There are certain things that are considered to be absolute. A few examples will suffice to illustrate this concept. A square is an absolute, due to the fact that nothing can be more square or less square. If it is square, it is square, period. Another example is equal. Is it possible that one thing be more equal or less equal? No: if it is equal it is equal. Something can be less than equal, but nothing can be less equal. Just one more example: dead. You cannot be more dead or less dead. If you are dead, you are dead.

Hopefully this sufficiently makes the point that there are some things that are absolutely absolute. I would like for us to give consideration to one absolute that is clearly stated in Scripture.

“The law of the Lord is perfect…”

Psalm 19:7

This is an absolute statement of absolute truth. God’s law is perfect. Perfection is an absolute. This means, in a very simplistic way, that the word of God, the Bible, conveys to the reader the flawless word of truth. It contains truth, without any mixture of error. Therefore, everything in the Bible can be viewed as reliable, trustworthy, and completely, absolutely true.

I realize that there are those who would argue that this is circular reasoning: the Bible says it is perfect, therefore the Bible is perfect. Thus, the argument cannot be substantiated because the evidence given to prove the thesis is found within the thesis itself.

However, since the statement pertaining to the Bible’s perfection is based in the perfection of the One who made the statement, the argument is not a circular argument at all. The perfection of the law of God is founded firmly on the perfection of God Himself. There can be no greater confirmation to the absolute reliability of the perfection of the law of God than that.

Therefore, since God is perfect, and all that He does is sheer perfection, then every word of His Word must, of necessity be perfect. Every principle, every precept, every teaching, every mandate, every commandment, is perfect.

The Bible also attests to the fact that, since it is the perfect word of God, it is good for us. Listen to these words from the pen of the Apostle Paul:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Since all Scripture is inspired by God, and since the law of God is perfect, then it only stands to reason that those who read and apply it to their lives will benefit greatly from it. However, the opposite of that premise is true as well. If we disregard the perfect law of God, if we refuse to seek the benefits it offers, then we find ourselves grappling around in a state of spiritual darkness.

The Bible also offers a sobering word of warning to those who refuse to embrace the teachings of the perfect word of God:

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.”

Proverbs 29:18 KJV and NKJV

When people decide to disregard the perfect word of God, then they refuse to receive God’s revelation, and all restraint is lost. Thus, a people who once embraced the perfect law of God and then decide to reject it, will find themselves being a law unto themselves.

Could this be the present state of affairs in the United States of America? Could the rejection of the perfect law of God, and the acceptance of the teachings of philosophies and theologies that contradict the clear teachings of that law, be part of the cause for the erosion of the values that once anchored this nation?

The Bible was at one time the anchor that gave stability and security to America, but no more. We are now open to the deceitfulness of religious belief systems that stand in direct opposition to the teachings of the perfect law of God. When the revelation of God’s word is rejected, then that which once bound us together is torn asunder, and the people cast off restraint.

The affects of this are devastating. Let me share just two affects of this casting off restraint in the area of American religious thought. First, it opens us up to religious belief systems other than Christianity. Think for a moment about the religious kaleidoscope that now shrouds America. What was once known as a Christian nation is now a smorgasbord of religions. All restraint has been cast off.

Second, not only have other religions been introduced and embraced, Christianity itself has been adversely affected. Wolves are among the sheep. Shepherds, who are assigned the task of protecting the sheep, have left the clear teachings of the perfect law of God, leaving the sheep open prey for the enemies who would destroy us. Under the umbrella of Christianity in America is a vast number of differences. In terms of theology and doctrine we have: far left-wing liberals, liberals, moderate conservatives, conservatives, far right-wing conservatives, fundamentalists, ultra-fundamentalists, etc. etc.

To some mentioned here, the Bible is still regarded as the perfect law of God. To others, it is the law of God that is less than perfect. And to still others, it contains the law of God, but, it is not the law of God.

What began as what we might refer to as a Christian experiment has now become a laboratory disaster. From the test tube of Christian principle, policy and practice has spilled out every the religious smorgasbord which now defines America.

We need to once again return to the perfect law of God, in which we have the words of life. This is our only means of escape from the spiritual darkness that now engulfs our land.

Two stories have captured the attention of many Americans in the past few days: a new law on abortion in the state of New York, and a law proposed in the House of Representatives which would make cruelty to animals a felony, punishable by up to seven years in prison. I’m sure that I am not the only one who sees the apparent irony of those two news stories.

