|
STAND & COMFORT Newsletter December 21, 2001 "HUMBUGS" Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines "humbug" as follows: 1 a : something designed to deceive and mislead "Humbug!" Can you name a humbug in today's world? Certainly, one would be the commercial world's glittering, shining, billion-dollar promotion of Christmas. Their TV advertisements feature pleasant voices urging us to buy this or that in order to show our love for those around us. As if they really care. Another humbug that has been on my mind lately is the vast assortment of movies about Christmas. I realized this month that every television channel has its own, different, Christmas movies. Five to ten of these are shown each day during "the season to be jolly." How many Christmas movies are there? I found one web page with a list of 184 "holiday" movies. On another page there were even more with different titles! And on another page . . . yep, more were there. None of them had anything to do with the birth of Christ as Scripture presents it. The closest any came to having any remnant of the facts was "A Charlie Brown Christmas." These movies listed on the internet ran the gamut from the ridiculous to the sentimental to the downright evil. Here are a few of the titles: Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988-TV) Everyone speaks of the true meaning of Christmas, but rarely do the true facts of the birth of Christ accompany such protestations. Between movies like these and the questioning within the Church about the virgin birth of Christ, where is the saving call of God to the hearts of men? "Season's Greetings," "Merry Christmas," and have a "Happy New Year" amidst human platitudes about love and peace amidst the mumblings and grumblings of stressed out people don't cut it either. For some Christians who are very serious about the magnitude of the Son of God's birth through the virgin Mary, the Christmas season has become a season of endurance. Others see it as an opportunity to maintain the love of Christ towards others while hoping to share the true purpose of Christ's birth into the world. Each Christian is faced with dealing with "The Season," some having an easy time of it, others not. Though He was most likely not born in December as has been believed for centuries, the reality of Christ's birth 2,000 years ago is a definite, joyous event to those who know Christ. To the rest of the world, "the Season" is ALSO a joyful time of the year, but it is a joy of ignorance, ignorance of the true import of the Child that was born in a manger. Little do men understand that the birth of Christ was God's message to the world that it had entered an allotted time of God's forebearance to repent and be saved from the wrath to come. In effect, men are rejoicing over their own destruction that God promised to bring about when Christ returns. The world's Christmas season is definitely a crucial time of opportunity to bring up the simplicity of the gospel. Christ came, He died, He rose, He is coming a second time to judge the world. In spite of their power to bring forth strong emotions and tears of joy at the end, the Christmas movies have definitely contributed to the breakdown of people's ability to hear the truth and realize the ramifications of Christ's birth. Certainly the downplaying and covering up of the true meaning of Christ's birth has increased mankind's susceptibility to other messages and false hopes for peace and tranquility on earth. For instance, how have members of our families been affected by the false gospel of unity in diversity wrapped in tolerance? Though religious beliefs regarding Christ and the Incarnation are as diverse as the Christmas movies, the world says that all religions can still find unity with each other. They say that all roads lead to God, but what is necessary for the trip is tolerance and a set of common values. The only way to understand how religions with different beliefs can be united without changing those beliefs is to know that there is a mystery of iniquity at work, increasing in size and momentum as each year passes. If one has any sense at all regarding religious unity, it should be easy to realize that the onslaught of fictional characters such as Santa Claus, the Grinch, Blackadder, Scrooge and his "visitors from the other side," Ernest, Mr. Magoo and the like have done their job well. The truth concerning Christ's birth and God's purpose is out and all these others are in, resulting in the "silent" message that peace and well-being can be accomplished apart from Him. These movies have greatly helped to pave the way for the presentation of other pseudo gospels. Most have a magical twist of some sort, and the man in the red flannel suit or "the Season" are supernaturally saved. I certainly haven't watched all of these movies, but it is a pretty sure bet that most end with the reconciliation of enemies, followed by songs of joy and love and unity and peace among men. Certainly there is a contribution to the idea that the world will find its hero and all will be restored and made peaceful. Do you the hear the message echoing through all of this fiction?: "Gee, wouldn't it be absolutely wonderful if the world could find such a man to do the same with the real world?" What DO the other religions of the world believe about the Incarnation? The beliefs are many and varied, with some pursuing "him" or "her" or "it" through various techniques and human effort, and some even thinking a belief in God is unnecessary. But all of the false religions ignore the sure word of prophecy delivered to the world by a God who wants all to be saved to Himself. Here are some of the various religious beliefs - or in some