2^nd. Timothy 3:1-5 and 14-17 and Deuteronomy 11:13-21

    Here we are again, facing another new year, and once again we are making “New Year’s resolutions”. In a recent poll, it was shown that 80% of New Year’s resolutions have to do with dieting. That’s not really surprising in a nation where that same poll says 70% of Americans are overweight. There are a lot of different diets a person can go on these days; low fat, low sugar, low salt, no salt, low calorie, diet with exercise, exercise only diets, and the list goes on. Of course there are the well known Jennie Craig, Weight Watchers, Slim fast and gain it back as fast diet…, Curves for women, and a host of many other “not as famous” diets. However, there is one diet that I want to talk about today that it seems more and more Christians are going on these days, and that is a “low Bible diet”. I would suggest to you today that we all make a New Year’s resolution for 2014 and that is to GET FAT ON GOD’S WORD!  I’m not talking about sitting around eating Bon-Bons and Crispy Cream doughnuts while we read the Bible; but that we would get off the low Bible diet and begin to consume more and more of God’s Word.

    If you know about dieting, you have probably seen and heard about “Anorexia”. It is the result of over-doing or being obsessed with dieting. The Dictionary describes Anorexia as “an unusual lack of appetite”. One of the consequences of Anorexia is death; and, spiritually speaking, there are consequences to a low Bible diet as well.
    One of the consequences of a low Bible diet is that Bibles begin to disappear. Many people attend Church, Sunday school, and Bible Studies, and don’t bring their Bible. Either they think we are going to teach out of the Sears catalog, or they have a photographic memory and will retain everything they hear! In our scripture, Paul says “All scripture is God breathed and useful for “teaching”. We have a text book that has within its pages “everything we need for life and godliness” and I would suggest that if we are going to get fat on God’s Word, we ought to carry God’s Word with us, and take notes in God’s Word, and highlight God’s Word, and read and meditate on God’s Word! 
    A second consequence of a low Bible diet is that doctrine begins to disappear and faith becomes weak.  Doctrine is like the skeleton or the bones in our bodies…they are the framework that holds our bodies together, and doctrine is the framework of the church.  If you are unable to list at least five of the seven basic Biblical doctrines of the Church, it may be the result of a low Bible diet. (Trinity of God in three persons –(1X1X1 = 1) God the Father and Creator – Jesus the Son of God who is the only way of salvation; - born of the virgin Mary,-died on the Cross for the sins of the world,- was buried and rose again,-  and will return as victor and judge; The Holy Spirit who is the administer of grace, giver of gifts, and the enabler of believers; - Scriptures as the inerrant and complete Word of God;  - God’s purpose for man as found in the “Great Commandment” to “Love the Lord Thy God with all, and to love Thy neighbor as Thyself” - Second coming of Christ and the rapture of the church.)
    The third consequence of a low Bible diet is that sin and discontent, dissention, and discouragement will be present in the church. Paul, once again says, “scripture is God breathed and useful for rebuking and correcting”.  It would seem Oprah and Dr, Phil have become the prophets and counselors of the day rather than God’s Word.  Selfishness rather than the needs of the church as a whole become the dominant factors of decision making.
    Fourth, a consequence of a low Bible diet is that false teachers lead many astray.  How can you know what is false if you don’t know truth? Satan can and does, cause people on a low Bible diet to believe anything! Simply look what has happened to morals and values in our society. What has happened to respect for authority?  What has happened to our nation and yes, even our churches today?  “They will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, not lovers of good, but lovers of pleasure rather than God”… These are not my words, they are God’s Word! God would call it a “lack of holiness” and it is a direct result of a low Bible diet.
    Finally, Paul says that scripture is useful for “training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The final consequence of all these things is that there is a lack of good works; inside and outside of the church. There comes a lack of enthusiasm and energy and excitement for that which God can do, will do, and is doing!
    As we begin the year 2014, let’s resolve to get our focus back on God and spend some time getting fat on His Word!

“Making the Most of 2014”
Ephesians 4:17-32 and 5:15-21

    Now, let me take from those words and create a New Year’s resolution;

