Advent Celebrates His Coming… and His Coming

Thanksgiving "officially" kicked off the “holiday season”.    Black Friday (or was it Thursday, too?) and Cyber Monday are past and the credit card statements will soon be arriving with the bad news. 

Thanks to the retail world Thanksgiving has become the start up to the Christmas season.  Santa rides the last float of Macy’s parade, signaling his appearances at department stores everywhere.  And in every locale at least one FM station is now “your Christmas music home” for the next month.  ‘Tis the season!

Traditional Christianity refers to the weeks ahead leading up to Christmas as “Advent”.  Many churches feature advent candle lighting and lessons that are intended to prepare worshipers for the coming of Christ.  Anything that promotes Jesus and leads us to know and worship Him is a good thing.

The word “advent” is a transliterated word – turning a word from one language into another – from the Latin “adventus”, which means “coming”.  Interestingly, the Latin is a translation of the Greek word “parousia”.  Greek culture preceded the Roman, and the New Testament was originally penned in Greek.    And biblically, “parousia”, is typically used when speaking not of Christ’s incarnation at Christmas, but His second coming.

Of course, what was coming, perhaps I should say “Who” was coming was the awaited Messiah.  The Jewish people longed for the One who would arrive and inherit the throne of David, returning Israel to its ancient glory.  Christians believe that promise to Israel was realized when the angel instructed Joseph to name Mary’s son “Emmanuel”, a Hebrew name meaning “God with us”.  So, Christmas is a celebration of the arrival of the Messiah or, in the Greek, the “cristos” – again a word transliterated into English as “Christ”.

I’m a fan of Christmas.  I say, “Merry Christmas” without shame as my greeting of choice in December.  And certainly, the coming of the Christ is worthy of our remembrance, our preparation and our celebration.  In the life of Jesus and in the Christian faith, His birth in Bethlehem ranks up there with His passion and resurrection.  So let’s get ready to adore Him.

Celebrating Christmas is a time of looking back at this wonderful event that brought a multitude of angels within earshot of shepherds as they praised “God in the highest”.  It’s a remembrance of a most awesome event in the past.  But…let’s not lose sight of what’s ahead.

Many years ago my wife had a conversation with a neighbor and somehow the subject of Christ’s second coming – the “parousia” – came up.  She was pretty surprised that her friend, an avid churchgoer in a church that religiously celebrates advent, had no idea that there was such a thing as Christ’s future return.  Somehow what should be most important less of advent to the believer – what Jesus promised would happen and Paul referred to as the “blessed hope” of the saints - had been overlooked in her experience.

The truth is that Christ came.  The ongoing truth is that He will make a repeat visit.  But in His second coming He won’t be a baby in a manger, a miracle-working teacher or even a dying Savior.  His first advent was as the Lamb of God, making the way through His death and resurrection for us to know God.

His second advent, which is the advent we should really be preparing for, will be as the King of Kings.  “Thy kingdom come” we pray.  That’s all about advent, chapter 2.  Let’s be ready.  This is a great time to be prepared.

Respect Is Learned

I just read a story about a NPR reporter who sat and worked on his laptop as the National Anthem was being played/sung at a campaign rally.  It's stirred up some controversy.  Rightly so, I think.

Basic respect, not only for the flag and the nation it represents also must include respect for those citizens around you.  The simple act of standing shows respect for those who put their lives on the line and died so that flag could still be raised.  You don't have to agree with what America is or has become.  Just show some respect.

When I was a middle school student my family lived on an Army post.  (Yes, my dad is a Marine.)  I played Little League baseball, and our field was across the street from the parade field.  A parade field on a military installation is where the post's or base's central flag pole is located.  Every day, as I recall at 6PM (1800) there was a blast from the cannon beside the flag pole and a bugler began to play Retreat.  Following Retreat as the flag was ceremoniously lowered, the bugler played To the Colors. *

I heard this just about every Spring evening.  With the cannon blast we immediately stopped practicing/playing. Turning toward the flag we removed our ball caps and placed them over our hearts throughout the bugle's call.  Cars in the vicinity would come to a stop in the street and their occupants would actually get out and stand at attention, saluting if in uniform or hands over hearts if not.

