She brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “  (Luke 2:7-12)

          The early Hebrews were much more likely to record the date of a person’s death than the date of his birth, so naturally we are uncertain as to in what month our Lord Jesus was born.  It is, in fact, unlikely to have been in December since the weather would not have permitted shepherds to be living out in the fields.  Although I have addressed this in these pages nearly every year, I think it is important to be able to satisfactorily respond to those who accuse us of creating a holiday that  shows either our ignorance of the Bible (since His birth probably did not occur on December 25) or our desire to perpetuate the pagan winter solstice celebrations under the false guise of Christianity.    I’ve noticed on Facebook that several Christians have posted some extremely harsh judgments on those who celebrate Christmas, declaring that since the Lord never told us His birthdate or directed us to honor it, then we are under condemnation of sin for doing so.  On the other hand, the now-yearly war has begun between those who insist each retailer direct their employees to say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” and those who refuse to entertain any acknowledgment  of Christ in respect to Christmas in any public venue.  How we have managed to introduce controversy and intolerance to what should indeed be one of the two most blessed seasons of our year!

     To begin with, I suppose I should announce right away that I love Christmas.  I love the lights, I love decorating the Christmas tree, I love the carols and the Christmas movies and, yes, I love the gifts.  Most of all, I love remembering each year the miraculous gift of a loving God–our God who sent His Son, begotten before all the world, to the earth as an infant to bring light and salvation to a dark and fallen world.  God Himself (as Jesus is one with God, by His own words –John 10:30) became incarnate to live the pure life none on earth could so that He could present Himself as a spotless sacrifice in payment for our sins and so bridge the chasm we had erected between God and us, and enable us to live in eternity with Him.  How could we not love, commemorate and celebrate this awesome event?  How could we not want to give gifts to those we love to remind them of the one true gift of God that He gave us: a Saviour born in a stable so long ago?   Yes, the date on which we celebrate Christmas was set by the early church deliberately to be close to the winter pagan rituals–to shine a Light that no amount of time or hardship could dim, and to expose to the Light the evil that had crept into the world!  Jesus is the Light of the world, and He shines as brightly today as He did two thousand years ago, and His word will light our paths until the end of time.  Surely this is something to celebrate!

     Some of our traditions and customs have come over the years from various parts of the world, but that does not make them pagan in origin.  Our beautifully decorated Christmas trees represent the death and resurrection of our Lord, and the new life to be found in Him.  Our candy canes proclaim Him the Good Shepherd who spilled His blood for our redemption.  Our Christmas carols and our creches proclaim the nativity story to those who may not have a chance to hear it otherwise.

     Like many of you, I am offended by the current administration’s refusal to refer to Christmas.  The United States was founded as a Christian nation on Judeo-Christian principles, and when we elect a government that will not acknowledge the supreme right of God to rule our nation, then we begin to fail as a nation.  This is happening now, as political correctness has seized the nation and the White House and instituted the intolerance of allowing God into our public squares and our public policies.  As I have mentioned before, this is not a war against Christmas; it is a war against Christ.   However, how we choose to respond to the growing secular nature of Christmas goes to the heart of what Jesus has said we are to do as His followers.  Yes, we are bound to make known our beliefs to those in power–respectfully–whether or not they will hear us.  But when it comes to how we deal with it in the private sector, it is important to remember that our first duty is to introduce Jesus’ love for us to those who need to hear the Good News.  How I wish that all the energy expended in boycotts of stores that advertise “Holiday Sales” would be directed toward spreading the love of God to those who are tired and overworked in these stores as they struggle to support their families!  I believe much more good could be accomplished by using the time taken to distribute petitions demanding that businesses all use the word “Christmas” to instead walk into these establishments and wish the employees a blessed Christmas, or even to see if there is something you can do to aid someone there in the name of Christ.  Inviting a lonely unbeliever to spend Christmas with you in an environment in which they can, without pressure, experience the presence of the Holy Spirit may do more to bring someone to Jesus than all the protests all rolled up into one could have done.

     What a wonderful time of the year this is!  God has given us the greatest gift of all, and Jesus is our Lord!  God cannot be diminished, no matter how far into rebellion our nation goes–He is in control, now and forevermore.  What a great reason to celebrate!  No anti-Christian sentiments, no lack of money, no politician or political system can change the fact of our loving God.  What will you offer to Jesus this year on the day on which we commemorate His birthday?  What He wants is your heart and your life turned over to Him.  That’s right!  Invite Him to spend this holiday with you, and He will give you eternal life and a place in His kingdom.  All He wants in return is your sinful, broken self!  Out of whatever sinful life you may have led, out of the pain and loneliness you may be feeling, He will begin to mold and remake you into the  person He knows you can be: righteous, and in His own image.  He will forgive you for your rebellion, love you, guide you, make you whole again.  He will be your Father, and will see you as His beloved child.  What a gift, and what a beautiful season it is in which to accept it!