    “For the coming new year - 2014 - I resolve to “be completely humble and gentle; patient; bearing with others in love; in order to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. I resolve not to live any longer as the Gentiles - or worldly - live; I will put off falsehood and speak only truth; I will not let anger cause me to sin and give the devil a foothold; I will not let any unwholesome talk come out of my mouth, but I will resolve to build others up and be an encourager; I will get rid of all bitterness in my life and attitude, and start being more kind and compassionate; As a child of God, I will imitate him and live a life of love; And, I will be the light that Jesus said I am, and learn what pleases him! I will make an intentional effort to be careful how I live, making the most of every opportunity to learn, and to understand, and to apply God’s Word to my life!
How’s that for a New Year’s resolution?
    How many would say that the Bible contains a lot of information? Is the purpose of scripture merely to inform? (No) The purpose of scripture is to (transform!)  Example -There is a sign on the road that informs me that there is a dangerous curve ahead…Unless I intentionally make some changes, I am going to go off the road and crash!  Why is it that we Christians have all this “information” - “everything we need for life and godliness” as 2 Peter 1:3 says, and yet we refuse to change?
    I think 2014 ought to be the year we start putting the information that we have to good use!  In verses 17-21 of chapter five, Paul gives us some advise as to how we can accomplish these things;
1^st. - He says; “Don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Some just don’t want to go to the trouble of finding out what God’s will for their life is. Others may know what God’s will is, but choose to ignore it, or don’t really believe it! Understanding and doing God’s will is not a bad thing! It’s the best thing that can happen to us, individually and as a church. When it comes to knowing God’s will, what we don’t know can hurt us! And, it can hurt others as well. This is just one of the reasons James tells us that “anyone who knows what is right and does not do it, sins!”
2^nd. He says we are to be “filled with the Spirit”. 
There is a parallel drawn between being drunk with wine, and being filled with the Spirit. The point of the comparison is not that Spirit filled people behave in a stupid or excessive manner, but that the person filled with the Spirit is totally and completely under the influence and control of the Spirit of God just as a person filled with wine is under the control of wine. Once again let me state that being filled with the Spirit does not mean that we have or receive any more of the Spirit, but that the Spirit has more of me! The point is one of control. If a man is filled with anger, anger controls his thoughts, his emotions, and his actions. If a man is filled with greed, greed will influence and control his thoughts, emotions, and actions. If a man is filled with love, the very same is also true. You could say it’s “control by consent”. Many people are not full of anything but themselves, and the truth be known, they are really empty!
3^rd. - He says; “speak only godly things and make music in your heart to the Lord.” 
Here’s what I think this verse means; A Psalm - as in the Book of Psalms - speaks of God’s nature, God’s attributes, God’s character, and the wondrous and miraculous things God has done; so, it makes sense then that these are the things we ought to talk about.
    A Hymn usually has something to do with our relationship towards or with God; “Yes, Jesus Loves Me”… “Leaning On the Everlasting Arms”…Standing on the Promises”…Victory in Jesus, and so on. So, our relationship with God is something we ought to talk about and sing about!
    Spiritual songs are “praises”. If you are like me, sometimes you just get a song of praise in your head, and it just won’t quit! I sing - in my mind, and in my heart - praises to God.
    If we did these things instead of talking about the weather, and talking about each other, and talking about our faults and allowing personality conflicts to dictate the mood of the church and fellowship, wouldn’t it make church a better place to be in 2014?
4^th. - We have the words “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything”.
If any nation in the world ought to be thankful, it is America. If any people in America ought to be thankful, it’s Christians.  In Romans 1:21 Paul says “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God, nor gave thanks to him.” Remember that the first advise that Paul gave was “Know the will of God”, well, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. Think about it this way; “How do you feel about people who are ungrateful?” We should never lack for things to thank God for.
    Finally, he says “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Let me explain what he means by “out of reverence for Christ”; The word “submit” is a Greek form of the word “hupo-tasso”… Hupo means “under” and tasso means “to assign”. To submit then in this case, means to be “under assignment”. Reverence for Christ means that we acknowledge that Christ was first “under assignment” to us. He left glory to live among us, to be a visible expression of the living God, and to teach us the ways of the Kingdom of God.  We then, are to submit to one another - or to be “under assignment” to one another - that assignment is to build the church and welcome all into the kingdom of God. I wonder how we will do this year?
    Back in 1967, experts predicted that by the turn of the century technology would have taken so much of the work out of what we do, that the average work week would be only 22 hours long, and that we would only work 27 weeks out of the year. As a result, one of our biggest problems would be deciding what to do with all our leisure time!   I don’t know about you, but that prediction really missed the mark in my life! In fact, most of us seem to be very busy people. We are always in a hurry. We walk fast, we drive fast, we talk fast, we eat fast… and after we eat we stand up and say “Excuse me, but I have to run!” 
    How will we do in 2014?  Will we make better use of our time? Will we be too busy, too tired, too involved in whatever is on T.V. to attend Sunday School?  Sunday night? Wednesday night? We have more than enough information…We need to make the most of 2014!

A View of 2014

    Before each one of us is a new year. A year ripe with opportunities. With a right view of ourselves, the right view of the world around us, and a right view of the church and our part in the church, 2014 can be an unbelievable year! However, it will require three things we will absolutely need to succeed;

    First, we will need Determination. Let’s face it, we have all made some New Years resolutions in the past… we are all masters of “good intentions.” Our problem is the determination to see it through. There is an old  saying; “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” For many of us it’s more like; “When the going gets tough, we just stop going!” Whatever God has in mind for the New Year, whether for ourselves, our church, or our world, let’s face it with the determination to - follow through - and see it through - to completion.
    Second, we need Direction. It’s not enough just to have the determination it takes to reach our goals; we must also make sure we have the right goals. We need to be sure we are heading in the right direction.
    I love the story of the woman who was driving in Colorado, when she ran into a snowstorm. It was a dandy… a real “whiteout”. As she peered ahead she saw the flashing yellow light of a snowplow. “What luck” she thought, and she kept as close as she could while the plow removed the snow from the roadway. At times the heavy snow almost cut off her view completely, but the faithful plow kept leading the way. After some time, the snowplow stopped, the driver got out, and walked back to her car…”Where are you going lady?” to which she replied, “I’m on my way to Denver”…“Well”, said the driver, “You’ll never get there following me around this parking lot!” We need goals, but we also need to be going in the right direction.
    More than anything in the coming year, we need to do what our scripture for today says; “Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on our own understanding; in all our ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make our paths straight.”  In God’s Word, we are given two great stories or examples about trust; The first is found in Numbers chapters 13 and 14 - Moses has led the Israelites out of Egypt, and they were about to cross the Jordan and enter the “promised land”.  The spies go to observe the land, and they come back with proof that it is just as God said it would be! But, they also said that its residents were as big as Texas and they themselves were like Aikenites in their own eyes! And, of course, we know that they did not enter the land and continued to wander in their gloom and doom attitude for 40 years.
    The second story is much like the first. It’s found in the first 6 chapters of Joshua. The people again came to the banks of the Jordan; Again spies are sent into the city; This time they come back with a different report; In 2:24 they say - “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; for all the people there are melting in fear because of us”….Oh, really? Rahab had told them that the people were melting in fear because of their God! Anyway, this time the people trust God - they even do things that make no sense whatsoever, like marching around the city of Jericho; but, because of their trust, when they shout after the seventh time around, the walls of Jericho fell!
    Trust always has the element of risk involved. The very nature of trust is that the result is dependent on someone or something else. Maybe we don’t trust because of the risks involved. Maybe we’re just all control freaks…we want to call the shots, and we are afraid something is going to go wrong. But, God says; “Trust with all your heart!” The question then is; “In 2014 will you trust God with your life? Will you let Him work through you to accomplish His will? Will you stick to it with determination by His direction; or will you call the shots?
    In 2014 will you trust God with our nation and the world? Whether good times or bad times, are you willing to trust that God is in control? Or, are you going to spend yet another year, wondering  and wandering, and worrying about what might or - might not - happen?
    In 2014, Are we going to trust God with His church? Are we going to trust what Jesus said; “I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it!” Will we trust that God wants His church to grow and reach out with determination…under His direction?…even when it makes no sense?  Or shall we approach 2014 with “Same old, same old”?
    We ought to always expect and prepare for great things from God! We can’t even begin to think or imagine what He can do in 2014 if, we seek His direction; follow through with determination; and trust Him with all our heart…oh yes, and if we have the proper view of ourselves; our world; our church and our God.

“And Now For This Announcement”
Luke 2:9-14

    Luke records a heavenly presence by the angelic host, and this is the third time angels have brought the message of God to earth in this section of his book. Many times on the radio or while watching television, we hear the announcer break in and say something like “we now pause for this important announcement”…As I think of the shepherds sitting in the fields, perhaps gathered around a campfire, I picture the angel suddenly appearing and saying; “And now for this important announcement!” And, down through the centuries of time there has never been an announcement as important or as special as this one!

