2008's Christmas Motto

Christmas is meant to be a wonderful end-of-year time. There’s a great Chrissie spirit in the big shopping centres and local radio stations are playing cherry old-style Christmas carols mingled with modern hits. It’s mid-December and the usual end-of-year hectic rush to complete getting pressies and cards is in full swing.

Next the really good Chrissie stuff will start… parties, family get-togethers, exchanging gifts, those Christmas-focused movie reruns, carol services, the ever popular annual Melbourne Sidney Myer Bowl Carols by Candlelight, traditional baking of Christmas cakes and puddings and holidays.

But for those without personal faith or a solid Christian upbringing or background, December can be a meaningless time – apart from a brief holiday and perhaps some parties and gift giving. To many, Christmas church activities and Christian beliefs about Christmas are a lot of ‘rah, rah, rah’ and ‘So what, who cares?’

There’s even been a move to eliminate Christmas from some schools, to rob children of the joy of performing in annual school Christmas plays…how sad. The truth is that today the original meaning of the season is usually neither understood nor appreciated. Santa Claus or Harry Potter or something else has replaced the true centrepiece, Jesus Christ!

Buy Now, Pay Later
For now, we’re being strongly urged to ‘Buy Now to Your Advantage!’ and with the current world financial crisis, many retail outlets have dropped their prices in order to attract us to do just that. Some stores are offering ‘No payment required until 2010!’ Even the government is giving special bonuses to pensioners and parents.

True ...the bargains are there to be had. But people need to be wise and cautious as they spend that bonus and use their credit cards. Ignoring the reality that bills will inevitably come in a month after the Christmas cheer ends, means that unless they’ve planned their finances they will be hit hard! Yet some TV news interviews and reports already indicate that many, especially young people, intend ‘spending up big’ with government incentives.

Christmas ‘spend now, pay later’ debt has relaced God’s free gift of a Saviour and trusting a generous, loving God. The unique manger scene comes across as cute but is not fully understood. Commercialism has replaced the spirit of Christmas generosity. Today’s thinking that we can save ourselves by looking out for number one has replaced the need of a Saviour due to universal sin.

Why Christmas?
Even some Christians don’t bother celebrating the true meaning of Christmas any more, yet it’s the second most important Christian event on the church calendar (Easter must always be number one!)

The Bible (God’s directions) states that ‘God so loved the world that he gave his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our Saviour so that we could find forgiveness of sins (our wrongdoing, faults and breaking of his laws) and discover a satisfying and meaningful life by accepting him.’ God sent Jesus some 2000 years ago…the first Christmas gift as it were…free and willingly because he cares for us and loves us.

God is good! He is love itself! It’s a God thing! God doesn’t want people being robbed of a good life and without hope for eternity or living miserably today. He wants to bless us, give us support, and all kinds of security and help.

Now most Christians realise that no one knows exactly when Jesus was born but that long ago it became traditional at this time of year for the church to celebrate his birth with carols, cheery songs and thanksgiving to God.

Our giving of presents is symbolic of God giving his present – the greatest present possible – his own Son, Jesus, to become our Saviour by dying in our place, taking on for the punishment for our sins, waywardness, and wrongdoings, even evil deeds.

What a gift! And what a right thing for us to do at this time… celebrate God’s goodness through worship and gift giving! And what a hope for 2009 and the future! - if we will fully trust in a good and generous God!

The Other Side of Christmas
Christmas is indeed meant to be a wonderful time of family, friends and fun. But it can also be a time of sadness for many.

Foolish binge drinking, deaths, marriage break-ups, sicknesses, ongoing wars, road or home accidents, unexpected incidents such as the terrible tsunami of a few years ago, funerals, evictions, job loses, further financial worries as the worldwide financial tragedy worsens for many, people on their own feeling so lonely, lost and unwanted…these tragedies don’t stop just because it’s the festive season.

We live in uncertain, dangerous times, even in our own great and blessed nation. Times of new illnesses, uncertain financial investments, terrible criminal acts, rampant pornography even against children, divorces where couples aren’t prepared to work on their problems, desertions, job insecurity and increasing subtle witchcraft. Sadly a lot of people have no real assurance of a good life at this festive season. If ever we needed the real Christmas it’s this year!

Hope and Trust
Many emails and online articles that I read indicate an absence of trust in a good, generous and loving God - even though most comes from Christian sources! For example, reports continue to remind us of the monetary downturn and the insecurities around us, but few offer real or much hope in Jesus.

