Upon hearing that salvation is by grace alone, one can often wonder why we should be obedient to Jesus if it doesn’t earn us salvation?

One of the primary reasons comes from Jesus’ own mouth. In John 14:15 he says “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” 

Our king and creator tells us that obedience to Him should be out of love.  Because of the loving relationship we have with Jesus, we strive to do things that please him. This is perhaps illustrated in the common practice of buying flowers for a lady.

There are three reasons for buying flowers for a lady.

First, many men buy flowers for a lady in order to avoid the wrath of their female counterpart. They’ve committed some grievous error (such as forgetting an anniversary), and in order to avoid the punishment due, they purchase flowers.  They have done wrong and use the flowers in an attempt to avoid the hell that awaits them. This transaction, of course, rarely yields the desired results as the giving of flowers is not enough to cover over their sin.

Secondly, some men buy flowers in order to manipulate the affection of a woman. Countless high schoolers have attempted to earn the admiration of one of God’s daughters by producing a bouquet that, in their minds, earns them attention and perhaps even a date. They use the flowers in an attempt to earn the love of the lady. Some dudes even go so far as to assume that by producing the flowers, the young lady will “have to” love him. What these young men fail to see is that a bouquet is simply a collection of dying plants, certainly not enough to bring one into a deep and loving relationship.

Finally, some men will buy flowers because they know that their lady likes receiving flowers. They go to the store, examine the petals and containers in order to find just the right one, because they know what their lady likes. They present her with the bouquet. When she asks why, he simply says “because I love you and I know you like getting flowers”.   The flowers are a sign of their love and affection for their lady with whom they already have a loving relationship.

In the same way, there are three reasons for obeying Jesus. First, some of us try to do enough  in an attempt to avoid the wrath of God.  Second, some of us do it in an attempt to manipulate the love of God so He has to love us.  Finally, some of us obey Jesus because we have a relationship with Him and we know that our obedience pleases him. We obey not to avoid wrath or manipulate His love, but BECAUSE of the loving relationship we share with Him.

What is your motivation for obeying Jesus?

It is common to hear folks saying they long for heaven. Certain catch-phrases and verses (many times out of context) make it onto coffee mugs and bumper stickers.

“My citizenship is in Heaven”

“This (earth) is not my home”

“In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned”

While I value a desire for heaven, we must be wary what exactly we are longing for.

For some, our longing is simply to live in a place (eternally) where the ills of a fallen world like corruption, cancer and country music have ceased. Our heart aches for the day when we can finally live in peace and comfort like some sort of cosmic retirement in a heavenly, royal residence.

While these benefits of heaven are good, they should not be the focus of our longings. In fact, when biblical authors speak of longing for heaven, it appears to ultimately be tied to a longing for Jesus.

In Philippians 3:20, Paul is encouraging his readers about their future. He pens the infamous coffee mug statement “our citizenship is in heaven”. But he doesn’t stop there (though many of us do). The rest of the verse reads “ and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”.

Paul is right, for those that follow Jesus, our citizenship is in heaven. That heaven is our home. However, our longing for heaven is not primarily because of all the “comforts” of heaven, but because of the ever deepening relationship with Jesus.

When I travel for school or business, I often leave my family behind. After a day or so, my heart begins to long for home. Some diagnose this  as “homesickness“ (which sounds like the opposite of what it i).  But I am not ultimately longing for my home, I’m longing for what is in my home, namely my family. I am not longing for the 2x4s, drywall and stucco combine to make up the facility that I receive my mail at. Of course, I do sometimes miss the comforts of home, but my heart is ultimately longing to reconnect with the deep relationships I have with my wife and kids, to see them face to face.

Earlier in his letter to the Philippians, Paul compares all of his accomplishments and status to the weight of knowing Jesus. He says in 3:8 “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” For Paul, a longing for heaven was ultimately a longing for Jesus.

Do we long for heaven because it’s a great place to be, or because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus?

Do we long to be in the royal residence more than we long to be with the royal resident?

A while back, I had just been asked to lead the young adult ministry at our church family. Up until that point in time, I had little desire for it, mainly because what I thought about our church’s leadership was negative.  I thought they were misguided and out of touch. Decisions about programming, sermon series, musical styles, budgeting etc… were met with my skepticism and anger. I often thought “I could do better”.

