To listen to the audio version, click here.
Wednesday, January 7
Acts 9:10-16
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."
But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."
Way back in the winter of 1981 or so I was working at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana and completing my graduate degree at Ball State University in Muncie, which was about 25 miles away. So I would drive 40 minutes every evening to my 6:30 pm class; then drive the 40 minutes back home again at about 11 o’clock at night.
One night I walked out of the classroom building and found myself in the middle of a blizzard. It was cold, I was tired, and just wanted to get home. The 40 minute trip was probably going to be at least an hour with all the snow so I wasn’t very happy. Then it got worse.
I only made it a couple of blocks when my 1973 Thunderbird stalled out at a stop light and wouldn’t start up again. It was 11 at night; snowing like crazy and I was stuck right in the middle of an intersection in Muncie, Indiana, no cell phone, no smart phone, no idea what to do next.
As I sat there feeling sorry for myself I saw a guy walking across the intersection toward my car. He was wearing a dark hooded jacket pulled low so I couldn’t see his face. My first reaction was to lock my doors because he looked kind of dangerous. I mean, what kind of person is walking around at 11 at night in a snowstorm. He walked straight to my car and as he approached he motioned for me to roll the window down. I rolled it down about an inch.
He said, “Pop the hood.”
I had no choice so I did what he said. I could hear him doing something under the hood but I couldn’t see what was going on. I had visions of him stealing my battery and leaving me there to freeze to death.
After a few seconds he yelled, “Try it now!” I turned the key and my car started right up.
The guy just waved and walked away; I never even got his name.
Jesus has confronted Saul; but Saul needs help.
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."
We don’t know much about this man Ananias. He was evidently a Jewish background follower of Jesus living in Damascus. Some scholars think he was likely a leader of the church in that city and may have had prophetic gifts. What we know for sure is that God calls Ananias to do an extraordinary thing!
He tells him to go to a certain house, giving him the exact street address, and to help a man from Tarsus named Saul.
Had I been Ananias, I think I may have responded like this:
“Uh... excuse me Lord? For a moment there I thought you said Saul of Tarsus!
“Maybe you haven’t been paying attention to the news lately, but I don’t think Saul of Tarsus is very interested in my help! In fact, I’m pretty sure he’s more interested in dragging me off to prison or worse. Come to think of it, Lord, I’m not very interested in going to help Saul of Tarsus!”
So it’s quite understandable that Ananias’ initial response is one of hesitation.
But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."
We’ll find out tomorrow that Ananias accepts his divine assignment, but can you imagine how strange it must have seemed to him?
Earlier in the fall I told the story of the five young missionaries from Wheaton College - including Jim Elliot and Nate Saint - who were speared to death in 1956 while trying to share the gospel with an indigenous tribe in the jungle of Ecuador.
But I didn’t share the rest of the story.
Within a year Jim Elliot’s widow Elizabeth and Nate Saint’s sister Rachel returned to the very people who had murdered their husband and brother and continued to share the love of Christ with them. The result was the establishment of a church in that tribe.
Has Jesus ever asked you to do a hard job?
Has Jesus ever asked you to move toward someone you knew to be hostile toward the gospel?
Has Jesus ever asked you to reach across a boundary for the sake of the gospel?
Remember the mandate Jesus gave back in Acts 1:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
If being a witness for Christ was easy, we wouldn’t need the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the task! Sometimes to be a witness means to risk rejection or misunderstanding. Sometimes it means to risk far more than that.
Jesus asked Ananias to reach out to a man who once took delight in putting followers of Jesus in prison or worse. He asks Ananias to be his own hands and feet. He asks Ananias to trust his word and his Spirit.
He asks us to do the same.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Tuesday, January 6th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Tuesday, January 6
Acts 9:1-9
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
A number of years ago I got a strange voice mail at my East Campus office. The caller identified himself as being an agent with the “United States State Department.” He went on to say that I was listed as a reference by someone applying for a State Department job and he needed to ask me a few questions. It was late morning on a Tuesday, as I recall, so I thought I would just return the call the next day.
