When the story of 18th century western church history is told, there are three names that simply must be included:  John and Charles Wesley and George Whitfield.  Growing up within the Church of England, these three men each came to a genuine faith in Christ later in life.  After their conversions, these men followed Christ in a radical way, spreading the knowledge of Christ to the common people.  These three men were some of the early fathers of American Evangelicalism because they had an interest in taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people wherever they were.  Instead of staying inside large stone cathedrals, these men took to the open air, holding outdoor revival meetings and church services where thousands were in attendance.  In a day before microphones and high tech audio/visual equipment, Whitfield alone preached to as many as 30,000 people in one audience!

Given their common threads, it is not a surprise that these men were friends and had a great deal of respect for each other’s ministry, even though they had some theological differences.  Charles Wesley wrote over 7,500 hymns in his lifetime.  Some of these hymns were incorporated into Whitfield’s open air revival meetings.  One of Wesley’s hymns that Whitfield used was a hymn Wesley titled, “Hark, How the Welkin Rings!”  (The word “welkin” means “vault of heavens”.)  This song had the same tune as another famous Wesley hymn, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today!”  Whitfield loved the song, but did not care for the opening line.  He changed the opening line to further connect this song with the birth of Christ.  His new first line was the now famous, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing!”  Whitfield made this change, but never asked his friend Wesley for permission to do so.  This outraged Wesley.  Even after Whitfield’s version grew in popularity and became very well know, Wesley refused to acknowledge or sing the Whitfield abridged version of his song.  Can you imagine that?  The author of one of the most famous Christmas songs ever written never sang it!  About 100 years later the tune was changed to the current form by Felix Mendelsson.

What are your Christmas traditions?  What do you do every year at Christmas time that you would be very upset if it changed?  For some it is the day and time that presents are opened.  For others it is the songs that you “should sing” in church or on Christmas Eve.  For others it is a particular service (and time) that must be attended or a particular passage of Scripture that must be the text for that service.  Whatever it is, there are somethings that just “have to happen” in order for it to be Christmas for you.  What happens if your form changes?  What happens if you open presents on Christmas day instead of Christmas Eve?  What happens if you sing “Manger Throne” instead of “Silent Night”?  What happens if the “wrong passage” is preached at the Christmas service?  If these changes happen, will you refuse to sing?

May we learn something from Wesley’s folly.  May we learn that most of the traditions we embrace today have evolved over time.  Santa Claus has not always been at the mall, Candles weren’t always a part of Christmas Eve services, and at one time, it was the “Welkin,” not the “Herald Angels” that were ringing/singing.  At one time, maybe the greatest Christmas hymn in existence today sounded like an Easter song to our modern ear.  The key is not the form, but the spirit behind it.  Whitfield and Mendelssohn improved Wesley’s hymn.  Is it possible that God might be using some of the changes in your Christmas worship celebrations to increase your soul’s rejoicing this season?  Don’t refuse to sing.  Join the angel chorus and worship Christ the new born King!

I have attached below the original lyrics of Wesley’s hymn, “Hark How the Welkin Rings!”

“Hark, how all the welkin rings,

“Glory to the King of kings;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

Universal nature say,

“Christ the Lord is born to-day!”

Christ, by highest Heaven ador’d,

Christ, the everlasting Lord:

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of a Virgin’s womb!

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,

Hail the incarnate deity!

Pleased as man with men to appear,

Jesus! Our Immanuel here!

Hail, the heavenly Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

Risen with healing in his wings.

Mild He lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die;

Born to raise the sons of earth;

Born to give them second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,

Fix in us thy humble home;

Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,

Bruise in us the serpent’s head.

Now display thy saving power,

Ruined nature now restore;

Now in mystic union join

Thine to ours, and ours to thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface;

Stamp Thy image in its place.

Second Adam from above,

Reinstate us in thy love.

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,

Thee, the life, the inner Man:

O! to all thyself impart,

Form’d in each believing heart.”

This devotional is part of a 25 day devotional guide.  Download all 25 days of the devotional in pdf or ebook format (for free) by clicking here.

January 1, 1611. This date is roughly 400 years ago. At that time, the original pilgrims were still a decade away from coming to the “new land” and settling Plymouth Bay Colony. 100% of the United States history beyond that of the Native Americans was yet to be written. On January 1, 1611, the King James Bible had not even gone to print yet! Think of all the history and all the changes the past 400 years have brought!

400 years is a very long time. Placing an actual date to 400 years and counting back adds needed perspective to this denomination of time. From a Biblical perspective, grasping how long 400 years is really helps us better understand the Christmas story. What do I mean by this?

