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In No One Else

God made a way for sins to be forgiven through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.  Seeking opportunities to proclaim that gospel should be what is on every Christian’s mind every day.  For Peter this was true–even when he was hauled before the very group that had condemned Jesus.

I.  Acts 3:6-26.  For Peter, every encounter was an opportunity to serve in Jesus’ name.  So, when he saw a lame beggar, he healed him.  And, every interaction was an opportunity to tell the good news.  So, when an astonished crowd gathered, Peter proclaimed Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, telling the crowd to repent!

Is this us?  Or, do we allow the petty power the world wields to stop us from serving in Jesus’ name and proclaiming that which might offend?

II.  Acts 4:1-18.  This didn’t set too well with those in worldly power, who seized him and made it sound like he had done something wrong.  Not to be shaken by how the world framed what he had done, Peter rightly describes their actions as calling him to account for showing compassion.  Then, he tells them the gospel!

Shrinking back, we even say things like “we’re not allowed …” or justify to ourselves that our audience wouldn’t be receptive to the gospel anyway.

III.  Acts 4:19-21.  Peter wasn’t motivated by the worlds threats, tactics, or persecutions.  He never reasoned that the Council couldn’t act because the people were all praising God!  Because he knew Godly power, he didn’t care what the world might do to him–only about lost souls who needed to hear the good news!

For us to adopt this perspective, we need to be transformed (Ephesians 4:20-24) and to die to sin and self (Romans 6:5-8) to know our salvation.

How frustrating it must have been to be the world in the 1st century and discover that threats and persecutions no longer worked on Christians who used everything the world had the power to do as an opportunity for the gospel and continued to serve in Jesus’ name (Acts 5:40-42)!  How can we similarly frustrate the world around us today?

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I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Meant to keep ladies cooler, crinolines over hoop skirts were a terrible fire hazard around open flame.  The poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was burned too severely trying to extinguish the blaze that killed his wife to attend her funeral.  Two years later with one of his six children dead already and the oldest wounded terribly in the Civil War, he rode a train to DC and on Christmas 1863 wrote of the disconnect he found between life and the peace he read about from the pages of his Bible.

Perhaps we, who also struggle with life and the world we live in, can reconcile God’s Word with what we see through what became the song, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”

I.  Isaiah 9:6-7.  Longfellow found a disconnect between his grief and horrors of this life when he heard the church bells ringing and thought of all they symbolized.  If Jesus was the Prince of Peace to bring peace on earth, where was that peace?  Job too went through much anguish, but he trusted God through it all (Job 1:20-22; Job 2:9-10).  The first stanza on his mind’s journey went like this:

I heard the bells on Christmas day, Their old familiar carols play, And mild and sweet their songs repeat Of peace on Earth, good will to men.

And the bells are ringing (peace on earth), Like a choir they’re singing (peace on earth), In my heart I hear them (peace on earth), Peace on Earth, good will to men.

II.  Matthew 10:34-39.  As long as the fellow’s focus was here on earth, he found only destruction and death.  The Prince of Peace, as it turns out, came not to bring peace but a sword.  How can that be?  His eyes needed to shift higher.  It’s peace between God and man that Jesus brought by His incarnation as He was the baby born to die (Matthew 1:21).  We suffer here but have peace and hope there (Romans 5:1-5).  We see him wresting with this in the second verse:

And in despair I bowed my head, “There is no peace on earth,” I said, for hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on Earth, good will to men.

But the bells are ringing (peace on earth), Like a choir singing (peace on earth); Does anybody hear them? (peace on earth), Peace on Earth, good will to men.

III.  1 Corinthians 15:13-19.  As this dawns on Longfellow, there’s a transition in the hymn:

Then rang the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead, nor does He sleep (peace on earth, peace on earth); the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on Earth, good will to men.

He decides that this world is not his home and puts his trust in the gospel that brought the outcome of peace between God and man as evidenced by the third stanza:

Then ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, a chant sublime Of peace on Earth, good will to men.

And the bells, they’re ringing (peace on earth), Like a choir they’re singing (peace on earth), And with our hearts, we’ll hear them (peace on earth); Peace on Earth, good will to men.

His struggle is the same as ours and the same question posed to us as the final chorus asks:

Do you hear the bells, they’re ringing? (peace on earth), The light, the angels singing (peace on earth); Open up your heart and hear them (peace on earth); Peace on Earth, good will to men.

