Yes, for All

While putting away holiday decorations at the beginning of this year, my son and I talked about the meanings of several of the ornaments we had made to decorate our tree. The snowflakes helped us to remember that God washes us whiter than snow. The sparkling, gem-covered crowns reminded us that Jesus is the King of kings. Then Aaron held in his little hand the wooden cross he had painted blue (of course!). I asked him, "What does that help us to know?"

"Jesus died on the cross," he replied.

"That's right. He loves us so much that he died for our sins."

"Mommy, did Jesus die on my cross?"

At the time I told him that Jesus didn't die on that little cross but on a much bigger one in an earlier time and a place far away from where we live. When he's a little bit older he will be able to grasp the answer I have now looking back. Yes, he did indeed . . . on yours, on mine, on everyone's . . .

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ~Isaiah 53: 5-6~

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. ~2 Cor. 5: 14-15~

CTL

Wise Men Still Seek Him

Not too long ago, we had a bulletin board downstairs in the fellowship room which, near a shining star, simply stated, "Wise Men Still Seek Him." I have sent out holiday cards with the same message. The evangelistic aim of such a statement is quite clear, but I've realized that the message speaks to believers as well.

1 John 2: 5-6 states: "But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." We begin with learning about Christ, studying scripture, and then we must move forward. Put into practice what we have heard (James 1: 22-27). Be still and know (Psalm 46: 10) and then go (Matthew 28: 19-20)!

To be imitators of God (Ephesians 5: 1), to be like Jesus, requires time spent with Him. Not ceasing with time spent in the Word, but being willing, walking, working jars of clay to be used for His purposes and glory (2 Tim. 3: 16-17; Matt. 26: 39b; Isaiah 40: 31; Eph. 2: 10; 2 Cor. 4: 7; Phil. 2: 13; 1 Cor. 10: 31).

I know that my relationship with God is to come before everything else in my life, even good things, but do I live my life this way? What ought to be a no-brainer for the Christian—loving God above all else—is a spiritual struggle. There's always so much that demands our time and even appears "urgent." Still, don't we make time for what we deem most important? As a church family we are desiring to better reach out to those around us and share Christ's love, telling how much the Lord has done for us and how he has had mercy on us (Mark 5: 19). This is a great time to examine priorities and pray for wisdom, so that we fully live for him who died for us (2 Cor. 5: 15). Seek Him first . . .

CTL

‘Tis the Season to Reciprocate!

"Thanks for the gift!” We will all be saying that a few times in the coming weeks. A few weeks ago we paused for “Thanksgiving” as we thanked God for his bounty. Now the season is upon us where gifts abound, and we find ourselves thanking others for their kind gifts to us. It’s tough, isn’t it, to accept a gift without your mind immediately racing to the thought, “Oh, I did not get them something this good!” or maybe, “I got them something way better than this!” or worse yet, “I did not get them anything at all.”

Many times this season of giving and receiving is overshadowed by the desire to keep it all even. It’s not really about “giving” so much as “reciprocating”. We work hard to give others something equal to what they gave us. If we don’t pull this off we feel horrible. In fact, it’s actually sort of unacceptable, awkward (can I say even rude?) in our culture to give someone something really nice if you know they could never match it. That’s why we often make rules for giving … “Let’s set a $20 limit,” we say. That’s partly because we want to limit spending, but it’s also a way to ensure no one shows anyone up by getting something nicer than the next guy or gal.

With all this reciprocating going on, it’s hard to remember our relationship with God this Christmas is nothing like that. He gives this gigantic, extravagant, priceless gift of His son, and we stand there with nothing to give back! It’s embarrassing when you think about it. Humiliating. Makes you want to run and get Him something just as nice…then you realize you can’t afford it and you’re not as creative, and you’d just fall short.

One group of people in our culture is not bothered by the unspoken law of reciprocation. Children. Before we get too tied up in the burden of reciprocal gift giving, we need to pause and look at kids this Christmas. Kids, especially younger ones, aren’t affected by the whole “equality-in-gift-giving-fear” that grips the rest of us. They know that they can’t match the wealth and giving power of adults so they don’t get burdened by it.

What’s the best thing your kids can do when they open a gift? I’d say it is to smile and genuinely love it. To squeal and say, “Just what I wanted! Thank you! Thank you!” It’s nice, very touching, when they take their money (money you gave them) and buy you something in return…but the very best thing they can do is just love the gift…and be filled with Joy!

