Jerry's Christmas

     “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)

    I’ll never forget that precious little boy: freckles scattered like tiny raindrops across his entire face, including his ears. Big brown eyes partially obscured by wispy blonde hair that brushed against an ever-present smile minus two front teeth.

   Jerry was a first-grade student at the elementary school where I worked. He came from a home that was short on money but long on love. His clothes were always someone else’s property first, but he never seemed to care.  And this Christmas season was no different.

   As a mother of three, I was frantically trying to balance home, husband, kids, and job while I shopped endlessly for the perfect “only thing I want” gifts for my family. Somewhere in the rush of the season, my focus shifted from the birth of a baby in a manger to the number of presents under our Christmas tree.

   There was some success but at a price . . . a high price. My Christmas budget was shrinking rapidly. “Why couldn’t my children want something a little cheaper?” I kept thinking. “Why do they think they have to have everything they see on television?”

   Those questions were occupying my thoughts as I walked down the first-grade hall and saw Jerry coming toward me in worn tennis shoes minus the laces and a winter coat that was about three sizes too large.  

   “Hey, Jerry! How are you?” “I’m good, Miss Nancy. It’s almost Christmas . . . Jesus’ birthday . . . did you know?” I couldn’t help but smile at that comment. “Yes, I have heard that. So what do you want for Christmas, Jerry?”

   He quickly replied “Oh, I already know what I’m getting. It’s the same every year.” At this point, I would have expected a child making that statement to duck his head in disappointment and go on, but not Jerry.

   As I bent down to hug and encourage him, Jerry put his hands on my shoulders and, with a huge smile, continued. “When I wake up on Christmas morning, there will be a BIG candy cane under my pillow!” he exclaimed as he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy in anticipation of that moment. “And then, under the tree, I will get a little Matchbox car to add to my others. I can hardly wait, Miss Nancy!”

   As I hugged Jerry and sent him on to class, I could not hold back the tears of sadness – not for Jerry but for my attitude. Instead of focusing on Christ and His birth, I had gotten caught up in the world’s view that the number of gifts you have under the Christmas tree determines your happiness.

   Christmas at our home would never be the same again. All because of a candy cane under a pillow, a Matchbox car under a tree . . . and a very thankful little boy named Jerry.

   Father, thank you for the most priceless gift of love you could ever send – the gift of your Son - from a manger to the cross for us.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Do you find yourself focused more on gifts than the Giver of Life at Christmas?

• Have you talked with your children about the Ultimate Gift that Jesus gave each of us?

Apply

• Help your children write on slips of paper the gifts that they can give Jesus this Christmas, like trusting Him, being obedient, and sharing Him with friends.

• Have them wrap each of their gifts for Jesus in a box and offer each one to Him on Christmas morning in prayer.

Power 

• Luke 2:11-12 (NIV) “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” 

• 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

• John 1:14 a (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

Changing God's Word To Make Me Happy

 “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.”

Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV) 

 

    The article's title caught my attention: “Eleven Secrets of Irresistible People.” I have friends I would consider to be in that category so I read on to determine if they were in possession of any of the “secrets” that made them impossible to ignore.

   The first two “secrets” stated that irresistible people treat everyone with respect and focus on that person and what they have to say. No argument from me. But the third one caught me by surprise.

 

   It stated that irresistible people follow the “Platinum Rule” and not the “Golden Rule” found in Matthew 7:12 when Jesus tells his listeners “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” The author of the article went on to explain that the Golden Rule – treating others as you want to be treated – had a “fatal flaw.”

 

   His reasoning determined that not all people are motivated by the same thing and in the same way. So he concluded that we should simply treat people as THEY want to be treated and if we do that, we will have corrected the “fatal flaw” in the words of Jesus.

 

   If the author is right, then anything is allowed. Anything. The alcoholic who wants you to get him a drink before he drives can do that with your blessing. The deacon who wants you to ignore him as he steals from the church treasury should not be reported. The woman wanting to keep her affair secret from her family should have her wishes honored. After all, it’s how each of these individuals wants to be treated, correct?

 

   But the Scripture from Deuteronomy 4:2 could not be any clearer: “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.” There is a real danger when man decides to change and adapt God’s word to suit him and to make him happy. Where do you stop?

 

   For example, someone is bothered by Jesus rising from the grave so let’s change that part of the Word. And what about hell? Too tough to think about so let’s throw it out altogether. When the creation does not like parts of the Creator’s Word and changes them, the outcome will be disastrous.

 

   Read the Word and follow what the Lord has shown you. Period. Do not add or subtract parts that you may not like. God’s Word was written to all of us for a reason. Adding or subtracting what we may not like or agree with has eternal consequences.  

 

   Father, your words are Truth. May I always remember that all wisdom comes from you. And may I follow your every Word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Have you ever wondered if parts of the Bible were flawed, as the author stated?

•  If so, what parts and why?

 

Apply

• Journal examples of wisdom from the world and compare them with God’s Word in the Bible. Ask the Lord to make clear the passages you do not understand.

