Have you heard the 12 crazy-days of Christmas? The final verse goes like this.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me Twelve dozen cookies Eleven shoppers fighting Ten cars a-honking Nine broken presents Eight bags a-missing Seven Christmas parties Six crazy in-laws Five extra pounds Four credit cards Three crying babies Two missing parts and a dried brown Christmas tree
We’ve all been there, right? It’s easy for us to get so distracted with the busyness of the season that we forget the real meaning of the season. Thanks for taking this time to focus on the real meaning of Christmas.
Real meaning of Christmas
The Christmas Story
The Christmas Story comes down to us from antiquity from two main sources. I’m not counting the Armenian Infancy Gospels or the more modern Saint Nicholas folklore.
The Story of Jesus coming to earth as a baby are delivered to us by primarily two of the gospel writers – Matthew and Luke. They give the details. They highlight the fulfilled prophecy. They place the event in world and Jewish history.
But the other two Gospels tell us a lot more about His arrival and purpose than we might otherwise pick up on in either of the main historical accounts.
The beauty of historical accounts show us the authors main focus and main purpose and taking a few posts to look at how each Gospel writer handles the coming of Jesus as a baby reveals their message to their first readers and to us today.
Let’s take a look at how Jesus’ birth is handled in each gospel and find the real meaning of Christmas.
The Story in the Gospels
Each Gospel handles the birth of Jesus a little differently. These differences are meaningful. They are written by different people and for different people, but each give us another reason to fall in love with Jesus all over again.
Over the next four days we'll get ready for the big event by examining the ways each Gospel writer looks at how and why GOD BECAME MAN.
Do you follow the path and pattern of Jesus? Do you know what patterns he followed that will help you Live LIGHT? In this next section of the Live LIGHT Manifesto we look at some important ones and how we can practically live them out.
I
I follow His path and pattern. I take my everyday life, my eating, sleeping, going-to-work, and walking-around life and lay it before him as an offering.I only do what I see the Father do.I only say what I hear the Father say. I do everything as unto the Lord. I take thoughts captive, I tear down strongholds, I demolish arguments.
There is a lot going on this this mouthful of the the Live LIGHT Manifesto. It’s starts with following His path and pattern.
I follow His path and pattern.
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21
Jesus left us an example that we should follow in his steps. Bonhoeffer says it this way, “When Christ calls us to himself, he bids us come and die.”
Live LIGHT deals with the reality of of the day-to-day of our everyday. It’s not all about sunshine and rainbows, it’s about becoming more like Jesus. It starts with His attitude. “If Jesus suffered, who am I to complain?”
What it means to follow his path and pattern is fleshed out a bit in the following statements.
How to follow His path and pattern - worship
I take my everyday life, my eating, sleeping, going-to-work, and walking-around life and lay it before him as an offering.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Romans 12:1
Worship is a lifestyle, not the slow part of a song service. You can experience the awe and wonder of God in the moments when choose to do everything as an act of worship. Sometime was don’t experience the awe simply because we’re not aware. Other times, it’s obedience that’s required so let’s move on to the next statement.
How to follow His path and pattern - obedience
I only do what I see the Father do.
So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John 5:19
Jesus only did what he saw the Father do. There’s a challenge for us too. What would it look like to live that way? Holy Spirit gives us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) so it’s not only desirable, it’s also doable or one do what we see the Father doing. Here are some tips for you:
I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. John 12:49
Jesus not only did only what He saw the Father doing, He also heard what He heard the Father say. He left us an example to follow in His steps. How can we listen so we only say what we hear the Father say?
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24
Ok…this is going to get a little long now, but I think it’s time for an acronym… how do you do everything as unto the Lord? WORK AS WORSHIP
WORK AS WORSHIP
Work with the right motivation (1 Corinthians 16:14)
I take thoughts captive, I tear down strongholds, I demolish arguments.
We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Well, if the last one I could explain with an acronym, this one is three days of training within the Live LIGHT Pathway course. Maybe I can hit the highlights…
It’s actually way too much to add to this blog post. But know it’s possible to take thoughts captive, tear down stronghold and demolish arguments. It’s done with the help and leading of Holy Spirit, knowing the Word of God and living out the Word of God.
