A Baby Boy Born in Bethlehem

"He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, He the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute."
-Augustine of Hippo

What an amazing scene... certainly one of the most glorious (and ordinary) occasions to ever take place in history. Glorious because it was the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah whom the Scriptures prophesied about; the first step in God graciously sending His Son into a fallen world marred by sin so that we could have eternal life. But ordinary because it was the birth of a little baby Jewish boy who was placed in a manger. A manger! The glorious King was placed in an ordinary feeding trough. The same "I AM" who created the heavens and the earth was now in the form of a tiny, delicate, vulnerable baby boy.

We pick up the story in Luke chapter two. An angel of the Lord appeared to "shepherds living out in the fields." He did not appear to high dignitaries or important Roman or Jewish officials, but to the socially outcast. Throughout Scripture, we see that God always seemed to look kindly on the shepherds. They were a picture of the very heart of God. An angel announced to shepherds the arrival of "The Great Shepherd", who was born so that He would "lay down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Awe-struck and in sheer excitement from the good news, the shepherds journeyed to Bethlehem to see this special little baby boy. So excited, in fact, that Luke 2:16 says, "they came with haste." In the Greek, "haste" means they were in a hurry... they got moving, booked it, high-tailed it, got crackin'... well, you get the picture. haha! Here are Joseph and Mary adoring Baby Jesus when all of a sudden, these shepherds come and tell them that these angel dudes (yes, that's the technical term) appeared to them and announced that their baby was the Messiah. It must have been quite the story! Luke 2:18 says, "All those who heard it marveled..."

Michael Card poetically describes the event,
"Out in the stable yard
She sees a glow
Could it be angel light
How would she know
Shepherds stand wondering
Afraid to come in
But the baby that's born tonight
Will free them all To never fear again
As He lies in a cattle trough
She kneels by His side
Sweet baby breathing Soft infant sighs
Soft sounds of swallowing
As soft fingers part
Marvelous memories
She pondered then and hid them in her heart.


This brings us to one of the most interesting verses in the Christmas story, Luke 2:19... "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." She was taking it in. I wonder what she was thinking about in those moments? She couldn't comprehend what was fully happening, but I believe she knew these were events long foretold in the Law and Prophets and that her baby would impact all of history. She was right there in the midst of one of the most profound and important moments of all time! Without the birth of baby Jesus, we would still be in our sins and our faith would be entirely empty and pointless (1 Cor. 15:12-19).

I can't help but wonder if Mary also pondered throughout her parenting years why God would choose her to bring the Messiah into this world. Gabriel told her that she had "found favor with God." Was it because she was so special and lived a perfect life that pleased a holy God? Contrary to what many Catholics believe, this points to God's goodness, not Mary's. After all, the story of Christmas is about Christ, not Mary. We are ALL sinners (Romans 3:23) and fall short of God's perfect standards (yes, even Mary!). She found favor (like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others), because God is merciful and desires to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God also wants to use us... not so that we can think more highly of ourselves, but so that we can think more highly of Him.

Christmas is also about the amazing fact that God would even chose to save us. He certainly didn't have to! It would have been completely just to leave us in our sin. The angels look at us and marvel because we have a Savior... they don't (Hebrews 2:16). Christmas is really a peculiar story... just the fact that it is so odd really points to the reality of it's truth and historicity. The Almighty, omniscient, omnipotent God of the world born through a humble, virgin teenage Jewish woman? I would not have pictured the coming of the Christ through this kind of narrative, but something more resembling the likes of some super cool Hollywood action flick. I picture a sci-fi sort of story... like "24" meets "Heroes" meets "The Matrix" or something (Jack Bauer with Neo/Peter Petrelli-like powers would be sweet). An awesome hero-ish sort of Jesus showing up with amazing power, nuking anyone who stood in His way. Someone whose presence immediately demanded respect and attention. Maybe this sort of thinking was why so many people missed Jesus when He walked the earth. The Jews were looking for a Savior who would wear a crown of royalty and who would rule with an iron fist... not someone who would wear a crown of thorns with nail-pierced wrists. God's ways are not our ways. He displayed humility and desires us to do the same (Philippians 2:5-11). The story of Christmas is about the God of the universe being born a baby to save us and show us how truly mighty He is. Think about it, there is tremendous might in humility. Proverbs 16:32 says that a patient person (displaying humility) is stronger than a mighty person who captures an entire city. He humbled Himself even to the point of death so that you and I could have life.

