The Gifts To The Messiah

Over the past 3 weeks I did a short study with my Sunday School class on the 3 gifts listed that were brought by the Magi (Wise Men) to Jesus in Bethlehem. Admittedly I had thought, "Gold? Yes, I can see that. Frankincense? Uhm....... whatever. Myrrh? What is myrrh anyway?

In our culture we lose what these last two gifts actually are. To the audience that the Gospels were originally written there would have been no denying what these other two, seemingly lesser to us, gifts actually were.

I just wanted to briefly highlight the significance of each of these gifts. This is in no way exhaustive, but I would encourage you to do a deeper study to open the deeper meanings within these three "gifts".

Gold, as we know in our culture, is very valuable. I have seen, in my lifetime, gold increase in value from $39/ ounce to nearly $2,000/ ounce in 2011. That is a large range, but it shows how much value we place on material things. Of course, even in the days of Christ gold had great value, probably more than today as it was much harder to come by. Today we have heavy excavating equipment removing tons of dirt to filter out mere ounces of gold. There are even reality shows, such as Gold Rush, that chronicle the elusive search for the riches contained in the Earth. Just watch an episode or two of this series and you will see just how difficult it is to mine gold. It is not easy. So, I look at how valuable and scarce gold must have been 2,000 years ago and understand that you couldn't walk to your corner Zales and purchase a gold ring or necklace.


Gold in the days of Christ was, for the most part, owned by the elite, wealthy and royalty. So, the gift of gold was to signify that Jesus was royalty, the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16). 

Frankincense is one that we lose out on, because it has no perceived "value" in our society. We think, "Oh great, they brought Jesus incense." But when you realize what frankincense was to the audience of Matthew 2:11 it begins to open up a bit and reveal much more.
Frankincense was used in temple ceremonies as part of the worship to God. This was prevalent in the Old Testament, but was also mentioned in the New Testament, Jesus' time, as well. Our understanding of O.T. worship ceremonies is not really good, but the N.T. also uses this same type of worship ceremony (Matthew 2:11). We also know that the name frankincense in the Hebrew language meant "white", which we can also assume stood for purity. Putting all that together allows us to see that the gift of frankincense was an act of worship to Jesus the Messiah.

The last gift on the list was myrrh. This one was always a mystery to me. Even the name sounds odd and the spelling is quite odd in our English spelling. Myrrh is mentioned 16 times in the KJV version of the bible and as many as 19 in other versions (ESV). We know the myrrh was a spice and that it's most common use was as a perfume. Also, it was used during the burial rituals after the bodies were wrapped, the myrrh was applied. This was more than likely done to help mask the odors that would emanate from the body as it decomposed in the tombs. We also know that it was a very valuable commodity in the days the bible was being written.
If you read Matthew 26:6-13 you see the story of a lady that did something that some of the disciples got a little upset about. This lady, in the house of Simon the leper, came to Jesus and poured, what is believed to be, myrrh on the head of Jesus. They began to rebuke this lady for "wasting" the oil that she had poured upon Jesus' head and that it should have instead been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus stopped their rebuke and said; "“Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

We can then start to see that the gift of myrrh was to signify that Jesus would die, that He would be our Sacrifice. The myrrh was somewhat of a prophetic gift to the babe in Bethlehem. The obscure view that we have in the 21st Century would have meant very much to the readers of Matthew 2:11. Our view in this, as a side note to the gifts, means we must always look at the context of whom the bible was written. We cannot try to force into scripture our 21st Century lifestyles and instead should first look at the original audience and their understanding.
So, we now see a whole different and wonderful meaning to the gifts of the Magi. Instead of just simply being gold and a couple other expensive things we can see that each gift pointed to something wonderful about Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He was royalty, He was being worshiped and He was our sacrifice. No longer will I look upon the gifts as I have my entire life, I will see their beauty in proclaiming to the world that "God is with us!"

(As a side note: nowhere in scripture are there "3 wise men" listed. This is an assumption made because there were 3 gifts listed. The gifts would also be used by Mary and Joseph as they fled to Egypt to finance their journey and life in Egypt.)

Christmastime: How Dareth Thou?

Ahhhhh. It's that time of the year. The time that the leaves are falling from the trees, signaling the arrival of fall, quickly followed by winter and Christmas. But hark, who goes there? Christians celebrating the coming of the Messiah? What? That cannot be! Who dares to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; the greatest Miracle ever?

The chiding actually started on Facebook around Halloween time. I saw a scattering of posts deriding believers (in name only or actually true Christians) for joining in the celebration and festivities of Halloween, then quickly followed with "Yeah, they are the same ones that celebrate the pagan holiday of Christmas too". I admit, I never heard of the "pagan holiday of Christmas" until I joined Facebook a few years ago and had the privilege of coming across those that thought this way. Never did I know that I was bowing down to a idol when I set up a tree, put decorations around the house or gave gifts to people that I love. I was ignorant of such things being "pagan" and quickly learned that I may not actually be a Christian if I did, indeed, celebrate Christmas.

