Time For a Change?

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:23-28 ESV).

So you need a new computer? You need one that will have plenty of hard drive space; lot’s of RAM, a super fast processor, and all the latest in hardware/software innovations? Well here’s a suggestion for you that will cost you nearly nothing! First, find a computer magazine that advertises all the latest systems and machines. Cut out the logo of the new system/computer and glue it over the old model logo on your machine. You know, the ones that say “Intel Pentium Inside” (or whatever the latest logo is). Then find a training manual for the latest operating system with a picture of the newest system environment and tape a picture of the main screen to you monitor. Just like that you will have a new computer!

Foolish thought isn’t it? Yet that’s the very same thing when we try to change our lives from the outside in. Listen tot he words of Jesus in our reading this morning again: Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too.

Only God can clean you up from the inside out. When we try on our own to "clean up our act" by changing our habits or making resolutions or trying the latest "How To Be an Incredible Person" book, we merely slap on new labels, glue on new attitudes or buy clever accessories, but God still sees our heart. Richard Foster put it this way in his book Celebration of Discipline: "The needed change within us is God's work, not ours. The demand is for an inside job, and only God can work from the inside." To accomplish these we must decide if we will give the Lord free reign in our inner most parts. We must choose to set aside our outward attempts at change, and allow Him to work His change from the inside out. The choice is ours. But if we insist on doing it our way, we will probably continue doing it the same old way, looking good and feeling bad. Is it time for you to “wash the inside of the cup”? Start with a genuine confession and request for the filling of the Holy Spirit in your life. Change from the inside out today!

Miracle on 34th Street

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:14-17 ESV).

Valentine Davies was born in New York, died in Hollywood, served in the Coast Guard, graduated from the University of Michigan, wrote a number of Broadway plays, served as president of the Screen Writers Guild, was general chairman of the Academy Awards program, and yet few would remember his name. But his Christmas classic "Miracle on 34th Street” is remembered by anyone who "believes." The 1947 novel "Miracle on 34th Street" became a movie the same year, earning the author an Academy Award for the Best Original Story. The film itself was nominated for the top picture. Edmund Gwenn, who played Kriss Kringle, won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and George Seaton received one of the gold statues for his screenplay of Davies' story. Though not an award winner for this effort, child actor Natalie Wood won the hearts of viewers as Susan Walker, the little girl whose doubt in the existence of Santa Claus is transformed by her association with Gwenn's Kriss Kringle. It has become one of the classics of the Christmas season. It is a story of transformation.

Transformation is often both ugly and beautiful! Caterpillars are ugly, yet they become one of the most beautiful creatures of God’s design. Once an animal covered with ugly black hair becomes a butterfly splashed with amazing colors; once an animal that lives off the leaves on the ground becomes the connoisseur of flower nectar; and, once a creature that once crawled everywhere becomes one that can fly everywhere. We're not talking makeover here. We're talking miracle!

The Creator who so miraculously transforms caterpillars does something far more amazing; He does it for people, like you and me. He did it for Bill Hadley. He was a handsome, successful man, with a fatal flaw, alcohol. He'd been hooked since he was 12 years old, and no one could get him unhooked, including himself. His addiction eventually cost him his job, his relationship with his family, even his freedom, landing him in prison for a while. He was, in essence, crawling through life on a caterpillar level because of something inside him he couldn't change. So one night Bill Hadley decided to die. He was on his way to Lake Michigan in Chicago to end his life when he heard this vaguely familiar song coming out of an old rescue mission. It was a song his mother used to sing. He decided to go in for a minute, never dreaming that the caterpillar that went into that mission would emerge a butterfly. From that night on, Bill Hadley never touched a drop of alcohol again. He became a wonderful husband, a loving father, and a respected spokesman for the God who changed his life. That night he was planning to die, Bill Hadley began a new life, by beginning a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Your struggles with your own darkness may be different from Bill Hadley's, however, the same kind of miracle can happen to you. It's described in today’s reading. Trying to be reformed can only change you on the outside. Jesus offers to transform you from the inside out, to make what had been so ugly into something so beautiful. It's time to let Jesus do what only He can do. Are you ready for that today?

The Proposal

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13 ESV).

A news item caught my eye this week when I logged on to my home server. It was titled, “Five Worst Proposal Mistakes Guys Make.” The article centered on the mistakes that should be avoided when asking someone to marry you. It included five pointers. The first was called “premature proposing.” The subheading is self-explanatory. It dealt with the need to wait until you really had the opportunity to know one another. The second one was a little more difficult to understand from the heading. It was “it’s not about you.” The gist of the advice was to ask in a manner that you think she would like rather than how you would like it to be. It was about being selfless in your proposal. The next two were similar and dealt with not being too elaborate or complicated. And the last was advice to be patient. If your intended needed more time to think about such a commitment, be prepared to extend that time with grace.

I know you are wondering what this article has to do with a spiritual thought for the day, but it struck me that Jesus’ invitation to us does follow the same “etiquette.” In our reading this morning Matthew was asked to make a life commitment to follow Jesus. It was not a demand, but a request. Jesus is always the perfect “gentleman” in His requests of us. How strange that we often miss the call of God in our lives because we wait for the “burning bush” experience. There are those times in some people’s lives, however for most of us, Jesus simply asks us to follow Him in a soft, gentle voice.

The New Year is almost dawned. There are so many unknowns about this year. The economy is an uncertain, the world is in turmoil, and personal decisions about your vocation or relationships may be before you. Jesus is calling to you to come to Him. There will be your answers for the future. It is not a simple answer for a complex problem. It is a step of faith in securing your future beyond the immediate challenges of this life. Wherever you may be “sitting,’ like Matthew, Jesus calls you to follow Him. In Christ we can have so much. He offers us a love that can never be fathomed; a life that can never die; a righteousness that can never be tarnished; a peace that can never be understood; a rest that can never be disturbed; a joy that can never be diminished; a hope that can never be disappointed; a glory that can never be clouded; a light that can never be darkened; a purity that can never be defiled; a beauty that can never be marred; a wisdom that can never be baffled; and, resources that can never be exhausted. What will you answer be to Him today?

Blameless

For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 ESV).

I read a great story some time ago about two young men that joined a construction crew commissioned to build a multistory office building. At lunch they sat themselves on an iron girder high above the ground and opened their lunch boxes. "I can't believe it," groaned Joe. "Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I don't like peanut butter and jelly!" With that, he crumpled his sandwiches and hurled them to the ground. Lunch on the second day was a repeat of the first--Joe became visibly upset with the sandwiches in his lunch. Once again, he hurled the sandwiches 17 stories below. Joe's buddy dreaded lunch on the following day. Sure enough, rather than enjoying a well-deserved rest, he was stuck listening to his new coworker complain. Day after day he silently watched Joe sort through his lunch, exclaim over the offending sandwiches, and send them hurtling to the ground. "I've had it with peanut butter and jelly!" screamed Joe once again. Angrily smashing the sandwiches in his hand, he thrust them to the ground below. Unable to restrain himself any longer, Joe's buddy blurted out, "Look, if you don't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, then tell your wife not to make them anymore." "Hey, buddy, wait a minute," snapped Joe. "Don't bring my wife into this. I make my own sandwiches!"