     Speaking of gifts, I want to thank all of you who have been faithful in reading the Watchman on the Wall for the last few years.  Your words, whether comments after postings or e-mails, have been such a blessing and a delight to me, and have encouraged me to keep going when I became uncertain whether this blog was helpful enough to continue.  You have truly gifted me, and I thank God for you all.

Merry Christmas!

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.   (Isaiah 53:5)

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  (1 John 4:9-10)

         While our Jewish brothers and sisters are observing Passover in remembrance of God’s mercy in providing a way for the angel of death to pass over Hebrew households living under the Egyptian pharoah’s rule and allowing them to begin their journey to the land He had promised them, Christians across the world are celebrating Holy Week: the yearly commemoration of the crucifixion, death and triumphant resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.   This involves a measure of Passover observance for us as well.  Our roots as a Christian people remain in Judaism.  The Jews were and will always be the chosen people of God–His wife.  We, as believers in Jesus as the Messiah, are the bride of Christ.    This relationship between the two faiths is the most basic and simplistic of reasons why many believers also acknowledge the season of Passover; however, there is a further dimension for us:  God has provided us with a second Passover:   a “passover” from sin and death to righteousness and eternal life with Him! 

      Like most believers, I love Christmas; celebrating the Word and Love of the Father coming down from God Himself in  human form.  It was not until I was born again, however, that I understood the overwhelming power of that last week in the life of my Lord.  Now Easter will never be a “secondary” holiday for me again. 

     God loves us.  He loves us so much that He hated the idea that our sin could separate us from Him for all eternity, so He sent His own dearly beloved Son to take the entire weight of our sins upon His sinless body and spirit and become the only perfect blood sacrifice  so that we might be redeemed from the eternal fires of hell.   When Jesus, who knew no sin, was horribly crucified on Calvary’s cross, He paid the price of redemption for all who would turn to Him with repentant hearts.  My gratitude and my love for Him is mingled with shame that every lie I’ve ever uttered, every unkind or blasphemous word I’ve ever spoken, every act of rebellion or evil I’ve committed was already known in advance by Him, and helped drive nails into those blessed palms and feet; they were the substance of every lash that afflicted His beaten body.  He died for me!  Not just for mankind’s general evils, but because I, Melissa, have committed evil and He didn’t want me to have to take upon myself the payment for my sins, so He took my sins with Him to be crucified along with Him.  He did it for you, too, brothers and sisters.  He knew your names and your sins even then, two thousand years ago, and He died for you, personally.   Can you even fathom this love?  I can understand a love that would die to save a child or loved one–but a love that would die for a people some of whom would mock and loathe Him forever?  That would curse His name and demand that He be allowed no place in the public arena?  That would reject His divine right to have His word be our nation’s guide and His presence acknowledged?  Can you fathom a love that continues though it be rejected, twisted, cheapened and scorned?   I cannot, but I am unbelievably grateful for it.   I am grateful that Jesus took this horrible punishment from me, laying Himself down on the cross of His own accord so that I might be a part of the great passover from death unto life.   When Jesus declared from His cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30),  the price of our freedom from the bondage of Satan had been paid. 

     Then Christ rose again!  Praise God!   He died for our sins, but His resurrection declared Him to be precisely who He had said He was;  He who could overcome death and hell and change the world!  And because of Him, we need never fear death nor hell nor sorrow, for He has gone to prepare a place for us in heaven (John 14:2) so that we might be forever in His presence.   

     It has become common for people to say that they believe in God, but they have no right to speak about Him publically, which could offend others who do not believe.  It has become correct in the worldly sense to claim that we cannot know for sure that Jesus is Lord and so therefore we must acknowledge that the spiritual paths of those following false gods are as legitimate as our own.   I declare that we DO know that Jesus is Lord, and that if we love others as He has commanded us to do, we will do everything possible to spread the gospel so that those who are doomed may meet our Lord and be saved.  I declare that there is but ONE way to God; Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)   And I declare that if I am ashamed to speak of my Lord to others, He will be ashamed to present me to our Father.

     If you still have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior, search your heart, repent of your sins and come to Him now.  Jesus loves you and is waiting for you to call upon His name:  He will forgive you of your sins and grant you eternal life.  Time is growing short. 

Happy Resurrection Day to you all.

     “Blessing and honor, and glory, and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”   (Rev. 5:13)

Maranatha!