The last Old Testament book written was the book of Malachi. It was written after the nation of Israel returned from exile in foreign lands in the early 400’s BC. After God spoke to His people through Malachi, He went silent for the next 400 years. After speaking regularly through prophets in every generation from Abraham to Malachi, 400 years of silence transpire in what is known as the “inter-testamental” period of time (the time from the end of the Old Testament books to the beginning of the New Testament). When you hear that there were 400 years of silence you sometimes fail to grasp just how long a period of time that was. Looking back 400 years from today helps us realize how many generations of people lived their lives wondering if God had abandoned them. Did His silence mean that He was no longer going to bring His Messiah to them to deliver them from their sins? Did His silence mean that something had changed regarding God’s promises?

Now, many reading this may want to argue that it has been 2000 years since ANY Scripture has been written. The recent silence from God may seem far more dramatic than the inter-testamental period. This simple observation, however, is unfounded. The Old Testament POINTED to the coming of Christ, and God had reaffirmed His promises to each generation through new generations of prophets up to the time of Malachi. The silence actually indicated a change that could have been interpreted as a NEGATIVE change. Since Jesus actually came in the New Testament time as a full revelation of God’s plan, there now is no longer a need for Scripture to continue to be written. God has been consistent in ceasing His prophetic communication in the writing of Scripture since the end of the first century. The lack of new Scripture today is a POSITIVE, reminding us that Christ is the final and full revelation of all we really need to know.

Now, understanding this, we should be shockingly surprised (as Mary was) when the Angel shows up in Mary’s room and tells her that she will miraculously conceive a Son who will be the Savior of the world. We should be startled by the whisper of the Angel to Zechariah in the Temple that he will have a son who will prepare the way for the Lord. We should be startled at these words because they broke a period of prolonged silence. 400 years of silence, broken with a renewed promise of a Savior. What is particularly great about when God broke the silence is that He broke it saying that the Savior was going to come in 9 months!!! Generations had strained to see the day when Messiah would come, now it was only three trimesters from delivery.

Many times when we read the Christmas story, we read it thinking of Mary or Joseph . . . Zechariah or Elizabeth. Today as you think about this story, think about it from a 400 year perspective. God broke the silence with fantastic good news.

Do you feel like you are living in an era of “silence” from the Lord today? Do you wonder if He has forgotten you because you have not “heard” from Him in a while? This Christmas listen closely. God broke the silence at the birth of Christ and He wants to whisper to us through this story today, reminding us of His great love for us.

This devotional is part of a 25 day devotional guide.  Download all 25 days of the devotional in pdf or ebook format (for free) by clicking here.

Football is the ultimate team game.  It takes 11 men on each down to make a play work.  This sounds like coach-speak, but it is actually gospel truth.  For instance, if the quarterback drops back to throw a deep pass to the wide receiver, everyone must do their part for the play to work.  If any member of the offensive line does not make their block, the quarterback does not have time to throw the pass.  If the running back does not pick up the blitzing linebacker, the quarterback will be sacked.  If the other wide receivers (the ones not being thrown the ball) do not run their routes, the intended receiver will be double-covered.  If the quarterback does not throw the ball on target the receiver does not have a chance to catch it.  If the receiver does not catch the ball, the play is a failure.  Everyone must do his job for a single play to work.  This makes football the ultimate team game.

Even when a play is not “about them” everyone must do their part in order for the play to work.  This is different than other sports.  On a baseball team, the right fielder does nothing on a routine ground ball to the short stop.  On a basketball team (while a very good team game), a great player can score lots of points playing a “one-on-one” kind of game.  Only in football must everyone participate in order for the play to work.

I was thinking about this today as I was reflecting on the Christmas story . . . particularly the part of Jesus being born in Bethlehem.  The fact that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem was promised by God through the prophet Micah in Micah 5:2, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah.  From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.  His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”  In light of our analogy here, Micah 5:2 is like a play that God was calling in the “huddle” with Israel 700 years before the birth of Christ.  As Israel broke the huddle though, and prepared for the play, it would take millions of people in motion to pull off this “play” for the team.

