David prayed, “And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised.” 2 Samuel 7:25

In Jesus Christ every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20

It would seem unlikely that God would need to be cajoled into keeping his promises. Afterall, God is faithful and completely trustworthy. He keeps his word. He never fails to do what he says. So why would David need to remind God of his promise and request God to do as he had promised?

The answer has to do with the nature of faith, and of God. Faith receives the gifts of God. Faith also sees beyond the unseen obstacles that block our view of God’s faithfulness to his promises. Nor is God a showman, seeking to gather a crowd by a razzle dazzle display of curiosities.

Some think of God in that way. They make him a performing monkey, doing tricks at the pleasure of those who have trained him for the sake of an audience who has paid the price of admission. Think super-pray-ers offering special intercessions for the sake of those who pay for them to pray. Think calling on the professional pray-ers to gain access to God. This reduces faith to a transaction and God to a spiritual favor-giver.

To say, on the other hand, that all of the promises of God are “yes” in Jesus Christ, requires quite a different approach. Rather than figuring out how we can coerce God into giving what we want, we put ourselves at the foot of the cross. That puts things in a different perspective altogether.

A friend is battling cancer. He is facing the battle of his life. All evidence points to a very grave prognosis. In the face of that he continually points to Jesus as his greatest treasure. The comfort of his love is more precious than any medical intervention. This is no easy answer. But it is the best answer. For if we have Jesus, we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.

Surely, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. Psalm 54:4

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Jude 24–25

A recent text message I received was a call to prayer in behalf of a close friend who had suffered a stroke and was facing emergency surgery. I am always happy to be asked to pray for people, and did immediately pray for this friend of a friend. Since that time the medical advances have been accompanied by set-backs and further challenges. It’s been several days of answered prayers and need for more.

Whenever I pray in such situations I do so hoping for God’s glory through the process, as well as for God’s favor in granting my request. I am perhaps a bit hyper-concerned about God’s glory and credit in situations such as this. I deeply desire that God is acknowledged when we pray; that our prayers are not just good thoughts we’re sending in someone’s direction.

This false idea is all to prevalent today. Too many people “pray” to some un-named, vague higher power, and never recognize that our prayers actually reach the heart of the God of the universe. Too many mouth good thoughts, and send good vibes to people in distress, because they don’t realize that God not only deserves the glory, but that he actually is involved in the affairs of man.

We do not pray in order to inform God of things he already knows, but to open ourselves to a greater awareness of God’s work in our lives. When we pray we seek God’s glory as well as his answers. We acknowledge that God has power to answer our prayers. We also seek to find our place in his good and gracious will. When we see his answers we properly praise God, and thank him for answering our prayers. We seek to bring him glory.

The glory of God is also great motivation for evangelism. As a young missionary recently put it to me, “Jesus isn’t receiving the glory he deserves” in those places where the Christian faith is not established. If anyone deserves glory it’s Jesus Christ. And were his name is not known, or where he is not given honor and glory, there is a void that truly needs to be filled. Where the void of praise and glory to God exists, we are the poorer for it.

Then come Jude’s words. Not only glory, but majesty, power, and authority! That honor and acknowledgement is to come as we experience his grace and answers, and was before time began is now, and will be through all eternity. Jesus has been and will be glorified. Every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Some will do so out of duress, others in delightful joy.

Let’s start now – when we see our prayers answered, and even as we call upon him in our times of distress. He alone deserves all glory and honor.

A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4

There have been some bumps on our road these past few days. It started when I – getting up from my desk chair at home one Tuesday night – felt a sudden burning pain in my knee. I’d felt it before, and sure enough, after an MRI it was determined to be a torn meniscus. I’m thankful for cortisone; the relief it brought was immediate and significant – a source of my now-cheerful heart.

