Category: Life & Lessons

The Love of the LORD (Love Is… Part 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1, “Love is Patient”, click here. For Part 2, “Love is Kind”, click here.

I hate my name. Let me explain why before my mom dials me with a very angry phone call. My full name is Ifeoluwa, meaning the “Love of the LORD.” In Nigerian culture, names carry weight. They describe who you are called to be from cradle to grave. And through my few decades of living, I can already see how short I fall of my own.

Loving Through Rebuffing

December 25, 2015 was my first opportunity to play a Christmas playlist I curated for my family. At 7 AM, I began blasting the great classics like “What Christmas Means to Me” and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” If you don’t recognize those songs, don’t worry, neither did my family. And they gently asked me to put on some more traditional Christmas tracks.

I grated at their lack of appreciation and dragged my little brother downstairs, certain he’d value my awesome musical selections. Being slightly more interested in his Christmas presents, he didn’t, and I shoved him. I hadn’t ever laid hands on my little brother like that, and for me to attack for him something so trivial shook me.

Speaking of the Israelites as the little children in His life, God said through the prophet Hosea, “‘When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. But the more they were called, the more they went away from Me. They sacrificed to the Baals, and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them” (Hosea 11:1-13 NIV).

God’s own children abandoned Him. They turned their backs on Him and spurned His loving care. They took His blessings but rejected His instruction. Yet His faithful love for them never wavered. He healed them graciously, deferred His wrath mercifully, and disciplined them justly. He was never fickle or petty. In other words, He wasn’t like me.

Loving Through Suffering

My college experience encompassed the most trying years of my life. I spoke of the loneliness I endured during that season in a previous article. But that was only a small drop in the toxic brew that made my experience so bitter. A large source of my pain stemmed from my relationship with a professor I studied under.

My first year with him, he was distant. I could count the number of times I had a private conversation with him on one hand. The next, he was too close for comfort. He’d reach out at all manner of day and night, demanding results and pushing expectations. His moods whipped with the wind, from sunny and jovial one day to stormy and irritable the next. The pressure of his demands drove me to my very breaking point, and his hurtful words stabbed deep into my soul.

Nearing graduation, I vowed to forgive him for everything he’d done, but I always remained on edge in his presence. And after I graduated, every time I thought of him, the old pain would resurface, and I’d have to turn my thoughts to other things.

Yet Jesus begged His Father while being murdered on the cross, “‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:24 NIV). The God of love was able to forgive those who only took from Him, while I struggled to forgive a man who contributed to where I am today.

Conclusion

I am not Ifeoluwa. I am not the “Love of the LORD.” I am not Jesus. But my saving grace is that Jesus is Jesus. He loved me even when I hated Him. He will continue to teach me how to be more like my Father because He’s made me His son. And through His work on the inside of me, I’ll bear a little more resemblance to the tremendous name I’ve been given.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

(1 John 4:10 NIV)

Love is Kind (Love Is… Part 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1, Love is Patient, click here.

I still remember the day I found out that I was going to have a little brother. I jubilated for days while the rest of my family groaned (after having two sons, they were really hoping for a daughter). I counted the days till I’d have a mini-me to teach the glorious wonders of basketball, video games, and the Word. Then he was born.

I quickly found out that having a younger sibling was far less about instructing him to come up to my level and far more about coming down to his. I forced goofy grins as I hefted his chubby little body into the air for the hundredth time. I bit my tongue as we watched reruns of Peppa Pig when I’d much rather be enjoying a new season of The Simpsons. In short, I learned the sacrificial, giving nature of love.

Love Is

1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is kind.” The Greek word translated “kind” is “chrésteuomai”, meaning “to be full of service to others”. Love is far more than a feeling of goodwill toward another. It is an inward emotion that leads to outward action. That is why Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NLT).

Just as faith without works is dead (James 2:17), so is love without kindness. Apostle James said, “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do” (James 2:15-16 NLT)? Love is more than flowery sentiment and good vibrations (1 John 3:18). It’s sacrificing one’s time, energy, and money for the good of another.

