Jesus Is Not The Reason For The Season…

Jesus is the reason for life. Jesus is the reason for our existence, as well as the existence of the cosmos and all contained within.  Christians, this time of year make a habit of reminding others that “Jesus is the reason of the season”.  Yes, it is true that Christ is the meaning and the point of Christmas, but he is so much more.  Jesus is the reason for Thursday’s and February, and clouds, and giraffe’s, and rain, and children on Christmas morning.  Psalm 24:1 states that the world and all that is contained within belong to God.  We are also told by Paul to do all things to the glory of Christ in I Corinthians 10:31 (whether you eat idle meat or not).  Every day, each moment, in all things, we Christians are to glorify God in our lives.  Life is because of Christ.  You and I have been redeemed for and through Christ (II Corinthians 5:17-19).  My hope, my goal for you and I as we celebrate Christmas and God’s gift of a child, we would also celebrate new and abundant life every day in all we have and do.  Our lives are filled with opportunities to either glorify God or ourselves.  We all were born to glorify God, we are born again to glorify Christ, that is the reason for season of life.

Colossians 1:15-20

        ¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.    emphasis added

Cancer And The Christmas Quilt

Christmas 1992 will forever live with me.  It was the last Christmas for my mom’s mother, my “Granny Jo”.  Granny Jp was diagnosed with lung cancer in November of 1992 just prior to Thanksgiving, she would only live until March of the next year.  I don’t recall every Christmas of my life, but that Christmas I remember well.  I can still see my Granny Jo sitting in a chair at my Uncle Dale and Aunt Donna’s farm near Boaz AL.  Her head was covered in a wrap to keep her head from being exposed to the elements of weather and the hearts of  her family.  Chemotherapy had taken Granny Jo’s hair, cancer would soon to take her life, but first she had a Christmas gift to give.  My mother’s side of the family is very large.  Mom has six brothers and sisters and most have several children.  I don’t recall what Granny Jo got everyone that year, I only can tell you what she gave me.  When the time came to exchange gifts we all gathered in a large formal sitting room in the front of the house which overlooks large oak trees in the spacious front yard.  All thirty or so family members squeezed into that one room for gift giving and receiving.  I don’t recall if it was the first gift I received, or the last gift I received, but in my mind’s memory it is the only gift I received that day. I was sitting on the stairs that lead to the entry way of the house and the over nine foot Christmas tree that welcomes all who enter.  My mom walked over to me carrying something in a large white trash bag.  As she sat down next to me on the stair and she tearfully watched me pull out my gift.  It was a beautifully hand-made quilt my Granny Jo had made for me.  Being twelve my mom was worried I would be a bit disappointed by a quilt, so she began to tell me this was a special quilt and a special Christmas.  I let her explain that to me, but I wasn’t disappointed.  I did not fully understand many things at twelve, but I understood my mom’s tears, I understood cancer, and I understood Christmas.  I told mom I really liked it and went across the room to where Granny Jo and Paw Paw Slick were sitting and I hugged her neck wrapping both arms around her and told her thank you for my quilt.  I am twenty-nine years old today, which means I can recall about 23 Christmas’s.  I have been given more stuff over more Christmas’s than I can recall, The Quilt is the greatest and warmest gift I have ever received.  Today in Atlanta GA in my living room in a wicker basket I keep that precious quilt.  The Quilt has been with me in Louisville KY, Auburn AL, and now here in Atlanta.  It has kept me warm, my wife warm, as well as guests who stay the night with us.  One day I will pass th Granny Jo Quilt on to my daughter Perry Rose and share with her the story of its warmth and love.  Granny Jo gave me the best gift she could on her last Christmas.  God gave us his best gift on the first Christmas in Jesus born a baby to a virgin in Bethlehem.  Christmas is about giving and receiving,  God gave us a Son, and just as I treasure the Christmas Quilt…even more precious is Jesus to me.  May your Christmas’s be filled with less presents you don’t really need and more quilts, and may Jesus born to us a child be all we really want this year. 

