The Innkeeper

I re-read this short poem by John Piper, for Christmas, made into a book. It's really too short for a book.

It's a good antidote to the sentimentalism of Christmas, which cost families their babies' lives. Just a couple of brutal lines about 3/4 into the poem pack quite a punch. Jesus came into this sinful, harsh world to redeem the worst of circumstances. Mary's birth of Jesus was one of these - Christmas was no cake walk for Joseph and Mary.

2 Timothy

1 - Timothy, guard the faith entrusted to you.

2 - Soldier on in the strength of Christ's grace. Oppose foolish controversy with patient gentleness.

3 - disobedient false teachers will arise, but pursue Paul's example and God's Word.

4 - Preach the Word; I have fought the fight. Many have left me, and i was alone at my first hearing, but God is with me.

No Salvation without Christmas

Hebrews 2:14-18
"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself [Jesus] likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."

Merry Christmas!

Hebrews 7-13

7 - Jesus is like Melchizedek: king of righteousness and peace without earthly genealogy. Jesus is  greater than Levi and Abraham, who paid tithes to Melchizedek. He is better than Aaron's priests, since He lives forever, is sinless Himseelf, and was made priest by God's direct oath.

8 - Jesus offers a better sacrifice in the true temple, as mediuator of a better covenant with bettter promises. Looking for a better covenant is justified in the old covenant by Jeremiah 31:31-34, quoted in full.

9 - Jesus entered the holy of holies by His own blood, so the present temple system of sacrifices in the holy place is not needed anymore. Jesus offers a better, more effective, death than the temple sacrifices. Done only once, it removes sins forever, unlike the temple sacrifices.

10 - Jesus did God's will and sat down after serving. Priests sin, and continually offer sacrifice, always standing before God as servants. So let us draw near to Christ, stop sinning, and endure in faith.

11 - The saints of old lived and acted by faith.

12 - Look to Jesus who also suffered, and endure it as God's discipline of His children for our good. Maintain your purity, for you have come to Zion which obligations (greater punishment for rejecting the greater Jesus) and privileges (receiving a greater kingdom) are better and greater than Sinai.

13 - Offer pure sacrifices to God: show hospitality, visit prisoners, stay pure, content and true, bear Christ's reproach, obey your leaders, pray for us.

Hebrews 1-6

1 - God spoke ultimately in His Son, who is greater than and creator of all things. He has given Him all authority and made angels His servants, so Jesus is greater than the angels.

2 - Jesus' ministry was not through angels, but is greater than the angels' ministry (the Old Testament). He does not help angels but men, so became a man to save us.

3 - Jesus is greater than Moses, and Israel didn't enter God's rest led by him.

4 - We can enter that rest as we keep trusting Jesus our high priest.

5 - Jrsus is a faithful priest, who did not exalt Himself and who can sympathize with us.

6 - You can't be saved if you reject Jesus. I trust you won't. We have God's sure promise to rely on.

1 Peter

1 - Bless God for giving us new life in Christ's resurrection, to the hope of His inheritance, even if we have to suffer here for a time. The grace we received was sought after by the prophets, so be holy, for you were bought with Christ's blood.

2 - you are a holy temple and nation. Submit to rulers and employers, following the example of Jesus by suffering for doing good.

3 - wives be respectful and virtuous; husbands be gentle and loving. Suffer for doing good, not evil, as Christ did.

4 - Don't please the flesh but love and serve each other, suffering only for Christ in doing good.

5 - elders, shepherd willingly, not domineering; young people, submit to elders. Be humble in suffering, and God will restore and lift you in His time.

Aesop's Fables

I'm reading 32 of these a day, to finish by year end, and have been struck by the Solomonic wisdom they convey (about 200 years after Solomon...), and how appropos many are to character, relationship, and leadership. Take these, for example:

The Three Oxen and the Lion
There were three oxen who always grazed together. A lion had his designs upon them and wanted to eat them, but he could never get at one of them because they were always together. So he set them against each other with slanderous talk and managed to get them separated, whereupon they were isolated and he was able to eat them one after the other.
If you really want to live in safety, keep close to your friends, retain your confidence in them and challenge your enemies.

The House-ferret and the File
A house-ferret slipped into a blacksmith's workshop and began to lick the file that she found there. Now it happened that using her tongue thus, the blood flowed from it. But she was delighted, imagining that she had extracted something from the iron. And in the end she lost her tongue.
This fable is aimed at people who pick arguments with others, thereby doing harm to themselves.

The Ploughman and the Snake Who Had Killed His Son
A snake slid up to the child of a ploughman and killed it. The ploughman, demented with grief, took an axe and went to keep watch near the snake's hole. He was ready to strike it the moment it came out. The snake poked his head out and the labourer hurled his axe but missed, and instead split a nearby rock in two. Having missed, he was in great fear that the snake would take his revenge on this attack by striking him with his fangs. So he attempted to appease it. But the snake replied: 'Neither of us can pretend to any good feelings, neither I when I see the gouge you have made in the rock, nor you when you look at the tomb of your child.'
This fable shows that great hatred does not lend itself to reconciliation.