That daily experience, along with our coaches (who were military men) taught me respect for our flag.  Today 45 years later, as I stood in formation with fellow firefighters saluting Old Glory during the Pledge and the singing of The Star Spangled Banner in a ceremony honoring our veterans I still felt that same respect I learned as a boy.  My chest still swells with pride and gratitude for our great country.

Who teaches our children such things today?  Apparently no one taught the reporter.  He doesn't know what he is missing.

Here's a link to the various bugle calls used by our military.  You'll get an explanation and an audio clip for each.  Some, you'll discover are familiar to most of us.  I understand that had a band been on the parade field The Star Spangled Banner would have been played in lieu of To the Colors.

I'm voting for change this time

WARNING: I'm making political statements here.  If that bothers you, don't read it.

Sometime tomorrow, God willing, I'll head over to our town hall and cast my vote for Romney and Ryan.  If you care, I'll tell you why.

1.  President Obama's administration has consistently chipped away at religious liberties over the past 4 years.  It appears that the Constitution is irrelevant under his leadership.

2. President Obama's administration has pushed for the acceptance of a redefinition of marriage, something that has been in place for the entire history of mankind in every culture.

3. President Obama has signed on to legislation promoting the ongoing slaughter of the unborn in our country.

4. Something terribly wrong happened in Libya on Sept. 11, and we have been lied to about it repeatedly.  Americans deserve to know the truth.

5. I'm no better off financially than I was four years ago.  But, at least I still have a job.  Yet the numbers of unemployed Americans continues to grow and the small businesses that can provide real economic stimulus are suffering.  The economic "stimulus package" only put us farther in debt as a nation.

6. The promise of a transparent administration has never materialized.  In fact, just the opposite has happened, with executive orders bypassing our Constitutional government process.

7. I'm a capitalist, not a socialist.  Let free enterprise, not governmental agencies solve what ails our economy.

8. I wish everyone adequate health care.  But I do not believe those of who can pay for our own should also pay for those who can't or won't.  Let's find a better solution.

9. Gov. Romney is a proven business man, and has been chief executive of a state government.  He will come into this job with more experience than Pres. Obama had four years ago.  We need someone with Romney's track record to turn things around.

10. Joe Biden is one heartbeat away from the Oval Office!

Riding Out the Storms

 

I’m writing this on Friday, so I really have no idea how badly Hurricane Sandy might treat us here on the Outer Banks and East Coast.  Hopefully it will be minor, although the talking meteorology heads have dubbed it "Frankenstorm" or something. 

Storms can surprise us, can’t they?  It’s rare for a hurricane to threaten us this late in the season, although we have had some major fall storms here.  Who here can forget Halloween Storm when the barge hit the Oregon Inlet Bridge, or the Thanksgiving storm a year or two ago?

Life is like the weather.  We love the sunny, clear days.  And we dread the times when the dark, stormy clouds gather and we know a rough time is ahead.  But God must have good reason for allowing us to go through the storms. 

Jesus said they would happen.  He told us to be sure we build our lives on the solid rock so we could withstand them.  And in as vivid an illustration as I can imagine He woke from a nap as His disciples worried that a storm would sink their boat and simply told the storm to cease.

Right now in my life I feel like I’m in that boat.  And I know that in His time the storm will give way to perfect peace again.  It’s just that the rocky ride can be overwhelming, especially if we focus on the waves and the wind. 

So I encourage you to learn with me how to focus on the solid Rock and the peace that passes all understanding.  Learn to praise Him in the storm.

And I'll praise You in this storm   

And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are   

No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried   

You hold in Your hand
You never left my side  

And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm. 

(Casting Crowns)

Keeping Our Perspective

Yesterday was not a good day for our house.

I got a frantic call from Gail that water was coming out of our hot water heater and the "whole house is flooded".

Fifteen minutes later I was wading through it myself.  Gail had a broom, sweeping water out the back door.  Not quite the whole house, but 3 bedrooms, utility room, kitchen, office and living room.  All covered with water.

