Jesus is the reason for Christmas Season

In C.S. Lewis' delightful children's book, The Lion, the Witch The and Wardrobe, we find a strange land called Narnia just beyond the back wall of a wardrobe filled with long fur coats. The land is ruled by a terrible Queen of Narnia whose magic can turn people to stone and keeps the land of Narnia in a perpetual state of winter. It's always winter in Narnia but never gets to Christmas.

Imagine what a terrible cold world it would be without Christmas! After all, it is the promise of Christmas that makes winter bearable. A world without Christmas would be a sorry sort of place where people's hearts could turn as cold and hard as stone.

The magic of Christmas softens people. Greedy and self-centered Scrooges have been known to fill Salvation Army kettles or generously give to other Christmas charities -- even if they keep their wallets tightly pinched closed throughout the rest of the year.

People smile more and greet perfect strangers at Christmas.

TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY

At Christmas we are reminded of God's great love for us that He send His Son for human salvation. The much loved carol God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen dates back to 15th Century England and captures the essence of the real Christmas message:

God rest ye merry gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Remember, Christ, our Savior,
Was born on Christmas day.
To save us all from Satan's power,
When we were gone astray,
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

Generations of people, for nearly six hundred years have sung this carol each Christmas Season. Christ really did come to save humanity who have gone astray and fallen into Satan's power, throughout the centuries. It is as true today as when the great carol was written, ands long before the 15th Century too.

A WORLD WITHOUT CHRISTMAS

There are now secularists and neo-pagans who want to silence this great message of Christian hope, comfort, and joy. they want to take Christ out of Christmas. Some secular extremists even advocate abolishing Christmas altogether and replacing it with a winter pagan solstice holiday. This must never happen!

We would find ourselves in a place like Narnia under a wicked Witch of political correctness where winter never gets to Christmas. We would have no genuine "tidings of comfort and joy" because they are gifts of the from the Holy Spirit. Gifts from the Holy Spirit at Christmas come from recognizing the infant in the manger was/is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1.29)

CHRISTMAS BRINGS JOY!

Christmas joy involves shepherds tending their flocks by night and the angel that appeared to proclaim:

"Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For today in the city of David a saviour has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you:you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." (Luke 2.10-12)

The lights and carols, the Christmas trees and presents are simply expressions of Christmas joy. They all fall short of the real joy of Christmas without observing the Advent Season and celebrating Christ's birth which was meant "for all people." Without the angel and the heavenly hosts, the shepherds, the Holy Family in the manger, the accounts of events revolving around Jesus Christ's birth given to us by saints Matthew and Luke, as well as traditions established by the Church over centuries, -- Christmas is empty.

(Without Christ, life is ultimately empty and meaningless.)

CHRIST'S LIFE AND DEATH

Jesus' journey from Bethlehem to Golgotha showed us how to live and die by faith. He showed us that our suffering has meaning because His suffering had meaning. His birth guaranteed His death. His death and resurrection gives us hope for our own resurrection, and the knowledge that death is not the end of our existence. Christ's first coming foreshadowed His second coming. It is by faith that we can live secure in our eternal destiny with Christ our King.

Christ revealed the reason for His birth when Pilate as him if he was a king. Jesus responded, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Pilate asked, "What is truth?"

The truth is Jesus Christ. He is the light of the human race that sines in the darkness.

The great gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ's sacrificial life, death and resurrection is available to all people. What began at Bethlehem continues to this day and is available to all.

Jesus is the reason for the Christmas Season.

MP

Our dying culture & the way back

In 1984, as he was dying of cancer, Dr. Francis Schaeffer wrote his last book: THE GREAT EVANGELICAL DISASTER. He wrote about America's shift away from its Christian roots:

"Do not take this lightly! It is a horrible thing for a man like myself to look back and see my country and my culture go down the drain in my lifetime. It is a horrible thing that sixty years ago you could move across this country and almost everyone, even non-Christians, would have known what the gospel was. A horrible thing that fifty to sixty years ago our culture was built on a Christian consensus, and now that is no longer the case."

"There is only one perspective we can have of the post-Christian world of our generation: an understanding that our culture and our country deserves to be under the wrath of God." (p. 29)

Those words were written 25 years ago. The shift of America (and Canada) away from from their Christian roots has continued. Abortion on demand occurs throughout all nine months of pregnancy, as we saw with the grisly work of the late, late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller. We see the bitter fruit of that shift in euthanasia acceptance and the redefinition of marriage, and the proliferation of pornography into every form of media.

As people have abandoned Christianity so they have lost sight of the sacredness of life -- their own and others -- leading to moral perversion and chaos rather than God's absolutes.

