Christmas Blog

Like you, my heart has been grieved over the last several days as we have watched one tragedy after another.  It's been devastating, disheartening, and we have stood in disbelief.  Rightly so, many are asking the question: why?   Others are trying to control behavior by more laws, mandates, or other government restrictions.  But this Christmas I think there is a rather simple and quiet answer.  It is an answer that we as a nation will probably miss, and one that we will likely overlook.  The answer is not in some complicated bill or background checks.  The answer is not in some long psychoanalysis of our culture.   What we simply need is right before us, and has been there all along. 

This Christmas the world is in need of a Savior!   We are not in need of a political solution; we are not even in need of some great compromise in Washington!   It might be nice, but it's really not what we need, what we need is Jesus to control our hearts, minds, and our lives.  It would be nice to have a solution to the violence, gas prices, and our world economics.  But these things are not our greatest needs.  Today, our greatest need is a spiritual remedy.

That which we are missing in America today is a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ that can altar the way we live from the inside out.  We are so given to what we see externally that we forget what Christ can do internally.

Many people today are asking the question how can God allow these evil things to happen in our world.  Why do we ask God “why”, when we have spent so much time methodically taking him out of our culture?  We sought to remove his influence from our schools... We have sought to remove his influence in our courtrooms; we have sought to remove him from any public gathering whatsoever!    We have sought to remove him from our conversations during the holidays, which is clearly influenced by the birth of Christ, Did I tell you,  “Merry Christmas?”  if not I meant to!

On other holidays like Easter, when we are supposed to celebrate the death of and resurrection of Christ, we have made it into an Egg fest with candy and bunny’s... and if we have crosses they are the chocolate ones of course!  Gee, I don't know, why would God allow such evil things to happen?   I can’t imagine things we have done to Him?  {The better question is found in this: What have I done for him?”}

I think all these things that we see taking place in our nation have a purpose!   Go ahead call me crazy but consider again the evil in our schools and other public places.  The dry land below our feet, or in flooded waters above our heads.  Much of the nation has experienced unexplainable and unusual hot, dry weather.  Yes, who can forget the natural disasters that we have seen!  Can anyone think maybe just for a moment that God is calling out to us!  God is patiently crying out for us to return to him?  Why is that conclusion so hard to accept?  I tell you why...  BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO!   We want Jesus to do for us what we want when we want it...  and we don’t want it any other way!   In order for things to change things have to change!

On behalf of our nation let us who call ourselves Christian fall to our needs and repent, on behalf of our brothers and sisters, our friends our neighbors, yes our nation.  Let us beg God for his mercy, and may we plead for him to send a fresh revival.