Luke 2:8-14

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 ¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

The Lion Has Spoken

 

In C.S. Lewis’ great literary work The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe there is a scene in which The Great Lion known as Asland speaks boldly to the Witch…the imposter ruler of the land of Narnia.  Edmond, the younger of two brothers has betrayed his other three siblings.  After being rescued from the camp of the ice queen, the Witch demands a meeting with Asland.  The witch acting as a prosecuting attorney attempts to remind Asland  the true ruler of Narnia that as a traitor Edmond is to be given over to her and put to death.  Asland responds by saying, “Don’t recite the deep magic to me witch, I was there when it is written.”  This scene in the movie literally brings chills to my entire body.  The Lion Asland, is perhaps the best characterization of Christ I have ever seen in film.  What Asland says is a great reminder to we Christians of our great Savior and his authority over all things…even before they exist.  The Gospel writer John in his narrative writes,  

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning.

 ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3).

Christ the Word, is preeminent, he is before all, overall, and the meaning of all (Colossians 1:15-20).  And just as the Lion has spoken, so Jesus has spoken and his roar is loudest of all.  The devil is much like the white Witch in the movie, an accuser.  Christ is our defense attorney, and when we stand before God on the day judgment our great savior will be the one who advocates to God on our behalf.  No one in Christ will stand in the judgement before God alone, Christ will stand in our place.  He has taken upon our sin, he has removed our transgressions, and he alone will give us access to the Father and eternity.  We have been justified by the blood of Christ.  No accusations or attempts by the evil one can or will overcome Christ’s blood shed for us.  In those moments when Satan attempts to prosecute us before God on the basis of our sin (and we are well deserving of the eternal death sentence apart from Christ)  can you picture our Lord with a great roar, boldly reminding the enemy whom he is speaking with…Don’t recite the law to me Satan, I was there when it was written, it was I who wrote it, it exists for me and because of me…I am the true law of God because I alone fulfill it’s righteous requirements.  Glad that Lion is on our side.  The Lion of Judah has spoken…It is finished!      

Colossians 1:15-20   

        ¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Familymas?

Yeah really…that makes a lot of sense right?  Well I thought the same thing until tonight when I was driving to meet some friends for dinner while listening to 98.5 Atlanta’a home for the holiday’s and soft rock favorites.  I was enjoying some lovely Christmas tunes (some more than others) when syndicated radio talk person Delilah (please don’t take my man card…I was simply trying to hear seasonal Christmas music) began to share in a thoughtful moment about Christmas.  She encouraged her listeners to not focus on trying to find the perfect gift or throw the perfect Holiday party, but instead focus on what Christmas really means.  I was like yeah Delilah tell em now what it’s all about, hit a Christmas home run. Christmas is about family!  What!?  I quickly went from attentively listening to apologist in a matter of one word.  She would go on to explain all the neat things family’s could do to make this Christmas a special and memorable one without presents…and apparently she forgot to say with out Christ.  Christmas is about Christ chiefly and nothing else.  Without Christ there is no Christmas, and no reason to celebrate.  The real danger lies in what Delilah left out, Christ.  But there is also danger in what she said.  Gift’s party’s and yes even friends wont and can’t satisfy the deepest longings of your soul.  If you go into Christmas hoping your family will ultimately make you happy, then you are in for a major let down and committing idolatry along the way.  Gee Charlie Brown, it’s 2009 did you not hear what Linus said Christmas was all about?  He sure didn’t say family.  So for all the Charlie Brown’s out there (I once was one) Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ the true Son of God.  If you try to find joy and peace in any other person or place you will be let down and most likely find yourself singing Elvis’s version of Blue Christmas in your heart for the next month.  But you don’t have too, and Jesus is the answer for the Blue’s and for all sinful idolatries at Christmas time including your family and mine.

Luke 2:8-14

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 ¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

