So……what are you giving up for Lent?  Chocolate?  Smoking?  Soft drinks?  Why are you giving those things up?  Because you need to already?  Because you need to lose a few pounds?  What are you expected to get from this Lenten season?

Instead of giving UP something for Lent, how about just GIVING for Lent?  Giving more time to prayer?  To Bible Study?  To serving other people?  To making a difference in the world? Or just helping out your neighbor?

Matthew chapter six tells us how we should pray and give:

1“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

If we practice our righteousness in front of others for all the world to see, then we are not truly sincere in our prayer and giving. These two acts should be deeply personal and kept between us and our Lord. Don’t rent a billboard and let the entire world know that you have given money or donated time to the homeless or needy.  If you do, then you are only seeking attention for yourself and not for the glory of God. Give of yourself, give your time, lend your neighbor a hand. Help someone out who isn’t expecting your help, but who could benefit from a kind word or nice deed. Giving doesn’t have to be about money, but should be about giving of your time and of yourself to others and to the Lord.

What are you expecting to receive during Lent?  What do you want?  Where are you going to get it?  Are you expecting to receive a blessing this Lenten season? If you are, what are you going to give up or sacrificing to receive your blessing? It’s not owed to you, you aren’t going to open the front door and find it sitting on your porch delivered by UPS or Fed Ex, and no personal messenger is going to bring it to your office. You have to go out and work for it, spread love and kindness to receive your blessing, share of yourself and your time, spend time with others and show them how God’s love can be a joyful and amazing force in their lives. Show them what a joyful and amazing force God’s love is in YOUR life.  What we give up for Lent reminds us of what Jesus gave up for us. He gave everything so that we may have eternal life. We can give up a few hours or our time or a few dollars of our money so that others in need may feel loved and appreciated. Even if we do nothing more than just lend an ear to listen, or to sit and chat with someone who is lonely and who desires companionship, then we have done as Jesus did – we have given of ourselves so that others will not be without.

The glory of these forty days
we celebrate with songs of praise;
for Christ, through whom all things were made,
himself has fasted and has prayed.

Alone and fasting Moses saw
the loving God who gave the law;
and to Elijah, fasting, came
the steeds and chariots of flame.

So Daniel trained his mystic sight,
delivered from the lions’ might;
and John, the Bridegroom’s friend, became
the herald of Messiah’s name.

Then grant us, Lord, like them to be
full oft in fast and prayer with thee;
our spirits strengthen with thy grace,
and give us joy to see thy face.

O Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
to thee be every prayer addressed,
who art in three-fold Name adored,
from age to age, the only Lord.

Words: Latin, sixth century;
trans. Maurice F. Bell, 1906

 

Far too many times in our world today, happiness and success is seen as how much wealth we have, the type and size of our homes and cars, what job position or title we have, or how many holidays we can enjoy taking.  These are not the ways in which we should see TRUE happiness and success, as this can only come from having God in our hearts and lives and by following his teachings to us.

Jesus Christ also once set down eight principles for the measure of a person’s happiness and success. His standards stand in stark contrast to the aforementioned. There would appear to be an extremely wide difference between the popular image of the successful and happy person and what God sees it to actually mean.

At the beginning of Jesus’s ministry when gaining in popularity, he delivered a sermon to the multitudes from the quiet of the rolling grassy hills of northern Israel, by the Sea of Galilee. Listening to this sermon were rich and poor, young and old, varied races, those who were astute business men and those who were failures. In fact, the crowd that Jesus spoke to that day represented the world in miniature form.

Yet, as different as they all were, Jesus understood that they were all on the same quest. They were all after the same thing. They all wanted happiness and success. Well, we are just like them aren’t we? Isn’t that what we want for ourselves? Isn’t that what we ultimately want for our children?

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The first step on the path to the Kingdom of God is recognition that one is spiritually poor. The poor in spirit know there are few spiritual resources in themselves. They know they need help from above. The poor in spirit KNOW they need the Kingdom of God. Others don’t understand that need or don’t want to acknowledge the need because they think they can save themselves on their own and don’t want the Kingdom. God doesn’t force His kingdom, but he does gladly give it to all who know they’re losers without Him and humbly seek His help.

With pride gone, trust in self, intellect, and possessions gone, one is ready to mourn. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” When Jesus says those who mourn, he isn’t talking about a bunch of people who are just sitting around crying. One who mourns is one who is moved to express deep concern. One who mourns is one who is really grieved that things are way they are. The mournful take no joy in idly contemplating their miserable failures. The mournful aren’t content to say “that’s the way things are, there’s nothing I can really do about it.” Those who mourn are sick and they know it, and they want to get well. One who mourns is concerned to the point of action, which explains why they shall be comforted. There is hope in action, that things that are wrong can be changed, and as kingdom people those who mourn live with the promise that things will not always be as they are.

