Preparing for Christmas

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Thursday, December 17, 2015

Preparing for Christmas
Blog by Megann Graf  

It’s a week before Christmas.  Tensions are high.  So many things to do, people to see, gifts to buy.  It can be easy to get caught up in all the wrong things, lose focus of the meaning of Christmas.  The thought that keeps going through my head this week is “Oh how we need a Savior.”  I hear of people struggling with sickness, disease, and illness.  I think, “Oh, how they need a Savior.”  I see families in true turmoil, with hurt and offense ripping at heartstrings. I pray, “Oh, how they need a Savior.”  I find myself snipping at my kids, letting stress overcome my joy, and missing the true meaning of this year.  And I know, “Oh, how I need a Savior.”   

So, here are the definitions of these words listed above in the picture.  Just so you can get a clear picture of what I think we need.     

    

Savior- one that saves from danger or destruction; one that saves from   
        danger, harm or failure
       

         Messiah- a king who will be sent by God to save the Jews; a person who is
                expected to save people from a very bad situation
              

                      Emmanuel- God with us  

Friends, if you are living on this earth, you surely are seeing people who need to be saved from danger and destruction.  You see people who are desperate to escape harm and failure. You feel the great need of those who need to get out from a very bad situation.  It is all around us.  It is the world we live in.  It is a need for those we love, for those we don’t know, and for ourselves.  This is why Jesus broke through from heaven, into earth, to be WITH US. God is with me and God is with you.  We have a Savior!  That is the good news.  His love broke through the darkness to shine light into all of our brokenness.  Not just the brokenness of the past, but the brokenness of the here and now. 

So, if you find yourself thinking of all things you and your loved ones need this Christmas - like that cool new toy your kid just has to have, a new iPhone, a new car, getting cookies baked, mailing Christmas cards, and a million other things, take a breath.  Take a really deep breath.  What we really need is a Savior, and the good news is that we have Him. He is free, if we accept Him, and HE IS HERE- Emmanuel, God with us.  Thank God I have a Savior, because I need Him more than I know, and you do too.

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Advent: Old Testament Hints of the Coming of Jesus

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Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Jeff Lampl

Advent
Old Testament Hints of the Coming of Jesus

The Gospel of Luke was written by the only non-Jewish writer in the New Testament.  He was a physician who joined Paul on Paul’s second missionary journey, the journey that took the Gospel to Europe, perhaps for the very first time (notice the “we” in Acts 16:10.  Luke wrote Acts).  

It didn’t take Luke long to discover that Paul kept getting himself in trouble and even incarcerated for spreading the news that Jesus was Lord and Caesar wasn’t.   

 

I join others in being convinced that during one of Paul’s imprisonments, probably in Caesarea, Luke had some “free time” so it’s hard to imagine that he would not have sought out Mary to get her account of how Jesus was born.  After all he started his Gospel by telling us that he researched everything very carefully, and of course it is well established that he wrote the early chapters of his Gospel from the perspective of Mary, Jesus’ mother.

So we have Luke writing that Mary was a virgin when she conceived (Luke 1:27-34).   My assumption is that Mary told him that.  

Matthew tells us the same thing.  He’s the Gospel writer who looked at the events of Jesus’ life and then looked back at Old Testament prophecies and I’m guessing that he found the fulfillment of these prophecies of the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ simply amazing. 
He must have had a really good time writing his Gospel.  

One prophecy that he tells us about is Isaiah 7:14 (Matthew 1:23).   Isaiah had actually written about a child being born in mid eighth century BC during Isaiah’s lifetime whose birth and maturation would coincide with a time of peace.   Yet Matthew was able to look back and see that there was a double meaning in this prophecy.  Perhaps (or not) Isaiah had perhaps in the back of his mind the thought that the day would come when God would send his Messiah to rescue his people once and for all.  In any case, as it turns out, it is no coincidence that this Messiah would be referred to as “Immanuel”, God with us.  

Advent tells us that God isn’t finished with his rescue project.    Advent (the coming of God to earth) has yet to be completed.  But it will be.  Jesus came to earth to make the announcement that God himself has come, and will one day come and stay permanently. There will come a day when God fills the earth as the “waters fills the sea”.   It is in that hope and expectation that Christians live today.