Wow! I was actually in shock and started doing some research. It seems that the celebration of Christ's birth was celebrated before moving the date to December 25th and was moved to that date to try and dissuade pagans from celebrating a false idol and instead show them who the true God is. So, the argument became "You celebrate a pagan ritual/ celebration of a sun god" and anyone who celebrates Christmas was indeed taking part in worshiping that god and there was no way that they could celebrate the coming of the Savior on that day. I wrote on some of this last year and just recently found out that I was incorrect in something, the celebrations by Christians was not an "alternative" to the sun-god worship. The celebration of Christ's birth was already taking place, only the date was changed to coincide with December 25th's pagan celebration.

I am still in the mindset I was last year: Christmas has been commercialized to a very high degree by the fallen culture we live in. Now, what do Christians do with that? Do they not celebrate Christmas because the lost society has "paganized" it? Or do Christians continue to celebrate the coming of the Savior? I'd say the latter, but with the assumption that everything situated around the holiday is Christ focused and honoring. So, pretty much the same as any other day of the year for a follower of Christ, but with one small bonus- We get the chance to actually tell others and show others what Christmas really is. We get a "free ticket" to be able to interject the story of Christmas and therefor tell why Jesus came to this Earth in the first place - to save sinners like us. We get a chance to tell the Gospel to folks that would normally not give you the time or day to do so.

Now, what about those that want to tell me that I am "participating in pagan sun-god worship"? I say: "Really?" These folks are under some very bad misunderstandings. I would like to know the process that leads someone to this viewpoint. I would like to know why they use pagan ways (Windows/ Bill Gates product or Mac OS/ Steve Jobs product) daily in bible study, work or entertainment and see nothing wrong with that. How can you shop at stores that have pagan owners, have pagan workers and buy pagan products and yet condemn a Christian (true or not) for celebrating Christ's birth? How can you call today Saturday when it is named after Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture? Or even venture out of your house on Sunday since that day was named after the Sun? I am not trying to throw a red-herring or straw-man in the mix, but simply show that many things around us may be "pagan" but that doesn't mean that we are pagan.

Take the Christmas season to show the love of Christ. If you choose not to celebrate Christmas, for whatever reason, then don't. Don't call someone a pagan because they do and I won't call you a Pharisee for trying to impose laws that are not there. Christ came to save us from sin. He lived a sinless and perfect life to atone for our sins. He died and shed His blood to wash us clean and I will tell that in any way I can, as much as I can, to whoever I can....... Even on December 25th.

In Search Of Christmas

Over the past couple of years there has been a struggle inside of me around this time of year. What is that? About Christmas. Why is that? The commercialization? Not really, but that does play part of my thought process during the Holiday Season.

I had a great talk today with dear brother in Christ, Whitt Madden, about an article that I posted on Facebook yesterday about Christmas. This article pretty much summed up a lot of what has been going on within me lately. To put it frankly, I am torn. I am battling 43 years of instilled holiday cheer with Christmas as it really is, where it is rooted and what it has become.

To sum up the battle in a few words - Christmas did not start out as a “Christian Holiday” (Holy Day), it began as a pagan festival in recognition of the sun’s position during the winter solstice. The Roman Catholic church did not like this and began to “Christianize” the festival and pull the congregation back from the worship of Saturn, the sun god. I will not rehash what is common on the web with all that was added or “Christianized” in the process, but much of it is still seen this day in same or slightly changed forms (Yule log, tree, etc.) Fast forward to our day and society has thrown Christmas back to pagan rituals with worship of money, giving gifts, receiving gifts, decorations, family get togethers, and so many more rituals that now begin even before Halloween.

So, what is Christmas this day and age? It is not a reverence to a sun god, but it is definitely still not reverence to the Son of God and His birth either. It is a mish-mash of Roman Catholic traditions (Christ-Mas, being the most obvious) and the love of “me” (what can I do to make me feel better (give gifts,, etc), what will I get this year, how pretty can I make my tree, how many people can I feed, how many people will come to my house, and on and on). But Christ is nowhere to be found.

Am I ready to throw in the towel for Christmas? Not entirely, but to continue in how the world “celebrates” Christmas, yes. I have seen both sides of this argument played out last year and starting to see it this year. In the one camp are the staunch “You better not be celebrating Christmas - it is pagan and you definitely can’t be a Christian and celebrate Christmas - you are a heretic” contrasted with the other camp “I love Christmas time of year, family, fun, giving, singing, mistletoe, Christmas tree up before Halloween, spiced cider. Oh, and Jesus too” camp that thinks the other camp is nuts for calling them nuts and back and forth. Ughhhhh. Alas, I fit into neither camp, but somewhere in between.