If you have questions about this, I do encourage you to check out the options for coaching available here https://revtrev.com/coaching
Your life matters to everyone in your everyday world. In this next section of the Live LIGHT Manifesto let's look at your everyday world, who the people of peace are and why you matter to them.
My life matters to everyone in my everyday world.
“Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. Luke 10:5-7
What is my everyday world and why does my life matter to it?
My everyday world is another term I may have coined or caught from someone…wait, I think it’s from Peterson’s transliteration of Romans 12:1-2
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2 The Message (MSG)
Oh…that’s right. He used “everyday, ordinary life”.
Your everyday world is filled with your friends, family, neighbours, co-workers, classmates and anybody Holy Spirit highlights for you.
Your life matters to people of peace
Pay careful attention to people who want to help you out, do you favours without looking for favours back, and willing serve you.
These are the people of peace in your everyday world.
When Jesus send out his disciples he told them to not take any money, or a change of clothes and when they came to a town to search for a person who would have them. Give the home their blessing and if it turns our to be a friendly home, let their blessing remain…then let them serve you. Don’t hesitate to refuse their hospitality because a worker is worthy of their wages.
I don’t know about you, but I learned early on that some people only wanted to help so that you’d help them in return. So I became hesitant to accept anyone’s help.
I’d be happy to be the one who serves. I’ll shovel the neighbour’s walk. I’ll do it quick so they didn’t beat me to it and shovel mine.
But then I read what Jesus taught his disciples. Basically he said, “Find people of peace and let them serve you.”
And so I let them serve me, and learned to really appreciate it.
Your life matters when you value others
People find value and honour in service and you honour them by accepting their help.
And guess what? You are allow to serve them too. Just don’t do it as a competition - if they do something nice, do something even nicer. That’s not what it’s about.
What it is about is that you’re making a way for them to ask more about Jesus and His Kingdom by showing them a little bit of the Kingdom by honouring them by accepting their service. You're actually showing them their life matters to you.
You are the light that should not be hid. Are you willing to let others shine too?
There is more training on this inside Live LIGHT Academy, but training will first be accessible to those who are a part of one of the coaching packages. Learn more.
Your life matters to everyone in your everyday world. Why don’t you let yourself see that by allowing some of them to serve you?
You’ll be amazed at what you may experience as you let others know their life matters to you.
Priority became "priorities" by marketing executives in 1960's and did a disservice to our English language. In the next section of the Live LIGHT Manifesto we'll look at why Jesus doesn't give us an option to give into the hype.
I know priority can never be plural
I know priority can never be plural.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33.
Did you know the pluralization of priority is a fairly new phenomenon?
I like to coin and promote new words… you may have already come across a few I use that you can’t yet find in the dictionary. For example:
Lighterati - all those who have been called to freedom and use that freedom to serve others in love
Unoffendable - to live unable to be offended
Interruptible - to live being able to be interrupted like Jesus was
I can’t find any of these in a dictionary. Yes, I trained my auto correct to take off the squiggly read lines whenever I write them. No, I don't feel any remorse over doing that.
I like new words. I promote new words. I’m not afraid of new words.
I also rail against new words that take away the beauty of the original use of the word.
Case in point - PRIORITIES
Origins of priority
It comes from the Latin "a priori" meaning ONE. In English we never had more than one priority until marketing executives in the 1960s figured out they could sell us more stuff if we did.
Priority was always in the singular.
Why do I rail against this?
Regardless what marketing teaches us, Jesus doesn’t give us an option.
We can't have more than one priority.
He’s told us what our priority is.
my goal
We’re to seek first the kingdom and righteousness.
That’s it.
It’s all about His Kingdom. He’s the king. We aren’t. We follow Him; he doesn’t follow us. We have one priority.
To seek His Kingdom doesn’t mean we all need to be in vocational ministry to be obedient. It means we put him first in everything we do. That's our priority.
The Kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirt (Romans 14:17)
So the questions for us are as follows:
How do I see righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit in my home?
How do I see righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit in my work?
How do I see righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit in my relationship?
How do I see righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit in my church?
Troubling ways to live… but you can with Holy Spirit's help. Troubling ways to live are what these next few statements in the Live LIGHT Manifesto are to many people who hear them for the first time. They all come from what Jesus said during the sermon on the mount. That whole lecture is troubling when you really read what He says and it hits you that maybe that’s how he wants you to live… ouch.
