★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Alcohol and Drugs (Part 2) ★

Today is Part 2 in Our Temptation Series.  If you have missed the previous post, we first introduced the series using Abraham’s Nephew “Lot” as a case study called ★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding a Whole “LOT” of Trouble ★.  As we develop each temptation trap or “pitfall,” we will use a biblical case study as well as someone who I know or myself to make it current.  I have combined these two “pitfalls” that we can fall victim to into one post since they typically go hand in hand.  At least they did for me.  I learned this lesson the hard way as I failed in both areas and was trapped in a downward spiral of self-destructive behavior involving alcohol and drugs.

In the post ★ Thought for the Day – The Family Juggernaut ★, I shared about how my family of origin was wrecked by neglect, alcoholism, drug use, verbal attacks, physical abuse, and adultery all by the time I reached 5 years old!  Not surprisingly, that was the year that my parents divorced.  My teenage years and early twenties were characterized with drugs and alcohol, living life far from God and doing whatever felt good and benefited me.  I used the excuse that I came from a broken home to self-medicate my problems away instead of facing them head long.  I hated the face I saw in the mirror and so I surrounded myself with people who would no challenge me to change but instead accepted me because they were involved in the same self-destructive behaviors.  The people I associated with liked to party and drink excessively and I had no problem joining in and that has not changed 27 years later.

“According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 15.1 million adults ages 18 and older had Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).” 

“According to the 2015 NSDUH, an estimated 623,000 adolescents ages 12–17 had AUD.” Source: NSDUH Alcohol Facts and Statistics

What these statistics don’t comment on is the problem that abusing alcohol can escalate to more serious narcotics.  I remember my first time that I experimented with marijuana (or pot) like it was yesterday.  I was 15 years old at a party and had consumed so much alcohol that when the joint went around the circle I was too intoxicated to say no.  It is hard enough to resist temptation but when you surround yourself with the wrong people, compromise will always follow.  My drinking problem placed me in no position to make the right choice, and was the gateway to a life of illegal drugs that lasted almost 10 years before God used my girlfriend (now wife,) to lead me out of that dark life.

Now you may be thinking to yourself that I don’t remember reading anything in the Bible that directly says do not do drugs, but I think we can all agree that the effects of prolonged drug use can have devastating effects.  In a great article call “Don’t Let Your Mind Go to Pot” John Piper made this great parallel:

“In regard to drunkenness — and a marijuana high is a kind of drunkenness — the Bible says,

‘In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder [or viper].  Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.’  (Proverbs 23:32-33). 

In other words, it leads away from the kind of sober-mindedness and self-control that is essential in using the mind for the glory of God.”

Amen!!  John Piper also said:

“In everything you do, ask yourself: Is this making Jesus look like the treasure He is?”  

So if you are rationalizing that marijuana or other drugs are not mentioned in the Bible, ask yourself, is hitting the bong or snorting that line of cocaine making Jesus look like the treasure He is supposed to be in your life?  Whether it be the temptation of drugs or alcohol, yielding to either only feeds your sinful nature and the Bible has much to say about that!  Galatians 5:19-21 (NLT) says:

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. 

Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

What a list!  We will unpack much of these pitfalls in the next 5 posts.  Verse 21 is also quite sobering (no pun intended)…“anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God!” 

Our case study today from the Old Testament that best exemplifies yielding to the temptation and its disastrous consequences is the man Noah.  You may be thinking to yourself, wait a second, “wasn’t he the man God used to build an ark to save two of every kind of animal from the flood that God was sending to punish the world because of the increasing immorality?”  The answer is yes!  Genesis 6:9-19 says:

“These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.  And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”

As a result of his righteousness, God saved Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives from destruction.  The whole epic story can be found in Genesis Chapters 6-9 but what is not really ever discussed is what happens after the flood recedes and God makes His covenant with Noah and all his descendents to never flood the Earth again.  We remember the rainbow in the clouds as a sign of the covenant but what happens after that?

Genesis 9:18-28 recalls how after the flood had receded Noah planted a vineyard and one night he got drunk and was found inside his tent naked by his youngest son Ham who shamed his father by telling his two brothers about being passed out drunk.  But instead of joining in their brother’s disrespect, Shem and Japheth covered their father’s nakedness.  Verses 24-27 recounts:

“When Noah woke up from his stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done.  Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham:

‘May Canaan be cursed!
May he be the lowest of servants to his relatives.’

