The Third Noel 12/26/99

Luke 2:29-32

JESUS CHRIST’s birth resulted in polyphony of praise offered by angels and earthlings alike. Mary offered the first Noel, “The Magnificat.”

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoiced in God my Savior.”

The first expression refers to letting God’s sufficiency be observable in her life in a broader sphere. Are you willing to let God demonstrate His sufficiency to guard, guide, and govern in your life? Will you live in such a way that others may see Jesus in you and be attracted to Him. That is how we magnify God. It is by letting Him be seen more clearly through us.

In her second expression she revealed her elation in that a Savior was being provided for her and all human kind. Have you joyfully responded to Christ acknowledging with great gladness Him as Savior? If not do it now.

The angels shared the second Noel, “Gloria in Excelsis Deo.”

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, good will toward men!”

Now the third Noel. Forty days after Christ’s birth Mary and Joseph left Bethlehem and journeyed about ten miles to neighboring Jerusalem and the Temple for a special service of consecration. There lived in the Bible land at that time a group known as “the Quiet in the Land.” They had no dreams of powerful marching armies with banners, no aspirations for violence. They believed in lives of quiet watchfulness and constant prayer. Among them was an old man named Simeon.

Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph came to the temple to comply with a Jewish religious right. They came to make a sacrifice to God. The normal sacrifice was a lamb. Provisions were made for the poor, those who couldn’t afford a lamb. They could offer a pair of turtle doves. The poverty of Mary and Joseph is revealed in their offering of doves.

In the temple Mary and Joseph encountered the elderly Simeon who voiced the third Noel: “Nunc Dimittis,” which in Latin means “Now let Thy servant depart.”

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation. Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2: 29 – 32).

The summary of Simeon’s message is one of hope. For centuries Israel had hoped for the coming of Messiah. Simeon himself had kept a long vigil in the temple in anticipation of His coming. He lived by hope. Do you? Keep it alive. It energizes life and empowers effort. Hope for tomorrow enables us to bear the burdens of today.

Hope is good for our health. Dr. Harold G. Wolff wrote: “Hope, like faith and a purpose in life, is medicinal. This is not merely a statement of belief, but a conclusion proved by meticulously controlled scientific experiments.” (“What Hope Does For Man,” The Saturday Evening Post, 1\5\57)

Right now turn in your Bible to Romans 15:13 and mark it resolving to make it a life long project. Let it be your code for life.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Couple that with the realization that “The hope set before us …. is like an anchor for our lives, and anchor safe and sure” (Hebrews 6:19).

That hope is in Christ. He is our anchor.

In Simeon’s statement he reveals Christ to be:

I. HE IS A STANDARD (Luke 2: 30 – 32)
He is God the Father’s standard for ALL PEOPLE. He is as obtrusive and fixed as the stars in the solar system. His coming resulted in the “taking off from the Gentiles the veil.” His coming was intended to be the crowning glory of Israel.

The artist, Rossetti, has painted a humble oriental house with Jesus looking out a window. There, as of then unrepentant Mary Magdalene, is frolicking down the street with a rowdy group. She turns her head and their gazes meet. On her face is an expression of horror and dismay. In His face she sees herself as she is and is filled with self- loathing, self-disgust. Jesus reveals to each of us what we think of our self = humble or arrogant, AND of God = skeptical or submissive.

Christ is the standard established by the Tri-Unity before the dawn of creation. People portend to judge Him but in reality we and all persons are judged by Him. We judge ourselves by how we judge Him. If when confronted with His love for Him we respond positively it results in our salvation. Thus, many will rise. If we respond negatively it consequents in our condemnation. Thus, many will fall.

Some denominations set standards called by various titles as the means of measuring spirituality. They require a person to do good works to earn, merit, or deserve God’s favor. Persons living under this system of beliefs are always in suspense. Repeatedly they must ask themselves, “Have I done enough good to compensate for the bad I’ve done?” When is enough —- enough? We can always find someone we are better than. However, there is always someone better than we. Suppose God graded on the curve. We simply score ourselves on the basis of how well others score.

First, question: What’s a passing grade?

