Yesterday we saw how King Herod was clinging to power using violence and fear to rule.  Such times were described in book of Isaiah, prophetically, as a time of great darkness.

But contrast him to Jesus.  Jesus also claims to be King of the Jews.  But for him, that is a position he has not taken by force or manipulation, but by right.  It is a position he hangs on to not by violence and fear, but by peace and love.

This is why he’s described by the Prophet Isaiah, 500 years before Jesus, as the light rising in the darkness.

What a contrast!

Herod has gone down in history, Christian and otherwise, as a brutal tyrant, a false king who never belonged in power.

And by contrast, Jesus is still known as a king.  The sign above his cross – king of the Jews.  Sing this Christmas: glory to the newborn king.

Then he got in the way of a different kind of power – the religious power of the scribes and Pharisees, and eventually Rome, who had him executed.  And yet, Jesus is still known today as alive and active in people’s lives.

Jesus scares the powerful, because he is truly power.  He is the source of all power and authority in the world.  All power is given by God.  All the ways people exert power rely on God having created and sustained world in the first place.  When people who are abusing those means encounter true power, they are afraid.  Like an employee who has been claiming to speak for the boss will suddenly shrink when the boss actually enters the room.

Jesus had that kind of true power, he scared those with false power.

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?

Question:  What do you think true power and authority looks like?  How would you recognize it?

Reminder: We have a great Christmas event coming December 14th, 2013: The Original Christmas Party.  Hope you’re coming!

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - January 16, 2014

Thursday - Act On It - Reset

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Jesus is describing how he pushes the reset button in life. He uses imagery that sounds like baptism. Baptism is when someone is washed with water, to show on the outside what God is doing on the inside, washing away the sin from our hearts. When adults are baptized by becoming fully immersed, one can plainly see the imagery of them having died to sin, and then rising out of the waters to new life. We are baptizing our first RTC member this February. It will be her reset moment. Looking back on her life, she says this represents a new beginning. In the Christianity 101 course, we illustrate the life of faith with a line with markings at 0, 50 and 100. Whether we’ve run as far from God as possible, stayed close, or jumped around – what matters most is where you go from there. Will you move closer to God by following Jesus, or run away? The 50 point is when someone decides to do this intentionally, and although that moment is important and has a real impact, there are many moments to follow when the Holy Spirit transforms a Christian’s life. New decisions, directions and priorities all come with time and relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. In this series we’re going to look at a number of ways a “reset” life is different from before. Specifically: Reset: Goals Reset: Time Reset: Money Reset: Work Reset: Body & Food Reset: Sex & Marriage Reset: Family Reset: Compassion Reset: Nature Reset: Society Reset: Death Challenge: If you’d like to reset life, here are some steps to consider. Take our live Christianity 101 in the Cafe Course in Pickering starting next week to explore the first steps. Consider being baptized, to show on the outside the reset that has taken place inside. Just get in touch with Ryan if you’re interested! Reminder: Coffee hours are tonight at 7:30pm at Starbucks in the Ajax Chapters Store. See you there! Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community - so check out today's reading here. Reminder: The best way to grow spiritually this year is to join our Christianity 101 in the Cafe Course in Pickering starting January 22nd. Register for you and a friend today!

Related Topics: Baptism, Born Again, Reset | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

From Series: "Reset"

When our computers get bogged down and unmanageable, we know to hit a reset button to simply start over. Wouldn't a reset button be great in life? We know it would be complicated, with all our responsibilities and routines to consider, but imagine the freedom and refreshment of a new start in life! What would you do differently? What would you pay more attention to, and what would you ignore? How would you avoid getting bogged down and broken again? The great news is, in coming to earth as Jesus Christ, God has begun to "reset" our universe, our world, and even us. We're invited to start over with him, in what he calls his kingdom. We're invited to start a new life with a clean slate. What gets wiped clean, and lived differently, when God resets our lives? We'll explore how God resets these key areas of our lives: Reset: Goals Reset: Time Reset: Money Reset: Work Reset: Body & Food Reset: Sex & Marriage Reset: Family Reset: Compassion Reset: Nature Reset: Society Reset: Death Join us for the next several weeks, and invite God to reset your life.

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