Mary and Joseph did not live in Bethlehem.  They lived in Nazareth.  Nazareth was a small town about 70 miles from Bethlehem.  In a world without planes, trains, or automobiles, it was certainly not likely that Mary would give birth in Bethlehem.  So, in order for God’s play to unfold, everyone had to do his or her part to get Mary to Bethlehem.  Luke 2:1 tells us that Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census to be taken.  In order for all the people who lived in the Roman Empire to be counted, Caesar wanted everyone to travel to their ancestral home.  While Caesar did not do this intending to see the Messiah born in the proper town, God used Caesar’s decree to properly execute His play.  Imagine the scene . . . in order to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem (their ancestral home) at the time of Jesus birth, the decree for the census had to be issued at just the right time and would mandate that 4.2 million people would travel to their home towns to be counted.  (4.2 million is the count Caesar took from this census).

Think about that for a moment.  4.2 million people probably wondered why they were traveling . . . why they needed to be counted.  Even though the “ball” was not coming to them, they were playing an important part in the unfolding of God’s play.

As I ponder the significance of the 4.2 million people moving around the Mediterranean in response to Caesar’s decree, I am reminded that at times the events of my life will unfold in ways that have me playing a significant part in God’s plan, but will not feature me “getting the ball.”  We sometimes ask questions like “Why do I have this job?”  “What was that all about?”  “What was the point of that relationship/conversation/etc.?”  Usually when we ask these questions we ask them because we assume that we will be featured in the “play.”  In reality, we are always playing a part in God’s purposes, though sometimes we are not the ones getting the “ball.”  From Bethlehem we see that the unfolding of God’s will is ultimately a team experience.

This devotional is part of a 25 day devotional guide.  Download all 25 days of the devotional in pdf or ebook format (for free) by clicking here.

Guys don’t really like showers.  By that, I don’t mean that guys don’t like to be clean (though some may anecdotally argue my point here).  I mean that guys don’t like parties called showers . . . you know:  baby showers, wedding showers, etc.  Most speculate that guys don’t like showers.  The theory goes that guys don’t like to theme decorate or shop, two things that the average “shower” drenches all comers with.  I don’t buy this line of reasoning though.  I think that guys like stuff, so the desire for stuff probably trumps guys reticence to shower.  I think the metaphor of the shower-less guy stinks.  Someone came up with this notion several years ago, and have figured out how to deduct man-card points for anyone who ever thinks of attending a party where gifts are exchanged.

I have been the recipient of a few showers in my life.  When my wife and I got married, several family friends threw showers for us.  When our son was born, I attended a baby shower in his honor.  They were all great parties, and ended up blessing our family in huge ways.  We eat dinner each night on plates we got at wedding showers years ago.  Being showered with gifts by friends is a real blessing.

Now, knowing my experience with showers, it comes quite shocking that the birth of the Savior of the world brought only one baby shower . . . a personal delivery of three gifts by the Magi from the East.  These three gifts are the most famous gifts to Jesus at His birth not because they are the most valuable, but because they are the ONLY ONES MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE.  Have you ever thought of that?  We are so familiar with the story of Jesus birth that we sometimes fail to realize that though this event would become famous AFTER the resurrection of Christ, it was mostly obscure during the season in which Christ was born.  He was born in a stable, not in a palace.  He was born in front of His parents, not on Satellite television.  His birth was honored by throngs of angels . . . but not people.  The first Christmas was incredibly important, but mostly obscure.  If anyone deserved to be showered with gifts at their birth, it was Jesus Christ, yet only three gifts arrived.

Knowing this, it helps us to understand more the prophecy concerning Jesus from Isaiah 53:2-3 which says, “He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief and as One from whom men hide their faces.  He was despised and we esteemed Him not.”  Of course this passage is ultimately referring to the crucifixion of Christ, but it is also helpful for us to understand just how much praise Jesus did NOT get during His earthly life.  He lived 30 years if virtual obscurity . . . even locally.  The humility and patience of Jesus are powerful when viewed through this lens.

Jesus could have shown His glory fully at every point in His life, but He chose to live the simple life of a carpenter instead.  He could have been incarnate only as an adult (i.e. arrive in Bethlehem as an adult instead of an infant), but He instead chose to fully identify with the human experience.  He could have demanded being showered with praise and presents during His life, but He chose not to, inviting people to chose for themselves if they would trust in Him.

Think about that the next time you feel slighted, marginalized, irrelevant, or unimportant.  Whether you are a man or a woman, you don’t have to be showered with praise, presents, or power in order to be loved by Him.

This devotional is part of a 25 day devotional guide.  Download all 25 days of the devotional in pdf or ebook format (for free) by clicking here.

Do you remember the old television show “Different Strokes?”  You know the show. . . Gary Coleman, “What you talkin’ about Willis?,” Mr. Drummond, Mrs. Garrett . . . you remember this show right?  Well in case you don’t, let me fill in the necessary details for the sake of this post.

