Christmas and the true gift of the season

christmasChristmas is the time of year that brings out the best and the worst in people. As I’ve shared before, I didn’t grow up in a Christian household; Christmas was the day where we opened presents and ate a lot of food. Growing up, I never understood what drove people to spend lots of money and time buying gifts of all sorts and sizes. Just this last week I read an article that said most Americans are spending between $400 to $800 in gifts, mostly on credit, for this Christmas. The same article stated that most Americans will be paying on Christmas gifts until September of next year.

Many of the local stores where I live began their Christmas decorating season in October; by the day after Thanksgiving, celebrated as Black Friday, items of all shapes and sizes went on sale in anticipation of Christmas wish lists. In many of the stores, this past Monday witnessed a change in displays that now promote Valentine’s Day items. Earlier this week I decided to share with the readers of this blog what I think has been missing from Christmas for some time.

Christmas with sincerity

Within the gospel of Matthew Jesus told his disciples, But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil (Matthew 5:37). The apostle James wrote, A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8) and the apostle Paul wrote, That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ (Philippians 1:10). Paul also wrote to the Christians in Corinth, Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8). As Christians, we are urged to be sincere in everything that we do but there are times when even the strongest in the faith will simply go through the motions at this time of the year. If Christians cannot find something wonderful – the celebration and observation of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, then how can we expect those who are lost to understand the importance of this day?

I do understand how easy it is to become distracted by the demands of what we have come to know as Christmas. The demands for the perfect gift, for the perfect holiday meal, and even the perfect Christmas cards to lists of people we believe will expect a card from us have come to replace the true meaning of this special day. In fact, for a while, I simply went through the motions of Christmas; for all outward appearances I was simply doing what was expected. However, the Lord knew my heart and knew that instead of being sincere, everything I was doing for Christmas was a façade. What I was doing was not a reflection of what was in my heart. This is not bringing honor or demonstrating our reverence towards Christ but towards the expectations of mankind. James wrote, Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded (James 4:8) in testimony of how God truly wants us to be honest with ourselves, with Him, and with those around us. He also promises that if we strive to be closer to Him that He will meet us.

Christmas with the love of Christ

We’ve all heard that song, Mary, did you know? and it has gotten to the point that it is one of my least favorite Christmas songs. For Mary to be favored among all women, I am pretty sure that when the angel told her who she was carrying in her womb, she knew from the teachings from the Old Testament prophets she bore the Messiah, the Redeemer of all mankind. Now with that out of the way, knowing what He would endure in His life, He still was born according to His Father’s will. As an infant, laying in the manger that night, He knew He would teach and demonstrate Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). When we look at the world around us with its humanist messages, the pain and sickness, the loneliness, we see a world that is in need of the love of Christ. The apostle Paul wrote, That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:17) as a testimony that as Christians, we need to be grounded in the love of Christ. This means we need to be ready to demonstrate Christ’s love toward ourselves in everything we do for others. We must love without the expectation of anything in return. And our Christmas giving must be modeled after God’s greatest gift to us – a sacrificial giving without counting the cost.

Christmas must return to being Christ-centered

This seems like an obvious observation. However, as simple as it is this truth is, it is often overlooked. All it takes is to flip through the many new television Christmas specials and it becomes painfully obvious how the celebration of the birth of Jesus is being relegated to an event of little to no importance (and yes, I do know that Jesus was most likely not born on December 25th, but that is NOT the purpose of this particular post). Even the Hallmark Channel has chosen to incorporate themes of budding romances, family, and “Christmas” miracles in their newer movies but leave out the miracle of the Virgin birth. As I was watching television last night, I saw advertisements for various Christmas programming that brought this verse to my mind: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). For me, it boils down to this – if I say I am going to celebrate Christmas for the sake of worshiping and honoring Jesus’ birth, then He needs to be the center of that worship. As I think of that first Christmas, when God gave the world His Son, as a lowly infant born in a manger, God sent the very best He had. God gave Jesus to pay for our sins out of the depths of His love for mankind. In fact, even Jesus reminded us of this during the conversation with Nicodemus: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:16-17).

It isn’t about the presents under the tree or how much the Christmas meal is going to cost. It is about gathering with family and friends to celebrate, to honor, and to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus, at the time we have set aside to honor His birth. Anything beyond our worshiping and honoring of Him simply distracts from the spirit of this holy day.

Are you going through the motions this Christmas and you know your efforts aren’t sincere? Refocus your mind and heart on Jesus. Let everything you do be out of your love of Jesus and not because others expect you to do them. God sent His Son to mankind not because it was expected but because He loved us that much. Make a conscious effort to draw the attentions of this Christmas season to Him in all that you do and if you’re like me, this will bring back the joys of Christmas and the celebration of Christ’s birth.

From my house and family to yours, have a Merry Christmas and remember that Jesus is the reason for this special season.

Night is approaching; Christ’s light shines brighter

Night is approachingNight is approaching but many Christians remain confused about what the night actually is. Some will try to equate darkness and night with the trials, tribulations, and temptations we endure as Christians. While it can certainly be said that these are real spiritual storms, in no means are they the same as when Jesus told the disciples, I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work (John 9:4). Later, He would expand on this earlier teaching and as recorded in scripture, Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them (John 12:35-36).