I am so thankful for brothers like Whitt that God has placed in my life. He has had very similar convictions as I have (as well as others around me too). After speaking with him today I think he had the most Christ centered reaction to Christmas I have ever heard - let it be about Christ and His glory. How novel is that? Instead of giving electronics or toys that will be forgotten or broken in a few days or weeks, give that money to Cure International and watch God work through that gift to show Christ to someone in need of medical attention. Do not give a gift that does not point to Christ, either directly or that will bring people together in the Name of Christ. Some things could be bibles, hand made devotionals, donations to Cure, donation to World Vision to buy livestock for families in impoverished areas, donation to Heart Cry Missionary Society to support indigenous missionaries across the world, donations to your local Church or ministry, giving your time to Christ based missions to show the love of Christ to others. So many ways that can make an eternal impact FOR the Kingdom rather than temporary splashes that will be gone tomorrow and have no impact whatsoever.

At Whitt’s website, Be The Domino, he is a few days in to a series called “Give This Christmas Away”. I highly suggest that you check out this series and let the heart of this series impact you. Go to God and pray how He would use you to give Him away this Christmas season instead of an iTunes gift card or blu-ray player or even a baby doll. Give a gift in someone’s name to a Christ based ministry, give that person a card and inscribe in it how that the money normally spent on the superficial is now being placed in the hands of God to do the Supernatural in someone’s life. Who knows what eternal impacts can be made from Christ focused giving this year and years to come.

I know that my focus on Christmas has evolved and is continuing to be sanctified and brought into a more Christ focused view. I will not, however, be calling anyone a heretic that continues to “celebrate” as I always did nor will I be confused over the other extreme in pointing the finger back and calling people “scrooge” for shunning the “pagan rituals” of this land. As all other aspects of my life I wish to glorify the Lord in this, especially since the Holiday was given His Name.

Day 198: Christmas In January

The Christmas program was delayed at church in December due to inclimate weather and was instead held this evening. Why not? We should be celebrating the birth of our Savior daily, along with His life and His redemptive work on our behalf. These all are integral parts of the gospel and we often only focus on any one of those aspects at a given time.

When Christmas is thought of it always is about he birth of Christ. Not much is thought about the other aspects of the life of Christ. Then we have Easter where His death and resurrection are thought of. Then, for the remainder of the year, most people go into church hibernation and only show up occasionally. Sad thing is that most of these people claim to be Christians. Fact is they are probably not.

I suggest that celebrations of Christ be full. Include each aspect, tell of Christ's redeeming work on Calvary during Christmas. Tell of Christ's birth and sinless life at Easter. Tell of all His goodness each and every day of your life. Never pass on an opportunity to share Jesus with someone. Sow seeds constantly and watch for the opportunities to do so daily. God gives us those chances, but most of the time we are so focused inwardly and just going about normal life that we miss them. Get in tune with the Lord and ask Him to allow you to recognize what He lays before you. I am fairly sure He will and you will be used.

It is as simple as making yourself available. Be in constant submission to His leadership and I promise you will be used of God.

Day 176: Christmas Day 2010

Had a really good day with the family today. We met at my Mom's house for lunch and opened gifts and had some good times. My brother was not able to make it in this year from Chattanooga, but would've had some slippery travel if he did. We received about 3" of snow and had the first white Christmas that I can remember of late.

Any time is a good time when you can get folks together to share in the Savior. I know that many people celebrated Christmas today without knowing who Christ truly is. Many that did are deceived in their sin and likewise do not know the true and risen Savior. The modern gospel takes a heavy tole on many people.

Those that truly know Christ need to step up and be the slaves that we are. Proclaim the Word in season and out of season to the glory of God. Stand up against the lies that permeate churches across the world and lift up the King. If we only believed that our friends and families would spend eternity in hell we would speak more openly and diligently about the True God of scripture.

I pray that He burdens me with this and uses it to open my mouth more. I pray that He pricks your hearts to speak boldly as we are told to do in scripture. Not this wishy washy stuff that is prevalent, not the name it and claim it or "God has a wonderful plan for your life" kinds of messages. Stand true to His Word and proclaim His Lordship over all. He is the Reason for every Season. His Name is above all Names. Now GO! Live life like that is true.

Day 175: White Christmas

It's a white Christmas this year for my general area of the U.S. This is something that doesn't happen very often, so it is pretty cool when it does. We have about 3" on the ground right now, as I type and possibly a little more overnight and tomorrow. So, it is officially a white Christmas.

Now that it has happened, why is it such a big deal? I mean it is beautiful to see God drape His creation in a spotless white blanket, but why do people associate it with Christmas? Why do people want to make a big deal about it? I have no idea and a quick internet search did not turn up any answers. If anyone knows the answer of why it is desired, let me know. And not "because I want a white Christmas".

One thing that must be the focus of anything with Christmas is Christ. Not only His birth, but also His sinless life and His death on the cross for our sins. You can not exclude any part of Christs life on earth when celebrating Him. Without the purpose of the cross and His sacrifice, there would have been no cradle.