Then Noah said,

‘May the Lord, the God of Shem, be blessed, and may Canaan be his servant!
May God expand the territory of Japheth!
May Japheth share the prosperity of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.’”

Wow that seems extreme doesn’t it?  But that is exactly what happens when we allow alcohol (and drugs) to have priority in our lives.  It will result in us doing and saying things that we would not normally do, and ultimately will wreak havoc in our lives and the one’s we love.  Noah was 601 years old when he left the ark (Genesis 8:13) and lived until he was 950 (Genesis 9:29).  It’s sad to me that after that night of drunkenness there is nothing more to report about this righteous man who was the only person in God’s eyes worthy to be saved in all the earth.  There is nothing to support this, but could it be that his vineyard became an idol and his yielding to the temptation of alcohol rendered Noah ineffectual or useless to expand the Kingdom of God?   

I have been doing a bible study with a buddy of mine on the Book of Genesis and God showed me something that I never saw before.  When you look at the descendents of Noah’s three sons:

You can see that the blessing on Shem’s descendants and the Curse on Canaan and his descendants came to pass.  We discussed Abram (also known as Abraham) and Lot in the previous post about how God blessed them both who were in the lineage of Shem.  Abraham was the patriarch of the Israelite’s who were constantly plagued by the highlighted names above who were not only the descendants of Canaan but also from Ham’s other sons as well.  When you think of it, centuries of wars and death can be traced back to one night of drunkenness!

Proverbs 20:1 (NLT) says:

“Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls.
     Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.”

And that is certainly the case for Noah.  Perhaps the reason why we read nothing more about Noah’s subsequent 349 years after the miraculous survival from the flood is because he was led astray and spent those years in conflict with his son and grandchildren as a result of Noah’s pride being hurt. Another passage that we don;t have time to unpack is Proverbs 23:29-35 which I would highly recommend you read on the effects alcohol can have on your life.  Now whether you agree with complete abstinence from alcohol or not, don’t miss the point that we need to be to be aware of the hold that it has on us.  In 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NLT), the Apostle Paul says:

“You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’ — but not everything is good for you.  And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything.”

Now 1 Corinthians 6:12 is a warning about “Avoiding Sexual Sin” which will unpack in the next post but I wanted to highlight the last part of the verse which says:

“I must not become a slave to anything.”

The ESV translation says “I will not be dominated by anything.”  When we cannot say no to another drink or another hit, snort or pill of __________ (fill in the blank) then that is exactly what is happening!  We are a slave to alcohol and drugs and have allowed our lives to be dominated!  I would be remiss if I did not mention one of the most quoted verses on temptation from 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)…

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Charles Stanley has this life lesson:

“We will face temptation just as the Old Testament saints did, but we do not have to choose disobedience to God.  Why?  Because the power of sin over us was defeated at the Cross.  If we’ve trusted Christ as our savior, His Spirit lives in us – giving us the power and wisdom to overcome our sinful impulses so we can obey Him.  So whenever you are tempted, ask God to remind you of the terrible consequences that would follow the transgression and to fill your heart with love and obedience for Him – because that is a sure way of escape.”

I love, love, love that advice to that “whenever you are tempted, ask God to remind you of the terrible consequences that would follow the transgression.”  How much different would our lives be if we were to pray this?  And if we would, I believe that we would see the fruition of Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT) manifested!

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against these things!  Those who belong to Christ 

 Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

You know the expression, ‘save the best for last?’  When you look at the ninth “Fruit of the Spirit,” it is self-control.  I think mastery of this area can unlock the key to overcoming temptation and avoiding the consequences that will result if we fail to.  I will close with this from John MacArthur about what it means to live in the Spirit:

“The Spirit-filled life is overflowing with gratitude, joy, right relationships, and good behavior — quite a contrast to those enslaved by alcohol.  You may not be seeking your joy in drugs or alcohol, but are you seeking to be filled with the Spirit?”  From Living Under The Influence

Are you seeking to be filled with the Spirit?  The answer to that question will speak volumes to whether you will continue to yield to alcohol and drugs and whether the truth of God is in us!

“Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.”  1 John 3:19 (NLT)

Here is the next installment of the Temptation Series called:

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Lust (Part 3a) ★

If you’re interested in digging deeper, check out:

★ Thought for the Day – Who Are You Imitating? ★

Here are some great articles called:

“Don’t Let Your Mind Go to Pot by John Piper

Living “Under the Influence” by John MacArthur 

 

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding a whole “LOT” of trouble ★

In our last post called ★ Thought for the Day – Community That Matters ★, we explored the importance of what my church calls “Fight Clubs,” which are bible studies with 2-3 people of the same gender who gather together to:

1.  Fight for Truth
2.  Fight Your Sin and
3.  Fight for Others

Today we are going to focus on the aspect of “fighting our sin.”  We all have to deal with some form of temptation. It may be obvious like alcohol or drug addiction. It could be with what the Bible calls “the lust of the flesh,” which essentially is what is allowed to be looked at on the internet, TV or even magazines in the grocery store that feeds inappropriate sexual behavior like pornography, promiscuity or adultery.  Or it could be saying no to the second helping of food, or not continually gorging on snacks and desserts (something that is hard to do especially right now with Girls Scout Cookies being sold everywhere you go…hahaha!)  But there may be some less obvious temptations to be aware of.  Perhaps it’s a preferred college that is a known “party school,” or a job offer that would be great for “career advancement,” but the company conducts business with questionable ethics.  Or if I haven’t gotten you yet, (which I doubt if you’re being honest,) it could be that you need to avoid the temptation to get the latest gossip, aka the “dirt” or juicy morsel about a friend’s break up or what mistake someone has made.  Or here’s a temptation you may not have thought of…Anger – giving into the rage that you have allowed to build up within you.  So whether it is alcohol, drugs, pornography, promiscuity / adultery, gluttony, moral / ethical compromise, gossiping, or anger, the Word of God has much to say on the subject.  As a result this post will only scratch the surface and will serve as an introduction to a series of posts that will delve much deeper into each of these temptations.

There are two parts to temptation: the Spiritual and Physical.  If you have been around our blog you have heard me talk about spiritual warfare often because we need to be aware of the war that is raging.  Now this is not a license to sin, allowing us to “cop-out” of taking responsibility for our actions by saying “the Devil made me do it.”  But there is without a doubt a really battle going on between good and evil in the unseen world, see Ephesians 6:10-17.  The war is for our soul, which Satan will use temptation to draw us away from God which started at the beginning of time with a simple question that is recorded in Genesis 3:1 (NLT)…

“Did God really say…?” is a question we have all heard in some form or another to get us to doubt the truth of God’s Word or to rationalize a sin that we are flirting with.  Just like any good prosecuting attorney, Satan screams lies into our mind to establish “reasonable doubt.”  Charles Stanley has this life lesson on Genesis 3:1…

“Satan often begins his temptations by questioning God’s commands and suggesting that obedience is not really necessary.  Don’t fall for his trap!  We do ourselves great harm when we believe that we will find greater blessing in doing our own thing than in obeying God.  Obedience is necessary and always results in blessings.”

I especially like that last part, “Obedience is necessary and always results in blessings.”  But too often we want the blessing of God WITHOUT obeying His commands.  What we fail to realize, is that God’s commands are there not to keep us from what is fun and fulfilling, but to keep us safe from what will destroy our soul and body so we don’t become like some sad country song.  Have you ever heard this joke?

“What do you get when you play a country song backwards?”

Answer:  “You get your house back, your wife back, your dog back, your truck back.”

As an avid fan of the genre, I can tell you that there tons of stories set to music about heartbreak and loss as a result of bad choices.  Today we are going to look at the saddest man in the entire Bible and how his life really could be the subject of a country song!  We will unpack how he started out on top of the world but went horribly wrong by giving into the second part of temptation – the Physical.  Do you know who that is?  If you answered Job, I would say good guess but you would be incorrect. Though he went through unbelievable trials of losing all he had monetarily (property and livestock), his children and also his health, in the end he was blessed abundantly by God.  If you read Job 42:10, 12a, 17 it shows how in the end Job came out all right. No, the person I am referring to is Lot, Abram’s nephew.  What makes his life so sad is his failure to avoid temptation and fight his sin.

Lot is a great case study to serve as a cautionary tale to illustrate how critical it is for us to battle against those weaknesses that can wreak havoc in our lives.  In full disclosure, I do want to mention that a lot of what I will talk about was influenced by a sermon I heard back in 2013 called “The Devil Made Me Do It!” by Perry Noble (who is the former Pastor of NewSpring Church.)  Perry Noble called Lot “the saddest story in the Bible” because as a result from failing to “just say no” to temptation, he went from “riches to rags.”  In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NLT) the Apostle Paul gives us this warning…

“Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God?  Don’t fool yourselves.  Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people — none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Ouch!!  Strong words for sure but I think in this instant gratification generation of “I want what I want and I want it now,” it is sorely needed.  Perry Noble made this simple but profound statement in his message that:

Boy is that true not only today, but for Lot as well.  For those who may not remember the story of Lot I will give you the cliff notes version of his decline in the Book of Genesis.  I pray you would be open to what God wants to speak into your life about temptation and allow Lot’s “hindsight” to be our “foresight.”  We can learn a lot from Lot!  (Pun intended…Hahaha!  Sorry I couldn’t help myself.)

