New and Improved

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

– Isaiah 43:19

You finally bought that new car, and it looks and drives great. In fact, it’s even better than you expected. But only a few days later you see a slick TV commercial for the 2024 model. The styling is better, there's more horsepower, and it has features that weren't available on your vehicle. Suddenly, your shiny pride-and-joy has lost its luster against the latest upgrade.

It’s inevitable. Buy a feature-packed smartphone, tablet computer, or other tech-filled device, and rest assured that a new-and-improved model will soon hit the market. Televisions exemplify this principle. It was only a few years ago that expensive Sony Trinitrons had the best picture quality. But today’s ultra-high definition flat-screens deliver amazing, life-like images at just a fraction of the price.

There’s nothing wrong with the TV you bought a few years ago. Its picture and sound quality haven’t let you down. But once you’ve watched the Super Bowl on one of those new UHD sets, you’re spoiled for good. It’s hard to go back because your expectations have reached the next level.

For better or worse, advertising agencies and marketing departments sell products and services by promoting the latest-and-greatest and what’s new-and-improved. But have you ever considered that God does much the same when it comes to our faith? Above all, our Creator wants us to upgrade our lives and futures by embracing his Son as our personal Lord and Savior. And once we accept this extremely costly — but free — offer, we put our flawed past behind us and begin our amazing journey toward eternity. 

2024 is upon us. So, are you ready to become new-and-improved through a relationship with Jesus Christ? Today’s the day to trade in that basic-cable spiritual journey for 500 channels of ultra-high-definition faith. You’ll be glad you made the switch!

Stress Test

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

– John 16:33

For most Americans, the holidays are times of festive get-togethers with family, friends, neighbors, and even co-workers. We gather around the Christmas tree to exchange gifts, and around the dinner table to savor a repeat of Thanksgiving’s menu. There are also Yuletide parties and church services to attend, and tacky outdoor light displays to critique. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. 

The flip side of Christmas, however, is the stress that accompanies it.

And that can be more serious than a dinnertime disagreement with your in-laws. The fact is that stress is a life-threatening condition linked to cardiovascular disease, workplace injuries, sleep disturbances, ulcers, and cancer. The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine reports that healthcare expenditures are nearly 50% greater for workers who endure high levels of stress.

Poor health is a high price to pay for what’s billed as a season of peace and joy. Likewise, it’s unfortunate that the holidays come with such a hefty price tag — and we're not talking about those sky-high MasterCard and VISA bills that will arrive in January. Like the socks and sweaters from a favorite aunt or distant cousin, Christmas-related stress comes in a variety of colors and styles. It might be physical, emotional, or financial. And not only can the holidays strain your bank account, they can also evoke turmoil when they’re a reminder of a broken relationship or the death of a loved one.

The vibrant reds and greens of Christmas are often deep blue for hurting people. Inner peace is absent and hope is in short supply. And that's when God enters the picture.

The Bible tells us that long before the world was formed, our Creator knew our name. He also knew when and where we would be born, what sort of life we would lead, and when we would die. And since we consistently broke his laws and fell short of his standards, he also knew that we'd need someone to save us from the well-deserved consequences of our transgressions. We were powerless to do it ourselves. So, God decided to do it by personally living out the human experience on Earth through his Son, Jesus Christ. He was the long-prophesied Emmanuel: God with us.

Because he lived among sinful mankind in an obscure corner of the Roman Empire, Jesus truly understands the stress of the season — and in ways we might never consider. Leading up to that first Christmas when Jesus was born among a stable-full of less-than-cleanly farm animals, Joseph and Mary (his earthly parents) were quite familiar with the condition. They had experienced emotional stress from the scandalous rumors swirling around her pregnancy. They had endured physical stress from the grueling trip to Bethlehem mandated by the Roman census. And with money in short supply, financial stress was always abundant.

But because he personally experienced it all, Jesus really does relate to us, whether it's December 25 or any other day of the year. What's more, he's promised his followers — that's you and me — that he'll never leave them or forget them. So, while the holidays may be stressful, it's through our Savior that we can always find peace of mind. May we never forget this reassuring passage from the book of Isaiah: 

Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace — in peace because they trust in you.

