This next post was what I wrote for our Jesus Series this week.  If you have not checked it out yet you should.

This past week Michael talked about the scandalous night and what it meant by all the things that happened leading up to the birth of Christ like;

• Mary being a virgin, got pregnant out of wedlock, and Joseph almost divorcing her.
• The Jewish rulers at the time were out of the loop about the coming of the Messiah.  The lower class knew first (shepherds).
• The Wise Men, not being Jewish, came to crown the new king.

The third part above is what I find to be the most intriguing.  Probably because we grow up knowing about the first two traditions but often these ‘Wise Men’ are mysterious and not much is known about them.  At least not from the traditional Christmas story.

I did some research a couple of years a go prepping for a Christmas series and here are some facts I found out.

• The Magi a.k.a. ‘Wise Men’  had been known throughout the Middle East for centuries as a group of mystics that acted as counselors for kings.
• These guys were so looked to for their blessings that they were the ones to crown the kings at coronations.
• The operated for the gentile world as the high priests for other gods kind of like the counter part to the Levitical Jewish priests of the one true God.
• At one time when the world was united they were in the courts of the ruler of the known world King Nebuchadnezer.
• They fell under the influence of a man named Daniel, that came from Judah, who actually became the head of the Magi.
• Daniel taught them the Old Testament and all the prophecies of the coming Messiah, Jesus.
• They used the the Jewish scripture to figure out the time when this ultimate ‘King above all Kings’ would come.
• They waited hundred of years for Him and brought gifts representing their full knowledge of who He was.

Here is the scandalous/amazing thing about this.  God took a bunch of Pagan priests and through the destruction of His people brought the knowledge of His son through one of the captives.  The Gentiles knew in full who Jesus was even though the Jewish elite did not, the very ones that were looking for Him.  God caused good to come out of His people’s exile to show the world that there was a plan for the restoration of them to Him.

If you find this interesting you can read more about it by this manuscript provided by John MacArthur.

As I am sitting here thinking about how to put this down I am afraid, a little…                                              

I have the tendency to be a little serious about life sometimes.  Not raving mad, just serious.

I have been watching Band of Brothers lately – which, I am a sucker for a good war flick.  Especially anything pertaining to the last great war.  What an interesting time it was for our country and the world.  I am also an observer of human behavior.  It is what I did for so long that I can’t get away from it.  I am always trying to figure out the motive behind someone’s decision-making.

In saying that here’s something I picked up while watching Band of Brothers (if you happen to watch it please keep in mind it is for mature audiences, they try to depict the reality of war):

• There was an uncanny bonding that happens during traumatic events; they became closer than family.
• Their best leaders always lead the charge and got just as banged up as the grunts.
• Everyone knew each other’s personal life.  There were no secrets because they all knew no one is perfect – nothing to hide here.
• Talk about open communication!  When your life depends on the other person you don’t hold anything back.
• They might not have liked getting shot at but they accepted the responsibility of fighting naked aggression.
• They never looked back at their accomplishments for promotions.  Their purpose became to protect your brothers, stay alive, and go home!

Ok so some of you know where I am going with this huh?

Think about the comparisons between the Christians in the church and these wartime guys.

We’re going to take a couple of days to let this sit and I think we will explore each point a little bit more in detail this week.

Heather and I were talking the other day about budget stuff.  Yeah, I know, it’s everyone’s favorite thing to talk about.  I was feeling a little uneasy never really grasping, exactly, where all of it goes.  That is not to say we don’t know through our budget what happens but I want to be able to account for all of our spending.  And through the course of our talks here is what we found out.

• Banking systems, while meant to be simplistic, are not always easy to understand.  I have this personal belief that they want you to make a mistake.  Many of you have figured that out by when they hold checks so they can nail you on late fees.
• People never advertise what you need but what they want you to buy.
• At my last dentist visit they tried to sell us on over $1,000 worth of cleaning work.  Heather is a dental hygienist and knows what we need but they refuse to give you a simple cleaning.  You don’t even get a say in what you want.
• Grocery stores will drastically discount cheaper food items adding to our unhealthiness.
• Many times, auto mechanics, will always look to get more out of one visit instead of giving recommendations so as to get you to come back because they were not trying to cram something down your throat.
• Gasoline prices lately go up and down 10-15 cents per week.  Really?  Always happens to go up, by the way, before the weekend.

OK, so you get the picture and I am sure you can add to this list.  Here’s the deal…The world is out to take from you not to help you.  All of these things, on that list, we encounter every week, every one of us.  We are attacked on all sides by what seems like good heartedness and concern for us but in reality many people and organizations are after our money.  Listen, Jesus said you are either with the world or you are with Him.  We can’t serve two masters. See Luke 16:13.

So what do we do?  Glad you asked.  We get aggressive!

• We tell grocery store managers what you want to buy and what you are willing to pay for it.
• Buy gas at the cheaper stations that offer discounts.  This makes the other places start a price war for your business.  There is no reason that gas stations should charge more because they are on a main rd. By buying gas at cheaper stations then stations on busy rds. would drop prices.  Then the other stations would do so in in like order…Get the picture?  We drive down the costs.
• Tell Dr.s what you will pay for a service before even telling them you have insurance.  Get a reasonable cost.  Helps with inflated prices and the insurance companies might stop haggling all the time.
• Use local banking if the big boys mess with you too much.  They want your business.  For many of us it is worth it to pay 5 dollars a month for accounts if it is someone that will work with you for overdraft fees.  We then can put money back into local communities.
• Find a friend who is a mechanic and give him cash to change oil at your house.  He then can make a list for you of what you need to do for your car and you help each other out by getting a lower rate and he/she gets extra cash.
• For you couponers (which I love and respect ) stop buying so much cereal!  Seriously, that stuff is bad for you.  Try eggs in the morning.  Almost just as cheap and it has all your essential aminos and protein.  The more cereal you buy the more they will raise costs on other things because we are buying filler foods.

Ok so obviously I am ranting, but I reallllllllllllyyyyyyy do not like it when it seems like everyone else is going to tell me what I have to buy and it’s tough if I don’t like it.  Well, as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord by being aggressive with the rest of the world.  I will haggle, grow my own food, be picky about where I do business, and I will hand off these things to my kids.

What would it like if we all teamed up and started being aggressive?

This post was from our Jesus Website for our New Series at Oak Leaf.

I was reading Phillippians the other day and I read this from Paul,

“5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing.” Phillippians 2:5-7 NIV

The guy was the son of God, I mean God in the flesh, and He considered himself nothing!

The only way that the plan for Salvation, that is the restoring of man to God, would work is for Jesus to forgo His rights as the Son of God. He had to give up His right to be treated fairly and with love and instead was loved by few and hated by many. He gave away His right to be with God and remain in His presence in heaven but instead He came to Earth from the perfectness of His realm. He gave up the right to be elevated above all names to be murdered by those that deserved death themselves.

In order to fulfill God’s will he had to become nothing so that God could become everything for us.

Paul tells us to have this same attitude. In order to be like Jesus we have to become nothing.

What’s that mean?

* I do not care about being right all the time.

* I put other people’s needs above my own.

* I lay down my agenda and in place seek God’s will for my life.

* I start out by serving people if I want to lead them.

Where are you in this cycle? Are you ready to become nothing so you can really be something. That is to be a true Disciple of Jesus.

From a couple of weeks a go here is the message that I was talking about in which we discuss the topic of Trust.  I think it helps us understand why we have such a problem putting our HOPE in God.