Power In The Name Of Jesus

By A. Schwarz
I have recently fallen in love with this song! (You should check it out at the link at the bottom of this post).

Last month, I went to a college worship night not expecting anything particularly spectacular. I was thinking, hey, this will be a cool time for us students to worship our LORD and Creator together, but I didn't think I'd walk away with profound discoveries or gleanings. But I am so glad I was wrong! There were two girls there that night, one from Kingdom Building Ministries and the other who was visiting with her from Africa. That night, the group had decided to sing in a natural cave/amphitheater, and a handful of the students would randomly shout, "JESUS!!!" into the cavern. Their shouts would echo off the walls as others would join in with a resounding reply, "JESUS!!!"

Now I feel ashamed at my reaction, but at the time, I felt uncomfortable with it. I had been taught in church to keep to yourself, worship God but without being loud or obnoxious- to be respectful in your worship. I had this preconceived idea in my mind that Christians were to be reserved and polite (think classic Southern hospitality and such…). The idea of living your life for Christ without abandon was mentioned all the time, but without much of an illustration of how.

But wasn't it David who, when the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem, shouted and danced before the Lord without regard for his own dignity? (2 Samuel 6)

So back to the worship night… When the first shout was made, both of the girls I mentioned replied in turn with a shout, "JESUS!" Afterward, I think they noticed my reserve and simply said, "There is power in the name of Jesus." Not a whimsical fairytale thing you tell little kids, but a power so great that His disciples and followers have moved mountains, healed the sick, cast out demons, and pushed forth revivals all through the power of His name.

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11

That night, we ended up singing the song, "Break Every Chain." The song says the exact same thing that, "there is power in the name of Jesus."

There is POWER in the NAME of JESUS!

(You should definitely check it out!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC0Z8htH02Q

¡Vamanos a Nicaragua!

By C. Sampson

In just less than a month, I will be heading off to “La Tierra de Lagos y Volcanes” Land of Lakes and Volcanos in Central America, better known as Nicaragua.  For one week I will be serving as a missionary with Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International’s (BMDMI) Hope For Nicaragua program in the town of Rancho Grande in the central mountainous region of Matagalpa. The group I’m going with consists of 50 or so other Christians from across the U.S. Of course, the primary goal of the journey is to share the Word of God with the people of the town. But, as James writes in chapter 2, verses 14-17 of his letter “ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” With that in mind, we will be putting works with our words by providing free medical and dental services to the people of Rancho Grande.

This is an exciting time for me having never been on such a trip (it’s exciting for our church too as this will be our first foreign missionary sending ). I am looking forward to experiencing a new culture, meeting some new people, seeing healing and sharing the love and hope of God (plus I can practice my slightly better than bad Spanish). I know that the Nicaraguans will not be the only ones impacted by our visit. Each member of the team will be stretched and challenged in ways that might not have happened otherwise, including me. I am curious to see how this trip will expand my relationship with God. What parts of His character will I gain more insight into? In what ways will I see need for improvement? Will I be permanently changed after only one short week?

If you’re a person who likes to live vicariously through others, is curious about a short-term mission or Nicaragua, or simply has nothing better to do than read blogs, come back and visit this site later in August and I’ll have a follow up article about the trip. If you want more info about BMDMI or Hope For Nicaragua, you can check out hope4nic.com for additional details and links to related ministries they have. If you’re looking for a church in the Denver metro area, we’d love for you to visit goldencommunity.org (ok, another shameless plug).

Well, that’s all for now. ¡Nos vemos, pronto!

Ozarkian Insight

By C. Sampson

This past week, the majority of the Golden Community Church family (along with some old friends), went to Branson, MO. The goal of this time was to provide each of us, collectively and individually, an opportunity to get away from the noise of normal life and spend some dedicated time with the Father. Our home for the week was a wonderful camp in the Ozarks and it provided me with the chance to see some wildlife that is not readily available for viewing in the Denver area. I saw tons of Turkey vultures, I think they must be the MO state bird, blue jays and gray squirrels. But, there was one creature that caught my eye without any effort on my part.

