The Perfect Christmas Gift

My mother-in-law made Christmas stockings for our family.  As you can see we can almost use them for sleeping bags.  This summer I gave Rebekah a bicycle for her birthday.  If I had waited 'till Christmas, it could have been a stocking stuffer.  These are great stockings.

I'm not going to border on corny here.  I'm going to leap well across that line and just ask - if Jesus had a stocking, what would you put in it?  We talk about Christmas as Jesus' birthday, and say "Remember the reason for the season," and get angry when people replace "Christ" with an X on their tacky yard decorations (even though X is an ancient symbol for Christ).  But, seriously, how can we practically do these things we speak of?  How can we keep Him first and make Christmas about Christ?  Like the Little Drummer Boy, what gift would you bring?


Fortunately, Scripture is never silent in response to any question we may ask.  The Bible is very clear on what we can and should bring to the feet of Jesus.  He is not interested in half-hearted or begrudging gifts.  But, nothing He asks of us can be given in that way.  It takes a whole heart, a gift given out of love and gratitude, to be a gift fit for the King.  Here are three perfect Christmas gifts to consider.


Obedience.  John 15:14 says so plainly, "You are my friends if you do what I command you."  A fitting gift this Christmas could be a careful study of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7) or any other selection from His Word and make thoughtful application to your thoughts and actions.  When we claim that we keep Christ first at Christmas while living a life contrary to His commandments, He is not impressed and we are deceiving only ourselves.


Service.  Paul consistently refers to himself as a slave to Christ.  And, how does he serve his Master?  By serving and growing the Body of Christ.  Jesus makes this very personal in Matthew 25:34-40 where he teaches that what we do for the most helpless we do for Jesus himself - "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."  Serve the Church.  Serve the needy.  This is a gift Christ will receive.


Worship.  God says to a wayward Israel, "For I desire faithfulness and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).  One of the problems with our Evangelical subculture is that we've confused music and worship (see, Worship).  Worship covers a broad gamut of things like obedience and service.  Hosea 6:6 reveals that faithfulness and even accurate knowledge are prerequisites to the more ceremonial or liturgical forms of worship.  In short, if the lifestyle is not worshipful Jesus is not pleased with even the most emotional performance of, "O Come, Let Us Adore Him."  Clean your hands in inward worship and then lift them in outward worship.  This will honor Christ this Christmas.


One closing thought: We must not permit ourselves to be puffed up in giving these gifts.  When/if we do, we are no longer giving to Him - we are giving to ourselves.  "So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty'" (Luke 17:10).  The worthiness of our Master makes the service joyful.  Give Him obedience, service, and worship this Christmas from a joyful heart yielded fully to Him.  Then you will have a very merry Christmas. 

If you were in his sandals...

If you were Luke, who would you interview, and why?  Imagine what it would have been like to read the original manuscripts and speak to the eye-witnesses.  Imagine what it would be like to not read Mary's "Magnificat," but hear the passion as she recites it to you with a quiver in her aged voice.  Imagine hearing Thomas' version of the occasion when Jesus showed the disciples his nail scars.  Imagine stooping down to look Zacchaeus in the eye as the wee little man tells about his tree climbing days.  Men formerly blind, formerly demon possessed; women formerly prostitutes, formerly a step lower on the social ladder now members of the Church...  cool, huh?

Did Luke interview these people?  We have no idea.  We know from chapter 1 verse 2 that he interviewed some of the eye-witnesses to Jesus' ministry, so, why not?  If you were in his sandals, who would you interview, and why?

restore the joy

Ah, the first day of a new school year.  It happened just this morning for us in Buffalo.  Moms crying, kids laughing, families lined up in front of the school sign for pictures.  Inside, the Principal was greeting kids in their freshly ironed polo shirts and summer dresses, and the aroma of freshly sharpened #2 pencils filled the air.  There was joy and energy in abundance on every little summer-tanned face.

It won't be long before a nameless, bathrobe clad mom pulls up to the curb with rollers in her hair, throws the car in park before it fully stops, and screams "Get out of the car!  I'm late for work!"  Little Timmy will stumble onto the sidewalk with syrup smeared across his face and dribbled down his wrinkled Sponge Bob t-shirt.  By then the halls will be lined with the Kindergartener's latest craft project and the guidance counselor will be on meds for ulcers, while the first year teachers are hiding in the teacher's lounge, secretly scanning the classifieds for a job opening at the uranium mine.

What happened to Mom's teary eyes and the freshly ironed summer dresses?  What happened to the smiles of anticipation?  What happened to the joy?  In a word that risks sounding cynical, what happened was reality.  The daily grind, the mundane.  School is still good, knowledge is still imparted, the kids are still spending time with friends, but it has so quickly become so common place and is no longer appreciated.

