advent

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

- Psalm 27:14

As I led Halogen through Advent this year, I felt like it was the first time I took into consideration what Advent truly means. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming." Great, but what does that mean? In other words, what does Christ's coming mean to you? This is the question that hit me this year as I prepared for each sermon in the series.

Advent is the time of preparation for Christ’s coming. Christians prepare for celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by remembering the longing of the Jews for a Messiah. Israel, who was once a great nation under kings David and Solomon, felt the sting of being separated from God. It began with their nation splitting into two kingdoms, the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. In BC 722, the Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians. However, Judah, and most importantly, Jerusalem and the temple were left standing. But this didn't last for long. In BC 586 the Southern Kingdom fell to the Babylonians. And worse, their temple was destroyed.

The temple symbolized the presence of the LORD with Israel. As God's chosen people, the LORD remained with them. But now, that symbol was shattered. God's people felt the shards of separation as they were driven into an unknown land. The people who were once made great now yearned longingly, and half hopelessly, for a savior. The people who were set free from oppression under Egyptian rule, turned their backs on their deliverer, and now found themselves oppressed under Babylonian rule.

During Advent, we remember how much we ourselves need a savior, and we look forward to our Lord’s second coming by celebrating in remembrance his first coming at the first Christmas. It is during this season that we keep in mind both “advents” of Christ, the first in Bethlehem and the second yet to come. In other words, Christ's coming means that we have hope. As we wait expectantly on the LORD, we are given hope of a brighter future. Our hope is not in people, doctors, politicians, or the economy. Our hope is in Christ Jesus our Lord, the one who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

But it does not stop there. We are also given peace as we wait on the LORD. We are not merely given temporary peace that can be experienced by the absence of war, the baby sleeping quietly through the night without waking up, the ability to put up Christmas decorations without arguing or feeling frustrated with our spouse, or the sweet phone call that the annoying relative won't be at the Christmas dinner this year. We are given eternal peace that dissolves our fears and worries. The peace Jesus offers is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.

It is by the very presence of God that we can experience joy. The first Christmas was announced by an angel saying, “Don’t be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy! This news is for everyone!” The angel proclaimed, “Joy to the World” because the Reason to smile beyond temporary happiness was born on Christmas day. Jesus is God’s invitation to heaven’s eternal celebration that begins here on earth for those who have the joy of Christ in their hearts.

Those who have Christ in their hearts are able to know true love. The world has corrupted love, confusing it with sexual attraction, self-centered motives, and supporting it on a fickle foundation of emotions rather than commitment. Jesus came, humbled as a servant and obedient even to death, because of love. Love is when you feel a deep and genuine connection to someone else. You are cared for, cherished, and appreciated, not because of anything you do, but because of who you are. This is the love Jesus has for us.

As we prepare for Christ’s coming, we recognize that God is calling us to come home. Through grace and by God’s love, we are given the true gift of Christmas, Jesus Christ. Without Christ, we will never know the true meaning of home. We may own all the stuff that is supposed to make the “perfect home,” but we will still dwell in inescapable emptiness and un-fulfillment without Jesus Christ. But in Christ, we find fulfillment. And more than that, we are filled to overflowing with the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love of God.

This year, I recognized my authority in Christ to declare my freedom from fear because I always have HOPE in Christ. Tomorrow can be different. Paul writes in Romans 15:13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

This year, I understood my authority in Christ to declare my freedom from anxiety and stress because I always have PEACE in Christ. Chaos and calamity can never overcome those who are in Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, "May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way."

This year, I embraced my authority in Christ to declare my freedom from despair because I always have JOY in Christ. Though our circumstances may fluctuate and our situations may vary we have an unwavering home in Jesus Christ.

This year, I felt my authority in Christ to declare my freedom from un-forgiveness. Even though we live in a world that is unkind, unfair and unforgiving, our true citizenship is found in the LOVE of Christ. This is how we defeat evil. We counter evil with good. We counter hatred with love. We counter darkness with light.