Sometimes we complain about the way things are when we have nobody to blame but ourselves. We are not mere victims of circumstance. We have the power to control our reaction to what happens to us. But we need to do more than complain; we need to take action. The Apostle Paul saw that characteristic in people and when he wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he encouraged them to let their love grow and overflow to others. By doing that, the result would be a strengthening of their hearts so that they might be blameless before God.

It almost seems too simple to be the truth. If we merely love others then we can be blameless. Yet, that’s at the heart of the message Jesus had when asked about commandments. The “Royal Commandments” were simple: first, love God with all your heart, mind and soul; and, second, love others as you do yourself. What better time than Christmas to show others the love of God you have found in Christ? There are so many ways to do that. Speak a word of encouragement to those around you. It might be the only kindness they are shown that day! Go out of your way to do something for someone less privileged. Take food to a sick neighbor. Take some flowers to your local convalescent center. There are hundreds of ways to express a little bit of love to others at this time of the year. Pick one and renew the pattern of love in your life.

Past and Present

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. (Philippians 3:13-15 ESV).

Another year has almost slipped into history. It has been full of many changes. Perhaps your year had more than its share of changes. As I began to reflect on my year, I was reminded of a principle that I have made a focus for a long time: Never let past failures or future fears rob you of present joy. I have found that concentrating on this proverb has helped put many experiences into perspective. The following story illustrates the point so well:

Dick Lehman is a marvelous potter in Goshen, Indiana. One day a number of years ago Dick was hosting a visiting Canadian potter for three days of raku firing at his studio. Raku is a method of firing pottery loosely based on a 16th century Japanese technique, where a piece is rapidly fired, removed from the kiln while hot, placed in a container or pit with combustible material, and covered. Many interesting glaze and surface effects can be obtained using this method. Dick Lehman and his friend had limited time, so they decided to fire on the second day, in spite of threatening, very stormy skies. At one point when they were moving one of the large pots from the kiln to the post-firing reduction container, a tornado touched down several miles away. The surrounding gusts of wind toppled his container and Dick's prized pot rolled down a dirt bank into a large clump of wet grasses. His heart fell to his feet. Very unhappy, he retrieved the pot, covered it up again, and "waited with dismal certainly for it to cool and confirm it's almost-certain" failure. But when he uncovered the pot, he said, "To my surprise I discovered a colorful photo-like image of the wet grasses on the side of the pot." This happy accident led Dick to pursue intentionally firing fresh leaf images onto his raku pots. As he experimented, he was able to create an almost photographic clarity to the images. Today his innovative fresh leaf nature images on pottery fetch very handsome prices, once again proving the old adage; some happy accidents are the mother of great bankrolls. 1

Perhaps this year has been one “storm” after another for you. Perhaps some of the challenges you have faced were of no cause of your own. Can you find a way to pick up the ruined pot and unwrap it to find the treasure that remains? Often out of the most difficult of experiences come the best blessings. Out of illness, comes new awareness of the love and support of family and friends. Out of financial setback, perhaps you learn how to trim your expenses, or get by on less. The disappointment of not making it into the school or job of your choice turns out to be a blessing in disguise, and you find new meaning or new friends in another location. Each year, each day, and each moment really, is a fresh chance to begin again. Put the past where it belongs – in the past! Live in the moment God has given you and trust Him for your future.

Fish or Cut Bait?

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62 ESV).

There is a very old saying that you may have heard before: Are you going to fish or cut bait? It is typically used when someone needs to be encouraged to take action. The following joke is very old, but bears repeating for emphasis this morning:

Old Pete had a knack for catching fish. Every weekend Old Pete went fishing and returned with dozens of fish. Nobody knew how he did it. When other fisherman were unable to land more than three or four, Old Pete always came back with stringer after stringer of freshly caught fish. Curious, the fish and game warden decided to investigate. He followed Old Pete out to the lake, and when he launched his boat at the dock, the warden asked if he could ride along and observe. "Sure," said Old Pete. "Hop in." Old Pete started up his outboard motor. When they arrived at an obscure reach of the lake, Pete stopped the boat. The warden sat back and watched. Reaching into a box, Pete pulled out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and tossed it into the water. After the explosion dead fish soon started rising to the surface. Old Pete took out a net and started scooping them up. "Wait a minute!" said the warden. "What do you think you're doing? You can't do that! I'll put you in jail, buddy! You'll be paying every fine in the book! You'll never fish again!" Old Pete calmly put down his net, picked up a second stick of dynamite, lit it, and tossed it in the warden's lap. "So are you gonna sit there criticizing me all day," he asked the panicked warden, "or are you gonna fish?"

The fish and game warden was quickly transformed from passive observer to, shall we say, enthusiastic participant. It is always important to think before making decisions. However, some people make the “getting ready” part of a decision a life-long event and forget that reaching a goal demands action. Life really is a participatory sport!

Often when we fail to make decisions, the moment passes us by. This is the clear principle Jesus taught in our reading this morning. The young man who wanted to go home and bury his father sounds as if he is making a reasonable request, until you realize that his real intent is to go home until he can legitimately receive his inheritance. It is tantamount to “looking back.” This New Year determine to do more than just “cut bait.” Do some fishing! Plan well, but take action in your life! See if good things don’t immediately follow!

All Things Great and Small

I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:1-10 ESV).

Helen Keller said, "I have found that though the ways in which I can make myself useful are few, yet the work open to me is endless...I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but it is my chief duty and joy to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble.

All of us have had ambitions of doing great works. Most of us have probably dreamed of having our name in print or achieving stardom or arriving as a star athlete. But, to be honest, the majority of the people are just ordinary people doing ordinary jobs. The people that stand out are the ones that do their ordinary jobs with excellence. The difference in ordinary and extraordinary is just that little extra. It makes all the difference in the world. There are only a few superstar positions open, but there are many ordinary positions where we can perform extraordinarily.

The key, as Helen Keller says, is to treat those humble things as though they were great and noble. When you give them the attention they deserve, then and only then do you get to do a few great things. The good news is that you'll be prepared because you did the small things first. When artists transfer a drawing to a large surface, like a wall, they often divide the painting into small blocks. Then they paint the blocks one at a time. I may not be able to paint an entire wall to exact detail, but I could paint a small block, then another, then another until eventually I have a huge portrait. What little thing does God want you to do? No matter how small, treat it with nobility and accomplish it with vigor. That’s a New Year’s resolution worth keeping!

Merry Christmas

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. "Don't be frightened, Mary," the angel told her, "for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!" Mary asked the angel, "But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin." The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she's already in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true." And then the angel left. (Luke 1:26-38 NLV).

I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas. By tonight Mary and I will be in Texas with our family enjoying opening gifts, food, and fellowship! I’ve actually had some fun shopping this year though I know that’s often that’s not the case. If you’ve ever done any shopping with your young children you will identify with the following experience. Not long ago I saw a young couple walking ahead of us in the mall with their young daughter. Her Dad was getting ready to get on the escalator to go down and he said, "Now hold Daddy's hand." She apparently didn't like that idea. She looked up at him, "That's OK, Daddy. I'll hold my own hand." As I recalled that moment it occurred to me that our Heavenly Father does the same thing from time to time with us. He reaches our direction and He says, "Hold Daddy's hand." Maybe you've got a mind of your own, an independent spirit. And you respond, "That's OK, Daddy. I'll hold my own hand." Just as it is not a god idea for the little girl to ride the escalator without her father’s hand, so it is not good for us to walk through life on our own either.

In our reading today we see God telling Mary to hold His hand. Now if Mary had insisted on holding her own hand, she would never have gone. God is leading her into a situation where she will suddenly be mysteriously pregnant. And who's going to believe that God is doing it? She has a lot to lose if she takes God's hand and goes where He wants to take her. But listen to her response to God's plan. "I am the Lord's servant." Those five words change everything. God's most special assignments are for those who will hold God’s hand. He’s always there beside us asking us to hold His hand. It is our decision whether or not to do so. He doesn’t grab us in spite of our desire. He asks. This Christmas, take your Father's hand and with child-like faith tell Him, "Lord, take me wherever You want me to go." Open arms, open hands, face looking up - say those five words that open you up to God's best - "I am the Lord's servant."

Do You Believe In Santa?

It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead, and the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and found the disciples, who were grieving and weeping. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn't believe her. Afterward he appeared to two who were walking from Jerusalem into the country, but they didn't recognize him at first because he had changed his appearance. When they realized who he was, they rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their unbelief--their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:9-16 NLV)

It is truly heartwarming to know that millions of people around the world believe in Santa. Consider the following, which I recently found:

Around the globe, today, live approximately two billion children (persons under 18). Santa doesn't visit all of them, of course. Subtracting the number of Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or Buddhist children reduces Santa's Christmas Eve workload to 15 percent of the total, or 378 million children (according to the Population Reference Bureau). At an average census rate of 3.5 children per household, and presuming that there is at least one good child in each home, Santa must visit about 108 million homes. Santa has about 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 967.7 visits per second. That means that at each household with a good child, Santa has around 1/1000th of a second to park the sleigh, hop out, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left for him, and get back up the chimney, jump into the sleigh, and get on to the next house. For the purposes of our calculations, we will assume that each of these 108 million stops is evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false). We're talking about a trip of 0.78 miles per household; a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting bathroom stops or breaks. To cover that ground in 31 hours, Santa's sleigh moves at 650 miles per second--3,000 times the speed of sound. By comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second, and a conventional reindeer can run (at best) 15 miles per hour. The payload of the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium-sized Lego set (two pounds), the sleigh must carry over 500 thousand tons, not counting Santa himself. On land, a conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. In air, even granting that the "flying" reindeer could pull 10 times the normal amount, the job can't be done with a mere eight or nine of them--Santa would need 360,000 of them. This increases the payload, not counting the weight of the sleigh, another 54,000 tons, or roughly seven times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth (the ship, not the monarch). Six hundred thousand tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance--this would heat up the reindeer in the same fashion as a spacecraft reentering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer would absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second each. In short, they would burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them and creating deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team would be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second, or right about the time Santa reached the fifth house on his trip. Not that it matters, however, since Santa, as a result of accelerating from a dead stop to 650 miles per second in .001 seconds, would be subjected to centrifugal forces of 17,500 g's. A 250-pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force, instantly crushing his bones and organs and reducing him to a quivering blob of pink goo.

Well, by comparison, the story of the little baby in the manger is relatively easy to believe! The life of Jesus Christ is a fact, recorded not only by biblical writers but by secular historians as well. Some historians declare that there is more evidence for the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ than there is evidence that Julius Caesar ever lived at all. Even in the face of the written testimony of eyewitnesses, many people refuse to believe in Jesus. They consider him nothing more than a myth. But for those willing to believe with childlike faith, Jesus promises an inheritance of the kingdom of God (cf. Mark 10:14).

Scanning the Horizon

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:11-24 ESV).

I love Christmas! It is a time for homecoming. All across the nation there will be many people who will travel to their homes to be with their families. Today’s reading is also about a homecoming. Perhaps you have heard of Rembrandt (1606-1669), one of the greatest Dutch painters. Rembrandt was able to combine the skill of art and poetry to create a type of portraiture, which had been untried. He gave his painting an air of mystery while combining action, drama and violent contrasts of light and dark. Yet, there were days when Rembrandt wished he were never born. Yes, he did marry a prominent Dutch girl and became wealthy as he built up a large art portfolio. But tragedy struck as his 3 young children died and his wife died 8 years after their marriage. Rembrandt withdrew from society and his popularity diminished. He made some poor financial decisions and could not pay his debtors. He married his housekeeper who helped protect his works from creditors. She died soon after, along with his son, Titus. When Rembrandt died, people had almost entirely forgotten him. However, his last painting, The Prodigal Son, depicts the true Rembrandt. It reveals a son, kneeling at the feet of the Father, crushed and repentant, seeking pardon for the life he had squandered. The Father extends a hand of love and forgiveness, while offering hope and consolation. Rembrandt was this son. He realized he was the lost son who had recklessly lavished the family fortunes away. The scene is sad, melancholy, yet tinted with an enigmatic aura of expectant hopefulness. Though considering himself a failure, Rembrandt sensed the Father's arm of mercy and grace embracing him.

That is the picture Luke gives us in this story of Jesus. God is scanning the horizon looking for the homecoming of His children. Perhaps He is looking for you today. You may have been wearily trudging through life; not knowing whether there was a home to go to or not. The news of this Christmas season is that there is a home waiting for you. Your heavenly Father is looking for you and waits with open arms ready to receive you back no matter what your past may have been. All that is necessary to get there is to ask Him for His forgiveness and you will be immediately at home in His arms! Come home today!

It's Broken

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:1-3 ESV).

Many, many Christmases ago I was given an electric train set. It was a wonderful gift. I was young enough that it completely captivated me. Hours passed while I set and reset the track into different configurations. It was such fun. The next morning would change all of that however. I awoke to a broken locomotive. It had “mysteriously” been smashed with a hammer. Of course I was promised to get another, but it would be several days before that could happen. I was heartbroken! It wasn’t a very nice way to spend Christmas. Take it from me, it's no fun dealing with something broken at Christmas.

There are many people who are doing just that this season. Maybe you. It's not a broken train set that puts a cloud over so many Christmases. Rather, it's a broken heart, or a broken relationship, or even a broken dream. This season amplifies so many emotions. It amplifies the loves of your life, the joys of your life, and the pain. As we approach this Christmas, maybe you're feeling very deeply some personal loss or grief, some guilt, some regret, some hurt, or some loneliness. Broken is hard anytime. It's especially hard at Christmas.

