Merry Christmas

Why is Christmas so controversial? I understand that everyone isn't a Christian. I understand that some people don't like religion. But, Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year. Consumerism aside, it is a time when people think of family and home. What is wrong with that? Of course, some would say that a lot of people are depressed at this time, and I would agree. But, that doesn't make it wrong to celebrate the holidays. At this stage, I probably need to make it clear that I am a believer in Jesus Christ, so Christmas is not just a holiday season, it is a holy day to me.

One of my great memories about Christmas was the evening (about 15 years ago) when I attended a San Diego Pops concert at Christmas time. The music was great; mostly generic holiday songs. Then the orchestra began to play some of the old carols. I suppose that no more than half of the people were believers, yet the people began to sing. I was seated next to a very refined looking older lady in a fur stole (looked like money to me), and she was singing with gusto. I don't know whether she was a Christian or not. It didn't matter. Something deep was happening as we all felt as one. No one was putting another belief down. No one was proselytizing. It was just good to be together and remember the spirit of the holidays. I love Christmas.

Lately, I have received a lot of Christmas pictures in my email; here are a few Christmas Trees as my gift to you.

Born in Humility

There it is the miniature manger scene. We bought ours in 1966. There is the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph. Of course there are several animals, an angel, some shepherds and, to complete the picture, the three wise men. I love it! It helps make Christmas real. There is only one problem; it probably isn’t exactly the way it looked at the time. Last week, we discussed that the wise men (the Magi) probably came a couple of years later and there weren’t necessarily three of them. Today we will look at some other things that may appear different than expected. But, don’t fear, the essence of the story is true and it is all there.

The story is so familiar. I have heard it from childhood. When I was young, it was even read in the public school (shows how old I am). The story is found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, and verses 1-7:

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

I think that the first important thing to remember about the Christmas story is that it is all accomplished and arranged by God. We have already seen that it was God, who so loved the world that He sent His son. Mary is pregnant through the activity of the Holy Spirit. Joseph is free to continue his relationship with Mary because of God speaking through a dream. Now, God uses human history to ground the birth of Jesus in history, at a particular time; and it is the right time.

It happened during the reign of Augustus Caesar. He was worshipped, not just as Caesar, but as the bringer of peace. In actuality, Jesus is to be worshipped as the king and He is the Prince of Peace. But, this gives a historic time frame for Jesus’ birth. We also know that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great. And, this scripture, states that the census occurred while Quirinius was governor of Syria. To most of us, these are just names – sounds ok to me. But, to those who are academically minded, there is a problem, the dates don’t really match up. Let me give some thoughts that may clarify the problem and the solution:

· Herod the Great died around 4 BC

· Therefore Jesus was born before 4 BC – obviously when they set up the calendar, they figured wrong

· Quirinius became governor several years AD

· Solution: Probably the census was issued by Augustus Caesar during the reign of Herod and (it took a long time for this to take place) didn’t finish until Quirinius became governor.

· Is this right? It is a theory and it isn’t my imagination – but it may help.

Joseph is really one of my heroes. He was a righteous man in all aspects. He listened to God and he was obedient to the laws of the land. He and Mary lived in Nazareth, but the child was to be born in Bethlehem. How could this be? Well, God arranged a census and Joseph headed to the ancestral home. Why Bethlehem? Jesus was to be of the Davidic Kingly line. Bethlehem was the town of David.

I think that the charm of the story of course is the fact that the child was born in a manger. It was a humble birth. There wasn’t room in an inn. That probably wasn’t too bad – inns were not that comfortable – or private in that day. The stable was probably connected to the house. I remember entering small villages in Viet Nam where the animals slept under and around the houses. I actually like the answer that we receive when we visit Israel. The Church of the Nativity is built over a cave. It is said that, in that day, the animals were kept in a system of caves. This created shelter for them – and for the birth of Jesus.

We may not know exactly how everything looked, but we do know that Jesus was born. His birth is a historical event. The nature of that birth shows that he was born to relate to all people, not just to the rich and famous. He is one of us. Finally, this story shows that God really is in charge. He not only created the Heavens and the Earth, He is continually creating. We can trust Him. We can trust Jesus. Thank you Lord.

Merry Christmas to All!

My Treasure

For the last couple of weeks I have been studying a real treasure trove for me. I was loaned an almost complete set of Our Life Together. This was the newsletter (mini-magazine) of the First Baptist Church of Chula Vista from 1973-1982. It was also the voice of the American Baptist Charismatic Fellowship. At its peak it had a circulation of over 3500 in the US, England, Sweden, Denmark, Zaire, New Zealand and Australia. For two years, it was weekly, for several more years, it was every two weeks and for the rest of the time it was monthly. The writing was of much higher quality than might have been expected. It is also of some historical significance; Oral Roberts University has a complete set and Bethel Theological Seminary (San Diego) has a partial set.

