The Time Is Drawing Near

^{Luke 2:1-2
"1}In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to his own town to register. ⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born..."

Can you just imagine what Joseph might have been thinking as Mary's time drew near to deliver God's Son? Let's IMAGINE what could have been going through his mind as he walked over 100 miles and neared the town of Bethlehem and Mary informed him that Baby Jesus was on the way. Could it have been something like this....
"This isn't the way I planned it, God. Not at all. This child being born in a stable? This isn't the way I thought it would be. A cave with sheep and donkeys, hay and straw? My wife giving birth with only the stars to hear her pain?
This isn't all how I imagined it. No, I imagined family. I imagined grandmothers. I imagined neighbors clustered outside the door and friends standing at my side. I imagined the house erupting with the first cry of the infant. Slaps on the back. Loud laughter. Jubilation.
That's how I thought it would be...
But now, who will celebrate with us? The sheep? The shepherds? The stars?
This doesn't seem right. What kind of husband am I? I provide no midwife to aid my wife. No bed to rest her back. Her pillow is a blanket from my donkey... Did I miss something? Did, I God?
When you sent the angel and spoke of the son being born - this isn't what I pictured. I envisioned Jerusalem, the temple, the priests, and the people gathered to watch. A pageant perhaps. A parade...I mean this is the Messiah! Forgive me for asking....but is this how God enters the world?
The coming of an angel, I've accepted. The questions people asked about the pregnancy, I can tolerate. The trip to Bethlehem, fine. But why a birth in a stable, God? Any minute Mary will give birth. Not to a child, but to the Messiah. Not to an infant, but to God. That's what the angel said. That's what Mary believes. And God, my God, that is what I want to believe. This is not easy. Help me believe."
Who could IMAGINE a king...the King of Kings would come this way? God's plan to redeem us back to Himself.

Much To Do!

The days are flying by here at First Euless, and each day has some time, if not a lot of time, spent on our plans for Imagine Christmas, From The Beginning. There is just so much to do as we keep moving toward this wonderful event. I hope you will pray for us as we are in constant work and motion to make this year's version of Imagine Christmas the best yet.

With so much to do to get ready, it does make me stop to ponder what it must have been like for Mary. She was just a girl and one blessed day her entire world changed. She went from planning to be a wife to planning to be a mother. And she knew that she was carrying God's baby. She missed so many things to surrender her will to God's will for her life. And I IMAGINE that threw her into a constant state of motion and preparation. She did journey away from her family for a portion of her pregnancy. Her cousin Elizabeth was carrying a very special child too. And Mary's heart was moved to go and stay with Elizabeth for a while. Don't you know she learned so much as she waited and watched Elizabeth give birth to the one who would "prepare the way for the Lord". How much they talked, planned, sewed and prepared over those many days. But Mary's journey was so different. Elizabeth had a husband, a house, a plan. Mary had so many questions. I love this passage in the Bible where it simply states that "Mary pondered all of this in her heart." At night, did she wonder if Joseph would ever look at her like Zechariah looked at Elizabeth. When Elizabeth gave birth, did she wonder if she'd be able to handle the pain? Did she look around at all of Elizabeth's friends and family and wonder who would be there to help her when her time came? When she saw Zechariah hold John for the first time, did she wonder if Joseph would love her baby, knowing that it wasn't his? Would he help her raise God's Son? So much to do....so many questions to be answered... I can only IMAGINE just how much faith Mary must have had to trust God for all of this and so much more.

