And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. - 1John 2: 3-6 (ESV)
If we claim to abide in Christ then we ought to walk in the same way He walked! Do you really think that Jesus would be criticizing the VA? Boycotting a pet store? Avoid sparkly Pittsburgh? Or would He be reaching the lost with His Gospel? Isn't that supposed to be the point of this entire season? Immanuel - God with us! How do we allow Satan to distract us so easily? To fight battles he has arranged that hold zero eternal significance while thinking we are doing the Father's will? The answer is simple. We no longer hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The majority of churches today preach the gospel of "me." Where it is all about your dreams and aspirations. Where it is about your "God given" purpose. Where Jesus is reduced to the role of a cosmic butler, waiting on our every need. Jesus is reduced to a cosmic bus boy here to clean up our life messes. Where Jesus is friend before He is Lord. Where Jesus is our boyfriend instead of our Savior. Where He is often an afterthought. Where His Word is marginalized, abused, or discarded completely. Some churches marginalize the Word by giving it no significance in the lives of its congregants. Joel Osteen is proud of saying he will not apologize for only bringing a Scripture in at the end of his messages. After all, it is about you not Jesus! In other churches the Word is abused by being ripped completely out of context and paying no mind to what God is actually saying. Joseph Prince is a fine example of this as he only approaches Scripture to use it to prop up his false gospel. Some churches today discard the Word of God completely. I mentioned earlier the mega church that will try to give their people life applications from the movies instead of from the living Word of God. I wrote last month about a mega church pastor who preached that people who want "more doctrine" are the excrement of the body of Christ. Make no mistake about it beloved there is a war but it is being waged not against Christmas but against Christ. It is not being waged by unbelievers but by the very people who claim the leadership mantle in the church today. Paul warned us when he said his farewell to the leader in Ephesus:
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God,which he obtained with his own blood.I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. - Acts 20: 26-30 (ESV)
The fierce wolves are here and are growing. They do not spare the flock because they do not care about the flock. If a sheep leaves, so be it. If a sheep is killed, oh well. Put the Christ back in Christmas? No; how about putting Christ back in Christianity! How about we stop chasing false signs and lying wonders? How about we stop believing the greasy grace lies of "God is never angry with you." How about we trade our worldly/churchly purpose in for His kingdom purposes? So that we start seeing the lost as Jesus would see them:
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." - Matthew 9: 36-38 (ESV)
When you look out across Christendom it doesn't seem that the laborers are few. Yet they are because most labor for themselves thinking they do it for Christ. Beloved the very people we are coerced into hating or holding in contempt are the very people who need the Gospel the most. They are like sheep without a shepherd. They are harassed by Satan and left helpless in this world. The things of God are utter foolishness to them. We are not called to berate them. We are not called to demand that they say Merry Christmas when they do not even know Jesus Christ! We are called to have compassion on them. To see them as Jesus sees them. Lost and in desperate need of a shepherd. We know the Great Shepherd! Who cares what holiday greeting they give you. Give them the Gospel. Give them the love of Christ. Give them the invitation to the foot of the cross where the Great Shepherd operates on the hearts of the lost. Then maybe their Christmas will be merry. When we put Christ back into Christianity.
Reverend Anthony Wade - 12-13-14