I guess Christmas has become just a commercialized machine as of late. Retailers trying to outdo each other with "bargains", selling decoration in the stores even before Halloween, Black Friday extravaganzas. That is only the commercialized part. On the consumer part, the retailers could do nothing like they do without the financing of their customers. People always try to outdo one another with giving, decorating, singing, participating in festivities or whatever else people do just because. Most of the things people do are from tradition and because their parents did it. I mean why do we decorate trees? Hang lights? Wrap presents? Use stockings to put small gifts in? Kiss under the mistletoe? Why do we do what we do?

I plan on doing a fairly in depth study of the celebration of Christmas, beyond what I already know. By "already know" I mean all of the pagan influences from the early church to pull their members away from the sun celebration. I want to know how things were incorporated into the celebration of the Saviors birth. Once again, if anyone has substantiated wisdom on this please respond here or send me a message.

May the joy of the Lord flood each of your lives, not just at Christmas time, but throughout the year. He is not only the reason for the season, He is he Reason for everything! To God be the glory, great things He has done.

Day 170: Lights All Around

Sorry the picture is a little blurry today. I was taking it as I was stopping my vehicle. Just a random house on the road near my church, nothing "special" about the house itself. It did get me wondering about the reasons for the different decorations throughout the Christmas Season.

I have been told a few times lately that the Christmas tree is from a pagan ritual outlined in Jeremiah 10. I do not believe it, although it does bare some similarities. The biggest argument against that assertion is Jeremiah was written about some pagan practices long before Christmas trees were used. But, what about the lights, the garland, reds and greens, stockings by the fireplace, etc. Do all of these customs have pagan roots? Do they in any way convey what Christmas is supposed to represent?

I am well aware of the Winter Solstice pagan holiday that the early church wanted to draw their members away from. I am not sure though how much of that festival still has impact on Christmas traditions. I guess this blog post is the beginning of my investigation as my curiosity has been piqued.

If anyone knows the reasons for decorating your house with lights, kissing under the mistletoe or any of the other things I mentioned are, please leave a comment on this blog and enlighten us. Also, please leave any links that may also help with a better understanding. I will also look and do some investigating and will either add to this blog post or comment myself. I'd just like to know why people do certain things. Why are so many seemingly non-Christ focused held in such esteem and why they are even a part of what should be a Christian Holiday. Why the extra "baggage" of these things and why not the call to focus on the Savior?

Oh, Santa Clause information is not needed unless it pertains to some other decoration or helps understanding of one of the things I listed. I did the "Santa thing" throughout my life, but I was unconverted the whole time. At this point I do not think I would subject any kids to the persona of Santa.

Day 169: The Costs Of Relevancy

I want to start this post off with a disclaimer: I love Hobby Lobby. I love the fact that the business is based on Christian principles and is ran in accordance to scripture. I love the fact that they are closed on Sundays. I love the fact that they carry Christian themed items. I really love that they are actually on the less expensive side of the line as well.

Now, with that being said and without me trying to bash Hobby Lobby I must continue. My picture today is of a cross. Not just any cross, but a cross made to look like hot peppers. This was on the shelf display with other pepper items. Just as they have a cowboy shelf with a rustic cross with barbed wire, this particular shelf catered to those with a unction for spicy red peppers.

This is a classic case of going a little too far with relevancy in order to "fit in" with a certain decor or persons taste. The Christian Cross is a sacred thing, where Christ paid for the sins of humanity, pouring out His blood for a thankless world. Taking the image of the Cross and making it into something whimsical like red peppers is not a good thing. I would not go as far as saying it is heretical, but it is showing a lack of regard for what the Cross signifies.

Once again, I am not bashing Hobby Lobby. They have many wonderful items in their stores and I will not stop shopping there because of this item. I do hope it was an oversight in the purchasing department's decision making. Maybe it was a lumped in purchase with other items, who knows? I just do not think it is appropriate as a Cross.

I will close by saying thank you to Hobby Lobby for standing on the Truths of God. Thank you for not giving in to the world and the present evil age. Thank you for publicly stating that God is the focus of your business. Thank you for allowing your employees the opportunity to worship on Sundays. Thank you for the full page advertisements across the USA wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, especially in this "politically correct" society. It is the Hobby Lobby role model I would build my business after if I ever had a business. Thank you and may God continue to bless Hobby Lobby.

Day 159: The Controversies of Christmas

All I can say is WOW!I have never seen so much talk about the controversies of celebrating Christmas and other "issues" pertaining to the Christmas season. I have been part of conversations about using "X" instead of Christ when writing Christmas (ie. XMas), the use of trees during the celebration of Christmas and even the celebration of Christmas at all. Needless to say, I am perplexed at a lot of views. I will break each of these down for you and tell you the "issues" surrounding them.

I'll start with a big peeve of mine. Using "X" in Christmas. Yes, I know the origins. Yes, I also know that you are not Greek and that the X is probably the only abbreviation you use. So, why use it at all? Wouldn't the Greeks be wrong in shortening Christ to X as well? It is like using "C" in English to abbreviate Christ. Why not carry it further and use "O" for God? After all that's what the first letter of the Greek word for Theos is. Rationalize however you want, but it is still abbreviating Christ, no matter how you look at it. It is a step in the wrong direction and yes, I am sure that God minds.