Mr. Drummond was a rich businessman who lived in a Manhattan high rise.  Mr. D had a housekeeper who passed away leaving two small boys, Willis and Arnold, orphaned.  Willis and Arnold were adopted and joined their new family– moving from the projects to the penthouse.  Though not born into the wealth and status of the Drummond family, Willis and Arnold had the full benefit of being sons because of the gracious and loving decision of Mr. Drummond.  While the show often was a bit campy in its story lines, the basic premise was very heart warming and allowed the show to run 8 years from 1978-1986.

I was thinking of Willis and Arnold’s turn of fortunes today as I read Isaiah 49:1-13.  In these verses (the second of Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” foretelling the role of the Messiah), Isaiah records a conversation between God the Father and God the Son regarding Jesus’ work on the earth.  700 years before His Bethlehem birth, Jesus heard from God the Father as recorded in Isaiah 49:6, “You (Jesus) will do more than restore the people of Israel to Me (God the Father).  I will make You a light to the Gentiles, and You will bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”  This was a huge statement to bacon eaters everywhere.  God’s plan in Christ was to save more than just a faithful Jewish remnant . . . the plan was to save people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

At times, when we read the Old Testament and we see the emphasis God had on the Jewish nation as God’s chosen people, we are tempted to think that God only speaks Hebrew.  We are tempted to think that we non-Jewish followers of Christ are merely an afterthought to God’s actual plan.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  God’s relationship with Israel was always to serve as an object lesson so that the world might know the goodness of our God.  The plan all along was for both Gentiles and Jews to be saved.  Isaiah 49 tells us as much.

Personally, this truth means that a person of non-Jewish ethnicity (like myself) gets to be like Arnold or Willis . . . spiritually orphaned by sin and death but chosen by God to be adopted as a son into His family.  All who call on the name of Christ for salvation move from the manger to a mansion because of His gracious and loving choice.  We were a part of His plan all along.  That is why Isaiah says in Isaiah 49:13, “Sing for joy, O heavens!  Rejoice, O earth!  Burst into song, O mountains! for the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on them in their sorrow.”

This Christmas there is joy in the world because the Lord has come for Moses AND you and me.  It was no accident that by the different strokes Christ received on the cross, Jew and Gentile could both receive salvation.

This devotional is part of a 25 day devotional guide.  Download all 25 days of the devotional in pdf or ebook format (for free) by clicking here.

One of my all time favorite Charles Wesley hymns is the song, “And Can it Be?”  In one of the verses of that song, there is a powerful lyric that speaks of the freedom we gain in Christ, “Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast-bound in sin and dark of night.  Thine eye diffused a quickening ray.  I woke, the dungeon filled with light!  My chains fell off, my heart was free.  I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.  Amazing love, how can it be?  That Thou My God wouldst die for me!”

The imagery of this song places mankind in a dungeon, held tight in the chains of sin’s oppression.  The arrival of the Savior, lets light into the dark place, and liberates us from sin’s captivity.  I love that picture . . . it is very meaningful to me.  As beautiful as that analogy is , and as beautiful as that analogy was arranged to song by Charles Wesley, it  would be wrong to give Wesley the credit.  The Lord Himself penned a song centuries before “And Can it Be?” that Wesley (no doubt) drew from as he adapted the text to music.  Around 700 BC, our great God wrote a song that he dictated to the prophet Isaiah, asking Him to share it with God’s people.  This song (one of three “Servant Songs” in Isaiah’s prophecy) predicts Jesus’ role as God’s “Chosen One” or Messiah, who would accomplish His purposes in the world.  Listen to the words of this song from Isaiah 42:1-9:

“‘Look at My servant, whom I strengthen,.  He is my chosen one, and I am pleased with Him.  I have put my Spirit upon Him.  He will reveal justice to the nations.  He will be gentle – He will not shout or raise His voice in public.  He will not crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope.  He will bring full justice to all who have been wronged.  He will not stop until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth.  Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for His instruction.’  God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.  He created the earth and everything in it.  He gives breath and life to everyone in all the world.  And it is He who says, ‘I, the Lord, have called You to demonstrate My righteousness.  I will guard and support You, for I have given you to My people as the personal confirmation of My covenant with them.  And You will be a light to guide all nations to Me.  You will open the eyes of the blind and free the captives from prison.  You will release those who sit in dark dungeons.  I am the Lord; that is My name!  I will not give My glory to anyone else.  I will not share My praise with carved idols.  Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again.  I will tell you the future before it happens.’”

