Hope and Joy

Happy New Years!

Unlike most Christmas seasons that seem to be more of a distraction than a time of remembering, I was refreshed by the message of hope and joy in the birth of Christ this year. It seems the more I grow up and see the sad truth of the world spinning out of control the more I need to hear that there is hope and even joy available to me. But how?

 I couldn't help being fascinated by the wise men. These three guys were so intent on finding the answers to life through the means of astrology that they followed a bright star for over a year to see what it might show them. Little did they know that the answers to life weren't bound up in the sky but in the humble manger where God, the King of Kings incarnated to become a baby. It seems as though as the world becomes more and more captivating with its technological and scientific breakthroughs (deceiving us that these things bring true fullness in life!), the message of God becoming a baby becomes more and more beautiful and shockingly different. The wise men remind me of the folly of searching for meaning and identity apart from that which is found in Christ.

"In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song"

I would have loved to see the looks on these wise mens faces when they came face to face with God in that stable. Just like Isaiah who witnessed the glory of God and fell on his face in worship, so were the wise men's response one of worship and adoration. Is it ours?

When we come to Jesus we are confronted with the only remedy for our deepest soul's need. Forgiveness of our sin.

 We were helpless in our guilt from sin and couldn't reach God because of his impossible standard of holiness. Something needed to be done. It was God who SO LOVED the world that he sent Jesus to take the punishment we deserve - so that now - when God looks at us, he sees Jesus' perfect, sinless life. It was the ultimate switcheroo of our sin for Jesus' perfection. Now whoever believes in Him through faith will not die but will live forever. What a beautiful gift from a loving Dad!

"My comforter. My All in All. Here in love of Christ I stand"

I know that I have hope because God saw that sacrificing His only Son a necessary means to bring me back to Him. He cares for me!

I know I can have joy because Jesus took away my sin. Guilt is a natural outcome of sin and is debilitating in nature. When I come to the terms with my broken, unfix-able state and abandon my wicked self is the moment when I can live freely in the power of Christ. This freedom produces joy!

I hope this message never ceases to take your breath away.


"He [Jesus] had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process" Phil 2:6-8 MSG

Christianity is about a relationship with God through Jesus. Never allow anything to divert you from your insight into Jesus Christ. It is the true test of spirituality. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.

May God pour his hope and joy into your life in 2012!