“For Janis Galvin, fasting for Lent has long meant saying no to candy for the 40 days before Easter.  But when the season begins this year on March 9, it’s apt to mean something more:  walking when she’d rather drive…or turning the thermostat way down.  Galvin, an Episcopalian, will join with about 1,000 others who’ve signed up for the 2011 Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast, a daily regimen for reducing energy consumption and fighting global warming. … The carbon fast is one of several initiatives aimed at reinvigorating Lent by linking themes of fasting and abstention to wider social causes.  … In the UK, the Christian Vegetarian Association is aiming to revive the ancient Christian practice of foregoing meat during Lent.  It’s self-denial for a purpose, organizers say, noting how vegetarian diets improve health, enhance animal welfare and reduce strain on the environment. … But as a spiritual practice…personal sacrifice can be a key driver in advancing larger movements…’We’re trying to deal with the mingling of individual Lenten disciplines with social change…’ ”

—-From Religion Today Persecution News

     Wow!  This sounds really promising, doesn’t it?  Huge groups of Christians “fasting” from their profligate use of energy and meats in order to save the earth!  So much more exciting than giving up chocolate or coffee or our favorite TV program.  However, something (or Someone) appears to me to be missing from this movement–could that possibly be God?  Have we forgotten the reasons behind fasting in Scripture and replaced it with what to all intents and purposes constitutes a spiritual hunger strike?

     I wrote last year about the inadequacy of giving up something of little importance during the Lenten season unless that act of sacrifice is symbolic of a heart yielding itself to the will of our Lord.   I repeat here:  I am NOT against fasting.  Fasting has a great deal of scriptural precedence, and plays an important role in the spiritual life and health of many Christians.  But before we decide on a fast or sacrifice of any sort, we need to be clear about our own motives and objectives.

     There is certainly nothing wrong with churches calling for corporate fasts.  The Bible provides us with many instances in which corporate fasts were called both in the Old and New Testaments.  In the OT, fasts were proclaimed in order to express repentance for sin and to avert the wrath of God, for deliverance in battle from enemies, and to obtain His blessings.  In the New Testament, Jesus Himself sets the example of fasting in order to approach God more closely.  Traditionally, churches have called fasts in order to prepare hearts for repentence and service, and as an aid to prayers for the nations and peoples of the world to become the nations and people of our God.  In fact, the true purpose of the fast is to bring glory to God and to His Son, Jesus our Christ.  Fasting was to empty our emotional and physical blockages so that we could focus on the One to Whom we owe our very existance; that we might show our contrition for our rebelliousness and declare our desire to bend ourselves to His will.  Unfortunately, it has too often become a show of personal endurance and will-power that has little to do with the glorification of our Lord and a great deal to do with our self-righteous satisfaction of ourselves as “sacrificers”.   Sacrifice without showing mercy to the less fortunate is worthless in the sight of God.  Fasting without obedience to the will and commandments of the Father is useless.  Fasting with prayer, thanksgiving and the study of Scripture can draw us closer to God.  So can feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, helping the homeless and encouraging the weary.  Only when God Himself is glorified in our hearts and in our lives will a fast become a feast!

     What about some sort of sacrifice for social causes?  Fine.  Use less gas when you travel around your city or turn down the air conditioning–I’m sure God has no objection to the conservation of natural resources.  But save your worship and your praise for Him and for Him alone.    God, to be sure, has given us the job of caretakers of the earth–but He will not accept our attempts to save the gas reserves while we accede, either by design or by turning a blind eye, to the slaughter of babies in the womb, to the propagation of indecent and unnatural life-styles, to the advancement of false gods in ours nations.  He will not give us brownie points for our advocacy of the spotted owl while we eject Him from our schools, our homes and our government.  

     We may have little time left in which to worship the Father openly.  Fast, pray, and glorify His holy Name!  Remember that this Lenten season belongs to Him.

Maranatha!

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6)

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:  Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”  (Isaiah 7:14)

          Scholars have estimated that there are at least 60 major prophecies in the Old Testament that herald the coming Messiah, and over 270 lesser or supporting prophecies.  While the fulfillment of some of the prophecies are yet to come (at the time of the return of Christ), most received their fulfillment in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth.  In “Science Speaks,” authors Peter W. Stoner and Robert C. Newman estimated that the probability of one man in history fulfilling only 8 of the Old Testament prophecies was 1 in 10 to the 17th power:  that is, one chance in 100,000,000,000,000,000 chances!  Is Jesus indeed that man?  Setting aside all the other prophecies of the Messiah’s life and death, I’d like to take a look at some of the prophecies surrounding the birth of the Hebrew Messiah.

     First, according to Isaiah 7:14, the Messiah would be born of a virgin, and would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.”  I was extremely surprised when I first read that the virgin birth was actually prophesied in Scripture as early as the 3rd chapter of Genesis:

…and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.”

I had naturally read the above passage many times, but never had seen that it hinted at a virgin birth.  However, “seed” always comes from the male of the species; in every other reference to man as a seed, he is considered the seed of his father.  This is the only place in Scripture that references the seed of the woman, signifying that there would be no biological father–only seed planted by the Holy Spirit of God.  It was well-known in the early church that the mother of Jesus was a virgin, “almah” (a word that truly signified a virgin as opposed to a young, unmarried woman), at the time of His birth, and was so recorded in the Gospels of both Matthew and Luke.  I find it interesting and sad but frankly, a bit humorous that it is more difficult for some Christians today to accept the truth of the virgin birth.  While most believers are able to comprehend that God created the universe, dark, light, angels, earth, heaven, stars, solar systems, animals and man, yet are there many who balk at the idea that God could supernaturally cause a pregnancy.  Talk about straining at a gnat!  It brings to mind a recent study I read that claimed that most younger Christians surveyed believe that if Jesus came back today he wouldn’t know how to use a computer! 