This is one of the main reasons Jesus came that first Christmas. Notice the first verse of our reading this morning: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me . . . He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. God saw our brokenness and sent His one and only Son to give us hope. But He didn't just bring a band-aid for the symptom. He went right to the central cause of most human pain, sin. Most of the broken things in our life are either broken because we have been sinned against or because we have sinned. In other words, we have done it our way instead of God's way. We were designed to live for the One who gave us our life. That choice has made us the victims of other people's "me first" living and made other people the victims of our sin. And a lot has been broken.

Christmas is a wonderful time to open your heart to One who said He came "to bind up the brokenhearted." Turn your attention to Him alone today and accept this great healing into your life. Commit yourself to following Jesus in every area of your life. Receive the full restoration of your life through His grace. It’s the gift God has for you today!

Happy Anniversary!

Some of you can remember when I had black hair as I do in the picture to the left! This photo was taken on December 21, 1969! It was the day of our wedding, forty-two years ago! Personally I think I really look good in the black framed glasses, though the real beauty is standing next to me!

In fact, that thought provides the bridge for my thoughts today. I could spend a great deal of time (or words in this case) talking about the physical beauty of Mary, however, it is the internal beauty that has made our marriage last these many years. And, it is that kind of beauty that we must all cultivate in our lives if we expect to be able to maintain positive, affirmative relationships in our marriages, families, and lives in general. Perhaps the words of the Apostle Paul, which were used in our wedding, are most helpful in highlighting those characteristics:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Corinthians 13:1-8 ESV).

I don’t want to minimize the power of patience, kindness, or the other practical things Paul mentions about love. However, the real encouragement is to be found in the clear statement that love never ends!

I have heard so many people tell me they are no longer “in love” with their spouse or a family member. They are talking about the feelings of love and appreciation. Unfortunately they have misunderstood the source of those feelings. They are not rooted in what we do, but who we are. As husband and wife, we ARE in love; therefore we can feel in love. I read a wonderful little illustration some time ago that is so poignant and true:

You can see them alongside the shuffleboard courts in Florida or on the porches of the old folks' homes up north: an old man with snow-white hair, a little hard of hearing, reading the newspaper through a magnifying glass; an old woman in a shapeless dress, her knuckles gnarled by arthritis, wearing sandals to ease her aching arches. They are holding hands, and in a little while they will totter off to take a nap, and then she will cook supper, not a very good supper and they will watch television, each knowing exactly what the other is thinking, until it is time for bed. They may even have a good, soul-stirring argument, just to prove that they still really care. And through the night they will snore unabashedly, each resting content because the other is there. They are in love, they have always been in love, although sometimes they would have denied it. And because they have been in love they have survived everything that life could throw at them, even their own failures.

Mary and I are not ready for the rocking chairs or the retirement home yet, but I am so glad we have learned the real lesson of love. I thank God for such a wonderful loving woman to walk beside me these brief years together. And, I pray for many, many more! Happy Anniversary, Mary!

Do You Remember?

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! (Luke 2:8-11 NLV).

Had you picked up a daily newspaper in 1809, you would have read the big news that Napoleon I, emperor of France, had conquered Austria at Wagram, annexed the Illyrian Provinces (now part of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), and abolished the Papal States.

I know you are now asking yourself, “so what? Who cares?” Stay with me for a few more lines! In that same year, in France, Louis Braille, who devised a way for the blind to read, was born. And in Germany, - Felix Mendelssohn, the great composer of symphonies, was born. In England, William Gladstone, the four-time Prime Minister and the father of public education, was born; Alfred Lord Tennyson, the poet laureate of Great Britain, was born; and, Charles Darwin, the most influential scientist of the nineteenth century was born. In America, Edgar Allen Poe, the master poet and storyteller, was born; Oliver Wendell Holmes, the writer and physician who developed surgical techniques still in use today, was born; and, Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States, was born. But at the end of the year 1809, the only event anyone thought to be important was Napoleon's conquest of Austria. That was the big news.

I wonder who today really remembers the "big news" of 1809? Hardly anyone. Napoleon's conquest is just a tiny blip on the big screen of history. But the world was changed forever by a few seemingly insignificant births that took place that same year.

The year Jesus was born, most people missed it. Only a few were aware of the eternal implications of his presence in a manger in Bethlehem. And so it is with all of God's work. Most of it is behind the scenes, hardly ever visible. It rarely makes headlines; instead it makes a huge difference in the lives of people because it is eternal.

Do you remember the day you became a Christian? How ordinary did that day start? How extraordinary has it become in your life? Some of you may find that last question a little more difficult to answer than others. The reason may be that you have not taken the time to really take notice of the work of grace in your life. The mundane and ordinary events of life have choked out the significance of God’s presence in you. Take a moment today and revisit the Babe of Bethlehem. Let His life fill you with new energy.

Shipwrecked

About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed land was near. They took soundings and found the water was only 120 feet deep. A little later they sounded again and found only 90 feet. At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the prow. But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, "You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard." So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the boat fall off. As the darkness gave way to the early morning light, Paul begged everyone to eat. "You haven't touched food for two weeks," he said. "Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish." Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. Then everyone was encouraged, and all 276 of us began eating--for that is the number we had aboard. After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard. When morning dawned, they didn't recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get between the rocks and get the ship safely to shore. So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. (Acts 27:27-40 NLV).

Sometimes the holidays can be the toughest time of the year. Since the holidays are traditionally celebrated with family and friends, when there are storms in our relationships, things are not the same. We can learn a great deal during these times.

In our reading this morning, there is a recounting of an episode in the life of the Apostle Paul. He and some others were sailing when a violent storm called a Nor'easter came up. At first they fought the fierce winds, but soon they found that they could not face them, so they gave way to them and let themselves be driven along. As they were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo in order to lighten the load. As time passed, they tossed the ship's tackle overboard. Finally, they lost their way and their hope as days passed without being able to see even the sun or the stars. The stars, of course, were the means by which they navigated the ship. Paul counseled the others to take courage and also to take nourishment because, he said, "This is your preservation." They had not eaten for many days. After eating they were strengthened. Then they threw out the wheat to make their load even lighter. When they began to see that the ship was running aground, they cut off the anchors and put up the sails and headed for the finally visible shore. Although the ship itself was wrecked, every one of them reached the shore safely. If you are being assaulted by adverse relational winds, I encourage you to heed the lessons in this story:

1) When the winds become too great, stop resisting their force. The greatest pain sometimes is in the resisting.
2) Begin casting overboard things of less significance in order to preserve the thing of greater value. Things of less significance might include your pride, your rights, your hurt feelings or unforgiveness. These might be keeping you from reconciliation with another person or they might even be keeping you from being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and finding the peace He brings. This might even be the first step in finding reconciliation with significant others.
3) Take nourishment. This nourishment in our case would be spiritual nourishment, which is the Word of God and prayer. As Paul told his fellow passengers, "This is your preservation."