Love Isn’t

Kindness encompasses what we refrain from doing as well. “Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged” (1 Corinthians 13:5 NLT).

Firstly, love doesn’t demand its own way. It permits the other to choose—the restaurant, the movie, the vacation getaway—even when its well within one’s right to unilaterally make the decision. In doing so, we humbly value others over ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

 Secondly, love isn’t irritable. As we discussed last week, love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4). It puts up with the sticky hands and screaming voices, the carpet stains and broken dishes, the gaming at 3 AM and the napping at 3 PM.

Lastly, love isn’t vindictive. Just as God flung our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), so we must forgive one another’s faults. No longer should we see them as Lying Laurie or Lazy Lucas. We must see them with the eyes of Christ—as new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Conclusion

 After hearing about how much love demands, it could be easy to try replace it with a cheap substitute. But just as any true Coke lover knows that aspartame is a poor replacement for sugar, real love can never be exchanged. We must love because we’re made in the image of the God of love (Genesis 1:27). And love is kind.

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”

(1 John 4:16)

Love is Patient (Love Is… Part 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

As we slide into the month of February, I think it is an especially relevant time to consider love. What is love? What isn’t it? These are the questions I’ll be considering as we dive into 1 Corinthians 13.

When the Apostle Paul began to describe the characteristics of love, the first one he listed was “Love is patient” (1 Corinthians NIV). I believe this choice was very intentional and is an essential attribute of love.

Love or Lust

“An intense yearning for another.” Does this definition describe love or lust? Love is a powerful emotion. The Song of Solomon says that “love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unyielding as the grave” (Song of Solomon 8:6 NIV). But once again, this description could be applied just as accurately to lust. However, when lust is forced to wait, it will exact its vengeance on the object of its affection.

Consider Amnon, son of King David. He had a gorgeous, virgin half-sister named Tamar. His feelings ran so deep that he was depressed morning after morning (2 Samuel 13:4). The NKJV even says that he was losing weight over his lovesickness! After an eternity of waiting, Amnon tricked his half-sister into coming into his bedroom alone, and he raped her (2 Samuel 13:14).

When Amnon finally acquired the focus of his desire, he took out all his agonizing months of waiting upon her. Then he kicked her to the curb and went on with his life (2 Samuel 13:15-19). Amnon’s emotions were clearly lust because of the damage they wreaked upon the one he wanted.

Love, on the other hand, is longsuffering. 1 Corinthians 13 goes on to say that “love doesn’t insist on its own way”. Rather it “bears all things” and “endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:5, 7 ESV). True love takes that debt of pain that accrues while waiting and absorbs it.

Love or Wrath

In a letter to his dearly beloved son in the faith Timothy, Apostle Paul said, “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16 NLT).

Apostle Paul truly was one of the worst sinners who has ever walked this earth. He was a notorious terrorist, going door to door and dragging off believers to prison and their deaths (Acts 26:10)! He presided over their murders in broad daylight (Acts 7:57-8:1) and extended his zeal even beyond the borders of his own country (Acts 9:1-2)! But the Brother and Father of the men and women Paul destroyed waited patiently for him to see the light. They suffered long his raging persecution. And when they finally won his heart, they didn’t destroy him. Jesus welcomed this terrorist as His brother, and the Father invited this murderer into His household as His son (Romans 8:16-17).

God never exacted vengeance on Paul. Instead, He absorbed the wrath Paul deserved for his sins, and the wrath we deserve for our own, and poured it out on His beloved Son. That, that is love.

Conclusion

Love is patient. I am convinced that very few of us naturally possess this gift of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and none of us possess it in the measure we should. But we can start afresh today. Instead of lashing out, we can embrace. Instead of coercing more, we can demand less. And we can take the agonizing debt of pain that’s accruing and give it to God.