Later that same night I was in an FBCG Board meeting in a small room behind the East Campus chapel. The meeting ran until about 9:45 pm and when I came out of the meeting to head home I was met by a man in trench coat standing in the darkened chapel. He stepped out and said, “Mr. Brian Coffey?” Scared me half to death! What’s a guy in a trench coat doing in the East Campus at almost 10 at night? He opened his coat enough to show me some kind of official looking badge and said, “Can I ask you a few questions?” Something about his tone told me he meant now!
It was the same guy who had called me earlier in the day. He had pursued me, tracked me down, to Geneva; to FBCG; to the East Campus; and to the very room where we were meeting; and had waited in the dark until I left the meeting. It was like something out of a spy movie.
The interview went just fine, but I’ll never forget the sense of being pursued!
This story begins with God in pursuit of Saul.
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
I think we notice two things here:
First, Jesus pursues Saul even as Saul is breathing threats and murder against the early church!
So often we hear people talk about “finding God” or “seeking for God.” But here we see that God is the pursuer and Saul is the one being pursued.
While it is true that human beings can and do pursue knowledge and understanding of God, the Bible teaches that God is always the first pursuer!
John says it this way:
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10
Did you know that God pursued you before you pursued him? God pursued you in love before you knew anything about him. God pursued you when you were not interested in him; and even when you ran from him. It is God’s nature to pursue and he pursued Saul of Tarsus.
Second, we should notice that Saul does not recognize the one who pursues him.
After being blinded by the light from heaven and hearing a voice speak his name, Saul says, “Who are you, Lord?”
Scholars say Saul uses the word “Lord” here as a term of politeness; indicating only that he perceives that the one who speaks to him is greater than he.
So we see that Saul has given his whole life to the study of religious law, but is a stranger to the very God he claims to defend!
In this way I think Saul is a very contemporary figure. The world is full of people quite willing to use the name of God; to speak on behalf of God; or to act in the name of God but who do so without knowing the God they claim to represent.
This is the grace of God; that he pursues in love those who are far from him; that he pursues in truth those who do not know him; that he forgives those who have persecuted him; and that he makes the spiritually dead to live again.
Much later in his life Saul, now Paul, would write:
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:12-14
Lord Jesus,
Thank you for pursuing us when we did not know you and even when we did not want to know you. Thank you for loving me when I did not deserve your love. Thank you for the abundance of your grace; and by your Spirit working in me make me a vessel of your grace to others.
Amen
Pastor Brian Coffey
Tuesday, January 6
Acts 9:1-9
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
A number of years ago I got a strange voice mail at my East Campus office. The caller identified himself as being an agent with the “United States State Department.” He went on to say that I was listed as a reference by someone applying for a State Department job and he needed to ask me a few questions. It was late morning on a Tuesday, as I recall, so I thought I would just return the call the next day.
Later that same night I was in an FBCG Board meeting in a small room behind the East Campus chapel. The meeting ran until about 9:45 pm and when I came out of the meeting to head home I was met by a man in trench coat standing in the darkened chapel. He stepped out and said, “Mr. Brian Coffey?” Scared me half to death! What’s a guy in a trench coat doing in the East Campus at almost 10 at night? He opened his coat enough to show me some kind of official looking badge and said, “Can I ask you a few questions?” Something about his tone told me he meant now!
It was the same guy who had called me earlier in the day. He had pursued me, tracked me down, to Geneva; to FBCG; to the East Campus; and to the very room where we were meeting; and had waited in the dark until I left the meeting. It was like something out of a spy movie.
The interview went just fine, but I’ll never forget the sense of being pursued!
This story begins with God in pursuit of Saul.
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
I think we notice two things here:
First, Jesus pursues Saul even as Saul is breathing threats and murder against the early church!
So often we hear people talk about “finding God” or “seeking for God.” But here we see that God is the pursuer and Saul is the one being pursued.
While it is true that human beings can and do pursue knowledge and understanding of God, the Bible teaches that God is always the first pursuer!
John says it this way:
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10
Did you know that God pursued you before you pursued him? God pursued you in love before you knew anything about him. God pursued you when you were not interested in him; and even when you ran from him. It is God’s nature to pursue and he pursued Saul of Tarsus.
Second, we should notice that Saul does not recognize the one who pursues him.
After being blinded by the light from heaven and hearing a voice speak his name, Saul says, “Who are you, Lord?”
Scholars say Saul uses the word “Lord” here as a term of politeness; indicating only that he perceives that the one who speaks to him is greater than he.
