Our reading of the Bible takes us into a different world, the near Eastern world as it was thousands of years ago. In that world we meet people like; Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, the prophets, and John the Baptist and of course Jesus. And, we can also read about the early beginnings of the church from the Book of Acts and on through the Epistle letters. It’s all very interesting, but it seems so far away, so long ago. How can this have any effect or help those of us who live in 2015 the age of technology?

    The link between the past, the present, and the future is God. The God of the Bible is the same God of today. I could sharpen that point even more by saying he is “exactly” the same God, because God never changes. In Malachi 3:6 we read “I the Lord Thy God changeth not”.  And, this scripture from the Book of Revelation tells us that God is the “Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end”… From everlasting to everlasting, He is God. So, in our pursuit to know God better, let’s look at some “change-less factors” concerning God;

1^st. - God himself never changes.

    Created things have a beginning and an end, but not God. This is one of those mysteries that will put you in the nut house if you try to figure it out rather than just accept it. We cannot ask the question “Where did God come from?” because God always existed and it was He who created everything else. God will always exist, He has no end, because God is eternal and in eternity there is no time. That’s all we need to know!  Unlike man, God does not grow older. He does not get stronger or weaker. He does not gain or lose power. He does not get any wiser over time. He cannot change for the better … because He is already perfect!

    In Exodus 3 God told Moses that his name was “I Am”. God did not say “I was” or I will be” but “I Am”. So, if you ask “God, were you in the past?”… He would say “I Am”… So, just like Moses, Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob…we serve the great “I Am!”

    When we look at the world in which we live, the vastness of the heavens as well as the beauty of a delicate flower, it immediately spawns the questions; Who? What? When? Where? Why? And How?  In searching for answers to those questions man has two avenues which to pursue; One leads to God, the other away from God. One accepts “IN the beginning God”…the other does not. The Bible matter of factly states that “anyone who comes to Him must first believe He exists”. That’s step one. We cannot search in the direction of God without step one. Amen?

    We can get to know God better because God has chosen to reveal himself in three specific ways; 1. Through Creation. 2. Through His Spirit. And, 3. Through His Word.

    Verses 7-11 speak of God’s Word, and we are given five different terms to describe it; “His Law; statutes; precepts; commands; and His ordinances”  The nature of these terms are described as “perfect; trustworthy; right; radiant; pure; sure; and righteous”. And the result of knowing these things it says; “revives the soul; gives wisdom; gives joy to the heart; gives light to the eyes; it endures forever; and are all together more precious than gold”;  “by them your servant is warned”… What parent has never said to their child; “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”… But, “IN KEEPING THEM” - in doing them - in applying them to our lives - “There is great reward”… Not just reward in the sweet by and by, but great reward here and now! The avoidance of pain and stress and the consequences of wrong choices is great reward, is it not?

    In the Book of Jeremiah 9:23 - “This is what the Lord says; Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom; or the strong man boast of his strength; or the rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast about this; that he understands and knows me”.  When someone knows God and has a relationship with Him, there are evidences of it in their lives;

1.   Those who know God shall “stand firm and take action” says Daniel 11:32.  In a world of ungodliness and apostasy they stand firm in their faith, and take action against those things that dishonor God. (Such is the story of Daniel and his three friends in the Book of Daniel chapter 3.)

2.   Those who know God desire to spend as much time possible with Him. Whether in worship, study, prayer, devotions, all these become priorities in our life. (Our desire is to know Him better.)

3.   Those who know God have a boldness for God. They are not afraid nor ashamed of their faith or their testimony of what God has done in their lives. Their boldness is not “arrogance” that pushes people away, but rather it draws others to want to know this God too. Remember, you can only testify to that which you have experienced personally.

4.   Those who know God know peace. Real peace. Peace of mind, peace of heart, and soul…a peace with God. And with peace, comes contentment. It’s a “peace that passes all understanding” – we have a hard time even explaining it.

