Life This Side of Heaven

If you’ve ever watched a baptism in church on a Sunday morning, it may not look like a big deal. Family and friends gather with together with the pastor at the font. Words are spoken. Water is poured on the individual. And then everyone sticks around for coffee, cake and family pictures. But a baptism so much more than a photo opp. And our good friend Paul wants us to know it.

How many t-shirts would you say that you own? Five, ten, twenty? Have you ever thought about layering them and wearing them all at the same time? Did you know that a gentleman set the record two years ago for the most t-shirts worn at one time? Now, you may be asking, "Why would anyone do that?" Then again, why did Jesus come to the Jordan to be baptized by John?

This week, we’ll take a closer look at the tremendous gift that God has given to us in our Baptism and the remarkable blessings that come with it. For parched souls searching for God’s mercy, here God has soaked us with His grace and love.

Where’s Jesus? That may have been among the most frequently asked questions of this past week. It set the scene for the situation that Luke described for us in the Gospel reading last Sunday and it seems especially fitting for these days in our nation that have followed.

Do you know how much you're carrying in your wallet or purse? What if it was a fortune? Would it be possible to forget it, lose sight of it, or perhaps not even realize that it's yours? In Ephesians, Paul wants you to be aware of the fact that by faith you carry with you each day something far more valuable.

Everything that Jesus came to accomplish on our behalf was restore the broken relationship with our heavenly Father that sin had severed. So, it’s understandable that the very first words of our Savior recorded in the Gospel, and spoken at the Temple, point to Jesus being about the Father’s business.

Last month, on December 21, you may have seen the rare conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the night sky. It's been called the "Bethlehem Star" as some hold it's the one that led the Wise Men to Jesus. Some have wondered whether it was this, a supernova, a comet or any number of different phenomena that was the celestial sight mentioned in Scripture. Detailed scholarly discussions have taken place over the years to ascertain what was the real star of Bethlehem.

It’s tempting to tell ourselves that we know all there is know from God’s Word. And while Sunday School seems useful for kids we may imagine that there’s not much for us to get out of the ongoing study of God’s Word. But notice how Jesus Himself didn’t see it something to be overlooked.

Just like Solomon, and wanting to keep our lives rolling along smoothly, we ask God for a discerning heart. We implore Him to teach us His way that we may walk in truth. Solomon realized how easy it is to make poor choices. Sadly, the fact is that’s true for you and me as well. However, there is real mercy and real grace when our lives go off the rails.

Clothes are among some of the most special gifts for Christmas. For the person who is giving the clothing they have to imagine what they will look like when the other person is wearing them. On the other hand, for the person who has received this gift, they can look in the mirror and they see immediately how they look. However it’s just the opposite when you consider this gift of clothing that God has given to us in our Savior.

Having come through 2020, with all of its unexpected hurdles, heartaches, and challenges, what will come next in 2021? If you read the newspapers and magazines there are no end to the number of predictions. It’s tempting to think that someone might have the inside line on what’s ahead of us. Well, as redeemed children of God, we do. God is ahead of us. Instead of facing the unknown on our own, we have this amazing assurance.

“Is 2020 truly the worst year ever?” Now there’s a question that has been floating around for some time now. It’s the theme of a number of articles this week and of more than a few end-of-year retrospectives that news outlets are airing on this New Year’s Eve. It may be the worst year that many of us in North America will have experienced in our lifetime, but there have been others that came before it. In the midst of all the turbulence of this past year, the words in Psalm 91 we find a welcome promise from God.

Back in the 80s, singer Mark Lowry began writing the lyrics for a song that has grown to become a Christmas favorite. It’s titled, “Mary Did You Know?” It might surprise you to know the answer. There's also another important question that can be asked along with it.

No Christmas gift is of much use if you leave it in the box. It’s not surprising how many people love to think of the “little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay” at Christmas. What is surprising, is when they leave Him there. Here’s the gift that’s no longer in the box. Here’s our Savior who is no longer "away in the manger," in the feed box. And look at all that comes with this gift.

There’s a great English tradition of popping Christmas Crackers at this time of the year. The cracker is a brightly wrapped cardboard tube that’s twisted on the end. Two people, one each side, grab and end of it and pull. When it pops open with a bang, inside is found a colorful tissue paper crown; a small trinket for a prize, and a piece of paper with a riddle or a joke. In Galatians, Paul sounds the good news of our Savior's birth with a bang, presents the crown of our salvation, solves a riddle and reveals the prize of eternal life in Christ.

Down through the centuries God communicated, through the prophets, that He would send us a Savior. Our hearts have thrilled, even this day, to hear those promises recorded by Moses, Isaiah, Micah and more in the Advent readings leading up this Christmas announcement in Hebrews. But now, everything has changed with the birth of our Savior.