First, let’s think about the new law signed into effect by Gov. Cuomo of New York. The law allows the abortion of unborn babies up to the moment before birth. In an article discussing this most horrific decision, the following statement was made:

“The bill also authorizes a slew of various health professionals other than doctors to kill babies in the womb. It adds abortion to the New York Constitution and removes protections for babies accidentally born alive.”

Let’s call this what it is: Murder! Please note again the words, “removes protections for babies accidentally born alive.” In other words, even if the baby somehow is born, he/she can still be killed outside the womb. Murder is the appropriate word for this heinous act. Of course, murder is the word for the killing of a baby at any moment post-conception. Life begins at conception, and the taking of that life at any moment after that is an act of murder.

And the proposed legislation which would make animal cruelty punishable by up to seven years in prison smacks in the face of the new abortion law. Animals are protected by the law, but babies have no protection at all. Now please hear me – I am in no way advocating animal cruelty. It truly disgusts me to hear reports of the careless acts of violence against animals, and I do believe that those who commit such heartless acts should be brought to justice.

But to compare the two – the murder of a human being, and cruelty against animals – and to actually hold one accountable while celebrating the other, shows how sick our society has become. Yes, the passing of the bill to allow abortions up to the moment of birth was actually applauded as Gov. Cuomo signed the bill into law. And then, to flaunt it even more in the face of America, he had the World Trade Center luminated with pink light to celebrate the event. Celebrating the wanton, reckless death of a fully developed baby, just moments from birth.

How did we ever get here? We got here by rejecting our rich Judeo-Christian heritage. Abortion is now just a form of birth control. The pro-choice advocates applaud their victory which allows them to legally commit murder against the most vulnerable among us. They make the choice to enter into sexual relationships with the full knowledge that if they happen to become pregnant they can put that baby to death with no legal recourse. Animals have more rights than the unborn child growing in his/her mother’s womb.

I am asking you to join me in prayer for our nation. I am asking that you pray with me for God to bring about a reversal of this heinous law in New York, and stop it from becoming law in other states which are now contemplating enacting this same law. Also, join me in praying for those states which have now moved toward enacting laws which would protect the unborn. Pray for those politicians to remain strong in their commitment to life.

And finally, join me in praying for God to do whatever it takes to bring this nation to its knees in repentance. We are moving head-long to total self-destruction as a nation. A nation which once embraced the principles of the Christian faith and then rejects those principles places itself in direct opposition to the sovereign God of the universe. That will prove to be a fatal mistake.

God help us!

In last week’s blog, I introduced the subject of light vs. darkness, drawing the conclusion that we are now living in a time of a dangerous darkness that is far, far worse than the dangers of physical darkness. Spiritual darkness is by far the most dangerous type of darkness imaginable, and it seems to me that we are seeing this type of darkness settling over us in such subtle ways that many, if not most, are totally unaware of its presence.

Allow me to begin by stating my foundational premise: I believe the United States of America was founded upon the principles and precepts clearly taught in Scripture. I further believe that our founding fathers envisioned a nation ruled by those principles and precepts, and who also believed that this nation would not long survive if these were ever removed.

I believe we are witnessing the erosion of traditional American values by the embracing of such radical ideals being perpetrated on the American people by those who would undermine, even destroy, our nation in order to see their ideologies and political agendas realized. Now, let me say that I believe they believe what they believe just as staunchly and dogmatically as I believe what I believe. So, if we are speaking of personal bias and preference, my view is as good as theirs, and theirs is as good as mine.

BUT, I am not speaking of personal bias and preference. Rather, I am speaking of precedence. I am speaking of the original intent of our founders. I do not claim to be an expert nor an authority on American history, nor do I claim to have some special insight into the thought processes of those who framed our Constitution. However, I do claim to be one who, as an observer of historical trends, detects clearly an erosion of the rich traditions rooted deeply in American history.

A short blog will not provide enough space to do an extensive review of American history, so I will share some thoughts relative to the recent past. We could go back to 1963, when prayer was removed from public school, or to 1973 and the watershed supreme court ruling which made abortion legal. These two events forever changed the landscape of the United States, and only time will reveal the scope of their destructive power. However, in my estimation, these two events were only a symptom of a far worse problem.

In order to deal with symptoms, the root cause of those symptoms must be diagnosed. From those two events (prayer banned from schools and abortion legalized) it is obvious that our beloved country was then on a course moving away from historical precedent. Historically, we had been a nation which lived true to the visions of our founding fathers: a nation which had its trust in God. And this was not some unknown god, but rather the God of the Bible. The banning of prayer and the embracing of abortion were clear indicators of a rejection of over two hundred years of historical precedence.

