Daily Reflections on Rev. 2:1-7 (Beware of Cheap Substitutes)

A friend of mine called me this morning talking about how people have taken Christ out of Christmas. My response, "Christmas? People have taken Christ out of everything." As I continued our brief discussion, I couldn't help but think of how much we substitute things, traditions, people, staff, church, programs, doctrine, job, family, education, accomplishments, football, houses, cars, clothes, prominence, popularity, electronics, fitness over Christ. It's not just Santa and elves and reindeer and gift giving (or getting) that gets in our way. That's only a sign that we've made the substitution.

Last night, I was watching the Christmas special "Shrek the Halls." Cute little story. Shrek, the ogre, has never celebrated Christmas and doesn't know anything about it. He wants to make their first Christmas special for his new bride and babies, but since he knows nothing of Christmas he gets a book on how to do Christmas. He follows it like a recipe book, doing all the steps. On Christmas eve he gathers his children around the fireplace to read them the Christmas story. The Christmas story he began to read was not the one I was expecting. He read, "Twas the night before Christmas..."

"Wait. That's not the Christmas story," I thought to myself. "Hang on just a minute. That's a substitute. The story of Christmas is Jesus coming to earth as a baby, being born in a stable. Where are the angels and shepherds and wisemen? Shrek, you got the wrong book."

I shouldn't be surprised. The substitution practice has been going on for quite sometime. Just read John's writing in Rev. 2. The church at Ephesus seems to be an active, Bible believing church. They stand up for strict doctrine. Work hard. Endured oppression. Exposed false teachers. Hated evil. Yet, they seem to have lost something along the way. They made hard work and doctrine the center of their worship. Substitution. John says they had forsaken their first love.

How the easy the substitution practice takes over. We get so side tracked on everything in life that we forsake what should be our first love. It's like a sports team that gets lulled into a certain aspect of play and forgets the fundamentals. John encourages us to get our thinking straight and go back to the things we did at first. When it comes down to it, it's about Lordship, putting Christ back at the center.

God, I'm probably just as guilt as the next person of substituting. You certainly deserve the center of my life. It's so easy to start putting other things first, including the urgency of the day. Reclaim your throne in my heart. I don't want to lose my lampstand.

Daily Reflections on James 1:12-18 (Catching Stuff)

It is very similar to catching a cold. Put yourself in the wrong environment and within a couple of days you've got the sniffles or worse. I say environment but weather itself doesn't cause illness. Diseases, colds and flu in particular, are passed onto us by those with whom we associate. Family, friends, co-workers, etc. are the culprits. Hang out with them when they're sickly and before you know it you've got it too.

Those pesky little germs sometimes stays dormant for a while, but then they get you. They've multiplying unseen and unchecked for days. When they've gained enough strength to attack your body, your in for it. The battle is on. Viruses are the worst, since all you can do is relief symptoms. They just have to run their course.

Sin works the same way. We get infected hanging out in the wrong environments. More often than not the affects of others influence in our life allows the seed of sin to be planted, cultivated and developed. It's not others fault. Sin is always our choice. But the process that James describes in chapter 1 is enhanced by the environment with which we surround ourselves. Environment includes our surroundings, situations, and of course people.

In the same way all of us are vulnerable to sickness, colds, and flu, none of us are immune to the temptation of sin. No one is perfect. Only one was sinless, that's Jesus. Hanging out with Him gives us a fighting chance. He came to give us the ability to fight off sin that can destroy our lives or that makes us feel miserable. It's through the power of the cross and the resurrection that we can be healed. Paul says that it was by Jesus' stripes that we are healed.

The message of Christmas is a message of reprieve and relief and renewal. Jesus isn't Vitamin C or Zinc or Echinacea or even antibiotics. He's not some magic pill we take to help our body/mind heal ourselves. He is the cleansing agent. He is the antidote. He's the healing power.

God, I know I need my daily exposure to you to stay healthy personally, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Cleanse me. Eradicate the seeds of sin that begin to grow in me. Foster the growth of your Word in me.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 82:1-4 (The New Deal, Bad Deal, and Real Deal)

I think I agree with the late Larry Burkett when he said that Franklin Roosevelt's, "New Deal" was actually a bad deal for America. Not that helping the disadvantaged is a bad idea, quite the contrary. The path of entitlement programs have overtaxed our country's resources. Now solubility of government programs like Social Security and Medicare are in doubt. Why? The Baby Boom followed by The Pill has created a kink in the pyramid cash flow principle. The shear numbers game is falling apart because the number of younger working adults isn't growing to meet the number of rapidly aging older adults. Add to that the mentality of entitlement programs and before long we'll see universal health care next. At the rate we're going, Americans will have 50-60% (or more) of their income taken out in taxes.