Joy to the World

Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

–1 Chronicles 16:27

Surf the web, turn on the TV, or read a newspaper, and you’re bound to come across headline after headline about the high cost of living, unemployment, war in the Middle East, political turmoil, and degenerate human behavior. It’s no surprise that the media thrives off bad news and hyping the worst possible scenarios for maximum effect. After all, good news rarely drives ratings or sells magazines.

With scary headlines in such plentiful supply these days, how about taking a much-needed break? For one week, make the effort to avoid TV — particularly news broadcasts

or shows with a political bent. Also, keep away from similar content on the web. At the end of those quiet seven days, maybe you won’t feel quite as informed as you would have had you stayed glued to that 24-hour cable news channel. But odds are you’ll experience less stress and enjoy a more optimistic take on life.

That’s sound advice for ditching the negative. But what about finding something positive and uplifting?

As Christ-followers, we have the Gospel, which is the good news that God came to live among sinful mankind through the birth of his only son, Jesus. And since the wages of sin is death, Jesus covered it all by dying in our place on the cross. Then as predicted centuries earlier in the Old Testament, he defeated the power of sin and death through his resurrection to life. We were helpless to help ourselves. But through our simple faith in Jesus (not through our good works, deeds, or intentions), our eternal salvation and place in God’s kingdom are assured.

This remarkable news about Jesus is what gives us a much clearer perspective for tomorrow. And as the Bible tells us about the incredible promises God has kept over the centuries, our anticipation only grows as we ponder the amazing future that awaits us. Along the way, our faith-journey will have its peaks and valleys, but we’ll find real hope in our darkest hours. What’s more, we’ll also experience joy, which springs from within through our intimate relationship with God.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace," Jesus proclaimed to his disciples. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Are the headlines getting you down these days? Joy, inner peace — and the blessings that spring through the Good News about Jesus — are closer than you think!

Love Language

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

— 1 John 4:8

Love is a remarkable English word with a broad scope of meanings and implications. We say that we love our spouse, love our church, and love pizza. What’s more, we’d love for our favorite football team to win the Super Bowl. On the other hand, Hebrew, and ancient Greek — the languages of the Bible — have several such words including agape (self-sacrificial love), hesed (lovingkindness), eros (romantic love), and phileo (fraternal or friendly love). And Genesis 22:2 uses the word ahab to convey the intensely close emotional bond between Abraham and his son Isaac.

While we might broadly consider love to be a thing, it’s also very much an action word … and our Creator is our example. The apostle John wrote that “we love Him because He first loved us.” And then there’s John 3:16, which summarizes God’s good news to mankind (the Gospel):

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

That IS good news — especially considering that we’re imperfect people who constantly break God’s perfect law through our thoughts, words, and deeds. Moreover, we can’t save ourselves from the punishment we rightfully deserve. Jesus, who was sinless, paid that exorbitant price for us by dying on a cross between two criminals. And then as the Old Testament had prophesied (predicted) centuries earlier, Christ defeated death and the power of sin by rising to life. His was the ultimate act of love.

The Bible describes our most-sincere loving deeds, words, and intentions as nothing more than filthy rags and rubbish. But God’s sacrificial love for us through Jesus still demands our response. For example, we can show our love for God by keeping his commands and doing his will. And it’s in Matthew’s gospel that Christ summarized the 10 Commandments for us into two laws:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind … And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Does this sound like an impossible standard? We know that King David, who was called a man after God's own heart, failed to live up to it. So, practically speaking, how should we demonstrate God-centered lives? If we’re looking for a role model, let’s look to Mary, Jesus’ mother. God recognized the young woman’s qualities of faithfulness, responsibility, and humility, and chose her to bring his only Son into the world. It was through Mary that Jesus would come to live a perfect life among sinful mankind … and all to live out the human experience through love. She responded to her eternity-altering assignment accordingly:

“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be according to your word.’”