“Thus says the Lord: the meaning of Christmas is that what is good and precious in your life need never be lost, and what is evil and undesirable in your life can be changed. The fears that the few good things that make you happy are slipping through your fingers, and the frustrations that the bad things you hate about yourself or your situation can’t be changed-these fears and these frustrations are what Christmas came to destroy. It is God’s message of hope this Advent that what is good need never be lost and what is bad can be changed.”
‘Tis the season when the Christmas story is read from Luke 2. No doubt you have heard it and are familiar with it. But I wonder if you have ever really thought about what it was like for Joseph and Mary. Here are a few things to consider the next time you hear the story…
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.
It was 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary most likely would have traveled south along the flatlands of the Jordan River and then turned west somewhere near Jericho to head up towards Jerusalem. And by up I mean up. It was about 18 miles of uphill rocky terrain to Bethlehem.
As you picture this, keep in mind that Mary was 8½ months pregnant. If they were able to cover 10 miles a days it would have taken a week and a half. This would have been a grueling trek for anybody – much less a very pregnant woman.
And whether she walked or rode on a donkey, which we do not know, Mary would have been sore and exhausted from the trip. She would not have been well rested as she went into labor and gave birth. Most stories of the birth account romanticize it, but I promise that Mary did not have a beatific look on her face when Jesus made His way into the world.
In America almost all births happen in the sterile, comfortable confines of a hospital with multiple medical personnel on the ready. Joseph and Mary were probably hoping to stay in the spare bedroom of a relative or another Jewish family or worst case in an inn but because so many people were in town because of the census the best lodging they could find was likely a dark, dank cave.
The cave no doubt was a respite for animals so use your imagination to take a good whiff of what Jesus’ delivery room most likely smelled like.
And Jesus’ birth was like any other birth. There was a lot of wailing on Mary’s part, and a lot of anxious moments on Joseph’s part. And there was no doubt a lot of amniotic fluid and blood and possibly that gross looking cheesy stuff followed by the expulsion of the placenta. It was a royal mess – pun intended – as the King of Kings made His way into the world.
And then Jesus began to cry – which was an awesome sound given everything that Joseph and Mary had just gone through.
And thus began the the most influential life that has ever existed.
The next time you read or hear the Christmas story – think about the story within the story. And be very grateful that God sent His Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3-4)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Back on October 25 of this year I preached a message on verse 1 of this passage. You can find it HERE. So I will focus my pondering today on verse 2.
As believers, I think we can agree that we do NOT want to be conformed to this world – or as one paraphrase says, “Don’t let the world squeeze you into it’s mold.” And we don’t want to stay the same way that we are. The only other option is to change. Or rather to be changed. To be transformed. Or to use the Greek word that you will recognize, “be metamorphosized.”
Paul tells us at the end of the verse that when we are transformed we will be able to discern God’s will. And who doesn’t want to know what God’s will is? Most of us are regularly asking the question, “Lord, what do You want me to do.” Paul is telling us how to figure out the answer to this question, which is… drumroll please… “by the renewal of your mind.” Two questions immediately come to my mind:
Why do we need our minds renewed? The answer is fairly simple. GIGO. That is computer speak for Garbage In Garbage Out. For years our minds have been programmed by the world. By the music we listen to and videos we watch. By the TV shows and movies we look at. By the books that we read. By what we are taught in school. By social media platforms. Little by little, day by day our minds have subtly been taught to believe certain things. Most of the time we have not even questioned the influence that all these things have had on us. And consequently, we have unconsciously come to believe things about God, about ourselves, about people in general, and about the world that may or may not be true. It’s time to challenge the world’s perspective that has infiltrated our minds. It’s time to have our minds renewed. So…
How do we renew our minds? Again, the answer is fairly simple. TITO. That is “Shay speak” for Truth In Truth Out. Instead of allowing the world to inform our minds we need to allow the Word to inform our minds. So here are a few very practical things that you can do to make sure that your mind is daily being renewed. All of these are things you have heard many times – but sometimes we try to make things too complicated and we ignore the simple answers:
Read the Word daily – give the Truth of Scripture access to your mind
Ponder the Word – Don’t just read Scripture, take some time and think about what it is saying.
Apply the Word – Make sure that you are putting the commands of God into practice. If God says to do something, do it. If God says not to do something, don’t do it.
Memorize the Word – Find a passage of Scripture that you really like and take the time to commit it to memory.
Talk about the Word – As you go about your day find someone that you can have a conversation with about what you have been reading.
Listen to the Word – Make sure that you are in church and hearing the Word being preached and the Word being taught.
Sing the Word – Tune into a good Christian radio station or use the Pandora or Spotify Apps to sing and worship the Word of God.
