Come to the Manger

Every Christmas, my mother would set out an "Old World" Nativity set on the living room coffee table.  It was complete with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds, 3 wise men, angel, sheep,  a cow, a donkey, camels and a stable. 

Unfortunately, as the years went by, existing in a household with two rambuctious boys and going through multiple family moves, some of the nativity pieces were broken or lost.

First, it was a missing sheep and then, I guess, the shepherd who went looking for it.  Then, one of the donkey's ears was broken off.  Next one of the wise men, lost his head. Can you set out a Nativity scene, with just two magi?  Then the angel broke her wing. And somehow the camels wandered off?  You get the picture.  Eventually, my mother would only set out the stable, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.

Granted these are the focus personalities of the Nativity scene, but the message of Christmas is incomplete without the shepherds and wise men.  For they represent the recipients of God's redemptive plan for all mankind.  They were the first "invited guests" to meet Jesus, God's son, the Savior of the world. 

God sent an army of angels to announce the arrival of Jesus to a group of lowly shepherds, who were tending a flock of sheep in the hills outside of Bethlehem.  They were the very first to hear the Good News.
 

"Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.  Today in the town of David a Savior had been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, goodwill to all men.  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."  (Luke 2:8-15)

 

That very same night, over a thousand miles east of Bethlehem, astronomers searching the stars were astounded by the appearance of a "new" star. According to their pagan culture, a new star was a sign of the birth of new king.   This was God's special invitation just for them to come to the manger. These wealthy stargazers sojourned to Jerusalem to pay homage to a newborn king, a journey that would eventually lead them to Bethlehem. 

 

 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw His star in the east and have come to worship him.  ...When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed and worshipped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and myrrh."  (Matthew 2:1-2)

 

Shepherds and magi from a foreign land.  Why were they chosen by God to receive invitations to the most significant event in the history of the world?  Why not Ceasar Augustus, the most powerful ruler on earth...or Herod the King of the Jews...or the high priest in the Temple? 

 

The shepherds and the magi represent the broad spectrum of mankind.  Whether you are poor or rich. Whether Jew or Gentile.  Educated or not. From the humble to the austentatious, from the meek to the mighty.   By extending invitations to the shepherds and the wise men, God was extending an invitation to one and all, to come to the manger. 

 

The nativity scene is incomplete without the shepherds and the wisemen. God wants them there.  That's why He came into the world to begin with. If they are not there, then you and I would never have felt welcome there, either.  He came into the world to be our Savior and Lord, who gives us the gift of eternal life.

 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

 

Like the shepherds and the magi, God has extended a special invitation for you to come to the manger and meet Him.  It may not be an angelic choir or a new star in the sky, but you will recognize it when it comes to you.  God knows just how to get our attention right where we are.  Come to the manger, because He came for you.  When you meet Him, just like the shepherds and the wisemen, nothing will be the same again.

 

O Come, Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord...

Ellis & Jackie Hayden

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



 

After All, It's Christmas...

Have you noticed the way Christmas affects people? This is the time of year that you see some peculiar behavior.

What makes people totally redecorate their houses with trees, candles, lights, and outdoor displays? Grown men will risk life and limb to put lights on the roofs of their houses, just to out do their neighbors. Families will trek out to the woods to cut down a perfectly healthy tree, cover it with fake snow, rearrange furniture to put it up in their house, decorate it with lights and ornaments, as it slowly dies. It doesn’t make sense, but after all, it’s Christmas.

Only at Christmas time, do you find people eating things like “fruitcake” and drinking stuff called “egg nog.” This time of year, people will fight traffic to go to the mall and park two times zones away, to brotherly shove one another in store aisles and stand in long lines in the wee hours of the morning to purchase the hottest new gadget. They will spend money they don’t have, to purchase gifts for people, who don’t need them. It doesn’t make much sense, but after all, it’s Christmas.