As Christians, we declare our assurance that through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ our names are written in the Book of Life. The Light of Jesus Christ defeats all darkness. Moreover, we declare our commitment to be channels of Christ's light that we may be used to offer the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love we have in Christ to all people everywhere. Advent reminds us to celebrate and take seriously the gift we have received by God's grace; the gift of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and our responsibility to give freely the gift of Jesus Christ's light and love to the world as we wait his second advent.

keeping tabs

Give without remembering and receive without forgetting.

the new Israel

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Revelation 21:2

I have hither chosen not to publicly post much, or really anything at all, about my grieving process concerning the passing of my dad. I believe, for the most part, the reason is simply because I am a private person when it comes to grief, at least my personal grief. But another reason is the reality that I have not really been able to articulate how I truly feel about my dad's passing, either to those who are close to me like my very supportive wife, or to myself. Honestly, I have not really been able to articulate how I feel about my dad's passing to the Lord.

I can say that on July 24, 2010 - when I found out my dad had passed away the previous day - I felt peace and joy. No. I felt the everlasting and eternal peace and joy that can only be experienced by means of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. I rejoiced over the thought that my dad was in the glory of the Lord. I had peace knowing I would see my dad again in heaven. I was comforted by my brothers in Christ, as I happened to be at a men's retreat when my sister-in-law called with the dreadful news. But, though I felt in my heart the joy of the Lord's salvation, I could not process in my mind, let alone with words, how I felt about the reality that I would never be able to have a conversation with my dad on this earth again. Or that my dad would never meet my children, at least not here on earth. Or that my dad would not see Audrey's first movie, read my first published book, or experience many of the things I know he wanted to experience. Even as I type these words, I can feel the sea of sorrow welling behind my eyes and the lump of affliction expanding in the back of my throat.

Of course, death is not convenient. It never comes at the "right" or a "good" time. But one thing I have had difficulty accepting is knowing my dad had always wanted to visit Israel. After all, Israel is our name. I heard this for the first time in May of this year when Audrey told my dad she booked a job that would possibly take her to Israel. My dad was always excited for Audrey and her industry "wins." He told us plainly that he had always wanted to go and that he was very proud of Audrey and our opportunity to visit Israel, specifically Jerusalem. Audrey and I talked and were secretly planning to get my dad out to Israel to be with us for a while so he could experience the Holy Land, and fulfill something he had always wanted to do. Unfortunately, he passed away a little over a month later, which was a little over a month before we traveled to Israel.

After the crashing waves of dealing with burying my dad, and everything that comes with it, had subsided a bit, I was able to start my own grieving process. Part of this process included talking to God about my disappointment in His decision to call my dad home at this time. Now. Just before we were about to take him to Israel. Why now?

After a week in Amsterdam, Audrey and I visited Israel. While sitting on the beach in Tel Aviv, I spoke to God, "Lord, I wish my dad could be here, experiencing Israel with us. Please give my dad the message that Audrey and I are having a beautiful time, I wish he could be here with us, and I am very proud to bear his name, 'Israel', the name you gave to your chosen people." Not two seconds after I finished uttering that prayer did I feel the Lord say to me, "Why are you saddened because your dad never went to Israel? You dad is in the NEW Israel, rejoicing in the NEW Jerusalem where there is no fighting, no pain, no tension, and no tears."

Not only is my dad a new Israel because he has left his earthly body and taken on his heavenly one, but he is in the new Israel that the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. This is the hope and assurance we have as believers, and it is the hope and assurance that has gotten me through the grieving process.

Don't be misled into thinking I am finished grieving. I am not sure grieving ever truly ends. But though grieving may not end, it does not have to defeat us. And the Lord's words to me on the beach in Tel Aviv assured me that just as death did not defeat my dad, neither has grief defeated me.

no self-reproach

I am often hard on myself when I fail. When something does not go as planned, when I let someone down, or when I do not do as well at something as I know I could have I get down on myself. But after I get over the hill of self-pity, I look upward and ask for God's truth. Never does the Lord fail at giving me some sense of comfort. And not just any comfort, but the comfort I need given the circumstance. I often feel the Lord telling me, "Don't get caught up in your failures, get caught up in My Presence. You always make Me proud."