    The first thing I want you to consider is that this was a “personal” announcement. The angel said “I bring YOU good news” a Savior has been born – “unto YOU” this day…“He is Christ the Lord.”  The fact that hundreds of years, even thousands of years have passed, and thousands upon thousands have heard it, does not diminish the fact that this was a personal message. Jesus was born to be a personal Savior to all who would hear, receive, believe, and respond to this wonderful personal message. Have you ever looked into the manger at Bethlehem and thought, “This babe is God, coming into this world personally, for me!”
    Secondly, this message brought by the angel was a “universal announcement” “I bring you good news of great joy, that will be for all people.” While the message was personal in content and impact, it was also universal in scope. All means all!  All people were to have the opportunity to know and respond to a God who loves them. We have said before that every person ever born is born with the inherent desire to worship. Missionaries have gone to the remotest villages to a people who have never heard of God or Christ, and they are worshipping something as god. Most of the time they respond in fear to a god who is angry when storms come and bad things happen. That’s why the combined messages of Christmas and Easter are indeed such “good news!”  The same can be said for many people in our world who don’t know God or understand the gospel message. It truly is “good news” to know that what the angel proclaimed was personal - “for me” … and it was universal - “for all people”!
    Third, it was a timely announcement. “Today, a Savior has been born” The Word says “When the time had fully come, God sent His Son.” Spiritually speaking, every Christmas it should seem as though we are celebrating the birth of Christ for the first time. Perhaps for some, it truly is the first time! For me, the Christmas story always seems to be timely. It renews our faith, it lifts our spirits, it brings us joy, it reminds us once again why we come to celebrate and worship.
    But, this announcement was not only timely, it was time-less! “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy, that will be for all people! Today, in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord”!  What an announcement!  The people needed to hear it then, and it’s what people need to hear now!  It’s what every person needed to hear between then and now! It is an announcement that people will need to hear until the end of time!
    While it may be proper for us to pay special attention to this announcement this time of year, it is equally true that it is important to us every day of the year. We could appropriately sing “Joy To The World” at any time, any day. We could sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” at any time of the year…. We could and should sing “He Lives” and “Christ Arose” any time of the year, not just at Easter! “I serve a risen Savior, and He’s in the world today!”  It is a personal message. It is a universal message. It is a timely message. And, it is a timeless message!   It’s a message of “Good news, of great JOY!”

“Do You Know What I Know?”
Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6 

    “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”…. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.”

Scripture – John 1:1-18

    The Christmas story really begins with one Old Testament prophecy after another of a promised Savior; a coming King; the Messiah; who would redeem his people and reconcile them unto God the Father. The centerpiece, so to speak, of all these prophecies is Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6 which was written nearly 600 years before Jesus birth. That would be like someone giving a prophecy in the year 1407 that would we would see fulfilled today!  In fact, there was a prophecy, a promise given even longer ago that that; 30 some years after Jesus birth that could very well be fulfilled right now, today, at any given moment; and that is Christ’s return!  “Do you know what I know?”

    Writing under divine influence, Isaiah was able to see across the centuries, and give us an amazingly accurate picture of the Savior’s birth. Even though he may not have known it at the time, the details of this prophecy were fulfilled too precisely for the connection to be dismissed as chance or coincidence.
    At Christmas time we tend to focus on the infancy of Christ, and it is the story of his birth, but the greater truth is his Deity. Even more astonishing than the Christ child born in the manger of Bethlehem, is the fact that this promised baby was the omnipotent creator of heaven and earth! He, in fact was almighty God in the flesh! John calls him the “Word”…“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!” Is it any wonder then, that his coming would dramatically, and forever alter human history? More than a baby…More than a man…More than a teacher or preacher… More than a prophet or a great leader of men… and my question for you concerning Jesus today is “Do you know what I know?”
    God’s Word, from beginning to end, is all about Jesus and God’s plan for mankind, but let’s just look at John 1: 2 – “He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
    When Jesus said “the Father and I are one” John understood. When Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” John understood. When Jesus said “I am the light of the world” John understood; and he wrote “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” I think John knew and understood more about Jesus than we give him credit for. I think this is one reason why John was closer to Jesus than the other disciples. I think this is why John was the only disciple mentioned at the Cross, as he stood there with Mary.
    “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” Some other translations read “The light shines in the dark, but the dark has never extinguished it.” Oh, they have tried to extinguish the light for centuries, ever since Jesus was born. In the story, King Herod tries by ordering that all male Jewish children under the age of two years are to be killed! That was the beginning…Today, they have taken prayer out of schools, the Ten Commandments off the walls, and even tried to take “under God” out of our pledge of allegiance! “The darkness has never extinguished the light,” and they never will!  Isaish said “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” which looks beyond the first Christmas to a time in the still prophetic future, when Christ shall reign over all the earth, and every knee will bow and every heart confess!” And, the kingdoms and nations, and governments will all be subject to the rule of Christ the King!  Zechariah 14:9 – “The Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord and his name shall be the only name!”
    Verse 6 and 7 - “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John”…not John the writer of the Gospel words, but John the Baptist. “He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.” Those of us who have made a confession of faith in Jesus Christ, are called to be witnesses. The shepherds in the story went from the manger in Bethlehem to be witnesses that “what they heard and what they saw was true”…and it says that the “people were amazed at what the shepherds said.” God wants us to witness to the world the wonderful, “good news of great joy” every day, everywhere, to everyone we know, not just at Christmas time.
    In verse 14 and 16 John says “we have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace we and truth”…”From the fullness of his grace we all have received one blessing after another.” Have you ever noticed that verse before? “From the fullness of his grace we all have received one blessing after another!” It begins with the greatest blessing of God’s grace, and that is the promise of eternal life. But, it doesn’t end there. The blessings come one after another when you have Jesus in your heart as Savior and Lord. He said “I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly”… Life, real, full, blessed, here and now; as well as eternal life that we can’t even comprehend neither the enormity of nor the blessings of! “No eye hath seen, no ear hath heard, no mind can conceive, what God has prepared for those who love him!”
    So, you see, the Christmas story goes far deeper, and far beyond just seeing and hearing, it is something we must know! 
    Though born a babe in a lowly manger, he was and is the “Alpha and the Omega” the beginning and the end. He knows and sees the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning…He who is timeless, chose to step into time and live as we live…and die as we die…in order that he might be – as scripture says - “the perfecter of our faith.”
    In verse 18 John says “no one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known”…There is no greater purpose of Christmas than for us to truly understand and know this one who lay in the manger of Bethlehem. Who he was, why he came, why he died, and why he will come again… “Do you know what I know?”