More than any other time, Christmas is a time for making room for the Prince of Peace whose birth we are celebrating.

Short Days and Long NIghts

I will praise you, LORD, for you have rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O LORD. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. His anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:1-5 NLV).

December brings short days and long nights for us. And, with the temperatures dropping into the low twenties it seems as if the nights are even longer than they really are! There is a spiritual thought that emerges from this natural truth. Some years ago my youngest son’s friend’s mother died in a tragic manner. She was murdered in her front yard after coming home from work one evening. It was a very trying time for that family. It is a time of “longer darkness.” In the season of longer darkness, faith’s fire doesn’t burn as bright and its moments of shining don’t last as long. Life is much more a struggle and faith is very much a battle with our will. It occurred to me that there ought to be some words of comfort and hope that might be gained from an understanding of the natural world as understood in light of the Scripture.

In the physical season of longer nights, there are surprising moments of joy and delight, things like: the refreshing chill in the air after a long hot summer; or the beauty of a cold clear night where the world sparkles under a full moon; or the purifying clean and the soft hushed tones of new fallen snow; as well as the opportunity for more rest during the longer nights. In much the same way, God brings us blessings in the spiritual season of longer darkness. Because life is more a struggle and the spiritual dimensions of our life are more a battle, we often miss these touches of grace, these surprising moments of joy and delight. However, if we look closely we will find them. While sometimes overworked, the little poem “Footprints” still resonates within our hearts because we have found its message true. God does join us in the darkest parts of our season of longer darkness. In truth, in the darkest of those days in this long season, he carries us and sustains in many ways. He sends a friend to help with an encouraging word or a needed rebuke. He supplies increased strength to weather our raging nighttime storms. He prevents an unseen attack from the evil one when we are most vulnerable. He answers hundreds of our prayers even though the one we most want seems to remain unaddressed. He speaks to us through his Spirit in the songs we sing with other believers and the words of Scripture when we open ourselves to his word. He pours his love into our hearts through his Spirit and strengthens us in ways we cannot know in response to the prayers of others on our behalf.

So hold on if you are in the longer season. And if you are not, find someone who is, and help point them to the Light until their darkness passes. There is joy coming in the morning light!

The Sheepgate

I assure you, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! For a shepherd enters through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice. They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't recognize his voice. Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn't understand what he meant, so he explained it to them. "I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep," he said. “All others who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find green pastures. The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:1-10 NLV).

Recently I was doing a little research for the midweek Bible Study that I lead at Santa Fe Baptist Church and found an interesting fact about the birth of Jesus. When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem there wasn’t any place for them at the local Inn. They were thus forced to stay the night in a “stable” (cf. Luke 2:1-10). The picture we have of that event today is usually not very accurate. Today’s Nativity scene is set in a barn-like structure. The truth is that it was more than likely a cave set in the side of a hill. It would have provided a natural shelter from the harsh weather that often arose in the cool evenings around Bethlehem.

Most interesting to me was the fact that the cave also afforded the shepherds an easy way to guard their flock by standing watch in the entrance to the cave. Not only was he able to keep the flock safe within the cave, but he could also stand guard at the small entrance to keep predators and thieves out.

In our reading this morning we see Jesus using this imagery to explain His role in the believer’s life. First, He has already gone in the cave to insure its safety. What a marvelous picture of the death of Christ! Since He has already died and been resurrected, we have nothing to fear in death. He made the way safe for us to follow Him. No wonder the Apostle Paul said we have now conquered death through Jesus (cf. 1 Corinthians 15).

However, notice the second thing Jesus alludes to in this passage. He is the doorway, the gate. By standing guard in the entrance, the shepherd insured that nothing but the sheep could enter. Everything had to enter through him. So it is with eternal life. While there are many who claim to have a way, there is only ONE way. That way is through Jesus Christ. As you begin to prepare your home with Christmas decorations, think about the first Christmas and the birth of Christ in that “stable.” He is the gate through which we may enter into eternal life. Have you entered in to the life? If not, do so today! Pray asking Him to forgive you of your sins and give you new life. It is His promise that He will.

How to Ruin Christmas

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:4-10 ESV).

Christmas is a very special time for our family. Not only do our family all gather for Christmas, Mary’s sister’s family gathers with us. We open gifts together usually on Christmas Eve, though this year it will be on Christmas Day. It is an amazing display of love and thoughtfulness amidst the tearing apart of numerous gifts! Everybody really seems to like giving a gift more than receiving it. And though none of us has a lot of money to spend, everyone seems to sacrifice, if necessary, to buy or make a gift that is really a gift of love. Now here's a way I could ruin this beautiful scene. Let’s say that after opening a gift from one of my boys that I get up and go to him and pull money out of my pocket insisting that I pay for the gift. They would be angry and hurt, I’m sure. At the very least it would be an insult to them since I would be trying to buy what they have already paid for.

It is no different than what some people have done with the eternal gift of life from God in Jesus. God knows exactly what you need, and although it was very expensive, He loves you enough to go ahead and buy it. There's only one huge problem here - the gift isn't yours yet. Because you won't take it for what it is - a GIFT. Eternal life is the gift that God wants to give you. If you know you've got that, the fear of death is gone, you know when you die; you'll go to heaven. You no longer need to have that awful nagging fear that you could be in hell for all eternity. And you're ready to live.

Most everyone wants to go to heaven - and most everyone is going about it the wrong way. We think we can pay for the gift ourselves, earning the gift by being a good person. However, as we see in today’s reading, it is only through faith that we may receive God’s gift. It becomes yours when you reach out to Jesus and accept Him and His gift in faith. And if you've never taken this gift of life He paid so much for you to have, why not now? The gift you need most is one you could never pay for. But, the real good news is that Jesus did, with everything He had! Now, in this countdown to Christmas make that gift yours. Don’t ruin Christmas by continuing to try to buy God’s gift with good works. Just accept what He has already purchased for you!

Misha and Maria

And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD. “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD. (Isaiah 66:21-23 ESV).

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls, who had been abandoned, abused, and lefts in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.
The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately--until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought that maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?" And Jesus told me; "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me." "So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always." As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him-FOR ALWAYS. I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts. 1

The heart of the meaning of the coming of Jesus is that now God is Immanuel, or as the name means, “God with us.” He will never abandon us. That’s the story of Christmas!

A Letter From Santa

Sometimes humor is the best medicine… it is in that hope I offer the following. I found it some time ago when I was going through some of my Christmas notes. It is a “letter” from Santa Claus.

