Why a Baby?

(Each year while I was the Director at CEFOntario I prepared a special Christmas letter, as a ministry to those who were involved in CEF's work.  A few years ago I wrote the following letter, titled "Why a Baby?".  For me it's one of my favourite things I've ever written, and generated a lot of response.  I'd like to share it with you this Christmas.  I hope it will be a blessing to you.)

What comes to your mind when you hear the word Christmas?   Do you have a mental picture of family opening gifts around the Christmas tree or singing carols by the piano or sitting around a table sharing favourite Christmas treats?  For most of us the word Christmas invokes warm memories of loved family traditions.  As Christians our thoughts almost certainly include images of Mary and Joseph, along with a contingent of angels and shepherds and wise men on camels.  And of course central to all is a baby in a manger.  That baby is what it’s all about.  But have you ever wondered, why a baby? 

If the planning had been left to me I might have had Jesus appear on the scene as a fully grown man.  Maybe he would simply walk out of the wilderness one day as a mature thirty year old ready to begin his ministry of teaching and healing and sacrifice.  Imagine the impact.  Instead of someone everyone knew from a child, who had grown up among them, a mysterious figure with no known background comes out of nowhere to heal sick people and calm storms and raise the dead?  It certainly would have made for a different kind of Christmas.

But God didn’t choose to have his Son appear out of the mist like an alien or a miracle working hero in a Hollywood movie.  In God’s plan Jesus came the way humans do, as a helpless infant.  Not only that, he came to a poor family in the most humble of circumstances.  No royal family, no wealth or rank or privilege.  For other than a few people God spoke to especially, the baby named Jesus appeared to be an ordinary child at best.  Who would come up with a plan like this?  Certainly I wouldn’t.  But this was God’s way.

I’ve learned that God doesn’t do anything without good reason, so I’ve been pondering this question - why did Jesus come as a baby?  Is it so we can have a really cool looking nativity scene under the Christmas tree?  Is it so we can get together and sing heartwarming carols about a night filled with wondrous miracles?  Did God come up with this plan so children could re-enact the Christmas story complete with a donkey, a gruff innkeeper in a bathrobe, and a stable filled with cardboard livestock?  I love Christmas and all the traditions that spring from the birth of baby Jesus in the stable, but I have to think there’s more to it than that.  I’m left with the question, why a baby?

Students of theology may come up with something deeper, but personally I’ve settled on an answer that works for me.  It’s a profound truth, and while it may not be new to you, for me it gives Christmas a wonderful dimension I haven’t considered enough.  I think Jesus came as a baby - to a poor family - in the most humble of circumstances - because part of God’s plan to save me was to experience what it was like to be me. 

Just think of it.  Though he didn’t have to do it, Jesus chose to place himself in a little human body that would grow up suffering skinned knees and toothaches and stuffy noses and bumped heads.  Part of his plan was to experience what I feel when facing fears and hurts and temptations.  He wanted to know firsthand what it was like for me in times of discouragement or uncertainty, or when I’ve been misunderstood.  He grew up and lived life as a human being to know the highs and lows I can go through, to experience the complexities that arise in my relationships, and to know what it’s like to be hungry or in pain.  He wanted to live the life I live.

That’s what the baby in the manger tells me.  The baby assures me God is not just some distant super being, but a God who is close, who can understand what I feel and how I feel.  That tiny child wrapped in swaddling clothes in a smelly old barn reminds me that the Son of God was tempted and hurt and afraid and discouraged – just like me.

Could God have done it some other way?  I think so.  I’m pretty sure He could have had a perfect adult Jesus suddenly appear on the scene and sacrifice himself for my sin and yours.  But for me both the sacrifice and the love it represents are somehow magnified when I think how God deliberately put himself in the place where he could grow up experiencing what it means to be me.  I don’t pretend to really grasp all it meant for God to become a human being, but I do understand this.  The magnitude of that sacrifice says in great big bold letters that GOD LOVES ME!

It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to celebrate Christmas without the baby in the manger.  It’s hard to picture being without the angels and wise men and shining stars.  Along with our family traditions, these are the things that make Christmas feel like Christmas.  But as we enter this Christmas season I think I’ll look at that baby in the nativity scene with a new appreciation.  He’ll be more than part of the Christmas tradition.  He’ll be God saying to me, “I don’t just love you.  I understand you.”