20 Minutes Later…Welcome Back

It only took 20 minutes and I’m back.  The air was crisp, cool, and clean (well for Atlanta anyway), just the way I like it.  Four years to the day of Richmond Suntrust Marathon I did something quite unexpected, I went for a run.  This was not merely a run however, more of a celebration.  I have not been able to run much if any since coming down with Chronic Fatigue almost three years ago.  Over the past two years I have had my health renewed by God and caring physicians.  Running, of all types of exercise still seems to be the most demanding. I currently lift weights 2-3 days per week and play tennis 3-4 times.  I am 100% better than I was almost three years ago, and probably 95% of where I once was health wise.  Tonight I decided it was time for a run, a run that would celebrate three things in my life, accomplishment, health, and friendship.  I first ran today because it commemorates a great day in my life, the day I finished my 2nd marathon.  I wore my marathon shirt to work today at Tech because that is one of four shirts I earned.  Secondly, I ran to say thanks to God for His faithfulness and goodness to me.  He is always faithful, and he did not have to make my body well again.  He has given me most of my strength back physically, and increased my strength in every way greatly.  Thirdly, I ran for a friend.  My Great friend United States Army Captain Dave Dice got back two days ago from serving his almost year-long Chaplin duty in Iraq.  I spoke with him today, it was one of my favorite moments from the past year.  Four years ago he ran Richmond with me (though he went off and left me after the 2nd mile).  We both completed a grueling marathon and drove back nine hours to Louisville, KY just after the race.  As I ran I thanked God for Him, his life, his ministry, his friendship.  God may take Dave and I different places and countries in life, but we will always have Richmond, and we will always be brothers in Christ.  It was a night to commemorate a significant day in my life.  Tonight for twenty minutes I also welcomed myself back to the world of runners (if only for one night this year), and mostly to welcome back my brother, my friend, and my favorite soldier Capt. Dave Dice

We Are Not Safe…But We Can Be Secure

I was talking with someone today about the tragedy yesterday at Ft. Hood.  I commented to my friend that one would think an Army Base would be a relatively safe place considering all the highly intelligent and trained men and women who serve our country so proudly.  My friend replied that place is really safe anymore.  We talked about how a mad individual could come on our college campus and do the same thing.  You or I might be in the mall, or at church, or in a restaurant.  The point is, no place is completely safe or immune from a tragedy such as the one yesterday at Ft. Hood.  But there is good news, although it is impossible to be completely safe anywhere, we can be certain of our security.  As Christians are certain that our salvation and eternal home in heaven are secure thanks to Christ.  The world and its evil can take our lives, but they can’t take our souls, those belong to Jesus The Nazarene.  My heart and prayers go out to the family’s whose loved one’s live were needlessly and carelessly ended by a man acting as an agent of evil.  The Ft. Hood tragedy is a sobering reminder of the fallen state the cosmos exists in.  We believers long for the day when Christ will return and crush the enemy under his feet in triumphant victory.  Until Christ returns, we will pray and we will wait in faith. Knowing fully that we are not safe in this world which is not our home, we have a secure and unbreakable bond with a Savior who has overcome this world and through Him so will we.          

Ephesians 1:13-14  

¹³And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Your Life As Worship

I don’t know if you have ever considered your life as worship, but I hope you will.  Many, consider worship to be what they do on Sunday mornings while attending church for a few hours.  Worship at least Biblically is something much more.  True worship by a follower of Christ involves every area of a believers’ life at every moment.  Or as Pastor John Piper said once in response to this question, “What does God want from me?”  To which Pastor John replied, “all of you, all of the time.”  This means the way you spend your free time, what and how you work, the music you listen to, the words you speak to and about others, how and why you spend your money are a reflection of your worship.  Now, what you may find in all those things is that you do them all for you and your own personal gain.  Well, that is called self worship and people go to hell for rejecting Christ and living like that.  The alternative is to offer every area of your life to God as a way to worship him and point others to Christ.  John Piper is also famous for saying, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”  People will really begin to see the authentic nature of your faith and mine when they see we have no need greater than that of Jesus Christ.  Like when our need for Christ becomes greater than our need to have a country club membership, or when we sale our expensive sports car to buy a more practical care and give an offering to a young couple who has decided the East Africa is the place God wants them to serve.  When Christ becomes greater than our need to be liked by others, have more and more and more money, to be successful so others will admire and respect you.  Christ must be greater in our lives than all these things and more, or he will often be perceived as less than these things by unbelievers because we value them as much or more than Christ, which of course would be and is idolatry.  My idolatry growing up was I wanted to be great at sports.  I wanted people to remember my name for years to come and tell stories about “back when I played ball”.  I wanted to play for future glory.  God who gave me every talent and ability I ever owned did not take kindly to that, as he does not share his glory with anyone else.  He humbled me greatly and showed me a mighty, and just, and powerful, and loving Father who demands that if his children follow Him they represent his name well, and glorify him not themselves.  We are all so good at making dichotomies in our life where we want certain parts to belong to God for him to bless and be glorified in, while in other ares we would just rather keep those to ourselves.  I mean after all you did start the company from scratch, or before you got there the company had been in the red for the past two years and now we are the best manufacturer in our region, or your just naturally gifted with humor and relationships, and your golf game…well you’ve been working extra hard on that and the results have been amazing.  It’s so easy for us to pat ourselves on the back and say well done self.  Do we fail to realize God is the giver of all good things?  That he wired us to be creative, skilled, practical, relational, athletic, and brilliant for his glory and the good of others.  That is whatever you are, whether all of the above or none (different attributes) you use them for God’s glory in your work, church, tennis club, alumni association, and especially home life.  Each moment of each day in whatever you are doing you are worshiping.  My challenge to you is to let your life (every last detail of it) be an offering of worship to God the Father through God the Son.  Let Him receive the glory, and you will receive true joy and satisfaction. 