It was late morning, early in the week, as I headed to the meeting hall for one of our first gatherings. Among the white oaks and flowering dogwoods I saw it; a blaze of crimson. The scarlet tanager stopped for a short rest on an oak and Mike and I watched in stunned silence at the amazing sight before us. Now, if you’ve never seen this particular bird in full breeding plumage, as I hadn’t, the contrast to its surroundings is unbelievable. The forest is a beautiful amalgam of greens, browns and grays, each color distinct, yet blending together to form a complete image. But, unlike the robins, sparrows and other birds of the area, the tanager was not content to blend in. Casting all caution to the wind, the bird put on its brightest clothes and positioned itself in the trees. Vulnerable, yes, but no less breathtaking. As I considered this sight, I realized just how much this reflects our lives as Christians.

In John 17:16, John quotes Jesus as He comments on the status of His disciples, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” With the Spirit inside us, we are new creations; we are no longer of this world. The tanager was just a bird, like all the other birds I saw that week. It lived in the forest, flew around and sang songs just the same as the robin. But, it’s fiery red feathers made it stick out like all of us should in our average world. We are people, human, just like our neighbors, family and co-workers, but the Spirit makes us (or should make us) stand out. This is not about us making something happen or “behavior modification as we’ve been known to call it. The tanager doesn’t think about being different, it simply grows red feathers. This is the same for us. Allow the Spirit to work in you. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Seek His guidance as you go through life, follow His lead and ask Him how to love and be an example. 

Though we may physically look like every other Tom, Dick and Harry, or the female equivalent, our thoughts and behavior should be Spirit led. If we walk in this truth, we will surely stand out from the crowds.

“Good Friday”

 I have always been amazed at the irony of this term, “Good Friday.”  It certainly qualifies as a “good” day.  On this day we remember the most significant and pivotal event in the history of humans.  It is the day that God carried out His plan to provide the way for us all to have a relationship with Him.  A relationship that would radically transform the life and eternal destiny of anyone who accepted and engaged in that relationship.  Clearly a “good” day.

The irony, of course, is that this “good” day was also the most grizzly, horrible day the world has ever seen.  It is the day that the only perfect man who ever lived was put to death in one of the most violent, painful, torturous ways that humans have ever devised.  He was not just the only perfect man ever to walk the earth.  He literally defined what it means to be “good,” to be loving, to be generous and selfless. He actually personified perfection in a human existence.  And then He was killed.

I’ve heard some say Jesus had to die this type of death, the most torturous of deaths.  I don’t know if that is true or not.  What I do know, is that the horrific physical nature of His death does demonstrate the magnitude of what was done for us on the cross.  It was the most loving and selfless thing that could possibly happen.  Perfection taking my sins and yours upon Himself, and therefore suffering spiritual death in our place.  Doing this meant separation from the Father for the first time in all eternity. I can't imagine that pain, that had never been felt before, of Father and Son being separated for the first time.  And all this, so that WE COULD enter the presence of the Father for the first time.

It was a massively high price to pay, and Jesus did it willingly.  He did it for you.  He did it so that you could have an intimate, life changing, eternity changing relationship with God.  Ugly.  Brutal.  Definitely “Good Friday.”

Beloved

By A. Schwarz

Does it ever break your heart to think of God’s all consuming perfection and love in comparison with our sin? Not in a depressing way, but in an overwhelming sense of awe that is almost crippling? While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us to redeem us and renew His covenant with us. Can you imagine, that measure of love for us who constantly fall away and stumble. To have a lovesick heart that, beyond all things, desires to be with us.

The prophet Hosea serves as an example for God’s love, not just as our Creator or Father, but as our Beloved. God tells Hosea to marry the prostitute Gomer and have children. Later, when she leaves him, God says to him, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods” Hosea 3:1. God’s heart breaks when we turn away from Him just as Hosea’s did when his wife left him, but we have been redeemed by Him who loves us unconditionally. The Lord has said, “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender” Hosea 11:8. And as we await His return from our engagement for the wedding ceremony, we should be consumed with the same kind of love and expectation for Him in return.

“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” Revelation 19:6-8.

Isn’t that one of the most exciting things, marriage? And with that, as only a mirror of our heavenly betrothal, how much greater and more amazing will this wedding be?

“Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as a seal upon your arm,

for love is strong as death,

jealousy is fierce as the grave.

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

the very flame of the LORD.

Many waters cannot quench love,

neither can floods drown it.”          