Until that remarkable night in Bethlehem God was God, man was man, and the only bridge was a set of laws I couldn’t possibly follow.  The birth of a baby changed all that.  That baby, the Jesus I serve, knows me and empathizes with me and pours out his grace toward me.  Thank you God for the baby in the manger!

May the Lord Jesus who lived his life for us, and then gave it for us, be close to you and yours during this Christmas season.

Rob Lukings

GOD, IS THAT YOU?

If you read the end of my blog last week you might have thought I was preparing to give you a foolproof recipe for hearing God's voice. I've seen some of those on the internet and I'm not buying any of them, so I'm not going down that road. I believe God speaks to each individual a bit differently, so the best I can do is share some principles I've learned for myself, in the hope they will be of help to you.

How do you learn to recognize someone's voice?  You communicate with them.  The more you hear them speak the easier it is for you to identify them, even pick them out in a crowd where there are lots of competing voices and noises. It's the same with God's voice.  The more we hear Him speak the easier it is to recognize when He's speaking to us.

There is no question that God wants to speak to us.  He does that through the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us that in John 16:13.  

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and 

he will tell you what is yet to come.

Since the Holy Spirit dwells within us as believers, His voice is going to come from inside.  If we let Him, He will talk to us by invading our thoughts and our emotions. The challenge of course is determining which voice is the Holy Spirit and which is just my own thoughts and ideas and feelings.  That's where we usually struggle, distinguishing God's voice from our own.

As I said, the best I can do is share a few things I've learned for myself, so here goes.

1. When God has something to say to me He speaks persistently and regularly until I get the message. Often it bounces around in my subconscious for a while and I'm not really even aware of it, until one day I realize this is something that has been on my mind for some time. Though I'm sure in emergency situations that demand an immediate response, some have heard God's voice suddenly and clearly. For me, under normal circumstances, some fleeting thought that never recurs is far more likely to be my own mind at work.  I tend to take some time to be sure who is really speaking.

2. Jesus said "my sheep listen to my voice".  My experience has been that God always speaks to me in a very similar way.  It may be different from the way He speaks to others, but for me it is always the same.  Over time I have come to recognize when God is trying to get my attention, because it has the same feel as the other times when He has spoken to me.  The more we listen to God's voice the easier it becomes.

3. God speaks to us more when we are obedient.  Imagine this scenario.  Every time I come to a decision point I ask for God's direction.  I get a clear sense that God is moving me toward a particular choice, but it's not the one I like, so I just go ahead with what I really wanted anyway.  Do you suppose God may reach a point of saying, "why should I speak to you when you refuse to listen?"

4. Will God sometimes give you a word for someone else?  I think it's relatively rare, but I acknowledge that it does happen.  A couple cautions about that.  First, be very careful and take the time to be sure it is really God speaking, and not just your own idea of something you think that person should know.  Then, be very careful how you present it.  Something like "God told me to tell you this." may not go over well.  How about this approach.  "As I was praying God seemed to be telling me something that may be helpful to you.  Would you ask God about this and see if He confirms it in your heart as well?"

5. When it comes to life-changing decisions, it may be wise to seek the wisdom and guidance of others who hear from God.  When God called me to leave my employment and go into children's ministry, it was the most momentous and scariest decision Louise and I ever made.  We asked several couples, friends who we trusted and who knew us well, to our home.  We shared what was on our hearts and we prayed together.  I asked them to share what they felt God was saying to them about this.  When God speaks to me, it is ultimately my decision to decide what I'm going to do about it, but I do believe if our heart and intention is right God will use spiritually mature people to help us in the process and to confirm what He is saying.

God wants to guide us, help us, and call us.  He doesn't very often do it audibly, but we can learn over time to be more confident in recognizing when He is speaking to us.  I would be happy to carry on this dialogue if anyone has any comments or questions.

Fear vs Faith - who's winning?

Last week I wrote about how we often neglect to consult with God when we have decisions to make, and how that can lead to wrong choices and disobedience to God.  This week I'm thinking about a related problem, the struggle between fear and faith.  