Romans 12:1-2

 ¹Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

 ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may rove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Timeout Taylor…

Timeouts in sports can be strategically effective when called at the proper moment.  Take football for example, if a coach see’s something he does not like prior to play…he can call timeout in attempt to make a proper adjustment before the next play is run.  Similarly, in sports such as basketball and volleyball a coach may use a timeout when the other team goes on a big run in an attempt to stop their momentum.  Just a few weeks ago God called a timeout on me.  I believe he was desiring to make some changes and stop some momentum.  As most of you who read this blog know, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome over two years ago a short time after completing my 4th marathon.  Today, by the grace and goodness of God I would say I am 95-97% recovered.  In the past year, and especially theses most recent months I have been able to do things that were not possible just over a year ago.  I am playing competitive league tennis here in Atlanta twice per week, and hitting two to three other times per week.  I am currently playing the best tennis of my life.  I am also lifting weights regularly (2-3 times per week) and am now back to where I was prior to getting sick in regards to the amount of weight I am able to lift.  This is all great news, and all thanks be to God for this report.  However, God reminded me of something the other day.  I was really beginning to feel good about myself, getting stronger in the weight-room, playing good tennis, and then God impressed it upon me.  It was a gentle reminder he spoke to my inner being about self reliance and where I place my trust.  I have maintained that one of the reasons I believe I got sick in the first place was for God to bring about in me a greater sence of dependence in him.  I also believe I had made running a small idol in my life, and all idols whether great or small are sin.  God was like…”Do you forget that easily?  Was that difficulty I brought you through so long ago?”  God called me out, or rather a timeout.  He had to stop the momentum of my self reliance and refocus the game plan back on himself.  he didn’t like the play I was running, because I was checking out of his plays to run my own at the line of scrimmage (to use a QB football analogy).  I had to confess my sin to God and repent of my idolatry and self reliance.  I had to confess to him that I was finding too much worth and placing too much value in my new found strength and success.  I am in the process of repenting/overcoming this sin.  Please pray for me in regards to this, as  need Christ, and I greatly desire your prayers.  God’s desire for all his children is they would become like his son in every facet of their being, and He  has a way of causing this to happen and getting our attention.  God called a timeout on me, pray that I would listen to His wisdom and run the play he has called for me.