• Genesis 12:1-5 is where we first meet Lot. He was the nephew of Abram (also known as Abraham) the patriarch of Israelites who was instructed to leave everything behind and go to the land God was giving him.  Abram brought with him, his wife and nephew Lot.  Here we learn that when we surround ourselves with Godly people, we will be brought to places we never could have gotten to without them!

• Genesis 13:5-17 records how Lot had become very wealthy as he traveled with his uncle and how trouble broke out between their herdsmen because the land could not support all the livestock that the two of them had…#FirstWorldProblems!!  Here is a great truth, when we associate with people who are pursuing God, their blessings will overflow onto us. So to save the relationship, Abram suggested that they separate and offered Lot “first dibs” on where he wanted to settle.  Lot chose the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley near Sodom.  If you don’t recognize that name, Sodom was the city that God destroyed because of the rampant immorality!  (See verse 13.)  Regardless of this, Lot chose to move his Tents near there.  How often do we make decisions based on “what looks good” rather than “what is good?” 

• You’ve heard the expression “guilt by association” right? I don’t know the etymology of that expression but it definitely could have roots in Genesis 14:10-17 which shows the consequences of associating with evil.  War came upon the city of Sodom and Gomorrah resulting in Lot being taken captive with the rest of the citizens.  As a result of living near Sodom, Lot was swept away.  We all have those people in our lives that continually seem to make the wrong choice and find themselves in need of rescuing.  Ultimately Lot was “bailed out” by his uncle Abram who mobilized 318 men to go rescue him and the other prisoners.  The trouble is that you never know when one bad decision will cost you everything.  That is the danger of flirting with temptation by associating with corrupt and immoral people as Lot did!  I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 15:33…

• There is a break in the action with Lot for five chapters and then Genesis 19:1-26 picks us with two angels entering into Sodom looking for Lot and found him sitting at the entrance of the city (which in that time was reserved for leaders of the city!)  Lot went from pitching his tents on the outskirts of the city to becoming a prominent member of the morally corrupt community.  Talk about the fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 15:33!  The angels were there to warn Lot and his family that God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah as a result of his uncle once again bailing him out; (see Genesis 18:22-33 which tells us how Abraham Interceded for Sodom to try to stop God’s wrath from being unleashed.)  These 26 verses in Chapter 19 are jammed pack with drama and some pretty disturbing truths about Lot and the men of Sodom who came knocking on Lot’s door, (after he convinced the two angels to stay at his home,) in Genesis 9:5-8 the men of Sodom were looking to rape the angels:

“They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you?  Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”

So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him.  “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing.  Look, I have two virgin daughters.  Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish.  But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”

“Please, my brothers?”  Ugh!  How far Lot fell!!!  He went from being blessed by his proximity to Abraham to now calling these wicked men “brothers!”  And if that was not awful enough, he offered his daughters to be raped by the men of the city in their place!  How would you like a father like that?  The story spirals further out of control as the angels plead with Lot to gather his wife, daughters and future sons-in-law as the time was close that God was going to reign down judgement on the city.  Lot was only able to convince his wife and daughters to flee the city but as they hurried out of the city, the angels warned them not to look back at the destruction.  In verse 26 it records the consequence of disobedience…

“But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.So now because Lot went towards “what looked good,” instead of “what was good,” all he had was gone including his wife!  Flirting with Temptation will never end well…eventually you will give in to it and will have to reap the consequences!

• But the story doesn’t end there.  Genesis 19:30-38 offers the final proof that Lot is the saddest man in the Bible.  Fearing for his life, Lot and his two daughters ended up living in a cave in the mountains isolated from all other people.  Since there were no other men around, Lot’s daughters conspired together to get him drunk and have sex with their father in order to have children to “continue the family line.”  And that is exactly what they did in two consecutive nights.  The Bible records that Lot was so drunk “he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.”  Both conceived, the older daughter’s son “became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites,” and the younger daughter’s son the “became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.”  How unbelievably pathetic Lot had become that he would get so drunk that he was unaware of having sex with each daughter!  And for those who know your Old Testament, the Moabites and Ammonites were constant thorns in the side of the nation of Israel (who are he descendants of Abraham.)      