Some of the books from “emerging ” church leaders reinforced my critical views that the church had become “too corporate” and that any pastor over 40 had probably sold out or lost touch (i.e. they preached something about a purpose driven life). At the time, our church family was going through some rough times and a couple close friends were hurt by the decisions of our Senior Pastor. I hated him, cursed him and made him out to be my enemy.  My anger multiplied until I was ready to lead a revolt and “do church the right way”….

…until I read Hebrews 13:17

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

That was a total “kick in the junk” . Here I was, the new kid in town, judging the life and ministry of our Senior Pastor, a man I barely knew. He was leading our church family, moreover, he was watching over MY soul.  This cut me to the heart.

I repented and went to him, asking forgiveness. I stood there waiting for the brawl to ensue (which I think he would have won since he’s 19 feet taller than me). To  my delight, he was gracious, kind and understanding.   Now, years later, I am glad to call him one of my closest friends (which is surprising to me since he listens to music I learned about in music history class).  Most of what I have learned about being a pastor is from watching him faithfully shepherd the people that God has entrusted to him (including me). I learned first hand that  he is a shepherd, following the Over-Shepherd, Jesus Christ as best he can.

We still have our differences. In fact, I think we make each other better pastors as we wrestle through ideas and issues within our church family. But it’s done with a heart of love and grace. Frankly, I shudder to think of what I would be like had the revolution ensued. I’d probably an arrogant, angry man leading a church of arrogant angry congregants.   I am thankful to God for authoring  Hebrews 13:17.

We live in a time when it is easy to criticize church leadership. To be a burden to our leaders instead of a blessing.  To scoff and criticize instead of love and pray. Remember, your leaders are watching over your soul…. this is a HUGE deal (did you notice the text says they’ll give an account to Jesus?)

How can we bless our church leadership?  By living in such a way that they are able to lead without “groaning”, but with joy.

Recently, my local church family decided to merge our evening “hard rock” service (which I lead for 7 years) with our 10:45am service.   There were many reasons to do so, such as strategic use of resources, increasing the culture of creativity and vision among our leaders and broadening our worship and arts in the morning service to incorporate more styles and forms of expression.   However, one of the primary reasons was unity within the Church.

Over the past years, I’ve wrestled with the idea of segregating a church family into style-based worship services that exists primarily to appeal to cultural differences (i.e. musical style, atmosphere, age).  I’m not convinced that segregating people by cultural distinctions for worship services is the best thing for a church family.

As I read through the biblical accounts of the early church, I am struck by just how different the people in various church families were.  For example, in Acts 16 we read about Paul planting a church in a town called Phillipi (The book of Philippians was written to this church).  We see that the three earliest members of this church were a wealthy female business owner, a blue collar tough-guy jailer and an impoverished and very troubled young slave girl who was abused by her owners.  Jesus drew all this diverse group of people to Himself and brought them into His body, the Church. God is glorified when diverse people are together united in Him.  Unity in the midst of diversity is so important in a church family.

One of the main reasons for having multiple styles of service is to broaden a local church’s appeal. I agree that offering multiple services based on musical and atmospheric styles can be appealing. However, I believe that a group of people who have “nothing in common” praising Jesus together magnifies the radical nature of the Gospel (“Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” Col. 3:11).

That type of unity is extremely appealing (See Acts 2:47).

Of course, this type of structure could lead to problems. Complaining, anxiety, frustration etc… So how do we function as a unified group of people given the reality of our many differences?  I believe it’s in focusing on Jesus and striving to be a people faithful to the charge of I Peter 3:8-9   Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.  Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

( For a much better article by a much better author, check this out: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tullian/2010/08/22/we-are-one/)

In honor of MLK, I uploaded this monologue of his Letter from Birmingham Jail.  Here is, in my opinion, one of the segments most important to the Church.

There was a time when the church was very powerful–in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators.”‘ But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were “a colony of heaven,” called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be “astronomically intimidated.” By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church’s silent–and often even vocal–sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.

May we forever be God-intoxicated and never an “archdefender o the status quo”.