This opened the floodgates of spiritual confusion, which has now led us down a path of non-identification. Barack Obama summarized it clearly and succinctly when he said that we are no longer a Christian nation. Sadly, this is a true assessment of our present state, and it is due in large part to decisions forced on the American people by radical, political activists and a left-leaning media which has bought into their godless, non-Christian bias.

This all became blatantly obvious during the Democratic National Convention which convened in Charlotte, NC, in September, 2012. It was at this convention that the Democratic Party voted to remove God from their platform, and to refuse to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Now, for the first time, the objective of the Democratic party was brought into the open, and the root cause of all the symptoms was diagnosed: their desire was to remove God (at least the God of the Bible) from the American countryside.

Oh, they had no problem with a belief in some generic god which played no part in the political process. They just didn’t want to be bound to those old fashioned, antiquated ideas which had provided guidance and direction to the American people since the founding of this nation.

So, where are we now? We have just witnessed the swearing in of elected officials who openly reject the rich, traditional heritage of placing their hands on the Bible to be sworn into office. Why? Because they do not embrace American history and precedence. So what did they place their hand on for this beloved ceremony? The Koran. Yes, they openly, by this act, made their allegiance unmistakably clear: they are committed to the teachings of Islam, and have no regard for the long-held teachings of Scripture nor the long-held traditions of the United States.

Spiritual darkness is persuasive and pervasive. This darkness is sweeping across the United States of America. We are losing our identity. Our history is being rewritten by those who would destroy us. How much longer can we survive as the nation our founders and framers envisioned? Only time will reveal the answer. But from the perspective of one who is heartbroken over the events and decisions of the recent past, I feel that perhaps the sun has set on the America we once knew. Our identity as a nation under God has now been replaced as a nation under many gods, or no god at all if that is your personal preference.

I will close by making this very simple summary statement. I realize that there never has been a time in which every individual citizen of this country was a Christian, but there was a time in which we were a Christian nation. We were guided by those principles which are clearly taught in the Bible. You didn’t have to be a Christian to be an American citizen, but if you were an American citizen you lived under the umbrella of those Christian principles. But now, not only can you reject those principles, you can actually force your beliefs and convictions on others.

The persuasiveness and pervasiveness of spiritual darkness has taken its toll. There is now a large part of our citizenry which follows the path set at the 2012 DNC in rejecting God from our American platform. So, now, anything goes. Every man is left to do what is right in his own eyes. Spiritual confusion and chaos grows more intense by the day.

Our only hope is to return to the God of our fathers. He never leaves or forsakes, but we can choose to leave and forsake Him. Let’s not be counted among those who are overtaken by the darkness, but let us shine forth with the message of His love and grace.

It is early morning as I write this blog. Darkness covers the land. I have to depend on artificial light to dispel the darkness and show me the way. I might be able to fumble around, ever so carefully, because I am familiar with my surroundings. However, if I were to step outside into the darkness, I would have to be extremely cautious or else I might trip over something, or run into something that would cause injury to me or others. I need the light.

There is an even greater source of light that I need even more desperately than the physical light of the sun or other sources of artificial light. In a world filled with spiritual darkness, I stand in need of spiritual light; a light that will show me the way through the morass of chaos and confusion caused by the darkness.

Darkness is dangerous. I might be standing on the very edge of a precipice overhanging a gorge hundreds, or even thousands, of feet deep. One step forward and I would plunge to a certain death. Darkness conceals the danger, whereas light would dispel the darkness and reveal the dangers of the situation. I desperately need the light.

In a world filled with deep, impenetrable darkness, where are we to turn for light to guide the way? The Bible gives the answer:

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of the world.”

John 8:12

It could not be clearer: Jesus is the light of the world, and those who follow Him will not be confused by, or overtaken by, or even destroyed by, the darkness of the world. However, this leaves us with a bit of a problem: Jesus is not physically with us. We cannot see Him, nor can we hear His voice. So, how are we to follow Him?

Again, the Bible reveals the answer:

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105

The word of God is the light we desperately need to guide us safely through the darkness of the world, which is so pervasive and persuasive that many are caught up in its throes while being completely unaware of its presence. Allow me to explain what I mean.

First, let’s focus our attention on the pervasiveness of the darkness. Pervasiveness is defined as “the quality of spreading widely or being present throughout an area or a group of people.” We can think of this in several different ways: the pervasiveness of philosophical thought, the pervasiveness of theological thought, the pervasiveness of scientific thought, or any other system of thought that does not have God as its central, foundational focal point. When God is left out, then we subject ourselves to the thoughts and imaginations of man, which leads to the embracing of darkness rather than light.

