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Sunday, December 1st, started the Advent season on the church calendar. Foundation For His Ministry’s Home for Needy Children in Oaxaca, Mexico is joining the world wide celebration this year. Advent is the time of the year when many Christians look to the future. We look forward to the second coming of Christ, the second advent, with hope. Hope for the day when God’s perfect justice reigns supreme. A time when God’s will is done and his kingdom is come on earth as it is in heaven. We also look forward to celebrating the first advent, the incarnation, God with us. It is appropriate to ask the question during this season, “Why was Jesus born on this planet?” There are many good answers to this question. One answer is that he was born to bleed.
Blood is God’s way. Blood plays an important role in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Here are just two verses that communicate to us the importance blood plays in God’s Word:
Lev. 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
Heb. 9:22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
The first notion we get of blood being spilt is in Genesis, chapter three. Adam and Eve have sinned, rebelled against God and His one rule. Now they find themselves naked and ashamed. Their great cover-up is fig leaves. God says “No good” and kills an animal, takes its blood stained hide, fashions garments from it for the sinners to wear. Here we have a peak into the future when God will use blood to not only cover our sins, but to wash them away.
Ables blood sacrifice
Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Able. They made offerings to God. Cain was a farmer and offered produce from his field. Able was a shepherd and offered a blood sacrifice of one of his animals. God was pleased with Able’s offering but not Cain’s.
Noahs sacrifice
God brought Noah and his family safely through the flood. Noah killed some of the animals on the ark and offered them as a sacrifice to God. God promised to never destroy the earth with flood waters again.
Circumcision
God called Abraham to be the father of a great nation, a chosen people. To mark the men as a people chosen by God, they were to be circumcised. Blood flowed from the males. They were holy and set apart for God’s purposes. Later on the Apostle Paul explains to the new chosen people of God, the Church, that bloody circumcision of the body is no longer necessary, but circumcision of the heart is.
Severed animals
God makes a covenant with Abraham, and it is sealed by blood. Abraham brings before God a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. Abraham cuts the animals in half, their blood dripping into the earth, and God walks between the animals, as if to say, “May this be done to me if I don’t keep my end of the deal.” Of course God is faithful and forever does his part.
Binding of Isaac
God told Abraham to take his son, his only son,whom he loved, and to kill him as a sacrifice to God. Abraham took Isaac to a mountain, bound him, and as he was about to plunge a knife into his heart, the angel of the Lord intervened. In stead of spilling his beloved sons blood, a ram that was caught in some bushes, became a substitute blood offering. Centuries later, another beloved son was sacrificed and bled on the same mountain as a substitute for all mankind.
Passover and blood on the door posts God’s chosen people, the Hebrews, have been enslaved by the Egyptians for many years. God sends Moses and nine plaques to try and set His People free. It hasn’t worked, but a tenth plaque is on the way. God commands Moses and the Hebrew people to kill a spotless lamb and put its blood on the doorposts of their houses. When the destroying angel comes to kill the firstborn male of every house, it will passover all the houses with the blood. The Egyptians sons die that night and Pharoah lets God’s People go. One day all humanity will stand before God in judgment, and all those not marked by the blood of Christ will be destroyed.
Mt Sinai and the law of sacrifice On Mt Sinai, God stipulates, codifies and puts into law the practice of sacrificing animals for the forgiveness of sins. Every spotless animal that has its throat cut and its blood spilt for the forgiveness of sin points humanity to the ultimate perfect sacrifice of Jesus blood being shed for the forgiveness of sin.
The last supper Mat. 26:27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Blood of Jesus And then Jesus bled. He sweat drops of blood as he prayed “Not my will but thine be done.” He bled when the 
soldiers hit him. Blood flowed down his face when a cruel crown of thorns was jammed on his head. Blood ran down his back as he was mercilessly whipped. Blood dripped from his hands and feet while he hung on the cross. Blood poured out of his body when the sword pierced his side. And God said, “There is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood.”
