"Behold, the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash; Those also who are tall in stature will be cut down And those who are lofty will be abased.
"He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron 𝘢𝘹𝘦, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.
"Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
"The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
"And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
"But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
"Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist."
In the hustle and bustle which usually accompanies Christmastime, let us, who love and fear the LORD God Almighty, avail ourselves to every resource He has so kindly and mercifully provided for us to celebrate the First Coming of Christ—in spirit and in truth. As we prepare our minds, hearts, souls, and strengths to try to understand the unfathomable love of God in Christ Jesus, to us, who were once His enemies—well-deserving and destined for wrath; let us strive to adore Him.
MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied to your spirits. And may all of you have the greatest joy known to mankind—knowing Christ and being known by Him through saving faith.
"She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for HE WILL SAVE His people from their sins...For the wages of sin is death, but the FREE GIFT OF GOD is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord...THANKS BE TO GOD for His inexpressible gift!" ~Matthew 1:21, Romans 6:2, 2 Corinthians 9:15 (ESV)
The prevalent thoughts and images about the "spirit" of Christmas usually involves: Santa Claus, worldly peace, sweets, merriment, feasting, lavish gift giving and receiving, the hustle and bustle of shopping and enjoying elaborate entertainment events to celebrate the birth of Jesus—the First Coming of Christ, the only begotten Son of God. But none of these things are found in any of the Old Testament prophecies or in the New Testament accounts of the great and glorious day that our Creator entered into His own creation as a humble babe.
Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying we ought not enjoy celebrating Christmas. My family does. What I am saying is, the focus and purpose of our joyful celebrations should be the same as God's focus and purpose: to bring the Good News of eternal salvation by giving us Christ as a propitiation for our sins.
The true spirit of Christmas and the reason for the season according to God is: eternal salvation.
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel...Abraham said, 'God will provide for Himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son.'
"I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a Light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness...He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then His own Arm brought Him salvation, and His righteousness upheld Him...And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,' declares the LORD.
"She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord...And it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ...for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel."
~Gen 3:15, 22:8; Is 42:6-7, 59:16, 20;
Mt 1:21; Lk 2:11, 26, 30-32 (ESV)
The spirit of Christmas isn't about just being happy and more thoughtful to others than we would be any other time of the year. It isn't about making sure everyone says "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays". The essence of Christmas is the Son of God, coming in human form, to save sinners from what our sins have earned us: the wrath of God, which is eternal damnation in Hell.
This is why Christ came the first time. This is the Good News. This is the peace of God. This was God providing His own Lamb for the final and only acceptable sacrifice—for the remission of sins.
We nonchalantly say "The reason for the season is Christ". But we don't finish the sentence. The reason for the season is Christ came to save sinners...like you and me.
So let us, the beloved children of the Most High God, stop trying to make the world do what they can never do on their own; give honor, praise and glory to our Lord Jesus (Heb 11:6). And let us stop entertaining the worldly and ephemeral, warm and fuzzy feelings of Christmas through decorating our homes and mere acts of charity. Rather let us do what Christ came to do—let us engage in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, adorning our hearts with His Word, while doing good to others. Because this is the true spirit of Christmas and the reason for this season.
It seems everywhere we look and every place we go, there's Christmas music playing, people shopping, commercials filled with laughter and gaiety; sparkling decorations and hearts filled with merriment and hope. But it's not that way for everyone.
There are a silent few...or a silent many, who are not merry at Christmastime.
Some people have lost loved ones this year through death, or by sin, that always separates. Some, like orphans, have no one to lose, but have constant dreams of finding parents who offer the sacrificial and eternal love of Christ rather than the self-centered, ephemeral love this world settles for. Then there are those who are alone in adulthood: widows, divorcees, and those struck with depression. The list goes on...and so do their sorrows.
To aggravate the reality of their lack of merriment, they are often pressured to join in on all the Christmas festivities whether they feel like it or not. And as Christians, if we don't, then we're often bombarded by insensitive questions and presumptuous statements about our faith, "Are you trusting Jesus?", "Isn't your joy in Christ?", "Aren't you grateful that Christ came? You should concentrate on that rather than your sorrows." I'm not denying we all need our faith tested in order to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I'm not ignoring the fact that some are falsely sorrowful (to get attention) and some sorrows are self-inflicted (by sin). What I am saying is that some people are genuinely (by no fault of their own) not merry at Christmastime. And those of us who are merry, need to be more sensitive to their pain.
