SERIES: Christmas (3 of 3)
The Key To The Christmas Story

When you hear the Christmas story, have you ever wondered why Jesus would give up the “perks” of heaven and come to our messed up world?  “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and said, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord.” (Luke 2)

Jesus left heaven and became a man. But why? As I ponder this question, I am reminded of a Christmas several years ago when I took my motorcycle to the car wash in preparation for a Toy Run. As I took the key out of the ignition to put it in my pocket, I dropped my ONE AND ONLY motorcycle key into the drain in the center of the car wash bay. I immediately panicked and knew what I had to do. I removed the grate and reached into that black, nasty water. The water was too deep so I had to call my wife, get a ride home, get a bucket, come back and scoop the oily water out of that drain 5 gallons at a time. Finally the water lowered enough for me to lay on my stomach, put my arm back in what was now two feet of water and run my fingers through the sludge at the bottom. It was disgusting, it smelled and I was covered in yuck, but I kept digging in that filth because I saw value in my motorcycle key. I wanted it back, so I did whatever was necessary... and it paid off. After a few minutes digging in the sludge, I found my key.
   
When I remember the filth I was willing to dig through to get my key back, it helps me understand why Jesus would leave heaven and humble Himself to become a totally helpless baby on that first Christmas morning, to live as a human and ultimately die a cruel death. He saw value in YOU, and in ME...and in that “loser” you have dealt with five times before. He was willing to do whatever it took to show His love for us and to show the way to know Him despite the fact that we are the ones that made the earth the filthy pit that it is. 
   
This Christmas season, take a moment to remember how valuable YOU are to God that He would do this for you. And when you deal with broken people, remember God sees value and offers redemption to them as well. 

Merry Christmas,
Pastor Rob

Links to other posts in this series: Christmas- Part 1, Part 2

SERIES: Christmas (2 of 3)
Christmas Chaos

I enjoy the Christmas season. Besides the One we are celebrating, I just like this time of the year, and I think that is because I had happy childhood memories of Christmas. In college, I LOVED Christmas break. We had finals before break, so everything was super stressful, but when I came home, it was time to chill, read a couple good books, see my dog and spend time with my family. Just relax.
   
But for some people, the holidays are not a joyful occasion. Some people’s work schedule may not allow much of a break, there may not be a healthy family to be with over the holidays or perhaps tragedy has struck and this year is just going to be different...empty.
   
Anywhere in between, Christmas can be chaotic. 

Just a thought today if it seems that your Christmas this year is “less than ideal” or feels a little too chaotic.  Maybe the Christmas story is a reminder that the One who came that first Christmas morning arrived the way He did to remind us that He understands chaos, sad times and tragedy. We are not alone.
   
Reading the story of Joseph, Mary & baby Jesus, we may have heard there was “no room in the inn” for them and see a manger scene with a baby the stable, but how often do we think about the chaos and hardship involved around that moment that the angels declared and wise men traveled great distances to behold? 
   
Was it an “ideal birth” for Mary to travel 70-80 miles AWAY from family (on foot or on a donkey) being at or close to 9 months pregnant? Or that lodging was not available and Mary had to lay her newborn baby in a manger...a nice word for a feeding trough in a stable (likely a cave where animals were sheltered). And last week we mentioned the little-talked-about part of the Christmas story where Joseph, Mary and the baby had to flee because King Herod was trying to kill the baby whom he felt was a threat to his kingdom. And then the news of all the children in and around Bethlehem being slaughtered, looking for her child.
   
So the first Christmas was more than a little chaotic, not at all like a Hallmark Christmas movie. As a matter of fact, as that baby grew to be a man, He was not sheltered from ANY of life’s hardships. And really, if you are looking for the message behind the Christmas story, that is it. God gave up heaven, to become a human and to live through all of the suffering that we know here, to show us that we are not alone, we are not forgotten...we are loved.
   
f your Christmas gets chaotic this year, remember the message of that first Christmas. He went through a lifetime of chaos to show you do not have to walk through yours alone.

Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

Links to other posts in this series: Christmas- Part 1, Part 3

SERIES: Christmas (1 of 3)
Cure For The Human Heart

I love the Christmas story...Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the wise men, shepherds, an inn FULL of people. It’s amazing how many different kinds of people are included in the Christmas story. I’d like to refer to this ancient story this month and look at what we might be able to learn from the different characters.
   
In the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, Linus reads the Christmas story, but there’s one part of the story that he does not read. The part of the Christmas story where Herod the Great, king of Judea killed all male children 2 and under  in and around Bethlehem in a jealous rage because he heard a “king of the Jews” had been born. Not exactly a kid-friendly story, but a great picture of why Jesus came.

When the wise men traveled through Jerusalem asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star in the east”, that got Herod’s attention. He asked the wise men to tell him when they found the child so that he, too, could “worship the child”. When the wise men never returned, Herod took his best guess and killed all male children within a certain age range and location in order to protect his throne...from a BABY. What a wicked heart.
   
Most of us would say, “My heart is not THAT wicked” and, thankfully, that’s true. But our human hearts don’t naturally do “the right thing”. The Christmas story is about a baby coming to change human hearts. 
   
Max Lucado shares a funny story of how even a pastor’s heart needs a touch from heaven sometimes. He told about a day he was driving and  got cut off by a “punk teen driver and his friend”. At the stop light, he told the teen he should drive more carefully, to which the teen responded with a one finger salute.  At the next light, this pastor told the kid, “Watch that wave” to which the teen replied “Make me”.  The then 60-year old pastor said he herd in his head, “Drive away, Lucado” but instead, he replied to the teen, “Okay, where do you want to go?” Max could not believe the words that just came out of his mouth. The teen then replied, “Let’s settle this at the shopping mall.” True story, the pastor replied, “Are you kidding? There are too many people in a shopping mall. Follow me” and he accelerated out of the intersection. This crazy 60 year old pastor must have scared the teen and friend because they turned off at the next block. Max concludes his story with, “...I can blame my bizarre behavior on only one thing. The punk inside me...The heart of the human problem is the human heart.”
~Story taken from Because of Bethlehem, Max Lucao
   
So when you encounter someone with a messed up heart this week, let Christmas remind you there is hope for the problem of the human heart.

Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

Links to other posts in this series: Christmas- Part 2, Part 3