Then along came Jesus and He aced the test. He lived a perfect sinless life. None can compare: “For all have sinned and come short of the grace of God.” “There is none righteous, no not one.”

The Lord wants to make it perfectly clear Jesus is the standard.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

By this Standard, established by Heaven, Christ, many rise and fall. Within eighty years of His death a governor of a Roman province wrote: “People are deserting pagan temples, and are gathering in illegal conventicles to worship somebody who it was always understood, had a name of infamy – one Christus, who had been put to an ignominious death years before.”

Within 300 years a Christian occupied the throne of Caesar and was guarded by soldiers bearing scars from persecution resulting from them being Christians.

Faith in the Living God had broken the bonds of nationalism and exclusiveness. The “salvation” offered is for “all people.”

This was a shocker to people who were expecting a restrictive deliverer. YOU are in included in the statement in Verse 30. Christ came to die for you.

With a new millennium many persons are seeking spiritual cleansing and guidance. In searching the Bible be logical and don’t hesitate to ask for help in understanding.

In Lansing, Michigan three sisters were arrested for riding around in a stolen van naked coated with mustard. They had read the account of Adam and Eve in their naked state so they thought it to be proper to be naked before God. They had read the passage regarding having faith the size of a mustard seed so they coated themselves with mustard. I don’t know what symbolism the stolen van had. In this way they were seeking to earn God’s favor.

II. HE IS A SWORD (Luke 2:35)
A sword? Yes, a sword. A sword pierces and divides. This He does. A stand for Him divides those who follow Him from the world.

Ask a teenage girl left out of all the party invitations because she will not forfeit her virtue what is meant by the sword. She has been cut off by her faith and stand for Christ.

Ask a young male who will not drink and use drugs what it means for the sword to fall. He is cut out of the gang.

Ask a business executive who will not cheat or compromise because of faith in Christ what it means for the sword to be applied.

Ask a young homemaker who will not give in to the “soap society” what the sword principle means.

Neutrality accomplishes nothing positive. It is an evasion of responsibility. In ancient Athenian democracy a citizen was stripped of all rights of citizenship if he refused to take sides in moral and political issues.

Webster defines “neutrality” as “not being engaged on either side.” Edmund Burke pointed out this vice in his often quoted statement: “All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”

In the Revelation neutrality is described as being neither “hot nor cold,” and is graphically represented as the sin that nauseates God. Christ said of the Laodicean church, which He described as neither hot nor cold, that He would “spew them out” of His mouth. That is, literally, to vomit them up.

Dante vividly got specific: “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a time of great moral crisis, maintained their neutrality.”

A “certain Samaritan” received Christ’s commendation because he got involved when a priest and a Levite were neutral.

Dean W.R. Inge pointed his index finger of accusation at the uninvolved segment of Christianity when he wrote: “Christianity is a creed for heroes and we are harmless, good-natured little people who want everybody to have a good time.”

Get involved in what you believe. Happiness is a by-product of a job well done. One reason for so many unhappy Christians is they are uninvolved.

III. HE IS A SIGN (Luke 2:34c)
“Darkness” represents sins.

“Light” represents righteous living.

Simeon took Jesus in his arms. Have you taken a grip on Jesus?

Simeon’s life climaxed upon seeing the Christ child and he exclaimed: “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace” (Luke 2: 29).

In this climatic time in history with a millennium ending and a new one about to be birthed does the old one’s passing find you conditioned to depart in peace. If not take Christ unto yourself and be prepared for the new millennium with new life.

As the year 1900 approached many leading secular thinkers including George Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells, argued that the dawning of the 20th century would mark the close of history’s religious phase. That is, that mankind would no longer need religion.

Futurist, Faith Popcorn, in an interview on December 9, 1999, said the new millennium would be one focusing on spiritual values. People will be trying to gain a better understanding of spiritual values.

Now will you prepare to enter the new millennium with a commitment to Christ that will make the new era one in which He is your guide?

How to Relate to Loneliness

PSALMS 25: 16 – 21

Jesus knew loneliness.  If you have ever experienced loneliness, He can relate to you.