     Second, the Messiah would be descended from the family of Jesse :

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.  The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord… And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.”  (Isaiah 11:1-2, 10.)

    He would also be from the House of King David:

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A king shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.”  (Jeremiah 23:5)

Chapter 1 of the Gospel of Matthew chronicles Jesus’ lineage back to the time of Abraham, proving His rightful place in the family of Jesse and the royal house of David.  However, since Jesus was not the biological son of Joseph, would this mean that He had no right to the throne of David?  Probably.  On the other hand, a more detailed but harder for our modern understanding to comprehend genealogy exists in the third chapter of Luke.  At first read, it would appear that the Matthew genealogy and the Luke genealogy contradict each other; in Matthew, Joseph is said to have descended from David through his son Solomon; in Luke, Joseph is said to have descended from David’s son Nathan.  However, an obscure truth unknown to English speakers is in play here.  Women were rarely mentioned in any man’s genealogy.  Usually, if her “line” were to be charted, it would be under the name of her husband.  Could one of these actually have been Mary’s lineage?  Definitely.  In Luke’s Gospel, the original Greek places the article “the” before the proper names.  Although this usage is unknown in English, it is quite proper to do so in Greek.  In other words, names would have appeared as the Luke, the Levi, or the David.  The only name in this history written by Luke which does NOT have the article “the” in front of it is that of Joseph.  To us, this would have no significance, but to those of New Testament days it would signify that the genealogy was that of Joseph’s wife, not Joseph Himself. 

Third, the Messiah would be of the tribe of Judah:

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes; and  to Him shall   be the obedience of the people.

Shiloh was another name the Hebrews called the coming Messiah.  It was most probably taken from the same root as “shalom”, and meant “the One who brings peace.”  As we can see from Mary’s genealogy in Luke, Jesus was indeed descended from the tribe of Judah.  This was certainly prophetic, as Judah was not the eldest of the sons of Jacob and no king would hold a sceptre until after the coronation of Saul. 

Fourth, the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.  (Micah 5:2)

Do you realize how perfectly God set up the birth of Christ in order to fulfill the prophecies so that mankind could never say they had no idea Jesus was Lord?  Mary and Joseph would never have chosen to go to Bethlehem just as she was about to give birth if they had had a choice.  Yet Caesar Augustus chose that exact time to declare that all the Roman world had to be registered  for taxation purposes, and that all men had to return to the cities of their births–which in the case of Joseph was “the city of David”–Bethlehem.  This prophecy was not just recognized in hind-sight.  King Herod asked the chief priests and scribes where the Christ was to be born, and they answered him, “in Bethlehem of Judea.”   The priests had no idea that the Messiah had been born, but they knew where the birthplace was to be.

Fifth, Malachi, writing somewhere around 425 BC, tells us that the Messiah will be preceded by a messenger–a man of the wilderness–preparing the way of the Lord.  The Gospel According to Luke introduces us to the birth of John the Baptist who would be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah…to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:15-17). 

Sixth, Hosea shows us that Messiah would be taken to Egypt as a child:

“…And out of Egypt I called My Son.” 

Compare that to these words from Matthew:

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.’  When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Out of Egypt I called my Son.’ “

     Seventh, Jeremiah 31:15 contains a terrifying prophecy:

Thus says the Lord:  ” A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”

Jeremiah was surely seeing what came to pass in Matthew 2:16:

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

 Eighth, we know from Psalm 110 (amongst many other examples) that the Messiah would be the Lord Himself:

The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies Your footstool.

Psalm 2:7 declares Him the Son of God:

“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, today I have begotten You.”

In the beginning of John’s Gospel, he tells us:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  …and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Later, as recounted in chapter 8, the adult Jesus said that “before Abraham was, I AM.” 

     Already, without touching the rest of Jesus’ life and teachings, except for His being the everlasting God, the Ancient of Days, we have been able to find eight prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus or because of the first coming of Jesus.  Remember that Drs. Stoner and Newman said that the chance of any one man fulfilling only eight of the OT major prophecies was only 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.  Can you even imagine the odds that that same man would fulfill the Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah would grant sight to the blind, heal the sick and down-hearted, forgive our sins, die on a cross after terrible torture and rise again triumphant on the third day? 

     Brothers and sisters, most of these prophecies were written at least 500 years before the birth of our Lord.  There would be no way to fake the fulfillment of them all.  Scripture provides us with the evidence that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!  Those who say they simply CANNOT believe it actually mean they simply WILL not believe it.   How about you?  Will you worship Him this Christmas season as King of Kings, Lord of Lords; born of a virgin in a manger in Bethlehem?  Or will you shut Him out and spend the day singing songs about Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman?  Please, my dear ones, if you have not yet opened your heart to Jesus to receive Him as your Lord, do it now!  He loves you so very much, and what a wonderful birthday present it would be for Him if He were to be invited into your life and heart!  Praise His name! He is our God, our Creator, our Saviour and our Reason for being.

