It's time for my annual Christmas message.
Ever since Jesus came back to life and ascended back into heaven, every generation of Christians has warned of His imminent return and the subsequent judgment to come. (Unlike winter and spring, Jesus went out like a lamb but will come back like a lion. Think of the oddly named Battle Hymn of the Republic: "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord: He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;" )
We've been waiting and warning for 2000 years now. Maybe you think we're "crying 'Wolf!'"? (See 2 peter 3:4) But certainly every day is closer to the Last Day, by definition. It seems to me, in my short life, that the world, or at least America, is becoming more and more lawless/godless, a requirement for judgment. Globally, in the U.S. neither our Legislative, Executive or Judicial branch obey our own laws. It's getting more blatant. No one blushes (is ashamed) anymore. Same comment with local politics, as I've been forced to intimately observe these past few years. (Maybe it's always been this bad but the Internet is shedding light on the corruption now? Still, the sea change in the past few years (since Clinton?) is that, when caught, no one is ashamed anymore but rather is defiant.)
We're already suffering the consequences of a godless society: "Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path." Isaiah 3:12. We've had women in power for quite some time. (Even in the churches.) Now we have a child President.
More telling, homosexuality is becoming more prevalent, blatant and "protected," throughout the world. Remember what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. They served as an example for what's to come. It seems the predicted earthquakes have started. Famines and pestilence are next. (Not to mention North and South Korea - "wars and rumors of wars.")
It sure seems like ours is the generation since we now have the technology so that events predicted long ago in the last book of the Bible don't sound like science fiction anymore. (Implantable chips for the coming cashless society and webcams to watch the bodies of the two witnesses as they lie in the street. See Rev 13:16-17 and Rev 9:10-11 respectively.) If I'm right, there will be a great apostasy of so-called "christians," which, in my own little world, seems to have already started. And the Muslims haven't come yet to accelerate the process!
So here are some selected Bible verses for religious Americans to consider as you ostensibly celebrate the birth of God come in the flesh this December 25th. As they pertain to this blog, they are a sign of the times. "Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted." (Habakkuk 1:4)
You probably saw the cute (but faked?) youtube video of the Christmas Food Court Flash Mob singing the Hallelujah Chorus? This was the year that Americans fought back against political correctness and insisted it was "Merry CHRISTmas," not "Happy Holidays." Sounds great, huh? But "'You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 'These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" Matthew 15:7-9
[Strictly speaking, Jesus was talking to the Jews of His day. But can't this apply to the religious in our country today? Consider: God says, and every mom knows, it's a baby in the womb. No mom ever says "The 'fetus' kicked." Even little girls know it's a baby in there. And yet our Supreme Court teaches and rules it's okay to murder unborn babies. And we do. I don't see how we can escape judgment.]
"'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it." Numbers 35:33And, "See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer." Isaiah 26:21
Or consider marriage vows before God. God says, "... what [I have] joined together, let man not separate." (Matthew 19:6). So people-most hypocritically, religious people-marry and make their vows before God in churches. But they break their vows to God in a court of law (ironically, testifying under oath, "so help me God") and divorce because men teach and rule that they can. And, because, like murdering their babies, they want to.
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry." 1 Sam 15:22-23 "The man (or woman) who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4
"... when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8
"Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years." Amos 4:4 (Sarcasm. Yes, God is sometimes sarcastic.)
Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." Some Pharisees (American 'christians') who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.'" John 9:39
"Then he told me, 'Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy. Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.'" Rev 22:10-12 10
Well, in light of that last passage, I won't preach to you. If you're vile, so be it. It's your choice. I'll simply repeat Jesus's question to you: "What good will it be for a man (or woman) if he/she gains the whole world, yet forfeits his/her soul?" (Matt 16:26)
May the Lord reward you according to what you have done. And He will.
Merry Christmas?
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