Lot went from being blessed abundantly because of his proximity to Abraham, to ending up living in a cave with his daughters who got him drunk so he could impregnate them.  I am sure if you could ask Lot, “Where do you see your life ending up?”  He never would have dreamed that moving his tents to a place near Sodom would have landed him in a cave without his wife, broke and two grandchildren that he would play a part in conceiving!

The key to Avoiding a whole “Lot” of trouble is to fight against the Temptations that come before each of us.  Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) says:

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

Our heart is the starting for all of our problems if we fail to guard it!  I asked the guys in my lifegroup for their perspective of what they have learned about temptation and here is what one had to say which was quite profound!

“The biggest way to help overcome temptation is through connection with others.  Having relationships with people who are real and well-grounded spiritually.  You need authentic people who will truly hold you accountable.  The opposite of addiction is not sobriety… it is connection.  So much of the time temptation and desire to sin happens in the absence of others.  Having connection to people helps fight against that.”  Tom Duarte

Amen!!!  Accountability is critical!  God never intended for us to live life isolated from others.  When we and connected to other Godly people we can overcome!    Ecclesiastes 4:12 says:

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

We are stronger together!  And look at what Galatians 5:16-17 (NLT) shows the benefits of avoiding temptation:

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.  Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.  And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.  These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”

We need to be led by the Spirit!  And when we are then our lives with show the evidence of the “Fruit of the Spirit.” (See Galatians 5:22-23.)

If you notice the last fruit, it is “self-control” which I dare say may be the most important one!  It is a lack of self-control that will lead to succumbing to the temptation resulting in sin.  Jesus’ little brother offers this truth in James 1:15 (NLT)…

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions.  And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

Just like Lot, we must protect ourselves from “our own desires” that will give way to sinful actions because in the end it will result in death!  Here is my prayer for you!!

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”  Philippians 1:9-10 (NLT)

In the upcoming posts, I hope God will speak through you as we study about pitfalls of yielding to various temptations.  If we bury our head in the sand like Lot, we WILL suffer the consequences!

Here is the next installment of the Temptation Series called:

      ★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Alcohol and Drugs (Part 2) ★

Also if you want to delve deeper on this topic, check out the posts:

★ Thought for the Day – Honest Self-Evaluation ★

★ Act Like Men – “The Sampson Syndrome” ★

And as mentioned earlier, here is an incredible “The Devil Made Me Do It!” on the life of Lot by Perry Noble.

 

★ Day 24 – Reason for the Season – Best Christmas Gift Ever! ★

Well, we made it!  We have arrived…Merry Christmas!!  I received this from Mardels which I though was very clever..Today the last candle is lit on the Advent Wreath that represents Jesus, which is the only white candle representing Christ Himself…The Candle is in the center of the wreath as Christ should be the center of our life!

Galatians 4:4-5 (HCSB) says,

“When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

What great news!!  I am so thankful that because of the events 2,000 years ago, I can now be called a son!  What an astounding thought that Jesus, being fully God and fully man would come to earth to be born in a stable and then die on a Roman cross all for me…and for you too!!  (See Hebrews 2:5-18)  I heard a great message from Dr. David Jeremiah called “What Christmas Meant to Christ”.  He talked about how The Christmas story has been told from every conceivable point of view…in fact that is exactly what we have done for these past 25 days from the Angel Gabriel, to Mary to the Shepherds to the Wise Men.  In the sermon Dr. David Jeremiah wanted to look at Christmas from a perspective that’s often overlooked…through the eyes of Jesus Himself…fascinating idea isn’t?  He said,

“Status was never important to Jesus but selflessness was…Christ surrendered everything He loved in order that He might serve those He loved.”

What did Christmas mean to Christ?  It meant giving up heaven, giving up the beauty of His home and selflessly coming to Earth.”

Incredible to think of it that way.  Jesus willingly decided to leave paradise…He knew how hard life was going to be and how horrible His death would be and yet Jesus still went through with it!  Wow!  Ralph W. Sockman made this insightful statement…

“The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.”

