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The Pastor’s Corner is written by the pastor of Coronado Bible Church.
 

Third Sunday of Advent – The Candle of Joy

Posted on Dec 16, 2018 in Pastor's Corner |


A small nativity has followed us around for years. The largest figure is barely an inch tall. Each character once had a small gold loop of thread and for many seasons they hung on a tiny tree that adorned my office desk. They are not the somber, awestruck crowd you find in most nativity scenes. Every character is smiling. Baby Jesus is smiling … even the animals. These are not little smiles, they are giant, swooping, ear to ear, face rearranging grins. If you ran into such a crowd of people, it would be difficult to not ask … “What are you all smiling about?” It’s an infectious little scene.

Israel anticipated and hoped for her promised Messiah. God had never failed to make good on His word … surely their faith was not in vain. But then came long years of silence, no prophetic words, no visible signs that He was working on their behalf. But today, we light the Candle of Joy and remember how the news of Messiah began to break through that silence …

To a young virgin … “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

To her questioning groom … “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

To shepherds watching their flocks … “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.

Good news of great joy … for all people! This season let’s be the people who carry that unquenchable joy. There’s an old saying, “Smile and the world will wonder what you’re up to.” They might also wonder what we know. Maybe our little nativity got Christmas right. Smiles all around!

 

 


Second Sunday of Advent – Grounded Faith

Posted on Dec 9, 2018 in Pastor's Corner |

 
My four-year-old nephew quivered on the side of the public pool. It was not a cold day that made him shiver. He was a mingled mass of fear and anticipation. I stood chest-deep in the water, arms outstretched, beckoning him to jump. But Calvin only knew the shallow end of the pool where his own legs could carry him to safety. These waters were dangerously deeper.
 
Just when I was about to give up, he catapulted himself toward me with reckless abandon. He was swimming before he ever hit the water. A few mad strokes and he was in my arms … smiling ear to ear, teeth chattering with excitement. I praised him for his bravery and walked him back to the edge of the pool. This time, he hesitated only seconds before leaping from his safe place. I don’t know how many times he jumped that day, but he could barely wait for me to reach my spot before going airborne. His fear was replaced by faith and joy in the one catching him. 
 
Last week, we lit the Candle of Hope reminding us that God’s people in other times waited and hoped for the anticipated Messiah. Then, Jesus Christ was born fulfilling that hope. God kept his Word to his people long ago.
 
Today we light a new candle, the Candle of Faith. It reminds us that the God who kept His word in the past will keep it for our future. By faith Christ lives in our hearts and by faith we watch for His promised return. This hope … this faith teaches us how to live.
 
As Paul wrote in Titus 2:11-14, For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 
 
Let this Christmas season teach us to leave our norms and safety to follow our Savior wholeheartedly. The same One who saved you from sin and death also holds your future.
 
 
 

First Sunday of Advent – The Light of Hope

Posted on Dec 2, 2018 in Pastor's Corner |

  
If you’re not familiar with the term Advent, it simply means “coming.” From the Latin “Adventus” it translates a Greek word that was used in anticipation of Jesus’ return at the end of days. So, Advent is a season for looking ahead … but it has also been used to remember the great expectation that preceded the coming of the Messiah to a lowly manger.  Many Christians celebrate the season with the use of an Advent Wreath. Each candle represents a different aspect of the Christmas story.
 
This morning, the Candle of Hope has been lit. This first candle is symbolic of the long years of waiting and hoping for God’s promised Savior to come. God’s prophets kept reminding the people to look forward to the coming of Messiah,  who was to redeem the people from their sins. The Hebrew word for Jesus means “salvation.” In Bethlehem, long ago, Jesus Messiah came just as He promised. This candle reminds us that our hope is in the God who keeps His word.
 
“When the time had fully come, God sent his Son.” Galatians 4:4 
 
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned … For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”  Isaiah 9:2, 6–7
 
 

Unexpected

Posted on Nov 25, 2018 in Pastor's Corner |

As I headed to the church on Friday morning, I had a simple agenda: help a crew get started with some window work, grab breakfast at McDonald’s and work on my message for Sunday.

There were some things not on my agenda: deep clean the floors, wash out the dust mop by using it as a squeegee, clean out the inside of my shop vac, wash the carpets, clean under the platform, do plumbing. Guess which list got priority.

The water running out from under the front door at the church was my first clue that my plans might be changing. The water pouring into the sides of my sandals settled the matter. As I walked across Lake CBC towards the sound of rushing water, I assumed someone had left the sink faucet on … maybe while we were without water. I reached the source of the sound, but the sink was empty. I opened the cabinet doors and the reality of what happened hit me … actually, it sprayed me in the face. One of the pipes to the filter system had changed its profession and become a decorative fountain. I guess it just couldn’t handle the pressure. Anyway … once the water was shut off, the three hours of cleanup began. Quick calls and quick responders meant I didn’t have to work alone. With Hieu and Don’s help things went much more quickly … but my schedule was toast.

We cannot make our plans with total impunity. Pipes fail … things happen. Many people find it difficult when life … or God … adjusts our plans. That’s actually a pretty good lead in for Christmas. In the next few weeks, when something unexpectedly changes your plans, consider this: There was a young girl dreaming of marriage, not motherhood. There was an old priest fulfilling his duties in the temple, not expecting a son. There was a wicked king, not planning on a challenge to his title. There were shepherds hoping for a quiet night with the sheep, not an angelic visit. The long-expected Messiah came with some unexpected twists. All those best-laid plans bent to one sovereign will … “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” Galatians 4:4-5
 
 

Time for Thankfulness

Posted on Nov 18, 2018 in Pastor's Corner |

Just this week, I asked Google, “What time is Thanksgiving Dinner?” I had to ask because my family’s tradition was … you eat when it’s ready. Maybe it was just my hungry childhood inpatience, but it seemed like we were always waiting on something or someone: a miscalculation in turkey cook time, that member of the family hadn’t arrived yet … again, etc. So, I had no recollection of a traditional time to eat the festive meal.

According to one article turned up by Google, the most popular time for Thanksgiving Dinner is 3:00 pm. It’s okay to argue … because your family tradition should have been the gold-standard for the rest of the world. Why not at noon or 6:30 pm? The article provided a list of plausible reasons. I quote …

  • An earlier meal creates a more relaxed celebration, plus there’s plenty of time to digest before going to bed.
  • An earlier dinner accommodates traveling guests and lets them return home at a reasonable hour.
  • Football! Dinners are scheduled to coincide with the end of the early afternoon game, or to begin well in advance of the late afternoon game
  • The Historical Answer: “Dinner” was once the main meal of the day, served around one or two in the afternoon, while “supper” was a much lighter meal, or even just a snack, eaten around sundown.
  • Bonus: Sue remembers their mealtime being tied to watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade together as a family.

Like I said … I mostly remember waiting. And when we finally set down? Mom would put the whole affair on hold until we each listed something for which we were thankful. This was acute torture … not to mention how hard it is to talk with all that preparatory saliva. But my mom was right, there should always be time to slow down and offer thanks. Thankfulness is mentioned 133 times in the Bible and that number would increase greatly if you included synonyms. Slow down and take time to be thankful … at 3:00 pm this Thursday … or any other time, every day of the year.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

 
 
 

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