Where there is Light, there can be no darkness !

The Day is near. Christmas 2009 is less than 24 hours away. Christmas is much more than a day, a season or a collection of memories and rituals that families observe in December. Christmas for Christians, is a lens through which we endeavor to view all things -- the universe of our Creator and His purpose for us -- every day of the year.

However, it can be difficult at times to comprehend God's plan for us. After all, how are we to discern our minuscule role surrounded by the magnitude and enormity of His creation? In fact, in most families we can become so distracted by the daily challenges, demands and routines of living that we sometimes neglect to seek His purpose at all.

Sometimes we lose our bearing, direction, and begin to feel disconnected from God. That sense of separation can cause great distress in our lives.

What I have learned (at considerable personal cost) about being disconnected from God is that this division is always the result of my looking to the world for purpose, identity and value rather than our Creator. Inevitably, after some consternation, I awaken to the reality that our cultural compasses are perpetually disorienting. You always get lost!

Contemporary culture relentlessly encourages us, even seduces us, to irrevocably link our identity to its trappings -- what we do, what we have, who we're with, and the like. But all of these connections are temporal. In the end, if we take our bearings from the culture around us, we are destined to experience emptiness, which it then offers to fill with various distractions and forms of sedation.

We must look up before we look out -- we must look to God in order to understand His purpose for us in the world. Indeed, if we define our purpose in cultural terms, or worse, if we try to understand Him through the world's lens, we are destined to remain lost. Hebrews (11:1) says..... "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Do you ever feel distant and disconnected from God? In those times when we sense our Creator's absence, that sense is itself a strong affirmation of His presence. God has built into us a deep desire to know Him and to be in unity with Him. When we are not (and have not filled that void with cultural fodder), the emptiness we feel is ample confirmation of His presence. God is always near, even if temporarily obscured from our senses.

When we make God our North Star, we are guided precisely along the path He has prepared for us, even though we do not know where it will lead us. When we lose sight of our North Star, we must hold steady our direction until we find His guiding light again, correct our course and carry on.

God is a unique and special source of light. His light overtakes darkness only if we focus our eyes towards God and the things of God. We are always looking for light, for brightness, in a chaotic world dominated by darkness and false hopes. We tend to flirt along the edges of darkness, walking in deep shadows. “Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead." (Isaiah 59:10)

When we do open the eyes of our heart, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." (Isaiah 9:2)

Indeed, "Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart." (Psalm 97:11)

It is no small irony that a Christmas star guided the wise men from the East to the Christ child in Bethlehem: "After they had heard [Herod], they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." (Matthew 2:9-10)

The birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of ages old prophecies. Even in the generation of His time His closest friend the Apostle John wrote... "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." (John 1:9)

Jesus described himself in terms of light: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

And to those who follow him, he instructed: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

In the midst of all the daily activities in our homes during the Christmas season and everyday of the year, we must affirm and reaffirm that Jesus is the Light of the World. That He is our leader and our strength in a world filled with darkness. God provides... we can count on Him to always fulfill His promises and provide for our needs. Let your prayer this Christmas Day and every day afterward flow from grateful hearts and joyful spirits. Grateful in heart to our Provider and Joyful in spirit as a reflection of our gratitude for His unbounding love, mercy and grace.

This prayer, I believe, draws upon the essence of Christmas, upon the essence of God's gift to us. It calls on us to once again open our eyes and see the One True Light of the World... Jesus, the Christ.

In those moments when we feel apart from God and seem to have lost our way, we must ask ourselves, "Who or what am I serving?" That question will inevitably reveal some master we have lifted up from the culture around us. It compels us to examine where we are... walking in the shadows of darkness or in the light on God’s path to eternity.

Be thankful for Christmas and its true meaning. For it is one more chance to commit your life to our Lord and Savior.

I wish peace and God's blessing upon you and your family.
Merry Christmas!

Hark the Herald Angel... GOOD NEWS is Here... whether you like it or NOT!

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” —Luke 2:1-7 (ESV)

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.” —Isaiah 11:1-5

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth... And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” —John 1:14, 16-17

December seems somewhat unsuitable for the appearance of the promised hope of Christmas—the gospel message of the birth, life and purpose of Jesus. Why then is this month of long, cold nights proper for celebrating the “Dayspring from on high”?

The audacious claim of Christmas is that, to redeem us, God Himself came in the most vulnerable human form. Multiple prophecies foretold His birth in Bethlehem of a virgin mother, of the line of David. Each prophecy is more than a prediction; it is a promise. He is the Messiah, the Promised One, Emmanuel, who fulfills the promise of reconciliation for us with God. The long ages of alienation between man and God were at an end.

We lead fairly schizophrenic lives during the Christmas season in America. Our popular holiday rituals are bifurcated between the sacred and the secular; between the very worldly commercial extravaganza of Christmas as offered by retail department stores—when they have the courage to employ the word ‘Christmas’ — and recognize Christianity as celebrating the birth of Our Lord.

