Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Christmas Thoughts 2012
Yesterday we celebrated the incarnation of the Son of God. Christmas is the wondrous story of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us, the union of manhood and Deity. Following the birth of a child, parents begin to focus on those "milestones" in life. Some of them might include the first time their baby turns over, the first time they crawl, their first words spoken, their first steps taken, etc. From that first day forward, the thing that parents fear most is often the injury, ill health or death of their child.
God has chosen to reveal to us certain truths related to the birth, life and death of His Son Jesus. It appears that what we are privileged to have in Scripture about Him is that which is necessary to know Him, know the reason for His coming and to grow in our knowledge of Him. We know little of His "developmental" years. We have no information on when He first crawled, what words He first spoke or when He took His first steps.
But although I know nothing about the first words that He spoke, I know some of His last. They are certainly among the most profound words ever spoken. Words like, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing". "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOUR FORSAKEN ME?" And, "It is finished!" The truth and significance of these words are of such depth that they may be pondered by the believer for a lifetime and never be exhausted.
And although I know nothing about the first steps that Jesus took, I know something of His last. They were steps taken out of love, in anguish and fatigue, as He was led to Calvary. His very last steps were taken just before He was nailed to a wooden cross by Roman soldiers. No, we do not know when they occurred, but His first steps ever taken were also leading Him to this very place. Calvary's cross was His destiny. Calvary had been His destination from the first day He lay in a manger.
The final steps that He took and the final words which He spoke were to accomplish all that Jesus had been born for. His journey from the manger bed in Bethlehem to the cross on Calvary was indeed the sovereign will of God and His indescribable gift to men. Bearing the sins of the world would forever be the greatest of all "milestones" and one that only Jesus could accomplish. Yes, His final steps and His final words resulted in forgiveness of sin and eternal life for you and me. Glory to God in the Highest. Praise God for Jesus.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Broken Hearts in a Broken Nation
Hearts were broken across our country this past Friday as the news of the shooting at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut unfolded. After all of the initial news reports provided various and sometimes conflicting information, it was established that 12 little girls and 8 little boys, ages 6 and 7, had been murdered in the unthinkable rampage. The killer, who also took his own life, was a 20 year-old man who, in addition to the 20 children, had killed his own mother prior to coming to the school and killed an additional 6 adult women at the school.
My heart broke for the parents and families of each of those whose lives had been so untimely and violently taken that Friday morning. My heart ached even more as the day progressed and I realized that the mom's and dad's of those little children would not even be able to go into the school to see, touch or hold their babies. Undoubtedly family members of the adult victims would have had similar feelings. The depth of their grief could only have been described as beyond comprehension. Believing that God is the God of all comfort and trusting that He is able to do exceeding, abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, Christians around the world prayed for these families. We knew that He was their only answer and prayed that He would minister to their hearts and use His people to reach out to the families.
Before all of the details were known the questions began to be asked. What were the killer's motives? What caused him to do something so horrendous? Is more gun control necessary to prevent such incidents? How can we make our schools a safer place? And that often asked question in the midst of tragedy, why did God allow such a thing to happen?
These can be difficult questions to contemplate and provide answers for. As my pastor recently reminded our congregation, we will either approach matters, including questions like posed above, from a biblical world view or from a worldly or fleshly world view. This compounds the difficulty of having a public discussion of the matter and answering these questions because the two world views are quite different from one another. A biblical examination of the matter will lead one to focus on the issue of sin, the depraved nature of mankind and the need to be born again through faith in Christ and to be dependent on Him to live God honoring lives. The biblical world view will see God as the answer. A worldly examination of the matter will lead people to focus on what outside influences contributed to what they would suggest is an otherwise inherently good person who acted out in an evil fashion. They will look to themselves for the answers and consider the things that they might do to correct the problems.
As deep as the depth of heartache that the parents of these 20 children are experiencing is the depth of the problem our country is facing and most appear to be completely unaware of this. I could not begin to write of all of the things that have contributed to the decline of our country's culture and moral character. If one wishes to read of these matters specifically, you need only look to the Bible, God's Holy word. It is here that He has addressed each and every matter that concerns us. A summary statement of our problem would be that we have forgotten God and that we have purposed to remove His influence in all aspects of our culture.