“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”

(Ephesians 4:2 NLT)

A United Faith or a Divided House

By Ife J. Ibitayo

In Jesus’ final prayer for His disciples, the son of God says, “I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one—I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me” (John 17:22-23 NIV). The world is meant to believe Jesus is God’s Son through the unity of His church.

Yet we live in a time where the church is more divided than ever. Recent events have sent a deep fissure into the bedrock of the American church. The tremors have revealed its shaky foundation and raised some critical questions: What is the church? And why is it still important?

What is the Church?

The church consists of all those on earth who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But it’s also far more than this. It’s the vehicle that spreads the good news of Jesus Christ to the nations (Matthew 28:19-20). It is a charitable organization that extends God’s mission of healing the broken and helping the disenfranchised (James 1:27). And it is also the visible manifestation of Jesus Christ living and acting in the world today (Ephesians 1:22-23).

Something I’ve discovered through rereading the gospels is how much the Son and the Father love one another. The Father’s first public words to Jesus Christ were “‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:17 ESV). Every other time the Father speaks in the gospels, He affirms His beloved Son (Luke 9:35; John 12:28). The Father and the Son never bickered. They were never irritated with one another. They never gave up on each other. They perfectly manifested the love the church is supposed to (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Why is the Church Still Important?

At the start of His ministry, Jesus quoted His God-given mission from the Old Testament: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1 NIV). And this mission is supposed to be carried on by His church today. The world is filled with more poor, broken people now than we’ve seen in a very long time. They need good news, freedom, and light. But how are we supposed to share good news with others when we’re constantly bad-talking each other? How are we supposed to bind up the brokenhearted when we’re tearing down our brothers?

Conclusion

One hundred fifty years ago, Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”. Seven years later he stood amongst the smoking ashes of a nation that learned that lesson the hard way. If the American church is to survive, we must be unified.

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

(1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV)

An Apostle’s Farewell (Power of Legacy Pt. 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1, “Like Father, Like Son”, click here. For Part 2, “Actions Speak Louder than Proverbs”, click here.

Final addresses carry a power few other speeches can. They answer the question, “If I never get the chance to see you again, what must I tell you?”

Vulnerability

In his final message to the leaders of the Ephesian church, Apostle Paul began, “’You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents’” (Acts 20:18-19 NIV).

Firstly, Paul was vulnerable. His courageous leadership was unquestionable. He fought wild animals (1 Corinthians 15:32), braved shipwreck, and suffered beatings (2 Corinthians 11:25). Yet he also wasn’t afraid to put his heart on the line. He loved the members of the Christ’s body as his sons (1 Timothy 1:2), brothers (Philippians 1:12), and mothers (Romans 16:13), and he taught his followers to do the same.

Integrity

Then Paul went on to say, “‘And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace’” (Acts 20:22-24 NIV).

Paul is one of the few leaders in history who has lived in a manner worthy of his preaching. Jesus commanded that all who call themselves Christians should “deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him” (Matthew 16:24). The cross was an instrument of suffering and death, and Paul willingly accepted both in order to adorn the message he preached.

Industry

Paul concluded, “‘I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive”’” (Acts 20:33-35 NIV).

All of us possess God-given visions on our lives. Very few of us realize them because we are not willing to put in the excruciating amount of hard work needed to achieve them. But Paul worked harder than any other apostle (1 Corinthians 5:10) ensuring that his message was above reproach.

Conclusion

When Apostle Paul finished his speech, “They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again” (Acts 20:37-38a). When some leaders leave their office, their followers rejoice, but for others they weep bitterly. The difference is the legacy they leave behind. Apostle Paul left an incomparable legacy because of his open heart and calloused hands, and we have the opportunity to do the same.

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

(Ephesians 4:1 NIV)

Actions Speak Louder than Proverbs (Power of Legacy Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

As I said in Part 1, “Like Father, Like Son”, King David was a truly epic king. He was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known, but he also committed one of the gravest sins recorded in the Bible. He slept with the wife of one of his most valiant warriors. Then he murdered the man, so he could make the woman his own (2 Samuel 11). These acts plummeted the last years of King David’s life into familial catastrophe containing incest (2 Samuel 13:1-14) and the death of three of his sons (2 Samuel 12:15-18; 2 Samuel 13:23-29; 2 Samuel 14-17:18) .