Mark

From God our Heavenly Father / A blessed Angel came; / And unto certain Shepherds / Brought tidings of the same: / How that in Bethlehem was born / The Son of God by Name / O tidings of comfort and joy, / Comfort and joy / O tidings of comfort and joy

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”

Great Christmas Gift Idea

I'm about to help you out here with an amazing idea for your Christmas shopping. You know that nagging problem of what to get for the personwho has everything? Well, this should solve that one. I bet they don't have their very own tree in Uganda. Click on thelink below and you can buy one, get a cool Christmas card you can plant (yes, a card you can plant when you are done) and it will grow flowers (no kidding) and you get an ornament that will have a number on it marking the GPS coordinates of your tree in Uganda. (Better click on the link below if you want it to make sense.) The Kibo Group is a non-profit that I run along with a friend named Clint Davis. You can read about Kibo at our website http://www.kibogroup.org/. We make no money off this, take no salaries...the money goes to plant trees.

Check it out... its a unique gift idea and it really can make the world better. Merry Christmas!

The Mvule Project

http://www.kibogroup.org/mvuleproject.html

Mark

Prophet for Sale or Rent

Ever see Space Jam? If you haven’t, I can’t say I recommend it, but I’ll tell you what happens. The characters of cartoon land (Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, etc.) get challenged to a game of basketball by very powerful aliens invading earth. The stakes are high, and it looks like they’ll lose, so the toons hire the ONLY guy on earth who could stand against such odds. They get Michael Jordan!

In Numbers 22 we meet Balak, a king with a similar problem. He looks out and sees the Israelites camped on his border and is scared out of his wits. He knows the Israelites are beating up on his neighbors… in fact, “beating up” is too nice a term. A more accurate term might be “annihilating” his neighbors. Balak sees he’s in big trouble, so he does what any smart king would do if his back were against the wall. He scours the globe and finds the most powerful guy he can and offers him whatever it takes to get his help. He sends some of his assistants more than 350 miles down to Mesopotamia, to a town on the Euphrates River, to hire a famous guy named Balaam.

When they get there, Balaam, who is not a prophet of God, consults God who tells him not to go with them. Balaam eventually decides to go anyway, apparently because the money is too good to turn down. We know the rest of the story: the donkey he is riding turns out to be smarter than his master and ends up speaking to Balaam.

Paul says in Romans 8, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” In Numbers chapters 22-25 we find that the converse is also true. “If God is against us…who can be for us?” King Balak hires Balaam to be “for him” and is incredulous when Balaam not only fails to curse his enemies but instead ends up blessing them! At one point Balak says, “I brought you here to curse my enemies and you keep blessing them!” Balaam has a great quote in the midst of all this. He says, “even if Balak gave me his palace filled with gold and silver, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says.”

Balaam goes as a mercenary prophet for hire and ends up leaving with nothing. Balak the King realizes that even if he gave all he had, he could not stop God and his people. Will anything stop us now? Can we be like Balaam and say, “I must say only what the Lord says?” This week we look at an old story that we too often dismiss as a story for kids, missing the powerful, simple message that is very much meant for us adults.

Mark

Good Snakes and Bad Snakes

My friend Dr. Mike Plummer is a herpetologist at Harding University…that’s academic language for “snake handler.” Dr. Plummer is probably the most widely respected and well-published member of the Harding faculty and is a regional, if not national expert in his field of reptiles. He often amazes students with his love of all things creepy crawly, and I remember him saying years ago that there are good snakes and bad snakes. According to Dr. Plummer, the vast majority of snakes are good. Good snakes that eat mosquitoes or poisonous frogs or other undesirables are often unfairly tried, convicted and murdered by humans who never pause a second to consider giving them a fair shake. The good Dr. Plummer still has a fair bit of PR to do on behalf of the snakes of the world to redeem their not-so-good reputation with the human race. The fact is most people still agree that the only good snake … is a dead snake.

We should not be surprised to hear that there are good snakes; we have direct Biblical evidence to support that notion. In Numbers chapter 21 the bad snakes are biting the Israelites, and God sends a good snake to save them. Moses fashions a snake on a pole and all who look to it after it is “raised up” are saved. We have seen some pretty strange things in Numbers, but this one might just take the cake. Why would God use this snake on a pole to save the people?

We are all familiar with John 3:16, but not as many of us are familiar with the verses before it. Jesus said, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14, 15). Evidently this story, handed down through the ages was one familiar to all. Jesus reminds the people that they are snake bit, doomed to die without an antidote, and God provides the one and only antidote in the form of his Son.

This week we will talk about good snakes and bad snakes and the fairly obvious fact that this wonderful old story points us to Jesus. However, we will also talk about how God uses unexpected things for his glory, and how the things that were once “good snakes” might just turn on us over the years and become “bad snakes” if we are not careful.

Mark