So we see that Saul has given his whole life to the study of religious law, but is a stranger to the very God he claims to defend!
In this way I think Saul is a very contemporary figure. The world is full of people quite willing to use the name of God; to speak on behalf of God; or to act in the name of God but who do so without knowing the God they claim to represent.
This is the grace of God; that he pursues in love those who are far from him; that he pursues in truth those who do not know him; that he forgives those who have persecuted him; and that he makes the spiritually dead to live again.
Much later in his life Saul, now Paul, would write:
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:12-14
Lord Jesus,
Thank you for pursuing us when we did not know you and even when we did not want to know you. Thank you for loving me when I did not deserve your love. Thank you for the abundance of your grace; and by your Spirit working in me make me a vessel of your grace to others.
Amen
Pastor Brian Coffey
Monday, January 5th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Monday, January 5
Acts 9:1-9
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
If you like football this time of year is close to heaven. The NFL playoffs are about to begin and the college “bowl season” is in full swing. It seems like you can turn on the TV almost any time of day or night and see college teams playing in “The Chic-fil-a Peach Bowl,” or “The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl,” or “The Idaho Potato Bowl,” (I’m not making that up!). I don’t know about you but I’m not sure how I could live without “The Idaho Potato Bowl!”
If you don’t happen to like football, well, good luck!
Perhaps the most famous college bowl game of all is the “Rose Bowl;” which takes place every January in Pasadena, California. Some of you will remember that one of the most famous plays in college football history took place in the 1929 Rose Bowl game between the University of California and Georgia Tech.
A young man named Roy Riegels was California’s All American center and captain of the team. His coach called Roy the smartest player he ever coached.
Midway through the second quarter of what was a scoreless game, Riegels picked up a fumble by Georgia Tech and raced toward the end zone.
He ran 69 yards, legs pumping as fast as he could go and the crowd of 100,000 screaming in excitement; but he ran the wrong way! Somehow he had gotten disoriented in the scramble for the ball and ran the length of the field toward his own end zone. His own teammates chased him, screaming at him to turn around, but with the roar of the crowd in his ears he couldn’t hear them. He was tackled at the 1 yard line and the next play resulted in a safety against his team and California went on to lose the Rose Bowl by a score of 8-7.
The play is widely regarded as the biggest blunder in college football history, and for the rest of his life Roy Riegels nickname was “Wrong Way Riegels.”
To his credit Mr. Riegels dealt with his mistake with great grace, eventually turning it into a career as a motivational speaker, encouraging people to learn from and grow through their failures.
The story we look at today is a spiritual wrong way story.
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Saul of Tarsus, who eventually became Paul the Apostle, was born in the city of Tarsus (located in the southeastern region of what is Turkey today) at about the same time Jesus was born. He was born into the highest degree of Jewish ancestry. His parents adhered strictly to the Law of Moses and sought to protect their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles.
Saul was a brilliant student who’s formal religious education was under a rabbi named Gamaliel, perhaps the most respected rabbi in Jerusalem at the time.
By this time Saul had become very influential in the religious leadership of Jerusalem and was a vicious enemy of the new sect of Judaism called “The Way;” or followers of Jesus. He regarded Jesus as a blasphemer and therefore saw his followers as having rejected the Law of Moses and worthy of judgment. He was quite willing to inflict pain and suffering on anyone who dared call Jesus “Lord.” Saul was a very dangerous man.
Luke tells us in chapter 8 that Saul stood by as Stephen was being stoned to death; lending his approval.
Here Luke says Saul was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord...” and that he was on his way to Damascus, a city located about 135 miles north of Jerusalem (modern day Syria), to hunt for followers of Jesus to arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.
This part of Saul’s story teaches us that it is possible, spiritually speaking, to be both sincere and sincerely wrong.
Just as Roy Riegels ran as fast as he could only to discover he was running the wrong way, Saul is about to find out that he’s been doing his best to wipe out the followers of Jesus but that he has been wrong in what he thinks about Jesus and wrong in what he thinks about himself.
When it comes to Jesus there are only two ways to run; toward him or away from him. Which way are you running today?
