Veritas in the Word

CV Joints

2013-04-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

I left my home state of Montana a year and a half later, after graduation. Tiffany was long gone and through the remainder of my junior and senior years I isolated myself and concentrated on my studies. I had enjoyed and excelled at history, so I concentrated on getting a scholarship to Stanford and their history program. I knew Stanford is not known for their history program, but I wanted to be about as diametrically opposite from Lewistown, Montana, as you could get. Though my parents could easily afford to send me away to college themselves, I chose to earn my own way, not that they ever meddled in my affairs much anyway. I was tired of their handouts and the snide comments that came with them. I had my fair share even after I got my full ride, but I didn’t care. I knew the truth.

So I works int he summer. I works with CV Joints and learned how to install a

CV Joint in a Metal Fabrication shop to pay the bills. It wasn't much, but it worked.

That first dream took its toll on me as well. Not only did it cost me Tiffany, who went her own way to the East Coast not too long afterward, but it took my freedom and last refuge of solitude as well. It began to take a life of its own, as I had the exact same opening dream for a solid week after that night. I became obsessed with a woman I knew simply did not exist. Nothing could get my mind off of her. Though not an artist, I would spend idle moments in my classes sketching her in the back of a worn, loose-leaf sketchbook that I carried with me. It was the same sketchbook that was a constant fixture in my backpack during my four years at Stanford. It is the sketchbook I found again three days ago in the attic, buried deep within a box of old textbooks and school yearbooks that I was separating in order to give away to Goodwill. Thankfully, Megan was not home when I found it.

Scrubs

2011-06-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

In the world of college basketball, a scrub is someone who sits the bench and cheers wildly in every game while in custom made scrubs These guys are college basketball players that are great in practice, but they can never seem to crack the game. I have given them great names in the past such as the Walk-On WhiteOut and the Bastard Sons of Bobby Buckets. These guys are not going to be playing professionally once they are done on campus.

While some may decide to pursue a career in nursing, the will need cotton scrubs. They will need their own uniforms as manly male nurses. That, or they can become doctors to further the cause of boilermakers everywhere. These guys will work hard, so they need the right products to look good while they do so.

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/

Gold

2011-06-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I don't have a whole lot to appraise. If some identity thief tried to take all of my stuff they would be sorely disappointed. I mean come on, what are you going to appraise, my collection of Purdue football programs or my many copies of the Simpsons Seasons on DVD. It is a pretty pathetic amount of stuff.

Bullion is a slightly different story, however. When the glorious day comes that I will finally be able to own a home as opposed to rent I will definitely need some gold bullion to pay for it. With a gold IRA I can finally afford the value of the home I want to purchase, thus allowing me to make a better informed decision.

Poker Sites

2011-06-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

I'd like to take a minute to talk about Poker. Why poker? Well, I don't find a problem with a little wager here and there between friends. Unfortunately, I have a lot of friends that live around the country. My best friend is about to move to Buffalo. A good portion of my friends still in Kokomo. I also have friends in Miami, Denver, Los Angeles, and North Carolina. That makes it hard to get together for a weekly game.

Fortunately, we're familiar with the best Poker Sites USA. These include some of the best online casinos for USA Players. Best US poker sites allows us to get together, despite time zones, and play against each other at any time. We've all come a long way fromt he days of rollin' on the west-side of Kokomo. Now we can play without going to Vegas or even leaving our homes.

Steam Team

2011-05-24T14:32:00.001-07:00

I would like to introduce you to the Steam Team, a handy place that takes care of all your needs when when it is way too humid in your house. When thinking of house problems while living in Austin, Texas you have to concern the Steam Team as your top source. These guys do a great job on all types of surfaces and in taking care of all your air quality needs.

http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-cleaning-services/ceramic-stone-tile.shtml

It is not just carpet they excel in. The Steam Team does excellent work with water damage wood floors austin. They are also experts in power washing Which is something I could definitely use with all this snow and ice. it is a good thing these guys are there for all my expert cleaning needs.