Over two thousand years ago, God sent His Son into the world, not as a King or mighty warrior, but as a baby wrapped in rags with a feed trough for a bed. . Jesus, was not born in a major city like Rome nor Jerusalem, but instead a small town called Bethlehem. His earthly parents were not royalty or rich, just an ordinary carpenter and his young wife. His miraculous arrival was first announced to lowly shepherds and stargazers instead of the high priests or world leaders. All this strikes me as a bit peculiar…but after all, it’s Christmas. Only God would have ever thought of Christmas.

In the midst of the craziness of Christmas time, we should never lose sight that we celebrate the Incarnation of Christ. God gave the world, a gift wrapped in human flesh to dwell among men to reveal God to us. He lived without sin, but died for sinners like you and me. He rose from the grave to prove that everlasting life was His to give, His gift to all who would believe. That doesn’t make much sense, but after all, it is Christmas.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son that whoseover believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life."…(John 3:16)

May the greatest gift of all be yours!
Have a Blessed Christmas,

Ellis and Jackie Hayden

Expect Great Things; Attempt Great Things

Recently, on the anniversary of Chuck Yeager's historic jet flight that broke the sound barrier for the very first time, Felix Baumgarten, also broke the sound barrier traveling at Mach1.24 or 833 mph. Yet, Baumgarten did it without a supersonic jet or space shuttle.  

From 24 miles above the earth, Baumgarten skydived from 24 miles above the earth, wearing a pressurized flight suit.  His jump shattered the speed of sound during his four minute and twenty second freefall before he opened his parachute and gently landed on the ground. 

What drives men like Baumgarten and Yeager to risk life and limb to do what never has been done before?  Are they just thrill seekers or adrenaline junkies?  Are they just crazy?  Maybe, but their courageous exploits capture our attention and our admiration.

"Expect Great Things From God; Attempt Great Things For God!"

William Carey boldly challenged Christians to believe God enough to take a leap of faith which launched the modern missionary movement with those words in 1792.  He was "crazy" enough to believe God's Word and then acted upon it.  What about you?

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."    (Philippians 4:13)

"Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Luke 18:27)

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen"  (Ephesians 3:20-21)

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  (Joshua 1:9)

Baumgarten trusted in aerospace science and technology to take his big leap.  You and I have the promises and resources of Almighty God to equip us, encourage us, and empower us to do great things for His glory. What do we really have to be afraid of?   So unbuckle your seat belts.  Step out on the edge. Take a leap of faith!  It will capture the attention of an unbelieving world and bring glory to God.

Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God!

Living On Borrowed Time

While a freshman in college, I was involved in a wreck, that totaled the car and seriously injured a friend of mine, who was my passenger. Though, my friend fully recovered from his injuries and has no personal recollection of the accident.  I have vivid memories of the accident.  The sights, sounds, and even the smells are etched in my memory.  It was the first time in my life, that I really thought I was about to die.  Since then, I guess you could say, I have been "living on borrowed time."  

Have you ever wished that you had more time?  More time to finish what you started.  More time to spend with loved ones.  More time to make up for what you didn't do.  

In the Bible, there was a king of Judah named Hezekiah, who at age 39, became gravely ill.  God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell him to put his house in order, for soon he would die. (Isaiah 38:1-22)  Hezekiah prayed to God, "Remember me, O Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes."  And Hezekiah wept bitterly."  In his fourteen years as king, Hezekiah had honored God with his life and reign as ruler over Judah.  He begged God for more time.

God heard Hezekiah's prayer and again spoke through the prophet Isaiah, telling him that God would add fifteen years to his life and deliver the city of Jerusalem and Judah from an Assyrian invasion.  Hezekiah praised God for his "borrowed time,"

"But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this.  I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul...the living-they praise you, as I am doing today: fathers tell their children about your faithfulness."  (Isaiah 38:15, 19).

Sadly, Hezekiah's final fifteen years were not his best.  In 2 Chronicles 32:25, we find that Hezekiah did not keep his vow to God.  "But Hezekiah's heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown on him or on Judah and Jerusalem."

As time went by, Hezekiah took God's gift of "borrowed time" for granted.  He began to regard God's blessing of  his health, the security of Jerusalem, and the prosperity of Judah as his own personal accomplishments.  Though God kept his promise to the king, Hezekiah's "borrowed time" and pride would have dire consequences.