Pastor Brian Coffey
Monday, January 5
Acts 9:1-9
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
If you like football this time of year is close to heaven. The NFL playoffs are about to begin and the college “bowl season” is in full swing. It seems like you can turn on the TV almost any time of day or night and see college teams playing in “The Chic-fil-a Peach Bowl,” or “The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl,” or “The Idaho Potato Bowl,” (I’m not making that up!). I don’t know about you but I’m not sure how I could live without “The Idaho Potato Bowl!”
If you don’t happen to like football, well, good luck!
Perhaps the most famous college bowl game of all is the “Rose Bowl;” which takes place every January in Pasadena, California. Some of you will remember that one of the most famous plays in college football history took place in the 1929 Rose Bowl game between the University of California and Georgia Tech.
A young man named Roy Riegels was California’s All American center and captain of the team. His coach called Roy the smartest player he ever coached.
Midway through the second quarter of what was a scoreless game, Riegels picked up a fumble by Georgia Tech and raced toward the end zone.
He ran 69 yards, legs pumping as fast as he could go and the crowd of 100,000 screaming in excitement; but he ran the wrong way! Somehow he had gotten disoriented in the scramble for the ball and ran the length of the field toward his own end zone. His own teammates chased him, screaming at him to turn around, but with the roar of the crowd in his ears he couldn’t hear them. He was tackled at the 1 yard line and the next play resulted in a safety against his team and California went on to lose the Rose Bowl by a score of 8-7.
The play is widely regarded as the biggest blunder in college football history, and for the rest of his life Roy Riegels nickname was “Wrong Way Riegels.”
To his credit Mr. Riegels dealt with his mistake with great grace, eventually turning it into a career as a motivational speaker, encouraging people to learn from and grow through their failures.
The story we look at today is a spiritual wrong way story.
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Saul of Tarsus, who eventually became Paul the Apostle, was born in the city of Tarsus (located in the southeastern region of what is Turkey today) at about the same time Jesus was born. He was born into the highest degree of Jewish ancestry. His parents adhered strictly to the Law of Moses and sought to protect their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles.
Saul was a brilliant student who’s formal religious education was under a rabbi named Gamaliel, perhaps the most respected rabbi in Jerusalem at the time.
By this time Saul had become very influential in the religious leadership of Jerusalem and was a vicious enemy of the new sect of Judaism called “The Way;” or followers of Jesus. He regarded Jesus as a blasphemer and therefore saw his followers as having rejected the Law of Moses and worthy of judgment. He was quite willing to inflict pain and suffering on anyone who dared call Jesus “Lord.” Saul was a very dangerous man.
Luke tells us in chapter 8 that Saul stood by as Stephen was being stoned to death; lending his approval.
Here Luke says Saul was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord...” and that he was on his way to Damascus, a city located about 135 miles north of Jerusalem (modern day Syria), to hunt for followers of Jesus to arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.
This part of Saul’s story teaches us that it is possible, spiritually speaking, to be both sincere and sincerely wrong.
Just as Roy Riegels ran as fast as he could only to discover he was running the wrong way, Saul is about to find out that he’s been doing his best to wipe out the followers of Jesus but that he has been wrong in what he thinks about Jesus and wrong in what he thinks about himself.
When it comes to Jesus there are only two ways to run; toward him or away from him. Which way are you running today?
Pastor Brian Coffey
Wednesday, Dec. 24
Wednesday
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” - Matthew 1:22-23
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14
The name "Immanuel" appears twice in the Hebrew Scriptures and once in the New Testament. One of the most comforting of all the names and titles of Jesus, it is literally translated "with us is God" or, as Matthew's Gospel puts it, "God with us." When our sins made it impossible for us to come to him, God took the outrageous step of coming to us, of making himself susceptible to sorrow, familiar with temptation, and vulnerable to sin's disruptive power, in order to cancel its claim. In Jesus we see how extreme God's love is. Remember this the next time you feel discouraged, abandoned, or too timid to undertake some new endeavor. For Jesus is still Immanuel — he is still "God with us."
The name "Immanuel" first appears in Isaiah 7:14 as part of a prophetic word that Isaiah spoke to King Ahaz of Judah (the southern kingdom) at a time when Syria and Israel (the northern kingdom) had formed a coalition against Assyria. The prophet Isaiah counseled Ahaz not to join in their uprising against Assyria, the region's greatest power, assuring him it would not succeed. He urged Ahaz to trust in the Lord rather than to appeal to Assyria for help against Syria and Israel, who were threatening to invade Judah for not joining their uprising. Then he invited Ahaz to ask the Lord for a sign to confirm the prophetic word, but the unfaithful king refused, having already decided to place his trust not in the Lord but in Assyria.
