Born to Die

Born To Die

Many of us go through the Christmas season spouting out cute little phrases like, “Jesus is the reason for the season!” But how often do we reflect on the awesomeness and magnificence of Christ’s birth? We tend to easily brush off the significance of the virgin birth—not only that it happened, but even more amazingly that it was prophesied to happen hundreds of years before it came to pass. As we reflect on the account of Jesus’ birth this year, can we pause and be amazed at the wonder of God’s sovereignty, purpose, and plan in the birth of our Savior?

Put simply, God’s sovereignty means that He is in control of every big and little event in life. His sovereignty is magnified in the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth.  The Old Testament book of Micah foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. God in His amazing sovereignty and foreknowledge decreed the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, to order a census. In God’s providence, this census pulled Joseph and Mary out of Galilee, landing them in Bethlehem just in time for the birth of the Messiah. No coincidence, by any means.  It would also be no coincidence that this census made Bethlehem such a busy town that it provided no room in any inn for Mary to stay. God perfects each detail and we will see why having no room in an inn was so significant.

With no vacancies for travelers in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to the baby Jesus in a stable. Next, in the Book of Luke we are told of angels who visited shepherds in a nearby field announcing the birth of Jesus. Why shepherds in a field? Was this random? Of course not; we know nothing God ordains is random!  If we back up to the Old Testament, we see that the coming Messiah was described to be like a lamb being led to the slaughter (Jeremiah 11:19; Isaiah 53:7) and whose sufferings and sacrifice would provide redemption for Israel.  Law observing Jews were familiar with sacrificing lambs to God in the Temple. Bethlehem was nearby Jerusalem, and many of the sheep used in the temple sacrifices would have come from these very shepherds who saw the angelic hosts announcing Christ’s arrival. These sheep were born to die for the sins of the people; Jesus was born to die for us as a complete and perfect sacrifice. The shepherds raised lambs for sacrifice in the Temple, but now they were seeing angels above announcing the birth of THE Lamb of God.  

An interesting note about the angelic hosts who were praising God above the heads of these shepherds is seen in ancient tradition. Often when a firstborn son was born it was cause for great celebration in Israel. The firstborn son would be the heir and would assure the continuation of the family. Fathers who could afford to do so would often hire musicians to parade down the streets singing and dancing in celebration announcing the birth of their son. It sounds like God’s announcement was the biggest one to date.

A significant verse that I believe is easily overlooked in Luke is when an angel declares this: “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” The sign: swaddling clothes and a manger.

I think it is significant to note that we aren’t told the baby would be simply wrapped in a blanket, but in swaddling clothes. Swaddling clothes were long strips of material very similar to what a deceased person would be wrapped in for burial during this time. In fact, it is said that during long travels (which back then all trips were long), each person would take long strips of material and wrap it multiple times around their waste as the bottom layer of clothing.  Due to the fact that many of these long journeys would end in the death of some of the individuals, these long strips of material would then be used to wrap the deceased traveler from head to toe so they could complete their journey. It is very possible that the baby Jesus was wrapped in Joseph’s death cloth.  Could it be that the sign for the shepherds wasn’t that they’d find a baby wrapped in a blanket, but that they’d find a baby prepared for death? Again, like the sacrificial lambs previously mentioned, we see Jesus was born to die.

The swaddling clothes were a sign to the shepherds. The other sign was the manger, or trough. If Bethlehem had not been so overcrowded as a result of the census, Joseph and Mary would not have ended up in a barn where they would place the baby Jesus in a manger. This had to happen, because it was the sign God had given. God’s sovereignty again illustrated!

After Jesus’ birth (after Mary and Jesus were no longer in a stable, but settled in a house), the wise men from the East followed the star that God used to direct them to Jesus.  We are told in the Book of Matthew that they brought gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  As we can guess from the previous details that hold so much significance, these gifts were very significant, as well. The value of the gifts implied great honor and status; they were gifts fit for a king. That should be no surprise to us knowing that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16). But each gift was even more significant. Gold represents kingship, frankincense represents priestly royalty (Hebrews 4), and myrrh was used for embalming—again foretelling us the significance of how Jesus was born to die.

