Insignificant

I would imagine most of us have read or heard the story of Christmas hundreds of times. We probably just skim over the verses, telling ourselves we already know the facts. But for those who were present, the event probably did not have the significance as it does to us. Many of things than made up this story were “insignificant” to the people of that day.

From the human standpoint, there was nothing special about Jesus’ birth. Mary and Joseph were poor, ordinary people having a baby, yet this event was the most significant incident in human history. I did a Google search of the most significant incidents in human history and the birth of Jesus Christ was not even mentioned. The greatest event of all history, God becoming man did not make the list! Neither the Jerusalem Gazette nor the Nazareth News covered the story. To them it seemed insignificant.

Yet what appeared to be insignificant; had eternal importance. I wonder how much “insignificant” events fill our lives. I do not believe in coincide for the Christ follower. The Word of God teaches that God “orders the steps” of His children. This Christmas season, look for the “insignificant” they might just be God working in your life!

Home For Christmas

It was during WWII that singer Bing Crosby released a song, as if written from a “G.I.” far away from home at Christmas, it shot up the music charts and has remained a Christmas classic ever since. Part of the song says,

“Christmas Eve will find me

Where the love light gleams

I’ll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

 

How well I remember Christmas 1968 as I was flying over the Central Highlands of Viet Nam. Armed Services Radio broadcasted Christmas music to try and alleviate our homesickness. It is hard being away from home during the holidays. One of the great ironies of the bible is that almost everyone in the first Christmas wasn’t home for the holidays. The angel Gabriel left heaven to announce to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. Joseph and Mary left their home in Nazareth and traveled to Bethlehem to give birth to their Baby. And of course, the Magi were a long way from home to see the newborn King.

Most important, the baby Jesus Himself was far from His heavenly home at the first Christmas. But there was a reason that all these were far from home – it was so we could find  our way back to our true home with God. As wonderful as it is to be home at Christmas there is still something in us that tells us we are not home yet. The Bible says we are strangers and pilgrims of earth.

 
As we celebrate  the first coming of Jesus don’t forget the fact that we’re not yet in our true and eternal home. So, keep focused on His Second Coming and your eternal, heavenly home.

I Love Mankind

In the comic Peanuts Linus once explained, “I love mankind; it’s the people I can’t stand.”  Somerset Maugham said it this way “I’ve always been interested in people, but I’ve never liked them.”

Maybe you can identify with those sentiments. People can be rude, selfish, foolish, trying and vicious. Some might even fall into the “enemies” category. When people mistreat or take advantage of us, it is just human nature to feel resentment, anger and even hatred.

The religious teachers of Jesus’ day taught you were to hate your enemies [Roman occupation]. Jesus comes with a radical new teaching, “Love you enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you…”

Our generation has a difficult time understanding this teaching because we look at love as an emotion. When Jesus gave the command to love our enemies He was not talking about our emotions but our actions. You cannot command your emotions to feel a certain way. “Bless those…do good…pray for those…” are all words of action. So, it does not matter how you feel about someone, to love is to do what is in the best interest of that person.

The Theology of Happiness

If you were to ask the average person on the street, "What do you want out of time for you and your children?" Most people answer, "I just want to be happy!" Even our Bill of Rights declare that man has an "unalienable right" to be happy. We are all familiar with the phrase "...and the pursuit of happiness." And it appears that most people are spending an enormous amount to time and energy in their pursuit of happiness.

This pursuit of happiness even carries over to the spiritual realm. We would never say it but we think God's major role in our lives is to see that be are happy. But unfortunately, that is not true. I know it sounds almost heretical that God's goal for us in not happiness. God is more interested in our holiness than our happiness. God's intent for us is to be Christ like. Romans 8:29

We treat God like a cosmic vending machine. We put in our spiritual quarter [prayer] into the vending machine [God] and wait for our prayer to be dispensed [answered]. And if God does not answer our prayer or at least like we think He should, we begin to complain that God has failed us.

Happiness is based on our circumstances. If our circumstances are "good" we are happy. If our circumstance are "bad" we are upset. But God offers something better, it is called joy. 1 John 1:4

God's joy does not depend on circumstances because joy is found in a personal relationship with Christ.