Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Contrast Between Christ's First Advent and His Second Advent

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, December 23, 2012 at 6:41 AM

Most of us know and celebrate Jesus Christ's first advent here on earth - it's called Christmas. But, Jesus  said he would return - his second coming or advent. What will that be like, and how does it compare to his first advent? Below is a chart I put together from numerous sources to help you see and understand the contrasts:

Christ’s First Advent
Christ’s Second Advent
Christ’s first advent was prophesied by prophets
Christ’s second advent was prophesied by prophets and Christ himself
Christ was prophesied to be despised and rejected by people (Isaiah 53:3)
Christ will return to be worshiped by all (Philippians 2:9; Revelation 5:13; Psalms 150:6)
Christ was miraculously conceived (Luke 1:35)
Christ will miraculously return
Christ came as a newborn baby (Luke 2:7)
Christ will return as a conquering King (Revelation 19:11-16)
Christ came in secret – virtually no one knew of his coming
Christ will return visible and known to all (Matthew 24:30)
Christ came in weakness as a baby
Christ will return in power as King
Christ came and submitted himself to human authority (Luke 2:51)
Christ will return and submit to no one on earth (Revelation 19:6)
Christ came and was known simply as the carpenter’s son (Luke 4:22)
Christ will return and known in all his glory (Revelation 19:16)
Christ came into a world marked with sorrows and sin
Christ will return to a world in which there will be no more tears, death, suffering, crying or pain (Revelation 21:4)
Christ came with meekness, riding on a donkey (Matthew 21:1-5)
Christ will return with power on a white horse (Revelation 19:11-16)
Christ came to bring peace to the human heart (Ephesians 2:13-19; Romans 5:1)
Christ will return to bring peace to the entire world (Isaiah 9:6-7; Zechariah 9:10)
Christ came and comforted the oppressed, healed the blind, preaching good news, and ministered to the hurting, sick and broken-hearted (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18)
Christ will return and destroy all evil and suffering (Isaiah 63:3-4; Revelation 19:15)
Christ came and the government was in the hands of men (Herod the Great, the Romans, etc.)
Christ will return and the government will  rest on his shoulders (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Christ came to be the Savior of Sinners (Matthew 1:21)
Christ will return to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16)
Christ came and only a select handful of his followers witnessed his glory (Matthew 17:1-6)
Christ will return and all will witness his glory
Christ came into Jerusalem hailed as King, but they crucified him (Matthew 21:1-11; Matthew 27:32-44)
Christ will return to the New Jerusalem as King, and all will bow down to him (Revelation 21)
Christ came and was rejected by the Jewish people (John 1:11)
Christ will return to be received by the Jewish people (Zechariah 12:10-11; Romans 11:25-28; Matthew 23:39)
Christ came and allowed himself to be beaten, spit upon and crucified on a cross (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:30-31)
Christ will return leading his armies into battle (Colossians 2:15; Revelation 11-16)
Christ came and was killed by his enemies (Matthew 27:20-25)
Christ will return and punish his enemies (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 19:21)
Christ came to bear our sins and sorrows (Isaiah 53:4)
Christ will return to be glorified by all (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Christ came and was confronted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11)
Christ will return and imprison Satan for eternal punishment (Revelation 20:10)
Christ came and his death/resurrection signaled the beginning of the end of Satan, but Satan continues to wreak havoc
Christ will return and vanquish Satan and cast him forever into the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 20:10)
Christ came to die (Matthew 20:28)
Christ will return to rule and reign
Christ came and wore a crown of thorns (Matthew 27:29)
Christ will return wearing a crown of power and glory
Christ left on the clouds, ascending to heaven, seen only by his followers (Acts 1:9)
Christ will return in the clouds, seen by all, with a shout of the archangel and the trumpet call of God (Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Matthew 24:30-31)
Christ came to give birth to the Church (Matthew 16:18)
Christ will return to marry his bride, the Church (Revelation 21:2)
Christ came and the Kingdom of God was a spiritual kingdom that existed only in Christ fully and partially in those who welcomed him in
Christ will return and the Kingdom of God will be a physical kingdom that exists fully on earth

St. Nicholas, Gifts and Christmas

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 6:16 AM

In the Centuries following Jesus’ death Christianity was outlawed in the Roman Empire.

Late in the third century a man named Nicholas was born, who went on to become at a very young age the Bishop of Myra, while Christianity was still outlawed. This Bishop of Myra, Nicholas, later was recognized as a saint and called Saint Nicholas. He was known for his generosity to people in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

One of the most famous stories about Nicholas demonstrates his great love for children. The story says a poor man had three daughters. He was too poor to offer a dowry, which likely meant the girls would never marry and would probably be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home, providing the needed dowries.

It is said Nicholas tossed the dowry through an open window or down the chimney and landed in stockings left by the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings to eagerly await a gift from St. Nicholas.

