Author: Dave Dishman (Page 238 of 474)

It’s important in certain situations to get your name on the list. I call ahead to get my name on the list for seating at restaurants. I look for my name on the upgrade list when flying, even though I never get called forward to first class (but there’s always hope).

The end of the Bible describes the new Jerusalem. A heavenly city created from translucent gold and lined with jewels, it’s lit by the glory of God and the lamp of the Lamb. There’s no night there, nor crying or mourning or pain.

Sounds like heaven. How do I get in?

Nothing unclean will enter, nor anyone who does anything detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

I want my name on that list.

Medieval theologians believed that only one person in a thousand made it to heaven. A number to current thinkers believe everyone will eventually walk through those pearly gates. I fall somewhere in the middle.

But for any of us to get in, our name needs to be listed in that book—the Lamb’s book of life.

How do I make that happen? I cannot do it on my own, so I must ask the Lamb—Christ Jesus himself—to write me in. I cannot demand this, of course, but must humble myself, offer Jesus my life, take on his yoke and follow.

If my name’s on that list, it got there by no merit of my own. I don’t deserve it. But Jesus writes names with his graceful hand, and let’s hope he includes yours and mine as he does so.

Revelation 21 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Thomas Martinsen

Merry Christmas!

This day, two thousand twenty five-ish years ago, Jesus was born in a manger, a place intended for animals, certainly not the first choice of lodging.

Mary gave birth far from family and Joseph, young and inexperienced, did the best he could. Both persevered and bravely delivered the Christ-child into this world.

Revelation 19 describes a book of life where names are recorded of those who will spend eternity with the Lord. John 1 tells how in the beginning was the Word, referring to Jesus with the Father at creation.

In between, a child arrived in Bethlehem, fulfilling creation and taking names for the book of life. Present at the beginning, made flesh in the middle, and closing the book at the end.

Alpha and Omega born this day.

Photo by Walter Chávez

Our family returns to a few favorite Christmas movies every year. So far we’ve watched It’s a Wonderful Life and Christmas Vacation. But my favorite Christmas story turned into a movie is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Such a great scene when Mr. Scrooge awakes from his dreams and realizes that he has not missed Christmas morning! As Scrooge begins to make things right after years of disregard for his fellow man, we watch the good one person can do for another.

In Dickens’ view legitimate faith moves us to aid those less fortunate. The selfishness of Marley doomed him to an afterlife chained to his money box, but Scrooge got a second chance at an eternity contoured by generosity toward his community.

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.

Charles Dickens

Jesus took us to a similar place when he taught the crowds to do unto others as you would have them do to you, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Generosity knows no season—it never fades nor wears out.

Lighten the burden of another this holiday and you’ll be putting the words of Dickens, which he borrowed from Jesus, into good practice.

The first people to whom God chose to announce the birth of his son were shepherds. Not kings. Not wealthy businessmen. Not princesses or priests. Not an influencer in the bunch. Just backwater, smelly shepherds.

Blue collar, these herders possessed neither power or education. They lived away from polite society. They had nothing to give Jesus—which is perhaps the point.

Of the lessons we draw from Luke’s telling of Christ’s birth, the most compelling to me is the reminder that everyone, even the lowliest in my estimation, remains valuable to God, including wild-eyed shepherds.

The Lord chose to first announce the greatest birth in all history, the birth of our Savior, to people on the bottom rung of society. Something to ponder during my hectic rush of preparation and consumption throughout the holidays.

Luke 2 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Mohamad Babayan