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A Visitor At Church (Part 4)

This is the last of my four part series of being a visitor at church.

Read the first article here

Read the second here

Read the third here

Ministerial Message

A Visitor At Church (Part 4)

Last summer (2009) I wrote the first of a four part series of my observations of being a visitor at Church during the summer of 2009. It seems like a distant memory by now, but last summer we were away from LPC for 11 Sundays. In my first article I challenged people that attend church to remember what it was like to be a visitor at church as we can so quickly forget. In my second article I underscored how important it is to “Be Friendly!” A friendly person could make all the difference in how we viewed the service. In the third article I wrote about how many churches we visited had no children in attendance and it made me ask the question, are kids no longer welcome? You can read the articles on our blog page (LPCHOME.BLOGSPOT.COM) if you missed any of them. This is the fourth and final article in the series (though I have a few more observations I would like to write about but maybe another time). In every church we went to, we soon discovered that they had “a way” that they did their services. Now, I am not talking about the order of service, which was usually in a bulletin, but the things that happen in the service that are not mentioned publicly but understood between the leaders and those that attend there. Let me tell you, there is nothing that makes you feel more unwelcome than to feel that you are the only one that is totally unaware of what is happening next in the worship hour. The way I have described how this feels is like taking a rollercoaster ride, that you have never been on before, and riding it blindfolded. When we would go to church, and find a place to sit, often the leader or pastor would do or say things that would evoke a vocal response from the people that we did not know the words or expression. Sometimes they would be just going along fine in the service and people would just stand up all around us! Sometimes people would just bow or kneel to pray, which is all good but we did not know that they were going to do it. They did, but we did not, and no one was warning us “hang on, here comes a corner”. Let me tell you folks, when you are trying to blend into a Sunday morning as a visitor and everyone stands except you and you quickly try to join everyone, forgetting that you have a book or books on your lap and everything falls on the floor, LOUDLY, it does not add blessing to the experience! If I was a seeker of the Lord and if I had gone through this experience that we did in several churches on a Sunday, I would NOT be coming back. So can I ask that we, who go to church, help show new people “the way” in our services? In a book of the Bible called Acts, it records how that God was beginning to have people who were not Jews, come to saving faith in Christ. This was very hard for the Jewish Christians to at first accept. It was also hard for the non Jewish Christians to feel apart of what God had been doing with the Jewish people for years, with all their traditions and long held structures of leadership and practices. I am sure they felt much the same as I did last summer. To make matters worse, the Jewish Christians were telling the non Jewish Christian that they had to do certain things to be truly apart of the new work of God. This did not sit well with any of them! There was such a dispute on how to treat the “new comers” that there was a council meeting in Jerusalem to discuss the matter. You can read about it in Acts Chapter 15. After the two sides were done presenting their views, James, the moderator of the meeting, says ¹⁹"It is my judgement, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles (non Jewish people) who are turning to God”. Did you see that “we should not make it “DIFFICULT”. What wise council to us as part of established church to take the time to explain, even before the service, what will be some of the “turns and bends” in their time together as a visitor. It will be just like kindly taking off “the blindfold” and so they can enjoy the ride. I remember one older lady who did this for us in one service. What a blessing it was to our whole family (I just wish that she would have told us that they use real wine for their communion, but that is another story). By just helping a visitor to feel loved by you, taking the time to let them know what is coming next will make all the difference to them, and you will be blessed also knowing that God is using you.

New Songs

Hello everyone,
Here are TWO NEW SONGS I want us to learn... take a listen so you can help out when we get to it.

Remember to let the song on your lips and in your heart be His song...

Awesome Is The Lord Most High (by Chris Tomlin)

"Glorious One" by Steve Fee

I love you Lord

Why the Kingdom Still Matters

Good morning.... or whenever you read this! Here is an article that is in keeping with the series we are in called "Good News". It is written by Rob Phillips who written a book called, The Kingdom According to Jesus.

We have been looking at how the Church was God's idea to reveal his kingdom's power, purpose and potential here on earth. I thought this was helpful to better understand what His kingdom is all about.