Through this story and many more, Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, and later, St. Nicholas, became known as a very generous, loving person, especially known as a gift-giver who had special concern for children, especially those who had little.

Within a few hundred years the story of St. Nicholas merged with the Christmas story, and it became common to give simple and needed gifts at Christmas, especially to children.

Genuine gift-giving should never be out of compulsion or to see what we get in return. Giving gifts is a way of expressing love and gratitude. Giving gifts at Christmas isn’t simply about what we get, but reminds us of what God has already done for us in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT2): “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” 

Salvation is a gift from God – something we can’t earn or cause or bring about ourselves. It is a gift, given out of sheer undeserved grace that tells us so much about God. True gifts are always like that – they tell us more about the giver than the one who receives it. As St. Nicholas gave to needy children, it said everything about his true character and concerns.

Yet, God doesn’t give us a gift just to sit around and admire – He gives us this gift of grace in Jesus Christ to transform our lives, so that He can use us to transform the lives of others.

God’s Christmas is about giving a gift that no one deserves, but He gives anyway, so that we, too, can give that same gift to others. And they don’t deserve it anymore than we do. Yet, when we fail to give this gift, we’ve missed the point of the gift in the first place. The gift is always given to encourage others to give.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NLT2): “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’”

Symbols of Christmas - Greenery

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 8:06 PM

In these weeks leading up to Christmas it is so easy to get lost in the activities and shopping and overlook what Christmas is really about. Symbols of Christmas are all around us, if we just know what they're trying to tell us. Over the next few Sundays we'll be sharing some of this to help all of us remember the Christ of Christmas as we go through these days surrounded by the rich symbolism of Christmas. And throughout these weeks I'll be posting additional materials.


I'm beginning this week with greenery - specifically evergreens. Evergreens remain green throughout the year, including the cold, dark winter. They are unchanging, reminding us of the nature of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8 NLT2)


My message on November 28 shares a good deal about this (and is available online on our Gateway website), and I may come back and put some of that material into my blog. But there's more material than I can possibly include on Sunday morning, so I'm sharing some of it here. 


In today's blog I'm sharing some of the legends (and actual origins) that grew up around some of the greenery of Christmas. I don't believe the legends are literally true - they are myths - but that doesn't mean they don't teach us truth. And some of the stories below are not legends but based on history. Together, legend and history have created symbols that remind us in this Christmas season of the Good News that "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11 NIV)


Legend of the Origin of Evergreens
As reported beginning in Matthew 2:13, shortly after Jesus was born, an angel appeared to Joseph to warn him to take the infant Jesus and his mother Mary and escape to Egypt. King Herod was looking for him in order to kill this new king who had been born. Herod sent soldiers to find this child of whom the Wise Men had spoken. No one could know that Joseph's young family was leaving or where they were headed. It was a difficult journey as they left under the cover of night and traveled through the night and next day. 


The Bible attests to these events, but now the story moves into the realm of legend. By mid-afternoon dust could be seen rising behind them, indicating Herod's soldiers were headed their way. Where could they hide or find protection? Quickly, Joseph led his family into a clump of cedars on a hill, which at that time of year had already lost their leaves. Immediately, the bare cedar twigs greened with color and thickened with growth to hide the Holy Family. The white berries of the cedar tree turned to sapphire blue to match the robe Mary was wearing and help her blend into the cedars.


The soldiers passed the young family, never seeing them, but since that day cedars and plants like them have never shed their leaves or lost their green because they sheltered the Holy Family. 


Legend of the First Christmas Tree
Seven hundred years after the birth of Christ, Pope Gregory called upon Winfred of England (later known as Saint Boniface) to serve as a missionary for three years to the pagan tribes of Northern Germany. One day, as he was traveling among the people there, he came upon a pagan ceremony in the forest to worship the spirit of the forest using a human sacrifice. Typically, in this pagan ceremony the blood of a child was sprinkled around an oak tree to please the god of the forest. Winfred begged that this terrible thing not happen, but he was ignored. In desperation to stop this horrific act and save the infant, Winfred grabbed a ceremonial ax and cut down the oak tree. The people were furious, but their anger quickly turned to amazement as they saw a small fir tree spring up to replace the fallen oak. A shaft of light caused each twig of this new fir to glisten. The people listened as Winfred told them the tree was a symbol of the birth of life through Jesus Christ. And this began the custom of the German people using a fir tree as a symbol to remember the birth of Jesus.


Legend of the Poinsettia
This legend from Mexico says that the Bethlehem star shone over the manger where Jesus was born. Its light was so bright that up sprang a beautiful flower that symbolized that moment. The plant was star shaped with pure white petals and golden star centers. It was considered the Flower of the Holy Night, symbolizing the Bethlehem star. This beautiful creation glorified and commemorated that holy night. But thirty three years later Jesus died on the cross. The petals became blood red to remember the sacrifice of the Christ who was born under the star in Bethlehem.


