Christmas On The Battlefield

There was a time when man came out of their fox holes and trenches and made peace on earth. World War 1 was deadly. It took war to a whole new level of killing and savagery with the invention of the machine guns, mechanized tanks, poison gases, torture, and the thirst for power. The war lasted four years (1914-1918) and left nearly 16 million people dead.

On Christmas Day 1914, for a brief intermission on the battlefield, the guns fell silent. That’s right! The fighting stopped. Across the Western Front in Belgium, German and British soldiers declared an unofficial truce amongst themselves beginning on Christmas Eve. The facts are not all clear, but, the fighting did cease. The truce seemed to begin when soldiers began singing Christmas carols to their enemies while hunkered down in their trenches. In one section of the front, German soldiers sang “Stille Night” (Silent Night) and the British countered with “O Come All Ye Faithful.” It wasn’t long before Germans began peeking their heads above their trenches, setting up small Christmas trees decorated with whatever they had and by putting lighted candles on the tree. People become very resourceful when they want to make a statement.

This particular Christmas Day, soldiers from both sides ventured out of their trenches, across barbed wire, mine fields, impaling stakes, into no man’s land between the trenches, shouting “Merry Christmas” to one another to make sure no one opened fire. White flags and handkerchiefs were attached to bayonets. Trusting each other. It happened. Soldiers met in the middle of a charred, cratered landscape and shared Christmas spirit. They even exchanged small tokens and gifts—tobacco, candy, gum, uniform buttons, coins, showing each other family photographs and other memorabilia—and sang Christmas carols. During this time, they made time to retrieve their fallen comrades and even played a game of soccer. Both sides sharing their friendship found it difficult to go back to face-to-face and hand-to-hand combat after seeing pictures of wives and children.

This peaceful event angered the high-ranking British and German officers alike and upon hearing the truce, transferred some units to different and unfamiliar territories to make sure they would continue fighting. In 1915, Christmas truces were forbidden. But for one day in 1914, peace on earth reigned.

Just as today, the Christmas Spirit was bigger than the Great War because Christ is at the heart and helm of Christmas. Jesus’ birth changed the world, and in the words of “O Holy Night,” “Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace.” In the midst of the chaos that Christmas often brings—the shopping, baking, traffic, decorating, feasting, singing, visiting families and friends, parties—go ahead—declare a truce. Take time out to savor The Savior. Thank Him for His love, forgiveness, grace, mercy and share that with others. Create your own armistice day. Go ahead—hum along with crooner Bing Crosby and “Have yourself a Merry little Christmas, now.”

Peace on Earth

Christianity is a global religion, as celebrations surrounding Christ’s birth illustrates. Traditions, folklore and mysteries also enters the season.

Austria: On December 6th, Christmas half goat/half devil, lurks about to beat naughty children with birch branches then drag them to his underworld lair.

Germany: Parents hide a pickle ornament deep among the Christmas tree branches, and the child to find it receives an extra gift and good luck in the year ahead.

Finland: Families visit the sauna together on Christmas Eve.

Portugal: A Christmas morning feast called Consoda is held for remembering dead loved ones. Plates are laid at the table for those who have passed and often crumbs are sprinkled for them on the fireplace hearth.

Czech Republic: On Christmas, unmarried women stand by a door and throw a shoe over their shoulder. If the toe points toward the door, they’ll get married that year.

Norway: Norwegians can’t clean on Christmas. All the brooms are hidden so they won’t be stolen by witches or other nefarious spirits.

South Korea: Santa Harabujee, or Santa Grandfather, sometimes dresses in a traditional red, but he can wear a blue suit too. Clothing colors aren’t the only unconventional yuletide choice in South Korea. Many non-Christians consider Christmas a romantic holiday; radio stations ditch the Christmas carols for love songs and restaurants fill up with reservations for two quickly.

It’s Snow Joke

Everyone wants the white stuff to make it feel like Christmas. That white powder puts people in a Christmassy mood. Songs like “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow” floods the radio during the holidays. Snowflakes shows the true gift of God’s design. Did you know that it takes over 500,00 snowflakes to pack a good snowball? Snowflakes are as unique as our fingerprint, a retina design and your DNA. Amazing don’t you think? Watching it snow, experiencing a blizzard, seeing all those mountain tops covered with snow—and each snowflake is unique.

Snow covered sidewalks, windshields, trees and rooftops are beautiful to gaze upon. Snow is fun to play with and far more complex in structure and composition than anyone ever imagined. These little white “flakey” entices fascinate physicists and scientists. They really are God-made miniature miracles of nature.

What do we really know of snow? We know this, it is all God-controlled. He has access to each speck of snow before it hits earth. For all we know and all the unknowns about snow’s designs, sizes, weights, composites and technical structures it is still much a mystery and highly technical. When we start to get too big for our scientific britches, we should remember what God said to Job: “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail?” Job 38-22

Snowflakes are formed when water vapor freezes specks of dust high in the earth’s atmosphere. As icy crystal droplets fall through the sky, it bumps and knocks against other crystals, melting a little and refreezing a little on the way to the ground, falling to earth in a journey different from that of any other snowflake. It really is a miracle. And what would Christmas time be without singing, “Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, jingle all the way, O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse opened sleigh, O’re the fields we go laughing all the way” all the while dashing through the snow. What fun that must be on a moonlit night while bells on bobtails ring.

What Child Is This?

There was an old television program called “Kids Say The Darnest Things” hosted by the late Art Linkletter. It was an impromptu program where the host Mr. Linkletter would have children on his show answering various and obscure questions. The children would answer honestly and candidly. Always roll-all-over-the-floor funny. Pure innocence. The program might have been better titled “Kids Say And Do Dumb Things”. They play with an awe of fantasy, imagination and belief that we adults often call nonsense. But it’s real to them.

Jesus also called the little children unto himself and said in Matthew 19, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Jesus wanted these little children to come because he loves them and because they have the kind of attitude needed to approach God. He didn’t mean that heaven is only for children, but that people need childlike attitudes of trust in God. The receptiveness of little children was a great contrast to stubbornness of the religious leaders who let their education and sophistication stand in the way of the simple faith needed to believe in Jesus. Jesus says in Proverbs that we are to, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” “In the way he should go” is literally “according to his (the child’s ) way.” It is natural to want to bring up all our children alike or train them the same way. This verse implies that parents discern the individuality and special strengths that God has given each one. While we should not condone or excuse self-will, each child has natural inclinations that parents can and should develop. By talking to teachers, parents, grandparents, family members, church guidance counselors, pediatricians and friends and other professionals, we can better discern and develop the individual capabilities of each child. Many parents want to make all the choices for their child, but this might hurt them in the long run. Smothering a child can be detrimental to a child’s development. When a parent teaches a child the right message and paths to follow and how to make good solid decisions, they won’t have to watch every move and step the child takes. The parent will know the child has made the right choice because the parent has trained and provided loving direction for their child. Train your child to make the right choice.

“Tis The Season Of The Spirit"

If we’re going to keep Christ in Christmas, we might wish to start with the way we conduct ourselves during the holidays. Without missing a beat you can find dozens of performances of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” on stage, in the movies and reading material. We can find dozens of performances of Handel’s “Messiah” and dozens of “The Nutcracker”, “It’s A Wonderful Life” and others in big cities across the nation in the month of December. There’s plastic crèches on neighborhood lawns, big nylon balloon characters blown up, trees and nativities set up everywhere. Christians celebrate in red-and green glory, with lights and candles and gifts and prayers and church services. And in the Spirit of the season, let us make a solemn vow: Not to insist, in the name of piety, on rubbing the faces of those who don’t believe in Christ’s divinity on the anniversary of his birth. “Humbug!” you say. Isn’t that what ole' Scrooge cried out before he got a chance to experience the spirits the night practicing a little empathy, and that’s the best word to sum up today’s uproar over the demise of Christmas. As cars zoom by with green trees, even antlers, attached to the top of their roofs and worshipers fill the pews to listen as John the Baptist prepares the way of organized outrage suggests that Christmas is being driven out of existence. Who’s trying to kill it? Secular humanism, atheist zealots, the Liberal orthodoxy or hundreds of others? Let’s face it, whenever people start throwing around science-fair phrases it’s best that they want their opinions to sound inviolate because they are not. It’s crazy out there! The silly annual examples are touted out: the schools censor Christmas carols and parties and giving to the less fortunate and scream “Let’s call it a holiday!” The townships insist that evergreens decorated with lights is an offense and just a holiday tree. No one searches their souls about how we came to this. Quite frankly, it has little to do with separation of church and state or liberal politics and everything to do with the way the blunt cudgel of Christianity has been heedlessly used, the tyranny of the majority.

Did He Come Upon a Midnight Clear?

Christmas is near! “Black Friday” is nearer. Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is the most popular shopping day of the year for retailers. It is often regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Black Friday is known for more than just seeking ‘good deals’. It is known for aggressive crowds, assaults, shootings, throngs of people trampling on other people where even deaths have occurred. Let’s not forget those ‘Road-Raggers’ jockeying bumper-to-bumper for parking spots. Pandemonium! Sounds like an awful lot of fun doesn’t it? Why is it called “Black Friday” anyway? The term was first associated with the first United States financial crisis of 1869. In 1961, this shopping “nightmare” was recreated in Philadelphia and was actually labeled “Black Friday” by the Philadelphia Police Department due to massive traffic jams and enormous unruly crowds. In 1975 a Philadelphia newspaper article attempted to rename Black Friday to Best Friday due to its chaos, but that failed. Shoppers cannot manage to shop for gifts the whole year unencumbered, they need this one day. For many police departments, Black Friday is not a term of endearment. Black Friday, in theory, seems to be the beginning of the period when retailers no longer have losses ‘in the red’. Profits must be made you know—‘Tis the season.

Christmas is near! There will be a little less jingle in our pockets and more jangled nerves. Festive red, blue, green and gold decorations are already up in most stores. The radio stations are playing Christmas music 24/7. There are already signs and cards that say “Jesus is the reason for the season”. That sounds reasonable. We’ve been raised on that saying, but do we even question it anymore? Did we ever?

A Clockwork Orange Christmas

Did you see the movie in 1971? It was a movie written, produced, and directed by Mr. Kubrick. Based on a book written a decade earlier, it portrayed a collection of misfits in a dystopia. A dystopia is a society that is in many ways dysfunctional and undesirable. They characterize a society that has malfunctioned and had a cataclysmic decline in morals and values. There is no right or wrong, violence is commonplace and life is worthless!

In short it is the opposite of utopia.

Now which world would you rather live in if given the opportunity? Ninety nine percent of people would pick utopia. But that leaves the question of why anyone would choose the world of dystopia. It makes for interesting fiction and it gives those who abhor rules and regulations a sounding board. What if sports had no rules? What if crime had no punishment? Raise your hand from your hiding place if you desire such a world.

Life on earth is no utopia, but neither is it a dysfunctional dystopia as portrayed by Mr. Kubrick. You must realize by now that Hollywood is in the hit-and-run business. It produces flawed, half-witted, melodramas that influence potential dystopians into acting out their ideals and whims without the slightest ability to consider the ramifications or consequences. There is a current court case where the homeowner is being charged with aggravated assault for shooting a burglar who broke into his house in the middle of the night and not telling the burglar that he was armed! You want that world?

The Gospel of Luke tells us the angels told the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks that night that in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you! They said you will find him wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger! Suddenly a great host appeared and said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2) Well – what do you desire, A Clockwork Dystopia or peace to men on whom God’s favor rests? You do realize that the choice is entirely yours & time is running out!

Christmas, Past, Present, and Future

You guessed it. The Christmas holiday season wasn’t born here, just reinvented here. Huh?! For all the talk about peace, giving, love, sharing, family, joy and all the other adjectives, for many Americans, December and the Christmas season is considered by some the cruelest month of the year. Christmas the season that mixes family traditions, music, memories, shopping, decorations, bell ringers, charities, even church services/bazaars have turned into money making endeavors. Many argue that we have reduced what should be Holy days into holidays. Let’s face it, Christmas has become hectic, “Black Friday” holiday shoppers have become dangerous. Christmas has become an anxiety-ridden combination of family intimacy and rank consumerism that too often fails satisfy or justify the spirit or the senses, much less, The Holy Spirit. Happy Holidays aren’t often happy. Jolly isn’t always jolly. How and why the Yule-tide came to flow this way is the subject we ask ourselves. Face it, Santa has become a more central figure to Christmas than Christ., and presents have overshadowed the presence of Jesus. Since the beginning, Christmas American-style has been “commercial at its very core.

In the beginning, in fact, there was no Christmas. As history shows, the Puritans of New England suppressed it, even for a time forbidding it by law. They argued that the New Testament gives no date—or season—for the birth of Christ. Still another, Christmas was associated in their minds with ritual pagan rites and papist practices. Even though Puritan rule was quite brief, it had its roots. Colonial Christmas’s was more like a carnival, where rowdies filled the streets with their public displays of gluttony, costumery, drunkenness, molestation, crude activities and obscenities on parade. Some custom was especially disruptive; the “wassailing” was where packs of wild youths and sometimes adult workers would become riotous and lay siege to the homes of the well-off, demanding free food, free drink, monies, valuables, liberties with women and eventually setting fires to buildings and blocks in the city if they did not get what they demanded. Does this sound familiar? Appeals to reason religion, religious leaders and law enforcement were to no avail. Does this sound familiar? People often feel entitled and owed something. And if they don’t get it by working a fair days labor for a fair days salary—they feel like they should just riot and take it. Earlier in history, in Boston, first the Universalists and then the Unitarians opened their church doors on Christmas in their hopes of bringing order to the Yule-tide chaos. But that failed to dampen the raucous public spirit. Today activists, ministers and even high-ranking politicians jump on-board and, maybe without intent, incite more trouble.

Until the first decades of the 19^th century, Christmas was neither a domestic holiday nor a commercial one, but by the end of the century, it would become both. In cities like New York and Philadelphia, the “misrule” of Christmas mobs had become so widespread that it threatened civic life. Even today, rioters, looters, mobs burning cars and buildings, protesters laying down in the subways, in the middle of expressways and on the floors of shopping malls, throwing glass bombs, bricks, shootings—reminiscent of anything? Just as yester year, members of the emerging urban proletariat no longer confined their seasonal revels and discontent for law-and –order and society to their own neighborhoods. Like today, the wealthy hired guards to protect their property. Shopkeepers boarded up their windows and barred their doors from invaders wishing to loot and do damage. Innocent pedestrians, business owners and law-abiding and law enforcing people were and are at risk. Much of the public went indoors and clung to their weapons, many buying some and others just plain frantic with fear hiding in their homes. Ring any bells? And, no, I’m not talking about sidewalk Santa’s. Lacking anything like the sanctioned religious festivals of yesteryear Catholic Europe, Protestant America invented one—a Christmas holiday. Stories were created from traditions of Dutch families gathering in the Netherlands that featured friends and family at home peacefully eating and drinking together, playing games and giving little tokens to one another. But this wasn’t enough—Christmas needed something more substantial—yes, a myth!

We Three Kings Of Orient Are...Still, Somewhat A Mystery

Who were these Wise Men, wise guys, Magi, We Three Kings?

The Magi or The Wise men came to Jerusalem from the East, guided by a bright star, in search of the baby who inspired this celestial sign in the sky. What a sign! What a King! These Magi met with King Herod, who gave them directions to find the child and report back to him. “The Star” might have been a celestial event, it’s also possible its mention is part of a larger narrative device. Matthew’s author could also have been thinking of a line from the Book of Numbers: “A star will come out of Jacob: a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Numbers 24:17 This star is often thought to refer to the coming Messiah. It was probably this prophecy that convinced the Magi to travel to Israel in search of the baby Jesus. It does seem strange that God would use a sorcerer like Balaam to foretell the coming of the Messiah. But this also teaches us that God can use anything or anyone to accomplish his ultimate plans. By using the sorcerer, did not make sorcery acceptable, in fact, the Bible condemns it in several places (Exodus 22:18, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Revelation 18:23). Rather, God showed his ultimate sovereignty over good and evil. Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” 

Who is Joseph?

Who is Joseph?

He was a man of integrity. A descendant of David. Jesus’ legal and earthly father. A man willing to do God’s will no matter what the consequences. Husband of Mary. A righteous man. The list is long. The strength of what we believe is measured by how much we are willing to suffer for those beliefs. Joseph was a man with strong beliefs. He always tried to do what was right and do it in the right way. One of the highest compliments the King James Bible bestows on mortals is being “just.” To be characterized a just man in the Bible is more than to be called a person who follows the letter of the law; the word meant to describe a person whose openness to the will of God is absolute, especially in uncertain, questionable times and impossible situations. Joseph, a bachelor in Judea at this time, was betrothed to a young virgin as stipulated by his faith. Her name was Mary. We know that this much is at least is perfectly normal for the time period and proves nothing about Joseph’s “just” nature. But add to that his wife-to-be came to him before their wedding announcement herself and stated that she was already with child. What was in Joseph’s mind? He already knew her character to be honorable and trustworthy. Perhaps, he might have thought that someone had hurt her, maybe raped her, molested her in some manner?

When Mary told Joseph about her pregnancy, Joseph knew that the child was not his. This might have posed a new set of issues and problems for almost any man. However, his respect for Mary’s character and explanation she gave him, as well as her attitude toward the expected child, must have made it hard to think his bride had done something wrong. Still, someone else was the father—and it was mind-boggling to accept that the “someone else” was God. Wrap your mind around that. The King James version of Matthew 1:19 says Joseph as being “Minded to put [Mary] away privily,” and the New International Version is slightly less kind to Joseph saying he “was of a mind to divorce her quietly.” Joseph decided he had to break off the engagement, but he was determined to do it in a way that would not cause public shame to Mary. He intended to act with justice and love. This was Joseph’s character. But a sign from heaven is more than enough to alleviate Joseph of his rational hesitation. According to Matthew, “After he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’”

From the Manger to the Cross

Let’s ask ourselves “What is Christmas?” This question comes up the same time every year, from the pulpit, the federal government, public forums, even the public schools system across the whole United States and the world. The question is applicable to the spirit of the celebrations surrounding the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s birth, and to the historical story of the manger itself. The gospel narratives of Matthew and Luke together form a beautiful image, one that has become familiar to many of us some 2,000 years later. A brutal trip by Mary and Joseph both under tremendous stress. A miraculous birth without any professional care, anesthesia or sterile conditions. And after the birth there were germ-ridden smelly and dirty shepherds wanting to hold the Christ child. All this must have been a far cry from what Mary had imagined that day when Gabriel informed her she was going to give birth to the Son of God. Can you imagine? Yet, there were wonders that night. Choirs of Angels. Animals in awe. A caravan of Magi bowing before a baby in a humble stable. Every year, we find inspiration in the Nativity which gives birth to a spirit of hope and faith; of promises fulfilled, of love exhibited. Things don’t stop there! There is also a call to carry that spirit within us, as the angels tell the shepherd’s, to the world beyond the holiday season. Maybe the meaning of Christmas, and Christ’s birth, is that we’re not meant to celebrate either for only one day each year.

The story of the nativity relies on personal imagery, personal beliefs, Biblical depictions to connect with readers throughout the centuries. An expectant Mary, a concerned husband Joseph in the lead, both desperately looking for some shelter for the birth of a baby, a Savior. However, beyond the setting of a straw stable lay the wider world the Lord would soon reshape.

The people of the Holy Land navigated three layers of political and social authority: The priests of the Temple, King Herod and the Roman Empire itself. The functions of the priests in Jesus’ time bore little resemblance to modern day rabbis. This was a temple religion of sacrifice and one dominated by a hereditary, priestly aristocracy led by the High Priest of that time. And because the priests determined who could enter the Temple in Jerusalem, they brandished their enormous power and authority over the people—their followers. Hey ruled with an iron fist. The Temple also served important administrative tasks for the whole region, acting as it main financial institution, establishing the year’s calendar and maintaining its archives documents of domestic and national importance. All these solidified the Temple’s role in Judean’s lives.

Over and above the Temple, King Herod the Great held nominal power on behalf of Rome, and sought to restructure Jerusalem in the Eternal City’s image. What we all look at now as ancient Jerusalem is really Herod’s invention. Herod used the immense wealth given to him by the Roman government to raise a new class of Jewish elites who felt similar affection toward the Romans. These allies of Herod felt no special need to conform to Jewish traditions, causing tensions throughout Judea. Why? Because some of them weren’t even circumcised and many felt themselves one with the Roman occupation and had actually grown fabulously wealthy by association with the Romans. The Roman Empire held ultimate control and authority over Judea since Pompey the Great conquered the region in 63 B.C. At the time of the Nativity, Caesar Augustus led the Empire, commanding its vast legions and overwhelming treasures. The Roman Empire mastered and dominated the known world, though its leaders considered Judea among the least—important of all their dominions and the Romans ruled the Holy Land with a degree of leniency.

Absolutely none of these authorities had reason to accommodate Mary and her husband Joseph. Their native district and area of Galilee was known throughout Judea as a out-of-the-way, somewhat isolated and withdrawn place festering with sedition. In Jesus’ day, outcasts, rebels were occasionally synonymous as Galilean-types. You see, Mary and Joseph faced severe punishment for opposing and breaking this time period’s social norms. Let’s face it, no one would have cared the lease if Joseph had insisted on stoning Mary to death after she came to him with child. Indeed, Jesus lived with the blemish, the disgrace, the stigma of being thought of as an illegitimate child among the tight-knitted communities of Nazareth and Galilee. Being an object of scorn and pity he should have expected a solitary life. This fact makes the rise of his ministry and messages even more miraculous. Jesus came not to a throne, but to a manger. He lived not as a king, but as a servant. He chose not an earthly kingdom, rather a cross. He gave not just a little, but everything. “…Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” Ephesians 5:2 NIV Remember, Jesus left his comfortable home in heaven and spent his first night in a cold barn subject to all forms of danger. Christmas is really about giving genuine thanks for this marvelous and incredible nativity story: that God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Finally, its being reminded of a marvelous promise that even though life here isn’t perfect, we have a perfect inheritance that can never perish, spoil; or fade, that will be kept in heaven for us. This Advent, let’s look beyond all the glitzy schmaltziness of our culture’s celebration of the holidays and see the grand story behind Christmas and prepare ourselves to celebrate the bedrock truth of our faith and the reason for our hope: Christ has come, and He shall come again.

Who is the Virgin Mary?

Mary has been describes many ways. A good woman. Heaven’s noblest gift. The perfect mother. Obedient to God. The list is long. Motherhood is a painful privilege. Young Mary of Nazareth had the unique privilege of being mother to the very Son of God and as Jesus referred to himself many times The Son of man. Yet the pains and pleasures of her motherhood can be understood by mothers everywhere. Mary was the only human present at both Jesus’ birth and death. That is a miracle within itself. She watched him arrive as her baby son, and she watched him die as The Son of God her Savior.

Until Gabriel’s unexpected visit, Mary’s life was satisfactory. She had recently become engaged to a carpenter, Joseph, and was anticipating married life. But her life was about to change—forever. Ah, then, the miracles begin to happen, an angel entered the picture. As you know, angels don’t usually make an appointment before visiting. There Gabriel stood. As if she were being congratulated for winning a mega lottery or a grand prize in a contest she had never entered. His presence must have been frightening! What she heard next was what every Jewish woman in Israel in history hoped to hear—that her child would be the Messiah, God’s promised Savior. Mary didn’t doubt the message, but asked how pregnancy would be possible? Here’s how the story unfolds. 

When Panic Visits

We don’t need an engraved invitation to call our attention to abject fear! Examples of unchecked fear surround us every day. Driving along a highway and you tap the brakes to slow down and your brakes fail. You lose an envelope full of cash after cashing your check. Your child is playing in the grass and you spot a green snake coming closer and closer. You go to your mailbox and there’s an IRS audit letter. These examples would strike fear in anybody, but the circumstances aren’t life and death.

Life and death situations create a visceral reaction that reveals our real self.

The Hebrews had just witnessed ten devastating plagues sent by God to scare the Egyptians to release them from slavery. The Hebrews had just witnessed the Lord guiding them out of Egypt towards the Promised land by a Pillar of Fire at night and a Pillar of Cloud by daylight. The Hebrews had just witnessed the Lord providing food and water for them on their journey. They had witnessed his personal protection. With all this personal attention from God, one would be confidently safe.

“The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites. As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and called out to the Lord.” Exodus 14:9-10

After all the Lord does for us—when do we learn not to be afraid?

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

Sibling Rivalry byTwins...Electrifying!

The Bible records the birth of two sets of twins. When the truth comes out, neither story is pretty. When we examine the case of Jacob and Esau, twin boys born to Isaac and Rebekah, we find a relationship that has such bizarre twists and turns it could only be found in the Bible!

When Rebekah was pregnant the babies inside of her jostled each other! When she asked the Lord what was happening, the Lord told her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” Genesis 25:23

Well, ‘that’ explained a few things, but it raised a dozen more questions. When the boys were born the first boy was red all over and was like a hairy garment; so he was named Esau. The second boy came out of the womb with one hand holding onto Esau’s heel! He was named Jacob. When the boys grew up, Esau became an outdoorsman, a skillful hunter and a man of the open country. Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. ln short, one man was a redneck country boy, while the other was a mild mannered city boy. That would be the case for the rest of their lives. One man was fiercely independent with a quick temper and the other somewhat diplomatic.

lt was no secret the parents loved the boys, but each parent loved one more than the other. The father, lsaac, loved-the wild outdoorsman Esau, while Rebekah doted over Jacob. One boy was raised on the strings of a bow, while the other boy was raised on apron strings. Conflict was their destiny! The struggle within Rebekah 's womb was a foreshadow of what was to come. Each one of her twin boys became the father of a nation of people. The two peoples (the Edomites and the lsraelites) would shake the Earth ’s foundations even to this clay. The Arabs and the Jews still bicker!

U Taken Your Prescription?

Medicine must be prescribed at the correct time the diagnosis is made. Administering medicine too early or too late does not address the problem. Prescribing the right medicine is half the problem; the patient must take it! It doesn't help if the patient recognizes the problem and refuses the cure.

The apostle Paul was one of the most erudite men in history. Paul was a student of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) a highly respected rabbi in the Jewish faith. Paul was comfortable speaking to an itinerant field worker or to a King.

Talking to those who were religious and those who were thoroughly pagan, Paul was direct and always focused on the atoning death of Jesus. Paul spread the gospel to everyone he engaged. Some listened, some responded.

Once in the city of Caesarea, Paul had the opportunity to speak to King Agrippa (great-grandson of Herod the Great), Festus, the governor of Judea, the high ranking officers of the city, and the leading men of the city. Paul preached the resurrection of Jesus Christ to his audience and most were enlightened by the speech Paul made. But Agrippa was not sure of Paul's motives. He said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" (Acts 26:28)

Paul diagnosed the problem and prescribed the remedy: but it was refused. Have you taken the remedy for sin?

Silhouette DeJour

From detective programs Dragnet to CSI, all those police shows have shown a chalk outline of a silhouette drawn on the floor or ground at one time. That lets you know that there has been a death, and the deceased was found in that exact location and position. A detective or team of experts and forensics specialists then attempt to figure out the who, how, and why of the crime—if there was one. The scene is then roped off with bright yellow plastic border tape with the words “Police line do no cross” signaling, stay away, this scene is off limits. Now, let’s move from Hollywood to Rome for a minute. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter tells us, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. True? True!

If you see a ‘partial’ chalk outline, and it’s in your shape, in places you frequent, look around—a lion has been stalking you. At the first hint that you’re being “Chalked”, examine your defenses. Be on guard! Don’t be an easy target. Don’t go where there is danger. Don’t go where you shouldn’t. Don’t push deadly boundaries. Don’t let the lion get too close. Don’t think he won’t try again and again. He will. Take no chances. 1 Peter 5:9 gives us the winning formula if we’ll just follow it. It says, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith”. Don’t be the “Silhouette of the day”!

Satan uses our past to destroy our future. He steals our faith by stealing our joy. Prowling lions attack sick, young, or straggling animals that are defenseless: they choose victims who are alone, vulnerable, or not alert. Peter warns us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted. Feeling alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers, so focused on our troubles that we forget to watch for danger, we are especially susceptible to Satan’s attacks. During times of suffering, seek out other Christians for support and comfort—and prayer. Keep your eyes open and on Christ, and resist the devil. Then, says James, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you”. James 4:7-8 Don’t be the one they draw a “chalk line” around.

Who's In Charge of the Keys?

You can give a baby shiny car keys to play with, but are they in charge? They maybe ‘In possession’ of the keys, but they are not ‘In Charge’. Being “in charge” is more of a legal term signifying authority. You’ve seen crime dramas on TV, where an official looking person walks up, looks at the crime scene, and asks the question, “Who’s in charge here?” What they are asking exactly is: who is in “Possession of Authority” here.

At one point, in Matthew 10, Jesus gave the Apostles “authority”, to perform various miracles. He could not give them the authority, unless he had the “Authority” to dish it out. All four Gospel writers mention that Jesus, “Taught as one having authority”. Jesus was in possession of authority from the Heavenly realm.

Revelation 1:18 tells us Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades! Those keys show the authority of Christ over physical death and the place that temporarily holds the immaterial part of the unbeliever until judgment day! Revelation 21:1 tells us Jesus holds the key to the abyss; Satan’s resting place for a thousand years! To all who believe in Christ and obey him, the Kingdom doors are open.

Bottom line: For those who worry: don’t-- the keys to the Kingdom are in good hands.

Giving to Charity

You have been solicited by someone at sometime asking for something to help someone in need. The sales pitch is given in a straightforward manner with all the integrity and honesty the solicitor can deliver. The request may be to help the homeless, a children’s home, a pet’s shelter, a fundraiser for police or firefighters widows, a wounded veterans program, or it may be to fight some notorious disease that has claimed millions of lives. All causes, all deserving support. Your next decision is who’s using the money for the greatest good?

Doesn’t the Bible say that charity begins at home? Not in so many words, but it does say that we are to be discerning about who we support with our monies. Some charities spend 80 to 90% of the total money they raise to throw parties, hire staff, and send out promotional materials to…you guessed it, raise more money! Millions of dollars are raised, but only a small percentage goes to help the intended parties. Wasteful, deceitful, disgraceful—yes. Would you care to be in their shoes come Judgment Day?

How are we to help all those suffering people? Do we ignore their pleas? Do we sell everything we have and give it all away? Where is that happy middle ground? Giving away money and hoping it will be used wisely is irresponsible. There are questions to be asked and answered truthfully. A charity or foundation should strive to open their records/books for public scrutiny. They should be able to prove that the money you donate to help the needy in any/all areas do exactly that.

Churches used to help those in need. In this present day, the government helps those supposedly in need. One was helped by charitable giving. One is now helped by the tax you are forced to pay without accountability. God loves a cheerful giver, but God also demands an accounting of our time, our talents and our treasure. Maybe we could follow the teachings of the Bible. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!

Last One Standing

The Book of Revelation in the Bible needs some clear definition. First of all…it is what it is…A Revelation of Jesus Christ (or Apocalypse) to John, to be written down. It is expected to be understood. Much of it is frighteningly clear. Some symbols are explained, others are not. The general theme given to John is divided into three parts. John is instructed to write: (1) What he has seen, (2) What he is now seeing, (3) What will take place.

The number seven plays a critical role in Revelation.

There are seven letters addressed to the seven churches in Asia Minor. There is a seven year period of terrible suffering and tribulation coming. There are seven lamps sitting before the Throne of God—Blazing. There’s a lamb with seven horns, and seven eyes. There’s a leopard-like beast with seven heads. There’s a scarlet-colored beast with seven heads. In the Book of Revelation, there are seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, seven candlesticks, seven stars, seven angels, seven Spirits, seven thunders, and seven mountains. The Bible begins with seven days of creation and ends with a book of sevens! Reading the Book of Revelation will take you about an hour or so. Studying the Book of Revelation could well take the better part of a lifetime. Be prepared, don’t be the last one standing when the first trumpet sounds. Bottom Line Just as God finished the work of creation (Genesis 2:1-3) and Jesus finished the work of redemption (John 19:30), so the Trinity will finish the entire plan of salvation by inviting the redeemed into a new creation. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend?

Who said that? Is it true? Depends on who you ask doesn’t it? Or does it depend on the size of the diamonds? Do zirconium’s count? Can diamonds replace best friends (humans)? What kind of person puts people above gems, anyway? A famous saying usually brings to mind a famous person.

Who said: “Let ‘em eat cake!” Who said: “We have peace in our time!” Who said: “God is dead!” Who said: “I am not a crook!” Who said: “I did not have sex with that woman!” Considering all the circumstances, do you see a pattern? See any arrogance? See any pride? Marie Antoinette, Chamberlin, Nietzsche, Richard Nixon, and Billy Clinton all had something in common—an overdose of hubris. John Newton (author of Amazing Grace) once said: “I am not what I hope to be, I am not what I desire to be, but by the grace of God, I am not what I once was!” Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend; but best friends sometimes disappoint. Famous people full of pride will always say things that come back to bit them; hubris destroys to the utmost. Only God’s son, Jesus Christ, is everyone’s hope and best friend for eternal life—if, they are a believer. For those who do not believe, judgment won’t be so friendly. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!

Who said “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down on my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my father!” Jesus said that in John 10:13 Now, that’s a gem of a statement. Jesus’ death and resurrection, as part of God’s plan for the salvation of the world, was under God’s full control.

Tempus Fugit

When you look at history, in retrospect the Romans were correct: time flies! Sometimes it’s hard to wait for an appointed time. Kids anxiously count the days before their birthday, Christmas or summer vacation. Adults have the same problem; it’s difficult to wait for that raise, promotion, that cruise, or the mechanic to finish working on your car. One man in the Bible waited patiently and was richly rewarded with the gift of a lifetime.

Simeon was a righteous and devout man who lived in Jerusalem. It was revealed to him, that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, or as the Bible puts it, “The consolation of Israel”. (Luke 2:25) When Joseph and Mary brought the baby Jesus to the Temple, Simeon got to hold him and offered thanks to God for His promise. Then something unusual happened, Simeon told Mary, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel. And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.” Luke 2-34:35. Joseph and Mary were so excited and at the same time wondering what he meant.

Mary would come to know exactly what Simeon meant thirty plus years later. As time goes by, we all come to realize how things change, in us and around us. Mary lived to see something no mother should have to: a dying child. We know time flees, are we doing what the Bible suggests? In 1 Corinthians chapter 7 Paul urges all believers to make the most of their time before Christ’s return. Every person in every generation should have this urgency about telling the good news to others.

Bottom line  
1 Corinthians 7-29 & 31 “What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. For this world in its present form is passing away”

Seeing Clearly For the Second Time

The Passover in Jerusalem was over. People had come from many countries to participate in the annual event. But something about the Passover was different; this year those despicable Romans were at it again, they had crucified three men on the eve of Passover, the High Holy Day of the Jewish nation!

The priests were dressed and ready for the procession of sacrifices to be offered. The vendors in the Temple courtyard were doing a brisk business exchanging money and selling animals to be sacrificed to the guests coming from out of town. All the rooms at the inns were full and more people kept pouring into the city. This Passover had both an air of excitement, and a sense of foreboding.

The Passover came and went.

Three days after the Passover, two men were leaving the city of Jerusalem. They were traveling on the road to Emmaus, when they were joined by a third man. Together the three men discussed what had happened in Jerusalem. The third man explained that everything that happened had been foretold by the prophets. When they reached the town of Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, they sat down to eat. The third man revealed himself to the other two. It was Jesus! Then the two men recognized Jesus and they rushed back to Jerusalem. Finding the eleven Apostles, they told of meeting Jesus and how they saw clearly, prophecy fulfilled before their eyes!

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:30-32

Indeed their hearts were being fed.

Nest Building--For the Birds?

Do you know who teaches the bird to build a nest? I mean, after all, that baby bird wasn’t around when mom and dad built the nest to cradle those fragile eggs; where did the know-how come from? How did that baby bird know how things got done? You’ve read that fish travel in schools, but where do birds go to get instructions on nest-building? Where is this “higher” education we’ve all heard about? Do you know any college professor who specializes in teaching construction techniques on building nests in trees, barns, on gutters, beneath deck rafters, in bushes? Who teaches a bird about engineering dynamics and statics? Will a bird hatched in an incubator, who has never seen a nest, be able to build a perfectly good nest by its kind? Can mature adult birds be assured that their offspring will be able to follow in their footsteps? The answer is—yes! No wonder Job’s pride was humbled when God said to him, “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and make her nest on high”? Job 39:26-27 The tiny bird learns from a mighty God! How marvelous are thy works, O God!

Bottom Line

In Matthew chapter 10 Jesus said that God is aware of everything that happens even to the sparrows, and you are far more valuable to him than they are. You are so valuable that God gave his only Son to die for you. John 3:16

Leadership Courage and Hope

In his first statement as Prime Minister to the House of Commons (13 May 1940) Sir Winston S. Churchill said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.” In a speech on Dunkirk before the House of Commons (4 June 1940) he said; “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, and we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We will never surrender.” In a separate speech, he said: “If the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say: ‘This was their finest hour.’” He visited the barracks of his soldiers to give support and courage. Those brave and inspiring words were said only 70 years ago. Churchill lived in violent times. Great words from great men never go out of style. There was another who inspired Leadership, Courage and Hope: a man…from Nazareth.

Jesus was also a historical figure who lived in violent times. He made compassionate speeches and motivated people to do well. He sacrificed blood, toil, tears, and sweat for his people. He offered a bit more: grace, mercy, miracles, messages and gave his life to not just his people, but, to all people. He offered a way to The Father and heaven. He had no country boundaries. Jesus was at war, too, with the Jewish leaders, Pontius Pilot, Roman politicians, and Rome. In the soldiers barracks in Rome they called Jesus’ walk to Golgotha the “Dance of Death.” On his way to the cross, “for you”, he was scourged, spat upon, beaten, mocked and many other adjectives. The bystanders hurled insults, the crowds yelled "Crucify him", the Jewish leaders screamed "blasphemer", the soldiers shouted "Let your God save you now".  "For you" he endured this.  Most do not realize it, but Jesus was practically beaten to death before the cross. The Bible says, pieces of flesh were ripped away, obviously where bones and organs were exposed. This was much more than scourged. Then, after all that, they nailed him on a cross which cut off his breathing, speared him so the rest of life poured out, killed him, stripped him of his clothing, and then laughed at him. "For you" he endured this.  Oh yes, did I forget to mention that before he died that he ask The Father, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”?

By contrast, the criminal on the other side of Jesus looked at him and said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." By all appearances, the kingdom was finished. How awe-inspiring is the faith of this man who alone saw beyond the present shame to the coming glory! Jesus forgave his murderers. Could you?