Jesus Comes for the Humble

At Christmas, God's Child gave up the majesty and beauty of heaven, to come down to this earthly, broken world.
Consider the person God chose to bear his Child in human form - Mary, likely a teenage girl from a poor family.  Mary had little in what we consider advantages for a teenager - education, things,- but she had faith and a willingness to serve.  That's all that one needs, to be used by God - a trust in God and willingness to serve.

Look at whom God's angels first announced the divine birth to - the shepherds.  Really!?  Shepherds?
There had been a time, centuries before, when shepherds were good, honest, upright people.  Maybe you're familiar with the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23.  That was during Israel's good days.  The priests were also called shepherds, those who cared for Israel's spiritual needs & represented the people before God.

But as the years went by, Israel's shepherd-priests were not always faithful.  In fact, by the time one gets to the Old Testament prophets, shepherd-priests were criticized for their faithlessness & misleading the people. Jeremiah 10:21 says, The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered.  Jeremiah 23:1-2 says, “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. ² Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.

Ezekiel 34:2 says, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?

By the time of the New Testament, shepherds could not enter the temple, because living out in the fields with the sheep, they did not keep the Jewish laws of cleanliness.  Because they were seen as untrustworthy, they were not allowed to testify in court.

Yet, when it came time for God to announce the birth of his Son to the world, God sent his angels to shepherds out in the fields - amazing & ironic!

Perhaps you have felt or done faithless, dirty or untrustworthy things, like the shepherds.  The great news is that God's Son has come for people like that.  The message of Christmas is for lowly, humble people whom the world looks down upon.

Then look at the setting in which God's Son was born - in the stable (a barn), a place where you find animals and manure.  Not a place for a royal child to be born.  A manger is a feeding trough for animals -not the place for a royal Child!  You'd expect to find God's Child in a majestic place, a place fit for a king, not an animal in a barn.  When you go out to the barn, you don't expect to find a child in an animal feeding trough, much less the newborn Son of God!

The whole scene seems so mixed up.  Or is it?
Is it possible that God specifically chose this scene for his Child to enter the world?

Instead of announcing his Son's birth to kings, presidents or the news media, God sends his messengers to the lowest of the lowly, the shepherds.  God doesn't announce it to a full crowd in the temple, or even at a college bowl game.  No, God chooses some of the humblest people on earth, in a dirty, earthly setting.  The whole scene shouts HUMILITY - Mary, shepherds in a pasture, a manger in a stable. 

God's making it clear that his Son is coming for lowly, humble people.  No, Christmas is not about being the best, or the brightest or the biggest or the loudest.  No, Christmas is for those who are lowly, humble, faithful.  Maybe events in the last year or two have humbled you, and perhaps you feel lower than you've felt in a long time.  If that's true, then Christmas is for you.

God's sending his Son to earth at Christmas, was God's way of pursuing his people, because God longs to have a relationship with everyone, including you.

Mary was a humble servant of God, who was willing to serve and be used.
The scene of the manger in the stable was a humble setting for God's Son to be born.
God's angels announced the royal birth to lowly, humble shepherds who accepted the message & went to Bethlehem to see & worship the newborn Jesus.
God sent Jesus to those who are humble.  Jesus comes to the humble.

The question for each of us is, do we have the humility to admit that we cannot overcome our sins on our own, that we need help from a Higher Power.  Do you have the humility to bow down before Jesus as the shepherds did?

O come let us adore him; o come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Let us bow our hearts & heads before the newborn King.
Come & worship, come & worship, Christ the King!

What Jesus could teach men about masculinity, by Daniel Fusco

He was the most powerful person in history. But instead of exploiting relationships to fulfill his selfish desires, he humbled himself and served others.

With each passing day, I see another headline. Another well-known person is accused or fired. I’m talking about sexual harassment. Sexual abuse. We can’t miss it. It's running rampant in our culture. And it’s sickening.

None of us had any idea how bad things would get. Every day we are waiting to see who will be next. It has reached far and wide, from talking heads on TV shows to celebrity chefs to the highest office in our land. Then it dawns on us … the news is only reporting the cases of abuse that involve famous people.

What is worse is that sexual abuse has been everywhere for a long time. Long before the mainstream news media reported these atrocities and long before the balance of power moved from the perpetrators to the victims, many women were reporting abuses to their superiors with no recourse, or suffering in silence. But, thankfully, that is changing.

