Thursday Humor: Brian Regan "Eye Doctor"

Here is a humorous skit about going to the eye doctor.  Brian Regan is hilarious.  I hope you enjoy it.

Immanuel

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name, Immanuel' (which means, God with us)" (Matt. 1:22-23).

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the events of a day.  We often approach a day as if we know what will happen, and that most of what happens will be pleasing to our sensibilities.  However, it rarely works out that things go exactly the way the hoped they would.  Sometimes, things we could not have foreseen catch us off guard.  When that happens we need to remind ourselves of the truth contained Matthew 1:22-23.

With the words, "All this took place," Matthew sums up everything that is said in Matthew 1:1-21.  God's purpose had slowly been unfolding throughout history, slowly leading up to the birth of Christ.  Because God desired mankind to know his plan, he revealed parts of it through the prophets.  Therefore, when the words of the prophets came to pass, God was demonstrating his knowledge and power.  Such displays of his might and power, create and sustain faith in God's people.

Matthew is simply reminding the people that what God has promised, he will do.  Thus, a virgin, Mary, was with child (Jesus).  This child was to be called Immanuel.  He bares it more as a title, than a name, but it tells so much about this child. Matthew tells us that Immanuel means God with us.

Mary's child, Jesus, was God.  He wasn't simply a representative for God.  He wasn't just a man who could help point us to God.  Know he was God with us.  John 1:1 tells us that the Word (Jesus) was with God, and was God.  Although I am speaking in past tense, I don't mean to imply that Jesus isn't still God.  Jesus, the eternal Son of God, has always existed as God along side of the Father and the Spirit.  They are not three gods, but one God in three persons.  Jesus is spoken of as Creator, Redeemer, Savior, King, God, etc. throughout the New Testament.

Jesus is God, and he is With us.  The yearning on the heart of God's people is to be with and know their God.  However, this is not possible as long as there is sin within God's people.  No one can look upon God's glory and live.  Yet, God is present with us.  God, who is holy and dwells in the high and holy places, can also be found among the humble and brokenhearted (Isa. 57:15).  During Jesus' first appearing, God was showing his people that he would soon dwell with them forever (John 1:14).  Jesus said he would always be with us (Matt. 28:20). Finally, we see the glorious appear of Christ in the book of Revelation.  In Revelation 21:3-4, we are told that a day is coming when God dwells with his people forever, and they shall see him face to face. No death. No fear. No more tears.

He is God with Us.  In Christ, though we were fallen, yet are we redeemed.  In him we are saints, even though we still struggle with sin.  In him, we are becoming the righteousness of God.  We were helpless, but he has made us hopeful.

God with us, is God for us.  To paraphrase Paul, "Since God is on our side, who can stand in our way?"  And he is for us, or else he wouldn't be with us.  The next time you are overwhelmed by your circumstances, I hope you will take time to reflect on Immanuel. 

Hymns: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Following the loss of his beloved wife, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow found the holidays to be unbearably sad.  The tension and brutality caused by the Civil War only added to his grief.  As Christmas approached, a darkness descended.  The final straw came when his son, Charles, was injured during the war in 1863.  Longfellow waved the flag of surrender and abandoned any hope of God bringing peace on earth.  However, something awakened within him on Christmas Day in 1864.  He penned the words of his poem, "Christmas Bells," which was eventually shortened to 5 stanzas, and transformed into a carol.  For more information you can read more here.

In this song, we are reminded that God is in control, even in when we can't see him working because we surrounded by darkness.  God is not dead, nor does he sleep.  So we can trust him, even in times when we do not know what he is doing. I think it was C. H. Spurgeon who said, "When you can't trace God's hand, trust his heart."  Longfellow says the same thing, but in slightly different words.

Here are the lyrics:

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I though how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth" I said
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep,
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep,
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing, singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Here is a video of, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," arranged by Mark Hall, performed by Casting Crowns.

FAQs Mondays: How Do We Learn to Pray?

Last week, we began a series on prayer by answering the question, "What is Prayer?".  You can read that post here. Since "Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies," we need to know how to pray.

What rule has God given for our direction in prayer?

The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer, but the special rule of direction is that prayer, which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord's Prayer. Paul reminds us that, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  Jesus prayed:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we have also forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Summary

Prayer is talking with God, but it is also more.  When we pray we are to pray for God's will and in the name of Jesus' name.  Praying in Jesus' name means that we are praying in such a way that his name will be rightly represented and glorified through our request.  Scripture teaches how to pray by showing us God's will, showing us Jesus' character, and by showing us the prayers of others.  One one the most instructive prayer in Scripture is often called "The Lord's Prayer."  This prayer is model Jesus gave to his disciples to help them learn how to pray.  Over the next few weeks, we will look at each part of the Lord's Prayer.  Next week, we answer the question, " What does the opening of the Lord's Prayer teach us?"