Canada

2011-05-19T19:37:00.001-07:00

Everyone knows that Michael Scott had an exotic journey to Canada during season five of the Office. it was a great business trip, and one I would like to repeat soon. one of my closest friends is working in buffalo, so it means a trip to Niagara Falls is likely in my near future. If you take just a short jump across the boarder you are in the land of hockey, curling, and cheap over the counter drugs.

Canada drugs are great because their socialized healthcare system allows them to have drugs at much lower prices than here in the U.S. It is amazing how much lower prices can be on stuff you need when heartless insurance companies are not involved. For example, if you want to buy nexium it is much cheaper with our neighbors to the north. Just be careful going through customs.

Scrubs

2010-12-15T15:58:00.001-08:00

When it comes to choir robes, they are much different than nursing scrubs. These nursing scrubs are often dusty in the back of the choir room, being worn only a few times a year. That is why medical scrubs are much more versatile because they come in assorted colors and are worn nearly every day by professionals that performt he duties that keep us healthy.

Most of these people are nurses and doctors, and they should need a uniforms. These products not only make them look official, they help them carry all the critical equipment needed for their profession. Like anything else, they are a critical tool for the job.

The Center

2010-08-17T06:54:00.001-07:00

I draw inspiration this morning from the oddest of sources: professional wrestler Shawn Michaels. I was listening to him on a podcast with Sportswriter Bill Simmons on my way in to work. Michaels talked about how Job suffered enormously, yet he remained right in the center of God’s Will the entire time. That's why I am glad I visited www.compassion.com.

I have strayed from the center of God’s Will into a place where, well, I don’t know where I am. Sure, I am doing God’s Will in terms of my writing and the promise that gives. I am thankful for that. I am doing God’s Will in helping people through my current main job. I work on paperwork for a Mental Health Diversion program that helps people avoid jail if they have a serious mental illness. Where I have strayed from God’s Will is in my personal relationships and Christian ministries.

Shawn Michaels stated how it is more important to be in the center of God’s Will even through bad things then to pursue what we perceive is good if it is not in God’s Will. Right now, I am far from God’s Will, and I am not in a good place. My marriage appears to be little more than an arrangement with a roommate that I don’t mind living with. We share common interests, but there is very little love there anymore. I am ashamed to say there are more times when I am greatly annoyed by tiny little things to the point where they consume me. Since there is almost no connection anymore I find myself just longing for silence and solitude at home.

I know we got here because we have strayed from having God at the center of this marriage. Seeking any other answer, no matter how easy or how good we might think it would be, is wrong too. That is what Michaels was alluding to this morning. It may feel right to seek something else, but if we look in the long run it makes things much, much worse. We’re both guilty of this, and instead of seeking that reconnection there is only resentment. I must find my way back to the center of God’s Will.

Gone too long

2010-08-12T19:05:00.001-07:00

My apologies, but I have been gone way too long. A lot has happened in the last three months. I have gained at least part-time employment. I have been writing more in an area that I want to write, though that has come at the sacrifice of this blog. I have also become more centered and calm in my life. It is refreshing.

I essentially had a complete mental breakdown on April 16th. Since then, I have been in therapy and officially on an anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication for the first time in my life. I used to be wary of this because I felt like it was not trusting God if I went on those meds. Instead, I have seen that God has allowed mankind to advance to the point where we can get the help we need.

I have neglected this site because I haven't felt like I have been in a position to write properly here. I noticed that tons of spam has taken over some comments, but there have been a few genuine comments as well. For those, I thank you. I am hoping to come back here a little more regularly as God calls me to. It is not serving hte same role that it once did in my life, but there is a still a purpose there. The purpose is to tell my journey and my story.

Despite everything I have experienced in my life, God has blessed me with some genuine peace over the last three months. Now it is time to step back, enjoy that peace, and get back to my work of serving Him. All he asks is that we seek forgiveness because the penalty has been paid by the blood of His Son. It is in that forgiveness that we offer so much more of ourselves.

