Tuesday, December 27, 2011

130. He Doesn't Care What It Looks Like

Mark 7:6


Let’s do a little experiment, okay? I’m going to ask you a question in just a second, and in your head I want you to try and answer it immediately, before you have a chance to think about it. In other words, I want you to simply read the question and then react - as quickly and as naturally as you can. Are you ready? Here goes: What is your definition of someone who is really spiritually awesome or impressive? Now - don’t think about it... just react. Get a picture in your mind or even a person you know who you think spiritually rocks. What is this person like? Are they really good-natured and pure-hearted and basically a nearly-finished product? Is it one of those people who never seems to mess up or ever have any problems or issues? Be honest... And if you answered ‘yes’ because your mental image of a spiritual rock-star was a person who is all lined-out and fixed already, I don’t blame you. In fact, most folks would probably choose someone just like that. Here’s the thing though: Jesus doesn’t see it that way. One time some religious guys looked down on Jesus’ disciples because they busted them eating food without going through all these religious hand-washing ceremonies. Most of us would have been really impressed with those religious guys, but Jesus called them “hypocrites” - which was the Greek word used for an actor... Essentially Jesus said they were pretending at religion, but their hearts weren’t in it at all. Jesus is looking for people who are honest, even if they are a wreck. He doesn’t care what a person looks like. He cares about your heart.

Monday, December 26, 2011

129. He's Going To Rule

Isaiah 9:7


Have you ever thought, “Am I still this same person?” or “Will I always be this way?” or “Am I ever going to grow past this thing and change?” In my life, it seems that there are certain things... certain struggles or patterns of thinking or cycles of wrong that seem to always persist. Every time I think I’m growing, I find myself right back there again and wondering if I’ve ever actually grown at all. I look in the mirror and see the same old face that seems to be losing the fight against the same old frustrations, insecurities and fears. Will I ever really change? I think everyone feels this way from time to time, and it’s a stifling emotion, because it makes you wonder if your faith is real at all. You know, when the angel Gabriel appeared to little teenage Mary and prophesied the coming of that first Christmas, he said that Jesus would be a king over an everlasting kingdom. Thing is, Gabriel wasn’t the first to bring that prophecy. 700 years before that, Isaiah said that the Messiah would come, born of a virgin and that “of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” The promise of Christmas is that Jesus will expand the rule of His kingdom to every single deep and dark corner of this vast universe. We’re not there yet, but one day, no place will be untouched by His power, kindness and will. No molecule will remain outside of His executive influence and meticulous control. Jesus will rule everything, including all the deep and dark corners of my own heart. It may be slow, but I am changing, and one day, I’ll be completely His.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

128. He Is A Bigger Deal Than You Think

Haggai 2:9


Does it ever seem like Jesus hasn’t made that big of a difference in your heart? Do you ever look at your own self and think, “Is this it? I mean, I gave my life to Jesus, but where is He? When is He going to show up?” The other day I was thinking about the Christmas story, and how Jesus came as a baby and then basically lived a normal, quiet life in a small town for thirty years, slowly growing from a baby into a little boy - then from a little boy into a man. In all those years, nothing world-changing really seemed to happen. For three decades, the excitement and upheaval of the Christmas story seemed to be an epic failure. Well, it seemed to be an epic failure unless you’re in on the secret: You see, hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Israelites had come back to their homes from captivity in a foreign country and rebuilt their temple. Only problem was, the new temple was a lame version of what had been this incredible masterpiece of architecture and devotional art. All the old folks who remembered the former temple were brokenhearted, but God spoke through a prophet called Haggai and said that “The Desired of all Nations” would come and fill the new temple with more glory than the former. After Christmas, baby Jesus went in there with Mary and Joseph and quietly fulfilled the prophecy. On the surface, just a baby in a building. Behind the scenes, all of heaven freaking out! Jesus in your heart is like a secret behind-the-scenes change. It’s more than it seems. He’s doing more than you know.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

127. He Became Guilty

2 Corinthians 5:21


Do you ever have one of those moments where some part of your mind forgets the Gospel for a second and so you wind up freaking out? Okay, wait... Time out - maybe I should explain that question a bit - Let’s back up and then zoom in: This morning, I was reading this obscure little book in the Old Testament called ‘Nahum.’ I had just started the book when something made me stop. It was chapter 1, verse 3 which says, “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.” Whoa. I mean, the first thought in any honest head simply has to be, “Oh no! I’m guilty! I’ve been guilty my whole life! I’m that guy! God is not going to leave me unpunished! Crap!!” Sometimes, when we freak out about stuff, it’s because there are places in our minds and hearts that haven’t heard the Gospel yet, or else have forgotten it. If I feel like something bad is happening because God is punishing me for my sins, then I need to go back over the simple message again. You see, the truth is simple, but it has to go into deeper levels of our heart and mind as we live. When you find an un-evangelized place in your heart, just preach the Gospel to it again. So, if you ever feel guilty and afraid of the judgment of God, just remember, Jesus bore your guilt. He took your place and declared you henceforth ‘not guilty’ forever and ever, no matter what! He became guilty for you. God will not leave the guilty unpunished. He became the guilty and the punished so that you could become the righteous one.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

