Christ was Born to Save

12/20- Apostles’ Creed- “He was crucified, dead, and buried, he descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the death; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.”

Read: “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  (Mark 10:45); He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

Thoughts: Jesus came for a purpose.  He came to save us.  The name Jesus (like Joshua) means "The Lord saves."  Christmas and advent are not just that God cares, He cares enough to fully give His Son.  Jesus died to pay for our sins that we might be saved from the penalty of our sins.  His burial is a reminder that He really died.  His resurrection is a reminder that He really is God and we can believe His teachings.  He went up to heaven to assure us that He is with God and one day at the end of time, He will come back.  Jesus the one who loves us holds us accountable.  But He paid the penalty for our messing up.  He is the One who is above and judge of the living (the quick) and the dead.  He was born that we would not have to die forever.  

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for coming down to lift me up.  Thank you that when I could not help myself, you helped me.  

2-19-15 Lenten Devotional on Service and Witness

Thought: For the season of Lent we will be looking at the idea of service and witness.  These are two key practical concepts for the Christian church.  They are also, in some ways at the heart of the Gospel teaching.  Jesus came to serve (Mark 10:45) and to give his life in service- as a ransom for many.  He also from the beginning sent his disciples out to the towns and villages to spread the good news.  He accepted the praise of children and waving of palm branches by the crowds to spread the good news of his coming to Jerusalem.  One of his last words were to send the disciples out by the power of the Spirit commanding them (and us) to go into all the world to spread good news.
Part of our repentance of every day life is our renewal as well.  Calvin said we get close to God by dying to self (mortification) and living for God (vivification).  Service in humility emphasizes the dying to self.  While witness emphasizes living as a testimony to God's love.  We need this today.  Many simply are Christians in and for their own comfort.  This has been a killer for the church.

Scripture: "For  even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many."  (Mark 10:45).

Thoughts: This saying of Jesus came in response to James and John who wanted a place of greatness in Christ's kingdom.  Jesus' response was that if you want to be great you must become a slave as he did.  If Jesus came to serve, and He is our Lord... then we must learn to serve.  If Jesus washed feet out of love and service, then we must not think any job is too low to do for God's glory.  Pride keeps us from humility and repentance.  But when we embrace humility and service as our goals, it makes our lives meaningful when we serve for God's glory.  It turns cleaning up the dishes into an offering to God.  It turns picking up the clothes into a blessing and a work for the kingdom.  Life- even the menial things gain a purpose.
     Ironically, the giving of one's life for others stands in sharp contrast to the taking of life.  One ideal (proposed by ISIS) implies that the taking of life brings the apocalypse and God's favor.  But the way of Jesus clearly states that the giving of our own life is a better way.  While one way crucifies others, the way of Jesus accepts crucifixion but turns it into resurrection.  The way of secularization says that life is about getting everything for yourself.  The way of terrorism is that life is about helping your own and terrorizing others into submission.  But the way of Jesus- is the way of giving of oneself not in a wasted martyrdom of death and destruction of others- but in a holy martyrdom of turning the other cheek.

Prayer: Lord, turn me away from pride or destruction.  Instead help me to give of myself for others as you gave yourself for me.

12/26/12- To Serve and to Give

"For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. (Phil. 2:3) 

Thoughts: As a child the first question after Christmas was, "What did you get?"  We would compare toys, clothes, and games.  Adults still do this throughout the year.  For adults in our day, there is the interesting pain and joy combination found in family gatherings.  The divorced father who has to swallow his pride to go see his children at Christmas- knowing he will be criticized no matter what he does.  The divorced mother who is wondering how she will be able to pay the bills she incurred for the presents.  There is the uncle or aunt who just didn't seem to make it in life- making bad choices for drugs and alcohol or who always causes a fuss.  How do we react to the heartache around us at Christmas?
     Christmas is about Jesus coming into our heartache, and staying there despite great cost to himself.  Christ came not to be served, but to serve.  For believers our greatest gift has already been given to us.  No car, no house, no trip, no amount of money can begin to compare to this great gift- our ransom from death- from the grave- from hell.  In the security and gratitude of this greatest gift, it is even more important that we continue to give of ourselves.
     Christ came to serve, and valued us sinners above Himself.  So we should seek to give ourselves away this post-Christmas.  Instead of seeking to be offended, seek to serve- even if your service is taken for granted.  The way of Christ is not seeking our own comfort or blessing here, but finding our blessing and joy here in serving Christ and others.  Things will go better with the relatives if you do so.  And even if there are no relatives to serve, doing something for a neighbor will put a smile on your heart.

Prayer: Today may I seek to serve my hurting lonely neighbors in the Spirit of your coming, O Lord.