If Christmas could have been cancelled it would have been. Not this year’s Christmas, but the first Christmas itself. But here’s the wonderful thing. Jesus did come! Christmas has arrived! Our Savior is born and He has brought salvation with Him. The circumstances of this year bring into unique clarity all that is unchanged – and all which can never be cancelled – God’s eternal love for you and His gift of a Savior.

This night of our holy Savior’s birth is not a distraction from this fear-filled and inquity-infected world, it’s the antidote! It’s the front page news announcing the cure for sin, shame and death. In love, God sent His Son to save us! The angel reports, “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

This year you and I have been told not to hit the road, not to book flights and not to line up for the train. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend “postponing travel and staying home, as this is the best way to protect yourself and others this year.” As you and I kick the rug and lament that we’re going to be on our own this year for Christmas, it might be useful to recall that’s how seems Joseph and Mary found themselves as the events of that first Christmas drew near.

“With so much going on in the world right now …” Have you heard that phrase recently? It’s been used to launch any number of conversations and news stories this past year. But, it's also a phrase that's been used in almost every year. In the Christmas Gospel, Luke lifts our sight to see the hand of God at work in the midst of all of it. God was pleased to move empires and all of history to ensure your eternal redemption.

It’s the kind of thing that you read and hear about, but you never expect it’s going to happen to you. Mary may have thought this as she heard the angel's announcement. As you hear the familiar words of the Christmas Gospel this week, we have read them and heard them before. But God wants you to know that these words of the forgiveness His Son came to bring are for you.

Living Christmas trees have caught on in recent years. As opposed to cut trees, these trees are sold in containers of soil and intended for replanting after its use as a Christmas tree. They usually usually include such varieties as Spruce, Pines and Firs. Hey, but what about ... an oak? Okay, chances are good that you may not think about an oak tree when we think of Christmas, but Isaiah uses this interesting image to describe the wonderful salvation that God has given to us.

Do you know what day it is today? Here's a hint: It involves a piece of clothing that you can wear at this time of the year. However, Isaiah describes something that you and I now wear every day through faith.

Have you ever played the game, “Who am I?” Here's one of those great, old parlor games that especially fun to play at Christmastime with your family. It almost sounds like the priests and levites were sent to play this game with John the Baptizer. You and I can play this game as well. It begins by recognizing who we are not and and who we are.

As parents, aunts and uncles continue toy shopping as Christmas approaches, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds them to watch out for those toys which present a danger to children. And they provide a number of useful tips. As we get ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior once again this year, Paul also gives us some useful safety tips to keep in mind.

Why can’t Christmas last all year long? That’s usually the lament that comes up shortly after the celebration on December 25. However, you and I are still ten days away from Christmas Day. Here’s an opportunity to be proactive. So, before that morning, take a closer look at what the apostle means when he describes the source of endless joy, continual prayer and unshakeable thanksgiving that lasts well beyond the holiday – and every day.

Oyez, oyez, oyez! The town crier, or bellman, would inform the people of the latest news and important proclamations. In Isaiah, a message was heralded that has been heard down through the centuries all the way to you this day. Here's great news to be heard in these days leading up to Christmas.

Today is National Poinsettia Day. Have you ever wondered how poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas? There's a popular legend attached to them. However, as with so many songs and stories that crop up in Christmas celebrations, the focus often shifts to the gifts we bring to our Savior – rather than the gift that God has brought to us. When it comes to the question of what you and I should bring to our newborn King, John the Baptizer reminds us of what God Himself invites us to bring.

What do you make of the apparel of John the Baptizer? Some have wondered if it reflected the poverty of the prophet. But, actually, it has much more to do with his message than a money clip.

Clusters of mistletoe, with their tiny white berries, are hung as Christmas decorations and couples often share their affection by exchanging a kiss when they stand underneath them. Well, as you can imagine, this came to a screeching halt this year when COVID arrived. However, the Psalmist describes a kiss that at one time also seemed unimaginable. It’s found here in Psalm 85.

Like most homes you probably have a checklist of things to get ready for Christmas each year. Mailing cards, wrapping packages, baking cookies ... As you and I approach the celebration of Christmas during this season of Advent, it’s useful to take note of the preparations that God made to get the people ready for the coming of His Son. Here's the important and useful preparation that can so easily be overlooked in the run up to Christmas - in this year or any year.

A variety of delivery services have all indicated that the deadline for packages to be delivered by ground service in time for Christmas is fast approaching. They want people to be ready. However, with so many packages being shipped this year, some are saying that delays may be inevitable. There was no delay in our Savior's first coming and Peter assures us that the same is true for the day when He will come again. It will take place in the fullness of time and right on time. Here's how God has prepared you and me for that day. Here's how you and I are ready.

