Jesus is power, personified.
The question is how will we respond to Jesus? Will we cling to power like Herod, or do everything we can to find and worship him, like the Magi?
We all have some degree of power in our lives – over our own choices, over our dependents, over loved ones and others in our lives, or perhaps over employees and corporations.
Given power, Jesus and Herod use it very differently, and Herod and the Magi respond to Jesus’ power very differently. How will you?
The Magi responded in worship and service, and go down in history as first non-Jewish worshippers, first missionaries to the larger world.
So today, with the same history presented to us, we are invited to decide how we will go down in history...as clinging to power, as knowing much but doing nothing, or as worshipping the true King of love and peace.
Challenge: Give some of your power and influence to help others. One great way is to come to the Original Christmas Party and make a generous gift of toys to families who won’t have much at Christmas, but you can find other ways, too!
Reminder: We have a great Christmas event coming December 14th, 2013: The Original Christmas Party. Hope you're coming!
In preparation for Christmas, our Daily Challenges are going to explore the lifechanging significance of Jesus' birth so long ago. It's more than a sentimental story, or a time for generosity, Christmas celebrates The Night that Changed Everything. We'll explore the original Christmas story from the Bible, and its impact on five kinds of people.
There is some teaching, especially when it’s unoriginal and shallow, that you can take under advisement. You can simply say, “That’s interesting” and then move on with your life.
We read stuff like this all the time. Magazine articles. Newspaper. Blogs. Facebook posts. Some people are very skilled at rehashing other people’s research in entertaining and interesting ways.
I often read things that are of little value to me. They’re just interesting, and not going to change my life.
I hope the Sermon on the Mount we’ve been studying is not that way for you.
We saw last week – hearing and living these words is like building upon a stone foundation for life. Hearing and ignoring these words is like building on a sand
foundation that washes away.
How you hear the Sermon on the Mount is like the difference between a wedding announcement and invitation.
With a wedding announcement in the newspaper or on Facebook, you say, “Oh, look, they’re getting married, how nice”.
An invitation is quite different, since it has your name on it. It’s for you. We want you to come.
The Kingdom of heaven is often described as a party, and it would be a party with the most original, profound teacher ever at its centre. The very source of truth, wisdom is the attraction.
His way of life would now be the only reality. The kingdom he’s been describing, would be there in living colour.
He’s issued that invitation to you. Come to my kingdom, my celebration, my party. And this is not just a future reality, somewhere else. It’s something we are called to start practicing now, really living it out, to be ready for the full production .
Life on earth is meant to be a practice party, and you’re invited.
We’re establishing a new church, or Christian community, in Ajax – and it will be built on the model of a party with Jesus at the center.
It will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. We’re planning our first party for this fall.
Challenge: We’re running a poll right now, that you can find in our app or here on our web site: bit.ly/15B2yry Tell us what kind of party you could RSVP to!
