In the first few years of our marriage, my wife and I went to a Christmas tree farm and picked up our Christmas tree.  When I say, “picked up,” I mean we walked over the farm looking at dozens of trees until we decided on the one we liked.  I then cut it down and dragged it to the front of the farm, where I paid the attendant before loading it into the truck we borrowed to get it home.  At home, I shook the tree outside, trying to remove dead needles, and then pulled it through a doorway in our kitchen.  This process alone resulted in a huge mess that we discovered our vacuum could not handle without plugging the hose.  Once inside, we attached the stand and then tried to set it in place and make it straight.  The first tree was the result of a six-hour adventure before we ever hung the first ornament.  Then came the daily checking of the water and the growing concern of a fire hazard in the corner of our home. 

The whole project was a hassle, and after the first year, we discovered we could not put it up until a week before Christmas, or the removal became piles of needles and hours of clean up.  The second year went better, but the approaching baby was going to cause more issues.  Finally, by year three, we bought an artificial tree and used it each year after that.  We could put it up early and had no problem with water or needles while the whole thing is flame resistant. 

Over time the artificial tree has given way to other store-bought greenery and flowers made of silk.  Yesterday we even installed batteries into fake candles to use this Christmas.  No longer do we have anything real that we use to decorate our house for the holiday season.  To me, this is all just fine as it is safer, easier, and cleaner for our family. 

My fear this time of year is that we have not only traded in our real trees for fake ones, but we have also exchanged our real joy for temporary smiles.  The more Christmas becomes about the gifts, the food, and parties, the more artificial it becomes.  This week is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, first and foremost.  The message of the incarnation is that the long-awaited messiah came to earth to accomplish God’s work.  We celebrate this because we live on the other side of his coming, death, and resurrection, and we know the blessings Jesus brings in his birth.  The angel declared to the shepherds that night, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

If your Christmas feels artificial this year and full of fake smiles, it might be because you have missed the point.  It is possible that you have exchanged the real Jesus for a plastic manger that has no meaning to you.  If you want this to be the best Christmas of your life, then you need to rediscover Jesus and the work he came to do for us.  Some things are better when they are fake, and joy is not one of them. 

There are eleven full days left in 2020 before the new year begins.  I have seen dozens of memes making fun of the past year and are showing our excitement for the calendar’s turning.  With a new year comes new experiences, adventures, and opportunities. 

Before we rush into 2021, don’t let these days slip by you without using them. Paul told the believers in the city of Ephesus, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity …” (Ephesians 5:15-16).  Believers are people who make the most of EVERY opportunity.  We pour our hearts and souls into each day. 

These coming eleven days are full of opportunities to use your life for God’s kingdom and to love your neighbors as God desires.  I might even argue that there will be even more chances for us to make an impact for God on this world with the Christmas and New Years’ season. 

So, before you share that funny meme about the end of the year or your excitement for the new year, stop and think about all the good you can still do this year.  People are hoping for a better 2021, but maybe you could surprise them with a wonderful ending to 2020.

There are only a few days left till Christmas.

I suppose there are two things you can do in these final hours before the big day.

One is to open your wallet. Rush to the store, search Amazon, buy gift cards galore. Spend every hour frantically trying to get more, wrap more, and have something for everyone.

The other option is to open your heart. Take time to sit and have conversations, share your life, and spend time connecting with people. You could make the call, send the card, write the email, or drop a text to show you care. You could give yourself to others without being rushed or hurriedly moving on to the next thing.

You have two choices, but only one of these will make people genuinely happy.

Every time I read the gospels, I find a new appreciation for the twelve disciples. They seem to have a strong desire to please Jesus but are often misguided in their thoughts and actions. Recently I was reading, and a line hit me about the disciples like never in my life.

Jesus predicts his upcoming death on the cross, along with his resurrection. It is a significant statement about his ministry, and yet the next verse contains this description.

“But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.” (Mark 9:32)

Here they had been listening to some key words about Jesus, and they had no clue what it meant. This might seem surprising until you do a little searching, and you find that at least four other times, the disciples had no clue what Jesus was telling them. I imagine them smiling and saying, “Nice sermon,” while they glance at one another, confirming that each was as confused as the other.