How reaffirming it would be to return to the good old days of our childhood, when civic centers and public buildings routinely featured not just decorated and lighted trees, snowmen and Santa Claus, but a Nativity scene depicting Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus and the Three Wise Men. No one was being asked to subscribe to belief in the divinity of Christ because of these displays, but it was an acknowledgement that the overwhelming majority of Americans celebrated the birth of this man, Jesus.

Today, Christianity and it’s leader Jesus Christ are routinely being removed from public view so as not to offend anyone uncomfortable with the implications of and true meaning of the Christmas season. One can’t help but wonder at the unevenness of this policy. Should Christians, Jews and Moslems take offense when Chinese restaurants feature statues of Buddha at their entryways? Should public buildings be forced to remove any Persian rugs that feature the prayer rug design, in fear that not doing so is somehow an endorsement of Islam? Should public museums remove any paintings that depict religious figures or themes? Should public orchestras and choruses be forbidden from playing Handel’s Messiah this year? Should corporations similarly worry that they shouldn’t be making donations that would be used to promote cultural celebrations of religious themes, in fear that they will antagonize non-believers or those of different religious faiths? Some people, no doubt, would answer yes to all these questions.

Forget “tis the season”... this is the “age” of being politically correct. The age of hyper-sensitivity to the religious images and themes of all things Christian. The increasingly successful effort to purge Christmas from our culture proceeds unabatted, uncontested, even by devoted Christians. Today, the municipal Christmas trees have been re-christened as ‘holiday trees,’ schools ban Christmas decorations and the singing of Christmas carols during holiday programs as as not to offend anyone not Christian. Christmas parades are now holiday parades and feature nothing that resembles a Nativity or refernece to Jesus. The ‘holiday’ celebrated by 95% of the American people at this time of the year is called Christmas. This feels like the tail wagging the dog... a very small minority of protestors with majority influence. How sad. Christmas means... “Mass of Christ”... it’s about the birth of the Savior of humanity... the Christ. So why is there so much division and divisiveness caused by a single day of remembrance of the birth of the Messiah? Because He said it would happen.

President Ronald Reagan understood the true meaning of the Christmas season as expressed in these words... “The Nativity story of nearly twenty centuries ago is known by all faiths as a hymn to the brotherhood of man. For Christians, it is the fulfillment of age-old prophecies and the reaffirmation of God’s great love for all of us. Through a generous Heavenly Father’s gift of His Son, hope and compassion entered a world weary with fear and despair and changed it for all time. On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ with prayer, feasting, and great merriment. But, most of all, we experience it in our hearts. For, more than just a day, Christmas is a state of mind. It is found throughout the year whenever faith overcomes doubt, hope conquers despair, and love triumphs over hate. It is present when men of any creed bring love and understanding to the hearts of their fellow man. The feeling is seen in the wondrous faces of children and in the hopeful eyes of the aged. It overflows the hearts of cheerful givers and the souls of the caring. And it is reflected in the brilliant colors, joyful sounds, and beauty of the winter season. Let us resolve to honor this spirit of Christmas and strive to keep it throughout the year.”

The concerted effort to minimize Christmas has resulted in it becoming our national Happy Holiday... holiday. The Christmas season is now the holiday season. Christmas parties are now holiday parties. Christmas is a time for giving and receiving presents and in many homes, nothing more. It’s no wonder so many non-Christians have no clue and wonder... "Who is this fellow, Jesus Christ, anyway?"

And for all Christians... it’s time to stand and be counted and be known as one of His people. Who is Jesus to you? Is He the “Good News” that came in human form? Is He a Jesus of your own design, crafted in your mind to suit your lifestyle? Or is He the Master of your life? Is He only the Christ of history and legend? Or is He the living, reigning Lord of Lords, King of Kings? Is Jesus only a small part of your life? Or is He your whole life? Is He your Lord?

Happy Holidays! Opps... I mean Merry Christmas!

Indifference and Apathy at Christmas

You are a professing Christian.... What happens when you no longer have a passion for the things of God?

Have you ever felt like skipping your daily devotional or prayer time? Have you ever wanted to stay home instead of going to church? Have you ever felt numb during worship, almost as if you weren’t actually there? Do you dread the season of the Christ... Christmas? If you have any of these feelings, then you’ve experienced apathy and indifference worming its way into your mind and heart.

Apathy is defined as “the absence or suppression of passion, emotion or excitement.” In our spiritual lives, it refers to a lack of emotion and passion for the things of God... and God Himself.

Indifference and apathy sneaks into our spiritual lives without our even realizing it’s destructive infiltration into our hearts and minds. But the signs of its presence are unmistakable: a lack of motivation and emotion, sometimes accompanied by the sense that we are spiritually drained and have no energy to renew our passion for God. The season of the Christ, Christmas, is more hardship than cause for reflection and joy.

