Tag: God’s story

  • God’s Story

    The Bible - God's Story

    I recently listened to a sermon that had so many personal anecdotes and unrelated attempts to be relevant to the pastor’s audience that it lost almost all relevance to the Bible. Instead of being God’s story and letting the Scripture speak, it became the preachers’ story.

    God works in us and through us, but He should always be the main event. It is, after all, God’s story. It often happens when we share our testimony, and it becomes all about us, rather than about what God has done.

    I’m sure every preacher has done it to some degree. I know I’ve done it at times with Gleanings. I’ve often heard it done in personal testimonies. We’ve all been guilty of doing that.

    The Bible is God’s story. It reveals Him to us and tells us of His expectations and plans for us. It doesn’t hide from the truth or embellish.

    The bible wasn’t written to us, but it was written for us. We have a place in God’s incredible story, but we are not the main characters. The world revolves around Him, not us.

    Now, please don’t think that I’m saying your story or mine is unimportant. Our Lord loves us, died for us and filled us with His Spirit. We matter far more than we can imagine. It just isn’t all about us.

    There is a sense in which we are like extras in an old-time epic movie. The movie wouldn’t be complete without the extras, but our roles are not the center of the story.

    From the opening scene,

    In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day Genesis 1:1-5

    To the closing credits,

    He who bears witness to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Revelation 22:20-21

    It’s about Him.

    We are blessed to have small but important parts, but the whole story is designed to bring attention and glory to God.

    Let’s try to keep that in mind, as we live under His blessings and tell our small parts.

    To God be the glory.

    Be blessed
    Kevin

    Faith Matters

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  • Jesus is the Reason for the season

    I was recently talking about Christmas with an acquaintance.  He told me Christmas isn’t his thing; it’s just another excuse for a day off. They occasionally get together for a family function on Christmas, but his dysfunctional family makes it less than fun.

    Some of his in-laws have a “religious background” but don’t really practice, and he “is not into all that anyway.” 

    He and his wife don’t exchange gifts because they have everything they need. He told me that he “hates” shopping this time of year anyway because of the crowds and the hype.

    He isn’t alone in feeling that way. Many people don’t enjoy Christmas. I don’t judge them, but my heart does break.

    I agree that Christmas isn’t about the family get-togethers, the shopping, the decorations, the Christmas music and movies, or the gifts. Now, any or all of those things can add to the Christmas experience., but Christmas is a celebration of God’s story. 

    There is plenty wrong with how we portray the Christmas story; for example, Jesus was most likely born in the spring, the angels didn’t sing, we don’t know how many magi there were, and more. Yet, the incarnation of our Lord is front and center, and that’s reason to celebrate.

    The Christmas story is filled with miracles and fulfilled prophecies. That should catch our attention and point us to the wonder of it all.

    Jesus is the Center. Immanuel, God with us is the reason for the season. He is cause for eternal celebration.

    My favorite Christmas texts are not found in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth.

    Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

    Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8 NIV

    Those verses don’t mention Christmas, the virgin birth, angels, shepherds, miracles or prophecies, magi, King Herod, a star, a census, Bethlehem, or many other components of the Christmas narrative we expect.

    Yet, they describe what Christ sacrificed to come  and redeem us. That redemption started, in a way, with His birth. he came for us.

    The Lord gave up all things to step into time. He condescended to be born in the womb of one of His creations so that he could suffer and die for us.

    That, my dear friends, is the reason for Christmas. Strip away all the other trappings, even the ones we enjoy, and the reason for the season stands bright.

    A baby, born to die for you and me. A lord who humbled Himself to redeem us. God’s great gift of love and mercy. It’s when heaven came down to earth.

    May you keep that forefront in your mind this season.

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

    Gleanings From The Word

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