Have you ever not understood but were afraid to ask? I know I have, and all of us may have felt it at some point when reading our Bibles. If so, let me offer you a couple of suggestions.

1. Be willing to admit to someone you do not understand. This is so hard for most people. We are adults, and we should know things.
2. Know that you are not alone in your lack of understanding. The disciples felt it, and Jesus was right there with them. You will feel it. We all do.
3. Ask questions. One of the greatest joys of my ministry is explaining the way of Jesus to people. I don’t have all the answers, but I will do my best. I am sure this is true for most believers. We love to explain stuff to people who want to know.
4. Give yourself time. It will take the disciples a while before they understand what Jesus said. It will take you some time too. If the answers don’t come clear after a period, be sure to ask and ask.
5. Ask God for wisdom. James writes to the Church and says, “If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God (James 1:5). Sometimes my prayers have been very specific. I do not just ask God for wisdom, but for him to connect me with a teacher, a book, a lecture, or anything helpful.

I am not sure what held the disciples back or what holds back anyone of us who doesn’t understand. Maybe our pride, possibly our fear, or perhaps we have never learned to admit we have ignorance. Set aside whatever keeps you from learning, and I am sure your knowledge will grow along with your faith.

It was not much for several parts of the world, but I was greeted by a snowfall that blanketed our area this morning.  I arose early to get in my exercise at the track and found that the ordinarily black asphalt was a gleaming white that reflected the night sky and illuminated the entire sports complex.  An inch of snow had transformed the typical darkened field into a dazzling perfect whiteness only found after fresh snowfall.  As I made my tracks into the new powder with each stride, I could not help but be captivated by the moment. 

David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.  It is a dark and sad chapter in the life of a Godly man.  He was then confronted by Nathan the Prophet, and the façade of righteousness gave way to grief.  In Psalm 51, David pleads for God’s forgiveness, and there he asked God to wash his soul from the stain of sin.  He writes this powerful line, “Wash me and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalms 51:7). 

The Prophet Isaiah is confronting the people of Israel with their sins.  They have broken the law of God and turned away from his will.  But the words are filled with the hope that if they people will turn back to the Lord, he will forgive them and “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). 

The forgiveness of our sins, mistakes, trespasses, failures, and iniquities will not only clean our souls; it will make them white like the snow.  They will be pure, clean, and reflect the light of God dazzlingly and dramatically. 

This morning I saw the transformation of the landscape by an inch of fresh powder from heaven.  I can only imagine how breathtaking your soul must look when you come to God for forgiveness.  In Jesus, the old has gone, and the new has come.  Wash me, Lord, so that I can be whiter than snow. 

The phrase “Stand Firm” appears in the New Testament a dozen times.  It or a slight variation of it is found over 30 times in the Old Testament.  It is usually offered as a challenge as believers are called to stand firm in the faith when we would rather back down.  The Apostle Paul tells believers repeatedly to stand firm and not be moved. 

We understand the call not to fall away, but this is a statement that there are times it is okay not to be moving forward either.  There are times in the life of faith where you plant your feet, dig in your heels, brace yourself and take the hit.  The goal is not always to improve, but sometimes it is to remain unmoved. 

While this call is generally applied to our faith, as in “don’t give up on God,” it plays itself out in numerous ways.  Standing firm touches every area of our lives.  When you feel like giving up on your marriage, stand firm.  When your children are breaking your heart, stand firm.  When the people you work with are about to drive you crazy, stand firm.  When your neighbor has done something to aggravate you again, stand firm.  Whenever you feel like giving up or stepping away from what you believe, stand strong, and keep doing the right thing. 

As you walk with Jesus, one of the most significant challenges will be to stand firm, not allow yourself to give up, drift backward, or move away from what you believe.  Throughout this day, week, and season there will be times when you want to quit, don’t you dare do it, instead stand firm until you have the needed strength to move forward again.    

In the past week, I have met with other pastors to disburse a trust fund to those in need. I have also been a part of a youth group gathering of over 20 Jr High and High School students.  That is not to mention my typical Sunday morning with worship and practice for the Christmas program.  Yesterday afternoon I taught a membership class for 12 people, plus I talked with two new couples at our gatherings on Sunday morning. 