I am a big fan of Christmas. As I’ve entered into fatherhood, my enjoyment of the holiday has exponentially increased as I see the wonder and excitement in my daughter’s eyes as she looks at the glowing trees and the new toys. But alas, Christmas fades away. The decor gets put into Tupperware bins, the glitter gets vacuumed, family and friends travel back home, the sparkling lights are begrudgingly removed and everyone “goes back to normal”.  For many of us, this routine often gives way to what can only be described as the post-Christmas blues  (or, PCB, as it’s known in the medical community).

What consolation is there for those of us who struggle with PCB?  Many turn to shopping, taking advantage of the sales. Others look with lackluster anticipation to the New Years Eve celebrations. But frankly, Ryan Seacrest falls short as a substitute for Frosty. So where can we turn? What holiday should we look forward to now that Christmas has passed?

The answer may seem weird to some, but I suggest Good Friday / Easter.

I know that these holidays seem distant (chronologically and emotionally) but Christmas is inextricable linked to Good Friday and Easter.  It is perhaps unfortunate that these celebrations are separated by so many days.

The reason we observe Christmas is to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.  But why do we celebrate His coming? The answer is found in an oft-quoted “Christmas text”.

 ”…and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Did you catch that?  God took on flesh in order to SAVE US FROM OUR SIN. We celebrate Christmas because God didn’t just come in the flesh and dwell among us, He died on our behalf, saving us from our sin and rising again three days later conquering over Satan sin and death.

So, for those of us suffering from the Post-Christmas blues, let us remember that the reason Christmas is great is because Christ is great. He is our king and creator who is also a sacrificing savior. Let us be a people who celebrate his sacrifice and resurrection with as much vigor and energy as we celebrate his birth.

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth. 

The hymn O’ Holy Night exists in a few varieties, all stemming from the original, penned by the french poet Placide Cappeau. The song places the audience at the scene of the first Christmas, calling us to see and hear the sights and sounds of that first Christmas. More than a mere description of the events, this song attempts to capture the true depth of what was happening that first Christmas. It does so by highlighting three great biblical themes:

Sin: Long lay the world in sin and error longing (pining)
In short order, these powerful lyrics describe the world apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ: a world of sin and “error”.  How many of us have asked “what is wrong with the world”. We see theft, rape, murder, corruption, abuse, abandonment…the list goes on. The state of the world causes us to  ”long for” a solution. To be “saved” from this great despair. This song points us to Jesus, reminding us that it was that divine and Holy Night that the Christ the Lord is born.

Equality: Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother
It is rumored that the original author, as well as the English translator were both strong abolitionist. Given that this song was written during the 1800′s, this lyric is a powerful reminder of the effect the Gospel has on social institutions, even slavery. The Bible spills much ink to emphatically remind us that, under God, we are all equal. Moreover, we see that it is ultimately Jesus that will break all the chains of political corruption and injustice (in his name all oppression shall cease).

Worship: Fall on your knees
In light of the magnificence of the Divine Night, our response must be to move from apprehension to adoration. Let us not lose sight of the power and glory of Jesus rather, let us evermore proclaim it.

While we are not sure exactly how old this hymn is (some say 15th century), it certainly has an “old school” ring to it. One of the most striking features of this song is it’s saturation with Old Testament themes, many of which often go unexplored during the Christmas holiday.

The chorus “O come, O come Emmanuel” stems from a messianic prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 and is picked up in Matthew’s Gospel (“which means God with us“). The song is sung from the perspective of one desperately longing  for the redemption that accompanies the coming of the promised Messiah. This great theme permeates the song as weaves together numerous allusions to the Old Testament (though, for the sake of time, I will only explore two).

“Ransom Captive Israel” / “Mourns in Lonely Exile”
Soon after reaching it’s pinnacle of power, Israel fell to the hands of their enemies. Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans all, at some point, held Israel “captive”. During this period of exile, the people of Israel experienced oppression, fear, doubt and  injustice at the hand of their powerful enemies. Life was full of mourning. With nothing within themselves to hope for, many clung to the promises of God made through the prophets that one day, a Messiah, a savior, the Son of God, would appear and end the captivity, vanquishing his enemies and restoring the broken Kingdom. (see Biblical books Esther, Chronicles, Kings, Jeremiah, Daniel for more)

“Rod of Jesse”
The term ”Rod/root” of Jesse stems (pun intended) from a promise  made in Isaiah 11 which speaks of the coming Messiah as “The root of Jesse” who will judge with righteousness, help the poor and kill the wicked.  Jesse was the father of King David (often considered the greatest king of Israe. see 1 Samuel 16:1) .  For those suffering oppression under an insurmountable occupying force (like Rome), this promise of a just, powerful, all conquering king brings great hope.

