“The Waiting Is Over”

Scripture: Read Luke 2:1-20

Members of the military have a favorite saying that seems to capture the essence of this life – you may have heard those words - “Hurry up and wait!” When I was in the Navy, I discovered that no one liked either one of those words, not to mention the significance of putting them together! But I also realize that the significance of each is important, not only in a military sense, but in life itself.

“Hurry” tells us that we must always be prepared for what is coming. For our service men and women, being ready for every eventuality could just be the means to their survival. Jesus told a parable about 10 bridesmaids who were waiting for the groom to arrive for the wedding feast. (Matthew 25:1-13) They were to make all preparations to welcome him, regardless of the time of his arrival.
We hurry up so we can be sure that we are ready when the time arrives, whenever that may be.

“Wait” tells us that even though we may be ready, there are two important factors that we have to keep in mind. The first is that timing is everything. A move too early can be disastrous, and can very well lose everything we had hoped to gain. But an even greater issue is that if we aren’t prepared for that important time, no matter when it occurs, we will not only lose our objective, we may even lose ourselves.

Christmas is that time in our life when we must abide by this concept with our whole heart. After all, being prepared, and then waiting for the right time, is in our history, and the people of scripture have had to learn how to do that over and over again.

In Luke 1:5-25, we read of the wait that Zechariah and Elizabeth had to endure. They were already advanced in age, and had never been blessed with children. They didn’t understand why this gift had passed them by, but now it was too late, or so they thought. They were prepared for a child, they had done all that they could to conceive, but they had to wait for God’s time, the day when the child would be given to them. John the Baptist, the herald of Christ, would soon be given, with the mission of bringing the message of hope to a lost and condemned world.

And the world would only have to wait just a little while longer.

Later in Luke’s gospel (Luke 1:26-31), we read of another one who was waiting, but not for the time that was actually coming. A young girl in Nazareth was ready and waiting for her wedding day to come, and while it was on the way, far greater things would occur before that day arrived. The Lord’s time must come first, and she was about to hear of the plan that her Jehovah God had put in motion – a plan that was not only for her life, but for the life of the world. Mary had been preparing for her wedding day with Joseph, but God had been preparing her, by faith, for a Wedding Day in him.

In Mathew 1:18-25, Mary’s intended, Joseph, had been waiting for his marriage to the love of his life, but he was totally unprepared for God’s timing and God’s plan! And instead of jeopardizing his love’s life, he was considering a new plan – a plan that he never wanted to make, but one that he saw as his only option. But Jehovah’s way would, once again, intervene, for the divine plan included both Mary and her beloved Joseph. They would raise this Holy Child together, as a family, and nothing – not worldly plans, not personal expectations, not the impossibilities of human existence – nothing was going to interrupt the divine Plan of Salvation from being birthed in the lives of earth.

Israel had been waiting for Messiah since the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but 1,500 years is a long time to live in anticipation! The people, even though they had the Promise of Messiah, even though they had the Lord’s plan to carry them through those years of expectation, they had decided to make, and live, a plan of their own – one that would take them away from their Lord, instead of closer, one that would keep them from being prepared for his gift.

And in our passage for this evening, the waiting will finally be over. God had been waiting eternally for the perfect time to make all things possible for you and me, and this was to be the day. But things hadn’t been going all that well for the couple - the trip of 100 miles had been difficult for the very, VERY pregnant Mary; when they arrived in the city, the hotels were all fully booked, and there wasn’t even one small room for them to stay in. But the Plan would not, could not, be interrupted or even delayed.

The accommodations may not have been the ideal place to give birth, but they would be adequate, for the heavenly preparations were complete, and the waiting time had come to an end.

Birth should be a reason for excitement! It’s a time of new beginnings. It’s a time to rejoice in a new life. It’s a time for family and new relationships. And “God’s time” would be no different. Imagine the excitement that the angels were feeling as they came to proclaim Messiah’s birth to, of all people, dirty, smelly, shepherds. What could the Lord have been thinking – choosing these “sinners” to be the first to hear? Apparently, though, they were the perfect ones to know, and to begin spreading the word! They were not only prepared to hear, but they had been waiting for this day in patience and humility.