A storm may bring darkened skies but storms never last

Night is approaching but it is important to understand it is not the same as a spiritual storm. Spiritual storms are nothing more than a crisis of our faith where we are faced with a temptation, a trial, or maybe even the Lord’s chastisement. I think of the verse in Genesis where God, after delivering Noah and his family through a mighty storm, made this promise: And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud (Genesis 9:14). God had made a few promises to Noah that included the storm would pass, He would be there to help them through, and when it was over, He would be there at the end of the flood to welcome them with the promise of the rainbow. As Christians, we are given the same offer when the storms of life come. He offers to see us through the storm, He offers to be there with us in the midst of the storm, and He promises that we have a home in Heaven with Him when our life’s journey is done. Storms always end and the results are we can be closer to the Lord, our faith can be strengthened, and we can rejoice knowing He has given us the victory!

Night is approaching: Encroaching spiritual wickedness

The apostle Paul understood the approaching darkness and wickedness even during his lifetime as he warned the early Christians in Ephesus: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). The phrase, rulers of darkness, really stands out and defines exactly what the darkness is. Within the Old Testament, there are several verses that explain what the darkness is: A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness (Job 10:22), Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it (Job 3:4), He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail (1 Samuel 2:9), and They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course (Psalms 82:5). 

Even Jesus spoke of the darkness: When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness (Luke 22:53). Within the gospel of John, the first paragraph explains the reason that Jesus came to dwell among men. The fifth verse is still applicable today:  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (John 1:5). John, as led by the Holy Spirit, would later write, This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). The darkness is not the storms we know as trials, temptations, and other testings of our faith, but of the world lost in its sins and rejection of God. It was the wickedness of mankind that gave room to Satan which influenced the religious leaders of the day to desire to put Jesus to death. It was the darkness of the times and the wickedness in high places that led to the beheading of John the Baptist. The darkness and wickedness continued after the death of Jesus to assure the apostles died remarkably horrible deaths in trying to extinguish the presence of Jesus from the memory of man.  Where a storm is there to increase our faith; darkness creeps in to extinguish all influence of the Lord.

Continued on the next page.

A good start each day is essential

good startWe have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies have shown that those people who eat a well-balanced breakfast daily do better quality work, are more able to handle the challenges and stresses of the day, and are in better health. Each day, schools across America give a free balanced breakfast to school-aged children so they can focus on learning rather on their hunger. I began thinking over the weekend of not only daily breakfast time at our family home but about what a balanced spiritual breakfast means for the believer.

After 40 days of fasting, Jesus offers advice for the soul

We’ve all read it in our personal devotions, have heard it taught in Sunday school, and even have heard preachers discuss it from the pulpit – the story of Jesus being tempted by Satan after he had spent 40 days fasting and praying in the wilderness. After being tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread, Jesus rebuked him, And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (Luke 4:4). As I began studying this verse, I remembered what I once heard a small-town radio preacher say – if you want to live in this body you have to feed it; if you want eternal life, you must feed the soul. Feeding this body, bread, as Satan tempted Jesus, would only feed the physical body. When we eat, we are only feeding our physical body; this morning I had scrambled eggs, a couple of turkey sausage patties, and two of the small canned biscuits. While it was a filling and very satisfying breakfast it did nothing for my soul. It simply fed the physical body.

A good start of the day must include fellowship with Jesus

David, described by the author of the Book of Acts; I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will (Acts 13:22c), understood the importance of seeking the Lord early in the day. He wrote, O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is (Psalms 63:1). Solomon wrote on a similar theme, I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me (Proverbs 8:17). God is not talking about those that find Him early in life in this context, but those that wake up with a purpose to find and spend time with the Lord in the very first moments of the day. It takes a great effort to roll out of bed, grab your Bible, and begin reading and praying.  It becomes so easy to roll out of bed with a grunt, turn on the coffee pot, eat breakfast, and next thing you know, you’re already out the door for work without even reading one verse or spending time with the Lord in prayer.

When we truly put the Lord at the beginning of our day it does do a few things. Firstly, it allows us to put Jesus first in everything we do. When we do put the Lord first in our morning routine it changes the way we approach our work, our coworkers, and even our family members. It also allows the Lord to see our determination to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. I’m reminded of the testimony of Daniel: Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime (Daniel 6:10). Almost everything I’ve read about Daniel is that he prayed in the morning, evening, and noontime. Even when laws were passed against praying to the Lord, Daniel continued his routine of making the Lord the center of his life. Although we do not know exactly what three times Daniel prayed each day, I do believe that one of the times Daniel prayed was early in the morning before he began his daily routine.

A good start can set the course for the day

I will admit there have been times where I have skipped breakfast in the morning. For whatever reason, I simply didn’t have the time or just forgot to eat. It was those days where it seemed that I was the most distracted and irritable. And there have been times where I made the decision not to read my Bible or spend time in prayer with the Lord before I began my day. Just as skipping breakfast had a real influence of my day, so did skipping my personal, quiet time with the Lord. I have found I am more irritable, I get less work done, and everything seems to bother me. Aches and pains, stiff joints, and even some people, generally speaking, seem to irritate me more. However, when I have spent the time in prayer and personal Bible study in the morning, it is amazing the difference it makes. I can handle challenges and difficulties better, aches and pains seem more tolerable, and I get more done because my attitude towards what needs to be done is better. 

If you’re ready for a real change in your life that will also help your spiritual growth, I would invite you to do a thirty-day challenge – make fellowship with the Lord the first thing you do in the morning. Be ready for Satan to create all kinds of havoc as you begin to adopt a Christ-centered morning routine. Even after you’ve established it, Satan will still try to sabotage your efforts. However, I can tell you from experience that the Lord will honor and richly bless your efforts to become more Christ-focused.