Will 2016 Bring Peace?

A few quotes from religious and political leaders during this holiday season:

From Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby: “Christianity is facing elimination in the Middle East at the hands of an Islamic State apocalypse.”

From Chief Rabbi Ephriam Mirvis: “It has been reported that persecution of Christians persists in over a hundred countries, more than for any other religion.”

From Pope Francis: “We are close to Christmas. There will be lights, there will be parties, bright  trees, even Nativity scenes – all decked out – while the world continues to wage war. It’s all a charade. The world has not understood the way of peace. The whole world is at war.”

From President Obama: “Those of us fortunate enough to live in countries that honor the birthright of all people to practice their faith freely give thanks for that blessing. Michelle and I are also ever-mindful that many of our fellow Christians do not enjoy that right, and hold especially close to our hearts and minds those who have been driven from their ancient homelands by unspeakable violence and persecution.”

From Senator Ted Cruz: “Christians who are being targeted, for genocide, for persecution, Christians who are being beheaded or crucified, we should be providing safe haven to them. But President Obama refuses to do that.”

From Donald Trump: “I’m a good Christian. If I become president, we’re gonna be saying Merry Christmas at every store. You can leave happy holidays at the corner.” (Okay, I’ll let the other quotes stand on their own. But as a Christian, I have to say this is not high on the list of changes I’d like to see in my country. And FYI Mr. Trump: I don’t know many “good” Christians. Maybe not any. Our only goodness is Christ's goodness in us.)

From Queen Elizabeth: “It is true that the world has had to confront moments of darkness this year, but the gospel of John contains a verse of great hope, often read at Christmas carol services: ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’.”

The New Year will likely bring more war, less peace. It will give a new president to the United States. Who will secure that role and lead our nation? The next twelve months will bring throngs attempting to establish new homes in foreign lands. How many? Where will they go? What will they do? Who are they?

Will there be more mass shootings? Will we lose our grasp on what remains of freedom? Will we meet God’s judgement?

As we begin 2016, we face a year most certainly destined to bring great change, terror, dismay, disaster. Hope. Resolution. Promise. Redemption. The ways of God shine a light in the darkness. Peace? For the whole world? Maybe not this year. But one day. As for the redeemed…

From Jesus: “I have told you these things that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Letter to Adam and Eve

DEAR ADAM and EVE,

Do you have any idea what the piece fruit you ate has done to us, your descendants? Do you have any idea?

Did you have any idea how far reaching one act of disobedience was going to be? You did not think this through; your actions were selfish and poorly thought out!

The consequences of the mess you handed down to us are getting worse, everyday: Relationships are falling apart; there is hunger, diseases, and death. Little children and infants are living and dying in poverty. We have diseases with no known names or cure, and children are suffering with inoperable cancers. There are rampant senseless killings, early death, and all kinds of unimaginable distress.

It is too late for you to worry about all that; the damage has been done.

But God in His love and infinite wisdom, made a way to restore things to their original state, to restore the relationship between Him and us. Do you remember how He used to visit you in the Garden, in the cool of the day (see Genesis 3:8)? Of course you do, but you lost that privilege when you were thrown out of the garden.

But He has restored that privilege to us; now we are able to visit Him in His Throne Room. Do you want to know what He did? He sent His One and only Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sins (see John 3:16).  Jesus died a painful death on the cross on our behalf, so now we don’t have to die if we repent, believe in Him and ask for forgiveness. For the time being though, our struggles will continue until we see Him face to face. Through our pain and suffering, He is transforming us to be more like Him.

We will not hold any of our sufferings against you, because if anyone of us had been the First, we most likely would have done exactly what you did.

Now about the Throne Room, let me tell you, it is amazing! As sinful as we are (thanks to you), we get to go there any time of any day to just sit down, lie down, stand up, or kneel down before Him. Physical posture is really not that important; what is really important is the posture of our hearts.

He wants us to come in humility, penitence, and faith. He talks to us through the Word and the Spirit, and then He listens to us as we petition Him about various needs and issues. You know, He answers before we call, and while we are still speaking He hears (see Isaiah 65:24). Our relationship with Him through Christ is amazing. All these privileges are only for those who believe in Him, so we need to let everybody else know about His provision for salvation!

