The Colors of Christmas

November 28, 2015November 28, 2015 purposeunderheavenLeave a comment

European Christians in the years around 1500 AD, developed plays to tell the bible stories to the illiterate population. Actors traveled across the different regions of Germany and France preforming the plays.

In regions of Europe where they commemorated Adam and Eve Day on December 24, the Paradise Play was preformed on the eve of Christmas to celebrated the creation of the world and recalled the fall of Adam and Eve.

The actors went and cut an evergreen tree–the only green trees in December. They tied apples ( one of the few ripe fruits in the area) on the limbs. This was the major prop for the show.

The evergreen represented the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. The apple represented the fruit Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat. One last decoration was placed on the tree. Pieces of wafer, unblessed eucharist, were attached to the branches to show the coming promise of a savior to take away the sin of the world.

They preformed the play in a circle of candles. Adam and Eve, in defiance of God’s rules, toke a bite of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This act cause the couple to run and hide because they saw their sin. Their sin separated them from God. They were removed from Paradise, and humankind cursed to face hard lives and death. But God gave them a promise of one who would come to save mankind.

The tree remained up for December 25th as they celebrated the birth of that promised savior. And the tree became known as a Christmas tree and with it the Christmas colors of red, green and white which tell the Gospel Story.

Christian. · Thanksgiving · Uncategorized

Living a Life of Thanksgiving

November 1, 2015November 1, 2015 purposeunderheavenLeave a comment

Let’s study Thanksgiving in the School of David– the man had a PHD in the Art of Thanking God. King David is one of my favorite people in the bible. He managed to get himself into trouble several times, yet God loved him. Note, I probably view this wrong. I see a man who failed and God still loved because I fail so often. But in reality David was a man after God’s own heart because it was David’s desire to do what God commanded. He stumbles and falls, but he always turns back to God crying for forgiveness. He longed to please God. Evidence would indicate David longed to please God because David deliberately recalled when he was down all the things God had accomplished for him.

When you look at David’s psalms and his life, you find a man who lived a life of gratitude—a life continually recognizing God’s actions in his life. Based on this, it makes sense to allow David to teach us about Thanksgiving. And it just so happens, David wrote a psalm outlining a life of Thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16. It will be our primary text for learning how to go on a great adventure with God through thanksgiving.

But a quick overview of the process can be found in Psalm 50:15 and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

Exercise 1
Find a place to jot down your thoughts: journal, computer document, notepad.
Write down the times when you cried out to God in a time of trouble.

Write down how God responded.

Do you remember honoring God if he delivered you?

How did you honor him?

Christian.

The Colt

April 13, 2014 purposeunderheavenLeave a comment

Luke 19: 28-31 And it came about that when He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples saying,

“Go into the village opposite you, in which as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it, and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, why are you untying it? thus shall you speak, ‘The Lord has need of it'”

Question: If someone came to you today and started to take your possession, and when you confronted them, they said the Lord has need of it, what would your answer be?
I am not sure what my answer would be. I suspect I would be suspicious. If I let the colt go, I would have insisted on taking him. What trust this unnamed servant had. Imagine what God could do with people who were this obedient to his requests.

28 Day Love Challenge · branch and fruit · Christian. · February · Love

Forgiveness

February 4, 2014 purposeunderheaven1 Comment

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 13

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

A conviction hangs heavy on my heart. The negative aspects of this statement regarding Agape love hits dead on.

It keeps no record of wrongs? Love does not delight in evil.

In thinking about love, it becomes clear to me that before I can love others with Agape love I must learn to forgive.

Not superficial forgiveness–not just me saying it’s okay when you say you are sorry. But the type of forgiveness that does not keep score. The kind of forgiveness that does not plot subtle revenge. And this forgiveness is not just for the big things that happen, but the resentments I have collected over time. The ones where the perpetrator doesn’t even realize I am holding a grudge.

I must forgive people not just for harming me, but for hurting the ones I love. That is a lot harder. I must forgive them when they spread gossip and tell lies. And when they do not stop others who are gossiping and lying. I must forgive them when they verbally attack my friend. I must forgive them when they act mean and cruel. I must forgive them when they choose to turn a blind eye to what is wrong because they personally benefit. I must forgive them when I feel like they only friend me when they want something.

My thoughts about how to get even are wrong. When I believe I am fighting evil, but do not wish good for the person involved; then I am wrong. Their evil does not make it okay for me to wish them harm. I should not meet evil with evil. But even more than that, everything on my list above could be said about me at some point. My lack of forgiveness acts as a fertilizer to my unjust anger and the absence of love in my heart.