    Sometimes we are like a traveler who has surveyed a great mountain from afar. He has traveled all around it. He has observed it from all angles. And, now is ready to don the ropes and spikes, and begin climbing the mountain. It is in the climbing that we get to know what the mountain is really like. There is a big difference between talking to someone who has seen Mt Everest and someone who has climbed Mt Everest. Just like there is a difference between someone who knows all about God and someone who knows God. Most of the Israelites knew about God and had seen his glory and witnessed his miracles, but Moses knew God! Joshua knew God! Daniel knew God!  David knew God!

    John 17:3 says “This is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus whom you have sent”… In this series we shall explore the possibilities of knowing God even more – even better - than we do now. Every one of us can not just know about God, but have a passion to know him better.

    The subject of God is so vast that our thoughts often get lost in it’s immensity; It is so deep that our finite minds drown in its infinity. The wonderful thing about a study of God is that we tend not to become the wiser, but to be humbled. Yet, while it may humble the mind, at the same time it also expands the mind. If we disregard the study of God and knowing God, we stumble through life “blindfolded” so to speak, with no sense of direction or understanding of what it’s all about.  Man basically has three questions that need to be answered; (1) “Where did I come from”?  (2) “Why am I here”?  And, (3) “Where am I going”?  Our knowledge of God can answer all three.

There are six basic foundational principles that we must know concerning God;

1. God is Creator and ruler over all things. In a word it’s called “sovereignty”.

2. God is Savior.  Acting in sovereign love, God supplied the only way and the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

3. God is Holy. Perfect and pure and “whole”.

4.   God is Triune. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All of whom are active in the believers life.

5.   God’s desire is for us to live in godliness and “make every effort” as the Word says, to become Christlike.  Not to become God, nor to be and do everything Christ did; but to conform to the character of Christ…or the character traits of Christ.

6. God has spoken to man, and God speaks to man.

    For most of us, just an exploration of those six themes would give us plenty to ponder and digest. And, we may touch on some of them along the way… as we get to know God in 2015.

    Whatever the reason, God sent His choir of angels to sing a song of Glory to these shepherds. We sing the wonderful Hymn that is taken from this scripture in Luke called “Hark The Herald, Angel’s Sing.” The tune for this classic song was written by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840. The words were written by Charles Wesley. In his life time Charles Wesley wrote over 6,500 hymns. This one, --- along with “Jesus, Lover of my Soul” --- is considered to be the finest hymn lyrics Wesley ever wrote.

The 1st stanza focuses on the birth announcement :

“Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.

Joyful all Ye Nations rise. Join the triumph of the skies.
With angelic hosts proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.”

    The angel gave an announcement that did three things for the shepherds that night: The announcement - Calmed their fear; It created Hope - and It called others to Worship. The best Christmas announcement we could give this year would be nothing less…for the Christmas story still does the same today!

    The angel said in verse 10 "Do not be afraid."  The shepherd’s had good reason to be afraid… They didn’t know if this might be an angel come to pronounce God’s judgment  upon them, or if it was the end of the world! But, it says they were terrified! Is there a need for calming fear in people’s lives today? I would say there is. The truth is that we live in a society where people fear many things; Some fear for personal safety; Some people fear for their provisional security in a world where their financial future is unknown and their basics needs of life might go unmet; Will I be cold or warm?... Will I go hungry or be fed? …Will I be able to make ends meet? Many people fear death and wonder what’s beyond this life?

    The reason we can be God’s messenger’s, helping to calm people’s fears is because of the message we have to share; it’s a message that creates HOPE – “I bring you good news of great joy”! God has remembered His promises, and has sent a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”.  After some 400 years of silence from God, it would be easy to lose hope… After some 2000 years since the ascension of Christ, it would be easy to lose hope that He will ever come again… But, the message of the angels and the message we bring to the world every Christmas is a message of Hope!