Peace on Earth, Peace on Earth, Peace on Earth, good will to men.

The same peace that Longfellow found that the bells proclaimed can be yours.  Do you have it?

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Made Like His Brothers

If Satan wanted to destroy the gospel, how might he do it?  Since he can’t eliminate it, he would allow the story of a baby born and laid in the manger–as long as we didn’t know that baby as our Savior.  As long as Christianity is just one plate on the buffet of world religions and as long as the Word becoming flesh and making His dwelling among us is cluttered with many layers of man-made traditions, then it can exist as a lost and irrelevant relic.  But, Jesus being both fully God to be our Savior and fully man to be sacrifice is essential for the gospel and our salvation (Hebrews 2:14-18).

I.  Luke 4:3-13.  Since God is untouchable, Satan goes after those made in God’s image as we are able to choose sin (Genesis 3:1-15).  So, when God became a man, the devil had to test just how man-like He was, but Jesus remained sinless to His death on a cross.  And because He defeated the one who held the power of death through His own death, we too who are flesh and blood can share in His immortality and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).

II.  John 8:34-38.  In doing so, Jesus delivered us who were in slavery to the fear of death because it is “Abraham’s offspring” that He helps.  Many thought they were Abraham’s offspring because of physical descent, but Jesus explains that it is those who are obedient by faith that He sets free from the slavery of sin.  It’s those who are sons of God through faith, having been clothed with Christ through baptism, who are Abraham’s offspring and heirs (Galatians 3:26-29).

III.  Romans 3:22-25.  Because He’s fully God, Jesus can be our Savior (Isaiah 43:3-11); because He’s fully man, though, He can be our sacrifice (2 Corinthians 5:21).  He had to be made like us in every way so that He can help us in eternity and here and now (Hebrews 4:14-18).  He is our righteousness and our propitiation for sin, sympathizing with our weaknesses and providing an ever-present help in our need.  And that is indeed good news!

As Satan does his best to dilute the gospel message or clutter it up with so much that is not about Jesus becoming a man to take care of our greatest need, let us uncover the light of the gospel message and let it shine forth.

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O Holy Night!

Like most old hymns, the 1847 French poem that was turned into what we know as “O Holy Night!” is rich in doctrine.  The title speaks of one, but the three verses would indicate four nights and proclaim the gospel from Jesus’ incarnation through His resurrection.

I.  Luke 2:8-15.  The first stanza tells the story of “the dear Saviour’s birth” on the first holy night.  The gospel is announced as “good news of great joy” for “all the people” although only Jewish shepherds go to see what God had done in Word becoming flesh.

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth; Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.  A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;

Romans 8 describes the world in sin and groaning for the sons of God to be revealed (v19-22), we who are baptized into Christ groaning inwardly awaiting our adoption and redemption (v23-25), and the Spirit interceding for us with groans too deep to understand (v26-28).  So, we sing …

Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices! O night divine! O night when Christ was born. O night, O holy night, O night divine.

II.  Matthew 2:1-11.  A second holy night occurs about two years later but is often confused with the events surrounding the incarnation.  Here’s where the wise men following the star appear.  In this account, Jesus is found in a house, not a manger, to these gentiles’ “great joy,” showing that indeed the gospel is open to all.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming; With glowing hearts by his cradle we stand: So, led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here come the wise men from Orient land, The King of Kings thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our friend;

Because He’s “King of Kings,” having died for us, we must obey the gospel and live for Him (1 Timothy 6:13-16).  He’s our high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses and help us in our need (Hebrews 4:14-16), letting us sing:

He knows our need, To our weakness no stranger! Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend! Behold your King! your King! before him bend!

III.  Matthew 27:45-50.  The third holy “night” was between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. when Christ was crucified for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21), and the fourth was when He was resurrected “toward dawn” so we also might walk in new life through Him (Matthew 28:1-6; Romans 6:3-8).

Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is Love and His gospel is Peace; Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, And in his name all oppression shall cease, Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we; Let all within praise his Holy name!

Jesus taught us that everyone who sins is a slave to sin, and only He can set us free (John 8:31-36).  Though He Himself knew no sin, He became guilty for all of our sins at the cross.  Our response should be praise (Hebrews 13:15-16) and song:

Christ is the Lord, then ever! ever praise we! His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim! His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim!

