all really meant. She knew what the angel and had said, and she had heard the words of Simeon and Anna, yet still there remains that disconnect of comprehending. I think this is where we often fall short as well. But we too often make the mistake of saying, “I am just going to believe it, even if it does not make sense” rather than doing as Mary did and pondering things in our hearts.

The second thing I take from this passage is once again a reminder that God is faithful to his promises. Not only had the promised Messiah come, but we have a clear example of God being faithful to his promises in the person of Simeon. In verse 26, we read that “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” And so we see a clear and tangible example of God’s faithfulness to his promises.

The third, and perhaps most important, is the understanding of the humanity of Jesus. We speak of the incarnation, of God becoming flesh. We can describe Jesus as fully God and fully man, but too often we downplay the humanity of Jesus and focus on his being God. Yes, he is fully God, but thankfully he was fully human as well, facing all that we face. If he were not, then he could not be a sufficient sacrifice for our sins. Luke, a physician by trade, emphasizes the humanity of Jesus not only in the description of his birth, but also in verse 40, “The Child continued to grow and become strong, [r]increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” and again in verse 52 “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke points us to the truth that Jesus grew just as we all do; mentally, physically, and spiritually.  If I were to sum up the most essential point of chapter 2, this would be it. That Jesus truly became human.

Standing on The Promises of God

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Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Words & Music by R. Kelso Carter, 1886

 

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:22 – 23

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians10:13

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Mark 16:16

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

 

“But you promised!” Parents have all probably heard these words at some point from their children. Why is this the case? Because sometimes parents, just like all adults, say things without thinking them fully through. Sometimes a parent may absent mindedly make a promise to a child when they are not really paying attention. Sometime it is because the child has pestered them so long they have become worn down. Other times they may have made the promise with the best of intentions, but then circumstances changed and they could not follow through.  Another words, there are legitimate and illegitimate reasons for from breaking a promise.  But to a small a child, they are all illegitimate. To them, a promise is a promise. Thankfully, we have been given promises that we can trust. Promises that were not given without thought. This is the message of R. Kelso Carter’s “Standing On The Promises Of God.”

The second verse begins with the words “Standing on the promises that cannot fail.” This seems something that is unimaginable.  After all, our life experience is that of the child from earlier.  Promises are capable of failing.  But we are not talking about the promise of a fallible human being. We are speaking of the promises made by God himself. Surely the one who created and sustains the universe, is capable of keeping his promises. This is what we are told in Hebrews 10:23 where we read, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

God’s promises can be trusted. But what are these promises. They are too many to count, and I do not have the time to try and list them all. I have, however, chosen five promises to look at. These are promises that we can have confidence in. Promises on which we can stand.

  1. God has promised that He will meet our needs.  Philippians 4:19 tells us “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” If this is the case, then why do we worry? Because we forget that He is faithful and His promises can be trusted. Yes, God can and will meet all of our needs. This is not to say that He will give us everything we want, but we can know that in His wisdom, He knows what we need.
  2. God has promised that His grace is sufficient to see us through, even when we find ourselves unable in our own strength. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Yes, sometimes we will stumble, but when we face our trials and find ourselves ready to give up, we can rest in the strength that comes from the His grace.
  3. God has promised that He will always provide us a way to withstand temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Temptations will come our way.  There is nothing we can do to avoid them. When they come we can either stand up to them or lie down and give up.  It is our choice. And when we put our trust in God, we can stand up to temptations
  4. God has promised that if we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will know salvation. Mark 16:16 declares, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved . . .” We all look for salvation in different places, but salvation comes from one place, belief in Jesus. When we put our faith Him, we will be saved.
  5. God has promised that He will not abandon us. Hebrews 13:5 tells us that “. . . God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” We need not fear being alone.  We can have confidence in the fact that God is always there with us.  We need only turn to Him and remember that He will never leave.

Yes, God has made promises. But they are not the empty, absentminded promises we have to often experienced in our lives. The are promises in which we can trust.  God’s promises are true and stand the test of time. For this reason I say with confidence, “I’m standing on the promises of God.”

 

 

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God of Our Fathers

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God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast,
Be Thou our Ruler, Guardian, Guide and Stay,
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Words by Daniel C. Roberts, 1876
Music by George W. Warren, 1888

 

 

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 8:2

Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
Psalm 119:90

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Isaiah 58:11

The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
Isaiah 60:19

 

I love to learn about historical events and items. It is always so amazing learn about how things were done, where we are today compared to then and what can be learned from history that can apply to today. After all, what happens if we do not remember history? George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” There is truth in this. If we can not remember the mistakes that were made in the past, we are simply going to continue to make the same mistakes.

But there is a slightly different view of this subject that Winston Churchill proposed. In his speech before the House of Commons, on November 16, 1948 Churchill worried not so much that those who forget the past are condemned to relive it, but that the loss of the past would mean “the most thoughtless of ages. Everyday headlines and short views.” If we do not remember the things that have happened before, we find ourselves living in a vacuum, not being able to see beyond the here and now. That is, if we do not look backward, we can never truly look forward. This is the theme found in Daniel Roberts, “God of Our Fathers.”

Roberts picks up on a theme that God himself gave to Israel. God commanded that when ever Israel came together they were to “Remember how the Lord” had cared for them throughout history. This was one of the very purposes behind the festivals. Passover, the Harvest festival, even the Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) were intended to help Israel to remember God’s faithfulness.