 Song of Solomon 8:6-7

A Perch Parable (Shiny Things)

By C. Sampson
It was a warm spring day.  A hungry yellow perch circled around the shallow edges of his lake home.  The ice had just recently melted and the water was stirring as the deeper water and surface water mixed.  It had been a while since his last substantial meal.  The cold of winter was a time of survival and he looked forward to the feeding opportunities that spring would bring.  As he made what felt like his hundredth circle around the same rock bed something caught his attention.  It was small, and he saw just a flicker.  Was it food?  He turned to look again.  Yes, there was definitely something there; finally he would eat.  Seizing the opportunity, the perch darted at the shimmering object and opened his jaws to capture the long awaited prize.  As his mouth closed down, he instantly knew something was wrong.  This was not a minnow, it was hard…and it was pulling him.  He struggled against the force to no avail and was dragged to the surface against his will. 

Recently, our leadership group at GCC has been talking about focusing on God and how easy it is to be distracted.  Like the lure the fisherman employed in the story, the world puts lots of shiny things in our view to draw us away from truth.  We are offered objects that appear on the outside to fulfill some sort of need-love, comfort, security, significance…After we grab hold, we realize that we have been deceived.  God is the only one who can truly meet all of our needs and He graciously offers to do just that. In Philippians 4:19, we read that “God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (ESV). We are not to spend our time seeking the fulfillment of these needs.  Rather, we are to abide with the One who supplies them. 

I admit this does not always play out as easily as it sounds.  Our enemy knows our shortcomings and will use our desires as an angler uses a lure.  We need to remember where our weaknesses lie and that these are where we are easily exploited and drawn away from the presence of God.  I Peter 5:7-8 says “…casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (ESV).  If our eyes are clear and focused, it is easier to see things as they really are and run from the temptations. 

I encourage you to keep your eyes on God.  If you’re like me, shiny things can easily catch your attention and draw you into dangerous places.  Do not be lured into chasing after them, the fisherman might not be practicing catch-and-release!

Do You Still Have Your Passport?

By C. Sampson
Well, here we are about 85% of the way through the XXII Winter Olympics. I’ve always enjoyed Olympic competition. The idea of the world’s nations putting together a team of elite athletes in an effort to demonstrate their superiority over the others is fascinating. Through the years the competition has been as much about political and ideological dominance as it has been about sport. Looking back we see Jesse Owens, a clearly non-Aryan athlete, utterly defeating the Nazis. Or, the USA men’s hockey team with a stunning victory over the Soviet machine. If you are American, and were alive during any of these or other similar events, I imagine you would have felt some level of pride for the success of your country. Knowing that the USA was leading the world in sporting prowess somehow also translates to a feeling of world power. You likely would not have considered the thought of an American athlete leaving to compete for Germany or the USSR if they couldn’t make it onto Team USA. It would have been incomprehensible that a countryman would abandon American principals just to do something they really wanted to do.

Last night, I was having an interesting conversation with some friends about Olympic loyalty, or lack thereof, in modern day competition. In recent years it has become more and more common for athletes that are unable to compete in their birth country to obtain citizenship in other nations that have room on their rosters. We wondered how a born and bred American (or any other nationality for that matter) could walk away from their country and affiliate themselves with another. If the idea is for a nation to bring its best, and you don’t make the cut, should you really have the opportunity to defect? I must say, it all feels a bit selfish to me. Of course, I’m not an elite athlete that has spent my entire life dedicated to a sport only to be determined by coaches to be too short, slightly less agile, or simply one too many people to take on the trip. But, looking simply at the Olympic concept, the point is simple-not everyone can go. 

As I considered this idea, I was struck by how similar this can be to our spiritual lives. I know I’ve used the passage before, but in Philippians 3:20 Paul describes believers as those having “citizenship in heaven.” To me, this means I have an obligation to be loyal to the kingdom to which I belong. However, how easy is it to renounce my citizenship when things don’t go my way? I look out and see something that God doesn’t want for me or that heavenly citizenship doesn’t offer and I say “fine, here’s my passport” and dive headlong into the citizenship of the world in order to participate in the events previously unavailable to me. Of course, this is sin. And, in addition to the disobedience factor, how does this look to my countrymen or to the nation I’ve joined? I imagine it would be a lot like Carl Lewis running for the Soviets, how would that have gone down? Americans would have flipped and the Soviets would have been able to build a stronger argument about the uselessness of the U.S. The same can be said  for spiritual citizenship. It’s not good to watch a brother swallowed by the world, and the world loves the opportunity to say “look, even your guys are switching teams. Who needs your God?”

