Walking out to the car in a dimly lit parking lot late at night sends a flash of fear deep into the heart of even the most stalwart of office managers…but walking to the car for lunch break is no problem.

The faithful dental assistant who shows up before the sun to “open up” feels the icy clutches of the dark office reaching out at her…yet the moment a co-worker shows up the fear dissipates.

No one likes being alone in the dark.

Yet imagine living in an inescapable darkness. Perpetual ink black darkness always surrounds you. What terror! The Bible tells us this is what it was like before Jesus Christ came. All of humanity was forced to live  in darkness on the border of the “valley of death” (Matthew 4:16).

Sounds pretty bad…BUT…when Jesus came they saw a great light!

The beauty of the story of Jesus is that he came to free us from the fear of darkness. He brought hope into hopelessness. Peace into turmoil. Light into darkness.

I have been rescued from the fear of darkness..have you?

People around us are still afraid of the dark. They fear the darkness in their heart. They question their existence. They desperately fear that what’s in the closet is about to jump out and overwhelm them. They need to hear that Jesus came to bring them out of the dark. That Jesus is a great light, able to bring peace, hope, and life.

Jesus brought light into the darkness…..how are we helping people see the light?

Jesus, having the ability to meet our deepest need and hearing the command of God, came down to earth and took on human form. He became flesh and “moved into the neighborhood”.

Having heard the call of God and having acted in obedience Jesus went on to secure for the world the opportunity to relationship with God the Father.

This Christmas as you exchange gifts, spend time with family and reflect on another year gone by may you also consider the profound truth that Jesus came.

And as you reflect may you come to see that this action of Christ’s coming is not just something to be admired by His followers but something to be emulated. We, who are children of God, are called to enter into this same world that Jesus entered in order to bring the same hope Jesus himself brought. This hope is the truth that “the world might be saved through Jesus”.

My prayer for all you this Christmas is that you would rediscover Jesus as the one who came and the one who sends. That this Christmas you would not only find Jesus but take Jesus to a world the Father still desperately loves.

Merry Christmas!

#1: It’s A Wonderful Life

Me and Jimmie always seem to spend time together wrapping Christmas presents on Christmas eve. This has to be my favorite.

#2: National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

It never fails to make me laugh and come on…who wouldn’t want to be a part of the jelly of the month club!

#3: A Christmas Story

It helps that I grew up in Cleveland where the film takes place. “You’ll shoot your eye out!”

#4: Christmas With the Cranks

Newer…but hilarious! An all star cast with a surprisingly powerful message of what Christmas is all about at the end.

#5: Home Alone

Another classic Christmas movie. Who can’t love this one. “Merry Christmas ya filthy animal….and a happy new year”

What are your top 5 Christmas movies?

Jesus was never really concerned with popularity. Am I?

Jesus did not call his disciples to popularity he called them to die. This is the heart of discipleship. To be a disciple is to be a follower. To follow Jesus means to take the path of suffering and death. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)

How do you make the concept of death and suffering pop? How do we make these ideas sizzle? Do inmates on death row have swagger?

We live in a culture that worships success. It is said that if something is to be “successful” it must “sell itself. But death does not sell itself. It cannot. We cannot make the life of Christ into something sexy. Something attractive for attractions sake. No. The first thing the would be follower of Jesus Christ is confronted with is the absolute and total command of Jesus Christ to die to everything but Jesus Himself.

The call to discipleship is a lonely call. Is a hard call. Is an absurd call. It’s the call to die. So will you follow Jesus when it’s not that popular? Will you follow him to the cross? Will you continue to live out, in the mundane and difficult moments of life, the calling of Jesus. Will you follow him even without the accolades?

Jesus is not looking for a marketing team, for men and women who can make Christianity sizzle. He is looking for followers who are willing to die in order to experience life to the fullest.

Community Questions:

Why is it hard to follow Jesus in walking away from the crowds rather than embracing them?

What does it mean to bear our cross (death) daily in the context and comfort of America?

The very first commands God gave to Adam and Eve had everything to do with their bodies. I find it fascinating that God did not say something like: “have a great daily quiet time” or “don’t forget to pray before every meal”. Rather, God said, “I gave you the gift of sexuality…use it well!” and “get your hands dirty in the garden!” (Genesis 1:26-28).

God wants followers who are committed with body AND soul. It simply will not do if you only commit your heart to Jesus. He wants both body and soul because the two are inextricably connected. What is primarily physical is also spiritual. What is primarily spiritual is also physical.

Think about it. Is there such a thing as truly “spiritual” prayer? Prayer that does not engage any part of our body…at all…ever? Is there such a thing as truly “spiritual” worship? Or isn’t it true that we engage our voice, our hands, and so many other parts of our body in worship.

So reverse it, is there such a thing as purely physical eating? or sleeping? I think it’s easier for us to think so. But the truth is, if we follow God, these physical activities have a spiritual component as well. What and how we eat says something about our relationship with God. How much or little rest we take says something about how much we trust God to provide.

God wants us to submit our bodies to him in service, not just our hearts. Have you given Him both?

Thoughts to consider:

How do we serve God through what and how we eat?

What do we reveal about our relationship with God by how much or little rest we get?

What are some warning signs that we have made our bodies into idols in place of God instead of vessels to be used by God?

Now, before you think this is just a rant on the “Occupy” movement I want to broaden our view. The 99 are certainly asking for MORE but they aren’t alone. NBA players recently reached a shaky deal with owners. Before this deal the NBA had been in a lockout. Professional basketball players wanted MORE. This past Friday, reports say, was a record Black Friday where consumers spent 7% MORE than they did last year. Yesterday MORE Americans spent MORE money than ever before to get MORE Christmas presents on Cyber Monday.

