An Abundance of Knowledge for the New Year

As we enter into the New Year, I reflect on the notion that much has changed in the past twelve months.  From politics to the economy, nothing ever seems to stay the same.  That being said, however, I believe that there is one thing we can always count on.  It is the fact that God never changes.  In fact, I think we have an overabundance of knowledge at our fingertips when it comes to studying the timeless truths of Holy Scripture.  We can pull up an article about the various ways that archeology has vindicated Biblical accounts from history, for example.  Five minutes spent in an easy chair with the NIV study Bible, and anyone can sound like an armchair theologian.  It is almost too easy; we are spoiled.

By grace of God, this wealth of knowledge also extends to the question of how someone can be rescued by Christ, no matter what their circumstances are.  Or as some like to phrase it: becoming born again.  It is an important topic, and I dare say it may be one of the most important topics.  Even the non-believer can see that something changes within a person when they accept Jesus.  They are not the same as they were before.  It is the pivotal point where a person decides that it is okay to want more than this world has to offer, and to understand at the same time, that we are imperfect beings in need of grace. 

My favorite piece of Scripture is Romans 10:9.  It is simple, straightforward, and heartfelt.  To argue about its meaning is silly, and to ignore its implication is equally foolish.  It says this, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  This is our rescue opportunity friends!  There are no peripheral statements that go along with this edict.  It is too simple to misinterpret, and too important to ignore.  Rom 10:9 provides us with an embarrassment of riches, at least as it pertains to eternal salvation. 

What do we do then with this information?  Especially since it is so easily accessible?   I suppose it is possible to ignore it for some people.  We could - if we really wanted to - go through life pushing Romans 10:9 away.  Maybe when we die the lights go out, and that's it.  Maybe all of this excitement about God and Heaven ultimately comes to nothing.  Some people do hold to this philosophy, by the way.  Yet the question of our own significance in this universe is always there, waiting on the sidelines.  It never really goes away.  “Why are we here in the first place.”  You cannot reason your way out of this question or talk yourself free from it.  Truth be told, I really don't think you can push the big questions of life away for any prolonged length of time. 

We may never fully understand the atonement (Jesus going to the cross for our sins).  God’s grace is often like that.  Much of it remains a mystery – something profound for our little minds to wrestle with.  So I humbly suggest that we embrace this abundance of Scriptural availability.  I believe God is ready to take in anyone who is willing to commit Romans 10:9 to their heart.  If this wasn't so, He would not have inspired the Apostle Paul to write it.  The simplicity of salvation is God's gift to us.  It is His way to connect more deeply with you and I.  To accept Christ into our lives, to profess Him to others, and be baptized in His name.  So accept God’s gift of saving grace now, while you are thinking about what 2026 might have in store for you.  It will be the best decision you make all year.

 

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It's Christmas Time Again

It's hard to believe that the holidays are once again upon us.  Our recent snow storm the end of November, has reminded me of the Advent season and our liturgical calendar.  A time of anticipation for the coming Christmas holiday.  So, I have taken to reflecting on what changes and events have transpired over the course of this last year, and how Christmas and the New Year might look a little different than past holidays. 

The first observation is that our culture and society are in desperate need of a savior, perhaps now more than ever.  People are sad, angry, anxious, and often scared.  Everything they used to know and trust is changing.  The Bible forecasted this of course; the apostle Paul talks about it in his letters to the various churches two-thousand years ago.  He says there will be false teachers and false teaching in the last days, and that our faith would be tested.  As the old saying goes: "The times, they are-a-changing."  Turn on any television show or streaming service and you will see a constant diet of sex, violence, and bold challenges to Christian morality.  They don't even try to hide it anymore.

I believe this pervasive spirit of blasphemy has led to a host of mental health disorders as well.  According to the National Institutes of Health and Sciences, almost one in four people in the United States now suffer from some type of anxiety disorder.  Things such as GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), depression, and other maladies run rampant in our culture; and are often under reported or undiagnosed.  If you think I'm overexaggerating, step into any public school classroom in America, and spend a couple hours with the students.  My heart goes out to all of them (especially the teachers, who are doing what they can).  

Another thing I have noticed is a direct assault on the Christian God Himself.  In many government institutions for example, all public expressions are allowed, except items directly related to the cross or Jesus Christ.  In fact, our Lord and Savior's name has become one of America's favorite slang curse words.  Hostility is often shown to churches and the people in them, resulting in backlash behavior and political strife.  Five pastors in Chicago were recently arrested for preaching Scriptural truth in the name of Jesus.  People are choosing sides more frequently, and the safe position of "neutral" isn't acceptable anymore.  It seems as though you must profess some type of stance on something (and hopefully we are standing for God).  But often people are not.  

But I am also grateful in many ways, that God has seen fit to preserve America for another year.  We ebb and flow, move and breathe under His mantle of forgiveness and love.  Forgiveness - because some of His children are building false idols and rebelling against Him.  And love – because He continues to put up with it, and allows us to live in relative peace as opposed to war here on our own soil.  I pray about these things quite often.  How long, I wonder, will a benevolent God put up with people worshipping created things but not the Creator Himself?  For one more year I suppose – if we are lucky.  

There are still small acts of joy in the world that hold promise for me.  A mother's love for her children, strong Christian pastors and leaders upholding the Word of God in the Bible, and families getting together over robust dinner tables on Christmas day to pray and eat together.  

Christmas was built on sacrificial love.  The baby in the manger two-thousand years ago was born to a virgin, and the rest is history.  And it has nothing to do with shopping at Walmart for last minute gifts, or spending money online.  But rather, to worship and remember that the reason we celebrate these things at all, is because God first celebrated His relationship with us.  Even when we were yet still sinners separated from Him, and then even now, when people sometimes forget why they come together each year.  It’s easy for us to get caught up in all the hustle and bustle of the holiday machine.  But in light of God's sacrifice on our behalf, I think we can rejoice - for God is still here with us (Emmanuel).    

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