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The term "kingdom" has in many respects become archaic in 21st-century lingo. Unless you're talking taxonomy -- the No. 1 context according to Google -- or a theme park in Florida, the word "kingdom" conjures up images of ancient empires, epic quests and faded glory.

Even in the church, the most important -- and perhaps least understood -- kingdom of all is rooted in the ancient texts of Scripture: the Kingdom of Heaven, also called the Kingdom of God or, simply, the Kingdom. Some find this an obsolete expression better suited to first-century believers than modern-day Christians navigating the Twitterverse.

But the Kingdom of Heaven is of exceptional relevance today, especially when we understand its meaning and explore its value.

Defined simply, the Kingdom of Heaven is God's reign, or His authority to rule. The primary meaning of the Hebrew word "malkuth" and the Greek word "basileia" is the rank, authority and sovereignty exercised by a king, according to George Eldon Ladd in "The Gospel of the Kingdom." Certainly, a kingdom needs territory and people, but God's Kingdom first and foremost is His authority to rule them all.

Yes, the Kingdom still matters today. Here's why:

-- It matters to Jesus. The Kingdom of Heaven is the primary focus of Jesus' teaching. Matthew records no fewer than 13 of Jesus' parables of the Kingdom of Heaven, in which He uses mustard seeds and bridesmaids to reveal the "mystery" of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:11). The Jews are looking for a political and military Messiah based on their understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, but they miss the prophecies that point to the Suffering Servant. Jesus' parables make it clear that the Kingdom must first come without fanfare in the Lamb of God who, through His death, burial and resurrection, will take away the sin of the world. The Kingdom will come in power and great glory one day when Jesus returns as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (see Revelation 19:11-16). The King of kings is still very much interested in His Kingdom.

-- It matters to the church. The Kingdom of Heaven and the church are not the same, since Christ's authority extends beyond New Testament believers. Yet the Kingdom involves the church as God's primary means of communicating and expanding His Kingdom in this age. The Apostle Paul preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, as the church is to do today so that many will enter in by faith. The Kingdom is God's conquest, through Jesus Christ, of His enemies: sin, Satan and death. This is the heart of the Gospel message the church is commissioned to proclaim.

-- It matters to Satan. In Matthew 12, Jesus confronts the religious leaders who accuse Him of casting out demons by Satan's power. His response is revealing: "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come to you. How can someone enter a strong man's house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house" (Matthew 12:28-29). Satan is the prince of his own rogue kingdom, a kingdom of darkness and bondage. In the incarnation, Jesus invades Satan's kingdom, binding the "strong man" and plundering his goods by transporting lost sinners from Satan's kingdom into God's Kingdom. Satan is defeated. His time is short. And when the Kingdom comes in fullness with the glorious appearing of Jesus, Satan will be cast into hell, which was created for him (Matthew 25:41).

-- It matters to creation. Paul writes that "the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now" (Romans 8:22). Since Adam's fall, the creation has been under a curse. But the curse will be lifted (Revelation 22:3) when the Kingdom comes in fullness, when this sinful and fallen world is purged of sin (2 Peter 3:10-13). The new heavens and earth will no longer bear the weight of sin. And the pinnacle of God's creation -- human beings -- will be perfected with glorified bodies that are fit for eternal worship and service unto God.

-- It matters to you. In the end, you will spend eternity in one of two places: the Kingdom or outer darkness. Where you spend eternity is determined not by some future balancing of the scales, but in how you answer the question today that Jesus asked in Matthew 16:15: "Who do you say that I am?" In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10), but not everyone will enter the Kingdom. Make no mistake: Many will be denied entrance. But they will go into outer darkness of their own choosing because, as the characters in Jesus' parable of the 10 minas say, "We don't want this man to rule over us" (Luke 19:14).

While manmade kingdoms come and go, the Kingdom of Heaven stands forever. It has Christ as King, believers as subjects, redemption as its mission and the universe as its realm.

Rob Phillips is director of communications for LifeWay Christian Resources

Oh HAPPY DAY!!!

Here is a blog post from Trevor Schmidt, our former worship ministries leader. You can find it on his blog here.

