Tag Archives: Christ

Advent Attitude

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Welcome to an odd week. After Christmas but still a holiday…ish? As a teacher, I have the week off. But other people do not. I can’t imagine this week being too productive.

Anyway, that was just me saying hello.

If you read my last post you know that I missed something. Rather, I forgot something.

I never posted my thoughts on Advent. I even closed the last blog with a promise to write about Advent the next week.

Sorry about that. I completely forgot.

So, instead of waiting 11 1/2 months to post about Advent, I present to you Post-Christmas Advent!

First off, I didn’t really understand what the word Advent meant. I have heard it all my life.

One could figure out that it was a Christmas thing. Was that all?

Dictionary.com gives us this definition of Advent:

  1. a coming into place, view, or being; arrival:the advent of the holiday season.
  2. Usually Advent . the coming of Christ into the world.
  3. Advent, the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world.
  4. Usually Advent . Second Coming.

Now, armed with this new knowledge, I have a clear picture of what Advent is all about.

My brain starts meditating on this delicious “food” and begins to process it.

This might not surprise some but I have a three-point outline that details my outlook on Advent.

Before you read the three points, let me offer an alternative title for this blog.

Advent from a Prophet, a Preacher, and Pilate.

Let me explain.

  1. Isaiah (the Prophet) told us in his book that there would be a baby born. Here is verse 6 of chapter 9: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This passage, in fact, the whole book, was written hundreds of years before Christ was born. That fits definition number 2 quite well.
  2. Moving ahead to the New Testament. A Preacher named John came to talk about Jesus. Here are his words from the first chapter of John: “There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” This also refers to the second definition of Advent.
  3. John 19:14 demonstrates the first definition of Advent. This comes from Pilate who was the ruling Roman authority in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. The verse states: ““Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.” Pilate tells the Jews (who were wanting to crucify someone) that their king has arrived. Advent.

There are multiple examples of biblical people proclaiming the coming of Jesus.

I am one of them. No, I am not in the Bible. But I most certainly think that Christ is returning. He is coming back!

Look again at the definition of Advent. See number 4? It says Second Coming.

The first coming of Jesus was when He was born of Mary, in Bethlehem, in a manger.

The second time he comes to earth, it will be quite different than the first time.

And all I have to say is that I am looking forward to that day!

I guess you could say that I have an Advent Attitude.

As always, thanks for reading this post. Enjoy your New Year!

Holy Haircut!

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Hello friends!

The following paragraph is from my friend. He sent me a text this morning. Other than my daughter’s name, which is not Jane, I have not changed anything else. Didn’t need to. Thanks for reading!

I saw the picture of *Jane* getting her new hair style. As I looked the Lord brought this to mind. No longer will she be known as, “you know, the girl with the long braid.” She has changed her identity. People will see a new *Jane*. She is no longer defined by her hair. I think, as Christians, sometimes we need to change how others see us. Do we like how those we may be trying to influence /witness to define us? Do they see someone with validity or not? Can they see past “the long braid” and see God?

Clone?

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Happy Wednesday! Hope this midweek day is great. (That felt like a weird sentence to type.)

As for posting every Tuesday, well, I forgot yesterday. No worries.

Before I get into the post, thank you for the recent followers. It is nice to get feedback in the forms of “liked” and “…is now following your blog.”

Now to the the best two minutes of your day.

I am reading a book entitled In His Image. This is book one of three called The Christ Clone Trilogy. Here is a link to the books. The artwork is newer than the copy I have but it is still the same book.

This is the version I own.

It is a fiction story. The author puts a note at the beginning describing how he is writing the story.

I am not going into the theology of cloning Christ (if that is even possible?). Nor do I want to spoil a good book.

Synopsis: A person is cloned from living cells that were found on the Shroud of Turin during a scientific research event. That is all I will say about the book.

Image result for clones of jesus

What the book has done for me is that it has planted a thought in my brain.

That thought is the basis for this post. So here you go…

Isn’t the goal of following Jesus to become more like Jesus?

I teach biology. The amount of DNA in our cells is staggering. All the variety is part of God’s plan. So my thought is not becoming like Jesus in a physical way.

I am talking about the unseen things of life.

  • The way I respond to crisis.
  • My reaction to my wife or kids when I am stressed.
  • How well (or not well) did I treat my coworkers.
  • My driving.
  • My work ethic.
  • When I am alone, what am I doing.

These, and many more that you could list, are the things that make me like Jesus.

And the good part is that He will help us!

Being like Jesus is the goal. And God has graciously given us everything we need to accomplish this goal. It is up to us if we decide to use the assistance.

