Good Job Joe Boy

Matthew 3:13-17

 

The last football game that my Dad ever saw me play I wanted to make him proud. It was my senior year of high school, but my parents were moving to Kentucky while I stayed in Michigan. This was it; my final chance to win his approval; to make him proud. My last chance to hear him say, “Good job Joe Boy”.

 

With those four words he could have sent me on my way ready to tear down walls. After all, this was going to be a big change for me. I wouldn’t be living with my parents anymore. The people who had raised me, provided for me and made my life secure were moving, leaving me behind. Fear, insecurity and the anxiety of the unknown all waited for me like a dark closet in my bedroom.

 

Imagine how Jesus might have felt as he approached his cousin John about baptizing him. He was about to set out on his earthly ministry. We don’t know how much of the specifics Jesus knew of what awaited him, but for sure he had at least an inclination that a painful, sacrificial death would end his life. That by itself, would be more than enough for fear, insecurity and anxiety to stop him in his tracks.

 

^16-17 “The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and

he saw God’s Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”                       MSG

 

With these words, God affirmed His son. He gave Jesus the strength and courage to go forward. He gave him the love and affirmation to face an unknown future that promised to hold both miraculous events and painful ones. He lifted Jesus up to prepare him for three years of high intensity spiritual battles.

 

I never heard my Dad say those words to me: “Good job Joe Boy”. But every time that I read God’s word, He says them to me. Every year when I celebrate the birth of His son, He says them to me. Every Easter when I remember the risen Christ, He says them to me. Every worship song that I sing, He says them to me.

 

He says the same message to you. “You are my Son, my daughter, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

 

 

 

By saying this, He gives you the courage and strength to face your fears, insecurities and anxiety of an unknown future.

 

 

What Does Your Life Communicate?

1 John 4:1-6

 

Do you open your Christmas presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

 

Growing up, my parents made us wait until the morning. It was sheer torture. I was so keyed up the night before my Dad would read the Christmas Carol just to put us to sleep. Even then, I found creative ways to stay awake like, hiding in the downstairs closet or hiding under my bed with a light to stay awake.

 

There are a lot of messages at Christmas time, and many of those messages come through time honored traditions, like gift giving. In Sweden, there is a tradition of watching a 1958 Disney Christmas special at 3:00 p.m. on December 24. The program consists of Jiminy Cricket introducing a series of vintage cartoons.

 

What message does this tradition communicate?

 

“¹Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is. For there are many false teachers around, ² and the way to find out if their message is from the Holy Spirit is to ask: Does it really agree that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, actually became man with a human body? If so, then the message is from God.” TLB

 

That’s what John wrote to the believers about how to determine if a spirit - or message - is genuine. He wrote that we should put messages and beliefs to the test; to make sure that the message you are hearing holds up to the truth of the Gospel.

 

Messages are normally communicated by word of mouth, but oftentimes messages are communicated by written word or body language, actions and even inaction.

 

This makes me wonder if our lives aren’t a message. And if that is true, what message are we communicating? What would happen if our message, our life, was put to John’s test?

 

As a child, I knew that Christmas was about Jesus, but the message that I heard, that came across loud and clear, was that Christmas was all about gift getting.

 

John wrote in his Gospel the true message about Christmas. “¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”        NIV

 

Jesus Christ came in the flesh from God. This is what we as believers celebrate, not just in December, but throughout the year. This is the truth. It may not be popular. It may not be PC. But it does pass the truth test.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does your life communicate?

 

 

 

 

 

What’s in Your Wallet?

1 John 4:1-6

 

 

No doubt this title brings to your mind visions of Samuel Jackson’s commercials for the Capital One Quicksilver cashback card. They are pretty memorable commercials, whether you ever get the card or not. That does bring up an interesting question. How do you decide whether you want it or not?

 

Maybe you already have too many cards to begin with and don’t need one more piece of plastic in your wallet. Or maybe you don’t want the cash back. Instead, you would prefer to add onto your frequent flyer miles.

 

Whatever your reason is, you made a decision based on certain criteria. You might even say that you ran it through your own personal test to see if it met your criteria.

 

That’s what John wrote about to the believers. He wrote that we should put messages and beliefs to the test; to make sure that the message you are hearing holds up to the truth of the Gospel.

