Devotion 12.23.16

God chose shepherds to reveal the birth of his Son to the world.  Why?  Why not the spiritual leaders in the synagogues who would be interested in the Messiah coming to earth?

We aren't told, so we cannot create God's meaning in the absence of an explanation from scripture, but the response from the shepherds may be all we need to know.  The angels come and inform the shepherds of Christ's birth.  "You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and good will among men!' When the angels went away from them into heaven, the said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.  And they went with haste...." (Luke 2:12 - 16)

The shepherds heard the word and responded immediately without thought.  Today, we hear the Word of God's Shepherd, sent to tend to His flock.  "'Simon (Peter), son of John, do you love me?' Christ asked. 'Yes Lord, you know that I love you.' Christ said, 'Feed my lambs.'" (John 21:17)  Christ would ask two more times and would tell Peter to "tend" or "feed" His sheep.  We are Christ's sheep. 

Christ responded to the Father's will and gave his life as the ultimate sacrifice.  We, his sheep, receive the gift of eternal life because of our Shepherd.  We respond to this without thought as well, responding to the love of Christ.

Have a truly Merry Christmas in the name of Christ whose birth we celebrate at this time of year!

Hope Men's Ministry

Devotion 12.22.16

The salt of the earth.  A phrase used to describe someone who is just a great person, known for giving someone "the shirt off his back," friend or even foe alike.  The salt of the earth works hard to provide for his family, and usually, these "old salts" are shaped physically by the work they do.  Their hands show they are working men.  Their faces are hardened and cracked by exposure to the elements, and yet there is a firmness to their features that is warm and friendly.

The salt of the earth comprises most of this nation's population.  If graduation rates are an indication of profession, only 25% of this country possesses a college degree.  So, much of the work to feed, clothe, build infrastructure, homes, places of business, and other such activities falls to these "old salts."  They aren't less than people who possess higher degrees or white collar jobs, but those in white collar positions aren't better than the working man either. 

God makes a statement by who He goes to and informs of the birth of Jesus.  While we cannot create a theology in this, it is telling that God sends his angels to shepherds.  As is noted in Luke in the King James version of the Bible, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, an the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel of the Lord said unto them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:8 - 11)

Shepherds?  Not the learned of the day?  The angels didn't go to the temple and say to the spiritual leaders the Messiah was here?  They didn't descend on Rome or other political leaders and say, "The new king is here?"  No, God chose shepherds.  God chose a shepherd boy to defeat Goliath, and now God chooses his Son to be our Shepherd to save us from sin and death. 

As we grow near to the day that represents our Savior's birth, we rejoice in our Shepherd, Christ Jesus, and all He does for us in our lives.

Hope Men's Ministry

Devotion 12.21.16

Favorite Christmas memory?  This year will mark Christmas number 57 for me, so asking me that question is difficult.  From my own childhood?  From my early adult life?  Early marriage?  That point where I became Santa with our own children?  One favorite memory for me was on Christmas morning, and the kids were about 2 years old.  We were back in our house after having Christmas in a rental house the year before after a tornado hit our home in November.

Fisher-Price theme toys were the order of the day, and Santa had brought our son a pirate ship and our daughter a farm.  Captured on video, our son sat mesmerized with his toy, and our daughter sat opening and closing the barn door, attempting to capture the source of the "moo" that occurred with each opening.

Children cause us to view Christmas differently, their excitement of the entire season.  Pastor teases the excitement each Sunday with the Advent Wreath, which is used to mark observations, but Pastor knows what's on the kids' minds:  How much longer until Christmas?  So, from four Sundays down to the final candle and the next candle is the Christ candle which is lit on Christmas.  We add to the excitement with calendars (we had one in our home) that observe the month of December and have a prayer for each day before Christmas.  We decorate and begin to put gifts under the tree. 

Yet all of this is designed around a very simple message that we need to remind ourselves of as the season unfolds. "For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)  As we prepare for this day, this simple truth should be part of our daily routine.

Hope Men's Ministry

Devotion 12.20.16

A phase of the election process we probably either didn't know exist or rarely paid attention to, the Electoral College, is over as they met yesterday in their various state capitals to cast their ballots.  We know of this process and sequence this year because the election for our president in the United States has been less than traditional this past year or so.  What we learn as men of faith is that we are fallible creatures after the fall of man, and this fallibility invades every aspect of life, from governing ourselves as individuals to governing at all levels.

This certainly played itself out when Christ entered the world, a very hostile world under a most cruel system.  Rome and the Romans used iron fists to rule and they used regional kings and governors to enforce a rule that was designed to send a clear signal. 

Consider the hostile environment Christ was born under King Herod, whom the Study Bible notes was named king of Judea by the Roman Senate in 40 BC.  In Matthew 2, Herod learns of the birth of the "king of the Jews" from the wise men.  After hearing this, Herod summons his chief priests and scribes who inform him from the book of Micah, "And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah... for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people." (Matthew 2:6)  Herod uses the wise men to inform him of this "star" that appeared above the Christ, whom the wise men were searching for.  Herod uses a line that is revealing and disingenuous:  "Go and search for the child, and when you have found him, bring me world, that I too may come and worship him." (2:8)

The wise men were warned in a dream about Herod (2:12) and Mary and Joseph were warned in a dream and fled to Egypt.  Herod then plays his hand and begins to kill all the male children in Israel, age 2 and under, to snuff out this new "king" who would threaten his rule and stability over the region.

