Old Long Since

Old Long Since

2 Thessalonians 2:15 NASB

So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

   At New Year’s, we traditionally sing the old song, “Auld Lang Syne.”  Most people couldn’t tell you what those words mean and have no idea what they’re singing about.  “Auld Lang Syne” is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns and means “old long since,” or in our modern language, “days gone by.”  “Auld lang syne," as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for (the sake of) days gone by.”

   The song is telling us to remember and think about the days gone by.   I usually tell people not to dwell on the past because we, with our human nature, tend to remember past wrongs and failures and not so much the good times.  But I do want to encourage you to remember what the Lord has done for you and pass those stories on to the next generation.  Remember when you overcame temptation and remember when you were encouraged by a Bible verse and remember when you prayed and saw the answer come. 

   Doing a careful study of the people of Israel when they were wandering in the wilderness, you can see where those people did remember what the Lord had done for them.  And they must not have been passed onto the next generation what God had done.  Every crisis that confronted them we see someone speaking up and telling people how great it had been in Egypt.  To hear them tell the story you’d think living in Egypt had been a great time! Plenty of food and time to sit under a shade tree and enjoy life.  Forget about the whips and the starvation diet and the little boys taken off and killed.  Life was so much better back in Egypt!

Numbers 11: 4-6

4 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? 

5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 

6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

   Notice that the people never dwelt on the upside to the story: the death of Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea or the water from the rock and the food lying around in the morning waiting to be picked up.  No one talked about the Law written by God’s own finger on top of the mountain, they missed their old way of life!

   Do we get this bad?  Yes, unfortunately we do.  I once heard a preacher say that the most ungrateful people in the world were Teens and Christians.  We have been delivered from our sins and given the gift of eternal life and we complain about everything!  Have you taken time recently to think about what you have been given rather that what you think you’re missing?  I think I want to be rich but am I thankful for a warm house and a loving family and a hot dinner every night?   Sadly, I am so used to things being as they are I forget to thank God for the blessings I receive every day.  And I forget to thank God for them. 

   At the end of this year, I encourage you to remember “auld lang syne" and next time you are asked, tell someone about what God has done for you.

Stephen Cram                            December 30, 2012                    Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8 

Joy to the World

Joy to the World

Luke 2:10-11

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

   Ah, the anticipation!  In many homes around the world the anticipation is becoming so thick you can cut it with a knife.  The tree is set in a special place and trimmed.  The lights are on and the tinsel gently moves with the air currents.  Presents are wrapped and carols are being hummed by busy people rushing around doing last minute chores.  Christmas dinner has been planned and is ready for cooking.  Pies and cookies wait in the fridge.  All is ready for the joy of Christmas morning.

   Joy, even the Christmas kind, is only a passing thing.  By now you've probably discovered that even a room full of shiny new Christmas gifts won't bring lasting joy.  Once the newness of the gift wears off, the joy begins to fade.  Presents get lost and toys get broken.  Left-overs begin to get stale and the outside lights and displays are turned off.  The nights become long and dark and cold.  The truth is nothing in this earthly life offers unending joy.

So hear again the message the angels proclaimed.

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King.

   These words were put into a song by Isaac Watts in 1719 and ever since carolers have sung them out every Christmas season.  They tell the secret to real joy; we sing the words but do we hear the message?  Watts attempted to describe the indescribable in writing the words of "Joy to the World."   I am told the song was based on Psalms 98, a psalm written to describe the coming of the Messiah. 

   “Joy to the World. The Lord is come."  That’s good news!  How should we respond to this news?

“Let every heart prepare him room."   I like to be on time; it’s practically a religion to me.  I'm usually early for any appointment.  Preparing your heart is not something that can be done too early: the earlier you begin the better.  And it's a lifelong task - pray, work, share, forgive, love, comfort, edify. 

And why should we "Let men their songs employ"?  

“He comes to make His blessings flow" and "no more let sins and sorrows grow."

   Music has a way of getting the message across.  It's a good way to attempt to describe the indescribable.  So sing out and let the world know about this good news of great joy!

Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

   The angel promised that this news was of great joy, and he was not promising many brightly wrapped presents under the tree, but one Present wrapped in swaddling clothes in a stable.    

Stephen Cram                            2012                Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8 

Have Yourself a Martha Little Christmas

Have Yourself a Martha Little Christmas

Luke 10: 41-42 NKJV

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 

42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Let your heart be light.
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight.”

Yeah, right! 

   I have heard stories about home decorating that became more work than was originally thought with light strings being hopelessly tangled and bulbs going out right after being hung.   