Verse 1: The greatest day in history, Death is beaten You have rescued me Sing it out Jesus is alive The empty cross, The empty grave Life eternal You have won the day Shout it out Jesus is alive He’s alive

Chorus: Oh happy day, happy day You washed my sin away Oh happy day, happy day I’ll never be the same Forever I am changed

Verse 2: When I stand, in that place Free at last, meeting face to face I am Yours Jesus You are mine Endless joy, perfect peace Earthly pain finally will cease Celebrate Jesus is alive He’s alive

It may seem weird that I am posting this song today, it would seem to be more suited for Easter rather than just before Christmas but when the Holy Spirit places things on our mind the time of year does not matter and to Him it is not weird at all.

This song has such an incredible anointing, as I read the words alone they send chills down my spine and bring to mind the passage from Luke 24:6 “⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!…”NIV, I can only imagine how the women must have felt after their initial shock and disbelief passed, they must have been singing Oh happy day….. Death is beaten…. Yah... Praise God.... Hallelujah.

When Pastor Kevin and I lead this song at LifePoint Church I was blown away by the congregation’s response. The Holy Spirit filled us with so much excitement and such a strong desire to worship Him, that as the song progressed everyone started singing louder and louder as if they had sang the song for years and when we moved into the Chorus this excitement burst out and as the congregation danced, jumped for joy, clapped with all their might and sang at the top of their lungs to the Lord our Saviour Jesus Christ, He brought to mind how King David danced before the Lord in only a linen cloth while the Ark of the Covenant was brought to the City of David. The scripture tells us that not only did King David worship the Lord but all of Israel that David brought with him were praising God as well, read here; “¹⁴ David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, ¹⁵ while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.” NIV.

If you look a few verses back when King David first went out to bring the Ark to the City of David you will see another example of how serious the people of Israel took worship. “^3-7 David and the whole company of Israel were in the parade, singing at the top of their lungs and playing mandolins, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.” The Message. Now imagine a whole company of men which is 30 Thousand men, praising God in this manner, gives us something to strive for doesn’t it!

When David’s wife saw him dancing and praising God in this manner she got mad at him and more or less told David that he had made a fool of himself (I would imagine that she was thinking more of her self and how David had made her look like a fool) read her response to him; “²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” NIV. Now David’s response to her is priceless and one we all need to take serious note of and apply it to our time of public worship; “²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. ²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”NIV.

Here is another translation “^20-22 David returned home to bless his family. Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to greet him: “How wonderfully the king has distinguished himself today—exposing himself to the eyes of the servants’ maids like some burlesque street dancer!” David replied to Michal, “In God’s presence I’ll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our family and made me prince over God’s people, over Israel. Oh yes, I’ll dance to God’s glory—more recklessly even than this. And as far as I’m concerned…I’ll gladly look like a fool…but among these maids you’re so worried about, I’ll be honored no end.” The Message.

Praise God that Death is beaten, Praise God that He has rescued me, Praise God that both the cross and grave are empty and that Jesus Christ is ALIVE so jump up and down, shout out at the top of your lungs and sing Oh Happy day, happy day you washed my sin away….. Forever I am changed…. Enjoy being in the presence of God as you worship and do not worry about what the person beside you might think, this time is between YOU and GOD, although you may get some funny looks if you strip down to your underwear, I highly recommend that you don’t do that……

LIFEGROUPS

It is the vision of the leadership to see everyone in a LifeGroup at LPC. These can, and do, meet at various times throughout the week. For example; Sunday evening at 7:00P.M., Brenda is hosting a Roman's Study (all welcome). On Tuesday afternoon there is a 50 + LifeGroup called (Witt and Wisdom). On Wednesday nights there is our PRAYER GROUP that meets to pray and everyone is welcome to come. There is also a book club LifeGroup that meets monthly. We will be adding other groups 2010 as we have people to lead and topics to study. We are offering LIFEGROUPS for SUNDAY AM again. Most of the Sunday AM LifeGroups from the 2009 fall session are now completed and we are beginning new ones this Sunday (or in the next few weeks). Please plan to join one if you are not in one at this time.