“Do You See What I See?”
Luke 2:25-33

    The focus of this Christmas series of messages comes from the verse just previous to our scripture today. It reads: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told”…I have used the words to a familiar Christmas song called “Do You Hear What I hear?” as a theme. Last time I spoke about the difference between listening and hearing. Quite often we come to worship and we sit and listen to what is being said and sung and preached, but we don’t really “hear” what is being said. For instance, in this story of the shepherds, it says they “glorified and praised God – for all the things they were told were true.” They found the manger; yes there was a new born baby there; but I have to wonder if they really “heard” the part about “unto you is born a Savior?” When they looked into the manger, what did they really see? When you and I look into the manger, what do we see?

    I have seen some pretty mixed up nativity scenes in various places. One scene had a large star over the manger and the wise men were there - standing next to the little drummer boy! Sometimes what we see at Christmas is a strange mixture of pagan ideas, superstition, myths, and fanciful legends for Christmas Carols. I was surprised that behind this manger scene there wasn’t a partridge in a pear tree!
    A little girl came home from Sunday school and burst into the house triumphantly waving her paper! “Mommy”, she said, “My Sunday school teacher told me that I drew the most unusual Christmas picture she had ever seen!” Her mother studied the picture for a moment, and concluded that the teacher was right. “This is a wonderful picture” said her mother, “but I don’t quite understand what this airplane full of people has to do with Christmas”… With a hint of disappointment, the little girl said; “Well this is a picture - after the Christmas story - of the “flight to Egypt” that the teacher was talking about. “Well, who is this mean old man in the front?” asked the mother. “”That’s Pontius, the pilot!” said the little girl. Oh, said the mom, “I see you have Mary, and Joseph, and the baby, but, who is this little fat man sitting behind Mary?”…Can’t you tell?” asked the girl, “That’s round John Virgin!” 
    The Chronicles of Narnia have become a very popular children’s book and movie. Written by C.S. Lewis, it is a story that parallels the story of Jesus. Although I have not read the whole thing, I am intrigued by what I have read.  Winter can be very tough. It’s not just cold--it’s bleak, dark, and barren. That’s why it’s such a perfect image for Lewis to use in this first Narnia book. It’s not just a physical reality…it’s a metaphor for the dark and sinister force that holds Narnia firmly in its grip.
    Narnia was once a lush and beautiful land, but evil has reared its ugly head in the character of the White Witch. Her reign of terror keeps the land in eternal winter. Always winter…but never Christmas. Until four children appear, the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve, or more informally; Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy.
    They stumble into this land by accident, but find themselves there by design. Because even in the midst of the terrible, long winter, there remains the faint whisper of an ages-old prophecy. One that involves the four children, but centers on someone else. Someone named Aslan.
    The children learn about this mysterious figure from, of all things, a pair of beavers, who tell them of an ancient rhyme: “Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, at the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bears his teeth, winter meets its death, and when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”
    Even in the darkest of times in Narnia, there is hope. Hope that one day the White Witch would be gone, and her endless winter with her. Because Aslan is coming, or as they say in the book; “Aslan is on the move!” “Oh, that I would live to see the day,” says Mrs. Beaver. Words that have no doubt echoed in similar situations throughout the ages.
    When C.S. Lewis writes about it being “Always winter, but never Christmas,” he’s not just describing the reign of the White Witch, He’s describing our human experience. Until the birth of Jesus Christ, sin kept humanity tightly in its grip, and brought the pain of separation from God. That was God’s intent in sending Jesus Christ, not to end political or cultural tyranny, but as Paul writes, to set us free from the power of sin and death. These aren’t popular words at Christmastime, but they’re the very reason for that birth in a stable.
    In Narnia, Aslan’s coming signals the end of winter, but only after he willingly offers his life as a sacrifice on behalf of another. You might have heard how some movie critics are referring to the new Narnia film as “The Passion of the Lion.”  It’s a legitimate comparison, because the death of Aslan is a direct parallel to death of Jesus.
    Well, let’s get to our scripture for today. Today’s part of the story tells us about a man named Simeon… whom, it seems, had waited his whole lifetime for Christ to be born. Scripture says that it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Savior. Take a hard, long, look at that statement… How many people die every year…every day…every minute in our world who never “see” the Savior? Even though Simeon was an old man, he never lost hope. Every moment of every day he was expecting the coming of the Lord. What expectations do we have this morning? Do we wake up every day thinking this might be the day; this might be the time when Jesus comes again? 
    Simeon had his priorities right. He had to personally receive the Christ child into his arms, into his heart and into his life. The Bible says there is no other way! I have heard some men say “Well, my wife is the religious one, not me”…I’m sorry to say that your wife is going to heaven alone!  After picking up the child in his arms, Simeon said “now let your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation.” After death there is no repentance, there are no sermons, there will be no altar calls, the opportunity to see God’s salvation in the Christ child is here and now! Do you see what I see?
    So here’s Simeon, holding the Christ child, blessing the baby Jesus, who would in turn bless the whole world. Now, I want to draw attention to one phrase about Simeon. The NIV says he was “waiting”. The English word doesn’t really do the phrase justice. The NLT says Simeon “eagerly expected” the Messiah. The Living Bible says he was “constantly expecting” the Messiah. The Phillips Bible says Simeon was “living in eager expectation of the salvation of Israel.” And the Jerusalem Bible says Simeon “looked forward” to Jesus’ comforting His people.
    It’s the same word for us in Luke 12:35-37. Jesus tells us to be like servants who are waiting. The servants were ready and waiting. They were looking forward to being with the master. And Jesus says that we should be the same. Part of walking in the Spirit is “waiting forwardly” for God to move around us. Keeping our eyes open and ears sensitive to what God might have in store for us. After all, we believe that Jesus is coming back! And, 2 Peter 3:10 asks the question “then what kind of people should we be?” Verses 11-12 give us the answer- “we ought to live holy and godly lives as we “look forward” to the day of God, and speed it’s coming.” That’s the same word in the Greek meaning “waiting forwardly”. We need to be patient and vigilant. We need to keep waiting, but not forgetting what we are waiting for.
    Part of the story of Narnia that I read earlier applies to Jesus, too. “Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”
    Aslan gives himself over to the White Witch, who thinks that by killing him she guarantees her winter reign will have no end…But for Aslan, death is not the end. And when he comes back from the dead, Lewis pens this wonderful explanation: “Though the witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, Death itself would start working backward. Now think about it for a moment; where in our world today do we most often see “death working backward?” Spring…When the harsh cold, and barren grip of winter gives way to new life. In a way, it helps add some meaning to these two wonderful times of year we celebrate -Christmas and Easter.
    At Christmas: Jesus comes to a world that is cold and bleak, just as he comes to us in our darkest, most difficult times and points to God’s eternal promises of love, forgiveness, and comfort.  And then Easter: Jesus gives his life for us, and in doing so breaks the power of sin’s winter and brings new life, just as he offers new life to each of us who would put our faith and trust in Him.
    When Simeon looked at the Christ child, he saw the Savior he had been waiting for! The one he was expecting to come!  When you look into the manger, do you see what I see?