Lessons Learned

King David regretted these sins for the rest of his life, and he taught his son Solomon not to follow in his footsteps. The beginning of the book of Proverbs—chapters 1 to 9—is the wisdom Solomon gained from his father. King Solomon dedicated nearly 75 verses to the warnings his father gave him about women alone (Proverbs 2:16-19; 5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:1-27). Words such as, “The lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword” (Proverbs 5:3-4 NLT) must have been seared into Solomon’s soul by the time he became king.

And Solomon was an amazing king. He established the Israeli-equivalent of the Pax Romana, forty years of uninterrupted commercial success, martial stability, and technological advancement (1 Kings 10:14-29). He brokered piece with Egypt (1 Kings 3:1) and Ethiopia (1 Kings 10:1-13). And he was the wisest men who ever lived (1 Kings 4:29-31).

Lessons Spurned

Yet Solomon too had a demon he couldn’t slay: his insatiable appetite for the ladies. He married 1,000 women (1 Kings 11:3)! To put that into perspective, he could sleep with a different beautiful lady each night for nearly three years without coming to the same woman again!

Many commentaries mention that politics motivated these marriage alliances. But these alliances caused Solomon to not only make peace with these foreign nations but also with their foreign gods. “So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods” (1 Kings 11:6-8 NIV).

As punishment for his lustful passion, the LORD raised up several powerful adversaries against Solomon (1 Kings 11:14-40). And his heir, King Rehaboam, lost control of most of the Israelite empire (1 Kings 11:11-13).

Conclusion

King Solomon heard all the words his father said about chasing after women, but as the old adage goes, actions speak louder than proverbs. He emulated the iniquity his father committed rather than the wise words he preached. Just as Solomon’s success was catalyzed by his father, so was his failure.

“You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?”

(Romans 2:21-22 NIV)

Like Father, Like Son (Power of Legacy Part 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

With the United States’ election saga nearing its climactic close, now is an especially relevant time to consider the power of legacy. There were many powerful leaders in the Bible from staff-wielding Moses to fish-catching Peter. They came from different walks of life, possessed differing levels of education, and leveraged distinct leadership styles. But they all shared one thing in common, they all left behind a legacy.

The Vision

King David was a truly epic king, beloved by his followers and the LORD alike. He founded the Israelite empire, established true worship to the LORD, and yearned to build God a beautiful temple in Jerusalem. But God would not let him. God told King David, “‘“You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for My Name. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for My Name”’” (1 Kings 8:18-19 NIV). This son was King Solomon.

God thinks big. Often times, He will lay visions on our hearts that go beyond our capabilities and even our lifetimes. However, these visions will never be realized unless we convince other people to buy into them. King David succeeded in implanting his vision in his son before he passed away.

Implanting the Vision

His first and most important step in this process was passing on His love of the LORD to his son. The book of 1 Kings records that “Solomon loved the LORD and followed all the decrees of his father, David” (1 Kings 3:3a NLT). True imitation begins not with the hands but the heart. If our successors don’t have the same heart we have, they will ultimately take a different path, or they’ll follow in our footsteps for all the wrong reasons.

Enabling the Vision

King David’s second step was giving his son a thorough recipe for success. He gave Solomon the full extent of the revelation God had given him concerning the temple (1 Chronicles 28:11-19). And he gave his son all the manpower and supplies he could muster (1 Chronicles 22:1-5, 28:21). He did everything possible to ensure his son’s success in fulfilling the vision.

Articulating the Vision

Lastly, King David gave Solomon a clear articulation of the vision on his heart. King David told his son, “‘As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it’” (1 Chronicles 28:9-10 NKJV).

King David succinctly expressed the vision, laid out the blessing that awaited his son if he succeeded, and expressed the consequences if he did not. These words must have stayed with King Solomon all the years of his life and spurred him on as he completed one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world.

