Advent Devotion for the Week of December 21, 2014

The scripture reading for this fourth week of Advent 2014 comes from Matthew’s Gospel:  Matt. 2:1-2:

‘Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews, for we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him” ‘.

One question that comes to mind when we think about the Wise men’s journey to see Jesus is, ‘HOW FAR DID THEY TRAVEL?  Calculations on the distance tell us that the journey could have been as much as 1600 miles.  In comparison with the Shepherds who traveled 2 miles or Mary and Joseph who traveled 90 miles, the Wise men made quite a journey.  Their travels, which took as much as 2 years, could have been a project of such mammoth proportions that it would have never been undertaken.

But, remember:  ‘The Wise men didn’t calculate the extent of their journey ‘GEOGRAPHICALLY’.  They measured it with their ‘HEARTS’.   So when their hearts considered the journey and the arduous nature of its traverse, they concluded that it was a short journey to make to offer adoration to Jesus.

Today, let’s calculate the extent of our spiritual journey in a similar way.  Though difficult at times, the pathway to Jesus is short, if measured with a heart of humble adoration.  Let’s lift our praise to Him with joyful worship.

 

Advent Devotional for the Week of December 14, 2014

Our scripture reading for this week comes from Luke’s Gospel:  Luke 2:8-12, 17-18:

‘And in that same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with great fear.  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby…”.  And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them’. 

An unlikely evangelistic target group these shepherds were.  Absent from the temple and unclean by their association with the body waste of the sheep, these men were the first to hear Heaven’s announcement of Jesus’ birth.  And their reaction to it provides us with a good example to follow in our experience with God’s Word.

First, they RECEIVED the message.  Though fearful of the encounter, there is no sign that the shepherds doubted the angels’ proclamation.

Then they RESPONDED to the message.  Though the Magi had a star to guide them, the shepherds had only scant details of what they were looking for:  a baby, in swaddling cloths, in a trough.  But they went to search for the baby until they found Him.

And then they REPEATED the message, when they went away glorifying God and praising Him as the angels had done before them.

During this Advent season, may we be as willing to receive, respond to and repeat God’s message of love, offered to us through the birth of His Son, Jesus.

 

Advent Devotional for the Week of December 7, 2014

Our Christmas devotional for this week comes from Luke’s Gospel:  Luke 2:6-7:

‘And while they were there, the time come for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn’.

This morning as we think about the place of Jesus’ birth, we are reminded of several facts about it.

First, it was a SECRET place:  few people would have known its whereabouts.

Second, it was a SEPARATED place:  most mothers do not wish to give birth in public.

Third, it was a SACRED place:  common though it might have been, it was sacred because Jesus was there.

Fourth, it was a SECURE place:  Jesus was attended by the ‘hosts of heaven’.  He was quite secure.

As we consider these facets of His birth place, we can draw a parallel between Jesus’ stable and our souls.  Our souls are secret in as much as they cannot be easily seen by anyone but Jesus.  Our souls are a separated place for us to be alone with Jesus, free from the entrapments of the bustling culture around us.  Our souls are a sacred place where we meet daily with Jesus.  And our souls are a secure place in as much as we have given them to the Lord to own, fill and use as He desires.

One question in a well loved hymn asks, ‘IS THERE ANY ROOM FOR JESUS?’

Let’s answer that question this morning with a sincere ‘YES’ as we offer Jesus our souls as a ‘secret, separated, sacred and secure place’.

 

Christmas 2014: Remember the Angels…

Our Christmas devotional for this week is taken from Luke 2:8-14.  Take time to read this with your family and consider these thoughts…

As the Heavenly Multitude gathered for their angelic announcement to the shepherds, they voiced a jubilant declaration:  GLORY TO GOD!  And as we listen to their proclamation, we learn two important lessons:

1.  Bringing glory to God is our most important OCCUPATION.

Of all the activities that the angels could have been occupied by, their pursuit was bringing glory to God.  This was the passion of their lives, the zeal of their spirits and the sustaining motive of all they did.

It is appropriate for us, then, to imitate their example and make God’s glory our most cherished occupation as well, for only God is eternal and worthy of glory.  Let’s give Him GLORY.