The Dolphins, the Whales and the Gudgeon
Some dolphins and some whales were engaged in battle. As the fight went on and became desperate, a gudgeon [small fish] poked his head above the surface of the water and tried to reconcile them. But one of the dolphins retorted: 'It is less humiliating for us to fight to the death between ourselves than to have you for a mediator.'
Similarly, certain nobodies think they are somebody when they interfere in a public row.

Titus

1 - appoint elders who can teach sound doctrine and refute error, for false teachers abound.

2 - Specific instruction for young and old men an women on living ordered and controlled lives, for which Christ redeemed us.

3 - God saved us from lawlessness and strife, so don't put up with it in the church.

1 Timothy

1 - Paul to Timothy: stay in Ephesus and reject heresy and speculation. Christ came to save sinners, and I was the worst. Fight the good fight.

2 - Pray for rulers, that we have peace. God wants all saved through the one mediator, Jesus. Men should pray and not quarrel. Women should be modest and verbally reserved.

3 - The kind of men elders and deacons should be in God's house: sober and controlled.

4 - Expect false teaching and oppose it: abstinence from marriage and certain foods rejects gifts God has given. Train yourself in godliness; be an example, though young; read the Word publicly.

5 - Make sure widows don't have family to care for them before the church supports them. Treat elders well, and fairly

6 - oppose those craving controversy for their own gain. Show them the contentment of godliness. Guard the faith entrusted to you.

Philippians

1 - We thank God for you and pray your love and fruit grow. The gospel is advancing because I'm in jail - everyone wants to know why, or get me on trouble, so they all talk and learn about Jesus! Suffering is fine, for even in death we are with the Lord,, but God has more work for me here.

2 - be humble to each other, as Xhrist was. Don't grumble. I wanted to send you Timothy, but sent Epaphroditus, who was sick and almost died.

3 - Paul counts any other advantage as junk next to knowing Jesus. He presses on to know Him. Imitate the godly, as citizens of heaven.

4 - help others get along. Rejoice, and God's peace will guard you. Think on noble things. Thanks for the gift. I can do all things through Christ. God will meet your needs, too.

Ephesians

1 - blessed be God who chose us to be adopted, holy in the Son's redemption, sealed by the Spirit. I thank God for you and ask him too give you wisdom to know your inheritance and power at work for you.

2 - God made us alive in Christ when we were dead in sin, by grace not by our works. Jesus made peace at the cross between God and man, removing Jew/Gentile distinctions.

3 - The mystery of the gospel - gentile inclusion in God's people. Paul prays that Christ may dwell in their hearts and that they may know His great love.

4 - walk as you were called, in one faith. God has given various gifts to bring His people to maturity. Put off the old man of sensuality, lying, bitterness and anger; put on forgiveness.

5 - walk in love and light, not in fruitless deeds of dark sin, but filled with the Zpirit. Instructions on household and work relationships.

6 - Use all God's armor to fight Satan and sin. Pray for us, too.

12 Days...

Hey folks, I'm hearing some hints that people are celebrating the 12 days of Christmas early, making the 12th day the 25th of December. I'm not one to observe days religiously, like you're sinning or silly or anything, but do be aware that the 12 days of Christmas STARTS on the 25th, and ends the day before Epiphany, connecting the two holy days. This, the origin of "Xmas" and more is explained more fully here, a good resource.

Okay, I'll take my own advice now, and lighten up. Enjoy the holidays, and merry Christmas to all!

So, lighten up, already

"Seriousness is not a virtue.... It is really a natural trend or lapse into taking one's self gravely, because it is the easiest thing to do. It is much easier to write a good Times leading article than a good joke in Punch. For solemnity flows out of men naturally, but laughter is a leap. It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light. Satan fell by the force of gravity." ~Chesterton in "Orthodoxy" (HT Valerie Kyriosity, Angie Mason Brennan)

Death stayed, then killed

Sermon text: 2 Samuel 24, where the plague on Israel for David's sin is stopped by God's mercy at the threshing floor on Mount Moriah, where David determines to build the temple.

Araunah’s threshing floor looked ahead to the place of atonement in the temple. The temple altar looked ahead to the cross of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Table here looks back to the cross of Jesus Christ. Only the cross stays the hand of the angel of death for your sin. Not eating here, not your good works, not even being repentant for your sin stays His judgment. Only the death of Jesus on the cross pays it all. But the picture God has given to remind us of the cross is this table. Here we proclaim the Lord’s death. Every subtle sin rooted out, exposed, judged, condemned, and defeated. Enmity with God removed and favor restored. God delights to do this. Here, death turns to life; grieving to dancing. He redeems you to himself with laughter, joy, bread and wine.

Philemon

Paul appeals to Philemon to receive, free, and maybe send back to Paul Onesimus, a slave who ran away from Philemon and was converted by Paul. Paul could command Philemon to do this, but asks him to do it freely, out of love.