So what can we glean from these incredible insights from God’s Word? First—God’s sovereignty. His providential plan has purpose and is perfect. He told the shepherds it would be a sign to them to find a baby in swaddling clothes and in a manger. God worked every detail in accordance with His will to place Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and in a stable. What if Mary, like many of us, had been dissatisfied with the not-so-ideal circumstances God had provided her with? What if she had told Joseph, “No, I will NOT travel to Bethlehem this late in my pregnancy! Are you crazy?!” Or, “you want me to have my baby where? In a barn?!? No way!” How often do we argue with God about the circumstances He has placed us in, when in our finite minds we do not realize that He has us exactly where He wants us.  We tend to sweat the small stuff and forget that from God’s perspective—every detail is meaningful and unraveling in accordance with His perfect will, regardless of whether it looks the way we think it should.

The second insight is even more significant: Jesus was born to die. How often do we consider that? If you are like me, it is easier to think about how Jesus lived to be an example of a pure and sinless life. While His life is a great example for us to emulate, His life had a greater purpose. Jesus was the perfect lamb who was born to be led to the slaughter where He would take on our punishment of sin and impute His righteousness on us.  So what does that mean of us? Think of it this way—Jesus came from the spiritual realm and experienced a physical birth so that we could die to our physical self and be born spiritually. In John 3:3 Jesus tells us, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Jesus died so we could be born—spiritually. Sin made us dead in our transgressions (Ephesians 2:5), but Jesus was born to die so we could live. What a magnificent thing! If you have never come to the point in your life when you have been born again by dying to yourself and your desires, turning from your sin, and following Jesus, then the Christmas story won’t have much significance to you. The fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger for the providential purpose of dying will have no impact unless you have come to the Cross and been born into new life. Don’t let the nativity story casually pass you by this season. Stand back in awe of our Sovereign God and if you haven’t done so already, turn to follow the One who was born to die so you could live.

Forget Me

I just finished Tim Keller's The Freedom of Forgetfulness. I must say this is a book I should read and reread over and over--continuously. This is a very short read that challenges us on the words of Paul from 1 Corinthians (see below). Keller argues that the root of most of our problems is a puffed up ego filled with pride. The most convicting part to me though is that those of us self-deprecating folks are just as self-centered as our prideful counterpart. Our goal, like Paul, should be self forgetfulness.

A few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"They would not always be telling us they were a nobody (because a person who keeps saying they are a nobody is actually a self-obsessed person)."
"...the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less."
"A truly gospel-humble person is not a self-hating person or a self-loving person, but a gospel humble person. The truly gospel-humble person is a self-forgetful person..."

As you'll read in the below verses, Paul likens judgment toward himself and from others to a courtroom. We perform daily to attain a verdict in our favor validating our works. We want our own approval and other's approval. But Keller says this, "Do you realize that it is only the gospel of Jesus Christ that you get the verdict before the performance?" He explains that the moment we  believe, the verdict is in. "God imputes Christ's perfect performance to us as if it were our own, and adopts us into His family."

God--please help me think of myself less and remember daily the verdict was in the first day I placed my faith in the Cross.

^"So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours,  whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future —all are yours,  and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.  So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.  Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.  For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7

Holding on to Tradition

I just finshed a free Kindle book called, Out of Mormonsim: A Woman's True Story. While I hate to offend any of my readers (and that is making the big assumption that someone will actually read this), I have to share what God taught me through this book. What favor are we doing anyone by being silent about the truth? No favors at all.

To sum quickly, this book is the true story of a husband and wife who were nominal Christians. They professed that they were Christians, but showed no sign of possessing it. They did not read their Bible, let alone study it. As a result they were led into Mormonism, by some very sweet, genuine (but deceived) people. The author tells how God revealed the truth to them and brought them out of this false teaching.

The point I want to share from reading this book is, what are you holding on to? 
Are you holding on to what someone taught you?
Are you holding on to tradition?
Are you holding on to what you have just seen others clinging to?

