Best of 2018

Below is a list of the best posts from each month of 2018 on this blog.  Now, they might not actually be the best, but it's my best try at a best-of list.

January- Little Children and a Chumbawamba Faith

February-Papa's Prayers

March- Bedtime Discipleship

April- Not Cut Out to be Alone

May- A Full Cupboard

June- The Cult of the Way We've Always Done Things

July- Worship is Warfare

August- Poison or Rocket Fuel

September- Living in a Pattern

October- Pillow Talk and Praying

November- Meeting the Parents

December- Gifts for the Naughty List

Bonus from Remembering Grace-The Lord's Prayer- Part I and The Lord's Prayer- Part II

Thank you for reading this year whether it was just this once or every post.  Thank you for helping keep me accountable to my study of and reflection in the Word in 2018 and have a great 2019!

Gifts for the Naughty List

“Have you been a good little boy?”

“You better watch out, you better not cry.

You better not pout, I’m telling you why.

Santa Claus is coming to town

He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice.

Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees you when you’re sleeping.

He knows when you’re awake.

He knows if you’ve been bad or good.

So be good for goodness sake.”

Every December children around the world who believe in Santa Claus are on their best behavior.  In one of the great parenting wins in history someone created a character that children loved yet approached with a measure of fear.  The benevolent Santa Claus is a jolly man on one condition: be good.

Good little boys and girls get presents under the tree and in their stockings. 

Boys and girls on the Naughty List get coal and no presents.

Kris Kringle, a.k.a Father Christmas, has helped parents raise good boys and girls for at least the period between Black Friday and Christmas morning for years.  Yet, should Christians utilize Santa as a behavior modification tool?

I say no.

Why should adults advent with the Gospel yet make their children advent as judiaizers?

Santa says earn it.  The Gospel says you couldn’t earn it and don’t have to.

Santa says be good and get a gift.  The Gospel says you get the best gift of all  time in spite of your actions.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God… not of works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

The Gospel is all about gifts for the Naughty List.  Does your Santa Claus tradition preach a different Gospel?  Is the Santa you have for your children an anti-christ?

Now, I’m not saying we should never teach our children through the use of rewards.  Rewards are also a big part of Scripture.  We are not to follow the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and pretend that the rewards of Heaven don’t matter and shouldn’t matter, but we should follow our Emmanuel who did speak of Heavenly rewards (Matthew 5:10-12).  We, as parents, should teach our children to behave well.  However, in a time so holy to Christians as Advent shouldn’t we spend more time teaching our children about the free gift of salvation? 

I’m also not advocating that Santa Claus have no part in your children’s Christmas tradition.  We don’t/won’t lie and teach our children that Santa Claus is a real person, but we will let them enjoy him the same way they enjoy Curious George and the Berenstain Bears.  What I’m asking you to do is to consider whether you want your children to advent soaked in a works based system or a system of loving grace.

It may be too late for this year to make these changes but Advent is here.  Spend time anticipating Christmas and all that is included in it.  In all your adventing honor Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Remember Christmas is about the Greatest Gift ever being giving specifically to those of us on the Naughty List.  Advent soaked in grace today.

Christmas Letter 2018

Another year has come and gone in the Ray house.  Merry Christmas and wishes for a Happy New Year from our family to yours.

When we wrote our letter in 2017 we couldn't imagine how 2018 could be more exciting.  Last year included the birth of our first child and a trip to Europe.  But as the expression goes, it's as if God said "hold my beer" and gave us even more this year.  He has truly blessed us with more excitement along the path of our adventure with Him.

From the time we began dating we had discussed doing foster care and/or adoption.  Well, God gave us a gentle shove this year into our dream.  At the beginning of 2018 we took ten weeks of classes to become certified foster parents. 

While we waited for our license to become official foster parents life continued.  Joshua celebrated his first birthday in May.  It was an incredible time because his cousin Adelyn was being officially adopted at the same time so we had a Birthday/Gotcha Day Party for the two of them. 