In response to Ahaz's refusal to trust God, Isaiah proclaimed: "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of human beings? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Shortly after that Syria and Israel were soundly defeated, exactly as Isaiah had prophesied. Many years later the southern kingdom of Judah was destroyed by Babylon, its people taken captive.
Matthew's Gospel recalls Isaiah's prophecy, applying it to the child who would be born of Mary, the virgin betrothed to Joseph. The sign given hundreds of years earlier to an apostate king was meant for all God's people.
In fact the Bible is nothing if not the story of God's persistent desire to dwell with his people. In Jesus, God would succeed in a unique way, becoming a man in order to save the world not from the outside, but from the inside. Immanuel, God with us, to rescue, redeem, and restore our relationship with him.
"The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of the earth - the very thing the whole story has been about." - C.S. Lewis
Jeff Frazier
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” - Matthew 1:22-23
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14
The name "Immanuel" appears twice in the Hebrew Scriptures and once in the New Testament. One of the most comforting of all the names and titles of Jesus, it is literally translated "with us is God" or, as Matthew's Gospel puts it, "God with us." When our sins made it impossible for us to come to him, God took the outrageous step of coming to us, of making himself susceptible to sorrow, familiar with temptation, and vulnerable to sin's disruptive power, in order to cancel its claim. In Jesus we see how extreme God's love is. Remember this the next time you feel discouraged, abandoned, or too timid to undertake some new endeavor. For Jesus is still Immanuel — he is still "God with us."
The name "Immanuel" first appears in Isaiah 7:14 as part of a prophetic word that Isaiah spoke to King Ahaz of Judah (the southern kingdom) at a time when Syria and Israel (the northern kingdom) had formed a coalition against Assyria. The prophet Isaiah counseled Ahaz not to join in their uprising against Assyria, the region's greatest power, assuring him it would not succeed. He urged Ahaz to trust in the Lord rather than to appeal to Assyria for help against Syria and Israel, who were threatening to invade Judah for not joining their uprising. Then he invited Ahaz to ask the Lord for a sign to confirm the prophetic word, but the unfaithful king refused, having already decided to place his trust not in the Lord but in Assyria.
In response to Ahaz's refusal to trust God, Isaiah proclaimed: "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of human beings? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Shortly after that Syria and Israel were soundly defeated, exactly as Isaiah had prophesied. Many years later the southern kingdom of Judah was destroyed by Babylon, its people taken captive.
Matthew's Gospel recalls Isaiah's prophecy, applying it to the child who would be born of Mary, the virgin betrothed to Joseph. The sign given hundreds of years earlier to an apostate king was meant for all God's people.
In fact the Bible is nothing if not the story of God's persistent desire to dwell with his people. In Jesus, God would succeed in a unique way, becoming a man in order to save the world not from the outside, but from the inside. Immanuel, God with us, to rescue, redeem, and restore our relationship with him.
"The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of the earth - the very thing the whole story has been about." - C.S. Lewis
Jeff Frazier
Tuesday, Dec. 23
Tuesday
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait for the LORD" - Psalm 27:14
What's the longest you've had to wait for something? I imagine almost everyone has a memory of Christmas Eve as a child; squeezing your eyes shut, trying with all your might to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. For those of you with orthodox parents, you knew that even opening one present before Christmas morning was akin to high heresy. And so you counted sheep and waited.
Waiting is still difficult. We expect everything to be at our fingertips the moment we have the desire for it. It's a world we're growing into and it's addicting. We live in a world of downloads, high-speed email, on demand, and Hot Pockets. Yet God finds ways of making us wait. Waiting and faith go hand-in-hand.
Waiting is the embodiment of faith. In Hebrews 11:13 we are reminded that faith involves trust in God's promise even if the promises of God are fulfilled long after we're gone. The writer says, "These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance ..."
Advent is about faith and waiting. What are you waiting on God for this year? Remember the years of silence as God's people waited for the Messiah. Take time today, right now, to reflect on the fact that God's timing is quite different from ours. The story of Jesus birth gives us assurance and joy because even though the waiting lingered for decades, God broke through at just the right time.
