Where is Christ in Christmas?

Saint Nicholas of Myra is the primary inspiration for the Christian figure of Sinterklaas (Santa Claus).
Did you know that Saint Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes? So, where does worldly transformation come into play with who Santa Claus is and what Christmas has become? Christmas has become about giving gifts to families and friends. This has caused financial stress, unneeded debt, unnecessary materialistic build-up (most things, especially things bought for children rarely last even a year), depression and even death (caused by depression/emotions soaring high-suicide and death even caused by aggressive greedy shoppers on black Friday) What is Christmas really even about? Greed and who got the coolest/most expensive present? Who has the most amazing Christmas tree and lights and yard set-up?
Christmas is a holiday that represents the celebration of Christ's birth. What does that have to do with gift giving and Santa Claus? Sure Santa was a historical figure and possibly an example as to what we should be doing (GIVING to the poor), but we shouldn't be lying to our children about Santa. Sure, it's cute, but it's a lie. If we are going to give gifts to our children shouldn't we be raising them to know that they are being blessed by God and not a non-existent man? We are supposed to raise our children in the way they should go. Is teaching them lies really what we want to start off with as they are still young and vulnerable?

So, the debate: Christmas (a secular holiday) vs a Celebration of Jesus' birth. Which is it?
One or the other, or both? It can't be both that is contradicting. So, you either celebrate Christmas, a worldly holiday about gift giving, or you celebrate the birth of Jesus. So, why, as Christians, are we so easily pulled into the worldly view of Christmas and what it's about? What are we afraid of by not going along with what the "world" expects? What a way to share the word of God...by not celebrating in a secular way, people WILL ask.  We are not to serve two masters.

I do not know one Christian who celebrates Christmas any different from a non-Christian. Why? People are afraid to go against the flow in fear of being treated differently. Why are people so afraid? What is there truly to be afraid of? What is gonna happen? You might be asked why you are doing something differently and you then have an open door to sharing the gospel...oooooo, SCARY! Wow, that is probably the worst that is going to happen. And think of all the people who will be blessed by you stepping out and serving others, like the poor and hungry by serving in some way. These people need family too! You probably just saw your family at Thanksgiving, can you imagine being homeless, hungry and cold in this season and you found out that no one would help you because you would rather just be home with your family? How selfish! I am not saying family is not important, I am saying that we should not put them on a pedestal that makes us actually go against the act of serving as God has called us to do. And when we put ourselves out there into the world serving others, it gives us a great opportunity to share the love and gospel of Jesus Christ, just as He did! It really isn't difficult, if anything it is an amazing experience! How do I know? I have cumulatively worked in soup kitchens for almost a year. (I still would be, regularly, if I was not a stay at home mom).
I just want to challenge you to go against the flow, against the traditions that are not critical for life and serve, but most of all LOVE AND OBEY GOD IN ALL YOU DO.

1 John 3:17 But if someone who is supposed to be a Christian has money enough to live well, and sees a brother in need, and won't help him--how can God's love be within him?
1 John 3:18 Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions.

God Bless and may this Season be a season of giving Love.

 

Are you hungry?

Highlighted sections are quotes/paraphrases from the book "The God Chasers" by Tommy Tenney

Do you experience God? How do you do that? Are you hungry for Him?
Are you sick of church? Most of the people who drive by our churches, live within sight of our steeples, and inhabit our meeting halls may be sick of church as well, they're also hungry for God. They're hungry to hear from something that's beyond themselves, something they are not hearing in the Church of today. The bottom line is that people are sick of church because the Church has been somewhat less than what the Book advertised! People want to connect with a higher power! Their hunger drives them to everywhere but the Church. They search in pursuits of the flesh to try to feed the hunger that gnaws at their souls. I don't know about you, but are you content just knowing about God? I certainly am not. I want more than that. You can know all about presidents, royalties, and celebrities; you can know their eating habits, address, and marital status. But knowing about them doesn't imply intimacy. By no means does knowing about them mean you know them. We talk about them like we know them, but in reality we really do not. For too long the Church has been only conversant in the things of God. We talk techniques, but we don't talk with Him. There is a significant difference between knowing someone and knowing about them. Knowledge about any person does not imply an intimate friendship. It's simply not enough to know about God. We have churches filled with people who can win Bible trivia contests but who don't now Him. Some of us have been entangled by everything from prosperity to poverty, and we've become such an ingrown society of the self-righteous that our desires and our wants and those of the Holy Spirit are two different matters. If we're not careful, we can become so interested in developing the "cult of the comfortable" with our comfortable pastor, our comfortable church building, and our comfortable circle of friends, that we forget about the thousands of discontented, wounded, and dying people who pass by our comfortable church every day! This is such an easy trap to fall into because our world is so secular that sometimes we forget that we need to stand up for what we believe in and take action by doing what we know is right and that is to follow God and His instruction. After all, it is sinning to go against what God instructs us to do. We need to find our hunger and become a God chaser! The beauty of being a God chaser is you're chasing the impossible, knowing it's possible.