So it is with the joy of our salvation.  If it were not so David would not have written Psalm 51:12, "restore to me the joy of your salvation."  David had sinned greatly and the hard truth of life had set in - sin, or even just the pace of life will rob us of the joy of our salvation.  Do you remember those high points in your Christian walk when the forgiveness of sins and the friendship of Christ painted the world in bright colors?  I'm sure you do.  Do you remember when it went away?  Probably not, but you can sure see the difference when it is gone.  David pleads, "restore the joy."  We don't have to limp along until the next big event.  The joy can be restored now.

How?  Joy is restored in the same way it came.  Psalm 51:17 says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."  Are you broken by your sin?  Does the damaged relationship with God cause a contrite heart?  Bring your repentance to God, refresh yourself in the wonders of His salvation, and the joy will return.  Next thing you know you'll be opening the Word of God and finding it a lot like the first day of a brand new school year.  Enjoy.

Warrior Shepherd

Today my morning prayers focused on a variety of people.  Some sick, some hurting, some mourning loss.  Others facing big decisions, some making poor decisions, some just confused, whose confusion spilled over into my prayers.  I wrestled with how to pray, which in turn naturally called into question my proficiency as shepherd of this flock.  My thoughts then went to my co-laborers on the elder board - how should we, Grace Fellowship's shepherds, pastor these people in our care?  Sometimes the hows, whos, and whys get a little messy.

God graciously allowed my mind to wonder to a passage I read the other day.  Micah 5:1-5 tells us about the One who would come from Bethlehem, the shepherd who will "stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God."  I usually picture ancient shepherds more like Little Boy Blue than a fierce warrior standing in the strength of Yahweh, reflecting His majesty.  But that is our Shepherd.  A Warrior Shepherd.  I'm just a hireling, an under-shepherd.  I don't need all the answers.  Our elders aren't expected to be Christ.  Our leadership falls short of the glory of God.  Our calling is to faithfully point Christ's flock to their true Shepherd.  He alone can lead us to the green pastures our souls crave.

To those of the flock who read this, I urge you to look to Him.  I pray that you find us, your fellow sheep, simply pointing Christ-ward.  To the under-shepherds who read this I encourage you to look to the Shepherd for your source of motivation in the task entrusted to us.  And, never forget, that not unlike one of Israel's shepherds, King David, the Lord is our Shepherd too.  We lack nothing.  There are green pastures and still waters to be found for all of us, overflowing, and free, and only in the person of Jesus Christ.

Count your many blessings

I got up early and ran 3 miles.  Not because someone was chasing me or trying to kill me, but because my part time job not only expects, but pays me to be healthy.  I then spent much of the day listening to and trying to help people with their personal problems.  I got to open my Bible and reorient God’s children to His perfect plan for their life.  My government pays me (quite well) to minister in the deepest way possible to those of, or open to, my faith.  As I listened I reflected on the blessings in my personal life – wonderful, happy marriage that recently crossed over the 10-year mark, 3 healthy children, fulfilling full-time job.  At that job I have an office that sits in the shadow of one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world.  The people I am privileged to minister to as their pastor love my family, love God’s Word, love our Savior, Jesus Christ.  They see my Chaplaincy as an outreach of their mission, which meshes my two worlds together into one service for our King.  When I visit members of my congregation I drive passed signs that say “Open Range.”  Who gets to do that?  During my down time on base I'll sit by a lake reading and watch B2 Stealth Bombers take off.  Who gets to do that?  At the end of my tour I'll be reunited with my beautiful, happy, godly, brilliant wife and healthy, smart, funny kids.  Who gets to do that?  I am blessed.  And this is just the short list.  What are some of your blessings?

"Camping out on God's Promises," or, "Weather You Like it or Not"

Shame on me, but I don't pay much attention to the news.  Two stories, however, have violently captured my attention:  Harold Camping, and the ongoing saga of natural disasters, Joplin, MO., in particular.  I'm not going to bother joining my voice to the throngs of people quoting Mark 13:32 because, we get it.  That's why we didn't buy into the hype in the first place.  I'm writing today because after hearing of 89+ people dying just 40 miles from my in-law's house, I'm glad that Harold was right about one thing - Jesus is coming back.  Romans 8:18-25 is one of Paul's more convoluted paragraphs.  It doesn't matter what translation you read it in - it is confusing.  But if you take the time to mine it out three big ideas emerge, quite pertinent for today.

