7 months was a long enough gap right??? And just in time for Christmas

It has been quite a long time since I have last posted, or really written anything of significance (though one could argue that I never have really written anything of significance, haha)  But after several months, I find myself once again led back to this blog wondering if anyone really still does blog anymore (and believe it or not, some still do)  I have spent a lot of the down time of the last several months enjoying the summer months, taking vacation, and finally working on getting that stack of 17 books waiting to be read a little bit smaller (with some success too as I'm down to 11)

But once again I find myself back at this thing writing out my thoughts of randomness on a computer screen and sharing them with anyone who may be bored enough to read them ;)  Anyways... 

So, I will be honest, whenever we get to the Christmas Season, I am the first to be excited by what it represents.  Yeah, people will state that Good Friday and Easter may be the "biggest celebrations" of when it comes to the Christian faith, but at the same time, we couldn't have Good Friday and Easter if it weren't for Christ's Birth.....  Anyways, I digress...

Obviously one of the biggest stories that you hear around this time of year comes from Luke 2, and yes it is a beautiful story, but for the last several years quite often I find myself coming back to Mark Chapter 1.  No Mark 1 does not share anything about the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary's story, Herod, The Wiseman..... etc...  But I think it touches on something just as big when we come to this time of year, but if the Birth story in Luke (and Matthew) is 1a, Mark 1: 1-8 would be 1b for me

Let me share

Mark 1

English Standard Version (ESV)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.^[a]

² As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,^[b]

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
³ the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare^[c] the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

⁴ John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

 

 

Now why do I like this part so much?  I'm glad you asked ;)

 

First of all I share it in the ESV because, well I think it articulates the true words better then the NIV does (not slamming the NIV by any means, I still use it a lot, just saying)

 

Anyways... I love this passage because I think the same storyline that played out then, plays out today with all of us. 

 

In what ways are you (we) to be like John the Baptist.  I look at this and the first thing is does is reference the book of Isaiah saying that the messenger is being sent ahead to prepare the way for people to see the ministry of Christ, to help people get on the path way that leads to Salvation... The straight path if I may

 

And where is the voice?  It's not in Jerusalem per-say, it is in the Wilderness!  It is out there in the "anywhere" area, it's not confined to one location at any time or all times.  John also was not someone that was going to be dressed like everyone else, the story he shared didn't necessarily comes from the man who was the best educated, or the most well dressed, (which if you think about it is all of us) it came from the gifting of the Holy Spirit in his life.  (Yes I think hey was full of the Holy Spirit, even before the actual Pentecost story).

 

But, above all, why do I really love this story?  Because it is a challenge to me.  Over and over again we hear that we are "to be like Christ" and honestly, that is the truth, we are to model ourselves to be just like Christ.  And yes I know that we will never succeed at that, not in our time here on earth, but even John knew that he wasn't even close to being able to accomplish that (he who's sandals I am unworthy to untie)  But it also tells us the second person I believe we should... even commanded, to live our life like...   John the Baptist

 

No, I'm not saying we need to quick run over to the nearest body of water and start "dunking" anyone who comes to see us (or sprinkle) ;)  But it does say that we to "prepare the way"  How are we doing at that?  How are we doing are preparing the way.  How are we doing to not only prepare the way for people to know about Christ, but how are we doing are preparing the way for people to spend eternity with Christ?

 

Just as John was sent to get people ready for the ministry of Christ on earth, I think the same story line should be said for each of us.  We believe that Christ is coming back, so how are we doing at it?

 

Lastly, and one small thing that I just love and maybe it's just me that would, I don't know, but I really love how this chapter starts.  "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ..."  It was just the beginning of the Gospel... and no where in the book of Mark (or the other gospels for that matter) does it say "and this is the end of the gospel"  I don't think the gospels in essence are finished being written yet!!

 

Your life can be a gospel.  While it may not be something that will ever be written down in book form like the 4 that we know, but the definition of "gospel" is (according to Webster)  "The teachings of Christ and the apostles.  You can help others learn the teachings of Christ through your own life.

 

So how are you doing at "making the way for the Lord"?

 

How are you doing at "writing" your own Gospel?

 

How am I doing at mine????

 

Do we really know?

I just got slapped in the face.  Just now, I’m serious!

O.K., so not literally (though I guess I’m sure it could be possible that I should be, and some might think it was funny)  

But I did figuratively.

About two weeks ago (very end of April) the email went out, talking about submissions for the newsletter and (sorry Deb) I kept putting it off unsure of what I felt led to write about.  But today (Monday the 13^th) I set aside the afternoon to get this done.  For the last couple hours (seriously) I have been looking over notes from lessons in youth group the last several months about what I could write about but nothing stuck out to me.  Next came the paging through books I had read over the last several years, looking at highlighted parts but still to no avail.  As a last resort I turned on my Kindle (which I hadn’t done since the Jr. High Retreat in January) and BAM!  I read the most recent “highlight” in a book I forgot I even had.  Instantly my mind started racing with thoughts and, believe it or not, apologies to God.  What had I just re-read you might wonder?  Here it is:  “…And then I raised The Question:  Did we – did I – know Christ more as a result of the passing of another year?  Were we any closer to God?”  (Glenn Packiam – Secondhand Jesus)

What an amazing question to ask.  

Do we? Do you? Do I? Know Christ better today than we did a year ago?  

Or do we “know him” just the same as we did before?

I sure hope not!

We as humans have the natural desire to be in relationships with one another.  God made us that way.  One of the ways to build relationships with one another and to know people better is to spend time with them, to talk with them, and to listen to them.  The learning will never stop either.  Every week I continue to learn new things about the youth of this church.  Even after 5 years, there are still so many things that we have yet to learn about each other.  Marriages are the same way.  You continually learn about one another, likes, dislikes, things that have changed, and new hopes they have… that is how relationships work!  You spend time with, you talk to, and you listen.  If someone was to ask me about my best friend and I was to tell them Chris Chelios they would more than likely laugh at me. Why would they?  Well, what would make him my best friend?  The fact that I walked into a Family Fare and unbeknownst to me, he was there ringing the bell for the Salvation Army and I got a picture with him?  (True story by the way)  The fact of the matter is; I know Chris as well now as I did then. 

Who is your best friend?  

 Are there things about him that you didn’t know a year ago that you know about them now? 

 I would certainly hope so.  

 I know there are many things I know about my friends now that I didn’t know about them then. 

So, how about Christ?  Our friend, our Holy Father, our ultimate Savior!  Do you know him any better today than you did a year ago?  

Have you tried to get to know him better?

Do you really want to know him “any better”?

Have you “allowed” him to get to know you better?

Is he any closer to you and your heart?

There is so much in the Word that he has left for us to read and to uncover about him.  So many different ways that he reveals himself to us through people and creation. 

He spends time with us, He talks to us, and He listens to us

Are we doing that for him?    Are you?   Am I?