Next, let’s think about the persuasiveness of darkness. Once darkness is embraced, we open ourselves to the deception of darkness. We embrace ideas, philosophies, theologies that strive to give explanation to the perplexities and uncertainties of life without the foundation of the light of God’s word. The danger of embracing the darkness of the world is revealed by Jesus:

“This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

John 3:19-21

Those who choose to reject Jesus, and the teachings of His word, will find themselves engulfed in and controlled by the darkness. Please note that I am not here speaking of individuals who live wicked lives. I am speaking of those who embrace the philosophies and theologies and scientific theories which do not have God in the formula. Their teachings may sound intelligent and perhaps even make perfectly good sense to those who are not depending on the light to guide them. Thus, the darkness of the world becomes more and more pervasive, and more and more persuasive, to the point that it is embraced as truth.

However, when it is subjected to the light of God’s word, it is found to be in stark contrast to that word, and thus must be discarded as darkness.

Therefore, any philosophy, or religion, or theological system, or scientific theory which does not have God as its very foundation must be rejected. It must be tested by the light of God’s word, and brought into alignment with that word. If not, it is merely the speculation and conjecture of man, whose mind has been subjected to the darkness of the world.

Let me close this week by encouraging each of us to remain absolutely committed to the teachings of the Bible. Let us study its content; let us embrace its truth; let us then shine the light of Jesus into the world of darkness, with the hope and prayer that His light, shining through us, might attract people to Him.

Next week I will be sharing my thoughts on the pervasiveness and persuasiveness of darkness in the United States of America.

I’m getting older (please note I said older, not old!). Everyday that passes is a day of thanksgiving to God for another day of life: another day to enjoy the plethora of blessings I consistently receive from the hand of a very generous, gracious Father in heaven.

As I get older, my thoughts about the important things in life have drastically changed. As I write this blog, I am sitting in the living room of my son and his family in Texas. I am watching my two grandsons, Luke and Levi, and enjoying immensely this brief bit of time we have to share with them.

And, I’m thinking. Or, should I say, rethinking. Rethinking priorities. Rethinking those things that have been so important to me in the past, and reevaluating them in light of the present. As I do this, I have become convinced that things that at one time were so very important to me are no longer the least bit significant. As a matter of fact, I have pretty much reduced my priorities to two very important things: faith and family. This may sound a bit self-centered, but allow me to explain.

First of all, let’s think about faith. As time passes on, I am realizing more and more how important faith is to me. Faith in something much larger, much greater, than me. In my 66 years of life, I have observed so many things, some of which would have shattered my faith had I focused on those events rather than on the One who is in control of those events.

Faith allows us to see the unseen. To hear the un-hearable. To embrace truth that is so fantastic, so incredibly absurd, it could never be believed except through faith. It is faith that enables us to believe stories such as: the Biblical account of creation; the stories of the miraculous intervention of God on behalf of His people, Israel; the story of the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ in the womb of Mary; the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus; the gift of salvation offered through Jesus; and so many others.

It is also faith that enables us to face the difficulties, hardships, and heartaches of life. As the Apostle John stated:

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

I John 5:4-5

As we travel through the arena of this physical life, there are times in which we feel that we cannot possibly keep going, but by faith we embrace the present with the belief that a greater day is coming. It will be an everlasting day, lived in the very presence of the One who loved us and died for us. Faith is indeed a crucial component of a life well-lived.

The second priority of life is family. These brief, fleeting days that Teresa and I are enjoying with Josh and his family will be cherished forever. Moments that we are able to spend with them, or with Bryan and his family, or with Charity, are moments that will linger in our minds and hearts.

As I think back over the early years of my marriage, especially the early years of my two son’s lives, I have so many regrets. I made so very many mistakes in rearing them. It would be so wonderful if we could somehow use some kind of magical eraser and completely remove those moments in which we made such horrible mistakes in child-rearing. But this is where faith and family come together so intricately and intimately. We pray that our children will not be scarred by the mistakes of the parents. We entrust them to the care and keeping of that same heavenly Father whom we have entrusted our lives.

As we all know, children don’t come with a how-to manual. Bryan and Joshua were not cut from the same cloth. If you would have had the opportunity to meet them in their youth, you probably would not have guessed they were brothers. So different in so many ways. As I watch Luke and Levi, I make that same observation. Distinctly different. But children of the same parents. Loved dearly by those parents.