Look up forgiveness and an interesting lesson appears. Jesus discusses forgiveness in Matthew 6 in the mist of his teachings on not making a show of your righteous acts. Here is what he says:

Matthew 6

¹⁴For if you forgive people their trespasses [their^]reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

¹⁵But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.

God forgives us as we forgive others. Can you imagine reaching heaven and having God point out every time you failed Him? What if each time I fail HIm, the Lord said, “There you go again! I knew your weren’t really sorry or you wouldn’t keep doing it.” Or what if God, angry with me, plotted against me and not for me?

I want my sins to be forgiven and forgotten. I want them to be as far as the East is from the West. I don’t want them listed in the book of life. I want them erased and forgotten.

So how do you forgive? There seems to be two types of things here.

The small thoughtless slights. The pain that comes from being forgotten or betrayed. These I need to take to the Lord. I need to follow Christ’s example and ask God to forgive those who hurt me. I am more and more convinced you cannot wish harm for someone if you are asking God to intervene and to help. So in these situations, I think you have to say to God “Forgive them they know not what they do” Ask God to take the pain from you or to allow you to grow from the pain. I don’t think this can be a general thing. I think it has to be a very specific thing. God I am feeling resentment against Joe and I ask you to forgive Joe for this sin and I ask you to forgive me for these feelings. Please take them from me.

The second type of harm is more deliberate and harmful. People making up lies. People gossiping. People attacking someone who cannot defend themselves. People stealing. People breaking vows. People plotting to harm another.

Galatians 6
6 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

When we see a fellow Christian hurting others, we must take steps to restore them. But it should only occur after prayer. And before dealing with another person, be sure you have looked at your own life and dealt with similar sin.

Then you can approach the person who causing harm. As you go to them, your first concern is for the people involved. The person who is at fault and the person being harmed.

Today I am specifically asking God to forgive me for my unforgiveness. I am praying for each resentment I hold and for each person I resent. I am asking God to prune my tendency to hold grudges so I may learn to love in the spirit.

Branch and fruit · Christian. · February · Love · Valentines · Vine · Vine

Love Challenge

February 3, 2014 purposeunderheavenLeave a comment

In the flesh, I cannot love with Agape love. This level of love is a self sacrificing concern for others in the small day to day and in the big lay your life down type of thing.
But this month of Love, I am Challenging myself to seek to be a person of Agape love.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us that without Agape love our Christian walk is like loud clanging bang. I take his words to mean that if we do not have this level of love everything else we do as Christians is worthless. We are called to love.

1 Corinthians 13

New International Version (NIV)

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

We are told in Galatians 5 that Agape love is a fruit of the Spirit.

Life by the Spirit

¹³You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

¹⁶So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

So how does a person live by the Spirit? This is what Jesus said in John 15.

John 15

New International Version (NIV)

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.⁴Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.⁸This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

⁹“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.¹³Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command.¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.

Tomorrow, I start my February Challenge. To walk in the Spirit. To allow Christ to love others through me. To be aware of those around me and to ask Jesus to create fruit from my branches even if it means God, the father, has to do some pruning.

Pray for me and if you are up for it, join me, as I ask God to create the fruit of Agape love in me (1 Corinthians 13) as described by Paul.

12 Days of Christmas · Christian. · Christmas · Christmas Traditions · Feast of Stephen

Second Day of Christmas

December 27, 2013 purposeunderheavenLeave a comment

The wind whipped, blowing the snow into deep drifts. Wenceslas, wrapped in his warm furs, stared off into the distance. The shadow of a man moved across the edge of the woods. The figure moved into the light from the moon and then faded into the dark of the trees. The man was unfamiliar to him, which caused him to be alert.

“Page” he called to the young man who worked for him. “Do you know who that is moving about?” He worried an enemy might be scouting the defenses looking for a weak spot.

“Yes, sire” The page pointed in a direction far past the woods. “He lives a great distance away.” The boy of no more than sixteen looked down and continued. “He has so little, he came this far just looking for wood to burn.”

Wenceslas watched as the man disappeared from sight. The Duke’s mind jumping from thought to thought. Today, the church celebrated the Feast of Stephen. Stephen, the man whom the apostles trusted to care for those in need, died a martyr’s death. And today was his day.

Wenceslas sighed; this man lived on his lands and under his care. What would God say if he let this man go hungry or cold? No, not on his watch!

“Lets gather meat and wine and anything else you think they will need. Hurry”

They rushed about gathering everything they thought the family could use. With a bundle tied to each of their backs and their hands full, the two men ventured out into the cold.

