Christmas thoughts

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6 NIV


In Isiah 9:6 we are shown the true love of our Father, that is if we are truly his. It is odd that many who celebrate Christmas deny its king by relegating his worship to mere tradition. Indeed  the evil of men’s hearts is such that the blessing of  celebrating something good often becomes a burden.


Truly you can see in America what happens when men celebrate darkness and the light of men is dimmed.Sin becomes merely stupidity and some of the greatest heroes are those who lie and take advantage of others. Due to their own frailties chritians are mocked as hypocrites, not for the fact that they fall but because they pursue true rightiousness.


In 2^nd Timothy 3 we are told of a a group which models today’s society. These people have a form of Godliness and often say they are Christians but nthe fruit of their lives when not at church as displayed in the first 5 verses of this portion of scripture make very plain.


Now if you look at the context that is the surrounding verses this passage is talking about false teachers as the end of the previous chapter makes plain. As in all things though the principle is very applicable to society in mass. What gives this time of year true hope, the knowledge of our Lord and Savior cannot be destroyed. This is why Satan hates this holiday and seeks to make it anything but about that Jesus of Nazereth, the One who died and rose, the coming promised King who is of the line of David yet existed before all time.

DO you love the Law? In Deuteronomy 4 Moses tells the People to not forget the words of the Law. He instructs them to follow them that they may live. Jesus Later says those that Love him will obey his commands.  The love of the law is the mark of any true lover of Christ. Those who preach Christ without a love of law are false followers. This is not an attack on grace which is needed because no man can fully obey the law and those who try are already breaking the law of love because they are trying by their own strength and thus spitting on the gift of God. Verse 5 says that the reason Moses taught them the law was so that the people might lay hold of the promised land. The law or rules if you will are not the way to salvation but anyone who hates ‘s instruction is not of him no matter how much they espuse so called love. Love is only love when built on a foundation of justice. Proverbs says that the man who hates discipline lacks understanding and indeed we should praise God for his correction and guidelines for his interference proves that He loves us. Thus when people say that you can be cursed because you do not give tithe or something like that in a way they are right. Whether tithe applies to the New Testament believer is a whole other issue, the point is God does curse especially works of his own errant children in the hope that they will turn. Law reveals the path to God. Grace pays the fair.  Paul put it best when he talked about the slave that has authority over the child until that child is of Age.