His Law is Love and His Gospel is Peace

Christmas Reflections 2014

I realize not everyone reading this celebrates Christmas, or at least may not celebrate Christmas in a religious sense. Just humor me if you would be so kind. :)

Every time I turn on the news or see news reports on the internet I just get so heavy hearted. There is so much heartbreak in the world right now; such mass killings overseas, death from diseases like Ebola, and injustice here in the U.S. that so many still experience. Then add on all sorts of other awful things like cancer and Alzheimers and child abuse and hunger and poverty, and it is so easy to become downright depressed and hopeless. I suspect many are.

This is my third Christmas with a young baby. There is something about having a baby in my arms during Christmas that makes me more reflective about how it must have been for Mary. My heart ponders things. As I have been singing through Christmas carols this year there has been something that has stood out to me. Let me share some lines from the songs with you. I think these words speak timeless truths and apply to all the calamities and strife occurring in the world today.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, verse 4: “O Come, Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind; bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease; Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.”

Joy to the World, verse 4: “He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love.”

O Holy Night: “Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear savior's birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till he appear'd and the soul felt it's worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices, Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born.

Truly he taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother, And in his name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise his holy name. Christ is the Lord. Oh praise his name forever. His power and glory forever more proclaim. Fall on your knees…”

All the things I mentioned above can leave us hopeless, unless we know that one day things will be made right. The baby that was born to Mary grew up to be a Savior and a King. You see, Christ is the desire of all the nations. People of all nations yearn and long for a message that gives hope and peace. A message that promises that one day things will be different. Christ is that message. He came to bring unity, peace, and love. When we see unfair leaders, governments, and terrorist groups, we can be reminded that right now He rules the world with truth and grace. This world is weary. I’m weary, aren’t you? I am weary of the sickness, of the hate, of the violence, of children being beheaded because of their faith, of people being shot and killed, of gov’t that is unfair. I am weary. But, there is a thrill of hope inside my heart and I rejoice. My hope is in Christ and in eternity with Him, so this is cause of much rejoicing!

The words that have been bringing the most meaning to me this Christmas season are from O Holy Night. It says that He taught us to love one another, and that His law is LOVE and his gospel is PEACE.  We may not ever experience a law of love and a world of peace while on this earth, but one day, when we are with Christ in heaven or when He sets up His kingdom on earth, we will certainly experience a perfect law of love and a world of peace. We will truly see all people as our brother and sister with no distinction or prejudice, and all oppression will cease. Oh how I long for this day. How beautiful does that sound? And oh how it will be truly beautiful.

We can all experience that in our heart now, even in the midst of this crazy world. His gospel is peace. Those who trust in Him and believe that He is the Son of God can experience this love and peace right now. This is why we can have hope and rejoice!

“Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel”  We can rejoice because Emmanuel has come. He came to give us a way to know perfect love and peace, and that way is Him. Will you celebrate Him this Christmas? Maybe for the first time. I pray you will find hope in the Christmas story in a fresh and new way this year.

My Story. Part 1: Life before I met Christ

Childhood:
I am from Southern IL near Saint Louis and grew up with my parents and two little brothers, along with a really tight-knit extended family. My grandparents were and still are devout Catholics but my family just went occasionally. I grew up believing in God and enjoying going to church but I had no concept of what it meant to follow Jesus and live for Him. I never heard the gospel growing up. I thought if I was good and didn’t do anything awful like murder someone I would go to heaven.  For the most part I was a goody goody and really wanted to please my parents, make good grades, etc. I spent most of my time doing ballet and reading and doing school work. I thought a lot about God and heaven when one of my great uncles died and then my dog the year later, but I still had no concept of being a Christian.
Junior High/High School:
I still thought about God every so often and went to mass occasionally but I more cared about extra-curriculars and being popular. I was finally part of the popular crowd in 8th grade and didn’t care as much about being a goody goody. My freshman year I got drunk once just spending the night at a friends house and it was awful and I never had any desire to do so again. My girl friends and I hung out with the cool high school guys and dated guys that liked to party and be rebellious and we thought it was pretty cool. I started putting so much significance in guys and what they thought of me, and I always wanted to make sure I had a boyfriend. I was desperately searching for significance and purpose. I went through some very low times where I wondered what the point of living was. I just didn't have any inner joy. My happiness was based on my circumstances. During this same time I was in choir and making friends there. There were several Christians in there that were befriending me and inviting me to church so I went occasionally to youth group with them. For a few months I was really interested in learning more about God, but when summer came along I was busy with the dance team and hung out with those girls and their boyfriends. For the first half of my sophomore year I didn’t really go to youth group and went through a time where I just decided I needed to be good and spiritual on my own so I tried to figure that out. I tried to be moral and good on my own. I even bought a "true love waits" ring and a "what would Jesus do" bracelet. I was trying to slowly become a Christian externally, but it was not working. My friends kept inviting me to youth events and invited me to Disciple Now and I agreed to go. Leading up to that weekend I remember thinking that I really needed Jesus but I just didn’t know how to go about becoming a Christian. The first night of the retreat I heard the gospel preached very clearly and I knew I need to become a Christian. God was very clearly drawing me to Himself my whole entire life and His grace was irresistible to me at this point, and He gave me the faith to trust in Him.