Are you struggling with a lack of faith? That's OK. It doesn't take much faith to get God's attention. Jesus encouraged his frustrated followers this way: "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).
Most of us try to grow a forest in one day. Jesus, however, invites you to begin with a tiny seed. Watch it grow and wait for it to become all that you dreamed it would be.
Are you willing to plant faith and wait upon God? Nothing seems to be appearing on the horizon today, but just wait! God always keeps his promises, even to those who have little faith. Just wait.
Lord, I remember the years of waiting for a Messiah. I'm often impatient with my life. Please teach me to enjoy You and not just the blessings I see in Your hands. Fill my days with laughter and joy through hardship and uncertainty. Remind me that when I think I'm waiting for an eternity, it really isn't. Life on this earth is infinitesimally smaller than a second in the light of true eternity. - Amen
Waiting is still difficult. We expect everything to be at our fingertips the moment we have the desire for it. It's a world we're growing into and it's addicting. We live in a world of downloads, high-speed email, on demand, and Hot Pockets. Yet God finds ways of making us wait. Waiting and faith go hand-in-hand.
- We wait for the baby we've dreamed we'd hold in our arms.
- Some wait for a prodigal to come to the end of himself and return home.
- Many of us are waiting for the phone to ring so we can return to a job with a normal salary and benefits.
- Others are waiting for a spiritual breakthrough that will open our eyes.
- An entire nation waited centuries before their eternal king appeared.
- Mary wasn't given a full-grown son.
- The Wise Men from the east didn't see the Messiah to appear at their front door.
Jeff Frazier
Monday, Dec. 22
Monday
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 the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. 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 the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:8-14
The message of the angels to the shepherds was one of good news that would bring "great joy"...but what exactly is joy?
Joy is trusting when you want to doubt.
Joy is receiving what you want to reject.
Can you imagine how the master of the house would have felt if he said to Mary and Joseph, "Of course you can't stay in that stable! Who do you take me for?" We find joy in making room for people in need. Reflect on the mysterious words found in Hebrews: "Don't neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2).
Joy is celebrating when you want to fear.
What's the first thing angels say to mortals? It's standard protocol. In just about every divine encounter the angels say: "Fear not." I can hear Jesus instruct His most trusted angels. "OK, let's go over this again ... Most of the people that I'll tell you to speak to will be scared out of their wits! So let's practice the greeting one more time." Then the angels would all say in unison, "Fear not."
The message is clear. God is not looking for ways to scare us into faith. He drew near to us to relieve the worries we have about crossing over the divide between heaven and earth. He wants us to know that He's going to take care of us no matter what happens. One of the names that He was called long before he ever stepped on this world's stage was Immanuel meaning "God with us." No matter what we go through we can whisper this simple truth: "Jesus is with me." Think about it. He is with you in your greatest victories and your most humiliating defeats. Jesus is with you at all times in all things.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.Where there is discord, union.Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
— Prayer for Peace of St. Francis of Assisi
Happiness is an emotion that can disappear as quickly as it rises to the surface. Joy, however, is a choice. We have a choice. God gives us a joy that is unconquerable. We can choose to live in an attitude of resentment, anger, and fear or we can choose to pursue the joy of Christ.
Can you imagine how the master of the house would have felt if he said to Mary and Joseph, "Of course you can't stay in that stable! Who do you take me for?" We find joy in making room for people in need. Reflect on the mysterious words found in Hebrews: "Don't neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2).
What's the first thing angels say to mortals? It's standard protocol. In just about every divine encounter the angels say: "Fear not." I can hear Jesus instruct His most trusted angels. "OK, let's go over this again ... Most of the people that I'll tell you to speak to will be scared out of their wits! So let's practice the greeting one more time." Then the angels would all say in unison, "Fear not."
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.Where there is discord, union.Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
— Prayer for Peace of St. Francis of Assisi
Jeff Frazier
Friday, Dec. 19th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Friday, December 19
John 1: 12-13
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
This text, along with a number of others in the Bible, points to two kinds of birth. There is physical birth; the biological process by which a human infant is thrust from the mother’s womb and out into the cold world. This process is usually preceded by intense labor pains, considerable mess, and followed by great tears of joy. Physical birth is something that all human beings have in common.