Maranatha and a very Merry Christmas to you all!

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.  “It’s so dreadful to be poor!” sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.—-(Chapter 1, “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott)

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name 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…” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

“…After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”   (Matthew 1:18-23)

     “It’s not gonna be much of a Christmas this year, that’s for sure.”

          I overheard the above comment in Wal-Mart the other day, and what instantly came to my mind were the opening words from Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women.”   The grumbles really haven’t changed much over the years, have they?  I had even had the same thought myself this year in a moment of insanity.  Then the Lord reproved my inaccurate and really very silly words:  “I sent Light into the world and into the darkness of your heart; I sent my Love to you so you could spend eternity with Me, I sent My own Son as a baby to grow up to be the one, perfect Sacrifice who’s blood would wash away your sins forever–and you complain it won’t be much of a Christmas without  extra spending money?”   Whoops.  Praise God!  We have a heavenly Father to set us back on the right path when we look away from Him for a moment and begin to look only at our selfish selves!  That being so, I thought it was a good time to revisit the topic of the gift-giving of Christmas.

     Never having spent Christmas in another country, I’m unsure of how large a part the giving of presents plays in the celebrations of some of you who read The Watchman and live in other countries.  Here in America it has reached gargantuan and often ridiculous proportions, accounting for a large percentage of many retailers income.  As greed became a staple ingredient in the holiday, the real meaning and gifts of Christmas became obscured until, in many households, the One who’s birthday we celebrate is no longer invited to the party! 

     Since the beginning, when Adam and Eve sinned and were banished from the presence of God in Eden, men had tried to make a way to redeem themselves and find their way back into the good graces of the Almighty God.  They made sacrifices to God, sinned and fell again; made sacrifices to God again, sinned and fell again and again.  The blood of rams and goats could not cover or remove the evil that men continued to perpetuate.  The darkness of evil filled men’s hearts and there seemed no permanent way to incur the favor of God.  Satan appeared to be winning the battle for the souls of those whom God created. 

     Then, as prophesied by the Old Testament prophets, God Himself came down to earth in the form of man–a baby born in Bethlehem of Judea.  Jesus, the only-begotton Son of God–the second Person of the one triune God–became the true and greatest Gift to all of mankind.  The gift of Light shining in the darkness of evil;  the perfect Lamb of heaven who would die thirty-three years later to redeem and deliver all who believed in Him, and to bridge the chasm that sin had created between God and man.  This free gift of deliverance belongs to us today because of the Baby born a couple of thousand years ago.  Celebrate, brothers and sisters!  Celebrate because God loves us and dwelt among us, and casts our sins as far from us as “the east is from the west” and remembers them no more!  Celebrate the birth of our Lord–the greatest Gift the world has ever seen!  Invite Jesus to spend this season in which we acknowledge His birth in your home with you.   He is, indeed, the only Reason for the Season!

     As always in Christmas posts, I need to speak to those who repudiate Christmas as Christ’s birthday.  Yes, we know that Christ probably was not actually born on December 25.   Yes, we know that it was deliberately placed close to the time of the pagan winter solstice festivals.  What better time to celebrate the triumph of the One true Light of the world over the demonic powers of darkness?  What better time to celebrate Love coming down and freeing us from the shackles of the evil one who held us in the bondage of sin?  Placing Christmas here did not just give people something more godly to celebrate; it symbolized the ultimate authority of our Abba/Father over any demon or principality that would try to separate us from His perfect love!

     Won’t be much of a Christmas because there isn’t much money?  How many game systems and other gifts do our children actually need?  Will having one or two presents as opposed to ten bring the Light of Christ’s love into our children’s hearts?  Will the gift cards to Lowes or Applebee’s set our friends and family on fire with the presence of the Holy Spirit?  Search your hearts, and remember why we began giving gifts during this holiday season:  to bring to remembrance the first and greatest gift of all–the salvation brought to us by Jesus ; born in a manger to a young girl and her new husband who bent their wills to the will of God:   the salvation brought by Jesus that we could never earn by ourselves, that we do not deserve and yet receive freely from the heart of the God of love!

Maranatha! 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.  (Psalm 100:4)

…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

     Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the US.  Although we vaguely give lip-service to the origins of the holiday, we seem to have largely neglected to incorporate the “Thanksgiving” part into our modern-day celebration.  It is often off-handedly referred to as Turkey Day, and has become a day focused on food, parades and football more than on the God by whose hand we have received all good things.  Just as we have adopted the slogan “Keep Christ in Christmas“, so should we be adopting the attitude of keeping the giving of thanks in Thanksgiving.