The plans for holiday dinners that would make Emeril Lagasse jealous. 

Shopping trips that lasted overnight and into the dawn.  Frantic searches for gifts that are “perfect.”

The mountains of gift wrap and ribbons and miles of tape. 

Trips to the post office - I was at the post office and helped a women bring in a stack of packages to mail.  (And thank you for letting me and my one package go first.) 

And for those traveling, the story only gets more complicated.  Packing the car and facing the heavy traffic or sitting in a crowded airport dreading the “Delay” sign that might pop up at the last minute.

Stop the madness!!!!

   Christmas can seem like a rat race at times.  It is easy to get lost in the busyness of Christmas and miss the things that are really important. 

   In the Gospel of Luke, we see someone getting frantic with preparations and finally snap and lash out from her anger and frustration.  Jesus went to visit the home of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.  Martha spends her time running around cooking, serving dinner, and cleaning.  People reading this often blame Martha for complaining too much.  But the things she was doing were all good things that really needed to be done.  And while she was running ragged, her sister Mary sits in the company of Jesus.  When Martha asks Jesus to tell her pitch in and get to work too, He tells her that, “”Mary has chosen what is better.”

   I believe this story is not here to attach blame to Martha for being too busy or praise Mary for choosing Jesus over routine housework.  I believe this story is here because we have so many Martha-type personalities in the world.  There are so many who work and work and work and miss out on important moments in life.  Growing up in church I saw this so many times - the women who came early and dusted and cleaned and the men who checked the furnace and straitened the chairs.  Then if there was a dinner afterwards, the work was even more frantic and often a handful of women missed service to prepare the meal.

   When it comes to Jesus, I say live in the moment.  Things need to be done but if you end up missing church to get the church ready for church then what’s the point?  I am grateful for those who bustle about doing the gritty little things that need to be done but don’t miss out on what God has for you by being too busy to hear His still, small voice.  

   And this Christmas, don’t be a holiday Martha and miss out on what’s right in front of you.  Don’t miss the opportunities that will come your way.  A real conversation with a family member you don’t see often, or seeing the way your child’s face lights up because Santa did, indeed, get that letter and delivered exactly what they asked for.  It is not about all that we have to do and the list of things we have to check off, it’s all about the living in the moment and not missing Christmas preparing for Christmas.  It’s about remembering Christ’s birth and the reason He came to be born here. 

   This year, don’t miss out on what is better.  Take the opportunity to enjoy the time you have with friends and family and remember to put the little Christ Child back into your Christmas.  Worry about the things you have to do, but let go of the rest.  Enjoy the people you spend the time with, because that is what is better, and have yourself a “Mary” little Christmas.

Stephen Cram                            December 16, 2012                        Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8 

The Wise Men Went Back Another Way

The Wise Men Went Back Another Way

Matthew 2:11-12 NKJV

11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

   The story is so familiar; a side-light to the whole Christmas story.  The wise men arrive in Jerusalem and go to King Herod and ask him where the King of the Jews was born.  (Not a question King Herod was expecting, I’ll bet.) The King consults his advisors and the name of Bethlehem comes up.  Off the wise men go and find Mary, Joseph and their Child.  They worship this Child and give gifts.  Gold, the traditional gift for royalty; frankincense, a gift appropriate for a priest: and myrrh, a gift not appropriate for anyone being a spice used mostly in burial preparations.  Then we learn that they prayed and were impressed that they should not return to Herod but go home “another way.” 

   Even though their visit with Jesus and His family is traditionally taught as a part of the Christmas Story and shown in the manger, Bible scholars believe that these men from the east may not have seen Jesus until as late as two years after His birth.  Their visit is associated with Christmas, but might not have been actually part of the events.  But there are so many lessons to glean from this story, and I’m glad they are permanently associated with the Christmas story.

   Where we mostly think of the wise men coming and bearing gifts, there is a part of this story I’ve never thought much about before.  First, they came looking for the Messiah.  Most people today, even Christians, rarely “go looking” for God.  Instead, many of us sit around and wait for God to find us.  If the house across the street put up a sign that the Messiah was in residence, most of us wouldn’t stir off our couch to go see Him.   These men were truly wise because they went looking and traveled far to find Christ. 