 “Do You Hear What I Hear”?
Scripture – Luke 2:8-20

    I love the words of this classic Christmas carol; ”Do You Hear What I Hear”? I almost have a picture in my mind – if this were a child’s Christmas story - of a small shepherd boy skipping away from the manger in Bethlehem singing; “Do you hear what I hear”? “Do you see what I see” “Do you know what I know?”

    There is a well known part of the Christmas story about the shepherds and especially the words of verse 20 “The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Later in the Book of Luke and in the life of Jesus, John’s disciples come to Jesus and ask “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else”? Jesus replies; “Go back and report to John what you have seen and what you have heard!”
    The angel messenger sent to the shepherds of Bethlehem startled them with his presence, but his voice spoke the very words of God…words that God wanted the whole world to hear; ”I bring good news of great joy!...To you this day is born in the city of David – a Savior!”  I can imagine that as the tiny child in the manger of Bethlehem cried for the first time, Satan and all of hell must have heard God’s voice thunder in their midst!  Do you hear what I hear?
    There is a skit out that asks the question; “What did Joseph do the day after Christ was born”? It imagines that since Joseph is a carpenter, that he begins to make a crib for Jesus. And, as he does, he thinks about all the events surrounding the birth of Jesus…the angels, the shepherds, the wise men, and he thinks to himself “If they treat him like this when he is just a baby, how will they treat him when they find out that he is the Son of God?” At about that time, the lights suddenly go out and all you hear is the hammer hitting the spikes. “How will they treat him when they find out who he really is?”
    A little boy went with his mother into a crowded department store where people were elbowing each other, and clerks were ringing up their sales, in the midst of much noise and frustration. The little boy held a balloon filled with helium. In the press of the crowd he was bumped and lost hold of the string, and his balloon floated to the ceiling. One of the clerks saw what happened, and called the janitor to ask that he bring a ladder and retrieve the balloon. He protested, but then gave in, and came with a ladder into the middle of the crowded floor. For a moment, everything seemed to stop. Cash registers stopped ringing; people stopped pushing and shoving; everyone stopped to watch as the janitor climbed the high ladder, grabbed the string of the balloon, brought it down and handed it to the little bright eyed boy. Everyone applauded, then they started pushing and shoving and the cash registers started ringing again, as everything went back to the way it was. But, for a brief moment in time, there was evidence of love and care in our world. Christmas comes but once a year; a moment in time to remind us of God’s love and care for us and our world. Do you hear what I hear?
    I have come to know that there is a difference between hearing and listening. There are times, for instance, when I hear my wife speaking…but I’m not really listening. That’s why she often says to me; “I have told you several times and I’m not telling you again!” And then I get really upset with myself for hearing and not listening. I don’t know, is this a universal “guy” thing? The peculiar thing is that it seems to be just the opposite with God’s Word. We sit and listen to the Word, but we don’t hear what God is saying!
    In Deut. 31:11 God spoke through Moses and said; “when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” … “listen and learn…hear and learn.”    
    Many times in the gospels Jesus says “you have heard it said” But, I say”…. If I may put that in my own words it would be “You have heard it said – but now I want you to really hear what it means!
     Many of us know the Parable of the Sower, and we tend to think of the seed and the soil, but did you know that this parable is also about how we hear the Word of God?  Verse 18 – “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”  Have you ever thought about this parable as representing the condition of our hearts EACH TIME we come to worship?
    Times when we come and listen without hearing or understanding and the seed is just scattered along the path, and Satan comes and snatches away what was sown! Or times when we come and hear God’s Word and receive it with joy, but by Monday morning we have forgotten everything we heard…like the seed that fell on rocky places. Or, how about those times when we come to worship and the worries and troubles in our minds and hearts “choke it and make it unfruitful?”  But, maybe, just maybe, if we  come not just to listen, but to really hear what God is say and desiring for us to understand, we will really hear...“I bring you good news of exceeding joy! Unto to you a Savior is born…unto you a King is coming”…Do you hear what I hear?
    The goal of any good communicator is not necessarily to speak well with perfect English, but to be heard and understood. In the Old Testament God spoke clearly through the prophets, but nobody listened…God spoke through the scriptures, but nobody listened… In our scripture today, God spoke through angels and the testimony of others, but they still did not listen! It says they were “amazed” but they were not listening!
    Today God still speaks in ways that we can hear Him, receive his message clearly, and understand Him…if we are listening. One of the most important Christian concepts that we can grasp is that when God speaks he is speaking to us personally. Every scripture we read, God speaks to us! Every scripture we hear, God speaks to us! Every message given, every study taught, every testimony heard…God is speaking to us.
    I don’t know how many times you have heard the Christmas story, perhaps every year of your life since you started school,  but if you don’t hear anything else I have said today, hear this; “God loves you!” The child Jesus – born of the virgin Mary – the Son of God – in the manger of Bethlehem – was born for you because God loves you!  I hope you hear what I hear….

“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
Luke 1:5-17 and – Matthew 11:1-4

    As a Christian, and as a pastor in the Church of Jesus Christ our Lord, there are two times or seasons on the Christian calendar that I look forward to; Christmas and Easter.  Christmas comes to remind us of God’s love to everyone of us… A love so great that He sent His only son…born of the virgin Mary…born in Bethlehem’s manger…the incar-nation of God himself in the flesh…God with us!  A reminder that God loved us so much He became one of us, which is what we begin once again to celebrate today.  The second time or season is Easter. Easter comes to remind us of God’s grace… God’s mercy and unmerited favor. A time when this same Jesus, this same baby born in the manger was to die on the Cross of Calvary as a final sacrifice for the sins of the world…your sin and mine!  The thing that is most important to those who are Christians is that we properly prepare for both events. 

