Good morning and happy Saturday. A friendly reminder that is Christmas is almost here. You have two weeks to scurry about getting presents, decorating, and striving to have that perfect picture to post on social media to try to outdo your friends and family. I can hear the silent protests now. What? Me? Never. My motivation is purely for the worship of Jesus on Christmas day. Sure, let’s go with that. The thirty-foot-tall inflatable snowman in your yard helps prove your point. Obviously, I am just having some fun at your expense since that is my love language. However, it is quite easy to get caught up in all of the “holiday magic” and lose sight of why we are celebrating Christmas in the first place. Kind of like my trip this week to my favorite retail establishment known for low prices and the quality to match. The cashier proudly declared, “Happy holidays.” When you relied back, “Merry Christmas” he would immediately respond back, “It’s happy holidays, it’s more inclusive.” Not surprising in the world that we live in. They are a store so they don’t want to offend anyone that is willing to give them their money for their merchandise. Sadly, this stuff creeps into our everyday lives as well. Feel free to celebrate what you want, but as for me and my house we are celebrating Christmas, the birth of Christ, the Savior that has come.
Last night, Michelle and I went with our good friends Bev and Andy to drive around and look at some of the Christmas lights in town. It was as good time as we drove from place-to-place listening to Christmas music, talking, and marveling at how elaborate some of the displays were. BTW, the one at Deanna Rose Farmstead in pretty nice. The lights are synchronized to music and the show last about half an hour. Besides that, it was free which is my favorite price for anything. In all of the displays about town there was a mix of what you would call traditional Christmas characters and some modern adaptations thrown in for good measure. The same was true of the music selections. I guess it is a sure sign that you are getting older when they play songs you have never heard before
Speaking of songs, one that you will likely hear this time of year is “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Here are some of the words to that song:
You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list
He’s checking it twice
He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping
And he knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
Hopefully, this is not the main song your church is doing at their Christmas Eve service. If it is, you might start looking for another place to go. Anyway, this song has been a favorite of people for many years. However, it reveals part of the Santa Claus myth that is becoming more controversial. No, it is not the idea that he can somehow deliver presents to every single household in the world in one night, and that he can somehow enter and exit your house undetected, whether you have a chimney or not. No, an article I read this week was discussing the harm this myth is causing children and youth by making them think someone is aware of their actions. The author decried the notion of instilling fear in the lives of young people with the idea that someone out there is watching them and evaluating whether their deeds are good or bad. Furthermore, the idea of rewarding so-called good behavior and the threat of consequences for being bad or naughty was deemed arbitrary. What? This is precisely where we are at in society. There is this idea that people should be free to do whatever they want and there should not be any consequences for their actions, that there is no right or wrong. That is why people have tried so hard to jettison God from everything, or at least recreate Him into what they want Him to be like. People have so twisted and distorted the truth about God that they want you to believe that since God is love you can do whatever or be whatever you choose to be. However, that is not the Truth of God’s Word. The proclamation in Luke 2 still holds true that a “Savior has been born.” Why did the world need a Savior? The answer is found in His name. “He will be called Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus came to die for the sins of the world. Yes, there is right and wrong. There is naughty and nice. And the standard is not a popular opinion poll, it is not what people vote into being at election time, it is not whatever you want it to be, it is the standard set forth by God Himself. And violating His standard is what the Bible calls “sin.” Unfortunately, that too is often considered an archaic concept. However, it is all too real. I mentioned inclusive earlier, well, the Bible teaches inclusivity – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). I mentioned love earlier, the Bible teaches us about the nature of God’s love when it declares, “For God demonstrated His love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Sin is such a serious matter that the very Son of God came and died so that we might be offered the forgiveness of our sins. Like it or not, there is Someone that knows you better than you know yourself. He is aware of your actions and even the thoughts that you have. And it certainly isn’t Santa Claus. No, the One that watches over mankind is not a myth. He is Jesus. Let us celebrate Him this Christmas.
12 Who perceives his unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins;
do not let them rule me.
Then I will be blameless
and cleansed from blatant rebellion.
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19)
From our neighborhoods to the nations,
Pastor Larry
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