Loneliness is an emotional epidemic. It’s rampant.

Loneliness started in the Garden of Eden and continues today.

King David knew its pain and described his despair thus: “I am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.” Have you ever felt that way? Most of us have —  and will.

Specific causes of loneliness are numerous. However, most can be classified in one of two categories. Both had their origin in Eden.

First, our Creator said, “Let us make man in our own image…” Biblically God and Adam are then represented as “walking together in the garden.” This is terminology meaning they had fellowship. We were created for the high and lofty purpose of fellowship with God.

God made man, Adam, and said, “It is not good that man should be alone. I will make for him a help mate.” (Genesis 2:8)

Thus, a relationship was begun between two people. In creating a help mate God provided for companionship.

Loneliness results when one or both of these relationships is disrupted.

Loneliness entered the world before sin. It was the only thing in God’s freshly created world that the Creator declared “not good.” 

Christ confirmed our capacity of companionship when He said, “Love one another.” (John 15: 12)

Romans 14: 7 states a stellar truth: “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.”

God gave us a need for people. All persons need to work at developing their interpersonal skills. Personality development and communication skills should be worked on. Try to be likable.

The Scripture says: “He who would have friends must show himself friendly.” (Proverbs 18: 24) To have a friend, be a friend.

We need to learn from Jesus who sought lonely places in which to pray. Perhaps much of our loneliness is allowed by God as an attempt to provide us opportunity for fellowship with Him through prayer.

Studies show high loneliness and low spiritual well-being often go together.

Loneliness is a megaphone used by God to call us to Himself. C.S. Lewis said, “He whispers to us in our joys, speaks to us in our conscience, and shouts to us in our pain.”

Often loneliness is God’s way of saying I am here to love you and meet your needs. Fellowship with Him through reading the Bible, praying, worshiping, and fellowship with other believers.

Perhaps at this moment you need to pray the content of our text: “Turn yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate (lonely) and afflicted….”

Reason for Pride in Our National Anthem

Here comes baseball season with all of its traditions, among them the National Anthem. Knowing the history of our tradition of the National Anthem being played and/or sung before sporting events is not likely to have an influence of those who dishonor and disrespect it. However, it gives insight with which to consider their action.

In September 102 years ago America was deeply divided.  There were more divisions caused by immigration and race than today. It was a schism greater than today. World War I had resulted in passionate hatred of Germans. The streets were filled with protesters.

The much needed healing began in of all places a World Series baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs.

At the end of the 6th inning in a most unusual move the band began to play The Star Spangled Banner. Fred Thomas, a Red Sox player on furlough from the Navy whose grandfather was from the Hesse region of Germany, removed his cap and stood at attention. Others joined by doing the same and  gradually a few in the stands began to stand and sing. Soon others joined in by  placing their right hand over their heart and singing. At the end the crowd erupted in cheers. The resurgence of national pride was begun with that song. It was seen as a means of showing togetherness. 

The Red Sox started having it played at all games. Other sports joined in the practice. It shortly became an emotional, patriotic, and prideful  healing.

It wasn’t long until the NFL began having it played before all games.  The song had come to typify America as one nation under God.  At the end of World War II the NFL Commissioner Elmer Laden, declared we must never forget what it stands for. He further stated it should be as much of a part of every game as the kickoff. 

In 1931 President Hoover signed a bill making The Star Spangled Banner the official National Anthem. 

Some are now using the anthem to divide us by focusing on a line in the third stanza referring to “No refuge could save the hireling and slave.” It is being said it references the Colonial Marines, consisting of former slaves fighting with the British. The Colonial Marines were looked at not as blacks, but as British enemies. If it does refer to the Colonial Marines, it should be remembered they were fighting against the United States. It is not an all-inclusive condemnation of all blacks of all times. 

Let’s not fail to remember many slaves courageously fought with the United States, thinking it to be the side offering them the best chances of eventual freedom from slavery. It did though unfortunately and unfairly, it was too long coming.

In recent times some have misunderstood that one line and have found cause to disclaim the rest of the anthem. It can once again be a uniting force if we stress instead these healing lines:

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

As the NLF Commissioner said, we must never forget what it stands for, that being we are one nation under God.

