A New Creature
If you know me well at all, you know how much I love BMW. I’ve owned six cars in my life so far and all but two have been BMWs. In my opinion, no other car drives as well or is easier to owner-maintain. The company also has a lot of cutting edge ideas that are implemented in their prototype vehicles which end up becoming part of future production vehicles. They announced something a few days ago which has never been done before and I hadn’t even considered. They revealed a BMW iX Flow prototype vehicle with E Ink. What is that? Basically, the exterior of the car features the same technology that a Kindle or other E Ink reader tablet has, enabling the car to change its exterior design and color at the push of a button. This enables the owner to change the look of their car at any time, making personalization easy for the first time.
When I heard about the BMW iX Flow, I immediately thought about a verse in the Old Testament. God said through Jeremiah, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil” (Jeremiah 13:23). We are all like normal cars, ones permanently painted without E Ink. We can’t change who we are. But God promises something new. He promises that we can become a new creature, one like the BMW iX Flow, able to change through His power. Because of Jesus, we can do good even though we are accustomed to doing evil. Isn’t that something you would like to experience? Ask God to turn you into a new creature today!
Be Active
A graduation gift that Chelsea and other members of my family gave me was enrollment to an online class about writing music for musical theater. I’m excited about the opportunity because I’ve always been interested in musical theater. I did some acting prior to college as part of a drama association and have also had a chance to utilize those skills in my pastoral ministry with both writing, directing, and acting in various church productions. The class begins next week and lasts for thirty days. A video I had to watch before class officially begins discussed how to choose a story that could be turned into a musical. One of the things mentioned was that the protagonist, the main character in the story, should be active. In other words, events and situations shouldn’t happen to the person as they passively float through the story. Instead, the protagonist should be the one making the decisions and actively achieving what they want.
As I thought about this, I realized that it would be well for each of us to take that advice to heart. We are the protagonists in our own stories. Sometimes we spend too much time letting life happen to us as we passively float through it. Instead, we should be actively achieving our goals and desires. The wisest man to ever live put it this way: “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). As we begin this new year, let’s begin planning our way. Listen for the way the Lord is directing your steps, then spend some time planning. You are the protagonist in your own story. It’s time to transition from being passive to being active. God has a plan for your life and this year is the perfect time to start carrying out that plan.
A New Creation
Have you ever thought about the fact that Christmas is a week before New Years? Just last week we were thinking about the birth of the Son of God and what that means for us today. And this week, we are thinking about new beginnings, resolutions, and change. If you think about it, though, it only makes sense. The only reason we can achieve any kind of lasting change is because of the birth of Christ! Think about it. Without that gift and the gift of the Holy Spirit which was poured out upon Christ’s departure from earth, we would be hopelessly lost without the aspiration of becoming any better version of ourselves. But because of the birth of our Savior, we CAN become something more - something better!
The Apostle Paul puts it this way. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Isn’t that good news? So this week, as you turn the page to 2022 and begin writing down your resolutions and aspirations for the new year, don’t forget the most important step. Paul says we can only become something new if we are “in Christ.” So accept the gift of the Savior and ask Him to turn you into a new creation. He’ll be more than happy to do it.
Pondering Christmas
One of my family’s traditions is to listen to an old audio recording called “An Old Fashioned Christmas”. I’ve since discovered that it is the rehearsal track for a play that was written in the 1970’s. The play explores the activities of a family in the 1800’s around Christmas as told through their 12-year-old daughter’s diary. The story opens with the narrator pointing out how hectic Christmas has become and how we never have time anymore to enjoy the season or remember the reason that we celebrate. “Why can’t Christmas just be Christmas?” he asks. “A plain and simple old fashioned Christmas.” The story then describes what Christmas used to be like, filled with family and friends, church, and plenty of time to ponder the gift that was given over 2,000 years ago.
One of the most profound verses in scripture is found in Luke’s version of the story of Christ’s birth. After talking about the baby being laid in a manger and the shepherds showing up to worship the child then telling everyone about it, Luke says, “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). You know, worship is important and sharing the story of God becoming man is essential, but how often does all the activity crowd out the pondering? This year, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, carve some time out from the shopping and cooking and actually ponder Christmas. Ponder the gift that was given so long ago and celebrate its effects in your life today. It’s not too late to have a plain and simple old fashioned Christmas.
