The Coming King of Christmas

“What effect do hearts and lives made holy through Jesus have? They have the ability to change an entire family, city, nation and the world.”

In times of crisis, whether it be a financial collapse, rising crime, political in-fighting, moral failures among the influential, the blood shed from war or wide spread corruption, people naturally want change. History is replete with renowned figures that rose from obscurity in eras of uncertainty to influence a nation or affect the world. No matter what a person’s political or religious affiliation is, during a crisis, they just simply want things to turn around. (Image from Motion Worship)

This is why in the course of human history God would routinely intervene in national and world affairs by raising up a chosen messenger to bring about change. One such man was King David. When he was young, he was anointed by God to be Israel’s future king. “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.” (1 Samuel 13:13) As the years went by, young David rose to prominence and fulfilled God’s mission leading Israel toward its greatest years. 

During his reign God made this promise to him, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16) What a promise! But how is that possible? For David knew he would eventually be laid to rest like all others. 

David understood that his promised eternal reign would obviously not be himself, but through his future lineage. He believed that through generations yet born, there would always be a king from his line. But more so, he wisely understood there would eventually arise from his line, a King greater than himself and all others, whom would reign forever. 

And who was that future king? 

On the first Christmas Day there was born a baby from the line of David. His name was Jesus. His birth was foretold centuries earlier by Isaiah, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:22-23) Jesus grew up to become the greatest spiritual leader in Israel’s history, and eventually gave Himself to die on a cross and rise again for the people of Israel, and the whole world. He once said of Himself, “I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16) And the angels of heaven declared that Jesus was the Anointed One spoken about in David’s promise, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15)    

Like Jesus’ ancestor, David, He was a King and came as a Deliverer. However, David was a king of a physical nation who sought to deliver his countrymen from their surrounding enemies. Conversely, Jesus came not to set up and rule over a physical kingdom, but a spiritual one. 

Let me ask, why do nations go to war? Why is there crime and rampant immorality? Why are there crises? Because of evil in the hearts of people. However, Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection provided a pathway for people to be delivered from this indwelling evil. When they meet His conditions of faith and repentance, they can be instantaneously made new. 

What effect do hearts and lives made holy through Jesus have? They have the ability to change an entire family, city, nation and the world.

And one day this will happen. He came the first time as a baby, but He has promised to return a second time as a divine Warrior. Then He will physically deliver the whole world from His enemies and set up a physical kingdom where He will reign forever.

This Christmas, enter into Jesus’ kingdom. Trust Him with your whole being and be made new!      

A prayer for you – Lord God, thank you for Christmas and the hope of deliverance from sin it brings. Examine our hearts to see if there be any evil within us. Then help us to earnestly call upon Jesus to be forgiven. In His name. Amen.   

Admit You Have an Alcohol Problem

“You have to decide. You cannot have both God and the bottle. It can only be one or the other. Which will it be?”

A man visited with me, talking about his problem with alcohol. After listening for a while, I looked him in the eye and firmly stated, “You have to decide. You cannot have both God and the bottle. It can only be one or the other. Which will it be?” (Photo by Bence Boros on Unsplash)

The man I talked with is part of a larger problem. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics,10% of all Americans 12 years and older are alcoholics, and of those over 60% are men. And for many it is deadly, where 385 lives are ended every day due to alcohol.   

The millions who abuse alcohol are part of a long and storied history dating back over 3,000 years to a man named Noah. History records him as being the first person to plant a vineyard, make his own wine and booze it up until he became humankind’s first drunk.    

The biblical story recounts Noah as drinking alone in his tent, where the alcohol overtook him, then he disrobed and passed out on the floor without a stitch of clothes on. The incident caused embarrassment and division within the family. 

Let me point out, this was Noah, the one whom God chose to be His voice to the world leading up to the 40-day global flood. He was the one about which the Bible says, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless…Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9)

It does not matter if you are a well-respected clergyman, or are in constant trouble with the law. Noah’s story tells us that anyone can fall prey to the temptation of the bottle.

Why did Noah drink? Why do others? Perhaps someone might be thinking, “It goes good with my meal,” “I like the taste,” “I just want to have some fun with a few friends,” or “It’s been a stressful day and I just want to relax.” For many, their intentions are likely innocent. For others, not so much. They have to drink, because they cannot control it. Instead, it controls them. What starts out as one drink, turns into two, three and soon the person is feeling tipsy, buzzed, and then full-blown drunk. 