But for others, this entire day was anything but joyful. The royalty of Israel would fear the news; the learned of Israel would deny the news; the people of Israel would be torn between the history lessons that told of Messiah as a great and royal warrior, and the truth of this day, where this divine birth was anything BUT great OR royal. And the rest of the world? It meant nothing to them, so why even think about it!

Waiting is tough! The longer we wait, the more our expectations are reshaped to the point that when the day finally comes, it no longer resembles what we imagine it will be! Waiting can be disastrous!

And that is where the world has been for over 2,000 years, and where we still are today. The first waiting period may be over, but a new one is now swirling through the lands. The expectations of today have no connection whatsoever to the reality of the Day to come. For many, Messiah is no longer seen as loving – they only see him as condemning and judgmental. For others, the ways and commands of God are no longer relevant for their lives – they think that their own ways and desires are just as valid, and maybe even more so, than those of centuries past. For many more, salvation in Jesus Christ has become a matter of insignificance because they either think that eternal life is a myth, or that judgment is a lie and eternal life will be made available to all. And for even more, God doesn’t even exist, so what’s the point!

Waiting can be disastrous, but wait we must, none the less. The Holy Birth in Bethlehem was only the beginning of the end, not the end itself. Jesus’ mission to earth was to show us how to prepare, how to live, how to wait for the day when he returns to claim his faithful. But what about “hurry”? Is there any need for urgency? It’s been 2,000 years already, so what’s a few more years?

But the lesson of that parable of the 10 bridesmaids is vital for our waiting. Five were wise, and five were foolish. The wise ones prepared for the groom as soon as they knew that they would be welcoming him. Their lamps were cared for, and they had enough oil to light the way, even if his arrival was later than expected.
But the foolish ones delayed their preparation for the welcome, believing that they could fill their lamps anytime they wanted. And when the time came, there was no oil available, they couldn’t even get help from the other five, and when they left to buy some oil, the guest of honor arrived. It was just too late for them to show him honor – in more ways than one.

When they finally arrived at the banquet feast, the door was already closed and locked, and as much as they cried and begged, they were left out in the dark and cold of the world. The bridegroom would tell them “I tell you the truth, I do not know you.”
And Jesus completed his teaching with this advice - “Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Are we prepared to welcome the Savior when he returns? The waiting may be difficult, but the preparations aren’t – there is no oil necessary, there is no great gift required, no door that we have to open. The only thing we need to do is to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and to surrender our mortal lives to him, and let him bring a “new birth” and new life” to our souls.

The waiting for Messiah is over, for he has come with an angelic message of great joy, and a song of glory from the heavenly choir, and the praise of a “sinful” few. But a new wait has begun, and the decision that each of us has to consider is this:
How long will we wait before we give our lives in praise and welcome to the returning Savior? He has given the world time to make preparations, but every moment that we delay means that we are getting closer and closer to having to stand outside with no hope of entry to the feast.

Almighty God has given each of us the greatest gift of all time – the chance to know his grace and truth. And the only gift that he can accept from us is our faithful surrender to his life and love.

Are you ready to receive him? Are you prepared to welcome the Savior in his glory? It’s time to put an end to the waiting!

“Rejoice! Testify!”

Scripture: Isaiah 11:10-13, Romans 15:7-13

For many people, Christmas is one of the most depressing times of the entire year. Joy has been replaced with loneliness; celebration with hopelessness; glory with condemnation; spiritual light with darkness of the soul. The burdens of this life can so easily overshadow all of the promises that reside in the life that Jesus offers. And it has never been easy to refocus our life, and it never will.

But the hope that comes to us when we search for that glimmer of divine glory will always be there - waiting for us, seeking us, loving us right where we are. And for thousands of years, people have been discovering that the truth of God is not only enlightening, but it is also liberating, and embracing, and revealing, and above all, loving.

Read Isaiah 11:10-13

For Israel, this prophesy is about the day of Messiah’s arrival. For the Church, of course, it is about the second coming of our Savior. And the day, regardless of whether we are Jewish or Christian, is to be a day of glory and rejoicing unlike anything in all of human history! In the previous 9 verses, Isaiah reveals what that day will be like, and the truth is that it will be totally different than anything we have ever known.