The Second Noel 12/19/99

Luke 2:9-14

JESUS CHRIST’s birth was attested to by citizens of Heaven and attended by citizens of earth. In it two worlds merged: the world of the spiritual and the world of the physical. For that reason His name was called Emmanuel, which means, “God with us.”

In that act God honored the role of mother and favored the process of birth. Neither should be taken lightly. The first should be avoided if there is any thought of the second having to be aborted. We, male and female, should respect what God has honored.

Christmas, the celebration of His birth, does many things for all of society. One thing it does is rekindle HOPE. In a culture where there appears to be so little hope, I rejoice over its being available to all.

The song writer Oscar Hammerstein in talking about his personal philosophy once said: “I cannot write anything without hope in it…when people point out that the world has evil and ugliness in it…I merely point out I know about all of those things, but I choose to align myself to the hope of side of life.”

My heart sings with Mary Martin those lines given her by Hammerstein: “I’m stuck like a dope in a thing called hope and I can’t get it out of my heart.”

I can’t! I just can’t, because Christ is my heart.

Hope is more than just a feeling—it is a vision, a way of looking at our world, a way of understanding the things that happen to us.

The Christmas story does not deny the presence of darkness, it just proclaims the presence of light.

It doesn’t ignore the reality of bitterness and hate, it just declares the dominance of love. It shouts of hope.

Christmas is a pencil sharpener for the emotions making them sharper and more sensitive.

Imagine the hope that must have sprung to life in the hearts of those astonished shepherds just outside Bethlehem on that eventful night when the angels came to them proclaiming Messiah’s birth. Consider —

I. WHAT THEY SAID: “GLORY TO GOD….PEACE…. GOOD WILL….”
A plethora of diversions tend to minimize the Christ whose birth we celebrate.

It was Christmas 1939 that the then department store giant Montgomery Ward came up with an advertising campaign featuring a character called “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer.” Today this reindeer with a “nose so bright” is better known by many American children than the One whose birth we celebrate.

In 1949, songwriter Johnny Marks put the ad-gimmick to music, and we have sung it “every foggy Christmas Eve” since.

Long before this guiding light Zacharias prophesied of another who would offer guidance:

“The rising sun (Jesus) will come to us from heaven… to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

We pragmatic people tend to think of there being no other state of being other than those we can see and prove. In doing so, we overlook the existence of the angelic band.

The Hebrew word for angel is the same as the name of the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. It literally means “my angel.” I have a Malachi and so do you. They are at work today as in the day of Christ’s birth. They are also called “ministering spirits.”

The text says there was a “heavenly host.” The word “host” actually means “army.” There was a large force of angels involved.

Daniel (7:10) said of angels “ten thousand times ten thousand attend unto God.”

The writer of the Revelation (5:11) spoke of “a world of angels.”

Hebrews 12:22 lost count and referred to an “innumerable company of angels.” They are without number.

There are 108 references to angels in the Old Testament and 165 in the New Testament. They are referenced in the Garden of Eden and depicted as active in the Book of the Revelation.

Together this army of angels spoke in praise to God.

The angels were the heralds of the one of which it was said, “His name shall be called Wonderful…”

Audrey Mieir was absorbed in what was happening in her little church. They were having a Christmas presentation of the birth of Jesus. Mary was a teenage girl. The angels were young boys. The baby was a doll. Bathrobes revealed rolled up jeans under them. This simple setting provided for an electrifying moment. Audrey looked at the little children in the audience sitting open mouthed and expectant. Elderly friends wiped away tears remembering Christmases long past.

The pastor stood, raised his hands and said, “His name is Wonderful.” The words gripped Audrey. Immediately she began to write in the back of her Bible. She remembered that as she wrote it seemed to her God had something He wanted said. That night she sang the simple chorus around the piano with a group of youth. The words were simple and they picked it up right away. She wrote:
“His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful…
Jesus my Lord.
He is the mighty king, Master of everything.
His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord.
He’s the great Shepherd,
The Rock of all ages. Almighty God is He;
Bow down before Him, Love and adore Him,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord.”

