Christmas

What is Christmas to you? Does it have the deeper meaning that goes beyond the white fur lined red suit worn by a cheery, red faced,white bearded portly man? I hope so. This post was started on Christmas day, and already I have seen Christmas in action.

While out at the local cemetery to think and reflect, I couldn’t help but notice the number of people coming out of cars into the cold foggy morning air to do the same. It’s a time to look back on our loved ones who are not here now to enjoy this happy time. For some, this is a very sad time, and a ‘Happy Christmas’ is nowhere to be heard. But among the still grieving, there were the children running around in the happy spirit of the day, grasping one of their gifts that appeared under the tree earlier this morning. Children have a very simple view of Christmas, and at times I envy them.

As I drove home, there was the well dressed teenager, very carefully carrying a few gifts in his arms, looking worried that he might drop one. Let me speculate. He was too young to be married, and too old to be the simple child we spoke about earlier. My thinking is that he was on his way to the love of his young life, bearing presents that he hopes she will like. To top his appearance off (literally) he was sporting a white fur trimmed red hat with a white bauble on top. He didn’t care who saw him, because his mind (and possibly heart) was already taken elsewhere with thoughts of love. A carer was making her way from a house where she would have tended to the needs of someone who would not get through the day without her. There was a group of working men in and around a big hole in the ground, I suspect trying to fix a problem which affected the community. And then small groups of families walking to meet, greet, and give gifts to their own, perhaps to enjoy Christmas dinner.

A happy tradition carried on in my daughters, is the Christmas family dinner where mums, dads, children, grandparents and friends are all invited to sit round the big table to enjoy the food lovingly prepared for this particular occasion. When the normal seating is all used, out come the stools and the odd chairs, so that everyone is included and welcome. This doesn’t happen at any other time of year, so everybody joins in the fun, wearing those funny hats from the Christmas cracker and telling the jokes printed on the slip of paper for your enjoyment. If you are fortunate, you might even get a little plastic toy or puzzle to show around.

Eventually, there comes the time to push back from the table having eaten more than you should have, and after loosening your now too tight belt a few notches for comfort, the clearing up begins. The presents stacked under the tree and wrapped so carefully, are ripped open to reveal the needed, wanted, and funny gifts we love. There is coloured wrapping paper strewn everywhere that also needs to be gathered up by the host and/or hostess. After weeks of preparation and planning this lovely slap up meal, it is over so quickly for another year. Chances are we'll do it all again, because it brings us closer together!

It’s a good idea to use the ‘why’ question often asked by young children who want to understand something. They keep on asking ‘why’ until they are satisfied, and only then do they stop asking. Why the gifts? Why sing those same Carols every year? Why the decorated tree? Why the celebration? Why santa, and where does he fit in? Why was all this started in the first place? Asking the searching ‘why’ questions always brings you back to the baby Jesus born into the poverty of an occupied land. To many, His chances of survival would seem slim, but survive He did, and more than that! This helpless baby born to poor parents would grow up into a miracle working, death defying, life changing Saviour. In the space of some 33 years this Jesus would do no wrong, but ironically be murdered in cold blood for His selfless, pure life. But the story doesn’t end there. The God-man defeated death, rose from the grave, and only after being seen by multitudes of people, went back to God His Father where He is now interceding on our behalf. This life is well documented in the Gospels and secular writings so there is no doubt in the sure foundation of our salvation.

Let’s live as though every day is Christmas Day!

Effort or Works?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8,9NIV

We are so used to quoting these verses while thinking about those good works of charity outside the doors of our church. Things like, running a food bank, visiting the sick, working with the homeless, and there are other good works which a Christian will be involved with. Our good works in the community come from a heart of faith and we know they do not give us salvation. But what about ‘good works’ inside the doors of the church itself?

I would suggest that there could be an expectation or requirement of some good works inside the church too. There are some well known denominations and sects which openly operate on the principle of good works being necessary for salvation, but in a Bible believing evangelical church? Surely not?

Recently I became aware of the expected effort being placed on a congregation to behave in a certain prescribed way during the worship time. More effort should be placed on things like hand clapping, raising hands, swaying, bouncing on the spot, and generally singing with more expression, whether you were comfortable with it or not. All this while the leader is encouraging the folks with words like, “C’mon church” during the song. Granted, this mainly comes from some online mega-churches, but are we slowly in danger of becoming more like this model ourselves? Is the worship time starting to take over from the preaching of the Word? Is this not like the tail wagging the dog??

A Guid Scots Tongue

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew7:7,8NLT

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Luke6:38NLT

When I was young, and wasn’t sure about something, my wise mum would tell me, “You’ve got a guid Scots tongue in that heid o’ yours, so use it!” These wise words have held true over many years, but also through many of life’s problems, issues, and dilemmas both inside and outside the church.

