My Day In Bethlehem (Not Pennsylvania)

I could see the ancient, small town of Bethlehem in the distance as I approached the Shepherds Grotto, a small cave where shepherds have sheltered themselves for too many centuries to count.   It was in these fields that something happened that is still being remembered and celebrated around the world.  Angels appeared announcing an amazing event — the birth of the long-awaited Messiah.

I stood (and trembled) knowing that I was close to where shepherds saw angels.  A simple field, a tiny cave — this holy place touched my heart.  In the rush of holidays we can miss the hush of awe, the spiritual stirring that shows us the reality of God and His coming as a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Like the shepherds in the Christmas event, I entered the little town of Bethlehem rejoicing and looking for the birth place of that Babe.  It is a bit commercial.  Manger Square is ready for tourists.

As I stood on some ancient stairs, near the Church of the Nativity, taking it all in, a young Palestinian boy walked up the stairs smiling at me.  For some reason, I greeted him by speaking in tongues (a gift of the Holy Spirit that enables people to speak languages that they don’t know).

The young boy stopped in his tracks.  His mouth fell open and he stared at me with a look of amazement.  After a few seconds, he turned and walked away.  Obviously he understood what I said.  (He was used to hearing various languages from all over the world spoken by tourists in Bethlehem.)  I have often wondered what I said to him.  Supernatural events still happen.

Later I got in a long line waiting to enter the Church of the Nativity.  People were in line to see what is regarded as the actual spot where Christ was born.  We slowly wandered through hallways and down stairs.  Finally, I could see people pausing, kneeling, touching, and even kissing a tile star in the floor under a very tiny cave by the basement wall.

Was this the exact spot of Jesus’ birth?  I don’t know.  It was close to the spot, since He was born in little Bethlehem.  However, that’s not the important spot for you and me to locate.

Wise men came to Bethlehem, not to see the sights of the village, but to encounter the living Jesus Christ.  Bethlehem remains, but Christ is no longer physically resting there.  Now He is everywhere:  “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.”

Now the holy spot is the human heart, where Christ is born to live in and transform individuals.  And angels announce the news again and again!  (There is rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents.)

Posted in Bethlehem, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, church, church history, forgiveness, glory, God, Holy Holy Holy, Holy Spirit, impossible odds, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, kingdom of God, language, miracles, mystery, mysticism, new birth, non-material reality, Oh my God, Oh Sinner Man, prayer, proof of God, Reason For The Season, religion, repent, salvation, Savior, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, Uncategorized, Why be a Christian?, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Blind Belief? Or Spiritual Conversion

In some Arab countries it is against the law for a person to convert to another religion than the religion of her/his birth and upbringing. However, having been raised in a particular religion is no indication of its truth or validity. Religion without spiritual conversion is accepting without questioning — what might be called, blind belief.

Conversion can be defined as: “A change in which a person adopts a religion, faith, or belief for herself/himself based on personal transformation and/or spiritual awakening rather than on upbringing,” or “The experience of coming into a direct, personal relationship with God.”

In the 1700s, John Wesley came to the American Colonies from England to convert the Indians. As he returned home, frustrated from his lack of success, he said: “I came to America to convert the Indians! But, oh, who will convert me?”

Wesley was devoted enough to the religion of his childhood to risk his life trying to convert others, yet he realized that he, himself had never truly been converted to Christ. Later Wesley personally encountered Christ. He said: “I felt my heart strangely warmed!” After he was personally convinced of the reality of the living Jesus Christ, Wesley was on fire. Through his passionate preaching and witnessing, he introduced multitudes to Jesus and helped spark a mighty spiritual movement in the 17th and 18th Centuries.