    The angels brought a message that would calm their fears and bring hope, and finally, one that would call for worship and praise. Our celebration is a call to worship that we might sing and say as the angels did that first Christmas "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."… Glory to God…who is who He says He is; and can do what He says He can do!

Christmas Day

    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…

    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?

    The Christmas story is a celebration of “truth” concerning God’s love. God’s love for us was demonstrated in the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  To stand before the manger and contemplate the truth of God’s love is all these things and more. The truth is that Jesus is the only Way to Life!  He came that we may have life and have it in abundance!  What a joy to know him! What a joy to serve him!  The birth of a Savior draws near; Get ready!  Keep watch!  Look up! Lest the star appears and not be seen or understood. Lest the child be born, and not be found.

    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?”…

    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?”

    Through the course of this Advent series, we will be taking a little more in depth look at this 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 who was 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?

Scripture verse – Jeremiah 33:14

 “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah”.

    These words of scripture reflect a promise that stretches far back into history… But, at the same time reaches far forward into times yet to come. Today we once again light the first candle of Advent. We are preparing for a journey; a journey that will take us from the days of promise, to the days of their fulfillment in Bethlehem’s stable, and the expectation of a promise yet to be fulfilled in the second advent of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

    God’s promises are kept, but not always in the way we expect. He does not always come to us in some miraculous display of power and authority. Sometimes He comes in the still, small, events of everyday life. God was born into our world as an infant, and by faith we choose to believe who He was and why He was “Emmanuel” – God with us.

    Advent is a season of hope, the kind of hope found in the Old Testament among those whom God brought out of bondage. In these days we need some hope. Let’s begin our Advent with the hope and the expectation that something wonderful is going to happen…And, let’s prepare to once again allow God to fill us with the “good news of exceeding joy!”  

    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!”

    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

Christmas isn’t about the birth of a baby…It is about God in a manger!

    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, the glory, 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 priorities, 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 and 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.” (John 1:12)  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. (John 10:10) There is a fullness of life that can hardly be explained that comes from receiving God’s gift of His Son.

Scripture – 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 incarnation 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.

    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!

    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 we had been praying for, 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.

    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”…Again, I could write a book!  When we follow God, we can expect some changes in the direction of our lives.

    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 nine 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 the church this last year; 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 Cor. 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.

    We began this Advent season 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…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?”

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!  

Daily book quote;

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.” “Now is the day of salvation!” What a great message to proclaim this Christmas present season!

Daily book quote;

    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. We had 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. 

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    This reminds me of some verses in 1^st Peter 2 where it says - “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, Simeon saw his expectations fulfilled!

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    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, and 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 six 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 Zacharias 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, handsome 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 Simeon was waiting and expecting to see Jesus!…and had been for many years!

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Zacharias struggles with whether or not to believe this is possible. He has never experienced anything like this before. An angel?…Answered prayer?…A miracle?…Zach’s response is ”I want proof!”…”How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife Elizabeth is no spring chicken!”…”Where were you 40 years ago?  It sounds impossible to me, and I’ll have to see it to believe it!”

    Mary, on the other hand, is at the other end of that spectrum; She is a young virgin, and struggles with the natural laws of childbirth. However, when the angel tells her that this is beyond natural, that it involves the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, and that God the “Most High” will do what He says He will do,  Mary believes that “nothing is impossible with God!” The keyword perhaps being “with” because “one plus God is a majority!” She simply says; “May it be…”

    You see, faith is not easy. It doesn’t just flow naturally. There is always a struggle with doubt and reason and logic; especially when we “lean on our own understanding.” But, over time experience just finally says; “If God said it, I believe it!”  If you read what the scriptures call “Mary’s Song” you will see that Mary has read the scriptures; she knows what God has done and is capable of doing, and she responds with “Let it be as you have said!” Your faith and my faith works the same way; the more we experience God in our lives, the more our faith grows! And, the more our faith grows, the more we experience God in our lives!

Let’s take a quick look at the stories of two people; Zacharias and Mary. What was their faith like and what were their expectations concerning what the angel comes to tell them?