In Numbers 13 the Israelites were on the  borders of Canaan, the promised land.  Twelve spies went to check things out, and when they returned the problems began.  Everyone agreed that the land was just as God promised, a land of milk and honey.  The disagreement was over whether or not they could defeat the well trained and well armed people who already inhabited the land. Two said yes, God will go before us and do what He promised.  Ten said no, we can't possibly defeat those giants.  The fear they caused among the people resulted in everyone wandering around in the desert until they died, every adult but the two faithful spies, Joshua and Caleb.

It's easy to be hard on those faithless people of Israel. Surely they could see that the God who took them from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and provided food and water in the desert could help them defeat the Canaanites.  Surely after all this time they should have learned to trust God!  Right?

Confession time.  I have seen God perform amazing miracles in my life, but when He confronts me with a plan that requires trust, demands a step of faith, it's still an agonizing decision.  Can I really trust God in this situation?  

The Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God.  It's really important to Him that we trust Him.  He wants us to obey with confidence, certain that He will enable us to do whatever He asks of us.  Stepping out in faith is an amazing experience, because that's when we really see the hand of God at work. If we only do what we can do on our own, there is no need for God and we will miss out on the miraculous things He wants to do.  

That doesn't mean doing whatever crazy thing enters our heads and expecting God to swoop in and rescue us. I'm not saying that. When Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and dared him to jump off, Jesus refused. He wasn't afraid for whether or not God could rescue him.  He just knew this wasn't what God wanted.  The two things have to go hand in hand; hearing the command or call of God and being willing then to follow in faith.

Those two principles are extremely important for us as individual believers, and for churches, such as The Mission.  First, we must not be content to settle for what is within the bounds of our own abilities. Rather, we need to sincerely ask God what He wants in each situation. Then, being confident of God's will, we need to trust Him and obey in faith.

There is a very good chance at some point God will ask us to do something that is totally beyond us.  It's clear we will fail unless He intervenes.  So what will we do?  

In order to please God we need to be people who want to hear from Him, who recognize His voice and know when He is directing us a certain way. And we need to be people who trust God and are willing to step out in faith knowing with certainly that when God calls, He enables. 

Often hearing God's voice is a bigger problem than following in faith.  If Jesus appeared in our bedroom and told us to do something, many of us would have the faith to do it.  Unfortunately Jesus rarely appears in our bedroom to give us instructions.  So we struggle and procrastinate, not sure if we're hearing God correctly and paralyzed with fear in case we get it wrong.  Let's talk some more about that next week.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

CONSULT GOD. YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID.

There is something we see time after time in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament.  When people were obedient to God they were blessed and had success.  When they disobeyed God, things didn't go well.  It seems to me there are four main reasons for disobedience.

1. We prefer our selfish or immoral desires.
2. We think we know better than God.  
3. We have good intentions but do the wrong thing because we don't consult God.  
4. We struggle between fear and faith. 

Today I'm thinking about #3, doing what we think is right and forgetting to check with God. (I'm pretty sure I'll be writing about #4 next week.)

Joshua was a great man of God.  He served faithfully as Moses' right hand man for forty years, and when Moses died who did God choose as his successor?  Joshua.  He was a warrior, a man of faith, and he had a sincere desire to lead the people God's way. This was the guy who led the people across the Jordan, and marched around Jericho until the walls fell down, just as God instructed.

Still, he was human and he made a mistake now and then.  One of those mistakes that God recorded in scripture had a huge impact on me and the way I think about serving God. The story is in Joshua 9.  

The Gibeonites were afraid of Israel and wanted to sign a peace treaty.  God told Joshua not to make peace with anyone who lived nearby. So the Gibeonites dressed up in dirty old clothes and carried moldy bread, and convinced Joshua they were from a far off country.  The key to this story is a very short statement in verse 14.  "The men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not inquire of the Lord."  In other words they considered the situation and made what seemed to be a perfectly rational decision.  The only problem is they forgot to ask God.

Good intentions aren't enough.  Joshua didn't deliberately disobey God.  He didn't even make a careless decision.  He considered things and did what seemed very logical.  But he forgot to ask God what to do.

I can't say that I've learned this lesson perfectly, but I used to be a lot worse.  I'm a planner by nature, so when faced with a decision I would naturally weigh all the evidence, maybe even list the pros and cons.  With the best of intentions, and certainly not out of rebellion to God, I would do what I thought best.  Then through a set of circumstances too long to relate a the moment, God taught me the importance of not relying on my own judgement, but of seeking Him and His will.  It's probably the most important lesson I've ever learned.