I regret to inform you that, effective immediately I will no longer serve the States of Georgia, Florida, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, Kentucky, Ohio, and Arkansas on Christmas Eve. Due to the overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by North American Fairies and Elves Local 209. As part of the new and better contract I also get longer breaks for milk and cookies so keep that in mind. However, I'm certain that your children will be in good hands with your local replacement, who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Claus. His side of the family is from the South Pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the good boys and girls; however, there are a few differences between us. Differences such as:

1. There is no danger of the Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Claus. He has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker that reads: "These toys insured by Smith and Wesson."
2. Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Claus prefers that children leave an RC cola and pork rinds [or a moon pie] on the fireplace. And Bubba doesn't smoke a pipe. He dips a little snuff though, so please have an empty spit can handy.
3. Bubba Claus' sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin' coon dogs instead of reindeer. I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer one time, and Blitzen's head now overlooks Bubba's fireplace.
4. You won't hear "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen.," when Bubba Claus arrives. Instead, you'll hear, "On Earnhardt, on Andretti, on Elliott and Petty."
5. "Ho, Ho, Ho!" has been replaced by "Yee Haw!" And you also are likely to hear Bubba's elves respond, "I her'd dat!"
6. As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Claus' sleigh does have a Yosemite Sam safety triangle on the back with the words "Back Off."
7. The usual Christmas movie classics such as "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life" will not be shown in your negotiated viewing area. Instead, you'll see "Boss Hogg Saves Christmas" and "Smokey and the Bandit featuring Burt Reynolds as Bubba Claus and dozens of state patrol cars crashing into each other. And finally…
8. Bubba Claus doesn't wear a belt. If I were you, I'd make sure you, the wife, and the kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree.

And just one more to make the point for today… The game show contestant was set to come back the next day for more cash and prizes. All he had to do was correctly answer one last question. "To be today's champion," the show's smiling host intoned, "name two of Santa's reindeer." The contestant, a man in his early thirties, gave a sigh of relief, gratified that he had drawn such an easy question. "Rudolph!" he announced, "and Olive!" The studio audience started mumbling, and the confused host replied, "Yes, we'll accept Rudolph, but can you explain Olive?" The man gestured impatiently, "You know, Rudolph - the Red Nosed Reindeer - had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glowed. Olive (all of), the other reindeer...." It's amazing how many people are not aware of what Christmas is all about. They can't even get their facts straight about Santa and his reindeer. It's no wonder people don't grasp the importance of the birth of Christ.

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors. (Luke 2:8-14 NLV).

Santa's Lap

Recently we celebrated the Christmas season as a community in Santa Fe. We gathered in our church as the weather made it impossible to be at the town square. Four of the churches were represented and each minister had a small part in the celebration. We sang carols and read the Christmas story from Scripture. However, one of the highlights was a visit from Santa Claus! Both children and adults were able to “sit” in Santa’s lap and tell him their Christmas wishes. It was always a wonderful sight. It reminds me of a very important principle from the Scripture. Our heavenly Father desires to hold us in His arms and protect us.

“Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; with deepest awe I will worship at your Temple. Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn. My enemies cannot speak one truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their speech is filled with flattery. O God, declare them guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive them away because of their many sins, for they rebel against you. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Protect them, so all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O LORD, surrounding them with your shield of love.” (Psalms 5:7-12 NLV).

It was Christmas Eve 1875 and Ira Sankey was traveling on a Delaware River steamboat when he was recognized by some of the passengers. His picture had been in the newspaper because he was the song leader for the famous evangelist D.L. Moody. They asked him to sing one of his own hymns, but Sankey demurred, saying that he preferred to sing William B. Bradbury’s Hymn, “Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us.” As he sang, one of the stanzas began, “We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way.”

When he finished, a man stepped from the shadows and asked, “Did you ever serve in the Union Army?” “Yes,” Mr. Sankey answered, “in the spring of 1860.” Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a bright, moonlit night in 1862?” “Yes,” Mr. Sankey answered, very much surprised. “So did I, but I was serving in the Confederate army. When I saw you standing at your post, I thought to myself, ‘That fellow will never get away alive.’ I raised my musket and took aim. I was standing in the shadow, completely concealed, while the full light of the moon was falling upon you. At that instant, just as a moment ago, you raised your eyes to heaven and began to sing…’Let him sing his song to the end,’ I said to myself, ‘I can shoot him afterwards. He’s my victim at all events, and my bullet cannot miss him.’ But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly: ‘We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way.’ Those words stirred up many memories. I began to think of my childhood and my God-fearing mother. She had many times sung that song to me. When you had finished your song, it was impossible for me to take aim again. I thought, ‘The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be great and mighty.’ And my arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side.”

Today, won’t you climb into your heavenly Father’s lap and let Him protect you from every enemy? Rejoice and sing His joyful praise!

Messiah

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3 ESV).

Perhaps the most famous of all Christmas music is Messiah by George Frideric Handel. Actually, Charles Jennins, who was likely a believer, wrote the text for Messiah. Handel, who was not a believer, was commissioned to write the music for Messiah. Handel donated much of his time and money to the needy, even talked about God’s guidance during a sword fight. Perhaps he was a deist or maybe a believer who lived for himself and not the Lord; however, he did not show a Christ-like attitude in his behavior. He had many arguments with his singers, had a hot temper, and was known to go into long bouts of depression, liked to consume lots of food and drink, swore like a sailor in three different languages, and was very boastful.

Handel was the king of opera and had made most of his money from opera. Handel was hesitant to give up Italian opera even when he began to lose money on it. His opera company suffered great financial loses but still he churned out new operas adding ballet and hoping the public would have a change of heart. When it didn’t, he gradually became depressed and reclusive, strolled the dark streets at night and remaining locked inside his house during the day. Eventually his health began to suffer. After a minor stroke and a mental collapse, he took a short leave of absence and traveled to a French spa where he hoped to be revitalized by the waters. It seemed to work. Handel returned with renewed energy but once again he applied that energy to opera. His last two operas had only three performances, finally he had to surrender to the truth—opera was out.

Now in his 50s, Handel began to think more and more about working in other forms—especially the English oratorio. He sometimes used English writers for his inspiration, including the poet John Milton. When he was 56 Handel decided to concentrate fully on oratorios and give up opera all together. At that time, oratorios were often biblically based. Handel’s decision to write oratorios came in part from an invitation from the Duke of Devonshire who was the King’s representative in Ireland. The Duke asked Handel to compose something for Dublin for a benefit for the poor. The assignment was just what Handel needed to bring him out of his doldrums and help get over his attachment to the unpopular Italian opera form. Handel responded to the Duke by promising an oratorio. The oratorio he said would be called Messiah. He already had the idea for Messiah because his friend Charles Jennins had given him the script (or labreto) for it. Now he would create the music. Although most of Handel’s oratorios were based on stories from the Bible, Messiah is an exception. It was based solely on quotations.

Handel’s friend Charles Jennins gathered these quotes from the Bible and then Handel chose the ones that worked best with the music. Messiah contains no story or dramatic action, but through the quotes, Handel illustrated the founding of Christianity in songs that tell of the prophecy of Christ’s coming, his birth, his life, death and resurrection. He said it was easy that Jennins had chosen quotes and put them in such an order that they were musical to begin with. In all his future correspondence with Jennins, Handel always referred to his masterpiece as "Your Messiah."