If we TRULY want to walk with Christ and be obedient to Him (and that is obviously not everyone's desire), we must lay aside all things of man and ask God to reveal the truth thru His love letter to us--the Bible. Let's forget all the "extras" and examine Him and Him alone. The Bible tells us the Word  (Jesus) became flesh. I want Jesus and only Jesus...none of the extras.

Jesus Himself gave a rebuke for doing this: "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." Mark 7:8

Are you listening to another gospel, as the author of this book did? The Gospel ("good news") is that you are a sinner who deserves death. God in His mercy and grace has offered a free gift of salvation by sending His son to live a sinless life and die on the cross for your sins, paying a debt you could never pay. The good news that Christ was not held by death, but rose 3 days later and can give you eternal life is amazing news!! 

But again, I ask--are you listening to another gospel?  If so, read this warning from Scritpure: 


 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Galatians 1:6-9

"Let him be eternally condemned???" Okay, ask yourself one more time--are you listening to another gospel???

After reading this book (which was a great read!), there are some things you can think about as red flags that you may be listening to another gospel:

1. Are your beliefs taken from the Bible ALONE, or are you adding in what a church leader or modern day prophet may be saying?
2. What is your source of authority? The Bible ALONE, or the Bible plus ________ (ie the Book of Mormon, church teachings, Quran, etc.) and traditions?
3. What do you believe saves you (this is an important one!)? Grace thru faith (that's the correct answer!) or Faith + Works
4. Does your church organization teach that it is the "true church" and all outsiders are condemned or that all people who are saved by grace through faith are in the true church?

I pray you will think about these questions.  We all need to examine what we are thinking and why we are believing it. I'm thankful God gave us His unchanging, inspired Word so we can test all things! 1 Thessalonians 5:21

If you are interested, the author of the mentioned book has a ministry called, Concerned Christians. You can check out their website here: http://www.concernedchristians.com/

Quit Being a Frog

Last week I got to go to the Joel Rosenberg Implosion Simulcast. I have to admit that his talk began with some dismal and depressing facts:

• $0.40 of every dollar our government spends is borrowed
• we are $15 trillion in debt to foreign creditors
• we are $65 trillion in debt for government promised aide (ie medicare, social security, medicaid, etc.)
• the rate of violent crime has increased 46% since the 1960's
• the number of small town murders has increased 18%
• 53 million babies have been aborted since 1973....5 times the human lives that were murdered in the Holocaust
• the recent #1, #2, & #3 New York best sellers over the past weeks have been erotic novels, nicknamed "mommy porn." 

I think he listed more than this, but you get the picture. Things for our country and moral state of our society don't look good. What is most disturbing was the fact that there are 340,000 church congregations in the United States. With that many churches, why aren't we seeing more light in the darkness? Where are all these Christians and why aren't they making a difference?

Joel likened today's Christians to the frog in the kettle. If you place a frog in boiling water it will jump out. However, if you place a frog in cool water and increase the temperature to boiling, the frog adjusts with the increase of temperature and doesn't know what's happening until it is too late. The decline of our state as a country has not changed over night. Over the past several decades things have changed a step at a time and like the unsuspecting frogs, Christians have adjusted and accepted the comprising changes in our culture.

Part of the hope, lesson, and application of Joel's talk was applied from the Book of Jonah. God instructed Jonah to go and warn the people of Nineveh of His coming wrath and judgment. As Jonah tried to flee from God and His instruction by boat, a great wind came over the sea that endangered their boat. While Jonah slept down below, the other men were afraid for their lives. The text tells us "every man cried out to his god." Jonah 1:5. With no help from their gods, the captain came to Jonah and said “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.” Jonah 1:6. 


The text goes on to tell us that after realizing this storm was caused by Jonah's God because of Jonah's disobedience, they ended up throwing him overboard, prayed to God for mercy, and as a result "feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him." Jonah 1:16.

