Dallas #256 Women

2/19-22, 2015   

Mount Lebanon   

 

Dallas #257 Men  

Saturday, January 24, 2015

3:00pm - Training:
Music, Sponsorship, Fourthday, Chrysalis
 5:00pm- Potluck*

6:00pm- Worship

at FUMC Richardson

* Bring a dish for potluck.

"Why Was Jesus Born?"

When I was a kid my favorite word was "why." I was a curious lad, always wanting to know how and why things worked, or why things are done a certain way, and not another way. Whenever I was told to do something I would always want to know "why." I'm sure I exhausted my parents with my continual asking "why," but I am convinced that this unquenchable curiosity has always played a large role in my quest for knowledge and understanding.

Hence, when people begin asking questions about the birth of Jesus, I'm frequently amazed that they will ask "when, where, and how" about his conception and birth, but rarely will they broach the question "why." Specifically, why was Jesus born? I mean, God could have worked his Divine will by some means other than being born in human flesh. He didn't have to become one of us, live among us, and walk the dusty streets of life with us, in order to teach us about God's love, mercy, and grace. And, he certainly didn't have to show us the true depths of Divine love by dying on the cross for our sins. God could have reached across the gulf that our sins have generated between God and us and simply made things right without anyone having to die. God, being God, could have wiped out our sin, converted us into perfect, obedient children, and placed us all in paradise. Right? Yes, God could have done anything he wanted - God is all-powerful, and had he desired to save us through some means other than the sacrifice of his Son, he could have done it. God didn't have to come as Jesus of Nazareth to die in our place. Or did he?

While it is true that God could have achieved our redemption in any way he desired the simple fact remains that God, being true to his word and his nature, saved us through a perfect, eternal sacrifice. He saved us in the only way that his word would allow: God, himself, came to save us:

"It was not by messenger or by angel, but by his presence, that God saved his children; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them." (Isaiah 53:9b)

God could have sent an angel to deliver us the message of his love. God could have wiped out our sin from a distance, without having to send his Son to be with us and to die for our sins. But, he didn't. God's word and God's will required that: (1) God's very presence be essential in our salvation, and (2) our faith in God be freely given in response to God's gift of salvation. Sending an angel to give us a message of how to live, while wiping out our sin without any response on our part, would have invalidated God's word and God's will. Throughout scripture, and most especially revealed in God's willingness to continually strive with the Israelites even despite their idolatry and disobedience, it is clear that God desires children who will love and trust him. Like any father, far more than involuntary obedience God wants his children to trust him. We failed to trust God in the Garden of Eden, where we listened to and accepted the word of the serpent rather than God's word. And, so, Jesus was born to give us the opportunity and ability to love and trust God again.

"I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sister, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you." (Hebrews 2:12)

Here we find Jesus asserting that he came into the midst of God's people and, by his very presence, proclaimed the name of God. Jesus' name - in Hebrew, "Yeshua" - means "Yahweh Saves," and this is precisely what God planned to do through the incarnation, birth, life, and death of our Lord. As was said through the prophet Isaiah, God's presence saves us.

"I will put my trust in him." (Hebrews 2:13a)

The Father desires our faith; Jesus places his faith in the Father, trusting that God would honor his word and, after the crucifixion, would raise him from the dead. Such faith acts as a confirmation and empowerment of our faith as Christians. We are enabled to have faith because of Jesus' own faith.

"Here am I and the children whom God has given me." (ibid.)

In other words, Jesus states to the Father "Behold, here I am and those you've given me!" To put this simply, Jesus stands with us before the Father, and the Father looks through Jesus and sees us as if we are as perfect as Jesus. God, through Jesus, bridges the gulf we have created between us.

Each of these three statements from the Book of Hebrews tells us why Jesus was born. Firstly, he was born to proclaim the very essence of God as the one who saves us. Secondly, he was born to empower our faith by placing his faith in the Father. And, thirdly, he was born to die for us and, hence, stand with and for us before the Father as our righteous savior.

Jesus was born to die.

Rev. Greg Neal

Community Spiritual Director

Dallas Men's Walk 97

Table of Luke

The Christmas Season is when God gives Great Gifts!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Ho, Ho, Ho, Thanksgiving has opened the door for another Christmas Season and I think this is the newsletter where a very special story needs to be shared. You might have read this before but it is worth re-sharing. I wish I knew the author to credit but I am sad to say, I don't. This I do know it really touches the heart. Here is wishing you a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"!

"Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, 'Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be   filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.'

Then the second tree said, 'Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.'

Finally the third tree said, 'I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.'

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees.

When one came to the first tree he said, 'This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter', and he began cutting it down. The tree was
Happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, 'This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.' The second Tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the Woodsmen said, 'I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one,' and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their Dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn... She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said 'Peace' and the Storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it.  When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.

Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.
We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Merry Christmas and De Colores,

Mike Pappas

Walk #138 Table of John

Community Lay Director