Exalt the Word – John 1 tells us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen His glory….” Jesus is the incarnate Word of God. Honor Him. Praise Him. Magnify His name. Exalt Him.
May the Lord use this brick to remind you to get back to the basics and to be intentional about renewing your mind.
Grace sanctifies. It is too wild to let us stay in love with unrighteousness. Too free to leave us in slavery to sin. Too untamed to let our lusts go unconquered. Grace’s power is too uninhibited to not unleash us for the happiness of true holiness.
Without a doubt we can say that your third year of life was a year full of change. Let’s do a quick review of some of the major changes you’ve experienced the last 12 months.
In February you went from being the baby sister to being a big sister when your family welcomed Haddon into the world.
In March the whole world changed when the coronavirus pandemic hit and it forced everybody to make significant changes in their lives.
In November you found out that your family would be moving to Raleigh – new city, new home, new church, new job for your daddy.
Those three changes alone are enough to rock anybody’s world. Add to that the crazy-ness of being a two year old and all the changes you were experiencing just by being a healthy, growing little girl.
Some people handle change better than other people. Even as I wrote that I heard your great Aunt Jeanne say out loud, “Amen!” But one thing that you can count on is that you will go through hundreds of changes in your life. Some of them you will readily embrace and some you will fight to avoid. Some will come from out of nowhere and some you will have a lot of time to prepare for. Some will make you laugh and some will make you cry. Some you will initiate and some will be thrust upon you.
The best advice that I can give you as you grow up to prepare for the changes that will come your way is this: Draw near to God! Psalm 91 says it this way:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you…
He will deliver you no matter what changes might come your way…. Draw near to God!
As a bonus, here are 4 quotes that I came across about change that I like.
“Worrying about something you can’t change will forever be the biggest waste of your time.”
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ―Mother Teresa
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” —C.S. Lewis
“You’re always one decision away from a totally different life.” —Mark Batterson
I hope you have an awesome day celebrating your birthday and that it is full of lots of fun surprises. Never ever forget that you are very loved!
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
The implications of what the Lord has done for us are staggering. Here is a rehearsal of what Peter says that God has done and a few things to ponder…
He brought us out of darkness: Remind yourself what it was like prior to coming to faith in Christ.
He brought us into the light: What difference has Jesus made in your life?
He chose us – Just let that sink in. He chose YOU when you were not the pick of the litter.
He made you royalty – You are a child of the King of Kings
He has called you to be a priest – As a priest, how will you bless the people you come in contact with today?
He has made you holy – ALL those sins that have separated you from God – He remembers no more.
You belong to Him as a treasured possession – He lovingly looks at you and says. “You are MINE.”
He has given you a faith family to be a part of – the people of God.
He has lavished His mercies upon you – even when you did not deserve them.
He has commissioned you as a sojourner – never forget that this world is NOT your home.
He has enlisted you as a soldier of the cross – never forget that you are in a war.
And WHY has He done all these things? So that you might proclaim His excellencies (v.9) and so that you might bring honor and glory to His great Name. (v.12)
May this brick be a reminder of who you are, whose you are, and all that the Lord has done for you.
“If God is indescribable, where does that leave us? It leaves us walking more humbly than we’ve ever walked before—bowed at the thought of such a mighty and mysterious God. It leaves us safe in the knowledge of His ultimate control—that the One who spoke these awe-inspiring, inconceivable wonders into being will never lose the plot or drop the ball. And it leaves us pondering just how much He—this creative God of hidden wonders—has in store for those who’ve chosen to love and follow Him.”
I always look forward to our meal together on Thanksgiving because there is SOOO much yummy food. And so many yummy leftovers. I am a big fan of leftovers. I know that some people don’t like to eat leftover food but my philosophy is that if it is good enough to eat once then it is good enough to eat twice… or three times. Besides the turkey, I’m excited about my continued enjoyment of sweet potato casserole, corn casserole, deviled eggs, and mocha cheesecake. Yummers!
There is a feast that is mentioned in Scripture that I would love to have been a part of.
It is mentioned in Exodus 24 and I have never heard anybody teach or preach about this passage – but it intrigues me. Moses had just finished delivering the Ten Commandments and all the other rules from God for the people of Israel. Then the Lord invited Moses and the 70 elders of Israel to go up on the mountain for a time of worship and a thanksgiving feast. Verses 9-11 say this:
9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up,10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.
It is passages like this capture my imagination. Here are some questions that I would love to know the answer to:
What was their first reaction when they saw God?
How would they describe Him to family and friends when they came down off the mountain?
What kind of food did God serve?
How did this moment change them? Was it a life-changing experience?