When we hear these stories, our hearts break for the victims. As a person of faith, this concern extends as well to the oppressed and marginalized. I am grateful that moving forward, men using their positions of power and influence to harass, demean or objectify women will be unacceptable. The “boys will be boys” idea, or whatever ways people try to justify this behavior, is finally seeing its long overdue demise.

As a pastor, it’s not lost on me that this is coming to light at the end of the calendar year, at a time we commonly know as the Christmas season. This special time is meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Whatever people’s feelings about Jesus, the reason for the birth of this child was to demonstrate what real humility looks like. God coming to our world as a child and ultimately dying on a cross for the forgiveness of humankind … that is the message of Christmas. And it rings out today as a unique sound, in light of all that is happening.

Any time a person is abused or harassed, it is wrong. And it’s even more alarming when abusers leverage positions of power as opportunities to prey on people. Yet even as human culture has celebrated many thousands of Christmas seasons past, we have yet to really grasp the message of Christmas, and the message of Jesus.

When we consider Jesus, we realize he was the most powerful person in history. He had the most influence on people. And yet, instead of exploiting relationships to fulfill his selfish desires, his life was always about God’s will for him and God’s heart for people. Jesus humbled himself and served others. He showed up as a helpless child. As a grown man, he chose to die on the cross. He ultimately shows us that power does not have to be a means to a selfish end. God wants our positions of influence and power to be an opportunity to humble ourselves, and bless and serve our community and our world. Jesus, rather than seeing himself as superior to others, fully identified with our human condition and served us.

When I think of Jesus and the message he brought at Christmas, I am troubled that 2,000 years after he walked on the earth, masculinity is still trying to figure out its appropriate and proper expression. Far too many men feel that an oppressive, objectifying and demeaning view of women is just how we are — when the whole time Jesus is there, serving as the ultimate example of masculinity, for us to understand and emulate.

Our culture might not realize it, but it is crying out for real masculinity. And Jesus has always been that. I am hoping we will look at him with fresh eyes this Christmas and ask God how we can take on more of the qualities of Jesus. A heart to stand in the gap for other people, to see them in whatever state they are in, and push away any other thought than: God, how do you see this person, and how can I bless them today?

On the other side of the coin, this Christmas I am especially reminded that Christmas is a message of hope. Jesus not only came to show us a new way of living, he ultimately came to bring forgiveness. I am not recommending any get-out-of-jail free cards for anyone who has perpetrated these evils that are being exposed. But we cannot forget that all of us are in need of forgiveness.

Even on my best day, I fail in innumerable ways. I don’t always get it right, and I can hurt others. We all struggle and we are all in process, and the reality God brought at Christmas was a celebration of taking the next step in relationship with God and responding to his desires for us.

I am so grateful that Jesus isn’t done with me yet. And for everyone who has victimized others, I pray this Christmas they will find the way to true spiritual renewal, through the message of Jesus.

Daniel Fusco, author of Upward, Inward, Outward, is the pastor of Crossroads Community Church (Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore.), and hosts TV show Real with Daniel Fusco on the Hillsong Channel. Follow him on Twitter: @danielfusco

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/12/12/what-jesus-could-teach-chefs-celebrities-president-masculinity-daniel-fusco-column/942295001/

Busting Holiday Stress: 6 Ways to Make the Season Happy & Healthy

Lynn Allison 
https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/holiday-stress-buster/2017/12/07/id/830539/

The winter holidays can bring feelings of happiness, love, and genuine joy. But for millions of Americans they also bring unhealthy stress levels that can negatively impact your body and mind.

Dr. Judy Kuriansky, a noted New York-based psychologist, tells Newsmax Health it’s important to come up with strategies for managing holiday stress, beginning with keeping perspective and balance between now and New Year’s Day.

“The key to making this season happy — and maybe for the first time in your adult life — is to examine the triggers that cause your stress and diffuse them before they explode,” Kuriansky says.
“And that means being honest with yourself and your limitations. We all know the serenity prayer that reminds us to know the difference between what we can control and what we can’t. The source of discontentment during this busy season is not being realistic — not truly seeing our situation for what is, and expecting people and things to change.”

According to a report compiled by the American Psychological Association, holiday stress has the greatest impact on women who customarily take charge of many of the holiday celebrations — particularly the tasks of preparing the meals and decorating the home.

Women are also most likely to be the ones shopping for and wrapping gifts. They have a harder time relaxing during the holidays and are more likely to fall into bad habits to manage their stress, like comfort eating.

"Studies show that our appetite for sweets increases quite dramatically when we experience chronic stress which makes the holiday season prime time for expanding your waistline,” Dr. Heidi Hanna, executive director of the American Institute for Stress, tells Newsmax Health. “Don’t deprive yourself of the occasional treat but practice eating slowly, calmly and mindfully.”

Financial stress, especially in times of economic woes, can also wreak havoc in families struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis. Lack of money, lack of time and the hype and commercialism of the holiday season play upon the emotions and may cause family discord instead of harmony.

These startling statistics tell the story. When people were asked what feelings they experienced most during the holiday season, they reported:
·         Fatigue — 68 percent
·         Stress — 61 percent
·         Irritability — 52 percent
·         Sadness — 36 percent
·         Anger — 35 percent
·         Loneliness — 26 percent
In fact, the APA reports that nearly three-quarters of the people surveyed say that they experience stress levels that exceed what they define as healthy.

Here are some more interesting statistics
·         Americans spend about $525 billion over the holiday season with online spending increasing 12 percent annually.
·         The average person spends just under $1,200 over the holidays including food, gifts and travel.
·         At least 23 percent of holiday expenses are charged to a credit card with over 6 million people borrowing to pay for Christmas each year.
·         One third of bankruptcies filed in March is caused by overspending at Christmas.
To keep your financial house in order, keep an open dialogue with family and friends about gift giving. Many families draw names from a hat and chose one person to gift which dramatically cuts down holiday costs.

In addition to financial stresses, the holidays can boost family tensions. Not every family is blessed with Brady Bunch dynamics. Getting together during the holiday season can cause massive stress.
“Food is a huge issue,” says Kuriansky. “When families sit at the table together, all of a sudden they’re all kids again fighting over who gets the drumstick, who is being a glutton or who is not eating enough. We all become little children again with petty fighting and grievances.”
Acknowledging these dynamics is the first step to reversing negative consequences.

“For example, if your super critical sibling once again mentions how dry the turkey is, be prepared to ignore her.” advises Kuriansky. “This year, shine the light of your attention on something positive and simply flip the switch when she begins her usually criticisms. Things only bother us if we give them our attention. So make that shift from annoyance to gratitude.”

Here are more quick tips from the American Psychological Association:
Take time for yourself. There may be pressure to be everything to everyone but remember that you are only one person and can only accomplish certain things. Take a long walk, get a massage, or simply put your feet up and listen to fine music.

Don’t neglect your physical health. If you have a regular exercise routine, don’t give it up. Exercise releases natural feel-good hormones that can combat stress.

Set realistic expectations. No Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza or any other holiday celebration is perfect. Look at the inevitable mistakes or mishaps as opportunities to demonstrate resilience and flexibility. Learn to let go of perfectionist idealism because it does not exist.

Volunteer. What better way to appreciate what you’ve got than to help others who have less? You can “adopt” a less fortunate family and make their holiday shine. You can wrap gifts for foster children, serve at a soup kitchen, volunteer at homeless shelter, or participate in a giving tree celebration that benefits communities at large.

Remember what’s important. The barrage of holiday advertising can make us forget what the holiday season is really about. When your expense list is running longer than your monthly budget, scale back and remind yourself that what makes a great celebration is family, not store-bought presents, elaborate decorations, or gourmet food.

Seek support. Talk about your feelings of anxiety with friends and family. Getting things out in the open can help you navigate through the holiday season with less resentment and anger. In addition, being honest with your loved ones can help find a solution for your stress. If you continue to feel overwhelmed, consider seeking a professional to help you manage your holiday stress.

Tale of 1914 Christmas Day Truce Is Inspiring, Though Hard to Believe

[This famous scene took place 100 years ago today, on Christmas, 1914.]

By Rob Hughes  Dec. 23, 2014

LONDON — The Christmas Truce, when British and German soldiers were said to have suddenly stopped fighting on the Western Front for a few hours on Christmas Day 1914, is written in history.

What started with the singing of “Stille Nacht” on the German side, followed by a response of “Silent Night,” was said to have included an impromptu soccer game on the No Man’s Land between the opposing trenches.

“We all grew up with the story of soldiers from both sides putting down their arms on Christmas Day when gunfire gave way to gifts,” Prince William said at a ceremony in England two weeks ago to unveil a memorial to the event.

“Football,” the prince continued, “has the power to bring people together and break down barriers. It is vital that 100 years on, we keep the Christmas Truce story alive. It remains wholly relevant today as a message of hope and humanity, even in the bleakest of times.”

Hope and humanity and perhaps, ultimately, futility.

Soccer is a remarkable game that crosses boundaries around this world. But whatever took place on that day a century ago did not stop the carnage that took an estimated 16 million lives, nor did it break down barriers to prevent wars today.

“Sport, not war” has to be among the most contrite of phrases.

The sculpture unveiled by Prince William was designed by a 10-year-old boy, Spencer Turner. It depicts two hands clasped in friendship inside the outline of a ball. It is simple, brilliant and full of boyish hope.

And grown men are running with that hope. There have been re-enactments of the reported No Man’s Land game, including a match between the British Army and German Army teams in Aldershot, England, and a game in Belgium this week near the Flemish field where the truce happened.

UEFA, the European soccer authority, put together a short video in which former stars — England’s Bobby Charlton, Germany’s Paul Breitner and France’s Didier Deschamps — read a narrative and current players — Wayne Rooney, Philipp Lahm and Hugo Lloris — read aloud soldiers’ letters from the front lines in 1914.

All of it is heartfelt. For the record, Germany, the current world champion, has won four World Cups to England’s one in the sport now played by 209 national associations.

The brief cease-fire on the Western Front in Belgium followed a published letter from women’s suffrage advocates in England calling upon “the Women of Germany and Austria” to demand peace at Christmastime in 1914. Undoubtedly, some men on the front lines did leave their frozen, muddied trenches to not only bury their dead, but to exchange gifts of tobacco or even tunic button.

Henry Williamson, then a 19-year-old private in the London Rifle Brigade who survived the war to become an author, sent a letter from the front to his mother. “In my mouth,” he wrote, “is a pipe presented by the Princess Mary. In the pipe is German tobacco. Ha ha, you say, from a prisoner or found in a captured trench, Oh dear, no! From a German soldier. Yes a live German soldier from his own trench. Marvelous, isn’t it?”

Other letters, published in The Times of London, alluded to the game or games that broke out. Some suggest that they were kick-abouts, mainly between English soldiers using made up balls — some say a can of corned beef served as a substitute.

Fewer accounts came from the German side, although Richard Schirrmann wrote the following December that his regiment, which was holding a position in the hills of occupied Belgium, received a request from Belgian troops to be allowed to send letters to their families. “Something fantastically unmilitary occurred,” Schirrmann reported. “German and French troops spontaneously made peace and ceased hostilities. They visited each other and exchanged wine, cognac and cigarettes for Westphalian black bread, biscuits and ham.”

Schirrmann survived the war and set up the German Youth Hostel Association in 1919.

By the following Christmas, the truce was banned under threat of a court martial for any soldier on either side who dared to fraternize with the enemy.

The story of the Christmas Truce, and soccer’s part in it, became gilded over the decades. It is implausible, but not impossible, that any soldier smuggled a leather ball — or even the inflatable pig’s bladder inside the casing — to the trenches. But that is how it has become depicted in accounts fictionalized and made more beautiful.

Robert Graves, the British poet and writer, in 1962 reconstructed a story of the event, with Germany’s 133rd Royal Saxon Regiment taking on what he called Scottish troops. In Graves’s account, the Germans won, 3-2.

In the match between the British and German army teams last week in Aldershot, the British won, 1-0.

Soccer and war have intersected again over the past century. Perhaps the most evocative of triumphs was strife-torn Iraq emerging as the winner of the 2007 Asian Cup that was played across four countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Soccer can indeed survive hostilities. But only at Christmastime will a story be believed that both sides would put down their arms to meet in No Man’s Land. A beautiful memory, made more beautiful in the subsequent years of man’s imagination.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/24/sports/soccer/tale-of-1914-christmas-day-truce-soccer-game.html?_r=0  

Christmas & Fathers: 4 lessons from Joseph

By Dr. Corne J. Becker  Published December 24, 2014

Mary, the mother of Jesus, features prominently in our Christmas celebrations. Christmas carols, greeting cards and nativity reenactments all celebrate the important role she played in the birth of the Messiah. But what about Joseph? What does the Christmas story say about the role of fathers?

The Gospel of Matthew, written in the second half of the first century to a predominantly Jewish audience, places Joseph at the center of the birth of Christ. Complimentary to the Gospel of Luke where most of the activity centers on Mary, Matthew reports that it is Joseph that is instructed by an angel in a dream not to call off his impending marriage to Mary. Joseph is pictured as a decisive leader, protector and provider for his family in this Gospel.

The birth narratives of Jesus in Matthew, not only highlights the importance of family as the building block of a stable society, but also communicates the importance of fathers in the raising of children. With Joseph as our example, four lessons for fathers can be taken from this Christmas story.

First, to be a father is not just a biological description. Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus, but as instructed by the angel took Mary as his wife and provided a home for Jesus. Being a father is a matter of the heart. Joseph is a great role model for those fathers that have chosen to raise non-biological children as their own. Fathers create homes for children by enlarging their hearts and providing a safe and nurturing environment for them.

Second, fathers model good values to their children. Matthew calls Joseph a just man. This is in sharp contrast to the wicked Herod in the same Gospel, who kills numerous boys in his narcissistic rage as he attempts to remove the pending threat of the birth of the King of the Jews. We are inundated with so many painful recollections of fathers that did not match the expectations of their children.  Good fathers embody the moral and hopeful ideals of their children. They model the way.

Third, fathers do all in their power to protect their family. Joseph, warned in a dream about the murderous plans of Herod, moves his family to the safety of Egypt. This selfless act of Joseph illustrates what good fathers do best – they place the interest of their families above their own.

Lastly, fathers provide a future for their children. Once again, Matthew records that Joseph in returning from Egypt scanned the environment and decided to move Jesus and Mary to Galilee, far from the watchful eye of Archelaus, the ruler that succeeded Herod. Good fathers recognize that fathering does not end when children turn of age. Fathers consider the future of their children beyond their own mortality and work to provide a prosperous and successful future for them.

Perhaps the time has come to reconsider the role of Joseph in our celebration of Christmas. May we rediscover not only his good example, but the stabilizing and transformative effect that good fathers have on children, families and societies.

Dr. Corne J. Bekker is a professor & Dept Chair of Biblical Studies & Christian Ministry at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/12/24/christmas-and-fathers-four-lessons-from-gospel-matthew/   

Scoundrels in the Stable

            

In Jesus’ day, shepherds were thought of as shady, disreputable, untrustworthy, irreligious, but not good.  A shepherd was sneaky, shifty, and likely a thief.   Shepherds were despised by religious leaders, since living out in the hills, they were unable to wash regularly and observe the ceremonial and dietary laws.  Shepherds were not eligible for judicial office.  They were not permitted to be a witness in a court because they were so untrustworthy.  They were not allowed to enter the temple.

                                   

For Jesus to say, “I am the good shepherd” sounded strange, like a contradiction or oxymoron.  Imagine someone today saying "I am the good thief," or "I am the good drug dealer."  Maybe Jesus identified with shepherds because He too was scorned by the establishment.  Jesus knew what it was like to be despised, to have people watch you with squinty, suspicious eyes. 

           

Somehow it seems only fitting that the first visitors to see the Lamb of God were shepherds.  They hustle to the stable and are first in line to touch the hem of heaven.  God communicated first to the shepherds in the fields.  Not the pure and holy, not the high and mighty, not the Bethlehem ministerial association, but the sneaky, low-life shepherds.  I guess God sees the good in the worst of us and the bad in the best of us.  I guess we should think twice before we look down our noses at present-day shepherds.

Shepherds were the first to hear the Good News of the birth of God’s Son.  Shepherds were the first to visit and honor the baby Jesus in the stable with Mary and Joseph.  If God could allow scoundrels like shepherds in the presence of his Son, I guess there’s hope for people like you and me.

            

Christmas in 1776, by Thomas Kidd

Dec. 18, 2012  By Thomas Kidd          

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/2012/12/christmas-in-1776/

Tis the season to argue about religion. Or more specifically, to feud about whether to say Merry Christmas or Seasons Greetings…to call it a Christmas Village or a Holiday Village…or to allow a crèche or menorah to stand on public property.

What would Americans at the time of our nation’s founding think about all this? They would have been perplexed. Perplexed, first, at the ways that we fuss about the public role of religion. As I discuss in God of Liberty, the Revolutionary era was shot through with public expressions of faith, from the days of prayer and fasting declared by presidents, to the chaplains employed by the Continental Congress and Washington’s army, to the faith principles undergirding the Revolution itself, especially the notion that all men are created equal. The concept of a public square stripped of religion would have been deeply unfamiliar to Americans in 1776.

But they would also find our kind of Christmas strange, and probably unpleasant. We are constantly warned by the prophets of our age–Charlie Brown and Snoopy chief among them–that we should not become obsessed with commercialism at Christmas. Yet this is like warning fish about the pollution in water–a world of consumption is what we Americans live and breathe in.

Christmas in 1776 was very different. One difference, of course, is that America was engaged in a terrible war with Britain. That is why George Washington and his army spent Christmas night of 1776 crossing the Delaware River through a blizzard of sleet–to attack the Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey.

Wartime or not, Christmas was not a big public spectacle at the time of the Founding. One searches in vain through the newspapers and almanacs of the Revolutionary War period to find references to Christmas. It was almost never mentioned, even on December 25 itself. When it was, the holiday was usually only cited as a reference point. (“General Washington hopes that the war will be over by Christmas,” and such.)

But let’s not be romantic about their simple, subdued Christmas, either. One reason that Christmas was downplayed in the New England states is because the Puritan fathers had banned Christmas for much of the seventeenth century. This was not because they were killjoys, but because they did not see how the Bible taught a December Christmas. They believed that the festival of Christmas was invented by medieval Catholics–and this was never a good thing, if you were a Puritan.

You did see occasional evidence of commercialism in Revolutionary America, too, especially after the war was over. In the Christmas Eve edition of Rivington’s New York Gazette for 1783, there was a screaming advertisement–almost reminiscent of our “Black Friday” ads–for “CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR’S PRESENTS,” which included gold and silver watches; goblets fit for drinking “Porter, Ales, Punch, Sangree” and other holiday beverages; and assortments of stockings which the merchant pronounced “Monstrous Cheap.”

Christmas at the time of the founding–for those who embraced it–was mostly a family and church affair. Lauren Winner’s delightful book A Cheerful and Comfortable Faith shows how Christmas occurred naturally as a part of the household devotion of eighteenth-century Anglicans in Virginia. Wealthy families there often had sumptuous feasts. At one Christmas dinner, the menu of the Fairfax family included “six mince pies, seven custards, twelve tarts, one chicken pie, and four puddings.” Twelfth Night, the evening signaling the end of the Christmas season, saw even bigger bashes, which could sometimes turn into drunken brawls. Devout Anglicans also made their way to church for the Sunday of Christmas week, where they would hear a special sermon on the incarnation, and receive communion.

In modern America, outdoor nativity scenes and other Christmas displays became common after World War I, encouraged by the advent of electricity to light them at night. Some of these displays ended up on government property, a circumstance which predictably elicited lawsuits by secularists. The first major lawsuit on this topic sought to remove a nativity scene from the White House Ellipse in 1969. A number of contradictory court decisions have followed, fostering annual feuding and court cases regarding Christmas or Hanukkah displays.

Americans of 1776 had no particular need for public manger scenes. Christmas, when observed, fit easily in the traditional rhythms of home and church life. Obviously, they had no secularists screeching for the removal of Baby Jesus from the public park, either. His image was not there in the first place, nor did it need to be. Their society was already pervasively religious, even though not every American was a saint. They lived in a serenely religious milieu that we can only approximate today. We certainly can’t recreate it on today’s fractious courthouse square. Thankfully, believers can still foster an indisputably Christian Christmas in our homes and churches. I guess that is where Christmas is the most edifying anyway.

Christmas With the Shepherds.

It’s finally here.  The event we’ve been waiting for – the birth of Mary’s son, Jesus.  At first, Mary and Joseph had their baby all to themselves.  Then Luke 2 says that an angel appeared to the shepherds in the field, announcing the birth of God’s Son.  So the first visitors to the humble birthplace were shepherds.

In ancient Israel, shepherds were dirty, unclean and thus not allowed to enter the temple.  Shepherds were not trusted; they were not allowed to testify in a court of law.  Shepherds were looked down upon by good, upstanding Jews.  You wouldn’t want your daughter to marry a shepherd, or even bring one home.  A shepherd could follow you into a revolving door and come out ahead of you – that’s how shifty they were.  If a shepherd appeared in your front yard, you’d look around to be sure that everything was still there.  Shepherds could not be trusted.

Yet God’s messenger trusted the shepherds with the message of Jesus’ birth.  Shepherds were the first to hear the great news of a Savior born for all the world.  Think of someone that you look down upon, someone who’s not on your level.  Then tell yourself that God’s angels first told people like this person; they were the first to hear the Christmas news.  If we want to see what God is doing, maybe we need to pay more attention to people like the shepherds.  Let’s spend part of our Christmas with someone like a shepherd.  

Why Did God Allow the Ice Storm?

For many of us here in SE Oklahoma, we’ve spent much time digging out, surviving without electricity, and cleaning up after the ice storm on Dec. 5-6, the worst to hit this area in many years.  What does this mean, in terms of Christ’s coming to earth at Christmas?  Was this ice-meggedon a random freak of nature?  Is it possible that God was trying to get our attention in or after the ice storm?

God allows the earth to reflect sin’s consequences on creation, in much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts. According to Romans 8: 19-20, the fall of humankind into sin affected everything, including the world we inhabit.  The creation is subject to “frustration” and “decay.”  Ultimately sin causes natural disasters just as it causes death, disease, and suffering.

We can understand why natural disasters occur in terms of weather-related factors, but we do not understand is why God ALLOWS them to occur. Why did God allow those we love, struggle after this ice storm. For one thing, such events shake our confidence in this life and force us to think about eternity. Churches attendance usually increases after disasters as people realize how tenuous their lives really are. What we do know is this: God is good!  Rev. Gary Sweatman of Sanger, TX, rallied his church to help motorists stranded on I-35 by the ice storm.  Natural disasters can cause people to reevaluate their priorities in life.  It can also be an opportunity for us to help our neighbors.  God can bring good out of disasters. 

In Haggai 1: 9-11, God Himself caused a terrible disaster because God wanted to get his people’s attention about the way they forgot Him and his business and focused exclusively on their own.  Is it possible that God caused this recent ice storm to get our attention?

Some say God is too loving, too kind, too compassionate, too gentle to ever cause a disaster.  This reminds me of an old story about a farmer who was out in his field working a stubborn mule.  The mule sat down in the mud and refused to budge.  The farmer pushed and pulled, threatened and coaxed, but couldn't move the mule.  A neighbor who was watching nearby came over to offer advice. "I've been watching you for a while," said the neighbor.  "And I think you may be going about this the wrong way."  In frustration the farmer quipped, "Well then, how would you get this stupid mule out of the mud?"  "Well," said the neighbor, "you need to use kindness, you need to be loving, gentle and show compassion to the dumb animal.  Let me show you how it's done."  So the farmer moved aside and the neighbor took a baseball bat and hit the mule square in the head. "What are you doing?" shouted the farmer. “You said to be kind, to be loving, to be gentle, to show compassion” . "I’m going to," said the neighbor. "But first I’ve got to get his attention."  Maybe God was trying to get our attention with this ice storm.

God wants to bless us with an abundant life.  But if we insist on ignoring God, rejecting HIS ways, and living OUR ways, then we separate ourselves from the very Source of all blessings.
 God loves us too much to leave us that way without using whatever means necessary to shift our attention from ourselves to Him.

I hope and pray that this ice storm in Advent will make us refocus our attention on God and how He wants us to live.  Let’s submit ourselves to God, confess our selfish sins, and pay attention to what God is doing in our lives.  God's going to do something grand on Christmas!

An Advent youtube: on renewing a life of prayer.

I met Kirianne at a conference last month & thought this is a great Advent reminder - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRENUH-mxC4 

Advent usually makes the Martha part of me stronger, but God keeps sending msg's like this one & messengers like this one.

Secret Meaning Behind "The 12 Days of Christmas"

The Twelve Days of Christmas, a baffling Carol about a partridge in a pear tree, swimming swans, leaping lords and French hens, along with other peculiar activities, has an interesting history and deep meaning.

A check of history revealed that from 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. An anonymous Christian during that time, wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.  Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

*****
One Partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French Hens stood for Faith, Hope and Love.

Four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

Five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

Six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of The Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

Eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of The Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

Ten Lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.

Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in The Apostles' Creed.

*****
Sing it with extra joy this Christmas. Oh yes, the 12 days of Christmas would be from December 25th to January 5th, which is St. Nicholas Eve, which would be the first date recorded for the Christmas celebration and still celebrated by many around the world today.
Compiled by Rev. Austin Miles   
http://blogs.christianpost.com/the-connecting-link/secret-meaning-behind-popular-christmas-carol-13743/

Heroism Amidst a Tragedy

On Dec. 14, Adam Lanza shot and killed 21 children and 5 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.  Words are inadequate to describe the horrible loss and grief.  It was a terrible tragedy.

There were two heroes in the midst of the tragedy.  A teacher, Victoria Soto, died after hiding her students in a closet.  Principal Dawn Hochsprung was killed after she’d lunged at the gunman in an attempt to overtake him.  They both sacrificed their lives so that the children they loved and were responsible for, might live.  In doing so, they showed courage in risking their lives for others. 

Another tragedy is playing out in our lives.  God’s creation was made perfect and harmonious, but it has been ruined by humankind’s rebellious sin.  We have rebelled against God’s laws that were intended for our good.  We have cheated, coveted, lied, stolen, defrauded and lived selfishly.  Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”   This is a terrible tragedy in God’s eyes.

God sent His Son Jesus to be born on Christmas, to reveal God’s grace and mercy, and to love sacrificially and give his life as a payment for our sins.  Like the teacher and principle who sacrificed their lives for others, Jesus is a hero because of his love and sacrifice for others.  The question for us on this Christmas, is how will we respond to what Jesus has done for us?  I hope you will join us in bowing our heads before the Christ Child in the manger scene, and thank God for giving up His Son Jesus to be our Hero and save us from our sins.  This will make your Christmas truly merry.

Are u Dreading a Christmas Financial Burden?

A recent Think Finance poll showed that 45% of Americans would rather SKIP CHRISTMAS because of the financial stress and strain on their precarious finances.  They do not expect to have enough money to cover holiday expenses, which is understandable when you consider how many people live paycheck to paycheck.  Thus many are seeking ways to spend less during the holidays.  So I’d like to offer a few ways to limit or reduce your holiday expenses.

To get a handle on how much you spend on the holidays, make a list of those you give presents to and other holiday expenses, that shows about how much you spend on each.  Add up the total, and compare it to the funds you will have available.  Try to reduce or avoid charging things on your credit card.

Could you explain to some of those whom you usually give to, that you’re struggling financially or had unexpected bills, and plan a more modest Christmas?  They would understand if you could not afford to give them a gift. 

Consider an alternative such as a homemade gift or a card with a note about why that person means so much to you or what you appreciate about her.  Could you give him a dozen homemade cookies or another baked item? 

Read the Bible’s warnings about taking on debt in Proverbs 22:7, 26-27 and Deuteronomy 15:6.  Then refuse to feel guilty about not being able to give someone an expensive gift or perhaps any gift. 

Ask yourself if everyone on your list actually needs a gift?  Perhaps you could make a gift to a charity or ministry in someone’s name, instead of giving a gift.  About 7 years ago, my in-laws told their large family that they were going to use the money they’d used for Christmas gifts in the past, to support a mission project that Dad was involved in.  We felt good because we knew that those who were blessed through the mission project, needed the help much more than we family members did.  Could you do something like this?

Most importantly, focus on the MEANING of the Christmas season.  Picture the nativity scene with the poor shepherds and Mary and Joseph who were also poor.  The innkeeper was the only one with money, but was overwhelmed by his business.  The point is that Christmas is NOT primarily about money or things.  Everyone focused on the CHRIST-CHILD in the manger.  Christ-followers today need to focus on the same Christ-Child.

When your holiday financial burden is reduced, you’ll feel much more peace and joy.