Imagine Mary's Mundane Monday

Have you ever let yourself imagine just what Mary might have been doing the day that the messenger from God paid her a visit. Imagine for just a second...perhaps she was out in the harvest field picking up the barley or wheat that her father had just cut down with his big sheath. Or maybe she was washing dishes out behind her family's humble dwelling. Maybe she was taking the other children for a walk so her mother could have a moment of solitude from the busy chores of child rearing. Or maybe it was something fun that a young girl would be doing, like playing hide and go seek with her other adolescent friends, when there in the middle of the corn field that she was hiding in, an angelic being stepped out from behind the rock and met her in the middle of the mundane.
This makes me think about my day. It was filled with meetings, emails, phone calls, lots of time spent on IMAGINE CHRISTMAS, but at any point did a find myself at a place where I could meet God in the middle of the mudane? Was there a phone call that I needed to take because the person on the other end was a miracle moment put in the middle of my Monday? Or a person I passed by because I was just really ready to get home and out of the mass of people that were shopping at Wal-Mart? Or that potential "sweet mommy moment" that my son needed but felt like an interruption while I was cooking dinner? These are ministry moments that I surely could have missed in many places on this mundane Monday.

But what about an encounter with the Holy One. I'm not suggesting that a messenger from God the Father was going to step around the corner at the grocery to deliver a message straight from the throne of Heaven. But the Spirit does live inside me, and He richly fills me each and every moment that I surrender to walking in the Spirit. A moment of obedience so that I know the right thing to do; or a moment of encouragement from the peace He promises to fill me with when I surrender to His will. So many days can become mundane. I challenge you to be like Mary, and find yourself in a place where God Himself can meet you in the middle of the mundane. Mary's meeting changed our world FOREVER! Who could have imagined?

To God Be The Glory

I love the words to the hymn, "To God Be the Glory".
"To God be the glory, great things He has done. So loved He the world that He gave us His Son. Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life gates that all may go in. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory great things He has done!"
Now you might be asking yourself, what does this have to do with Imagine Christmas? Aren't we on an imagination journey towards IMAGINE CHRISTMAS, from the beginning? And my answer is this has everything to do with why we celebrate Christmas. You're probably like me. I sing this song and automatically think about the cross. And yes! It WAS the great thing He did for us, the way to redeem us back to Himself. But He didn't come as a grown up, walk up the hill to Golgotha and lay His life down, once for all. No, God the Father gave up His son long before that, when Jesus laid down His kingly robes, and stepped across His created galaxies and solar systems to come and dwell in the tiny womb of a young girl. He lived inside, just as you and I did, completely dependent on His mother for life. He was born the same way you and I were, only I wasn't born in a cold, dark barn. My mom didn't have to lay me down for my first nap in a feeding trough on rags. This is where "the great thing" He did for you and me began. In a little village, on what seemed to be a normal night. But God the Father waited, just like Mary and Joseph did for The Son to be born. And then, He had to learn and grow just like you and me. He stumbled and fell when He learned to walk. He had chores. He worked hard and sweated like His earthly father, Joseph. The journey to the cross didn't speed up because He was God wrapped in flesh. So, at this time of the year, when I sing "To God Be the Glory for the great things He has done!" I think about His coming and becoming a baby people. It took 30 years x 365 days before Jesus officially began His ministry on earth towards the cross. And every day and every experience and every step was made with you and me in mind! Wow! Just IMAGINE IT! TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THE GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!

The Promise

Have you ever studied Promises in the Bible? My favorite promise and one of the first ones recorded for us to watch unfold was the promise God gave to Abraham about being the father of many nations. If you know this old story, then you know that Abraham was married to Sarah and they were married a long, long time, and were unable to have children. All along their journey, God sent word by messengers and Himself told Abraham that his descendants would be as many as the grains of sand near the ocean. But years passed by and there was no promise fulfilled. The Bible says that "with all hope gone, Abraham had faith in hope of the promise." And in his and Sarah's old age, a son was given to them. And the people that God lovingly calls His children began with a son named Isaac.

