Why I choose Christ over Christmas

  


So, here is my official stance on Christmas. This is not a rant, but simply my opinion. A lot of Christians get upset when the world pushes "Happy Holidays" on them. I understand their frustrations. Many of them feel that the world is trying to take Christ out of Christmas. Several Christians in America consider this to be persecution. However, I would be extremely hesitant towards that claim. Christians all over the world are suffering at the hands of their government or their neighbors. Many are killed for boldly proclaiming the Gospel. The fact is that there are several holidays that occur from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. Do not get angry with the world for their rejection of Christ, instead boldy proclaim the Gospel to them. :)
   
    As far as taking the Christ out of Christmas, I think that job was achieved a long time ago. Think about how commercialized Christmas is. What do trees, ornaments, Santa Claus, snowmen, lights, and presents have anything to do with the birth of Jesus. In fact many of these Christmas traditions were around long before Christ was born. Are these things bad in and of themself? No, in fact one of my best most valued memories as child is watching The Santa Clause with my Dad every year before Christmas. Please, brothers and sisters, do not let these things distract us from the Gospel.

     Why do we exchange presents for Jesus' birthday? Some might say that we exchange presents because Jesus was presented with gifts from wiseman at the manger. But that is simply not found in Scripture. Scholars estimate that Jesus was two by the time that the wisemen found him. This estimate comes from Matthew 2:16, when Herod has all the male children in Bethlehem killed that are two and under. The most detailed account of Jesus birth comes from the book of Luke. That book makes no reference to wisemen! I personally think that it is crazy to spend so much money on gifts for each other.  All of this stuff that we value so much is going to turn to dust. It is meaningless! Do you want to even think about how many toys and appliances get thrown away every year! I find it very sad that the birth of Christ is associated with all of this materialism. Instead of spending money on gifts, donate money to organizations such as Gospel for Asia or Heifer International. Those organizations allow you to buy animals and clean water for people in need all around the world. I know that Gospel for Asia allows you to purchase Bibles that have been translated into the native language of the people that the organizations serves. Or you can donate money to your local mission to feed a meal to someone this Christmas.

    Also remember that we have no idea when Christ was born. The Gospels do not make it clear. There is simply no evidence to support that Jesus was born on December 25. It is interesting that Bible is more clear about when Jesus died and resurected, then when he was born. If Jesus had just been born, lived a good life, taught a few good teachings, and died comfortably, then we would have no hope of salvation. Only through Christ's being crucified on the cross and his resurrection are we saved. As Christians we should emphasize more on the event that saved us.

    I know that if I ever have children, I want do not want their first Christmas memories to be of some old guy who sneaks into our home and gives them gifts. Instead I want them to know of the ultimate gift of the Savior to humanity. I think it is more important for us not to forget Christ this Christmas. In fact everyday we should be thanking God for this wonderful gift.

All of Grace- More Quotes

Okay, so last night I watched The Agony and the Ecstasy starring Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison. It is about Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel under the commission of Pope Julius II. Through out the movie the pope continually asks the famed artist,"When will you make an end of it?" and Michelangelo responds with "When it is finished". So, I am sure many of you might be asking"Robert, when will you make an end of these All of Grace quotes?" Well, I will stop when I am finished. So, I just wanted to share some more quotes with you today:

"We want to be purified as well as pardoned. Justification without sanctification would not be salvation at all. It would call the leper clean, and leave him to die of his disease; it would forgive the rebellion and allow the rebel to remain an enemy to his king. It would remove the consequences but overlook the cause, and this would leave an endless hopeless task before us. It would stop the stream for a time, but leave an open fountain of defilement, which would sooner or later break forth with increased power. Remember that the Lord Jesus came to take away sin in three ways; He came to remove the penalty of sin, power of sin, and, at last the, presence of sin."
My understanding of justification is that when you become a believer, God says that your sins did not happen. He doesn't declare you guilty or not guilty, he says there was no crime. Sanctification is the process in which God makes us more like Him. We die to our old sinful selves, and God remakes us into a new creation.