Are we like Jonah? 
Do we know the one true God, yet are sleeping in the bottom of the boat?
Do we have others around us who are crying out to false gods and then looking to us for the truth and we are just too concerned with ourselves to take notice?


We need to quit being like frogs and notice that the pot is boiling. God didn't tell Jonah he needed to condemn Nineveh for being evil, but He did tell him to warn them that God's judgment is coming.
I don't want to be a frog. 
I don't want to be asleep. 
I want to be the light Christ told me to be. Matthew 5:14

Cocktail God

I was recently reading someone's thoughts online that pertain to their spiritual journey. This person claims all faiths lead to the same thing. Call it what you may--the Divine, God, Buddha, Goddess Mother, this individual believes it does not matter what you believe. It does not matter what you call "your god". They believe we are all on a spiritual path of enlightenment and if you hold to one truth you are closed minded and intolerant. While I understand there are many who believe this way, because I believe the Bible is the only truth--I was greatly troubled by what I was reading. What troubled me most is that this individual seems so sincere and claims to be earnestly seeking after God.

So I prayed to God after reading this. I reminded Him that His word does state that if you seek Him, you will find Him. Throughout the Bible we are told to draw near to Him and He will draw near to us. How can this person be searching so diligently and be so lost? God answered my prayer in my reading later that morning.

Here is what I read that day from Erwin Lutzer's The Kind Is Coming: Preparing to Meet Jesus:

Lutzer tells of a time he met a non-Christian woman who was telling him how much she loved Jesus. She loved him for the miracles he performed, because he loved children, etc. Lutzer then asked her, "Do you also love Him because He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins so that we could be forgiven and know God?" The woman told Lutzer she had never thought of that before.

Lutzer explains, "Yes, you can even love Jesus for the wrong reasons. What a tragedy to know Shakespeare but not as a man of literature; to know Newton but not as a scientist; to know Jesus but not as a Savior and King."

God reminded me that day that we can think we are seeking God, but in reality we are just practicing idolatry. We can be creating our own truth, creating an image of the god we want, or be on a spiritual journey that is all about our own ego. I call it a "cocktail god," with a little bit of these qualities from this religion, a few from this other religion over here, and then several characteristics I made up myself. The opposite of this would be shedding off what we want God to be and looking to an exterior source to reveal it to us. Through Christ's ministry on earth and through the Scriptures, we can know who God is and shed off the things we've made up in our head about Him. If you today are seeking any diety other than the One who is the Savior who can save you from your sin--your searching is futile.

My Mom's Fiery Trial

There is so much I could write about right now regarding my mom's final days and passing. God was at work in major ways and gave me encouragement that I will one day see my mom again in heaven. Is there anything better than that?? Absolutely not!!

What is on my mind now is God's providence. His sovereignty. His purpose. His plan. Seeing someone sick or going through a trial can be so overwhelming, but rarely do we step back and try to see God's bigger, eternal purpose. As I contemplate all He's done, I am reminded of a wonderful teaching by Beth Moore that has stuck with me. In her Bible study on the Book of Daniel, she applies what happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to our lives (Daniel 3). These three admirable fellas refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's 90 foot statue (idol). As a result, the King had them thrown into a fiery furnace. 


To make a great story short and to the point--God performed a miracle. They were not burned, they were not harmed in anyway, and they did not even smell of smoke!!! (Daniel 3:27)

How does this apply to us? Beth teaches that we can go through one of three scenarios:

1.We will be delivered from the fire and our faith will be built. The example she gave was finding a lump and going to the doctor and finding out it was not cancerous, or even better--it miraculously disappeared!
2. We can be delivered through the fire and our faith will be refined. Using the same example, Beth said it would be like being diagnosed with cancer. After treatment, God provides you healing.
3. We can be delivered by the fire into God's arms, in which, our faith is perfected. We die from the cancer, but our faith becomes sight.


The scenario that sounds the worst to us--death--is actually the best outcome! There will be nothing better for us to make our entrance into heaven where we will be with Jesus forever. 


God has given me hope that He gave my mom the best outcome. He delivered her into His loving arms. Thank you, Jesus!!