We need to open up and let the Holy Spirit back in. We need to stop being so controlling and let God do His work. For too long we humans have only allowed the Holy Spirit to take control up to a certain point. Basically, whenever it gets outside of our comfort zone or just a little beyond our control, we pull in the reins (the Bible calls it "quenching the Spirit" in 1 Thess. 5:19) We have lost our Godly vision goggles. We need to be hungry for Him! We can do this by stopping what we are doing and seek Him, humble ourselves, pray and turn from our sinful ways!  2 Chron 7:14: If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
We need to seek Him, not just knowledge about Him, but we need to seek an intimate relationship with Him. "The word of the Lord to us is to stop seeking His benefits and seek Him.." We need to desire His presence, not just the "gimme, gimme" mentality. What kind of relationship is ever effective and long lasting with a mentality like that? I don't know of any. He wants an intimate relationship with us like we desire with our spouses and loved ones. It really is that basic. We have no less opportunity to be close to God than Isaiah the prophet did. We serve the same God. He hasn't changed. We need to desire more, more of God. Not for more of men or our fancy lifestyles, but for the presence of God! God doesn't care about anything, except wanting to be wanted. Do you know the feeling? So... you can relate, huh?  Even in church he doesn't care about your music, your midget steeples, and your flesh-impressive buildings. Your church carpet doesn't impress Him-He carpets the fields. God doesn't really care about anything you can "do" for Him; He only care about your answer to one question: "Do you want Me?"

How can we show God that we hunger for Him and that we want Him? We need to leave behind our worldly distractions and close-minded lifestyle. We generally go to church to experience God, but we have programmed our church services so tightly that we really don't leave room for the Holy Spirit. We get nervous if HE tries to break out of our schedules. We can't let God our of the box too much because He can ruin everything. Our prayers should be: ruin everything that isn't of You! We need to wait on the Lord. When was the last time you or your church have 'waited' on the Lord? "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength" (Is 40:31). Do you want to know why we have lived beneath our privileged and have not had the strength to overcome our own carnality? Maybe it's because we haven't' waited on Him to show up to empower us, and we're trying to do too much in the power of our own soulish realm.

How do we experience God? We have to be hungry, He looks for the hungry. If you haven't heard from God in awhile ask yourself why that is. Are you too distracted? Do you want to hear Him? Are you hungry enough to want Him? He only comes when you are ready to turn it all over to Him, but you have to be hungry. How do we do that? Well, Jesus said: "Father, what are You doing? That's what I'll do. How long has it been since you've been so hungry for God that it consumed you to the point where you couldn't care less what people thought of you? For me, it is now! It has changed me and my relationship with God immensely! Rise up and pursue His presence. Become a God chaser! I am not talking just about an excitement of who God is, but a hunger for His presence.
We experience God by repenting. Repentance prepares the way and makes the road of our hearts straight. Repentance builds up every low place and takes down every high place in our lives. Repentance prepares us for His presence, you cannot live in His presence without repentance.

Yup, you're right these are not worldly things. They are not popular nor are they really advertised. But who cares?! I don't. When you pursue God with all your heart, soul, and body, He will turn to meet you and your will come out of it ruined for the world. Good things have become the enemy of the best things. How do you achieve the time to pursue God, how do you obtain a certain hunger that I speak of,  you ask? Quit watching what you used to watch; quit reading what yo used to read if you are reading it more than you read His Word. He must be your first and greatest hunger. We have allowed things of this realm to satisfy our lives and satiate our hunger, We have come to God week after week, year after year, just to have Him fill in the little empty spaces. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Mt. 5:6). God is tired of being second place, he is even tired of being second to the local church program and church life!
Sure, churches set out to do a lot of good, and they do achieve much. However, what is the overall motivator here? It should be: "We do it because of Him and because it is His heart.", But if  we're not careful, we can get so caught up in doing things for Him that we forget about Him. You can get so caught up in being "religious" that you never become spiritual. I don't care how much you know about the Bible, or what you know about Him. I'm asking you, "Do you know Him?" Do you have intimacy with Him? We have stifled our hunger for His presence by doing things for Him. A husband and wife can do things for each other while never really loving each other or ever enjoying the high level of intimacy that God ordained and designed for a marriage.



So, are you hungry for God? I pray that you are and that it is so intense that you don't care about anything else.
Lord, we want your presence, we are starving!