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Songs that tell the Christmas story are familiar to all. Whether you are in a church, a shopping center, restaurant or seasonal concert, the songs of the season resonate with almost everyone. Even those people who give little attention to spiritual things can mouth the words of these great songs the moment the music begins. It is interesting that most of the songs we love are all very old. Very few of us could name one Christmas song written in the last twenty years.  Except, maybe, for one … “Mary, Did You Know?” by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene.

I was actually reminded of this great work while browsing the internet last week. I was on YouTube and saw this year’s winner of The Voice, Jordan Smith’s final night performance.  His version of “Mary, Did You Know” was exquisite and proclaimed the gospel message to millions on a secular show.

Every time I hear that song, I feel an emotional response.  Something about what Mary knew, and what she didn’t know, fascinates me.  I pray that my revisit of several powerful lines from this song will cause you to reflect on His majestic birth and awesome power. Remember, we are celebrating God becoming flesh … and that truth can never be overstated.

Take just a moment to read and remain on several select words from this song that you have heard, enjoyed, and maybe never stopped to internalize.

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day walk on Water?

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Jesus did walk on water, and He will give eternal life to anyone who puts their trust in Him for salvation. Can you imagine raising the Son of God in your home? Mary fixed Jesus meals, gave Him baths as a child, never had to punish Him for misdeeds, and was likely profoundly impacted by the infinite capacity of His greatness. But could she have imagined Him on the water, or that He would one day die on the cross for us?

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

When you kiss your little Baby, you kiss the face of God?

My Savior (and I trust yours) did heal the blind man, and He still can and will heal today. Never let your soul become so barren that you doubt His ability to do what doctors only wish they could do.

One of the thrills of every parent and grandparent is giving their special little boy or girl hugs and kisses. Mary undoubtedly loved to give the baby Jesus those same hugs and kisses. I get chills just typing the words that Mary was kissing the face of God himself. Could she have imagined, in any way, the depth of His divinity and humanity?

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy is the Lord of all Creation?

This sleeping Child you’re holding is the Great I Am!

We find in Scripture that by Him (Jesus) were all things created in heaven and on earth
(Colossians 1:16). But on the day that Christ was born, when Mary held Him close, what must she have been thinking? She was holding the Lord of all Creation who would be raised in her humble home. He was called Immanuel — which means, God with us. My mind races in wonder as I try to wrap my arms around what Mary sensed and knew about Immanuel in her own home. Christ-followers have Scripture, history, and the Holy Spirit to help us worship the Lord of all creation – the Great I Am.  Mary had an angel’s pronouncement that the Lord was with her and that she would give birth to the Son of God. She knew His name would be Jesus, but I can only imagine what she sensed and wondered as that Holy Child grew up in her household.

I admit that I am fascinated by one of the newer songs of the season, “Mary, Did You Know?” On Christmas Day, we will celebrate what we do know – that hope was born on that day.  The child that Mary raised grew up and walked on water, healed the blind, calmed the storm, raised the dead and died on a cross.  Then, to top it all off, rose from the grave … ALL FOR US!

In this life, we’ll never know all that Mary understood. But I am so glad that this song of the season reminds me that Christmas is about the Lord of all creation, the great I Am….. Savior of all who accept Him!

For those who are interested, click here to view Jordan Smith singing “Mary, Did You Know?”

The story of the Nativity does not find its end at birth.  As every birth before it, and every one since, it is the miraculous beginning to an even grander story.  We must not miss the immeasurable treasure of God’s scandalous choice to become one of us.  The event of Jesus’ birth and narrative which precedes and shortly follows it are worth celebrating!  But it is only when we connect His choice with its ultimate purpose, that the true weight of the treasure can be measured.

The Christmas story should never be confined to Bethlehem.  The people, places and events interwoven with the miracle of His birth should only be the prologue or first chapter in our telling.  Would it be sufficient only to tell the story of the days and weeks surrounding your own birth?  Certainly not.  It is what God does in and through us during the full measure of our lives which defines the treasure we are to Him and to those we were born to love and serve.  It is even more so with the birth of Jesus.

In eternity past, before God’s first breath of creation, He authored a plan.  In a way that I can’t even begin to comprehend, God knew we would reject Him even before He created us.  He loved us so much, even then, that instead of deciding against creating us, He chose to sacrifice everything in order to redeem us.   There was one thing He couldn’t bear the thought of more than separation from His Son (who was everything to Him) … eternal separation from you and me.

