Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”—Luke 2:10–11

The angel began that wonderful announcement to the shepherds with, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. . . .” Maybe you are suffering today. You might find yourself wondering, Where is the joy? But what is the joy about? Is it about an opportunity to go shopping? Is the message of Christmas “Let it snow?” No, it is, “Let us worship.”

The angels’ visit to the shepherds became the first Christmas celebration. It’s as though Heaven and earth were celebrating it together, as though a portal to glory had been opened up. These shepherds saw the supernatural world, the heavenly world. On that first Christmas, there was a big celebration in Heaven and on earth over the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have a Savior: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). That is the most important thing. We have a Savior who came to save us from the power and penalty of sin. Whatever you are going through in life, remember this: you have a Savior. He has put your sins as far away from you as the east is from the west.

Christ means “anointed one.” Another word for that is Messiah. Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promise to send His Son as the Messiah. This is a simple reminder that God keeps His promises. God said that He would send a Messiah, and the Messiah came.

Lord means that we have a sovereign God who is in control of our lives.

So set aside the things you have become preoccupied with and remember that you have a Savior. You have a Lord. You have a Christ. And you have His promises.

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done marvelous things! —Joel 2:21

On the first Christmas Eve, there were no brightly colored lights on anyone’s homes. There were no stockings that had been hung with care or any visions of sugarplums dancing in children’s heads. It was just another night in Bethlehem. The census had gone out—that command by Caesar that everyone was to be taxed. But history was about to change in Bethlehem.

All of Israel was living in a very frightening time historically. They lived under the tyrant King Herod who would execute people at will. In addition, the Jews were living in occupied territory. The Romans had taken control of their country. They were no longer free to do what they wanted and live as they wanted. They wondered if Rome would ever leave. Would the violent rule ever cease? Would their world ever change?

Then suddenly angels appeared to the shepherds and told them not to be afraid; the Messiah had been born.

There is a lot to be afraid of in our unstable, volatile world today. It seems that at every turn, we hear about another horrific tragedy happening in our world. It can cause us to be terrified.

Then there are the personal fears: What if I lose my health? What if I lose a member of my family? What if this happens? What if that happens? A lot of things run through our minds.

Here is the message of the first Christmas—and the message for us this Christmas: Don’t be afraid. . . . I bring you good tidings of great joy.

Ray Stedman wrote, “The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy.”

Does that describe you? Fear is what Christmas came to remove—and now we can have joy in its place.

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. . . . Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” —Luke 2:8, 10

If you are a parent, then you can remember the first people you called after you became one. You gave them the weight and length of the baby and the actual time when he or she was born. You shared the news with those who were closest to you.

When God announced the birth of His Son, whom did He tell first? It seems likely that He would have started with Caesar Augustus. He could have sent the angel Gabriel to appear in Caesar’s court and announce, “Check this out, buddy. You are not God! The Savior of the world has arrived!”

Or He might have had Gabriel appear to the religious leaders and say, “Wake up! The Messiah has been born! The One you talk about, the One you pray for—He is here!”

But that didn’t happen. Instead, God first announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds. We tend to romanticize the shepherds along with everyone else in the Christmas story, but we don’t understand who they were. In this culture, shepherds lived at the bottom of the social ladder.

Shepherds were so despised that their testimonies were not even allowed in a court of law. Shepherds did the work that no one else wanted to do. They worked hard, but they were perceived as unclean because they could not observe the ceremonial hand washings. They were the outcasts, the nobodies.

The only people less-regarded than shepherds were those who were suffering from leprosy. Yet God decided to announce His news to some shepherds in the fields as they kept watch over their flocks at night. This was the modus operandi of Jesus, from birth to death. He always appealed to the outcast, to the common, to the ordinary. And that should give hope to ordinary people like us.

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. —Matthew 1:19

Joseph is the unsung hero of the Christmas story. For the most part, there are no Christmas songs about Joseph. Yet he really is a hero. The Bible tells us that Joseph was a “good man” (Matthew 1:19). Deeply in love with Mary, he was no doubt jolted by the news that she was pregnant.