2.  Bringing glory to God is our most important OPPORTUNITY.

From their creation until this moment, the angels had witnessed God’s Sovereign preparations for and presentation of the Savior of the world!  For ages they had ‘looked on with interest’ (I Peter 1:12) as the day of Advent approached.  Now, their jubilation overflowed as they loudly proclaimed ‘GLORY TO GOD’!  (Job 38:1-7)

At no other time during the year long religious calendar, with the exception of Resurrection Sunday, do we focus more on our richest blessings than at Advent.  As President Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven’.  AMEN!  And because we have been so blessed, let’s take opportunity at this Advent time to proclaim, in imitation of the angels in Luke 2, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!

 

What went wrong in Ferguson, Missouri?

Over the past 40 + years of ministry, I’ve had more than a few difficult funerals.  Some were conducted for those families who had suffered the unexpected loss of a father or mother.  Others grieved the loss of a close friend, fellow worker or neighbor.  But, by far the deepest emotional wounds have always been suffered by those parents whose child has died.

Regardless of the child’s age or the circumstances surrounding their death, consolation for these suffering families did not come easy and always seemed wholly inadequate and often out of place.  ‘It’s not supposed to be this way’, the parents lament.  ‘Children outlive their parents, don’t they?’.  ‘Why did this have to happen’ or ‘why wasn’t it me instead of them’ were questions frequently voiced by the sorrowing families.  In most cases, though, the only thing that would come out of their broken hearts was tears.

Such is the grief suffered by the parents and family of Michael Brown.   Too soon, the days allotted for him by his Creator came to an end.  Abrupt, unexpected, unplanned and grimly irreversible were the events marking the waning moments of his earthly life.  Like the last few grains of sand rapidly trickling out of the top half of an hour glass, Michael’s life first flickered and then fleeted away.  And the stark reality of the truth of God’s words became clear:  ‘Why, you don’t even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes’.  James 4:14.

These words, like so many that I have attempted to share, may do little to assuage the biting pain of sorrow.  But, they can act as a catalyst that prompts us to respond in redemptive ways as we share in the national awareness of this tragic loss.

First, we can PRAY.  Only God knows the true depth of sorrow, so He alone knows the full extent of comfort that is needed.

Second, we can SHARE.  God has written much that can help heal a broken heart.  Look for ways to point to the Savior who ALONE can truly ‘…bind up the brokenhearted…’.

Third, we can LOVE WITHOUT LIMITS.  The fabric of Michael’s family’s life has been torn and tattered by his death, as the life of Darren Wilson’s family has been forever disruptively altered by this event.  But, the national debate about racism that has been sparked by emphasizing the skin color of Micheal and Darren has and will do little to help heal the hurt.  However, a genuine love that is expressed in dependable ways can.  But only if it is God’s type of love that we express:  ‘an energetic and beneficial good will that stops at nothing for the good of the beloved object’.

O how different the tragic events of August 9, 2014 would have been if EVERYONE would have been expressing God’s type of love!  And O how different today would be if I expressed that type of love to EVERYONE around me.

This IS the type of love that God poured out on us when He sent Jesus into this broken world.  Jesus didn’t come to run for Caesar.  He didn’t come to take over the Sanhedrin.  He didn’t come to start businesses.  He didn’t come to make a public stock offering.

He came to seek and save that which was lost and give His life as an atoning sacrifice for those who would be saved.  He did not come to be served, but to serve.

Especially at this season, let’s be a people who ask Jesus to love His type of love through us, allowing Him to use us to bring healing to fractured lives around us.  And let’s begin TODAY!

 

 

 

 

 

An open letter to Houston Mayor Parker…

Dear Madam Mayor,

Several weeks have passed since word first circulated that Houston city leaders were planning to force area pastors to submit their sermons and personal correspondence to your office.  Print headlines and radio alerts decried your attempts to unduly scrutinize and systematically silence their attempts to freely express their opinions on and objections to some of the political postures taken in Houston.

Being this far removed from the center of controversy, I am certain that at least some of the information that has filtered down to us is inaccurate.  But, the fact remains that at least some of the observations are, nonetheless, true.  Subtle attacks on Christian convictions are real and intimidation of Christian congregants is apparent.  Though this is true of the current situations in Houston, this is not the topic of this letter.

It has been widely reported that last week your office put out a news spot that reported your statement, ‘I DO NOT INTEND TO ALLOW ANYONE TO VOTE ON MY MORALITY’.  While I understand that statement and acknowledge your right to say it, it does prompt me to offer a few personal observations.

First, allow me to observe that currently most Americans are involved in a passionate pursuit of ‘POWER’, ‘POPULARITY’, ‘POSSESSIONS’ and/or ‘PLEASURE’.  Unbridled drive for these four goals marks the modern expression of American freedom.  Rarely will one find a community, family or other grouping of individuals that is not determined to reach these ends.  It seems likely that your administration in general and you in particular are ensnared in these same pursuits.

