Giving gifts can be a dangerous activity. Gifts given for the wrong reasons can bring misery instead of joy and happiness. How can this happen? How can giving someone a gift be a bad thing? It is easier than you think. Here are three examples of gift-giving that can result in a miserable Christmas. 1. Giving gifts to receive. This type of gift giving is actually giving a gift to yourself. No, I am not talking about the present under the tree that is labeled from you to you. I am talking about the gifts you give to others because you want to be appreciated. However, when the recipient of your gift is not ecstatic you become discouraged and miserable! […]
Holidays
120 posts
What makes a Christmas a good Christmas? Think about that for a moment. There is danger that lurks for Christians when we evaluate the quality of life with the standards of our culture. Using the world’s standards as the measure of what is good in your life will bring dissatisfaction. This is exactly what happened to the psalmist in Psalm 73. His overwhelming discouragement came directly from evaluating life the way God’s enemies do. Parents, this applies to you, as well. If you work hard at your parenting, but use the culture’s standards of success, you will become like the psalmist—embittered and discouraged with life and with God. What is good cannot be found by looking at our culture. Christians have a […]
Everyday world leaders make decisions thinking that they answer to no one but themselves. Legislatures pass legislation believing they have served their constituents, their party or even themselves. Generals direct their armies where they believe they should be deployed. But behind all of these decisions is the unseen hand of God directing the affairs of people to bring about his sovereign decrees. Men seldom recognize or acknowledge this rule of God but his control is there. King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon said this about God’s control over the nations: His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers […]
The thirty-three years of the life of Jesus Christ on earth held little expectation that this man’s life would be the most significant life in all of history. His life ended in public disgrace and shame. His birth was that of a peasant and his death was that of a criminal. He was born in the company of animals in a stable. He died in the company of thieves on a cross stained with his blood. The political leaders of his country tried to murder him as a baby. But it was the supposed bible-believing religious leaders who finally succeeded where Herod had failed. His friends fled from him at his trial. His family fled to Egypt when he was […]
Your children know everything about you. They see when you are sleeping, they know when you have been good or bad, they know when you pout and when you shout. Your kids know all of this without your ever having to say a word. When you stumble and ask God for help — they learn. When you stumble and snap or make excuses — they learn from that, too. If you value your relationship with God above all else, your children will know that as well. What does this have to do with being Santa’s helper? Just this: in Psalm 72:18 we read that “God alone does marvelous things.” However, at Christmas time, for little children someone else is portrayed […]
Would you risk your life and the lives of your children to come to church this Sunday? It is a serious question! For William Bradford, the answer was yes. Bradford was 33 years old. He was the leader of a group of people who sailed for a new life in the new world. The group experienced famine, cold and sickness. Yet, Bradford, called everyone together for thanksgiving and worship. 495 years ago, Governor Bradford proclaimed that Thursday, November 29th, 1623 would be a day of Thanksgiving and corporate worship. This day marked the third year since these pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Over half of their group died in the brutal first year of their new colony. Why did they […]
The Thanksgiving season is upon us. Next week will bring the busiest travel days of the year, families will be together, fantastic turkey dinners will be consumed, all done in the name of giving thanks. But then, almost immediately after Thanksgiving dinner ends, the crush and rush of Black Friday begins! The frantic race to Christmas is on. However, before the Christmas season begins, let’s take a few moments to consider why giving thanks is such an important part of life. In truth, every day needs to be Thanksgiving Day. Paul says as much when he says: Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. “In everything” is huge. Paul is not speaking metaphorically, […]
Regardless of laws, judicial decrees, executive orders and public opinion, independence from God is not possible. Isaiah reminds us of God’s total control and man’s total dependence on him in Isaiah 40:21-23: Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. The prophet’s words are as true today as they were 2,800 years ago. It is […]
What if you knew that this Christmas would be your last one on earth? Would it make a difference in how you celebrated, in the gifts that you give, and in the meaning of the day? Obviously, the answer would be yes. But how would it play out in your life? Of course, you can look at things from a statistical perspective and conclude that this will probably not be your last Christmas. But the truth is that the length of our lives is not determined by statistical probabilities. The number of your days are set by the will and plan of God. (Psalm 139:16) We live at God’s pleasure and purpose. Thus, it is not idle speculation to consider […]
Joy to the World: A Biblical Worldview (A Four-Part Series) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Part 4: He Rules With Truth and Grace Verse four of “Joy to the World” completes the biblical worldview contained in this Christmas hymn. This last verse is a dynamic testimony to the power of the gospel. The King who was anticipated in the first verse, celebrated for his rule in the second verse, and viewed as the Savior of this sin-cursed world in third, now is depicted as the One who will bring a just judgment to this broken world. Life often appears to be unfair and unjust. Will evil people prevail? Corruption and perversion are everywhere. The […]