Who’s Coming for Christmas?

Posted on December 17, 2021 by jesustrek

Who is coming to your house for Christmas? Is the uncle who always tells the corny jokes going to be there? Maybe the aunt who still pinches your cheeks the way she did when you were three years old! Will your brother-in-law be there? You know, the one who still owes you $50. Most families have an interesting mix of family and friends who get together to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Let’s take a look at who was there for the first Christmas. Luke 2 records the story of the birth of Jesus. When I was in junior high, our English teacher, Mrs. Dye, required all of her students to memorize Luke 2:1-20. If a teacher in a public school gave that assignment today, I suppose that he or she would face the wrath of the ACLU, or perhaps some atheist parents. I am glad that I grew up in a time when people were more receptive to God’s word.

In Luke 2 we read that Joseph and Mary were there, of course. Joseph was an ordinary carpenter who was given an extraordinary assignment—to be the earthly father of the Son of God! Joseph struggled with this idea at first. When Mary, who was pledged to be his wife, was found to be pregnant, Joseph planned to quietly divorce her. He knew that he was not the father of the child, so he suspected that she had been unfaithful to him. However, an angel convinced him that she had not been unfaithful, and that this was God’s plan to save his people from their sins (Matt.1).  

Mary was an ordinary Jewish girl whose only qualification for being chosen to be the mother of Jesus seems to be that she had found favor with God. Like Joseph, Mary questioned the idea of a virgin conception. However, she also had a visit from an angel who explained God’s plan to her. Mary’s response was to accept the assignment that she had been given (Luke 1).

As Mary neared the time for her baby to be delivered, she and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem to register for the census. It was so crowded there that they could not find a proper room to stay in. When the time came for Jesus to be born, he was wrapped in cloths and placed in a manger. What a humble entrance for the King of kings and Lord of lords! We might have written a different script, but this is God’s story—his story of how he would save the world through his Son Jesus.

Luke tells us that shepherds were there that first Christmas. They were just minding their own business, keeping watch over their flocks at night, when something marvelous happened. An angel appeared to them and told them of the birth of Jesus. Then v.13-14 says, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’”

The shepherds decided that they must go right away to search for the baby Jesus. When they found him they praised God and spread the word about what had been told them about this child. They could not keep from worshiping God and spreading the good news that a Savior had been born.

Just as Joseph and Mary and the shepherds accepted their proper role that first Christmas, let’s consider what God wants us to do as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. He wants us to obey him, even if it requires a big change in our lives. He wants us to spend time worshiping and praising God for sending us a Savior in Jesus. And he wants us to spread the good news about Jesus wherever we go!

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Let’s Go, Christians!

Posted on December 15, 2021 by jesustrek

This past October 2, Brandon Brown had just won a NASCAR race at Talladega and was being interviewed by NBC Sports reporter, Kelli Stavast. The crowd was chanting a vulgar, anti-Joe Biden phrase, which Stavast mistakenly took to be a cheer for Brandon Brown. Since then, the phrase “Let’s go, Brandon!” has spread like wildfire.

Some people try to justify using the phrase by pointing out that liberal entertainers and politicians have publicly said much worse about former president Donald Trump. They assert that the humorous code phrase is not nearly as offensive as chanting the actual vulgar words.

I suppose it all depends on your goals. Are you trying to be just a little bit better than rude, foul-mouthed people? Or are you trying to follow Jesus Christ?

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”—1 Corinthians 11:1.

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Your Christmas Gift to the Church

Posted on December 10, 2021 by jesustrek

When someone is baptized into Christ, two things happen. First, that person’s sins are forgiven. Secondly, that person receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). The gift of the Holy Spirit enables each Christian to serve the church in a specific way. God gives us this gift, then we in turn share that gift with the church. Rom.12:6-8 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

This list of spiritual gifts is not comprehensive. There are other gifts listed in Scripture. But this list gives us a pretty good start in considering what kind of gift we might have to give to the church.

Prophecy is speaking the word of God. We need more Christians in their schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and churches reminding others of what the Bible says that we must do or not do. As we speak the truth in love, the church will grow to maturity (Eph.4:15). We all have the responsibility to do this, but some are especially gifted in the area of speaking forth God’s truth.

Serving is a gift that many Christians have. Again, we all have the responsibility to serve, but some are extra blessed to do the physical work of the church that blesses other people. They are the ones who shovel snow off the church sidewalks, prepare the communion trays, clean the church building and so on and so forth. They primarily toil behind the scenes, not seeking the spotlight and often going unnoticed for their important work in the church.