    Let’s do a little comparing here first of all, in order to get the full picture; Zacharias was a mature believer; he was an older man; a devoted believer in God and His Word; with lots of experience in the Temple. He was a priest, we are told, who was “upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.”

    Mary, on the other hand, was young - probably yet a teenager; she had little experience as a disciple, but she was willing to serve; and, we are told that she “found favor with God” and that “the Lord was with her.”  The question is, “How old do you have to be to have faith in God, or for God to use you in a special way? How mature must you be to trust the Lord and His plan for your life? From most people’s point of view, it would seem Zacharias has the advantage here - or does it?

    It is interesting that both receive a visit from an angel telling them they are going to have a baby. Now, if this happened to you or I, we might be somewhat startled, and amazed, or even fearful, but what I want us to see is their response. Zacharias responds with “No way!”  While Mary says “Yes, way!”  In fact, “Your way!”…Well, her words were more like; “May it be as you have said”. 

    Zacharias struggles with whether or not to believe this is possible. He has never experienced anything like this before. An angel?…Answered prayer?…A miracle?…Zach’s response is ”I want proof!”…”How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife Elizabeth is no spring chicken!”…”Where were you 40 years ago?  It sounds impossible to me, and I’ll have to see it to believe it!”

    Mary, on the other hand, is at the other end of that spectrum; She is a young virgin, and struggles with the natural laws of childbirth. However, when the angel tells her that this is beyond natural, that it involves the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, and that God the “Most High” will do what He says He will do,  Mary believes that “nothing is impossible with God!” The keyword perhaps being “with” because “one plus God is a majority!” She simply says; “May it be…”

    You see, faith is not easy. It doesn’t just flow naturally. There is always a struggle with doubt and reason and logic; especially when we “lean on our own understanding.” But, over time experience just finally says; “If God said it, I believe it!”  If you read what the scriptures call “Mary’s Song” you will see that Mary has read the scriptures; she knows what God has done and is capable of doing, and she responds with “Let it be as you have said!” Your faith and my faith works the same way; the more we experience God in our lives, the more our faith grows! And, the more our faith grows, the more we experience God in our lives!

    Finally, let’s look at the reward for their expectations. Zacharias doesn’t expect God to do anything; and he is rewarded with nine months of silence. For nine months he can’t make a sound. Notice also that he wasn’t in any hurry to tell the world what had happened, because it says (in verse 24) that “Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.” In fact, it would seem as though many of their friends and neighbors didn’t know about what God had done until it was time to have the baby! Which brings to mind the question; How many of our friends and family won’t hear the “good news” until Jesus comes, and it’s too late? How many of us are keeping quiet about what God has done in our lives, and when Jesus comes it will be too late?

    Mary, on the other hand, goes to see Elizabeth to tell her what God has done! She can hardly wait for the promise of God to be accomplished.  This Advent season ought to find us like Mary…waiting in great expectation and anticipation for God to fulfill His promise!

    For Zacharias and Elizabeth, the focus of attention was not on them, but on the baby - to be called John.  For Mary, the focus was not on her or on Joseph, but on the child - who was to be called Jesus… the Son of God; the Savior of the world! What is our focus on? The Tree? The shopping? The presents? On the things we don’t have? Listen, our focus should be; “It’s not about me, It’s all about Him!”  Flip Wilson used to say; “What you see is what you get!” This Advent season, I would say, “What you expect, is what you get.” Expect Joy, expect Peace, expect to love and be loved, and expect great things from God! Most of all expect Jesus to come again!

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The story is told of the actress Helen Hayes and her first Thanksgiving turkey. She considered herself to be the world’s worst cook, but after several years of marriage, decided to take on the task of cooking the turkey dinner. She sat her husband and son down at the table before the meal and said; “Now this may not be the best meal you have ever had, and I don’t know exactly how the turkey will turn out, but…if it’s not a good turkey, don’t say a thing…without comment just stand up from the table, and we’ll go to the nearest restaurant to eat.” A few minutes later she walked into the dinning room with the turkey… Her husband and son were standing at the table with their coats on!