Have you obeyed and are living faithfully the “good news of great joy” gained on these holy nights?

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Thank You, Lord!

While the ant scurries away, unworthy of the crumb it carries, I am aware of how I could bless (or overwhelm) its life with the entire cake I hold.  Such is God’s grace to us.  So, how should we respond?  Probably like Paul did for the grace God showed the Christians in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:4-9).

I.  2 Corinthians 8:3-7.  A busy seaport city, Corinth was filled with immorality and idolatry, and despite the problems that Paul would address in his letters to them, he begins by giving thanks to God for the grace that He has shown them.  He later urges them to show grace in giving like the churches in northern Greece have shown, letting them know that God has so much more from His abundance that He can give them (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).  We, as they, might sing:

Thank You, Lord, for loving me And thank You, Lord, for blessing me.  Thank You, Lord, for making me whole And saving my soul.

Let us all with one accord Sing praises to Christ the Lord.  Let us all unite in song To praise Him all day long.

Please reveal Your will for me So I can serve You for eternity.  Use my life in every way, Take hold of it today.

Thank You, Lord, for loving me.  Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul.

II.  2 Peter 1:3-4.  Paul was thankful to God that He continued to give to the Corinthians and would sustain them until the end.  Since God has already given us His Son, all else is small in comparison (Romans 8:32).  He gives all we need for life and godliness through His great and precious promises so we might participate in the divine nature with Him and escape this corrupt world.  Our response should be a song of thankfulness from our hearts:

For all that You’ve done, I will thank You.  For all that You’re going to do.  For all that You’ve promised, and all that You are Is all that has carried me through, Jesus, I thank You! 

And I thank You, thank You, Lord.  And I thank You, thank You, Lord. 

Thank You for loving and setting me free, (how I) Thank You for giving Your life just for me.  How I thank You, Jesus, I thank You, gratefully thank You.  Thank You.

III.  Romans 7:21-25.  Paul was also thankful that Jesus was able to present them guiltless (Jude 24) because God is faithful.  And so, we can also trust in Jesus’ work in the gospel for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Access to the Tree of Life that was denied mankind to live forever (Genesis 3:22) is now opened to those who obey the gospel (Revelation 22:14).  Lamenting his struggle of the spiritual war waged within himself that we all share, Paul gave thanks to Jesus for his salvation:

How do you explain,
How do you describe,
A love that goes from east to west,
And runs and deep as it is wide?
You know all our hopes
Lord, you know all our fears
And words cannot express the love we feel
But we long for You to hear
So listen to our hearts (oh, Lord, please listen)
Hear our spirits sing (and hear us sing)
A song of praise that flows (a simple song of praise)
From those You have redeemed (from those You have redeemed)
We will use the words we know
To tell You what an awesome God You are
But words are not enough
To tell You of our love
So listen to our hearts
If words could fall like rain
From these lips of mine
And if I had a thousand years
I would still run out of time
So if You listen to my heart
Every beat would say,
“Thank You for the Life, thank You for the Truth,
Thank You for the Way.”

Is thankfulness the song of your heart?  Do you reflect on all the ways that Jesus helps you and what He has given you?  May you overflow with thanks to God for His grace that He’s already given You and love He’ll continue to shower you with.

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In All Circumstances

Americans have a history of rebelling against what they perceive is wrong.  From the Boston tea party through Rosa Parks to stadiums erupting in “Let’s Go, Brandon!” they find ways to let the status quo know how they feel.  So, how does a Christian rebel?  Perhaps in ways like 1 Thessalonians 5:18 begins by telling us to “give thanks in all circumstances.”  We’re not just thankful when things are going our way–but even when there’s no earthly way the things we are going through can be good (Mark 8:34-35).  Take that, world!

I.  Matthew 5.  To rebel against the world, we must choose man’s weakness.  The Sermon on the Mount is a Christian’s Declaration of Independence!  In it, Jesus turns all of man’s wisdom and weapons upside down.  In it we are blessed if we are poor in spirit, meek, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted.  It’s only with God’s wisdom that we’re better off if we mourn or hunger and thirst for righteousness, and isn’t it weak to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and turn the other cheek?  Yet, Jesus showed us at the cross that this denying of ourselves works!