I can't love God and...
I can’t love God and show. I can’t love God and dough. I can’t love God and worry. I can’t love God and hurry.
When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. Matthew 6:2
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. Matthew 6:5
“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. Matthew 6:16
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. Matthew 6:24
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Matthew 6:25-32
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:34
Troubling 1 - I can’t love God and show.
In the sermon on the mount Jesus tell us that our motivation matters. We shouldn’t give or pray or fast so that others are impressed with us. We can’t do it to make ourselves look good. We can’t do good to get noticed.
For some of us that thought won’t even enter our minds. For other’s it’s a struggle because so much of what we do is to earn applause. Sometimes I think the second group are the honest group.
It’s good when people speak well of us for doing good and it seems a little ridiculous to be like some sports people who say, “I just want all the glory to go to God…” You ran a football. You scored a goal. Seriously, do you think God is that impressed?
But to think this way puts us on a slippery slope.
We can’t love God and show.
It’s not a matter of debasing ourselves so God looks better. “The song I sang wasn’t me, it was God.” “Really, don’t you think God would have hit that high note?”
It’s not a matter of thanking God because it’s the sports-culturally acceptable thing to do.
It is a matter for us to examine our motives.
Am I doing what I do to obey God or get other’s applause?
I can help you have an audience of one.
Troubling 2 - I can’t love God and dough.
Jesus goes on to say in the sermon on the mount that we can’t serve both God and money. He then moves in to talk about not worrying about the things everyone worries about. I think we can include money in that discussion.
He’s talking about money being our master.
Money is a wonderful tool, but a terrible master.
You can say the same thing about several things.
Social media can be a wonderful tool, but always is a terrible master.
Technology can be a wonderful tool, but always is a terrible master.
A vehicle can be a wonderful tool, but always is a terrible master.
Let’s stop with that.
I think the point is anything other than our good, good Father will be a terrible master.
The question we need to ask ourselves is:
Is money serving me or am I serving money?
You can’t love God and dough.
I can help you serve God
Troubling 3 - I can’t love God and worry.
I know too many followers of Christ who act as if worry is a virtue and not treat it like the vice it is.
In the sermon on the mount Jesus uses a term 15 for God that is only used twice in the Hebrew scriptures.
The word is “Father”.
Jesus was revealing the good Father and His care of us when he told us not to worry.
Worry is a sin because we’re told to trust God with our whole heart. Our heart is the seat of our emotion, the seat of our decision and the seat of our action.
We can’t worry and feel peace. We feel peace when we trust. We can’t worry and decide to trust. Trust and worry can’t coexist. We can’t worry and obey. We obey because we trust.
We can’t love God and worry.
The question you can ask yourself is:
Am I led by peace or do I worry?
If your answer is “I worry” the tools God gives you are confession and repentance.
Confession is agreeing with God worry is a sin. Repentance is doing a complete 180 and deciding and acting like you trust your good good Father.
I can help you be led by peace
Troubling 4 - I can’t love God and hurry.
The final thing Jesus says in Chapter 6 of Matthew is “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
That tells me I need to live in the now and let the future come to me.
Yes, it’s good to plan. Yes, it’s good to have goals https://revtrev.com/roadmap but we don’t put off living until…(you fill in the blank).
I know too many people who can’t wait until they graduate, or until they have that job, or until they get engaged, or until they are married or until they have kids, or until they have an empty nest, or until grandkids come… and they end up missing the blessings of today in the worries of tomorrow.
Don’t do that. Don’t live that way. #LiveLIGHT.
The question you can ask yourself is exactly that -
Am I missing the blessings of the today in the worries of tomorrow?
Gratitude is the antidote if you are. Be grateful in the little things. Be grateful for today. Feel the gratitude. Do something about the gratitude you feel. I have a tool to help you https://revtrev.com/happy
Why not check out what Live LIGHT Coaching can do for you?
Now we come to the hard part of the Live LIGHT Manifesto. Some may think we’ve been spouting platitudes up to this point. These three statements tend to hit us between the eyes.
I don't have time to be busy. I don't have time to worry. I don't have time to waste.
I don’t have time to be busy.I don’t have time to worry. I don’t have time to waste.
The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. Luke 8:14
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:16-17
Now we come to the hard part.