Wednesday night while at dinner with our visiting niece, Diane got a phone call that her Thursday flight to Seattle had been cancelled. She rebooked and finally got a ticket for Friday. Meanwhile I showed up for my re-scheduled flight on Thursday, only to discover 2 hours later that the flight was cancelled. I’m writing this onboard a Friday flight. Diane got her ticket on miles and leaves later than I do but will arrive before I do in Seattle! This is our holiday travel saga.

A more severe challenge has been the goings-on with family and friends. Illness, relationship issues, personal struggles of various kinds have intruded. A dear friend in Christ is battling stage four cancer. A fellow pastor also battles the disease. More people this year have been made known to me who need God’s help in various ways. Most of them are dealing with health issues. But others face marriage and family troubles, or financial and job issues.

There are plenty of reminders that we live in a fallen world, and God’s word does not ignore that fact. Any read of the Old or New Testaments will reveal that God’s star followers had feet made of clay. They each had their failures as well as their triumphs.

In the face of this, however, is the reminder that a cheerful heart is a blessing from God. My dad loved to quote the KJV of this proverb: “A cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine.” He took it seriously and would seek out comedy shows on TV (Tim Conway was his favorite). He concluded that laughter was the best medicine, and in his battle against cancer – which lasted 7 months – he did all he could to fortify himself with heavy doses of laughter and joy.

When the battle was ended, and cancer came to an end in his life, we were thankful for God’s promises and comfort. Others came around us and consoled us in our grief. Over time the pain subsided, and we found joy and happiness by God’s grace.

Those who have experienced God’s mercy and comfort in the face of the pain they have had to endure are best equipped to bring that same comfort to others. Doing so is not a matter of minimizing or denying the pain we experience. It is a matter of acknowledging the pain but offering hope and perspective in the face of it.

This Christmas was for me a great year of joy. I found delight in almost every corner. In spite of the afflictions that were all around us, there was joy. It was certainly so because of God’s faithful love as seen in the Christmas event. But it was also because God sent people to encourage me, and me to encourage others. This is a gift of God and an important reminder to us in good times and in bad.

The ultimate source of hope, comfort, peace, and courage is found in Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection and his anticipated second-coming. Through his incarnation Jesus not only showed with true faithfulness is, he also revealed the Father’s love for us, and by his death atoned for our sin. When he rose from the dead, he secured a hope that not even death can destroy. We have a hope and a future secured in God’s promises to us in Jesus Christ. From that springs a fountain of comfort, peace, joy, and consolation.

In the Lord my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:7

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:20

Are you a person of your word? If you say so, will it be so? If you know someone whose word you are not able to trust, you know how important it is to be trustworthy. Faithfulness is the gift of God. God had spoken over the centuries about his plan and purpose for Israel. First it was Abraham’s call, and the promise that through his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Then Israel’s deliverance from Egypt brings another promise of God into view.

The saga of the nation of Israel played out in the rule of judges, prophets, and kings. Along the way God made promises of deliverance and salvation. All of those promises were fulfilled in the birth of our Savior, Jesus the Messiah.

The history of Israel is adorned with the praises and prayers of people who believed the promises and warnings of God. Abraham, Samuel, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many others relied on God’s character and faithfulness, and gave witness themselves to what God had promised.

Add to that impressive list of witnesses the shepherds who witnessed the birth of the Savior. The were told about Jesus’ birth and how they would recognize the child. Once they saw for themselves they voiced their praise to God. For they had seen God’s faithfulness on display.

If we too blithely offer our praises to God – in obvious denial of the difficulty we face our praise will not ring true. If we have a shallow and easy-answer faith, our witness will be frail and weak. If, however, our faith has been tried in the fires of suffering our witness. will be stronger and more substantial.

Praise is easy when we have experienced dramatic deliverance. When the illness has been turned back, or the prayer has been answered in miraculous ways, we readily give God the glory. Faithfulness in the day-to-day dealings of life point to a deep foundation of faith. When our word can be trusted, our praise will ring true, and will surely inspire others to trust in God.