For instance, Dr. Schaeffer stated this about abortion:

"The unborn child is a human being created in the image of God, and to deny this is to deny the authority of the Bible. It is impossible to read Psalm 139 and truly believe what it says without realizing that life in the womb is human life. It is impossible totruly believe in the Incarnation and not realize that the child conceived in Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit was indeed the son of God from the time of conception. If we truly believe the Bible, there is no question when life begins. And to deny this is to deny the authority of the Bible." (pp.108-109)

It is indicative of a larger problem -- what Schaeffer called the great evangelical disaster. He stated:

"Here is the great evangelical disaster -- the failure of the evangelical world to stand for truth as truth. There is only one word -- namely accommodation: the evangelical church has accommodated to the world spirit of the age."

Now that same sex marriage and homosexuality are being normalized, many churches are afraid to speak out from the pulpit about the Biblical standard on these matters for fear of being dragged before government "human rights" commissions or losing their tax status, or being called names in the media. The Bible is being bent to accommodate the culture rather than judging the culture and shaping it.

With euthanasia, a bill is presently before Canada's parliament (C-384). It threatens the physically and mentally disabled and incurably ill people. It is a direct affront on the sanctity of human life and western society's historic rejection, against euthanasia and assisted suicide dating back more than 700 years in common law and its legal traditions. Common law has Christianity at its foundation.

Biblical Christians must oppose this bill loudly and vigorously. It is presently before the Canadian Parliament. Evangelicals must join arms with their Catholic brothers and sisters in taking their commitment to the sanctity of every human life to the streets and the steps of Parliament itself. Politicians who support the euthanasia bill must be thrown out of office. They are unfit to govern.

As Francis Schaeffer said to powerfully, "But if we are not willing to take a stand for human life, is there anything for which we will stand." It is more important for followers of Christ to stand up for the value of every human life than new building programs, Afterglows, or MusicFests.

Perhaps it is not too late to turn around the horrible direction Western society is taking. We are on the wrong path and it will only lead to a cultural demise. We must return to our original Christian moorings from which we cut ourselves adrift. It is Christianity that made western civilization great.

It is human commitment to Christ and what He did at the cross that released such immence love and creativity that gave western civilization its religion, its art and literature, much of its music, culture and mores.

We must return to the Christianity that made great all we have held dear. I am talking about nothing short of a revival, another religious awakening for Jesus Christ.

MP

Some thoughts about human rights, morality, and God

"The word rights is meaningless outside the context of some moral framework that extends its protection to the whole human family."
-- Study Guide for Whatever Happened to the Human Race?,
Francis A. Schaeffer & C. Everett Koop, MD, 1979

"There can be no Rights of Man except on the basis of faith in God."
-- William Temple

"The tragedy is that "human right" have not always meant "equal rights". The good gifts of the Creator are spoiled by human selfishness. The rights God gave to all human beings equally, easily degenerate into my rights on which I insist, irrespective of the rights of others or of the common good."

"The Bible says much about defending other people's rights, but little about defending our own. On the contrary, when it addresses us, it emphasizes our responsibilities, not our rights. ... It emphasizes that our responsibility is to secure the other person's rights. We must even forego our own rights in order to do so. Of this responsible renunciation of rights Jesus is the supreme model." [Philipians 2.6-7]
-- John Stott

"Since God is His own standard, His moral precepts do not have validity apart from Him. But, His moral revelation does have intrinsic validity in relation to us. When we violate God's standard, there are always built-in consequences."

"...the moral laws of God can not be altered. We can not obliterate God's standards just because 51 percent of the people favor a change in moral codes. The only difference between physical laws and moral laws is that the consequences of ignoring physical laws are immediately apparent: In the case of moral laws the consequences are just as certain, though often delayed."
--Erwin Lutzer,
The Necessity of Ethical Absolutes,
(Dallas, Texas: Christian Free University Books, Zondervan, Dallas, 1981, pp.83-84)

A grandparent's role

My youngest grandson came to visit for a few days. He's three years old. We had a wonderful time doing nothing in particular.

Each day he and I went out to explore a playground, an indoor activity center, or a field and find special shiny rocks. He would sit on my lap and we went around town in my electric wheelchair. As we travelled we sang songs. My grandson can really belt out rousing renditions of Itsy, Bitsy Spider and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

SUCH AS THESE

When we passed the big red brick church on the hill in the center of town my little guy would say, "There's Papa's turch." (He calls me Papa). I'd take the opportunity to talk to him about Jesus.

As each day came to a close and bedtime came, I read to him children's Bible stories. We read about how God made the world and when Jesus blessed the children. My wee grandson took it all in and accepted the stories as truth. Then we prayed for mommy, daddy, sister and brother, and when I said "amen", he simply rolled to his side and went to sleep hugging his favourite stuffed animal he named Dixie.