Here are some words of encouragement for times of disappointment. Do not carry the burden of your failures. Proceed in faith. Advance the Kingdom. Do not glance back at what has been due to past choices but look forward at what will be as a result of the choices you make now. The clouds will clear and the way will be illuminated before you.

Think of the times Jesus forgave a person. Jesus had no words of reproach. The woman at the well was not overwhelmed by Jesus' words, "You have had five husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband." The woman caught in adultery was told, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." Neither was told, "Bear the burden of the consciousness of your sin." Satan would have us look down, be defeated, and dwell on our failures. Jesus tells us to look up, walk victoriously in Christ, and dwell on God's grace.

Remember Paul's words: "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three." Faith is our attitude towards Jesus. Love is our attitude towards others. But Hope is our attitude towards ourselves. Hope of a brighter future. Hope of healing. Hope of strength to make good choices today, and hope that those choices result in glorious things tomorrow.

There is no room for self-reproach when we are full of faith, hope and love.

introducing the book of James

“World’s Best Burgers!” What an extravagant claim – at least I thought so as I was sitting with friends for lunch at a restaurant near our church. Who can really say they have the “best” burgers in the entire world? Who can even say they have the “best” burgers in their own city? According to whom? Of course, none of these questions matter when it comes to marketing. Messages that scream, “whiter teeth,” “quicker weight loss,” “greatest ever,” are meant to infiltrate our brains so we buy the new, improved, best item available on the market for whatever purpose we have come to believe is vital. Cars, clothes, smart phones, cosmetics, and the latest technological device are guaranteed to bring happiness, friends, and a more efficient life. Similarly, they promise to make us feel good about ourselves. The latest candidate up for election makes promises that everyone wants to hear. Yet talk is cheap. Too frequently, and often too late, we realize the boasts made were hollow and quite far from the truth.

Christians are also notorious for making great claims while being guilty of belying them with duplicitous actions. “Jesus is the answer!” … “Trust in God and be healed!” … “Go to church and be different!” Professing to trust God and to be His people, many Christians actually cling tightly to the world and its values. Knowing all the right answers, they contradict the Good News with their lives.

With straightforward words and often times a harsh tone, James confronts Christians who say they believe one thing while living another way. It is not enough to talk the Christian faith. It is not enough to go to church. James says; we must live the Christian faith. We must be the church. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if people claim to have faith but have no deeds?” (2:14). The proof of the reality of our faith is a transformed life! Genuine faith will inevitably produce good deeds. Theologically, James explores seven areas for Christians to consider as they live the faith including 1) Suffering/Testing, 2) Eschatology, 3) Christology, 4) Poverty-Piety, 5) Law, Grace, and Faith, 6) Wisdom, and 7) Prayer. Central, then, to James’ message is his concern for Christians to continue to walk strongly in faith amidst a world of temptation, spiritual attack and persecution.

James in the New Testament
Today, the book of James is a favorite among many in the church. However, this wasn’t always the case. The book of James struggled through a long and difficult fight to get into the New Testament. Even after its inclusion, it was spoken of with a certain suspicion.

In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther would have gladly banished James from the New Testament altogether. Its lack of reference to Christ and its apparent disagreement with Paul add to Luther’s assessment of the book as a limited help to Christian formation. As such, the book was late in emerging in the Latin Church; but Jerome’s inclusion of James in the Vulgate, and Augustine’s full acceptance of it, gave the book its deserved full recognition.

James, the brother of Jesus, died a martyr’s death. Josephus briefly mentions his death (Antiquities 20:9.1):

So Ananus, being that kind of man, and thinking he had a good opportunity because Festus was dead and Albinus not yet arrived, holds a judicial council; and he brought before it the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ-James was his name-and some others, and on the charge of violating the Law he gave them over to be stoned.

James willingly lost his life for the message he passed on to us. This gives us all the more reason to pay attention to his words.