So God decided that Jesus would become one us for the sole purpose of saving us.  He sent that message with the angel Gabriel to speak into a dark and lonely night in the heart of a simple carpenter in Nazareth.

“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20b-21 (ESV)

The angel (in my words of paraphrase) speaks to Joseph …  “Fear not, Joseph.  The young woman you just married, who is now pregnant by a way which deeply troubles you, and has caused you to despair in the assumption that she has been unfaithful to you, has actually been touched by the Holy Spirit itself and is bearing a human child who is also the Son of the living God.”  And it is not enough that God speaks this message through Gabriel to announce that God himself is coming to earth to live among us, for that message would be wholly incomplete.  God calms and reassures, but he also declares; He declares His divine intention and purpose in sending Jesus to be born as a fully human baby boy.  This boy is coming to be the Savior of the world.

The story of Christmas is not fully understood unless it is told from cradle to grave (and beyond).  There is an improper finality suggested if we tell, sing and celebrate Jesus’ birth as a singular event.  Standing alone, it would be a story of immeasurable warmth and glad tidings … God has become one of us!  But told absent the cross, tomb and resurrection, it is completely devoid of hope.  The miracle of Jesus’ birth must be celebrated alongside the deep sorrow in His suffering and death.  The shouts of joy and praise over His coming must find chorus with those over His resurrection from the dead!  Jesus is our Savior!  Oh come let us adore Him, for unto us a Child is born!

Last Friday night, our daughter had one of those surreal “that didn’t just happen” moments.  After returning home for the evening, she headed up the stairs to her apartment.  As she turned the corner, she happened on a scene she will never forget as long as she lives.  Standing right on the landing by her mailbox were three large coyotes.  She screamed, ran down the stairs and jumped in her car. After contemplating her next move, she got out of the car and peeked out to see her new-found friends walking across the street to her unsuspecting neighbor’s house.  She raced to her apartment and did what all millennials do … checked out coyotes on Facebook.  Amazingly, she found a site for the Beachwood Canyon Coyotes (her neighborhood)!  Lindsay laughs about her encounter now, but her view of those stairs and the apartment landing has been re-shaped forever.  On a much deeper level, what is shaping the way you and I view life, the world, and our responsibilities?

Would you classify your life as shaped by God’s perspective?  On a day-by-day, week-by-week basis do your decisions line up with the principles of Scripture? I can say with great confidence that a person’s consistency in reading and applying the Scriptures (or lack thereof) has an effect on the way that person views life, the world, and their responsibilities. With these thoughts as a back drop, I wanted to share that our 2016 Bible reading plan at Journey onWord will focus on reading through the entire Bible. What better way to gain God’s perspective than by consistently reading His Word, page by page?

With 2016 coming into view, I wanted to invite you to join us in reading both from the Old and New Testament each day.  We believe reading in this pattern offers a variety of study that is very beneficial.  It will take discipline, but in just a few chapters a day you can finish the entire Bible in 2016.  Notice of the daily readings will continue in the same pattern as they always have (posted to our website and sent automatically via email each Saturday).  If you’re not currently a subscriber, we’d like to invite you to become one by visiting journeyonword.com and clicking the link in the “Subscribe” section.

God has chosen to reveal Himself through the pages of Scripture. Anyone serious about knowing God deeply should be a student of His Word. There is no substitute for what the Bible can do in our lives. Encouraging you to read God’s Word daily is at the center of our reason for existing at Journey onWord.  It is a choice, and it will take sacrifice and discipline.  But I can assure you, it will change your life if you make that choice.  Every few years, we choose a reading plan that offers the opportunity to read through the entire Bible in a year.  We trust the choice we have made for 2016 will make that opportunity very clear and attainable. Will you consider taking that journey with us next year?

I trust it won’t take a coyote-like experience to shape your view of life, the world and your responsibilities. Could it be that you are already feeling the tug to frame 2016 from God’s perspective? Maybe you’ve never read through the Bible completely, or maybe it’s simply been a while since the last time you did.  Whatever the motivation, be confident that when turning the corner and facing the “coyotes” of life, you’ll be far better prepared having a daily discipline of consuming God’s Word. Consider taking the journey with us in 2016!