     The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the pilgrims in 1621, in honor of the first harvest after a severe winter that decimated their population by half.  Since by this time the pilgrims numbered only a little over fifty, that means that no person was untouched by the tragedy of starvation, cold or disease.  Despite this, they knew that only the grace of God left enough of them alive to continue their colony.  Our modern Thanksgiving Day was established by proclamation of  President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, who also endured hardship and tragedy in his life but knew that God remained in control and was worthy of being given glory.  This day was set aside to be one in which the name of God would be glorified and the goodness of the Lord acknowledged and praised.  So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ: will you be glorifying God tomorrow?

     I’ve been watching the news broadcasts about Thanksgiving this week.  I’ve heard that gas prices will be up for the holiday.  I’ve heard that turkey prices are higher this year than last, and I’ve heard about how our declining economy is affecting our plans to celebrate.  I have heard no word that gives glory to the Lord.

     Those of you who have been following my blog over the past year or so know that this last year was a difficult one for me.  Like many people hurt by today’s economic crisis, I lost a lot of “stuff” and had to make another fresh start when I wasn’t at all certain I had another fresh start left in me.  My future is still a little uncertain, and there are as yet a few important events that have yet to take place in my life before I can begin to breathe easier and see the path ahead a little more clearly.  This Thanksgiving, I will be praising God!  This Thanksgiving I will be offering up to Him all the thanks of which I am capable!  Why?  Because He is my God and Lord of my life.  Because He has held my hand during all the bad things that have come down upon me and continues to lead me through the storm when I am too blind to see my own way. I will thank Him for every family member that has accepted His offer of redemption and for every friend or acquaintance I have been given to love.  I will thank Him for those who have been standing by my side helping me to endure what I thought was not endurable.  I will praise and thank Him  because He has sent His only Son Jesus to redeem me at the price of His own blood and so has delivered me from an eternity of the hell I couldn’t have avoided on my own!  I will praise and thank Him because He loves me!

     Bad economy?  Health problems?  Pffft!  So what?  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) 

     Brothers and sisters, will you be joining me tomorrow in giving thanks?  Will you give thanks that because of His mercy and goodness we can enter the throne-room  of the most high God and be acceptable in His sight; that in the midst of the storms He is our refuge and our deliverer?  God be with you all and may He grant you the desires of your hearts!

Happy Thanksgiving

Maranatha!

Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.  For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”  (1 Corinthians 5: 7-8)

     We are only a week and a few days away from the celebration of Resurrection Day–usually called (wrongfully, since the connotation of the word is pagan in origin) Easter Sunday.  The death and resurrection of our Lord took place during the season of Passover, a yearly Jewish religious festival; one of the feasts ordained by God Himself in chapter 16 of the book of Deuteronomy.  Jesus celebrated the Passover, as any good Jew would do, to commemorate the day on which God delivered His chosen people from their slavery in Egypt; causing the angel of death who would strike the first-born of the hard-necked Egyptions to “pass over” all of those who had the mark of God on their homes and helping the Hebrew people to  ”pass over” into the new land that He was giving to them.  Although most Christian churches denounced the Jewish holidays and feasts, it is probable that this was not in accordance with the will of God, as Christ Himself became our Passover–the fulfillment of the feast.   At the back of the minds of many Christians is the notion that we celebrate Resurrection Day near the Passover season in order to counterbalance a Jewish “wrong”  when, in actuality, we are celebrating our own Passover from death into eternal life through the blood of our Savior, Jesus the Messiah.

     There are many Christians (so-called) who rarely think about Jesus other than on Christmas morning or at church on Resurrection Day.  If you are one of these people, please understand that as believers we have an obligation to worship Him every day and in every segment of our lives.  There is so much Good News here, however!  Today is the day to begin preparing your heart for the celebration!    Today you can begin your life anew:  flooded with the life-giving resurrection power of the risen Christ and the guidance and comfort of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh–the Holy Spirit of God! 

     Before going before the Lord to celebrate the feast, first see that your heart is purged of the old leaven, as Paul warned us to do.  Throughout the Scriptures leaven is used as a symbol for sin.  Paul lets us know that we have some responsibility in asking God to forgive our sin–the responsibility for choosing to let go of our sinful natures and allowing Christ to enter into our hearts with healing, forgiveness and restoration.  If we ask for His forgiveness with no intent to try to make ourselves into the people He intends us to be, then we are deluding ourselves when we believe we are His followers.  Don’t get me wrong:  when we try to become like Jesus, we will fail.  No matter how much we love Him and no matter how hard we try, we will not be completely incapable of sinning until He takes us to Himself in heaven.  Any one who tells you he no longer sins because he is a believer is either lying or fooling himself.  However, when we accept Jesus into our hearts to be Lord of our lives, our number one priority becomes pleasing Him.  When we fail (as fail we will at times), we now have “an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins…” (1 John 2:1-2)  All we have to do is ask His forgiveness, and “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)  While we may not be able to live entirely sin-free lives, His Holy Spirit will show us our sins and lead us to the only One who has the power to make us whole.  Praise God!  Jesus loves us, and calls us to pass over from the death of this sinful world to the one, true and perfect Light! 

