God is still with us!
On The Lighter Side of Life:
Christmas Present
It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. Pastor Mike was looking at the nativity scene outside when he noticed the baby Jesus was missing from the figures.
Immediately, Pastor Mike turned towards the church to call the police. But as he was about to do so, he saw little Jimmy with a red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of the little infant, Jesus.
Pastor Mike walked up to Jimmy and said, "Well, Jimmy, where did you get the little infant?" Jimmy replied, "I got him from the church."
"And why did you take him?"
With a sheepish smile, Jimmy said, "Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to little Lord Jesus. I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas, I would give him a ride around the block in it."
From: http://www.beliefnet.com
We Wish You a Merry...Chrismukah?
Continuing the current trend of large-scale mergers and acquisitions, it was announced today at a press conference that Christmas and Hanukkah will merge. An industry source said that the deal had been in the works about 1300 years. While details were not available at press time, it is believed that the overhead cost of having twelve days of Christmas and eight days of Hanukkah was becoming prohibitive for both sides. By combining forces, we’re told, the world will be able to enjoy consistently high-quality service during the Fifteen Days of Chrismukah, as the new holiday is being called.
Massive layoffs are expected, with lords a-leaping and maids a-milking being the hardest hit. As part of the conditions of the agreement, the letters on the dreidel, currently in Hebrew, will be replaced by Latin, thus becoming unintelligible to a wider audience.
Also, instead of translating to "A great miracle happened there," the message on the dreidel will be the more generic: "Miraculous stuff happens." In exchange, it is believed that Jews will be allowed to use Santa Claus and his vast merchandising resources for buying and delivering their gifts.
One of the sticking points holding up the agreement for at least three hundred years was the question of whether Jewish children could leave milk and cookies for Santa even after having eaten meat for dinner. A breakthrough came last year, when Oreos were finally declared to be Kosher. All sides appeared happy about this.
Fortunately for all concerned, he said, Kwanzaa will help to maintain the competitive balance. He then closed the press conference by leading all present in a rousing rendition of "Oy Vey, All Ye Faithful."
From: http://www.beliefnet.com
Thesis: God is still with us in spite of the secular world’s determination to eliminate Jesus from Christmas. So rejoice in the Lord with each other and remember “God is with us!”
Opening Illustration – e-mail letter
As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer. It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me.
As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but now in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don’t seem to know the meaning of the celebration.
I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates.
The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn’t invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn’t remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside. They closed the door in my face......... and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In truth though, that didn’t really surprise me that much because in the last few years it seems all are closing their doors to me.
Since I was not invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise.
I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a great time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, shouting: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus"... as if the party were in his honor!
At 12 midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and.... do you know.... no one hugged me.
Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me.
What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.
Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the gifts, the parties but nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all you heart.
I want to share something with you. As many didn’t invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I’m still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be let into the party. Those who don’t answer the invitation, will be left outside.
Do you know how you can answer this invitation? It is by extending it to others whom you care for...
I’ll be waiting for all of you to attend my party this year...
See you soon.... I love you!
-Jesus-
Introduction:
The idea that Christmas is "under siege":
Is a legitimate concern among Christians
32%
Is an overreaction by opponents of religious pluralism
20%
Reflects a real but unintended consequence of political correctness
14%
Has less to do with religion than with politics
34%
From Beliefnet.com survey
The elimination of Jesus from Christmas has been in motion for many years but this year it’s making headline news. The elimination of any reference to His birth and the true meaning of the Christmas holiday – note editorials:
Some department stores refuse to say “Merry Christmas!” because it offensive to some people. So now we wish you a “Happy Holiday!” I often find this logic amazing because it’s all about not offending someone but its okay to offend Christians and the Lord Jesus Christ by denying what Christmas is all about.
There was a group who wanted to set a Guinness book of world records for Caroling but without the favorite Christian Christmas songs. They failed to set a record in Wisconsin because many boycotted the event.
In one of his recent columns, Chuck Colson relates the following story.
In a Texas classroom, children were told to draw a tracing of their foot, and then put a message on the drawing. One little girl wrote "Jesus Loves Me" on hers. What happened next shows the abysmal state of religious tolerance in America.