The man’s home stood two or three miles away and the snow rather than slowing seemed to be falling harder. Wenceslas blinked and pushed ahead in the direction his page had pointed. The page said he lived near the edge of the mountain. The Duke used the glimpses of Mountain he could see as a point of reference everything else seemed hidden beneath a blanket of white. Holding to the edge of the woods he focused on his destination and prayed for God to protect them as they walked.

The wind tore at their skin and the cold bit deep. Then, the full light of the moon slipped behind the grey clouds leaving a dark wall ahead of them. The little they had been able to see disappeared from sight.

The page cried out “Duke Wenceslas, please Sire, I cannot bare this cold. Maybe we should turn back”

Wenceslas heard the tremble in the young man’s voice.
“Just look down”

The Page thought the response strange? “Sire?”

“Move close and step in my steps. Stay near me and only step where I have stepped and you will be warmer”

The page, which had fallen behind, hurried to catch up and then did as commanded. He watched his master’s feet stepping where he stepped. He felt warmer almost immediately. They trudged forward until Wenceslas saw the home.

The Duke banged on the door.

The father cried out. “Coming”. A minute later, he slid open the door a crack to see who was out in this weather. He flung it open wide and bowed at the sight of the Duke.

Wenceslas dropped the burden in his hands onto the father’s open arms. “May we come in? We have brought dinner and hoped to celebrate with you.”

The man’s family at first shyly and then with full laughter took the food and wine to set the table for a grand feast. The mother’s heart filled with gratitude as she saw enough food to last until the snows faded away.

Happy Saint Stephen’s Day

King Wenceslas died a martyr’s death. His brother feared the Christian Duke would spend all the inheritance helping others. His brother had him killed. He received the title of King after his death in honor of the Christian Love he showed for others.

12 Days of Christmas · Christian. · Christmas · Christmas Traditions

First Day of Christmas (Season of Celebration Begins)

December 26, 2013 purposeunderheavenLeave a comment

Jesus stepped into the world as a little babe. We celebrate Him as Lord and as King. The angels tell us our savior is born. Yes, our savior! The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the one who existed at the beginning of the universe came to earth to die.

The Shepherds in near by fields watched over the passover lambs. The shepherds tended the sheep assuring those without flaws would be available in the Temple for the Passover sacrifice. Jesus came to be our true Passover lamb.

Two thousand years before, Pharaoh refused to release the Israeli slaves. Over generations they were forced into service. Now, God wanted his people freed. Moses told Pharaoh to release the people or the first born son in every home would die. But God provided a method for salvation. If the family sacrificed a lamb and placed the blood on the two door posts and the beam above the door, death would not come to the home where the blood of the lamb was found.

Jesus came into the world to teach us, and to demonstrate right from wrong. But the truth is that Jesus came into the world to die. He is our Passover Lamb. And when the book of life is open to judge the just and the unjust, if the blood of the lamb is found on our hearts then we will be covered in his righteousness.

We celebrate our King, but it is the greatest of Kings who chooses to die so his people can live.

Jesus came the first time as the Sacrifice for our sins. Jesus came to die for us.

Next time, he will be coming as our King.

Come Lord Jesus!!!

Advent · Christian. · Christmas · Uncategorized

Ring the Bells

December 14, 2013 purposeunderheavenLeave a comment

Bells, church tower bells, hand held bells, bells on bob tails, bells, bells everywhere bells.

Nothing is more Christmas than bells. Yet, history rings loud with bells well before Jesus. Bells sounded a warning, or signaled people to come together.

The early church had no tower bells or loud bells to identify where they were meeting. No, they would use little hand bells in the early days to indicate they were starting a service, but drawing attention was not high on their list of things to do. For the first few centuries, they faced off and on persecution for their faith.

Then the Emperor Constantine declared Christianity to be acceptable and the churches started adding bells to indicate when special events would occur. They built buildings with bell towers to ring out for events like Christmas.

As caroling started growing in popularity, some carolers would ring bells as the music for the singers and to draw attention. The bells became more and more a part of the Christmas traditions.

But today, the bell ringers we think about most with the season stand outside of stores ringing their hand held bells. Cold weather or hot, rain or snow, these men and women hold their posts from Thanksgiving until Christmas. The bell rings as we walk past. If we drop a coin, we hear a Merry Christmas in reply.

