Christmas cheer or Christmas sorrow

Below is an excerpt of a Christmas letter from Mark Gregston from Heartlight Ministries.  His ministry is to teens in severe trouble.  Thought it really brought up some significant issues to consider during the holidays.

My tendency has been to open past Christmas letters with “Merry Christmas!”, “Happy New Year!”, “May the joy of Christmas, "Glad tidings,” “Let’s all be jolly,” or “May peace surround you and yours.” These are great words of encouragement, but hardly what the parents I rub shoulders with are feeling during the Christmas season.

Most are going through a tough time, are experiencing a great sense of loss, or are at “wits end” to know what to do as they see their family struggle through difficulties with their children. As they reflect on their year, sadness fills their emotions and it is not going to be a Christmas that they hoped it would be. A mother told me last week the two words that describe her year are “sorrow” and “suffering.” That’s the world of people that I am involved with.

It’s ironic to me that Christmas and its message of hope is celebrated at a time of the year when many people least feel it. Oswald Chambers wrote that sorrow has an amazing way of burning up "shallowness.” So, my prayer for you is that any sorrow you've experienced this year will move you to a deeper understanding of the One we celebrate, and that your hope would lie in His promises.

Matt 24:11-24

Please tell me if you have been seeing this become more prevalent in your world around you or not.  I really want to hear from you.  I am just overwhelmed with watching the ELECT be deceived and drawn away from God.  I have watched with great saddness as the love of many grow cold.  I have seen many led astray.  Read the scripture below and comment on it if you would.

Matt 24:11-24
11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Looking for behavior modification

I have been recently reminded of exactly how Christians appear to the non believing world.  Most of us Christians walk NOT by the fullness of the spirit but by the "do's and don'ts" of our chosen demoninations.  We appear to the world as unhappy, bitter, angry, empty, judgmental, CRITICAL, and above all else, unloving Christians.  I have actually heard it said, "Who would want that!"  So when we are wondering why the world is going to "you know where" in a hand basket, think of how exactly you appear to the non believers.

What if the world is a reflection of Christians as a whole.  If we believe that Jesus' blood paid for our sin, if we believe that God is all powerful, and if we believe that the holy spirit dwells within us, how are we reflecting that to the world? 

The only Jesus the world will see,

really is in you and me. 

If they are not coming to Christ, could it be that we are not showing them the true Christ, but some manufactured, man-made version of what we think Christ should look like.  Just thinking here.  What if Christ was so evident in our lives that we couldn't help ourselves; we would love without trying, correct without condemnation, and draw others to Christ.  What if we met with Christ each morning in prayer and in His word.  What if thru that we became the true embodiment of the living Lord.  Then we may see a change in our world in which we live.  Guess what, THERE is the place where we will see a TRUE REVOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!  Revival always starts in our own hearts.

Let's stop playing Christians and instead seek the Lord with all our hearts.  Let's not lean on our own thoughts of how we should look, or what man says we should or should not be doing  Let's acknowledge God in all we do, and give Him the glory.  Then in and thru all this, HE will direct us.

Praise God!!!!!!!  Merry Christmas during this wonderful season!!!!!!!!

Give the best gift of all this year,, Be Jesus to the world!