Interestingly, the Roman Empire, arguably the most powerful (and perhaps cruel) of all Israel’s captors, eventually became the geographic epicenter of Christianity.  The mighty captors had become captive to the Gospel of Jesus. I’ll bet no one saw that one coming back in 4 B.C.

This great hymn is sung in painful anticipation of the coming Messiah and beautifully expresses our need for Him. In light of the chaos and pain that tints our lives, we can truly rejoice, for Emmanuel has come and has conquered over the greatest of all captors, death.

Coming up with names for children is extremely intimidating. Wrestling through names, meanings, alliterations, negative memories and fear that your kid will get beat up at school can become overwhelming.  However, when our daughter Mikayla was born, we found it relatively easy to come up with her middle name: Noel.

We stuck with the name, primarily because of the meaning. Though the name itself dates back centuries to old English, French and even supposedly has roots in Hebrew, Noel means “born on Christmas Day”. Simply put, we wanted  her name to point to Jesus (and also be “a pretty name” which both think it is).

The name was popularized by the old hymn, the First Noel. Though the melody is familiar to many of us, the full lyrics of the song are often lost or forgotten (click to see lyrics from the New English Hymnal Note the English spelling “nowell” vs. French “Noel”).
The unique nature of the song is that it tells the Christmas story from a variety of angles:

History:
The song summarizes the historical elements of the account, namely the Angels, the Shepherds, The Magi and their gifts and the location of Jesus (Bethlehem)

Prophecy:
The refrain contains a key element in understanding the majesty of the event, namely that the King of Israel has been born. Fulfilling the prophecies found in the scriptures (see Isaiah 9:6-7).

The political leader of the day, Herod, wanted the infant Jesus killed because the Magi were seeking “The King of the Jews” (Matthew 2). Ironically, three decades after his birth, another government official would accuse Jesus of bearing this title. As they executed him on the Cross, they placed a placard above his head that read “King of the Jews”

Power:
Christmas songs can often belittle Jesus, leaving him, so to speak, in the manger. However, this hymn reminds us that it was this Lord Jesus who “hath made heaven and earth”  (see Colossians 1:16-18)

Salvation:
Interestingly, this Christmas Hymn ends, not with a view of Christmas, but of the Crucifixion. “and with his blood, mankind hath bought”.

This celebration of the coming of the King of Israel leads us to look not only to the nativity, but to the cross, where Jesus’s blood was shed on our behalf.  What, therefore, is our response? The song clues us in  ”So let us all, in one accord, sing praises to our heavenly lord“.

I’m a sucker for Christmas songs. At the writing of this blog, we’ve not yet celebrate Thanksgiving and I’ve already got Clapton’s Christmas Tears on the playlist. Many of these wonderful Christmas songs are played with such frequency, that we can often lose sight of their meaning and the depth of their stories. One such song is “The Little Drummer Boy”.

Originally written as “The Carol of the Drum” by Katherine K. Davis in 1941, “The Little Drummer Boy” tells the fictional story of a young boy, invited by the Magi , to visit the newborn Jesus at the manger .  Upon seeing the extravagant gifts the Magi, the boy painfully admits that he is poor and without anything fit to give a king.

As the story goes,  the boy resolves to offer his best gift, his musical talent, to Jesus.  Even the Ox and Lamb participated and upon the completion of the jam session, the Lord smiled in approval at the young boy’s gift.

While this is an obviously fictional flourish to the recorded story, the principle should not be lost on us. We are all in the place of the drummer boy, no gifts to bring, fit for the cosmic king and creator of the universe.

Yet this great king calls us to obedience and service. He calls us to “offer our gifts” no matter how marred, stained and unworthy they may be. As we serve Him in response to his amazing grace and undying love, our great King is pleased (Colossians 3:23). Therefore, we strive towards the time when He smiles at us, saying “well done, good and faithful servant.

Oh the joy of the approval of our God and King, the joy felt at the words… “Then he smiled at me“.

[click here for a performance of this song by Jars of Clay]