When out walking the rolling hills of Scotland, and if I needed confirmation of where I was, and where I was going, I would ask. When I bought a new piece of equipment for the house, and didn’t know how to use it, I would ask. When I want to see a movie on DVD or read a good book, I would ask. More than once, I have been looking for an address in a city and there was always a point when I had to stop someone in the street and ask.

Given that we are so ready to ask for help and advice in the secular world, why is it a last resort for us as Christians to ask the One who has the answers to all of our eternal life’s problems? The tool of prayer is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of every Christian, whether a new or older believer. We are in the privileged position of serving an omnipotent (all powerful) God. So, in the words of my mum, “You’ve got a guid Scots tongue in that heid o’ yours, so use it!” This much is certain, our great, loving God will be delighted to hear from us.

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James5:16NLT

But What?

But I came to give life—life that is full and good. John 10:10 ERV
But you refuse to come to me to have that life. John 5:40 ERV

You can’t help but ask the obvious question. Why? The leaders of the church in Jesus’ time knew everything, or at least they thought they did. They knew their scriptures inside out and back to front, and this Jesus was obviously an imposter. They could see it, and they questioned anyone else that thought differently. They never stopped being taught, even when they became Scribes and Pharisees. The trouble is they never really learned. We can see that being the case in secular life, so why not in the synagogue?

The parallel is uncannily similar today, and the question is the same. Given the promise of real, full, abundant life for free, why would anyone turn their back on it? The Pharisees couldn’t see it and today there are those who know better, both in the general church and outside it. It’s not that the gift of life isn’t offered in our day and age because it is, and the cost is the same, it is a free gift. Full life for the living is free.

We have advanced in so many ways since Jesus’ day. Science and technology have taken over, and we can talk our way out of anything. That last part hasn’t changed from the Pharisees’ day. The biggest difference today is that we may have convinced ourselves that Jesus was an imposter, or a lunatic, or a liar. Maybe a bit of all three. This is made easier since society has downgraded church and Jesus to a mere side show. When you dismiss the gospel of Jesus Christ, His life, death and resurrection, you can ignore anything He might have said. In fact, you can ignore all of the Bible as a fairy tale.

If you were offered a gift of something you wanted and needed greatly, wouldn’t you at least give the giver a chance by taking the gift and seeing if it is true? Are you so arrogant and sure of yourself that you would turn away from it without a second thought? We haven’t come very far as a human race since Jesus’ time, and I suggest we are no different today.

Investment

Imagine for a moment you are in the fortunate position of receiving a large windfall of unearned, unexpected cash in the order of a few million pounds or dollars. Who cares at the accuracy of that figure? I know it may not be likely, so I did say ‘imagine’!! Let your mind free wheel for a minute. What’s the first thing you would want to do? I don’t know about you, but I would want to be sure I didn’t waste it, or worse still, lose it.

You suddenly become very attached to your windfall, and instead of it being some theoretical exercise, it becomes so real that you want to protect your investment. But wait a minute, this only becomes an investment when you decide to make it one. You have never had anything like this in your life, and you know it will only happen this one time. So you are very protective, and rightly so. You and I would be very strange people if we didn’t care. We become excited and want to do some good with all this money. You can help disadvantaged children. You could help advance medical science and research. You could make sure your family never want for anything in their lives.

The truth is you and I have already been offered a gift of unimaginable wealth. We didn’t earn it or work for it, and we accepted it. Being a gift, it was free. All we have to do is reach out and take it. But there are many people who do not trust a free gift like this one because there might be a hidden catch. So the gift is not able to help you, or anyone else. Our great gift makes the biggest change in our life we could imagine. Except this time we don’t have to imagine. This gift of life from God is something we can own when we accept it. Salvation is not a pipe dream. Once we have accepted this free gift, we can help pass on our excitement and thankfulness to others. You wouldn’t stay quiet with a few million pounds in the investment fund, so why do we stay quiet when we have the guarantee of this amazing gift from the greatest and trusted source in reality?

Friends

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34,34

I keep coming back to this verse, and each time for a different reason. The Bible is like that. Full of wisdom upon wisdom, some we catch right away, some lie waiting to be discovered like this time. What did Jesus mean by ‘love one another’? And who was He talking about?

Some of us don’t make friends easily. I don’t mean the surface ‘hello how are you, I’m fine’ kind of friends. I mean the kind that you let in to your personal space. You don’t mind spilling your feelings to, in the full knowledge that they will not laugh or think you are crazy. Always, always, true friendship is two way. For some it started in school and has lasted a lifetime, but for others that true friend may have come in later life.