II.  1 Thessalonians 5:14-22.  We must also choose God’s strength.  In the closing of his letter, Paul outlines actions that the Christians in Thessalonica could do to rebel against the world like admonishing the idle, encouraging the fainthearted, helping the weak, being patient and our brother’s keeper, doing good, rejoicing always, praying unceasingly, and giving thanks in all circumstances ….  Just as Jesus chose the Father’s will over His own (Luke 22:41-43), so must we if we are a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).  It is only by doing what is most difficult that we carry our crosses!

III.  Matthew 27:28-31.  Finally, we must choose Jesus’ path.  We lose many, especially boys, when we only portray a meek and mild Jesus.  Both the Jesus who loves and judges must be balanced.  As the Lamb of God, He is concealed; as the Lion of Judah, He is revealed.  The same Jesus who asked the little children to gather to Him is the Word of God on a white horse with a sword coming from His mouth to strike down the nations.  We must be willing to drink His cup (Matthew 20:21-23) while we walk as He did (1 John 2:5-6).  Only then can we live in true rebellion against the world!

If you only live a little different in degree but not character than the world, then you are in a very silent rebellion against it.  How will you win souls for Christ with your example or your teaching if you’re not denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following Him?

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Abide with Me

In Western thought the rich ruler’s question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” might be thought of as an event, but the Greek indicates the concept of abiding.  Perhaps it would be better asked, “How must I abide to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus goes to the heart of what is separating this man from Him by getting him to address his love of material possessions.  Once he has done that, then Jesus tells him to “come, follow me,” a continuous action to abide with Him (Luke 18:18-23).  The song, “Abide with Me,” encourages us to take hold of the heavenly joys that could be ours:

Abide with me: fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens: Lord with me abide!  When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me!

I.  Matthew 6:19-21.  The rich ruler chose earth over eternity.  Where our treasure is, there our heart is also.  So, is yours in heaven or on earth?  The rich ruler went away sad because he loved this world that is temporary and passing away (1 John 2:15-17).  The hymn continues:

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me!

II.  James 1:13-15.  The rich ruler chose sin over strength.  The tempter tempts us from the evil desires within us, yes, but we each are guilty when we give into that temptation and sin.  We choose our comfort in what pleases us rather than trusting in Jesus (John 14:1-6).  The song speaks of this too:

I need Thy presence ev’ry passing hour: What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?  Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?  Thro’ cloud and sunshine, O abide with me!

III.  2 Corinthians 4:7-10.  The rich ruler chose terror over triumph.  We’re bound to have struggles in this life, but only through Jesus can we have victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).  And only in an abiding relationship with Jesus can we truly know His love (John 17:14-23).  Let us not, choose to be condemned with the world instead:

I fear no foe with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness; Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?  I triumph still, if Thou abide with me! 

For each of us, there may be something different that keeps us from abiding with Jesus.  Let us not be like the rich ruler who was sad because he was unwilling to give up temporary treasure for a heavenly reward.  As the song concludes:

Hold Thou thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

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In a Strait Betwixt Two

Struggling with the ghosts and monsters that glorify death at this time of year, many Christians focus on the delights of the Fall season instead.  Rather, we have an opportunity with those who still fear death (or believe that’s the scariest thing in this life) to teach them that Jesus has conquered death (Philippians 1:19-24).

I.  Hebrews 2:14-15.  Though Paul was suffering in prison, he states that by his life or by his death, Christ would be glorified in his body.  While we often place our comfort over our character, Paul had adopted God’s perspective on death, knowing, as the Hebrew writer says, that Jesus had destroyed the one who had the power of death and freed us from the slavery of the fear of death.  Sadly, many love the world still (1 John 2:15-17) and live in their bondage to this fear.

II.  Philippians 3:8-11.  Paul knew that this temporary world could not offer what was ‘far better’ with Christ.  Often, though, we assign eternal status to the temporary and work to live forever in this world that is passing away, becoming a friend to this world and an enemy to God (James 4:1-4).  Looking to avoid the sufferings that Jesus endured while in this life, we exchange that which is ‘far better’ for worldly pleasures and so forfeit the resurrection.

III.  1 Corinthians 15:42-58.  Unlike many today who have grown comfortable in this life, Christians should view, as Paul did, that our time here is for a purpose to have an impact on those around us.  And, just as those who served others didn’t recognize that they were doing these things for Jesus when they did them for others (Matthew 25:37-40), we too must realize that time here is “necessary on [another’s] account” and abound in our work for the Lord.