Graduation
What does graduation mean to you? Tomorrow evening I’ll be graduating from Southern Adventist University with my Masters in Ministry and I’ve been pondering what it means. Sure, it means the conclusion to a six-year journey of classes, tests, and homework. It means a little more money in my salary. It means I’m (hopefully) a little smarter than I was at the beginning. But what does graduating really mean? When the examiner handed me my private pilot license six years ago, he told me that it was a license to learn. I think probably the same could be said about receiving a graduate diploma. It’s a license to learn. Education doesn’t end with graduation. School simply gives you the tools you need to continue learning for the rest of your life.
It’s the same with being a Christian. You don’t stop learning when you get baptized. You don’t know it all when you’re elected to a church office or even if you become a pastor. Becoming a Christian is simply a license to learn. So keep reading your Bible. Every time you read it, you’ll see something new. Even the stories you’ve read a hundred times will burst with new meaning as the Holy Spirit delivers a message just for today. This Christmas season, as you hear the familiar story and read the familiar words, “Unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), bask in the beauty of the plan of redemption. Don’t ever think you know it all. After all, being a Christian is simply a license to learn.
What Can You Do With a General?
How does a person transition from a position of authority and success to a “nobody”? If someone is used to giving the orders and receiving a level of respect, what happens when they are no longer in that position? This is one of the main themes found in the classic musical “White Christmas.” Tom Waverly, a respected major general during World War II, found himself, 10 years later, a failing innkeeper. The characters in the story end up putting together a 10th anniversary celebration for him, but a song that really makes you think is the one that Bing Crosby’s character sings as he makes an appeal for his fellow soldiers to attend. It asks the question, “What can you do with a general when he stops being a general? . . . / They fill his chest with medals while he’s across the foam / And they spread the crimson carpet when he comes marching home / The next day someone hollers when he comes into view / “Here comes the general” and they all say “General who?” / They’re delighted that he came / But they can’t recall his name / Somehow he’s not understood enough / They think no job could be good enough / That’s why this country never has enjoyed / So many one and two and three and four star generals, unemployed.”
As humans, we don’t relish the idea of losing who we are. We each have an identity that we’ve crafted and if we were to lose that, we would be lost. This is why I think that one of the greatest wonders of Christmas is that a General, the Commander of the Lord’s Army, gave up His title and identity, His position of authority and respect, to come to this earth as a nobody. Paul put it this way: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4, 5). Imagine the sacrifice and love that required! Yet, how many of us truly appreciate that sacrifice and give Him the honor He deserves? This season, won’t you thank Him for His priceless gift?
Plug Into Power
I was at the Pittsburgh Church yesterday helping to decorate the sanctuary for Christmas. There is a really tall tree that goes on the platform and assembling it took a lot of the time. It came in 5 sections and had to be put together, then twisted and fluffed into shape. There were Christmas lights that had been left on the tree but the different sections of lights on the different sections of the tree had to be plugged in after it was assembled. Most of the lights worked, but there was one large section that wrapped around the front of the tree where the lights weren’t working at all. I traced the wires and finally discovered the problem: one of the extension chords was plugged into itself rather into power. Once I plugged it into power, that part of the tree lit up perfectly.
This made me think about us as humans. You know, we’re a lot like those Christmas lights. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Just like those Christmas lights, though, we have to be plugged into power for us to share any kind of light. The problem with some of us is that we’re not plugged into Jesus - we’re plugged into ourselves! As long as we’re not plugged into Christ, we can’t let our light shine or glorify our Father in heaven. Won’t you plug into Him today?
Give Thanks
My sister, Charity, and I have a tradition of singing a song for special music at church during Thanksgiving if we have the opportunity. It’s a well-known song called “Give Thanks.” The words go like this: “Give thanks with a grateful heart / Give thanks to the Holy One / Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son / And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’ / Let the poor say, ‘I am rich / Because of what the Lord has done for us.’” Unfortunately we aren’t going to be able to sing it together this year, but I was thinking about the words and discovered something. It’s easy to look around at our lives and decide we’re not thankful for circumstances that we’re going through. But that’s not the stuff that really matters. Give thanks because God has given Jesus and offered us eternal life! That’s what we should be thankful for.
The Apostle Paul seems to echo the words of that song when he tells the Thessalonians to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We can only give thanks in everything if we understand that circumstances and events happening around us are temporary. Jesus said that we would have trouble in the world but to rejoice, because He has overcome the world! No matter what you’re going through, give thanks! This is the will of God for you.