I ran to the local Ace Hardware and grabbed a 10 gallon Shop Vac and started immediately getting the water out.  I called a local company that deals with these kinds of things and they arrived, setting up fans and dehumidifiers.  I went down to our homeowners insurance office and opened a claim.  Our daughter and son-in-law came from work to help get things out of the house.  Everything that had been on the floors was wet.

The adjuster comes over at noon today to assess the damage.  Then the real work will likely begin and we will probably have to be out of our house for a while.

Can I say that this wasn't the best possible time for something like this to happen?

As we looked at many of our belongings, including old photos and such drying out on our deck, I could see that the emotion of it all was weighing heavily on Gail.  So I reminded her of the need to put this all into perspective.

"This is how I see it.  Yesterday I took the wedding ring off of the finger of a 50 year old husband and father who died unexpectedly and gave it to his son who handed it to his mom.  Today our daughter-in-law is in the hospital struggling with lungs that no longer want to work and facing a second lung transplant.  What's happened here is nothing in comparison.  This is stuff that can be fixed or replaced.  This is just an inconvenience.  And God knows all about it."

Perspective matters in how we deal with the curve balls life throws our way.  Keep your perspective.  Most likely "this too, shall pass".

Just Where Does God Fit In?

That the Democratic Party's original platform excluded the mention of God, while a departure from their past, should not be a surprise to anyone who has been watching their rapid movement away from traditional American values over the past few years.  And, in this free society it is certainly within their rights to do so if they so choose.

What is telling and appalling, however, is how, once they felt pressure to mention God, they amended their platform with what appeared to everyone to be less than the required 2/3 majority support.  That the chair proclaimed the amendment passed seemed a railroad job.  The people's voice seemed to be irrelevant to the process.

But most concerning was how many opposed the amendment to include to mention God.  Is this a party that reflects the values of most Americans?  Is this a party platform God-fearing people can support?

I hope not.  But perhaps I am wrong.  Much more is at stake here than jobs and deficits. 

Which right is it? The line in the sand is drawn.

If we insist that abortion in this country is about a woman's rights over her own body and to choose, then we must first insist that the unborn have no moral or civil rights in this country. The rights of the unborn must first be negated, or at the least seen as secondary. All the "what if" scenarios must take a lesser place to this supreme right.

To insist the unborn have no rights requires a belief that life does not begin until birth. Therefore, for 9 months the unborn is not a valid human but an appendage of the woman, who is not yet a "mother" because the child has not gained person-hood, just as I am not the "father" of a skin tag that pops up on my neck.

It only follows then, that if a woman who is pregnant refers to or thinks of the fetus she carries as her "baby" ("I felt my 'baby' move/kick"; "I hope my baby is a boy/girl") she believes that within her womb is a human life preparing for entrance into the world, not simply an appendage.

Therefore, for such a woman to consider the pre-born in her own womb a "baby" but to not desire to protect the lives of other "babies" (whom she considers valid human beings) by taking a pro-abortion rights stance is illogical. And for someone who takes the position that an unborn child is a "baby" to refuse to stand up to defend that person's moral and civil right to life is unconscionable.

Life is the basic human right. Everything else is built upon that, making it vastly more important than jobs, the economy or foreign affairs. If we turn a blind eye to the foundation of life, everything else will eventually crumble. The choices before us as Americans are very clearly drawn as we approach this election. There can be no neutral ground on this issue.

(Read on if you consider yourself a Christian.)

As Christ-followers we hold to a view that life is sacred and that it begins at conception. Those views are grounded in our belief that the Bible is the Word of God. Each of us will be held accountable for our actions and our words, and that must include (as Americans) what we support at the ballot box.

If life is sacred and holy to God, it must be to us as well. Please be sure your vote has been formulated by a biblical worldview.

When God Surprises

“It’s too loud!”

More than once that was my granddaughter’s reaction last week to the tones and sounds she was hearing for the first time in her mostly-deaf right ear.  The cochlear implant was connected and sending sound waves, and she was hearing them!

But to her they were “too loud”. 