Today we observe the birth of Christ and soon we celebrate that birth in formal worship.  However, that birth and the subsequent years were not easy, and the birth marks the beginning of the promise that is fulfilled in Easter, where we learn nothing we do can overcome our sinful nature and the Christ we celebrate gives his own life to make perfect despite our imperfections.

Hope Men's Ministry

Devotion 12.15.16

Ever have work that you just, in a word, hate?  It's part of the job that you just dread.  You work to avoid it and wait until you absolutely have to do it, or put it off until the due date no longer gives you that option.  When I was in full education career, I did.  I can give you examples, but why?  You have them as well.

Imagine my surprise recently when my former boss and I were talking at a social engagement, and he began talking about some work at the office.  He looked at me and said, "I wish you were here to meet with (a person they contract with, not an employee) and to help him/her develop these reports.  He/she has no idea what they (the body making the request) expect.  You could probably help her."

That made me think about the frame of mind we have when we approach a task, including those we detest.  The task my former boss mentioned was one I did not look forward to, but apparently I did them to a level he liked or he wouldn't have said what he said.  How do we approach those things that are burdensome?

Imagine Mary, who has been told she's having a child who is God's Son.  Imagine the burden she must have felt when, at a young age, she becomes pregnant and is informed by an angel it is the Holy Spirit that has delivered this pregnancy to her womb (Luke 1:35).  Mary's response is best shown later after going to stay with Zechariah and Elizabeth, pregnant with John.  John leaps in the womb and Elizabeth praises Mary among women.  Mary's response, now known as "The Magnificat," tells of Mary's frame of mind:

"My soul Magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked o the humble estate of his servant.  For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed, for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name." (Luke 1:46-49)  The full Manificat is Luke 1:46-55.  I encourage you to read it because it reveals the humility that Mary views the pregnancy of our Lord Jesus Christ with, and the blessing she feels God has bestowed upon her.  What could be a burden is seen as a blessing.

Pray that we approach all God gives us is viewed as a blessing and not a burden.  Pray that we have that same frame of mind that Mary approaches her life with.

Hope Men's Ministry

Devotion 12.14.16

The role of the step-father is an important one, and it is one, from my observation of years in education, that requires the skill of a great tight-rope walker.  The good step-fathers realize they've walked into a role that is one of being a true steward of the responsibility you've been given.  Being a step-dad doesn't necessarily mean there is a father in absentia.  In fact, the biological dad can be a very active person in the child's life.  So, the question is how and when to actually intervene in a situation in a child's life as "the dad?"

In some cases, the step-dad has an on-going relationship with the dad (in the more healthy relationships) and there is an understanding.  In other instances, there is acrimony between the former spouses, and the child can become the unfortunate object of that acrimony.  So, the step-father has to walk a delicate line of just when to intervene in situations that intuitively he thinks he is needed, lest the situation goes to the biological dad and becomes further exacerbated as he begins to question how it was handled and why "he" got involved.  In other cases, the biological dad has vanished and the step-dad is now responsible for becoming the father that the child needs, in both secular research as well as in scripture - the fathers we are to be.

It's not easy.

So, what about Joseph?  How would you like to have been Joseph?  We see an understanding Joseph when he learns of Mary's pregnancy in Matthew 1, wanting Mary to have dignity in spite of the condition, as Matthew notes, "being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame...." (see Devotion 12.12.16). Joseph is going to be given the role of a lifetime - God's Son will be his stepson.  Joseph will be the earthly father of our Father's Son Jesus Christ.  It's not a statement in scripture, so this is truly speculation, but I have to believe in choosing Mary God chose a house where the Father would bring up His Son as God desired.

So, dads and stepdads, we also know that children and their faith are a primary responsibility of ours as well, as Ephesians notes, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (2:10)  Being a husband and father are primary among those works we are given, to be stewards of what God gave us, just as Joseph was.  Our role is no less important than Joseph's.

Pray we live up to that role we've been given, as we believe Joseph did (scripture sheds little light on that relationship).  For those of us who have already done the bulk of child-rearing, be there for those who seek answers to situations they face as newer dads.  If you come to me, my answer will be Lou Holtz' answer, "Before I had kids, I had a lot of answers.  Now I have kids and no answers."

Hope Men's Ministry

Devotion 12.13.16

"Festivus" was the holiday George Costanza's dad created to coincide with Christmas.  "Festivus for the rest of us" was the saying that came with it.  According to Wikipedia: "Originally a family tradition of scriptwriter Dan O'Keefe, who worked on the American sitcom Seinfeld, Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the focus of the 1997 episode "The Strike". The holiday's celebration, as it was shown on Seinfeld, includes a Festivus dinner, an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, practices such as the "Airing of Grievances" and "Feats of Strength", and the labeling of easily explainable events as "Festivus miracles."

The airing of grievances and feats of strength caused George to moan as his father began each.  Basically, what did you do to make me angry and let me show you how inept you are were behind both in the comedy.  What is it about Christmas, the actual holiday, or its made up counterpart Festivus, that has that potential to bring out the worst in us?  Especially a holiday that celebrates the birth of the Christ who came to this world to save us?

Peter talks to us a family of God in 1 Peter, but the passage has application for us as we prepare for Christmas, both as a church preparing for Christ's coming and as a family preparing to assemble:  "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." (1 Peter 3:8 - 9)

Pray for that unity and humility as we gather, and pray that we are a blessing to those around us.

Hope Men's Ministry