Next is the use of Christmas trees. Seems like there are a few that want to link the use of Christmas trees to Jeremiah 10 -
Jeremiah 10:2-4
“ Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.

First off, when this was written Christmas trees were not even being used, since Jesus had not even been born yet. Second of all, this is not a warning against Christians using Christmas trees. These verses deal with actual worship of these adorned trees, as gods. So, get a grip, smack yourself around a little bit and remember that taking verses out of context is a big no-no.

Lastly, I have heard objections of even celebrating Christmas because it is a pagan holiday. Once again, I am well versed in the origins of the pagan festivals on the Winter Solstice and the worship of the sun god. Good thing I do not worship the sun or think the Winter Solstice any different than any other day or time. So, whew, I'm off the hook now. Well, apparently not. They then throw in that the Christmas season is so overly commercialized and we shouldn't participate in that. Once again, good thing I am not like "everyone" or they might have me there.

The Christmas season has been very commercialized over the past several decades and there is no end in sight. But should this dissuade people from celebrating the birth of the Savior? Even if it did not happen on December 25th? I would liken it to any Sunday morning church service across the globe. Will I stop going to church simply because most of those lining the pews on Sunday morning would really rather be somewhere else, doing something else, are recuperating from a hangover or just there to make an appearance so they will look holy? Heaven forbid I base what I do, say or believe on what the lost and perishing of this world are doing. I celebrate the birth of the Savior that died and shed His blood to cover my sins. What the stores and throngs of people do to commercialize this day will have to be answered for by them.

About 15 years ago, + or - a few years, while still unconverted I wrote a poem about the X in Christmas. I was unconverted at the time, but still felt it wrong that Christ was being replaced by an X. I was raised "in the church" after all and even though I was still under the burden of sin God had granted me the grace to see that it was wrong. Now I will be inundated with comments or remarks buy people telling me how the Greek this and the Greek that, but however you try to justify it does not make it right. Those that profess Christ should want Him forefront in anything and everything and want His Name proclaimed - not an X. People fight tooth and nail defending this practice and all the while are digging a deeper hold to crawl out of. Why would someone that has been forgiven by the grace of God and blood of Christ want to remove mention of His Name? Why would they do it for convenience sake? It makes no sense at all. If you are one of those then please pray about what you are doing. The lost and perishing see professing Christians do this and think it is fine.

I do have a question. Why do people say "ex-mas"? Is it because the "x" is short for Christ? Because in my estimation as a non English major (and one who talks like a hick anyway) that saying "ex" and saying Christ take about the same time, use about the same amount of breath and have the same amount of syllables.

Here is my poem that I wrote. Please feel free to use it in any way, but please not me as the author ans if you use it on the web link back to here.

Who Put the X in Christmas
Who put the X in Christmas ?
I ask myself today .
Who forgets the reason ,
And puts our Christ away ?
Who are the ignorant ones ,
That replace His name in vain ?
Each time I see the blasphemy ,
I hang my head in shame .
As I look upon my Christmas tree ,
And the star that's placed up high .
I think of what He gave for us ,
And for the ignorant my heart does cry .
It's been many , many years ago ,
But Christ will always be .
How great our God that gave His Son ,
That died on the cross for me .
Just one thing I'll say to you ,
And I think you will agree .
Without our Christ in Christmas ,
Just another day it would be .
Jeffery Guill

Day 136: The Truth? In Advertisements

The ads/ circulars are starting to appear heavier in the Sunday papers. Of course, this is leading up to the biggest, baddest, busiest shopping day of the year - Black Friday. Ooohhhh, do you get shivers from those two words being used together? Other than Joy Behars not so bright assumption that it is negative (since it uses the word "black" in its name) Black Friday is when retailers have traditionally gone into the "black" as far as sales go. Which is opposite to in the "red" or negative. (Video below of Behar's not so assertion on Black Friday)

Retailers now get more outlandish with the offers and add to the chaos that surrounds the day. The lines start forming earlier each year, sometimes right after Thanksgiving Dinner if there is an exceptional deal to be had. The stores even have workers passing out coffee and donuts to those in line as the countdown ticks away to the mad rush for that elusive deal. The retailers add to this frenzy by offering rock bottom pricing on a few items to just people in the door. I guess this works because the stores and malls are packed throughout the day.

I admit that there is a little bit of an adrenaline rush that comes with the thrill of the chase. But as I get older, and wiser, Black Friday shopping becomes less and less appealing to me. Only if there is something I can't get now or will not be stocked later will I venture out into the wild of the packs of shoppers. I am not a crowd person anyway, so I can wait.

One thing you will notice on the advertisement I pictured is Best Buy's willingness to include all religions holidays on the front of their paper. The most prominent on this one is a Muslim holiday called Eid al-Adha, which is the celebration of Abraham's willingness to offer up to sacrifice Ishmael, his son. But wait a minute, doesn't the bible say that Abraham was going to offer up Isaac? Why, yes, it does. So something is not meshing here, was it Ishmael or Isaac? I am 100% with the bible and say Isaac, but this is the fight that has raged for many years. I am not going into the arguments here, but I do suggest that you do your own study into this.

