Christmas Tree

This one is old too, but some messages can not be improved on.

Christmas Tree

            Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: (Hebrews 1:3)

            Paul, Book of Hebrews, right away, told the whole story.  Tragic, at the Christmas Season, everything is talked about except the real meaning of Christmas and even the Christmas Tree. IF, you see decorated trees everywhere you do not think of the Calvary Tree on which Christ was crucified, you know nothing of the meaning of Christmas.  IF, when you see the  bright lights on the tree, you forget that Christ is the light of the world, you do not know the meaning of Christmas.   IF, when you see the red holly berries, feel the thorns of the holly wreath, you forget the blood shed for you, the crown of thorns placed on His head, you do not know the meaning of Christmas.

            If your Christmas has become commercialized, it is your fault.  Store away some memories not purchased.  Visiting 3^rd world countries, around the world, you become less materialistic.  Some people must be bounced off the ground in order to get their attention.  In every generation there are times of economic recession, when you get the attention of apathetic people.

            There are still some of us who survived the Great Depression, who heard ancestors talk about the hard times of this country's founding and even the civil war.   Christmas, 2011, in spite of what the state-controlled news media will tell you, corrupt politicians espouse, indifferent, agnostic educators, teach satanic forces of liberalism and the taking over everything that is decent and good, are on the march.  The Christian Christmas story seems remote in a world of welfare Santas.   I heard Reverend Jesse Jackson say on his radio program that the Wall Street occupiers should get a government check too.

            In another world, in another time, Christmas was considered a Holy day not a holiday.  I well remember, very young, ax in hand, scouring the surrounding woodlands to find a decent looking Christmas Tree.  We used home-made decorations.  Each year, we would ride into the city to see the Christmas lights because there was no electricity in the countryside.  It was like a fairy land to see Christmas lights and decorations wtung across the streets, electric candles in the windows of homes and then, just before WWII, electric power lines came into the country and even the farm people could put a string of electric lights on their Christmas Tree and even on an electric stove, which lent itself for better baking for the Christmas Season.

            The matter of overspending, credit cards, spending the year getting out of debt from the Christmas Season, is a new mostly American experience.

            I have written at length about spending Christmas in Bethlehem, the cave under the church of the nativity, where our Savior was born.  One could never convince the Saints of the early church (of whom the world was not worthy -Hebrews 11.) that Christians could so, distort, the true significance of the Savior's birth.  The church is made up of those chosen to believe in the resurrection of Christ.  The true Christmas Tree, the pivotal point of history, the tree on Calvary’s hill on which Christ was crucified.  Everyone before that tree, faith in the promises of that tree, everyone after that tree, faith in the promises from that tree.

            I have never forgotten the day my father showed me the intricate root system of weeds (tares).  On the farm, we were constantly fighting weeds, chopping, plowing dirt over them. Weeds have a system of roots which choke and strangle good plants.  The tares of this world have taken over the churches, government.  Their strangling roots have destroyed the message of Christianity and the message of Patriotism.

            Every Sunday School child has seen a picture representation of the Good Shepherd.  The most used scripture, Christian churches, Jewish synagogue, even the atheist public schoolhouse, David's 23^rd Psalm.  There is seldom a funeral in which this is not used.  Over and over we see the minister read this Psalm as he precedes the casket into the church house.

            There is a great difference in our desires and our wants.  God knows our needs, our wants.  God is not our servant, our bellhop, our waiter.  We have turned His birthday into a commercialized junket of pleasure.  His memory is celebrated at His table... communion table, two elements, wine for His blood, bread for the stripes on His body.  Worthy, not unworthy, we celebrate His forgiveness, His healing, past, present, and future.  In the world of “cavalier Christianity”, pagans in the pulpit as well as the pews, the worship service, little difference from any civic service. The baptismal pool is seldom used and In many churches, the Lord's table, unknown to many.  I have actually known church members who have never taken communion.

            Just as many parents have become slaves of their children during this time of year, we should remember that the Shepherd has a staff with which he not only  keeps His flock under control but is used for protecting it.  Your greatest blessing of Christmas is knowing that God provides an angel to provide, watch over you, and even a swarm of hornets ahead of you to protect you (Exodus 23).  Be assured that goodness and mercy will follow you, Christmas Day, and every day, and you, the chosen, the church, will live in the house of the Lord forever.