Mother Lode Christian School: December 2007

Sunday, December 23, 2007

No Idea What's Ahead

My grandfather died 12 years ago this coming Tuesday. Yes, that's right. It was on a Christmas day in 1995 that "Gramps" died. And it was 2 years ago on December 25th, 2005, that I first preached the message: "Lessons from the Holy Family," that this 4-part blog post series is based upon. (Read Part 1: A "God Thing or Part 2: Marriage Made in Heaven or Part 3: The Least Likely Place.) And since it was just such a significant anniversary then, having been 10 years ago to the very day that the phone rang with my dad on the other end saying his dad was gone, I reflected on the moment. And what I said in that message (and what I say again today) is I had no idea the twists and turns my life and my wife, Kim's life would take since then. ******* And just like the holy family of old, Joseph and Mary (by the way, "Gramps" real name was Joe and his wife, my grandmother "Dodd's" name was really Mary, too - no lie!) - and just like the holy family of old, Joseph and Mary and Jesus, from that first day around the manger, they had no idea what was ahead. Right? And they would have all these visit them - the shepherds and then the wisemen two or so years later. Certainly there were joyous moments. But then there was also how they'd have to escape to Egypt in the dead of night. Can you see Mary trying to gather up enough diapers with Joseph saying, "We gotta go. We gotta go now," since a king was after their son's throat? "Whatta ya mean? Why would Herod care about our little boy?" Because the devil knew who Jesus was. That's why he did. ******* And then all the other times throughout those years. ******* And Joseph would die. And then Mary was a single parent. Did you ever think about that? Jesus was raised in a single parent home for a time. ******* But then all the way up and until - there Jesus is hanging on a cross. Who would have thought all these things would happen? I thought a Christian would never have bad things happen to them. ******* But just like Joseph and Mary and Jesus, here Kim and I, with our kids are - now it's 12 years later (versus 10). And the holy family went through all that. And we've gone through what we've gone through. And you're sitting whereever you are reading this post right now having gone through many ups and downs, too, in this same time period as us. And can you agree with me? God's been faithful through it all and sustained us (and you!) just like He did the holy family long ago. And though we've had to deal with both good times and bad, God's still been faithful. And I'm convinced we're the better for what we've experienced and will be from this day forward whatever lies ahead. It's the final lesson from the holy family: We have no idea what will come our way, but as long as we have the Lord, we're gonna make it. And Joseph and Mary and Jesus have made it already. And Kim and I and you, the last 12 years have passed and here we are still by God's grace. And He'll see us through to the other side. Believe it. And have a merry Christmas, everybody.

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Saturday, December 15, 2007

The Least Likely Place

Coming at you with the third post now in a series entitled: "Lessons from the Holy Family." (Read the first and second post by clicking the following links: A "God" Thing or Marriage Made in Heaven.) And the third lesson from the holy family (Mary, Joseph and Jesus) is this (it's actually very similar to Lesson #1 in the first post): Let's not overlook what God's doing in the least likely place with the least likely people. ******* And the point's put well in the following quote (from "The Christ of Christmas" by Calvin Miller gleaned at sermoncentral.com): "He (the Lord) started the whole adventure of Christianity in Nazareth. Yes, Nazareth. Why Nazareth? Because there He found a woman who was completely yielded to His purpose for her life. Great works of God rarely start in big places. Rather, they start in small places - in some person with a big commitment." ******* And I was thinking the other day, where might Jesus be found if He were on the earth today? Have you ever thought about it? Well, of course, He'd be on TBN or The 700 Club or some other media outlet He would use. After all, that's the way to reach the masses. That's the way to get the message out. Right? ******* And don't get me wrong. It's not like I'm against these ministries or approaches to reaching people. We're all brothers and sisters in the same cause! But I still think it's interesting that the Lord chose to come to the planet and be born in a time where there were no cell phones or internet or mp3 players or godtube. I think it says a lot when you stop and think when Christ appeared. I mean, if He would have only come in our day, just think! ******* A passage to keep in mind that relates to this lesson #3 - Let's not overlook what God's doing in the least likely place with the least likely people - is Isaiah 55:8-9: "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.'" And did you maybe need to hear this today? ******* And so where's the least likely place in your experience and sphere of influence? I'm telling you, that's where Christ is and is at work, if you only look close enough.

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Sunday, December 9, 2007

Marriage Made in Heaven

This is now the second post in a series entitled: "Lessons from the Holy Family." (Read the first post by clicking here: A "God" Thing.) And the second lesson we learn from the holy family (Mary, Joseph and Jesus) is this: Marriage is between a man and a man or a woman and a woman like we found out a couple of years ago in England was okay. No! Marriage isn't between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. And I don't care if Elton John disagrees! (His celebrity status was used to promote the England thing.) Instead, marriage is to be between a man and a woman. The Scripture (and Christmas story, too!) can't be clearer on this. Matthew 1:24 reads: "After Joseph woke up, he and Mary (not Larry!) were soon married, just as the Lord's angel had told him to do." This is God's prescription for a man and a woman to be joined together in holy matrimony: "For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). Marriage truly was made in heaven (not England!). Watch for Part 3 in the "Lessons from the Holy Family" series to come soon.

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Sunday, December 2, 2007

A "God" Thing

This is the first post in a series over the next four weeks leading up to Christmas entitled: "Lessons from the Holy Family." The holy family I'm talking about is none other than the holy family of old: the Virgin named Mary, Joseph her husband and the Christ child. And the first lesson from the holy family is this. Be careful. That thing you're being critical of just might be a "God" thing. And when you really think about it, the Christmas story really is a "family affair." No pun intended. I'll talk about the "affair" part in just a moment. But the Incarnation and the advent of Christ is all about a "family," first of all. Is it not? A "family" is at the middle of it. A "family" is at the middle of the Christmas story. Families play an important part in the Lord's scheme of things. It's the primary unit to communicate the gospel and the things of God. The church and pastor is a complement to the family, not the other way around. Did I say that too fast so you missed it? The church and pastor should not be the sole means that children learn about God and the things of God. God never meant it to be that way. But on now to the "affair" part of the Christmas story. Right? The "affair" part of the Christmas story: Mary gets pregnant out-of-wedlock prior to her marrying Joseph. ******* And can you just imagine the looks she got and what the ladies said amongst themselves - the conversations that took place as Mary's belly grew and continued to expand over the course of a period of time? And then when Mary was there standing with Joseph to be married? Can you just imagine the thoughts and thinking on the part of some? ******* Again, be careful. That thing you're being critical of just might be a "God" thing. We can be so critical even as Christians. I mean, if it isn't "the way we used to do it." Have you ever heard anyone say that? Or if it's not according to our opinions or our tastes. Or if it's a chorus instead of a hymn - fill in the blank! - then, well . . . . And I'm even convinced of this, my friends - for those who really aren't so open to God like they portray themselves to be believers, but are they really? - God just might choose to do something in the very way that would be offensive to them. I mean, the Messiah who is to save Israel is born in a manger in a cave? That can't possibly be a "God" thing. Oh, yes it is! ******* What is it in your life that's a "God" thing that you need to be more open to? ******* Watch for Part 2 in the "Lessons from the Holy Family" series to come soon.

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