Monday's follow-up to Sunday's message: The Lord will give you a sign

Ahaz learned the hard way that when God wants to point you to Jesus Christ it's best to let Him do it.

Ahaz learned the hard way that when you make up your mind beforehand to ignore God, He's not likely to make that easy.

Ahaz missed out on a lot that God had to give.  He could have had God's deliverance.  His protection.  His favor.  His Son.

Ahaz could have had a part in God's salvation story instead of being a footnote.  He could have had a story of repentance and reconciliation and restoration.  He could have been the one to lead God's people back into faithful worship of their covenant God.  He could have had a sign of God's favor . . . but instead he chose a sign of God's judgment.

God's sign to you is Jesus Christ.  The One born of the virgin still comes to you, bringing God close enough to touch . . . to see . . . to be Immanuel, "God with us."  And in Him you can have all the peace, the comfort, the forgiveness you've been longing for this Christmas season.

Look to Jesus Christ as God's sign for you this Christmas season.  Believe upon Him as the One who comes to bring you God's favor.  Do not ignore Him, do not turn away in disbelief or test him by preferring your sin to His forgiveness.  Do not reject the sign, but in faith receive the gracious gift of God.

Jesus Christ, Immanuel.  God with us!

Merry Christmas!

Monday's follow-up to Sunday's message: On Snow Days and Sufficient Words

It's a snow day here in Hudson, and I wonder if children all over town needed to have access to every bit of information that went into the deciding of a snow day?  Did they agonize over not knowing whether or not there would be school tomorrow?  Did they demand more evidence that it was actually an official snow day before they went outside to play?

Or were the mere spoken words "snow day" enough to be a source of joy for them?

In God's Word, He speaks promises to us.  Promises of release from captivity, of deliverance from bondage.  He speaks words of freedom and undeserved love freely given.  He speaks promises of providing and promises of staying by our side.  He speaks words of forgiveness and eternal adoption.

These words of God are far, far better than the words "snow day".

Maybe it's time we started to have the faith of a child once again.  The faith that doesn't demand more signs and wonders and information from God.  The faith that doesn't question His goodness and is not disappointed in Him.  But the faith that hears the simple words of God and finds in them sufficient reason to be joyful in today.

God's Word is sufficient.  He has not chosen all to speak to us all we want to know, but in His Word He tells us all we need to know:  In Jesus Christ we have forgiveness, life, and salvation.

And in that, there is profound joy.