1. The entire planet is rotting like the left-over corn casserole from Easter that's still on the bottom shelf of your fridge.  Go look for it, it's there, behind the pizza box.  You don't have to look for the planetary decay, you just have to turn on the tube.  Japan, Southern U.S., Burma, Joplin, Clear Creek in Buffalo, WY (you won't find that one in the news) and don't forget, we're fighting a war on 5 or so fronts.  Not to mention rampant disease, domestic violence, and the depression you are now experiencing for having read this.  (Hold on, point three is REALLY good news!)

2. The cause of this rot is sin.  Not just Adam and Eve's original sin, but your sin and mine.  Sin throws the cosmos into chaos.  God wrote the laws of nature to function in harmony with His own character.  Mankind simply cannot continue doing things his own way and expect things to work.  We've been trying for a very long time and it's not working out so well.  Did Joplin get cut in half by a tornado because God is judging them for sin?  I have no idea.  But I do know that "creation was subjected to futility" and is in "bondage to decay" because our race is sinful.

3. Jesus is coming back.  We don't know when it will happen, but we know the result - creation will be "set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God!"  Who are God's children?  Those who "have the firstfruits of the Spirit" - those who through repentance have placed their faith and hope in the Jesus who is returning.  Repentance and faith won't instantaneously fix what is wrong with the world.  Repentance and faith won't tell us the date of Christ's return.  Repentance and faith will give us a certainty of future redemption.  It will allow our response to Joplin, et al., to be an echo of Paul's victorious opening sentence, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us!"

What do we do with this?  First, embrace and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Take hope in it and present that hope to others.  Then, live the conclusion of that Gospel now.  One day redemption will settle every storm and Jesus will end every conflict.  Justice and mercy will be the restored atmosphere of creation.  Live as though it is true now by actively supplying mercy to a broken world.  It is true in you, so let it be true around you.  Gospel.  Love.  This is the Christian life.

5th Commandment - More @ Home

1.  For the parents: Consider Ephesians 6:4.  In what ways do you see God working in your life that will make it easier for you children to obey the 5^th Commandment?

2.  For the kids: What reasons do you come up with to disobey or disrespect your parents?  What does the Bible say about these things?

3.  For the family: Come up with three things you can do together that will draw your family closer to each other and closer to God. 

4.  Does this commandment have anything to say about your relationship with grandparents?  Get specific.

5.  Dads: Watch the video above and get ready to cry like a little girl.

Bonus: work the word “antipelargy” into conversations with 4 different people.

Our world

If contemplation were the real cause of devotion, it should follow that the higher the matter of our contemplation the greater the devotion it begot.  But the opposite is the case.  For it frequently happens that greater devotion is aroused by the contemplation of the Passion of Christ and of the other mysteries of His Sacred Humanity than by meditation upon the Divine excellences.  - Thomas Aquinas

To know me is to know that I have three sons.  They are all boy.  Each one is brilliant in his own right.  Not a one of them is (at this point) overtly athletic or musical, though their interests are broad and healthy.   They love the same TV shows.  Yet with all of this commonality they are remarkably and distinctly individuals.  Their tastes for food, skills, aptitude, personalities, demonstration of affection - they are individuals.

They love their mom and me very much.  They know about some of my "achievements."  I.e. I graduated seminary, I'm an officer in the Air Force, and by my profile I am identical to Tom Cruise (in all honesty no one has noticed that last bit but me).  But, concerning those kinds of things my boys really don't care.  Not once has one of my boys said, "Father, your service to our nation is exemplary, your academic achievements inspiring, and, BTW, how do you remain so humble with such a rugged jaw-line?"  As they become men some of those things will matter to them.  But not today.

Today Ethan is impressed when I get on the floor and wrestle.  Seth knows he is loved when I tickle him and chase him around the house.  Joel prefers for us to read together or engage in a slightly more sophisticated level of play like a bike ride or soccer practice.  He is getting to an age where he shows some interest in my work, but even still, he needs me to enter his world more than he desires to enter mine.

So it is with us.  Our Father's achievements are incomprehensible.  So far out of our field of experience that we struggle to ask intelligent questions about His universe.  Most of His attributes are explained by theologians with words that begin with "omni" - ultimate or unlimited.  We delve into those things to a degree through study and contemplation.  We may think we are entering His world, but in reality our ability in those spheres is less than miniscule.  To understand Him we need Him to enter ours.

And so He did.  In the person of Jesus Christ God put on flesh and came down to where we live.  If we were five year old boys he would wrestle with us.  If we were two He would tickle us.  If we were seven He'd peddle with us to the soccer park.  He entered our world.  Maybe you are poor; He was born in a cave.  Maybe you suffer; He was crucified.  Maybe you are distressed; He sweat blood.  Maybe you have been betrayed; He was friends with Judas.  Maybe you get frustrated with subordinates; He employed Peter.