This is the same as it is in the family of faith. God’s children are not all cut from the same cloth. Different races. Different ethnicities. Different cultural backgrounds. Different tastes. Different preferences. Different languages. And yet, we are all linked together by an invisible strand that is inseparable. That strand is, you guessed it, faith! Faith is what enables us to become children of God, and that same faith enables to embrace other children of God as brothers and sisters with whom we will spend eternity.

And when you think about it, everything else (at least from my present day perspective) pales in insignificance when compared with these.

Take advantage of every precious moment you have to share with family, both your blood family and your faith family. In the end, you will not regret this time well-spent.

I know, I know, it’s just another day. Nothing magical about January 1. But still, we place so much emphasis on this day, don’t we? We look at this day of the year as something very special, very….. different, from all the other days in the year. Oh, yes, we have other significant days marked clearly on our digitized day-planners, but this day seems to stands out from all the others. Why is that? Let’s give it some thought as we are on the verge of the ending of another year.

Many will make New Year’s Resolutions. These resolutions are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. They range from the silly to the serious, from the insignificant to the incredible, from the laughable to the life-altering. Why do we do this? What makes the beginning of a new year the focal point of such mental gymnastics? Allow me to make a few observations.

As we come to the beginning of a new year, for many it is a time of reflection. We look back over the previous year, thinking about the highs and lows, the good times and bad, the happy days and sad. It is sometimes a period of melancholy, as we contemplate the previous year. Those times of happiness bring a smile to our face, and a sense of joy to our spirit. And then, as we reminisce about the sad times, even though months have now passed, tears fill our eyes and sorrow clouds our minds.

However, it is not just a time of reflection; it’s also a time of evaluation. As we ponder the past, we begin to make a mental assessment of how things went, of what went wrong in the bad times, and of what was right in the good times. We evaluate our job performance, our relationships, our involvements in community or church activities, our influence on others, our profits and/or losses, and a plethora of other things. As we do this, we are striving to learn from the past, with the hopes of making the next year better than the year just ended.

And then, after a time of reflection and evaluation, we begin to make plans for the coming year. We learn from the past, or at least we should. We assess the mistakes we made, and strive to not repeat them. As a matter of fact, we not only try our best not to make the same mistakes, but to actually learn from them lessons that will help us do better in the future. We also make an assessment of the good times, the profitable times, and we make a determination that we will try to improve on these areas, making them better and more profitable.

The beginning of a new year is indeed a great time for reflection and evaluation. But let’s not get bogged down in the past. As the Apostle Paul said in his correspondence with his friends in Philippi, we need to forget the things of the past and press forward. And what exactly are we to press forward toward? Paul gives us the answer:

Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

As we move into 2019, let us make the determined effort to focus on Jesus Christ. Our goal as followers of Christ is to truly follow Him: His teachings, His example, His worship, His work. Let’s make it our focus to strive to be a light shining out in the darkness and decadence of our fallen world. Let’s make an all-out effort to be the salt of the earth, striving to be the preservative of righteousness amidst the putrefying forces of evil. Jesus could not have made it any clearer when He said:

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

As we look to the new year, we can pretty well be assured that there will be good times and bad times; happy times and sad times; times of gain and times of loss; times of relative ease and times of extreme struggle. I am convinced that the way to handle it all, and to keep everything in proper balance, is to keep our eyes focused on Jesus Christ, and strive to do all that we do for His glory. With that focus, we can rest assured that God’s blessings will abide on us regardless of whatever life throws our way.

My prayer for each of us is that God would bring everything into each day of 2019 that would serve His purposes of glorifying His Son. Remember, we are pressing toward an ultimate goal that takes us far past the experiences of this life into the glorious eternity He has prepared for us.

Be It Therefore Resolved That: I will do everything within my power to allow God to use me to serve His purpose in my life in 2019. I will seek ways to glorify Him in every circumstance, situation and eventuality that enters into my personal experiences.

What could possibly be better than that?

Christmas morning! What a glorious reminder of that indescribable event. What a majestic thought! The God of the universe became God in the flesh. The Creator of all became part of His creation. The One who spoke all things into existence now makes His way into the existence of humanity. God became man and dwelt among us. Unspeakable. Unthinkable. Unimaginable. Marvelous. Miraculous. Mysterious. God in the flesh.

As I ponder the wonder of Christmas, two questions come to mind: How? and Why? How did it happen, and why was it necessary? Think with me for a few minutes as we delve into those two questions.