Last night I sat in my living room and reflected on the events of the past eight days and was amazed at all God was doing despite the uncertainty of Covid.  People are serving, uniting, helping, giving, learning, growing, and connecting in meaningful ways throughout this holiday season.  The Kingdom of God is not stopped by a virus or people who have shut things down.  It keeps making an impact on one life at a time. 

Sure, the pain of knowing that people are missing gnaws at me.  The average Church has lost fifty percent of its attendees in the past year.  It hurts my heart to see that people are missing what God is doing in and through the Church, but I choose not to focus on them today.  I will choose to be encouraged by the actions of some and not discouraged by the decisions of others.  I am excited about what God is doing right here and right now with these people.

This year has brought a lot of bad news, personal setbacks, and organizational issues, but God is still working.  The Church keeps moving forward, and the Kingdom of God is advancing in new and surprising ways.  I am thankful today that nothing can stop our God.    

It has been several months since I posted any articles. During that time, I have read hundreds of posts, here are some of the best for you to read and enjoy.

Why Hollywood Praises Elliot Page (and Blacklists Me)

Everyday Ways to Reconnect and Nurture Your Relationship

Rituals of Gratitude

How We Can Be More Thankful People

Covid-19 Mandates – Should We Always Submit?

Sisters, You Have Permission to Lead an Ordinary Life

NEW TRENDS: 4 WAYS THE PANDEMIC IS NEGATIVELY IMPACTING PEOPLE

3 Warning Signs Politics Is Becoming Your Religion

Why Living Our Lives With An Audience is Killing Us

Qarrtsiluni

Watch this about #TroyBoy – the best 14 minutes you will spend all Christmas … and bring a tissue.

Between the ages of 18 and 28, I knew absolutely everything.  I knew how to lead a Church, be successful in ministry, have a healthy marriage, raise Godly children, and live the life God desired of me.  The only problem was that I had done none of those things.  However, I had a college degree, lots of secondhand experience, and all the confidence in the world. 

With each passing year of my life, I have realized how little I know.  My first full-time ministry kicked me in the teeth and left me stunned by the blow.  I have never achieved any level of success in ministry as I am little known outside of the Church I lead.  Marriage proved to be far more complicated than I imagined as my wife and I try to take two unique individuals and make them one couple.  Raising children is a roller coaster ride that will not stop even as they head into their adult lives.  The mistakes I have made are far more numerous than I hoped.  Sin grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go of me.  Even when I get victorious in one area of my Christian life, another struggle begins, and the evil one smiles as he flips over and repositions his grip.  The failures have been far more numerous than the successes.

This morning I looked in the mirror at the wrinkles on my face, the crow’s feet by my eyes, and the ever-decreasing amount of hair on my head and wondered where that overly confident boy went.  He has long since faded into a middle-aged man who seems to know extraordinarily little about life.   

One thing has drastically changed through the years beyond my appearance.  My faith is more significant to me than ever.  The more I realize I have little I truly know, the more I am forced to depend on God.  I spend less time patting myself on the back and more time on my knees, pleading with God to work through my incompetence.  I am not sure how to lead a Church, know I will never be successful, unsure why my wife would stay with me, hurt over my children’s decisions, and feel the pain of my stupidity, but I am confident that God will somehow use me. 

The younger version of me would be embarrassed by who I have become today. But the current version of me is happier than ever.  I feel less stress as I throw all my burdens on God.  I lean into his strength and knowledge and not my own. Faith has taught me to enjoy the good times, be surprised at the successes, and smile about all God is doing despite my inadequacies.  The older I get, the less I know, but the more I trust the one who knows everything.   

Numerous people have said that line to me. They reflected on a time of teaching, a particular message, a conference they attended, a book they read, or even a podcast and felt like it was a turning point in their life.

My question is simple, “Did it change your life or just change your thinking?”

Several years ago, I heard Edwin Louis Cole say a line that challenged me the more I thought about it. He was preaching, and he quipped, “Change is not change until you change.” Meaning that real change only happens when we see something different occurring in your life than what we previously saw. You have not really changed your life until others can see the results in your actions.

Unfortunately, most of us equate a shift in thinking with a change of life. The two are not the same because it is one thing to know the right thing to do and quite another to do it.

I am glad that the material you experienced challenged your thinking about aspects of your life, but the goal is to act more like Christ. Change is not change until you change.