Along the bottom of the ad you will also see Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa. Best Buy is really trying to please everyone with this method of advertising. I guess it is working for them, since they are the nations largest electronics retailer. This just follows the thinking of most people anyway. That all religions are equally valid, that they all follow the same god, etc. My answer to that - Jesus Christ declared that He is the only way to the Father in John 14:6. That is Jesus Himself speaking there, God in the flesh. So, do you believe that statement? If not and you think that the other worlds religions are just "another way" to God you are not a Christian. That is a very plainly laid out, black and white fact.

But what about the ad with all the other holidays? Should Christians be upset with Best Buy? Should Best Buy be boycotted by the AFA? Should other stores that just say "Happy Holiday" be boycotted? Sure, if you feel that conviction, but I will not tell you to do that or not to do that. To me it is simple and falls into the category that most people are sinners on their way to hell, we can't push Christian principles onto a lost person, we can't clean up a sinner and make them appear to be Christians. Sinners sin, which makes it their nature to deny the God of Christianity. But as far as shopping, consult your own conscious for that answer. I will walk around this Christmas Season as I have others, saying Merry Christmas to those I see regardless if they say Happy Kwanzaa or Happy Holiday.

Merry Christmas - Proclaim His Goodness

Luke 2:10-14 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.


As Christmas morning approaches each year and I see more and more of the secularizing of this great Holiday I am drawn more to what Christmas is all about. We are all aware that December 25th is not the actual birthday of Jesus. Science actually tells us it was probably mid-summer, but does the date really matter? Are we to be celebrating the "day" or are we to be celebrating the Love of God that would send us His Son, that would 33 years later take His wrath upon Him for our sins? Your sins, my sins. The significance of December 25th should be it is a common day that we, as Christians, set aside to do just that, Celebrate our Lord and Saviour.

But don't forget the reason for Christ's birth in your celebrations. What better day to share the message of Christ, His Gospel, to an unsaved family member or friend? As Christians we are ambassadors for Christ in every situation and especially at Christmas time, when most of the world uses it as an excuse to throw a party and tip back a few (probably more than a few) drinks and eat a whole bunch, we have the duty to proclaim the real Reason for the season. The reason is not to party, not to eat, not to give or receive Christmas gifts, but to celebrate The Gift, Christ.

You already have an opening to the evangelical conversation. "Merry Christmas!" is the ultimate "ice breaker" as Way of the Master puts it. It is an entry, a reason to spark a conversation about things Spiritual. Share your testimony of what Christs birth, His death and His resurrection means to you. Explain Christs propitiation for us. Explain repentance and the TRUTH of the Gospel Message. Do not let this Christmas pass without sharing the greatest Gift with someone you love.

Also keep in mind that not all that profess Christ are really His. Don't let Uncle Bubby tell you that he "took care of it a long time ago" or that he's "got his ticket" or "he said that prayer" or "walked the aisle" when he was a kid. If his fruits aren't in alignment with the Word of God, he is as lost as your Christmas turkey. Share with him the TRUTH of the Word, not what man has distorted to accommodate their sins. The Word is clear that if you are fiends of the World you are and enemy of God James 4:4. Treat the professing Christian the same as any other lost person, because they are lost too, much more deceived, but just as lost. Pray that the Spirit will give you the words to say and He will. Let His will be done this day. Share Him with those you love and if by the off chance everyone in your family is a truly born again Christian, stop by a gas station and share Christ with those poor people that have to spend their Christmas Day working.

May the Lord Bless you all this day and every day!
Merry Christmas!

Glenn Beck's Version Of Christmas

So, I never jumped on the Glenn Beck bandwagon like a lot of professing Christians have done. Sure, he may have some good moral qualities about him and have a national voice, but more than that he serves a FALSE god!

So many professing Christians are ready to throw in the towel and concede that they are following a false god as well. Oh sure, they may not readily come out and say it, but their actions and endorsements of folks like Beck speak a lot louder than any words they may utter. They have been clamoring to Beck’s aid and defending this guy for a while now. I’m sorry (actually I’m not), but a person’s moral characteristics are not worth bending God’s Word over. 1 Cor 5:11 comes to mind right now as I type.

So where is this latest Beck love coming from these days? Apparently he has a “showing” of his tale of “The Christmas Sweater” playing across the nation. One such place will be here in my city. I am sure that many professing Christians will be lining up to hear Beck’s version of Christmas. So why is this offensive to me? Is this not any different than any other person that is not truly a Christian talking about Christmas? Actually this mans Christ is a lie. So yes, there is a huge difference. The American culture has now been desensitized to Mormonism/ LDS and Glenn Beck has been a major factor in this. So many people want to stick up for him because he may say some things that resemble what they have heard on Sunday mornings sitting in a pew. Do I know what Beck says in his books, on the air, in concerts? No, and I won’t be any time soon unless it’s for research to show his heretical views of God.