In June life continued to race along and even picked up the pace.  In early June Christine's brother Mike married Becca and Joshua got to be part of the ceremony.  Then later in June we found out that Christine is pregnant with our second child, a girl.  Christine is doing well and is due February 16th. 

This July we got to go to the first ever Ray Family Reunion.  It was near 50 Lakes, Minnesota at two beautiful cabins.  The weather was perfect and the cabins were filled with some of our favorite people in the world.  Hopefully this will be a new tradition for our family.

As we said before, life continued to move along at the Ray house while we waited on being licensed for foster care.  Christine continued to work PRN at the walk-in clinic as a BSN-RN.  This coming April Fools Day will mark Matt's tenth anniversary of being at KWAY Radio. We also did become licensed foster parents early this Fall.

On the day of the mid-term elections we thought our vote was the most important decision of the day.  We were wrong.  At 2:45 that afternoon we got a call about a little girl.  By 3:45 that afternoon Matt had her in his arms ready to go home.  We had said no to several other placements but this one was right for us.  We've had this beautiful little girl with us since and will have her for who knows how long.  She is just now 16-months old and Joshua is 19-months old and they really starting to be good friends (and like other siblings occasional foes).

2018 has been an exciting year at the Ray house.  A reunion, pregnancy, birthdays, a new sister-in-law and new children were some of what made our year thrilling.  2019 looks to be no less interesting for our clan in Waverly, Iowa.

In our year filled with toddlers and an embryo it is not lost on us that at Christmas an embryo, an infant and soon after a toddler changed our world forever.  Because Jesus was born as a human, lived as a man, died, was raised from the dead and lives for us today we can have confidence that happens in our life in this year or the next is in His control.

Merry Christmas!  Our Savior lives!  We hope you had a wonderful 2018 and will have a fantastic 2019.

(We cannot share too much online about our foster daughter.  No photos or name.  But if you come see us you are more than welcome to come and snuggle any of our kids.)

A Verse for Elders

As many of you may know I am an elder at my local church.  As such I paid special attention to Acts 20:13-38 where Paul addressed the elders of the church at Ephesus.  This is the only recorded speech to Christians in the book of Acts, so Dr. Luke put it in there for a very special reason.

I read this passage again this last week as I prepared to teach on this chapter for adult discipleship class and there is a lot that stood out.  But one verse was especially poignant.

"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.  Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood." Acts 20:28

The first thing that jumped off the page is that the first person an elder is required to watch over is himself.  Elders, or any other in any other church office, are not super-Christians.  Elders are not immune to the cancer of sin metastasizing in their flesh.  Elders must watch themselves first.  Elders must remove planks from their own eyes.   Elder teams must remove planks from each other's eyes. Men, this will help keep us humble and healthy enough to do the task.

Secondly, elders are to keep watch over the people of their local church.  Keeping watch implies activity.  Keeping watch over others requires work.  It requires knowledge of others.  It demands the elder be in the pen with the sheep not sitting gazing with binoculars from afar.  Elders must be in relationship with those they are charged with watching.  Is every elder able to do this for every member?  No, that is why elders are always multiple in the New Testament.  If your church has just a single pastor-elder then you should recommend that you remedy that and get your pastor the help of at least one another elder.

Lastly, the most heavy words that I read in this lone verse: Elders must "be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood."  The task is to look after a possession not your own.  The job is to oversee people bought through the death of Jesus Christ Himself!

In 1656 Richard Baxter wrote these words in his book The Reformed Pastor:

"Oh then, let us hear these arguments of Christ, whenever we feel ourselves grow dull and careless: Did I die for them, and wilt not thou look after them?  Were they worth my blood and are they not worth thy labour?  Did I come down from heaven to earth, to seek and to save that which was lost; and wilt thou not go to the next door or street or village to seek them?  How small is thy labour and condescension as to mine?  I debased myself to this, but it is thy honour to be so employed.  Have I done and suffered so much for their salvation; and was I willing to make thee a co-worker with me, and wilt thou refuse that little that lieth upon thy hands."