The point of all of this is simple-if you’re believer, don’t forget where your loyalties lie. Don’t be enticed by the prospect of competing on another team just because things might not feel like they’re going your way. The truth is, God has a perfect plan for you. And, though you may not be in the event you want, there is no better place for you.

An Awesome God!

By A. Schwarz

We have such an all powerful, awesome God!!!

Oh my God! I can’t even begin to comprehend how powerful You are,

Daily, You cease to amaze me and catch me off guard.

You find me when my shields are up but always manage to penetrate through the cracks.

My soul is getting restless to see You work God, and see You we will!

When my hope is gone, it is replenished with Your presence that I can’t even understand.

When I am surrounded by the comforts of this world, You still reign and humble me where I am.

In the quiet, You say to my heart, “Am I enough? Will you follow Me and trust Me and My promises I have made to you? You are my beloved, and I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

With Your breath, You spoke the heavens and everything into existence.

Not a single thing was made that You did not form.

Your word lifted the mountains from the depths and placed Your seal upon them. For in Your presence, they will bow and cry out praises to You name! “Saviour!”

With the strength and power of a billion galaxies, You called forth to breathe in Your life.

Their radiance is a mere shadow of your brilliance and beauty.

Your glory is “like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day!”

By Your word, You hold everything in place. Not a single being lies beyond Your reach.

So I open my eyes and look all around me, and how can I fail to see Your presence?

All Your creation shouts its praises in unfailing worship;

a continuous display of Your glorious glory.

Holy is the LORD! Shall I not shout at the top of my lungs in the same unending praise?

To let every part of myself be an act of worship as the sun forever shines in Your presence.

A Love so glorious, that shakes the mountains, that commands the angels.

You are Holy and Wonderful!

My lips cannot dare to speak of Your overwhelming presence enough!

If there were words to express, they would still fail to capture who You are.

Were I to have unsurpassing wisdom, I would be nowhere closer to wrapping my heart and mind around You.

“At this also my heart trembles and leaps out of its place. Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth.”

“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the alter of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.”

Proverbs 4:18

Job 37:1-3

Psalm 42:9

Did You Know it was Paper?

By C. Sampson

Happy January 19^th everyone! What, you’re not excited? Actually, you’re probably wondering why I would be. Well, today is the one year anniversary, the “paper” anniversary according to tradition, of Golden Community Church (maybe this is why we’re so excited about our new stationary and business cards?).

Anyway, for those who don’t know, a year ago, the founding members of our church were all attending different churches. We had not been worshipping together for a couple years after our original church dissolved. Heading into the end of 2012, we began to hear God’s calling to develop a new ministry focused on college students and young adults. As a result, we started a Saturday night worship/Bible study time with some students from Colorado School of Mines.

Our first meeting was January 19, 2013 at Lochwood Christian Fellowship in Lakewood. We held them at other locations over the spring and summer and attendance ebbed and flowed. Then, during summer, we realized that this was to be more than just a Bible study, we were to start a church. Well, that’s exactly what we did later in the year, but that’s another story.

This short article is simply to remember where we came from and help maintain our focus. We thank God for His faithfulness to us and this ministry. It has been/is exciting to see Him move and grow us in new ways. Thanks to all of those who have been there from the beginning, as well as you who have joined us along the way. We look forward to what He has in store for us in the years to come and are honored to be part of His plan. “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted” Job 42:2-3 (NASB). If you’d like to hear a little more detail about why we do what we do, check out our “conversation” about this on our website. You can find it at www.goldencommunity.org.  Go to the “media” tab to find it.

Happy anniversary!

Stop Sinning, In One Easy Step

By M. McCoubrey
A while back in a men's Bible study, our senior pastor Les Heath, said something that's been swishing around in my brain ever since. Now, several years later, I just had a conversation with my son where I got to be on the other side of the exact same conversation and I realized that I had to (re)share some of God's awesome truth.