Jesus wanted His disciples to be true friends to each other, and that would show itself as a selfless love to others. The best friends we can have are those who are of like mind in the faith and lifestyle handed to us by Jesus. Who is your best friend? If you are blessed to have that special person who you don’t mind sharing your personal highs and lows with, you are blessed indeed. Treasure that gift, and don’t take your friend or your friendship for granted. They are most likely God given.

Festive Cheer?

It’s that time of year again, so take a deep breath and get right in among it! There’s the gift of giving, scented candles, decorated trees inside and outside the house, the laughter of children, the mystery associated with Santa, a table set for a lavish family dinner and prepared so well by a wife or mum, carol singers, Christmas jumpers, the church services, and the list could go on. These are just some of the things that bring happiness for so many, both young and old.

Looking at the day from another angle, these are exactly the same things that bring sadness to the hearts of many in our nation. For some, the season has lost some of its magic and sentiment. It was lost with the loss of a loved one. Perhaps a parent, spouse, sibling, or a favourite aunt or uncle. Those things that once brought a smile, now bring a tear.

However, for the believer, this has little to do with the list of activities mentioned before. Behind all of the glitter lies the baby Jesus who really is the reason for the season, no matter what the commercial world tells us. Because of that, and only that, the believer can lift their face to the heavens and say, “thank you Jesus” for being the baby in the manger who became our Saviour on the cross. From the Christmas story to the resurrection. Whether we show a smile, or shed a tear during this Holy season, we each recognise the value of the baby on that very special day.

But...

Like everyone else in the world, we deserved to suffer God’s anger just because of the way we were. But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) Ephesians 2:3-5 (ERV)

As a parent, hearing the words “but Dad” sent a shiver down my spine because I never knew what was coming next. It would usually have something to do with not liking what they were asked or expected to do. Human nature comes to the fore, and we show our displeasure with that single word “but”. The word is basically a very negative expression isn’t it?

I love the “but God” verses in the Bible, and this is just one of many. It simply means “in spite of”. In our case we are “like everyone else in the world, and deserve God’s anger”. But in spite of that, and because we “have been saved by God’s grace” He gave us new life! What a great God!

The question that often comes to me is this: Since this salvation is so freely available to all, why do more people not take God at His word and accept His gift? We must be a very headstrong and stubborn people to refuse God’s free grace. I can’t think of any other reason, can you?

The Gift of Grace

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8,9 ESV.

It’s your child’s birthday, and you buy a gift, wrap it lovingly, and hide it so that it can’t be found before the big day. After the family dinner, the cake is presented, the candles blown out, and now there is the giving of the gift. “Have you been good this year?” you ask. “Did you do everything you were told by mum and dad?” followed quickly by “Have you had good school grades?” If you have done all these things, we can give you a gift now. What a strange set of circumstances to unfold at a birthday party. What parent would do such a thing to their child?

I love the idea of God’s Grace. It’s free for the asking from a full heart. It has nothing to do with how much I deserve it, or have worked for it. I can’t brag about it, and I am saved through it. Going back to the child at the birthday party, the gift does not become anything to the child until it is given, and accepted. So it is with God’s Grace. It doesn’t become ours until we accept the gift that is offered freely. All we have to do is take it. None of us wants the justice we deserve, but we all do need mercy, and Grace is that perfect gift. It’s yours and mine for the taking, so why not accept it?

The Greatest Gift

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17 NKJV

It becomes clearer as time passes, and you get older. Probably the result of hard lessons learned in our earlier, younger, and busier life. When you are older, and have the luxury of being able to look back, things can become very clear. One of the definitions of ‘redeem’ is to ‘compensate for faults’, and we know a lot about that. How many times have we messed up, and we need to put it right, but we can’t because it is impossible to wind the clock back and relive the moment? That can bring us to our knees, if not literally, at least in our heart. Some of the saddest two words we will ever hear or utter are, ‘if only’, and none of us are exempt from situations that took us there.

However, there is another definition of the word redeem. It looks similar, but check closely. It also means, ‘to DO something that compensates for poor past performance or behaviour’. So in some cases we really do have the chance to give one of the greatest gifts we can. We can compensate. Not make the past poor actions go away, but at least make them a little less hurtful and harmful. Now that prospect should bring us to our knees literally, because this time is precious, and should not be squandered yet again. It should be grasped with both hands, because as the old song says, ‘you only hurt the ones you love’.

So, to your spouse or children or friends you have hurt by bad decisions, take a moment to redeem the lost time if you ever get the chance. No guarantees that it will make everything right, but if you do not, those bad decisions will always remain bad memories, and with no human redemption, but let’s not leave it on that note.

Isn’t it great that God treats us differently, because He always treats us in Grace. So although we deserve nothing from God, we get the greatest gift any father can give His child, and it doesn’t get any better than this verse in Romans 6:23: ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’. Yes, this really is the greatest gift!