The second kind of birth is spiritual. It does not involve a mother’s womb although it often does involve a kind of labor, at least some mess, as well as tears of joy. Spiritual birth is not the result of the physical love of a man and a woman, rather it is the result of the redemptive work of God who brings new life to a once deadened heart.
Earlier in the week I mentioned a speech President Obama gave during the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and I want to mention it again today. He said:
“It’s the story of hope--the birth of a singular child into the simplest of circumstances--a child who would grow up to live a life of humility, and kindness, and compassion...who taught us to care for the poor, and the marginalized, and those who are different from ourselves,” “And more than two millennia later, the way he lived still compels us to do our best to build a more just and tolerant and decent world.
All that sounds good, and certainly we are to live lives of “humility, kindness and compassion,” but that’s not the primary reason Jesus came; at least not according to the Bible.
In Ephesians 2 Paul writes:
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:1-5)
Paul reminds us here that the point of Christianity; the point of the Word becoming flesh; the point of Jesus dying on the cross and rising again from the dead; was not to make us better people, but rather to turn spiritually dead people into spiritually alive people.
Jesus said it this way:
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)
The heart of the Christian faith is not about goodness or tolerance or compassion or service; the heart of the Christian faith is death and resurrection.
Right now some of you are thinking, “Hey, Pastor Brian, you’re talking about the wrong holiday!
We’re supposed to talk about death and resurrection at Easter; this is Christmastime! Let’s talk about the baby in the manger!”
Well, I am talking about the baby in the manger! One of great problems of our cultural celebration of Christmas is that we have cut the gospel out of the story.
The whole story begins with an angel coming to Joseph to tell him about the child already growing in his fiancé's womb:
“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.”(Matthew 1:21)
There is it.
There’s the reason for the whole story.
“He will save his people from their sins.”
The child in the manger is the man on the cross.
The man on the cross died that you and I might live.
The last verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” says it well:
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sins and enter in,
Be born in us today.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Friday, December 19
John 1: 12-13
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
This text, along with a number of others in the Bible, points to two kinds of birth. There is physical birth; the biological process by which a human infant is thrust from the mother’s womb and out into the cold world. This process is usually preceded by intense labor pains, considerable mess, and followed by great tears of joy. Physical birth is something that all human beings have in common.
The second kind of birth is spiritual. It does not involve a mother’s womb although it often does involve a kind of labor, at least some mess, as well as tears of joy. Spiritual birth is not the result of the physical love of a man and a woman, rather it is the result of the redemptive work of God who brings new life to a once deadened heart.
Earlier in the week I mentioned a speech President Obama gave during the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and I want to mention it again today. He said:
“It’s the story of hope--the birth of a singular child into the simplest of circumstances--a child who would grow up to live a life of humility, and kindness, and compassion...who taught us to care for the poor, and the marginalized, and those who are different from ourselves,” “And more than two millennia later, the way he lived still compels us to do our best to build a more just and tolerant and decent world.
All that sounds good, and certainly we are to live lives of “humility, kindness and compassion,” but that’s not the primary reason Jesus came; at least not according to the Bible.
In Ephesians 2 Paul writes:
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:1-5)
Paul reminds us here that the point of Christianity; the point of the Word becoming flesh; the point of Jesus dying on the cross and rising again from the dead; was not to make us better people, but rather to turn spiritually dead people into spiritually alive people.
Jesus said it this way:
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)
The heart of the Christian faith is not about goodness or tolerance or compassion or service; the heart of the Christian faith is death and resurrection.
Right now some of you are thinking, “Hey, Pastor Brian, you’re talking about the wrong holiday!
We’re supposed to talk about death and resurrection at Easter; this is Christmastime! Let’s talk about the baby in the manger!”
Well, I am talking about the baby in the manger! One of great problems of our cultural celebration of Christmas is that we have cut the gospel out of the story.
The whole story begins with an angel coming to Joseph to tell him about the child already growing in his fiancé's womb:
“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.”(Matthew 1:21)
There is it.
There’s the reason for the whole story.
“He will save his people from their sins.”
The child in the manger is the man on the cross.
The man on the cross died that you and I might live.
The last verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” says it well:
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sins and enter in,
Be born in us today.
Pastor Brian Coffey
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