    The unique thing about Christmas and Easter is that they are forever tied together… And, that these two events are also tied forever with a third event that is yet to take place, and that is the rapture of the church when Christ comes again! 
    So, let me begin by stating a fact; “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”… And, asking the question; “Are we prepared”?
    This is the time of year when everyone starts to get ready for Christmas. The stores are packed with people seeking out good deals on their favorite gifts; Houses are decorated with lights and trimmings and yards become showcases of Christmas splendor. Usually the preparations include cleaning efforts and some rearranging around the house. Then, of course the final preparation is to put all the gifts under the tree. I want to use all these things this morning as an illustration of how God wants us to prepare for Christmas. You see, when we truly prepare for Christmas, there is a time of personal cleansing and a decorating of the heart. When we prepare for Christmas, there will be a rearranging of priorities.  And, finally, when we prepare for Christmas, there is a receiving and giving of gifts.
    1^st of all, there ought to be a time of personal cleansing. Matthew 5:8 is a part of the Sermon on the Mount, and in it Jesus says “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God”. Blessed in the original Greek also means “happy”.  I think that God is speaking to us saying; “If you want to truly see me this Christmas, if you want a “happy heart” … you must have a pure heart…a cleansed heart.  I don’t know about you, but I must admit there are days when my heart is not happy…In fact, there are even times when my heart feels more polluted than pure.  I think that the Psalmist David felt this way as well…and he cried out; “Create in me a clean heart O God”… In the Book of Ezekiel 36:26 God says “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;” The good news is that – like David – a personal cleansing begins in the heart, and all we must do is ask…”Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me”. ..It is God’s desire to decorate our lives with his blessings and make our lives beautiful…revealing the splendor, and the glory, and the majesty and the mystery of Christmas.  God will do it if we ask, and we are on our way to preparing for Christmas in the proper way.
    2^nd. - Preparation calls for a rearranging of priorities. Just as we rearrange our homes to make room for the tree and other aspects of Christmas, God wants us to rearrange our lives to make room for His Son, and the blessed Christmas story. Sometimes we become somewhat immune or numb to the story of Christmas. We have heard it so many times, we have seen it so many times, it has lost it’s meaning. But, when we put Christ at the center of Christmas and at the center of our priorit-ies, God’s blessings begin to rapidly flow into our lives…and overflow into the lives of those around us!  We may even feel like singing!…“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”
    We are not prepared for Christmas until our hearts are cleansed; the decorations are up; our priorities are in place; and #3 – there is the giving and receiving of gifts.
    The Bible says “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”.  The Greek meaning of the word “receive” means to “welcome or accept”. So John, speaking of receiving Christ into our lives, also means we are to accept him and welcome him! Not just in part, but completely. Not just at Christmas time, but all the time. God has given us an incredible gift, and by accepting, receiving, and welcoming that gift into our lives, we literally become a part of God’s family. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” said Jesus. There is a fullness of life that can hardly be explained that comes from receiving God’s gift of His Son.
    One of the phrases we hear a lot this time of year is “It’s better to give than to receive”. However, in this case, it is indeed better to receive than to give!  In our case, we can – and must – give after we have received!  But, what can we give God that He doesn’t already have?  What gift would God desire from us?  Well, God doesn’t require anything FROM us…He desires US!  He wants our hearts (devoted to Him) He wants our minds (in order to impart His wisdom to family, friends, and the world) He wants our hands to work through to build His kingdom; He wants our feet to carry the Gospel message; He wants our eyes, our mouth, our time, our abilities; you get the point! He wants all of us!  God cared enough to give the very best! Can we do any less in return?
    So, where are we with our preparations for Christmas this year?  Will we be content to prepare the house and call it good for another year? Or, will we take the time to cleanse the heart; to rearrange some priorities to make more room for Christ; Maybe this year we will not only receive God’s gift, but will be willing to give of ourselves in return. This year the splendor and the wonder and the glory of Christmas can truly come alive once again if we do what it takes to prepare!
    The angel said of John; “He will go before the Lord in the spirit and the power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
    God’s voice is the voice of promise;  It is the voice of blessing; It is the voice of love… Do you hear what I hear?
    When I look into the manger of Bethlehem, I not only see a baby…I see a Savior…Do you see what I see?
Every time I see and hear the Christmas story, and relate or tie it together with the Easter story – the birth…and the resurrection – it gives me the assurance that Jesus was the Son of God… And, I know that by believing in him I have God’s loving, free gift of eternal life…Do you know what I know?
    Christmas isn’t about the birth of a baby…It is about God in a manger!

The Gift Of God

Long before the day when Mary gave birth,

Before God formed man from the dust of the earth,

Before the stars into the heavens were hurled,

There was the Lamb who was slain

 from the foundation of the world

Before the deadly fall of the race,

God’s plan of redemption was already in place,

His own Son would die on an old rugged cross,

To save his creation from eternal loss.

God foretold his coming in the opening book,

The seed of the woman for whom we should look.

The prophets proclaimed the place of his birth;

Bethlehem of Judea, is where God came to earth.

His name did the prophets clearly foretell,

Mighty God, Prince of Peace, our Immanuel.

In the fullness of time, God’s word came to pass,

The birth of the Savior to a young virgin lass.

His mission on earth was finally unfurled,

The Lamb of God would take away the sins of the world.

It was for our sin that he suffered and bled,

Yet, triumphant, victorious, he rose from the dead.

Now seated in heaven He eternally lives,

Mercy and forgiveness freely he gives.

Salvation is promised to all who receive,

 The greatest gift of the Father, and in him believe

May this gift of God - His Son Jesus Christ

Bring true Joy, and Peace, and Love in your life.

Merry Christmas, and may 2014 bring you Joy, Peace, and Love!

Pastor Fred & Judy

“What Can I Expect?”
Scripture - Matthew 2:1-16

    We began this week with a focus on the word “expectations”. It started with the fact that we often live according to our expectations. It’s kind of like “Murphy’s Law”… If we expect to fail, we will live our lives in fear of failure. If we expect great things from God, we will live as if God could do something at any time!  There are a lot of things that affect the way we live and act, but the greatest factor, is our expectations. It has been said that we get exactly out of life what we expect to get; and we will get out of this Christmas season exactly what we expect. If we expect to be grumpy and broke, or if we expect to be stressed out and unprepared; we will be!  I have set out to try and change our expectations this Christmas - in and through the wonderful Christmas story we have all come to know.  Probably the most important point for us to remember is that when Jesus was born, King Herod and all the people were not expecting God to do anything!  They had lost the expectation of God’s promise. 

