Does Christmas make you feel Optimistic? Or Hopeful? There IS a difference!

The glass.  You know the one.  Psychologists think you either see it as half-full or half-empty.  That distinction, they say, determines how you view and experience life.  But for some of us, it’s neither.  Instead, our “life-glass” might seem nearly or completely empty.  Or worse still, it seems like life has stomped our little glass to smithereens!  How optimistic can you be then?

Optimism, you see, is based on your assessment of your circumstances, both present and future, in view of your personal expectations.  Optimism is then dependent on at least “seeing light at the end of the tunnel”, so to speak.  We can be optimistic even when life seems to be against us as long as we believe it will get better.  But it’s tough to be an optimist when you discover you have terminal cancer.  Or worse, that your child does.  It’s tough to be optimistic when your finances have tanked just when your job disappears.  Is hope really any different?

While optimism is based on OUR thoughts and feelings and assessment of our futures, hope is based on something outside of ourselves.  When we can believe in something greater than ourselves or our circumstance, HOPE can flourish.  That’s what Christmas is all about.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   John 1:1-5

THERE is the light at the end of the tunnel you were looking for!  Since before time began, the God who made everything determined to also make Himself personal and knowable to us.  He determined HE would be the Light when there is no other light in your life.  HE would be Life for you when your own life seems to betray you.  And no matter how dark things get, even when optimism fades, HE does not.  Instead of optimism, God brings Hope.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.² Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.  ³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us….   Romans 5:1-5

When we celebrate the coming of Jesus this time of year, we tend to focus on four promises that the Christ-child brings: Love, Joy, Peace, and Hope.  When Paul wrote these words, I doubt he was thinking specifically about the birth of Jesus.  In fact, the books of Matthew and Luke that describe the birth of Jesus were still years from being written when Paul penned Romans.  But the truth of what Jesus brought us has been there from the beginning – before time began.  Hope, you see, is based on something outside ourselves.  Because the One who offers us hope is the same One who offers us His love from the foundation of the world; His peace through Jesus’ sacrificial life, death and resurrection; and His joy even in the midst of those dark nights when we can’t see any light at all except for His.

Is hope better than optimism?  Absolutely.  Because no matter what, HOPE doesn’t disappoint.  We can hope because God is faithful – even if the glass is shattered.

Celebrating the hope we have in Jesus Christ,

Jacob

Don't Stop Short of Christmas

Do you always use a GPS-enabled navigation system to find your way when you're headed somewhere new?  A few months ago, I relied completely on one while traveling in another country.  I ended up in the middle of a cow pasture.  Literally.  I was faithfully following the directions the system was giving me because I had no idea where I was going!  Now I'm convinced a map would have been a better idea.

Over two thousand years ago some wise men, or Magi, took off on a long trip not knowing exactly where they were headed.  They didn't have a map or a nav system, but they had something better.  They were, of course, being directed by the Star appointed by the Creator God to guide them to His Only-Begotten Son.  What was the star?  There's not really enough time to deal with that here, but there are certainly other lessons to be learned from the journey of these travelers from the East.  The story is only recorded in the gospel of Matthew:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”…and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  (Matthew 2:1-2;9-11)

You know the story as you’ve seen it portrayed in countless Christmas pageants - three young guys dressed in bathrobes and paper crowns presenting gifts to the baby in the manger, surrounded by mini-shepherds, angels, and anthropomorphic animals.  Though the church pageant scene doesn’t exactly jive with the Biblical account, it all fuses into an amazing story of worship.

So were there three wise men?  The Scripture doesn’t say.  Three gifts mentioned gives rise to that idea.  Some middle-eastern church traditions say there were twelve.  Did they have names?  I’m sure they did, but we don’t know them.  Where were they from?  The word in the Bible literally says “from the rising of the sun” - somewhere in the east, most likely Persia or Babylon or even Yemen.  Their knowledge about the coming King was likely influenced by Jews, like Daniel, who were held captive in the region 500 years before.

But getting back to the stellar GPS they followed, I must ask, “Why does the story say the Magi stopped in Jerusalem?”  They had followed that amazing star for a 1,000 miles, yet they stopped in Jerusalem instead of following it all the way to Bethlehem where the Child was born.  After traveling that far, they stopped SIX MILES short of their destination!  Why did that happen?  Because they took their eyes off the star.  They had “seen His star” but there they were, asking directions from the wicked king, Herod, because they assumed the King of Glory would be living in a palace.  Once they looked for the Star again, it was right there to guide them to Jesus.

This Christmas, make sure YOUR spiritual GPS is fully functioning.  Don’t stop short like the Magi.  Instead, remember to look up instead of looking around.  After all, where else would you expect to find the Star of Christmas, the Bright and Morning Star? (Revelation 22:16)

Jacob

Do You Want to Bet on It?

In the last week, people all over the country have stood in line at convenience stores and gas stations to purchase a lottery ticket for their chance at becoming King Midas-rich.  The lure of a billion-dollar prize is apparently too great to pass up.  No, I did not buy a ticket.  Why not? 