They as follows;

1) Neil Gillis’ LifeGroup: A general study of Bible open to everyone. Meets in the large main floor class room

2) Youth and Children’s LifeGroups: For all ages from preschool to grade 8…Come... you are welcome!!

3) Kay Arthur Bible Study on Ruth called "Kinsman Redeemer"; Marj Barron leading. NOTE: BEGINS SUNDAY

4) Men's study "Man In The Mirror" – lead by Dave C. and Lorne S. Beginning mid February at this time.

5) Video Study "If You Want To Walk On Water You Have To Get Out Of The Boat." Sharon Cunningham leading BEGINS SUNDAY!

6) Prayer team: An intercessory prayer group open to all meets in the pastor's Office. COME PRAY...

Take a min...

I was reading a website this morning and they posted this blog asking the reader to take a min and answer these questions. So I did and was blessed in the process... take a min and do the same...


Outside my window.... The beautiful frosty trees

I am thinking... about prayer and praying

I am thankful for... The people who serve so tirelessly here at work.

I am creating.... the upcoming annual meeting booklet. whewww

I am going.... to the hockey game tonight. I hope there is someone to sit with...

I am reading.... The book of common prayer Canada... lent to me by Janice Attfield. Much to think on. I am amazed at how much time and much effort people have put into bringing about strict regulations for churches to follow... wow

I am hoping..... the God will move mighty by his Spirit in His people in 2010 and that many will come to Christ

I am hearing... the sounds of children playing in LifeLand... what a great place for kids and parents to connect.

One of my favorite things... Walking with Rachelle in the mountains...
-PK

THANK YOU!!!

Pray for your Pastor

As we approach a week of prayer next week, I found this article on how to pray for your pastor. It can be found on the United Pentecostal Church International, website.

Could I ask that you read it and pray for me?
Pastor Kevin

How to Pray for Your Pastor

Behind every great leader, there is someone who is willing to sacrifice for him. This is true of the heroes of the Bible; it is just as true of today’s pastors. They need people who will intercede for them in powerful, consistent, specific prayer. An intercessor is someone who bears another’s burdens. When Moses’ hands were tired, Aaron and Hur interceded by holding up his hands, and the battle was won (Exodus 17:8-13). Likewise, we can hold up the hands of our pastors through prayer and see God win the battle in our churches and cities! Jesus called three of His disciples to go with Him into one of His brightest hours and one of His darkest hours. Each time the assignment was the same: to pray for Him. Because they were willing to pray, they had the opportunity to minister to the One who ministered to so many others. They saw Him during His struggle and they saw Him in His glory. If Jesus needed men to pray for Him, how much does your pastor want and need your prayers? If the truth were known, the hearts of pastors all over the world are echoing the cry of the apostle Paul: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:18-20).

There are three reasons why you should pray for your pastor:

#1 Love: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). When you pray for your pastor, you are helping him bear the burden of the ministry. You are showing your love for him, and thereby obeying the greatest commandment—the law of love.

#2 Humility: Intercessory prayer focuses on his needs. This kind of prayer will break the chains of pride that keep so many people from becoming what they could be in God. You will be submitting yourself to him in the true biblical sense, which produces tremendous power.

#3 Unity: Praying for your pastor—his personal and ministerial needs—will bind your heart together with his. As you promote the work of the kingdom and unite with your pastor in his vision for your church and city, you will become a vessel for the Spirit to move through. It was this kind of unity that preceded the first revival of the New Testament church—the Day of Pentecost. The burden of today’s ministers is a heavy one. But you can help your pastor fulfill his God-given call through intercessory prayer. The greatest gift you can give your pastor is prayer.

Personal Prayer Needs Humility: Pray that your pastor would walk humbly with His God, seeking His will and direction in all things (Micah 6:8). Pray that his heart would be strong in the midst of trials and accusation and that he would commit himself into the hands of Him who judges righteously (I Peter 2:23). Pray that he would learn and grow through every circumstance and that he would give God glory for every victory. Pray that he would give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.