 

“¹Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is. For there are many false teachers around, ² and the way to find out if their message is from the Holy Spirit is to ask: Does it really agree that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, actually became man with a human body? If so, then the message is from God.” TLB

 

Messages are normally communicated by word of mouth, but oftentimes messages are communicated by the written word (including texting, social media, etc.), body language, actions and even inaction.

 

This makes me wonder if our lives aren’t a message. And if that is true, what message are we communicating? What would happen if our message, that is our life, was put to the test?

 

So, like the commercial, the question comes to mind: What’s in your life? What message are you communicating?

 

 

 

 

Reach Higher

2 Corinthians 4:1-6

 

When does God speak to your heart? When do you see the light?

 
 

Last weekend I went to the Big Ten Championship football

game in Indianapolis. On Michigan State’s final drive, or some might call it the Championship Drive, they had the ball for 22 plays, 82 yards and 9 plus minutes. It was a drive for the ages.

 

In dramatic style, with 27 seconds left in the game, down by 4 on third down and goal, LJ Scott - a true freshman - was hit by no less than 6 Iowa Hawkeyes. But he still managed to stretch his right hand out while holding the ball to break the plane of the end zone and score the winning touchdown.

 

This was an amazing effort by the Spartans to endure, persevere and overcome. There were many roadblocks in the way of their victory. It would have been easy to give up; to say “I can’t do it”. There was a worthy adversary working extremely hard to keep them from
succeeding. But finally they crossed the line; they reached their goal.

 

There are many roadblocks that can get in the way of hearing God speak to you. Paul mentions some of them in 2 Corinthians. Losing heart, self-centered motivation, preaching something other than Christ and Satan blinding people from seeing: All of these can blind you; can keep you from seeing the light of Jesus.

 

But Paul also wrote, ^6 “It was God Who said, “The light will shine in darkness.” He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.”                      NLV

 

God opens our eyes to His light when the time is right. Years ago, one of my sisters shared the Gospel with me without a positive response. I wasn’t ready. But God cultivated my heart, and when I was ready, He brought someone into my life to draw me closer to Him.

 

The Spartans have a tag line this year given to them by their coach… “Reach Higher”. It is supposed to help motivate them when adversity strikes; when the game seems to be over; when it seems like they will never score.

 

As Christians, we have more than a tag line. We have a God who loves us, is always at work in our lives, is constantly drawing us to Him, has given us gifts to be used for His purposes and has called us to ministry.

This is the God who will never leave you; who will help you reach the goal that is at the end of a 22 play drive.


This is the God who will help you… “Reach Higher”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BAM! It’s a Celebration!

Genesis 3:14-15

 

Have you ever watched a movie where in the beginning everything is going great? “Life is good” as they say. But then… the bad guy enters, and life turns upside down. One thing after another goes wrong as the villain gains power and wreaks havoc.

 

As you watch, first you begin to root against the bad guy. Then your feelings become a little stronger; maybe borderline anger. Finally you reach your limit when you find yourself wishing that something terribly wrong would happen to the villain.

 

And when it does, BAM! It’s a celebration! If you’re at the theatre the audience may even applaud and cheer.

 

The story of Adam and Eve is kind of like that. They are in the Garden of Eden in perfect harmony with each other, the world around them and especially with God. But then the serpent enters. He spins a few lies and all of a sudden, life is turned upside down.

 

When you think about this, does it make you angry? Do you even feel hatred for the serpent? He doesn’t care about Adam or Eve or God or you or me. He’s like the guy in the All State commercial who loves to create mayhem. That’s what the serpent does; death and destruction.

 

 

Finally, the Lord God enters to declare the consequences of all of their behavior. He directs His first comments toward the serpent. If you listen carefully, you can hear His angry, booming voice as He pronounces the final defeat of the snake.

 

“Because you’ve done this, you’re cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals,
Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I’m declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He’ll wound your head, you’ll wound his heel.”            MSG

 

The serpent is doomed. But who is it that will wound the serpent’s head, or as it is translated in the NIV, “crush your head”?

 

These two verses are the first promise of Jesus. He will crush the head of Satan. He will have victory. Go ahead. You can stand up and cheer. Satan has been defeated. We have been delivered. The Lord is alive and still at work in us and through us.

 

BAM! It’s a celebration!