The One who is to come will have wisdom, power, knowledge, and will celebrate God’s presence. Judgment will be part of his coming, but his ruling will be based in wisdom and righteousness, not in what we think, or in what appears to be true, or in what we see and hear (those things we call “facts”!), or in what others say is true.
Evil will be destroyed, and hatred and distrust will no longer be the pollution of this life. (Isaiah 11:1-9)

And on that day, the people will let the former life fall behind them, and will begin to accept Messiah’s way. And in verse 11, when we read that the Savior will “reach out his hand a second time” to claim all of his people, we need to understand that the first time he reaches out will be in judgment and condemnation of all that is not with him. No one will be missed - all of his faithful will be brought to him, and all who do not will be struck down.

This is who has come into this world, the one we celebrate at Christmas!

The passage goes on to talk about the change that will occur between the divided kingdoms of Israel – and of course, the animosity that existed between these tribes of God’s own people is symbolic of the distrust and angst that all of the nations of earth experience. Ephraim, or Israel, the Northern kingdom, and Judah, the Southern kingdom, had separated shortly after Solomon’s reign ended. They quarreled, they fought, they went their separate theological ways, they formed competing alliances (which, by the way, their laws condemned), and they would be conquered by separate, but just as brutal enemies.

But the prophet tells us that one day, the hostility will melt away, and they will be one nation again, under the guidance of their one Lord. So if Israel can be healed in their relationship with each other, so will the rest of the world. There will be one God, one Word, and one Way, and all will concede to its truth. And not only the nations, but all of creation will be healed and reunited with each other, just as Eden was created to be. The wolf and the lamb will enjoy each other’s company, the lion and the ox will eat from the same grasses and grains – everything that once was a reason for division will vanish, and unity will truly become a reality once again.

Read Romans 15:7-9

But until the day of the Lord’s return, we still have ministry to engage in. Think of it as preparation for the day of Christ’s return. While true unity and the absence of hostility will elude us until that day, we are to work toward at least a sense of cooperation - in Christ’s way, of course. And as Paul continues in his letter, he speaks of Christ’s servanthood to Israel.

So how was Christ a servant? He had, first, come to Israel, bringing the truth of God to a people who had allowed the ways of earth to permeate their understanding of God’s commandments. It may very well be that it happened without the people actually realizing it, but then, that is the subtlety of sin! It slowly works its way into our truth, and soon, we attribute it to the truth of “god” – whoever that “god” may be!

But the Lord’s promises have never changed – not from the days they were given to the forefathers of the nation, and not from before time began. And those promises were never intended to bring honor to the people – their sole purpose was to bring the people closer to God, and to acknowledge him as the one who rightly deserved all of their honor and praise.

And so it is with us. Israel was charged with proclaiming the righteousness of Jehovah to the entire world, and not to keep his promises for themselves. And when they refused, God in Christ came to carry out that duty himself. It originally was given to the people, but when we fail to respond, we are out, and God takes over!

Read Romans 15:10-13

Israel was to bring others to the Lord’s way, and if they had, it would be to their credit. But in their failure, God will still be praised – if not by them, then by others. (Matthew 21:1-14) And the leadership of the nation, in their failure to be faithful, were replaced by God himself. And in this reading, Jesus - God Incarnate - is referred to as “the Root of Jesse”.

Consider, for a moment, the purpose of a root.
First, it provides stability to the plant. When the winds of strife begin to blow, it is the root that keeps the plant strong and stable.
Second, the root bring nourishment to the plant. The nutrients of earth could never sustain the plant, if there was no channel for them to flow through. And no matter how large or small, how tall or how short, the nourishment will flow and nurture and grow the plant.
Third, the root, for most plants, remains hidden from those who will benefit from its yield. We rejoice in the harvest of grain, in the ears of corn, in the bushels of peas, while never giving much thought to how they were able to grow and produce the harvest.
And fourth, the root, in some produce, becomes the fruit of the harvest itself.

