Rescue Mission

Christmas was a rescue mission I think we often forget that.  In Luke 2:10-11 the Angels say this to the shepherds “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people: for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  It was good news and it still is because without the birth of Jesus there could be no crucifixion, resurrection or sacrifice on the cross for our sins and no redemption for mankind. 

Years ago as a kid I heard a song I still sing to this day called We are the Reason by David Meece and most don’t consider it a Christmas song but I want you to look at it differently.  For those who like the behind the scenes blog stuff I’m doing this on my computer at home instead of my phone for a change.  I need the different technology for this.  I want you to consider this song as being about Christmas because in a lot of ways it is.  Without Christmas there would be no Easter. 

“As little children we would dream of Christmas morn
And all the gifts and toys we knew we'd find
But we never realized a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives

And we were the reason that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

As the years went by we learned more about gifts
And giving of ourselves and what that means
On a dark and cloudy day a man hung crying
In the rain
Because of love, because of love

And we are the reason that He gave His life
We are the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

I finally found the reason for living
It's in giving every part of my heart to Him
In all that I do every word that I say
I'll be giving my all just for Him
For Him”

Wednesday night I was reading in the Youversion app and it presented this passage that reminded me of Christmas because indeed the story of Christmas is a rescue mission and I kept thinking about the tag line or for the wrestling fans the catch phrase for our current Real Life invite cards the line from “O holy night” that says “A weary world rejoices.”  Christmas is good news because “The gospel changes everything”!

Romans 3:21-26

“But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.  And this is true for everyone who believes no matter who we are.  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, in his Grace, freely makes us right in his sight.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.  This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time.  God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.”

I want to present to you the Christmas song that can be sung all year because it is the gospel from Christmas to his return. 

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn king"

Peace on earth, and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With angelic host proclaim

Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn king

Christ, by highest heaven adored

Christ the everlasting Lord

Late in time behold him come

Offspring of the favored one

Veiled in flesh, the God head seen

Hail the incarnate deity

Pleased, as man with men to dwell

Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn king

Hail the Heaven born Prince of Peace

Hail the son of righteousness

Light and life to all he brings

Risen 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

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn king”

Gospel changeseverything by Meredith Andrews

Hark the Herald angelssing by Jewel

We are the Reason byDavid Meece

Creed by Rich Mullins

O holy night by SandiPatti

Time Constraints

Time constraints 

There’s something I have been giving thought to for about a month now off and on.  We can come to God in prayer for help at any time!   God is not bound by any time constraints.  We can come to him day or night.

Pastor Micah said something this last Sunday that I had heard preachers say.  “Do you ever feel like your prayers aren’t making it past the ceiling?”  I’ve heard it said a lot.   Micah quoted these verses Psalm 116:1-2 “I love the Lord because he hears my prayer for mercy.  Because he bends down to listen.  I will pray as long as I have breath!” That’s assurance He’s paying attention.

In Matthew 11:28-30 we find this

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Psalm 23:3 

“He restores my soul; he guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

1 Peter 5:7

“Casting all your anxiety on Him for he cares about you.”

Hebrews 4:14-16

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

When I said earlier there are no time constraints with God this is what I want to get across and something I have been praying and thankful to God for is he calls us to come to him. When? Anytime? Day or night yes it doesn’t matter your schedule he wants you to come to him in prayer he wants you to read his word so he can speak to you.  I read this thing in a Youversion app and it said this “How you view God affects the choices you make.”  If you have the idea he hates you then you don’t really want to spend time with him or get to know him.  But if you read the Bible it changes that perception.  It’s not us that he hates it is the sin we commit and that’s why we need a savior.  That was the whole reason for Christmas and the rescue mission of Jesus dying on the cross to redeem us.  God wants to spend time with you.  To give you the right perspective and it might be the first time this clicks with you I submit to you one of my life verses.  

Romans 5:8

“But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”

While you were still a sinner God loved you so much he sent his Son to redeem you and me. To the unbelievers  If you walk away with only one thing after reading this you need to change how you view God because he loves you and wants a personal relationship with you.  To you the believer in Christ learn this and be amazed that at any time God wants you to come spend time with him.  It’s simplistic and yet profound the God of all creation wants to spend time with you and me.  It’s a lot to wrap our finite minds around.  

Quiet you with my love by Rebecca St James

Come to me by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Rest Easy by Audio Adrenaline 

Be still and know by Steven Curtis Chapman 

You are more by Tenth Avenue North

Still listening by Steven Curtis Chapman 

Commit, trust, seek and delight

Commit, trust Seek and  delight 

We live in a world where advertisers push us to be jealous of others.  If we only looked acted or dressed or used their product we will be fulfilled.  The closer we get to Christmas the more the advertisements will amp up.  God calls us to not be jealous of others especially evildoers.  He calls the believers to another way to live.  

Isaiah 26:9

“At night my soul longs for you, indeed, my spirit within me seeks you diligently; for when the earth experiences your judgments the inhabitants of this world learn righteousness.”

I get off work at 11:30 pm and before bed I try to go through a plan on the Youversion Bible app so the soul seeking at night I personally relate to.

Psalm 37:1-6

“Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious towards wrongdoers.  For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.  Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your ways to the Lord, trust also in Him, and he will do it.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.”

I read very big books I am often with a Warhammer omnibus to read and they’re three books in one.  I had a coworker see me with one at work one night when it was slow.  She said “This is really huge, you could read the Bible.”  Not only can I but I need to more often so I keep my heart right with God.  Don’t let so many things tempt you to fall into the trap of thinking you need an advertisement’s product to be fulfilled because what we need is to read God’s Word and learn from it.  If you need a good reading plan and you have a Youversion app on your phone I suggest reading Finding Rest in a Busy World.  My friend Ricky invited me to read it with him and others it’s only a nine day plan but very good.  We all need to spend more time in the Bible.  

Weak days by Steven Curtis Chapman 

Noonday sun by Margaret Becker

Adonai/Back to the Rock/Too big to fail by Petra 

Slip away by Kim Hill