What Are Your Plans for Christmas?

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2: 11, 12

    The inns were full. The restaurants had waiting lists. People had poured into Bethlehem from thither and yon in order to be compliant with the government's mandate: Head to your hometowns to register for a census.

    

    Consider Mary. She'd already been compliant saying of this unprecedented pregnancy, "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled." (Luke 1:38) Now she had to travel roughly one hundred miles, far from the aid of mother or midwife, at the apex of her pregnancy, with Joseph, with whom she had not yet been intimate. (Matthew 1:18) This whole census conundrum must've been highly inconvenient, to say the least. What did God have in mind?

    Upon arrival in Bethlehem, the weary couple could find no lodging. Again, compliance to God's plan was in order as they settled into a stable, sweeping a space for the Great I Am to be born by blood and water. 

    Consider the startled shepherds, who swallowed their fear before setting about in search of this Messiah. How many babies in the bustling town would be found lying in a manger, of all things? Had Jesus been born in a comfy, rented room, He would have been indistinguishable from any other infant who may have shared his birthday. To leave no room for doubt about the identity of Immanuel, there had to be no room for Him at the inn.

    

    Consider the inconveniences or altered plans in your life this Christmas. Are you being called to compliance as you struggle to understand what God has in mind? Keep in mind God's ways are not our ways; the world does not revolve around us. As long as we are living in the center of His will, everything will fall into place, exactly as it should. It's all part of the Master's plan.

"Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6: 9, 10

Peace on Earth

 "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." Luke 2: 13, 14

    Years ago, I saw one of those church signs that made me sit up and take notice. It said, "Know God, know peace; No God, no peace."

    Familiar Bible verses seem to roll off the tongue with little thought until ponderance is given. Such is the case with the account of the Christmas story. What did the angels mean when they told the solitary shepherds, "...on earth peace, goodwill toward men?" 

    The peace heralded to humanity on the birthday of our Savior means Jesus has created a way around the enmity between sinful people and our holy God. But, if there's peace on earth, you may wonder, then why doesn't it feel that way? There are wars, killings, deceptions, betrayals and all kinds of strife to prove otherwise.

    It's not enough to join the carolers in December with a nod toward peace. True peace with God involves accepting the gift of His Son whose Holy Spirit makes a new creation of us. One of the gifts of the Spirit, besides love, joy, patience and the others, is peace. It's a byproduct of a life with God.

    Once we have that peace within, then it radiates from us to a hurting world. As it says in Ephesians 2:14, "...for He himself is our peace." This brand of peace is not anything sold in stores or as seen on TV. No, it's the heavenly peace that transcends all understanding. Peace during storms. Peace during illness. Peace at the time of death. 

    This Christmas, as you unwrap bright packages or delve into bulging stockings, seek peace and pursue it by accepting the free gift of God's Son. It's the gift that keeps on giving for all eternity. One size fits all.

"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, goodwill to men!"

Then pealed 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, goodwill to men."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

    The church sign was right!

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

Standing in the Gap

 "Some men came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'" Mark 2: 3-5 (emphasis added)

    Since I was a child, I have had two great fears. One is surgery and the other is paralysis. Having seen a woman in a wheelchair while on a family vacation, my sympathy soared, yet I didn't want to trade places with her.

    Do you know anyone who is paralyzed, if not in the physical sense, then perhaps by fear, anxiety, depression or mental chains too strong for them to break? Crippled by what binds them, they lie on mats, exhausted by despair, unable to move unless someone helps them. 

    In the above account, the Scripture says Jesus saw their faith, meaning the hope in the eyes of the man's friends and, perhaps, that of the paralyzed man as well, for who would not want to be healed? What if the four men had tired of the continuous needs of the man and, with a backward wave of the hand, dismissed him and turned to their own way? Thanks be to God, they took him to the One who could save him. Can you imagine, the five of them on their way home? What magnanimous joy propelled their winged feet as they ran and loped with their friend, and how Jesus's face must have beamed as He watched their frolic.

    "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one." (Ezekiel 22:30) "The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene." (Isaiah 59: 15, 16)

    Is there someone for whom you can intervene? Dig through the barrier and bring them to Jesus. Don't give up hope.

"A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out." Isaiah 42:3

My Jar of Clay

 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." 2 Corinthians 4: 7-10

    I miss Sally, Dick and Jane. Do you remember those cheerful characters from beginner's readers? My daughters learned how to read from those charming books that echoed a simple, happy time with a mom and dad, a red wagon and a cat named Puff. The Mayberry, Leave-it-to-Beaver type of world is gone; perhaps, it never really was in the first place.

    Yesterday, there was a nation-wide challenge on social media for violence to erupt in schools and, since I work in a school, I was on high alert. Reciting the Bible verses I have taped on the wall of my work station, I prayed for the courage of David and the strength of Joshua yet, at some point, I took my eyes off Jesus and glanced at the waves around me, seeing only the negative possibilities.  I failed the faith test miserably, which only made me feel worse. 

    The above verse reminded me that I always carry death around with me, which sometimes threatens to snuff out the "life of Jesus" that illuminates my heart. Some days, I lose the battle, but the war continues and I pray to do better today. "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"(Mark 9:24)

    Is it any coincidence my daily devotional spoke right to my sore heart today? "Jesus said we will have troubles," the writer implored, "but he also said in the same breath to take heart, to be confident and of good cheer, undaunted, and filled with joy because He has overcome it all." (See John 16:33) 

Lord, may your light shine from my earthen jar of clay today! Amen.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18

Aspire to be Kind

 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3: 12-14

    In November, I attended a memorial service for my cousin's daughter who died too soon. Vivacious Lora had packed a lot of achievement and adventure into her thirty-four years, and her life's motto was, "If you can be anything in this world, be kind." 

    A friendly adult bends down to a child and inquires, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Indeed, we all hope our children are successful, humble and kind. When cuddling a baby, no one wishes that he/she grows up to be a mean-spirited bully, or worse. Yet, somewhere along the way, we have all been unkind, uncompassionate, proud, impatient people. So, what happened?

     When I was at the vet with my cat, there were signs taped to the lucite wall, which separated the secretary from the customer, that implored kindness be shown. The vitriol and hatred that have spawned from the masking and mandating have ramped up to ridiculous proportions, causing segregation. I read where, in Germany, Christmas celebrations have been divided between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. This should not be!

    These attitudes are reminiscent of the lepers in Jesus' day who were banned from society. Before approaching another human being, they had to call out, "Unclean! Unclean!" Thanks be to God, our Lord Jesus demonstrated compassion to these poor people, providing the touch of healing. As God's chosen people, we are called to do the same, for it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit to exude "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5: 22, 23)

    When tart words come to mind, let us pause and aspire to be kind, going the extra mile to show the love of Jesus in a dark world so we may "bind together in perfect unity."

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4: 31, 32

The Plumb Line

 "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." 1 John 4: 1-3

    My dad taught me how to hang wallpaper. If not prepped properly, all the work is for naught, so he fished from his pocket a plumb line. Unwrapping string from around a metal bob, he expertly ran it through a ball of blue chalk, then held the end up high on the wall and gave it a snap. This made a straight line to begin with so my paper wasn't crooked and off kilter.

    My father also gave me sound advice spiritually. "When you attend a church, always check their statement of beliefs," he told me. "If they do not say that Jesus Christ is God, then they are going down the wrong road. Do not listen to them." 

    As I have walked through life, I have learned of folks who may have been reared in loving homes, but they were being taught false doctrine. Recently, I listened to a very educated man who was raised in a strict Muslim home. Prayers five times a day. Dutiful recitations from the Quran. Daily rituals such as stepping over a threshold with the left foot, never the right. His parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were all very devout Muslims, so he was following that tradition.

    However, in college he began to test the spirits, wrestling with truth for years before he became a Christian at great personal cost. As firmly as his family believed their religion, they had no plumb line because they did not recognize Jesus as God. It's sad.

    God gave me the opportunity to speak with a young lady at work yesterday who, in search for truth, approached me with questions. I counted it all joy to be able to plant some seeds in her heart as I encouraged her to prayerfully read the Scriptures for herself, asking God to reveal Himself to her. Then I quoted John 14:6 before we parted company. Please join me in prayer for Maria.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6

Holy Ghost Tattoo

"The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 'Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.' But Jonah ran away from the Lord..." Jonah 1: 1-3

    Not very often do I find an inspirational story in the newspaper, especially one that mentions the name of Jesus, but listen to this as I must share it.

    Six years ago, Steven May was a liberal, secular tattoo artist whose life was about to change. His son had invited him to church where Steven accepted the Holy Spirit into his heart. Following his conversion, his occupation just didn't suit his beliefs anymore, so he sold his tattoo parlor in Kent, convicted about the types of tattoos he'd been creating.

    Freelancing as a graphic artist, he was surprised when God prompted him to open a new tattoo parlor, this time for the purpose of evangelism. May avoided this call for a long time for various reasons. Six months ago, God nudged him anew, this time with a specific location in mind in Madison Township, where a "For Rent" sign advertised the space. Again, he ignored God.

    But God has a way of getting one's attention, sometimes in humorous ways. A semi truck and trailer was having trouble making a turn, which caused a very convenient traffic jam in which sat one Mr. May who was positioned directly in front of the empty store that was for rent. The Lord used this prime time to convince the tattooist to take a leap of faith. This time, he obeyed God.

    Since its inception, not a day goes by at May's Holy Ghost Tattoo parlor without a request for prayer or inquiries about Jesus, and May has no problem talking freely about his faith saying, "The Lord is going to come out in my conversation because He is in every part of my life."  All are welcome because, according to Steven May, "all of them are God-bearing images, whether they realize it or not."

    As I read about the harmonious partnership between a tattoo artist and his Lord, I couldn't help but think of the prophet Jonah who ran from the work God had in mind for him. But, look what can happen in the hands of the Living God when we obey Him. The wicked Ninevites believed God and repented of their ways following Jonah's heralds, therefore God relented and did not bring the destruction upon them. Like Jonah, once Mr. May obeyed the word of the Lord, an empty storefront became an island of hope for many who need to hear about Jesus. 

    With a victor's shout, I can picture Mr. May joining the reluctant prophet in the words of Jonah's prayer:

"Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed, I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord.'" Jonah 2: 8, 9

Do You Believe in Santa?

 "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human...They exchanged the truth about God for a lie." Romans 1: 22-25

    Being the youngest child in my family, I recall feeling quite foolish and a little angry when I uncovered the truth about Santa Claus. Now, I realize the cultural icon Santa has become and the idea that he's not a bad chap; he brings toys to all the good little ones and all that jazz, but he's a myth. How much more benevolent is a gracious real Heavenly Father who sent His one and only begotten Son into the world to save it? And the requirement for this salvation is not being "good little boys and girls," but it's a free gift, bought and paid for by the lifeblood of Christ! There are no lumps of coal doled out when we sin, rather "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) While we were yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8). 

    These words of Psalm 103 say it best: "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion." (verses 2-4) What a plethora of gifts!

    All of the extraneous falderal that surrounds Christmas is a smokescreen to obscure the truth about the glory of the immortal, loving and incarnate God, and if we perpetuate these stories to our children, how will they ever see the Bible as being anything other than a collection of fables? We pathetically build up myths to become the new reality, but find it difficult to believe in the Scriptures.

 Peel back the secular santas, snowmen and silver bells and join the shepherds of Bethlehem who, after seeing the baby in the manger for themselves, went and spread the word to anyone who would listen (Luke 2:17). Level with your children and grandchildren from the beginning by telling them that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Believe in Him, not Santa, and you will receive indescribable, unique gifts that you would never dream of exchanging.

"And this is the testimony; God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5: 11, 12