At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census of the Roman Empire. ² This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All the people went to register in the cities where their ancestors had lived.

⁴ So Joseph went from Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a Judean city called Bethlehem. Joseph, a descendant of King David, went to Bethlehem because David had been born there. ⁵ Joseph went there to register with Mary. She had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant.

⁶ While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have her child. ⁷ She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there wasn’t any room for them in the inn.

⁸ Shepherds were in the fields near Bethlehem. They were taking turns watching their flock during the night. ⁹ An angel from the Lord suddenly appeared to them. The glory of the Lord filled the area with light, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy. ¹¹ Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in David’s city. ¹² This is how you will recognize him: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly, a large army of angels appeared with the angel. They were praising God by saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

¹⁵ The angels left them and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in a manger. ¹⁷ When they saw the child, they repeated what they had been told about him. ¹⁸ Everyone who heard the shepherds’ story was amazed.

¹⁹ Mary treasured all these things in her heart and always thought about them.

²⁰ As the shepherds returned to their flock, they glorified and praised God for everything they had seen and heard. Everything happened the way the angel had told them. – Luke 2:1-20

Diane will accompany me as I sing this on Christmas morning at St. John.

Merry Christmas!

Here is the outline of my Christmas message from Christmas Eve’s 2, 4, 6, & 8 p.m. services.

The Light of God’s Love Has Come

We see this light in Bethlehem

• God’s light comes to and through Mary & Joseph in the course of the business of life.
• Shepherds see that light as a result of dramatic heavenly revelation and encounter, amidst the fabric of everyday vocation
• Magi are led to Bethlehem and to that Light through a study of God’s Word over against the study of the stars and planets movements in the heavens. 

This light is most unusual

• The glory of the Lord – the Shekinah!
• God is showing up as a newborn and was laid in a feeding trough.
• No elaborate preparations were made. God was born on the road.
• His first visitors were not royalty nor religious leaders. They were shepherds. During Jesus’ time shepherds were scorned as shiftless dishonest people who grazed their flocks on others’ lands.
• But that does not stop God from acting, entering human history in this baby boy.

It shines on a baby boy who is the new King.

• A thousand times in history a baby has become a king. Only once in all of history as a King become a baby.
• He will be given the throne of his father, David
• The world was moving according to Caesar Augustus’ orders, but Jesus moves hearts according to the will of God – bringing true peace.
• There is a place in this kingdom for shepherds, wise men, families, and everyone.
• This is a kingdom of hope and humility – no matter our station in life.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,who was with child.⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.⁷ 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. – Luke 2:4-7

Preparing for Christmas Eve services I was struck by a comment about Bethlehem, and Mary and Joseph. The events of Christmas unfold around them in the course of everyday life. Travel. Difficult accommodations. Pregnancy. Shepherds nearby. A sleepy little village just 20 miles outside of Jerusalem. This is where God will do a great thing. This is where God will act.

There’s something worth considering when it comes to Bethlehem, life, and God. We all have our Bethlehem. It may be a cubicle at work. It might be a sewing room, or a home office. It could be your kitchen or your workshop. For some it’s a car or a shed. Those everyday and ordinary things of life are easily dismissed. Familiarity breeds contempt. We’ve been down this road before. We’ve seen that business cycle more than once. We’re not surprised when the computer freezes. We’re sad but not distressed when when the lawn mower wears out.

But what if history is at a turning point? What if this is the moment of God’s providential deliverance and decisive action?

Three was only one Savior born in Bethlehem. There was only one Mary and Joseph. There is only one Son of God. But there are thousands of every-day life situations into which God will insert himself. We may never have the same part to play as Mary and Joseph, but there may be a shepherd, a flight attendant, a restaurant server, or an administrative assistant who needs to see God’s provision. It could be that you or I will have the privilege of showing God’s love. We surely do have the responsibility of  being ready to do so when the time comes.