cases, absence of belief - regarding the Incarnation: CATHOLICISM - Declares itself to have proceeded from the original twelve apostles. Catholicism professes belief in the virgin birth, but then promotes it through exalting "Mary" instead of "Jesus" in the form of the Madonna and Child. "Mary" now leads humanity to "Jesus," wholly present in the Catholic tabernacles of the world. Both the Lady of Fatima and the Lady of Guadalupe are pregnant virgins who are to bring about a rebirth of corporate humanity which will then usher in the age of peace, harmony and prosperity. On top of all of this, the Pope continues to search for common ground with Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and some of the other religions listed below. True Christianity cannot comply with these variations of who Christ is, so it is a "humbug" to the other religions of the world. It is diverse from them, and must resist their efforts to pursue unity through the tolerance of non-Scriptural beliefs for the sake of "loving one another." That would compromise the faith delivered once to the Church. Such compromise is based on loving one another FIRST, while the love in Christianity is towards God FIRST and our neighbor second. Loving Him means keeping His commandments above religious or spiritual efforts inspired either by the imaginations of men or evil spirits. Christian unity is not based on accepting into fellowship belief systems that rely on the emotional human effort of love minus Christ. Unity within Christianity is not based on anything the Christian can muster up through self-effort, but by the Holy Spirit indwelling all of its members: Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. The unity of the true body of Christ is not something to be attained, but something to be maintained. The religions of the world want unity and peace without regard for the Spirit of truth who brings forth the truth of God's word. The central truth that the Spirit teaches from the word is who Christ is, and compromising that truth compromises who the Son of God is. Such a compromise makes Him subject to every whim and fancy of men. When Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?," He wasn't seeking opinions. He wanted to bring forth a startling revelation. He was the unique Son of the living God come in the flesh. How He came was through a virgin birth prophesied by the prophets of old: Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Jesus Christ is not *A* god, nor is He of the "no god" classification. He wasn't just a man overshadowed by God to be used as a messenger. He wasn't the Father fulfilling one of His modes. He was and is the Second Person of the Trinity, our God who is three, yet One. He is the true God, the Son of God, come in the flesh. Through Jesus' shed blood, the Father is gathering to Himself a people, and He will one day return for them and glorify them in Himself, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years. Until then, when the Prince of Peace is visibly present, there will be no peace on the earth. The living God has said so and so shall it be. The world's problem is sin and it cannot overcome its sin without believing on Him. Its sin is this: rejection of the Son of God. Therefore God says to the Christian, to His adopted sons and daughters, 2 Cor 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? The fellowship of the Christian is with the Triune God, made possible by the shed blood of Christ and the resulting indwelling of the Holy Spirit. To compromise His word and His unity of the Spirit and His peace for the sake of a temporary spiritual or religious unity for the sake of peace that cannot be attained is to break fellowship with Him with whom we have to do: 1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is no longer a babe in a manger. He is no longer wrapped in swaddling clothes. The world needs to know that. Through the cross and His resurrection, Jesus is now glorified in the presence of God. As man, He is the guarantee of salvation before the Father because no one can remove Him from His place there. That does not mean He is apart from His Church, for John tells us otherwise: Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; Lord Jesus, I thank you for your birth into this world. Without it, I would need to rely on the emotional lift of the Christmas season that the entertainment world offers. Without your becoming flesh, the unity of religions for the sake of world peace and tranquility would be my spiritual hope. Without your birth, there would be no shed blood or resurrection or glorification. There would be no salvation in this world and all would be forever held captive by the adversary. I thank you that you did come as God's Lamb, and you did die as my sacrifice, and you did rise because you alone are righteous. It's easy to turn off the TV, Lord, but a little harder to face the reality that a global religion IS rising that denies and opposes you. That means hard times for us, Lord, but by your grace we shall persevere to the end because you're not just a Babe in a manger anymore. As you did for Paul, do for all your people: 2 Tim 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. ============== This newsletter will be sent out whenever I think there is something the body of Christ needs to consider, to build it up, to give it encouragement or comfort in hard times. To sign up for this newsletter, email Ed at ejt@ncinter.net ========== This newsletter will be sent out whenever I think there is something the body of Christ needs to consider, to build it up, to give it encouragement or comfort in hard times. To sign up for this newsletter, email Ed at ejt@ncinter.net |