Because He came to our world we are able to ascend into His, but only as He lifts us up.  Only as our minds are enlightened.  We are amazed by those attributes that start with omni - He is omni-present, everywhere at once.  We are impressed philosophically, staggered intellectually, but are we moved?  Is our devotion deeper?  Does the omnipresence of God shake us to love our neighbor more?  Probably not.  Omnipresence doesn't mean much to a mortal.  But presence does.  He stepped out of omnipresence to be present.  He came to our world and stretches us into His a little at a time.  Thank God that He did.  Thank God that He left His Spirit so that He is still present with us.  Thank God that one day we will outgrow this world and be forever with Him in His.

Two kinds of fraud

A few years ago I read an article in Time, or was it People... Newsweek maybe?  Any way, it was about anxiety and the things that cause it and my reference to it will clearly be less than precise.  Point is, as far as I remember, the #1 cause for anxiety in men is the fear that they will be discovered to be a fraud.

Now there are frauds and then there are frauds!  I am thoroughly enjoying my read through Wyoming Range War which tells the story of the infamous invasion of Johnson County in 1892.  One of the predominant characters thus far is Sherif Frank Canton.  An iron willed, heavy fisted kind of guy that boasted of "always getting his man."  For 50 pages the reader follows Canton's pursuit of bad guys, learns a bit about his political career, and grows to understand his reputation as a relentless enforcer of the letter of the law.  Then, in the middle of a story that isn't even about him we're thrown a humdinger of a curve ball - "For one thing, he wasn't even Frank Canton.  That was an alias that he made up when fled from Texas... in fact, all of his family history was made up.  It is no exaggeration to say that his entire life was a lie.  The truth was that Frank Canton was Joe Horner, a fugitive from Texas with an extensive criminal history there."  These crimes ranged from assault, to cattle theft, to breaking out of jail, to murder.  Jumping from that life and landing in a two-term Sherif gig - I'd have to label Frank Canton / Joe Horner as a fraud's fraud.

Imagine the exhausting existence it would be to live life with a skeleton in your closet big enough to make a paleontologist drool.  Imagine what it would be like to live with a consent fear of being discovered a fraud.  Problem is, I am a fraud.  And so are you.  As a Christian I am here to represent Christ.  I am so unlike Him.  I sin, I fear, I manipulate, I boast, I retaliate, I regret, I plot, and that is just some of what I do.  Let's not talk about what I don't do.  Yet somehow in me and through me is manifested the hands and feet of the Spirit of Christ.  How?

This is where my fraudulent activity comes in.  As suggested by the title I believe there are two types of frauds.  I vacillate between the two quite consistently.  The first is the arrogant fraud.  I am that guy when I get up, go for a jog, eat a bowl of Wheaties, go to the office, check my e-mail, have a walk-in counselee, and try to help this person because, after all, I'm the pastor so I must have the answers.  At that moment I'm just Eli, pretending to be a representative of my King whom I haven't even spoken to today.  I'm an arrogant fraud trying to offer something I simply don't posses.

The other fraud we can call the legitimate fraud, or the sanctified fraud, or the honest fraud.  I'm that guy when, by God's grace, I get up and open my Bible.  Prayerfully I allow the Spirit to use the words to chisel off my sin, sand down the rough edges of pride, and wash me clean of those troublesome stains of personal agenda.  From this well-spring I minister to my family as they begin to wake up until I'm on my way out the door.  I sit at my desk looking out the window at my town in need of Christ's love.  When a fellow-sinner comes in for a visit I lead them to the One with the answers they need.  They thank me for help, because, after all I'm the pastor so I must have the answers.  I don't, but it's okay, because I'm a legit fraud, who knows it, and knows the only One in the universe who is no fraud.

The difference sounds so simple because it is.  But that simple difference changes lives.  It breaks paradigms and cancels sin.  In Acts it "turned the world upside down."  It removes the weight of anxiety because the legitimate fraud has nothing to hide.  There is no skeleton in his closet because he drags it out into the middle of the floor and says, "look, I'm just like you.  A sinner in need of God's grace.  Let's explore that grace together."

So, Time, or Newsweek, or whoever you are... I wish you knew the solution to our universal problem before you ran that article.  Since Adam's sin we are a race of frauds.  That needn't drive us to anxiety but to our knees.  To the cross.  To the One who's legitimacy is accredited to our account, not fraudulently, but lavishly.  Which kind of fraud are you today?