This is why Jesus is said to be the “root” of our lives.
His life and word is the foundation of our faith. It is solid, and unwavering, and will never let us down.
He nourishes our soul with the truth of God, and we would never know that truth if it wasn’t for Jesus. He helps us to grow and thrive and become who we were always intended to be, and to be far greater than we ever could without him.
In his word and way, the “fruit” that we bear will be “love, joy, peace, patience, …” and all that Galatians 5:22-26 encourages within us. And all that the world sees is our efforts, unless, that is, we proclaim the part that our “Root” has played in our life, and can play, if allowed to, in theirs.
But the greatest “Fruit” of all in the great harvest of souls is the gift of Jesus and his incredible sacrifice that made it all possible.

He set all of his divine rights aside – his glory, his honor, his respect, his life – and because he did, he enabled all of the benefits of heaven to be bestowed on all who would believe in him.

Christmas is, indeed, the reason for the season. And the world needs to hear of his goodness. In your joy, are you ready to rejoice in the Good News of Jesus? Are you prepared to be a witness to the power and presence of the “Root of Jesse”?

After all, isn’t that what the joy of Christmas should be about?

“Hope is the Lord’s Truth”

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:10-14; Lamentations 3:20-33

The word “hope” has little significance in this world. It offers us no certainty, it brings little expectation, it is, at best, indecisive in its nature, and yet, how many times do we hear folks confidently proclaim “I hope so!” even while wanting, but not certain, that it “should be”! The truth is that earth’s “hope” is little more than an expressed desire for something that we fear may never be.

But the “hope” that our Lord offers is totally different than the world’s version. God’s hope is a promise – it’s a promise that has the power and authority of eternal and infinite wisdom behind it. When God offers his people hope, it can be trusted, it becomes our reality.

Read Jeremiah 29:10-14

In the first verse of this passage, the Lord refers to our years in Babylon, and in the last verse, he promises that he will gather us together and “will bring us back to the place from which [he] carried us into exile.” Babylon, for Israel, was the place of exile from God’s presence, and the place that they left behind was the Land of Promise – the covenantal home that was promised to them for eternity.

For the Church, Babylon is nothing more than the life we have right here – our exile is the earthly life that we are living, separated from our Almighty God by sin. And the place that he will come and take us to is our eternal home – the heavenly home that we will inherit as children of our eternal God. (John 14:1-7) And not only is there an incredible home waiting for us, we have a heavenly plan at our disposal. It has already been created for us, it is in motion within our life, and it is right here and right now.
And what a plan it is! It is one of prosperity – in the heavenly sense, of course, not the worldly one – and it is one that not only will never harm us, it is be a plan of hope for now and always. And the Lord tells us, through the prophet, that when we come to the realization of just what this plan can be for our lives, we will come to know just how much the Lord loves us. But if you are thinking that this is referring to the plan for our salvation, it is far more – it is the plan for all that we will do and learn in ministry, in mission, in outreach to the lost, for all that we will do in love and in the name of the Lord! And as we begin to live out this plan for our lives, it will lead us to turn to the Lord, where we will seek his grace, and where we will discover that his presence and promise has been with us since before we were born.

And in this “hope”, in this promise that is given to all who have claimed his plan, they will all be brought together and will be saved from their captivity in this life. His nation, his people, those who love him and his word, will become one in the Lord’s Land of Promise.

Read Lamentations 3:20-24

The Book of Lamentations is also credited to Jeremiah, and is believed to have been written shortly after the Southern Kingdom was taken into captivity by the Babylonians. It is a book of reflection on how they had come to be in this predicament, it is a book to remind the people just what they can expect when they disobey God’s commandments, and it is a book that proclaims the fact that the Lord takes no joy or satisfaction in the suffering of his people – that he only wants the best for them, and his heart breaks when they are living in sorrow and pain and separation from him. But that is always our choice, and not God’s.