As Fox news anchor John Gibson relates in his new book, The War on Christmas, the child’s teacher ripped the tracing off the board. "Don’t you ever do this again," she said. The little girl burst into tears.
When her outraged father called the school, nervous officials told the child to make another tracing. She did so—but this time, instead of scrawling "Jesus Loves Me," she drew a tiny cross that was so small it was almost invisible.
Behind nearly every such incident you will find the ACLU. According to the New York Times, Peter Lewis, chairman of Progressive Insurance, believes in the mission and work of the ACLU so much that he gave them $8.5 million.
Chairman Lewis’ gift helps the ACLU promote their anti-Christmas agenda such as:
• Removing nativity scenes from public property
• Banning songs such as Silent Night from schools
• Refusing to allow students to write about the Christian aspect of Christmas in school projects
• Renaming Christmas break Winter break
• Refusing to allow a city sponsored Christmas parade to be called a Christmas parade
• Not allowing a Christmas tree in a public school
• Renaming a Christmas tree displayed on public property a Holiday tree
In addition to their war on Christmas, the ACLU uses gifts like that from Chairman Lewis to:
• Sue states to force them to legalize homosexual marriage
• Force libraries to remove porn filters from their computers
• Sue the Boy Scouts to force them to accept homosexuals as scout leaders
• Help legalize child pornography
• Legalize live sex acts in bars in Oregon
• Protect the North American Man Boy Love Association whose motto is "sex by eight or it is too late"
• Censor student led prayer at graduation
• Remove "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance
• Remove "In God We Trust" on our currency
Cal Thomas on Beliefnet.com States, “The ACLU and other groups are performing their annual ritual of keeping the public square (including the public school) clean of any mention of Jesus Christ, unless that mention is intended as a curse word. In such a case, the ACLU will leap to the defense.”
On the website: http://www.reasonforseason.com/new/index.html
All across America, our fellow citizens are discovering a more hostile climate regarding the public expression or depiction of Christmas.
Am employee was fired after she sang a religious song during karaoke at the Christmas party.
A principle told a public high school teacher in Pennsylvania that he could not include religious music in the annual Christmas concert. When the teacher protested, he nearly lost his job.
A public school in Oklahoma banned all religious music and displays during the Christmas season.
Student in South Carolina were told to write an essay on a topic of their choice during the month of December. When one student decided to write about Christmas, the teacher refused to grade the essay.
Police officers in Florida were told they could not include religious symbols in their police station decorations during the Christmas holidays.
A first grader in Texas was told he could not mention Jesus during a classroom discussion on the origin of Christmas.
City officials in Georgia told the private owners of an amusement park they could not present holiday entertainment shows that mentioned the religious meaning of Christmas.
From The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing Dec. 9th – HB LONDON
I know you are probably frustrated by the verbiage battles related to Christmas this year. Should we say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? Should we have church on Christmas Sunday morning (December 25) or give everyone the day off? Should holiday decorations on public property include a nativity scene or not? It seems this Advent Season, more than ever, we are at war over Christmas. I hope not!!
On November 29, the Fox News/Opinion Dynamic conducted a survey asking some questions that I thought might enhance your weekend message as you observe the Third Sunday of Advent. For instance, those surveyed were asked:
— Do you consider Christmas a religious holiday or cultural holiday?
Religious: 57% ... Cultural 14% ... Both: 12%
— Do you agree there is a war on Christmas in the United States?
Agree: 42% ... Disagree: 48%
— Does it seem that the public display of Christian/Christmas symbols is under attack more this year than normal?
More: 58% ... Less: 13% ... Same: 15%
— When greeting people you don’t know well during the coming month, are you more likely to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays"?
Merry Christmas: 61% ... Happy Holidays: 26% ... Depends: 10%
— Are you offended by stores that instruct employees not to say "Merry Christmas"?
Yes: 45% ... No: 49%
— Do you agree or disagree that the courts have gone too far in taking religion out of public life?
Agree: 77% ... Disagree: 17
Eliminating the word "Christmas" with "holiday" or "winter" in retail stores and public schools has been steadily growing over the years, it seems that this year, the assault on public expressions of Christmas has risen to an unprecedented level. Some stores have become more "Christmas friendly," but examples still abound with what many perceive as the secularization of Christmas.