In this same vein, Roberts begins with the words, “God of our fathers, whose almighty hand.” One of the greatest mistakes made by Christians is forgetting that we are not the first ones to follow Christ. We are not the first ones to have struggles with theological questions. We have not the first ones to have struggled with our place in society. The God whom we now follow, is the same God of our “fathers”, that is those who came before.

He is the same God who “ Leads forth in beauty all the starry band.” Since the very creation, he has held everything together. How can we live in the vacuum of today and forget what he has done in the past.

His faithfulness reaches to more than just the world, but personally to those who follow him. Psalm 119:90 declares, “Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.” So the hymn continues, “Thy love divine hath led us in the past.” Do we remember the roads God has led us down? Do we appreciate the true faithfulness of God?

When we understand all that God has done in the past, we can begin to understand who He is today and that we can trust Him for the future. It is to this point that the hymn continues, “Be Thou our Ruler, Guardian, Guide and Stay, Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.” God has shown us His faithfulness, and so we can trust in Him for as Isaiah 58:11 says, “The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

When we see what He has done, when we know that we can put our trust and faith in Him, we can trust Him to “Lead us from night to never ending day.”

For it is to those who put their trust in God, that Isaiah writes in chapter 60 verse 19, “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”

So let us take time to reflect on all that God has done. Let us remember his faithfulness to those who have come before that our prayer might be for God to “Fill all our lives with love and grace divine, And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.”

 

 

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O Come, All Ye Faithful

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O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal,
Lo, He shuns not the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father, begotten, not created;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Lo! star led chieftains, Magi, Christ adoring,
Offer Him incense, gold, and myrrh;
We to the Christ Child bring our hearts’ oblations.
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger,
We would embrace Thee, with love and awe;
Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Words by John F. Wade, ca 1743
Music by Uncertain (attributed to John Wade, John Reading or Simoa Portogallo)

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. . .
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1 -5, 9 – 14

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:13 – 14

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:15 – 20

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” . . .
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:1 – 2, 9 – 11

 

When you get married one of the first big things you have to do is decide who you are going to invite to the wedding.  How wide do you spread the net?  Do you invite your parents second cousin once removed or do you just keep it to immediate family?  Do you invite your childhood best friend that you have not seen in 20 years or do you just invite the people currently in your life? These are the decisions that have to be made and it is up to each couple to do as they see fit (and can afford to feed at the reception).  Whatever  the decision, once you are done with the list you have to address and stamp all the invitations to go out.  Finally you need to wait for the responses so you can find out who is coming.

In John Wade’s “O Come, All Ye Faithful” we are given an invitation, not to a wedding, but to meet Christ. An invitation that is given to all, but only those who respond can know the child in the manger.

So Wade gives us an invitation containing all the necessary information. Who is invited? “all ye faithful.” Where are they going? “to Bethlehem.” Why are they going? to “behold Him, born the King of angels.” The hymn then continues by presenting us with a further description of the child we are called to see when it reads, “True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal . . . Son of the Father, begotten, not created.” (John 1:5, 9, 14) This child we are called to see, is the eternal God made flesh.

Now the hymn changes its focus from an invitation to present the response of the three groups presented in scripture concerning the birth of Christ.  The first group is the Angels who in Luke 2:13 – 14 declared, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

We then move on to the Shepherds who Luke 2:15 – 17 and 20 tells us that “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child . . . The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The third group is then the Magi who came later to see Jesus as we are told in Mathew 2:1 – 2 and 9 – 11  where we read”After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” . . .
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Each of those who responded to the call could do nothing less than worship and glorify the child, the new born King.  So Wade next turn the lens upon us and how we will respond. Will we come to the child who was born “for us sinners poor and in the manger”? Surely “we would embrace Thee, with love and awe” for “who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?” Christ came into the world to open the door that sinners could be redeemed. In love he would “lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)

The invitation has been sent to each and every one of us to celebrate the child born in Bethlehem, the Savior of the world. May each of us choose to respond to the invitation with joy and faith. When we truly come to know him we can join in the words of the hymn, “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

 

 

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Great Is Thy Faithfulness

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Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Words by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923
Music by William M. Runyun, 1923

 


Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:19 – 26

It is said that the one constant in the world is change. We grow, we move, people come into our lives, people leave, jobs come and jobs go, nothing remains the same. It has been this way for time in memorial, but lately it seems as though things have gotten even worse. With the fast pace speed of society and the disconnect that have grown between people with the advancement of technology, we often feel alone. We are unsure of where to turn and we desperately search for something to hold onto.

Well there is something, … someone, that we can hold onto. In Deuteronomy 31:6 Moses tells the people of Israel, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” The writer of Hebrews repeats this point in chapter13 verse 5 where we read, “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

You see in a constantly changing world God is there. He will always show himself faithful. And should we begin to doubt the faithfulness of God, we need only look around us. The evidence is everywhere. As Chisholm writes, “Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.”

Yes the seasons changes, but there is an order to everything. Night follows day and day follows night. Spring follows winter, summer follows spring, fall follows summer, winter follows fall, and it starts over again. Yes, in an ever changing world, God remains faithful.

So, if God is faithful, then we can trust in his word. We know that his promise in 1 John 1:9, “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.” can be trusted. We can believe Jesus in John 14:1 – 3 when he states “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

And so the words of this hymn ring within my heart:

“Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

 

 

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