God is quite willing to work in ordinary places in the ordinary times of life with ordinary people. But his work is quite extraordinary. beautiful, gracious, and good. And if we will look for it we will find great joy in seeing his work in and through us.

There is nothing that holds even a candle to what happened in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. But we can get a glimpse of God’s work in our own personal Bethlehem, we will hear the echoes of great joy. For God’s act 2000 years ago is good news of great joy for all people for all time.

I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2

Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Luke 1:46–47

One of my favorite groups is Glad. Their Christmas CD is old, but beautifully produced and a joy to re-discover each Christmas. The word “glad” is found 147 times in the ESV according to a quick search in Bible Gateway. The psalms has the most incidents of the word, with the word is found 43 times. Acts (the most in the New Testament) has 6 occurrences.

Zechariah is told that the birth of John, his son, would cause him to be glad. When the Magi saw the star after their visit with Herod, however, they were not merely glad, they were filled with joy.

Joy and gladness are sister and brother. In fact it seems to be a nuance of joy, and some of the Greek lexicons translate ἀγαλλίασις as joy as often as they do gladness. The Psalmist speaks of gladness and joy in the name of God. God’s identity is a source of joy for he is the God of salvation.

Mary echos that sentiment when she has received the message from the angel that she would be the mother of Jesus, the One who would save his people from their sins. She rejoices in God her Savior.

There are many things that bring me joy these days. The beautiful lights of Christmas. The joy and happiness of boys and girls at the Birthday Party For Jesus at our church’s Early Childhood Center. The delightful music of the season. The pure message of God’s love in the Savior’s birth.

There are other lesser things that can bring joy as well. A new wardrobe. A excellent meal. A new camera. A chance meeting with a good friend. These are all reflections of the greatest joy of God’s love and salvation finding its place in your heart.

There is one more place joy is found. According to Jesus himself there is joy in the presence of the angels when one sinner repents. So I bookend this post with another oldie but goodie Christian song: His Favorite Song of All, by Phillips, Craig, and Dean.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7 (NKJV)

All who obey his commandments abide in God, and God abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us. 1 John 3:24

Perhaps you’ve dealt with someone whose word cannot be trusted. You hope that what he says is true, but you can never be sure. You pray that she is giving it to you straight, but you can’t be certain. Sometimes this is expressed by someone in the grasp of addiction. The truth is too frightening. It’s easier to say what you hope the other person wants to hear.

Maybe you know someone whose word is as good as gold. If she says she didn’t stay out late, you know she didn’t. If he tells you he has cleaned his room you need not check; it’s clean. Such people are easy to deal with. For when they bring a difficult message you know it’s only because it’s the truth, and the truth must be spoken.

Jesus is the embodiment of truth. He himself says so: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). As such his word is absolutely reliable. He is completely trustworthy. He does not sugar-coat or disguise the truth.

But Jesus is full of grace as well as truth. He is “the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He is the epitome of speaking the truth in love. Speaking the truth in love we are urged “to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).

Perhaps you know someone who is more loving than truthful. Actually, however, that is not truly loving. There are those also who are more truthful than loving. Neither is that actually truthful. Sometimes we must speak words of pure kindness, love forgiveness, mercy, and grace. We do so not winking an eye to truth, but because the truth compels us toward mercy and grace. There are also times we must speak words of stark warning and unyielding truth. But we do so out of love for the person when it is necessary.

When we have the Holy Spirit we will know how to speak the truth in love, as well as expressing love founded upon truth. This is what God does for us. When we follow his ways, not only are we made wise, but we have the promise of his presence, and the uncommon blessing of perfectly-balanced grace and truth.

Abram believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6

Abraham grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Romans 4:20–21

I cannot remember a time in my life that I did not believe in Jesus Christ. It was implicit in my worldview. It was part of my heart and life. As I grew up that belief took on deeper meaning and more far-reaching implications. I began to realize that believing in Jesus meant trusting him, following him, obeying him, and loving him.