Guess what else, He is preparing a place for us in heaven (see John 14:2-3), so when we leave this life we will forever be with Him. Again, it is only those who believe in Him who will be with Him, and those who never believe in Him will be with the devil, who deceived you in the garden. Sad to say, their eternity will be in the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (see Matthew 25:41). I hope you appreciate this update!

God Will Give Us Peace

This Christmas season I’ve shared a bit of the history of two well-known carols. Now with Christmas upon us and soon to be swept away with memories of Christmas days past, I’d like to share the story of one more song. This one is not as old as the others. It’s an American carol written in the midst of a tumultuous period in our nation’s history. Inspiration came not only as a result of national despair, but also from personal grief.

The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the words. April of 1861 brought the start of the Civil War. Then in July, the writer’s wife died when her dress caught fire. Trying to save her, Longfellow suffered severe burns to his hands and face. Her death left him to raise their five children alone.

That Christmas he wrote in his journal: "How inexpressibly sad are all holidays." The following Christmas he wrote: "I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace."

During the next year, Longfellow’s eldest son was severely injured in battle. That Christmas, the poet was silent. His son lived, but the war continued to rip his country apart. The world had changed, and perhaps beautiful words were no longer needed. They weren’t enough to offer hope either to the poet or to the reader.

Then on Christmas day, 1864, Longfellow allowed hope to return as he wrote “Christmas Bells.” Did he visualize the end of the horrible war? Did his son’s recovery lift him from depression? Perhaps he simply recalled that God cannot be defeated. That war and death and loss must give way to peace and life and gain.

In 1872, John Baptiste Calkin added music to Longfellow’s poem and gave us the carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” The world has changed a few times since then. Even this past year, it has changed again. Turmoil is commonplace. The future is uncertain. For some, our nation feels a bit less like home. Peace on earth seems like a fleeting dream as mankind turns away from God’s good will.

But wars will end. The future is sealed. This world is not our home. Peace is eternal. And God cannot be defeated!

Here are the last two stanzas of Longfellow’s poem:

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: 
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Have a hope-filled, peaceful, blessed, Merry Christmas.

Christians Standing Defiant for Jesus

My pastor has asked me to preach the sermon this Sunday 27th December. My topic is Matthew 2:1-12, the visit of the Magi.

I have decided that I'm going to talk on the theme of trust - that the Magi trusted Jesus as a future saviour, even though He was just a baby and it would be 30 years before he even began His ministry.

Matthew tells us that Joseph, Mary and Jesus were forced to flee to Egypt, and in my sermon I shall point to the Egyptian Coptic Christian church as a church that has survived centuries of persecution - continuing to the present day - thanks to trust in Jesus.

Here is an excerpt from an article I wrote earlier this year:

Egypt holds a special place in the history of the church. Mary and Joseph fled there with the infant Jesus. Saint Mark founded the Egyptian church just a decade after the death of Christ, possibly wrote his gospel there and was martyred there.

In addition, few places better symbolized the third-century church father Tertullian’s famous statement, that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church.

In the words of the Tour Egypt website: “It was in Egypt that some of the greatest defiances of the Romans by Christians were done. While their Roman counterparts worshipped in catacombs and underground vaults, the Egyptian Christians built their churches openly and performed their ceremonies in full view of the Empire. And for every one that the Empire struck down, more would be converted by the example of the martyr.”

For several hundred years Egypt was a proudly Christian nation. Then the Muslim invasion of the seventh century saw the country slowly turn into an Islamic state. Today Christians number only around 10 per cent of the population.

But the martyrdoms continue. Recent years have seen some particularly grotesque attacks on Christians from Saudi-inspired Islamists. The Islamists even try to deny the Christian heritage of Egypt.

Yet Christians in the West generally know little about the Coptic Church. This is unfortunate, as it has much to teach us.

In the early centuries it taught that to become a Christian was possibly to enter a world of suffering.