The change occurred so slowly. You may not realize just how apathetic toward God you are becoming... until your passion for God is completely evaporated.

We may not want to believe that a “devoted” Christian could struggle with this condition, but it is a very common problem. Being “Christian” does not shield us from the attacks of the enemy. In fact, “being in Christ” makes professing believers the most vulnerable.

Your attitude towards Christmas can be an early sign of indifference and apathy, or it can be a final stage warning of personal spiritual desolation. Maybe you are feeling indifferent towards Christmas this year. Maybe you just don’t care about the season on any level.

The religious leaders of Jesus time were that way... apathetic and indifferent. When Herod heard the statement of the magi, that they had seen Jesus’ star, the Scripture says, in Matthew2:4... "And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born." In other words, all of the religious leaders of that day who were knowledgeable about the Scriptures and the prophesies concerning the coming Messiah were called together.

These were men who should have cared deeply about the coming of the Messiah. They answered Herod correctly. They told him of the prophecy of Micah, that the true Shepherd of Israel would come out of Bethlehem in the land of Judah. There can be little doubt that these religious leaders understood the significance of what the magi had said. It would seem that upon hearing this news, they should have at least been curious, if not excited about the possibility that the Messiah had indeed been born.

The Messiah was born. The Shepherd of Israel was born. The King of the Jews was born. One would think... that a special delegation of these leaders would have been quickly assembled to visit the site of Jesus’ birth. One would think... those religious leaders would have been falling all over themselves volunteering to be part of a momenteous welcoming event. But that’s not what they did. What did they do? Nothing at all, not a single thing. It seems that they were so indifferent that they didn’t even bother to witness for themselves the birth of the long foretold Messiah. The birth of the Christ, the Savior of the world, went largely unnoticed and unheralded among the religious leaders of that day. One of the most significant events of human history would not have even made the front page of the Jerusalem Post had such a newspaper existed then!

Today, many professing Christians are similarly indifferent to the Christmas message. Why? The problem is two-fold... first, the Christmas message is the Gospel message. The Christmas message is the message about Jesus Christ and His mission. The message of Christ is about His love for us revealed through His incarnation, life, death and resurrection. It is a message which calls us to surrender and submission. It is a message which calls us to a living commitment. The Christmas message is a powerful, passionate, inspiring, compelling spiritual message. It is the message of the eternal Son of God, coming to this earth, to be made a man and live among us... and die for our sin.

Secondly, the Gospel message says that our sin separates us from communing with God. It’s not just the small, obstinate, stupid things we do that get us in trouble. It’s the accommodations we make to get what we think we want, our indifference to others’ pain, apathy towards injustice. When we’re troubled by sin, everything spiritual, seems to become shadowy and unimportant. Spiritual life loses its taste... we can take it or leave it. Major events like Christmas, become a burdensome reminder of our indifference and apathy... caused by our sin. Sin means being separated from the grounding and balance that only God can instill in our lives. It means having an unsettling, disturbed psyche within ourselves, less than Christian attitudes towards our neighbors, the creation and the human family.

God wants to help us find our purpose, rediscover our passion and reconnect with Him through the true meaning and message of the Christmas season. But God won’t do a thing for us... until we’re willing to quit paying homage to our false gods. These aren’t idols of ivory or stone, but they are gods non-the-less. They’re things of the world that distract us and consume our passions. They’re various “isms” or fads we are convinced will make us safer, more desirable, more lovable, and better people.

The Gospel message makes people nervous. Consequently, a good many Christians go right along with making Christmas merely a secular time of the year. The real threat to the true meaning of Christmas comes from believers who have accepted the secularizing and commercializing of Christmas as their primary focus of the season. Christmas is turned into a greedfest, where people are more interested in the gifts they get, than they are in celebrating the greatest gift ever given to man... Jesus, the Christ. It should not surprise us that the season of Christmas breeds indifference and apathy. Not indifference to self-gratification, but indifference to the true meaning of Christmas... the Gospel of Jesus Christ... the Cross... the Resurrection... the promise of Eternal Life.

The Christmas message is the greatest news man could ever hear. When the angels spoke to the shepherds in the field, they were declaring the most exciting event that had ever been witnessed in history. Are you caught up in the so-called "Christmas Spirit" as defined by the secular world? Are you caught up in the commercial aspects of Christmas? Indifference and apathy to the true meaning of Christmas is more normal than we think. Are you caught in this trap?

Are you Troubled by the True Spirit of Christmas?

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him." And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people Israel.’" Then Herod secretly called the magi, and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go, and make careful search for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that I too may come and worship Him." And having heard the king, they went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshipped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:1-12)

Christmas brings forth many images. We think of Christmas parades, streets lined with Christmas decorations. We see Christmas trees, decked out with beautiful lights and glittering ornaments. We hear Christmas carols and listen to special musicals by Christmas choirs. We think of giving gifts and receiving gifts. Perhaps, weather permitting, we’ll even build a snowman on the front lawn.

