Who Is Killing The Christmas Spirit?

To call people skeptical today is putting it rather mildly. We live in a tangible world where people claim to only believe what they can see and what they can put their hands on. We all think we are intelligent and trust that science will show us the way. But hold on. I am actually only describing a small portion of our society. Most people actually believe there is more than what they see.

Just consider some of the more popular shows on television that deal with ghosts, mediums and other spiritual matters. Why are these shows so popular? Because people want to believe in more than the physical world. There is part of us that we know is missing, that is not being fed, that we are not dealing with, and so we search.

There is always going to be part of us that struggles with believing what we cannot see or making assumptions about what we do see. There is so much about Jesus that people can not get past because of the skepticism that is so prevalent in us. We would rather believe in evil demons, vampires and werewolves then in a God of grace who wants to transform us into what he always intended us to be. People dismiss the Christmas story because of something as simple as this:

Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Only, this isn't found in the gospels but in the old prophecies. But people scoff at the idea of the virgin birth. They scoff at the baby in the manger. They scoff at the cross, the empty grave and the giving of the Holy Spirit. But behind their scoffing I think there is a bit of fear that they could be wrong. So they fight harder against it, attacking it and putting down the people who do believe, just to encourage themselves. Why is it so hard to believe in a Father, Creator, who loved us enough to go through all this trouble to rescue us from ourselves?

I actually don't think it is hard for them to believe as much as it is a desire to keep their independence. That is what the whole rebellion is about; us wanting to be our own gods. We want to be the master of our own destinies. We want to write our own stories. We want to call the shots. But that's because we don't know that we are already slaves. We think we are calling the shots but we are actually trapped by our sinful nature which never allows us to live up to our full potential. We can't live up to that potential except through the one who came to set us free.

So yes, it is getting harder to convince people to consider the goodness of God when they don't consider God to have any relevancy any more in our society. We will accept all other forms of spirituality but not that of a Creator who tells us we have to do it his way in order to have life in its fullest. People will accept the "magic" of Christmas but they will not bring themselves to actually believe in the one who we celebrate. Me thinks the end is approaching as hearts are hardened, eyes grow blind and ears are plugged. These are the things we were told to watch for, that would be obvious to those who choose to believe but hidden from this who choose themselves.

Skepticism is killing more than Christmas spirit.

The Discouragement The Morning After

Do we not understand that everything in this world is bent on our destruction? Not that we need to be concerned about it because Jesus is our protector, but we need to at least be aware that we live and breathe in a hostile environment. When we walk in the light, any brush with darkness has the potential to discourage us. This is the reason why the day after great spiritual breakthroughs it can seem to be filled with so much discouragement.That's when it is good to remember Jesus' promise:

I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world. (John 16:33)

The darkness may be bent on our destruction but that's because it has already been defeated by Jesus. It is too bad that we can so easily be distracted from the truth of who we are in Jesus and what Jesus has made possible through him. Yes, each day is a great challenge but the challenge is to keep our focus on the source of all things; the source of joy, hope, peace, and power. Paul asked:

If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? (Romans 8:31-32)

We are deep in the Spirit, surrounded by Jesus Christ and every promise he has given. Don't philosophy about it. The promises were given to us to act on every single day of our life. Because our Father has given us the Son, he also freely gives us everything else, including joy in the midst of the darkness. Paul continues to ask:

If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? (vv. 33-35)

When we come away from an incredible spiritual experience with Jesus Christ, we are not coming away from Jesus. We are simply walking through the darkness where it is easier to be distracted by its limited attractions. We still walk in the Spirit, are still surrounded by the promises, are still under Jesus' protection, are still blessed and partake in all the benefits of a relationship with Jesus. Despite the challenges you may face because of the darkness today, remember:

In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. (v. 37)

I know the dark can provoke fear and anxiety but when you turn the light on you see there is nothing to fear. Let Jesus be that light today, so the emptiness offered by the darkness will be revealed and all those fears and anxieties will flee:

I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! (vv. 38-39)

And that's all we need today as we walk in the Spirit in a world that is hostile toward us. Yes, be aware that everything is bent on your destruction but don't fear it. Just be aware of it so you will never desire to leave the protection of the Spirit; be aware of it so you know why you should always have a thankful heart. This is an excellent day because we get to spend it with Jesus. It is excellent because we get to see his promises in action. It is excellent because we have an opportunity to serve him so the darkness can see that the Light is alive and well.

You Are Beautiful

Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? I mean, you are drop dead gorgeous. It has nothing to do with your face or your body shape, as fine as those may be, and everything to do with the Jesus in you. When you are controlled by the Spirit of God all the beauty of Jesus is seen in you and you stand head and shoulders above everyone else in this world. Because this is our goal, to allow Jesus to be seen in us, we have to be careful that we do not allow the pattern of the world to diminish that light.