Though they said it, choirs and congregations have appropriately sung it through the years. There is victory in that pronouncement. In Latin it is “Gloria in Excelsus Deo!”

Under divine inspiration the Apostle Paul wrote: “All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

The angels said:
GLORY TO GOD
Jesus taught us to pray: “…Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory…” He already has the glory we are blessed to be vessels through which His glory is seen and by whom it is acknowledged.

Christ’s coming focuses on the glory of God because in Him the attributes and attitudes of God are pleasantly revealed.

In the act of Christ coming, God revealed a bit more of His glory which had been concealed.

The fundamental way we can accent the glory of God is by giving ourselves in trust to Him as our Savior and yielding to Him in service as our Lord.

Next we can so love and live as to try to bring others to a saving knowledge of Him. There are those around us we are responsible for influencing. There are those beyond our sphere of influence. Many are in foreign lands. To them we can and must send missionaries. Missionaries become our proxies when we give financially to help them minister. Some people flinch when giving is mentioned.

A verse, long-lurking in my memory, goes:
“Go break to the hungry sweet charities bread,
For giving is living the angel said.
But must I keep giving again and again,
The weary worn question came.
No said the angel, piercing me through.
Just stop giving when God stops giving to you.”

An old man on the city bus sat across from a little girl who was apparently from a poor family. As he sat holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers he noticed they had captured the attention of the little girl. Every time he looked at her she was looking admiringly at the flowers but quickly looked away.

When the bus stopped at his place of getting off he reached out and gave the flowers to her saying, “I bought these for my wife, but I know she would want you to have them.”

The bus stop was a bit longer than usual and the little girl watched as the old man got off the bus and entered through an old gate into a little cemetery.

Give your best to the Master before it is too late to give.

PEACE ON EARTH
Peace is both an event and a process. On September 2, 1945, representatives of Japan and America, the two powers that had been locked in World War II, met on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay and a peace treaty was signed. On that day peace was an event. Since that time it has been a process enjoyed by both parties to the treaty.

People want peace in their lives as a process. It is not possible without it first being an event. The event involves you signing a treaty with Christ. He has already signed it with His blood. Now by faith it is your turn to sign.
“Once on the eve of Christmas
when all strange things may hap,
I saw Mary the Mother
with her baby upon her lap.

I saw the Mother, Mary,
holding God’s little son.
She said to him, Small one, tell me
When shall man’s war be done?

Then the child spake and answered:
These wars shall end, said he,
when no man shall wound another
for fear of wounding me.”

Many persons misunderstand this angelic statement to refer to the absence of war and hostility, and feel that it is unfulfilled. Cynics scoff at the very idea of “Peace on earth…” They ask when and how. Longfellow wrote a poem that speaks to this.
“I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said,
‘For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth good-will to men.’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead, nor does He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

The angelic statement was not a prophecy of peace but rather a prescription for peace.

GOOD WILL
In this supernatural act God was showing His strong desire for our “good will.” His will toward us is good. He designed, devised, and desires our good will. Only we can prevent it.

II. WHAT THEY SAW “A STAR”
In announcing the birth of Christ the world’s first communication satellite was put in orbit above Bethlehem. All of nature was at the Father’s disposal and He used a star to mark the locale of Christ’s birth.

III. WHAT THEY SOUGHT

THE WISE MEN
These were not “wise guys”, that is, smart alecks. These were sun-crowned intellects. Let’s give them the dignity of their Bible identity, “wise men.” They were wise men not “rich dudes.”

They were magi not magicians, astronomers not astrologists, scientists not wizards.

Their presence reveals that though Christianity is for the masses of poor it is also for the wealthy intellects. It is applicable for the “whosoever” of John 3: 16.

There is a bit of wit circulating that notes what a difference it would have made if these had been three wise women rather than wise men. They would have stopped and asked directions, and arrived on time. They would have helped deliver the baby, clean the stable, make a casserole, and brought disposable diapers as gifts.