But there was another Promise yet to be fulfilled. When sin entered the world, God's plan was to send a Redeemer to make a way for us to come back to him. Not the same way as in the garden, but a Savior, a sin debt paid "once for all" - and the plan was His Son. But there were many silent years when the children of Israel, Abraham's descendants had no word from God. He was silent. There are no books of the Bible to bridge the years of silence. But quietly, the children of Issac prayed and awaited "The Promise". The petitioned their quiet God, asking for Him to send the Promised One. "Emmanuel is sure to find us soon...." Quiet waiting is so hard.
And then there was a angel who was sent to speak to a young girl, whom had been chosen to be the mother of Creation's child. She was a virgin, but had been promised as someone's wife, Joseph - a good, God-fearing man. She would be the blessed one who would bring God's Son into this world, The Promised One had been sent to us. He didn't arrive on a big white horse. He didn't have a coronation ceremony. There were no royal robes and silver spoons. It was a quiet night, in a cold manger, when His mother and His earthly father would watch Him take his first breath. God's child entrusted to them to raise as one of us.
You know, Abraham knew God very well. He had one promise to be fulfilled. But I know my Jesus, and He's given me 1000's of promises in His Word. And each and every one of them are promises to be fulfilled, if we trust and have faith. Promises given to me from the Promised One!

"They Saw The Child...and They Bowed Down and Worshiped Him"

Have you ever let your mind IMAGINE what it would be like to meet Jesus face to face? There is a very popular song called, "I Can Only Imagine" that is about imagining what it would be like to see Jesus.

"I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your Face is before me! I can only imagine.
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for you, Jesus?
Or in awe of You, be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine!"
Lyrics and Music by Mercy Me

Using these lyrics, let's IMAGINE for just a moment what it must have been like for the shepherds, who were tending their sheep on a dark hillside just outside of the little village of Bethlehem. Perhaps they were warming themselves by the fire, or they had just bedded down for the night, knowing that every sheep was accounted for out on the hillside. Then pow! A great light appeared and illuminated the entire night sky. And standing before them, or flying, was a group of Heavenly beings who came with a message just for them.
Mark 2:10-11, "Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
What a sight! And in one moment, their lives were changed forever. Because as they journeyed to the nearby village in search of "A Savior", they found a tiny baby wrapped in rags, lying in a feeding trough. He was their Savior, Christ the Lord, given to all people. And what did they do? They bowed and worshiped the infant, Heaven's child. And they left the manger and went and told everyone they could of the wonders they had witnessed. And the world began to change because Immanuel had entered the world, God with us.
It causes me to ask this question of myself..."What do I do when I come into the presence of the Holy One, Jesus?" Yesterday, I watched as one of our worship leaders found herself standing in the throne room, face to face worshiping our Risen Lord. And in that moment, she bowed her knee, right on our stage, in honor of the One who is her Savior, Christ Jesus. Over 1,000 people were watching, but she was just worshiping One. Truthfully, it doesn't take any IMAGINATION to answer this question, "What do you do when you come face to face with Christ?" It's more than a story, more than a fairy tale....

It Will Be Here Before We Know It!

They Ruined It!

Have you ever let your imagination sit upon what it might be like if Adam and Eve hadn't given in to the temptation the serpent presented them with in the garden? God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and just spent 6 amazing day creating everything from nothing. Their finest creation, the one created in their own image was to rule over the other creatures in the garden - Paradise! I mean, the food was perfect, the climate was perfect, everything was perfect! And past that, they had intimate and immediate fellowship with their Creator. Everything they could have ever possibly needed was all there, and He was there with them. IMAGINE walking and talking with Creator God.
There was only 1 rule..."Don't eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil." One forbidden fruit...just one in comparison with everything else. And one enemy of man who was allowed access to them. He must have had such a persuasive argument that day...or was it over many days that he talked and whispered in Eve's ear. He certainly didn't make her do it, but I'm sure Satan gave it all he had. It must have felt like such a victory for him to be able to tempt the woman and the man into choosing against their Creator God. And in one choice...one moment...EVERYTHING was changed FOREVER. And Adam and Eve, God's finest creations, were forced to flee the perfect Garden that was created just for them. It was in that one moment when our need for a Savior, a Redeemer became necessary. Sin had entered the world. And it would be a long time that the true enemy of God and man would rule upon the face of this created earth until God the Father would send His Son to save us. But not the way many thought. A baby...a man...one of us, who would know every sin we'd ever face ,but would choose the right way so that He could defeat sin and save us all.
It's hard to IMAGINE the world perfect because all we know is imperfect. Doesn't that make us all the more grateful that our Savior, born a tiny baby, came all the way from His heavenly home to become one of us so that He could save us, once for all. There is no need to IMAGINE that part. He did it. It happened and we are FOREVER changed again. Hope entered the world...and His name is Emmanuel, God With Us...Jesus.