In our passage for today, the prophet is remembering all that he had given up, and all that he was now going through, as he suffered for the sins he has committed against his Lord God Jehovah. But even in his suffering, he knows that he has cause to rejoice over the hope that will never be taken from him! (Romans 5:1-5) In verse 22, we read “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” The goodness that is found in the hope of Almighty God will never fail, will never be withdrawn, will never break, will never disappear from our lives! If you have ever heard someone say that they have done something that God can never forgive, tell them that it’s a fallacy – that there is nothing that God can’t forgive, and there is nothing that he doesn’t want to forgive – if we will only give our wayward life over to him.

And the Lord’s plan for our lives is never static and it’s never boring – the prophet says that it is new every day. For some, that may be a bit frightening, but it should be exciting for us. Imagine this life being filled with variety, having a surprise waiting for us around every corner, revealing a new victory, a new blessing for us every time we follow his way and plan! How could this life get any better than that?

Read Lamentations 3:25-30

It seems that not only is the Lord’s hope in us, but we are to place our hope in him! In our walk with God, our hope is no longer a desire, but it becomes a fulfilled relationship that is just as certain as his promise is for us. We become yoked with the Lord in this relationship, and that is a good thing. A yoke means that we share our load and our burdens with the Lord, and when we are weak, his power and strength picks up all that we are unable to handle, but when we are strong, he allows us to grow and become even stronger in our life together! This relationship becomes a partnership that goes far beyond anything that the world will ever create or can ever imagine.

But in those times when we fail in faith, when we decide that the pleasures and half truths of earth are far more preferable than the truth of God, when we discover that our way never comes close to working to our benefit, the prophet advises us to quietly submit our lives to the Lord, to repent in the dust of our failed lives, and to seek the Lord’s hope once again. And when the sins of others oppress us, we are to humbly submit to the attack, we refrain from retaliating, from getting even, from responding in the way that the people of the world do.

This is the example of Jesus Christ. Think about it! The Lord of all creation, the Messiah, the Savior of the earth, King of kings and Lord of lords, came to earth, not in glory, not in power, not in authority, but in dependence without glory, in humility without power, in subjugation without authority. Jesus, the almighty glory of heaven, entered this life just as you and I do – as newborn infants, at the mercy of the world’s fragile existence, and in the love and hope of a human mother. He brought the truth of God into our lives, and yet, never demanded that we accept it. He brought hope and life for those who will believe, and he suffered hatred, pain and death at the hands of those who refused to believe.

This is who our God truly is!

Read Lamentations 3:31-33

The greatest Hope of the Lord may be that we will never be set aside forever. But that doesn’t mean that there won’t be an “exile” from grace when we sin. Remember the story of Hosea and his unfaithful wife Gomer?

The Lord told the prophet that he must marry an adulterous woman, and that he would have children who were also unfaithful, all as a symbol of the unfaithfulness of the people Israel. (Hosea 1-2) Gomer would leave the life that her husband Hosea offered her, and would seek the love and support of other men, which would be a failure in every way. Israel would take this same track in life, and it would fail them, too. They would turn against their Jehovah God, be defeated by their enemies of earth, and would be taken into exile. And it would be 70 years before Judah would be allowed to return to their home.

But they would return, and Gomer would also be reunited with her husband Hosea. He would buy her back from her slavery to others, and she would be charged to never wander from their relationship again. (Hosea 3)

We have been bought back from our unfaithfulness, too, and the cost was completely paid for by God Himself, and that cost was excessive. Christ, the Son of God, left his glory behind, and accepted the lower position as our servant. He gave up the might and authority and respect and love that he so well deserved, and in return, submitted himself to the lies and mistrust and ignorance of earth, he suffered the world’s attacks on his nature and his ways, he was subjected to a deceitful trial, a false conviction, brutal beatings, humiliation, and the most horrid death ever devised by man.

The cost of our salvation, our being brought back into the Hope and Life of Almighty God, was the taking of the conviction, the punishment, the death that we deserved, and in its place, we were offered the eternal life, the glorious hope, the grace and glory of our Lord and Savior.

The Hope of God has become our Life. May we never wander from its blessing.

“The Promise is Before Us”

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:14-25

The 2 books of Chronicles were written after Israel had been freed from Babylonian exile and were allowed to return to their homes. These are the written history of both a more faithful day, as well as the struggles that the nation endured, and were intended to bring the people back to true worship once again. As chapter 16 opens, King David is preparing to relocate the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and he appoints priests to begin administering the celebration.