     Some end-times scholars believe that Jesus’ return for His bride will take place during the fall feast of Trumpets.  There is good, solid reasoning behind this, but I await His soon coming with anticipation every day–including as the Passover draws near.  I do not pretend to know when Christ is coming for us but, like many others, I indulge myself with “what-ifs”!  As we near Passover I cannot help but feel some hopeful excitement:  “What If” Christ were to come during the Passover season?  What if our pass-over from death to life were to be completed during this very season?  How about you?  If He comes tonight, or on Passover or Resurrection Sunday or next week or next month or next year, will He find you ready to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb? 

“For Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us.  Therefore let us keep the feast!”

Maranatha!

“On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 lords a-leaping, 9 ladies dancing, 8 maids a-milking, 7 swans a-swimming, 6 geese a-laying, five gold rings, 4 calling birds, 3 French hens, 2 turtledoves, and a Partridge in a pear tree.–Old Irish Carol

     Growing up, I never considered the origins of the 12 Days of Christmas (although the British produced a wonderfully funny short movie–I think in the ’40s–showing what a household would look like as these gifts arrived), and it certainly never occurred to me that the roots of this carol were Christian in nature.  As a young adult I learned it dated back to the ancient days when England was in the midst of a scourge of Catholicism.  Whoever was at the helm of the various European monarchies also determined the official religious leanings of the empires, often resulting in extreme persecution for whichever branch of Christianity–Catholicism or Protestantism–was not in favor at the moment.  Needless to say, God never intended for these persecutions to take place, but with the leaders of the church and the leaders of the empires somewhat entwined and so much power reposing on these leaders, it was perhaps inevitable that they would occur.  At any rate, although I had learned that “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was a carol written in code by a Catholic who used it to teach church doctrine under the guise of a secular song, I didn’t know what each of the “gifts” represented.  However, a few years ago I discovered the meaning in a novel by author Emma Jensen:

12 drummers drumming=the 12 articles of the Apostles’ Creed

11 pipers piping=11 faithful apostles

10 lords a-leaping=the 10 Commandments

9 ladies dancing=9 orders of angels

8 maids a-milking=eight beatitudes

7 swans a-swimming=the 7 sacraments

6 geese a-laying=the 6 days of creation

5 gold rings=the first 5 books of the OT (the Torah)

4 calling birds=the 4 Gospels

3 French hens=Faith, Hope and Charity (Love)

2 turtledoves=the Old and New Testaments

Partridge in a pear tree–Christ in the manger, or alternatively on the cross. 

     No matter what denomination one adheres to, it is clear that this lovely and clever coded Christmas carol has found a permanent place in the hearts of people everywhere!

Merry Christmas!

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh; come peasant, king to own Him;

The King of Kings salvation brings; Let loving hearts enthrone Him.–”What Child is This”

     Satan knew since the time written of in Genesis 3 (“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel”) that a child would one day be born of a woman who would bring about the deliverance of God’s people.  It was his demonic desire all along to kill the Son of the Most High–this determination of his was apparent in Herod’s determination to kill all children two years old and younger in order to slay the coming king who posed, he believed, a threat to his future rule (Matthew 2:16).  It was in the serpent’s message to “if You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down” from the pinnacle of the temple (Luke 4).  Satan’s influence was in the crowd in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:29) that sought to kill Jesus by casting Him off the side of a hill. 

     What Satan could not know, since God the Father kept the plan of redemption secret from the beginning of time, was the effect of the atoning Blood of the Lamb of God.  Jesus (Who’s Hebrew name was Yeshua) was born in a stable in Bethlehem in accordance with the Old Testament prophecies.  He was the Light of the world; Love come down in human form–and He came to die.  Every breath He breathed, every step He took, every word He preached and every person whose life He touched led the Messiah Yeshua to the cross.  It was His destiny and His divine will. 

     This year, the date on which we choose to celebrate His remarkable incarnation–the birth of Christ; God becoming man to live amongst us and provide us with a pure and holy sacrifice by which we may achieve salvation–will be celebrated by many by trying to find the best gifts money can buy for their friends and family (whether they can afford to or not), with office parties considered successful if there is enough liquor provided to assure a harrowing and dangerous drive home, and by diligently working to see that Christ is not invited to the Christmas revels.  A sadder commentary on our times is the fact that in many Christian households, there will be little to differentiate them from the homes of the unbelievers.  With the economy in a tailspin and the secular desire for tangible possessions at almost hysterically obsessive levels, many Christians are being lured away from the season’s true meaning by the frantic spirit of greed which is beginning to characterize this most blessed of days. Satan has not been able to put a stop to Christmas, but he and his minions have surely found ways to try to change the focus of the holiday!  As believers in the Most High God, we must do our best to see that Christ is invited to our homes and our celebrations to honor His birthday.  Though the world and the flesh may seem to be taking over, remember that God is in control of all things and adore Him accordingly!