Blame it on Blaise.  Who you ask?  Few of us remember the name of Blaise Pascal from our days in either math or science class.  Pascal was one of those over-achieving over-thinkers who paved the way for both modern science and mathematics.  Like most of the great thinkers in history, Pascal also dabbled in religion and philosophy, which prompted him to derive what he considered a reasonable, logical, approach to living life – “Pascal’s Wager”.

The Wager was his probability-based argument to mankind that since God either exists or He doesn’t, we are all betting our lives on whichever reality is true.  So, he reasoned, why not bet your finite life, behavior, and wealth on the premise that God DOES exist in the hope that you will gain an infinite eternity in God’s presence if you are correct?  Pascal was trying to encourage others to live unselfishly to gain eternity with God.  Though his encouragement to good deeds and sacrifice won’t get anyone to heaven without faith in Jesus, at least he was betting on something that was worthwhile!

But real truth about how we should spend our lives comes from the Author of salvation, Jesus:

Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:19-21

If putting our earthly “treasures” to better use than our own selfish wealth accumulation doesn’t get us any closer to heaven, then why does Jesus admonish us to do so?  Because in Jesus’ view of things, our accumulation of whatever can waste or rust away is short-sighted.  He isn’t just saying to take all the money and possessions you have and somehow “invest” them in heavenly things.  I believe Jesus’ Admonition is all about PERSPECTIVE.  Instead of working more and more hours to make more and more money to buy more and more stuff in the here-and-now, why not understand what James wrote to us?

You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.  James 4:14

James wasn’t trying to discourage us, but instead trying to drive the truth home that this life is such a little part of the whole of our existence.  We need to remember that in Christ, we are eternal and so it makes lots of sense for us to spend our days “working” with an eternal perspective.  How do we do that?  By remembering that the greatest treasure we have is our knowledge of the Gospel – the promise of God to everyone who might believe in Jesus.  So, we “work” to live lives that honor the sacrifice Jesus made for us; we share the Truth we know with those who need to hear it; and we find a way to love the people God puts in our path while we walk this earth so they will know God loves them, too.  That all adds up to heavenly dividends!

Pascal’s Wager might seem like a good bet, but Jesus’ Words can change your life.  For eternity.  That’s what I’m betting on!

Jacob

Do You Need a DO-OVER?

In golf, it’s called a “Mulligan”.  It’s a second chance to hit a shot correctly; a “do-over”.  Are you getting many Mulligans in your life?  For most of us, when we make a mistake folks aren’t exactly lining up to say, “Go ahead and try again.  Maybe you’ll make the correct life-choice next time!”  “So what if you failed miserably.  I forgive you!  Go back and tee it up and try again!”  If only it worked like that with people.  Gratefully, it does work like that with God.

The roster of those to whom God gave second chances reads like a Who’s Who of Bible champions:  David, who defeated Goliath and then later committed adultery and murder, but still found forgiveness to lead Israel; Mary Magdalene, who was a prostitute who met Jesus and became a dedicated follower of His; and Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul, who was complicit in the murders of early Christians, yet became God’s voice to the Gentiles. 

But I want to focus on a lesser known Mulligan – this one for a young man named, John Mark.  Young and impetuous, John Mark is most likely the fellow described in Mark 14:51-52 who was right in the mix of things when Jesus was arrested just outside the Garden of Gethsemane.  He managed to get his cousin, Barnabas, and Paul to take him along as their assistant when they set out to spread the Gospel of Christ (Acts 12:25).  Unfortunately, they didn’t get very far before John Mark abandoned ship.  He left them high and dry and returned home (Acts 13:13).  Can you just imagine the criticism?  Paul saying to Barnabas, “I told you he wasn’t ready for this.  What a disappointment!  You should have never asked me to bother with someone who just wasn’t ready.” 

Well, Barnabas’ name means “son of encouragement”, so you knew John Mark might get another chance.  Barnabas tried to get Paul to take John Mark along on their next trip, but Paul was stubborn and the disagreement even split up the missionary team.  Paul went one way with his new partner, Silas, and Barnabas took John Mark under his wing and headed out in a different direction.  God has a way of using those who are willing to provide those second chances we need.  Barnabas was that guy for John Mark. 

So is that it?  It’s never that simple or boring with God.  When God gives second chances, they really count for something.  Paul writes later in the New Testament:

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, as does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin (concerning whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him) (Colossians 4:10)

Well, what have we here?  This is John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, being mentioned by Paul as being present with him.  But where are they?  John Mark is by Paul’s side while he is captive in a Roman prison.  Not bad for a second chance guy.  Still right in the middle of the action.  But there’s more!  There always is with God.  Years later, Paul wrote to Timothy:

Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry.  (2 Timothy 4:11)

We can see the affection Paul has for John Mark.  The young, impetuous boy has become a man – a man of God.  That’s what second chances do for us. 

But beware!  God isn’t like your friends, or your family, or your co-workers.  Perhaps you’re lucky if you have a second-chance character in your life, like Barnabas.  But most folks are like those you’ve encountered.  Easily hurt and not very forgiving.  Easily disappointed and not interested in wasting time trying to build you into the person you could be.  Since you know what doesn’t work, why not try to be a Barnabas for someone that’s broken the rules of life?  See what a difference you can make.  It’s worth it, especially in the eyes of the “God of second chances”.  Because at some point, John Mark put pen to papyrus and wrote the words we revere as the gospel of Mark – the second book of the New Testament.  When you do get a Mulligan, be like John Mark.  Be sure to hit it straight and true.