Why is this a treasure to me? First, it brings back a lot of memories. I lived the life described in its pages. I wrote many of the articles – and was mentioned in many others. Second, I am in the process of writing a book about First Baptist Church of Chula Vista from 1964-1987. The book is actually centered on the years 1970-1982 which almost exactly coincides with the dates OLT was published.

Why would I want to write such a book? The church has historical significance for three basic reasons:

The Charismatic Renewal – First Baptist was one of the earliest Baptist churches involved in the renewal. Ken Pagaard, the pastor was one of the earliest Baptist Pastors to become involved. He was one of the founders and leaders of the denominational movement. Because of this, he became an internationally know speaker and teacher.

The Jesus People Movement – The church was one of the first churches in Southern California to be really involved with this movement along with Calvary Chapel. There were 750 baptisms in a relatively small church from January 1970-June 1971.

Communal Living – The church had 13 homes with about 180 people living communally at its peak. The ministry of the church was widespread. Of course, so was its notoriety.

Are you going to publish this book? I hope so, but even if not published, I think it is important to document this period. I was in a unique place to observe and participate in this life. I was a member of the community; I actually lived with the Pagaards for 7 years. I served as Choir Director, Minister of Music, Pastoral Assistant, Guest Master of the Community, Elder, Counselor, Acting Pastor, Co-Pastor and Senior Pastor (not all concurrently). I love the church and am proud of being a part of this historic period. Pray for me that the book is well done; it deserves it.

The Marriage Controversy

A few weeks ago I posted a blog about the case for marriage between one man and one woman. I freely admit that I supported and voted for Proposition 8. Yet, I am troubled by this issue that just won’t go away. That may sound crass, but I don’t think that I am alone in that sentiment. Of course, I realize that the issue isn’t going to go away. As long as there are people, both homosexual and heterosexual, who disagree, the issue will be there.

I got to thinking about his because I just read a lengthy article in Christianity Today about this issue. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/september/11.36.html Of course, Christianity Today is fairly close to where I am theologically. The article presents a lot of Biblical teaching supporting Marriage only between one man and one woman. The article won’t change anyone’s mind that disagrees with Scripture or traditional interpretation of Scripture. But, for those of us who have a high regard for Scriptural Authority (as traditionally interpreted) will be encouraged. It can help us to understand our why we believe as we do. I don’t think any of us should just “go” with knee jerk reactions.

While I basically agree with CT, I am still troubled. I don’t want us to get into a frame of mind where we forget that our enemy is not flesh and blood, our enemy is Satan. We are to love people. When I say people, I include the gay, the lesbian and those who disagree with us. We truly are God’s children. I know that some don’t believe that homosexuals can be Christians. That isn’t true. I don’t agree with homosexuality, but no where is it listed s the unforgivable sin. There are Christian drug addicts, adulterers, thieves, liars and gossips. Of course, we are called upon to repent and live a holy life, but that doesn’t mean that all Christians have completed the process (has anyone other than Jesus himself)?

I guess that I just want us to remember that our love for people, yes, even the sinner must never be compromised. The issues are also important – we can’t compromise here either. But we don’t have to hate people in order to adhere to our principles.

King of Kings

My second sermon in Advent dealt with the coming of the Magi recorded in Matthew 2:1-11:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Most of have (or at least have seen) miniature nativity scenes; a manger, some animals, baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, an angel, some shepherds and the wise men. This is fine for decoration and providing a focus for this holy event, but it isn't really how it happened. The Wise Men went to a house rather than a manger, and it may have been around two years after that wondrous birth.

Let's look a little closer at this passage of scripture. First of all, we don't really know the number (there were three gifts), they weren't kings (nor are they described as Wise Men -- although they were probably wise; they were Magi. What on earth were Magi? Well, they were a combination of primitive astronomer, astrologer, philosopher and (possibly) a priest. They were certainly not Christian -- since Christ had not died on the cross, and they probably weren't Jews. They were pagan, but God spoke to them. Why? Because they were open to what God was saying and they were looking to see the fulfillment of prophecy. God took the initiative. We don't really know what the Magi saw, even though there are several astronomical possibilities; we just know that God revealed something to the Magi that they believed was the fulfillment of prophecy that a new king was born. The were open, they saw, they believed and they went.

Where did they go? Well, it seems reasonable that they would go to Jerusalem; the capitol of Judea. Who would know more about the birth of a new king than the current king? This king was Herod called the Great. He was allowed by the Romans to be called a king, but he was not independent of Rome. He was a great builder. He was the one who finished the Second Temple in Jerusalem; the first destroyed in 586 BC. He seems to have been cruel and somewhat paranoid. There had been attempts to dethrone him, so he is reported to be proactive and get rid of anyone who might challenge him. For this reason, he was very interested in the report that there might be a "new king" out there. He supplied the Magi with the information that Bethlehem was to be the birth place and asked for a report after the visit of the Magi to the child.