Serving

2010-05-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest things we can do with our lives is serve others. As I have battled my anxiety and depression issues over the past few weeks I have found a modicum of relief on praying for others instead of myself. I am trying to learn the lesson God is trying to teach me as I wait for so many things to change in my life. At least if I am praying for others and trying to help them in my daily life I feel like I am doing something while I wait for my time to come. This is where patience and humility become virtues. I have written on patience and humility numerous times here in the past, but they are both lessons that we, as humans, struggle to learn fully.

Even though my prayer life has struggled of late, I have tried to keep others ahead of myself in my morning prayers. I have friends and family that are fighting serious illness, that need protection, and friends that are parents. I like to especially pray for the children of those close to me. I have seen the mistakes that I have made and that others have made and I pray constantly that these children will not repeat the same mistakes in their lives. I think maybe that is why I am struggling with the idea of me becoming a parent. I don’t know if I can handle the responsibility of potentially screwing up someone else's life when I haven’t made the best decisions for myself.

This si where my biggest deficiency comes in lately, and the one thing I have prayed most for myself. I am suffering from a severe lack of faith in God. It’s not that I question if He can provide, it is that I question if he even still exists. I feel I have had very little connection with the Father lately even in praying for others. As a result, I feel my life has very little purposes other than taking up consciousness during the day before I go to bed at night. It is a lonely, disquieting feeling.

But I am moving forward though. Lately, each day has felt like a small step forward. I am encouraged not because everything is fixed in my life, but I have hope that there will eventually be a day where I am okay. Eventually, everything will be solved and I will finally be able to move forward after such a long period of stagnation. In the meantime, I pray that God’s grace is with others and that he keeps them moving forward in their lives. That is more important to me right now. If he is not going to work in my life I pray that he is at least working in the lives of those around me.

About Love

2010-05-06T06:48:00.001-07:00

Today I discovered the story of Eva Markvoort. She was a 25 year old woman with cystic fibrosis that recently passed away while awaiting a double lung transplant. She shared her experience and her battle online via blog, gaining worldwide support and attention. More importantly, however, she talked about the importance of love.

We are reminded of love multiple time in the Bible that God is love. Romans 8: 39 states this as much.

³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God sent his Son to die on the cross for us because He loved us. Therefore, one can argue that love is the greatest gift that has been given to mankind. It is our responsibility to spread that love around for as long as we are on this earth.

I was reminded of this because of Eva’s story. She made her mission to love as much as possible while she battled her disease. She easily could have folded and given up in the face of a daunting challenge. Instead, she not only fought, but she was a source of strength and love for others. I was blown away by her Wall of Love in her hospital room. This is a woman that I will never meet, but I can tell that she was bursting with love for anyone that touched her life. It is an example that we can all follow.

I have had trouble loving other lately. I have sadly retreated into my own shell and my own pain away from everyone else. I haven’t felt like I can be useful to others in my pain, even though many others are much worse off than I am. It is my goal to turn this around in the coming days and to spread love like Eva spread love.

A Leap of Faith

2010-04-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

I can tell that God is asking me to have more faith lately. It’s strange too, because I have never had a time of less faith in my life. I feel like God is asking me to trust Him when it comes to making the leap and trying for a child. He is also asking me to trust Him when it comes to a new medication that may help with some of the problems I have been facing mentally. It is a big step for me to come this far and admit I need help. I need to take the following big step after that and see if medication is indeed the answer.

17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. – Ephesians 2:17-18.

Peace. I have felt far away from peace for some time. Even as I read these words, part of God’s promise to us, I question if that promise can be fulfilled. It is not unusual for me to question even these promises lately, so it has not made for a fun existence.

They are promises, however. There is a lesson in this: Sometimes we have to merely keep pushing ourselves forward every day. I know I am in a very low point right now, but I am still going forward. As much as I want to lay down and quit, I can’t. That is how these promises are fulfilled.