It is sad that on Wednesday, just two days before this horrific event in Newtown, Connecticut, that 75 miles away in downtown Manhattan, New York, an atheist group had put up a billboard mocking God. The billboard was composed of a large picture of Santa Clause with the words "Keep the MERRY". Under the large picture of Santa Clause was a large picture portraying Christ being crucified with the words, "Dump the MYTH". I am convinced that none of the parents, families or friends of those murdered on Friday are looking to Santa Clause for understanding and comfort. They will be looking to the One who was being mocked and He will offer them grace. Praise our God!
I feel compelled to share some final thoughts regarding the matter of evil and the state of our country's moral decline. Although He sovereignly allows it, it is not God who is to be blamed for evil. Men commit evil acts because of sin and scripture teaches, that in sin and rebellion against God, men are even inventors of evil. Following the horrific events of this past Friday and for the weeks and months ahead, making schools a safer place for children will be the topic of much discussion and planning.
As I thought about "safe places" for children, I couldn't seem to help think about a very special place that God had designed to be the safest of all places; and then I cringed. Men, "inventors of evil", had turned this safest of all places into the most dangerous place for a child to be in America. It is with great sadness that I say that this most dangerous of all places is in the womb of a woman in our country. It is indicative of our country's grave problem. The Center for Disease Control's latest statistics report that there were 825,564 abortions in 2008. That is an average of 2,262 children aborted every day of the year.
The latest national vital statistics were published in October 2012 and are for the year 2009. In these statistics, "children" are those between the ages of 1 and 19 years of age. In 2009 there was a total of 21,621 deaths recorded. In each age category (1-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19) the number one cause of death was accidents. Abortions in 2008 occurred 38 times the number of all recorded deaths of children 1-19 years of age in 2009. They are not considered accidental but intentional. May God have mercy on us. By His grace and through His Son Jesus Christ, may He help us to become a nation that truly chooses to honor the value of human life.
Greg
My heart broke for the parents and families of each of those whose lives had been so untimely and violently taken that Friday morning. My heart ached even more as the day progressed and I realized that the mom's and dad's of those little children would not even be able to go into the school to see, touch or hold their babies. Undoubtedly family members of the adult victims would have had similar feelings. The depth of their grief could only have been described as beyond comprehension. Believing that God is the God of all comfort and trusting that He is able to do exceeding, abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, Christians around the world prayed for these families. We knew that He was their only answer and prayed that He would minister to their hearts and use His people to reach out to the families.
Before all of the details were known the questions began to be asked. What were the killer's motives? What caused him to do something so horrendous? Is more gun control necessary to prevent such incidents? How can we make our schools a safer place? And that often asked question in the midst of tragedy, why did God allow such a thing to happen?
These can be difficult questions to contemplate and provide answers for. As my pastor recently reminded our congregation, we will either approach matters, including questions like posed above, from a biblical world view or from a worldly or fleshly world view. This compounds the difficulty of having a public discussion of the matter and answering these questions because the two world views are quite different from one another. A biblical examination of the matter will lead one to focus on the issue of sin, the depraved nature of mankind and the need to be born again through faith in Christ and to be dependent on Him to live God honoring lives. The biblical world view will see God as the answer. A worldly examination of the matter will lead people to focus on what outside influences contributed to what they would suggest is an otherwise inherently good person who acted out in an evil fashion. They will look to themselves for the answers and consider the things that they might do to correct the problems.
As deep as the depth of heartache that the parents of these 20 children are experiencing is the depth of the problem our country is facing and most appear to be completely unaware of this. I could not begin to write of all of the things that have contributed to the decline of our country's culture and moral character. If one wishes to read of these matters specifically, you need only look to the Bible, God's Holy word. It is here that He has addressed each and every matter that concerns us. A summary statement of our problem would be that we have forgotten God and that we have purposed to remove His influence in all aspects of our culture.
