Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! It has been a truly rich 2012, in no small part because of friends on the web.  Thank you for your involvement and care. Here's to more of the same in 2013.

Hang Ups

"The Hobbit"

I enjoyed “The Hobbit” very much. For those who liked the “Lord of the Rings” series, this will seem like stepping right back into the story, if a little earlier in time since it’s a prequel. The special effects are first rate (an extended scene in a goblins’ town is particularly good), the music excellent, acting is as you’d hope (convincing), and after the first half hour or so, the pace quickens along with the excitement.

Andy Serkis, as Gollum, is amazing. Really. Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins, is entirely excellent. I really like how he plays the role of a reluctant yet willing hero. He stands out as best performer.

Is “The Hobbit” as captivating and engrossing as Lord of the Rings? I wouldn’t say so. Not quite. Maybe not yet. But in sum, it was what I hoped it would be, and I look forward to the next installment.

Christmas Recovery

Now that the run-up to Christmas is past, we're all in one form of recovery or another, right?

Les Miserables

Yesterday my family and I saw the new movie, "Les Miserables." It was phenomenal. This is the fourth version I’ve seen (including the broadway musical), and I have never been so involved and engrossed. From the opening scene until the last, I was fascinated. There are not a lot of movies I can say that about. The acting was superb. How does one sing and act so well at the same time? Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway brought my emotional house down. Jackman, Mr. Wolverine?! Frankly, a scene featuring Hathaway was one of the best, most transfixing moments of any I have ever seen. She should be high on the list of Best Supporting Actresses.

And the final scene? So well did it tie everything together, so powerfully did it portray the passing of frail humanity into eternity that I was about a half step away from blubbering.

Note:  This isn’t a “happy” movie, and I strongly caution parents against bringing children to see it. It does, however, provide an excellent opportunity to talk about law versus grace, Old Covenant versus New, and mercy versus justice, a discussion I have long been happy to have with my wife and daughters. (And with many of you for a number of years now.) That's a vitally important topic, one that makes a tremendous difference in how we live and interact with each other.

Finally, some of us simply don’t like musicals--I understand. There are lots of other films I want to see this season, none of which are noteworthy because there are altos and tenors and sopranos getting together...and dancing.  But for those open to a great story told in a magnificent way, go see it on the big screen.

Angels In The Know

“Father, what do you think of me?”

That’s the biggest question there is. Not many ask it for fear of what they’ll hear. Yet the One who has made them perfectly well off with himself—the very purpose of Jesus’ coming—loves to give people true and good news. He has a pretty good track record of doing that, don’t you think? We celebrated it yesterday.

Luke 2:13-14 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Why should proclaiming angels know what you do not know? “Fear not!” they would say. Ask. Read. Pay attention to your deepest yearnings for love.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

From My Family To You - Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!  We've got a white one!  It snowed several inches through the night and is just now finishing up.

A Simon Cowell Christmas Eve

Christmas Cats

The Treasure of Christmas

Knowing Jesus is the best adventure and treasure we have.  If we would keep the focus and intent of our days right there, we'd endure far less bickering and worldly angst and enjoy far more love and miraculous grace.  That’s the lasting intent of Christmas—Christ with us. 

Christ In You

All of the fruit or production of the Spirit is as much the working and evidence of God in a believer as is hearing his voice. Have you thought of that? If you’re feeling joy or peace, if you’re knowing love or patience toward someone, if you’re enjoying gentleness or self-control, or any of the other graces of God, that’s God in you. Him! That’s pretty fantastic. What an idea—Christ in you.

Matthew 1:23
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” —which means, “God with us.”

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Today's Sermon

Today’s Sermon: 

“Laughter As Proof” – If you’ve been a Christian for a while and you’re lately able to laugh at your mistakes, quirks, errors and odd traits, it’s probably proof that you’ve accepted Jesus’ righteousness as your own and have nothing to defend.

Philippians 3:7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

What About My Old Me?

Someone wrote that “my old self is bugging me, and I keep dragging it around. What am I to do about my old me?”

Briefly, there is no more "it" to drag around. The old self is gone, having been replaced by the new. Christians do not have two selves, each competing with the other; one that needs to be beaten and killed, while the other needs to be nurtured and grown. The "bad self" that some refer to is the flesh, which is in conflict with the Spirit (Gal 5:16,17), and which still produces behavior through us (Galatians 5:19,20). But it’s not us. We’re not in the flesh. We’re not of the flesh. (See Romans 7:5-6; 8:9) We’re new creations, who now share in the nature of our Father. (See 2 Peter 1:2-5) That's the new birth, which was preceded with a death—yours. (See Romans 6:3-7) It's amazing! Shouldn't it be?

We’re Spirit-born sons and daughters. For real. Life for the Christian is not found in beating up our presumed sneaky and evil selves, while nourishing our struggling new selves. We’re all-the-way new. Life is found in the grace of God’s gift to us of the Spirit, who, as He attracts and secures our attention and trust, produces the evidence of eternal life. Frankly, He doesn’t even require our attention to do it; it just makes it easier and more invigorating for us. And that looks and feels great (Gal 5:22-25).

We're His workmanship, and He loves His work.

Pavlov's Cat

You know this happened.