December 20, 2019

Noel

Life is both a tragic struggle and a miraculous providential saga. The "Christmas Story" (from the French term Noel or perhaps a Latin derivative meaning "birth") certainly encases both the human struggle and the divine saga.

 

No room in the inn, born in a stable, placed in a manger, a feeding trough for animals, in a place where you find filth and muck and disease and dumb animals, you find the son of God, the Savior of the world. In a place you expect to find nothing you want, you find everything you need. Emanuel - God with us.

 

Prophesied by Isaiah in 700 BC (Isa.7:14) the prediction of the virgin birth comes to fruition in that stable. (Matt. 1:20-23)  Isaiah promised not only a "child would be given" but also "the government would rest upon His shoulders" (Isa. 9).

 

We are living between the two advents - the first, His incarnation; the second, His coronation. Jesus came into this world in the periphery of life but has been assigned to the pinnacle of history.

 

Enjoy the season but remember the story. And in case you forgot - it is still true: In a place you expect to find nothing you want you find everything you need!

 

Noel indeed.

Serving Him with you

Until He comes for us,

Fred

December 13, 2019

The Second Sleep

 

My brother's wife died a few days ago. It was not unexpected but it was sudden. It was a long time coming, until it happened and then it was quick.

 

As a pastor and a theologian, I am not unacquainted with the topic of death. I have done many funerals in the past and I have a few more coming up. But that does not mean I am comfortable with death. I am not!

 

In my university training, I took a course on 'Death and Dying' taught by the team of Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross from the University of Chicago. At the time she was on the cutting edge of research on death and dying. But all she had to contribute was based on psychological and sociological experiential research and was totally devoid of spiritual and eternal realities.

 

It is natural to be afraid of death or at least apprehensive. Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. But death is not actually the end either for Lazarus or for us. Jesus reminds us of the supernatural reality that is all too easy to overlook in the midst of our natural world.

 

We were created for eternity. It is true that the curse upon the earth and corruption of mankind is unavoidable, but the power of the Gospel is to remove the sting of death and give to us eternal life. And that is the message of Christmas. It is the gift of God of His Son to offer to us His life for us so that we may have eternal life in Him.

We may not escape death in this life, but we can escape the second death if we have eternal life in Jesus.

 

As Max Lucado reminds us; "God never said that the journey would be easy, but he did say that the arrival would be worthwhile." 

Serving Him with you

Until He comes for us,

Fred

December 6, 2019

"Worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you can't change.

Prayer is a conversation you have with God knowing He can change everything!"

~ Carmen Pate ~

  

These are the words of a friend of mine who I pray for most days. I must tell you that Carmen is not living in an ivory tower or the lap of luxury. She is in the hospital again going through treatment for leukemia...again! (Remission, Relapse, Re-admission)

 

Almost every day after chemotherapy, spinal taps or ice baths to keep her fever under control, she sends her email or blog report about people she is ministering to by helping to ease their fears and sharing the gift of eternal life.

 

I find that often my worry leads me to pray.  Unfortunately, it sometimes takes me a while to make the transition.  But when I realize that I cannot offer much to the situation I realize where I need to go. 

The Apostle Paul reminds us "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your request be made known to God."

 

I want to try to worry less and pray more. I guess it all depends on what my focus is on and who my focus is on...does it not?

Serving Him with you

Until He comes for us,

Fred

November 29th

I Am A Thankful Person

I am thankful to the Lord Jesus because He saved me.

   He could have chosen not to choose.

 

I am thankful to Marsha because she married me and loves me.

   She could have said "No."

 

I am thankful for my children because they honor me.

   They could have rebelled.

 

I am thankful for friends because they care for me.

   They could have not cared.

 

I am thankful for mentors because they invested their life in me.

   They could have seen me as not worth their time.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Serving Him with you

Until He comes for us,

Fred