Origin of James
The letter was most likely written in two (or three) stages. The original text was a sermon given by James either around 49AD, before the Jerusalem council in 50AD, or in the months prior to his martyrdom in the 62AD. Later, someone skilled in Hellenistic rhetoric edited, expanded, and distributed the sermon in the form of a circular letter, probably in the late 80s or 90s. It went to churches scattered outside of Palestine (Diaspora) that were in disarray and needed to hear the authoritative voice of the Jerusalem church’s leader. Its aim was to instruct Jewish Christians in making their new found faith practical, while they were experiencing the stress of living in a time of hostility.

The Message of James
The book of James falls under the genre General Epistle. Thus, it is a universal letter, written to any Christian audience of any era. The letter takes its name from the authority and tradition associated with James, the brother of Jesus (cf. Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; Galatians 1:19), who eventually became the leader of the church in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9,12; Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:18).

James is a book of moral instruction and wisdom sayings, inspired by different passages in the Scriptures. The instructions stem from the Hebrew Bible (a Jewish worldview) and the Jesus tradition (cf. Matthew and Luke). There may also be references to Paul’s teaching, though this is uncertain. In general, the letter is a hybrid of pastoral, prophetic, and teaching tones, addressing a people in crisis. The basic message is an urgent appeal and encouragement for those who call themselves Christians to adopt a courageous faith that will help them walk through the trials of life, and that will produce in them heightened moral integrity and loving actions.

James and Paul
In dealing with issues of concern to Jewish Christians, the letter (particularly in 2:14-26) appears to oppose the thinking of Paul on the issue of the relationship between faith and works, and the means by which a believer attains “justification,” that is, right standing with God. Such a view is what caused Martin Luther to assess the book of James as “an epistle of straw” because it seemingly belittled the Pauline doctrine of justification by faith alone.

Paul and James each interpret a verse from the Hebrew Bible –“And he [Abraham] believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6)- to support his own view (Paul in Galatians 3:6-14, James in 2:21-24). For Paul, the believer’s justification comes through faith, not works (Romans 4:16-5:2). For James, faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead (2:17). The conflict, however, is more apparent than real. For Paul, faith is primarily trust in God (Romans 4:5), a sense of the word that James also shares (1:5); but, in his critique of faith, James means by it essentially the assent to ideas about God without any obligation to adhering to the covenant of being God’s chosen people, or the commitment to follow Jesus’ life example. Thus his statement, even demons believe (2:19). James sees deeds as the acts that spring from the love of the believer for God (2:14), whereas for Paul deeds are the external observations of ritual, like circumcision, regarded in isolation from any connection to one’s relationship with God.

It is quite difficult for the reader to find a cohesive flow, as James appears to skip from one topic to another without much connection. The intrinsic unity, however, can be seen if one views the letter as a reaction to the circumstances in which these early Christians found themselves. The Christian gatherings were tiny minorities existing within large populations that were indifferent or hostile to their beliefs. James is concerned that these early Christian groups should not adopt, or fall back into, the values or the behavior of the surrounding population (4:4), and that they take care of one another as the family of God.

Overview
Chapter 1 provides the letter’s structure and sets out the basic issue to be faced: how is the Church to cope with life’s troubles while maintaining an accurate understanding of God and their role as God’s people? The second main section expounds on the existence of the Church in two ways: 1) a practicing of the Word and, 2) a call to resistance. James is a sermon. As we approach this short letter, as we faithfully and diligently study the words spoken, we need to hear these words as a call to live as the Church. In doing this, we will truly be thankful to the Lord for preserving this work for our edification and inspiration.

roots essential for bearing fruit

What happens when seeds are planted? The seed sends a shoot down so that it may be rooted and grounded, while at the same time it sends a shoot up to be the very flower, which brightens up our world. BOTH growths are necessary. Without the strength of a good root it would soon wither. The higher the flower wishes to be, the deeper the root must go.