The first part of the song sees God describing Jesus to Isaiah and His readers, 7 centuries before His Bethlehem birth.  He describes Him as someone who is fully in tune with the Lord . . . fully empowered by His Spirit.  He is one who will bring about justice, not just for Israel, but for the entire world.  He will accomplish this justice by being a humble servant leader, not a loud-mouthed dictator. He will inspire hope, not crush it, and He will usher His truth and plan around the world . . . even to places not yet discovered yet by the ancient world (places like Oklahoma!)

In the second part of the song, God talks more about the specific task Messiah will accomplish.  This is where Wesley echoed the Servant Song.  Jesus is said to shine as a light into the dark, dank dungeon of this fallen world, and beckon His people to follow Him out of sin and into the freedom of life in Christ.

This Servant Song, spoke of the work of Christ centuries before His birth, and reminds us again of how God had been planning a rescue of His people for centuries.  Reading this song today, makes me want to sing again Wesley’s refrain this Christmas season:  “And can it be that I should gain an interest in my Savior’s blood?  Died Him for me who caused His pain, for me who Him to death pursued.  Amazing love, how can it be?  That Thou My God wouldst die for me!”

As you see Christmas lights around this holiday season, may they remind you of the Light of Christ that invites you out of the dungeon of your sin and into a relationship with Him.

This devotional is part of a 25 day devotional guide.  Download all 25 days of the devotional in pdf or ebook format (for free) by clicking here.

Every four years we have a Presidential election.  These elections are hotly contested and often reveal a country that is very divided.  No matter how the election turns out, roughly half the country is going to be disappointed by the outcome.  In preparation for a Presidential election, both sides promise the moon.  Some people believe all the promises they hear during election season, while others are more cynical.  In the many years I have been voting, I have seen my hope in the political process deteriorate from idealism to a malaise.  The endless rhetoric of elections leave many tired and wounded.

Regardless of our political fatigue, however, it is hard to argue that who our leaders are makes a big difference in our lives.  This is true of the United States, and it was also true of the nation of Judah in Isaiah’s day.  When Isaiah wrote his prophecy (the Old Testament book of Isaiah), Judah was in political crisis.  After 52 years of being led by “good King Uzziah,” Judah was under different human leadership.  This troubled God’s people and increased anxiety about what would happen to the nation without their previous King.  God addressed their concerns through Isaiah’s prophecy.  In chapter 6, he reminded the nation that God was still on the throne.  In chapter 7, God promised relief from the attacks of Israel and Aram.  In chapter 11, however, God looks further into the future, to remind Judah that their ultimate leader will provide a peace that will dwarf the accomplishments of even their favorite King Uzziah!  Listen to what God promises to His people in Isaiah 11:1-10:

“Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot – yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.  And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  He will delight in obeying the Lord.  He will never judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay.  He will defend the poor and the exploited.  He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of His mouth.  He will be clothed with fairness and truth.  In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard and the goat will be at peace.  Calves and yearlings will be safe among lions, and a little child will lead them all.  The cattle will graze among bears.  Cubs and calves will lie down together.  And lions will eat grass as the livestock do.  Babies will crawl safely among poisonous snakes.  Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes and pull it out unharmed.  Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.  And as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.  In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world.  The nations will rally to Him, for the land where He lives will be a glorious place.”

Wow.  What a campaign promise!  To a people facing uncertain national prospects, God promises a future leader who will restore peace . . . not just between people, but with all of nature!  This future leader could only be God Himself to accomplish such a task . . . God coming (as this passage indicates) in the form of a little child.  Jesus was to be the Branch of David’s tree that would be the Messiah for God’s people.  Isaiah wrote this 700 years before Jesus was born, but what is amazing for us today is that the ultimate fulfillment of these promises has yet to be realized.  Jesus will return to this earth one day to fulfill this campaign promise God made through Isaiah 2,700 years ago!  When Jesus comes again, He will establish a government on this earth where the wicked are no longer allowed to rule and the poor and exploited will have a true champion. As surely as Jesus was born in Bethlehem, so we look forward to this future reign of Christ on the earth (for more details of this time, look at Revelation 20.)

This Christmas season as you either celebrate or denigrate the latest chosen American political “Messiah”, I challenge you to lift your eyes up and gain perspective.  We know who the real Messiah is, and He is not a registered Republican or Democrat.  He is Jesus Christ, and the peace we long for will certainly come to pass one day when He returns.  To a people facing political crisis, God encourages us with the campaign promise of Isaiah 11.

This devotional is part of a 25 day devotional guide.  Download all 25 days of the devotional in pdf or ebook format (for free) by clicking here.