     Expectations… It has been my experience that more often than not, the way we live our lives, and the things we get out of life, have a lot to do with our expectations.

    What is it that causes children to jump out of bed at 6:00AM on Christmas morning, when they usually sleep until 8am or 9am? It’s because of their expectations.  What is it that causes hunters and fishermen to get up at the crack of dawn, when it usually takes a bomb to go off to get them out of bed? It’s their expectations.  Helen Hayes didn’t expect to cook a good meal and her husband and son didn’t expect her to either!

    So, our attitude, and the way we approach and enjoy the Christmas season has a lot to do with our expectations, but then it’s not just about presents and celebrations. I’m asking; “Has the story lost its glow? Has its warmth, its excitement, its miraculous flavor, gone away just because we have gotten older or, because we have heard it so many times? What are your expectations this Christmas?  I hope the wonder, the reverence and the anticipation of Christ’s birth as well as his coming again is not gone. I hope we are not found standing in the pews with our coats and hats on!

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    There is an old story that is probably familiar to most of you. A man was walking down a country road when he heard a clatter, followed by a splash, followed by sputtered cries for help.  He ran up the road and over the bank, down to a small river. He grabbed a boy of about ten years old, by his shirttail and arm as he was about to go under for the proverbial third time and pulled him up onto the riverbank. He thumped the boy on the back a few times, until he gave a couple of great coughs and began to breathe properly. They both lay there for a few moments, catching their breath. After a couple of minutes had passed, the man asked the boy “How did you come to fall in the river?” The lad replied, “I didn’t come to fall in the river, I came to fish!” 

    In that simple exchange is great wisdom about the meaning of the word “intentional.”  Have you ever gone to one of life’s rivers to fish, only to find yourself floundering around, over your head and going down for the third time?

    Leading an intentional life is a three-part process of Purpose, to which is applied Discipline, producing Results…

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Paul tells us is to use wisdom in being a witness. He specifically addresses two areas - how we treat people and how we communicate with them. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders.” I don’t want to sound rude or judgmental here, but I can only think of one effective way to say this; don’t you just want to crawl under a rock at times when people claiming to be Christians act like total idiots in public—especially those who gain media attention?  Sometimes I just want to yell for everyone to hear “WE’RE NOT LIKE THAT!”  I heard Jessie DuPlantis (a T.V. preacher) say once that “the way some people drive, he wished they would take the “fish” symbol off their car!”  Sometimes people have a lot of zeal, but little or no wisdom.

    In being wise, Paul tells us to make the most of every opportunity. When I think of opportunities, I think of open doors Paul mentioned in verse three. Most of us are wise (or should I say smart?) enough to recognize when a door is open, but Paul says, when a door is open, take the opportunity to be a witness.   However, there are two sides to that coin. The reverse would also be true: if the door is closed - keep your mouth shut - and pray and wait for it to open. Don’t force the issue. There are some Christians who approach every door with a battering ram—even the ones that are open! While they may get in, it’s also true that they could do a lot of damage and may even ensure that the door is never opened again. Paul says to use wisdom. If you have prayed for an open door, God will make sure you can tell it’s open…”wait upon the Lord”!

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There are a lot of good books on how to be a witness; however, I would like to give you a very simple approach to being a witness. It is found in the passage of Scripture from Colossians chapter four. I believe this passage gives us two insights into the life of an intentional witness. There is a close relationship between our witness and our spiritual lives; remember, I said a witness is one who gives testimony about something seen or experienced firsthand.  However, there is this funny little thing that affects what we experience—it is called time. The more time that passes after an event, the fuzzier the details seem to become.