Generally, Christmas is thought of as a happy time. It is a time for celebration, a time for joy, a time for good will and good cheer. But not everyone looks at Christmas the same way. For some, Christmas is a terrible time. In fact, for many, Christmas can be one of the most depressing times of the year. Some who cannot spend Christmas with family or friends may not look forward to Christmas at all. Others, who, because of financial considerations, cannot participate in the giving of gifts, may even resent this time of year. Any tragic event such as the death of a family member in December, forever links Christmas with pain and sorrow. So in all our celebrating, we must remember, there are some who are hurting.

Apart from those situations already mentioned, there are other reactions as well. Christians see the birth of Christ as the most significant event, apart from His resurrection, in all of history. It is the incarnation of God. The birth of Christ means that God became a man, one of us, to know us, to experience life in our shoes, to ultimately save us. His birth says many things. And people in general, and many Christians, respond to it differently. People responded in unexpected ways in the time of Christ, and people respond in much the same way today. What is your reaction to Christmas?

You may be on of those who are troubled at Christmas. King Herod was deeply troubled. Consider his response when the magi came and told him about the star of the King of the Jews. In verse 3, it states, "And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him."

What we would come to recognize years later as the first Christmas, was troubling to Herod. It was troubling because, in his view, a potential rival to his throne was born, the one long prophesied to be the King of the Jews. You see, Herod considered himself to be the King of the Jews. So to hear the statement of the magi, that another King of the Jews had been born, posed a very real threat to his control and rule. No doubt, this statement struck a chord of fear in the heart of Herod the King.

We also see from the text that His fear spread to others. Not only was Herod troubled, but "all of Jerusalem with him." What would this mean to their way of life? How would this affect the common man living in land of Palestine at that time? Most of us, in spite of our protests to the contrary, are very reluctant to change our situation in life. There is a certain sense in which we become comfortable with our circumstances as they are, and there is a very real fear of change in all of us. I’m sure that all Jerusalem was troubled because they simply didn’t understand what all of this meant. Herod, as evil as he was, at least was a predictable evil. What would this new King of the Jews be like? What would he do? What changes would he bring?

Herod was a very proud man. I’m sure he had a tremendous personal drive. But now his kingdom was threatened; at least in his own mind. And his fear led eventually to the massacre of the infants as recorded in verse 16 of chapter 2. A tragedy of fear based on pride.

While our life situations may be significantly different than Herod’s, the same forces of pride and fear still motivate people today. Because of pride and fear, many today are troubled at Christmas. Just as Christ was a potential rival to Herod’s throne, so Christ is also a potential rival to our self-centered individuality and independence. We have a situation where man has exalted man, and in a self-centered society, man becomes preeminent while God is quietly pushed out of the picture. The babe in Bethlehem becomes a serious threat in such a mindset. He might look harmless enough, lying in the crib, but any intelligent person knows that He is not content to stay there. Being seen as a baby forevermore was not His objective. One day, He will demand allegiance, and human pride cannot allow that day to happen.

Many people are troubled today, as Herod was, because Christ is a potential rival to the many gods who sit upon the throne of our hearts. Most peole do not want anyone, even Christ, to be in control of their lives. They are deeply troubled by the implications of a Creator to whom they are accountable whether they acknowledge that fact or not. You see, if there is a Creator who made everything that exists— including man — then simple logic tells us that we are responsible and accountable to that Creator. Certainly this is one of the driving forces behind man’s furious tenacity with which some hold to the dubious theories of evolution. When you believe in evolution you can factor God out of the creative process, all but eliminating personal responsibility to a Divine being. And if the creative process simply occurred by "natural" occurrences, then the problem of accountability to a Creator-God is solved. People who want to do their own thing do not want to be troubled by a God to whom they would be accountable.

Others troubled by Christmas fear the implications of discipleship and cross-bearing. Herod was troubled because He did not wish to bow down to any other King. For Jesus to truly be King of Kings and Lord of Lords means that we must bow before Him. That means submission and commitment on every level of life. We must submit to Him and allow Him to be the Lord of our lives. We must commit ourselves to follow Him. For some that can be a very troubling thought indeed. Of course, it is only troubling to those who resist the idea of surrendering their lives to Jesus. But in our self-centered, humanistic society many do not respond with joy to the true meaning of the Christmas story.

Are you troubled at the thought of Christmas? Does the true implications of the birth of the Christ make you uncomfortable?. A nice story about a babe in a manger is not a very threatening concept. But He is not a babe for long. The babe in the manger was none other than the Lord of Glory, the King of Kings. He was God the Son in the personage of Jesus born of woman who grew up in Nazareth.