They weren’t the first sounds she has heard.  Fortunately her other ear, with the assistance of a hearing aid has given her fairly good hearing.  So, she recognizes sound and has an ever-increasing ability to speak and growing vocabulary.  But now, through the miracles of surgery and technology she was experiencing something new and previously unknown…hearing in her right ear.

Really, they were not “loud” at all.  But when you’ve never heard anything before your first experience to a sound that breaks years of silence might be “Wow!”  She was used to nothing.  Suddenly there was sound interrupting that nothing.

“Too loud” was her way of saying, “Wow!”  

That’s often the way it is with us when we hear or learn from experience a spiritual truth from God’s Word.  Perhaps we’ve gone our whole lives assuming one thing or believing another, only to discover that God has a different take on it.  Then suddenly or gradually – it doesn’t have to take a bolt of lightning – God rocks our world with something we either didn’t know or to which we had turned off our spiritual senses.

What’s new to us might not be new at all.  And because God is the only one in this universe who does not change what might seem new or surprising to us is only due to the finite and limited extent of our own experiences.  But God’s truth is both eternally true and absolutely true.  It just might not seem that way to us at the first.

Consider that Jeremiah, the author of the book of Lamentations – expressions of disappointment or sorrow – wrote that God’s mercies are “new every morning”, and that those new mercies are evidence of His great faithfulness.  If you can’t handle “new”, you’ll have a tough time relating to God. 

Initially we might not be very receptive because it is so different – maybe even revolutionary.  It might even stun us and cause us to wonder or doubt.  But just like sound is sound, whether we can hear it or not, truth is truth.

Think about Paul’s conversion experience on the Damascus road.  His whole adult life he has sincerely believed Jesus to be a fraud and His followers to be dangerous heretics.  Then he is dismounted from his horse by a blinding light and a voice that follows identifies Himself as Jesus.

Life changes are sometimes triggered by “Wow!” moments – maybe not as dramatic as Paul’s or even Gwyneth’s.  But they may be big surprises – at least to you.  And always they result in change as we learn more about Him and His truthful ways.

Look for those “Too loud!  Wow!” moments as you hear and study God’s Word.  Then expect great changes ahead.

Culture Wars: Guest Blogger

A well-written post by "retired" pastor Bob Russell. 
Dan Cathy and the Silence of Many Churches.

Culture Wars 3: WWJD?

When then candidate Obama said in an interview with Rick Warren that he believed marriage was between a man and a woman, he also said that as a Christian he believed "God's in the mix".  Indeed.  As I engage in the current culture wars dialog I often hear Jesus being quoted and set up as an example of love and tolerance.

Indeed, again.  If we're going to seek an example of how to engage culture and what to expect from that engagement, I can think of no greater than Jesus.  But as we consider Him, we need also to understand Him a bit, including His worldview and how it was established.

Jesus was a believer in the Scriptures.  At that time the "Scriptures" only included what we call today the Old Testament - often called "Moses and the prophets" in the Gospels, because Moses authored the Law (Torah or Penteteuch) and much of the remainder of the Old Testament was penned by prophets.

Speaking specifically of "the Law" Jesus said: For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished.  (Matthew 5:18 HCSB)  Many today like to point out the aspects of the Jewish Law, meant to preserve them physically as well as spiritually, are essentially ignored today by Bible believers.  They likely don't understand the theological reasons (there is tremendous depth to Scripture as well as a "big picture") for the dietary and clothing restrictions, for example, not being adhered to by modern Christianity.  Yet, Jesus accepted that Law as "Gospel".

He even believed in the stories of Noah and the Ark and Jonah being swallowed by a fish only to emerge three days later to preach repentance to a pagan nation.  If we're going to use Jesus as our example, let's be sure we understand what shaped His words and deeds.  It was an unwavering acceptance of all of Scripture.  If we're not willing to understand that then perhaps we shouldn't be referring to Him.  

(Really, if we're going to "follow" Jesus wouldn't that mean the same acceptance of Scripture?) 