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How Can I Share the Gospel This Christmas?

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Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Jeff Lampl  

How Can I Share the Gospel This Christmas?

 “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect”    1 Peter 3:15

Peter tells us that first thing we must do is “in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord”.   All the rest starts with this.   All the rest without this will be seen by others for what it is, hollow God talk.  

Many of us have set apart Christ as Lord, but we grow stale.   Let this Christmas awaken you.   Notice manger scenes, look at baby Jesus and think,

“Amazing, it’s beyond comprehension, that baby is Lord of the Universe.   God the Creator of over 100 billion galaxies each with more than 100 billion stars, has descended through time and space, through His own creation, to a point in history, as an embryo, a small collection of cells, in due time to be born, only decades later to descend even further into the ultimate ruin of creation, as a corpse.   Yet he then rose from the dead bringing all of creation up with him renewed, restored, repaired, resurrected.   It’s done, it’s happened, it’s real, and the He will do the same for all of creation”

If asked, imply explain that Christianity is this one thing:   God saw the broken world we’re in and then entered this world to rescue it and us.   That’s it.   That’s Christmas.  God came to earth for that reason.  

The details?  God became human in the person of Jesus, allowed himself to suffer and die at the hands of sinful humans, taking the sin of the world, the sin of each of us personally, onto himself.   How did he handle this?   While still on the cross he judged the world:   Judged it and us forgiven of all sin.   His final words before death?   “God forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing.”

But He didn’t stay dead.  God raised from the dead, he was seen alive by hundreds of people, he ascended into Heaven and from there has been and still is reigning over the earth.   It is He, not evil, not pain, not death, who has the last word over all things.

 

The Good News for those who give their lives to him is that what God did for Jesus in raising Him from the dead he will do for those who trust Him.   In fact God is in the process of doing exactly that at every moment for those who are willing, in trust, to accept his work in their lives.

This is the gift of Christmas.  I hope that you will approach Christmas with ears attentive the words and hearts of those around you, so that you will be able to discern the yearning, the perhaps unexpressed asking for a real connection to a real God, of another.   And then share with that person the greatest news in the universe.

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Understanding Christianity - A Top 5 Reading List

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 Monday, December 14, 2015
Jeff Lampl
Do You Want to Understand Christianity?
A Top 5 Reading List

Recently I came across a Top 5 list of books from Pastor Tim Keller that give an overview of Christian beliefs presented in the context of most contemporary arguments for and against their validity. The tones and styles of the books differ widely so you’ll have to try them out to see which speaks best to you.   I’ve read them all and can affirm them wholeheartedly.  I am pleased to note that Keller tops his list with the book that also tops my list!  

1.      C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Harper San Francisco, 2009).  

Most complete single volume to read. Gives both explanations of the beliefs of Christianity along with arguments for their validity. However, while popular in style, Lewis demands that the reader follow long sequences of logical argument. Originally talks given over the BBC in Great Britain during World War II. (227 pages)
NOTE:   this is the book that introduced me to what Christianity actually is when I first became a believer and its shaping of me lasts to this day.  

2.    Francis Spufford, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense (HarperOne, 2013).  

Funny, ironic, and very colloquial. A British writer explains why the basic beliefs of Christianity “work” emotionally and culturally to address many of the main problems and to solve many of the main puzzles of contemporary life. Good for those who live in a social context where Christian faith is almost unthinkable.  If you have a tendency toward prudishness you might not like this book.  (240 pages)  

3.     John C. Lennox, Gunning for God: Why the New Atheists are Missing the Target (Lion, 2011).  

An Oxford professor (he has 3 PHD’s!) who answers a series of objections to the Christian faith. The material was crafted in debates and so has the sometimes feisty tone of someone a public disputation. Special attention given to faith and science, though he also deals with question of moral beliefs and the resurrection of Jesus. (248 pages)  
NOTE:  okay I didn’t actually read this one, but I’ve read other books by him and heard him lecture several times and I find him brilliant.  