    Since the passage of time affects and even softens experience for us, it is imperative that our experience with God be up-to-date, current and fresh. Paul addresses this idea by telling us to be devoted to prayer. In that devotion, he says we should be watchful and thankful. The Greek word translated watchful literally means keeping awake. Now, Paul is not primarily addressing the issue of sleepiness in prayer, he is saying “keep it alive, keep it fresh, not boring and mechanical.” Keep your experience with God alive and up-to date. If I were to ask “What is God doing in your life this week?” How would you answer? It just doesn’t cut it to tell me about something God did twenty years ago! What is He doing now?

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Matthew chapter 28 records these words of Jesus “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  This is a process we often refer to as witnessing or evangelism. It means telling people about Jesus —and what He has done in your life; something most Christians believe they should do, but rarely ever accomplish.

    Why is that? If witnessing is such an important task (and it is), why do we have such a hard time with it? Notice I use the word we. Pastors aren’t some kind of Christian super heroes. This is an area that is also difficult for me a lot of times. Our difficulty stems from a number of reasons, including but not limited to: fear and uncertainty about what to say or do. This morning, I want to help us understand our role as a witness, and hopefully, in the process, we will be able to let go of the pressure and anxiety that often accompany us causing spiritual stress. Remembering that intentional living means having PURPOSE, DISCIPLINE and RESULTS, let’s look at being an intentional witness.

    First, the purpose of witness.  A witness is one who gives testimony concerning something they have seen or experienced first hand.  This means that the only people who can give testimony about Jesus are those who have actually had a personal experience with Him.

A witness is intended to shed personal light on the work of God in the world. We cannot operate on a purely theoretical basis—we must give flesh and blood to the Bible.  It’s one thing for a person to hear that Jesus can change lives; it’s something totally different for family, friends, and coworkers to see the fruit of a life Jesus has changed.

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Make the time to get to know God on a daily basis. Read the Bible - Get a version you can really understand. (There are no anointed versions.)  Pray—just talk to God--Tell God how you feel. Ask God to let his will be done in your life. Ask God to meet your needs. Ask Him to forgive your sin. Ask Him to help you fight temptation. Tell him when your angry, tell him when you are happy, tell him when you are disappointed or you don’t understand. You can’t tell God anything He doesn’t already know! He just wants to spend time with you. Put a better relationship with God at the top of your priority list.

    I have given you this definition of an intentional life:  “An intentional life is one with purpose that is followed by a steady disciplined determination until the desired results are realized.”  Make that the definition of your relationship with God. Pursue his purposes with a bold and steady determination until you become exactly what he wants you to become. Remember that it’s a process; it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It will not happen overnight. 

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The number one priority in the spiritual area of our lives is a closer relationship with God. It is my conviction that to fall short in this area will leave us open to possible disaster in all the other areas of life.

    Ironically, as with most priorities, it is easy to neglect the discipline needed to care for this relationship. It doesn’t scream for attention. You can go through some days and hardly even think about God or your relationship with Him; except for an occasional Sunday. It is this danger that powerfully emphasizes its importance. Our relationship with God is one that requires constant maintenance, constant awareness, and must be a part of our daily living. We need to have some sort of daily time with God. Whether that time is in study, prayer, devotionals, meditating, or whatever, it is important that we take the time and make the time to do it.

    Whether it is our spiritual area, our family area, our physical health area, or any of the eight, we all know people who are gonna do this and gonna do that, but this gets in the way; and that happened; the time wasn’t right; and there is always a reason why they didn’t accomplish what they “intended” to do.  That’s exactly what this  is about!  Purposely, or intentionally doing those things and not allowing “this” or “that” control our lives.

    Jesus’ words in Mark 12:31—“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and Love your neighbor as yourself” are the types of things that we could write on a piece of paper and then list an endless list of ways to do just that.  But, as with all eight areas of life, unless we make an intentional plan; a spiritual “time budget”; we will not do much of anything toward loving God or our neighbor. It will just be another one of those things we “intended” to do. And, “If we always do what we have always done; we will always get what we have always got!”