Mentoring Minutes

“CHRISTmas is CHRIST”

First of all, you have to know by my ties that I’m a CHRISTmas freak…I love it all…Santa, Grinch, Charlie Brown, Scrooge, 34^th Street, all of it!  You know why…because I choose to take every part of it and allow it to point me to Christ!  That’s why I share with you that CHRISTmas is CHRIST!

He is much more than a Baby in a Manger, but it began there and there would be no HOPE without that First CHRISTmas when He came in the flesh, in the form of a helpless human baby! So let’s look at all The CHRIST of CHRISTmas is…

He is much more than a Baby in a Manger, which would have meant nothing without that First CHRISTmas when He came in the flesh, in the form of a helpless human baby! So let’s look at all that Jesus, The CHRIST of CHRISTmas is…

1) Christ is the Eternal God, King of kings, Lord of lords, the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists!

As we look at Christ let’s begin with His Eternal existence as God, the Son (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-3; 8:58; Colossians 1:17; 1 John 1:1; Hebrews 7:3; 13:8 to name a few)!  He is, always has been and, always will be the King of Heaven and earth, King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15-16; Revelation 17:14; 19:16), the very Creator of the universe who holds all things together (Colossians 1:15-17).  In order for us to understand all that He did in coming to earth we need to remember and know Who He has always been and what He gave up (Philippians 2:3-8).

2) Christ is Immanuel…God With Us!  He gave up all the glories and lifestyle of heaven, even His Divine nature as God to become a man in the very form of a helpless human baby in a manger as Immanuel…God With Us (Isaiah 7:14; 9:2-7; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1 & 2; John 1:14).  He was fully God and fully man and it is not only crucial in our salvation but in our faith that we are of His Spirit (1 John 4:1-4).  The writer of Hebrews tells us that in becoming flesh and man, He became the perfect High Priest and perfect Lamb, the sacrifice for our sins and to bring us into a relationship with Himself as God, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Hebrews 5:1-10; 9:11-14; 10:11-18)!  Had He never come in the flesh…as us…we would still have to offer imperfect and continual sacrifices!  In coming to us as the Babe of CHRISTmas, Immanuel made the way for forgiveness of sins and for us to enter into both His Presence and a relationship with Him!  Remember that without CHRISTmas there would be no Cross and no Easter Resurrection…no Hope!  Praise The Lord…He came!

3) Christ lived as a boy and a man… He grew in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52) yet disrespected as the son of a blue-collar tradesman (Matthew 13:54-56).  He traveled as a homeless itinerant preacher and teacher (Matthew 8:19-20; Luke 9:57-58) and was rejected by the spiritual leaders and people of His day (Luke 11:14-15; John 10:31-38; Matthew 26:65-66; Mark 14:63-65).  He experienced everything that we as human beings experienced with regard to pain, temptation and ridicule and yet was without sin (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:14-15) and able to help us in all our struggles and temptations.

4) Christ became us so He could become sin for us, and suffer and die a humiliating criminal’s death on a Cross, which was actually meant for us (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-8; Romans 5:8). He gave up heaven, was born as a human, lived in poverty and homeless, became sin and died so that I could be set free and become righteousness through Him (John 14:6; Roman 3:21-23; 5:17; 6:23; Galatians 5:1)! Without the Cross, His Incarnation would mean nothing and we would be lost.  But Praise The Lord for His indescribable Gift coming to us at CHRISTmas!

5) Christ rose again as a Victor of sin, death and hell and by grace through faith has given me that same victory in Him (Hebrews 2:9-10; 14-15; Colossians 2:9-15; 1 Corinthians 15:53-56; Romans 6:4; 8:1-5).  Christ has become all things in that He was, is and always will be fully God and came as fully man, existing as both fully God and man so He could overcome the flesh, sin, death and hell for the sake of all those who believe in Him (John 3:16)!  Without Easter and the Resurrection, CHRISTmas and Good Friday would mean nothing. Our Hope is in Him and His Resurrection to give us new life!  We are victorious in Christ! 

6) Christ will return again as conquering King of all the nations (Revelation 12:10-11; 15:3-4; 17:14; 19:16) and claim all of His own who believe in and Him and walk by faith in obedience to Him (Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 John 5:4; )!  Because He came, lived, died and rose again…because heaven was temporarily emptied of His presence and the Manger, Cross and Tomb are all empty, we who believe in Him will reign in His Kingdom with Him!  The CHRIST of CHRISTmas was not just a Babe in a Manger.  He is the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe. He was Immanuel…God With Us, God in the flesh…God and Man.  He suffered an excruciating death in humility and rejection…all for us.  He rose from the dead as the First fruits of all those who would follow Him in resurrection life.  And He will return again as the conquering King for all those who have chosen to make Him Savior and Lord!  This is the Christ of CHRISTmas! 