I've been thinking about this in the context of our upcoming counsel meeting and elections at The Mission.  There are many outstanding people on the list who have agreed to be available should the congregation call on them to serve.  I could check off just about any of them and feel like I made a good choice.  But in the end it's not my choice or the person I like best that matters.  God's choice is what matters.

That's why I've arranged a special time of prayer for December 6 (9:00 am), the day of our business meeting.  I am hoping many of the congregation will come before God and formally acknowledge that His will is supremely important.  We really need to pray that He will guide us to the right choices.  

This isn't spiritual rocket science.  It's just recognizing that God knows best and we will all be better off when He is in control.  So please join us on December 6 for a time of prayer and seeking God's will for The Mission.  I believe with all my heart that God will bless us for putting His will first.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, 

declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the Earth, 

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than 

your thoughts."   Isaiah 55:8-9

SO YOU'RE FEELING LIKE YOU JUST CAN'T DO IT? GOOD!

Lately God has been reminding me of a lesson he taught me rather dramatically a number of years ago.  The lesson is pretty easy to say, but a lot harder to put into practice.  It comes from John 15:5 when Jesus said "Apart from me you can do nothing."  I take that to mean that if I want to do something for God, some kind of ministry with spiritual goals, I'd better not try to do it on my own.  I'm just not capable.

I've been feeling the truth of that very much in the last week or two especially as I contemplate the ministry God has set before me at The Mission.  Helping people on the journey of spiritual growth.  Oh, I can put programs in place and teach lessons, but it's got to be so much more than that.  All the programs and Bible lessons in the world are not going to have the effect we want unless people are motivated, unless people really want to grow in Christ and are willing to do what it takes to get there.  Now that's something I surely can't do.  

I've known this from the beginning, but lately I've been sensing in an even greater way the challenge of the ministry and the need for God to go ahead and do the many things I can't possibly do on my own.

What about you?  Do you sometimes have trouble remembering the importance of being dependent on God in your life and ministry?  Do you find yourself occasionally relying on your own talents or training or hard work to accomplish something, when the reality is there is no hope of being effective unless God is in control?

Are you a Mission Kids worker, a small group leader, a worship team member, a board member, a deacon?  Are you someone who is attempting to have a Christian witness to a neighbour or co-worker or relative?  

Wherever and however you are working to serve God the message is the same.  Jesus says "Apart from me you can do nothing.".  If you find yourself frustrated with lack of progress, or overwhelmed with the task; if you are crying out "I just can't do this!", you're absolutely right.  In fact that's a very positive thing because now you've reached the place where you are ready to depend on the God who can take our meager talents and multiply them like loaves and fishes into something that is truly useful.  When we acknowledge our need for God in everything we do, He can step in and take control. That's the key to successful ministry.

As often as I've had to learn this lesson I have to keep learning it over and over again.  So maybe you're like me.  What I've just written is not new to you.  You know the verse and you understand the principle.  But maybe you need to be confronted from time to time with the truth that you can only succeed in what God called you to do if you are absolutely dependent on Him.

So here's your reminder.  And here's the other half of the lesson, another important verse to take with you.

"For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:13

(If you find this blog to be informative or helpful, feel free to forward it to someone else who may benefit from these weekly thoughts on God's word.)

LIVING WITH CRACKED MUGS

I was sharing with someone recently about the challenges that suddenly confronted my family when we "became Christian".  My 17 year old sister was the first to accept Christ, and soon after at the age of 10 I made that commitment as well.  Months later both my Mom and Dad and other siblings decided to turn their lives over to Christ.  This was especially huge for my Dad, since the decision to follow Jesus meant some radical changes to his lifestyle.  

You might expect we suddenly became a home filled with peace and love and all the things a Christian home is supposed to be.  Well, we eventually did make some big steps in that direction, but only after a number of false starts and stressful months.  You see, although my Dad had lived a lifestyle that was far from Christian, he had in his mind a pretty clear picture of what he expected Christians to be like.  He was a perfectionist in whatever he took on himself, and he expected that of others.  