Relationships: Personal contact is a powerful force in our lives, either for good or for evil (I Corinthians 15:33). Pray that your pastor would not be corrupted by the necessary contact with a sinful world and that his heart would withstand the influences of his wordly acquaintances. More importantly, pray that he would influence every person he meets for good and that he would be a shining witness in his personal life for the Lord Jesus Christ. Especially pray for peace in his dealings with people—his family, friends, business associates, and church members, for disharmony can produce a great deal of unnecessary stress.

Balance: “If you go too far to one extreme or the other, you’ll wind up in a ditch.” Pray that your pastor would maintain a steady, consistent walk, and that he would not be swayed by dangerous extremes. Pray that his course would be steadfast and unwavering. Pray that his character would combine the strength and gentleness of the Lord—the Lion and the Lamb.

Family Prayer Needs Relationships: A pastor’s family is usually overworked, under-appreciated, and misunderstood. There is a lot of pressure in being the family of a full-time minister. Late night phone calls, early morning trips to the airport, staying all night with a sick church member—all of these take a toll on a family. Pray for the peace of God to cover and protect the fabric of your pastor’s family. Pray that God’s anointing would ease the friction and produce a loving atmosphere. Pray that your pastor would be a godly leader of his home, giving his family the love and attention they need to grow. Pray that your pastor’s income would meet the needs and realistic desires of his family.

Protection: Satan has targeted your pastor, and that means his family is under the gun. The enemy will try to get at him through his family. Pray a covering of God’s protection over the family of your pastor. Pray against negative pressures and distractions. Pray that as your pastor abides in the presence of God that no destructive force would touch his home and that God’s angels would keep his family (Psalm 91:9-11).

Spiritual Prayer Needs Power: Pray that your pastor would be energized by the Holy Ghost for his daily pastorial duties. Pastoring means so much more than preaching, and your pastor needs spiritual vitality to help meet the needs of others day in and day out. Bless him with all the strength and power that he needs. Pray that he would be strong in the Lord and the power of His might and that he would be prepared to do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13).

Holiness: Pray for a hedge of purity around your pastor. Cover his eyes, his mind, his steps, and his heart with holiness that he would not fall into temptation or the snares of the devil. Pray for his words to be seasoned with grace and for his mind to be stayed on the Lord. Pray that he would be well pleasing in all things to God.

Accountability: God’s ministers must be accountable. Many of the attacks of the enemy can be warded off or avoided completely if the man of God is protected by being transparent with another strong man of God. Pray that God would bring such a man into your pastor’s life and that God would continue to cultivate that relationship. Pray that your pastor will remain open to such a friendship.

Warfare: Jesus said, “Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered” (Mark 14:27). Satan knows that if he can bring down the man of God, the work of God will be severely hindered in your city. Pray the armor of God over your pastor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Quote Scriptures for his protection (Psalm 91; Luke 19:10; etc.). Pray that no weapon formed against him would prosper (Isaiah 54:17), that he would not be ignorant of the enemy’s devices, and that the enemy would not gain advantage over him (II Corinthians 2:11).

Leadership and Church Work Prayer Needs In the City: Pray that God’s people would be called forth from every corner of the city and even from without the city and be gathered together to your pastor. Pray that every one that God has ordained to ministry will come and submit themselves to him (Psalm 18:44). Pray that he would be anointed to be a leader in your community.

Pulpit Ministry: Pray for God’s anointing to rest heavily upon your pastor and that God would be prepare him for that anointing. Pray that the Word of God would come alive as he preaches. Pray for a burning conviction to grip the hearts of everyone—saint and sinner alike—that is not right with God. Pray that his study of preparation time would be protected so that he can receive from God the message He has for your church. Pray that his preaching would magnify Christ in all things and that as Christ is lifted up He would draw all men unto Himself.

Vision: Pray that your pastor would receive God’s direction and vision for your church. Pray that he would be sensitive to the needs of the congregation as he leads and that he would feed the flock that which they need of.

Counseling: Pray that God’s wisdom would flow through your pastor as he deals with the problems of people. Pray that he would be protected from the pressure of sinful, negative, and antagonistic spirits that he may encounter during counseling. Pray that he would be anointed to give beauty for ashes and the oil of gladness for those that mourn (Isaiah 61:3).