Let us worship this Babe in the manger for all that He is…Creator, Sustainer, Immanuel, The Suffering Servant, The Risen Son of God and Son of Man, the returning Conquering King and our Savior and Lord! 

Do you know Him?  Let me encourage you to listen to SM Lockridge’s “That’s My King” and remember that He’s The Babe in the Manger that we love and adore…and so much more!  And thank God that He gave His Indescribable Gift (1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Corinthians 9:15)!

I pray this new CHRISTmas song helps you enjoy all that CHRIST brings as we end this crazy 2020…”Behold Him” by Francesca Battestelli… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulGqyckf-oI

Make it a great Advent/CHRISTmas season with family and loved ones in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Do you know The Babe Who became flesh to be your Savior?  The Suffering Servant as your Lord?  The One Who laid down His life for you as your Friend?  The itinerary homeless teacher as your Master?  The falsely accused criminal as your conquering King?  Do you know Him?

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s) – Do you know Him?

1) Ask The Lord to show you what it meant for Him to leave all the Glory of Heaven to become human?

2) Ask Him to show you this CHRISTmas what it meant for Him to live and suffer as we do in our humanity?

3) Ask Him to show you what it meant to die in your place?

4) Ask Him what it is like to live with Him as Savior and Lord?

5) Ask Him what it will be like to reign with Him in Truth and Love?

“CHRISTmas According to the Shepherds – God’s Grace is for All!”

Excerpted from “The Real Shepherds of Bethlehem” by Nick Harris (http://www.arielministries.org/ariel/roar_main_december2008.html)

On the first Christmas night, there were shepherds tending huge flocks of sheep in the fields near the village of Bethlehem. This was odd since in those days it was unusual for shepherds to tend large flocks near towns and villages. The reason?  The odors of very large flocks fouled the air so badly that people could not breathe. So large flocks were confined to areas far from the places where the general populace resided.

Bethlehem, however, was an exception. For thirty days, once a year, an enormous flock of one-year-old lambs grazed near Bethlehem, and that time of year was the thirty days prior to Passover. The sheep in that particular location belonged to the High Priest/his family…every lamb selected and declared by the priests as unblemished and set apart to be sacrificed in the Temple or eaten as Passover lambs. The sizes of these flocks required a huge host of shepherds working in shifts. Some watched while others slept.

Bethlehem, itself, was/is a very interesting place. In the time of Jesus it was  picturesque. It sits on a high cliff and can be seen for miles in all directions.

The grazing fields where the Temple shepherds tended these flocks are in the valley south and east of the town beneath the cliff. In the middle of this pasture was a structure known as the MIGDAL EDER or “Tower of the Flock”…used by the priests who oversaw the shepherds. By remaining in the MIGDAL EDER the priests were able to keep themselves from becoming ritually defiled.

The shepherds, on the other hand, in their defiled conditions, were not allowed to go to the Temple, offer sacrifices, or go to the synagogues.  Any religious experience they might enjoy had to be between himself and God. But to a Jew of that time and especially the Temple authorities the idea of worshipping God apart from the Temple was disgusting.

So, for all these reasons, even the most pious shepherds were labeled unclean, and, according to the authorities, could not enter the presence of God. However, it was these unclean, ritually contaminated shepherds of Bethlehem that would be the first persons God would invite to visit his Son.

Oh, the audacity of God! The Bethlehem shepherds were the last people that God should welcome into His Presence. Most people were sure God would send the “intellectual and spiritual giants” who were found in the Temple.

But God had a plan…even the least among us are invited to have a relationship with His son. None of us are excluded. We do not need to be theologians to enjoy this CHRISTmas relationship; we must simply be willing to come to Him as we are.  Just as the Bethlehem shepherds did…

The Gospel According to the Shepherds

So often in the Christmas story, we focus on the main characters: Mary, Joseph, and of course, Jesus.  But through the short account in Luke 2:8-20, we can learn from the shepherds four things that should make the top of our to-do list this and every Advent/CHRISTmas season and every day!

Keep in mind who the shepherds were in the world’s eyes and their intimate understanding regarding the perfect, unblemished Passover Lamb.

1) Believe (Faith over Fear) – Luke 2:8-14

The angel said, “Peace on earth among people with whom He is pleased.” Who is that? It’s those who respond to God’s gift through faith. Scripture says, “For by grace you are saved, through faith….”

Faith means you say yes to all that God did through Christ. Yes, he is the Savior of the world. Yes, he came to die for my sins. Yes, through him I find forgiveness and new life. Yes, I want to follow Christ as Lord. Faith isn’t a spectator sport; it’s an active embracing of all that God has promised in Christ.  The shepherds had a choice to make and they did just that…

2) Obey (Acting on their Faith) – Luke 2:15

The shepherds did exactly as they were told. Faith without obedience is no faith at all! Their obedience reinforced their Faith!  Every step from the fields of Bethlehem where they watched over the Passover Lambs to the stable and manger in Bethlehem where they encountered the Perfect Passover Lamb was a step of faith until they saw Him!

