Good News of Great Joy

Christmas cards and letters are arriving daily from friends in the USA and Canada. Many of them mention infirmities that accompany the aging process, but no affliction seems to snuff out the joy of Christmas. It remains intact in spite of physical challenges, the out-of-control national debt, Iran’s long-range missile capability, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the swine flu threat, and a plethora of other troubling conditions. The Christian’s joy surmounts every crisis and lightens every burden.

An angel of the Lord announced the Savior’s birth as a joyful event. “I bring you good news of great joy,” he proclaimed (Luke 2:10). Secular culture seems to be intent on removing Christmas, but it can never take away the joy Christians share because Jesus was born to be our Savior.

Some who regularly sent Christmas cards to Gloria and me in past years will not be doing so this year. They are in Heaven, where they behold our Savior and rejoice in His presence. Their joy is complete now!

In proclaiming joy to the shepherds, the angel of the Lord said the good news of great joy will be “for all the people” (Luke 2:10). You and I can share this good news of great joy, and surely all who lack the true meaning of Christmas and the assurance of eternal joy need to hear the real reason Jesus came to earth. Let’s "go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere!"

 

 

Still on Target

Let me share a quote from a great English preacher, who proclaimed God’s Word more than a century ago. His words are still relevant.

—Jim

 

“There is a widely-spread desire to make things pleasant in religion – to saw off the corners and edges of the cross, and to avoid, as far as possible, self-denial. On every side we hear professing Christians declaring loudly that we must not be “narrow and exclusive” and that there is no harm in many things which the holiest of saints of old thought bad for their souls.

“That we may go anywhere, and do anything, and spend our time in anything, and read anything, and keep any company, and plunge into anything, and all the while may be very good Christians – this is the maxim of thousands. In a day like this I think it good to raise a warning voice, and invite attention to the teaching of God’s Word. It is written in that Word, ‘Come out and be separate.’“

~ J.C. Ryle  Practical Religion, “The World”, 284, 285.

Would You Stand in Line?

Except for five years in Chicago, from 1990-1995, Gloria and I have lived in Colorado since 1971. Today must be the coldest day we have experienced here. We received about an inch of snow, but the temperature plummeted to 3 degrees, and the wind is ferocious.

I take daily walks, but I have indoors for much of today. We did venture out this morning to see the l-o-n-g line for Sarah Palin’s autograph party at Border’s. She will be signing her book this evening, but people had to line up this morning to receive bracelets authorizing them to line up this evening for the signing.  Alaska has come to town!

Occasionally I sell a book I authored, but no one has had to stand in line to purchase it. I guess I will just have to live with slow sales. I will never become a celebrity in politics, sports, entertainment, or the mega-church world.

 Maybe if I should write a diet book . . .

 

What Shall We Give Him?

Manger scenes often display two sets of visitors: shepherds and wise men, but their visits may have been separated by nearly two years. The shepherds visited the baby Jesus in a stable immediately after His birth. The wise men visited the infant Jesus in a house.

The shepherds presented only themselves to Jesus. The wise men presented gifts. As lost sinners, we have nothing to present to Jesus when we first meet Him. We simply present ourselves and receive the gift of eternal life that God bestows on all who believe on His Son. As Christians, we can—and should—offer Him gifts: worship, purity, and sacrificial service. Such gifts are appropriate not only at Christmas but also all year round.

An Uncertain Future

I’m sure every American is concerned about our nation’s future. The economy is grim, the war on terror claims young soldiers’ lives, an unpredictable nuclear-capable Iran challenges our security, national healthcare seems imminent, and mass killings flare up in unexpected places. What will 2010 bring?

In spite of the uncertainty of our modern era, one thing is certain: Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Nothing takes Him by surprise. Nothing diminishes Hs love and faithfulness. Nothing thwarts His purposes. Yes, these are rocky times, but we do not fear because the Rock of Ages keeps us secure and gives us hope.  As Adoniram Judson said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.”