When an envoy from Babylon came bearing gifts, Hezekiah welcomed them. His pride led him to "show off" all the treasures and wealth of the kingdom of Judah to his foreign visitors and bragged of "his" successes as a leader.  Oblivious of the fact that he was entertaining spies of a foreign enemy, who would come years later to conquer the nation, destroy Jerusalem,and take all the treasures.

During his "final fifteen years," Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, was born.  He who would succeed his father as king of Judah at age twelve and reign for fifty-five years.  "He (Manasseh) did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites." (2 Chronicles 33:2)  All the good that God had accomplished through Hezekiah would be destroyed by his son's evil.

We have all wished that we had more time.  Hezekiah got his wish, but he took it for granted and wasted it.  God gives us all the time that we need, we just need to acknowledge that it's a gift from God and strive to use every moment of it wisely.

"So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.  (Ephesians 5:15-17 NLV)

Shoring Up Sandcastles

Sandcastles just don't last.  Huge elaborate sculptures created by talented sand sculptors who labor for hours nor simple structures built by children with pails and little shovels don't last.  When the tide rolls in, the waves of water will eventually wash the any sandcastle away.

According to national statistics, many homes are proving to be only sandcastles.  Tragically, Over one third of all marriages over the past two decades have ended in divorce.  Today, one third of America's children are living in single parent homes.  Another unsettling statistic is that the homes of those who claim to be Christians are not faring any better.

George Barna, who directed the study, noted that Americans have grown comfortable with divorce as a natural part of life.  "There no longer seems to be much a stigma attached to divorce; it is now seen as an unavoidable rite of passage," the researcher indicted.  "Interviews with young adults suggest that they want their initial marriage to last, but are not particularly optimistic about that possibility."

Financial pressures, intimacy issues, frantic schedules, cultural changes, and lack of commitment are among the waves that relentlessly pound today's families.  Even families who claim to be Christians and who are active in their churches, are not immune to the erosion of their homes. That's why Jesus shared with his followers the story of two men who each built a house.  In Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of Matthew 7:24-27, (The Message), we find the word picture that Jesus painted which really hits home.

"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowners improvements to your standard of living.  They are foundational words, words to build a life on.  If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock.  Rain poured down, the river flooded, tornado hit - but moved that house.  It was fixed to the rock.

"But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach.  When a storm rolled in and the waves came up.  It collapsed like a house of cards."

What is the foundation of your home?
Love...good answer but if it emotional feeling kind of love, that can rise and fall like a roller coaster.
Financial security...that's good, too. Yet, finances is listed as one of the top issues that couples fight about.
Family activities...the constant movement of being involved in school, church, social and recreational activities is that the centrifugal force holding your family together.  What happens when you stop spinning?

Those who have built their lives on the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, have discovered that His words are true and when applied to our daily living our successful.  With God's Word as your blueprint, we have "his divine power that has given us everything we need for life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3)  Those who take seriously their Christian faith and apply Biblical principles to their marriage and family life do survive the storms of life.

Couples who regularly practice any combination of serious religious behaviors and attitudes - attend church nearly every week; read their Bibles and spiritual materials regularly; pray privately and together; generally take their faith seriously, living not as perfect disciples but serious disciples- enjoy significantly lower divorce rates than mere church members, the general public and unbelievers.

Jesus said that knowing and applying the truth of God's word to our everyday living will enable us to withstand the assaults on our homes.  Building our lives and our homes on God's truth will provide the stability we need.

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge."  (Psalm 18:2)

Lessons From An Old Pro

“You need to take a few lessons from a real pro.”  That was Herb’s advice to me.  This 87 year old man, who was a scratch golfer during his prime with three holes-in-one to his credit, was offering some wisdom for this “hacker.”  Sadly a week later, he succumbed to the leukemia that dragged him from the game that he loved.  I was privileged to preach his funeral and minister to his grieving family.

“Take lessons from a Pro.”  That’s good advice for life, as well as golf.  The apostle Paul wrote his final letter to Timothy, a younger man whom he had mentored.  This “old pro” who boldly proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ, established churches  and whose letters now make up nearly half of the New Testament, shares with Timothy some lessons from about life and ministry for us all. 