Joseph and Mary were engaged, which, in their culture, was like being married. Once a couple entered into this engagement, or espousal, period, it was like being married, although they lived in separate houses. It was during this time that Mary became pregnant.

Yet Joseph loved Mary, and the Bible tells us that he “did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly” (Matthew 1:19). In other words, Joseph was thinking, I’m going to say that I can’t marry her now, but I’m certainly not going to publicly shame Mary, either.

While he was pondering this, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (verses 20–21).

That was all Joseph needed to hear. He could have walked away, even after he knew the truth. But he stood by Mary. And just as surely as God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah, he chose Joseph to be a father figure on earth for Jesus.

When God uses a person, there is a sacrifice to make. It won’t be an easy path, but it will be a fruitful one—and you will look back later in life and be glad that you took it.

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. – 1 Peter 5:6

Humility. What is it anyway? If I’m humble, do I have to roll over and play second fiddle to everyone, all the time? Too often humility has been misunderstood as a negative character trait. I would like to help you get a clear biblical perspective on what humility is and what it is not. Humility isn’t thinking less of your-self; it’s thinking more of God and of others. In other words, humility isn’t about putting our-selves down, but rather, about glorifying God and affirming others.

Consider Jesus. He left His place of highest honor in heaven in or¬der to become a man, flesh and blood, here on earth. However, He didn’t tear himself down or deny that He was a person of value and importance. What He did do is lift others up through His humility and show them how valuable they were to God.

So, you see, humility isn’t about being a doormat; it’s about being a doorway–a doorway through which others enter into the presence and power of God. By focusing on building others up and help¬ing others connect with God, we show them the love of God, who desires the best for them.

Think about how you can strive to put others’ interests ahead of your own. I challenge you to show others in your home, your offices, or even in the checkout line at the market, how you and God value them. A good way to begin is by asking yourself what Jesus would do if he were in your place.

What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself. – Abraham Lincoln

May we all find ways to stay humble today!

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”—Matthew 10:39

If you go to a doctor because you’re having unusual aches or pains or some other issue, the doctor may have to give you bad news initially. He or she may have to tell you there is a very serious problem and that you need surgery or some type of treatment. You don’t like to hear that, but it’s the prescribed course to help change your condition.

In the same way, God will tell us the truth about ourselves: We’re sinners, and we need a Savior. Once we accept that, we can go from sadness to happiness. We discover that the way to find life is by committing our lives to God.

This is what Jesus meant when He said, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39 NKJV). We win by losing. The way up is down. The way to happiness is sadness.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4 NKJV). The word blessed used here could be translated “happy.” Jesus was effectively saying, “Happy are the unhappy.” Or another way to put it, “Happy are the unhappy, because one day they will be happy.” How? By mourning over our sin. We see ourselves for who we are.

We have our dreams and aspirations, and that is all good. But here’s my advice to you, especially here at Berry Field. Commit your life to God, and understand that His plan for you is better than your plan for yourself. He may say no to this and no to that. But what God will say yes to later is so much better. And as the years pass, you will look back on your life and give thanks to Him.

Chaplin Rob

Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. —Genesis 32:30–31

The Bible tells the story of a man who had been sick for 38 years. He hung out by a body of water called the Pool of Bethesda, where there were many disabled people. Tradition said that periodically an angel would appear and stir up the waters, and the first person into the water would be healed.

One day Jesus showed up and asked this man an unusual question: “Do you want to be made well?” Now what kind of question is that to ask someone who’s been waiting years by a body of water that’s occasionally stirred by an angel?

It’s a very good question actually. Not everyone wants to change. You can go to an alcoholic and say, “Do you want to be free from alcohol?” Do you think everyone will say yes? No, not everyone will.

You can go to a person on drugs and say, “Do you really want to be free from drugs?” Or you can go to someone else and say, “Do you really want to be free from pornography?” Not everyone wants to change. Some people are comfortable right where they are, and they want to stay exactly where they are.

There has to come a moment in every believer’s life when he or she surrenders to God. It isn’t always easy, of course. Often God’s plans are plans that we love and agree with, but then sometimes God’s plans are different than ours. It is then that we have to say, as Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42 NKJV).

