And Suddenly … (My Christmas 2023 Blog)

I had heard that the year 2023 was going to be a year of “suddenlies.”  I didn’t understand it at the time although the thought of “natural disasters” came to mind. But as the year progressed, I noticed that a lot of people I know were what seemed like suddenly passing away. In the summer alone, I attended about 1 funeral every seven days. I mean no disrespect, but it was hard to keep track of them all. Then in the fall another few passed away. Instead of making birthday cards, or seasonal Christmas cards, I found myself making sympathy cards.  And I felt the sorrow of the families left behind, partly because many of these deaths happened so suddenly that the families had no time to prepare for the huge loss of their loved one. 

 

To top it off, not only am I grieving all these friends and acquaintances that have died so suddenly, I struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  And it’s been a very strange fall, and now it’s almost winter.  We have had very little snow, and so there is no reflection of light on the ground.  It has been unseasonably mild, and many days have been cloudy. I’ve noticed how dark it is and how early it is dark. I believe today it was dark by 4:00, and the sun came up at around 8:25.  For someone with seasonal disorder, it is a real challenge for me not to be overcome by the long stretches of darkness during these days of late fall and early winter. And it doesn’t help that there’s these disturbing things going on in our world right now. I pray for the Jewish people every single day, and that people understand that they need to defend the freedom we in the west have enjoyed these many years. Heaven forbid we should be threatened to lose that to some 16th century barbarism from the Middle East.  And with grieving all these people on top of that, I need extra light in my life, both physical and spiritual. 

 

Yet, it is when things seem the darkest, that God shows up.  He showed up during tumultuous times in Israel’s’ history at the time Jesus was born. I quote this most famous passage in Luke, a passage we have likely all heard at every Christmas pageant. I can imagine that it was all very sudden.

 

Luk 2:8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Luk 2:9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Luk 2:10  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luk 2:11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luk 2:12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Luk 2:13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Luk 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

 

He also showed up when Jesus came and began His ministry.

 

Jhn 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Jhn 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Jhn 1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Jhn 1:7  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

Jhn 1:8  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

Jhn 1:9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Jhn 1:10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

Jhn 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Jhn 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

I love this powerful passage of Scripture. I am always amazed at verse 10 and 11. I can attest to the fact that I did not truly know God until He revealed Himself to me.  When I realized He created everything and all the incredible detail that went into it, I began to realize how big, great, magnificent, all wise, incredibly creative, AWESOME as in fall on your face in AWE at the majesty of God, and much much more. I saw God in the form of Jesus and He was walking this earth. He was the picture of health and smiling, and not a single care in the world. I realized that the God I had envisioned previously was nothing like the God who revealed Himself to me as my Friend!!!  Oh what a Friend we have in Jesus!! I couldn’t fathom why he chose me to be His friend, and He wanted to spend so much time with me. To this day, I marvel that He is my Friend and talks with me as a friend does. 

 

And as for verse 11, I believe the majority of His people did not receive Him because they just didn’t want to count the cost.  Even His beloved disciples denied Him.  Oh how blinded we are if we can’t see Jesus in the light of His revealed Word.  We need to look for Him in the darkness of our world and the sometimes darkness of our circumstances.

 

I’ve had a rough year, there’s no denying it, and I hope there are no more “suddenlies” unless it is the Rapture, or otherwise all good news! Regardless, I know my world is one of light because I walk with Jesus.  To those that are grieving loved ones, hold on tight to Jesus. He is the one with the brilliant torch to light your way no matter how dark circumstances seem. Remember, the celebration of Christmas is every day because God’s timeless gift of His only Son Jesus has come to light our way.  But as it says in John 1:12, we must receive Him in order to experience His tremendous gift of light, eternal life, and fellowship with Him.

 

May you have a very Merry Christmas!

Should our Faith be Private?

Recently, I was involved in a discussion about being persecuted for our faith. I thought to myself, that maybe people aren’t persecuted because they’re not actually sharing their faith. When I read in the Bible, during Jesus’ time especially, that people shared their faith all the time. In fact, they couldn’t wait to share what Jesus had done for them. Sometimes Jesus told them not to tell anyone what he had done because He didn’t want to be chased down by the authorities for having done such unexplainable miracles and had garnered a huge following, which was a threat to their religious positions and financial gain. Also, isn’t it interesting how verbally sharing the gospel message is mentioned numerous times in the Bible, rather than “showing” by “doing.” There is power in the Word of God.  Every religion can demonstrate their goodness with good deeds, but nothing is more powerful and life-changing than Jesus working through His own children bringing the lost to Himself.  Sharing the Gospel, and even sharing our testimony without a lot of Scripture, is very powerful indeed, especially when we do so willingly and enthusiastically like they did in the Bible! 

 Why is it so important to share the gospel? Well, I can tell you why right away. It’s not hard to answer this question at all because there is a hell. For all of those who do not accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour, the horrible truth is: hell awaits.  Maybe you don’t have a concern for the lost; after all, they are the ones who are doing the persecuting. They don’t make it easy for us to love them and share the Gospel with them, do they? There are many more reasons why we should reach the lost. Because it is a commandment, because God loves every single person, and He died for every single person.  He wants them to know that.  How will they know if we don’t tell them?

 

2Cor. 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

2Cor. 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 

God loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten son. As his children, we are to love the world that is lost just as much. At least we don’t have to die for them, but we at least need to love them and share the good news with them, don’t you think?

 

Some people think they’re not qualified to witness. Well, that’s not true.  We may feel inadequate but so did Isaiah, Moses and almost all of the disciples.  It’s not about us and our talents. It’s about our willingness to obey Him in this very important area.  God has qualified you and I and if you have a mouth and you can speak, and even if you can’t, God has qualified you and He wants to use you wherever you are right now. He has not given us a spirit of fear but of love power and a sound mind; and just so you know, those verses are about witnessing. 

 

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2Ti 1:8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

 

Recall the book of Acts in the beginning and how the first church reached thousands of people who became believers when the first Christians received power from on high.  The Lord does the same thing today to all who ask.  He’s going to send you power on high which will give you a boost to help you in your witnessing.  In fact, He’s going to be the one doing the witnessing; you’re just going be the mouthpiece, and the vessel He uses. So at the very least we each need to be open and available at all times to let our Saviour speak through us and love through us. That’s our job. There’s no option here; that’s our job.

 

Always keep in mind, your neighbour may be going to hell.  Many people have passed away this year.  Many more likely will.  If they are lost, they are going to hell. Some may have to go through the tribulation if they don’t get saved or die first, they have no future. They will be punished in hell. They will never communicate with God or their loved ones ever again, and they will be cut off from all of life.  They will never see or experience nature or see even a leaf or a blade of grass ever again.  There is no escape.  They will never see the light of day. They will go into a pit of darkness forever. They will not be remembered. Now this should be enough to make us cry and weep for them. What a doom and gloom future they have. Who are we to deny them the truth that there is a way out, that there is an escape?

 

And the truth is there’s no other way for them to get to heaven except through Jesus.

 

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

So this falls on us to share Jesus.  It  also says in the word that their blood is on our hands because we know the truth and didn’t share it. And we are to admonish other believers and warn them when they are gone astray, that they need to come back to the Lord. These are the sobering verses:

 

Eze 3:17  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

Eze 3:18  When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Eze 3:19  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Eze 3:20  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Eze 3:21  Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

 

It is no surprise that Jesus last words on earth were the great commission; out of all the things we are to do as a Christian, it is the greatest example of sharing our faith that you’ll find in the Bible.  It is all about “Good News.” That is a huge job we all have, and God has qualified us and is counting on us to get the job done.  It’s interesting that I’ve heard lots of Christians say that they want the Lord to return due to the many troubles inflicted on us by this evil world system.  But the truth is, Jesus said He wouldn’t return until the Gospel had been preached around the whole world.  The sooner we get out there and share the Good News, perhaps the sooner He will return.

 

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Which Temperature are You?

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 

Recently the Lord has been showing me that there are no true riches when God is excluded from them. What do I mean?  Well, have you noticed that even something as innocent and everyday as traveling without a real purpose other than to get away, that people are not getting the rest and relaxation they were looking for?  Their holiday was expensive, perhaps weather didn’t cooperate and now they are home left wanting.  Either wanting another and better vacation or the thought of getting back to work is too difficult to handle.

 

And then there’s Christian fellowship.  Sometimes we get so busy after church we just fly out of the building before we can even say hello to someone, and offer our love and prayer to those in need.  Now we seem to all go our own way and rush back into our busy lives even on the Lord’s day of rest.

 

One of the things I noticed was after Covid restrictions fell, people eased back into their routines of busyness and gone went the fellowship as we shared our griefs, anxiety, sorrow and even fears.  As difficult as the pandemic was, it drew us together with a common cause, and it also split us apart.  There are many repercussions and after- effects that followed, and are still prevalent.  It seems now that the Covid conversation is one we dare not bring up in case it breeds a disagreement on differing views, especially when it comes to the vaccine that was thrust upon us.  But this is not about Covid, this is about the state of our heart and what we love.  If anything, Covid was a testing of our heart.

 

As I’ve been pondering the opening verses, I’ve been praying and asking God to stir my heart to make it hot again. Somehow the busyness of my life that was ramped up in the last few months has dulled me to the things of God.  I feel challenged to check my heart and re-priorize my priorities and put God first.  I have become occupied from the things of this world keeping me busy instead of focusing on the Lord and the writing ministry He has given me.

 

If we read throughout Scripture, the Old and New Testament, God always requires that His children, in whatever capacity or title we have been given, are faithful and true to our wonderful loving and mighty God; true to Him and true to the calling He has placed on our lives.  When we turn to the things of the world instead, our hearts will turn cold towards God and hot towards something or someone else.  The Old Testament testifies again and again to this. Solomon is a good example.  His downfall were the many foreign women he took as his wives.  They were of pagan roots and did not honour the God of Israel. As a result His kingdom eventually fell into disrepute.  He did not leave a very good legacy to future generations.

 

What captivates us and takes us away from our loving Father and Savior Jesus?  Why are we afraid to give Him our all?  What can we do to stir the fire of the Spirit within us and and bring glory to God and bear fruit for Him?  He deserves all of our life and service, for He gave His life for us.  These are important questions to ask ourselves today.  The world will try everything in its power to dissuade us from following, living and speaking the truth of our almighty God.  The do this so that their own sinful lifestyles will not be exposed. And the following Scriptures challenge us to make a choice.  We cannot have it both ways.  It is all or nothing, hot or cold, and no in-between.

 

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

The things of this world are quickly passing away. Let’s spend the time with our Lord while we still can, and trust Him and love Him with our whole heart to keep us faithful to Him alone to the very end.