Every December, as I take out the Christmas decorations, I also take out the memory of a Christmas 20 years ago in a small town in central Maine and the gift that one little girl gave to another. In a world where Christmas is ever more glittery and commercialized, it reminds me that the true spirit of the season lies in giving, and receiving, from the heart.

Winters seemed to be colder back then, and school days dragged slowly by. At my small school, we had two classes for each grade. My class was for the children who got good grades. Most of us wore nice clothes and our parents were in the PTA. Those in the “slower” class didn’t get good report cards. Most of the kids were poor. We attended the same school year after year, and by fourth grade we all knew who belonged in which class. The one exception was the girl I shall call Marlene Crocker.

I still remember the day when Marlene was transferred to the “smarter” class. She stood by the teacher’s desk that morning in a wool skirt that hung down below her knees. Her sweater was patched, but her face was wide and hopeful.

She was not at all pretty except for her intelligent-looking brown eyes. I had heard Marlene was a good student, though, and I wondered why she hadn’t been in the “smarter” class all along. As she stood waiting for the teacher to assign her a seat, for a moment I imagined that I might become her friend and we would talk together at recess. Then the whispers began. “She’s not sitting beside me!” someone sneered.

“That will be enough,” the teacher said firmly, and the class turned silent. No one would laugh at Marlene again—at least not when the teacher was in the room. Marlene and I never talked together at recess as I’d first imagined. The boundaries that separated us were too firmly drawn.

One late autumn day, Mom and I happened to be out driving along a wooded back road. It was one that we seldom took because Mom said it wasted gas. I was busy chattering away when suddenly, out the window, I saw a tar-paper shack so tiny that it would have fit inside our bathroom. The shack was set far back in a big field littered with rusted car parts. Across the yard stretched a long clothesline, beneath which stood a little girl who looked at us as we sped past. It was Marlene. I raised my hand to wave, but our car had already passed her. “That poor little girl,” my mother said, “hanging out clothes and it’s going to rain.”

Once the snow came that winter, it seemed as though it would never stop. As Christmas drew near, my spirits were as high as the snowdrifts as I watched the pile of presents grow beneath our Christmas tree. At school, a few days before our school Christmas party, we passed around a hat in class to pick the name of a classmate for whom we’d buy a gift. The hat went around, and the names were drawn. Finally, the hat came to Marlene. One boy leaned forward, closer than anyone had ever been to Marlene, and hooted as he read her slip of paper. “Marlene got Jenna’s name.”

I began to blush furiously as I heard my name. Marlene looked down at her desk, but the teasing went on until our teacher stopped it. “I don’t care,” I vowed haughtily, but I felt cheated.

The day of the party, I marched to the bus reluctantly, carrying a nice gift of Magic Markers for the person whose name I had drawn. At school, we ate the Christmas cookies our mothers had baked and drank our grape drink. Then the presents were handed out, and the wrapping paper went flying as everyone tore into them.

The moment I had been dreading had arrived. Suddenly it seemed as though everyone was crowding around. Sitting on my desk was a small package wrapped neatly in tissue paper. I looked over at Marlene. She was sitting alone. Suddenly overcome by the need to protect Marlene from the mocking of my classmates, I seized Marlene’s gift, unwrapped it and sat there, holding it hidden in my hand.

“What is it?” a boy hollered, when he could stand it no longer.

“It’s a wallet,” I finally answered.

The bell rang and the buses came and someone said to Marlene, “Did your old man make it from the deer he shot?”

Marlene nodded and said, “And my ma.”

“Thank you, Marlene,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” she said. We smiled at each other. Marlene was not my friend but I never teased her. Maybe when I got bigger, I would ride my bike over there and we could talk and play. I thought about that as I rode the bus home. I tried not to think of what Marlene’s Christmas would be like.

Years went by. I went to high school and college, and lost contact with most of my childhood schoolmates. Whenever I struggled with math problems, I recalled the rumors that Marlene had dropped out of school to help her mother with the younger children at home. Then I heard that she had married young and stated having babies of her own.