I think we could do with a little less MORE don’t you?

John the Baptist had everything going for Him. Yet when He met up with Jesus He quickly got the point. If John was to worship Jesus the right way John had to let Jesus have the spot light. So John 3:30 tells us John diminished so that Jesus could rise.

How might we become a little less this season so that Jesus might become a little MORE? Is there something you need to let go of this Christmas season in order to give a little MORE of your time, treasure, or family to Jesus? Do you need to seek forgiveness for following the crowds that are clamoring for MORE in the streets, malls, or workplace?

May you find that the MORE we become less the less we will worry about having MORE and the MORE Jesus will have His right place in our lives.

Yet the closer I came to the front the stronger this queer feeling in the pit of my stomach grew. Something, amidst all the beauty, wasn’t right. Finally as I reached the front of the cathedral I realized what was wrong. Today, in this house built for God and dedicated to Jesus Christ, there was a Hindu ceremony about to take place. As the apostles and saints watched from their stain glass perches idols were being set about the front of this house of worship. Incense now burned in places where before Holy Communion was offered. The scene was stark and the reason…cultural diversity on a university campus.

As my mind connected the dots my first thought was outrage! What would those who sacrificed to see this building erected think? My second thought was pity. How sad that this edifice of glory had been reduced to a house for idols. My third thought was frightening.

My third thought, really wasn’t my thought at all, but God’s still small voice opening my eyes to a truth so profoundly displayed before me. My third thought was that this scene was a picture of the condition of my heart.

How many times have I found myself drawn after something other, something far removed from God. How many times have I chased that something with the full intent of installing it on the altar of my heart with not a second thought of what it really meant to do so.

This scene is a stark reality for so many of us. God has crafted us as temples reflecting His glory. We were designed with this purpose in mind. Yet, I think we would all confess that at times there were idols on the altar of our heart, an altar that should have been reserved for God alone.

May this be a moment for us all to consider what is on the altar of our heart. If confession is needed, then allow the forgiveness of God to clean house. If, upon reflection, you still have a heart dedicated to God than, in humility, praise him for the strength to continue on in dedication to him.

While the scene inside the century old sanctuary was indeed sad, never forget that sadder still is a human sanctuary dedicated to God in name, but with a completely different image on the altar.

Community Questions:

Why is it so easy to condemn a scene like this in the world and completely overlook the condition of our own hearts?

Is it right or wrong for a university to offer such diversity? Why or Why Not?

Isn’t it odd that in a world full of food some people, who could otherwise easily afford a meal, actually prefer to dumpster dive their dinner? Yet when it comes to spiritual matters many individuals who are disgusted by garbage gluttons are seemingly unaffected when they themselves dine on spiritual swill. Are we among them?

Have you ever stopped to consider the condition that your soul is in? One author I was recently reading told an excellent story about a young woman he met in an inn one day. She was a lowly servant girl and she asked this man to teach her to pray. He taught her a simple four word prayer… “Lord show me myself”. After a few days of praying this prayer the girl was so overcome with sorrow and guilt that the weight of it all was almost unbearable. It was at this time that the man taught her another four word prayer… “Lord show me yourself”. She was never the same again. When we come face to face with our spiritual condition, with the decay of our own soul, the selfishness of our heart what else can we do but be disgusted by what we see. Yet, when we see Jesus in all his glory what else can we do but rejoice and be thankful for all He accomplished on the cross.

Friends never forget the spiritual squalor we were in when Jesus found us, because if we do it won’t be long until we have convinced ourselves that our original condition was never really that bad…and that my friends is like waking up one day, going into the kitchen and saying to yourself what’s the difference, I’ll just each some trash!

Look familiar? This is a re-post, blast from the past. I originally posted it in March 2009. Rate it if you want to keep it as a favorite.

…bu they could have been saved you know.

Hours before the fire and brimstone fell on these cities Abraham had a conversation with God about their fate. He pleaded with God to extend his grace if just a handful of righteous people might be found among the teaming masses.

But there weren’t 10 godly people to be found in the city.

So the city was destroyed.

The tragedy is that Lot, Abraham’s nephew, lived in the city. He was a major player in the town. When the angels of the Lord found him he was sitting at the gate. This was a place of honor for the leaders of the city. Lot had an incredible opportunity to influence this city for God, but instead their fallenness got to him. It seeped into his bones. It changed him.

Heartbreaking.

Lot’s family, his wife and children, his grandchildren; combined they could have outdone superman. They could have saved the city. Their righteousness could have withheld the fire.

The next time you watch an inspiring movie that makes you feel like you want to do something great for God here’s a thought; live righteously. Maybe your a father; teach your children to love God. Maybe you’re a wife; don’t give stop praying for the heart of your husband. Maybe you’re a student; don’t comprise because it’s easy. Just because everyone else is or isn’t doing it don’t stop being righteous; you just may be holding back the fire.

For many years I thought one of Lot’s biggest mistakes was going into the city in the first place, but I don’t think that quite right. 10 godly people can be enough to hold back judgment, that’s an important point to remember. 10 righteous people in a town of hundreds, 10 righteous people in a city of thousands, 10 righteous people in a metropolis of millions. We can hold back the fire if we only hold the line.

Find your Sodom. Hold the Line. Live righteously and watch as God not only sustains you but in the process saves a city!

Community Questions:

Where has God placed you to hold back the fire?

What are some of the challenges those who live in Sodom face? How can we find success in the cities?