Conclusion

King Solomon’s success began with his father’s passion. King David’s legacy lived on because the story of his life was bejeweled with love for the LORD. Here was a man who sang (Psalm 7, 8, 23), danced (2 Samuel 6:14), and fought for the LORD (1 Samuel 17:45-47). King Solomon did not finish his greatest life’s work in spite of his father but because of him. 

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

(Proverbs 22:6 ESV)

Brave New Year

By Ife J. Ibitayo

There once was a man, a noble savage of sorts, who was taken from a reservation to experience the high life of London. When he arrived in the big city, he was awed by the novelty of civilization: Its fine food, bodacious women, and virtual reality entertainment titillated his senses and stoked his curiosity. But as he grew in understanding of the “paradise” he’d come to trust in–a plush cage where the masses were controlled by drugs and sex–he retreated into seclusion and ultimately committed suicide.

This may seem like a pretty dark way to start off 2021. For many, this new year embodies the hope 2020 was supposed to. We expect recovery in our health, finances, and social lives. But we shouldn’t repeat the mistake we made last year.

We should never pin our hopes on anything as flimsy as the dawning of a new year. Tossing out our old calendars and putting up new ones doesn’t mean that salvation will magically materialize on January 1st, or even December 31st. In 2021, vaccines may ruin as many lives as they protect, sitting presidents may refuse to leave office, and economies may continue to plummet as unrealistic expectations drive foolish corporate choices.  But as this year comes to a close, there are plenty of ways we can prepare for the next.

Reflect

As I said in my article “Looking Back, Moving Forward”, we must not forget the perspective we gained this past year. This holiday season gives us a golden opportunity to reflect on 2020. We can honestly evaluate the lessons we’ve learned through quarantine and Zoom calls, remote work and virtual church services, homecooked meals and home-rigged gyms.  

Resolve

We can also choose to do better in 2021. A new you doesn’t have to wait until a new year. But there is indeed something fresh and powerful about a New Year’s Resolution. We can start over and begin anew as better parents, better lovers, and better remote employees.

But we mustn’t fall into the trap of trying harder. There’s a reason that 80% of people who make a New Year’s Resolution drop it by the second week of February. Jesus said, “‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing’” (John 15:5 NIV). Faithfulness is not woven into our DNA. By nature all of us are unreliable. But God is not. “The faithful love of the Lord never ends” (Lamentations 3:22a NLT) is one of countless verses that point us to the reliability of our Heavenly Father. And we can tap into this faithfulness by depending on His Spirit more and our strength less.

Rejoice

Lastly, this new year gives us an opportunity to rejoice. The word rejoice literally means “to experience joy again.” I’m sure I’m not the only one who struggled with finding joy in 2020. We’ve lost loved ones, missed momentous occasions, and experienced great loss. But God Himself says, “‘I will repay for the years the locusts have eaten’” (Joel 2:25 NIV). In other words, God will restore to us the progress we’ve lost, the dreams we’ve given up on, and the pursuits we’ve delayed because He is a God of reversal. He turns mourning to dancing (Psalm 30:11), barrenness to new life (Isaiah 54:1), and deserts to gardens (Isaiah 51:3). He’s done it before; He’ll do it again, and we can rejoice in this truth.

Conclusion

I can’t say that 2021 will be a better year than 2020. If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that years can’t be trusted to bring good, no matter how hashtag-able they are. But I know a God who rules over time and sets the course of decades. I know He is trustworthy, and I will continue to trust Him as I step into this brave new year.

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.”

(Lamentation 3:22-23 NIV)

Looking Back, Moving Forward

By Ife J. Ibitayo

What a year! This was supposed to be the year of 20/20 vision, of renewed clarity. In a way, I think it was. We saw all too clearly the brokenness of our world, the selfishness of the prosperous, and the fragility of the human psyche. After such a sight, it’s no surprise that Forbes magazine released an article entitled, “Forget 2020.” We all want to leave pain in the past. But is the key to moving forward forgetting what lies behind?