Jacob

I Love You. MORE.

“I love you.”  “I love you MORE.”  It’s kind of a thing, to say that now, I guess.  Is it really possible in a relationship for one party to actually love the other more?  While you might think so or not, it’s tough to prove.  So God, in His infinite wisdom, knowing that it might be difficult for us to accept that HE loves us MORE, decided to SHOW us and let us watch.  Let’s look at the scene from Genesis 22:

God tested Abraham and said to him…”Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 

Wait a minute!  This is Abraham and Isaac.  This wasn’t a kid WITH promise, this was the child OF promise!  Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had to wait until Abe was 100 years old before God fulfilled His promise of providing a son.  And now, just when Isaac was likely in his teenage years, God is asking for Abraham to return him?  I know what you’re thinking if you have had teenagers, and while you may have thought you could kill your 15-year old, God was really serious about it in Isaac’s case.  So back to the story:

So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him …his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance…Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.  Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said…”The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Great question, Isaac!  What would you ask if you were in his place?  “Uh, Dad, what are we going to offer?”  At this point, I think Isaac realized that since his father was more than 110 years old, he could have dropped the wood and run off, and there’d be no way his dad could catch him!  But Isaac was a dutiful and obedient son.  So they journeyed on together.

When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

OK, this is really going to happen!  But notice that Isaac let it all take place.  He willingly allowed himself to be placed on the wood and offered to God.

But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”…“Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.” 

There you have it.  The Father was going to sacrifice his Son.  For three days as they traveled to Moriah, the Father had been in anguish because his Son had to perish as a sacrifice.  What love the Father had for his Son!  Oh, what love God had for both Abraham and Isaac.  Because here’s the rest of the story:

Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a (sacrifice) in place of his son.

So, did you catch it?  Do you see the picture?  A Father willing to offer His Only Son in sacrifice.  What actually happened in the land of Moriah that day?  A male sheep, crowned with thorns, offered on the wood of sacrifice in place of Isaac, on a mount specified by God Himself.  In case you didn’t know, the land of Moriah is the area later centered around Jerusalem.  And I have no doubt that all this took place on a lofty hill outside where the holy city would someday stand.  A place we now call Calvary.

Did our heavenly Father need to see Abraham go through this to prepare Himself to offer His Only Son for us?  No, but He wanted us to see and understand how it feels.  So we would believe He loves us MORE.

Jacob

Am I Really the Image of God?

There are many things we hear each week at church that remind us that we are accomplishing less than we should be in our quest to be shaped into who God wants us to be.  I don’t know about you, but I often feel inadequate and sometimes ill-prepared to live up to what is expected of me.  Why do I feel that way?  I suppose you wouldn’t know if you’ve never met me, but I’m sure self-image is a large part of my problem and that of others who share the same viewpoint.  Isn’t it unfortunate that our self-image often doesn’t match our REAL image?

Which brings me to my point – Imago Dei.  That’s fancy Latin and it means the “image of God”.  It’s a term that has been in use since long, long ago when people actually used Latin terms.  It’s derived from the text of Genesis 1:26-27:

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 

There you have it, whether you understand it fully or not. You ARE the Imago Dei – the Image of God in the world.  How can that be?  I KNOW me!  I don’t see God in the mirror when I look, I see a flawed, chubby guy with a history of bad decision-making.  Oh sure, there are good things about me, but isn’t it Satan’s job to make me think more about my failures than about my Heavenly Father’s grace and goodness in my life?  It is MY job – and yours – to see myself from God’s perspective, especially after Jesus gave everything to redeem me from all that bad-decision making.  Same for you! 

So, what does it mean that I’m the Imago Dei?  It means I was created to showcase the character of God.  How am I doing at that?  His reputation in the world is related to how I live since I call myself a follower of Jesus.  The Bible passage above says we humans are also supposed to exercise responsibility as we oversee His creation.  I do pretty well at that.  After all, I recycle; isn’t that enough??  Never mind, I already know the answer to that question.  The last piece of the puzzle is that we are ALL called to share in community with God and others.  God wants us to be in a relationship with Him – that’s why Jesus died for our sins, so it could be so.

How does all this look when I actually live as the Imago Dei?  The Bible gives us a clear picture when the writer of Hebrews speaks about Jesus: 

“…in these last days (God has) spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; ³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person….”   Hebrews 1:2-3

Jesus was the “brightness” – literally a reflection of God’s glory, and the “express image” (that’s the word “character” in the Greek) of God Himself.  When people saw Jesus, they saw God.  That was the plan all along for Jesus.  But it was also God’s plan all along for me and you – the Imago Dei.  I don’t know about you, but I have some work to do.  Because when people see me, I want them to say, “You know, I see your Father in you.”  The picture won’t be quite as clear as it was with Jesus, but I hope folks can see a little glimpse of God when our lives intersect.  I pray the same for you.

Jacob