After our family attended church long enough to discover that the people there weren't perfect, Dad's reaction was "that place is full of hypocrites and I'm not going back".  I still have a vivid picture as a child seeing the pastor come to our house to help Dad work through the struggles he was having with a church full of imperfect people, convincing him he should give it another try.  Then a short time later my Dad couldn't tolerate it anymore and the cycle would start again.  I don't know how many times we went through that turmoil, but it was more than a couple.  Each time it looked like our family's new faith in God was going to come to an end.  

Dad never really got past being frustrated by what he saw as hypocrisy in the lives of Christian people, but he grew to understand the need to look to his own life and his own relationship with God.  Eventually he reached some level of acceptance that people are human and we're just not going to see perfection while still in these physical bodies.  

Why am I telling you all of this?  Well, I've been reflecting on how every church is a collection of people who are struggling with problems and imperfections.  Years ago I used to see bumper stickers that said "Be patient.  God's not finished with me yet."

Under Pastor Paul's leadership The Mission has adopted a vision of being a place of refuge. He challenges us from time to time to consider how we're doing with that vision.   We may not get it right every time, but I see a real desire among the people at The Mission to be a place where the broken and hurting can find care and acceptance; where spiritual needs and many other kinds of needs can be met.  Paul has encouraged us to be a place of restoration rather than judgement, where we understand we are all on a faith journey and we all have a responsibility to look out for one another on the way.  

Obviously that doesn't mean those with addictions should stay addicted, or those struggling with issues of morality should just continue on. On the contrary it means that with love that comes from Christ Himself we reach out to help, pray, teach, and encourage one another so each of us can move steadily closer to the people God wants us to be.

I may be oversimplifying, but it seems to me there are two pieces we have to get right.  First is the accepting part, being willing to welcome in love and draw to ourselves those who are hurting, and those seeking the place of refuge.  Second is the helping part, being willing and able to come alongside others in this journey of restoration and transformation.  

The Bible teaches that in the body of Christ we all have different personalities and experiences and abilities to bring to the table.  So in a place of refuge we all have different ways we can contribute to the process of helping others come to that place of transformation in Christ. Let's continue learning to be Christ-like in our attitude toward others, and in our desire to care and help one another.

"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

                                                                                                      1 Thessalonians 5: 11

Living to please Him every day

This past Saturday a Russian plane filled with 224 passengers disintegrated in the skies over the middle east.  In the news reports that followed reporters included this picture of a 10 month old toddler.  The picture was taken by the child's mother as they waited to leave Russia for a family vacation in Egypt.  Days later this child and her parents perished along with a plane full of others.  Each of them had families and plans and dreams.

This picture somehow adds an extra layer of sadness to what is already a tragic story. Yet it's a story that repeats itself every day all around the world.  Lives come to an end, often suddenly and unexpected.

Sorry to be a downer on a beautiful fall day, but this story, and particularly this picture, have me thinking today about how tenuous life is. When I was a teenager I was invincible. The end of life seemed so far away I hardly gave it a thought. Four or five decades later the end seems a lot closer, and I'm more prone to consider just what that means, but the reality is that even as a teenager all it would take was a driver who wasn't paying attention.  It happens every day. Life is not just short, but it's uncertain.  

The Bible talks about this.  James 4:14 says "How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone."

So how do we respond to this?  Do we live in fear and become a recluse?  Do we focus all of our energy and resources on anything that promises to add a few hours to our lives?  Do we devote ourselves to lives of adventure and fun so whenever the end comes we can proclaim that we "lived every minute" and did everything on our bucket list?  These options all lack understanding of some basic truths God has made clear to us in his Word.

• For the Christian the end of this life is the beginning of something far better.  Life is not to be grasped and death is not to be feared.
• While we are here our role is to serve God faithfully in whatever way He leads and calls.

Jesus told several parables to help us understand that we need to invest our lives every day as good servants, always ready for the end, whether that's through death or meeting Him in the air.

What winners we are as Christians!  We can live lives full of purpose and fulfillment, and we can do it without fear for the future because we are destined for eternity in God's glory.  It truly can't get any better than that.

The challenge for us is this.  Given the uncertainly of life on Earth, are we living as if it could all wrap up today?  Or tomorrow?  The words of Jesus below refer to us being ready when He comes again.  Whether we live to that time or pass away as all others have before us, the challenge is the same.  Let's live every day we have to please Him.

“The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning."  (Mark 13:34-36)