David begins a psalm of praise with the thought that thanksgiving must be the first gift that is to be offered in joy to their Lord Yahweh, followed closely with spreading the word to others about all that the Lord has done for them. We are to sing praises for his mighty acts, we are to glorify his name, and all who believe are to rejoice in this marvelous God, and must never forget the wonders and commandments that have come from him.

And the king’s rejoicing continues.

Read 1 Chronicles 16:14-18

So not only are we to remember all that the Lord has done for us, we are to remember just who he is – that he is all mighty, he is all glorious, he is the ultimate and righteous judge of all the earth, that he never forgets the promises he makes, as well as all of the commandments he proclaims.

We are reminded that his covenants, his promises, have existed since the days of Abraham, and they have never changed, even as they were passed down to Abraham’s son Isaac, to his grandson Jacob, and to the nation through all time.
As human beings, we have a difficult time understanding the full significance of the word “everlasting”. And this struggle isn’t limited to only a few! When my brother Ed and I were taking calculus in college, we came home one day for dinner, and were sharing with our folks what we were learning. When we got to the topic of “infinity”, Mom stated, quite emphatically, that she just couldn’t grasp the extent of infinity, that the concept that something would have no end, and would go on unabated forever, was beyond her. We asked her if she could imagine an end to space, and she also admitted that this didn’t make much sense to her either! And quite honestly, she was absolutely right. We may accept the concepts, but in our human limitation, we will never fully understand either the end of all we know, or a life that will be eternal.

How great, how vast, how powerful, how loving, how long does the word of God last? Forever, eternal, from everlasting to everlasting – the Psalms (41:13; 90:2; 103:17; 106:48) speak over and over about our God who is, himself, beyond our greatest understanding. And imagine, if you will, how ageless his word must be, if the Lord is as infinite and eternal as we know him to be, for the word of God has existed as long as God has!

And some of his eternal commandments still confound us today. As an example, we know that control and authority over national lands tends to change from time to time, but here we read that God has given a land to Israel “as an everlasting covenant”! This is a promise that not only will never fail, it can never be withdrawn! God and his word will never end and will never be changed.

Read 1 Chronicles 16:19-22

The other thing that we have to understand about God is that he is always ready to help us in this life, to show us a better way to live through him, but he never forces his will upon anyone – at least for now. The Day of Judgment is coming, and on that day, the eternal will of the Lord will be released, it will no longer be held back, it will become the truth and way for the entire earth.
And until that day, the faithful and unfaithful alike, will be allowed to make their own decisions and choices in life. Our passage tells us that the people “wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.” And so do we – that’s the right of “free will”. Our allegiance “wanders” from one way to another – that’s what sin is all about. But we are not only allowed to be sinful in this life, but we also have the opportunity to confess and repent of our waywardness, and to seek the Lord’s forgiveness, and to find our way back into his kingdom.

But during our days of wandering, the Lord, in his infinite wisdom, knows that one day some will come back to him, and he protects these, his “anointed” ones. I know, because I have been one of those wanderers, and without intending to be judgmental, I suspect that all of you have had those nomadic days in your life, too. But there is nothing that our infinite and eternal God cannot, or will not do for those who will love him. And that is what the promise of Christmas is all about.

Creation envisioned the promise an eternity ago when everything came into existence; the prophets had proclaimed this promise over and over 2,500 years ago; God proclaimed it 2,000 years ago in the manger of Bethlehem; the Church has proclaimed it, with varying degrees of success, ever since then. The promise remains, and was reaffirmed on that first Good Friday, and on that first Easter morning – that there is nothing that the Lord won’t do for those who love him.

Read 1 Chronicles 16:23-25

So what will we do for the One who has done so much for us? Are we willing to be the example of a people who rejoice in the Lord and his ways? King David danced through the streets as the Ark was being carried into Jerusalem, and he wrote psalm after psalm to tell of the joy that came to him for all that his Lord was in his life. The returning exiles, after 70 years of captivity many miles away from their homes, rediscovered the joy of faithful worship and obedience to their Lord. The disciples were reinvigorated in faith at Pentecost – even after all that had happened a month and a half before - those times that had strained their faith and dampened their joy. The Church has found an indescribable joy through living out the promise of Christ, even in the midst of persecution and oppression that continues to come from the ways and wiles of earth.