Are babies born to BE SERVANTS or to BE SERVED? (Babywise series)

 

If you are just now joining us for the Why I'm Not Babywise Series, Welcome! Please take some time to read the previous posts, especially my Intro/Disclaimer so you can read the rest of the posts in context. I am seeking to be very sensitive to my readers who may implement Babywise. I pray we can all show one another grace as we seek to parent all of our babies in the way God leads us. I invite considerate comments, whether you agree or disagree.

"And whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44-45

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus."Philippians 2:3-5

"Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there." Matthew 19:13-15

One of the main problems I have with Babywise (BW) or other Baby Training (BT) books is that there is an overall attitude that having a baby shouldn't really change life much. Well, let me tell you, a baby changes EVERYTHING! From cry-it-out (CIO) to rigid schedules to hands-off parenting, BT books teach you how to get your baby to cater to you.

" If you want to know what your day is going to be like each day so you can schedule outings with your friends or date nights with your husband then get that baby on a schedule. Don't let your baby rule the roost. Take charge!"

As I read BW the overall feel I got when I read it was that using BW will make your baby convenient. I got the impression that BW teaches a parent-centered style of baby rearing, instead of family centered or a baby sensitive style. Isn't it wrong to be self-centered? Especially in our parenting?

What does Jesus teach us? Jesus came to serve, not to be served. He is our ultimate example. In Philippians, Paul, inspired by God, tells us to value others above ourselves. Does this not include babies? He tells us to consider the interests of others. Does this not include babies and children? He tells us that in our relationship with ONE ANOTHER (babies are one another) to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus! Does this not include babies?

There is nothing convenient about living for Jesus and striving to become like Jesus. I am so far from what I should be. I am not the servant that I want to be or the servant that God calls me to be, but I am praying and striving to be more like Jesus in this area. Living for Jesus means dying to self daily and living for Him and for others. We are to be servants to others, and not expect others to serve us. We are to consider others BETTER than ourselves, even small babies.

Jesus took the time to love on children. When the disciples claimed Jesus was too busy and rebuked him for letting the children come to him, Jesus made a point to let the children sit on his lap and pray for them. There is no one busier that Jesus. The busiest mom on the planet isn't busier than Jesus. Did he view children as an inconvenience or a blessing?

I realize that no matter what sort of parenting style a mom follows (by choice or by default) that there is an element of sacrifice. Every good mother sacrifices for her children and serves her children. But what is the attitude of your heart? (again, asking myself this too)

When your baby needs to be nursed 30 minutes after they just ate do you view it as an opportunity to serve them and meet their needs, or as an inconvenience that is messing up your schedule? When your baby has a hard time settling down to sleep do you strive to serve them and meet their needs or do you view it as an inconvenience and force them to cry themselves to sleep? When your baby just needs some extra loving do you joyfully hold them or wear them or do you view it as an inconvenience that is keeping your from other things you need to get done? (I am asking these questions to myself too) No matter what parenting style we follow we all struggle with serving our babies and meeting their needs 24/7. But since when were babies supposed to serve our needs and be convenient? 

As I read BW and starting fantasizing about having that "perfect" baby that he described I was reminded of Jesus and how he came to serve and not to be served, and that he gave his life as a ransom for many. If I want my babies and children to see Jesus in me, I need to strive to be like Jesus in how I parent them. I don't need to try to get them to sleep through the night prematurely just so I can have a more convenient night of sleep. I don't need to force them onto a four hour feeding schedule that they are not physically ready for just because some author told me to. I don't need to stop nursing or rocking them to sleep for fear of spoiling them. All I need to do is be like Jesus to them and seek to meet their needs and serve them. That's it. 

Sacrifice, not convenience.

How should a Christian respond to the death of Bin Laden?

 

photo credit

How should a Christian respond to the death of Osama bin Laden?

This post is more of me just thinking out loud than any sort of a position paper or conclusion on the subject.

I think a good place to start is by saying that this is obviously a great victory for the U.S. military. After almost ten years of searching for this man that murdered many Americans he has been found and "justice has been served". It probably also brings a little bit of peace and comfort to the families of 9/11 victims. Let me also say, that I am so thankful for the men and women who serve in the armed forces and sacrifice so much to keep our country safe. I know that the military is necessary and on one hand I am very much pro-military. I would not protest at the funeral of a fallen military person, I would attend and love on the family and be sad for the loss. The loss of any life is a great tragedy...unless they know Jesus, then there is also an element of joy. 

Let me repeat that so it sinks in, the loss of any life is a great tragedy.

Now all politics aside...