He was completely dependent on me and trusted me and slept like -- well, ... a baby.

My little grandson's simple and pure faith made me understand anew what Jesus said: "Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19.14, cf. Mark 10.13-16.)

Like my grandson's dependence and trust in me, I must be the same way toward God.

In the previous chapter of Matthew, Jesus used a child to model discipleship:

"At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me." (Matthew 18.2-5, cf. Matthew 10.40.)

The word "turn" means to change course and implies repentence. It is a crucial component to salvation and entrance to the kindom of heaven, along with faith, dependence and trust in Christ.

Jesus' teaching on children in Matthew 19 closely follows His teaching on marriage, which precedes His teaching on money (but that's fodder for another blog column).

FAMILY

It is God's intent that children be raises in the security of a family with a father and mother. That's the model. In Matthew 19.5 Jesus states that marriage is between a man and a woman in agreement with God's original intent for the marital union (Genesis 2.24). Biblical Christians must, therefore, conclude that children are best served by a family with a mom and a dad.

Both genders bear the image of God but reflect different characteristics of God in different ways. Children need to see those differences to develop a healthy understanding of God (and the world). The more both parents trust and depend on Christ, the more accurate the reflection of God's characteristics. Conversely, the less trusting and dependent the parents are on Christ -- the more distorted the image shown to children.

As a grandparent, my role is to be supportive to the marriages of my children, to offer advice when sought, to adore my grandchildren and give them a sense of their history.

It's not easy. I'm dominant by nature. I want to take charge! But that is not my role. I am only a grandparent. God's way is for my children to raise my grandchildren, not me. I am not in charge anymore.

HUMBLE MYSELF

My deluded and confused mind is finally clearing and I am taken back to a Scripture mentioned above:

"At that time the discipes approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

My three year old grandson has much to teach me about humility and the kingdom of heaven. I must turn and become child-like in my trust and dependence on Christ.

MP

SEARCHING FOR THE MEANING OF SUFFERING: A Christian Perpective

Is there ever a purpose or meaning to be found in suffering? It is a question that has haunted hurting humanity throughout the ages. My wife, LaRee, and I have pondered this question throughout more than 25 years with a catastrophic disability.

In 1984, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). I went from being healthy and athletic to triplegic (only my left arm remains fully functional). I'm confined to an electric wheelchair.

LaRee and I have journeyed as a couple through the terror of serious neurological disease. There have been terrible trials, profound grief and sorrow, yet we have chosen to place our fate in the hands of God. Viewed in the light of Christ's Passion, death and resurrection we discovered meaning to our suffering.

We have discovered a reason and purpose for our pain. Divine Joy was encountered in the midst of agony.

LaRee and I have developed and facilitate a 3-part seminar called SEARCHING FOR THE MEANING OF SUFFERING: A Christian Perspective. It is rooted in Pope John Paul II's 1984 Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris (The Gospel of Suffering). The seminar involves audio-visuals, personal presentations and perspectives on suffering (physical, emotional and spiritual), Q&A, small group sessions as well as prayer/reflection time.

Part one chronicles our family's experiences with suffering, loss and grief and invites participants' contributions and participation through examination of their own grief or grief of family members.
Part two examines a Christian perspective of suffering and places individual suffering in context with Christ's Passion, death and Resurrection. It raises the prospect of redemptive suffering.
Part three is a study of the possibility for people to rise above their suffering. We study the capacity of suffering to refine the humanity of people and draw them nearer to the Saviour. Suffering can set the circumstances for people to transcend themselves and sharpen their creativity. We illustrate this with historical examples.

The seminar concludes with a stunning audio-visual presentation of of Beethoven's 9th Symphony presented at the Vatican on the occasion of Pope Benedict's 80th birthday. (nb: Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his celebrated 9th Symphony at the height of his creative process while suffering from complete deafness.)

A PARTICIPANT'S RESPONSE

In the Spring of 2009, LaRee and I delivered the seminar about suffering to the Pastoral Centre employees of the Edmonton Catholic Archdiocese. Paul Quist, Director of Marriage and Family Life was a participant. He commented on the seminar:

"I highly recommend Mark and LaRee's seminar on suffering to any group who wants to learn more about the meaning of suffering from a Christian perspective. Mark and LaRee's witness, and the conversations that we shared in small groups after each session, made this event not only an intellectual exercise but a healing experience for the Christian community."