Before I begin, I’d like to make a confession.  Although this is my third post of Advent, I barely feel connected to the season.  The observance of Advent has become so central in my life, yet this year I have been overwhelmed by everything but.  It’s been spending on presents, not investing in presence.  It’s been stress and hurry, to-do’s and worry.  In past year’s, December 1st meant the start of a new Advent devotional and a small lit candle that moved every morning on the Advent wreath my sweetheart bought me.  This year, my sacred space is empty, and the candle sits idle on day 6 (the day I finally retrieved and unpacked it, hoping I could just start from there).  I believe there are, and will be, times like this in our lives, where the sacred is interrupted and co-opted by the everyday.  Times when our discipline fails, because it is far too much ours and not nearly enough His.  If this is you too, join me in confession and repentance.  Let’s just say the words and then get on with the business of turning to walk in the direction of Him.  Let’s begin walking beyond the manger and see what we find.

The baby born in Bethlehem, the boy who stayed behind in the temple, would one day be crowned a King.  The baby born in a humble stable, the boy who became a man, the man who healed the sick, raised the dead, fed thousands, walked on water, forgave harlots and thieves, one day rode into Israel’s capital city to shouts of “Hosanna!”  But this epic story would find its peak at the “parade” and would not end as the adoring crowd expected.

This King would not be given a crown of gold and precious stones.  The one thrust upon His head would be made of thorns.  He would not ascend to a throne; He would be lifted on a cross.  He did not come to conquer His people’s flesh and blood enemies, He came to conquer sin and death.  He would not walk to a coronation; He would stand trial, be mocked, beaten and walk the road to crucifixion.

Just as Good Friday is the necessary prelude to Resurrection, the truth of Jesus as a King is the proper prologue to Jesus as our Savior (our focus next week on the final Sunday of Advent).  If this week you are left with the uneasiness of the image of the Christ-child on the cross, I suppose I do so intentionally.  I believe there is value in landing there as we consider Jesus as a King.  Our King came not to rule but to redeem.  He came as the only One capable of paying the penalty for our sin.  He chose death willingly.  The story does not end there, but it finds beauty and purpose there.  For this week, let us consider the truth of Jesus as a King.  Let us be grateful for His choice to be born, live among us and die for us.  Let us be grateful that He left his throne to be lifted up on a cross.

This truth and sentiment was in my mind’s eye as I decided on the weekly themes for our Advent focus this year.  Week three’s application would end with a reminder to be grateful for the kind of King Jesus chose to be.  But as I began penning this last paragraph, Jesus as a King became much more personal.  I began to see its truth at the root of my battle with Advent this year.  I have allowed the distractions of this world to sit on the throne of my heart lately – to rule my life and steal my joy.  I confess it.  I’m repenting and turning back in the direction of my true King.  If this is you too, I pray that you’ll join me.  If it’s not, praise God!  And now we can join you on this sacred walk towards the manger.

My hair was once black … now it is gray. There was a time when I slept all night, and had joints that didn’t constantly talk back at the slightest wrong movement. When I was younger, the aches and pains that come with age were only something I wasn’t looking forward to … certainly not a reality. Just last week, I was confronted with the reality of older age (and aches and pains) while helping our daughter move.  As I age (and I am not that old), it’s becoming apparent to me that growing older is not for the weak. One of the other things I’ve noticed is that I don’t seem to have all the answers anymore. In my younger years, there were times when I had answers … even when no one was asking questions. Anyone blessed to live a long life experiences the trade-off between the exuberance of youth and the wisdom of aging.

Recently, I completed a study of the Apostle John. He was actually the focus of one our articles earlier this year.  But I really didn’t know him then … certainly not the way I do now. When John was young, he was known as one of the Sons of Thunder. His actions as a young man did not mirror the “apostle of love” he would eventually become. Words like aggressive, impetuous, intolerant and harsh would better describe the attributes John displayed during his days with the Savior. But he changed along the journey, and at an older age wrote the Gospel of John, 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd John, and Revelation. From what I can determine, all were written many decades after the death burial and resurrection of the Son of God. I firmly believe the lessons learned while walking with Jesus had a dramatic impact on John as he aged.

What am I getting at? This man who was once young, grew older … just like me! The stallion of youth was transformed into the humble servant of love.  In my studies, I have discovered the word “love” is mentioned more than eighty times in the books which bear his namesake (Gospel of John and the three epistles of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd John). The power of God absolutely shaped this man, and he grew old profoundly proclaiming the unmatched value of love.  Decades after Jesus’ resurrection, God breathed the words of five books of the New Testament into (and through) the Apostle John.  We should read them in the context of his older and wiser self, full of love as he wrote. What a way to grow old!

How many people (even Christ-followers) grow older and develop a measure of impatience and cynicism, salted with a healthy dose of selfishness? I can see how those characteristics could easily seep into my life (but I am not old yet). What about you?