I can’t tell you how upsetting it is to see people fawn over something that is straight from the pits of hell. Actually I see it every day here in the bible belt as many blaspheme God’s Name by saying they are Christians. These same people that are laying hold of Mormonism are the same one’s that were “saved” in their youth but have lived like the world ever since, the one’s that walked an aisle and were deemed saved by a popeish declaration from a preacher or evangelist, the same one’s that are partying on Saturday and falling asleep in the pews Sunday morning. 2 Thess 2:3 says there must be great falling away before the end is near. Could this be part of that? I think it is, so on second thought maybe I am getting a little too upset about this seeing how my Saviors return is eminent.

But for some reason it nags at me, things like this. I am so compelled to speak out against heretical doctrines that are rampant. Are you? Does it bother you when a co-worker tells you in one breath that they are a Christian, but in the next breath are talking about their live-in girlfriend that God brought to him to live together? Or the “evangelists” on TV that preach a prosperity gospel, that is no gospel at all, but a pathway for their pockets to become fat. Or how about those that tell you that you can have your best life now or that Christianity needs to be reinvented for this culture? The Rob Bells, Rick Warrens, Joel Osteens and Brian McLarens of this age are straight from the very pit Satan will call home for eternity.

So that’s the problem, in a round about way. Glenn beck is a puppet for the enemy and he is lulling professing believers away from any hope they may have ever had at a true relationship with the Father. What about the answer? Well, there are 2. You can preach the Word of God in season OR you can preach it out of season. Just preach it, the True Gospel of Christ. Get into the Word, get a study partner or group, go out evangelizing, pass out tracts at the line for “The Christmas Sweater”, pass out tracts and talk to people during your towns Christmas parade, talk to your loved ones about Christ, just don’t sit there and be okay with this. If you are okay with this, then my heart bleeds for your soul as well. If you do nothing then you are actually doing a lot… for the enemy. It is time for true followers of Christ to take a stand, to not is a denial of Him Mat 10:32-33, 2 Tim 2:12, Rom 16:17-20, Mar 8:38.

I’ll end with a quote from C.H. Spurgeon for those that are on the fence about any of this:

"Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that. The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others. He will be like the brave fireman, who cares not for the scorch or the heat, so that he may rescue the poor creature on whom true humanity has set its heart. If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for."

Merry Christmas To You All

Luke 2:10-14 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.


Good Morning and Merry Christmas to you and yours.

As Christmas morning approaches each year and I see more and more of the secularizing of this great Holiday I am drawn more to what Christmas is all about. We are all aware that December 25th is not the actual birthday of Jesus. Science actually tells us it was probably mid-summer, but does the date really matter? Are we to be celebrating the "day" or are we to be celebrating the Love of God that would send us His Son, that would 33 years later take His wrath upon Him for our sins? Your sins, my sins. The significance of December 25th should be it is a common day that we, as Christians, set aside to do just that, Celebrate our Lord and Saviour.

But don't forget the reason for Christ's birth in your celebrations. What better day to share the message of Christ, His Gospel, to an unsaved family member or friend? As Christians we are ambassadors for Christ in every situation and especially at Christmas time, when most of the world uses it as an excuse to throw a party and tip back a few (probably more than a few) drinks and eat a whole bunch, we have the duty to proclaim the real Reason for the season. The reason is not to party, not to eat, not to give or receive Christmas gifts, but to celebrate The Gift, Christ.

You already have an opening to the evangelical conversation. "Merry Christmas!" is the ultimate "ice breaker" as Way of the Master puts it. It is an entry, a reason to spark a conversation about things Spiritual. Share your testimony of what Christs birth, His death and His resurrection means to you. Explain Christs propitiation for us. Explain repentance and the TRUTH of the Gospel Message. Do not let this Christmas pass without sharing the greatest Gift with someone you love.

Also keep in mind that not all that profess Christ are really His. Don't let Uncle Bubby tell you that he "took care of it a long time ago" or that he's "got his ticket" or "he said that prayer" or "walked the aisle" when he was a kid. If his fruits aren't in alignment with the Word of God, he is as lost as your Christmas turkey. Share with him the TRUTH of the Word, not what man has distorted to accommodate their sins. The Word is clear that if you are fiends of the World you are and enemy of God James 4:4. Treat the professing Christian the same as any other lost person, because they are lost too, much more deceived, but just as lost. Pray that the Spirit will give you the words to say and He will. Let His will be done this day. Share Him with those you love and if by the off chance everyone in your family is a truly born again Christian, stop by a gas station and share Christ with those poor people that have to spend their Christmas Day working.

May the Lord Bless you all this day and every day!
Merry Christmas!

Office Christmas Parties and Professing Christians

Well, the Christmas season is upon us and with that comes the office Christmas parties. Some of these are good, some are bad and some are just downright ugly. Oh there is the other kind as well, the non-existent one. That’s the kind my job has, although they do give us an extended lunch period the day before Christmas Eve and we all bring something to eat, a pot-luck if you will. Don’t get me wrong, I am very appreciative of the extended lunchtime and most of the food brought is good.