Jesus moves then from the mournful to the meek saying “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” When Jesus says “meek” he’s not talking about a bunch of pushovers. Meekness is that mysterious ingredient which baffles the high and mighty of this world. The meek surrender their will so completely that their will becomes God’s will, that whoever fights them is fighting against God. Surrendered human will is the agency through which God’s power is released upon the earth. This is why the meek inherit the earth. Only the totally committed are considered worthy of inheritance of God’s kingdom on earth.

Then Jesus told the crowd that “Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled.” Religious life in Jesus’ day emphasized the external. Many people obeyed the Jewish Law because they were expected to, not necessarily because they really believed in it. Many were motivated by a sense of reward or were motivated by earning the praise of others. Jesus was aware of the prevailing hunger and thirst for what everyone called righteousness, but was really praise.

Kingdom citizens who had really submitted themselves to God would have a deep desire for righteousness of the Kingdom instead of a mock hunger for what had been called righteousness. Such imitation righteousness, humanity’s empty praise, never did and never would satisfy the inner craving of the soul. This is not the case with inward, vital, and joyous righteousness rooted in the true love of God and neighbor, not worldly praise. This righteousness yields fullness and fulfillment that are beyond anything humans can offer.

Next Jesus says “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” Mercy is warm, compassionate, tender, and never seeks to barter. Mercy isn’t offered expecting something in return. The merciful want to gladly share all that they have with others and with the world. To the merciful, people aren’t beggars to whom one gives a part, but are brothers and sisters with whom one shares all. A secret has been revealed to those who are merciful. True joy and fulfillment can be found in sharing generously of what one has, but that secret will be lost if the merciful become miserly with their resources. In his first letter John captures the spirit of this Beatitude when he asks: “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?”

Jesus then speaks of the pure of heart. He says they will see God. Kingdom people exhibit an honest desire for real righteousness. A pure heart is a new nature formed in us, not something we create ourselves. A pure heart is a gift from the father to those who want it. A pure heart fosters the desire in us to break away from sin in all its many forms. A pure heart will help us break away from our former masters. Kingdom people can’t have one god for inside and one god for outside.

Having more than one master makes life confused and tense. Having to keep our eyes focused on more than one master makes us cross-eyed, and causes our vision to be so blurred that we can’t see anything clearly. The eyes of the pure in heart are singly focused. Their sight isn’t impaired. This is why Jesus said they would see God.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Peacemaking is what God does. God is bent on the salvation of the world. That’s why he sent His only Son to save us. Peacemakers are those with God in this plan of redeeming the world. God’s plan of peacemaking isn’t merely to bring about an outward settlement between evil people, God wants instead to create a people of goodwill. Peacemakers are agents of the Kingdom of God, which alone is capable of bringing true peace. It’s hard to ignore and to be indifferent to a body of Christians living as peacemakers. The peacemakers confront the world with an entirely different way of life, a new way of thinking, a changed set of values, and a higher standard of righteousness. And in this new way of living, the peacemakers may seem subversive to those loyal to the world.

Finally, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus says that Kingdom people very well may get persecuted by those who still uphold the world’s standards. Jesus is often accused of being a visionary. He was, in fact, the world’s greatest realist. Jesus wasn’t blind to the explosive nature of the things he was preaching and teaching. He knew it would lead to his own persecution and death. He knew that the Kingdom of the Spirit and Truth was the mortal enemy to systems built on power, greed, oppression, and falsehood. Jesus knew that conflict was inevitable, but offers solace to those who keep the faith in the face of difficult times. Persecution is terrible, but the emptiness of faithlessness is far worse.

If we truly listen to the word of God and follow it in our hearts and in our lives, we will then find the only true happiness and success.

“Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.”
These last few days, this small bit of poetry has been running through my head. It is a few lines of a longer poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (originally The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere) by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–98. Though I am sure Mr. Coleridge could never imagined how pertinant his poem is to our modern times. This has been the situation in my part of the world. Here in West Virginia, for the last week, we have been under a water crisis. A chemical was leaked in to our water supply, and a water ban was issued for over 300,000 people. Not only did this affect individual households, but schools, hospitals, restaurants. The impact of this water ban has made me realize how something we all take for granted, meaning clean, safe drinking water, is actually a luxury. Of course we all see the commercials about children in other parts of the world, who need clean drinking water, but what happens when you are the one needing water? You can’t bathe, wash your hands, cook, do laundry, etc. All restaurants are shut down, the store shelves are cleared of their current stock of bottled water, and hospitals emergency rooms begin filling up with patients who appear to be suffering the effects from accidentally drinking the toxic water. Thank goodness outside agencies and individuals began pouring resources in to our state, providing cases of bottled water, huge tanks of water, and other items people may need. The outpouring of geneerosity, kindness, and help has been overwhelming.
As the water ban began lifting for a few cities , and we began the long process of flushing our pipes, and any appliances that use water, a sense of normalcy is begins to return to our state, but the lasting affects of the water crisis will be felt for a very long time. Never again will I take this precious resource for granted. Since water has beeen on my mind this past week, I was curious as to how many times water was mentioned in the Bible. Well, seems quite a bit. Water is mentioned 722 times, more than faith or hope. Which serves as a reminder as to how important this liquid is to not only our life, but also our very salvation. I have listed here a few Bible verses where water is mentioned, in no particular order.

John 4:14 – But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Ezekiel 36:25 – Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

John 7:38 – He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Isaiah 43:2 – When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Revelation 21:6 – And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Matthew 3:16 – And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

Exodus 17:1 – And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and [there was] no water for the people to drink.

Genesis 1:9 – And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.

Revelation 16:4 – And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

John 3:5 – Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Numbers 20:11 – And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts [also].

Revelation 8:11 – And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

As detailed in these verses, it is made plain how not only is water critical to our very existence, but also a way to seek salvation., through baptism. I believe my favorite verse is:
John 4:14 – But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Next time you turn on your tap, to either get a drink or wash your hands, think how this simple fluid, is actually a life-giving resource that should never be taken for granted. I know that I will never look at clean water as just a convenience, but will see it as a generous gift from our Creator.

“I heard the bells on Christmas day. Their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the words repeat- of peace on earth, good will to men!”

We awoke this morning and the world was different. Magical. Joyous. Something special in the air. The sounds of church bells. The sounds of children’s laughter, family chatter and holiday greetings from just about everyone! It is Christmas Day!

There is no other day like Christmas Day. As far back as our childhood memories can take us, Christmas Day is special. A gathering of family and friends. Toys and gifts scattered about hidden beneath mountains of wrapping paper. Smells of pine from the tree mix with tempting smells from the oven. And Christmas carols, everywhere- on the radio and television and overflowing from Church. They sing from my lips, dance in my ears and rejoice in my heart! Wonderful familiar tunes, bringing back more memories of youth and loved ones departed.

“I thought as how, this day had come, the belfries of all Christendom- had rolled along the unbroken song- of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Christmas Day! The birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord! Not just in my home or town, but everywhere. Everywhere! Across the globe, in whatever time zone- Christians- “all of Christendom” are like me, celebrating Christmas. The magic and wonder is everywhere. That childish joy and anticipation of the day is everywhere. And everywhere Christians are recalling how the birth of Christ has changed the world. How Christ offers us hope and renewal. How Christ came to live among us, be with us and love us. How Christ came to teach us lessons for life and give us His promise for everlasting life.  All of this possible- all of this promise, from that wondrous birth in the manger at Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago!

“And in despair I bowed my head, there is no peace on earth I said. For hate is strong and mocks the song, of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Wait, the joy of Christmas? Wars continue. The Middle East, as it has been for decades, is a mess. North Korea and Iran keep popping up into the news threatening the nightmare of nuclear weapons. I also cannot escape the television news coverage of senseless shootings- in our schools, communities and college campuses. I was a police officer for thirty years- I do not understand this violence.

Violence, that word alone is all that is needed to shatter my Christmas joy. Wandering gangs of youth now play a mindless game of hitting strangers to see if they can knock them out with one punch.  I do not understand. A homeless man in Hoboken NJ was recently killed this way.

Homeless, there too another word- another issue to intrude its reality into the joy of my Christmas. There is no media coverage here. Thousands spend this Christmas without homes, hot meals or the simplest comfort.  How can I go around singing about joy, peace and good will?  It is almost as if I can hear Satan himself laughing in ridicule- “for hate is strong and mocks the song…”  “Celebrate the birth of your Messiah”  Satan rebukes me, “you have learned nothing from him.”  In despair I bow my head. Where is my compassion? Where is my love? Who is my neighbor? How can I help him?

“Then pealed the bless more loud and deep: God is not dead, nor does he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail- with peace on earth, good will to men!”

Wait, get thee behind me Satan- God is not dead! God lives! God is here with me- with us now! We are the instruments of His work. It is we who must accomplish Christ’s acts of mercy. It is we who must clothe the naked, feed the hungry and give drink to those who are thirsty- both literally and spiritually. It is we who must pray for and call for, peace. It is we who must demand equality and accountability. God demands these things. God requires us intercede.