The fullness of faith is two-fold. The first and most important is that we are brought to an awareness that God is good. He can be trusted. His will is salutary. His plans are for our benefit. His ways are right, good, and beneficial.

In one sense our move to impute good motives to God – inspired by his goodness, love, grace, and kindness toward us, to be sure – is the first move of faith. God inspires that faith. The Holy Spirit creates it in our hearts. Our move is by God’s power. It has little to do with us, and everything to do with recognizing God’s inherent goodness. God honors those who believe he is good.

There is, however, a danger in such an understanding of faith, for it puts us as judge over God. It could be thought of as saying that we have considered all the evidence, weighed the various explanations, taken into account all the variables and determined that God is good. We have judged him. This is not good. We are not the judge of God. We cannot put God in the dock.

From Wikipedia: God in the Dock is a collection of previously unpublished essays and speeches from C. S. Lewis, collected from many sources after his death. Its title implies “God on Trial”^[a] and the title is based on an analogy^[1] made by Lewis suggesting that modern human beings, rather than seeing themselves as standing before God in judgement, prefer to place God on trial while acting as his judge.

Faith does not sit in judgment on God, but recognizes and trusts the goodness of God, his love, forgiveness, mercy, and justice. Faith is humble. Faith receives. Faith acknowledges God’s goodness. In all this God is pleased.

The second part of faith is how God honors faith. He reckons faith to us as righteousness. By faith we receive God’s gift of justification. We are forgiven. We are restored to a right relationship with Him. Faith receives the blessings of God. Faith saves.

Faith also trusts God, therefore faith compels us to follow God. It leads our hearts toward godly goals. It inspires sacrifice. It moves us to forgive others. It points us to godly ways of obedience, godliness, and service to others.

But it all starts with God. God is the good One. He is righteous. He saves. He forgives. He will judge the hearts and lives of all people.

Our belief about God does not change the character, will, nature, or disposition of God toward us. He loves us perfectly and completely. But our belief about God will change the trajectory of our eternity, and shape the choices we make from moment to moment. For if we believe God we will trust him. We will repent. We will follow where he leads.

And when our faith falters, we will look to him for restoration, hope, and mercy when we turn to him in repentance. That’s what it means to believe.

I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people. Isaiah 43:20

Jesus cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me.” John 7:37

Have you ever been really thirsty? Mouth dry. Lips cracked. Ready-to-jump-into-the-nearest-mud-puddle-and-drink-from-it-like-a-dog thirsty? I have. I was young and working outside on a hot summer day. I was so thirsty and hot that I drank my fill from a nearby hose then jumped into our motel’s newly-filled pool. The water was shockingly cold. I was given a summer cold of the worst kind from that bit of desperate hot thirst.

Jesus offers us living water. More that, Jesus promises not merely to quench the thirsty one’s thirst, he promises that those who believe in him will be a source of refreshing water to others.

“Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” – John 7:38

During their sojourn in the wilderness God provided water for his people. One time Moses struck a rock and sweet, refreshing water flowed. Another time God sweetened bitter water by instructing Moses to throw a branch into the bitter water to make it sweet.

Isaiah’s prophecy isn’t merely a recalling of those halcyon days of Moses, but looking forward to a new provision of God: the water of life (John 4). God’s gift to us is the refreshing water of life.

We cannot help but think of baptism in connection with this talk of water. Baptism is a washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5), a washing of water with the word (Ephesians 5:26). Baptism connects us with Jesus’ death and resurrection (Romans 6:1-4).

We think little of going to the faucet to get a drink; unless we go to a reverse osmosis spigot, or a designer water bottle in our refrigerator. May we not think little of the waters of baptism by which we are called to serve the King of Kings, and represent him to a world that is so thirsty it is lapping up the most rancid and caustic water-substitute so really available at every turn.