Perhaps one of the greatest human deceptions is to think that you are a believer in a religion when you are really only adhering to the rote rituals and teachings of your upbringing. Maybe we should all follow this suggestion from Paul of Tarsus: “Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith.”  Here are a few quotations:

“Conversion by the Holy Spirit is a spiritual illumination of the soul.” –Theodore Ledyard Cuyler

“A man to be converted has to give up his will, his ways, and his thoughts.” –Dwight L. Moody

“Conversion is a deep work—a heart work. It goes throughout the man, throughout the mind, throughout the members, throughout the entire life.” –Joseph Alleine

“However much we may wish it otherwise, when we receive the Spirit at conversion, divine perfection does not set in, but divine ‘infection’ does! We have been invaded by the living God Himself, in the person of His Spirit, whose goal is to infect us thoroughly with God’s own likeness. –Gordon D. Fee

Other names for spiritual conversion are:  being saved, salvation, being born again, being redeemed, being justified.

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American, change, change management, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, church, church history, conscience, conversion, disciple making, English, evangelicals, fire, forgiveness, freedom, glory, God, grace, history, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Jesus Take The Wheel, John Wesley, joy, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, miracles, movement, mystery, mysticism, non-material reality, Oh my God, praise and worship, prayer, proof of God, recovery, religion, repent, revelation, salvation, saved, self-image, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, trust, Uncategorized, Why be a Christian?, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

From Spiritual Cyber Space Into This Physical World

God came from spiritual cyber space into the physical world, not through being printed by a printer, but by being born as a Babe and laid in a manger.  Christmas means that Jesus is living right here on planet Earth.  Behold Immanuel, God is still with us in the 21st Century.  Jesus said that He will be with us “always.”

Now that’s cool! We don’t have to talk about Jesus like He’s not in the room. We can talk right to Him. We don’t have to sing about Him like He has gone somewhere far away. We can sing right to Him. We don’t have to hear about Jesus like He is a figure from ancient history. We can listen to Him speak directly to us in the 21st Century.

WDJS?  What does Jesus say?  “Come unto Me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

“We may seek God by our intellect, but we can only find Him with our heart.”  (a quotation from Cotvos)  Christmas is a matter of the heart:  “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . .”

Are you looking for a good birthday present to give Jesus Christ this Christmas?  Give Him your heart and your consistent obedience to His will.

Thank You, Jesus, being here and for personally interacting with us human beings. Thank You for letting us hear Your voice and for listening to us when we talk to You! There’s nothing on our planet that compares to personally interacting with You, Dear Jesus!

Posted in awe, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, cyber space, glory, God, history, Jesus, Jesus Christ, miracles, mystery, mysticism, Oh my God, Quotations, Quotes, Reason For The Season, religion, revelation, salvation, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, thoughts, tradition, Uncategorized, virgin birth, words, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Merry Messiahmas?

Merry Messiahmas?

Christmas is named for Jesus Christ.  Jesus is His name.  Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title, Messiah, which means Anointed One.  The folks who first translated the New Testament into English used the Greek term, Christ, and later translators followed suit.  If they had used the Hebrew word instead of the Greek word, Christmas would be Messiahmas in English.

Christmas is a celebration of the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah.  May Jesus, the Messiah, be real to you during this season of celebrating His birth.

Merry Messiahmas to you!

Posted in Christ, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, English, Greek, Hebrew, Jesus, Jesus Christ, language, Messiah, mystery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Are Sermons Effective?

Have you ever tested the effectiveness of sermons? I did.

I was a brand new pastor in my first church — Mayfield Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Mayfield, Kentucky. After finishing three years of seminary, I had been preaching for about 10 weeks to about 20 people each Sunday morning and evening.

The response to my sermons was less than overwhelming, so one Sunday afternoon I decided to test the effectiveness of my sermons. I thought of one simple and easy question about the main topic of each of my first 10 or so Sunday morning sermons. Then that Sunday night, rather than preaching, I gave an oral test and asked the congregation the questions.

How many people do you think got at least one of my question right? None. Nobody could answer any of my simple questions — not even my question about my sermon from that very morning. I was shocked. No one could remember even the basic point of any of my sermons.

I continued to preach (that was my job description) but from that point on, I never thought my sermons could do much. A message prepared in a mind has little power, even in a church setting. To reach people requires more than facts, doctrines, and poems.