Jesus was counter-cultural.  Some would call Him radical or revolutionary.  He found great occasion to confront the religious hypocrisies of His time, and minced no words in judgment and condemnation of those who were steering the people in a direction away from truth and justice.  He even threatened them with condemnation in hell.  But then, He's Jesus, and only He has that right.

His counter-cultural stirring of the pot would cost Him everything.  Eventually those he exposed and challenged became angered to the point that they conspired against Him and succeeded in having Him executed.  Indeed, there is a price to pay for daring to warn the fish that they are swimming in the wrong direction.  

Jesus was the friend of "sinners".   The religious power-brokers - those He dared to offend - were shocked that He ate and drank and conversed with the marginalized of their society.  But He came to seek and to save them; to provide them a way to move out of their enslavement to whatever sinful addiction had them entrapped and to set them free.  He knew that the best way to accomplish that purpose was to engage them and befriend them.  They already knew they were "sinners" - they knew the Law and felt the disdain of the self-righteous.  Jesus knew they were sinners as well.  And more than anything he wanted to make a difference in their lives.

Yet, He came to bring to them a real righteousness.  One story in His life illustrates how He could bring together the seeming paradox of believing that sin condemns, yet offering grace to the sinner that expects radical change.  While I find the phrase used too often, He indeed was showing us how to "hate the sin but love the sinner".  (Not His words.)

A woman was brought before Him who was guilty of adultery -  a sexual sin involving a man to whom she was not married.  Some believe it was a set-up, especially since the man was not brought to Jesus.  Only the woman.  But that's another discussion.  The point was, she was guilty of "sin" according to the Law.  And His critics, those who would later falsely accuse Him and set Him up for crucifixion, were hoping to cause Jesus to deny the Law He so believed in.  

Jesus practiced both grace and truth.  He didn't dodge the issue.  He didn't give in, either to the self-righteous or to the guilty sinner.  To the surrounding crowd He acknowledged that the Law required this woman be stoned - put to death - for her sin.  (Within the same context of the Levitical Law were all forbidden sexual practices.)  And remember, Jesus accepted this Law as God's eternal word.  So, first He threw the ball in the court of the religious, telling them that whoever was sinless should commence the judgment by throwing the first stone.  

Not only did He silence the crowd, His requirement of self-judgment dispersed them as they unwittingly were moved to see their own sin.  Ouch.  But the story doesn't end there.  The next part is just as crucial to understanding Jesus as the first.

Turning to look at the woman He asked her a question: "Where are your accusers?"  Looking up and around, she realized through teary eyes that they were gone.  Now it was just her and Jesus.  How powerful that the only one qualified to stone her would not.  "Neither do I condemn you."  That's grace - receiving what we don't deserve.  The Law said she deserved death.  Jesus was giving her life.

But don't miss what He said next.  “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”  

What didn't He say?  He did not say, "You know, I'm not an adulterer myself.  It's not how I roll.  But if that's what fulfills you, OK."  He didn't say, "Nobody's perfect (except Me), and I know this is probably not your fault that you think it's acceptable to do another woman's husband.  So, be a little more discerning about who you welcome into your bed from now on."  He certainly didn't say, "The Law is so outdated.  I say 'If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with'".  

He didn't come to redefine sin.  He didn't come to free her to continue to sin.  He came to free her from her sin and it's consequences.  He didn't water-down her guilt.  He told her simply, "You're free.  Now live a changed life.  What you did was wrong.  Put it in your past and don't go there again."  That's truth.

Grace and truth were what Jesus came to bring.  He epitomizes the blending of the two.  If we who are His followers are to be like Him, we have to do the same.  We cannot turn a blind eye to the truth and in the name of Jesus only give grace, because grace, without being coupled with truth only becomes license to sin.  Nor can we go the other way and preach truth without extending grace.  

The Gospel requires a message of both.  Grace provides the freedom we need from sin.  Truth provides the boundaries we need as well.  They are not mutually exclusive.  They are the very essence of Jesus and how culture should be countered.

Just remember that when and if you do counter the culture, there will likely be a cost to be paid.  Not everyone respected Jesus then.  Not everyone respects Him now, mainly because they have crafted a Jesus of their own making.