Especially noteworthy is Paul’s assessment of his own life recorded in 2 Timothy 4:6-8…

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Facing eminent death, Paul provides his perspective of life… past, present and future.

Live a “Poured-Out” Life Today

Paul would soon die a martyr’s death, yet his final hours are spent encouraging a young follower of Christ.  From time of his encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road, Paul was a man on a mission.  He made the most of every day to fulfill God’s purpose for his life.  “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)    He lived a “poured-out” life.  Giving all he had to share the love of Christ and message of the gospel to others.  

  

Look Back with No Regrets

When Paul reflected on the past, he had no regrets.  “I have fought the good fight, I finished the race and I have kept the faith.”  Every challenge that he faced, he battled with Christ by his side. Everything he started, he knew that Christ would enable him to persevere.  Despite any obstacle, he believed that Christ would overcome it.   Throughout his life, Paul knew that everything that he experienced good or bad, that it for his betterment and God’s glory.   “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Look Forward to Your Heavenly Reward

Paul didn’t need his life validated by trophies, or monuments or the praise of men.  He looked forward to the reward that the Lord would give to him in eternity.  Paul didn’t consider death a loss.  “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  (Philippians 1:21)  He knew that his greatest victory was still to come… eternal life which was made available through Jesus Christ.  “Where, O death is your victory?  Where, O death is your sting?  The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 15:55-56) 

Hopefully, this lesson from an “old pro” will help you stay on the straight and narrow fairway that leads to everlasting life.

Praying for Daylight

Praying for Daylight

Imagine being a passenger on an ancient sailing ship caught in the midst of a hurricane for two weeks.  Shrouded in darkness, pummeled by waves, wind and driving rain. With no power or navigation, the ship is driven by the storm. The situation so dire that the ship's crew tossed all the cargo overboard to lighten the load and used ropes to surround the bow of the ship just to hold it together.  Hopelessness gripped their hearts.  In desperation, they lowered all their anchors and prayed for daylight. 

Have you ever found yourself  "praying for daylight?"  Enveloped by the darkness of the unknown, tossed about by waves of fear and doubt, feeling powerless as you are consumed by the storm.  "Praying for daylight" is our desperate cry for help.  You probably haven't been on a ship swallowed by a hurricane, but you may have been overwhelmed with fear and a feeling of hopelessness by one of life's storms.  Loss of a job, a broken relationship, health issues, the death of a loved one... are among the kinds of storms that foster anxiety, discouragement, depression and despair. 

Among the 276 souls aboard that fateful ship bound for Rome was the missionary Paul, who was a prisoner facing trial before the Roman emperor for proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Yet, Paul was the only one on that ship who still had hope .(Acts 27:14-44)  His hope was not based upon the strength of the ship or the ability of the crew.  His hope was grounded in his relationship with God.   

The sailors lowered four anchors in their hope of keeping the ship from crashing into the rocks.  Paul's hope was already anchored in the assurance of God's guidance, God's love, God's power and God's presence in his life.   With those four anchors, Paul was able to ride out the storm with his hope in God, as well as save everyone on the ship with him.  Those same anchors can help you weather life's storms, too.

Paul's Anchors of Hope

The Light of God - "Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  (John 9:12)  God will show you the way, when you are willing to trust His directions.

The Love of God - "This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."  (1 John 4:9)  God loved us so much to send His Son to die for our sins, then we can trust that God desires only the best for you, even when we can't see it at the moment.

The Power of God - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.  Therefore, we will not fear."  (Psalm 47:1)  We can trust that God is all powerful.  He has the power to calm the storm, as well as the power to calm the storms of fear and doubt inside of you.  

The Presence of God -  "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)  God has promised that He will always be with you.  He will never, ever desert you.  

The light of God surrounds you, 

The love of God enfolds you, 

The power of God protects you, 

The presence of God watches you.

Wherever you are, God is, and all is well.

by James Dillett Freeman

As a follower of Jesus Christ, you always have hope.  "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."  (Hebrews 6:19)