Have Yourself an Imperfect Christmas & “Why You Shouldn’t Be Defensive” – Purity 1218

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning. Let's see, uh, today's photo of an imperfectly decorated, unlit, pre-lit Christmas tree topped with a Santa hat comes to us from yours truly as I captured a view from River House living room decorations for 2023. Yeah, the lights aren't working, so I bought 200 lights and wrapped them around the tree to get it done, even if it isn't perfect. An electronic switch is, uh, to prayerfully fix the problem is on the way, but whether it fixes it or not, the tree is up. An imperfect manger scene featuring only 2 of the 3 wise men is also on display. Actually, the third wise man is on display. He, he's the one bearing a treasure chest of gold. He is there, he's just in a plastic sandwich bag because somewhere, somewhere along, uh, the line he literally lost his head. It's in the bag too. So I guess he sort of represents the dangers of carrying cash at Christmas time, but he's still standing in his clear sandwich bag— sandwich— sandwich slash body bag. Although his head is not on his shoulders because he is— he has been decapitated, but he still showed up to honor baby Jesus despite his sorry state. Although he is respectfully staying in the background as he doesn't want the supernatural miracle of his being raised from the dead headless to disturb the awe and wonder of the first Christmas. But seriously, I think I'll get some super glue to try to fix the gold-giving wise man's head like I did last year or the year before. Some things just don't stay fixed no matter what you try, I guess. We are not perfect, and the world is not perfect, so join me in giving up any illusions that we would somehow be perfect and give up the bondage of the dream of the perfect Christmas. Well, it's Saturday, and I apologize for my silliness and my imperfect Christmas decoration display. But as we draw ever closer to Christmas, I wanted to assure all my friends that you don't have to be perfect. Your Christmas doesn't have to be perfect, um, and we don't have to be perfect when we do something for the Lord. And, and when we do something for the Lord, it doesn't have to be perfect. And perhaps most importantly, we don't have to defend ourselves. So take off the holiday stress, try to relax a little bit, and try to do the best you can to make merry this Christmas and leave the rest up to God. We as fallible human beings are not perfect, but those of us who have put their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior have a perfect advocate who has paid for all of our sins and who gives us his righteous— gives his righteousness to us. We don't have to be perfect in the things we do, earn our salvation, or defend ourselves because Christ has done that for us. And since I am perfectly forgot to set my alarm this morning and am a bit short on time as I will be headed for the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum today for Grinchmas— oh really, forgive me— uh, I decided to share this message from Dr. Neil Anderson that I received as a morning devotion earlier this week in my email, uh, that I found to be very, uh, encouraging as my recent failure to be certified as a Deeper Walk prayer minister on time caused all kinds of emotions and the desire to defend myself. So please enjoy this wisdom from Dr. Neil Anderson called "Why You Shouldn't Be Defensive." And Dr. Neil Anderson writes, while being— well, he doesn't write this part, he shares 1 Peter 2:23, which says, while being reviled, he, Jesus, did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. That's from 1 Peter 2:23. I told you I wasn't perfect. But now, this is what Dr. Neil Anderson writes: There are two reasons why you shouldn't be defensive and why there is a critical negative of that— when there is a critical negative evaluation of you. First, if you are in the wrong, you don't have a defense. If you are criticized for saying something which is out of order or doing something which is wrong, and the criticism is valid, any defensiveness on your part would be a rationalization at best and a lie at worst. You must simply respond, "You're right, I was wrong," and take steps to improve your character and behavior. Second, if you are right, you don't need a defense. Peter encouraged us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who while being reviled, he did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. That's from 1 Peter 2:23. If you are in the right, you don't need to defend yourself. The righteous judge who knows who you are and what you have done will exonerate you. A dear later, and this is Dr. Neil Anderson writing some more. A dear lady entered my office with a well-thought-out list of things for me and things against me. I suggested that she share the things for me first. That didn't take long. And as she was going through the things against me, the part of me that is made of earth wanted to respond to every allegation, but I didn't. When she was finished, there was an awkward pause before I said, "It must have taken a lot of courage to come and share that with me. What do you suggest I do?" She started to cry. Nobody tears down another from a position of strength or judges another without being judged. Judgmental people are people in pain. If you can learn not to be defensive when someone exposes your character defects or attacks your performance, you may have an opportunity to turn that situation around and minister to that person. And, and Neil Anderson closes his message with a prayer: Lord, give me the courage not to act— react defensively. You are the only defense I need, and I entrust myself to you who judges righteously. Amen. And that was all from Dr. Neil Anderson there. And now this is me writing: when I received my negative evaluation, I tried to explain myself at first, but the The decision to delay my certification was made, and I stopped, and I have not defended myself or tried to talk the instructor into changing his mind since. Instead, I've chosen to receive the ministry development plan they have prepared with thanks and will consider what it indicates about the areas where I need improvement and will consider when, how, and if I will pursue meeting its requirements. Today's message reminds me that I don't have to defend myself, and my faith reminds me that I don't need the approval of men or a certification in prayer ministry to be fully accepted, secure, or significant in Christ. Today's Bible verse comes to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Cruis. This morning's meditation verse comes from the section on church discipline. And its verse is Colossians 3:16, which says, "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts." Today's verse is the second of two verses that fall under the first point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on church discipline. That point is Discipline begins with personal admonition. Today's verse encourages us to teach and admonish one another with the message of Christ, but to also be thankful for receiving it and to allow it to produce joy in our hearts to the point that we make a regular practice out of worshiping the Lord in song. Wisdom and knowledge of Christian theology and what the Bible actually says is a huge key to our