Trying to be open

2010-04-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

I have dreaded today for a long time. Now that I am back home after another wonderful trip to Miami, I am forced to return to a life that is offering very little promise. My first day back is another lonely one at home with no advancement either in my career in my personal life. This adds to my feelings of isolation and loneliness. I think this is why I have struggled so much lately with my perspective of time. Everyone else seems like they have been allowed to advance in their lives while I have the same result every day regardless of what I try. If I try to move forward, nothing happens. If I stay in one place and wait for God, nothing happens.

This has led me to doubt God’s very existence. That is something that has shaken me to my very core. I have tried to read and reassure myself with the promises of the Word, but they have done very little to calm the deep sense of foreboding that I feel deep within me. I am terrified of what the future holds for me, but I have no choice but to move forward. Lately, this fear has been paralyzing at times. It makes me not want to get out of bed in the morning and can cause me to freeze up in public.

So I guess today, instead of trying to impart some wisdom, it is me reaching out for prayer. I have lost a great community of fellowship. I repent of walking away and trying to make it on my own spiritually. That is not something we can do at all. It is my prayer this morning that you can find your own community to get involved with spiritually, and that you can advance according to God’s will. I solemnly ask that you pray the same for me as well.

Seeking peace

2010-04-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting conversation with my father last night. We were talking about finding peace in this world and he mentioned that it is there through the Father. That is what I have been seeking for some time. Today, I feel as if I have that peace. I have it because I now have hope again that things will be okay eventually.

This peace has come from a combination of factors. First, we have the promise. God has promised that we are cared for if we trust in Him. That care comes in a variety of forms, but it was there. Second, I must learn to cede control of many things in my life that are far beyond my control. Lately, I have feared aging, but it is something that I don’t have a choice about. I know that a child is something that could be in my near future because of my aging. While I don’t feel ready to become a father, the natural progression of time may mean I have no choice before too long if it is ever going to happen.

It is things like this that I have no control over. I let that lack of control overwhelm me last week. For this week, there is something different. Maybe it is perseverance. I moved forward despite every urge pushing me back last week. I had no choice but to move forward. The biggest lesson we can learn in this life is perseverance. I think back to my favorite verse:

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:4.

Perseverance is my only source of strength in this world. It is through perseverance that I can learn that each day is not a waste if I am not accomplishing something grand. As long as I am moving forward slightly, it is a good day.

Promises

2010-04-07T10:40:00.001-07:00

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. -- 2 Peter 3:9

Lately, I have been feeling very numb. As I have studied the Word, specifically 2 Peter, over the last three days I have finally found a modicum of peace. It comes from the promises that God gives us. First, we cannot change anything by worrying. I may be obsessed with growing old and dying of late, but my worry does nothing but make me miserable in the present day. Second, we are promised peace because God is patient with us. I have felt better today not because I have peace in my life, but because I know that peace is coming. I hope that makes sense.

It is this peace about peace that has helped to cut through some of the numbness I have been feeling. Someday, it will all be okay. This is merely one of life’s small valleys. As the verse above states, the Lord is not slow, but patient in His promises. I may not see what is going on behind the scenes with what He is doing, but He is doing it. I cannot change what He is doing or even if He exists. I admit, there have been doubts lately, but I can only keep doing what I am doing. If He is truly there, it will all work out in the end.

Seeking

2010-04-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I have written here, but I once again feel called back. I guess that is why I have never truly closed off this part of my life. Lately I have been feeling such separation from the divine presence that I don’t feel qualified to write about it anymore. Even then, I am going to try and write a few things that are on my heart in the hopes they do some good. That has been the point since I started this blog anyway.

It seems like there are so many conflicting thoughts running through my head every day. I know of the promises that God has made for us, but as each day speeds by and blends in with the last I have lost sight of them. Yes, I know what we are promised in my head, but I no longer feel it in my heart. In place of that, I feel as if certain aspects of my personality have been turned off. In those areas I feel nothing. There is no emotion, no conflict, no love, only numbness. It is frightening and saddening all at the same time.

Since I last wrote here I accepted a job that was supposed to be permanent, but ended after three weeks because they said I violated their asinine IT policy. That was nine weeks ago. I thought I would enjoy the time I had to refocus myself. Instead, I have seen only loneliness increase each day. I feel exiled from humanity, and it is an exile that will grow worse each day. This doesn’t include my pervasive thoughts of growing old and my own death. Lately, I have been terrified of becoming an old man, but honestly the alternative hasn’t sounded much better.
It is tough living a life of numbness. I think that is why I have come back here even though my ramblings don’t make a lot of sense sometimes. I come here because of this:

20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter 1:20-21

I am not pretending to be a prophet. I am simply trying to write in the hopes that one good thing can be culled from my writing and make a difference. I am writing so I can feel alive again. I am tired of walking around in the husk of a man, seeking meaning every second of life and feeling like time spent away from the pressures of the world is wasted time. It’s funny. I live under constant stress like I have to make every second of life count for some grand scheme, but I honestly have no direction to go in life. I think I get maybe an hour of peace every week where my spirit feels sated. I apologize for rambling like this, but I am only seeking answers.

Sorry I have been away

2010-04-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Once again, I have been dealing with a lot of things. I noticed a few real comments on that last post however. If you would like me to continue, please leave a comment and I will start things back up.

The humanity of Jesus

2010-01-07T06:16:00.000-08:00

I think I have finally figured out a better way to do this thing. Instead of forcing a writing every day, maybe I should space things out and only write when I feel like there is a message close to my heart. I think I will try that for awhile rather than deal with the frustration of struggling to write something everyday. Quality of Quantity, you know?

Lately I have been reading the book Incredible Moments with the Savior by Ken Gire. It deals primarily with the human moments of Jesus’ ministry. It is a very small devotional guide with 13 different moments from His ministry seen from a strictly human perspective.

Lately I have been fascinated by that side of Jesus. Gire’s book is essentially a focus peace on the love and compassion exhibited by Christ. I don’t think we focus on his humanity enough though. Yes, Jesus was and is fully God. He had a divine nature that we cannot even begin to grasp within our frame of mind. He was a man that was with God at the Beginning, yet He was still fully human.

There are so many moments where we see Jesus’ human emotions coming through. Most of these are from the last three years of His life during his public ministry. We don’t have a glimpse into the first 30 years of His life where he lived quietly as a carpenter in Nazareth. One of the common threads about each moment we see from Jesus is His compassion.

When you think about it, compassion is one of the main reasons for His ministry. It was compassion that drove Him to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world. It was evident in more than His sacrifice though. Many of His miracles were driven by this compassion, not by his desire to prove His divinity. Think of the moment with the Royal Official (John 4:46-53). This man had money, power, and respect, but he still came to Jesus in desperation because of his son’s illness. Jesus saw this man’s desperation and acted out of compassion.

We could benefit from this. I know I could. All too often I let my bitterness and cynicisms get the best of me. It makes me judgmental and closed off: the opposite attitude I need to have.

Jesus teaches that compassion does not have to come in huge gestures either. It can come in a simple kindness such as a note of encouragement. IT can even come in the simple form of prayer. Over the last couple days I have tried to step back from a larger picture in order to see what I can do on a smaller scale, even if that scale only in prayer. Jesus is the one that is big enough to hand the larger scale things. He even teaches that we can only handle what we have today. I hope this makes sense today.

The Christmas story part 10: Luke 2 - Boy Jesus in the Temple

2009-12-18T04:19:00.000-08:00

Today is the last part of the Christmas story, but it really doesn’t have much to do with the Christmas story at all. Luke finishes his account of Jesus’ birth with the only story wee get of Jesus’ youth. It is a very brief account of a 12 year old Jesus getting lost from His parents, but they find him back in Jerusalem speaking to the teachers in the Temple.

46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."
49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" – Luke 2:46-49

I have often wondered why this story was chosen as the one story to represent Jesus’ youth. We don’t have very many stories of Jesus simply as a man living among His family and friends. This is one of them, yet it still shows His divine nature because He was found among the teachers in the Temple.