    In giving some signs and expectations about the “last days” the day of His return; Jesus said; “No one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of man.” The question then becomes; “Are we any more ready today than they were then?”
    I want to use this story of what we have come to call the “wise men” who came following a star; to bring gifts to a new born king; as an example of what we should expect when we make the choice to follow Him.
    These men were thought to be religious leaders, as well as astrologers who were obviously watching for signs in the heavens, and who knew the prophecy of Numbers 24:17 which says; “A star will come out of Jacob, a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Now, I don’t know anything about astrology, but I have read that there are some constellations associated with Israel; which is probably what they were watching. I also believe that this particular star was a supernatural event done by God himself as a means of fulfilling prophecy and guiding these men. Verse 9 tells us that the “star went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was”. It sounds a little like the “pillar of fire and the cloud of smoke” in the Exodus story. Tie this together with the fact that they were warned in a dream - by the Holy Spirit - not to go back to Herod, and it becomes obvious that this was a timeless God working supernaturally within the realm of the time of man. So, it has been my experience, that when we choose to follow Him, we can expect God to do supernatural things that we cannot explain but must accept by faith!
    Secondly, we can expect the journey to be long and challenging. That’s because most of us choose to learn things the hard way!  It is our job to be in touch with God; and to be led by the Holy Spirit; and not to “conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds”…Following God’s lead took Peter, John, Paul, and even Jesus himself on a long and challenging journey.
    Third, we can expect the unexpected. I could write a book of all the times God did the unexpected in my life. God has done some unexpected things in my churches over the years; which ought to increase our faith ever the more! The wise men were expecting to find the “king of the Jews”, but they were not expecting to find him in Bethlehem. One thing we come to find out about God is that He is unique! “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways, says the Lord Almighty.” 1 Corinthians 1:27 tells us that “God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; He will use the weak things of the world to shame the strong; When following God, we should expect the unexpected.
    Fourth, we should expect some changes in direction. The wise men expected to go back to Herod and report the good news! But, God changed their direction. In the Book of Acts, Paul wanted to go to Asia to preach the Word, but was prevented from doing so by the Holy Spirit and was sent instead to Macedonia.  The disciples were expecting to go to Jerusalem to start a new kingdom, but instead, they witnessed the death of their king and leader and teacher. God changed their direction. In Proverbs 16:9 it says “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps”…I could write a book!  When we follow God, we can expect some changes in the direction of our lives.
    Fifth, we should expect to be supplied with everything we need, when we need it. If we had a couple of hours, I could tell you all about the many times God provided what we needed…exactly when we needed it!  He has even at times, provided a need for someone else, exactly when they needed it! That’s even more of a blessing!  Think about it, Mary and Joseph were supplied with “gold, incense, and myrrh” just before they had to leave on a trip to Egypt!  Sometimes, we don’t even realize we will have a need…but, God who knows what the future holds, knows our need before we even have a need…and He knows exactly how He will provide for that need.
    Finally, when we choose to follow God, expect to be used in ways you never expected. The wise men never realized how God would use their gifts, or how their presence in this story would be used for generations to come. Zacharias and Elizabeth were retired, and never thought that God would use them to bear the child that would prepare the way of the Lord. Mary and Joseph never expected to be used by God to raise His Son. Many people throughout history never thought that God could use them and develop their gifts and talents in the church. Twenty years ago if you would have told me that I would be doing what I am doing today, I would have thought someone spiked your eggnog!
    Some may wonder why or how I can have such confidence and faith in God? It’s because I have experienced all these things I have talked about today, and I have come to expect these things from the God whom I serve!  I have come to realize that He is who He says He is! He can do what He says He can do! And no matter who people think I am, or even who I think I am, I am who God says I am! And, I can do nothing in and of myself, but only through Christ who strengthens me!
    When you make the choice to follow Him, you can expect the journey to be long and challenging; you can expect the unexpected; you can expect some changes in direction; you will be supplied with all your needs exactly when you need them; and, you will be used by God in some unexpected ways!
    These are the things that keep me “drop jawed” in my faith! These are the things that cause me to say “Our God is an awesome God!”…“What are your expectations of life?  What are your expectations of God?  “Unto Him who is able to do, exceedingly, abundantly, more than we could ever ask or even think, to him be the glory forever”, Amen.

“Just Like Scrooge”
Colossians 1:15-23

    Over the years I’m sure we all have either read or seen the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol”. Most of us remember it as the story of Scrooge. I would like to borrow from this story if I may this morning, and talk about Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future. It is Christmas that truly holds the mystery of God’s greatest gift - “When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son” God in the flesh - “Immanuel” - God with us.