My son, 7, in a conversation about sinning, says to me - 'but it's so hard. I just don't think I could not sin. It's impossible'. If this were a movie, it's where I would flash back in a slow dissolve to my previous discussion. In it we were talking about sexual purity and that turned into sinfulness in general. I had argued, or at least complained, that I couldn't possibly be perfect. I know it, God knows it (it's why Jesus came right?), so why pretend I could? Les, making an argument that was sure to fall on deaf ears, says to me that it's not impossible. I would only need to choose not to sin at each opportunity - something I could certainly do. Did I mention that the message would fall on deaf ears? Yeah, it did that.

But it struck me and stuck with me. I've spent 4 or 5 years mulling it over and thankfully so as when my son took the same stance as I did - I hopefully gave him a decent answer. And here it is (drumroll in your head) ..... ready ..... you sure? ..... ok ..... here's it is: Don't sin.

Ta-daa. Complicated isn't it? I mean, all this thought and that's the result. But it's all there. God says to be holy as God is holy. God's holiness means no sinning. And He says He won't ask us to do something more than we can do, so apparently we can do this. But .... wait ... seriously? Yep. Here's what I realized as I'm talking to Joey. We focus on the impossible. Forget the mountain you have to climb. Forget the desert you have to cross. I get so caught up in having to NEVER sin again that I get convinced that it's not possible and give up before I take a step and lose out on any benefit I might have gained. So forget the big picture and ask yourself this question:

The next sin I am challenged with - can I say no?

Forget the next sin and the next and the next. This one sin; whatever it is; can I say no and stick with God? Yes? Well there's your start. Ok, first step done. Next sin, can I say no to that one? Yep. Really? Ok, that's two down. Hey, look at that, I've stopped sinning. Oops, sin of pride, dang, ok start over. Urg. But while I begin again, look at the point. It's not about not sinning forever. That seems WAY too daunting to challenge even if that is the goal. Just resist the next sin. If you continue to do that consistently, you literally can end up never sinning again. I mean, that kinda actually sounds like something I could try to do, right? Forget what's down the road and just say no to the next temptation.

And here's the great setup that ensures our success if we go for it. Cause really, I'd love the idea that I could stick with it forever, but the reality is that I will nearly certainly fail again at some point:

1.  When I fall, I can get right back on the path and see if I can go further the next time (game theory - look it up :))

2.  No matter where I am, with this focus I can track my progress following the Spirit and

3.  When I fall, that's where Jesus' atonement steps in. He is the sacrifice for the temptations I couldn't resist. He takes all the hard ones, the ones I just couldn't resist...yet.
By ignoring the big, seemingly impossible task of eating the whale, I just focus on the first bite and then the second and then the third.

Just to be clear, none of this is salvation. We ALL fall short. God is clear on that and the idea of 'earning' salvation should be thrown out. We've already blown that big-time so don't be thinking this is a get-out-of-needing-Jesus card. But the cool part is that in a real and practical way, when Paul says that we are no longer slaves to sin, this is what he means. Whether we do it or not, we really could, at this very moment, really never sin again. Without God's provision and interjection into this world, that would never have been possible.

Go God!

Am I Judas?

By A. Schwarz

Who am I as Christian? Am I like John, preaching the coming of the King with a zealous heart? Perhaps like Paul, who traveled their known world to eagerly spread the news of Christ? Or maybe even Mary, who was found favored in the sight of God?...

Or, am I more like Thomas, who doubted the amazing news of Jesus’ resurrection and refused to believe until he could physically see Him? Maybe more along the lines of Judas, who, faced with the prospect to gain, was willing to betray Him who would so call him his beloved? But possibly even Peter who denied even knowing or associating himself with Jesus out of fear for his own safety?

I would like to boldly declare myself with the faith of John, or Paul, or Mary, but the truth is that I am much more like that of Thomas, Judas, and Peter. Too often, (and by that, meaning almost constantly) I am rather in a state of self-satisfaction; my thoughts, actions, words all seem to reflect a selfish ambition, unwilling to give over any minute speck of control. Oh you can commune with Christ but still deny and betray Him; it doesn’t make you immune! These three men walked with Jesus for three years, and yet stumbled due to their own flesh! How much more then, do I fail every day to live unhindered in my faith and relationship with Him?

I don’t know about you, but don’t you want to be living in that state of constant communion with Christ?! To be filled with passion through the Holy Spirit and His love? I don’t want to be a Christian who backs away from their faith due to pride, earthly desires, or fears. I want to be as David says; “You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” (Psalm 27:8)

The exciting thing to think about is the fact that we can constantly draw closer to Christ. It never reaches a peak, but continues to grow brighter and brighter. It is a thing that we are constantly striving after, to press onward toward Christ Jesus;

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Philippians 3:12-21.

For we know that Jesus is coming again soon, and such a glorious day it is going to be! I want to walk with my eyes fixed on Him, throwing off all hindrances, and following His call daily. I want to have that zeal and passion of Paul and John as they let the Holy Spirit guide them in their lives, and not a conditional passion, but an overflowing, and overwhelmingly driven intensity.

So He Could Relate

Do you ever ask yourself why He did it?  Why did Jesus come to this earth, to pay for our sins.  Oh, I know the standard answer.  “He did it because He loved us.”  Clearly true, but it doesn’t help me to understand.  He could have done a number of things, including beaming down from Heaven at a better time, when there were recordable media, as a 40 foot tall perfect human specimen, and hung Himself on that cross for me. 

It is humiliating enough for the Creator of all things to take the form of a human, but why the cute, pathetic scene we see all over the place at this time of year?  Why a fragile little baby, born into brutal circumstances?  Why only lowly shepherds to view the greatest miracle ever seen?  Why the hard life of a first century carpenter?  Why all of the strange, difficult events and situations that defined the life of Christ?

He did it so He could relate to us.  God came to earth and was born, a fragile baby in a hostile world, in the humblest, dirtiest, most difficult circumstances (how many people would choose a barn as a birthplace.  He grew up into a difficult life.  His family had to move around during His early years, because His life was in danger.  His occupation would be a hard one, and would not create a lot of admiration.  Once His ministry began, He would be questioned and rejected by the very (lowly) ones He came to save.  Ultimately, he would have to face up to, and suffer one of the more brutal deaths this world has devised.  He understands. 

Do you ever feel alone, and like no one understands?  Jesus has been alone.  Have you been rejected by people, perhaps even people you love?  So has He.  Have you had hard things in your past?  Do you have a scary looking future?  He knows, and He understands.  He could have chosen a thousand different ways to save us from death.  However, He chose a way that would make Him understand, not only in His mind, but by His experience.  He did that for you.  If you were the only sheep that would be lost, He’d have come to find you – just you.

Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us that we have a High Priest who can sympathize with us, because He has been here.  In whatever situation you might struggle with, He knows, He understands.  You can draw near to Him with confidence.  You can go to Him, and you can trust Him.  He is the God of the universe.  But still, He can relate.

Deconstructed Christmas Carols-Final

By M. McCoubrey
Our Final Christmas Carol of the year.

O Come Emmanuel

O come, o come Emmanuel.
And ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here.
Until the Son of God appear.

Please come, come to us Lord
Come and free your people
Who are suffering; being kept from our home and from You
We are waiting for our Savior

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,
shall come to thee o Israel!

Yes! Yes! God is with us!
He has come for His people!

O come thou dayspring come and cheer
our spirits by Thine advent here.
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
and death's dark shadow put to flight

We pray for the morning to come
and bring us the joy of your presence
Take away the darkness we have been living in
And chase away the fear of death

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,
shall come to thee o Israel!

Hooray! Hooray! God is with us!
He has come for His people!

O come thou wisdom from on high
and order all things far and nigh.
To us the path of knowledge show
and cause us in her ways to go

God of wisdom, come to us from your throne in Heaven
And put all things right
Help us to understand real truth
And show us the right things to do

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,
shall come to thee o Israel!

Yes! Yes! God is with us!
He has come for His people!

O come desire of nations bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid thou our sad divisions cease
and be thyself our king of peace

Lord, the One that all nations and people truly long for,
Come and bring us together
Help us end our pathetic arguments and quarrels
And be the one king overall, a king of peace

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,
shall come to thee o Israel!

Yes! Yes! God is with us!
He is has come for His people!

O come thou branch of Jesse's stem
unto Thine own and rescue them.
From depths of hell thy people save
and give them victory over the grave.

Jesus, descendent of Jesse
Come and save your family
Save us from hell where we are heading
And instead give us everlasting life with you in Heaven

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,
shall come to thee o Israel!

Yes! Yes! God is with us!
He has come for His people!