In the nineties a small, desert town built a sign that was to serve as a giant beacon promising weary travelers rest and comfort. In Isaiah, the prophet describes another beacon in the desert. And if you’re wearied by your sins, and feel far away from God, here’s wonderful good news. Look up and see what’s coming. The voice of the Lord cries out, “Comfort.”

To avoid missing a good sale savvy shoppers have taken to downloading apps for their phones that track the prices of items they have their eye on. You enter those items on a “Watch List” and it will watch for you. And then, if there is a price drop, the app automatically sends you and notification so that you don’t miss the deal. The day dawns when Jesus will return again. So He told the disciples, and you and me, to be ready. How do you and I do that?

A number of years ago there were a series of billboards that appeared along highways across the county. There were a series of tongue-in-cheek quotes purported to be from God. One of the billboards had this slogan, “Don’t make me come down there. Signed, God.” In other words, if things get any worse, if people get any more evil, if we’re not careful, God’s going to have to come down here and straighten us out, that some folks are in for a lot of trouble. But what it didn't say is the Good News that God HAS come down.

So much of our holiday celebrations at this time of the year are wrapped around nostalgia. While bringing tremendous joy and satisfaction, all of this nostalgia may account for why Advent and Christmas are such fragile celebrations for many. For as much as we embrace all those things that are familiar, if any change takes place it can often bring feelings of wistfulness and melancholy. But God reminds us something that will never change.

What makes pottery so fascinating is the love a care that the potter puts into each step. He has to mix the clay and molds and shapes it. It has to go through the extreme temperature as it’s fired in the kiln. And then it is glazed to reveal a remarkable finish. Our heavenly Father uses our circumstances, those things that you and face each day, to sculpt and mold us.

As Christmas approaches, it’s not unusual for kids to misbehave. So, over the years there have been a number of folk tales and jingles that have been created to tamp down the naughty and reward the nice. However, it has the effect of viewing gifts as something to be deserved. God's gift is specifically for those who don't deserve it.

Yesterday the first candle was lit on the Advent wreathes in our churches. That doesn’t seem like much when you consider that the culture around us has poured itself fully into commercial bonanza and tinsel explosion of the holidays. So, why one little candle? Paul puts his finger on it here in 1 Corinthians.

The announcing of an inheritance is bittersweet at best. Yes, you are there to receive a bequest but, in order for this to take place, the benefactor who has set this gift aside for you has died. However, here's what makes the description that Jesus gives us of the last day so completely different. Having died and risen for us, He will be the one who announces the inheritance Himself!

In Matthew's Gospel Jesus describes, for us and for all who trust in the salvation He has accomplished for us on the cross, a place that we will never see or even visit.

In the weeks and days leading up to today’s celebration, the Center for Disease Control has issued important guidelines for Thanksgiving. And they’ve done a very good job of getting the message out. However, it’s worth knowing that the apostle Paul has also released a number of important and helpful guidelines for Thanksgiving. And he’s posted them here for us in Philippians.

Through faith, God makes sinners into His redeemed children. He makes goats into sheep! Of course, you and I could never effect this change in ourselves anymore than we can make a sheep into a goat – but God can and He has done it.

How would you feel if you new how long you could expect to live? Not surprisingly, most people shy away from wanting to know the answer. After all, who wants to find out when death is looming on the horizon? On the other hand, David expresses his desire quite clearly here in Psalm 39. Here's why.

"Firstfruits" is an usual term. It’s not one you hear very often. It’s used to describe the first agricultural produce of the season. Much more will follow. It's the word Paul uses to describe our Savior's resurrection and it points us forward to many more that will follow, including our own, on the glorious day of His return.

Folks can have different opinions on what they consider to be beautiful. What one person considers beautiful might appear ugly to someone else. It all depends on who is doing the looking. When you and I consider our sins it's hard to even look in the mirror. However, through faith, God sees you and me now in an entirely different way.

You and I live in a world which has been plunged into the spiritual darkness of sin. However, God Himself has announced the sunrise. With faith in our Savior, the apostle Paul announces in 1 Thessalonians, "For you are all children of light, children of the day."

It’s interesting how our imagination can produce two pictures that differ so widely. So, it shouldn’t surprise us that this is also true of what people think of God and how they imagine Him to be. However, you and I don't have guess. Thankfully, you and I don’t have to imagine what God is like or what He thinks of us.

Paul used an interesting analogy of the timing we can expect with Lord's coming. It's one that Jesus as well. It’s not meant to alarm us, but it is a handy reminder to be ready.

There’s a great urban myth that holds that if you're in a falling elevator, and if you do this at the very last moment right before it hits, you will simply land on your feet. Even though they didn’t have tall skyscrapers back in Zephaniah’s time, they must have had a similar urban legend floating around.