Now, with persecution on the rise in many parts of the world, we see a praying church that, despite enduring many centuries of hardship and martyrdom, stands strong, proud and defiant. For nearly 2,000 years it has remained true to its calling - true to Christ, true to the Bible, true to its teachings and unafraid of death. This should be an inspiration to us all.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,"

Our God loves celebrations! Throughout the Old Testament, we see Him instituting special days and instructing the Israelites to celebrate yearly, as a reminder of His power among them and His provision for them. Also, through the celebrations, He wanted younger generations to know what He had done for their ancestors in the past. The Sabbath, for instance, was instituted to make sure they rested as God did, on the seventh day of the week (see Exodus 31:12-17). Similarly, the Passover was to remind them of the time the angel of death killed the firstborn of both man and beast in the land of Egypt, but spared the Israeli families (see Exodus 12:1-14). 

Over two thousand years ago, God put His salvation plan into motion, sending His One and only Son into the world to make His dwelling among us (see John 1:14) and to become our Savior. About three hundred years into Christianity, 336 to be exact, the Romans recorded the first celebration of the birth of Jesus. We have celebrated His birth ever since, with decorations, caroling, feasting, giving, and receiving. Even those who don’t believe in Jesus often celebrate it in some form.

Every year when we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Savior, we should reflect on the truths behind the season:

We are sinners and need redemption –We know we are sinners because Scripture tells us that, through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, sin and death passed to all mankind. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NIV). There is only one way to restore our fellowship with God; it is through faith in Jesus, because He came to seek and to save that which was lost.  Scripture tells us, “Truly, truly, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3 NIV).

God is love – It is His love for us that led to His formulating the plan for our redemption before the foundation of the world. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV). We are also reminded of His humility! He was willing to leave His throne and majesty above, be born into a sinful world, not in a palace, but in a manger! He says to us, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29 NIV).

God is faithful – He promised Jesus’ coming decades before He was born. “The virgin will be with child, and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Emmanuel,” which is translated, 'God with us'” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23 NIV). He promised, and then fulfilled it! That is a faithful God! Again, it was prophesied, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV). Through the angel Gabriel, He declared the Virgin Mary was going to have a Son, and to name Him Jesus. He would be great and be called the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:30-31 NIV). God fulfilled everything He promised concerning Jesus. How faithful! This reminder assures us that we can trust Him one hundred percent; He has never failed since the beginning of time, and never will! We can look forward to the promise of the rapture and His second coming with hope.

We should Express gratitude - We need to be thankful to God because we could never have saved ourselves nor done anything to qualify for salvation. He planned it, and carried it out; making us His sons and daughters, so now we can confidently say of God, “Abba, Father” (see Romans 8:15).  

Merry Christmas; let’s celebrate with assurance, gratitude, and anticipation of His return!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

And are you getting a little tired of it?

Well, once again I've moved on over to those other radio stations,

 so I'd like to share this blog from last Christmas one more time:

“Do You Hear What I Hear?” is not one of my favorite carols. And hearing a hundred different versions of “The Little Drummer Boy” on the radio drives me to listen to the forbidden secular music. While everyone else is humming an appropriate tune for the merry season, I might be heard singing under my breath about ruling as queen bee, baby (if I’ve been on the pop station) or about that hotel in California (if I’ve turned to classic rock). It’s not that I’m a Grinch or anything. A little Trans-Siberian will get me in the Christmas spirit, and I could listen to “How Many Kings” from the group Downhere until the cattle are lowing. But while the local CCM station does keep all those “Drummer Boy” renditions on their loop, I’ve only heard my favorite modern carol once this year. 

Of course, it’s not about me. Or the little guy with the drum. Or the talented artists who sing every old carol with a different beat or come up new songs to add to the mix. I guess we need to keep the message in our hearts and on our lips so we remember why we’re shopping and decorating. As if the catch phrases weren’t enough—Keep Christ in Christmas, Jesus is the reason for season, and others we feel obligated to repeat. After all, it’s Christmas and we’re Christians—this is our celebration. When someone spouts “Happy Holidays”, we make a point of returning the greeting with a quick “Merry Christmas.” Sometimes an un-merry attitude comes across when we do that, so watch the tone.

Speaking of merry, I learned something new this holiday season about one of those old songs that causes me to switch on over to the music of the dark side. The story behind “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” brought me new respect for the gentlemen in question.

With no record of its origin, the song became popular among the English peasants more than 500 years ago. But what means one thing in the modern world meant something else to those who crooned the tune on a cold Christmas Eve so long ago. Not the kind of song that would have been sung in the local cathedral, it was a folk song for Christians wanting something a little different than the dry Latin lyrics and gloomy music they heard at services. (Seems the issue of “Church music” has been going on for a while.)

