Jesus is not the reason for the season

Jesus is not the reason for the season. I know that may sound like a shocking statement, especially coming from a pastor but oh well. This phrase, "Jesus is the reason for the season" has always rubbed me the wrong way, I cringe every time I see it or when someone sends a Christmas card with it. I imagine it was some slick slogan drummed up by a marketing team to compete with the over commercialization of Christmas, but for the love of God please stop saying it.

I know and understand that we, as humans, are different in many ways, but bad theology always has been and will continue to be BAD theology. Jesus didn't come into the world for Jesus. God didn't send his Son to earth or to the cross for that matter for himself. Isaiah 9 states, "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." And we read in Luke 2, "Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord."

For all people, to you, for us, to us; we are the reason for the season, not Jesus. Jesus came for you, for everyone that has ever been and for everyone who will ever be. God is self sufficient, He sent His Son for the redemption of all of creation, so that we may gain salvation and everlasting life if we choose to believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to restore what was lost in the Garden so many years ago. He came to take what we deserve, death, to rescue us from slavery, not from slavery in Egypt, but from the slavery of sin, death, Satan, and Hell.

You are the reason for the season, you are the reason for Christmas. The next time someone asks what Christmas is all about, tell them Christmas is about them, us. Tell them about what God did for them and why he did it. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." John 3:16. Enjoy Christmas, after all you are the reason for the manger. Worship God in a new way this Christmas, step into the calling he has given you, the life he wants you to have. Remember the words of Jesus, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." - Merry Christmas to you all.

Be ready at all times

Recently I had some time to spend in the woods. It is one of my favorite places to be, when I get  completely surrounded by God's creation and have no other place to be. There is something special about sitting in the woods, when you know that not another living person knows where you are at and God is the only one who is aware of your current location. It is this perfect time of solitude and peace, although I am covered in camo with a weapon as I wait to try and harvest one of God's creations. I will admit that I have been completely lost in thought with God a time or two, while a deer has strolled up.

On this occasion I was sitting on the ground, legs hanging over the edge of a ridge, watching and listening to all that was going on in the trees. It's as if you become one with nature, you can feel the wind shift, the sound of a stick being stepped on 100 yards away and then it happened. Something caught my eye, I looked down and a snake was right next to my leg. Are you kidding me, how did this snake get right next to me, how did I not see or hear it, so much for being at one with nature. As soon as I saw the snake, he or she, saw me too (remember camo) neither of us was going to move. Now, I am not afraid of any snake, as Jesus commanded, ^"See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you."

Although I was in no real danger form this snake it did make me think. Thanks to Adam in the garden of Eden, I can't help but think of Satan when I see a snake slithering by. This snake got really, really close and it made me ponder, how many times has Satan slithered right up next to me without me noticing. As R.C. Sproul put it, "Cunning. Craftiness. Subtlety. Guile. These are the descriptive qualifiers that paint the biblical portrait of Satan."   I can get so comfortable in my surroundings that I don't see him coming. Or I can get super focused on a task or objective that I'm like a horse with blinders on. And then it happened again. Where did it go, as slick as it slithered up to me, it has vanished. So I started looking, I mean really looking without moving (I'm still hunting) for this snake. There he is, somehow he moved without notice and had turned the tables on me and was completely camouflaged in the grass to my left.   

Just like Satan, when I thought the snake was gone, I see him hiding in the grass. What a perfect vision of Satan, he loves to slither up next to us and hide, close enough to strike. Unless your different than me, I find it that I am in the most danger, I am at my weakest, when I am alone. When no other person knows where I'm at. The problem with me, is me, as good as I try to be and as much as I try to follow Jesus, at my core I'm still sinful by nature or as some might call it depravity. My take away from this little encounter with a slithering friend, keep my guard up, especially when I think I'm alone(we are never alone, Jesus is always with us). We also get some good advice from Peter,  "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that- the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." - 1 Peter 5:8-9