Paul and the blood Romans 3:25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. Romans 5:8-10 God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Hebrews and the blood Hebrews 9:12-14 Jesus did not enter (the more perfect tabernacle) by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Revelation and the blood Rev. 5:9,10 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
As we celebrate the first advent of Jesus, with colorfully wrapped gifts under a Christmas tree covered with blinking lights and pretty bows, and as we gaze on the nativity scene with baby Jesus in a manger, surrounded by his parents, shepherds and sheep, it might be good to take a moment and meditate on the fact that the innocent baby laying in the manger, was born to bleed. And because of His Blood, we are forgiven of our sins, and freed from Sin.
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I am grateful for Shinto, for Buddhism, and for Confucianism. I owe much to these faiths. The fact that I was born with a spirit of reverence, that I have an insatiable craving for values which transcend this earthly life, and that I strive to walk the way of the golden mean, I owe entirely to the influence of those ethnic faiths. Yet these three faiths utterly failed to minister to my heart’s deepest need. I was a pilgrim journeying upon a long, long road that had no turning. I was weary. I was footsore. I wandered through a dark and dismal world where tragedies were thick. Tears were my meat day and night. Buddhism teaches great compassion, but since the beginning of time, who has declared, “this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many unto remission of sins”? Toyohiko Kagawa, quoted by John Stott in The Incomparable Christ
Recently I was thumbing through the Evangelical Theological Dictionary of Theology, and there it was! somewhere between Hallelujah and Homologoumena, I encountered Happiness. I was pleasantly surprised that a theology book considered happiness a worthy topic. It not only explored the concept of happiness, but included a “to-do” list. Things people need to do to be happy. I have taken that list, modified it somewhat, and added a few things of my own, to come up with a Top Ten list of things people need to do to be happy.
1. Develop a close relationship with God.
John 15:9 “Stay in my love.” John 15:10 “If you obey my teachings you will live in my love. John 15:11 “I have told you these things so My joy may be in you and your joy may be full.” John 15:15 “I no longer call you servants. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have told you.” New Life Study Testament
The most important thing to do to enjoy God and be happy is to have a deep, trusting, and loving relationship with God.
2. Have a strong moral base.
Mark 12:28-34 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.”
This is closely related to number one. One way we love God with all our being is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Loving doesn’t necessarily mean “liking”. Having a strong moral base essentially means that we do to others as we would like them to do to us. We don’t have to like other people in order to treat them right. Jesus uses the story of the Good Samaritan to illustrate this point (Luke 10:25-37).
3. Show mercy and compassion to the poor.
Proverbs 14:21 “He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.” Matthew 25:37-40 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” New International Version
When we reach out and help the poor, less fortunate, the “least of these”, God fills us with joy, because these are the kinds of works we were created to do to be happy people (Ephesians 2:10).
4. See your work as a gift from God.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 “I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God.” (also Eccl. 2:24,25; 3:22; 8:15)
The author of Ecclesiastes mentions often that enjoying and taking pleasure in your job is one of the most important things we can do to be happy. God gives all of us special gifts, talents, and abilities, that, when put to work, brings us joy. I believe God has given me the ability to garden and to teach. I have been doing these two things for over thirty years. While I never made a lot of money doing these things, they have brought a richness of joy into my life.
5. Think of others as better than yourself.
{love and happiness} (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” 1 Timothy 1:15 “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” NIV
Perhaps nothing can take away my happiness quicker than when I begin to think that I am better than someone else. That can be quite a temptation, especially when one lives in a Christian community in a foreign county as I do. Here at the home for needy children in Mexico, there are staff members and volunteers from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, environments, and spiritual walks. The Devil wants to bring divisiveness rather than unity, and he loves it when he can get us to think of ourselves better than those we are around everyday. When we feel superior to others, complain about others or look down on others, then the Devil has gained a foothold and we lose a precious bit of divine joy that God has for us. The great apostle Paul, writing to Timothy towards the end of his life, comparing himself to others, states that he is the worst of sinners. If we can identify with Paul, then we can experience God’s love and enjoy Him in a unique way.