While the scene in the stable, with the shepherds gathered around, may be a beautiful image, the reality is that the babe will grow to be a man. He will die on a Cross, be raised from the dead, and declared to be the Son of God, with awesome power. He will say that all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth, and He will call all of humanity to total allegiance to Him. Those who respond in obedient faith and live a faithful and obedient live can expect to enjoy eternal life with Him in His Kingdom. But those who reject His free offer of salvation will one day face His wrath in judgment. The prospect of facing the wrath of God is not a pleasant thought. Many people are troubled by that thought.

Many Christians, who have given their lives to God are troubled by the implications of the Christmas season. Are you one them?

The season comes every year and forces us to think about its true meaning and purpose. The birth of Christ and the true purpose of His mission can be very troubling for those who have not really given themselves completely in living obedience to God. The Christmas season is a time to refocus our hearts and minds on Jesus. Every year at Christmas, we get one more chance to submit and commit to let Jesus be the King in our lives. May be this will be your Christmas to renew, refresh and revitalize your relationship with the King of Kings, Lord of Lords... your Savior.

Radical, Disruptive, Divisive... that’s the Jesus I know!

Each year as we approach the Christmas season and the threshold of a new year, it is good for us to reflect on the nature and character of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We see Jesus at this time of year as a child. He is also heralded as the “Prince of Peace” in one of the more popular texts of the Christmas season... Isaiah 9:1-7.

We love to recall these comforting verses that speak of the qualities and attributes of Jesus the "Prince of Peace". Especially verses 6 and 7... 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. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

The coming of the Christ, the Messiah, as foretold in these verses in Isaiah speaks of Him bringing us from darkness to light; distress to hope; from death to life; removing the yoke of burdens and subduing the oppressor. His arrival would be comforting and reassuring. Okay, Jesus makes us feel really good this time of year. But now we must consider the essence of Matthew chapter 10 in conjunction with Isaiah chapter 9. There is a stark contrast presented.

Unlike Isaiah 9... Matthew 10 is forty-one “comfort shattering” verses we must reconcile with Jesus the child and the imagery of a Prince of Peace. Matthew 10 recounts the instructions Jesus imparts to his twelve disciples as he sends them to the Jewish people to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 10:34-36 says these words..."Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn  " 'a man against his father,  a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.”

What are we supposed to do with a Prince of Peace who says, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." A sword? Turning families against each other? Not much peace in that scene is there?

Let’s start with our Christmas season view of Jesus. During this time of the year it's normal for us to think of him as the sweet baby Jesus in the manger. Our songs are about him being tender and mild, how he lays down his sweet head and no crying does he make, and all these wonderful images of this divine child. And that's appropriate at this time of year.

However, I would suggest that many Christians have crafted a passive, comforting and reassuring perception of Jesus as a child in the manger. We have allowed our vision of Jesus the God-man, to be formed by our vision of Jesus the baby. In our imaginations we tend to view Jesus as an adult the same way we view him as a baby. As an adult we picture him as being a mild, sweet-natured, and gentle Savior, somebody who talks softly, who's got a perfect complexion and a twinkle in his eye-pretty much a big, grown-up baby. After all, he is called the Prince of Peace. We rarely think of Him as being aggressive or belligerent or combative or in any way socially impolite.

So this Christmas season maybe we need to reconcile our hearts and minds with who Jesus really is. Do we really understand who it is that we worship and welcome at Christmas? To answer that question, we've got to let Jesus out of the manger and be a man on a radical mission.

Certainly Scripture says he is the Prince of Peace and he has come to establish peace. But could the establishment of peace actually call for a period of unrest? In Matthew 10 Jesus says something uncomfortable. It's challenging. It disrupts our assumptions about who He is and why He came. The chapter begins with Jesus commissioning his 12 disciples. Then in verse 5 he sends them out on a mission to proclaim the kingdom of God throughout the villages and towns of Israel. He gives them specific instructions-to raise the dead and heal the sick and proclaim the Good News. Then in verse 26 he tells them that as they do this, they are going to be persecuted. People are going to hate them because of Him.

Then on the heels of that, in verse 34, Jesus says those radical, disruptive and divisive words... "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." What are we to make of that? What happened to our comforting, kind and gentle Prince of Peace? What happened to "good will toward men"? Jesus says he did not come to bring peace but a sword. This doesn't fit with our view of Jesus in the manger, the sweet, innocent, meek, and mild baby. This doesn't fit with our cultural view of Jesus the man, who is equally as infantile, sweet and gentle. How do we reconcile that Jesus says he has come to bring a sword? What does that mean?

First, he's not speaking literally. Jesus is not literally wielding a sword. He never does, and in fact He discourages violence. If not literal, then He is using the sword as a metaphor, as a symbol. What does it represent?