First, let’s think about the question, “How?” In the Biblical records found in Matthew and Luke, we are given information that calls for radical faith. Listen once again to the words penned by Matthew:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”

How? I remember vividly sitting in a classroom, hearing the professor of New Testament state dogmatically and unequivocally, “There is no possibility of a virgin giving birth to a child. It simply did not, could not, happen!” And yet the Biblical record is clear: Jesus was born to the virgin, Mary.

Matthew’s account leaves much to be desired. We (or at least, I) would love to have more details. But alas, this is all Matthew was inspired to record of this miraculous event. Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary by the work of the Holy Spirit. That is all we can say in response to the question, “How?” Theologians and Bible scholars have spent much time and effort trying to explain the inexplainable. Volumes have been written in the attempt to answer the question, “How?” But to stick to the Bible’s account, we must admit it gives very little information beyond the assertion.

But let’s turn our attention to the other question: “Why?” And again, we will turn our attention to the Gospel of Matthew for his brief analysis:

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

“He will save His people from their sins.” Once more, “He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew, again, gives no details. We want more. We read those words and hunger for so much more. But in reality, what more do we need? In that one statement, in that one brief verse of Scripture, we have the answer to the “Why” question.

To deal with the “Why,” we must go back for a moment to the “How”. They are intrinsically tied together. We have already been reminded of Matthew’s simple assessment of the conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary by the work of the Holy Spirit. But the “how” cannot be understood without giving consideration to the “why”.

Jesus conception without the usual physical joining of a man and a woman was a necessity due to the fact that Jesus had to have been born without a sin nature, which would have been His had He been conceived through the natural process. Let me try to explain as briefly as possible.

Paul leads us to understand that through one man, Adam, sin entered the world, was passed down to all in his lineage, and thus we are all born sinners. We do not become sinners when we sin, we sin because we are born sinners. Had Jesus been conceived by the natural process of procreation, He would have been a sinner at birth, and His death could have only paid the penalty for His own sin.

In order for His death to save His people from their sins, He could have no sin of His own for which to die. Therefore, by virtue of the fact that He was conceived in this miraculous way, inheriting no sin nature from Adam, the federal head of all humanity, Jesus could pay the penalty for the sins of others. Therefore, the “how” and “why” of the virgin conception are inextricably linked together. We cannot have one without the other, and without both, we would be lost in our sins, doomed and damned to eternity separated from God.

I will end this blog with a simple word of reminder and encouragement. Jesus Christ came into this world, the very world He Himself created (see John 1) to save sinners. He came to save His own people from their sins. Christmas is a reminder of this amazing truth. But for some who might read this blog, Christmas might be just another day off work, another day to relax, enjoy some family time, exchange a few gifts, and then be quickly forgotten.

But those who know the true meaning of this day should be reminded of the fact that Jesus Christ, eternal Son of God, became Son of man so that He might save sinners from eternal separation from God. The “how” and the “why” were just for you! Make sure you take time to remember, and then to share, why Christmas is so important to you.

We’re all familiar with that extremely well-known and popular poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” right? Sure we are! We’ve heard it over and over through the years. It’s all about getting ready for the coming of Santa Claus. All the preparations are made, and the children are comfortably snug and warm in their beds. They have heard the encouragement from mom and dad to go to sleep quickly so the jolly man in the red suit can make his entrance. Even as I write those words, I am reminded of my childhood Christmases: the excitement, the anticipation, the joy.

After marrying the love of my life, Teresa, and starting our family, we made every effort to share the joys of our childhood experiences with our children. I wanted them to experience the same excitement and anticipation that I had enjoyed. I wanted them to awaken on Christmas morning with the same gleam in their eyes and the smile on their faces that displayed the sheer joy of realizing the fulfillment of their Christmas wishes.

And now, as I ponder these memories, as I rehearse in my mind the recollections of Christmases past, I ask myself an extremely important question: Did I make as much effort to prepare my children for the coming of Jesus as I did the coming of Santa? Did I share the message of Jesus’ coming with the same zeal, excitement and anticipation?

Through the years of my life since becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, I have sincerely tried to surrender my life to His Lordship. I have tried to live my life according to His teachings. I have failed time and again to live up to His admonitions to live holy lives, but it has been my desire to do so.

Having said that, let me return to the subject of this blog. I have been asked many times through the years how I balanced the celebration of Christmas which is focused on Santa Claus, with the true celebration of Christmas, which is all about Jesus Christ. Is it possible to maintain a balance which allows our children to enjoy the excitement of the coming of Santa while sharing with them the true meaning and message of Christmas? I think it is.