With all the preaching in our churches, American Christianity remains ineffective. It is captured by our culture and follows trends rather than creating them. Rather than influencing society toward more noble and virtuous lifestyles, American Christianity has been influenced into following society’s fads.

Perhaps something more than sermons is needed. According to Paul of Tarsus, a church meeting should be built around open participation. He wrote: “When you come together everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.” This is a much more effective way to help people change than a lecture each week by a professional.

When Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was started they considered how to hold their meetings. They decided to build their meetings around open participation rather than using the weekly lecture format. Their membership exploded and they quickly became one of the most effective groups in treating alcoholics.

When people passively sit and listen, little happens, however, when they openly participate they grow. An old saying puts it this way: “Christianity is better caught than taught.” Perhaps the church should try Paul’s instructions.

If you would like to experience a church that functions by Paul’s instructions visit:  The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center, 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN, 37207, on Sunday mornings at 10:45.  (This type of meeting is sometimes called organic church, simple church, or house church.)

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christianity, church, Cumberland Presybterian Church, East Nashville, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, kingdom of God, lifestyles, movement, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, organic church, praise and worship, religion, sermons, simple church, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, supernatural, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, values, What is church?, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Let’s Be Fair & Name Every Holiday “Holiday”

There continues to be much effort made attempting to change the name and focus of Christmas.  For example, this Christmas season, the governor of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee, decided to change the name of the Christmas tree in the rotunda of the State House to “Holiday” tree.

So if we are going to change the name of the Christmas season to the bland name of “Holiday season,” perhaps we should be fair and change the name of other holidays as well.  Why not name every holiday “Holiday”?  For example:

*  Independence Day fireworks shows could be renamed, Holiday fireworks shows.

*  New Years’ Eve parties could be called Holiday parties.

*  Memorial Day celebrations could be called Holiday celebrations.

*  Halloween Trick or Treating could be called Holiday Trick or Treating.

*  Labor Day picnics could be renamed as Holiday picnics.

Now wouldn’t that be a lot easier.  If all holidays had the same, simple name of Holiday, then no one could be offended.  And political correctness could gut the meaning out of all holidays equally.

 

Posted in Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, Halloween, holiday, holidays, Independence Day, Labor Day, meaning, Memorial Day, New Years' Eve, political correctness, Trick or Treating | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christmas Chatter

Christmas chatter:

‘Tis the season to celebrate Jesus.  Happy Christ Day!  Merry Jesusmas!  “When Christ entered our world, He didn’t come to brighten our Decembers, but to transform our lives.” –Rich Miller

Have yourself a Holy Spirit Christmas.  What we talk about becomes more real and more important to us. What we keep silent about begins to diminish. Do you talk about your love for God? Christmas is a great time to talk about Jesus. After all, it is His birthday that has everyone worked up about the holidays. Jesus is so real and powerful. Like the old song says: “What a friend we have in Jesus.”

Testimonies take the reality of God’s love and power off the pages of the Bible and make God a part of everyday life. When was the last time you heard someone testify about what God is doing in his/her life? At The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center in Nashville, people openly and enthusiastically tell what God is doing, every Sunday morning.

“Christmas celebrates the awesome and amazing fact that God is grander,
wiser and more mysterious than we could have ever imagined.” –Dan Schaeffer  Christ*mas is a great time to celebrate Jesus! King of Kings, Lord of Lords! Alpha & Omega! Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Everlasting Father! “All hail the power of Jesus’ name, let angels prostrate fall!”

So what is the best shopping deal of the season?  The best deal of the season? If we will turn away from our own will and surrender to His, Christ will fill us with His presence, His power, and His love.

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, East Nashville, feelings, God, holidays, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, lifestyles, Lord, meaning, miracles, Music City, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, popular culture, praise and worship, prayer, Quotations, Quotes, Reason For The Season, self-esteem, shopping, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, values, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Christmas Is Full Of Mystery — So Is Life

Christmas is full of mystery.  Mystery is difficult for some people to accept.