3) Tell Others (Faith becomes Sight) – Luke 2:16-18)

Faith now became sight…they were the first to see The Son of God! What would they do with what they had been entrusted with? When the shepherds arrived in Bethlehem and saw the child lying in the feed trough, “they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” They weren’t preachers, teachers or missionaries, but that didn’t matter. They had heard and seen the Salvation for the whole world.  What else could they do?

4) Experience (Worshiping God – Luke 2:20)

The shepherds were overwhelmed at what they saw. They experienced holy wonder and could do nothing less that worship and praise God.

Amidst all the activity, stop and treasure all these things. Ponder them in your heart. Engage in some holy wonder.  Luke 2:19-20

Chuck Swindoll once penned his thoughts about the first humans to see Jesus as a baby.  He has a unique perspective that was spawned by a visit that he and his wife took to the Holy Land a few years ago.  Read Chuck’s experience in Israel and ponder its compelling impact on your own heart.

Cynthia and I were touring Israel with the ministry.  As our motor coach passed through the Judean Wilderness, I spied some people living in tents and tending goats.  “Bedouins,” our guide sneered.  “Have you ever met one?”  I asked.  I’ll never forget his answer:  “Why in the world would I want to do that?  They’re Bedouins.”

As we drove on, it struck me that the Bible has another name for Bedouins ― shepherds.

Contrary to most Christmas pageants, these shepherds weren’t clean people in terrycloth robes and soft, rubber sandals.  They were nobodies nobody cared to know―society’s leftovers who looked after stinking animals.  Since that day, I’ve never read Luke’s gospel the same way:

There were shepherds staying in the fields . . . Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared . . . “Don’t be afraid!” he said.  “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior ― yes, the Messiah, the Lord ― has been born today in Bethlehem!” (Luke 2:8-11).

The shepherds were stunned!  Not just because they were terrified, but because the Lord had proclaimed His message “to all people.”  Even them.  In light of God’s boundless grace, they felt compelled to go to Jesus and exclaimed, “’Let’s go to Bethlehem!’” (Luke 2:15).  But that wasn’t their only response:  “After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened: (Luke 2:17).

They were compelled to go to Jesus, and then having met Him, they were compelled to make Him known.

Chuck went on to say, “Having met Jesus, I am continuously compelled to make Him known.  His grace compels me!  And look at how His grace makes a difference:  Cheryl wrote…

I am just a nobody single mom who works overnight in a grocery store stocking shelves.  This is when I listen to IFL podcasts.  The messages have blessed me and made me feel strong when I have felt so very weak from the challenges of life.

Cheryl is one of thousands and there are millions more who need to hear that God’s Word is for “all people.”  When they do, they will be compelled to go to Jesus, and having met Him, they will be compelled to make Him known.

Make it a great day and God bless in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – We have heard God’s message!  We have been compelled to go to Jesus, and having met Him, we’re compelled to make Him known!  This December, and every day, let’s remember those who feel like Bedouins…like nobodies nobody cares to know.   And together ― like those first lowly shepherds ― let’s proclaim the Good News:  God’s grace is for all!

“Joseph and Mary – Faith, Humility and Gratitude”

I ran across this quote in one of my daily readings recently, “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” (C.S. Lewis)  Let’s apply that to Mary and Joseph and to our own lives…

One of the most powerful texts in all of Scripture comes directly from the Advent/ CHRISTmas narrative, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:26-38 (emphasis v. 38) A lowly peasant virgin teenager is visited by the angel, Gabriel, to declare that she would give birth to a son without ever having known (had sexual relations with) a man. Can you imagine the stares, the disdain, the ridicule and humiliation…the scandal!

Yet in faith, Mary responds, “be it unto me according to Your Word, O Lord.” May your Advent/CHRISTmas season and every day The Lord gives you be lived accordingly as must rely over and over each day on The Lord as if nothing had yet been done!