So, how do you feel when someone dies in the Lord or think about your own eventual death?  Do you fear death or are you joyful that you used the time that God has given you to live faithfully and play a role in getting others through the gates of heaven?

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What is Truth?

Truth is to be sought after above all other things in this world (Proverbs 23:23), yet in a world that denies the existence of truth, we who insist on proclaiming it are hated (Amos 5:10).  Pilate was a product of the world that believed that whatever power or advantage a person could gather for himself was the only truth, relative as it may be, that existed.  Yet, Jesus declared to him that His purpose in coming into the world was to bear witness to absolute truth (John 18:33-40).  This is the purpose of His followers today.

I.  Acts 5:27-40.  Believing Jesus a liar, Pilate asked, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  Word of this itinerant preacher from Galilee must have surely reached Pilate before his own people turned him over to be condemned.  He sure didn’t look the part, but if he was “the King of the Jews,” why were his own people, who hated the occupiers, so willing to involve Rome?  He must have done something else?  In the same way today the world tries to either shut truth-tellers up or get us to dilute our message.

II.  John 15:18-25.  Thinking Jesus a lunatic, Pilate asked, “So you are a king?”  If not lying, Jesus must be crazy, yet he was speaking not like one condemned but factually about his spiritual kingdom.  He has no fear in the face of the worldly power I wield buts speaks to me as a head of state, like he’s the one in control, not me.  I can see that he’s done nothing deserving death, but it’s out of envy that they turned him in.  For the same reason, Jesus’ followers are hated today as we are citizens of His kingdom.

III.  Acts 17:16-21.  Considering Jesus to be LORD, Pilate asked, “What is truth?”  Why would someone willingly go through this, even die if truly a king?  Jesus answers by stating that it’s his purpose for coming into this world in order to bear witness to the truth.  In my position, I only ever hear what I want to hear from those around me or lies to spare prisoners’ lives.  But, here is one in power as well and innocent.  Because truth is relative in our world today, truth-tellers are considered narrow-minded and are cancelled (Acts 19:23-41).

Pilate gave in to the crowd to keep peace.  That’s what worldly power does.  But, he would put an inscription on the cross stating that Jesus was King of the Jews.  Meanwhile, God’s people are urged to love truth and peace (Zechariah 8:16-19).  Do you–even in the face of a world that is against you?

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My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

When you see a house falling down, chances are there’s a foundation issue.  If it’s a life that’s collapsing, you need to repent or jack that house up and pour a new foundation.  Only a life built on the Rock will stand firm (Matthew 7:24-27).  We’ve sing a few songs that remind us of this:

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

and …

The wise man built his house upon the rock. (x3)  The rains came down and the floods came up. (x3)  And the house on the rock stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand. (x3)  The rains came down and the floods came up. (x3)  And the house on the sand went smash.

and …

Jesus, You’re My Firm Foundation, I Know I Can Stand Secure; Jesus, You’re My Firm Foundation, I Put My Hope In Your Holy Word, I Put My Hope In Your Holy Word.

I. Hebrews 6:17-20.  God tells us that it’s not if but when the storms of life come.  If we are resting on His unchanging grace, then we are able to hold onto the hope that God offers us, this hope that is an anchor for the soul, where Jesus has gone before us beyond the veil into heaven itself.  Or as this song says:

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In ev’ry high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil.

II. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.  Since the wise build their lives on the Rock, how should we build?  Walking with Christ, we avoid the building materials that the world offers and begin our new life by being baptized (Colossians 2:6-12).  Then, taking care how we build, our lives are tested with a refiner’s fire, and we sing:

His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood; When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

III. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.  We stand firm when our lives found in Him.  We must let Christ replace the perishable with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality.  Because He conquered death, we, baptized into Him can be clothed with His righteousness and stand blameless before the throne, singing …

When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found, Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.

If we are truly being wise and not foolish builders of our lives upon Jesus, we can sing these choruses:

On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.

and …

So, build your life on the Lord, Jesus Christ. (x3) And the blessings come tumbling down.  The blessings come down as the prayers go up. (x3) When you build your life on the Lord, Jesus Christ.

and …

I Have A Living Hope,
(I Have A Living Hope, )
I Have A Future;
(I Have A Future;)
God Has A Plan For Me,
(God Has A Plan For Me,)
Of This I’m Sure,
(Of This I’m Sure.)