When You Hear the Word Christian...

Author of the book What's So Amazing About Grace?,  Philip Yancey, took an informal survey asking people, "what is the first word you think of when you hear the word Christian?" He said that most of the responses were "anti-something." Anti-abortion, anti-homosexuality, etc. He said never once did someone respond with the word grace. While I must admit I was not surprised, it was like a knife to my chest. Yes, as Christ followers we should stand as examples and supporters of God's truth and standard, but I believe we are called to show the grace we have received from God to those around us.

I have done NOTHING to deserve my salvation in Christ; the faith I have is a gift from Him: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8

The way Yancey phrased it was this: "we should be grace dispensers, not moral exterminators." I couldn't agree more. You can't expect people to have a desire to live by God's law, if they don't love Him! As Jesus said,  "If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15

I highly recommend this book. It greatly changed my perspective on the world around me and opened my eyes to the magnitude of God's grace. Yancey proposes the best way to change the world is not from the top down, by protesting government and forcing laws on people (which I understand some of this has it's place). Instead, try to change things from the bottom up, one person at a time. Change things by sharing the Gospel with your neighbor so they will have a new heart for Christ.

We have a job to spread the message of grace! "So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders." Acts 14:3 

PS I confess that when I was a baby Christian I failed greatly in this area. I did not show grace. I showed legalism, which does not lead people to the Lord (in my opinion). For those who experienced this from me, I apologize and ask your forgiveness. Even today, I fail at this and ask God's help continually to show grace to others. How about you? 

I Want It and I Want It NOW!!

Free on Kindle right now is Charles Stanley's Handle with Prayer. It is a very timely read for me. Stanley makes a great point that we often only think God has answered our prayer when He answers the way we want it answered. If things turn out differently than we wanted, we often think He didn't answer and find it hard to praise Him. How often do I get the answer I want and say, "thank you God for answering my prayer!" Even when it doesn't turn out the way I want, shouldn't I say the same thing??? In reality He has still answered, but in His sovereignty He has given a different (and better!) answer. It may be hard, but shouldn't we still say thank you when we don't get the job we really wanted, or even when that person we love dies, or even when our bank account is still empty. We need to hear His answer to our prayer, even when it isn't what we had hoped for. As Stanley puts it, "When God answers our prayers, He either answers with yes, no, or wait." He always gives us an answer to our prayer, it just isn't always yes. And many of us can relfect back on our lives and think--wow I am so glad God didn't answer that prayer with a yes! If I had only known at the time what I know now. So glad God knew!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 Take note of this promise. God promises to do this for those who are His and those who love Him--He does not promise to do this for everyone. That is very sobering and what thanks we need to give Him if we are His child.

The Gift of Death

When we think of death, we don't often initially think of it as being a gift. Most people do everything to fight death. We seek treatment for illnesses that could take our life. We often pray for God to heal those who are facing death. We do everything in our power to postpone the inevitable thing we will ALL face--death.

So to hear that death is actually a gift seems very strange. However, God has recently revealed this truth to me in a new way in Erwin Lutzer's study, One Minute After You Die. Lutzer points out that after Adam and Eve chose to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good an Evil (which led to the fall of mankind into sin), God did a very wonderful thing for Adam and Eve. He banished them from the Garden of Eden. Now I always viewed their banishment as a sad consequence of their disobedience. But in reality God gave them the gift of death. In their current circumstance, Adam and Eve had now fallen into a life of sin, out of fellowship with God. Death was now a reality.

"And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Gensis 3:22-24

As you read in the above verses, God removed them from the Garden of Eden so they would not also eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in a fallen state of sin. God gave man the gift of death that does not bring an end to the road, but a bend in the road. God has offered a wonderful gift of leaving this fallen world thru death to spend eternity with Him in heaven, when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. What an amazing gift God has given us!

Because God loves us so much, He provided a way for us to leave this world of sickness, hate, and pain and join Him in paradise forever.  I don't know about you, but I am ready for the day we can leave behind the sadness of this current world and live where "God will will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4