One day, I came across the white doeskin wallet I had received at that Christmas party long ago. Funny how, of all the gifts, I’d kept this one through the years. I took it out and studied its intricate craftsmanship. Beneath the top flap, I noticed a small slit holding a tiny piece of paper that I had never seen before. Sitting in my comfortable home, I read the words that Marlene had written to me years before. “To my best friend,” they said. Those words pierced by heart. I wished I could go back, to have the courage to be the kind of friend I’d wanted to be. Belatedly, I understood the love that had been wrapped inside that gift.

There are a few things I unpack every year at Christmastime – an old wooden creche, shiny balls for the tree and a Santa figurine. I take the wallet out, too. Last year, I told my small son the story of the girl who had given it to me. He thought about it and then he said, “Of all the gifts, that was the goodest gift, wasn’t it?”

And I smiled, grateful for the wisdom that let him see that it was.

They were wise not because of their learning but because of their seeking for wisdom and truth. In Christ they found both.

Even the dumb animals in the manger in Bethlehem knew more about the Christ child’s birth than the pious religious leaders in Jerusalem. We must be certain that we don’t simply know a lot about Him but fail to know Him personally.

THE SHEPHERDS
They came seeking the One Who came to “seek and to save” them.

In contrast to the wise men, the shepherds represent one of the lowest classes of the society of the era. They were desert dwellers of low esteem. As Christianity is for the wealthy intellects so it is also for the poor and uneducated. It is for the “as many as will.”

When the angels spoke to the shepherds they responded: “Let us go…” (Vs. 15).

Now that you have heard what they heard will you not respond as they and say, “I am going…” “I am going to receive Christ.” “I am going to respond openly as did the shepherds.”

How Does God Use Adversity

COVID-19 has caused spiritual and unspiritual persons alike to muse over the mystery of its meaning. Let’s join them herein.

History is a matchless teacher. Knowing what has happened, and why can help our understanding of what is happening —- and why. This brings a spiritual component into the equation.

The Hebrew and Greek words for pestilence (pandemic) appear 127 times in the Bible. God is not only a God of miracles, He is also a God of mystery. We can never unravel all of His mysteries. The history of His use of adversity to achieve His sovereign purpose in the future is a mystery. Some concepts are so far beyond our capacity to understand, we must at times embrace living without an answer. Don’t be surprised when the “freight train” of the unknowable runs over you. It does everyone at some point.

It has been suggested there are three reasons for a loving God’s use of adversity. They are:

It is to execute divine judgment on an individual, nation, or nations for chronic, unrepentant sin. Admittedly there are sins by individuals and our nation.

It is to warn other individuals and nations that they, too, could face divine judgment for chronic, unrepentant sin.

It is to shake an individual, nation, or many nations so that they will wake up from spiritual slumber or rebellion, repent of their sins, and turn in faith to a personal, healthy relationship with God.

Parenthetically, innocent people often suffer adversity because they are part of a rebellious nation, and the good suffer with the bad.

Over and over in Scripture God explains that in His mercy He will shake individuals and nations in His effort to gain their attention and draw them to Him that He might bless them. Often God has to change things around us in order to change things within us.

The question: is it working? If not, we are missing the chance for a better life-style, and the inherent blessings in the COVID-19. Are we as individuals and as a nation responding affirmatively to His shaking?

Dr. Darrell Bock, theologian and professor at Dallas Theological Seminary notes, “Plagues are a way that God seeks to get our attention about our finitude and morality, as well as how we are giving attention to God. They are an opportunity for reflection about how we live and a reminder we are not gods ourselves.”

God doesn’t really want to make life hard for us. He explains that if you do “this” (His will) you will get “that” (His blessings), and if you do “that” (disobey His) you will get “this” (discipline). The problem arises when what we want to do “that” (disobey Him), and get “this” (His blessings). Fix it as a stele in your mind to remind you, it does not work that way. For multiple millennia millions have tried and the principle is inflexible.

Which of the three reasons for COVID-19 mentioned herein do you think is at play in your life and the life of our nation?

Live mindful that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble…” Psalm 46:1-3. Don’t run from Him, run to Him. Don’t ask why, ask how. How can this be used as a blessing for you? The answer may be deferred, but it is definite.