Angels Worhsip Him

“And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”” ESV Hebrews 1:6

Why worship Jesus? Why make so much of a birthday celebration? Why does the Christian community come together in unity for this event that actually stretches over several weeks? Well, the easy answer is that Jesus is known to Christians as the Savior of the world. But Jesus is really much more than a Savior. Jesus’ should be worshipped, not necessarily for what He’s done, but for who He is.

The writer of Hebrews spends the better part of five chapters making much of Jesus and describing how much more honor our heavenly Father has placed on Him than anyone or anything else. So, while there are countless reasons why we should worship Jesus, let’s look at just a few of the things mentioned in Hebrews.

We should worship Jesus because the Son of God and God the Father are equals. The bible never speaks of Jesus as being some kind of lesser god that came into being just to take on human form or to be the perfect sacrifice. No, on the contrary, the bible speaks of Jesus as God. Isaiah prophesied the same saying he would be called “Immanuel” (which means God with us). Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the “exact imprint his [the Father’s] nature.”

We should worship Jesus because God the Father spoke to humanity through Jesus. God has communicated to us in many ways throughout history. He spoke to Moses in a burning bush. He communicated to Balaam by enabling a donkey to speak. He spoke to us through the prophets who were given visions, dreams and inspiration. But, says Hebrews, “in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son…”

We should worship Jesus because he was present at creation. Hebrews tells us that the world and everything in it was created through Jesus and that He upholds the universe today “by the word of His power.” The very next breath you take, the very existence of the universe, is dependent upon Jesus’ continued providence. Hebrews tells us that our heavenly Father has “left nothing outside His control.”

We should worship Jesus because one day creation as we know it will come to an end. Hebrews tells us that Jesus will “roll up” creation and it will be forever changed. The world as we know it will come to an end one day, but Jesus will never change. He will endure forever.

Finally, we should worship Jesus because He is our blessed hope for eternal life. Hebrews tells us that believers in Christ “share in Christ.” One day Christians will bask in the glorious presence of the triune God because their faith and hope was rightly placed in Jesus. One day we’ll stand with the angels and worship Him together.

Raging Seas

“And they went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.” ^ESV Luke 8:24

Ever had the “holiday blues?” Unfortunately, millions of people will be depressed or at least ‘blue’ this Christmas even though they are celebrating in one of the most blessed countries in the world. Some will be sad at the thought of celebrating without a loved one who has passed away. Some will be disappointed that their traditions have changed over time. Some will not be able deal with the financial pressures to give, give, give.

For those who are blue, a quick Internet search will yield you all kinds of advice on how to cope during dark, depressed seasons. Here’s some of the coping advice I found online: use humor; be realistic; stay healthy; reach out; delegate; spend time alone; let go. Some of these make practical sense but some of them absolutely left me scratching my head; especially the “spend time alone.” I’ve never known anyone feeling blue that benefited a great deal from aloneness.

Strangely absent in the advice I found quickly and easily was any dependence on God. That strikes me as odd at the very least and is somewhat indicative of how self absorbed our society really is. We are so confident in ourselves that we seldom take time to look to God. It’s as if God is like a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall that we should use only in dire emergencies. Why do you suppose that is? Why would we not call out to God as a first line of defense when dark clouds approach?

In the black of night the disciples once found themselves in great physical danger. A sudden storm had descended on the lake they were crossing and overtaken them. The winds and waves buffeted their boat and it was quickly filling with water; surely they would sink. No doubt gripped with fear, they woke Jesus shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” But instead of perishing in a sinking boat, our text tells us that Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves and calm prevailed.

Now think about this. The same Jesus that calmed the seas that night with a simple verbal rebuke can calm your spirit today. The same Master who saved the disciples from physical danger that night can rescue your spirits from darkness today.

I was reading a Puritan sermon by John Flavel this past week and came across this quote that I think is fitting to share here. Speaking of Jesus, Flavel says: “He that saith to the raging sea, be still, and it obeys him; he can only pacify the disquieted spirit.”

If you find yourself feeling blue this Christmas season, call upon the Master that calms the raging seas.

Faces In The Windows

(This article was originally published in the May-June 2009 edition of HeartCry Magazine. I reflect on the experience often with thanksgiving and a renewed zeal for missions.)

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked up and saw the faces in the windows. Never before had I witnessed such a desire to hear the preaching of God’s Word. The tiny frame church was full—maybe 80 people. At least fifty other people were standing outside listening to the loudspeaker. And faces crowded the open-air windows with the night sky as a backdrop.

Earlier in the day, not speaking any Spanish, I hadn’t understood the conversation behind me as we crossed the mountain in the back of a pickup truck. But a friend interpreted and whispered in my ear, “More Christians.”

Just before the first evening’s service, I could hear the whine of the engine as it began its descent into the jungle. Then the dim headlights began to flicker in the night. Were these people friend or foe? Locals perhaps? As they pulled into the compound I was dumbfounded. I turned to the young man next to me and asked him to count as I tried to take a picture under the night sky. Twenty more worshipers got out of the tiny truck. Overwhelmed, I walked to the edge of the compound and cried out, “Oh God, how can this be? How can it be that I am here among people of such faith?” I didn’t understand, but I entered the small church with a spirit of thanksgiving and praise.

It must have been 90 degrees inside the church. The daytime temperature had exceeded 100 degrees and the humidity was extreme. The smell of the earthen floor, the rough sawn boards on the walls, the hint of wood smoke from the cooking fires and the makeshift lighting created a distinctly un-American experience in the crowded church. Yet worship flowed freely and with great joy.

The room was silent except for the preaching and the whir of the gasoline generator; every eye and ear was tuned to the message from the pulpit. Mothers gently rocked their babies on the makeshift pews. When the little ones finally caved in utter exhaustion into a deep sleep their mothers lined them up on the cool earth outside the church (on the same cool earth where we would kill a tarantula the next evening) wrapped in alpaca blankets and under the watchful eye of a caretaker.

My heart was taken captivate by those little ones. Who would teach them about Christ? In this part of South America, children either get tough or die. I wondered what lay ahead for them? The thoughts haunt me still. And who would teach them about eternal things; the things of God? The answer was before me. Those mothers and fathers who, with great effort and much hardship had made the trip deep into the jungle to worship with us, would have to teach these children. Those people in their local church would have to teach them…those faces in the windows.

That’s why indigenous missions is so important. Pray that God would be glorified as HeartCry endeavors to support indigenous missions throughout the world.