"Disturbing Christmas"

I read it from C.J. Mahaney's blog. Something to think about.


The days before Christmas can be a tiring season of preparation, planning, shopping, and wrapping. But I think as we prepare for the Christmas celebrations, dinners, travel, and gift giving, it’s equally important that we pause and prepare our souls for Christmas.

During this time of year, it may be easy to forget that the bigger purpose behind Bethlehem was Calvary. But the purpose of the manger was realized in the horrors of the cross. The purpose of his birth was his death.

Or to put it more personally: Christmas is necessary because I am a sinner. The incarnation reminds us of our desperate condition before a holy God.

Several years ago WORLD Magazine published a column by William H. Smith with the provocative title, “Christmas is disturbing: Any real understanding of the Christmas messages will disturb anyone” (Dec. 26, 1992).

In part, Smith wrote:

"Many people who otherwise ignore God and the church have some religious feeling, or feel they ought to, at this time of the year. So they make their way to a church service or Christmas program. And when they go, they come away feeling vaguely warmed or at least better for having gone, but not disturbed.

Why aren’t people disturbed by Christmas? One reason is our tendency to sanitize the birth narratives. We romanticize the story of Mary and Joseph rather than deal with the painful dilemma they faced when the Lord chose Mary to be the virgin who would conceive her child by the power of the Holy Spirit. We beautify the birth scene, not coming to terms with the stench of the stable, the poverty of the parents, the hostility of Herod. Don’t miss my point. There is something truly comforting and warming about the Christmas story, but it comes from understanding the reality, not from denying it.

Most of us also have not come to terms with the baby in the manger. We sing, “Glory to the newborn King.” But do we truly recognize that the baby lying in the manger is appointed by God to be the King, to be either the Savior or Judge of all people? He is a most threatening person.

Malachi foresaw his coming and said, “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.” As long as we can keep him in the manger, and feel the sentimental feelings we have for babies, Jesus doesn’t disturb us. But once we understand that his coming means for every one of us either salvation or condemnation, he disturbs us deeply.

What should be just as disturbing is the awful work Christ had to do to accomplish the salvation of his people. Yet his very name, Jesus, testifies to us of that work.

That baby was born so that “he who had no sin” would become “sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The baby’s destiny from the moment of his conception was hell—hell in the place of sinners. When I look into the manger, I come away shaken as I realize again that he was born to pay the unbearable penalty for my sins.

That’s the message of Christmas: God reconciled the world to himself through Christ, man’s sin has alienated him from God, and man’s reconciliation with God is possible only through faith in Christ…Christmas is disturbing."

Don’t get me wrong—Christmas should be a wonderful celebration. Properly understood, the message of Christmas confronts before it comforts, it disturbs before it delights.

The purpose of Christ’s birth was to live a sinless life, suffer as our substitute on the cross, satisfy the wrath of God, defeat death, and secure our forgiveness and salvation.

Christmas is about God the Father (the offended party) taking the initiative to send his only begotten Son to offer his life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, so that we might be forgiven for our many sins.

As Smith so fitly concludes his column:

"Only those who have been profoundly disturbed to the point of deep repentance are able to receive the tidings of comfort, peace, and joy that Christmas proclaims."

Amen and Merry Christmas!


http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/cj-mahaney/post/2010/12/17/Disturbing-Christmas.aspx

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, whch surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 4:4-7


He is good. His love endures FOREVER.
There's always something to be joyful, thankful, and prayerful about...

Christ Our King Was Born!

For some reason (I'm guessing it's for some GOOD reason), I'm in the Christmas spirit this year. And never was I amazed by the birth of Christ. The King of Glory, the Everylasting Lord, the Creator of all, left all His glory above, being the Only One who chose to be born...

Recently I learned about the amazing conception of Jesus. Imagine the very moment the womb of Mary conceiving the Seed of God by the Holy Spirit. Never had a virgin given birth. Never had a woman given birth to the Son of God. The eternal God becoming Immanuel, God with us, forever to dwell with us through Christ. The angels praised the Lord for such a miracle. He chose to come as a helpless babe, living a life of faith.

And learned about the faith of Mary.. When the angel told her that she will conceive and bear the Son of the Most High, in her "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word (Luke 1:38)." No wonder Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Luke 1:42)!"

Love love loooove the truth the hymns proclaim!

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th'angelic host problaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the Everlasting Lord!
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Heal th' Incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."


Hail the heav'nborn Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."

Joy to the World

Today I was reading at Starbucks when I saw this guy come in. I overheard his conversation with other people since he sat right behind me. It was so pleasant; he was so willing to help others and so thankful for the smallest things--he thanked the guy across the table for letting him sit there. I just thought to myself that he was such a nice guy. Then when I was leaving, he was leaving as well and handed me these little pieces of papers telling me that he saw me reading the Bible and that I might enjoy these. They were Christian cartoons. HAHA. Honestly they weren't the funniest cartoons (these were the same ones I used to use for children's minitry), but it was really good to know that someone who is able to put smiles on those around him is a believer. If every believer lived bringing these small glimpses of true joy to the world, how different this world would be!

God called His children to be light in the world, to shine the Light of Jesus Christ. Christians should be the ones bringing the glimpse of true joy, true peace, true hope, and true love. But really, do Christians shed the Light to this world this day? Rather, they seek joy, peace, hope, and love in this world.

I've been reading this book called Spiritual Depression hoping to find some wise guidance about this particular condition. To my surprise, this book deals with not just those who suffer so-called depression, but it deals with "miserable christians," calling what an oxymoron that term is, yet sadly true of many. On the back of the book quotes Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, the author of the book, which says, "Christian people too often seem to be perpetually in the doldrums and too often give the appearance of unhappiness and lack of freedom and absence of joy. There is no question at all but that this is the main reason why large numbers of people have ceased to be interested in Christianity."

May His children show the world the only true joy that God Himself came down to give to His beloved!