So this is the joy of Christmas. I can see Jesus smiling down upon me. He tasks me not to forget the broken of spirit. He invites me to reach out to them- the lost, the lonely, the addicted, the distraught.  Share with them the Good News! That is what His Gospel means, good news! Be not weary or poor of spirit- the angel brings “good news which shall be for all people. That today is born in the town of David, a Savior- he is the Messiah, Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:10-11)

So I wish to you, my brothers and sisters in Christ- the most joyous and blessed Christmas Day!  God is not dead, nor does He sleep. He lives with us and through us. Let us go forth from today and into the New Year- with His greatest Christmas gift to us- the Good News which shall be for all people– Christ is born! Christ lives! Christ loves!

…. and on earth, peace and good will to men.  Amen.

In our childhoods, most of us learned the little song entitled, “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” It went something like this,

“Mary had a little lamb.

Its fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went.

That lamb was sure to go.”

As we sang that song while we were children, we had no idea that something like that had actually happened. It never dawned on our childish minds that the Bible told the same story. That a young girl named Mary did indeed have a little Lamb.

Matthew 1:18-25
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do 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 as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”  When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;”

Well, that’s what is happening in these verses in Matthew. It seems that Joseph is engaged to a young maiden named Mary. They were betrothed, which means that they were legally married, but were not yet living together. During this time, word comes to Joseph that Mary is pregnant. Joseph knows that he isn’t the father, but he is sure someone is! He believes that Mary has been unfaithful to him and he decides to get a divorce. Yet, because he loves Mary, he wants to do this thing quietly because the penalty for committing Mary’s crime was death by stoning. However, before he can put his plan into action, God sends an angel to tell Joseph that things aren’t at all like he thinks they are. He tells Mary’s husband that she is carrying a child that was miraculously fathered by the Holy Spirit of God. He is told that this child will be a special child with a special mission. That, in fact, this child is to be the Savior.

Joseph’s reaction is to take Mary into his home and wait with her until the day the baby is born. What they didn’t realize is that this baby, who was growing in Mary’s body was none other than the Lamb of God who would one day die for the sins of all men. Verse 25 tells us that Mary eventually delivered this child. When she did, the Lamb of God was born. In one of the greatest stories in all of Scripture, we learn the truth that Mary Had A Little Lamb. It is that Lamb, that special baby boy, that saves us all.

But what makes this little child, this Lamb so special:

1. Jesus Christ had no human father! His Father is God Himself! What makes the conception of the Lord Jesus so fantastic is the fact that He was born to a virgin! Now we all know the traditional method by which babies are conceived and brought into this world. However, the conception of Jesus was different! His mother was a virgin.

2. From the day Jesus came into this world until the day He ascended back into Heaven, He was a very special person indeed!  He could feed multitudes, open blinded eyes, heal the sick and even raise the dead. Walking on water posed no problem for the Lord Jesus, neither did stilling a violent storm. Everything He did marked Him as being special. These activities were merely proof that He was indeed who He claimed to be.

3. Jesus was never shy about telling people who He was. Jesus claimed that He was the Son of God in Heaven. All the people supposed Him to be the son of Joseph, Mark 6:3. However, Jesus claimed a special relationship with the Father in Heaven. It was these very claims that ultimately lead to His death, and resurrction.

As we can see, Mary’s little Lamb came into this world for one purpose. It was not to walk on water, it was not to heal sick folks, it was not to open blinded eyes, it was not to calm storms. Jesus came for the sole purpose of dying! He was a special Lamb, because He came to be a sacrificial Lamb. You see, Jesus came to die for the sins of humanity. Luke tells us that His mission in this world was “to seek and to save that which was lost“, Luke 19:10. If He was going to accomplish this, then a price had to be paid, and He paid that price when He went to the cross and died for our sins.

If the story ended here, with Jesus dead on a cross, this would be a sad story to tell. There would be no reason to celebrate Christmas and no need to come to church. There would be no salivation and no hope for our souls. If He died and that was the end of Him, that would be the end of us as well. But, thank God, the story doesn’t end there! Three days after Jesus died on that cross, He emerged, alive and well, from the tomb, Matt. 28:1-6.

In conclusion, when you think about Christmas this year, rushing around trying to buy that last minute gift, or attend yet another boring office party, try to keep things in perspective. Christmas is about that special day when God sent His Son into the world to be the sacrifice for our sins. Christmas is about more than presents, brightly-lit Christmsas trees, endless parties, and long to-do lists. Its about us all stopping for a moment, and asking ourselves-Yes, Mary had a little Lamb, do you?