Month: December 2019

Why Shepherds?

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After Jesus was born in a stable, Mary wrapped Him up and laid Him to rest in the soft hay of a manger (a feeding trough). Then God once again did something unexpected. He sent an angel to announce Jesus’ birth to an unlikely audience – a huddle of shepherds watching their flocks in the darkness of a field:

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”*

Looking back, the story is so familiar that we hardly consider it, but a question remains: Why shepherds? After all, God had just performed something stupendous – He had manifested part of Himself in the womb of a virgin, who gave birth to a unique baby, a child who was actually God in human flesh. Emmanuel – “God with us.” Didn’t such a monumental event rate a bigger, more important audience than poor shepherds?

King Herod lived only 7 miles away, but God knew that ruler was unworthy of the angelic announcement. (Later, when news of a newborn king finally reached Herod, his instinctive reaction was an attempt to kill the child.)

Of course, there were plenty of influential people in Israel: religious leaders, scholars, craftsmen, merchants, Roman occupation troops… But God bypassed them all in favor of ordinary shepherds. Why? Perhaps part of the reason is found in the angel’s own words. These tidings of great joy were “to all people.” If the angel had made the announcement only to this world’s “elite,” then perhaps ordinary believers would feel like second-class citizens. But God worked in a way that shows He isn’t impressed by earthly wealth, fame, education, or celebrity status. 

Perhaps another reason God revealed His working to shepherds lies in another fact. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The symbolism of God announcing the Lamb to shepherds is fitting.

Jesus willingly became the sacrificial Lamb, the sinless One who allowed Himself to be killed on a cross to take on Himself the punishment for people’s sins. 

Have you accepted His sacrifice? Have you placed your faith in Christ, the “Lamb of God”? If not, it isn’t yet too late. Join the shepherds and millions of others who have come to Christ!

*Luke 2:10-11

Defending Friends in Need

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In September of 1940, Nazi bombers and fighter planes regularly appeared over England. One day, Kathleen Rainer was working in a field in Sussex when enemy planes appeared. Fascinated, Kathleen watched as British fighters raced to engage the enemy. British Spitfires and German airplanes battled back and forth in deadly dogfights. Then, as Kathleen watched, a British plane took a deadly hit. The pilot bailed out. Kathleen sighed in relief when the parachute billowed open. Her countryman was safe. But then some German planes did the unthinkable – they flew straight at the dangling man, attempting to machine gun him as he hung defenseless in his harness! But moments later, Kathleen’s horror transformed into admiration:

“The other Spitfires began to circle the parachute, protecting the pilot from the German attack. As the pilot descended down, the rest of his squadron would spiral down with him, guiding him to the ground and protecting him.” *

World War II is long over, but life is still full of attacks. In this struggle, we can take “hits” from attackers, whether at work, on the ball court, even in the home. There are two ways to respond. We can live by the motto, “Every man for himself,” or we can imitate those brave Spitfire pilots who saw their sinking friend and rallied to his aid, even though they themselves became more vulnerable.

In this Christmas season, someone you know may be under attack by enemies. Sickness, loneliness, and heartbreak can hurt even more during holidays. Rather than shutting our eyes to enjoy our own holly jolly season, let’s be on the alert for those are sinking in silence. Your encouragement might be exactly what they need to survive!

*Kathleen Rainer, “Downed Pilots in Sussex,” www.bbc.co.uk.

Keep Looking Up!

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In the city of Pontiac, Michigan (where I was born), the tallest building since 1929 was once called the Pontiac State Bank Building. Since construction, various banks have purchased it, and now a private investor owns it. Its new name is Oakland Towne Center, but a lot of us still call it “the old Pontiac State Bank Building.”

Not so long ago, I was reminiscing with friends about that building and I mentioned the statues on top of it. 

“What statues?” replied one. “I don’t remember any statues up there.”

Other friends questioned my memory, too, because they didn’t recall any statues on it, either. 

“You know—the statues of Chief Pontiac and other Indians.”

They thought I was nuts. However, a quick Internet search pulled up photographic evidence of my sanity. The designer of the building graced the top with Gothic artwork of Native Americans in tribute to the Ottawa tribe and to Chief Pontiac, the 1700s leader for whom the city was named. (No, the city was not named after an automobile!) 

The reactions from my friends surprised me. “Well, what do you know!” “All these years, and I never even noticed those!”

How fascinating that the images of Native Americans have looked down from on high for 90 years, and even local people are sometimes unaware of them. Perhaps, in people’s day to day lives, many never bother to raise their eyes higher than the first few floors, assuming there isn’t anything worth seeing up higher. 

Reflecting on this exchange reminded me of God. The Creator of Heaven and earth is ever present, and He takes an interest in the earth 24/7. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). Yet, many residents of earth—even those who know His name—rarely pause to look up or think about Him. Of course, that’s a pity, because unlike the statuary in Pontiac, God is alive. When we leave this earth, He is the One who determines where our soul will spend eternity. For those who have accepted His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, this is a blessed truth and not fearful at all. 

Do you know Him? If so, keep looking up! Your God is watching over you and looking forward to spending eternity with you. But if you don’t know Him, then start looking up. It’s time to realize He exists, He’s alive, and He wants you to join His family through faith in Jesus! 

“But to all who did receive him [Christ], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6

The “Wrong” Place Can Be the Right Place

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Ever get perturbed when your carefully laid plans don’t go the way you wanted? In World War II, that happened to Captain Alvin Carlson in a dramatic way. Carlson served as chaplain to the 134th Infantry Regiment of the 35th Division in Europe. He wrote…

“One Sunday evening about sundown I had gathered with a large group of replacements (later called reinforcements) in our marshaling area, which was approximately six miles from the front lines. We had assembled in an orchard well protected by apple trees and other foliage. The service of worship was in progress when, without warning, ‘Bed-check Charlie’ started to strafe and hurl bombs at us. One of the men, detecting the first plane, shouted, ‘Enemy planes!’ and we ran for the foxholes. A short time before this I had dug a special foxhole which I could use when I remained in the area overnight, but I could not reach it. I jumped into another hole which was near. Suddenly someone shouted, ‘They got the chaplain.’ I rushed out of my foxhole and shouted, ‘No, here I am!’ A bomb had fallen in my hole – but no one was in it.” 

Friend, you may lay your plans, and God might allow those plans to work as you hope, and He might not. But for those who love the Lord, even the “wrong” place – the unplanned place – can be the right place to be when God is working behind the scenes.

Source: He Is Able, by Chaplain Alvin O. Carlson (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1945), pp. 35-36.