"Jesus did not die for our righteousness, but He died for our sins. He did not come to save us because we were worth the saving, but because we were utterly worthless, ruined, and undone. He came not to earth out of any reason that was in us, but solely and only out of reasons which He fetched from the depths of His own divine love. In due time He died for those whom He describes, not as godly, but as ungodly"

"You are not asked to trust in a dead Jesus, but in One who. though He died for our sins, has risen again for our justification. You may go to Jesus at once as to a living and present friend. He is not a mere memory, but a continually existent Person who will hear your prayers and answer them. He lives on purpose to carry on the work for which He once laid down His life. He is interceding for sinners at the right hand of the Father, and for this reason He is able to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by Him. Come and try this living Savior, if you have never done so before. This living Jesus is also raised to an eminence of glory and power. He does not now sorrow as 'a humble man before his foes', ' nor labor as 'the carpenter's son'; but He is exalted far above principalities and power and every name that is named. The Father has given Him all power in Heaven and in earth, and he exercises this high endowment in carrying out His Work of grace. "
If you think of Jesus is just a teacher who taught good morals, then you have missed the most important thing about him.  He is God! He was sent to take upon our sins and be a curse for us, because we can not hope to enter Heaven under our own merits. He is the sacrifice for us. We need to look upon him for sour salvation. Thanks for reading. I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day!

All of Grace - Cat and the Pig

So, I wanted to share another Charles Spurgeon quote from All of Grace. This is an illustration of what our lives are like when Christ comes into our lives. It is a very clear picture of being born again.

"Do you see that cat? What a cleanly creature she is! How cleverly she washes herself with her tongue and her paws! It is  quite a pretty sight! Did you ever see a sow do that? No, you never did. It is contrary to its nature. It prefers to wallow in the mire.  Go and teach a sow to wash itself, and see how little success you would gain. It would be a great sanitary improvement if swine would be clean. Teach them to wash and clean themselves as the cat has been doing! Useless task. You may by force was that sow, but it hastens to the mire, and is soon as foul as ever. The only way in which you can get a sow to wash itself is to transform it into a cat; then it will wash and be clean, but not till then! Suppose that transformation to be accomplished, and then what was difficult or impossible is easy enough; the swine will henceforth be fit for your parlor and your hearth-rug. So it is with an ungodly man; you cannot force him to do what a renewed man does willingly; you may teach him, and set a him a good example, but he cannot learn the art of holiness, for he has no mind to it; his nature leads him another way. When the Lord makes a new man of him; hen all things wear a different aspect."

Did you catch what he was saying? When we are unsaved we care nothing for the things of God. Unbelievers think that the things of God are foolish. The Bible even says that in 1 Corinthians 2:14. When we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit goes inside of us. God comes into believers. He makes them into a new creation. You go from being an enemy of God to a child of God. You go from caring for the mud and filth of this world to pursuing to the righteousness of God. The person that you are after being saved does not resemble anything to the person that you were before you encountered the creator of the universe. Do you still struggle with sin once you become saved? Yes, but how your idea about sin is changed. You hate your sin. When you become a Christian your whole life should be focused on following His ways and not your own.

I would suggest that if you are a Christian then you should read this book in order to gain an idea of how to reach outsiders. If you are not a Christian then I still suggest reading this book. Spurgeon addresses many questions that unbelievers have.

All of Grace

   So, I guess I need to catch my readers up to speed. So, I have recently moved to Kansas City, Missouri. I am the Head of Acquisitions of the library at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. So, far I have really liked my time here. I have wonderful co-workers. This job is allowing me to gain great experience. Right now I am living on campus. Living on campus is really a blessing because I get to be around the patrons that I serve in the library. I am having a great time right now.