Everything changed that night in the stable!  I was listening to a great podcast yesterday on my way home from Steven Furtick called “Don’t Make A Scene” in which he said that we have to embrace the CHAOS and the CONTEXT of Christmas; and related it to what it must have been like in the stable that first Christmas.  As we discussed in ★ Day 13 – Reason for the Season – The Nativity Revealed ★ post, the idyllic nativity scene we always see depicted was anything but that! Steven Furtick makes a similar point that it must have actually been “chaotic” and anything but a “silent night” amidst all the animals.  The point that hit home for me was that we must…

“Remember the context of Christmas that Christ came into the world through sinners, for sinners and you’re one of them!”

What an unbelievable gift!  If I may take a moment I have a comic to share about another viewpoint that you do not typically think of…It is a great question which got me thinking about gifts that I have received I that past.  The day after Thanksgiving we pulled out all the Christmas decorations, as this has always been the officially start of the Christmas season for my family.  Box after box I saw written on the bottom “Love Mom” and as I shared in the ★ Day 03 – Reason for the Season – Let Hope Arise ★ post, my love for Christmas stems from my Mom.  From the time I was 5 years old, she was a divorcee, raising 3 children at a time when there was such a stigma.  She taught us how to be generous, loving and self-sacrificial.  I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas which was done on a single parent’s income!  Thinking back on it now, as a father myself it is amazing how she were able to rub 2 nickels together to create a quarter.

As you are undoubtedly aware, the new Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens movie is out, which is probably the best of all the movies!  Well long before this newest Hollywood offering, I had the Rebel Transport Ship from “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strike Back” movie on my Christmas List which I desperately wanted.  My mom rode on the back of a motorcycle through 3 states looking for it just so I wouldn’t be disappointed on Christmas morning.  35 years later I still have it because it was the best gift ever!  My mom always made my wishes come true and put in some much love, time and effort to make Christmas a wonderful time!!  My childhood was spent watching the original Star Wars Trilogy and playing with the toys.  I have two daughters now and have shared my love of Star Wars with them.  My youngest, spent hours playing with the action figures herself which brought such joy to me.  When she was 10 years old, she made this great pun from the catch phrase “May the Force Be With You” (which for those who are not familiar with the franchise, that is the central theme from Star Wars)…

“And may your God be with you!” 

I pray that for everyone who reads these blogs…that you would look to God the Father and accept the sacrifice of His Son Jesus for the forgiveness of the sin that came into the world when Adam rebelled against God.  Romans 5:18-21 (NLT) says,

“Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.  Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners.  But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.  God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were.  But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.  So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

My mom’s sacrificial love for me and desire to give me a Christmas to remember was my first example of what sacrificial love was.  As I was writing this ”Reason for the Season,” my wife and oldest daughter had the same revelation from God that just like my mom rode through 3 states, Jesus was in the grave for 3 days so that we could be saved from our sin.  Though we go through trials in this world, Jesus knows and can empathize with everything we go through.  Perry Noble from NewSpring Church. Said,

“Jesus was in the tomb for three days, even Jesus didn’t walk out of the storm immediately.  If Jesus didn’t immediately walk out of His storm, why would we think we could immediately walk out of our’s…His strength is greater than our storm!”

The greatest Christmas gift I ever received was not a plastic toy from my favorite movie, but Jesus Christ!  I pray that if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that you would make that decision today!  If you would like to learn more, check out ★ Thought for the Day – I Hate Religion and I’m a Christian… ★.  Neal A. Maxwell once said,

“Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!” 

I love that!  The offer is always extended to us but we have to decide whether we will make room for Him.  Speaking of offers…Are you sick of receiving all the email advertisements like these in your inbox?

I know I am.  But I have a deal for you!  And you don’t need to peel anything back!

The Salvation God provided through His Son has no expiration.

The Offer NEVER Ends!!  Get your life on the right path for FREE when you accept Jesus Christ as your   savior. 

Fine Print: If you are ready to accept Jesus, here is a simple prayer to pray…

Lord I am a sinner.  I have tried to run my life and failed, I cannot do it on my own.  I need a savior.  Please wash me, cleanse me, and create in me a new heart.  I am sorry for my sins and I believe that Jesus died as the payment for those sins.  Take my life, I give it to you.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

If you prayed that in earnest, I have great news!  You are now a son or daughter of God!  2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (NLT) says…

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.  And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him.  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.  And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.”

Amen!!  I will close with this quote from William Arthur Ward,

 “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

Today if you are grateful to God to for sending His Son, tell Him!  Let God hear your gratitude because today is truly a day to celebrate!

If you would like to see the next installment of our “25 Days of Thankfulness” series go here…★ Day 25 – Reason for the Season – Christmas Isn’t the Destination ★

Or you can start from the beginning by ★ Clicking Here ★