God says about alcohol, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”  (Proverbs 20:1)

Have you ever been a little woozy or totally drunk? Are you able to go a day, week or month without a drink and have no physical symptoms? After drinking have you ever quietly passed out like Noah, or became loud, obnoxious and abusive around others?

If you cannot go without alcohol, then it has a grip on you. I urge you to get help. Recognize you have a problem. 

Some people go to great lengths to make the Bible sound as if God supports the abuse of alcohol. They are terribly mistaken! The practice of drunkenness is condemned by God. The Scripture says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery…” (Ephesians 5:18) And what is drunkenness? Our laws may equate blood alcohol concentration with certain numbers, but according to God, drunkenness occurs when alcohol hits the blood stream and it begins to intoxicate you affecting your mind and body. God’s view of drunkenness is much different than ours. 

You have a choice. You do not have to be a slave to the bottle. You can be free, and freedom begins with Jesus. He died and rose again that through Him you might overcome. If you need help do these three things. First, call upon Jesus with all your heart to be delivered. Second, contact a local pastor. Third, call 1-800-662-4357, which is a national alcohol treatment hotline. 

A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray for the one who is controlled by alcohol. Let this be the start of a new day for them. Bring them to confess their sin of drunkenness to you. May they reach toward the heavens in totally brokenness, crying out to you for complete and instant deliverance. Do a miracle today, O God! In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Hate: The Seeds of Racism

 

“From Israel, Africa to America and around the world, during the history of mankind, racism has been responsible for the senseless killings of millions, upon millions of people.”

In 1994 there began one of the most horrific national genocides in the African nation of Rwanda. In a period of 100 days, nearly 1,000,000 people were murdered, mostly members of the Tutsi tribal population, by the opposing Hutu tribe. My wife and I watched the movie, Hotel Rwanda, which portrayed the story of the slaughter. It was heart-wrenching. The killers and victims were both Africans, both Rwandans, but some belonged to one tribe, and some of another. Africans would call this tribalism, toward Jews it would be antisemitism and in America, we would call it racism. (Photo by Peter Forster on Unsplash)

From Africa to America and around the world, during the history of mankind, racism has been responsible for the senseless killings of millions, upon millions of people. It has risen where tyrants have asserted their power based on race or ethnicity, then used it to divide and conquer, by oppressing or enacting revenge upon their enemies, who were racially or ethnically different from them.

In the beginning it was not this way. Where did this evil come from?

The God of heaven and earth, who fashioned mankind together said, “God created man in his own image…male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27) Notice how God makes a distinction regarding the two sexes, but makes no mention of race or ethnicity. Yes, they were created with a specific skin color, but God saw no value in highlighting it because He looked beyond that. Furthermore, after God finished creating, He called everything “good.” Therefore, the color He created our first parents, Adam and Eve, He took pleasure in.

But the moment our first parents rebelled against their Creator, everything changed. They instantly became separated from God and all His goodness, and became filled with a moral darkness. This depravity forever changed mankind.

Soon this new evil revealed itself with history’s first murder. Cain and Abel were brothers with the same parents, Adam and Eve. Despite that, there was a difference between them. A religious one. The way Abel worshipped the Lord God, was acceptable to Him, but the way Cain worshipped the Lord, was rejected by Him. Due to this difference, Cain looked down upon Abel and his heart became bitter and angry. At the same time, God said to Cain, “…sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7) He rejected God’s Words and eventually, this anger turned into hate where he struck down his own brother in cold blood.

What was the cause of this horrible incident? Hate-filled differences. This is the seed that gives birth to racism. Differences do not divide us. Blacks and whites can live side by side. Jews and Muslims can co-exist. Christians and atheists can work together. The differences are not the problem, hate is. When a person begins to see the differences as a liability, and it leads them to become jealous, angry and oppressive – that is when the evil of division takes root.

The gospel of Jesus Christ takes direct aim at this, when Jesus stated, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew. 22:37-39) A fully devoted love for God and our fellow man, can destroy racism from the face of the earth. How? Because divine love poured into the heart of man, celebrates racial differences and sees the beautiful creation of God in it. However, racism seeks only the love of self, and to dismantle and destroy.

Jesus came to our divided human population, filled with so many differences, to change our hearts. He died and rose again to wash us of hate, and fill us with a holy and perfect love toward one another.

A prayer for you – Lord God, examine our hearts to see if any of our differences with others have sprouted into hate for them. Let us no longer be held captive by anger for others. Instead, fill our hearts with love for you and our neighbors. In Jesus’ name. Amen.