I think the "New Deal" was a bad deal for another reason. I think it has actually taken away our sense of responsibility to our friends, neighbors and others in general. It's created an "I'm entitled" mentality. It's also created a "let the government handle it" mentality. Don't we have programs to handle the poor and needy and down on your luck kind of people? I don't have to worry about feeding the poor because I pay taxes so that they can have food stamps.

Those who call themselves followers of Christ, the church, has been seriously affected by this cultural trend. In most of the churches that I have either served or attended, very little funds or energy was devoted to ministry to the poor, the hungry, the needy, the down and outers. We spent huge amounts on various internal programs and building payments.

I read passages like this in Ps. 82 and think, "have we as Christians missed a key element in our calling?" At the risk of being accused of preaching social gospel, isn't the church, God's people, supposed to be the advocates for the poor, the weak, the fatherless, the needy, the oppressed? Are we the ones who should be giving a cup of cold water, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, visiting in prison, caring for needs?

As we close in on Christmas, it's easy for us to toss a couple coins in the bell ringer bucket or take a toy to a kid who isn't going to get Christmas. But what about the ongoing daily needs of people? Jesus obviously cared about the needs of people. Look at His life on earth. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, gave sight to the blind, challenged the unjust practices, released the oppressed, unfettered those held captive by demonic control and sin, gave hope to the hopeless, and proclaimed the Good News.

God, give me your eyes to see. Give me your heart and passion. Show me how to minister to those in need around me. I want to follow your path of sharing the Good News of God's love in practical meaningful ways. And not just at Christmas, Lord, but year round. I don't want to promote "New Deals." I want to proclaim the REAL Deal.

Daily Reflections on Zeph. 3:14-20 (Thanksgiving Promises and Black Friday Nightmares)

Okay, Thanksgiving is over. Now we can get back to our ungrateful selves. Black Friday ushered in the competitive, frantic, rushing of the wonderful Christmas season. You know the pushing and shoving of crowded malls and shopping centers. The vying for parking places. (Take the old dented, beat up vehicle to the mall. The guy in the shiny newu Lexus will yield to you for that parking space every time). Sure we love the Christmas season, but somehow it's just not as relaxing as Thanksgiving.

Christmas is great, but maybe Thanksgiving is the more appropriate seasonal attitude. Don't get me wrong. I know a lot of benevolence happens at Christmas. Food banks get filled up. Toys, coats, clothing is bought for needy children and families. Salvation Army gets 80 percent of their revenue for their next year's operating budget through the bell ringers (estimated educated guess not necessarily fact). We all have a giving heart through the Christmas season.

It's just that seems to me that if we truly developed a Thanksgiving heart year round, the giving of Christmas would be unnecessary. A year round Thanksgiving heart would produce year round benevolent giving. More needs could be met throughout the year. It sounds strange, but somehow I think we turn our hearts toward God more at Thanksgiving than we do at Christmas. At Christmas we focus on giving and getting. At Thanksgiving we focus on God and family.

As I was reading this passages in Zephaniah, I've decided I didn't want to let go of Thanksgiving just yet. I started thinking more and more about the promises made here and the joy it brings through Christ. When I look at life with all it's challenges and miseries and difficulties, and I look at the relief, support, care, and provision of God, I want to stay at Thanksgiving.

Did you catch those phrases in these verses: Don't fear; Don't let your arms hang limp; God is with you; He is mighty to save; He takes great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you in singing. Hey, I want some of that action. That's something to rejoice over. God's in my corner! Talk about debt relief. He's promised forgiveness for my sin through Jesus, empowerment through His Spirit, eternity with Him. Thanksgiving teaches me dependence on Him and to turn my heart to Him.

God, when I come to you, you promise to take care of my oppressors, to rescue you me from my own plights, to restore me, to remove my shame, to grant me honor, to bring me into your presence. I don't want to lose sight of that. I want to grab hold of your guarantee. My heart overflows with joy when I simply reflect on you, your greatness and majesty, your heart and passion, your unending love. It makes me want to offer grace to others.