But regardless of all that the world can, and will, bring against us, we must stay strong in God’s promises. They are the source and power of Christian celebration; they are the eternal hope and everlasting promise of our Almighty God; they are the life’s blood of our faith and our goal of eternity.

This passage calls us to celebration in a new way. Sing to the Lord a new song – one that expresses the fullness of our joy, the winning of our salvation, the assurance of our God and King, the promise that was given before the beginning of time, and all that will be fulfilled at the end of time. We are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and his salvation in every possible way and with every possible person you can.
Let nothing place a limitation on when or where or how you proclaim his goodness – let the true joy of Christmas emanate from every pore of your being, in every word you speak, in every breath that you take, in every step that carries you, in every moment that reminds you, that Jesus Christ came, not as a mighty warrior, not as a royal member of the court, not as recognizable Messiah, but as a humble, innocent, vulnerable, dependent Child of an obedient couple of God’s own people.
Let nothing restrict your belief that the promise of Almighty God – that the covenant he made with Abraham has been extended to all who love the Babe of Bethlehem – that the promise of a land free from fear and hatred – that the Living Goodness of our Eternal God is given to all who love him, and obey him, and will proclaim him to the people of earth.

Great is the Lord, for he alone is worthy, he alone must be praised, he alone is to be worshipped in all the earth. May each of us show him our unbridled joy in the humbleness and surrender that he has demonstrated for each of us, and may our lives reflect his way and life today.

His promise is upon us. But is ours upon him?

“Wait Expectantly”

Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9

What is it that each of us actually expects from God? What is it that we think the Lord should do, as well as what he shouldn’t be doing? And why are his “things” so different from the “things” we see as important?

The truth is that God’s ways don’t even come close to ours – Isaiah 55:9 – “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The problem for us is that the Lord knows all things – those that have been, those that are now, those that are to come, and even those which could have been but never will be. And in that knowledge, we have come to know him as all-wise. But do we really believe and trust in his truth?

Read Isaiah 64:1-2

This is the God that many people believe him to be – a violent, powerful, destructive kind of Being. I think that may be why some will only preach a loving and warm God instead of a God of infinite power and ability. The prophet is expressing a desire that his great Jehovah would come down from heaven and destroy the evil, and only the evil, that plagues the earth, and that he would do it now rather than later! That may be a prayer that we have all lifted up at some time or another.

But remember the prophet’s earlier words – that God’s ways don’t even come close to ours? Well, his timing isn’t ours, either! The prophecy is not that the Righteous One of heaven will respond to our requests when we want him to, but rather that one day, the heavens will open, the Lord will descend, and the powers and rulers of earth – those things and people who have always thought that they were in authority, that they have sufficient wisdom and ability to reign over creation – that they will tremble and relinquish their positions, at the sound and sight of real Authority.

And not only will the Lord be known by all, but all will submit to him on that day – “every knee should bow … and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11) Note that it will be “every” knee and tongue. The name of Jesus will be known in its fullness, and no one will be able to resist him – on that day!

Read Isaiah 64:3-5a

The prophet remembers that the power of God has already been displayed to the earth. He came in a flash, he worked in power, he accomplished in passion, he shook lives to the better, he changed thoughts that were too confined, and all of it in a way that no one expected. That has always been Israel’s problem – they expected their Jehovah God to work on their behalf in routine ways, in ways that they could identify with, while the Lord only works in ways that reflect his nature.
And the passage continues to say that since time began, no one – not human, not animal, not the rocks or trees or anything in all creation – have ever known a god like him! The gods of earth are only suited to demanding worship, without ever delivering anything to their faithful servants! But the true God of Isaiah will always work for the good of those who put their trust in him.

Of course, the word in scripture isn’t “trust”, is it? Its “wait”! But with the Lord, waiting, with expectation that he will accomplish all that is right, is all about trusting that he is faithful to the needs of his people.