What I mean by this is that we cannot allow the goals, agenda and attitude of this world to superimpose itself on our life. We cannot allow the negative to impact the positive and we cannot allow the dark to diminish the light. It should be the opposite. The more we grow in Jesus the more the positive impacts the negative and the more the light gives chase to the dark. Negative thoughts and emotions must no longer find a place to root in us. After all, darkness plays no part in the brilliance of light.

Consider for a moment what should not be found in the life of a beautiful child of God:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. (Ephesians 4:31)

Again, this is not given as a self-improvement list but instead as a road marker. If these negative things are found in you there is a problem in your relationship with Jesus. I find here the most dangerous of these to be bitterness and malice. These two can fool us into thinking we are okay. They can lay buried in us for a long time and surface when we least expect them to. The whole world can think we are nice people but instead we are plotting our revenge and evil intent toward others.

How many times do we hear in the news "but he was such a nice neighbour"; "he was a quiet guy, wouldn't hurt a fly"; "he was very nice, generous, always willing to lend a hand". That is until the malice in him overflowed into some horrible act of violence. There is a lot of darkness in people, hidden but active. It is why the world needs Jesus. But those of us with Jesus have to make sure that we are not allowing any of these negative seeds to take root. We have to make sure these things are not lying beneath the surface while we put on a good act.

If any of these things come near us we have to allow the light to chase them out, to expose them. When they are exposed and we see them we need to deal with them. And how do we deal with them? By allowing all the goodness of Jesus to wash them away:

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

The big thing here is forgiveness. There is nothing more beautiful and powerful than a forgiving person. Forgiveness prevents bitterness and malice from taking root. Forgiveness cuts off rage, anger, brawling and slander before they can mature into action. Forgiveness is never an option when a person has been changed in the revelation of God's love. To be frank with you: If forgiveness is not an easy thing for you you don't know Jesus. Jesus made it plain, forgiveness is a priority. He said that if you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven. He didn't say it just once but many times.

The way to get rid of ugliness is to allow the beauty to increase in you. When the ugliness is revealed in you allow the beauty of Jesus to overwhelm it. When negative thoughts and emotions come knocking allow the love of Jesus to turn them away. Allow the forgiveness you have been shown to de-root all bitterness and malice. If there is stuff that has deep roots, confess it, talk about it, expose it to the light of God and allow the Spirit to dig it out. You are beautiful, don't let anything rob you of that beauty.

There Is A Difference

Have you given much thought to the reason why we are in the world but not part of it? Did you even know that? It is not all that popular to preach these days. We are too busy on our self improvement stuff to realize we don't belong here. We are so busy worrying about fitting in that we have forgotten there is nothing here to fit into.

Seriously, what is occupying our heart and thoughts? How are we being entertained? Why did Jesus say that we are not to be unequally yoked (joined together)? What does that even mean? It means you are different and you cannot allow yourself to become again like those who are still in rebellion. You can't allow yourself to be sucked into their way of thinking. You can't be entertained by the same things or have the same goals. Remember:

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. (Ephesians 4:18-19)

Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we forget that we are different, that we don't belong here. They can't see what we see, hear what we hear, think how we think. We really need to accept the fact that we are a new creation and they are not. They are still separated from God. They are ignorant because their hearts are hard. They have no spiritual sensitivity and do not even realize the things they indulge in are offensive to God.

The teachers you sit under teach from this kind of heart and mind. Respect them but filter what they teach by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in you. Your boss leads from this kind of heart and mind. You need to forgive him and work instead as if you are working for the Lord. Even parents without Jesus parent with this kind of heart and mind. So it can be hard to stay on track when we are constantly surrounded by such influence. This is the reason we need time with Jesus.

We can't go to church once a week and think we will be okay. We are engaged in warfare and we are in the enemies camp. The enemy is engaged in psychological warfare and he is after our heart and mind. He is not greater than Jesus in us, not even close. However, if we do not allow Jesus in us to be everything then we can unwittingly allow the enemy in. Once he is in then we too can become ignorant again.

We need to practice the presence of the Lord throughout the day. Talk to him about everything. Don't stop praying. Face every situation with the Lord by your side. Don't just say the words but act as if he is physically there with you. Study the Word of God everyday and listen to the Spirit. He is speaking to you, he always is. And understand he wants to do supernatural things through you. We call them the Gifts of the Spirit and they have been given to you for a reason; to use. Jesus has to be the only influence in our lives.

So stop listening to the ignorant philosophy and darkened wisdom of this world. They don't know any better but you do. You are without excuse. You know the beauty of the King and have experienced his love. Throw off the creeping vines of the enemy and grab hold of the holiness of God. Light cannot be joined with darkness. Stay in the light and do not allow the shadows to approach. You are a child of the Light not a creature of the dark. Remember that and stand your ground.