Remember the Cultivation

“Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character” (Deuteronomy 8:2a NLT). Moses gave the Israelites the instruction to remember, not forget, their wilderness wandering because God had used it to humble them.

I’ve definitely experienced humbling this year. I’ve seen the heights of my pride and the depths of my neediness. I’ve had my prayers for patience answered by painful months of waiting. But I’ve also learned to say with Apostle James, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be mature and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:2-4 NLT).  To forget the pruning the Lord has done on the wild vines of my heart this year, would be like attending a difficult course for a whole semester and skipping the final exam. It would give me momentary reprieve, but my months of struggle would be all for naught.

Remember the Miracles

Moses went on to tell the Israelites that God “led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness” (Deuteronomy 8:15-16a NLT). To forget 2020 would be to neglect the ways God showed up mightily this year. Incalculable lives were lost to disease, but there were also countless souls healed. Financial ruin spread like California’s wildfires, yet there were also loans secured, evictions deferred, and basic necessities met. Tears of sadness may be drying on our faces, but we still have reason to lift our hands in praise.

Remember the LORD

Lastly, Moses said, “remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful” (Deuteronomy 8:18 NLT). All human beings have an innate tendency to pat themselves on the backs. But when we reach the end of ourselves, as many of us have this past year, we find the beginning of grace. We begin to understand the reality of our eternal dependence on our sovereign Creator.

Conclusion

As we step into the new year, let’s not forget the perspective we’ve gained. Let’s carry the character we’ve built, the provision we’ve enjoyed, and the grace we’ve received into 2021.

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”

(Romans 8:28 CSB)

The Hope of Paupers and Princes (Overtures from the Advent-ures of Jesus Christ Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “A Pregnancy Delayed”, click here.

At first blush, the coming of the shepherds and the magi to see baby Jesus couldn’t be more different: the first were poor, the latter wealthy; the first were locals, the latter foreigners; the first entered a dark cave, the latter a well-lit home. Yet there are several surprising similarities in their experiences.

They Came

After the angels proclaimed the arrival of the Messiah with a holy choir, (Matthew 2:9-14), the Word says “the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off” (Matthew 2:15-16a NIV). Similarly, the magi told King Herod, “‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him’” (Matthew 2:2 NIV).

The shepherds left their sheep to see the Good Shepherd, and the princes left their kingdom to pay homage to the true King. They welcomed the interruption of God in their lives.

The Christmas season is supposed to be a chance for recuperation and reorientation. Yet many of us find ourselves frazzled and harried. We’re planning a Zoom Christmas celebration with our extended family while watching kids wrapping up their semesters while serving on a holiday church committee, or three. Like Martha we may have become worried and upset over many things, while missing the one thing that really matters (Luke 10:41-42).

They Rejoiced

On their way to see baby Jesus, the magi once again laid eyes on the star that had guided them thus far. And they were overjoyed (Matthew 2:10). The shepherds too left the holy infant, “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard” (Luke 2:20). Taking the time to commemorate the birth of Life Incarnate should similarly lift our spirits.

They Worshiped

Lastly, both the paupers and the princes worshiped Jesus. Specifically with the kings, the Word says “they bowed down” (Matthew 2:10). They debased themselves before the true King.

Christmas is a season where it can be particularly easy to turn our focus inward: maximizing our vacation time, seizing the best holiday deals, and scarfing down the best food. But we forget that December 25th is not John-mas or Jill-mas but Christ-mas. It’s all about Him. And we’d do well to lay down our crowns at the feet of the proper Prince.

Conclusion

The story of the magi’s visit to Jesus ends with them presenting Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). These presents were of incalculable worth, befitting royalty. Yet their presents paled in comparison to the gift Jesus Christ gave them in return: Himself. As we down eggnog and share holiday cheer, let’s turn our eyes upward. Let’s never forget the Christ that made Christmas.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)