That’s what was happening in the life of Jacob when he wrestled with God. He went from resisting to resting and from cunning to clinging.

When we surrender to God, we ultimately win.

My Prayer is that each of us will find a way to surrender to God today

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Daniel 7:9-14, Revelation 1:4-8 and John 18:33-37

Democracy is a bad form of government but all the others are so much worse! I believe I quote Winston Churchill. In past centuries royalty were at the top of most nations and tribes. We spoke of “kingdoms.” Now kings and queens, e.g. Great Britain, are more for tradition, national unity, and ceremony rather than actual governing. Democracy thrives without a King or Queen.

What ARE we to make of a King today?! “No King but Jesus,” has echoed through American life for generations. From the beginning the USA avoided any allowance of “kingly power” over its citizens opting for three branches of government with checks and balances over against centralized power in a few hands.

So, what are we to make of King Jesus?! This Sunday the scriptures address the true and final king in the person of Jesus. His governance is always different from Pilate and Caesar. How different? It’s pretty much about how power is used and how DOES a King influence and guide a people. We truly enter the Kingdom of God in the best sense of the word “Kingdom!” We will take a look at how to identify the rule of King Jesus as contrasted with most kings and rulers throughout history. A rule that gives subjects of the Kingdom an incredible amount of freedom but freedom for divine purposes and freedom from the power of sin and folly!

Be prepared to follow!

Pastor Barry

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.—Luke 17:15–16

The Bible tells the story of ten men who had a lot to give thanks for. They were miraculously touched by Jesus. Prior to this touch, they were complete outcasts, the very scourge of society. These men had leprosy, and you couldn’t get any lower in that particular time in history with this incurable disease.

If a man was found to have leprosy, he could have no contact with others. He had to leave his house and his friends and live apart from them. So here were these men living an isolated, miserable, lonely life. But they heard about Jesus. They heard how He had touched others and healed them.

So they called out to the Lord and asked for His healing touch. Now these men were standing before Jesus in various stages of decay. Their clothing would have been ripped from perpetual mourning. Their skeletal heads would have been uncovered. They would have been required, according to the Law of Moses, to cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” wherever they went.

But Jesus did not respond to them with special effects or even a dramatic touch. He simply said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests” (Luke 17:14 NKJV). So that is what they did. And guess what? They were healed.

Yet only one decided to go back and give thanks. The Bible tells us he was a Samaritan, which may not mean a lot to us. But normally, Jews and Samaritans had no dealings with each other. The Jews looked down on the Samaritans. Yet it wasn’t one of the sons of Abraham that came to give thanks; it was a Samaritan. And he was commended for this.

We are so quick to ask for God’s help, but let’s remember to be just as quick in giving Him praise when He comes through.

Let us remember to thank God for all the things we do have.

This thanksgiving I hope and pray that God will bless each and every one of you.

Many Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. —Hebrews 11:2

Have you ever looked into a magnifying mirror? It’s disturbing when you see everything up close. It isn’t a bad thing to see your flaws, your shortcomings, and your sins. Just don’t allow yourself to be identified by them.

The Bible says that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). In what is called the Heroes’ Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11 presents us with an amazing collection of characters. Some of those who made it in are expected, but then there are some surprising entries as well, like Jacob.

If we were honest about Jacob, we’d have to admit that this guy was a rascal, big time. This reminds us that Hebrews 11 is filled with ordinary people like us. They were world changers, and we, too, can be world changers.

They discovered the secret of staying on top is not talent. It is not opportunities or status. It is faith in God. These people were far from perfect. They failed often. But they are not in the Heroes’ Hall of Faith because they were great people. They are in it because they had faith in a great God.

Here’s what I find fascinating. You won’t find a single mention of any of their sins in this passage. And they did sin. However, not one word of their failure is mentioned. Why? Because they were forgiven, and God gives second chances. They were looked at for what they became, not what they were.

In the same way, when God looks at you He sees a work in progress. But He doesn’t just see you for what you are in the moment; He sees you for what you can become.

No matter where you are today or what you are dealing with… God is working on making you and all things new. Turn your trust to Him and know that he will do great things in the days ahead.

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob