Hope Hasn't Changed, We Have!

I don't care how old I get, there's something so special about the Christmas season that just encourages my soul every year.  From my endless baking, to all the seasonal music, friends calling and Christmas services to shopping and gift wrapping, the latter of which I let my wife handle as I have a severe allergic reaction to all malls and stores this time of year.  I don't know why, it must be all of the cheery faces and polite shoppers or the ever helpful store staff but the experience is too fun for me!  Anyhow I love the feeling of personal peace and inner joy I get.  I have most definitely evolved over the years from the breathless expectations of ripping into piles of presents on exciting Christmas mornings as a child to that same feeling as a parent vicariously living through our own children when they were growing up, to just getting together and spending food, time and memories with them as fledgling adults. I think we all change in similar ways as we get older, at least I'd hope we do. 
  However, in today's world that cannot be further from the truth. What happened to us?  Endless lawsuits about removing crosses and nativity scenes pepper the news.  Banning all references of God and Jesus from school pageants and replacing Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays is a common occurrence.  We quite simply are losing our collective minds but even more dangerous to our well being, we are losing our souls.  Now I don't know about you, but growing up with a reverence to the birth of Jesus and an emphasis on spiritual reflection this time of year did not turn me into a raving lunatic or irrational human being.  Instead, it grounded me.  I received my life's foundation.  Enough of a set of morals and principles through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to give me balance and more importantly hope and an anchor in the turbulent times of my life's journey.  Now, I'm not going to turn this into a lengthy diatribe about why Jesus really does exist or has been wronged and besmirched by our actions.  After all it's my first time back with you in a year.  The time for more serious contemplation will be another day and other topics.  No, instead I will just say that the Lord need's no help with His defense.  Because regardless of the folly mankind tries to assail against the pureness and holiness of the cross it will in the end always prevail!  The Bible says the the Lord uses the foolish things of the earth to confound the wise.  Indeed, Indeed!
  Overwhelming physical historical evidence aside, the spiritual ever present guidance of our Precious Savior existence emphatically demonstrates itself most boldly in times of oppression. How do I know this you ask?  Because, He saved me, changed me and carried me and many people I have come to know in my life when they couldn't simply go on or have the strength to change themselves.  You see the great and powerful intangible of the Lord's work doesn't manifest itself from the outside in but rather the opposite.  That my friends makes it bulletproof.  Nothing the world can throw at you know matter how difficult or trying can affect the Holy Spirit's perfect work in you heart. In a world that need's peace, love and hope there still is only one true and lasting source and it began for us in a little dirty, cold stable in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago.  You can only have so many material possessions, you'll never have enough.  You can only have so much money you'll never have enough.  You can only have so much success you'll never have enough, why, because they are temporal and fleeting like our human bodies.  But the heart and soul you can appease forever!  That is the true gift of Christ and Christmas!  So this year embrace the Hope and you too will experience the victory that the world can't take away.  God Bless you all richly, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Luke 2:9-14
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.