walking out our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ, but today's verse also encourages us to be grateful and to sing with gratitude to God in our hearts. Our faith is not just head knowledge. Our faith is a love relationship with God, or at least it is supposed to be. And so, if the message of Christ hasn't penetrated our hearts to cause us to love the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, We may want to start singing to stir our souls to feel the love of God experientially. Ironically, singing to the Lord can actually be a means to an end in experiencing gratitude and joy for the Lord in our hearts. While singing to the Lord should certainly be a fruit of our transformed life, if we are feeling a little cold or don't know what the love of God feels like, we can use worship and praise to get us there. The knowledge of God going from our heads to our hearts may be just a matter of surrendering and reflecting on the joy of our salvation and celebrating what the Lord has done for us as we sing along with worship. When we reflect on our salvation experiences and the things that the Lord has provided us with in the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit may move in our spirits to show us what got— what being a Christian is all about. The love of God in us. Being a Christian really is something we should be excited about. Now please forgive me, but any love song can be directed toward the Lord and be a means to express our love for God as a means, and a means to receive love from God. For example, the Pointer Sisters song "I'm So Excited" speaks in general terms, and the love in it can be directed to God. The song's lyrics proclaim, I want to love you, feel you, wrap myself around you. I want to squeeze you, please you. I just can't get enough. And if you move real slow, I'll let it go. I'm so excited and I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I like it. I'm so excited. And I just can't hide it. And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I want you, Lord. Yeah, I want you, Lord. I do, I do want to love you, feel you, and I am excited about it. So try to give worship a try. Use Christian songs or repurpose some pop favorites with God as the object of your desire, and you may experience the exciting life of peace, joy, and love. That the Lord has for you. As always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.org, where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Today we continue sharing from God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas, and that's from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. And, um, we imperfectly are celebrating Advent too. Um, as Advent began on December 3rd, but we started sharing from this devotional on November 7th and, uh, on 27th, and even missed a day. And so our Advent calendar is a little off, but we're sharing from this, this, uh, the Christmas devotional all the same. And so today, uh, From God Is in the Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. We're on Advent Week 2, uh, mystery, which And the final day of week 2, which is day 7, where Bonhoeffer shares a message called "Unfathomable Mystery." And Bonhoeffer writes, "It is an incomprehensible reversal of all righteous and pious thinking. God declares himself guilty to the world and thereby extinguishes the guilt of the world. God himself takes the humiliating path of reconciliation." and thereby sets the world free. God wants to be guilty of our guilt and takes upon himself the punishment and suffering that this guilt brought to us. God stands in for godlessness, love stands in for hate, the Holy One for the sinner. Now there is no longer any godlessness, any hate, any sin that God has not taken upon himself, suffered, and atoned for. Now there is no more reality, no more world that is not reconciled with God and in peace. That is what God did in his beloved Son Jesus Christ. Eke homo, see the incarnate God, the unfathomable mystery of love of God for the world. God loves human beings. God loves the world, not ideal human beings, but people as they are, not an ideal world, but the real world. And this next section is shared by Scott Carnes in God with Us, and it says, we prepare to witness a mystery. More to the point, we prepare to witness the mystery, the mystery that God made flesh. While it is good that we seek to know the Holy One It is probably not so good to presume that we ever complete the task, to suppose that we ever know anything about him except that he was made known to us. The prophet Isaiah helps us to remember our limitations when he writes, 'To whom then will you compare me?' says the Holy One. Think of it like this: he cannot be exhausted by our, our ideas about him. But he is everywhere suggested. He cannot be comprehended, but he can be touched. His coming in the flesh, this mystery we prepare to glimpse again, confirms that he is, is to be touched. That was from Scott Carnes in God with Us. And finally, our devotion shares Isaiah 40:18 and verses 21 through 23. Which say, "To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with Him? Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent." to live in, who brings peace to naught and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. That is it from our Advent devotional, uh, God Is in the Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. We'll continue to share that until Christmas and beyond if there's still material that we haven't covered, uh, because we may not do things perfectly for the Lord, but we certainly stand up and try to recognize the best we can and and leave the rest to him. And that's a big point of today's message, is that we're not going to be perfect and never will be, but we try to make our, our love as perfect as we can for the Lord and try to do what we feel that he's leading us to do. So that's why we do the podcast, to tell people that you can have a less than perfect life and But experience great joy and freedom and victory when you follow the Lord in spirit and in truth and decide to follow him as a disciple of Jesus Christ, surrendering more and more of your life to God and his purposes for you. So we encourage that. So we are going on the road today, so I'm going to have to, uh, you know, wrap this up and get ready to, uh, head to— head to Springfield, Massachusetts, for a day of fun at museums, uh, including Dr. Seuss— the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss. So it should be interesting. Um, so let's pray. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Lord, we thank you so much, uh, for the love you've given us, uh, to save imperfect people like us. And we just want to thank you, Lord, for all you've done and And we also pray for the people who might be listening to this message. We pray for you to come alongside them and their prayer requests and help them with their imperfect lives, because we all need your help, uh, Lord. And me, I need your help too. So please, even today on a day off, I need you to go before me, open my eyes to the things you want me to see, and lead my steps into the things you'd have us do, because all I want to do is represent you. Uh, here on the earth. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we love you, and we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.