Creating Something From Nothing

Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Imagine this....NOTHING...can you do it? Can you clear your mind of everything and imagine nothing? That was what it was before God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit created. They spoke the world and all that is in it into existence. And isn't our world and its creation amazing! Talk about some imagination! This year's IMAGINE CHRISTMAS production journeys all the way back to the beginning, and at the beginning, there was nothing. And God began to speak into existence a perfectly created world. For 6 days, He spoke and there was something from nothing, over and over again. And His finest creation of all, man in His own image. And God looked at all He had created and said, "It is good."

Now meet Aaron Wade. He is our worship associate, and this year he has been given the challenge of creating something from nothing. Robert asked Aaron to write an original composition for our Creation production number. That's right! An original. And Aaron started with nothing. This process is so interesting to be a part of. Here is just a sneak preview of how an original piece of music is composed, in order to come to life live in our IMAGINE CHRISTMAS production.

Aaron has a software that has sample sounds of each instrument in an orchestra. We put together some sample video of what will be happening on the stage to IMAGINE what creation could have been like according to the scriptural account in Genesis. Then the writing begins. Aaron has used a great deal of imagination, had many meetings with other musicians and worship staff members, and worked many long hours in order to produce something from nothing. And he has had to do it over and over again for every instrument that makes up the orchestra for the show. Each one needing a different part that comes together to make one piece of music. This musical moment has already created much anticipation for us here at First Euless. To celebrate life of all living creatures FROM THE BEGINNING. It causes me to stand amazed and in awe of what God did so long ago, and what He alone enables us to do today, through Him. We have already been praising God for His new creations through us for IMAGINE CHRISTMAS, From the Beginning. 39 days and counting!

Oh, and just for your information, Aaron is on Day 8 of his Creation.

40 Days and Counting!

Halloween is over and that officially ushers in the Christmas season, right? I know, Thanksgiving is still to come and it is a holiday that we must not forget, but as far as the world is concerned, Christmas marketing has already begun. And people all over the Metroplex and America are already beginning to make their plans for Christmas. When will the office party be? Will all the family be able to travel home for Christmas this year? What do the kids want for Christmas? Instantly, we begin having "Christmas" on our minds. But none of this is really about Christmas at all. As believers, we don't really celebrate Christmas for Christmas trees, presents, parties, etc. We celebrate Christmas because it marks the blessed event of our Savior's birth.
At the time of Christ's birth over 2000 years ago, the Jewish people had spent 100's of years praying and asking God for a Messiah....a Deliver. The world changed and many forgot about God. But a few faithful continued asking and praying for the Long-awaited Savior to come and rescue their people. Sound familiar?
I hope that as you take this 40 day Imagination journey with us, that you'll begin to pray for the world that surrounds you - your neighbors, co-workers, friends, acquaintances - to see the Christ of Christmas. The world is gearing up for our "greatest holiday", but the entire time forgetting that Christmas is about Christ. Pray that God will open their eyes. Ask God for an opportunity to invite them to see a clear presentation of the Gospel. Find a way to invite them at this time of year when they are most open to attending a Christmas program. The message is timeless. Ask God to begin softening their hearts, opening their eyes to make a way for the seed of the Gospel to be planted in their lives. The Christ of Christmas lives in me. It is my job to share the news.
40 Days...here we go!