Pressing On in 2013

Philippians 3: 12 -16 (NIV): I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

It's a brand new year and a good time to stop and reflect that the past is gone. We can't go back and we can't change what happened yesterday. We have to live in the present. I often say we don't live one day at a time, but one moment at a time. We have this moment and nothing else. The past is gone and the future arrives one second at a time and no faster, and we do not know what it will bring. We do not fear it because we know that God is already there waiting for us, but we are wise not to count on it to make changes or to make our peace with him. This moment is the one for that.

Paul knew he wasn't perfect – and he knew he never would be, but his goal was simple: to become more and more like Christ every day. That should be our goal, too, every moment of this new year. We can't go back and fix mistakes, but we can use our experiences and God's grace to avoid new ones today. We can't go back and erase pain, but we can lean on God for his comfort right now.

Paul says he is forgetting what was behind and straining forward like a runner in a race. Not looking back but putting one foot in front of the other as he pushed ahead. We too are running the race set before us. We strain ahead. We push forward. Sometimes it seems we cannot go any more. Sometimes our faith is weak and our strength has dried up. But we call on God and his bottomless power and we take one more step. We strain ahead. We march forward. We run the race.

And we live up to the maturity level we have reached. We do not backslide or waver in our faith, but continually move forward. Not a year at a time or even a day at a time, but moment by moment.

The Love Joseph Showed

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary 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."  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

    In Jesus' culture, the engagement was as legally binding as the marriage itself. Mary and Joseph were "married" legally, but Matthew makes it very clear there had been no sexual union yet. After that union they would be fully married and not just engaged. 

    Point one is that God is looking for clean vessels for his most noble purposes. Paul says some vessels in a house are used for noble purposes and some for ignoble purposes (2 Timothy 2:20-21). We all belong to God and he will use all of us for his purposes. I want to be used for noble purposes. It does matter that Mary was a virgin so she could fulfill the prophecy found in Isaiah 7:14, among other reasons. God chose Mary and Joseph, in part, because they were righteous.

    Joseph could have had Mary whipped or stoned for being unfaithful to him when she became pregnant. But he was going to divorce her privately because he didn't want to harm her -- even though he thought she had harmed him. Then he showed tremendous faith when he believed what the angel told him. He was a righteous man, a man of a faith and a man of love.

A Child is Born

Isaiah 9: 6-7: (NIV): For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. 

    Amazingly, this was written more than 700 years before Jesus was born. This passage is in the middle of an astounding prophecy that said the Messiah would come from Galilee. A light would dawn there, it says, and bring hope.

   Jesus, in fact, fulfilled 350 prophecies from the Old Testament. Several are in this chapter.

    Jesus didn't just appear one day as a grown man. He was born to a family. He grew up just like we all do, and he knows what we go through. The government that is on his shoulders is not some local jurisdiction -- he rules the universe as its creator, author and sustainer. He always has and always will. Two chapters earlier, Isaiah tells us he would be born of a virgin and she would call him Immanuel, which means "God with us." Only God himself could fulfill this prophecy. Jesus is God himself, in human form.

   Jesus is called Wonderful Counselor. He is without peer as a counselor and guide. The Holy Spirit lives within us, giving us hope and comfort and strength.

He is Mighty God. Again, the Messiah was not just a good teacher, he was God among us. He is an Everlasting Father, who desires that we are mature and fulfilled. He is the Prince of Peace. The peace Jesus gives is peace with God and peace with ourselves. True peace comes from Jesus. He gives light, hope, comfort, salvation and peace. This is why Christmas is so important. This is why we celebrate.

Avoiding Holiday Stress

1 Thessalonians 5: 26 - 24 (NIV): Be joyful always;  pray continually;  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  Do not put out the Spirit's fire;  do not treat prophecies with contempt.  Test everything. Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.  May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

    I want to give you a five-step plan to help avoid Holiday stress. Paul was writing about living a joyful, spiritual life in this passage, and if we will do so, we will remove stress from our lives and be more content.
First step is Rejoice. Choose to be a joyful, upbeat, positive, hopeful person. See the glass half-full instead of half-empty. Remember, joy isn't the absence of pain, but the presence of the Lord.
Second step is Pray Continually. If we will live our lives in a continuous dialog with God, we will keep everything else in perspective. Micah 6:8 tells us that God wants us to walk with him. Prayer is how we do that.
Third: Always be Thankful. Paul says, "for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I believe Paul is saying to be thankful in all circumstances because whatever circumstance you are in is God's will for you. In other words, God is always up to something good and we must trust that he knows what he is doing and is always at work in your life.
Fourth step: Don't Smother the Spirit. Don't resist God's influence in your life. Live by faith and not by sight. Know the Word and do what it says. Jesus says you are wise if you hear his words and put them into practice. Obedience to God's Word will reduce stress.
Fifth: Avoid Every Kind of Evil. How much stress do we bring into our lives when we fall into sin? Evil influences are all around, tempting us. But remember, sin always takes us farther than we wanted to go, keeps us longer than we wanted to stay, and costs us more than we wanted to pay. Jesus said to be "shrewd as snakes, but innocent as doves." We will live joyful, less stressful lives if we will live wholesome, godly lives, full of grace and full of the Spirit.