How tragic for him to have known so much about the birth and life of Christ, and yet, never to have known HIM. It serves as a clear lesson to us that we ought not to choose knowledge ABOUT Christ over knowledge OF Christ.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Some time ago I received the following forward concerning The Twelve Days of Christmas. “People often think of The Twelve Days of Christmas as the days preceding the festival. Actually, Christmas is a season of the Christian Year that last for days beginning December 25 and lasting until January 6 - the Day of Epiphany - when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi. From 1558 until 1829 people in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. During this era someone wrote 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of persecution. The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love. The four calling birds are the Four Gospels. The five gold rings recall the torah (Law) the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation. Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit. The eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the spirit. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments. Eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of belief in the Apostles Creed.”

Since the resurrection, Christians have been misunderstood at best and persecuted at worst. In ancient Rome, crowds by the tens of thousands would gather in the Coliseum to watch as Christians were torn apart by wild animals. Paul Rader, commenting on his visit to this famous landmark, said, “I stood uncovered to the heavens above, where He sits for whom they gladly died, and asked myself, ‘Would I, could I, die for Him tonight to get this gospel to the ends of the earth?’” Rader continued, “I prayed most fervently in that Roman arena for the spirit of a martyr, and for the working of the Holy Spirit in my heart, as He worked in Paul’s heart when He brought him on his handcuffed way to Rome.” Those early Christians “lived on the threshold of heaven, within a heartbeat of home, no possessions to hold them back.”

We are not called on in America to go to such extremes, but we are called on to be examples of the grace of God to those around us. The best way to do that is through our attitudes. The overarching character of our message ought to be our love for one another. Listen to the words of Jesus:

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:9-20 ESV).

While we have no special secret songs or signs, we do have a very special message of love and mercy. Especially at this time of the year, show that love to those around you.

The Gifts of Christmas

Although the only person a man usually shops for is his wife, the whole experience is a stressful one. Many a man has felt extreme frigid temperatures for a long period based on a poor present decision. As a veteran of these wars, I’m still not sure what to buy my wife, but I’ll pass on what not to buy her:

1. Don’t buy anything that plugs in. Anything that requires electricity is seen as utilitarian.
2. Don’t buy clothing that involves sizes. The chances are one in seven thousand that you will get her size right, and your wife will be offended the other 6,999 times. “Do I look like a size 16?” she’ll say. Too small a size doesn’t cut it either: “I haven’t worn a size 8 in 20 years!”
3. Avoid all things useful. The new silver polish advertised to save hundreds of hours is not going to win you any brownie points.
4. Don’t buy anything that involves weight loss or self-improvement. She’ll perceive a six-month membership to a diet center as a suggestion that’s she’s overweight.
5. Don’t buy jewelry. The jewelry your wife wants, you can’t afford. And the jewelry you can afford, she doesn’t want.
6. And, do not fall into the traditional trap of buying her frilly underwear. Your idea of the kind your wife should wear and what she actually wears are light years apart.
7. Finally, don’t spend too much. “How do you think we’re going to afford that?” she’ll ask. But don’t spend too little. She won’t say anything, but she’ll think, “Is that all I’m worth?”

Christmas is a time of gift giving. And, while my humorous beginning this morning is not entirely the truth, there is a great lesson to be learned from the greatest gift anyone could possibly imagine. That gift is that of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. Thomas A. Kempis said, “A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.” Read the words of John concerning this great gift of God:

“He had to go through Samaria on the way. Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?" Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." (John 4:4-10 NLV – italics added).

While you scurry about looking for that “perfect” gift for those who you love, remember that God has already sent us the perfect gift in His only Son. He offers us life through the gift of His own life on our behalf. Receive life today!

Silent Night - Part 3

Imagine what a heavy schedule of appointments President Abraham Lincoln had to keep day after day. Yet when an elderly woman with no official business in mind asked to see him, he graciously consented. As she entered Lincoln’s office, he rose to greet her and asked how he might be of service. She replied that she had not come to ask a favor. She had heard that the President liked a certain kind of cookie, so she had baked some for him and brought them to his office. With tears in his eyes, Lincoln responded, “You are the very first person who has ever come into my office asking not, expecting not, but rather bringing me a gift. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Thanksgiving and praise are just two of the wonderful ways we may express ourselves to our heavenly Father. How it must delight Him when we do praise Him! Joseph Mohr knew that and wrote of it in his Christmas carol, Silent Night:

Silent Night! Holy Night!
Wondrous Star lend thy light
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King
Christ, the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.

Just one of the Greek words in the New Testament translated “praise” is uJmnevw. It literally means, “to sing the praise of.” And, we have so much to sing praise about Him! Read the following from the Apostle Paul:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:3-10 ESV).

“But how? How do I praise God?” These are the questions I am often asked. Let me make a few practical suggestions for you to use in praising Him.

1. First, be specific. I remember when our boys were very little and prayed before our meals. They would often just look around the room and begin thanking God for each item they could see. Start there. Look around your world and begin to praise Him for the things you can actually see.

2. Second, worship. Christmas is such a marvelous time of the year to worship God. Remember, though, worship is not just attendance at a scheduled service. It is genuine participation in the singing, the praying, and the focus on God and His glorious message of Good News.

3. Third, give a gift in His honor. It doesn’t need to be extravagant, but sincere. Find someone, or something that you may give a gift of your resources of money, time, or talent. And, do it as a gift to Him.

Silent Night - Part 2

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. (John 15:9-17 ESV).

It is reported that Howard Hughes, when worth approximately 4 billion dollars, said, “I’d give it all for one good friend.” As we approach the celebration of Christmas, the thoughts of friends, both present and gone from us are certainly on our minds.

Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with them. They ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you are. They do not want you to be better or worse. When you are with them, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent. You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think, as long as it is genuinely you. Friends understand those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you. With them you breathe freely. You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meannesses and absurdities, and in opening them up to friends, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of their loyalty. They understand. You do not have to be careful. You can abuse them, neglect them, tolerate them. Best of all, you can keep still with them. It makes no matter. They like you. They are like fire that purges to the bone. They understand. You can weep with them, sing with them, laugh with them, pray with them. Through it all—and underneath—they see, know, and love you. A friend? What is a friend? Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself.

During his days as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river which had left its banks because of a recent downpour. The swollen river had washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback, fighting for his life against the rapid currents. The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveler who was not part of their group to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river. The president agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side. As the stranger slid off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, “Tell me, why did you select the president to ask this favor of?” The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the president who had helped him. “All I know,” he said, “Is that on some of your faces was written the answer ‘No,’ and on some of them was the answer ‘yes.’ His was a ‘Yes’ face.”