In the 17th Century, Franciscan priests found these beautiful red blooms, then called, "Cuetlaxochitle," growing on the slopes near Taxco, Mexico. In the early part of the 19th Century the first American ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Robert Poinset, also saw these beautiful red flowers (actually leaves) blooming profusely at Christmas. In 1828 he brought this brilliant tropical plant, known in Mexico as the "Flower of the Holy Night," back to the United States. Here it gained the name poinsettia, after the man who brought it to the United States.


Legend of the Holly
Legend has it that the crown of thorns made by the soldiers and placed on the head of Jesus early on the morning of Good Friday was made from holly leaves. In those days the berries were white, but when the crown was pressed down on Jesus' head, the blood that flowed from his head turned the berries a bright red.


Garland
Long before Jesus was born greenery was used in several cultures in special celebrations. The Jews used boughs of trees to adorn the booths they set up for the Feast of Tabernacles. As a part of a Roman celebration of the winter solstice, Romans lavishly decorated their homes and temples with boughs, garlands and flowers, and carried greenery in their processions. German tribes used green boughs to remind them that winter would not last.

As Christians began celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25, which closely coincided with the winter solstice celebrations, they took over some of these customs but gave them new meaning. Their green decorations and garland remembered the new life and salvation which the birth of Jesus brought into the world. They were meant to be joyful reminders of this holy time. 


Wreath
Wreaths are circular, with no beginning or end, representing the eternal nature of God. The Christmas wreath is said to have originated with Jesus' crown of thorns, reminding us that the Child of Bethlehem is also the Christ of Calvary whose great love for each of us led him to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and the sins of the world.

Sometimes I "think" too highly of myself

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 7:14 AM

Sometimes a single word changes the whole meaning of a sentence. I've found that when I read quickly, I sometimes miss that one word because I already think I know what I'm going to read.

This morning as I was reading my Life Journal reading in Luke 5, a word jumped out at me for the first time. I've read this passage many times, but it never struck me. Maybe you'll just laugh at what I missed, because you've always seen it, but it struck home with me this morning.

Luke 5:31:32 (NLT): "Jesus answered them, 'Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent." (emphasis added)
The word I had missed many times before was "think." Jesus isn't saying that he didn't come for the righteous - he's saying he didn't come for those who "think" they are righteous. Those who think they've got their act together. Those who don't believe they are doing anything wrong. They're the ones who believe Jesus came for everyone else, but certainly not for them because they are righteous - they are living rightly. Or so they think...

The Bible says all have sinned. The Apostle Paul, paraphrasing from Psalm 14, says, "…'No one is righteous - not even one.'" (Romans 3:10) That is, none of us can claim "right-standing" with God based on our own efforts or merits. To claim righteousness is to claim that I'm making no mistakes, I'm doing nothing to hurt my relationship with God. My thoughts and actions are always pure and on track. And Paul says none of us can make this claim. Only God can.

But the Pharisees believed that in keeping the letter of the law, in keeping the appearance of the law (but not the heart of the law) they were righteous. Their pride would be their downfall. Unfortunately, the Pharisees haven't been the only ones whose pride would be their downfall.

In my insecurity, I try to come across better than I am. I shrink from admitting any faults or failings. I have nurtured this belief that by seeking to live this great life, by showing no faults, people will see me as someone special, righteous (though we probably wouldn't use that word). It's how I get people to like me, respect me, look up to me.

But what I'm really doing is trying to compensate for my own shortcomings. And in the process, I "think" I'm righteous, when I really am not. I'm living in pride. And as long as I live that way, Jesus won't break into our lives.

Jesus said, "'God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.'" (Matthew 5:3). He said, "…'I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.'" (Matthew 18:3-4; italics added)

At Christmas we celebrated that Jesus was born in the most humble of circumstances - to a peasant couple, in a stable or cave, and visited by outcast shepherds at first. And he will still only enter into our lives when we humbly submit ourselves to him. Jesus came for those who are willing to admit they are sick, but there's little he can do for those who "think" they are righteous, who have no need for him.

This passage really struck me this morning, and then an earlier verse in Luke 5 brought it home: "But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer." (Luke 5:16) Even the Son of God knew his need for God, and often spent time with God. Wow! How much more do I need that? How much more do I need to be humble and admit my sickness, my sinfulness, my pride, my self-centeredness? How much more do I need to spend time with God? Because it's then that the "doctor," the Great Physician, is welcomed into my life to bring healing. And even to bring His righteousness into my life.

By humbly accepting Jesus into my life, and daily recalling (or confessing) all the ways I fail to be in right-standing (righteous) with God on my own, He lets me in on his ticket - He awards me righteousness out of his grace, which I can receive only by faith.

So, to sum it all up, the doctor is in...

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