A lot of office Christmas parties are nothing more than an excuse to have a party. By party I mean drinking alcohol. I attended my wife’s office party this past weekend and really felt like a outcast. I am by no means a conversationalist, especially with people I do not know and about things I do not have any desire to talk about. This night was a prime example of that. For those of you that think I'm quiet, you would have thought I was comatose had it not been for the occasional drink of the diet soda. The closest thing that even resembled a conversation I had was with someone that attends my former church (read my other blog entries to see the state of this church). I asked them how things were going there, with all the changes taking place, etc. I knew they would be very vague because they only graced the church with there presence every now and then.

I went into the evening with the desire to be a faithful witness and actually preach a little bit. Most of these people are professing Christians, but you would have had a hard time picking them out from the others. Drinking, cussing and talking about men (from the ladies) were the status quo of the night. I did pass out a few gospel tracts during the parade that was taking place outside before I partook of the hors devours and joined my wife upstairs at C.C. Cohen’s in downtown Paducah.

So why am I writing about this? I guess it’s to vent, somewhat. I have to continually remind myself “Sinners are going to be sinners. They are going to sin. They aren’t spiritual, the do not want anything to do with God”. It’s a really hard thing to do when they claim to be Christians. It is blasphemous to profess Christ and live like the world. I saw the real deal hypocrites in full force that night. Well, until the Christian doctor in the practice showed up and everyone seemed to change very quickly in what they were saying, what they were drinking, etc. Although when he and his wife did show up I felt a kinship for the first time that night.

As Christians we are supposed to distance ourselves from the worldly things. James 4:4 says that to be friends with this world is to be an enemy of God. Matt. 5:13-16 says that we are the salt and light of the world and we are to let our lights shine to glorify God. I know some will say “Well, you have to be out in the world to share the gospel.” And that is true, you have to spread the Word, but should you be doing so to people that are under the influence of alcohol? Not drunk, but “feeling good” as they call it. Matt 7:6 says that we are not to give that which is Holy to dogs or cast pearls before swine. Is this what that verse means? Not to spread the seed in places that are not tilled yet? But, maybe instead, do a little tilling, preparation for the sharing of the Gospel? In my experience, telling someone that is drunk about Christ would be like casting pearls before swine – they would not and could not appreciate what is being told to them, they would dismiss it as soon as you open your mouth.

That night I was out of my element. My element has been to be around mutually edifying brothers and sisters that love the things of God. We do go out and witness and yes, it is in areas that sinners frequent, but not in a bar, strip club or casino. There are obviously sinners at all of those places, but they are all one huge pigsty. The pearls of Truth would be trampled on in the mud of the flashing lights and cigarette smoke. I have heard of people saying that it is o.k. to go to a bar to witness. My question is – where do you draw the line on sinful places to go to for witnessing? Do you also go to the strip clubs? The casinos? How about the porn shops? Maybe just go into a Mormon Temple or Jehovah’s Witness church? Those places are houses for the demons and if you enter in one of them you better be prepared for spiritual warfare. But then again, maybe they are no worse than the majority of professing Christian churches out there as well, that have created their own god that allows them to frequent those kinds of establishments because they are living under grace and only have to ask to be forgiven. O how that makes my blood boil to hear someone say that.

This post has really gone on a different direction than planned, which often is the case with me. Eclectic at best, but prayerfully, informative and relatable. I guess I should really start using an outline and sticking to it. Nah!

Who Put The X In Christmas? A Poem By Me.

Every year I send out this poem that I wrote several years ago. It was probably 10+ years ago as I was driving around my hometown of Paducah and was noticed several marquees that had "Merry Xmas" and "Xmas Sale" on them. I was getting somewhat upset because, to me, this is blasphemous. You are replacing Christ with an X. The whole reason for Christmas is abbreviated out of convenience and it upsets me.

I have even had arguments online about this, once with a person that claimed to have been a biblical student. I can't remember if he said he was a pastor or had just studied Greek, in which his instructor had told them to abbreviate Christ as X in their notes and studies. This may be so, but in my neck of the woods it's just blatant blasphemy. Please don't ever abbreviate CHRISTmas.

Here is the poem I wrote. It was written before I was truly converted, but I suppose God was already working on me back then too.

Who Put the X in Christmas
Who put the X in Christmas ?
I ask myself today .
Who forgets the reason ,
And puts our Christ away ?
Who are the ignorant ones ,
That replace His name in vain ?
Each time I see the blasphemy ,
I hang my head in shame .
As I look upon my Christmas tree ,
And the star that's placed up high .
I think of what He gave for us ,
And for the ignorant my heart does cry .
It's been many , many years ago ,
But Christ will always be .
How great our God that gave His Son ,
That died on the cross for me .
Just one thing I'll say to you ,
And I think you will agree .
Without our Christ in Christmas ,
Just another day it would be .