Another gift is teaching. There are things that we all can teach to someone, but the ones with this gift are exceptionally capable of imparting knowledge from God’s word that can help other believers grow in their faith.

The next gift on the list is encouraging. One of Satan’s greatest tools is discouragement. How important it is that we encourage one another on a regular basis! Those whose spiritual gift is encouraging others have one of the most important jobs in the church. They are the ones who lift our spirits with their kind words of inspiration, whether written or spoken. They lift us up when we are down, and they remind us that our work in the church is not going unnoticed.

Some people have the gift of giving. They are able to joyfully give more than a tenth of their income to the church. They lead the way with their generosity and inspire others to give more of their finances to help the kingdom grow.

Still other people in the church are gifted with the ability to lead. God has always worked through individuals that he has called to lead the way. Leadership is in the hands of the few, and if you are called to lead, you must do that boldly, but humbly. Diligent, godly leaders are necessary if the church is to move forward today.

The final gift on this list is to show mercy. God has shown us mercy through his son, Jesus, and we are to in turn show mercy to others. Those who are especially gifted in this area spend a lot of time ministering to people who are sick or lonely or hurting. They send cards, bring food, offer prayers and generally make the worst moments of our lives a bit more tolerable. God bless all of those who have the gift of mercy!

Well, there you have it. Hopefully you have already figured out how God has gifted you to serve in your local church and are using your gift faithfully. Let’s all give our gifts to the church, not just at Christmas, but all year round.

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Different Perspectives

Posted on December 8, 2021 by jesustrek

One day three people visited the Grand Canyon—an artist, a preacher and a cowboy. As they stood at the edge of the massive canyon and marveled at its expanse, they each responded with a statement of exclamation. The artist cried, “Ah, what a beautiful scene to paint!” The preacher exclaimed, “What a wonderful example of the handiwork of God!” The cowboy mused, “What a terrible place to lose a cow!”

In the church, we all bring our own unique perspective on life. We come from various backgrounds and have different experiences. But God brings us all together in Jesus. Christ is the one thing we have in common and he is the One that we all have agreed to obey. Let’s do our best to minimize our differences of opinion and focus on the truth that we have in common; and that truth is Jesus.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”—John 17:20-21.

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Some Assembly Required

Posted on December 3, 2021 by jesustrek

One of the most dreaded phrases in the English language is this—“some assembly required”. Those words strike fear in the hearts of people who are not at all handy at putting things together.

Have you ever worked late into the night on Christmas Eve trying to put together a gift for your child? You thought that the assembly would be simple. After all, it came with easy-to-understand instructions. But it turned out to be more of a job than you ever imagined.

Some of us would rather not think about that phrase, “some assembly required”, but those words have something to say about the way God interacts with the human race.

Some assembly was required for God to create the world. Through Jesus, God spoke the word and, out of nothing, the universe was brought into existence.

Then God made us in his image. Some assembly was required for that. God made Adam from the dust of the earth and Eve from a rib taken from Adam. As for the rest of us, Psalm 139:13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Some assembly was required for human beings to exist.

Then Adam and Eve messed it all up. We mustn’t be too hard on them. If they hadn’t have done it, we surely would have. Mankind’s sin caused the world to be cursed and broken. It needed to be put back together again. Some assembly was required.

So God put together the nation of Israel and set them aside to be his people. He molded them and taught them that they should expect a Messiah, one sent from God who would save the people from their sins. This Messiah would fix things.

And he did. Jesus came into the world and died on a cross to pay the price for the sins of all people. All those who trust in the crucified and resurrected Jesus for their salvation are brought together to form his church. He assembles us to be his people and to do his will in this world.

Now some assembly is required on our part, as we meet to worship together every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). We are not to neglect the assembly, and God warns us that harsh punishment awaits those who forsake the assembly (Heb.10:25-31).

For those who hold onto their faith in Jesus and remain a part of his church, there is one more assembly to consider—when we all are gathered together to live with Jesus in eternity. 1 Thess.4:16-18 says, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

What encouraging words these are! This world, with all of its pain and suffering, is not our final destination. Jesus will assemble all of his people to live with him in eternity. May we live faithfully for him as we await for his return.