Yes, no doubt God is speaking to his people but we must put our trust in him and believe that he will act on our behalf. He delights when we rely on him, as did Daniel, Moses, Gideon and other Bible heroes in their own dangerous times.

Faith is always the key! The great ‘Apostle of Faith’, Smith Wigglesworth, once said: ‘Inactivity of faith is a robber, which steals the blessing. Increase comes by action.’

We live in days when we too must exercise faith. By so doing we will gain increase of blessings, unusual provision and protection, not the reverse. Don’t be despondent, dismal or undecided no matter what the perpetual bad news reports say or if you’ve lost out with investments and have other financial worries. Don’t yield to fear and negativity - trust in God and his word and his promises will bring you through!

Your Real Christmas Motto
The great truth is that the real Christmas story eternally remains a positive one, for the Bible gives a Christmas promise of good news and positive hope…'Don’t be afraid! I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Saviour – yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born tonight in Bethlehem…Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to all whom God favours’ (Luke 2:10, 11, 14).

That was the great and welcomed message God’s angels brought to troubled hearts all those years ago. And it can do so afresh today if we reach out in faith and accept it. For today the message of hope is still real. No matter what troubles us this Christmas, we can receive awesome comfort, not just from an angel but direct from the Lord himself.

Unfortunately some people begrudge Christmas. They don’t understand its real meaning or why it’s so important to Christians – and to a shaky world. It’s good to learn that some state premiers have encouraged schools to celebrate Christmas and not be influenced or pressured by those who would stop great traditional school celebrations. That’s good advice to everyone!

As we celebrate Christmas this year, remind God that you’re trusting him and relying on him and his love and generous heart.

But think about yourself and your difficulties! Think of others. Take opportunities to share the real meaning of Christmas with others. Perhaps there’s some lonely person you can invite home or give a simple gift to. Remember when you’re saying grace for the Christmas lunch and your own presents, to joyfully give thanks for your own and your family’s salvation through the greatest of all gifts – the Lord Jesus Christ. And spare a prayer for those who do not know him or the real reason for the season.

May your own Christmas motto this year not be ‘Buy Now’ but ‘Rely Now’ indicating that you know the one you’re relying on to bring the true Christmas cheer no matter what uncertainties you or the world may be facing!

Hope for Today!
My wife, Maureen, has a favourite scripture that she repeatedly offers to people with heavy hearts…Romans 15:13: ‘May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’

Hey…that’s not just a great all-year-round scripture, it’s especially good to take onboard this Christmas!

LakeLand Lament?

It was sad news indeed to learn recently that the news-attracting Lakeland Revival has ‘shut down.’ Sad not because some were priggishly saying, ‘See, I was right, it wasn’t of God and didn’t last!’ and too late came the ‘well-known big voices’ for fatherly intervention, correction and advice. But because it has meant that yet another Holy Spirit phenomena had phased out.

Yes, it was obvious that certain actions and claims needed challenging and some ground rules needed putting in place - if the blessing was to continue. But good results were happening; ministries were being bold with Holy Spirit expectancy; people were being miraculously touched and the news of a mighty God was getting out there!

It would seem that those who ran the revival down and bad-mouthed it just couldn’t see the bigger picture behind it all and praise God for the good things that were occurring during the short months of supernatural activity. Or give God, at least, some credit being original and willing to use non-perfect, but willing humans!

The bigger picture
To be frank, the Lakeland Revival’s closing has been expected for some time by those operating the 1 Corinthians 12:10 gift of discerning (incidentally, not ‘discernment’ as some repeatedly erroneously put it…that’s a completely different matter that I’ll deal with in another blog). I’m referring to those who simply were aware in their spirits that while good things were happening and God should be praised, all was not kosher.

And the bigger picture is this…at the proverbial end of the day Lakeland was yet another reason - and lesson - why Christians individually must draw close to the Holy Spirit in a meaningful and personal way; know the word and church history (especially pentecostal and charismatic) and check everything out - not just go blithely hiking here and there after ‘happenings, big names or those currently in the limelight.’

The devil is sidetracking so many these days and more distractions will inevitably come! People seek to run to certain places where it’s ‘all happening’ and to hear and be blessed by certain personalties, possibly kind of fulfilling 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

Oh it’s good, if you can, to visit and to be expecting to receive from God. But if you do, come away praying and believing for the Spirit to move in and through you and your own church! A Lakeland type revival will enrich any church!