Most of us think of a sword as an instrument of violence. It's a weapon of warfare. So is that what Jesus means, that he's come to bring death and war and destruction to the earth? Some people think so. In fact, throughout Christian history some have interpreted this verse to justify war against non-Christian cultures. Others have used it to justify Christians killing non-Christians in the name of God for self-defense or to protect the church in some way. That's how it's been interpreted throughout history. That's a gross misinterpretation of what Jesus is saying here. Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus advocate violence. Nowhere is he pro-war. Jesus is not using the sword as an illustration of vengeance or violence or death in any way.

Remember, Jesus told us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us. And he modeled that for us as he hung on the cross when he prayed to forgive those who were in the process at that very moment of killing him. This is also the Jesus who told Peter to put away his sword, because those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. Jesus is not advocating violence or war. That's not what this symbol means. So what does it mean?

The key is in the word peace. Jesus says he has not come to bring peace. The word he uses here is the Hebrew word shalom, familiar to many of us. Shalom means peace. But the Hebrew word has a more nuanced meaning. It doesn't simply mean peace in the absence of violence. It's a peace that comes from wholeness, from being complete, completely put together, unified. It's the wholeness that comes when nothing is missing, when everything is one. So what Jesus says is this... I have not come to bring wholeness; I've come to bring the opposite. The opposite of wholeness or unity is division. He's using the image of a sword to divide, to cut in half. "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." I did not come to bring wholeness and unity, but division. And this interpretation fits the context. After all, in the verses immediately before this Jesus is talking about how the disciples will go throughout the villages and will be persecuted and hated because of him. I've come to bring a sword –– division.

He's come to bring division. I've not come to bring peace on earth, but separation and division. What Jesus is saying is that his mission is to turn the world upside down. And we see him doing that even from the moment of his birth. If you know the Christmas story you know that when King Herod heard that the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem, he was greatly disturbed, because Jesus even as a baby, as a newborn, was a threat to his power. He'd come to turn the world upside down. So Herod tried to have this child killed failing, but murdering many innocent baby boys.

Let’s fix our perception of Jesus Christ. At Christmas we don't welcome and worship and celebrate the birth of a passive Savior, a pushover Messiah, somebody who just came to make us feel better. The baby Jesus in that manger was a ticking time bomb that would blow the world apart!

Jesus is the most radical person who has ever walked the earth. He did not come to bring peace; he came to bring a sword, to turn the world upside down, to radically alter this world, to dethrone every illegitimate king. He came to utterly change and disrupt this world. And the way he did this was by calling all people back into communion and fellowship with God, back into the kingdom of his Father. And one of the radical things he did was invite people who everyone else thought were completely disqualified from being connected to God: the sinners and tax collectors and prostitutes and thieves and drunkards and all those who were on the outskirts of society. He welcomed them back into fellowship with God. And he welcomes us back into that same restored relationship with God.

He overturned the world by showing God's radical, lavish love for all people and then invited us to love God just as much, with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. And the reason why this is threatening, the reason why this turns the world upside down, is because to be back in proper relationship with God, to love Him with all that we are, means taking something else in our lives out of that place.

Every one of us has put something in the place in our lives that rightfully belongs to God alone. Just as Herod was threatened by the birth of this rival king, every one of us should be threatened by the birth of Christ, because he has come to dethrone whatever is on the throne of our hearts and dominates our lives. That's why he came to bring a sword, because he's here to turn the world and our lives upside down. That’s radical, disruptive and divisive. But yielding to His form of radicalism, can restore us to a right and satisfying relationship with God.

Jesus has come to ask for our full allegiance, and that will cause division both in us, in our families, among our friends and in the world. During this “season of the Christ” I don't want you to be mesmerized by the imagery of Jesus in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. Yes he did start out life on earth that way, but don't look at the manger and think about this innocent, helpless, sweet baby, tender and mild, laying down his sweet head. Jesus is no such thing. He did not come to bring peace but a sword. He did not come to make us feel better about ourselves, but to demand our allegiance. He came as a threat to every illegitimate king in this world, including every illegitimate ruler in our own lives, every god we place before Him, whether that be family or self or anything else. And he alone can make such a demand, because He bought us with His blood on the cross.

Is there any Comfort in not Knowing?

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Why? Why did this awful thing happen to me? Not knowing or understanding something that greatly troubles you, can be very debilitating. Emotionally and physically devastating. Christians trust in a higher power–– God to provide answers, clarify situations and be there in troubling times, especially in times of personal pain and suffering. We just expect it. Often times, our actions and attitudes suggest we demand that He give us answers. If we could just understand the whys , we could handle our circumstances better. Reality is this... we don’t always get the answers we want and comfort doesn’t always come when we need it, if at all. So, a big question looms... Is there any comfort when there are no answers?

Everyone experiences personal tragedies at some point in life. We are usually overwhelmed by a sea of uncertainty and fear, wondering if there is any comfort in this world or any strength to be found in difficult situations.

If you have gone through tragedies for which you do not know the answers, you are aware that well meaning people come to you and attempt to provide what appears to them to be comforting words. But often times what they say and do is really no comfort to you at all. You listen to the comfort they provide, but soon realize when you are alone, the emptiness and anguish of personal pain is still there. Where can we find comfort, real genuine solace in our times of tragedy?