• Speak with those with Biblical knowledge who have studied the Word to explain confusing verses. Pray for clarity.

 

Power

• Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV) “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.”

• I Corinthians 1:25 (NIV) “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

• Proverbs 14:7 (NIV) “Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips.”

 

 

Am I A Fake Person?

“Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.” Jeremiah 10:5 (NIV)

    As a little girl I used to be fascinated – and a bit frightened – by scarecrows. Even though I knew they weren’t real, every time I went with my grandmother to help in her garden, I had an eerie feeling that eyes were watching my every move – scarecrow eyes. And it seemed as if they were daring me to step just one inch closer to the sweet corn growing in perfect rows to see what would happen.

 

   When I asked my grandmother why she put that creepy thing in her garden, she shared that birds loved eating everything she was growing. “But people frighten them,” she continued. “Since I can’t be working  in the garden all day every day, I put a scarecrow – a fake person – by the vegetables so the birds are fooled into thinking I am out there even when I’m not.”

     That conversation with my grandmother was forgotten until I saw a huge scarecrow in a garden last summer. A “fake” person. It also reminded me of Jeremiah 10:5 where Jeremiah talks about idols and equates them to “a scarecrow in a melon patch.”

   They can’t walk or talk; they certainly can’t wave their arms to chase off incoming birds trying to eat the produce. And, despite how important their presence is supposed to be, scarecrows do not keep all birds from sneaking in and pecking their way through a fresh garden meal. Scarecrows have no power to do either good or harm as Jeremiah says.

   Immediately my Christian faith and witness to those around me came to mind. Am I, like that scarecrow, a “fake” person? Do I give the appearance of something that isn’t real? Something I am not?  For example, do I talk about a deep relationship with the Lord but hide that mine is superficial?

   And while I have never thought of myself as an idol, I confess that I have been prideful by considering myself more important than my neighbor. And shared gossip disguised as a prayer request. To be honest, I will confess that I have put the love of money ahead of the love of my Lord more than once.

   Pride, gossip, the love of money. All are idols. Worthless objects in my life. Worthless idols that can make my witness – worthless. But because of the power of Jesus and His forgiveness, I can choose to be alive and an example of Him. My decision? No more being a “fake” person for this gal. And no more idols. Take that, scarecrow.

    Father, I desire truth in my life by throwing out worthless idols and worshiping you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Can you think of scarecrows (idols) in your life that you have placed before God?

• Have you ever stopped to consider that they are completely powerless?

Apply

• Journal your conversations and activities for a day.

• If you can write “scarecrow” – in other words, worthless idol - next to any of them, journal today’s Power Scriptures and go to the Lord in prayer.

Power

• Jeremiah 10:5 (NIV) “Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.”

• Matthew 15:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

• I John 5:21 (NIV) “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”

Transformers

 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 (NIV)

     Years ago there were some very popular toys called “Transformers.” They caught the imagination of children worldwide because, with a simple click and twist, a dinosaur could instantly become a car. Or a slight turn to the left and one snap and a robot could transform into a train. It was amazing to behold.

     Just think about it: with a few simple clicks and ta-da, a new character was created. It was impossible to tell what the toy originally looked like because it had morphed or transformed into something totally different. Thus the name Transformer. 

    In Romans 12:2 Paul uses the term “transformed” but he isn’t talking about toys changing from one character to another. No, he is talking about you and me and warning us not to conform to the things of this world but to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” What is he talking about?

    First Paul warns us to not conform to what the world has to offer; in other words, fight against those things in this world that pull us from God’s will for our lives. So that begs a few questions for each of us: What fills your mind in, say, a week? How many hours do you watch television or surf the internet and check out websites? How much of each day is spent reading books and watching movies? Can you estimate how much time you spend shopping for the perfect clothes and makeup?

   Please hear me on this: I am not saying that those are bad things but I AM saying that if they consume more of your time than you spend in the Word or sharing Jesus with the lost or lifting prayer requests, they could be pulling you away from the Lord and toward the “pattern of this world,” as Paul calls it.

    The Creator of the Universe is telling us that if we want to step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary, then we have to train our minds to NOT conform to what the world says is acceptable. Instead, we have to be transformed into the Lord’s perfect will.

    True transformation – real transformation – begins with our minds and how we think. And that means we must get into God’s Word every single day. There is no other way. I encourage you to be on guard against anything that pulls you toward conforming to the world’s standards and taking your main focus off of Jesus. It’s time to be Transformers. 

     

    Father, I desire more than anything to be renewed and transformed by your word so I can focus on what is really important. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect

• What is your first response when tough things happen in your life?

• Do you find yourself holding on to the Word or reaching out to the world?

 Apply

• Journal a list of all the activities that you do during one week and put the number of hours you are involved in each one.

• Beside each activity write either “world” or “Word” and pray as you decide if any of those activities could be reduced or eliminated to give you more time in the Word.

Power 

• Romans 12:2 (NIV) “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

• I Peter 2:9 (NIV) “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

• II Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”