No other gods

It sounds so simple. "You shall have no other gods besides me." The first commandment is not only saying that God is to be preeminent, but we are expected to have no gods beside Him, or next to Him. We know instinctively that "other gods" is not limited to characters like Zeus or Molech, but includes anything and everything that boasts of providing security and confidence. This is why Jesus warned us of a broad idolatry that includes the mundane details of everyday goods. "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24b). Mammon is an Aramaic word meaning treasure, property, or my favorite, one's pile. Your pile of stuff that secures your well-being and provides comfort. Your insurance policy, running water, dependable vehicle, ski trips, stock-pile of firewood, garden plot, education, bank account, high-school sports, military strength... Your stuff, our stuff, those things that, because of their inherent goodness, subtly vie for equality with God on the throne of your heart. You can't serve both God and stuff. You can't place confidence in both God and stuff. You can't trust your security, future or current, to both God and stuff.

We know this is true, which raises the question: In our advanced society with so much to offer, how do you know with certainty if you are serving God or stuff?

Shattering measuring cups in Jesus' name

Ah, parenthood... it's amazing the things you make us say: "Would you PLEASE stop trying to help in the kitchen and just go play video games with your brothers?" Don't judge me. If you're a parent you've said similar things. But God never says these things to us. He could send legions of angels to proclaim His message flawlessly. He could spring water from dry wells in Africa. He could cure children dying from diarrhea in Haiti. He could rescue 12 year old girls from the sex trade in Ethiopia. But He sends us. Like my two-year-old, we toddle around this big, round kitchen we call Earth and drop glass measuring cups, shattering a would be rescue, or would be salvation, or would be cure, into a million pieces of what could have been. But, somehow it still works. Somehow mercy is shown through the actions of embittered aid workers. Nutrition is provided through scant resources. The Gospel is received from the mouths of hypocrites. Somehow through our weakness He is made strong after all. God invites us holistically with our imperfections, novice experiences, questionable motives, and clumsy actions. But that "somehow" is no mystery at all. He takes our hands into His, like a loving parent compensates for the crude motor skills of a toddler. He tells us what to do, guides our hands as we do it, and with the patience of the ages He lets us grow up in Him. So go ahead and toddle into the kitchen. There is work to do, and He'll use your clumsiness to do it just as He has done through His children from the original breath of life. Ya, you'll drop something and watch it shatter, but He'll clean it up and hand you another one.

1 came back

You never know about transients. With our church building on a major thoroughfare I meet one every other week, even during these brutal Wyoming winter months. Some are obstinate and only want cash, others refuse the benevolence funds managed by the police department. Still others gladly make the trip to the sherif's office only to be arrested for the illegal substances carried on their person (true story). They all have their sob story which usually involves a combination of victimization and unfortunate circumstances, of which they are totally innocent. None of them seem to have a credit card. Almost all of them cause me serious reservation when it comes time to tap into our already strained resources.

Michael was different. "I'm heading East, hoping to start over," was his simple explanation for hitchhiking to KC. No complaints, no stories of misfortune or betrayal. Another church provided a motel room and all he needed now was a meal. I made a call and was able to take care of the immediate need. We talked briefly about Christ. His answers may have been a bit rehearsed, but that is between him and God. I wished him well and didn't think of him again.

This morning I was on the phone and looked up to see him standing there. I fully expected a plea for more food, or bus fare (you may be picking up on the cynicism we pastors battle over these kinds of things). I secretly wanted to stay on the phone and not deal with this, but my call only reached voicemail. I left a message and greeted my guest with contrived compassion. He reached out to shake my hand and said, "Thanks again for the meal. I'm heading South, hoping to avoid some of the colder weather before I start moving East." Bewildered by his gratitude I asked if he needed anything. He said, "God has gotten me this far. I'm still trusting Him. God bless." With that he turned and left me with my thoughts.

I think of the 10 lepers Jesus healed in Luke 17 and how only 1 came back to thank Him. Jesus praises this man's faith. I think of Michael and wonder if his gratitude reveals far more about the condition of his soul than the answers he gave to my questions. I think of the resources we risk on those who say they are in need with no guarantee that they are not criminals or cons. I think if 1 out of 10 is truly grateful it is worth funding the bad habits of the 9. I think of my tendency to grumble (at least inwardly) about what I have and don't have and that uttering a simple "thank you" can radically change all perception.

I am thankful that God brought Michael across the threshold of Grace Fellowship last night, to remind us to give and give cheerfully, and to remind us to be grateful for every good gift that comes down from the Father of lights. I am thankful that Michael's "thank you" gave more to me than I gave to him.