4.     Tim Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (Dutton, 2008).  

First half deals with common objections to Christianity. The middle seeks to make a positive case for the rationality of belief. Finally there’s a basic treatment of the main Christian beliefs. (336 pages)

5.     N.T.Wright, Simply Good News, (Harper One, 2015).    

Okay, I added this one myself.   N.T. Wright is simply so brilliant.   He’s a brilliant Bible scholar respected immensely by both the “left” and the “right” and is able to take his enormous understanding of the Bible and communicate in simple and profound words and illustrations that make the Bible make sense for ordinary people like me.  

6.     John Stott, Basic Christianity (Inter-Varsity, 2012)  

Begins with the evidence for Christ being the resurrected Son of God and then proceeds with a more thorough treatment of what and how to believe. Assumes belief in God and general trust in the Bible. Not the first book for most inquirers but clear and practical. (192 pages)

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Bible Study Seven Day Challenge Day 7

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Jeff Lampl
Sunday, December 13, 2015

Bible Study Seven Day Challenge

One Week in the
10 Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount
Part 7(of 7)  

Congratulations!!!!!

If you have, to any degree at all, done the 7 Day Challenge,
you have studied the Bible!!!! 

Way to Go!!

 

Now listen to this!

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.  But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.  When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”    

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.”                                                          Matthew 7:24-29 (NLT)  

Now, ask yourself . . . . (for each question highlight your answer with your curser) 

1.  Can you think of anything wiser than learning directly from the most brilliant, personable,
      fun loving, life loving and people loving person who ever lived?     Yes      No  

2.  Does it make sense to live your life without consulting the one who created the world
     and fully understands every, single, minute, complex detail of it and who wants to guide
     you personally through your particular and unique life?                  Yes      No  

3.  How intelligent are you if you are a particle theorist physicist and you don’t consult the
     maker and arranger of all particles?          Not Very  (I’m giving you this answer for free)  

4.  How smart can you be if you try to make your marriage and family work without
     consulting and actually putting into practice what the Creator, and Envisioner of marriage
     and family says about making it work.     Really smart         Really, Really, Really dumb 

5.  Is it possible that the shaky parts of my life are shaky because I don’t put Jesus' words
     into practice?               Possible
                                         Not Possible (this is not the correct answer)  

Now Score your answers.   Do they indicate that you are wise or 52 cards short of a full deck?  

Finally:  

Reread the 10 Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount and mark just a few places where you want to TAKE A GIANT LEAP and put a new behavior or attitude into practice and thereby become a smart person!!!!! (smart people are those who trust God by obeying Him)  

Remember: 

THE CLUE IS IN THE DO!!!

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Bible Study Seven Day Challenge Day 6

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Jeff Lampl
Saturday, December 12, 2015

Bible Study Seven Day Challenge

One Week in the
10 Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount
Part 6 (of 7)  

Some Straight Talk from Jesus and from me (Jeff)  

24“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.  (Your heart always follows your money vs. 21) 

 

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  

 

“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,  yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

    

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.    

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."       Matthew 6:24-34 (NLT)

                                                          Straight Talk #1  

In vs 24 and 21 Jesus is straight with us.   He tells us he knows us.   He knows that where we put our money is where our hearts go.   Where we put our money tells us what we value.   If my relationship to God is like a marriage then we must merge our resources.   What’s mine is his.  

 

The Old Testament tells us to give 10% of our gross income to the Lord as a sign that we belong to the Lord.   The New Testament’s standard is not a tithe.  The New Testament tells us to give more than we can afford.   Either amount is monetary proof that God has my full loyalty and trust.   

Frankly if I don’t tithe, then I am withholding trust.   I am saying I need something more than God to be happy or to meet my needs.   

And if I am relying on something other than God, then I’ll always be anxious because I am feeling like providing for myself and family is all up to me.   Many believers can’t feel right with God because deep down they know they are holding back, holding onto their own resources.    But Jesus was blunt.   What you hold onto is where your heart is and it’s choking your relationship with Him.   

Personally I am convinced that, except for extraordinary circumstances, anyone who doesn’t tithe or give more than they can afford is holding back in their relationship with God.   All the excuses we give (I give my time, I give my talents, giving to my family is giving to God) seem to me to be ways to rationalize, ways to seek the minimum commitment necessary to be a Christian.    