In light of this experience, what were they thinking during the infamous “golden calf” incident (Exodus 32) that took place not too long after the mountain top experience?
Even though Aaron was on the mountain and a part of the feast with God we know from Exodus 32:2 that he was definitely complicit in the forging of the golden calf. I find it hard to imagine after what he experienced on the mountain how he could do this or let the Israelites talk him into doing this.
And then I am reminded that my memory is also short lived. I can feast on God’s Word and be in His presence in the morning and then turn around later in the day and pay homage to my own idols.
So here is my encouragement to you…. Enjoy the feasting each morning as you spend time in the Word but then nibble on the leftovers throughout the day so that you are never long removed from Scripture. This might take the form of going over a memory verse or pondering something you read in the morning or putting Scripture into practice or praying over the passage or having a conversation with someone about the text.
Feast. Nibble. Nibble. Nibble. Repeat tomorrow. This will go a long way in keeping you from having your own golden calf incident. If you are not yet familiar with this story then read Exodus 32 and let it serve as a warning to you.
This succinct verse is one of many such admonitions that Paul gives at the end of his letter to the Thessalonians. It’s as if he has lots more to say but little time to say it so he just records any last minute thoughts that pop into his head.
This verse raises one very practical question: How do you pray without ceasing? Is it even possible to do what Paul is asking?
Me thinks the answer is yes, of course. But it means that we need to get rid of our traditional way of thinking about prayer. Praying without ceasing has nothing to do with the posture of our body and everything to do with the posture of our heart. Traditionally we bow our heads and close our eyes as we pray. This is what we are taught to do when we are kids. This is what is modeled for us by our parents and pastors and Sunday School teachers. What we really need to learn how to do is not so much to bow our heads but to bow our hearts as we come before God’s throne of grace. Here are a few postures of the heart that need to become ingrained in us if we are going to learn how to pray without ceasing.
1) A Heart Posture of Dependence – This may be the hardest posture for us to learn because as Americans we value independence so much. The American way is to do it ourselves and not depend on anyone else. So when it comes to complete surrender and dependence on God there is much that needs to be unlearned. Perhaps a good way to start a conversation with God is by saying at the very beginning, “Lord, I need you,” as a reminder to ourselves as much as anything.
2) A Heart Posture of Obedience – There is a tendency for us to pick and choose what we want to obey or not obey. A posture of obedience says that we will obey what God’s Word says EVEN IF it doesn’t suit our fancy and EVEN IF it cramps our preferred lifestyle.
3) A Heart Posture of Gratefulness – We are looking at 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The very next verse which is a part of the same sentence says this, “…give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” ALL circumstances! A heart that is able to say “thank you” to God even when circumstances would suggest doing the opposite is especially pleasing to the Lord and is an audacious expression of faith in the goodness of God.
4) A Heart Posture of Expectancy – It was William Carey who said, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” A posture of expectancy gets the order right. Pray FIRST, then act boldly anticipating that God is already at work. It is not uncommon for us to act first and then pray that God will boldly bless OUR actions. This is a posture of presumption and often results in unfounded disappointment with God.
May this brick motivate you to practice these four postures of the heart as you seek to “pray without ceasing.”
So this is the week that our nation sets aside for giving thanks. The origin of Thanksgiving goes back to the Pilgrims in the 17th century but it was not until 1941 that the holiday was officially declared by the president to be celebrated the 4th Thursday of November.
For those of us who are believers in Jesus and hold Scripture up as the holy Word of God, thanksgiving is supposed to be a daily practice as we recognize that the Lord is at work in ALL the details of our lives. So we give thanks when things are going well and we give thanks when things are going not so well. During these crazy COVID-19 days it would be very easy to grumble and whine but our calling is to do otherwise. Gratitude is an expression of faith and faith is the primary identifying mark of Christians.
This was a lesson that Corrie Ten Boon learned when she and her sister were enduring the insane suffering that took place in World War Two concentration camps. She relates an incident in her book The Hiding Place that is worth remembering when life is less than ideal.
She and her sister, Betsy, had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck. On entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and flea-infested. That morning, their Scripture reading in 1 Thessalonians had reminded them to “rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances.” Betsy told Corrie to stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters. Corrie at first flatly refused to give thanks for the fleas, but Betsy persisted, and Corrie finally succumbed to her pleadings. During the months spent at the camp, they were surprised to find how openly they could hold Bible study and prayer meetings without the guards interference. It was not until several months later that they learned the reason the guards would not enter the barracks was because of the fleas.
You have often heard me say that “Reyners are not whiners” – so the next time you are tempted to whine about something just picture yourself being covered with fleas… and then give thanks that you are not.