Second, admittedly, you have a certain level of authority commensurate with your elected office.  With that comes a certain measure of power that must be understood.  All authority has the same source:  God.  When Jesus, God’s Son, was being tried, Pilate, Procurator of Rome, sneered, “Don’t you know that I have power over you to either crucify you or set you free?”  To which Jesus replied, “You would have no power unless it was given you from above (from God).”  This truth includes you, Madam Mayor.  Your authority is not derived from the voting majority of the Houston constituency.  It comes from God.  And all authority derived FROM Him is accountable TO Him.   Sooner or later, we will ALL give an accounting to Him of how we lived here.  Extreme caution is called for as we live our lives before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account.

Third, since God will judge each person impartially and equitably, we should live before Him expressing His morality:  ‘a serving attitude’, ‘humility’, ‘self-denial’  and self-control–virtues that are not only in stark  contrast to our common pursuits, but,  are also eternal in their scope.  Our nation is in serious need of leaders who exemplify these Godly values.

Fourth, one need not read The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire in order to understand the truth of the phrase: ‘Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people’.

Finally, I implore you to pursue ‘faith and a good conscience’.  Some have rejected these and so have ruined their own lives.  Please seek the Lord while He may be found.

Sincerely,

Chuck Gaston, a Wisconsin pastor

 

 

 

 

 

Voting Irregularities…

Early voting in this mid-term election has barely begun and already verifiable accounts of voter irregularities, intimidation and fraud are abundant.  And while conscientious citizens are amazed at the lack of attempts that civil authorities make to insure an honest election process and prosecute any law-breakers, I am shocked at what the attempts to illegally vote reveal about those who maliciously engage in that type of activity.

Whereas, we can understand a person’s devotion to a particular ideal, it is more difficult to comprehend how casually some people will sacrifice their soul’s standing before the Lord in order to pursue those personal goals.  Several pertinent questions come to mind as we watch these unfolding events.

1.  Can people ‘defraud others so easily’?  Jesus’ second great commandment, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’, (Matthew 22:37-40) should compel us to value others’ votes as much as we value our own.  Why would we want to cancel their right to be counted equally with us simply because we like our ideas better than we like theirs?  Shouldn’t we consider ‘others BETTER than ourselves’?

2.  Would people ‘sell out their souls so economically’?  Our souls are of infinite, eternal value.  What benefit would it be, Jesus said, ‘if a person gains the whole world and forfeits their own soul’?  (Mark 8:36)  Some say, ‘Well, it’s just an election’.  ‘It’s no big deal’.  If that is true, then why cheat?  It’s about more than that.  Issues of the soul like integrity, honesty, virtue, brotherly kindness and love are at stake, not just the Senate, House of Representatives, Governorships, Judge slots or State Assembly positions.  Let’s fix our eyes on eternal virtues and be done with earthly vices.  Don’t settle for so little.

3.  Will people ‘pervert truth so eagerly’?  God tells us to ‘Buy the truth and never sell it’.  (Proverbs 23:23)  We should always remind ourselves that ‘evil has a say, but it’s not the last say’.  Truth will ultimately win.  It always does.  And when it does, we will want to be on its side.

Let’s be a people who lovingly speak up for and live in ways that are right even when that  is unwelcome or even unnoticed.  ‘For the eyes of the Lord search throughout the whole earth that He might strongly support those whose hearts are devoted to Him’.                          (II Chronicles 16:9)

 

How can I tell…?

In a so called new and progressive ‘post-modern’ culture that isn’t really new–people have been making up their own rules against God since the Garden of Eden–it is sometimes difficult to discern if an attitude or action is Godly.   Our Heavenly Father tells us to ‘abstain from everything that has the external appearance of being evil’.  I Thessalonians 5:22.  But, how can I tell if I’m about to do something, go somewhere or otherwise somehow dishonor the Lord?

Consider asking yourself these three questions before you decide:

1.  Will this reverse the trends of my faith?  Faith is an active noun.  It is going somewhere, thinking something or doing something.  If an activity or attitude does not point me to Jesus, then there’s a good chance that that activity or attitude will actually work against my faith.  Hebrews 12:1f.

2.  Will this reduce the treasures of my faith?  God rewards faith.  Remember, He said that true faith, saving faith means believing that ‘God exists and rewards all those who earnestly seek Him’.  Hebrews 11:6.  Some activities will erode the rewards that God has planned for us.  II John 1:7-8.