Continuing with our focus on Mary’s faith, obedience and role in the Advent of Christ and CHRISTmas, we reflect on all God asked Mary to consider and her continued response of obedience and humble gratitude.  She literally worshiped God and gave thanks for Him putting her in this very dire and uncomfortable situation! God asks Mary to become an unwed mother complete with all the scorn, ridicule and mockery that accompanied that lifestyle, potentially even being legally killed (stoned for adultery). In no way was God condoning sex and pregnancy outside of marriage and yet in the same incredible stroke of Grace we can see His forgiveness when we have failed or fallen in our relationships and sexuality. In one incredible, supernatural act God’s Holy Spirit comes upon Mary and the God-Man, Jesus Christ, is conceived! Luke 2:26-38

What an awesome blessing and yet an overwhelming burden…ever been there? God has a plan and will see it through but He desires that we respond by faith the same way that Mary did. Upon receiving confirmation from her relative, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, of the Baby that she carried being the Lord and the Son of God (Luke 1:39-45), what does she do?  Right in the middle of her plight and knowing she was returning to her family and people with an extended belly and no way to hide her pregnancy, she breaks out in what is known as the Magnificat, an unparalleled song of praise and glory to God (Luke 1:46-55)!

As we look at the incredible faith and humility found in Mary through her complete obedience in a very unpleasant situation, let’s not forget Joseph’s conundrum and his response.

Gentlemen, what would you do if you were told your fiancé was pregnant and had been told that she was a virgin? Likely we would have the same immediate response that Joseph had… quietly divorce her (betrothal, or engagement, was the same as marriage in every way except sexual consummation). So, Joseph was planning to do the reasonable thing that anyone would have expected and accepted…until an angel visited him and shared the Good News of the Baby that Mary was carrying and that He was of The Lord (Matthew 1:18-25)!

Now before we too quickly claim that we would have listened to an angel and done the same thing that Joseph did, let’s ask ourselves, “What was at stake?” Only his entire reputation and livelihood. How often have we received the very Word of The Lord in His Scriptures and chosen what was most comfortable, convenient and favorable for us rather than the cost of obedience? Obedience to God (Matthew 1:24) may likely cost us everything but it is the only thing that is worth it all.

In reading and contemplating the story of the Advent and Incarnation of Christ, it struck me that of all the players involved directly in this incredible narrative, Joseph, while very prominent as God’s choice to be Christ’s earthly father, says nothing at all. Look at Scripture…we simply see Joseph ponder “putting Mary away” after he finds out that she’s pregnant and knowing he’s “not the father.” We see him fall into a deep sleep and be visited by an angel that sets the record straight for him…and then without a comment we see him accept God’s message by faith that the Babe in Mary’s womb is the Son of God and His Name will be called Jesus! And he will be Jesus’ earthly father and that will not be looked upon with the favor of men.

Joseph actually had four choices that would have all been considered righteous according to the law. 1) He could have had Mary stoned for “adultery.” 2) He could have had her exiled from Israel, which would have been either a death sentence or a cruel fate as a woman of “ill repute.” 3) He could quietly divorce her and let her fend for herself in a culture that saw her condition as completely sinful…sexually immoral and pregnant outside of marriage. This last one was what a “good man” would do and all of these previous three would have been very appealing to his flesh and perfectly just before the law. Or, 4) he could do the most difficult thing and keep her as his wife and care for her and this Child as his own. His choice, in obedience to God and the angel’s message, was the last and by far most difficult option…and he likely paid a price for the rest of his life. But he knew he was in God’s will and that was enough.

We can only ponder what Joseph may have thought but we need not think about what he did because God’s Word tells us that he was obedient to the message of God from the angel. What a powerful example of a man who simply listened and obeyed. Oh, that we would listen, receive God’s Word and obey it, regardless of what others may think or say…just as Joseph did. God knew what He was doing in choosing Joseph (and Mary) to be Jesus’ earthly parents (Matthew 1:18-25).

Joseph was the earthly father of “God With Us”…Immanuel!

Mary and Joseph were basically minor characters in Israel until they were chosen and visited by angels to fulfill God’s perfect plan. It was God’s choice and their obedience to Him that projected them onto the stage of History and Eternity as much more than “bit players” (Luke 1:26-38). Their obedience allowed God to work in and through them to raise His very Son to fulfill His purpose and bring salvation to a condemned world (John 3:16-17)!

They could have chosen, legally and with little or no repercussion, to follow their feelings and act in their best interest knowing the price they would pay…BUT they chose to walk in faith rather than their feelings and the circumstances, not knowing what the future held in store…simply trusting in God!  Regardless of the cost or what others thought or said of them (fear of man) they both chose to obey, walk with and trust God (fear of God).  May we do the same.

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Make it a great day and God bless in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – We have all, in faith, been recipients of Mary and Joseph’s obedience! So by faith may we follow in their footsteps and share His love as well! What is God calling you to today in obedience to Him for His Kingdom and Glory? How are you responding to God’s work and call in your life?

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s) –

• 1) Ask The Lord to show you where He’s calling you to obey Him;
• 2) Honestly assess any area in your life that you’ve chosen yourself or fear of others over obedience to The Lord;
• 3) Ask The Lord to forgive you for any selfishness and sin and to give you the courage and humility to obey Him in all things, and;
• 4) Begin today to follow through on your obedience to Him in all things!