"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."
~Romans 12:15 (ESV)
We're commanded to rejoice when good things happen to others. But often, we're envious and bitter. We're commanded to weep with those who are genuinely sorrowful, yet we often judge harshly and try to force cheerfulness. This seems like a simple commandment, but without the leading of the Holy Spirit, without the power of Christ, this simple commandment becomes an impossible task (Heb 11:6). Without having our minds renewed by the Word of God and our hearts transformed by His Spirit's work of sanctification, we don't have the wisdom necessary to discern truth from error (Prov 2:6). We can't rightly decipher whether someone needs a gentle reproof because their sorrows are self-inflicted by sin (which includes the desire to wallowing in self-pity), or if a person is genuinely and rightly (by God's estimation) sorrowful due to the various heartaches we all suffer in this life.
This is why as God's dearly beloved children, we all need to daily feed our souls with the Word of God. We need to study it diligently so that we might truly know what His will is, and gain wisdom from the power of His Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:12-13).
"Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way."
~Psalm 119:104 (ESV)
Whether someone is sorrowful for the purposes of vanity or truth, I do not know, but God does. And before I communicate with anyone who is sorrowful, I must first pray and seek God's wisdom (James 3:17) in His Word, by the power of His Holy Spirit. For who alone but God knows what the hearer needs (Eph 4:29)? How will I know if the person needs a gentle reproof, a strong rebuke, or a shoulder to cry on with a loving heart that listens with tenderness and compassion?
God says He shows mercy on whom He chooses and compassion on whom He chooses. As His precious children, re-born in the likeness of Christ, ought we not do the same? If I, in my pride, proceed to communicate with a sorrowful person with "mercy" when they need rebuke, am I not getting in the way of the Lord's discipline (which is good) in someone's life (Heb 12:11)? Or what if in my arrogance, I rebuke someone who's genuinely sorrowful and needs an attentive and compassionate ear? If I communicate by what I think I know of the situation, instead of proceeding in prayer and careful searching of God's Word, then I will hurt rather than help the person who is sorrowful.
"And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty."
~Luke 1:50-53
So as you celebrate Christmas and enjoy a cup of steamy hot chocolate, a glowing warm fire, an enchanting skate on glistening ice, and making Christmas crafts while surrounded by loved ones, please look up from your merriment and look around...because there is surely someone in your midst that is not merry this Christmas. It may be evident, and it may not. But if you're seeking to bring the true meaning of Christmas to those around you, that is, Christ our God came to die—to save sinners like you and me, then God will open your eyes to those who are hurting. The Lord will use you as His healing balm to soothe their wounds, or as a light of truth to shine in the darkness of their sins so that they may be healed.
We sing, “Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus; there is room in my heart for thee.” But often that is no more than empty sentiment. If it were more, we would have room in our hearts not only for Jesus but for others also.
Jesus emptied Himself for us. He laid aside His great glory in order to help us. Do we lay aside our prerogatives to help those who need help?
For some it will be the first Christmas since the death of a beloved husband or wife, son or daughter. They will be reminded of their loss with every carol, every smile, every “Merry Christmas!” Others have poor health, and they will be left out. Still others are separated from their families—foreign students in our country, those who have to work through the holidays, spouses who are divorced from their children (as well as the former husband or wife) through the failure of their marriage. All these are left out.
Can you not include one or two in your Christmas—some student, some nurse, some single person, some poor derelict, someone who can never return the favor of a family Christmas to you?
Do you say, “Oh, but Christmas is a family time, and I don’t want to spoil it by including someone else.”
If those are your thoughts, remember that you were on the outside once. You were separated from Christmas in two ways. First, you were likely a Gentile, and Christ was Israel’s Messiah. Second, you were a sinner, and you were barred from God’s blessings by sin. Jesus came to include you. He came to die for you so that you, who were unclean and unholy, might be cleansed of sin and made holy. If you know Him and love Him, you will reach out to others.
I've been a bit behind on my writing due to multiple doctor's appointments, tests, etc. regarding my most recent health trial with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs); which I will share in more detail with my next article. So stay tuned.