Sunday Recap 12-5-10

Morning: The message, "Some Things You Need to Know," explored Ecclesiastes 7:19-29.  Solomon places a gen of wisdom before us to guide us through the rest of Chapter 7.  He says, "Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers of a city."  There is power in wisdom, but in order to attain it (wisdom and its power) we need to know a few things.  We need to know our hearts, our limits, our weaknesses, and our world.

We need to know our hearts.  To become wise we must know our hearts.  Jeremiah 17:9 states, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?"  Jesus said, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" (Matt. 15:19).  Solomon reminds us that "There is not a righteous person who always does right and never sins" (Ecc. 7:19).

Solomon reminds us that a self-absorbed, self-centered approach to life is dangerous.  He warns against trying to overhear what others are saying, because we all know we have said things others weren't meant to overhear. Sometimes we feel like the elderly woman who said, "If you can't think of something nice to say about someone, at least make it juicy!" But it is better to leave well enough alone.  We need to realize that hearts are prone to wander, and we need someone to give us a new heart.

We also need to know are limitations.  The kind of wisdom Solomon was searching for is beyond human attainment. We can't get it, God must give it to us.  Since our hearts are bent toward sin, we cannot discern the path of pleasing God on our own.  That is what James reminds us of in James 1:5.  As creature we have limitations.  As sinners we have limitations.  We must acknowledge those and seek wisdom that comes from above. 

In addition to understanding our hearts and our limits, we need to understand our weaknesses.  To paraphrase Solomon, "I'd rather be dead than ensnared by an immoral woman . . . again."  Solomon had a serious woman problem.  Today he would be in rehab for sexual addiction.  His real problem is that he lacked discipline and was incapable of telling himself no.  Although he appeared to be aware of the dangers, he took no action to prevent his meltdown. We must realize that God points out our faults (often through other people) so that we can keep our guard up.

As Solomon pursued the meaning of life, he came to realize that mankind's battle wasn't just an internal one.  We need to know our world.  The pursuit of godly wisdom is hard enough considering our hearts, our limits, and our weaknesses.  But our world makes it harder still.  To paraphrase Solomon again, "While putting the pieces of the puzzle of life together, I discovered that the world is a fallen place. "

Solomon had only known a few men he counted righteous.  And he had surrounded himself with women without ever giving consideration to their moral character.  Maybe he was attracted to their beauty, their wealth, their political connections, etc.  Whatever it was, we can be confident that he wasn't looking for a Proverbs 31 woman.  We know from elsewhere that Solomon knew and admired godly women, so what is his point in this analysis?  Ultimately, the people we surround ourselves with will determine the ease or difficulty of our journey.

Wisdom is a noble pursuit.  It gives the power to live a life that is pleasing to God, but it does not come easily, and it cannot be obtained by merely human efforts.  If we come to know our hearts, our limits, our weaknesses, and our world, then we can navigate the difficult journey.  We obtain wisdom by grace through faith, much like our salvation.  As we put it into practice, it makes the journey easier.  Now that you know the things you need to know, start pursing wisdom for the glory of God.

Evening: Business meeting.

Thursday Humor: Jeff Allen "Underwear"

Here is some humor for your Thursday.  This skit by Jeff Allen makes me laugh out loud.  I hope you enjoy it.

Hopes for Tomorrow

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28, we find the apostle Paul expressing his hopes for the church's future.  His prayers in this passage are anchored in his confidence in God's faithfulness.  He states, "The one who calls is faithful and he will do it" (1 Thes. 5:24).  Rooted in that confidence, Paul expresses his desires.

1. Paul hopes that God will sanctify believers through and through. What does it mean to be sanctified? A good description is found in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."  Paul's prayer is that God would wholly and completely sanctify the believers.

2. Paul hopes that God will keep them blameless (spirit/soul/body) until the appearing of Jesus.  Paul's prayer here is that God would make them fully mature in Christ.

3. Paul hopes they will pray for him.

4. Paul hopes the will live in unity. The holy kiss was symbolic of closeness and family. 

5. Paul hopes they will read this letter out loud.  Actually, he is commanding the letter to be read before the entire congregation. 

6. Paul hopes grace abounds in their lives.  When we speak about sanctification, we often fall into one of two errors.  We either think it is all about us working hard, or about God doing all the work.  Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:12-13 that it is really about working in conjunction with God.  We are saved by grace, we grow by grace, and we are kept by grace.

Paul's hopes for the Thessalonian church are my hopes for Monticello.  I want to see Christ formed in each member's life, as well as, in my own.  May he sanctify you and keep you.