When our children were young, we wanted them to enjoy the excitement of Christmas, while teaching them its true meaning. We allowed them to sit on Santa’s lap, telling him of the things they desire to have under the tree on Christmas morning. And we did all we could to build the excitement and anticipation of the big day. But we also shared with them that the gifts they received were gifts of love, expressions of the love of God. We tried to share with them the reality of Christmas, being the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Our focus was on the birth of Jesus, not the coming of Santa. We shared with them the story of St. Nicholas (there are too many different legends to share in this blog), who gave gifts to the needy as an expression of God’s love. And we always made the effort to place emphasis on the birth of the Son of God and Savior of men.

Did we do this perfectly? Certainly not! Could we have done it better? Absolutely! Would we do things differently if we had the chance to do so? Without doubt! But we did try to maintain that balance. And now, looking back from my present day perspective, I think we must have done a decent job. Our children have all grown to accept the fact that Jesus Christ is the real focus of Christmas. The celebration of sharing gifts, sitting on Santa’s lap, anticipating Christmas morning, were all kept in balance with the focus on the ultimate gift of all, Jesus Christ.

I have said all of this to simply remind us to keep Jesus the very center of all our Christmas celebrations and festivities. Don’t allow the glitter and glamour and the gifts to keep us from focusing on THE GIFT, Jesus Christ. And let’s strive to anticipate His coming as much as we anticipate the coming of the jolly man in the red suit.

And now, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night (yes, I had to say it!)

Life is filled with choices. Each and every day we make choices of all kinds. Some are rather innocuous, and the ramifications of these choices have very little bearing on anything of any substance. Then, there are others that can prove to be life-altering. Some choices leave devastation in their wake, as individuals continue to suffer consequences of those choices for years to come.

I have become convinced through my lifetime that there are things we can do to safeguard ourselves against making those destructive choices. I would like to share just one of those safeguards with you in this week’s blog. I am sure it is going to sound overly simplistic to most of you when you read it, but I would just ask that you read to the end before making a final judgment on this suggestion.

I would like to offer the following as a helpful safeguard: have your mind made up before being faced with the choice. I told you – overly simplistic. Perhaps even so simplistic that some of you will turn me off before hearing me out. I would ask again that you simply read on before making an assessment.

Let me offer a Biblical example of my premise to set the stage. In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we are told of an occasion in which King Nebuchadnezzar issued a decree to have a huge statue constructed. Once the construction was completed, he then issued an edict demanding that everyone bow down to this image.

It is at this point in the narrative that we are introduced to three young Hebrew boys: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They are among the throngs of people who have gathered at the giant statue, and they are told, along with everyone else, that at the sound of musical instruments they are to bow down to the image. Failure to do so would result in death.

The people were gathered, the decree was issued, the music sounded, and the people bowed. Everyone, except these three Hebrew boys. 

The king became infuriated when he was informed of their insubordination. However, being the benevolent king that he was, he decided to give them a second opportunity to bow down to the image. He warned them that if they refused again they would be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.

This is the point in the story that we find the statement upon which I build my premise. When given this second chance, these three young Hebrews make what is truly a startling assertion. A Stewart paraphrase of their assertion would be something like this: “We don’t need to consult with one another about this choice. Our minds are already made up. Do what you want with us, but we will not bow down to your image!” ( see Daniel 3 for the full story) Brave words from three young boys as they stand in the presence of the king.

We all know the rest of the story, so let me get back to my premise. It is obvious that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had their minds made up prior to the heat of the moment (pun intended!). At some point prior to this demanding situation, they had already made a commitment to a choice, regardless of the personal harm it would cause. And please make note of the fact that the story in Daniel informs us that there was a fourth figure in the flames with them! God never leaves us alone in the midst of those fiery decisions we face.

So, in closing, let’s make a few observations. Before facing the choice, have your mind settled as to how you will respond. Before finding yourself in the position of having to choose whether you will engage in pre-marital sex, an extra-marital affair, or some other sexual behavior that is denounced in Scripture, know how you will respond and stick to it. Before going along with your friends in some unlawful activity, just to be a part of the crowd, have your mind made up as to how you will respond, and be firm in your decision. Before spreading that juicy morsel of gossip that you know will assassinate the character of the person(s) involved, have your mind made up that gossip is forbidden in Scripture. Before stealing, cheating on that test, giving false information on your tax return, or a gazillion other possible pitfalls, think it through, make up your mind, and stick to it.

I’m not suggesting this is easy. I can’t imagine how those three young boys felt as they pondered the impending torture they were about to experience, but they made up their minds, and they stuck to it regardless of the outcome. I would suggest that to do it the way they did will prove to be so much more beneficial to you as you get beyond the choice, look back, and realize that you made the right choice, and you are better for it.