3.  Will this be used to retaliate against the target of my faith?  Our enemy is God’s enemy.  And that enemy lives to tear God down.  Some activities bring great dishonor to the Lord.  Let’s not cooperate in that destructive work, but labor to ’cause the dignity and worth of God to become apparent and be acknowledged’.   Revelation 12:17.

The next time that moment arrives when a decision is to be made about an activity or choice in attitude, just ask these questions and sincerely answer them in faith to the glory of God.

 

 

Ebola…?

Like most of you, I have watched with some measure of interest our national struggle with issues related to the Ebola Crisis.  Though it is, at least in terms of cumulative fatalities, less significant than the flu or other common bacterial or viral infections, it frightens us because we know so little about it deadly transmission.  We haven’t yet concluded if it is an ‘airborne’ or ‘direct contact’ contagion.  That confusion/uncertainty has contributed much to our fears.

As health care workers wrestle with the disease and frantically search for answers, one recent step taken to improve the protocols related to the care of Ebola patients stood out to me.  Care givers concluded that ‘every bit of exposed flesh should be covered’.  Therefore, we find nurses and doctors draped in ‘hazmat’ uniforms  as they care for Ebola stricken patients.  These concerned care givers wanted to be ‘completely covered’ as they cared for the needy.  The freedom they needed to compassionately care for the sick and dying was provided for them by the protective suits.  Those workers know that they have NOTHING whereby they can protect themselves.  They trust the suit to do that.

In a similar way, we, who have ALL been fatally infected with a sin disease, need to have ALL of our life covered by something in order to protect us from the effects of that deadly infection.  We, too, have NOTHING whereby we can protect ourselves against the infiltration and damage of sin.  We need a covering.  And that covering is the ‘blood of Jesus’ which CLEANSES us from all sin.  God says ‘If anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation.  Old things (the results of sin) are passed away.  Behold, all things become new’.

Thanks be to God, Who gives us new life in Christ.  Thanks be to God that ‘by grace through faith’ we can be covered with the ‘righteousness of Jesus’ and be found ‘complete’ in Him.  Thanks be to God, Who give us the victory in Jesus.

Let’s be a people who reflect in our worship and service to our King our eternal gratitude for His wonderful indescribable gift.

A few lessons from the prayer closet.

I signed up for the earliest prayer slot on our all day prayer vigil for Brother David Miller and our church during this renewal weekend in order to set a good example and be leading in the effort.  The Elders never want to ask the fellowship to do what they themselves are unwilling to do.  So, the early prayer time was mine.

Little did I expect the Lord to reveal some lessons to me as I prayed, but here they are.  As I go through the list, understand that each lesson will be preceded by the phrase ‘PRAYER TIME OBSERVANCE PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO…’

1.  …FACE OUR FLESH.  Few activities will reveal the inhibiting presence of the flesh quite like an early morning rise, pushing aside all normal activities and praying.  The flesh likes to remind us of the time, time pressures, obligations, weariness, other times to pray and so on.  Many of these reminders may be true to an extent, but if allowed to, will rob us of time with our Savior.

2.  …FACE OUR FRAILTY.  Unwelcome and undisciplined thoughts frequently infringe on our quiet moments with Jesus.  Our frailty is obvious at these times and calls for our petition for grace to pray on while taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Jesus.

3.  …FACE OUR FEARS.  Going before our Sovereign God and sharing our troubles, our temptations, our failures and our trials while asking Him to act on our behalf is a daunting experience.  The God ‘who spoke and the world was’ is listening to us as we speak to Him and plead for His action.  This awareness calls for caution in prayer.

4.  …FACE OUR FOES.  Few activities, excluding worship, will arouse our enemy’s attention like prevailing prayer.  Prepare for not a few battles with him.

5.  …FACE OUR FRIEND.  Though it is an awesome moment as we talk with the Lord, we are, in reality, speaking with Him who sticks closer than a brother.  We can be confident in His friendship.

6.  …FIND OUR FREEDOM.  Nothing compares to the empirical knowledge that we have been lovingly forgiven, powerfully enabled and amply supplied anew in our walk with the Lord when we say AMEN!  IT IS TRUE!

The chorus of a favorite hymn has great truth:  ‘He is always there, hearing every prayer, faithful and true;  Walking by our side, in His love we hide all the day through.  When you get discouraged just remember what to do—Reach out to Jesus, He’s reaching out to you.’

Let’s be a people who reach up as we learn as we pray.