The defining byproduct of John’s aging was love. In fact, there is a story I have read in two sources recently about the end of John’s journey. Let me quote the story from Twelve Ordinary Men, by John MacArthur.

“Jerome says in his commentary on Galatians that the aged apostle John was so frail in his final days at Ephesus that he had to be carried into the church. One phrase was constantly on his lips: ‘My little children love one another.’ Asked why he always said this, he replied, ‘It is the Lord’s command, and if this alone be done, it is enough.’”

John’s story was long, and it didn’t end easy … but it did end well. We are the recipients of God using him to pen the words which most Christ-followers have read and re-read. The fact that he wrote them in the latter portion of his earthly journey, should challenge all of us with what can be as we too grow older. Impatience, selfishness, cynicism … or love!  What will be the legacy of your story and mine?

For the past two days, I was in California helping our daughter move. It was profitable, yet very physically draining (growing older is no fun). The red-eye flight home finished me off.  So, I have chosen to use one of our archived articles from 2011 for today’s post. I trust words from years ago will relate to your story today.

As I sat across the table today and stared at my friend’s meal, it looked delicious. He had a nice juicy hamburger with fries, while I had a salad and soup. Although Weight Watchers would have approved my lunch, I would have preferred the high fat, low nutrition choice of my friend. For that one day, however, I made the right choice. We are all confronted with choices daily. On a particular day in the life of Christ, He had an interesting discussion with the disciples about food and nourishment.

The backdrop for this exchange is the very familiar story of Jesus and the woman at the well. On His way through Samaria, Jesus met a woman whose life was less than appropriate. His love and care for her resulted in saving faith. Other Samaritans entrusted their lives to Christ after hearing her witness. Extra! Extra! Read all about it in John chapter four.

In the midst of that larger story, Jesus has a brief, but powerful, discussion with his disciples.  The discussion was centered on some not-so-ordinary sustenance.  Sandwiched between the woman leaving to go tell her friends about meeting the Messiah, and their return, we find the bigger-than-bread exchange between Jesus and his disciples.  As they returned from town, the disciples urge Jesus to eat.  Listen carefully to His response …

But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”  Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
John 4:32-34

The disciples were concerned with food, but real nourishment for Christ came from doing the will of His Father. In this case, it was leading a Samaritan woman to saving faith. Just like you and I have to choose between hamburgers and salads, we also have to choose between the will of God (real nourishment) and our own desires. Phillip Brooks said it well: “Seek your life’s nourishment in your life’s work.” If you are in Christ, there is no doubt that the Father has plans for you. Doing His will can provide infinitely greater satisfaction than a delicious meal.

Before my lunch choice today, I was given a picture of someone I believe lived out the principles of doing the will of His Father. I was listening to a CD from John Maxwell when I heard a story of the great John Wooden. He had a life-list that was taken from a card his dad gave him when he was twelve. He read it daily throughout his life and tried to apply the principles. On the card were these statements:

Making the most of one’s self. Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build shelter against a rainy day. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

John Wooden died having lived life to the fullest. I believe his faith in Christ helped him live a life of real nourishment.

Our legacy will never be that of John Wooden, but will it be said of us that we valued the Father’s will more than anything else? Will caring for others, growing in His Word and giving of ourselves to His purposes be our legacy? Christ patterned for us a life that nourishes the soul. John Wooden’s story provides evidence that we can follow the pattern. You and I may always battle between hamburgers and salads in feeding our bodies, but Father, help us choose your will over ours, and find real nourishment for our lives!

Let me be among the first today to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.  It is a unique holiday; one which traditionally prompts us to take inventory of the things and people we are most thankful for.  It inspires an attitude of gratitude, and seems the proper primer for the celebration which will follow in just a few short weeks.  As with many other times and things in our daily lives, there is stiff competition from the ill’s of noise and stress, but I pray the day (and extended weekend) create a space for quiet, rest and thankful reflection.

This week our daily readings have intentionally focused on stories of gratitude.  We began with a mother whose cup of joy and gratitude was full and spilling over, because God heard her heart cry and gifted her a son.  We saw a man return to Jesus, after having demons cast out of him, grateful and desiring to follow Him.  We heard a prophet speak a vow “with a voice of thanksgiving” (Jonah 2:9 ESV) and be miraculously spit out of the stomach of a great fish.  We read of ten lepers, who were healed and the solitary one who shouted out praises to God, returned and “fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.” (Luke 17:16 ESV)

Scripture is full of stories of gratitude but not always of healing or victory.  Sometimes (maybe you feel, many times) that is true of circumstances or people in our own lives.  Healing doesn’t come.  Suffering persists.  Prayers give every appearance of not being answered.