So, is your mind made up? Remember, you have God with you, strengthening you, supplying you with the grace to make the right choice.

Are you like me? Do you find yourself sometimes reading the Bible, when you come across the record of one of God’s fantastic miracles, and think to yourself, “How absurd is that?” And you then ponder the record, thinking that it is just too ridiculous to be true, that there is just no way that could ever have happened?

I am not trying to plant doubt in anyone’s mind by broaching this subject. Rather, I am simply confessing that there are times in which the Bible’s record seems to be rather unbelievable, at least to me.

Think with me about a few examples. The parting of the Red Sea would be a good place to begin. According to the Biblical record, there would have been at least a couple million Israelites who would have made that crossing. Can you imagine the enormity of that event? How long would it have taken that many people to cross the sea, while the waters were banked up on either side? The record of the event would lead us to believe that it took all night for the passage. This means that the pillar of fire that stood between the Israelites and the Egyptian army would have been in place for that duration. And think about the fact that the water then came crashing down on the army, destroying them after the safe passage of the Israelites. Fantastic!

Again, think with me about the story of the manna falling from heaven every day for almost forty years. Every day, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, enough of the miraculous manna fell from heaven to feed at least two million Israelites. And to protect the sanctity of the Sabbath Day, enough fell on Friday so they did not have to work on the Sabbath. Fantastic!

For the sake of time I will mention only one more miracle. Let’s give our attention to the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. After three days and nights in the tomb, Jesus arose from the dead, and then made at least eleven post-resurrection appearances to literally hundreds of individuals. This after convincing proof that He was truly dead. Fantastic!

Left to the frailty of human reasoning, we would all reach the conclusion that these records of the miraculous are simply too absurd to be believed. After all, there is no natural explanation to the supernatural works of God.

And that’s the dilemma. Left to the inclinations, imaginations, and reasonings of the human mind, we are left with the concluding thought that these things simply cannot happen. There has to be an explanation for everything, and if something happens that seemingly has no explanation it is simply because the explanation has not yet been discovered.

This brings us to a place of crisis. Henry Blackaby, in “Experiencing God,” uses the term “crisis of belief.” Will we embrace, by faith, the record of the Bible, or will we give ourselves over to the frailty of the human reasoning? Will we side with the infidels and unbelievers, accepting the theory that miracles cannot happen, and thus reject the Bible? Or will we accept, by faith, the record found in the Bible, that God does indeed perform miracles?

There are so many words of encouragement in the Bible which would lead us to understand that faith is not an easy concept to understand and embrace. It all begins when we sense something, Someone, speaking to our heart, spirit and mind, concerning our deep and desperate need of salvation. This is the ultimate crisis of belief. Will we continue to hold on to humanistic, materialistic reasoning, which tells us this life is all there is? Should we live for the moment, believing that when we close our eyes in death we cease to exist? 

Or, should we, by faith, accept the Bible’s teachings concerning this life, and the life which will be experienced beyond physical death? What seems to be sheer nonsense when viewed through eyes of humanistic reasoning, becomes the most sensible truth when viewed through eyes of faith. 

Faith does not come easily, nor does it remain unquestioned once one has believed, by faith, the clear teachings of Scripture. As the writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” The substance of things hoped for. Faith is not focused on the here and now, on the “things” of this life. It does not take faith to believe in something we have in our possession, something we can see, touch, and in some sensory way experience. Rather, faith is focused on what cannot be seen or sensed in any physical way. 

The writer of Hebrews goes on to say something that will help us in our understanding of faith: “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” By faith we understand!

There are so many things which cannot be tested and proved by relying on empirical evidence. There are puzzles and enigmas which are so completely beyond our reasoning capabilities. This is when the absurdity of faith is needed. It is faith that enables us to see what cannot be seen with the human eye. It is faith that ushers into the very presence of the living God as we embrace the truths of Scripture, taking God at His word.

To the unbelieving world it is absurd nonsense. To the individual whose eyes have been opened by the grace of God, the absurdity becomes clear. Does it mean that from the moment of belief we will never experience doubts again? Certainly not. But faith enables us to believe what we cannot explain. 

The next time you are reading the Bible, and you hear that whisper that tells you how absolutely absurd it all sounds, just whisper back. No, don’t whisper, shout, “I believe what I don’t understand. God, I truly believe. Please, help my unbelief.” He will. And you will see somewhere down the road that the crisis of belief actually strengthened your walk with God.