When there are no answers, is there any comfort? To help answer that question, open your Bible and read the entire book of Job. Job shares with us some insights he gained on the harsh anvil of experience.

The story line in the book of Job is simple. I trust, you all know that Job was a very prosperous fellow. He had enormous wealth. But through a series of tragedies over which he had no control, he lost not only his wealth and property, but also all of his sons and daughters and all of his livestock. In the midst of all that tragedy he was stuck by a gruesome, terrible illness that left him sitting in a heap of ashes, wondering why all of it happened... to him.

To make matters worse, Job had three so-called friends who came by to offer him comfort. They basically said that the reason this tragedy had come upon Job was that he had dishonored God and become the object of His wrath. As he sits with sores all over his body and tears on his face grieving for lost sons and daughters and property, he has to listen to three thoughtless, ignorant friends. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar. People who lack insight and perspective are always eager to offer what they perceive to be infallible, impeccable revelations into your problems.

Job answers his three friends. One of his answers is right on, but two are wrong. It’s because of his wrong answers that God finally speaks to him. But Job was right when he said to his friends that it wasn't personal sin that caused his tragedy. Their basic opinion was that tragedies come upon us as God’s retribution, a punishment for something that we have done. Job replies to his three friends correctly by saying to them, "Look, I've done nothing. I'm innocent. I'm a righteous man, but I have lost my sons, my daughters, and all my wealth."

Job was a righteous man. However, in the midst of his suffering, which was very real, poignant and terrifying, he said two things that were very wrong. He said that God must be an uncaring God. He must not understand my situation. He must not really be kind or care for people, because he lets bad things happen. Not only that, Job also said what had happened to him was evidence that God was not in control of His universe.

Job accuses God of two things. He says to God, "You don't really care for me. And even if you do, you are not able to care for me." Those are the two charges that I think every one of us, in the midst of our times of suffering, throw down like a gauntlet before God. We may not do it loudly, but we whisper it in our subconscious in order to find some measure of comfort. "God, do you really understand my sorrow? Do you really know? Do you really care?" Then, as the temperature gets hotter, we often say to God, "Are you really in control at all?"

In Job 31:35 Job says this... "Oh, that I had one to hear me…let the Almighty answer me!" In the midst of his suffering he cries out to God. He raises the very question that you and I have raised repeatedly in the tragedies and sorrows of our life experience. It is the question that makes us shudder when our children ask it: the question, "Why?" Three times in this book Job says to God, "Answer me! Tell me! I want to know why."

Beginning in chapter 38 God does answer him. What is found in Job 38-42 is the longest discourse in the Bible in which God speaks. Finally God says he will speak to Job's allegations. Job has said to God, "Because I sit here in these ashes, because my children are only a fond memory, because I have lost everything I possessed, you must not care for me. But if you do care for me you are incompetent to provide for me."

So, verse after verse in chapters 38-42, God speaks to Job, out of a whirlwind. In the Bible a storm is often the occasion in which God reveals Himself. It's like the storm that brought ruin to Job, and destroyed his family. This time through a similar whirlwind, God brings not ruin but revelation, not tragedy but disclosure and understanding The amazing thing about what God says is how he says it.

God raises seventy questions. With those seventy questions, He says to Job, "Job, how deep is your understanding of things? How much do you really know?"

God begins by answering Job's charge that HE is unkind. Job said, "Because God has treated me this way he is basically uncaring. What’s worse, he is essentially unfair. He is unsympathetic. He lacks a real understanding of me." Haven't we all said that in the quietness of our hearts, when the whirlwind of tragedy has blown through our life and through our family? "God, I know you're there, but I don't think you’re listening. I don't think you care. I don't think you understand."

God raises a multitude of questions. With them he says to Job, "Job, how much do you know about how much I care? How much do you know about my wisdom? How much do you know about the way I order the universe?" Notice that there are no answers. There are only questions for Job to ponder.

God picks things out of nature and asks Job what he knows about them. He says, "You accuse me of not caring, but what do you know about the animals? Do you care for them, Job, like I do?” "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding." "Who shut in the sea with doors?" In the Bible the sea is always the symbol of chaos and disorderliness. God has tamed the seas and He has made the earth to be a beautiful and sustaining home for mankind.

God continues to ask questions... "Have you ever in your life commanded the morning?" I think one of the great gifts of God is the rising of the sun every day. What must have been running through Job’s mind as he attempted to fathom these questions? We don’t know... but I suspect he deeply regretted ever questioning God. "Have you ever in your life commanded the morning? Job, just how intelligent are you?"

Job also accuses God of a lack of kindness. God asks, "Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? How much do you know, Job?" Later He asks, "Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the hoarfrost of heaven?"