• The city of Boston recently renamed its Christmas tree in Boston Commons a "holiday tree."
• In their 260 pages of newspaper insert promotions, Target, Kroger, Office Max, Walgreens, Sears, Staples, Lowe’s, J.C. Penney, Dell and Best Buy failed to mention Christmas a single time, according to research conducted by the American Family Association.
• The Glendale-River Hills, Wis., School District has expressly prohibited any song close to the Christmas holiday from having any religious "motive or theme." While banning Christian Christmas songs, the district permits secular holiday songs as well as songs celebrating Hanukkah.
• For about 25 years, Auburn University in Alabama has lit a Christmas tree in December. This year the Student Government Association issued a press release announcing the lighting of the "Holiday Tree" on December 1.
• The management company that oversees a subdivision in Novi, Michigan, sent the Samona family a letter demanding they remove a nativity scene from their front yard or face fines of up to $100 per week. After being contacted by the attorney representing the Samona family, the company reversed its position, and sent an apology along with a gift basket.
• School teachers in Jackson County, Georgia, are prohibited from wearing any pins, angels, crosses or clothing that has any religious connotation or affiliation. They are also under instruction not to have "Christmas" parties in the classroom, but to refer to them as "winter" parties.
• A Seattle-area school district recalled its December lunch menus for 23 elementary schools because they were printed with the greeting "Merry Christmas." The greeting on the 11,500 menus was changed to "Happy Holidays" at a cost of $494.
While the situation may look bleak, some positive changes are taking place.
• A spokesman for Target told the New York Times this week that it might make reference to Christmas in advertising later this year.
• Sears announced recently that it has placed "Merry Christmas" signs at the front entrances to all their stores nationwide.
• A "Merry Christmas" ad thanking shoppers and employees is planned by Macy’s.
• Ads for Dillard’s say: "Discover Christmas. Discover Dillard’s."
• Walgreens is distributing a letter stating that "Next year, you can be assured our advertising will better incorporate ’Christmas’ — and our holiday trees will be called Christmas trees."
What should our response be to this Xing out of Christ in Christmas?
First point is the Enemy has been trying to eliminate Christ since his birth. Do you recall the response of King Herod in Matthew 2 after he learned from the Magi that Christ the king was born. He sent soldiers to kill all the children under 2. The assault from the enemy has not ceased since the birth of Christ and Satan and his henchmen are still seeking to eliminate Christ from Christmas. Why, because this signified the beginning of the end for his reign.
Scripture Text: Matthew 1:23-24
18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”
24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Jesus was and is “God with us!’ When Jesus was born in Bethlehem we discovered that God was with us literally. Today God is still with us according to Scripture. He is in our midst He walks among the churches according to Revelation. He knows what we are saying. He knows if we have been bad or good. He knows what we are doing even behind closed doors. Jesus is here with us whether the world wants to acknowledge Him or not.
Have you ever wondered why there is such an attack to remove Christ from Christmas? The reason is people who live for self and for the enemy do not feel comfortable with symbols or songs about Christ. It makes them feel uncomfortable, uneasy, convicted, and they resent Christ. Many choose to resent Christ rather than to repent to Christ. The battle is this -- the secular world’s leader (Satan) wants to remove the possibility of God being with us. So he fights hard to remove Him from any position of honor or even recognition. He is trying to erase the reference to God being with us. He wants us to think that God is not with us! He wants to convince people that God is against us and or has abandoned us. Or better yet just get people not to believe in Him at all. Remember he is the master deceiver so why would he not seek to remove any reference to Christ. The birth of Christ signified the beginning of the end to Satan’s reign on the earth and he is still hoping mad about it.
But we as believers can do something! We can be the witness that Christ has called us to be this Christmas. We in essence need to let our light shine in this dark world and point our light to Jesus Christ! We are the light of the world and Christmas will not be snuffed out if we personally continue to shine and point out lights to Him. So remember to point out Jesus in all the symbols this year and give Him the acknowledgement that He is with us this Christmas season.
Conclusion:
The truth is Jesus Christ has been under assault since He was born in a manger in Bethlehem and will continue to be ruthlessly pursued until they all will finally meet him face to face when He returns as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. His Second coming is coming and He will be victorious!
The important point to remember is Jesus is the reason for the season and He is with us today and always!