Elders, our task is a difficult and noble task.  Elders, our task is beyond our doing perfectly, but let us do it full bore.  I have failed in the position several times, including recently, but let us never fail because we love our Lord too little and think too little of His blood.  Elders, keep watch over yourself and all the flock that the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.  And elders, let us not forget whose flock it is and who's blood bought it today.

  

Meeting the Parents

I remember driving with my girlfriend to Onalaska, Wisconsin.  We took her normal route and I'll be honest and say that after Cresco I drove exclusively through towns and on roads I'd never driven before.  We eventually got into Minnesota and she pointed out her favorite little town called Spring Grove.  We continued on toward Wisconsin and drove beside a beautiful stream that runs through well kept farms on hillsides.  We eventually crossed the mighty Mississippi and soon after pulled into a driveway on Valley Vue Drive.

We walked into the house and I stood in a house I was a bit afraid to be in.

"Mom and Dad, this is Matt." Christine said smiling.

My girlfriend introduced me to her parents in their home.  I was welcomed very warmly because they are kind people and because their little girl loved me.

Many of you can remember the moment of being introduced to your girlfriend or boyfriend's parents.  Usually being introduced to the parents is a big deal.  You don't usually introduce someone to your parents unless you're serious about them.  Well, that girlfriend is now my wife and her parents are my parents-in-law. 

I thought of that moment when I read the passage below:

"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.  I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and His angels." Revelation 3:5

I will acknowledge his name before my Father and His angels.

Perhaps you do remember or at least can imagine the satisfaction of your significant other introducing you to his/her parents.  But can you imagine the scene Jesus Himself tells us about in Revelation 3:5?!

Imagine you walk into the throne room of God the Father.  Angels surround Him.  Flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder surround the throne.  Light brighter than you have ever seen emanates from God and His angels.  You walk nervously through the gates and into this court to stand before the Lord of all Creation.

"Dad, this is Matt.  You're going to love him.  I do." Jesus announces with a proud, wide, beaming smile and His arm around your shoulder.

Jesus Himself will acknowledge you.  All that you need to do is overcome. 

What is overcoming?  The one that overcomes is the one that holds on to their faith.  An overcomer is one that never abandons the winning team.  The one that overcomes is the one that confesses the name of Jesus no matter the cost.  An overcomer is someone like Stephen who acknowledged Jesus while being stoned to death and a moment later Jesus acknowledged him before His Father.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:6

Hear this: Hold on to Jesus and He will hold on to you and He will never and can never lose His grip on you and one day He will acknowledge your name before His Father.

Be an overcomer.  Anticipate the honor Jesus has in store for you and hold on to faith today. 

David's Rag Tag Group

Before King David was king he was simply David.  David had been told by the prophet Samuel that he would be king but for a long time David was not actually king.  In fact, for a good chunk of this time David was in hiding trying not to be killed by the current king, King Saul. 

"David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam.  When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there.  All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader.  About four hundred men were with him." 1 Samuel 22:1-2

As I read this passage a few weeks ago I wondered why David was surrounded by such a motley crew.  This group of four hundred men could be described as a rag tag group.  These men that flocked to David was the Who's Who of Who's Not.  This group was as nobody as it gets.  David got promised that he'd be king and his army is a bunch of disenfranchised guys with credit card debt; meanwhile, King Saul had an army of thousands of paid professionals.

Why did this bunch of losers flock to David?  Why did the 'haves' stay with King Saul while the 'have-nots' gravitated to David?

Well, it's simple: those who's life is comfortable don't want a new kingdom and those who's life stinks want new management.

King David and King Jesus are parallels.  King Saul and king Satan are parallels. 

See, David was anointed king back in 1 Samuel 16 but didn't become king until 16 chapters later.  It took years for the nation to experience what Samuel had proclaimed in 1 Samuel 16.  Jesus, the Christ (which means Anointed One), is King but in this world it is a here but not yet here reality; we aren't fully experiencing life in King Jesus' Kingdom like we will will when the old king dies.  King Saul was still on the throne when David was anointed and Satan "the prince of this world" (John 14:30) still has some sort of reign now.

Who is most inclined to want a change of leadership in this world?  The ragamuffins, the downtrodden, distressed, the discontented and those in debt. 

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." Matthew 19: 23-24

The people that most long for a new kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven, are those most dissatisfied with the current regime. Those most comfortable here and now are most likely to be the most uncomfortable in the here after. The: poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:3-6) most want the Kingdom of Heaven.

So, what can we learn from David's rag tag group?  What Gospel lesson is there for us in these two verses?

1) Proclaim the Gospel to the Outcasts of Society.

Everyone needs the Gospel, but the history of Christianity shows us that the Gospel spreads like wildfire amongst disenfranchised groups.  The people who aren't high on the hog here long for a new world order the most.  Reach out to those society labels weird or losers or a waste of your time.

2) Have a Holy Discontentment.

We are commanded to be content, yet we should have a holy discontentment.  I first heard that phrase from Pastor Matt Chandler and I'm stealing it, though he may have borrowed it, too.  A holy discontentment has a founded trust in Jesus but a deep longing to experience the fulness of King Jesus' Kingdom.

Be one of those that recognizes their indebtedness and is discontent with the current kingdom and flocks to King Jesus today.

A Month of Thanks

October is waning and the colors of the trees are quickly being relegated to being the colors of the ground; November is fast approaching.  With November comes one of my favorite holidays: Thanksgiving.

I really love Thanksgiving.  Christmas and Easter have much more meaning and much better meanings, but Thanksgiving occupies a warm spot in my heart.  Thanksgiving itself is a day of eating with people I love with no gifts, few distractions and many conversations.

Another reason I love Thanksgiving is that I love the feeling of being thankful.  I love how I feel when I am appreciative.  In past Novembers I have done and I have seen others do a daily list of things for which to be thankful.  This is an excellent exercise that helps cultivate thankfulness.  But this November I suggest trying something else.

This November will be a month of thanksgiving.

If you are a Christian I assume that you want a thankful heart toward your Savior.  If you are a Christian you want to be perpetually thankful to God for what He has done, and you should want this.  But how can we be thankful to the God we cannot see when we've ungrateful toward people that we can see?

"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, who he has not seen." 1 John 4:20

As Les Misérables says, "To love another person is to see the face of God."

Well, to be thankful to God, whom we cannot see, is difficult to do if we cannot be thankful toward people, who we can see.  To be thankful to another person is a way to be thankful to the God who made them and put them exactly where He wanted them to be in that given moment.

I think of the "Unforgiving Debtor" parable in Matthew 18.  We've got much for which to be thankful.  When we allow little inconveniences to keep us from being grateful to those around us it screams that we don't really appreciate the great, glorious reasons we have to be thankful for from God.  When we aren't grateful to the people around us it is because we forget to see the very image of our great God written on their faces and we forget the sovereign power of God that blesses us through His creations.

So, how thankful are you toward your wife or husband?  Your waitresses or waiter?  Your clerks?  Your postman or woman?  How have you shown them your gratitude?

November will be a month of thanksgiving. 

How will you show it to the people God has placed around you, many of whom are literally serving you?  Are you going to flash a big smile?  Are you going to leave a gift in the mailbox?  Are you going to (I know, this is a pretty radical idea) say "Thank you"?  I'm not asking for anything radical.  What I'm proposing is a month of a concerted effort to be conscience to the fact that you need to be thankful to so many people and then acting on that in a multitude of very small ways.  Smiles and "Thank yous" will cost you nothing, but I guarantee they will richly reward your soul and theirs.

November is fast approaching.  Will you join me in making November a month of thanks?  If so, think of how you will do this today.