It is important to remember that Jesus was a man too. As this passage finishes, it says he returned to Nazareth and grew as a man over the next 18 years. I try to think about that growth, especially now that I am the age Jesus was when He began His public ministry. The important thing to remember is that we are not separated that far from Jesus in terms of our lives.

Even though Jesus had a miraculous birth, He still had to grow as a man., He faced temptation like us. As we see in the account of His death, He even had some doubts like a normal man. Still, He grew and faced His adversity like a man. We learn from His example of living a humble life and presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice before God, not from the miracles and proof He was divine. We cannot match the divine. We can match the humble example he set.

The Christmas story part 9: Luke 2 - Jesus presented in the Temple

2009-12-17T04:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever waited your entire life for something? The closest thing I can compare that to was making the basketball state finals while I was in high school. I grew up loving the game and knowing I would have my chance to make history for my school by going to state. In Indiana, that is a very big deal! When I was a junior in high school, it happened and we made the state finals in Indianapolis. I felt like I had waited my entire life for it. It was a small peak in my life though. It was not the end all, be all moment I thought it would be. Though it was very exciting, I no know there are other things worth waiting for.

We see that in the life of Simeon. He was promised that he would see the Christ before he died. Without question he was already advanced in age at this point in time. He had to wonder if God was going to fulfill his promise. Here in Luke 2 we see that that promise is fulfilled when Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus to the Temple.

25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel." – Luke 2:25-32

This had to be an incredibly special moment and honor for Simeon. We see another prophetess, Anna, have a similar moment in this section. It is key here that Simeon, though Jewish, believed that Jesus was destined to be a light of revelation for the gentiles. This was unusual at the time. It stepped away from what was normal, but it showed how extraordinary Jesus’ birth was.

The Christmas story part 8: Luke 2 - Jesus' birth

2009-12-16T04:18:00.000-08:00

What I love about the birth of Jesus is that it is the exact opposite of what you would expect. If mankind were running things, this Savior would have been born with much fanfare. The birth would have occurred in the finest palace with the elite of the elite present to worship Him from the beginning. Instead, we see the opposite. He was born with little fanfare in a manger. Shepherds, part of the bottom rung of society, were the only ones present at the birth.

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." – Luke 2:8-12

This is just the first of many misconceptions that those in power would make during Jesus’ life on earth. Since they held positions of power they figured He would come from power. They ignored the prophesies that predicted this exact scenario, never seeing past their own pre-conceptions.

The shepherds play an important role as well. One of the things that got Jesus into trouble later in his ministry is his desire to associate with sinners. As He famously said, “a doctor is there for sick people, not those who are healthy. The shepherds visiting at the time of His birth were the first example of many proving that Jesus came for everyone, not just the elite. These men were considered unclean by those in the Temple. Their testimony could not be trusted, yet they were the first to recognize this very special event.

The Christmas story part 7: Luke 1 - The birth of John the Baptist

2009-12-15T04:17:00.000-08:00

Why does the birth of John the Baptist get almost equal weight to Jesus’ birth in Luke 1? John was just a man, while Jesus was the Son of God. We see so much of John because he was meant to prepare the way for Jesus. In a way, his birth was supernatural as well. It echoes the birth of Isaac. While Isaac was the patriarch of God’s kingdom on earth, John was essentially the one that would go before the most important man who ever lived.

76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins, - Luke 1:76-77

Humanity needed to know that it needed salvation before accepting it. Otherwise, they would not have understood what Jesus was trying to teach. John was a man that lived a very humble life. He knew God had a special plan for him, yet he lived in the desert away from power in order to focus on God’s plan. It is also important that Jesus sought John the Baptist before beginning His public ministry. He did not seek someone in power in Jerusalem for their blessing.

The Christmas story part 6: Luke 1 - Jesus' birth foretold

2009-12-14T04:18:00.000-08:00

What made Mary so extraordinary? She was poor. She was young, and she was a female. Through her, however, God changed the world. This is a testament to what God can do. At the time, women were treated almost like property. They had no real power, so people would expect a man to make a difference. Age and wealth were also respected, so since Mary was young and poor she had two more strikes against her.