Hard part 1 - I don’t have time to be busy.
I remember saying this phrase when a friend asked me if I had a busy day ahead as we dropped of our kids in the same class. “I don’t have time to be busy” was what surprised me when it came out of my mouth.
I wan’t even using how much I had to do that day as a badge of honour. It was like I was telling myself, “I’d better not miss the best things today.”
I remembered slowing down that day to talk to people I’d probably rush right by on my usually hurried way. I can’t remember what was said or done that day, but I remember knowing it was a better day because I refused to give in to the hurry.
And soon thereafter I refused to define my day as “busy” ever again.
My goal
Jesus talked about the seed that fell among the thorns that too quickly was crowded out by the cares of riches and pleasures of life. That was the same seed that fell on good soil and produced a hundred-times more than was planted.
The seed doesn’t change. The condition of my heart does.
Do you accept busy-ness in your life or are you angrily militant with the weeds?
You and I don’t have time to be busy.
Hard part 2 - I don’t have time to worry.
Have you seen the stats recently about how many things that don’t happen that we worry about?
Me neither. I don’t worry about it.
Paul tells us not to worry about anything but pray about everything. Peter tells us to cast all our cares on the Lord BECAUSE He cares for us.
It all starts with knowing God cares for you. If you believe that and work it into your life in the way you pray and the peace you feel, you can be worry-free for the most part of your life. I can help you do that.
Hard part 3 - I don’t have time to waste.
I don’t have regrets in my life. If you knew my story you might find that a difficult statement to swallow. But I don’t have regrets because I have God who redeems.
I know He’s taking everything and working it out for the best of those who have been called. I don’t have time to waste.
I have to live the life God enables me to live. I need to do good things prompted by my faith. But God does it through me and God gets the glory. Read that verse in context and see the amazing blessing Paul intends it to be.
I don’t have time to be busy.I don’t have time to worry. I don’t have time to waste.
We all have a rhythm. What’s yours? The next part of the Live LIGHT Manifesto reminds us we’re to live like Jesus did and not give lip service to loving Him. Here it is…
Living with His light burden is the rhythm I work from in the day-to-day of every day.
Living with His light burden is the rhythm I work from in the day-to-day of every day.
But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
In John’s first letter he unpacks what it looks like to be living in the light as God is in the light. His encouragement for us to walk in the light reminds us to carry the light yoke that Jesus offer us in Matthew 11:30…at least it does for me.
How can we be a living light if we’re not living light?
What rhythm are you living out of?
The rhythm of a servant, a friend and a child
We are called a servant of God (2 Timothy 2:24), a friend of God (John 15:15) and a child of God (Romans 8:14).
A servant obeys (Colossians 3:22).
A friend abides (John 15:7-14).
A child keeps in step with the spirit (Romans 8:14).
You can’t abide and not obey. You can’t keep in step with the Spirit without abiding and obeying.
The good news is all three are the same rhythm. It’s the rhythm Jesus modelled when he was in the world.
Jesus' Rhythm of Rest
Jesus' rhythm can be tracked through the gospels...
Time with God from the world - Time to bring God to the world.
It’s how you obey.
You need to listen before you can obey. You need instruction from the Word before you can obey.
It’s how you abide.
You need to be alone in the presence before you can bring the Presence to others.
It’s how you keep in step with the Spirit.
Time with God from the world - Time to bring God to the world.
I don’t hold it as an idea in my head or sentiment in my heart, but work out its implications in every detail of my life.
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:25
Paul tells the Galatians they need to follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of their lives. He goes on to describe how that looks like.
In the North American church we are really good at teaching knowledge and really lousy at living out wisdom.
We’ve got to stop agreeing with something intellectually and then not letting it change our lives.
To the ancient Hebrews the “heart” was the seat of the emotions, yes…but it was also the seat of the decision and the seat of the action. To be whole-hearted means we not only agree something is true, we do something about it and feel something for it.
Being whole-hearted is the exact opposite of holding something as an idea in our head or sentiment in our heart but not working it out its implications in every detail of our lives.
We need to be whole-hearted when we follow the Spirit. Holy Spirit is God and we’re to love God with our whole heart. So make the decision to follow Holy Spirit, take the action to follow what He tells you to do, and feel the joy in knowing you’re keeping in step with the Spirit. Let me help you do that.