Finances: Pray for wisdom in handling the church finances and for strength to bear the pressure of financial responsibilities. Pray for God’s blessings on your church that you might be the head and not the tail. Pray that the church’s stewardship over money would glorify God and help establish the work of God in your city. Be assured that praying for your pastor is both necessary and biblical. It is also a source of blessing in your own life, if you labor and faint not. God Himself will reward your labor of love as you follow the biblical mandate to support leadership.

Produced by World Network of Prayer, United Pentecostal Church International.

Getting it Right

I came upon this great post from Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. ( who serves as the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in the USA)Read it and tell me what you think....
Bless you today!!
-PK
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Where Does the Story of Christmas Begin?
As the celebration of Christmas fast approaches, our attention quickly goes to the familiar words of the infancy narratives found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. This is a healthy reflex. After all, the Gospel of Jesus Christ rests upon the historicity of the events that took place in Bethlehem as Christ was born. Our understanding of the identity of Jesus Christ is directly rooted in these narratives and our confidence is in the fact that Matthew and Luke give us historically credible and completely truthful accounts of the events surrounding the birth of Christ.

A closer look at the narratives in both Matthew and Luke reveals a richness that familiarity may hide from us. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Christ, demonstrating the sequence of generations as Israel anticipated the birth of David's Son -- the Messiah. Luke, intending to set forth "an orderly account" of the events concerning Jesus, begins with the anticipation of the birth of John the Baptist and then moves to tell of the virgin conception of Jesus.

A careful reading of Matthew and Luke reveals both the elegance of detail and the grand expanse of the story of Christ's birth. Matthew gives particular attention to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The virgin birth, the birth of Christ in Bethlehem of Judea, the Herodian massacre of the innocents, the flight to Egypt, and the role of John the Baptist as forerunner are all presented as the fulfillment of specific Old Testament prophecies.

Every word of the Old Testament points to Christ. He is not only the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies concerning him, he is the perfect fulfillment of the law and the prophets -- the entirety of the Old Testament Scriptures. The Christmas story does not begin in Bethlehem, for Israel had been promised the Messiah. As Luke reveals, Simeon beheld the baby Jesus in the temple and understood this infant to be "the Lord's Christ" -- the Davidic Messiah. Simeon understood this clearly -- the Christmas story did not begin in Bethlehem, or even in Jerusalem.

So, where does the Christmas story begin? In the Gospel of John we read: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." [John 1:1-3]

The prologue to John's Gospel points to creation and to Christ, the divine Logos, as the agent of creation. Yet, with language drawn directly from Genesis, John begins his gospel "in the beginning."

In other words, the Christmas story begins before the creation of the world. As we celebrate Christmas and contemplate the Christmas story, we must be very careful not to begin the story in Bethlehem, or even in Nazareth, where Mary was confronted by Gabriel with the message that she would be the mother of the Messiah.

We must not even begin with Moses and the prophets, and with the expectation of the coming Son of Man, the promised Suffering Servant, and the heralded Davidic Messiah. We must begin before the world was created and before humanity was formed, much less fallen.

Why is this so important? Put simply, if we get the Christmas story wrong, we get the Gospel wrong. Told carelessly, the Christmas story sounds like God's "Plan B." In other words, we can make the Christmas story sound like God turning to a new plan, rather than fulfilling all that he had promised. We must be very careful to tell the Christmas story in such a way that we make the gospel clear.

Christmas is not God's second plan. Before he created the world, God determined to save sinners through the blood of his own Son. The grand narrative of the Bible points to this essential truth -- God determined to bring glory to himself through the salvation of a people redeemed and purchased by his own Son, the Christ. Bethlehem and Calvary were essential parts of God's plan from the beginning, before the cosmos was brought into being as the Son obeyed the will of the Father in creation.

The Christmas story does not begin in Bethlehem, but we appropriately look to Bethlehem as the scene of the most decisive event in human history -- the incarnation of the Son of God. Even as we turn our attention to Bethlehem, we must remember that the story of our salvation does not begin there. That story begins in the eternal purpose of God.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." That is where the Christmas story begins, and John takes us right to the essence of what happened in Bethlehem: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." [John 1:14]

Let's be sure to get the Christmas story right, start to finish.