When families and neighbors gathered to offer their praise for the glorious gift of the newborn babe, they sang what we would assume meant God, grant some relief to these happy men. But that wasn’t the message of this upbeat song. A little study on the language of the time tells a different meaning in the opening line.

The word rest didn’t refer to a long winter’s nap. It meant to make or to keep. The word merry, to us means happy and joyful. But to the sad peasant who lacked the means for a better life, it meant strong or mighty. And according to experts, there is some missing punctuation. It was lost over the years when modern interpretation gave the line new meaning. A comma once stood before the gentlemen. So, in the minds and on the tongues of the original band members, the popular hit song went something like this: God keep you strong, gentlemen. Or: God make you mighty, gentlemen. Maybe the ladies were included as well, but these words were an encouragement to the downtrodden men of the day that God would increase their strength by the telling of the great plan of salvation. The line “to save us all from Satan’s power when we have gone astray” meant then exactly what it means now.

That’s what it’s all about. The reason for the season. The next time I hear one of the singers I really do like singing this particular old song I got tired of hearing, I won’t change the station. I will sing along.

“God make you strong, you guys and gals, let nothing bring you down.” Well, maybe I’ll just sing the old words, but I’ll remember their original meaning. As for meeting the inoffensive “Happy Holidays” with a quick retort, maybe next time I’ll cheerfully say, “And a Mighty Christmas to you!”

                    Drums and dancing don’t impede                     

Instruments woodwind and reed

Lift your bow to string

Lift your voice and sing

Come with me and blow your horn

A savior came that blessed morn

Great gain for life for death will fall 

A Mighty Christmas Day to all

eHarmony – Is It Christian? (And Does It Matter?)

Here's something I wrote about six years ago for my own website. I feel it might still be relevant.

Several years ago I received an unexpected email from an old friend – a devout Christian – with whom I had lost contact. He announced that he was married again, three years after the tragic death of his first wife.

He wrote: "I am remarried now to Jane, a lady I met through eHarmony. She is wonderful. We just celebrated our first anniversary. Have lost a lot of weight and am healthier than I have been in a long time."

Considerable debate continues within the Christian community as to whether or not eHarmony is a Christian company and/or whether Christians should use this service.

For example, the popular ChristianCafe.com online dating service writes:

While there are Christian singles on eHarmony, it is a secular dating site that serves Christians and non-Christians alike. When matches are sent on eHarmony one can select to have Christian matches only; however for most users it requires communication before determining how much faith plays a part in a persons life. Furthermore, eHarmony supports gay and lesbian matching (via a website they own).

The Christian Dating Watchdog website declares:

eHarmony is one of the most well-known dating websites, secular or Christian, because of their aggressive television advertising. I have found a lot of information that, when put together, makes me come to the conclusion that eHarmony.com is not a site for Christians.

An article on online dating in The Atlantic included an interview with eHarmony founder Dr Neil Clark Warren:

Warren…bristles at the widely held opinion that eHarmony is a Christian dating site. The company’s chief operating officer, he offered by way of rebuttal, is Jewish….And while Warren describes himself as “a passionate Christian” and proudly declares, “I love Jesus,” he worried about narrowing the site with too many questions about spiritual beliefs.

Well, if the Jesus-loving founder himself bristles at the notion that the company is Christian, who am I – or other Christians – to be less bristly?

It is not a Christian company.

But should Christians use it?

I personally try to do business with Christian-run businesses as much as possible. My doctor, dentist and financial planner are all Christian. But I am also aware of the advice sometimes (and probably wrongly) attributed to Martin Luther: “I would rather be operated on by a Turkish [non-Christian] surgeon than a Christian butcher.” So would I.

I am happily married. Yet if I were seeking a wife I should certainly want a Christian lady. I might find one at a secular dating service. But I would almost certainly find one at a Christian service. Plenty of these exist, some boasting up to 100,000 active members.

Ideally, people would be led by God on these matters. And certainly my Christian friend found happiness through eHarmony. But I feel that if I were seeking a partner I would probably head first for one of the Christian-owned services.