6. Say “Thank you”.
Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ have power over your hearts. You were chosen as part of his body. Always be thankful.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 “In everything give thanks. This is what God wants you to do because of Jesus Christ.” NLST
Say “Thank you” at least 50 times a day. Say it to God, to friends and family, to co-workers and to complete strangers. I f you have a thankful heart, you will have a happy heart. Just ask Madame Blueberry from VeggieTales, she’ll tell you.
7. Embrace silence and solitude.
“Solitude is the place of the great struggle and the great encounter – the struggle against the compulsions of the false self, and the encounter with the loving God who offers himself as the substance of the new self.” “Solitude … is the place where Christ remodels us in his own image and frees us from the victimizing compulsions of the world.” Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart, pg.s 16,22
“The day needs definite times of silence, silence under the Word and silence that comes out of the Word.” “Silence is nothing else but waiting for God’s Word and coming from God’s word with a blessing.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, pg. 79
Two writers that I have a lot of respect for when it comes to enjoying God, are Henri Nouwen and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. They both write about the importance of silence and solitude in the life of a happy, fulfilled Christian. They both suggest that daily times of silence and solitude, as well as extended get-a-ways where you can enjoy longer times of intimate silence and solitude with God and His Word are extremely important. It is especially in times of silence and solitude that we experience God, His love and joy.
8. Don’t talk so much.
James 3:6 “The tongue is a fire. a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” James 3:8 “No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
Hmm. Our tongues – fire, world of evil, corrupting, restless evil, full of deadly poison. Not happy things! Haven’t we all been burned and been poisoned by other peoples words? More tragically, we have burned and poisoned others with our careless words, gossiping, backbiting, sarcastic and venomous words. James says in the beginning of chapter three that if you control your tongue you will be perfect – perfectly happy? I think so. Fewer words, more happiness.
9. Delight in God’s Word.
Psalm 119:16 “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” vs. 24 “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.” vs.35 “Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” vs. 47 “I delight in your commands because I love them.” vs. 77 “Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.” vs. 92 “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.” vs. 111 “Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.” vs. 143 “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.” vs.174 “I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight.” NIV
Start your day by reading God’s Word, studying and meditating on the scriptures, praying through some verses, memorizing others, and you will have a delightfully happy day.
10. Don’t live in the world and go to church, but live in the church and go into the world.
I don’t know who originally said that, but I love it. God not only saved us to have a personal relationship with Him, but, more importantly, saved us to be a vital part of His body, His kingdom, the community of faith, the Church. The Church is not a building that we go into once or twice a week to “worship God”. The Church is the body of Christ, a spiritual building that God has chosen as a growth instrument to help His followers grow in the fruit of the Spirit, of which one important fruit is joy. As a community, a fruit basket, we go into a hurting world and bring to it love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness and goodness. Hence, we “live in the Church”, and go into the world.
Romans 12:4,5 ,6 “Just as ach of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”
So there it is, my top ten list of things to do to be happy. When these things are prominent in my life, I discover I am happier, experience more joy and enjoy God more. Most of these things don’t just happen overnight. It has taken me almost 50 years to cultivate them to the point that they are more or less natural to my life and faith walk, but I still have a ways to go.
I have about ten different types of fruit trees that I planted and care for here at the home for needy children in Oaxaca, Mexico. I imagine these ten things “to do” to be happy, as fruit trees in our lives. When they are young they bear no fruit, or immature fruit that is very small or not very edible, but they have the potential of producing much fruit. In order to finally bear good fruit they constantly need looking after. They need water, sun, good soil, fertilizer, insecticide, and pruning. After four or five years they almost all bear fruit, some more than others. One has died and a couple others are struggling mightily.
So it is in our “spiritual orchard”. Some of the things on our “to do” list come naturally, are comfortable for us to practice and live. Others we struggle with, and some we just feel like giving up on. With patience, diligence, and the goal of Happiness in view, we can have a beautiful and abundant orchard that yields a life of happiness and enable us to enjoy God forever.
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“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.” Jim Valvano, College Basketball Coach who died of cancer eight weeks after saying this in a speech.
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Next post – The Lord’s Prayer, A Happy Prayer
To Enjoy God 