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A Little Encouragement

Posted on December 2, 2021 by jesustrek

Everyone appreciates receiving a little encouragement for their accomplishments. We are all somewhat like the little boy who said to his father, “Let’s play darts. I’ll throw and you say ‘Wonderful!’”

Okay, maybe that is an example of someone who craves a little bit too much affirmation! But we all do need encouragement. In this world where discouragement lurks just around every corner, let’s try to lift each other’s spirits when we have the chance to do so.

“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”—1 Thessalonians 2:11-12.

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Not So Thankful

Posted on November 26, 2021 by jesustrek

In some parts of Mexico hot springs and cold springs are found side by side. Because of the convenience of this natural phenomenon the women often bring their laundry and boil their clothes in the hot springs and then rinse them in the cold ones. A tourist who was watching this procedure commented to his Mexican friend and guide: “I imagine that they think old Mother Nature is pretty generous to supply such ample, clean hot and cold water here side by side for their free use.” The guide replied, “No, señor, there is much grumbling because she supplies no soap.”

Rather than grumble about the things we don’t have, we should be thankful to God for all the wonderful blessings he pours into our lives on a daily basis. We ought to be especially thankful for the salvation that he has given us through Jesus!

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”—Psalm 136:1.

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Notable Donation

Posted on November 24, 2021 by jesustrek

Paul Harvey told the story of a woman who called the Butterball hotline with a question about a frozen turkey. The bird had been in her freezer for over 20 years. She wondered if it would be safe to eat it. The customer service representative answered that a turkey that had been frozen for over 20 years would be perfectly safe to eat, but it would be very tough and quite tasteless. The lady replied, “I guess I’ll just donate it to the church.”

I think we can all do better than that! Let’s make sure that we always strive to give the Lord our very best. After all, he gave his best for us!

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”—Colossians 3:17.

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”—2 Corinthians 9:15.

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Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

Posted on November 23, 2021 by jesustrek

This is an especially joyful time of year for most people. We have just spent time celebrating Thanksgiving, and now we look forward to commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

One way we celebrate this time of year is with holiday meals and special treats. I have a tendency to overeat just a bit during the holiday season. I know that I need to cut back, because yesterday I cut myself shaving, and instead of blood, gravy trickled down my cheek!

So what do we do between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Besides getting our stretchy pants out of the closet! Here are a few suggestions.

First, we can be generous. After all, God loved us so much that he gave us his only Son Jesus to die for us on the cross so that we could believe in him and not perish but have eternal life. God is the ultimate Giver. 2 Cor.9:15 says, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

One way that we can give thanks to God for Jesus is to imitate the generosity of our heavenly Father. We always have the opportunity to give generously to our local church with our tithes and our offerings. We also have other chances to be generous, especially this time of year. There are many worthy projects and organizations that help people to have a better Christmas by providing food and gifts. And most of them do this in the name of Jesus. Since “God loves a cheerful giver” (1 Cor.9:7), let’s try to cultivate a spirit of cheerful generosity that becomes an important part of who we are.

A second way to spend our time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is to extend invitations to people. The gospels give several examples of people inviting others to come and see what Jesus is all about. John the Baptizer encouraged his followers to pay close attention to Jesus, God’s Chosen One, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29-34). After deciding to follow Jesus, the first thing Andrew did was bring his brother Simon Peter to Jesus. Likewise, once Philip chose to follow Jesus he brought Nathanael along also (John 1:40-45). The woman that Jesus encountered at the well in John 4 told her whole village that they needed to come and see what Jesus was all about.

People who are not currently following Jesus sometimes experience a softening of their hearts at Christmastime. They may be more likely to accept an invitation to a worship service, Christmas play, Christmas concert or some other event that promotes Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. We would do well to spend time inviting people to come and listen to the gospel message this Christmas season.

Finally, we need to put Jesus first this holiday season. After all, he is the reason for the season! Ultimately, Christmas is not about the food and festivities. It is all about Jesus—Emmanuel—God with us! He willingly came into this world to give his life as a sacrifice for our sins. The baby Jesus was laid in a manger, but he was destined for the cross! He is Savior and Lord, and therefore we need to give him the attention that he deserves. Sure, there are many distractions this time of year, but let’s keep our focus on Jesus. As the song says, “O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord!”

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In Praise of Thanksgiving

Posted on November 20, 2021 by jesustrek

In A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, William Law writes:

“Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms, or is more eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God willeth, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.”

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”—Colossians 3:17.

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