Christmas is not just a story we read to our children. We need to guard ourselves from even the thought of it comparing to some far-removed fantasy. Although at times, the historical account of Jesus' birth may be hard to believe, it really did happen! Let's also not forget what Christmas is all about... not presents or spreading "Christmas cheer," it's about a baby in a manger who would grow up, live a perfect life, and die a horrible death on a Roman cross so that we could live an abundant life (John 10:10). Let's not think about Christmas this year without thinking about how He has saved us! It is truly an amazing time of celebration as we reflect on the hope, joy, and freedom we have in Christ. He died so that we could be free to live for Him! Let's focus our eyes on Him and push past the busyness of the season. It's sooo hard (I know!), but let's remember that this world has nothing to offer and that our satisfaction can only be found in Him and in Him alone. Not in things, not in circumstances, not in relationships... but in Him. As you spend time with family over the holidays, reflect on Christ's humility that was demonstrated for us. How can you serve others and show love to your family? As you give gifts to your loved ones, remember how God gave His Son as a gift to us. And the next time you see a nativity scene, don't forget to think of the amazing story of excited shepherds, a pondering Mary, and a baby boy who would one day die on a cross and rise again so that you and I could be free from the effects of sin.

~AF

The Bible's Ultra Dysfunctional Brady Bunch Family

This isn't quite like the Brady Bunch! Get this scene... you have eleven brothers (Yes, 11 brothers!). You have some sisters, too... but for sake of time and simplicity, let's just focus on the bros for now. Unfortunately, your family isn't one large "happy family" but more of one that pictures some twisted reality show family from an odd polygamous region in the remote parts of Mormon country (or the rural mountainous regions of Utah- whichever you prefer). Ten of your brothers are from other mothers, three others to be exact. The four oldest brothers have the same mom, then the next two in-line have another mom, then the seventh and eighth yet another mom, the ninth and tenth in-line are from the first mom (am I confusing you yet?), and you and the youngest son in the family are from your dad's second wife (which is the fourth mom in the family). Oh, did I mention that wife #1 and wife #2 are sisters? Nice, huh? If that already wasn't strange enough, the story gets better!

Now imagine your oldest brother decides he wants to have an affair with the mother of two of your half brothers. Also, the fourth oldest brother in the family has a son who gets married and dies without children. Desperate for kids, she plays the role of a prostitute and sleeps with her father-in-law and has children with him. Yes, this is your family... your extremely dysfunctional family... figured out you who are? Yup, you're Joseph (if you guessed it, go ahead... pat yourself on the back)!

The reason I share this odd story is to focus in on the ancestry of Christ Himself. Without the book of Genesis to paint some of this history, I would have thought that the ancestry of Christ would have been a long line of great godly and holy men, who always obeyed the commandments of the Lord. The fourth eldest brother in Joseph's family, Judah, had a son with his daughter-in-law, Tamar, who was named Perez. Perez was the great great great (I'm not sure how many greats) father of King David who was the great great great (again, not sure how many greats!) father of Joseph, the step-father of Jesus. His family tree would certainly not have been one to be proud of... Christ's ancestry was integrated with horrendous sin! Why you may ask?

...Well, I'm not sure! :) Although we may not fully be able to answer this question, we can certainly learn some things about God's character. It shows the trustworthy nature of God in fulfilling His promises. From the very beginning, God promised Abraham (Judah's great grandpa) that He would be a father of many nations, and that those nations would be a blessing to all other nations. Meaning, Abraham's descendant would be the Savior of the world who would free all of the elect from the slavery of sin. God's promises will ALWAYS come to pass, no matter what. What are some of the promises He has made to us? He has promised us peace and comfort through the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 14). The Spirit is a promise to us, a seal or guarantee that He will give us eternal life with Him in heaven someday (2 Cor. 1:22). Heaven will be an AMAZING place where the very glory of God will illuminate the New Jerusalem with His majesty and splendor (Rev. 21:23). It will be a place with no sorrow, death, or crying (Rev. 21:4). What an amazing promise! He has also promised that He will NEVER leave us (Heb. 13:5), and that NOTHING will ever separate us from His love (Rom. 8:38,39). The wonderful thing about God is that these promises are unconditional... it's not about how great we are, but how great He is!