It is sad that on Wednesday, just two days before this horrific event in Newtown, Connecticut, that 75 miles away in downtown Manhattan, New York, an atheist group had put up a billboard mocking God. The billboard was composed of a large picture of Santa Clause with the words "Keep the MERRY". Under the large picture of Santa Clause was a large picture portraying Christ being crucified with the words, "Dump the MYTH". I am convinced that none of the parents, families or friends of those murdered on Friday are looking to Santa Clause for understanding and comfort. They will be looking to the One who was being mocked and He will offer them grace. Praise our God!
I feel compelled to share some final thoughts regarding the matter of evil and the state of our country's moral decline. Although He sovereignly allows it, it is not God who is to be blamed for evil. Men commit evil acts because of sin and scripture teaches, that in sin and rebellion against God, men are even inventors of evil. Following the horrific events of this past Friday and for the weeks and months ahead, making schools a safer place for children will be the topic of much discussion and planning.
As I thought about "safe places" for children, I couldn't seem to help think about a very special place that God had designed to be the safest of all places; and then I cringed. Men, "inventors of evil", had turned this safest of all places into the most dangerous place for a child to be in America. It is with great sadness that I say that this most dangerous of all places is in the womb of a woman in our country. It is indicative of our country's grave problem. The Center for Disease Control's latest statistics report that there were 825,564 abortions in 2008. That is an average of 2,262 children aborted every day of the year.
The latest national vital statistics were published in October 2012 and are for the year 2009. In these statistics, "children" are those between the ages of 1 and 19 years of age. In 2009 there was a total of 21,621 deaths recorded. In each age category (1-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19) the number one cause of death was accidents. Abortions in 2008 occurred 38 times the number of all recorded deaths of children 1-19 years of age in 2009. They are not considered accidental but intentional. May God have mercy on us. By His grace and through His Son Jesus Christ, may He help us to become a nation that truly chooses to honor the value of human life.
Greg
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Each on Display in Times Square; Ignorance and Grace
Under the large picture of Santa Clause were the words "Keep the MERRY". Positioned under the Santa Clause picture was another large picture, this one of Jesus being crucified. Under the picture of Jesus were the words, "Dump the MYTH". These pictures were on display today on a large billboard in New York City's Times Square. The billboard was reportedly put up by a New Jersey based atheist group.
The billboard reminded me of how men continue to act ignorantly in unbelief. As I look at the display on the billboard I cannot help hut hear the words of Christ as He said, "Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." The life, death, burial and resurrection of Christ is a truth that has been under attack for centuries. It is not a myth. Praise the Lord that no amount of billboards, no matter what their size, can turn this truth into a myth.
The billboard also reminded me of the mercy and grace of God. I would even suggest that the billboard is evidence of God's grace in the fact that those responsible for mocking His Son are still breathing His air tonight. Scripture tells us that God is patient and out of His deep love demonstrated on the cross they mock, desires that the mockers come to saving faith in His Son. He died for the sins of those who mocked Him then and those who still mock Him today.
A last thought that I have about this billboard that was on display in Times Square today is this. The mockers are unaware of the powerful message they inadvertently share when they depict Christ crucified. I am convinced that God will use the image which they have falsely label a myth and reveal the truth of Christ to some who may gaze upon it. Some, for the first time in their lives, will come to know the true meaning of Christmas. Praise the Lord.
Greg
The billboard reminded me of how men continue to act ignorantly in unbelief. As I look at the display on the billboard I cannot help hut hear the words of Christ as He said, "Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." The life, death, burial and resurrection of Christ is a truth that has been under attack for centuries. It is not a myth. Praise the Lord that no amount of billboards, no matter what their size, can turn this truth into a myth.
The billboard also reminded me of the mercy and grace of God. I would even suggest that the billboard is evidence of God's grace in the fact that those responsible for mocking His Son are still breathing His air tonight. Scripture tells us that God is patient and out of His deep love demonstrated on the cross they mock, desires that the mockers come to saving faith in His Son. He died for the sins of those who mocked Him then and those who still mock Him today.
A last thought that I have about this billboard that was on display in Times Square today is this. The mockers are unaware of the powerful message they inadvertently share when they depict Christ crucified. I am convinced that God will use the image which they have falsely label a myth and reveal the truth of Christ to some who may gaze upon it. Some, for the first time in their lives, will come to know the true meaning of Christmas. Praise the Lord.
Greg
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