CONTACT:
LaRee and I are available to present SEARCHING FOR THE MEANING OF SUFFERING: A Christian Perspective. Contact us at 4417-51 Street, Beaumont, AB., Canada, T4X 1C8.
Tel: 780.929.9230 , or email: MPickup@shaw.ca

Tether's End

I was a mischievous child. My mother would often shake her finger at me and say, "I'm just about at the end of my tether with you, young man." It usually meant I was getting dangerously close to a well deserved spanking. I never really knew where the end of the tether was other than the understanding that I was near it. Many years later I would identity its location.

My wife, LaRee, and I built Tether's End 22 years ago, a few years after I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (see picture left). We could see the aggressive course the disease was taking so we decided to build a wheelchair accessible house in case I ended up in a wheelchair. You will notice the house sits close to the ground. There's a reason for that.

We wanted to avoid ramps. The sidewalks were poured on a slight incline up to the lip at the front door. The same is true for the back door. The exterior and interior doors are wider than normal doors; they have levers rather than doorknobs. The bathroom on the mainfloor is completely wheelchair friendly. I have everything on the main floor to live easily in a wheelchair. The only part of Tether's End that is not accessible is the basement. On those rare occasions when the furnace needs tending my wife, son or a host of friendly neighbors are willing to help.

It was hard to get our heads around the idea of wheelchair accessibility. After all, our lives were not exposed to disability. It was the furthest thing from our minds and our active lifestyle; the idea of disability was foreign and unwelcome. Our children were eleven and eight when we had this house built. Our fears came true and I eventually became wheelchair dependent. With a twinge of bitterness I called the house Tether's End.


We have a big backyard bordered by a massive hedge and a cluster of mature maple trees. A swing hangs from a gigantic maple limb. Our children are adults now and have families of their own. The grandchildren love to be pushed on the swing.

After twenty-two years there's so much family history at Tether's End. It's situated at the bottom of the hill after which our French Canadian town of Beaumont is named. At the top of the hill is St. Vital Catholic Church dating back to the beginning of the 20th Century. Every day of every year the bell in the church tower rings three times: Once at 9:00 am to announce daily morning Mass; another at mid-day, and a third time at 6:00 pm. The bell regulates my days.

LaRee has a great natural talent for interior decorating to make a house warm and inviting. She has made our world sweet despite the ugly reality of my slow physical degeneration.

In winter months I love to have a crackling fire in our living room wood fireplace. I move my wheelchair close to the flickering warmth and read a book or work on my laptop computer and listen to Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Johann Strauss' waltzes, or my collection of ancient Christian music.

Occasionally I'll look out the window at the snowy backyard and the dormant maples. Cold winds drift snow up against a wrought-iron gate in the hedge. The deserted swing sways listlessly back and forth in the crisp winter air. At such moments, I am occasionally surprised by Him whispering "Be still, and know I am God." (Psalm 46.10)

As the winter deepens, blizzards and bone chilling winds blow across the Canadian prairies. Deep snow and frigid temperatures can make travel in a wheelchair difficult, if not impossible. I find myself cloistered in Tether's End for days or weeks at a time with my books, music, computer, sweaters and slippers -- and Christ's presence.

The smell of burning wood in the fireplace and coffee brewing in the kitchen helps me enjoy my cloistered months. Sometimes I crack open the door to hear the Church bell ring at the crest of the hill. My wife and I retire early and rise late on short winter days. It is a spiritual time.

The hustle and bustle of summer activities are just memories. God uses the slow and restful winter months to talk to me, to teach me, and to comfort me.

The dead of winter has not yet begun. It is the beginning of November. It's a prelude to the Advent Season. Ahh, Christmas. Grandchildren will come to visit. We will go outside to toboggan down the church hill. When little fingers and toes get cold and cheeks are rosy, we will come back to Tether's End and sit close to the fire, sip hot chocolate, and listen to Christmas music. What fun!

I am happy here. But nothing on earth can be anything more than a temporary dwelling while waiting to be at my eternal home in heaven. Contentment is my possession here. Joy will be my continual possession there.

The tethers of earthly limitations will give way to the freedom of eternity with Christ. The name Tether's End has come to symbolize for me a safe and restful place I can go when I feel at the end of my emotional or physical rope. When we are at the end of worldly tethers can we know Christ is with us. His love abides.

My body is decaying. We read in 2Corinthians 5.1, "For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwellinf not made with hands, eternal in heaven."*

My resurrected body will not be tethered by disease, disability or age.

All earthly tethers will disappear. We who know Jesus Christ will know total Truth for we will see Christ face to face. The truth which is Christ will set us free.**

MP
_________________________
* Saint Paul used the imagery of a dwelling "tent" for the human body. His language recalls Christ's saying about the destruction of the temple and the construction of another dwelling not made with hands (Mark 14.58). It was a prediction later applied to Christ's own body (John 2.20).
** See John 14.6, John 8.31-32 & 36.