The story of Christ's ancestry also shows the great humility of Jesus in entering a world stained and corrupted by sin. The verse in Philippians really comes to life, "but (He) made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men." He entered a family that had some pretty dark "secrets"... incest, adultery, fornication, murder, lying, idolatry, the list goes on. This wasn't a holy lineage but one that represented the sinful and depraved nature of mankind. Jesus would be born into a family with this kind of history to show His love for us and how, in spite of sin, His blood would cleanse even the worst of sinners and the most vile of pasts. Have you ever been inside during a huge snow storm during the day only to step outside to be blinded by the bright, white light of the freshly fallen snow? The unspotted and unsoiled whiteness of fresh-fallen snow is a picture of redemption. It's a picture of how God purifies our sin through Christ's precious blood. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Paul reminded the church at Corinth of this truth, "And such WERE some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). Peter denied Christ, and yet he was used by God to help establish the church. Paul was the "chief" of sinners, and yet he penned nearly half of the New Testament. No matter we're you've been, what you've experienced, or the family you are part of, Christ can use you to accomplish His purpose! If you are in Christ, there is no sin too great in which He won't forgive. This should bring us to a place of humility and dependence on Him. Experiencing such grace and mercy should truly bring us to our knees in humble reverence. It should remind us to never look at someone's past in a way that "disqualifies" them from being used of God. He truly can and does use "ordinary" people do accomplish "extraordinary" things. It should also motivate us to continue praying for our loved-ones who do not know the Lord... because in spite of how lost they may be, God can do a "180" in their life.

So, even by looking into the messed-up family of Joseph, we can see the loving and gracious nature of the one true God. The next time you find yourself reading various historical books of the Old Testament, remember that it ALL somehow points to the Cross of Christ. It leads us to His mercy and to His grace, which ultimately leads to OUR salvation. Yes, He is truly a remarkable God and His Word living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12).

~AF

Night of Worship: Devoted

If you missed our Night of Worship event recently, you missed out on a great evening of praising God and being encouraged from His Word! Cyrus gave a convicting message challening all of us to puruse God with an undivided heart. If you missed it, you're in luck 'cause I've posted it below (just click "play"). It's only about 20 minutes, and well worth your time.

"Devoted: Serving God with an undivided heart"

The God Who Weeps

I've been utterly baffled (for lack of a better word!) for quite some time now by the thought of a God who is referred to as "a Man of Sorrows" (Isaiah 53). Is it really true that the very God who spoke the universe into existence experienced what it was like to weep and mourn? Isaiah also described Christ as being familiar with pain and suffering. It wasn't just a one-time occurrence-- He was actually familiar with it and experienced it throughout His 33 years on earth! This, to me, is simply amazing! What world religion out there worships a god who suffers? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Christ was "stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted." But why? So glad you asked:) Isaiah answers that important question, "... He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities... by His wounds we are healed." He experienced pain, suffering, mourning, and weeping (all human experiences as a result of the fall) because of His love for US!

This also reminds me of Hebrews 4:15 where the author says we have a High Priest (Christ) who can sympathize with our weaknesses (yet without sin). Have you ever felt that God is too far removed from your pain? Have you ever felt that God cannot relate to your tears of sadness? It is encouraging to know that we have a Savior who CAN relate. He didn't experience sadness as a result of sin (guilt, fear, lack of hope, self-pity, etc.), but He certainly experienced loss. He wept over Jerusalem because it was a city that was blinded to the truth of His coming (Lk. 19:41). He knew what it was like to lose a close friend He deeply cared about (Jn. 11:25). He also knew what it was like to lose a close family member-- there is no mention of His step-father, Joseph, past the early part of the gospels (Jn. 19:26,27 clearly indicates Mary was a widow at that time). In fact, He went through more than we can ever imagine (or will experience ourselves)! Martin Luther said, "When I consider my crosses, tribulations, and temptations, I shame myself almost to death thinking of what they are in comparison to the sufferings of my blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ."
He actually sweat blood, was beaten and mocked, and was publicly humiliated and embarrassed when His nakedness was exposed on the cross. Imagine the emotional pain He experienced on the most tragic and heroic day ever!! He was so sorrowful in the garden, to the point of death, as He anticipated the moment when His Father would turn His back on Him as He bore the sin of mankind (Mt. 26:38). So, the next time you are hurting and the tears won't stop flowing, remember He is there for you. Like a loving Father, He knows your sorrow and pain and will be the "God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3).

One of my heroes of the faith is Michael Card-- author, theologian, song writer, and musician extraordinaire (hey, I really like the guy!! lol). He wrote an entire album devoted to lament, called "The Hidden Face of God." In one of his songs, he writes:

In Eden, the darkening garden was still unwet by all the tears from the sky. The burden of that disobedient bite brought all the tears the fallen world would cry. The unwelcomed tears that they never had known coursed down their fallen faces in surprise. All they ever had seen was the light of His face, but now that sin had entered in, their tears would fall like rain. Falling tears from fallen eyes. Our faces with an unaccustomed stain. We were driven from the garden beneath the cloudless sky, for human tears are older than the rain. And so we all were driven from His presence and His peace to stumble all along this long lamenting race. From the deepest darkest shadows, He joins us on our way, and we recognize our fallen tears upon that Human Face.