    Traditionally, the Christmas story is found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, but I would like to show that the Christmas story can be found in other places as well…From the “Christmas Carol”;
“Are you the spirit sir, whose coming was foretold to me?”I am”… The voice was soft and gentle. Singularly low, as if instead of being so close beside him, it were at a distance. “Who are you”? Scrooge demanded…“I am the ghost of Christmas Past”.
    We too have a Christmas past. Our scripture underscores our Christmas past as being one of alienation from God; and even enemies in our minds, because of our evil behavior. Notice the past tense of the words “this is what you once were”.  As Christians we must see that there was a time when we were alienated from God. We had no use for God. We didn’t even think about God that much; a rather indifferent attitude. In fact, our behavior was influenced by self, the flesh, the natural man spoken of by the Apostle Paul in Galations 5 - “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want….I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
    After the fall in the Book of Genesis, this is what it says about God’s view of man - “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil.” Sin always starts in the mind; works its way to the heart; and into our behavior. No one likes to see themselves as sinful, because we don’t really believe we are all that bad. And, books like “When bad things happen to good people” and “I’m O.K., You’re O.K. by Thomas Harris, give a sense that we are really good people. And, if along our journey we happen to come to know Christ, then we are somehow “better” people. This humanistic teaching or train of thought sees man as being “good” in and of himself.  However, the painful truth is that man is sinful. And until we see our Christmas past as being one of separation from God or being alienated from God because of our sin, we will never really appreciate the Christmas Present or the Christmas Future.
Again from the “Christmas Carol”…
“Come in!”, exclaimed the ghost, “Come in and know me better”… Scrooge entered timidly and hung his head before the spirit… Though the spirit’s eyes were clear and kind, he did not like to meet them. “I am the ghost of Christmas Present” said the spirit, “Look upon me”….
    God has no intention of leaving us in the midst of a sin-stained life. And, as we move closer he calls; “Look upon me!” “Look to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other!” (Isaiah 45:22) And, in our scripture, verse 19, it says; “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him, to reconcile to himself all things; by making peace through his blood, shed on the Cross.” God’s demonstration of his love began in a manger and culminated on the Cross!  Again, the Apostle Paul puts it this way in Romans 5:10 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
    In the Christmas Present, God offers us the greatest gift of all, salvation, through His Son Jesus Christ; the holy babe in the manger; the divine Son on the Cross. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; all things have become new” What a great message to proclaim this Christmas Present season!
Once again, from the “Christmas Carol”…
“I am in the presence of the ghost of Christmas yet to come…Lead on”, says Scrooge, “Lead on!”
    There is a Christmas future that awaits every child of God. In the Bible it’s called our “glorification”!  It speaks of a time when we who are His will be as He is!  In our scripture we read in the last part of verse 22 - “in order to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation; if you continue in your faith, established and firm.”
    In our Christmas future, Jesus wants to present us “holy” because He has taken away our sin; He has paid the price required of God for our sin, the shedding of blood. He can present us “blameless” because without sin there can be no charge brought against us; and we are “free from accusation”.  The Bible tells us that Satan is the “accuser of the brethren” but, Christ is our advocate before the Father, ever interceding on our behalf. He is the one and only Savior of mankind.
    God, in the form of the Christ-child, born in a manger in Bethlehem, came to forgive our Christmas Past… to bring us reconciliation and life and truth in our Christmas Present…Or, you could say that He came to show us the truth about life; and to give us a glorious hope for our Christmas Future.
    In the “Christmas Carol”, Scrooge had his life totally transformed by a visit from three spirits, who showed him the reality of who he was and who he could be! It’s really the story of Christmas; A babe in a manger, coming to show us the same thing! 

“More Great Expectations”
Scripture - Luke 2:21-38

    Last time, I spoke of Advent as being a season of “expectation” and how we get out of this season what we expect to get. The same is true for all of life, the same is true of each day. We also looked at the expectations of Zacharias and Mary - Zacharias didn’t expect God to do anything; He didn’t expect God could do anything; It says that Elizabeth even remained in seclusion for 6 months (Probably because they thought if they told anyone what was going on, they would come with the straight jackets, and take them away!) The consequence for Zach-arias was that he was unable to speak for the whole nine months.    

    Scripture tells us that they didn’t tell their friends and family and neighbors anything about their experience with God until the baby was born; which is an admonishment to us as Christians even today. How many of our family and friends don’t know a thing about our experience with God? When the baby comes, when the king comes, when Jesus comes, it will be too late.
    Mary on the other hand, expected that God is who He says He is, and that He can do what He says He can do…and she responds with “let it be as you have said”.  How many know that this was a most embarrassing situation for Mary and Joseph? But, you see, Their expectations of God were such that it overshadowed any embarrassment or criticism from family or friends…God said it, I believe it, and that’s all there is to it! That’s what our faith is all about!
    Today I want to look at some more expectations; the expectations of a man name Simeon.  From this scripture we can find out a lot of things about Simeon; First, we know he was in Jerusalem; He is not given any class or distinction socially; he was just a “man in Jerusalem” it says… an average Joe. We don’t know how rich or poor he was; how educated he was; what size house he lived in; we don’t even know if he was skinny or fat, hand-some or homely, white, black, red, or purple. I personally find it awesome that God doesn’t think any of this is important information! God just gives us the important facts; and, what is important is that he was waiting and expecting to see Jesus; and had been for some years!
    It tells us that he - Simeon - was “righteous and devout”. In other words, he was a godly man; and obviously, an older man. But, the most striking description…the one we want to zero in on is verse 25 - “he was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” That means he was waiting for, expecting, the promised Messiah; the “consolation of Israel”.
    For 400 years, since the closing of the Old Testament, with the prophet and the Book of Malachi, heaven has been silent. No prophets, no visions, no miracles, and for the most part, no leader.  But, Simeon was holding on to God’s promise of a deliverer, a redeemer, a Savior, the Messiah, who would come to bring peace and salvation.
    This reminds me of some verses in 1Peter 2 - “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say; “Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has from the beginning of creation”. But, it goes on to say, they forget about the flood; they forget about the fact that the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire and judgment. “But do not forget this one thing” he says, “With the Lord, a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, He is patient with you, not wanting even one to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare….(All those who think God is just kidding, raise your hand!) “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you be? You ought to live holy and Godly lives as you (look forward) - which means to expect – “as you expect the Day of God and speed it’s coming.” “But in keeping with His promise we are expecting a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are expecting this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him.”
    We need to remember that 400 years have past since Malachi. Most of the people in Simeon’s time were no different than people today. They saw no miracles; they don’t hear from God; and they begin to wonder if there really is a God? And, they have long forgotten God’s promises. But then, my question might be; do they expect to see God? Do they expect to see miracles? Do they expect  to hear God speaking to them?  Are they even listening? Simeon was. He lived every day of his life in expectation of what God could and would do!
    And now, the day of promise had come, and Simeon held Jesus in his arms! When he looked into the eyes of this month-and-a-half old baby, he saw his expectations fulfilled!
    Now, let’s make some Biblical applications of this story to our lives today. I want to give you three ways to make this Christmas a better Christmas through expectations;
1.     Expect something from God. Someone once said that “we all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon!” Expect to see; and hear; and experience God.
2.     Hold Jesus in your heart. Simeon held Jesus in his arms, but we can hold Jesus in our hearts. Throw open your hearts and embrace the Christ child! Embrace the peace; embrace the light; embrace the salvation; and the hope of his coming again. When all these things were taking place, it says that “Mary pondered these things in her heart” Take some time to ponder a little!
3.     Share the Joy with others. If we look around us, if we really look around us, we will see people who like Simeon are looking for redemption; they are looking for peace from their troubled life; they are looking for someone to come along side them and show them that “unto us a child has been born, unto us a Son has been given.” “He is “a light to those who walk in darkness” He is “a wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Almighty God” Who was, and is, and is to be!   I ask you again, What are your expectations this Christmas?  What you expect, is what you get.  Simeon lived according to his expectations; are we living according to ours?