God is saying, Think, Job, think hard. You are accusing me of being uncaring. You are accusing me of not understanding, of being unsympathetic. Yet it is me God, who have made a world the depth of which you will never understand. It's running in perfect order and symmetry. That's how much I love it and ALL of my creation!

Then God turns to animals. This is one of the most beautiful passages in all the Bible. If you ever doubt the care of God, if you ever doubt his sympathy, read these verses. In chapter 39, beginning at verse 1, God says, "Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Are you a lover of nature? Do you observe the calving of the deer? Can you count the months they fulfill, or do you know the time they give birth? Will the wild ox consent to serve you?" It will serve God. "Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, stretching his wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?"

I can feel for Job when he makes this first accusation. I've been in pain. I've had physical pain, but the greatest pain in all of my life has been the suffering of emotional pain. I have been there. We all have. I have been there when the darkness was darkest. And unfortunately I have said to God in my smallest thoughts, "God, you must not care, because if you really loved me like the Bible says you do, you would never have allowed this to happen." That's Job's first accusation. But what God is saying to Job by raising all of these questions is this: "I am a God of infinite care and love and concern for my creation. If I am concerned when the goats give birth, if I am concerned that the sun rise every morning, isn't it reasonable, Job, that what you are accusing me of cannot possibly be true?"

God continues.... by answering Job’s charge that HE is unable to control the universe that HE made, that it is of out of His hands, that God is weak. At best HE is inept and at worst HE is incompetent and has no power to rule.

To answer this charge, God speaks about two animals. Both of these animals are associated with life in the waters. The sea is a symbol of chaos and also a symbol of evil, and these big animals are symbols of the chaos of life. God is saying, "If I can control those animals, then this world is not chaotic."

God speaks of the hippopotamus and the crocodile. The behemoth in chapter 40 is the hippopotamus. The leviathan in chapter 41 is the crocodile. These are large animals. The behemoth weights around eight thousand pounds. He lives in the water. He is an uncontrollable beast. Man cannot tame him. Gods says... "Behold now, Behemoth (the hippopotamus), which I made as well as you…If a river rages, he is not alarmed; he is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. Can anyone capture him when he is on watch, with barbs can anyone pierce his nose?" God is saying, "I control the hippopotamus. He is within my clutches. Evil is not random. Things do not happen by mistake."

To make the metaphor even stronger, in chapter 41 he takes up the description of the awesome leviathan. God is probably describing what we would today identify as the great Egyptian crocodile, indigenous to the river Nile. "Big croc" is an understatement. God says, "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook? No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him. Who then is he that can stand before Me? Who has given to me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine."

Job made two accusations against God in the midst of his suffering. First, he said, "God, you do not care for me. For if you did care for me, the tragedy that has overtaken me would never had occurred. Disappointment, pain, and mental infirmity are alien from the loving care of God." Finally Job said, "If you do care for me, you cannot control the universe that you have made. You are incompetent and inept."

How does Job responds to God’s discourses? In Job 40:3... "Then Job answered the Lord and said, ‘Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee? I lay my hand on my mouth.’" Job is saying, "I have no right to accuse you of not caring, because you have made nature. You control nature and provide for all the animals of nature. If you provide for them, simply finite creatures, how much more must you care for and love me."

In 42:6.... After God’s first discourse, Job was humiliated. After the second discourse, Job repents. "Therefore I retract," says Job. "I repent in dust and ashes." Job is saying, "I am sorry for saying that you don't care, because I know you care. I am sorry for saying that things are out of control, because you are in control."

Job had a radical change of heart and attitude. BUT... God DID NOT give him any answers... NOT A SINGLE ONE. Job changed his mind about God, but God gave no answers, to explain why things had happened to Job the way they did. No explanations for the loss of his beloved children and his wealth. God simply overwhelmed Job with the knowledge of His presence, His power, His majesty, His love, His care, His concern. There are no explanations. There is no justification. Just a revelation of God's ways... clearly beyond mere human understanding. (Isaiah 55:6-11)

Is there any comfort when there are no answers? Most of life is spent in that sphere. The only answer I can find is this... There is comfort, and that comfort comes from a reliance on the revealed character of God. God has revealed Himself to us, but He has not revealed Himself completely. God has called us to a confident and trusting faith. Real faith means accepting Him in times of personal tragedy without questioning His nature or character.

We're living in the 21st century, which has elevated and perhaps perverted the parental character of God. We have forgotten his awesome transcendence. Not only does He love us, but He is also above us and is involved in all of life's circumstances. When bad things happen, when we experience pain and suffering in this life, we must NOT think of God with the sum-total of our finite knowledge. We may never know why things happen to us. But our Lord is always near. He cares. He knows our pain and suffering.

The deepest comforts we will ever receive come to us from the hand of God and are not attached to answers, explanations or even understanding.

God is good ALL the time... even when we don't understand our pain and sorrows... HE loves us. He is our only source of eternal COMFORT.