Before God brought the Flood as punishment for a wicked world (Gen. 6:5), there was no rain on the earth. There was a greenhouse type environment where plants were watered through a mist that came up from the ground (Gen. 2:5,6)... probably not completely unlike that cool mist that waters the fresh produce at your local grocery store (haha! Okay, maybe not quite). Like rain, I don't believe tears were a part of the original creation either. Tears were the result of shame and guilt as Adam and Eve chose to disobey God's clear command. They were driven from the garden and clothed by God from the skin of an innocent animal (the first sacrifice, a picture of Christ- Gen. 3:21). It was likely around this event, that the first tears were shed.

We see that sin separates us from God and caused suffering to enter into the world. This resulted in God choosing to become a man to save us, which resulted in the Creator experiencing the punishment intended for the creation. And this is the amazing thing, as Michael Card so poetically says, "He joins us on our way and we recognize our fallen tears upon that Human Face." That's what I think about when I read the Bible's shortest verse, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). He took part in our suffering!

Of course, not all tears are tears of sadness. We often cry out of happiness. Maybe a touching story of an athlete who overcame cancer or maybe a news clip of an unwanted child adopted by a loving family. It can also be out of gratefulness and awe. Realizing the presence of God during an emotional worship service or remembering how God brought a lost sinner out of despair and into a victorious, joyous life. It could even be romance that brings tears to our eyes. Hearing of the perfect wedding proposal... at the beach... during sunset... with a lovely string-quartet playing Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major" in the background (okay, getting carried away here!). Although I can't prove this, I believe that the tears of joy we shed are an example of how God can redeem something originally brought about as a result of the Fall and make it a thing of beauty. Just like the first rain brought a Flood that would judge the entire world, we later see throughout Scripture that it would become a sign of God's blessing. In similar fashion, tears originated from loss and suffering, but would also come to be a sign of joy and reconciliation (Gen. 45:14,15 shows a grateful Joseph as he wept at the reunion of his brothers). God has a way of mending and redeeming what was once broken! So, the next time the Broncos win in the final seconds of the game and you are overcome with happy tears (haha!), think about the God who can take something and redeem it by bringing new life and meaning to it.

We serve a Mighty God who is amazing! He can relate to us. He can comfort and meet us where we are at. He's "been there." And yes, He can even restore us and make us new and give meaning to our lives. Let's learn to praise Him with ALL of who we are and to go to Him during times of sorrow AND joy.

~AF

ps... I would love to hear some feedback from anyone out there! Additional thoughts or insights?

MY Grace is Sufficient

It can be so hard to fully give ourselves over to the Lord. It's as if we are afraid that whatever it is that He has to offer just won't be enough. Why are we so afraid to live lives completely sold out for Him? What are we afraid of? I believe we're afraid of giving up all only to find that He really isn't Who He says He is... the God of comfort, rest, and lasting joy. We fear that what He offers won't satisfy, and sadly, we continue to go after that which only leads to heartache.

The great Charles Spurgeon was a man of unmatched giftedness in the ability to exposit the Word of God through preaching to thousands. Struggling to take his thoughts captive after a long day, he tells of this story:

"The other evening I was riding home after a heavy day's work. I felt very wearied, and sore depressed, when swiftly, and suddenly as a lightning flash, that text came to me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' I reached home and looked it up in the original, and at last it came to me in this way, 'MY grace is sufficient for thee'; and I said, 'I should think it is, Lord,' and burst out laughing. I never fully understood what the holy laughter of Abraham was until then.

It seemed to make unbelief so absurd. It was as though some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and Father Thames said, 'Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.' Or, it seemed after the seven years of plenty, a mouse feared it might die of famine; and Joseph might say, 'Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.' Again, I imagined a man away up yonder, in a lofty mountain, saying to himself, 'I breathe so many cubic feet of air every year, I fear I shall exhaust the oxygen in the atmosphere,' but the earth might say, 'Breathe away, O man, and fill the lungs ever, my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.'

Oh, brethren, be great believers! Little faith will bring your souls to Heaven, but great faith will bring Heaven to your souls."

Let's be encouraged that God has more than enough to offer us. His blessings will never run out, His grace will never fade, and His mercy and love will never be exhausted. Cheer up, give your heart to him, His grace is sufficient to satisfy your deepest longings and desires! It sounds scary, but I truly believe stepping out into the unknown... a path of humility and obedience, of giving our desires and passions to Him... only leads to finding more of His sufficiency. We serve a mighty God and His goodness will never run dry!

~AF

Night at Monte Carlo!