   And notice that the wise men were nameless in this account?  Tradition gives us names, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar, but the Bible does not name them.  Why not?  I think it’s because they are not the important ones in this story and want our attention on Christ, not on themselves.  I’m never comfortable with church groups that feature some man’s name in the ministries’ name.  (Make your checks payable to the John Q. Saint Ministries.)   Rather than seek credit for traveling from afar and honoring the child who would one day be revealed as the Son of God, these men remain anonymous.  Sounds like something Jesus would teach; Matthew 6:2 “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”

     Then we read that they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod.  When they left Christ, they went home “another way.”  It’s easy to figure out why they were not to return to Herod.  He wanted to kill the Child.  We know that Joseph also had a dream that night and took his family and ran away to Egypt so Herod couldn’t find the Child. 

   But I’d like to think that their lives were changed after they met Christ.  Many people have gone home changed after meeting Christ for the first time.  Those of us who were changed by meeting Christ also went home “another way” than the way we came to Him.  Meeting Christ does that to anyone who is willing to look and see Christ and come near to Him.  Your life was changed and was never the same again.  You began to travel different roads and go different paths. 

   This Christmas season, don’t be afraid to share your experience with someone who hasn’t come to Christ yet.  They need to meet the One Who changes people’s lives and sets them on new roads to travel.

Stephen Cram                            December 9, 2012                       Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8 

Constant and Earnest Prayer

Constant and Earnest Prayer

Acts 12:5 NKJV
Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

Acts 12:5 American Standard Version
 Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.


   It was a really bad time for the church.  The first of the apostles to be martyred – James - had just been killed.  James was one of the closest companions of Jesus; often he and Peter and John were alone with Jesus.  Herod, yearning to win the approval of people, seized James and had him killed.  His plan worked, he saw his approval ratings going up in the opinion polls.  So he figured they would go up even more if he killed another of these controversial rabble-rousers.  He sent his men to arrest Peter and they held him overnight in prison.  Herod ordered Peter guarded well and trusted in his prison and his guards.
   But Jesus had promised that Peter would grow old before he died.  We read this in the last chapter of John’s Gospel when Jesus told Peter that when he was old, he would be carried where he did not wish.
   While Herod rested in his bed and Peter slept on a hard floor between his guards, the church stayed up and prayed for him.  The Greek word used here is ektenēs.  According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, the word ektenēs means:
1) stretched out, and 2) metaphorically intent, earnestly, assiduously.

Literally, the word pictures someone stretching out all they can to reach or take hold of something and keeping at it until you get it.  The other day I needed to get an item off a high storage shelf.  I’m 6 foot tall and can reach pretty high but this was just out of my reach.  I had to stretch and it was still out of reach.  I stood as straight as I could and then extended my feet until I was up on my tip-toes.  I angled my shoulder and extended my hand and fingers as far as possible and I was just able to grab the item and draw it to myself.  The word used here gives that kind of picture, stretching out earnestly to reach something.  This idea is what lies behind the English word used here, “constant.”
   A word from this root is used to describe the prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane in
Luke 22:44.
And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

   Here, Jesus prayed so earnestly He shed sweat drops of blood.
   Frankly, most of my prayers are not exactly earnest.  And the truth is that prayers that are "earnestless" often are powerless.  I am not alone in this problem, there is little "stretching out" in our prayers.  Sometimes we pray with the attitude, "God can You do something about this?”  (Do we really ask God if He CAN do something?)  That kind of prayer doesn't have much power.  There is no earnestness in that kind of prayer.  Earnest prayer has power, not because it persuades a reluctant God to action, but because it demonstrates that our heart cares passionately about the things God cares about.  Remember and believe in the promise Jesus made in John 15:7.
"If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you."
   Back to Peter sleeping between his guards in a locked, high-security prison.  How earnest were the prayers prayed by the church that night?  We read in the rest of Acts 12 that they gathered together for prayer at a time when most everyone else was asleep.  When we are so serious about seeing God’s will done that we are willing to give up some of the normal comforts of life, it shows we are becoming more earnest.  Now we are putting our heart into line with His heart.  We learn God’s will and priorities from His Word, the Bible.  But it isn’t enough for us to just know them - we must have an "earnest" desire to see His will done, and that "earnest" desire will show itself in earnest prayer.
   In Acts 12:5 we see that the church trusted in the God who answers prayer.  It really wasn’t a fair fight.  Herod had his soldiers and his prisons and swords and shields.  Peter had the power of God's promise and a church that was in prayer.  Acts 12 goes on to tell us how God miraculously freed Peter from prison and how Peter was able to drop in on the prayer meeting held on his behalf.  We can learn much from such a glorious answer to prayer.  The church saw a great answer to prayer when they stretched themselves and prayed earnestly.

Stephen Cram                            December 2, 2012                      Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8