Silent Night - Part 1

"Silent Night" has become an anchor for Christmas celebrations throughout the world. Its lullaby-like melody and simple message of heavenly peace can be heard from small town street corners in mid-America to magnificent cathedrals in Europe and from outdoor candlelight concerts in Australia to palm thatched huts in northern Peru. Yet, we know very little about it’s true origin. We do know that during his service in the Alpine village of Arnsdorf, Joseph Mohr wrote a poem, "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" Due to poor health, he was sent to Salzburg for hospitalization and when he recovered, was assigned to St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf (1817). It was there that the assistant pastor met and became friends with the Arnsdorf schoolmaster and church musician, Franz Gruber. On December 24, 1818, Mohr handed over the poem to Gruber with the request to compose a suitable melody for two solo voices with choir and the accompaniment of one guitar. He did so quickly and this beloved carol was born. It has so many wonderful thoughts written into it, we’ll take a few days to look at the verses separately. Following is verse one as translated in 1863 by John Young:

Silent Night! Holy Night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

In the second stanza of this verse Mohr wrote of the light in the midst of this calm, “all is bright.” It is a wonderful part of the character and nature of Christ. I heard a cute little story about a poor little boy who once heard his Sunday School teacher say Jesus was the light of the world. He took her remark quite literally. After class, the boy said to his teacher, "If Jesus really is the light of the world, I wish He'd come hang out in my alley. It's awful dark where I live."

I’m afraid all of us at one time or another have had “alley” experiences. It may be that you have done something you think so horrible that there can never be forgiveness and restoration. Or perhaps you have been so hurt that you feel completely forgotten and abandoned in life. Either of these or a dozen others may have brought you to a place where the darkness seems overwhelming. There is good news for you today!

“In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (John 1:1-5; 8:12 NLV).

Instead of trusting Christ, many people today insist on using human wisdom alone for answers to eternal questions. The tragedy of this situation was graphically illustrated in a humorous skit performed by Karl Vallentin, a Munich comedian. Walking on a stage where everything was dark except for a small area under a street lamp, he began to look for something on the ground. He told the policeman who came on the scene that he was trying to find a key, whereupon the two continued the search. Finally the officer asked, "Are you sure you lost it here?" "Oh, no," said Vallentin as he pointed to a corner, "It was over there, but here is where the light is!" If you want the key to life today, you will find it only in Christ. That’s where the real light shines and the darkness can never overcome it!

Silent Night (Part 1)

"Silent Night" has become an anchor for Christmas celebrations throughout the world. Its lullaby-like melody and simple message of heavenly peace can be heard from small town street corners in mid-America to magnificent cathedrals in Europe and from outdoor candlelight concerts in Australia to palm thatched huts in northern Peru. Yet, we know very little about it’s true origin. We do know that during his service in the Alpine village of Arnsdorf, Joseph Mohr wrote a poem, "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" Due to poor health, he was sent to Salzburg for hospitalization and when he recovered, was assigned to St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf (1817). It was there that the assistant pastor met and became friends with the Arnsdorf schoolmaster and church musician, Franz Gruber. On December 24, 1818, Mohr handed over the poem to Gruber with the request to compose a suitable melody for two solo voices with choir and the accompaniment of one guitar. He did so quickly and this beloved carol was born. It has so many wonderful thoughts written into it, we’ll take a few days to look at the verses separately. Following is verse one as translated in 1863 by John Young:

Silent Night! Holy Night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

In the second stanza of this verse Mohr wrote of the light in the midst of this calm, “all is bright.” It is a wonderful part of the character and nature of Christ. I heard a cute little story about a poor little boy who once heard his Sunday School teacher say Jesus was the light of the world. He took her remark quite literally. After class, the boy said to his teacher, "If Jesus really is the light of the world, I wish He'd come hang out in my alley. It's awful dark where I live."

I’m afraid all of us at one time or another have had “alley” experiences. It may be that you have done something you think so horrible that there can never be forgiveness and restoration. Or perhaps you have been so hurt that you feel completely forgotten and abandoned in life. Either of these or a dozen others may have brought you to a place where the darkness seems overwhelming. There is good news for you today!

“In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (John 1:1-5; 8:12 NLV).

Instead of trusting Christ, many people today insist on using human wisdom alone for answers to eternal questions. The tragedy of this situation was graphically illustrated in a humorous skit performed by Karl Vallentin, a Munich comedian. Walking on a stage where everything was dark except for a small area under a street lamp, he began to look for something on the ground. He told the policeman who came on the scene that he was trying to find a key, whereupon the two continued the search. Finally the officer asked, "Are you sure you lost it here?" "Oh, no," said Vallentin as he pointed to a corner, "It was over there, but here is where the light is!" If you want the key to life today, you will find it only in Christ. That’s where the real light shines and the darkness can never overcome it!

Ringing, Singing, On Its Way

Some years ago I asked my wife, Mary, which was her favorite Christmas carol. She replied, “I heard the bells on Christmas day.” Not being familiar with the authors and tunes of all of the carols, I was surprised when I discovered Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote it in 1863. At the time of its writing, his son was a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac. He had been seriously wounded in battle. With the doubt of his son’s survival on his heart he was inspired to write this poem. He had no intention for it to be used as a carol; though we are all glad that it later was put to music and became such a favorite to many. Perhaps it is one of your favorites also. Here are the original five verses:


I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
'There is no peace on earth,'
I said 'For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.'

Then peeled the bells more loud and deep:
'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.'

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

After reading the text, I was drawn to the words of the Gospel of Mark as he recorded the discovery of the resurrection of Jesus:

“The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus' body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone – a very large one – had already been rolled aside. So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, but the angel said, "Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!" The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, saying nothing to anyone because they were too frightened to talk. Then they reported all these instructions briefly to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.” (Mark 16:1-8 NLV).

The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I know that often the difficulties of life make it appear that our “torch” has been extinguished. However, the great truth of Christmas is that the light of the Babe of Bethlehem, our Savior, will never be extinguished. Indeed, on that night began the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring peace on earth to all men. Along with the angels ringing, singing, the world revolved from night to day!

Eighteen to Nothing

A man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, “Eighteen to nothing—we’re behind.” “Boy,” said the spectator, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged?” replied the little boy. “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!”

In 1847, Placide Clappeau wrote the words to “O Holy Night”. John Sullivan Dwight (1812-1893) translated it from French to English. Clappeau, a wine merchant and mayor of Roquemaure, France, wrote poems for his own enjoyment. We may be so thankful that he wrote this poem that centers our attention on hope. Following are the words to the first verse:

O holy night! the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared, and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;
Fall on your knees; O, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine.

Perhaps you find yourself “at the end of your rope” today. I have good news! With the first Christmas, “a new and glorious morn” really did break. Jesus, the Savior has been born. The writer of Hebrews understood this and wrote the following encouragement to the Jewish believers of his day:

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's people, let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” (Hebrews 10:19-39, NLV).


Just like the little boy at the baseball game, hope must spring up within us for us to realize the full victory of faith. I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me. Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, “Hush child, God ain’t dead!” That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words “God ain’t dead” keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! I need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life’s troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of His world. Let every Christmas reminder, this year, cause hope to spring up within your heart and soul. God really ain’t dead!