Tag: Christmas

The Hope of Christmas

/ CD Hamman

Video here

Isaiah 9:6-7 & Acts 1:9-11

I am really starting to think that the NFL is scripted, just like WWE, and other “reality” television shows. Every year, Cleveland Browns fans believe this could be the year we finally go to the Super Bowl. We have talented players, and a couple years ago, we got Baker Mayfield. We are anxiously waiting to see the Browns flag planted on the 50 yard line in Pittsburgh. And every year, we are met with disappointment. I suppose that may be how Michigan fans feel against Ohio State each year. Or Oklahoma State most years after Bedlam. But at the beginning of the season, we all have one thing in common: HOPE.

What is “hope?” Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary gives these definitions:

A. Desire accompanied by expectation of, or belief in fulfillment. (Hope for a cure.)

B. Someone or something on which hopes are centered. (Mayfield is the Browns hope for a Superbowl championship.)

C. To cherish a desire with anticipation. (hope for a promotion)

D. To desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment. (I hope Messiah comes soon)

Bottom Line: Are we staring, or are we striving?

Do we have just a little bit of hope, and we’re standing still, just staring off into space, looking for Jesus? Or is our hope so deep that we KNOW He is coming back, so we are working to live a life that honors Him, and that lets us share Him with the world around us?

1. There was hope in the beginning.

Most of us know the creation story. God created the world, and everything in it. Then, finally He created man and woman. They could eat from any tree, except one, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And He warned them that if they eat that one fruit, just one little bite, they will die. And what happened? The devil came in the form of a snake and tempted Eve, by twisting God’s words. She fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Then the first thing she does is gives Adam the forbidden fruit. And now they realize what they have done.

After the fall, God first pronounces judgment, and a curse on the serpent. And even before pronouncing judgment and punishment on Adam & Eve, God pronounces the first Gospel promise.

Genesis 3:15 reads “And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” (NLT)

This is the very first glimpse of the promise of Messiah. There will be one who will come and strike Satan’s head, and crush him.

Another example of early hope is found when God called Abram, in Genesis 12:1-3. The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

And there are still more examples of the hope of the coming Messiah, throughout the Old Testament, including God’s promise to David that his descendant would always be on the throne.

2. Hope is fulfilled in Jesus part 1

Isaiah 9:6-7 reads “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (NLT)

Israel longed for the coming Messiah. The prophets had been promising a Messiah. The people were looking for One who would make things right. When Jesus was born, he fullfiled that promise. His birth, His life, His death and resurrection, was the fulfillment of the prophesies. Sadly, not all have recognized that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He did not come in the way that they thought the Messiah should come. Indeed, there had even been others who had claimed to be Messiah, who were great disappointments. And some who should have recognized Jesus as Messiah, the religious leaders, refused to accept Him.

But God knew what was going to happen. Jesus knew it too. It was necessary for Jesus to die on the cross, taking our guilt upon himself, and paying the price for our sin. His death paid our penalty. His resurrection, that dealt the final blow to death, and satan. That first Gospel promise was fulfilled.

3. Hope will be finalized in Jesus part 2

I want to read Acts 1:6-8, to kind of set the scene: So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8, NLT)

I noticed something funny as I read this account of Jesus’ ascension. In Acts 1:6 we are told that when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking Him when He was going to free Israel and restore their kingdom. They are still looking for an earthly kingdom. Of course Jesus tells them that only the Father has the authority to set those times, and they are not for the apostles to know.

After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts 1:9-11, NLT)

I get it. They have just spent all this time traveling with, and learning from, Jesus. They have witnessed His execution, and His resurrection. They think they have Him back. But, He just left them again. Even weirder, He just was taken up into a cloud. I think I’d be looking up, straining to see Him, and trying to explain it, myself.

But as they are standing there, straining to see Him, two guys dressed in white robes appear and give them the promise that all hope, will be finally realized when Jesus comes back. Wait, so He’s coming back? Oh yes. And this time, we know what to look for. This time he will be coming back on a cloud. And this is confirmed throughout the New Testament.

