A Random Christmas

A Random Christmas

Don't you just want life to make sense?

Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.  They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.  Luke 1:1-2NLT

Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.  Luke 1:3-4 NLT

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.  Luke 1:26-27 NLT

Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.  Luke 1:28-29 NLT

“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! Luke 1:30 NLT

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”  Luke 1:31-33 NLT

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”  Luke 1:34 NLT    

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.  Luke 1:35 NLT

What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.  For the word of God will never fail.  Luke 1:36-37 NLT

(God) Don't you understand?

Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11 NLT

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Luke 1:38 NLT

Perfect faith isn't the faith that moves God. Perfect faith is the faith that moves us to trust God when it doesn't seem like he's moving.

Just because this took them by surprise, 

it didn't take God by surprise.

God has never interrupted His plans, only ours.

Going Public

GOING PUBLIC

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 NLT

Baptizo:   

*wash        *plunge    *soak        *dip

Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles. Mark 7:4 NLT    

His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Luke 11:38 NLT

What it took:

Circumcision    

A covenant meal

Acknowledge the Old Testament Law

A sacrifice

A ceremonial washing

John Ho Baptistas

*Baptism is a public declaration of a new association.

*Baptism is a personal declaration of a new association.

*Baptism is not a condition of salvation, it's evidence of salvation.

Form / Timing

Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?  Romans 6:3 NLT

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.  Romans 6:4 NLT

Everybody is scared of the video!

Right In The Eye - Part 6

RUTHIE & BO SAVE CHRISTMAS

God was decorating for Christmas.

In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. Ruth 1:1 NLT

The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. They werefrom Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there. Ruth 1:2 NLT

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.”  Ruth 1:16-17 NLT

Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”  Ruth 1:21 NLT

Boaz replied, “I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.  Ruth 2:11 NLT

May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”  Ruth 2:12 NLT

Family Redeemer:
    *protect an impoverished family
    *repurchase lost property
    *redeem relatives who were sold as slaves
    *provide an heir for male relatives

Then Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.”  Ruth 4:5 NLT

“Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.”  Ruth 4:6 NLT

Obed
Jesse

Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”  1 Samuel 16:1 NLT

David

Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”  2 Samuel 7:16 NLT

Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
Matthew 1:15-16 NLT

Jesus answered, “my Kingdom is not of this world.” John 18:36 NLT

Right In The Eye - Part 5

EXTRAORDINARY

What would an extraordinary person do?

The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. Judges 6:1 NLT

The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. Judges 6:2 NLT

Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel, 

camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza.  Judges 6:3NLT

They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys.  Judges 16:4NLT

So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.  Judges 6:6NLT

Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. Judges 6:11NLT

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”. Judges 6:12NLT

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”. Judges 6:13NIV

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” Judges 6:13NLT

“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” Judges 6:15 NLT

God - I will be with you!    Will you be with Me?

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  Romans 8:31 NLT

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?  Romans 8:32 NLT

The value of a thing is the price it will bring.

It's dangerous to think more highly of yourself than you ought.  It's equally dangerous to think less of yourself than God does.

This isn't about keeping you out of trouble.  This is about you reaching your full potential.

What would an extraordinary person do?

What would you do today if you were confident that God was with you? ... that God lives in you? ... and that God is for you?

Right In The Eye - Part 4

NO ONE IS THAT STUPID

What do you do when your body wants what your heart knows is wrong?

One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye.  When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman; now get her for me as my wife.”  His father and mother objected. “Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?” they asked. “Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?” Judges 14:1-3 NLT/NIV

If there's nothing great about him, you are better off without him.

God designed your body as the dessert, not the appetizer.

Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek.  Judges 16:4NLT

The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”  Judges 16:5NIV

Delilah said, “Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.” he replied, “If I were tied up with seven new bowstrings that have not yet been dried, I would become as weak as anyone else.” The Philistine rulers brought Delilah seven new bowstrings, and she tied Samson up with them. Judges 16:6-8NLT

She had hidden some men in one of the inner rooms of her house, and she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson snapped the bowstrings as a piece of string snaps when it is burned by a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.  Judges 16:9NLT

Afterward Delilah said to him, “You’ve been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now please tell me how you can be tied up securely.” Judges 16:10 NLT

Delilah said, “You’ve been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now tell me how you can be tied up securely.”Samson replied, “If you were to weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on your loom and tighten it with the loom shuttle, I would become as weak as anyone else.” Judges 16:13 NLT

Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!”  Judges 16:15 NLT

She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. Finally, Samson shared his secret with her.  If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” Judges 16:16-17 NLT

So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison. Judges 16:21 NLT

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Cor. 6:19-20 NLT

Instead of doing what is right in your own eyes, you would do what you suspect is right in your own heart.

Right In The Eye - Part 3

GOOD AT LOOKING

Do you really want to be like everybody else?  Average?

Everybody else is taking their cues from everybody else.

If you take your cues from everybody else, you will end up just like everybody else.

Outside vs. Inside

If you had known that living like that on the outside would leave you feeling like this on the inside...

You did what was right in your own eyes.

You abandoned what you suspected was right in your own heart.

Don't ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you.  Joshua 23:12 NIV

They will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes and you will vanish from this good land the Lord your God has given you.  Joshua 23:13 NLT

Is God for me? Is God keeping something from me?

Throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord.  Joshua 24:23 NIV

A kingdom of conscience

Inside out

Kingdoms of covet

Outside in

Have you yielded your heart to the Lord, your God?

Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.  Psalm 119:35-37 NLT/NIV

Right In The Eye - Part 2

ONE KING LEADS TO ANOTHER

I want to do what I wanna do. I wanna do what I want when I want with whom I want.

So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. Joshua 24:14 NLT

The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods."  Joshua 24:16 NLT

For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us.  Joshua 24:17 NLT

"It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.”  Joshua 24:18 NLT

But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” Joshua 24:21 NLT

The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. Judges 2:11 NLT

They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth. Judges 2:12-13 NLT

This made the Lord burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to raiders who stole their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them. Judges 2:14 NLT

Every time Israel went out to battle, the Lord fought against them, causing them to be defeated, just as he had warned. And the people were in great distress.  Judges 2:15 NLT

They forsook God.

They followed the people around them.

They surrendered their freedom.

Israel simply traded one king for another. They were no longer able to resist.

The Little Kings:    *Appetite        *Lust    *Insecurity        *Greed    *Fear            *Consumption    *Comparison        *Family History

It's always easier to say no to God than it is to say no to the things you substitute for God.

Then the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.  Judges 3:8 NLT

In our attempt to do what we want, when we want, with whom we want, all we do is trade one king for another.

Right In The Eye - Part 1

STRANGER THAN FICTION

While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, “Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him.” Judges 19:22 NLT

The old man stepped outside to talk to them. No, my brothers, don’t do such an evil thing. For this man is a guest in my house, and such a thing would be shameful. Judges 19:23 NLT

Here, take my virgin daughter and this man’s concubine. I will bring them out to you, and you can abuse them and do whatever you like. But don’t do such a shameful thing to this man. Judges 19:24 NLT

But they wouldn’t listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and pushed her out the door. Judges 19:25a NLT

Everyone who saw it said, “Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who’s going to speak up?” Judges 19:30 NLT

Then all the Israelites were united as one man, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, including those from across the Jordan in the land of Gilead. The entire community assembled in the presence of the Lord at Mizpah. Judges 20:1 NLT

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Judges 21:25 NLT

In those days, there was no binding moral consensus.

So people followed their own moral compass.

We want the freedom to do what we want, when we want, with whom we want, as long as it doesn't hurt anybody.

Only the super-rich can afford this.

Generally, this works out better for men than women.

Everywhere that women have rights, they've had to fight for them.

You can't do what's right in your own eyes without eventually hurting someone.

Eventually you hurt you.

You're gonna be mastered by something.

The thing that has mastered you began as an expression of your freedom.

You hurt the people...    *with you.    *that care about you.    *coming along after you.

I should be able to do what I want, when I want, with whom I want as long as it helps somebody.