   I just thought I would share some quotes from a book I am reading right now called All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon. In case you did not know, Charles Spurgeon was a preacher and evangelist from the nineteenth century.  We actually have a Charles Spurgeon collection in the library at Midwestern. We have some of his personal books from his library along with his desk. So here are some quotes from this book that I wanted to share:

"God will spare the sinner because He did not spare His Son. God can pass by your transgressions because He laid those transgressions upon His only begotten Son nearly two thousand years ago. If you believe in Jesus, then your sins were carried away by Him who was the scapegoat for His people. What is it to believe in Him? It is not merely to say  'He is God and the Savior,' but to trust Him wholly and entirely, and take Him for all your salvation from this time forth and forever --your Lord, your Master, your all."

"My sole hope for heaven lies in the full atonement made upon Calvary's cross for the ungodly. On that I firmly rely. I have not he shadow of a hope anywhere else. You are in the same condition as I am; for we neither of us have anything own worth as a ground of trust. Let us join hands and stand together at the foot of the cross, and trust our souls for once for all to Him who shed His blood for the guilty."

(On how becoming a new person in Christ occurs) "'I cannot make this change,' says one. Who said you could? The Scripture which we have quoted speaks not of what man will do, but of what God will do. It is God's promise and it is for Him to fulfill his own engagements. Trust in Him to fulfill His Word to you, and it will be done. 'But how is it to be done' What business is that of yours? Must the Lord explain His methods before you will believe him? The Lord's working in this matter is a great mystery: the Holy Ghost performs it. He who made the promise has the responsibility of keeping the promise, and He is equal to the occasion. God who promises this marvelous change, will assuredly carry it out in all who receive Jesus, for to all such He gives power to become the Sons of God."

Idols

    "What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it." Habakkuk 2:18-19


     So, I am going to make a confession. Ever since I graduated this past May, I have been wasting my time on foolish idols. No, not the ones made out of wood or metal. An idol is anything you place above God. I have not used my time off from school very effectively to enhance the Kingdom of God.  When I wasn't applying for jobs, I spent a lot of time watching television shows on Netflix and reading a lot of fiction books. And those things are not bad for me to do, but I have spent an excessive amount of time doing these things. During that time I could have been studying the Bible, reading theology books, listening to sermons, or praying (blog post about praying will come later). And although, I was doing some of those things, I really feel like I could have done more. The LORD has helped me realize that I have recently been wasting time that he has given me. Instead of learning more about Him, I have been indulging in things of the world that are not fulfilling. All television shows end. All books series end. None of these things will ever fully satisfy me. In the end all of these things will burn up. These things will not exist in Heaven. As "cool" as movies, T.V. shows, and books may be to me, they will never truly give me salvation, purpose, or satisfaction. They may bring temporary happiness, but only YHWH brings joy.
     
     Now, am I saying that books, movies, and television are bad. No!  I love all of those things. Although, I think all Christians need to be wary about the types of things we watch and read. And Christians need to understand that we all have a certain allotted time hear on earth. My question to you as a believer is this: Do you want to spend your time on earth pursuing idols such as television, alcohol, politics, success,  Facebook, or wealth? Or do you want to glorify God? Honestly, I think it is good for believers to check themselves to see what is the true desire of their heart.

Forgotten God

   

    Alright, so I want to apologize for the lack of postings that I have made to the blog lately.  This semester has been crazy for me. I just graduated with my master's degree in library and information studies.  I have busy with finishing up final projects, applying for jobs, and doing interviews. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine notified me that Amazon was giving away free Kindle editions of some of Francis Chan's most popular works. I have seen Francis Chan speak a few times and I read his book Crazy Love last year. So, I figured that I would download the Kindle App on my trusty i-Pad to get the books. A few days ago I started Forgotten God. In this book, Chan writes about how the Church plays down the importance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can not be forgotten if the work of YHWH is to be done.  After all the Holy Spirit is apart of the Godhead. It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit is God, like Christ is God.  The Holy Spirit counsel believers. The Holy Spirit gives believers understanding when they read Scripture. He is also where we strong strength from God. He is God dwelling within us (Romans 8:9). He gives believers spiritual gifts to enhance his kingdom. He gives believers the words to say to Outsiders concerning God.  The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin in order to lead them to Christ. I just wanted to share a few passages from the introduction and first chapter of his book.