A marriage can’t work that way.   Nor can my relationship with God.   Divided loyalties leave us . . . divided . . .and anxious, and worried and stressed and unable to trust that God will provide.  Were stuck in the world of “if it’s to be it’s up to me”.    Were stuck there, of course, because having only trusted ourselves for our needs we never get the experience of discovering the trustworthiness of God. 

 

This Christmas season, if you have not taken step one in giving God your heart, (Jesus said your heart goes where your money goes), by giving God the first 10% of your income, the first thing for you to do is to do it.   Just do it.   The clue is in the do.   “I love you Lord” means nothing unless actions follow.   Personally I am not convinced that there is any more important spiritual step to take with God than this one.   Jesus said your heart follows your money.  

Give your tithe to your home church, the first and the best of your income and then work everything else around that.   In that way you are working your life around God.   Doing this is acting on your vow to put God first in your life.    Kathy and I did this over 30 years ago and it is unimaginable to us to have lived without having done so.  

Once you’ve settled that issue, you’ve begun to enter into the world of practically trusting the Lord for your needs – yes just like a marriage.   Without this you’ll always be divided. 

 

                                                           Straight Talk #2  

Jesus also told us not to worry about our lives: food, clothes and shelter.   He said “don’t worry”.   “Don’t be anxious”.   

This is stunning.  

Cars have accidents, terrorists seek us out, incurable disease takes our lives, jobs are insecure.    Is Jesus crazy?  How can I not worry?   

Jesus did not tell us not to plan but he did tell us to resolutely refuse worry and that anxiety is groundless and pointless.   It does nothing for us.  

If I actually believe that nothing, absolutely nothing can harm me.   If I believe that I am completely safe in God’s good world.   If I can believe that the worst that can happen including death cannot take my life, my future, my past, my hope and my joy, then I am free.   

It is this kind of confidence in God that opens the door wide open to God’s abundant life, NOW, and then later in heaven.    

The Gospel and Jesus Himself, tell me that in Him, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

As your pastor I can tell you that kind of confidence is a strange but beautiful thing.   People will think you crazy to have it.   You have available to you the confidence that says that whatever happens I have peace that God is making all things right and well and beautiful.  That kind of confidence is exactly what God wants to give us.  

Jesus actually finishes this section with a little bit of humor, “hey”, he says, “you don’t have time to worry about tomorrow anyway.  I absolve you of all fretting, worry, fear, anxiety, control-feakishness for tomorrow.  Live today.  Don’t miss today by freaking out about tomorrow!”  

(that’s actually a jpl paraphrase)

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Bible Study Seven Day Challenge Day 5

As I have been reading the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount this week and jotting down my reflections in the form of prayers, one big thing God keeps pointing me back to is the image of Marriage.  

God renews his “wedding vow” to Israel in Ex. 20:2, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery”.  Vs. 3 tells us how we, His “bride” can reciprocate the vow by giving ourselves fully to him who already has given himself fully to us.   These two verses reiterate Ex 19:4-6.  

   

We are being presented with image of a wedding ceremony.  It’s the picture of a wedding, each party (God and his people) fully committing their full loyalty to the other.

     

In both the remaining 10 commandments and Jesus’ fuller explanation of them (Matt. Chaps. 5-7) we read how these vows get played out in a successful marriage:   no mind wandering off onto other images and other “lovers”, a commitment to honesty, no deceit, no coveting other things or people be they human or material, no harsh words etc. 

    

In a sense Ex 20:2, 3 are the wedding vows and the rest of the “commandments” and sermon on the mount are what the pastor does when he gives the mini-sermon during the wedding ceremony, just as I will do this Saturday when I officiate and the wedding of Phillip and Victoria.  

One of the things I have found myself saying at weddings is this great statement I heard somewhere, “It is not your love that will hold your marriage together.   Rather it is your marriage that will hold your love together”  

It is the commitments of marriage (The Clue is in the Do!) that are the strong walls of the structure of your life together in marriage that keep your love alive.    It is this very same thing that we are learning about our relationship with God as we finish Day 5 in our study of the 10 Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount.

 

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