John 15 tells us to stay connected to the True Vine, Jesus Christ. If we are connected to the vine, we as Christ's followers will bear good fruit. If we want our lives to exemplify God character, we must be strongly connected to the vine. If we desire for our ministries to grow and flourish, it must happen as a result of us first being deeply rooted in the Word of God, in a life of prayer, in an attitude of worship.

Many good meaning Christians and church leaders forget the importance of being connected to Christ and thus their work ceases to be fruitful, or as rich as it could be. Let us not celebrate the leaves and flowers of our ministries if we are not certain of the strength of the root.

delay is not denial

Audrey and I have been waiting, and even as I type this sentence I know the term "waiting" is an understatement, at best, of how we truly feel. It is like we are at the airport, on time, packed, through security and anxious to get to our destination because a week of vacation and leaving the stress of busy life is just about within our grasp. As we count the minutes that slowly move toward the time we are to board our plane, an announcement echos through the waiting room - flight 227 has been delayed. "NO! That is our flight!"

Now we have to find out what "delayed" means. How long do we have to wait? What happened to cause the delay? When will we get to our destination now? How much time of vacation are we going to lose as a result of this? Is the plane okay or do we have to be worried when we actually board?

As these thoughts race through our mind going 500 miles an hour, we sit and watch the screen give us a new boarding time - 2 hours later. Okay, we can work with 2 hours. But in two hours, the same thing happens. We are delayed again. And then again. And then again. Soon, we feel like we have spent the entire day waiting to board an airplane that has never arrived - and we don't even know for sure IF it will ever arrive - and there are no other available airplanes for us to take. Now the clock works the other way - moving faster as time slips by - mocking us because now we are losing vacation time. We are just there, ready to go, all packed up, having done everything on our end there is to do, but waiting for an unknown amount of time before we can actually leave.

Audrey and I have been delayed. Not for a flight, but in entering the next season of our lives. We have left the Lord out of nothing and are trusting in the truth that all of the Lord's love is with us. We want to believe, "All is well." But we are delayed. We are delayed in important prayer requests. We are delayed in our desire to advance the Kingdom of God. We are delayed in hearing from the Lord.

"Delay is but the wonderful and all-loving restraint of your Father-not reluctance, not desire to deny-but the Divine control of a Father who can scarcely brook the delay." - Anonymous

I read the above quote once, and then again. I try to believe delay is something wonderful, but I cannot. It does not make sense for this delay to be wonderful and all-loving restraint. And there's more...

"Delay has to be-sometimes. Your lives are so linked up with those of others, so bound by circumstances that to let your desire have instant fulfillment might in many cases cause another, as earnest prayer, to go unanswered. But think for a moment of the Love and thoughtful care that seek to harmonize and reconcile all your desires and longings and prayers."

I do not even try to create a chart of how my prayers being answered can hinder anyone else. If anything, I feel other people's answered prayers are hindering us. I feel that people who do not even pray to the Lord are receiving and their gain is our loss. Perhaps this is selfishness. But how long must we be overlooked? At least that is how it feels. Of course, the Lord overlooks no one, especially His beloved children. But the reality is, we are delayed and have no clue as to why - and we have no indication as to when the delay will be lifted from us.

This entry does not end with the happy, "It all worked out and we got on our plane and had a great vacation." After I finish typing these words and posting this entry, we will still be waiting. We will still be delayed. But we have a new hope and assurance. We have to believe delay is not denial - not even withholding. Rather, delay is the opportunity for God to work out our problems and accomplish our desires in the most wonderful way possible for us. That if God were to give us what we want when we wanted, it would awaken love before its time. We have to wait for God's best, and God's best does not always correlate with when we are ready - and so being delayed is waiting for God's eternal best to take fruition in our temporal lives. We have learned a new lesson of trusting the Lord, remembering that our Maker is also the one who came to serve us, quick to fulfill, quick to achieve, faithful in accomplishment. We have come to believe in faith, all is truly well. As Audrey has told me, answered prayer is not the prize - being in the presence of the Lord is truly the prize. Everything else is added blessing.