 "Even our church growth can happen without [the Holy Spirit]. Let's be honest: If you combine a charismatic speaker, a talented worship, band, and some hip, creative events, people will attend your church. Yet this does not mean that the Holy Spirit of God is actively working and moving in the lives of the people who are coming. It simply means that you have created a space that is appealing enough to draw people in for an hour or two on Sunday.
   It certainly does not mean that people walk out the doors moved to worship and in awe of God. People are more likely to describe the quality of the music or appeal of the sermon than the One who is the reason people gather for church in the first place."

Okay, so there is a lot in there. I could probably write a book about many of themes that Chan touches on. However, in many modern churches we tend to focus more on our music, activities, and buildings that we forget that it is the movement of the Holy Spirit that builds churches not us. Many churches are monuments to wealth and human achievements.

Here is a final quote:

  "It really is an astounding truth that the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. He lives in me I do not know what the Spirit will do or where He'll lead me each time I invite Him to guide me. But I am tired of living in a way that looks exactly like people who do not have the Holy Spirit of God living in them. I want to consistently live with an awareness of His strength. I want to be different today from what I was yesterday as the fruit of the Spirit becomes more manifest in me.
  I want to live so that I am truly submitted to the Spirit's leading on a daily basis. Christ said it is better for us that the Spirit came, and I want to live like I know that is true. I don't want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly."

That quote should be our prayer. If you say that you are a Christian, what you are saying is that God is living inside of you. Think about that for a second. Think about the shear magnitude of that statement. God is within us. That is huge. The Holy Spirit is God living inside of us. If God lives inside of a person then that person can not continue to be the same person that they were before their encounter with YHWH, creator of the universe. In churches across the world we must put more emphasis on the Holy Spirit and a lot less emphasis on what we can bring to the table. Everything that we do for God comes from God through the Holy Spirit.

I am going to continue reading this book over the next few days.I encourage you to read some of the books written by Francis Chan. They are very enlightening.

I got hit by a train

    So, it has been a long while since my last post. Graduate school has consumed a lot of my time. Both this blog and my library blog have fallen by the wayside.  I just wanted to share something that has been on my heart for a while.  Would you believe me if I told you that I was hit by a train a couple days ago. Of course you wouldn't. If I was hit by a train I would probably be dead. If I survived I would probably be in a hospital bed with a bunch of bandages. After that train hit me, I would not engage in the same activities and think in the same way.  After I got hit by that train, everything about my life would change.   A few weeks ago I was in Colossians and I was reminded of the time that I had an encounter with God.   Having an encounter with YHWH, the creator of the universe, is like getting hit by a train. If you were to get hit by a train and lived, everything about your life would change. Everyone would know and be able to see that something incredible happened to you.
      The same happens when someone becomes a believer in Christ. It is like you get hit by a train. If your life is not completely different after becoming a Christian, you need to examine yourself. When you say that you are a Christian you are saying that the creator of the universe lives inside of you. Think about that for a moment. When you have the LORD living inside of you, who is pure, righteous, just, and holy, it is impossible for you to love the things of the world. When someone becomes a Christian, you no longer live for yourself. You live for God. One major aspect of that is that you live a life different then the one that you lived before you were saved. Our desires are to be completely different. Do you think I am making this up? Read these passages in Colossians.

"so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, beating fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10

"¹ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4

    A friend of mine, Andrew Seay, said many years ago that Christians are supposed to have an eternal mindset at all times. Believers need to focus on the things of God, and not the things of man. Here is another passage from Romans that talks about how the life of believers change after giving their lives to the Lord.

^"1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1-3

    When you get hit by a train it obvious to everyone. When you have an encounter with God, it should be apparent to everyone. Your life should not and can not be like it was before you were saved.
     Also, I wanted to ask prayers about a certain aspect of my spiritual life. I am trying to study back over what I have written in my quiet time journal everyday.  I am trying put into memory and application the verses that I read over.  Pray for me as I endeavor to do this.