Gay’s, Civil Rights, and The Gospel

If I had been alive during the civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s I would have fought, marched, and pleaded with law markers to afford equal rights to all peoples regardless of skin color.  I would even more fervently prayed to the God of Jesus Christ to work and advocate on the behalf of discriminated African-Americans.  I don’t have those same feelings or prayers for the gay rights movement, and here is why.  The Bible is not against race.  After all God created all peoples who inhabit all nations.  The bible is however explicitly against homosexuality even and especially if the President of the United States is not.  Obama speaking last night at a Human Rights campaign dinner said he would work to unsure that gay and lesbian couples were held in the same regard as straight couples (if that is even proper to say considering you never ask anyone what type of wedding they are going to this weekend, and the fact that God himself only recognizes the union between the bride and bridegroom) in regards to legal marriage.  And then he said this… ”It’s not for me to tell you to be patient,” Obama said, “anymore than it was for others to counsel patience to African Americans petitioning for equal rights a half century ago.”  So how are these two very different movements alike aside from the fact that discrimination is involved?  Can sexual preference be equated with skin color?  Yes, I know what gay right’s activists will say…”we were born this way”.  To which I would say yes, precisely, you were born a sinner like the rest of us, and instead of embracing and reveling in your sin, you should confess and repent of it before a righteous and Holy God who opposes it.  I too have many sin problems, homosexuality is just not one of them, but I am not  in any way encouraged or permitted by scripture to continue in that sin (Romans 6:1-14).  Our “Christian” professing president  apparently does not read the same Bible as I.  One in which being a Jew or Gentile no longer matters because of Christ (Romans 1:16, Galatians 3:27-29), but being gay does because it is not the way God created and established male and female relationships(Romans 1:18-32).  If you are reading this and you are gay please understand this, I do not oppose or dislike you in any way.  On the contrary, I have great love for you in Christ.  So much so that I desire the Truth of His Word, His Love and His Person to be shared with you and all other peoples.  I am simply against sin, all sin, and homosexuality as defined by scripture is sin.  Our President may not be Christian or man enough to say, but the Truth of God’s word must be heard.  Please I beg of you do not look to a man for your validation, but rather look unto Christ and love in which you can be freed from the power and bondage of sin including homosexuality.  Rights based on sexual preference and rights based on the color of skin are not equitable when it comes to civil rights issues.  I don’t care how many Nobel Peace Prize’s are president wins for making promises it will never be equitable.  Instead trust in the promise of Christ and his Word that any man or woman irregardless of sexual preference or identification can be born again and have new life in God (John 3, II Corinthians 5:17) because of Christ and His death on the cross.  We live in a world fallen, entrenched in the power of sin and the evil.  Pray for all those who live under such bondage and oppression that the light of Christ would shine through and illuminate their dark and rebellious hearts (all of which we at one time had).  And long for the day when Christ returns and there is no more racism, no more homosexuality and no more sin.  The gospel is the answer to all our worldly problems and the only way to peace, not just worldly, but cosmicly where the greatest award is not for thinking and talking about peace, but ruling with peace over the cosmos (II Timothy 2:12).

When It’s Blood…It’s Serious

Last night it finally happened…Perry Rose bled.  The incident occured at our neighbor’s house prior to dinner.  P. Rose was “scooting” around the living room as Dax my giant wiener dog was chasing Sugar my neighbor’s dog.  As they chased each other around the coach Perry Rose fell victim to a hit and run.  She scooted directly into the path of an on-coming train also know as Dax.  She went rolling as I leapt to my feet out of the chair from just across the room she began her frantic cry.  The cry where she has trouble catching her breath between cries.  I quickly rescued her from just of the rails of the train track.  I held her close to me as I tried to console my baby girl, then it happened…My neighbor said “she is bleeding”.  I looked down to see blood covering her shirt and blood coming out of her mouth.  The situation went from concern to serious in a hurry.  I immediately began to inspect the inside of her mouth to see if she had bitten through her lip or tongue.  She has a mouth full of teeth for a 14 month old, so that was a real concern.  I was relieved to find no evidence of either nor did I see any visible cuts on her lip or tongue.  I calmed her and proceeded to go next door to our house to clean her up, change her shirt, and put her bloody shirt in some cold water (momma said today I saved the shirt, so good).  She was completely fine within minutes and ready to play again.  Still, the sight of her blood stuck with me.  I know it is the first of many accidents involving blood, but this was the first and one I will always remember.  It also caused me to think about Christ and his blood shed for the remission of sin.  I wondered how his father must have felt to watch his only son bleed.  Perry Rose only had a busted lip, Christ was executed Roman style on a cross.  It also brough to my attention that when blood is involved the situation always becomes more serious.  It caused me to question whether Christ’s blood was at that moment affecting me as deeply and profoundly as it should.  I pondered in view of Christ’s blood shed for me why I don’t take sin more seriously.  I mean if Christ does not shed his blood and die on the cross, then you and are still in our sin and rebellion.  His blood changed everything, it brought salvation to sinners and caused him to die on our behalf.  I pray real change would occur in you and me in our view of God, sin, and ourselves.  Perry Rose’s first shed blood will engrained in my mind forever.  Pray that Christ’s blood shed would be even more deeply engrained in my mind and heart each day.  Let us never forget sin is serious, in case we forget just remember the blood.

Hebrews 9:22b “and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”