God did his part and led the men to the place where Jesus was. When they saw Jesus, they did the appropriate action; they fell on their faces and worshipped. We must never forget that this child Jesus who would become our savior, our redeemer and friend is the King of Kings and deserves our worship. They gave him gifts. Tradition gives us some significance; gold -- the value of a king; frankincense -- for the anointing of a king; and myrrh -- for embalming his body. The men then disregarded Herod's request and went home another way; they listened to God.

I suppose there are many lessons we could learn from this, but here are a couple:

• Jesus is to be worshipped as King of Kings. Of course he is our friend, our brother, our savior, but we must never forget that he is the King of Kings.
• He deserves our best. He deserves all that is of value; our money, our devotion, our time. Our service to him should be the best, not the left overs.

Advent

We are well into the Christmas Season. The stores are cheerfully decorated and filled with shoppers. Of course the economic news is not very encouraging, but there are still a lot of shoppers. I love this season. I love just about everything about it. I love the decorations, the smells – the goodies. I love the music. Of course I love the wonderful story about Christ’s birth. What really makes the season though, is family. It is just good to be together.

A week ago I informed the church that this really wasn’t the Christmas Season. In the church calendar we are in the season of Advent. Advent is a wonderful time of the year. Advent comes from the Latin language. It refers to the coming of the Lord. We expect the celebration of his first coming at that Christmas some 2,000 years ago. It also looks forward to his coming again. We normally call this time the Christmas season, but in the church calendar, the Christmas season runs from December 25^th to January 6^th (Epiphany) – thus the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Usually, four themes are chosen for the four Sundays. This year the themes are: Hope, Peace, Light and Joy. We Baptists are not very good at liturgical things, but I usually lead a meditation upon the theme for the week and then light the appropriate candle.

Saturday as I prepared for the first Sunday in Advent, I discovered that we didn’t have an advent candle holder. I quickly journeyed to San Diego and went to the Catholic Book Store. After choosing the appropriate holder, the clerk said, “I just love this season, are you buying this for personal use?” “No,” I replied, “I am buying this for my church.” “Oh, are you a priest?” “Actually, I am a Baptist pastor.” She looked at me, smiled and said, “Oh my father is a Baptist Pastor.” I laughed and replied that my son had converted to Catholicism.

This was just a short exchange of pleasantries, but I think it was more than that. Two people, one a Catholic, one a Protestant, but both love the Lord meet and share a common heritage. Isn’t God good? I felt encouraged and warmed by a “chance” encounter.

The King Comes in Humility

Advent is a wonderful season. It looks forward to Christmas, a joyous holiday time as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Of course, Advent also looks forward to His coming again; what a joyous time that will be. As we await the coming of our King, I have titled the series of sermons for Advent, “The King is Coming.” I preached the first sermon for Advent last Sunday, November 30^th. The text was Matthew 1:18-25:

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” —which means, “God with us.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (NIV)

This is a familiar, simple story; or is it? As the story begins, we find Joseph and Mary in an awkward situation. They were betrothed to be married. This meant a little more than it does today. They were all but married. She could have lived under his roof. The betrothal could only be terminated by a divorce. She was probably in her early teens; a virgin – but a pregnant virgin. She knows, as do we, that she was bearing a child that was created in her by the Holy Spirit. But what was Joseph supposed to think. He wanted to take care of Mary, but she had betrayed him; she was an adulteress; she could be stoned. How could he put her away with no scandal? This was his problem.

The other actor in this story is God. He has his own purpose. He was sending his son into the world to save mankind from their sin. Jesus was the Son of God, the King of Kings, but God sent him to a rather ordinary family. God knew what Joseph was going through, so He sent an Angel to appear to Joseph in a dream. Joseph was told not to worry. He was to go ahead and marry Mary. The child was from the Holy Spirit. Then he was told to name the child Jesus (Yehoshua in Hebrew); God saves. Jesus was coming to save the world. Finally, the Angel gave the prophecy from Isaiah 7:14, and stated that this child would be the fulfillment of that prophecy. Isaiah states that the child would be called Emmanuel; God with us. This is not just another name for Jesus, but it is a statement that God was coming to his people through this birth.

Joseph was a good man. He obeyed the dream. He married Mary. He didn’t assert his marriage rights; the marriage was consummated before Jesus was born. Finally we see that Joseph named Him Jesus; this claiming Him as his son. This family might be ordinary in status, but spiritually this family was far from ordinary.

This is the old familiar story, but what does it have to do with us? There are several important things to learn:

• Jesus was more than just another man
• Jesus came with a purpose
• Because of Jesus we can be forgiven
• Because of Jesus, we aren’t on our own – truly God is with us.