     My son pointed out to me at the beginning of the season that the first mention we had on TV of the celebration of the coming of Christ was an ad for Christmas lottery tickets.  This was closely followed by “Black Friday,” a supposed indicator of how “good” our Christmas will be.   Children of God, there is no such thing as a “bad” Christmas!  Christmas, like God Himself, cannot be bad because its nature cannot change.  It is the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, and no administration, no economic downturn and no cheesy secular decorations can change that!  If (when?) the time comes that we are not allowed to proclaim Christ in public at all, it still will be a “good” and blessed day for those who hold Jesus enthroned in their hearts!  Christmas will still be Christmas, whether or not there are gifts and feasts and access to 5th generation Ipods. 

     How did Christmas become a time of giving gifts to each other? The origin of Christmas presents is traced back to the fourth century saint Nicholas of Bari who was known for his secret gifts of alms and help to those in need.  We continue in this tradition as a reminder to ourselves and others of the wonderful  Gift that was given to us by God in the form of a baby lying in a manger who grew up to give us the greatest gift of all–eternal life in the Father.  Jesus loved us so much that He gave His all–all of His healing, all of His comfort, His presence and every drop of His precious spilled Blood–that we might be saved.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords, and this is what we treasure about Christmas Day:  that we may acknowledge and worship the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world!  Yes, let loving hearts enthrone Him:  now and forever more! 

Joy to the World!  For the Lord has come, and is coming again to claim His own!

Merry Christmas and maranatha!

Melissa

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:16)

“…Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”  (Matthew 5:44)

     I have received several e-mails so far this year from Christian groups suggesting that we boycott stores and companies that prefer their employees to wish us “Happy Holidays” instead of a “Merry Christmas.”  Those of you who have left your names and e-mail addresses on the websites of several Christian/family ministries have probably gotten at least one of these requests yourselves.  Since I, too, have been disgusted with the current trend toward not being allowed to hear the name of my Lord spoken in public, I have some sympathy for those who think we should put unofficial economic sanctions on those companies who cave on the altar of political correctness. However, while I know many of those who are advocating boycotts are good and Godly people, I respectfully disagree with their conclusion that this is the best way of trying to put Christ back into Christmas.  Indeed, I fear that these attempts to fight  the “War against Christmas” may actually be robbing us of the privilege and opportunity to be effective messengers of this joyful season.

     We have begun each year to deprecate there being a war against Christmas when, in truth, the war that is being waged is against Christ Himself.  The enemy has begun to blind the not-yet-saved to the hope and peace that can only be found in the righteousness of God.  This is Satan’s greatest desire; that he keep as many people as he can from finding fulfillment and everlasting life in the Father of all creation.  That he would launch battles to keep one of the holiest days of the year from being seen as a day of worship and exultation that God Himself came down to earth to restore us to a right relationship with Him is not a great surprise, given the shortness of time that Satan has left in which to conduct his demonic business.  Now, a lot of pastors are suggesting that we “hit in the pocketbook” those businesses that prefer not to refer to Christ as a part of this holiday.  (Note:  a good friend of mine points out , rightfully, that “holiday” is short for “holy day”, which makes it much more palatable as a Christmas greeting than Christians may realise!)  But, brothers and sisters, are these places not the ones that most need the light of His love shining upon them?  If they do not feel they can invite Jesus to be a part of their holiday (holy day) celebrations, then how much more we should be going in to them and shining His light through ourselves to all with whom we come into contact!  My suggestion is that we deliberately patronize shops that do not recognize the Reason for the season and bless those who are within to the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Many of those who work in these businesses do not like the policy of not being allowed to celebrate Christmas and calling it instead the Winter Holidays.  They are there because they need to pay their rents and feed their families, just as we all do.  Many of them look pleased when you answer their stock greeting with a “Merry Christmas” earnestly and lovingly said, or a “God be with you.”  Reacting to them rudely, or critically condemning their greeting serves only to make us look petty–something Jesus certainly is not. 

     Our job as followers of the Most High God is to spread the Gospel of Jesus and to shine His light into all the dark places we can.  Surely we can best do this by trying as hard as we can to follow the examples set us by Jesus Himself–love come down and made incarnate.  Love those who might not love us back; bless those who curse us; do good to all who we feel have wronged or harm us.  All the boycotts in the world will not change the minds of those who are set against Christ; they will not help those who love Him and are stuck in jobs they cannot leave.  Jesus never forced anyone to believe in Him; never forced anyone to love Him; never forced anyone to bow down to Him.  Love that is forced from people is not a true love, and God wants us to love Him because He first loved us. In all my study of New Testament  Scripture, I have found no authority by which I should condemn those who do not know God.  It is my duty to tell those who are living without His loving care and forgiveness that Jesus loves them; that He came down to earth from the heavenly places to take on their sins and die and be resurrected that they might have a chance at eternal life. This, beloved, is the message we should be bringing to the darkness:  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)  This Christmas season, let us go out into the world to proclaim the Good News of the birth of our Savior to those who may not hear of Him otherwise!

Maranatha!