Sunday, December 28, 2014
Anno Domini 2015
Every time we celebrate a new year, and every time we make out a check
or file a legal form we acknowledge the incredible effect that Jesus had on the
human race. The next time we write 2015 we will be recognizing the life and death
of Jesus Christ. A.D. is an abbreviation
for Anno Domini, a Medieval Latin term that can be translated
as "In the year of the Lord."
Even if one were to leave off the designation A.D. or B.C, the number
points to Jesus.
Jesus was
incredibly impacting because He was "God manifest in flesh." The
biographies of Jesus paint the whole picture;
Jesus was born miraculously, and He
loved lavishly by teaching, healing and raising people from the dead. His contemporaries murdered Him and His
followers. But love overcame hate, and
our calendar stands as a great testimony to the eventual victory good can have
over evil. Our calendar incessantly reminds us that Jesus was born. You can't
change history, but you can let that historical
reality change you. You can make Jesus
the central point of your life just as He became the central point of all human
history.
Now, I am well aware that, after 2000 years, the insecurity and denial
of the educational and scientific community drove them to invent new
designations. But the numbers still point to Jesus, and I, for one, will use
the more honest and honorable designations (B.C. and A.D) until the day I
die. It is my way of celebrating the
fact that Jesus really did change the world... and He did it with love.
I have often
wondered why the world responds to Jesus' love with hostility? Jesus lived a
life of good deeds and miracles but died at the hands of an angry mob. Why do people have such an aversion to His
goodness? Why do they spend good money
to put up billboards that oppose Him?
Why do they rant against him in classrooms, in movies and in textbooks?
Could it be because He is a force of good that they cannot control? Does His goodness make them feel bad about
their life choices? I don't know, but I
do know that His name is on almost everyone's lips -- some love and praise Him, while
others hate and curse him. But no one
seems able to ignore him. Somehow
everyone instinctively knows Jesus is real.
Rather than psychoanalyzing
those who are irritated by Jesus, I find it more beneficial to focus on those
who found joy by accepting His love. During
the Christmas season we note that angels rejoiced because they knew He was
bringing peace and joy to earth and that Mary considered herself blessed because she
recognized how important Jesus would be to mankind. History tells us that Jesus expressed joy
because he knew that in spite of the mistreatment His death was going to change
the world. The first century Christians,
like those who are still dying for their
faith today, lived in joy because they recognized that life is eternal and,
although some may be blind to it, they too were changing the world.
As we
celebrate a new year and train our minds to write 2015, remember that Jesus
changed the world and that He stands ready to change your life. Ignore the hostility of those who are in
denial and join the millions who have embraced their loving, world-changing,
history-making Savior.
Friday, December 19, 2014
God Made Flesh
Lights, decorations,
dramas, gifts, carols... some may wonder, "Why all the hubbub over the
birth of another little baby boy? How is
it that a child born in a barn, to a poor, obscure family warrants all the
attention?" Such questions might
come from too little information about who Jesus really was. Baby Jesus was not just special because a
star marked his coming or because his mother was a virgin; he was special
because he was "God made flesh."
It should also be noted that
although angels declared his arrival, it took the world, at large, many decades
to realize just how significant Jesus and the first Christmas was. The birth of Jesus not only changed our
calendar, but it changed the course of human history and the eternal destiny of
millions of people.
Saint
John put it succinctly when he said, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God... And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John
1:1,14 KJV)
Theologians call it
the incarnation. God "robed Himself
in flesh and dwelt among us." The scriptures foretold the Advent and eventually
Jesus' ministry proved he was God, but, as with much of what God does, it is
hard for man's feeble mind to comprehend something so profound and gracious. The only other historical events that come
close to the significance of this event are the creation and death of Jesus,
and, the latter would have not been possible without the first Christmas.
For those who
recognize that God made all things, the fact that He could also live among is
not hard to believe possible, but it is hard to fathom why the almighty would
show such love and humility to you and I.
The famous theologian, J.I. Packer expressed it like this: “The Almighty
appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, needing to be fed and changed and
taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more
staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the
Incarnation.”
It
is mind-boggling to think that God would want to make a way for us to be with
Him forever! During WWII, a German theologian by the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
was imprisoned and killed by the Third Reich because he took a stand for his
faith. In Letters and Papers From Prison
he made this observation: "A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes...and is
completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from
the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent. "
Each Christmas we
should recall with wonderment that He loved us first. The lights and decorations should remind us
that He came to His own and they did not receive Him, and yet He still lovingly
responds lavishly to those who approach him as their sovereign, benevolent
King. The truth is that there is not near enough hubbub about Christmas. It's a very big deal! Christmas was God becoming flesh; it was God
stepping into our world so we could one day step into His. Jesus Christ was God made Flesh.
Tuesday, December 02, 2014
Incredible Discoveries
I can only imagine how people
must have chuckled or rolled their eyes when the 5'10" man wearing a
coonskin cap and sporting a heavy beard and mustache began describing his
adventures. With wide-eyed sincerity he
babbled on and on about bubbling mud, millions of bison, steaming water holes, streams
of water spewing high into the air and water falls twice the height of Niagara.
No doubt, many thought it was the alcohol talking or that he had been away from
civilization too long. It was 1808 and the
adventurer's name was John Colter. He
was a scout for the Lewis and Clark expedition and had just returned from a
exploring the area that is now Yellowstone National Park. His discoveries were
legit, but to his peers they were literally incredible.
The American Western History museum characterized Americans' skepti cism like this: "Upon his return, his "tales" were so unbelievable that no author or mapmaker would publish it for fear of scrutiny amongst their peers...It wasn't until Thomas Moran painted the Yellowstone Park and William Jackson photographed The Yellow stone Park in 1871 along with a team of surveyors that the country realized the national treasure which existed."
The American Western History museum characterized Americans' skepti cism like this: "Upon his return, his "tales" were so unbelievable that no author or mapmaker would publish it for fear of scrutiny amongst their peers...It wasn't until Thomas Moran painted the Yellowstone Park and William Jackson photographed The Yellow stone Park in 1871 along with a team of surveyors that the country realized the national treasure which existed."
Some stories and experiences are just so
incredible that one must experience them personally before believing they are real. But, as the saying goes, "don't knock it
'til you've tried it." I am
thinking specifically about great spiritual discoveries. Often when spiritual adventurers describe
experiences that include physical healing, emotional healings, conversations
with God, speaking in tongues, and being born again, others may be tempted to
chuckle or roll their eyes. But these incredible
experiences with God were described in the Bible and they have been verified
and repeated ad nauseam. They are incredible discoveries just waiting for you
to experience personally.
I can
relate to those who were hesitant to embrace Colter's tales, just as I can
relate to those who listen to my spiritual tales with caution. We live in an information-rich world that is
so inundated with strangeness that a wise person must explore with healthy
doses of skepticism. But the strange and
the fake does not invalidate those places that one can go with God if they are
willing to make the trip. God is incredible and is waiting for you to venture
out and discover so many wonderful spiritual experiences.
Here's
an idea: Rather than prejudging God and people
of faith as flakey, why not set out to explore God personally? Don't seek a religion or philosophy; seek a
relationship with the Creator. Find someone
who will give you a personal Bible study in your home or join a neighborhood
prayer group that will help you on your quest.
Who knows what exciting life experiences await you as you pursue
God. If you are sincere in your pursuit,
I can guarantee you will find your own incredible discoveries.
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