It is human nature to want to know how things happen. We want to understand — to figure things out. This innate human trait has been good for the human race. It has increased knowledge and led to great advancement in health, comfort, communication, agriculture, and technology.

Someone asks a question like: “How did that happen?” or “How does that work?” or “How can we improve this?” Then they begin to use reasoning, observation, speculation, and experimentation in an attempt to  answer the question.

However, some questions are unanswerable. The best we can do is to answer “somehow.” Sometimes we have to admit that we don’t know and probably will never know. We have to admit mystery.

The left-brained, analytical, Western world doesn’t particularly like mystery. We want to explain and categorize everything (or at least pretend to). We don’t want any loose ends.

However, for the most important questions of all, we are stuck with mystery. “Where did we come from?” “What does life mean?” “Is there more to life than matter and energy?” “Does a person survive death?”

Our compartmentalized Western world attempts to shove these unanswerable questions into philosophy or religion and pretend that they don’t matter “in the real world.” But perhaps those questions are the very avenue to “the real world” — the mystery behind our existence.

Even in the category of science, mystery survives; even thrives. The complexity of the physical world is beyond the wildest human imagination. For example, who would have ever imagined that what we think of as “solid” matter is really energy making tiny circles at the speed of light. Wow! That blows a circuit in my logic. Why would matter be made of almost nothing?

Yet many people have so denied mystery that they presume mankind has systematized and charted everything in a vast body of human knowledge. This is such a fallacy. Our bank of human knowledge hasn’t really removed the mysterious somehow. We have only tricked ourselves into believe that we have solved the riddle of life’s mystery.

In reality we have only shoved mystery into the distant past — what we call The Big Bang.  So we explain the origin of everything (at least we pridefully think we do) back into a blob of condensed matter that exploded and started a purely natural process that made all that is. No more mystery . . . Not!

How did the blob come into existence? How did it blow up? You see, the best that human reasoning has to offer leads right back to the mysterious somehow!

Ultimate mystery can never be removed. Our understanding comes to a dead end and shrouded by mystery, we must choose what we believe about our human origin and purpose, not by reasoning, but by faith.

We have two choices for our faith. We can believe in: 1) A completely unexplainable blob blow-out that randomly produced unimaginable complexity and living, rational beings (which never happens in the real world); or 2) A mysterious Creator who crafted complexity, order, rationality, meaning, life, and personality. What’s your choice?

Creation declares a Creator.  Christmas confronts His mystery.

Posted in big bang, biology, challenges, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, consciousness, creation, Creator, education, evolution, holidays, impossible odds, materialism, mind, miracles, mystery, mysticism, non-material reality, Oh my God, origin of life, proof of God, Reason For The Season, religion, self-image, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, stuff, thinking, thoughts, Uncategorized, virgin birth, Why be a Christian? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

You Can’t Buy Christmas

So many people are motivated by a myth — trying desperately to purchase a Merry Christmas.  Unfortunately, this is a major misconception that we are taught by our popular culture.  Truth is — you can’t buy Christmas.

You can buy strings of lights and plastic trees to decorate, but you can’t buy Christmas.

You can purchase piles of pretty packages, but you can’t buy Christmas.

You can throw a mighty special party and a have the best Christmas feast ever, but you can’t buy Christmas.

You can order lots of expensive gifts for family members and friends and clients, but you can’t buy Christmas.

You can go on ebay and find the most unusual and exciting Christmas decorations ever made and then put them in your yard for all to see, but you can’t by Christmas.

You can spend tens of thousands of dollars on a car to give to a loved one, but you can’t buy Christmas.

You can take your plastic cards and load ’em to the limit, but you still can’t buy Christmas.

Christmas is beyond cash or credit. It is tidings of great joy

Posted in Black Friday, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, Cyber Monday, greed, joy, lies, life, materialism, meaning, motivation, myths, popular culture, repent, sales, selling, shopping, Small Business Saturday, stuff, thoughts, tradition, Uncategorized, words | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments