WHY IS IT?

A couple of Sundays ago, as I was getting dressed, I pulled out one of my ties to put on. Wanda made comment that is was a Christmas tie. It had candy canes and snowmen on it. I asked her, “Why is it a Christmas tie? What do snowmen and candy canes have to do with Christmas?” She had no answer. So I decided to do a little research. According to thehistoryofchristmas.com:
During the 17th century, craftsmen created white sticks of candy in the shape of shephreds' [sic] crooks at the suggestion of the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The candy treats were given to children to keep them quiet during ceremonies at the living creche, or Nativity scene, and the custom of passing out the candy crooks at such ceremonies soon spread throughout Europe. Some have suggested that the cane is in the shape of the letter “J” representing Jesus, with the white representing purity and the red, His blood. I am not sure how accurate all of this is, but at least it gave me some answers.

That took care of the candy cane, now on to the snowman. How did the snowman come to be associated with the Christmas holiday? A google search and I still don’t know. Some connect it with Charles Dickens’ book, “A Christmas Carol” in which there is a lot of snow. Others say it is simply because snowmen are made out of snow which is a wintertime event, and Christmas is celebrated in winter. However, this does bring to my mind another question.

Why is it that some people want to center everything about Christmas on Jesus and others want to take Him completely out of it? Such is the nature of man, a creature of extremes. It seems strange to me that people who give Christ little or any thought the rest of the year want to make Him the total focus of their lives for a few weeks. Putting out a nativity scene and going to church once or twice during the holiday season is no substitute for a life focused on Christ 365 days a year. Don’t get me wrong; I am glad people are at least thinking about Christ this time of the year. I just wish it was a part of their thinking and lifestyle year round. That may be a part of the problem; it requires too much commitment.

Those on the other extreme want to take everything having to do with Christ out of Christmas. The idea, in and of itself, does not bother me that much. Christmas, after all, is man made and whether you want to celebrate or not is totally up to you. However, the overall mindset bothers me a great deal. It is not just Christmas these people are after; it is anything to do with Christ and Christianity. Any public mention of Christianity conveys a state sponsored religion and everyone knows that violates separation of church and state. Many people are surprised to find that the phrase “separation of church and state” does not appear anywhere in the Constitution. It is also interesting to read what many of our founding fathers has to say about the importance of Christianity (Christianity specifically, not just religion in general). Dave Miller of Apologetics Press has some excellent material on this.
--Lamar

DO NOT BE AFRAID PART 3

For the last couple of weeks, we have been discussing some things of which we should not be afraid. Today, we will conclude these thoughts with two things which we should fear: sin and God.

Sin is to be feared by every man, woman, and child. Sin the transgression of God’s law and includes every kind of moral and religious disobedience. As we watch television and movies and listen to music, sin is often glamorized and portrayed as a way to make life pleasant. Really? How pleasant do you think Tiger Woods’ life is right now? His sinful lifestyle has made his life anything but pleasant, and that says nothing about what it is doing to his wife and children. He probably thought no one would ever know, but “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

That is just the physical, social side of the effects of sin. What about the spiritual? “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Sin causes us to be separated from God and incurs His wrath. “For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:30-31). Yes, sin destroys careers, families, and lives. However, it also destroys souls. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Jesus said, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.5 “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5). What men might do to us is limited to our existence in this body. God’s power goes beyond the grave into eternity.

We do not fear God in the sense of being afraid of unfair treatment or injustice. We fear God in that we live in awe of His greatness, we respect Him, we believe Him, and we obey Him. The decisions we make in life should be governed by a fear of the Lord. While we do not fear God in the sense of injustice, we should fear His wrath against sin and what will happen to us if that sin remains unforgiven. We need to understand that God’s response to us is determined by the choices we make. “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22).

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
--Lamar

DO NOT BE AFRAID PART 2

Last week, we discussed some things of which we should not be afraid. We should not be afraid to use what we have been given to work for God, nor should we be afraid to get involved in doing good.

We should not be afraid to take a stand for what is right, even if it means going against the crowd. In John 9, Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth. When the Jewish leaders questioned the parents of the healed man about this miracle, they refused to commit themselves because they did not want to go against the crowd. “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue” (John 9:22). Certainly the right way is not always the easy one. Being a faithful Christian calls for courage. The Bible says, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). It is tempting to yield to the crowd and go along with what everyone else is doing.

Jesus taught that the majority will choose the wrong course. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Christians should not seek to be like everyone and everything around them. Romans 12:2 encourages us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

If we stand for what is right no matter what, it may cause us to lose friends, be ridiculed, and even suffer persecution. Paul writes, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). No, it is not always easy to do the right thing, especially when it means acting contrary to what others are doing and what they want us to do. However, if our faith in God rests firmly in our minds, worldly opposition loses its significance.

We should never be afraid to confess our faith in Christ. We are familiar of the story of Peter’s denial of Christ. Only a short time earlier, Peter had stated that he would die for Jesus. Yet, when confronted by enemies of Christ and pressured, he gave into his fear. He denied Jesus three times, the final time with cursing and swearing (Matthew 26:69-75). Jesus said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). May we always have the boldness and courage to declare our faith and love for Him everywhere and to everyone.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
--Lamar

DO NOT BE AFRAID PART 1

Acts 18:9-10 - Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; “for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”

Hebrews 13:6 - So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Psalm 27:1 - The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Each of these verses, as well as several others, teach that as Christians we should not be afraid. We can know that God is with us and will watch over us. Even in the face of opposition, do not be afraid. Do not be a coward. Have the courage to do what is right and live for God.

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the man who received one talent hid his talent rather than using it as his master had intended. When his master questioned him he said, “And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground” (Matthew 25:25). The master called him a wicked, lazy, and unprofitable servant. This was a man who was afraid to use what was given to him.

We should not be afraid to use what has been given to us in God’s service. The talents and opportunities we are given should be used to serve God zealously. Some fear what other might think. If they really devote themselves to God, others might think they are fanatical. Instead of using everything they have for God, they hold back because they fear the pressure of society.

Others hesitate to do good because they fear getting involved. Man’s history is full of tragic events that could have been avoided if someone had been willing to do good. A girl is killed when people hearing her cries refused to help. A man suffers a fatal heart attach on a busy sidewalk with hundreds of people passing by but refusing to help. “It’s not my problem. I don’t want to get involved.” The Lord tells us to get involved.

Matthew 25:41-46 - 41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:42 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;43 ‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’45 “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’46 “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

There is nothing to indicate these people had committed any terrible evil. They had simply failed to do good. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to consider things of which we, as Christians, should not be afraid.
--Lamar

MORTGAGING OUR SOULS

“So Ahab said to Elijah, ‘Have you found me, O my enemy?’ And he answered, ‘I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord:’” (1 Kings 21:20). Elijah tells King Ahab that he had sold himself. How did he do this? What was the payment? Are we doing the same thing today?

Ahab took out the first mortgage on his soul when he married. “But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up” (1 Kings 21:25). While Ahab was responsible for his choices and actions, there is no doubt that his wife was an evil influence in his life. One of the greatest decisions we make is the choice of a marriage partner. Far too many Christians have sold, and are selling, their souls for the wrong person. Some people estimate that almost 80% of all Christians who marry non-Christians become minimally active in the church, with about 50% becoming totally unfaithful. I know there are exceptions, but they are just that, exceptions! It is no wonder that Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” While this does not condemn mixed marriages, and does not apply only to marriage, it is certainly a warning that needs to be heeded.

Ahab’s second mortgage was the compromise of his religion. “And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him” (1 Kings 16:31). Ahab did not want to completely reject God, so he tried to compromise. Many in the Lord’s church today are afraid of offending others so they try to compromise the truth. There is only one church (Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:18). There is only one way to heaven (John 14:6; Matthew 7:13-14). There is an acceptable standard for our worship (John 4:24). Baptism is essential for salvation (Mark 16:16; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21). These are only a few things that members of the Lord’s church are trying to compromise with the denominational world. Compromise did not work for Ahab; it will not work for us.

The third mortgage for Ahab’s soul was a piece of land.

1 Kings 21:2-4 - So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”4 So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.

The story goes on that Jezebel conspired to kill Naboth and Ahab then took possession of the land. Others have done the same: Judas (Matthew 27:3), the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22), the rich fool (Luke 12:16-20), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10). Many today are following their footsteps. There are those who know what they need to do to become a Christian, but will not do so because it will cost them money. Others are so busy trying to maintain a high standard of living that they have no time for the Lord and His work.
--Lamar

EDUCATED BUT IGNORANT

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).

The children of Israel did not lack in some types of knowledge. It was a particular knowledge that they lacked, a knowledge of God. They had knowledge of material things, secular knowledge, but they were ignorant of God. Thus they might be considered educated but ignorant. Their education that left them ignorant led to their ruin. Morality bears the same relationship to a nation’s life which the heart bears to the body. When the heart stops, we die. It does not matter how well we may look nor how prosperous our surroundings. Morality is the heartbeat of a nation’s life.

The symptoms of “educated ignorance” are found in the realm of morals. Israel was filled with lying, stealing, and killing. What better description could we find of this country? The annual crime bill of the United States is about seven billion dollars. The people of this country are better educated than any generation that has ever lived. There are more students in college today than ever before. It is difficult to get a job today without a college education and just about impossible to get one without a high school diploma. There has never been a generation of “educated ignorance” equal to this one. Education without God is indeed “educated ignorance.” What would we think of our schools if they planned their courses and ignored English, math, and other fundamental courses? What if they denied the principles of math and taught the student they had no need of math? What kind of education would that be? When a student graduated, would he not indeed be one with a diploma in ignorance? But the knowledge of God is far more fundamental in true education than math or any other subject. Yet the majority of our schools not only leave the knowledge of God out, they deny God. It is no wonder that in spite of all of our education, we are ignorant.

Knowledge to us is intellectual, the knowledge of things. Paul says that knowledge “puffs up,” (1 Corinthians 8: 1). We could well say that it “blows us up.” Knowledge produced the atomic bomb and all that we lack in being blown up by it, is for someone to pull the trigger to set it off. Unless we can put God back in our education, this may well happen. Education without God deals with facts, but ignores their meaning. Facts are one thing and facts properly understood are quite another thing. Without a knowledge of God, facts cannot have the right meaning. Education without God fails to provide facts about the one thing man needs most, information about himself. The education that increases man’s knowledge without instruction as to how to best use that knowledge, is an education in ignorance.

Destruction overtakes a nation, not because it lacks intelligence, but because it lacks integrity. Integrity, honesty, and uprightness in character can only come with the knowledge of God.
--Adapted from article by
Franklin Camp

TO SAVE OTHERS

Some have heard about Heather Christensen, the woodwind instructor for the American Fork, Utah high school band. They were returning from a band competition in Idaho where they had won first place, but celebration quickly turned to tragedy. Reports stated that the bus driver slumped over the wheel. Ms. Christensen quickly reacted and took the wheel, trying to avoid a crash. The bus ran off the road and turned on its side. Christensen fell out of a window as the bus rolled. While several were injured, she was the only fatality. The band’s director said, “She loved her students, they were her life. I know she died trying to save them.” She will be remembered as someone who died to save others.

What about Christ? He gave His life trying to save others. How much is He remembered? How well is He honored? There are some similarities between Ms. Christensen and Christ, but there are also some important differences.

First of all, look at what Christ gave up. Our greatest desire is to go to heaven. Christ was there and left it to come here! “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7). I do not want to minimize this woman’s sacrifice, but she gave up no where near as much as Christ.

Second, think about who each one was trying to save. I do not know the relationship between her and the students. It was obvious she cared for them very much. Were there any strained relationships between her and any of the students? I do not know. However, none of them had hurt her the way we have hurt God with our sins. Nothing these students had done caused her to lose her life. Our sins put Jesus on the cross. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Third, from what were they saving people? Heather acted to save a few from physical death. Christ died to deliver all mankind from spiritual death. “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Finally, the cross was no accident. When Ms. Christensen left to go on this trip, she had no idea she would be giving up her life before the day was over. I believe her efforts were simply a reaction to an unplanned, unforeseen emergency. She probably did not really even thing about it, she just reacted. Would she have acted differently if there had been time to think it through and plan her next step? We will never know. However, we do know about Christ. He knew His life would lead to the cross. He prophesied about His own death several times. After all, that was the plan all along. “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;” (Acts 2:23).

Heather Christensen will long be remembered and honored for her great sacrifice. Can we do any less for our Lord and Savior?
--Lamar