For me, I fall short everyday. But with God, all things are possible!

So go out there and be a Christ Clone today!

Next week, come back to read more about the “help” that God gives us.

Gold!!!

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Guy walks into a jewelry store and proceeds to steal a gold watch. As he is running away, the store owners yells at him. “AU, that’s not your watch!”

gold watch

If you didn’t get that joke, go back to the periodic table of elements. Find number 79. It should make itself clear at that point. =-)

My last post, Trials and Chocolate, ended with the promise to blog about Gold bars.

According to www.usmint.gov, here are some fun facts about gold:

  • Amount of present gold holdings: 147.3 million ounces.
  • The only gold removed has been very small quantities used to test the purity of gold during regularly scheduled audits. Except for these samples, no gold has been transferred to or from the Depository for many years.
  • The gold is held as an asset of the United States at book value of $42.22 per ounce.
  • Highest gold holdings this century: 649.6 million ounces (December 31, 1941).
  • Size of a standard gold bar: 7 inches x 3 and 5/8 inches x 1 and 3/4 inches.
  • Weight of a standard gold bar: approximately 400 ounces or 27.5 pounds.

Now for the spiritual side of gold.

We are in I Peter, and, if I say so myself, not moving very fast. No problem. It is good to meditate on God’s word. Here is verse 7 of the first chapter:

“These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

If I read that correctly, my faith has greater value than gold.

Why do we go through trials and tribulations?

So that our faith can be proven.

Gold is put through fire. It needs the fire to be purified.

By itself, the gold cannot remove any impurities.

This process of refining gold is complicated and multi-faceted. I don’t understand it either. But the basics are worth catching.

Gold can be found on all seven continents. Regardless of where it was mined, the gold coming out of the earth is not yet pure. It has a long way to go before it gets to your fiance’s finger.

Hence, the refining process. The fire of God.

gold refining

For us, that comes in the form of hard times, temptations, or struggles.

God is desiring that the impurities are removed.

When Jesus comes back, our lives will reflect His glory. Or they won’t reflect His glory.

We can choose to rely on God through the trial or we can try to stick it out ourselves. 

Think about that last sentence.

Who are we to say that we know better than the Almighty God?

Who am I to ignore His grace just for a moment of pleasure?

As much as it hurts or is uncomfortable, let the refining process happen.

I know that I am trying.

I want to be super shiny when Christ returns. I will reflect His character, praise, honor, and glory so much more that way!

At some point soon, you will probably see gold. It might be your wedding band. Perhaps a gold crayon. Maybe the sky will provide golden hues.

Let that color remind you of these two things:

  1. God is letting you go through the refining process to become pure.
  2. God will also never let you go through it alone.

gold bullion

 

The X-factor

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X+4=7. Solve for X. Remember those algebra days? X is always the unknown. X represents the part that does not have a name or an identity.

The X-factor. The X-factor is the extra part of something. It makes a difference. Provides additional support or backing.

Sports teams know this well. Home field advantage is the X-factor. You can’t really see it. It is difficult to measure. But you can feel it. Its presence is almost tangible.

I live close to Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

lambeau field

The X-factor here is real. Sell-out crowds for every home game. Frozen Tundra.

Yes, the X-factor is a force!

The Word – X-factor

The Worth – We just celebrated Christmas. Or, for this post, Xmas. Why do we call it Xmas?

Here is some information from this website: https://www.vox.com/2014/12/14/7374401/jesus-xmas-christmas

“…the X in “Xmas” literally means Jesus. Allow us to explain.

How can the letter “X” stand for “Christ”?

In Greek, the language of the New Testament, the word Christos (Christ) begins with the letter “X,” or chi. Here’s what it looks like:

Χριστός

So how did that word get abbreviated?

In the early fourth century, Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor from 306-337, popularized this shorthand for Christ…”

Have you made the connection?

In our lives, Christ is the X-factor! He is that extra support. Reinforcement in troubled times. Life comes from him!

The Bible declares that the Holy Spirit dwells in the life of a believer. The very spirit of Christ lives in you and me!

Sure, we can’t always see it or measure it. But we can feel it. The presence of God is very real in our lives.

If Christ is the X-factor and the Holy Spirit lives in us then we become the X-factor!

The Work – There are many days that a believer won’t feel godly. In fact, feeling the opposite seems more true. But whatever you feel today, you are the X-factor.

Live by faith. Your feelings can not always be trusted. Christ will help.

I want to end with an encouraging verse. I Thessalonians 4:1-2

“As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”

God bless you on your journey today. See you tomorrow for the letter Y!