Maybe today’s reading was the encouragement and reminder you needed on this day of thanksgiving.  Maybe you felt it was “a little too perfect.”  It sounds good.  It sounds “spiritual.”  But maybe your joy has been beaten down.  Maybe your prayers are on life support or have been absent for some time now.  Maybe your “thanks” is more like, “thanks for nothing!”  Be thankful in all circumstances, God says.  That doesn’t sound conditional.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus, God says.  A perpetual spirit of gratitude no matter the circumstance, this is God’s will for you.  That is not conditional, and it is highly personal.

But here’s the thing … there is a critical word in the first half of the verse above.  It is a word that is often missed or misheard as people read or apply the truth of that verse to their life or the lives of others.  That word is “in.”  1 Thessalonians 5:18 does not say, Be Thankful for all circumstances (although that is so often how it is read or heard).  It says, Be thankful in all circumstances.  No matter what your life looks like as you read these words or navigate this day, God desires for you to be grateful in it.  If you cultivate gratitude in your life, you will find yourself increasingly able to find things and people to be grateful for, even in the midst of grave suffering or loss.

God does not expect you to be grateful for the suffering or loss, but He does supply the power to be grateful even in suffering and loss.  Cultivate gratitude in your life.  Consume God’s Word daily and let it do its work within your heart.  Be thankful in, not for, every circumstance in your life.

For more than a quarter of a century, I have read the account of Jesus, the demon-possessed man and a large herd of pigs. What a fascinating story! What an amazing picture of God’s power over Satan! Can you imagine the scene as the men were released from demon possession and the evil spirits entered the pigs?! I would guess not a single one of us has personally observed a large herd of pigs rushing down a steep bank into a lake and drowning, but it happened. I am sure that in my years of reading this account, I’ve gained some knowledge and understanding of the healing power and love of Jesus. I remember the demon-possessed man, the pigs and the demons, but not much more. If you are like me, reading Scripture can sometime become more about the activity and less about gleaning great principles for life. And I am not talking about a 21st century pig stampede! Contained within this event was an incredible life lesson for today … and I have missed it for years. Maybe you have too.

To set the context, Jesus gets out of a boat and is confronted by two demon-possessed men (Matthew’s gospel mentions two). The account of this story in the book of Mark (where our reading is today) focused on one of the two men.  These men lived in tombs, were naked, violent, and controlled by a legion of demons. The gospel of Mark conveys that one particular man was so strong, he tore off the chains that held him. Picture the scene as he would cry out and cut himself with stones. We have all encountered people who gave us a sense of uneasiness, and even fear. But I don’t think that any of us has come upon a scene quite like this one.

The legion of demons that controlled the two men asked Jesus to send them into the pigs. Jesus obliged, and thus the pig stampede began. Once the evil spirits left the men, we find the one healed demonic sitting dressed and in his right mind. He was a new creation! But there is more to the story. After the event, people pleaded with Jesus to leave. As Jesus was getting in the boat, the converted (I believe), healed demon-possessed man asked to go along. Jesus wouldn’t let him go, but His instructions were words that every believer should follow … and I missed them all these years.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the demon-delivered man begged to go along, but he wouldn’t let him. Jesus said, “Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.” The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.
Mark 5:18-20 (MSG)

Think about the life change for this once scary creature. The healing hand of God changed everything. When you and I came to faith in Christ, everything changed for us. On this side of eternity, the most important decision in our lives was when we went from darkness to light, and became new creations in Christ Jesus. However, Christians often shy away from sharing their spiritual heritage with those they love. Jesus’ words to the healed demonic are very relevant today. We, like him, should tell our story. Why did Jesus tell him to share what happened? Because Jesus wanted others to hear of His mercy!

So here is the challenge:  If you are in Christ, who needs to hear what He has done for you? Will you pray for them? And if Christ opens a door of opportunity, will you share your story? It’s easy to make excuses, but if Christ is your Savior don’t be afraid to tell your story. After all, it is authored by God and is your spiritual birthright. Your journey may not be as exciting as a pig stampede, but it’s yours, and it can be used by God in the lives of others.

I missed the life lesson for years.  Don’t miss your chance to tell your story! Will you let your story become like that of the healed demonic?!