How Do You View Jesus? 

When my youngest grandson had his first encounter with Santa Claus recently, he seemed totally unfazed by the event. He had a rather calm and unimpressed look on his face as Santa held him for a photo op with his brothers. Of course, that isn’t always the case when it comes to children’s reactions to meeting St. Nick. Some kids express uncertainty and curiosity about this strange-looking bearded gentlemen in the red suit. I have seen others with a wide-eyed look of awe and wonder on their faces as they encounter the jolly old elf. Some are thrilled to be in his presence with their countenances beaming with the joy of adoration. However, many of us have also witnessed children who were terrified of Santa, bursting out in tears and wanting to get away from this scary guy. It is hard to predict how any particular youngster will react to this experience.

    It reminds me of how different people react to Jesus, the real VIP of Christmas. They don’t get to meet Him in flesh-and-blood, as those we read about in the Gospel accounts were privileged to do. However, people today often encounter Jesus or the truths about Him during this season of the year. They may see a portrayal of His birth on a Christmas card, postage stamp, or in a Nativity scene in a Christmas light display. They may hear Him mentioned in certain seasonal songs that are sung, played on the radio, or heard over the speakers in stores. In one way or another, many are confronted with this unusual character called Jesus.

Some people can be very nonchalant or even apathetic about Him. They pay little attention to Him as they go about their busy holiday activities. In others, this emphasis on Jesus will sometimes spur their curiosity, but it may not motivate them to do anything more than to look at Him from a distance with a slight interest. Other people view Jesus with a certain degree of respect, seeing Him as some mysterious person whom you need to be careful around but you don’t dare get very close to. And then there are the fearful or the downright hostile. They may not want to have anything to do with this so-called Savior. They don’t like some of His values. They don’t like how guilty He makes them feel. And they may not care for some of the people who claim to be His followers. So either out of fear or disdain, they distance themselves as much as possible from Him and His connection to the Christmas season.

 Then there are those who have come to love Jesus, to worship Him, and to adore Him. They have come to realize how much Jesus loves them. They know that He is the heart of this season. They have moved from curiosity to faith in Him as the Son of God who came to save them from their sins. They know that while He is to be feared as the Judge of those who reject Him, He can be like a loving Daddy to those who will accept Him. While His holy presence may have made them feel guilty, He made a way for them to be pardoned and to have peace in their hearts instead. Rather than running from Him, they know they can confidently run to Him.

Wherever we may be in how we view Jesus and whatever attitude we may have toward Him, I hope we will open ourselves up to drawing closer to this person at the center of the celebration. He is more than a curiosity. He is not just a mysterious divine stranger. He is not an enemy. He is the Son of God who loves us and came into this world to bless us.

 

Keep in Mind the Final Score 

On the day of a big rivalry football game last weekend, I found myself on the opposite side from much of my family. So when the team many of my children and grandchildren was supporting jumped out into the lead, I was included in a group text that showed a screenshot of the score. I simply commented, “It ain’t over yet.” At halftime, when the gap had widened even further, one of my daughters posted another screenshot with the comment, “I’m just going to let that score speak for itself.” However, in the second half, the other team came back eventually to win. I responded to my daughter afterwards, “It’s the final score that counts.”

 We need to keep that truth in mind when it comes to other aspects of life apart from sports. Concerning the battle between good and evil in this world, the wrong side often seems to be coming out on top, at least for now. Bad people do bad things and seem to get away with it. Our culture seems to be persuading more and more people to accept the wrong view on moral issues. Those in authority enact laws, make judicial rulings, or take executive actions that stand in contrast to biblical standards and truth. Sometimes it appears as if evil is prevailing and that good is suffering defeat.

Therefore we often need to remind ourselves that “it ain’t over yet.” There may be a long way to go and a lot of action yet to take place before the final whistle blows, or in this case before the final trumpet sounds. There may be many twists and turns, ups and downs, and temporary joys and setbacks before all is said and done. Additionally, unlike those sports competitions, we know the final outcome. The Bible clearly reveals the end of the contest. We may not know all the details in how we get there, but at the end God wins, Jesus is King, and good is victorious over evil. So let’s not get too discouraged about how things are looking in our world today. It isn’t over.

This is a truth we also need to remember when it comes to the more personal struggles in our lives. Bad things happen to us. We will often face problems and challenges. There will be times when we may seem to be getting beaten down by our adversaries. However, that is not the full story, and certainly not the end of the tale. We can be assured that if we are trusting Jesus as our Savior and seeking to follow Him as Lord of our life, we will come out of it all as victors.

