Line Upon Line

On this Christmas Eve, 2003, I'm putting the word out for a missing child -- the "Christ-child."

Have you seen Him?

While driving on Krafft Road the other day, I noticed a sign leaning against a split-rail fence by the side of the road. On this piece of wood was a message that had been carefully painted in large black letters, and intended for a person unknown:

"You have stolen Jesus from our yard, but not our hearts."

A closer look confirmed the fact. There in the front yard were Mary, Joseph, and a couple "wise men", too. But there was an empty spot, right where the baby Jesus should have been.

Someone had stolen the Christ-child.

There's a lot of that going around these days. It seems to be contagious -- kind of like the flu. Judges, mayors, and city council members in villages and towns throughout the country have found the "babe wrapped in swaddling cloths" to be offensive, and they have taken him away.

A Hanukkah menorah?

That's okay.

An Islamic star and crescent?

No problem.

But the baby Jesus?

We think not.

It's best we keep the Christ-child safely stored in the attic, the basement, or hidden inside the church -- any place other than where people might see Him and be reminded of what Christmas is really all about.

But this type of attack against Christianity shouldn't surprise those familiar with the Word of God:

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.'' Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,'' and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.'' They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. (1 Peter 2:6-8)

You see, there's a spiritual battle going on -- and it's been going on for a long, long time.

Satan, the "god of this world," has a 'problem' with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It's okay with him if you choose to believe in any other religion or any other god -- or choose to believe in nothing at all. But, believe in Jesus? Well, that's another matter entirely. (Who do you think invented "Xmas," anyway?)

Christmas is not about Old Saint Nick, or mistletoe, or tinsel hanging on a tree -- Christmas is about Jesus Christ, God's love gift to the world.

And with that thought in mind, I wish you a most blessed CHRISTmas, and a God-filled new year! I also pray that if you haven't yet opened your heart to receive God's precious gift of life through Jesus Christ, you will do so today.

think on these things...

John 3:16-18
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

"For decades, Christmas has been commercialized and secularized. Silly 'holiday specials' announce that the 'true meaning of Christmas' is spending time with family and friends, or buying special gifts, or feeling happy all the time. Christmas has been whitewashed and sugarcoated within an inch of its life. Really, is it any wonder that a season of relentless, meaningless hype is making some people feel crankier at Christmas than at any other time of the year?"
-- Chuck Colson

"He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under a tree."
-- Sunshine Magazine