Over a hundred years ago, one man saw the need of the poor in his town of San Francisco. He desired to find them food for Christmas. This one man found a pot and stood out asking people to drop coins in it to feed the needy at Christmas. He collected enough to feed over a 100,000 people that year.
Now similar pots are positioned all over our country and others who care about the poor stand outside of stores ringing a bell to draw attention to the need for the poor. Captain Joseph McFee and his Salvation Army pots have feed millions since the 1890’s

Today, we think of Christmas when we hear those bells ringing. And when we think of Christmas we should think of the poor and needy.

Matthew 25

³⁴Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

³⁵For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

³⁶Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

³⁸When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

³⁹Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Prayer: Lord help me to see those in need. Help me to know how to help in a healthy way. Guide me to a person who cares for those in need.

Meditation: When I face Jesus will he see me as a sheep who cared for Him when he was hungry, sick or in prison. Or am I a goat?

Action: As I see people in need, visualize them as if they are Christ, before deciding how to respond.

Advent · Christian.

Secret Santa

December 7, 2013 purposeunderheavenLeave a comment

It has become common knowledge that the person we call Santa evolved from a Bishop named Nicholas who lived in Myra during the forth century. Nicholas is one of the most revered Christian leaders from the early church. I think because he sought to live a life based on the teachings of Christ and on the scriptures.

Nicholas orphaned while very young inherited a great deal of wealth. Rather than following a life of business, he chose to serve Christ. The lad learned to love Jesus at an early age and eventually was named Bishop of Myra. Three traits, in my opinion, made Nicholas someone who lived out the Christian faith.

1 Gave what he had to help others and did it in secret.

Three young girls lived in the village where he was Bishop. Their father did not have the money to provide their dowry. Young girls in this era who had no dowry could not expect marriage. There prospects appeared dim.

The legend varies, but it seems Nicholas decided to sneak into their home at night. He found their stockings hung up to dry. He dropped enough gold coins into each girls stockings to assure they had a dowry. He met their need and shared what he had.

2. He fought for those who could not fight for themselves.

Three men, accused of a crime, were sentenced to death. Nicholas stood up for them and fought to get them free. He won their release.

3. He stood strong in his faith never wavering.

Nicholas during a time of persecution of Christians refused to deny Christ and was imprisoned.

Prayer: Ask God to show me people who I can help. Help me to see the need and to have the strength to do what is needed.

I also pray for strength to never deny my faith, to be willing to tell others who my Lord is.

Mediation: Who could I be a secret Nicholas for? Are their people who need my help? What could I do and how could I do it without anyone knowing?

Also think about when do I stand for Christ? Do I deny Christ with my silence? If my admission of being a Christian came with a cost, would I stand.

Action: Make a plan and act on it based on the results of my meditation. Look for people who I can make their lives better.

Advent · Christian.

Words Just Words

December 4, 2013 purposeunderheavenLeave a comment

December arrives with all its winter charm and celebrations. Close behind comes the controversy known as “The War on Christmas”. Those who love Christ should re-evaluate their involvement in this battle. The fight is about traditions and not about what is Holy.

I hear people upset that stores, politicians and commercials have started saying “Happy Holidays”, but those who celebrate their Lord’s birth should not be upset. Christians should embrace this salutation.

Holiday derived from the words “halig (holy) plus daeg (day)”

A politician declares a tree to be a Holy Day Tree; what is that to us? Use the comment to remind yourself of The Holy Son of God who stepped down from heaven to enter the world in the form of a little baby.

We are wished Happy Holidays by those who mean it as a way of equalizing all religions. Why should we expect someone who does not know the child that was born so long ago to hold as special the day of our Savior’s human birth?

Thank the person who is, if somewhat unknowingly, reminding you that this is a holy season. Slow down from the chaos our secular society has built around this season. Spend a moment in communion with the Lord who lived before this world existed.

I hear Christians arguing for Christmas to be left alone because it is a secular tradition in this country. What are you doing? It is better for that remnant that remembers the reason for the season to stand alone in celebrating the birth of the Lord than for the traditions of Christmas to steal away the Holy meaning of the Celebration of Christ’s Mass Day.

I challenge you each time you are wished “Happy Holidays” to stop and say a prayer of praise to the Lord.

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest and peace, goodwill toward men

In the flesh, I cannot love with Agape love. This level of love is a self sacrificing concern for others in the small day to day and in the big lay your life down type of thing. But this month of Love, I am Challenging myself to seek to be a person of Agape love.

1 Corinthians 13

Life by the Spirit

John 15

The Vine and the Branches

In the flesh, I cannot love with Agape love. This level of love is a self sacrificing concern for others in the small day to day and in the big lay your life down type of thing.
But this month of Love, I am Challenging myself to seek to be a person of Agape love.