I have questioned God’s use of our gifts quite a bit lately. Last night I received the news that young Amberly, the girl with the brain tumor that needed prayer for her surgery, had some major complications. They found out the tumor itself was malignant, and the long-term prognosis is not good.

How can God use something like this for good? My cynical nature tells me that it is yet another way that gifts get wasted. She is a highly intelligent 10-year old that may see her life cut short before it really gets started. In related news, someone I knew very well in high school is going through a similar battle right now. He is also very talented and well respected in his field, but has to face this. On a much smaller scale, I feel my own gifts are being wasted as I struggle to find my place.

38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. – Luke 1:38

Sometimes that is all we can do. I can’t imagine Mary’s fear either. In her world, being an unwed teenage mother was even more harsh than it is today. She would be labeled a harlot and would pretty much be cast out of society. She had to trust God knew what He was doing. Even in all this she still left to help her older relative Elizabeth.

As I begin yet another week of uncertainty, a week in which it looks like no good can happen, I can only repeat Mary’s words with all the conviction I can muster. I am the Lord’s servant.

The Christmas story part 5: Luke 1 - John the Baptist

2009-12-11T04:24:00.000-08:00

Today we shift to Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. The gospel of Mark picks up Jesus’ life around the beginning of his public ministry, so there is not much of a Christmas story there. We get a much more detailed account in the book of Luke, however, beginning with the birth of John the Baptist.

If the story of John the Baptist and his birth sounds familiar here it should. It is a very similar story to the birth of Isaac from Abraham and arah. John was a gift from God for Zechariah and Elizabeth. His birth was somewhat miraculous like Isaac’s in that Elizabeth had been barren. He also was to prepare the way for Jesus.

14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." – Luke 1:14-17

What an advantage to have to be born with the Holy Spirit already filling you. It is clear that God was not messing around with Jesus’ birth, nor was he messing around with His messenger. Most people have to wait until adulthood to come to the Lord and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Some don’t even get it then. With John, however, God wanted to give Him the tools from birth to prepare the way for Christ. Shoot, I am 30 and I am not sure what to do with my life. John knew before birth!

So how does this tie into the Christmas story? Well, John’s birth was also somewhat supernatural. His life was so entwined with Jesus’ earthly ministry that it is important we know his origins as well. Elizabeth was also a relative of Mary’s, so he was related to Christ. Like any great story, we must know the full backstory. That is why we have this story.

The Christmas story part 4: Matthew 2 continued

2009-12-10T04:21:00.000-08:00

Today we have the last part of Jesus’ birth story as told by Matthew. As a kid, I always thought all of these events happened in one night. He was born, the magi visited, and they immediately fled to Egypt. Instead, there was a small bit of time between all these when Jesus and His family returned to Nazareth. Once there, they unfortunately had to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath.

13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." – Matthew 2:13-15

It is amazing to see that this is a sad theme during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Even as an infant, someone who posed no threat to anyone, Jesus was hunted down. Those in power felt threatened by Him because they feared losing their power. That was Herod. Instead of embracing the birth of the Son of God and worshipping Him (thus giving him even great power), he chose to hold on to his earthly power.

That is really what it breaks down to. In Jesus, we gain the kingdom of heaven. Even serving in the kingdom of heaven is greater than having power here on Earth. Many of us are never presented with the power to run a small nation like Herod. I can see, however, where that power is tempting. Fortunately, God was in control the entire time. After a brief time in Egypt, Jesus and His family were able to return to Nazareth where he had a fairly normal upbringing.

Which brings me to my final point today. Between His birth and around the time He was 30, we have only one story of Jesus as He was growing up. I think this is important. It shows His humanity, as He did not grow up pampered in some earthly palace. We know that he grew up learning Joseph’s trade and practicing as carpenter. In that regard, He was as normal as you or I. This connection with humanity was essential for His mission.