 First of all, we can claim the familiar promise that “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Sometimes what seems bad now will later be revealed to be a good thing for us. However, even in those tragic events that in no way can be called good, God can use those to bring about good things in our lives, if nothing else, to mold us more into the image of Jesus. Secondly, no matter what defeats we may suffer now, we know that our final destiny will be spending eternity with the Lord. We will reign with Jesus as kings and priests. We will be basking in His glory in a place where there is no pain, suffering, or death. We win.

So no matter what difficulty you are going through today or how bad the world situation looks, don’t allow yourself to get too discouraged. Keep an eye of faith on what is yet ahead. It is the final score that counts.    

 

Gratitude Should Lead to Giving 

Now that Thanksgiving Day is past, have you started focusing more intently on Christmas shopping? Black Friday isn’t quite what it used to be due to the popularity of online purchasing, the decline of shopping malls, and the way stores extend their advertised discounts throughout the season. However, that day after Thanksgiving still tends to be viewed as the day when Christmas shopping begins in earnest. On the one hand, I detest the overemphasis on such spending that often causes people to lose sight of what the season is all about. On the other hand, it does seem appropriate that right after the day set aside for expressing our gratitude, people start concentrating more on gift-giving. It illustrates the truth that gratitude should lead to giving. In other words, if we are truly thankful, we can express it through acts of giving, such as helping others, making generous contributions, or being involved in deeds of kindness. A good way to be reminded of this concept is to consider the word thanksgiving. Yes, it refers to giving thanks, but it can also remind us that “giving” should follow “thanks.”

Occasionally we hear about athletes, entertainers, or other celebrities making a large donation or otherwise getting involved to help someone in need. Afterwards they may make a comment such as, “I wanted to give something back to the community.” That is what we all should be seeking to do. If we have been blessed – if we have received much – then one way to express our gratitude is by turning around, paying it forward, and giving in return. And although I used the word “if” - “if we have been blessed” – there is actually no “if” about it. We have been blessed, every one of us. No matter what struggles or problems we face, no matter what we may be lacking in some things, we have all been the recipients of God’s goodness, grace, and blessings. Since He has so blessed us, we should desire to give back in some way.

First of all, we can give back to God. What can we possibly give to Him? Talk about a hard person to shop for or the person who has everything! God doesn’t need anything, but what does He want? We can give Him praise, honor, and glory for who He is and what He has done for us. And we can give Him ourselves. Romans 12:1 instructs us to give ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord. Out of a heart of gratitude, let’s offer ourselves and all that we possess to be at the disposal of God.

Additionally, our gratitude to God for His blessings should lead us to want to pass those blessings along to other people. We can say “thanks” by blessing others, giving to them, and trying to make sure their needs are provided for. Don’t forget what Jesus said about our assisting people with their legitimate needs. If we give food, drink, or clothing to one of them, it is as if we are doing it to Him. Therefore, we can especially consider helping others as being an expression of our thanks to God. If we are giving to others to help them, we are essentially giving to the Lord and doing it to Him.  

However, let’s not just consider the physical needs of people. If we are experiencing the blessings of salvation and of being part of the family of God, we should seek to pass those blessings along to others too. We can express our gratitude to God by sharing the wonderful truths of the gospel with those who need to hear it.

So let’s seek to make this time following Thanksgiving a true season of giving. If we are genuinely grateful, then let’s give. 

 

Too Many Blessings to Count 

As I took a walk through our neighborhood, I approached one stretch of the roadway thickly overrun with leaves from a nearby tree. If I hadn’t veered off from my route near the edge of the curb, I would have had to wade through an ankle-deep pool of those familiar multicolored symbols of the autumn season. We usually don’t think about how many leaves adorn the trees around us until they are released to cover our lawns. Raking them up has to be one of my least favorite yard jobs. However, what if we were tasked with not only removing those leaves from our landscape but counting them as we did so? That would be a long, arduous, and maybe even impossible job. There are just too many of them to count.

We are also in the season in which we are often encouraged to count our blessings. It is one thing to pause to lift up a general prayer to our Father thanking Him for all the wonderful and gracious things He has done for us, lumping all of our blessings in one big pile that we dump out before Him with gratitude. However, there can be some value in pinpointing those blessings one-by-one. I can’t see any good purpose served by counting the leaves as I rake them up, but we could benefit from enumerating our blessings and focusing on them individually. Going through that process might help us better recognize just how gracious God has been to us and how much we truly have to be thankful for.

We have a tendency to focus on our problems, pains, and challenges. When we get together with others, we can be quick to compare our lists of complaints. But wouldn’t it be more encouraging both to us and to those around us, if we gave more attention to the good things in our lives? What if we shared more about the multitudinous ways God has shown His goodness to us? What if we gratefully enumerated our blessings to the same extent that we tend to whine about our health issues or our relationship problems or our complaints about the government?

Take a moment right now to zero-in on some of the individual blessings in your life. Don’t overlook your health, no matter what physical issues you may be facing. You are breathing. Your heart is beating. So much of your body is functioning in the miraculous way God created it to work. Thank God for eyes that see, ears that hear, a brain that still works, most of the time. You could spend quite a while just focusing on the blessings of your physical life and health.

Then consider how God has provided for you. We may not have everything we want, but God has been faithful to supply our needs. If we have food on the table, a roof over our heads, a warm place to sleep, we have been greatly blessed. Take a look at the material things you possess. Other people may have more, but many have less. Take note of each item, each appliance, each device, all those things that make your life more convenient and enjoyable.

Think of the people in your life – family, friends, neighbors. They aren’t perfect, but you are blessed to have a relationship with many of them. Picture each one – each parent, each child, each grandchild, each friend, each fellow church member. You are blessed.

Most of all, consider Jesus and all the blessings related to His love for you. If you know Him as your Savior, the spiritual blessings of forgiveness, peace, joy, comfort, hope and so much more are priceless.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Keep counting. It might just change your whole perspective of life.

 

God’s Standards Haven’t Changed 

During a recent visit with us, a longtime friend who is an experienced seamstress was going to do some alterations on some of my wife’s apparel. When she requested a tape measure, I was informed that she didn’t need the retractable type I had in my tool box. Instead my wife found the more flexible cloth kind that tailors tend to use. As she handed it over to our friend, they commented about how old it was. However, they also noted that it would still work fine. Why? Because the standards haven’t changed. No matter how old that tape measure was, an inch is still an inch, a foot is still a foot, and a yard is still a yard.

We need to remember that when it comes to God’s Word too. His standards have not changed. The Bible is not an outdated piece of literature with little value in our modern world. While our society and its ideas are constantly changing, the Word of God is eternal. It may have been around for a long time, but it has not become obsolete. “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Psalm 119:160).  

It is true that we have to discern the portions of the Bible that were intended to be applied solely to a particular nation or circumstance. While it is all true, not all of it is meant to be universally applied to all people at all times. However, much of it is. Let’s not be guilty of allowing our preferences or our society’s opinions to cause us to make false claims about what is or isn’t divine truth which God still expects us to adhere to and live by today. Sin is still sin. We are all condemned sinners apart from Christ. The way of salvation is still only through Jesus. And God’s standards of right and wrong, good and evil, holiness and ungodliness are still in place.  

  Let’s not treat God’s Word the way I see people treating houses on some of these shows my wife tunes in to that deal with buying and renovating homes. In some cases, cabinets and countertops may be in perfect shape and be functioning well, however people want to remove them because it is not the style or color they prefer, or it is simply what they consider to be out of date. It doesn’t fit in with what is currently considered fashionable.

There is much in the Bible that doesn’t fit in with what is currently deemed fashionable and acceptable in our modern world. However, unlike those houses, the Bible isn’t ours to reshape into a form that we find more pleasing or that meshes with our ideas of what is good. We are the ones who need to be reformed. In light of what God says, we may need to change. We may have to buck the current trends in thinking and social practices, and stand firm on what God has declared to be true. In a world that is saying that an inch is no longer an inch and is redefining good and evil, we need to continue to uphold God’s standard as still being valid. If our friend didn’t believe an inch was still an inch and tried to sew my wife’s clothing accordingly, she might have made a mess, leaving my wife with unusable items of various shapes and sizes. Similarly, I believe we today are seeing how confused and messy a society can get when we forsake God’s standards.

God’s Word hasn’t changed. It never will. And it doesn’t need to change. Therefore let’s alter our way of thinking and our lives to get in alignment with it.

 

A Change of Heart Is Needed   

My car wouldn’t start. The engine would turn over but it wouldn’t crank. I knew enough to realize it wasn’t the battery. So I contacted my grandson who is now a mechanic. He came over, explored several options, and ruled out a couple of sources of the problem. However, instead of continuing to slowly eliminate causes by means of trial and error, he finally decided that he needed to borrow a piece of equipment to hook up to my car that would definitively diagnose the issue.

Many of us would agree that our world isn’t running very well these days. It has serious issues. We could point out various problems that should be addressed, and if they were rightly dealt with it would certainly be an improvement. While many people focus on attempting to fix our society through the various trial-and-error of programs, initiatives, and new leaders, we could still be missing the real source of our malfunction. Some of those efforts are helpful and are needed. Nevertheless, no amount of legislation, reforms, or elections are going to resolve the bottom-line cause.

God our Creator is the only One capable of accurately diagnosing the real problem. And He revealed it to us long ago. We just refuse to pay attention or to accept it. The heart of the problem is the heart. No, that is not a typo. The foundational cause of our world being in a mess is the condition of the human heart. The Bible declares, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). We don’t like to admit this truth. We prefer to proclaim the goodness of humanity. That is part of the deceitfulness of our hearts. We fool ourselves about ourselves. We are blind to our own faults. However, mankind throughout our existence has proven this declaration to be true. Since the fall of man in the garden of Eden, the problem with the world has not been our difficult circumstances, our unjust society, our harsh environment, or our corrupt leaders. Put mankind in an ideal paradise where all of those factors are in perfect order and it will eventually get corrupted by man’s own pride, selfishness, and sinful heart.

If we are going to make the world a better place, then we must get to the root of the problem. While we are passing good laws, electing better leaders, and seeking to reform society, let’s not neglect the heart. The Bible teaches that God can put new hearts in people through faith in Jesus. He can forgive and cleanse. He can transform people from the inside out. He can replace pride with humility, selfishness with love, and sin with purity.   

Let’s make sure that we are experiencing such a change in our own hearts. It begins when we repent of our sins and trust Jesus as our Savior. Then it continues as we daily walk in the light of His truth and in close fellowship with Him. Additionally, let’s encourage others to seek such a change in their hearts too. The greater the number of people who have their hearts cleansed through faith in Jesus, the better our world will be. Without it, we will keep being frustrated, because no matter what reforms we make in society, man will be there to mess it up with his selfish heart.

 Don’t misunderstand me. We need to be actively involved in reforming our society in every way we can. However, let’s realize that the heart of man will always be an obstacle to its success. Therefore we also need to focus on the root of the problem, whether in us or in others. Let’s pray for God to change hearts, including our own.

 

Recognize Your Freedom in Christ   

While visiting our daughter’s family, I started playing with two of my young grandsons. At one point they suddenly decided that I was their prisoner. So they wrapped a rope around me with the intention of tying me up. However, I discovered very quickly that among their many activities, maybe they need to include some Boy Scout training concerning how to tie knots.  They couldn’t get that cord to stay very tightly against me. As a matter of fact, I actually had to hold onto it in order to keep it from falling completely off. Needless to say, I could have very easily escaped from those bonds, but I didn’t. I played along, voluntarily allowing them to pretend that they had me securely under their control.

It reminds me of how Jesus must have felt when the religious leaders and their mob showed up to arrest Him. If Jesus had resisted, no one could have bound Him. As He pointed out on the occasion, He could have called twelve legions of angels to rescue Him. But He didn’t. He voluntarily submitted to their nefarious plans in order to fulfill God’s will for Him to be the suffering Savior who would be sacrificed for our sins. He allowed Himself to become a prisoner in order to set us free from our bondage to sin.

            This incident also reminds me of something we need to be careful of as those who have experienced freedom in Christ. We need to recognize what Jesus has done for us and make sure we are making full use of the opportunity. Let’s not keep holding onto the rope from which we have been set free. Jesus plainly declared, “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin…Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:34-36). Do we believe that Jesus has truly delivered us from the control and domination sin had over our lives? If so, are we living like it?    

I am not suggesting that once we put our trust in Jesus as Savior that we will no longer be tempted nor ever fall into any acts of wrongdoing. However, we now have a newfound liberty to say “no” to those enticements, as well as a power beyond ourselves through the Holy Spirit living with us to do that which is right and pleasing to God. We are no longer hopelessly destined to serve sin as our master, but we are free to serve God and to live more holy lives.

In Romans 6, it refers to how we are no longer to continue in sin but walk in newness of life. It declares that we are to yield ourselves and our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness. It says very plainly that we have been set free from sin to bear the fruit of holiness (v.22). However, this doesn’t happen without our cooperation. We have to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 11). It goes on to instruct us, “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (v.12). We have choices to make. Do we see ourselves as free in Christ to live for Him or do we still view ourselves as helplessly under sin’s control? Do we let sin control us or do we yield ourselves to God’s control?

Don’t keep hanging onto the rope from which Jesus has set you free. Let go of it and venture forth to serve the Lord and to live a life from the standpoint of victory over sin. We are no longer prisoners – we are free to fully follow Jesus as His holy people.