Just Come

I used to wonder as a child why all the adults got so cranky and frazzled around Christmas. Then I joined the adult realm and the veil of mystery was torn away. With the activity of decorating, baking, extra times of ministry/church, Christmas cards, shopping, wrapping presents, preparing guest rooms--and that's just the short list--it's a wonder that anyone has anything left when the big day arrives. I think this is the first year that I have experienced the depths of this frenzied activity to the point of complete meltdown--and I don't even have kids or a husband or family to deal with on top of it! Are these the kinds of Christmases I have to look forward to now?

As I contemplate this holiday craziness, I hear Jesus' simple invitation from Matthew 11:28:

"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

So simple. Just come. And who is it that this invitation is for? I was curious about the original Greek meanings of "labor" and "heavy laden", so I looked them up in the Strong's dictionary:

LABOR: kopiaō--to feel fatigue; by implication to work hard
HEAVY LADEN: phortizō--to load up (properly as a vessel or animal), that is, (figuratively) to overburden with ceremony (or spiritual anxiety)

So the invitation is to the tired, hard-working people who are overburdened with ceremony or spiritual anxiety. I'm sure that describes a lot of us around this holiday time. Fortunately Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and His invitation still stands: "Come to Me..." If you or I want to find rest, true refreshing rest for ourselves in the hustle and bustle of life (not just the holiday season), then we just need to pause and seek out our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Best Government Increase

There seems to be a lot of talk these days, especially here in the United States, about the increasing role of the government in the lives of its citizens. The government wants to tell us what to eat, what to watch, what to say (or not to say), how to spend money, etc., etc. I haven't met too many people that are happy about it. In fact, I think it's safe to say that most people want to see government decrease rather than increase.

But what if there were a government whose increase was a good thing? What if there was a government that did the absolute right thing 100% of the time? And what if that same government caused its citizens to do right things all the time? What if there was a government that was absolutely just and impartial, one that would protect the innocent and punish the guilty? What if there was a government leader who so cared for his people that he would literally die for them to provide what they truly needed? By now I'm sure you're thinking that I've gone absolutely nuts--there can't possibly be such a government! But I have some great news. It does exist! Take a look at this passage of Scripture. You may recognize it, because it is often quoted around this time of year:

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."--Isaiah 9:6, 7

The child that Isaiah talks about here is Jesus, the very one whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. His government is available to anyone and everyone who wants Him as leader in their lives. And along with the wonderful increase of His government, there is also an increase of peace. What earthly government is truly able to give you that? I leave you with an invitation from the Leader Himself:

(Jesus speaking) "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."--Matthew 11:28

Yes, You Better Watch Out

Oh, I know not very many people will like me after this posting. I may even receive my first hate mail. But I'm passionate about sharing truth. Before I get started on the Santa Claus issue, though, let me make a disclaimer: this post is directed to those who profess to believe in God of the Bible and who profess to follow the Jesus that Christmas celebrates. If you are not a believer, you are "free" to believe what you wish...although I pray that you may come to know and embrace Truth.

Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, let me get to the heart of the matter. This is another truth that hit me hard as I was listening to some Christmas carols recently (I am getting beat up quite a bit this holiday season, but it's all good). We all have heard this one, right?

"You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry,
You'd better not pout, I'm tellin' you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town..."

So far, so good. I don't see any problems with a big, fat guy in a red suit coming to town for a visit...

"He sees you when you're sleeping;
He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness' sake...."

Whoa. Let's hit the pause button for a second there. What kind of qualities are we attributing to this jolly, old fellow? I have listened to this carol for years, and I guess I never really grasped what we've turned the Santa Claus figure into...until now. It seriously disturbs me, especially when I start to hold it up to the light of God's Word. Now I can almost see the eyes starting to roll and to feel the indignation pouring through my computer screen as people read that last statement. What's wrong with Santa Claus? He's just a harmless little thing, and you're out to spoil it for all the little kids. I know, I know. I'm trampling on some supposedly sacred ground here. But is this belief in Santa Claus a truly harmless thing, especially for those who claim to believe in God?

Let's take a look at the first claim in this Christmas carol: "He sees you when you're sleeping; he knows when you're awake..." Huh, that sounds pretty similar to what I read in Psalm 139:1-3: "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways." Now, did you catch that? Read it again s-l-o-w-l-y. This carol highlights some essential beliefs about Santa Claus that put him on equal footing with God. Think about that for a second or two. I don't know how Santa Claus feels about that, but I DO know how God feels.

"I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another."--Isaiah 42:8

In other words, God is not about to share the stage with anyone. Not even Mr. Claus.

While you mull over that, let's take a look at Santa's second claim to fame: "He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake..." Again, this idea sounds familiar. Jeremiah 17:10--"I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." So here we have both Santa and God making a judgment on a person's behavior and rewarding him accordingly. I'm not really sure where Santa draws the line between good and bad. In the movie "A Christmas Story", the main character abandons his friend in an emergency, beats up a bully, curses, and lies to his mother (about where he learned the curse word). He wonders all along if he will be able to get the present he's requested. Christmas comes, and the present is there. Whew! He made the cut apparently. God's standard, on the other hand, is written out very precisely in the Bible. He doesn't leave us in any suspense about where we stand: we've ALL failed His good/bad test.

"As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.'"--Romans 3:10-12 and Psalms 14:1-3

No wonder Santa is so popular.

Having said all this, I come back to my earlier question. Is believing in Santa Claus truly harmless? As believers is it something that we can teach kids and expect that they will outgrow or leave behind at a certain age? I don't think so. I read an article back in August that referenced the National Study of Youth and Religion. In the study teenagers who identified themselves as Christian had a hard time articulating their beliefs. Could this difficulty come from confusion between Santa Claus and God? I don't know for sure, and I'm not sure that the study even goes there. It does make me wonder if there isn't a connection, though. The Bible is very clear about not mixing other stuff in with God. In the spirit of Hebrews 3:13, I encourage my fellow believers in the body of Christ to seriously consider this issue and seek the Lord about it.

"Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,..."--Joshua 24:14, 15a