Our Fall kick-off event for 29eleven was a hit! HAHA! No pun intended for you Blackjack players out there. Here are a few pics of the evening...

Here's Brett, the Hold 'Em dealer, explaining the intricacies of the art of Poker. How does he know so much about it anyway??!! Hmm...

Becky and Allison at one of the Bunco tables.

The giddy, Jacob Leis, excited for the games to begin as he ponders and carefully considers his strategy to beat two ladies at Blackjack.

Cyrus giving Allison a hard time... boy was he in trouble that night!

Caught off guard by having his pic taken with a Navy Seal, Dan awkwardly gives a "thumbs up."

Three white-tied, roommates as they pose for the next cover shot of GQ. Okay, maybe not!

Some serious games going on. You could feel the tension in the air! Who was going to win the BIG pot worth thousands of dollars???!!! Oh wait, there was absolutely no gambling going on that night! Somehow, I just don't think a church sponsored gambling event would have gone over too well with Pastor Jason.

Need I say anything??? :)

As the evening progressed, the ladies only digressed. Seen here are the MC Gangstas displaying their symbols. Umm... Holly? Yea, she doesn't look so tough.

He Calls Them by Name!

As a young boy, my family would often drive in the middle of the night to visit relatives in California. Why in the middle of the night you ask? To avoid the crazy heat that accompanies the barren Nevada dessert. That’s why! Yes, this was always a good call (especially in a car that didn’t have working AC!). The exciting thing about the journey was stopping alongside the highway in pitch blackness, miles from any city light in the middle of nowhere to observe the stars that lit up the night’s sky. It was then that I first caught a glimpse of the Milky Way… billions upon billions of stars in our galaxy blurring together in a spectacle of wonder.

I imagine you’ve been awed by the stars on a clear, moonless night, but have you ever actually thought about how big the universe truly is? Let’s try to put this into perspective. From my house on a Sunday morning, it takes about 8 minutes to get to the church (okay, that may be going a bit fast!). Suppose I was driving at 670,616,629 miles an hour (the speed of light), I

could actually drive to the sun in that amount of time (8 light minutes or 92,750,680 miles). Sounds far, huh? That’s nothing! The Sun is the closest star to the Earth. Proxima Centauri is the next closest star and is a ridiculous 4.2 light years away… yes, the amount of time it takes light to travel in 4.2 years (1 light year=5,878,625,373,183.61 miles.) We’ve only just begun☺

Ever heard of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (http://www.sdss.org)? …absolutely amazing! By 2010, they will have mapped out 1/4 of the sky or nearly100 million galaxies. Each galaxy is estimated to contain 200-400 billion stars (I know these are quite large numbers, but hang in there!). Our tiny, puny little planet Earth is a part of the Milky Way galaxy. To get an idea of the vastness of just our galaxy alone, it would take 100,000 years traveling the speed of light to get from one end to the other.

The next closest galaxy to ours is the Andromeda Galaxy, which is 2.5 million light years away. The remarkable thing about this galaxy is that it can actually be seen without a telescope. Granted it looks like a smudge of faint light, but it is the farthest object seen by the naked eye. By now, I imagine I’ve lost some of you— okay, probably all of you… millions of light years just doesn’t register. But hopefully I’ve gotten my point across. The universe is HUGE (okay, that might kind of be an understatement)! Numbers this large are hard to comprehend… like a person born blind trying to understand what color is.

Isaiah 40:26 says that God created the stars and “calls them by name.” If He knows the names of 30 thousand billion billion stars (the universe is believed to contain over 100 billion galaxies each with an average of 300 billion stars), where do we fit into the picture? Well, He not only knows us by name, He knows the very number of hairs on our head (Mt. 10:30). David wondered how this could be so, “When I consider Your heavens… what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Ps. 8:3-4). Like the stars, we are a part of His creation; but unlike the stars, we were created in His very image with the capacity to think, feel, and reason.

He also cares intimately about ever detail of our lives (Luke 12:6-7)! Nothing is too big or small to take to the Almighty! What hardship are you facing today? Is there a difficulty in your life that just seems too much to handle? He is more than mighty enough to comfort you in the midst of your pain! Once again, pondering creation, David writes, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their sorrows. He counts the number of stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” (Ps. 147:3-5).
Surely a God who knows the names of billions of stars is big enough to comfort and heal our pain. Yes, He is truly awesome. We see the greatness of Who He is reflected in the night’s sky… and the crazy thing is that the stars and galaxies only reflect a glimpse of His majesty and splendor (Ps. 19:1)!

So, the next time you have a chance to gaze into the starry heavens, think about how absolutely amazing God is, and remember that He is more than big enough to take care of whatever it is that you are going through.