'Tis the season

Ah, the sound of Christmas is in the air.

** The ACLU is on its annual nativity rampage.
** Nursing homes have to remove their Christmas trees.
**School's can't see a Charlie Brown Christmas because Linus quotes from that book.

Okay, it's not just because it's Christmas.

** A national coach of the year nominee was canned for praying with an injured opponent and watching movies that contained religious themes with his team (yeah, that book was mentioned in those movies, too).
**Atheists want a statue of Jesus removed from a ski resort.
** West Point cadet has checked out six months before graduating claiming that he endured unconstitutional proselytism from the officers there. Considering proselytism is nowhere even remotely discussed in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, one wonders what really went on. Did they threaten beheading? When atheists say "Boo!," citizen's government officials cower.

"What wrong did your fathers find in me

that they went far from me

and went after worthlessness,

and became worthless?"

In light of this animosity toward anything within fifteen feet of that book, the Bible, what will become of the holidays? Really, not much else because Christmas in America has become meaningless.

Consider. The day the Church decided to celebrate the birth of Christ has become an excuse for materialistic excess that moves most companies into the fiscal black. Christmas makes money! Why on earth would we curtail or readdress this buying binge?

The story of the event that precipitated the holiday, God in a manger, that man's rebellion required God's provision of himself, has all but vanished. You'll not find that message in any of my favorite Christmas shows (Grinch (animated and otherwise), Rudolph, It's a Wonderful Life) except Charlie Brown's. Instead, we're sold something as substantial and satisfying as last year's Christmas trinkets.

Even the saint who has become tied to the holiday has been turned into a cartoon character and his real story largely forgotten. The name Christmas* remains, but few know that the word refers to the church service commemorating Jesus' birth. Few consider that holiday comes from holy day, a day set aside for some religious observance.

"They did not say, 'Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt...'"

But with all of that, there is great hope. With the truth of Christmas being syphoned away from the American psyche, Christmas is going nowhere. To quote the Grinch (even though after his heart grew three sizes that day, he still didn't get it), it's not "packages, boxes, or bags." Also, God never mandated that it be a national celebration. We have enjoyed the twilight of a nation that was born with a love for the Lord. That love is now all but dead. This is no longer a Christian nation so it should not surprise us that its entertainment industry, its schools, and its government have driven God from its presence.

"Why do you contend with me?

You have all transgressed against me, declares the LORD."

No atheist can revise the fact that God did enter the world in flesh over two thousand years ago. No holiday fiction can change that man's heart is deceitfully wicked and in rebellion against a holy God. No mountain of presents can rival a God in a farm trough or God on a cross.

The truth of the opening pages of Matthew's, Luke's, and John's gospels cannot and will not be eradicated by the ACLU nor obscured by Frosty the Snowman. What has happened in history cannot be altered. Therefore, let us truly rejoice in the God who so loved his unloveable creation that he sent his Son to die on their behalf that they might be restored in fellowship and in family to him.

This God still stands in the middle of a crowded and indifferent world declaring,

"Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD.

I will not look on you in anger,

for I am merciful, declares the LORD;

I will not be angry forever.

Only acknowledge your guilt,

that you rebelled against the LORD your God...

and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD.

Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD;

for I am your master."

In these darkening days, have yourself a merry, little Christmas rejoicing that your God has given you ears to hear the call of his voice. Remember what he's done for you, for me.

-----------------------------

* Please don't get too knotted about people using X-mas. It originally did not mean to obscure Christ but to actually represent him. X is the Greek letter chi which is the first letter of Cristos or Christ. It's usage goes back hundreds of years and was first used as such by the church. So if you see "Merry Xmas," smile and thank God.

Note: Scripture cited above comes from Jeremiah 2:5,6, 29, 3:12-14

Merry Christmas!!

A very Merry Christmas from me and my family to you and yours.

On this amazing day, have you considered why we celebrate it?  Do you believe it?


The prophets of the Old Testament foresaw that a virgin would be with child (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:22-23). The Matthew verse is important because the Hebrew word in Isaiah could be translated young girl or virgin. The Jews at the time of Christ understood the passage to be about a virgin. While an impossibility in the physical realm, would such a thing be too hard for the God of the universe?


But why?  Why did God the Son need to take on flesh?  Consider John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Some things to key on here:


1.  Salvation for man would not have happened apart from God's intervention.  The verse indicates that apart from this even, man would perish. We, left to ourselves, have hell awaiting us on the other side.  Why? Because our sin (rebellion) separates us from a holy and righteous God (Romans 3:10-18, 6:23a).


2.  God loves us despite our sin! That does not mean he condones our sin.  Rather, for man to come to God, man's sin had to be justly dealt with.  Because man's sin left him in a position separated from God, only God could fix the problem.  Consider these verses: Romans 5:6-8, 2 Corinthians 5:21.


3.  Jesus: The Fix. God the Father gave God the Son. Jesus always knew that he would have the sin of all mankind heaped on him at the cross . That's why he agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, not that he would be physically killed but that he would be bearing the wrath, the pure, white-hot and just wrath of God the Father. There had been perfect fellowship within the Trinity through eternity past. Now, for the first time, One Member of the Trinity would turn his back on Another. Why? So God would be just in dealing with sin, but the only way he could do so was to become man himself and bear the punishment of our sin for us.  He became just and justifier (Romans 3:26).


So what's left for us on Christmas day? To believe. Not to a Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus belief as some atheists assert. No, we believe in the historical birth of God the Son, we believe in the historical death and crucifixion of Jesus (God the Son) for the sin of all mankind, and we believe in the resurrection of God the Son as the guarantee of the eternal life that he procured for us on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:1-28).


As you gather with your family and open gifts, I pray that you will consider the greatest gift, the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23b). Understand, though, the gift is not yours unless you take it.  How do you do that?


1. Recognize it.  Recognize that your sin has separated you from God.


2. Confess it. Admit that you are a sinner to God. In other words, apologize for rebelling against him. Think about David's words in Psalm 51:4 after he'd committed adultery and murder.


3. Accept it.  Accept what Jesus did on your behalf. Note what Romans 8:1 says about those who have accepted that free gift.


4. Believe it. Trust what God says about the doneness of the deal. Romans 10:9-10


5. Live it.  With that done, live a life of gratitude for what God has done for you. Consider Galatians 2:20.


Have yourself a Merry little Christmas!


~ keith

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Nothing sweeter than Linus Van Pelt taking center stage and explaining what Christmas is all about:



Here's the entirety of the Christmas story from Luke 2. Savor the Savior on this most historic of days!

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.


And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Luke 2:1-20