I'm thankful to the Lord for all He's endured me through and also for this little bit of a breather so I can catch you up on the most recent happenings.
What a joy it is to be connected with another faithful saint in Christ who loves God's Word, God's truth and God's people. I am grateful to the Lord for Brannon's much needed ministry to the Body of Christ in a time where apostasy is prevalent, and false teachings within the church are more dangerous to Christians than all the world's "persecutions" against us.
Sadly, one of those people who are no longer teaching what is in accord with sound doctrine, from within the Body of Christ, is Kirk Cameron. Rather, it seems Kirk has embraced a theological view called Christian Reconstructionism (Theonomy).
Over the past several years, he has put himself under the teachings of, and produced work alongside those who adhere to this view, namely David Barton, Gary DeMar and more recently, Darren Doane who's a preterist. You mix them all together and you get a very confused bag of Christianity that makes for a good psychological suspense drama, but not for good and sound doctrinal theology. This vagabond theology produces syncretistic posts like this one below (the "Day of Annunciation" is a Roman Catholic observance).
I get it. Kirk is very likable. Kirk is also very good friends with people I am very good friends with. All of this makes what I've been sharing about him this past week, very difficult. If I knew Kirk and his family, I'm sure I'd want to be their friend. I'm not sure they'd want to be mine. But being friends with someone or gauging their likability should not determine whether or not I support and promote someone's work.
This is where my personal affinities must be sacrificed to live a life abandoned to Christ: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, soli Deo gloria. As C.T. Studd once said, "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."
While I enjoy being liked rather than persecuted; being part of the crowd rather than standing out (or speaking out for that matter), the Spirit of Christ within me burns with passion for His Word and His truth—no matter the cost.
"Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right."
~Charles Spurgeon
Due to the many other strange things Kirk Cameron is teaching with his latest movie Saving Christmas which you can read here, I must speak out. I must warn. I must alert you to these "almost right" but not quite right things he's claiming about our Savior's birth. By the way, Kirk is now also teaching that Halloween has Christian foundations and meaning as well. You can read that story here.
I'm reminded of a sermon I heard from Alistair Begg a few weeks ago on 2 Timothy 3:6-9.
"The real threat to the church...is not external political pressure from outside. It's not economic issues. No, the real threat to the church is, and always has been and always will be, the internal threat of disillusion—of moral and doctrinal declension on the part of leadership which then filters through into the very core of churches."
As Pastor Begg states in his sermon, the greatest threat to Christians during the Apostle Paul's day, our day and all the days before us, are not from outside our churches, but from within. When pastors, elders and teachers are not diligent to understand the world around them and the heresies that are being taught, then they cannot and will not be diligent to alert and warn their flock of the ubiquitous false teachings that are creeping into our hearts and homes.
This past Sunday our Associate Pastor encouraged us with the reminder that though Jesus spoke in parables, that doesn't mean we ought to carelessly and arrogantly think we can make parables and allegories out of everything we read in the Bible. Rather, we need to remember why Jesus spoke in parables (Matt 13:10; Lk 8:10).
Too many people who presume to be teachers of the Word (not realizing what a fearful thing this truly is, James 3:1) carelessly speak of the things of God. Without the necessary fear of God that is the beginning of wisdom, they foolishly twist and mangle God's Word to craft snappy, philosophical parables and allegories with the intent to make the general public, including non-Christians easily understand the mysteries of God. Which is antithetical to why Jesus used parables.
We can't replace God's holy precepts with our faulty ingenuity for the sake of "reaching a larger audience."
Please friends, be careful who you choose to follow and support the work of, because whether you realize it or not, their teachings, solid or shaky, will infiltrate your heart and mind. Whomever you choose to follow will either help you gain a holier and clearer view of God, or they will hinder your intimacy with God through a humanistic and muddy view of the Great I Am.
On Friday, November 14, 2014 Kirk Cameron's "Saving Christmas" will be opening in select theaters across the country for only two weeks.
This movie is all about making fun of any Christian who doesn't think like or agree with Kirk Cameron and his company. According to Kirk and friends, one of the main purposes of "Saving Christmas" is to dispel the beliefs that most of our traditional Christmas practices e.g., decorating Christmas trees, feasting, mistletoe, gift exchanges, etc., are from pagan origins or fabricated myths about actual people who lived during the fourth-century—namely Saint Nicholas of Lycia, commonly known in the United States as Santa Claus.