But waiting isn’t always easy. As a child, do you remember how “UNeasy” it was waiting for your birthday, or a vacation, or especially for Christmas? There was far too much excitement and expectation to wait calmly – after all, think about what was coming!
And faith in Christ is no different. It isn’t just his return that we are waiting for, or at least it shouldn’t be. We wait to see what he is going to do next with and through his faithful followers – today! Faith in Christ can never be a sedate existence – it must be active in living out what the Lord brings to us, it must be a life that follows wherever Christ leads us, it must be a life filled with excitement, of great expectation, but one that doesn’t anticipate what each step will entail.

“Wait for him” is the key phrase though – don’t get out ahead of the Lord, believing that he will follow YOU. Remember those words about the relationship between his ways and ours! He works for the betterment of those who trust in him, of those who remember his ways, of those who wait for him to call and move, and always in ways that we can seldom understand.

Read Isaiah 64:5b-7

Brother Isaiah wants us to understand that forgetting the Lord’s ways is what sin is all about. In the Old Testament times, being perfect in Jehovah’s ways was the only known means to salvation, and when the people began to walk in their own path, when they denied Godly commands, they would soon come to the belief that they were all alone – that God no longer cared for their needs, and that great sacrifice would be required on their part to get back in his good graces.

Sin will do that to us. It not only breaks our relationship with the Lord, but it damages our understanding of what our God actually wants from us, and for us. And in that “great divide”, we lose sight of what God can be for us. But the one thing that the ancients didn’t understand is that the Lord never leaves us – it is we who turn our backs on him. Our Savior has made a promise, and will never back away from it.
In Deuteronomy 31:6, we read of Moses’ words as he begins his farewell speech to the people, and he tells them “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” He is speaking of the nation’s enemies, and he wants the people to understand that even as sinful and doubtful as they may be, their God will always be with them, and that if they just turn back to him, all will be well again.

And the writer of Hebrews 13 reiterates that same promise in verses 5 & 6, because the Church sometimes forgets that promise, too. Ancient Israel didn’t have Jesus in their lives, but the Father’s promise is no different – the Lord will never leave us, and he will never turn his back on us.

Read Isaiah 64:8-9

So in spite of the prophet’s understanding that sin leads us away from God’s grace, he is also confident in his Jehovah God’s promise to always be near. But in that promise, the Lord expects that his people will trust Godly ways, and that they will set the ways of earth far behind. Isaiah prays that the nation, and now that the Church, will always seek to be malleable clay in the hands of such a gifted and divine and creative Potter.

My cousin’s husband is a potter, and a highly gifted one at that. He has a vision that is unlike anyone else’s, and it becomes so evident whenever the clay submits to his touch. Years ago he ventured into the creation of chess sets. When we visited his shop, he not only showed us the sets, but he explained each one. You see, for Bill, each set had to tell a story, and as each story unfolded in his potter’s mind, you could see it being revealed in the faces and expressions (yes, faces!) of each and every piece - from the pawns to the queen and king, and every piece in between, the story would unfold within these uniquely expressive characters.

That is the Lord’s desire for each of us – that his vision and story might completely unfold within the lives of each and every member of his Church. But we have to let our holy Potter have free rein on the remolding of our lives. Our created Spirit, the Lord’s divine story, rests within each of our lives, but sin has caused us to suppress our part of the narrative.
The prophet is asking the Lord to be merciful when he looks upon our sinful existence, and to gently reestablish the original form and chapter of his story within us, to once again reveal its part in his divine message to the world. Without each of us being willing participants in the story of divine grace and salvation, the people of earth will never get the complete story.

But if we are expectant, if we are trusting, that the message of Jesus Christ is worth dedicating our lives to its proclamation, it is then that the true story of God’s love and passion for his creation begins to shine through.

During this season of Advent, and as we wait expectantly for Christmas day, it is important that each of us “expects” to see God at work within us, and that we allow him to mold us and remake us to reveal the fullness of his Story to the nations around us.

Will you prepare to be his “clay”? Will you expect that his glory will shine within and through your life? It’s God’s way, you know!