Let us think about this biblically and try to set politics aside for a moment. Let us think about Jesus, remember him? The one who said to turn the other cheek and if your enemy asks you to go one mile to go an extra mile also. The one who said to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. The one who DID love his enemies and DID pray for those who persecuted him. The one who was led by his enemies like a sheep to the slaughter and opened not his mouth. The one who said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." The one who died for ALL sinners that would repent and place their faith in Him. The one who died for you and me and Osama bin Laden. 

When I heard the news this morning I didn't know how to feel. You see, I have prayed for Osama bin Laden and Qaddafi and Ahmadinejad. I have prayed that the Lord would give them visions and dreams of Jesus and draw them to Himself. I have prayed that they would come to know Christ. I suppose no one can know if bin Laden might have had a vision of Christ the night before he was killed. God is Sovereign after all and knew this was all going to happen. Maybe he decided to be merciful and draw him to Himself in the hour of his death. I don't know. None of us do. I have heard many stories of God meeting Muslims in their dreams to present Christ and the gospel to them. Many Muslims have been converted to Christ through such dreams. So I pray this will happen for all Muslims and also for the radical leaders like Qaddafi and Ahmadinejad. 

It makes me think of Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel. He was an evil king like many kings are past and present. He commanded that all bow to him and there were 3 young men who wouldn't. They were put in a blazing furnace to be killed and God protected them miraculously. Those looking on saw a "fourth person" in there with them. When they came out they didn't even smell of smoke. This was Neb's response:

 ²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

Let us remember that God can change anyone's heart. He can change the hearts of evil kings and rulers if he pleases. Remember Saul of Tarsus who became Paul? He persecuted and killed many Christians, yet God was merciful to him. Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and brought salvation, mercy, grace, and forgiveness to this "enemy". Jesus died for his enemies, even men such as Osama bin Laden.

It makes me sad as I see Christians putting up facebook statuses being excited about Osama's death and "go USA", "We got him." Oh, and not to mention the videos of patriotic country songs. Although I understand their excitement our allegiance is first to a King, not a country. Our allegiance is to King Jesus first. We are Christians first, and Americans second. This is not our home. We are citizens of heaven. We should not rejoice in a soul spending eternity in hell, no matter who it is. We should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Right?! I mean, please tell me if I'm wrong. 

 I just read the parable in Matthew 18 about the unmerciful servant. He owed a rather large debt to his owner and begged for mercy from the owner. The owner granted him mercy and canceled his debt. Then this same servant wouldn't grant mercy to a fellow slave who owed him money. When the owner caught wind of it this is what he said:

  ³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.    ³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

We are that servant who should be begging for mercy from God. Let us not forget the sin debt that we have incurred towards a holy God. We are all sinners and if it weren't for the grace of God in our lives we could all be "Osama bin Laden." Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15  "Here is a trustworthy statement that deserves full acceptance: Christ came into the world to save sinners- of who I am the worst." We should all echo that statement of Paul. As we come to grips with the holiness of God and our own sinfulness we should rightly say of ourselves that we are each individually the worst of sinners. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ! 

Let us all turn to Jesus for salvation (if you haven't) and thank him for that salvation (if you are already his), American and Arab alike. Let us all seek to be like Jesus. Let us love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Yes, even radical Muslim leaders. They are not too far from the grace of God.

What are your thoughts? How did you feel when you heard the news? How should a Christian think through this and respond to the death of bin Laden?

And for another great post on this subject... How should Christians think about the death of Bin Laden?

Repost: A Great Royal Wedding to Come

picture from International Business Times
I couldn't have said it better myself....this is a beautiful post, please go read it!
A Great Royal Wedding to Come

As followers of Christ, we are royalty.  1 Peter 2:9-10 says that those who are followers of Christ are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession. We are sons and daughters of THE KING; therefore, we are princes and princesses. We are royalty.

This morning the bishop of London said that every wedding is a royal wedding because we are all subjects of the King of creation.

I loved watching the wedding this morning (I recorded it so I could fast forward through hours of meaningless commentary), but I am more looking forward to my great royal wedding to come. My wedding where Jesus is the Bridegroom and I receive my eternal home in heaven. This is the wedding I look forward to!

A Good Friday Indeed

This week I have been reading through the different accounts in the gospels of the triumphal entry through the resurrection and I am so humbled and amazed by the love of God and the sacrifice of Christ.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Thank you for good Friday, thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for me to absorb the wrath of God so I didn’t have to. You took my punishment so I could go free. You became sin for me so I could have your righteousness. What an amazing gift of love!

In Christ Alone video

There is a Fountain video

It's Friday, but Sunday's coming

Thank you Jesus that because of your blood I can be cleansed and have all my guilty stains washed away!!! Thank you Jesus!

Eight Reasons Why I Believe Jesus rose from the dead @Desiring God

The Evidence for the Resurrection @Grace to You

Have a blessed holiday weekend. See you after Easter. I pray you enjoy worshipping our Risen Lord!