"Our focus on December 25 came from the Roman holiday called Saturnalia. This was a pagan observance of the birthday of the unconquered sun. Saturnalia began December 19 each year...Many of our Christmas customs have their origins in Saturnalia, which was marked by feasting, parades, special music, gift giving, lighted candles, and green trees. As Christianity spread through the Roman empire, the pagan holiday was given Christian connotations."
~John MacArthur, The Miracle of Christmas, p. 50
From the Puritans in England during the 1600s to the early Puritans here in the States, celebrating Christmas in a pagan-like revelry was considered a sin and was therefore avoided altogether. Similarly, there are many Christians today who still hold this view and according to God, are free to do so. However, Kirk Cameron and his crew disagree and portrays the main character of this film, Christian White (Darren Doan) as one "who represents the typical white Christian male and he’s got a bad case of religious bah humbugs," because he feels common Christmas celebratory practices aren't about Christ, but about pagan and secular jubilees.
"One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor for the Lord and give thanks to God.
"The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin."
~Romans 14:5-6, 22-23 (ESV)
In the trailer, another character rejoices saying, "the scales have fallen off" when Christian White is convinced by Kirk Cameron's character that "Everything you see inside of there, it's all about Christmas. It's all about Jesus." Of course, what's in "there", that is, the house, is Santa Claus, feasting, gifts, a Christmas tree, gifts, etc.
The makers of this movie belittle those who remain steadfast in their beliefs to abstain from Christmas celebrations. And by default, encourage others to do the same. To ensure I was clear regarding one of the main purposes of this film, Darren Doan who not only plays the lead character, but also scripted, produced and directed the movie, tweeted this to me the other day, "but the film does make fun of Wannabe Berean [sic] unimaginative Christians who need to lighten up."
Furthermore, to make matters worse, Kirk purports his movie "provides a biblical basis for our time-honored Christmas traditions and celebrations..." When I first read this on the movie's website, and heard him say it on a Catholic radio program (Busted Halo) he was recently interviewed on, I was confused by which Christmas traditions he could be talking about. I hoped he just misspoke and actually meant his movie provides historical Christian traditions rather than actually claim our "time-honored Christmas traditions and celebrations" are actually found in the Bible. So I asked him.
Screenshot from "Saving Christmas" website
I contacted Kirk through his website and also talked to a mutual friend who had Kirk call me to discuss my concerns regarding these claims of "biblical basis" for all our Christmas traditions.
This was tough for me because I used to be one of those who "blindly" followed Kirk due to his former and faithful work for the Gospel between 2004 - 2011. So I asked Kirk again and more specifically, "When you said our time-honored Christmas traditions are biblically based, you didn't mean things like decorating Christmas trees, Santa Claus, exchanging gifts, etc. are actually in the Bible, did you? You just meant some may have historical Christian foundations, right?" To my surprise he answered, "No, I meant they're all in the Bible. I know, I was surprised too when I read it myself." Kirk also shared that Christmas trees represent the Cross of Christ. When I asked him for the chapter and verse for his claims, he said, "Well, I'd rather not tell you because it's in the movie and I want you to see the movie."
Thanks to Brannon Howse of Worldview Weekend, I'm able to share this 30 second audio clip (below) of Kirk's interview on the Busted Halo radio program that's hosted by a Catholic priest, Dave Dwyer. In this interview Kirk once again claims, "Saving Christmas...is all about understanding the biblical foundations to all of the celebrations and the traditions that we have at Christmastime; including everything from Santa Claus, to Christmas trees, to the nativity, to all the presents, to the celebrating and feasting and all that kind of stuff..."
Kirk and team are promoting this film as one that will frustrate atheists as he shared in his interview with TheBlaze, “I assume they’re going to get frustrated to see some of their best arguments deflated by this movie, because we take on some of the most commonly parroted myths about the origins of Christmas.” Unfortunately, I don't think this movie will so much frustrate atheists as it will injure Christians. While my family and I do celebrate Christmas in many of the traditional ways, we don't however, bemoan those who abstain. We truly believe all that's in God's Word and since there's nothing in Scripture about whether or not one should or shouldn't celebrate Christmas, we do what God says in Romans 14, we leave this decision to each person's conscience.