And – very importantly – know that you can’t pinhole the Holy Spirit! When he wants to move on, or change the scenario or the personalities involved, he will!

What should we be doing now?
What do we do then about what seemed a fresh move of God that went on for several great months? Attack those involved? Write it off? Blame the devil? Revel in disappointments? How do we respond?

Very simple, especially when you realise that such pentecostal moves and personalities have come before, lasted for a while and then either mysteriously disappeared or progressed into something new and even better for the kingdom's sake, or simply set a landmark for future expectation eg revivals or outpourings such as occurred in:

• Topeka in December 1900/January 1901
• Azusa Street in 1906
• Wales, Belfast and elsewhere
• the initial thrusts of Sunderland, Holy Trinity Brompton (London), Toronto and Pensacola, and so on

And personalities such as Smith Wigglesworth have come and gone, the renowned Rodney Howard-Browne has moved on to new areas of productive service for the Spirit.

They all happened or operated differently, even unusually. But they had one thing in common…they left a legacy! We should…

1. Not write off such wonders and blame the enemy or some person or system or mishandling for everything!
2. Gratefully thank God for the wonders and healings that genuinely occurred
3. Go on, as has been requested, praying for all who have been involved. That disappointments will be dropped and great new things will happen, that ministries will be refreshed and renewed
4. Look beyond the one or place the Spirit was using (they're only gifted channels after all and the people involved are like you and me, very human! But at least they dared to be instruments of grace!)
5. Seek after the blessed Holy Spirit ourselves with all our heart. He’s the one who causes the wonders, yet so few Christians have taken the time to read the many scriptures about him and get to know him on a personal level. Or dared to be used supernaturally by him
6. Very importantly, expect the Holy Spirit to be moving powerfully in our own lives and through our local church! And even in any other new, fresh way He wants to! In other words be encouraged and find your own destiny - and your local church's - in God.

Stephen Strader is to be congratulated for his courage in boldly allowing the Holy Spirit to flow in his Ignited Church. He himself has wisely stated not knowing how long the revival would last.

Of interest, I recall way back in ’95 I was in Orlanda, Florida visiting Steve Strang’s great Charisma organisation en route to LA. It was my intention to interview Stephen’s father, Dr Karl Strader, at his Carpenter’s Church about the megachurch’s great vision for the future.

But some Charisma staff volunteered to take me down to Melbourne where the Holy Spirit was moving. As it was closer, and I had, interestingly, come from Melbourne, Australia, I decided to go there instead and was given Steve Strang’s office to phone Karl. He wasn’t available and his daughter answered (Typical guy, I’ve forgotten her name. Sorry!) With a heavy heart she shared what had unfortunately happened at that time at Carpenter’s and that her dad was under attack.

I remember feeling compelled to pray with her and then prophesied that it would all come again, that the Holy Spirit would once more move powerfully in Lakeland but at a later time and in his own way. No doubt she’s forgotten about that phone call even as I had until hearing what was happening in her brother’s Ignited Church.

The Holy Spirit did move again in Lakeland! Not because I had spoken prophetically but because he obviously wanted too – and to get our attention. And in a mighty way – even if it was only for a short season – for which we should give thanks and, having learned some valuable lessons, move quickly on!

Moving farther on
Dr Luke tells us in chapter 24: 28-29 that Jesus wanted to ‘go farther’ but the previously disillusioned and disappointed two disciples mentioned only thought of the big three S’s…stomach, supper and sleep! They missed out on something ‘farther along’ with Jesus (I have a great teaching message on this!), and they turned back to Jerusalem.

We too can miss out by remaining disillusioned and disappointed, not moving on, moving farther along with Jesus, and going back or dwelling on the past. Until the Lord returns there will always be some kind of Lakeland, praise God. Those who are believing and praying for revival – and acting boldly – will see it! And God will be praised by those blessed by the Spirit’s refreshing and refiring touch.

The challenge as always is to learn, be wise, be discerning, give thanks and move on. As Master Potter Ministries’ Jill Austin recently stated, ‘Christians should stop waiting for the next big festival to spark a revival in their cities. Every Christian has the power to ignite a revolution in his town (let’s add ‘or her’) when he pursues a personal revival in his heart. Revival is not born out of mass movements but out of a series of solitary decisions.’ (Charisma’s Streams of Revival, Oct 22).