126. He Likes You More Than You Do

Mark 16:7


Deep down, all of us struggle in our faith from time to time because some days, we just don’t really know where we stand with God. There is a deep place inside all of us that wonders from time to time if we are really acceptable to God, and even when we get settled on that point, there is still this lingering doubt that plagues us. It goes something like this: “Even if I have been declared technically acceptable in a spiritual sense, I don’t really believe Jesus likes me all that much. I guess I can believe He loves me, but that’s kind of His job, right? I mean, half the time, I don’t even like myself, so why would Jesus?” Have you ever thought those things? You know, after Peter disowned Jesus, he bolted. He fled the scene with tears running down his face and his heart screaming in his chest. He couldn’t believe that he had really just betrayed his best friend! Who would do something like that?! He probably hated himself. He didn’t follow the soldiers to the cross. He was hiding. If he could have hidden away from himself, I believe he would have. I know that feeling, but that feeling isn’t the end of the story. Jesus still wanted Peter. When Jesus came back to life, the angel said, “Tell His disciples and tell Peter...” In other words, this was good news for everyone - and it was also good news specifically for Peter. Jesus wanted to see Him. At the very beginning, Jesus saw a missionary in the fisherman. He saw a cornerstone in the curser and He saw a friend in the failure. He likes you more than you do.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

125. He Was The Ultimate Underdog

Luke 1:52


Have you ever cheered for the underdog for no other reason than the fact that they are the underdog? I mean, don’t you love the feeling of the little guy beating the big guy? Don’t you love the drama of the arrogant top dog falling to the little nobody who didn’t have a prayer? I mean, whether it’s David and Goliath or Rocky Balboa or even the Karate Kid, everyone loves the underdog! Actually, it’s scientifically proven that people will cheer for the underdog 90% of the time vs. the top dog - and it doesn’t even matter what the competition is. It can be sports, politics, business, or even something completely random, and people will almost always cheer for the dude or team or group that is supposed to get whipped. Ever wondered why that is? You know, here at Christmas time, I can’t help but think about the fact that Jesus was the ultimate underdog. I mean, how is the unknown and totally helpless baby of two poor, country, reject teenagers supposed to turn the world upside down? And yet, that’s what He did! When Mary sang her beautiful song in the first chapter of Luke, she said that this little baby would one day humble the proud and fill the empty with good things. And the amazing thing about this story is that against all odds, when there didn’t seem to be a prayer, He did it! Maybe the reason we all pull for the underdog is because of that little baby. Maybe we want the underdog to win because we’re the underdogs too. We needed the underdog of Bethlehem to win so that someone would turn this world upside down. His story makes our story possible.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

124. He Didn't Intend To Survive

Hebrews 10:5


Do you ever feel like the drama and stress of Christmas are just about to kill you? You know what I mean, right? It starts before your thanksgiving turkey is digested. People queue up outside department stores and wait for hours in order to capitalize on the outrageous deals of retail’s nastiest and most lucrative day in the US: Black Friday. I mean, people literally get trampled to death in this country because they are in a competition to try and get the best deal on some stupid something made out of plastic and wires. Really? On top of all that, you have the tensions brought on by extended family, the sinking feeling in your gut that you may not financially make it to the New Year and the guilt of eating way too much bad-for-you food, right?! It gets so bad for some people that you often hear folks say that they’re just trying to “survive Christmas.” Wow. What a sad thing! Christmas is a joyous time of celebration because God came down here for us! We shouldn’t be simply trying to ‘survive Christmas,’ rather we should be savoring Christmas. The funny thing is, the reason we should savor it is because Christ didn’t plan on surviving it. You see, Jesus was a baby born to die. The word ‘Christmas’ literally means, “the mission of the Christ.” Jesus came here on purpose with a plan to not survive Christmas. In the tenth chapter of the book of Hebrews, it says that when the Christ came into the world, he had Psalm 40 in His little infant mind, which says, “You gave me a body and I’m here to do your will.” He intended to die for us.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

123. He Was Vulnerable

John 1:14


It’s kind of amazing that Christmas washes over most folks. Tons of people just live through it and never once think about the magnitude of this thing. I mean, really?! Christmas is flat-out the most intriguing, amazing, outrageous, overwhelming and completely underestimated thing that has ever happened! It’s the most beautiful, heart-wrenching story about a poor, young couple who trusted God, which made them seemingly completely alone in the world. But then, you turn the page and find the night sky bursting open with company upon company of airborne, explosive, special forces warriors, singing the praises of the little Baby that was born into the arms of those thought-to-be alone teenagers. Turns out that the angels were singing because God Himself - who formed the night sky, the physics that governed that night sky, the angels, the sheep, the shepherds and the teenagers had come all the way down into the human story by becoming one of us. WHAT?! What kind of condescension is this? God became helpless! What if those teenagers dropped Him? What if He cut His little hand? Would God really bleed? Wow. The most under-rated fact of Christmas is the vulnerability of the Mighty God. Water would make Him wet. The sun would burn Him. The fists would make Him bleed. Who would do such a thing? Why would anyone with unlimited power take it off, making themselves vulnerable to pain? Well, Jesus would. He did. And the reason He did was because if He didn’t do it, we would be lost. He did it because we had no other hope. His vulnerability bought our hope. His blood, our freedom. His death, our life. O Come, Let Us Adore Him, Christ The Lord.