And when He returns, all will be made right. We who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior will be with Him forever. The peace that we so desperately hope for will be finally realized. And we will again have full fellowship with God.

But, while we are waiting for His second advent, we should be striving to live according to His commands. Not to be saved, but because He has already saved us. We are also to spread the Gospel, the Good News, of Jesus Christ.

Even as we strive to grow in our relationship with Christ, are we sharing the Good news with our neighbors? Are we sharing Jesus with those we meet?

Bottom Line: Are you staring or sharing?

Even as we look forward to the future fulfillment of our Hope, our hope is also realized here and now, in the work of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. What is the source of your hope, this Christmas?

There is an old hymn, written in 1834, by Edward Mote, The Solid Rock. The first verse states: My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly trust in Jesus’ name.

The last verse reads: When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh may I then in Him be found. Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.

Will you be able to stand before His throne? Will your family, friends, and neighbors?

Christmas thoughts

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

I was watching a rerun of Night Court yesterday. At the end of the episode judge Harry Stone is standing in his courtroom looking at a cross. He was talking to the Lord, and asking questions. Finally, he asked the toughest, yet easiest, question: Does man have the capacity to rid himself of his own evil?

It’s a tough question because to even ask it requires that we first recognize that we even are capable of evil. And, frankly, in spite of all the evidence, none of us wants to admit that. It’s also the easiest question to answer, because the answer is, sadly a resounding NO, we do not.

But, all is not lost. You see, that is exactly why Christ was born. He was born to show us the way, and to pay the price. He was born to die, so that we might be reconciled to the Father, who created us. So, although we do not have the capacity within ourselves to rid ourselves from evil, we have a loving God, who gave His son who paid the price for our sin. He also defeated death, and gives us His Holy Spirit, who works within us to remove that evil that infects us.

In other words, Jesus Christ is the greatest gift the world has ever received.

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 3:16-17 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

The Best Christmas Gift Ever

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17, NLT)

What is the best Christmas gift you ever received? Two of my favorites were a puppy and a train set. Sometimes we take for granted the practical gifts that we receive. For example, when I was a boy, often my gifts would include sox, or clothes. Really?! That’s supposed to be a Christmas gift? Well, yes. But often, especially as children we just want the flashy toys, the cool things, the dolls that really drink and potty. Or we want the latest in technology. We don’t appreciate the importance of the practical gifts; the things that we need.

We don’t always realize it, but the biggest need we have is our need for a Savior. Ever since Adam & Eve sinned in the Garden, humans were cut off from the fellowship with God that we were created for. Animal sacrifices were only a temporary solution. Hebrews 10, we read that animal sacrifices didn’t provide perfect cleansing from sin; they had to be repeated over and over again. But God had a plan. He was waiting for the right time to send His special gift. In His time, He sent us his only son, Jesus.  But, Jesus birth was only the beginning of the story. We must remember Jesus’ death on the cross. By His blood we are cleansed from sin. As our high priest, Jesus offered himself as the final perfect sacrifice.

The story, and the gift, doesn’t stop there. Through His resurrection we have eternal life. We need all three pieces of God’s gift. By Jesus’ birth, God came down and took on the form of man, and lived as a perfect human, setting us an example. And it is by HIS death and blood that our sins are forgiven, once and for all. And His resurrection, and the empty tomb, testifies to our hope of eternal live with God.

 That, in a nutshell, is the Gospel, and the absolute best gift ever.

Thanks for the Musicals

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

I want to say “Thanks a lot” to those adults who have influenced me through children’s programs and musicals growing up in church. Thank you for forever filling my head with screwed up Christmas carols, strange Christmas songs, silly Easter songs and just plain fun songs. Not to mention some silly ideas that go along with said programs and musicals.

My first memory of a children’s program is when my family attended Massillon Church of the Nazarene back, sometime around the late 70′s. In any case, I seem to recall a nice lady by the name of Ruth Motz teaching us children songs, and a series of scenes that revolved around the story of Noah and the ark. I believe it was titled Get on Board, Children. This musical had songs like, “No, no, Noah,” “What do you do on a rainy day in an ark?” and “There’s gonna be rain and thunder, lots of lightning.” And of course there were scenes that included Noah’s grandkids trying to stay out trouble while looking for something to do on a rainy day, in an ark. They couldn’t even go fishing, for crying out loud. Why couldn’t they fish? Well, they only had two worms. A fact that Grandma had to remind them about. Thank you, Ruth. I still have some of those lyrics and scenes running through my mind, even today.

The next program I remember was also done at Massillon Nazarene. However, this one was directed by my mother, Barbara Hamman. The title of this one was Super Gift From Heaven. This musical took place in a toy store, and had songs like When the gifts come flowing in (to the tune of, you guessed it, When the Saints Go Marching in, of course). It included characters like Freddie Freckles (played by yours truly) and Amanda (played by my childhood “nemesis”) and a left over Easter bunny with a tear, who, with a few stitches and a new vest, is transformed into a Christmas rabbit! Whoever heard of a Christmas rabbit?! The absolute worst thing about this musical, at the time, for me, was having to look at the girl playing Amanda and tell her “You’re really pretty.” Remember, that girl was my nemesis. (Just between you and me, though, she was kinda cute. Just don’t tell my mother I finally admitted it.) I also began to learn a hard lesson with that musical. Freddie was supposed to have a solo, but the director decided it should be a duet. Well, there was no way I was singing a duet with the girl I just knew was the bane of my existence. So, I was a “gentleman,” and let her have the spotlight. Yep, pride got in my way, and I completely ignored the message, that Jesus was the best gift ever.

The next two programs, I’m not sure what order they were done in, but my mother gets the blame for the silly songs and scenes left in my head from them too. They were both done at Akron Arlington Church of the Nazarene. Now I must also bear some responsibility for these next two, because by this time I was an adult, they were done in the late 1988/1989, and I was helping my mother.

The first one was another Easter program, We Like Sheep. As you can imagine, the main characters were sheep, and the message was that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. But now I have songs with phrases like “We like sheep, we like sheep ’cause sheep is what we are. ‘Cause sheep is what we are we think they’re the best by far… we repeat we truly do like sheep.” Add to that scenes like the one between a lamb and an older sheep where the sheep says to the lamb: “Were you born yesterday?” To which the little lamb replies “last night, as a matter of fact.”

Now, for the musical that has really screwed up my brain. To this day, even when leading worship, I have a hard time singing Joy to the World correctly. The correct first line, as most of us know starts “Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king.” But nope. Thanks to the musical 365 Days of Christmas, even as I look at the printed page, my brain looks at the song, hears the music and causes me to want to sing “Joy to the world, March, April, May. It’s Christmas every day.” I think there is even a song in there about Santa surfing. I also remember a scene where a girl is talking about her brother wanting a “ray gun that really ZAPS people.”

So what’s the real purpose of this little rant down memory lane. Well, because in spite of this post being disguised as a rant, I really do want to thank my mom, Barb Hamman, Ruth Motz, and all the other adults who insist on doing children’s, or teen, musicals, year after year. The season doesn’t matter. What does matter is the message. And if our minds have been filled with crazy Christmas carols, silly songs for Christmas or Easter, or just plain silly songs, well, they are cause to celebrate good memories and fun times, as we continue to serve our “great big wonderful God.” Just be patient if the next time you start to sing an old familiar hymn, or other tune, and someone starts singing some strange new words. Better yet, if those strange words seem oddly familiar, that probably means you’ve been part of a children’s musical too, so join in and sing it with the odd words, just for fun.

So again, Mom and Ruth, and all those who helped, thank you. I really am thankful.

And Shelly, if you ever read this, please accept my apology, and forgive me for being your nemesis, and possibly the bane of your childhood and early teens.