Last month our country held one of the most controversial elections in its history. The nation was clearly divided more than it’s ever been. Both political parties were divided over their respective candidate. And when all was said and done, it seemed like no one was happy.
Most people have a hard time accepting the truth, even when there is nothing we can do about it. I wasn’t crazy about either of the candidates, but I had to vote my spiritual beliefs.
What shocked me the most about the election was that some of my friends who are Christians didn’t agree with me. One in particular became so hateful on social media; I began to wonder about his relationship with Jesus. Jesus made it clear that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is, He knows the real ones (Matthew 7:21).
Friends don’t always agree and sometimes can’t be trusted. The more I tried to explain my perspective to my friend, the more hateful he became. The fact is we can’t make others see the truth, save them or make them believe.
Jesus had a similar problem with the people from his hometown (Mark 6:1-4). The hard truth is most people want lies that make them feel good, instead of truth.
Truth?
Webster’s defines truth as: the real facts about something, the quality or state of being true, a statement or idea that is true or accepted as true. And that is why some truth is just too hard.
People don’t want to check out all the facts or they don’t want to accept them once they do. Sometimes it’s just easier to accept a lie than it is to handle the truth. Sometimes it is easier to admit our mistakes than it is to live with them, because most the time the truth hurts.
Mistakes and the truth humble us. Most of us don’t like being humble because were full of pride. But, pride blinds us to the truth. Hence, once we are humbled, the truth hurts when we see it.
I’ve spent most of this year exploring hard truths God is constantly teaching me. Humility is a lifelong lesson, not just a onetime pop quiz. As 2016 comes to a close, I realize I will never stop learning or facing the hard truths of life.
So, for the remainder of this blog I want to discuss the hard truth of XChristmas, Merry Christmas—not happy holidays! Despite what the world wants to tell us the first Noel wasn’t about receiving, it was about giving and it is glorious.
Secular Christmas focuses on getting everything you want with all the bells and whistles! It takes the focus off of God and puts it on man. That’s how a fallen world works. It wants God out of the picture, because it can’t handle the truth. Sometimes we forget what it means to be one nation under God.
It’s not about a winter wonderland or if Santa Claus is coming to town. It’s about Jesus and the birth of love. It’s about God not giving us what we want or deserve, He’s a good Father who gives us grace. Truth is most people don’t want or understand this kind of love. Sometimes I wonder if I do.
I wonder if even Mary knew on that oh Holy night or wanted this type of love. Mary was Jewish and the Jews wanted a different type of hero, one born of earthly royalty (2 Samuel 7:12-16)). The Jews didn’t receive their earthly powerful King; they were given a humble Savior.
Jesus left His heavenly throne to show the world it’s a long road to humble. Jesus’s birth in a lowly manger is proof of this and His own people didn’t want to accept it. Although the Jews and the Pharisees knew all of the prophecies about the Messiah, they failed to put the pieces of prophecy together correctly and then missed what God was up to-they missed the facts about the One God would use.
Pieces?
The truth isn’t always what it seems. The New Testament fits together with the Old Testament like the different pieces of a puzzle. The Pharisees knew it the 365 prophecies about the Messiah, and still missed the big picture. They knew God wanted to save them but forgot that God wanted to be with them, me and with you and that’s the real treasure (Isaiah 9:6).
They forgot Who Emmanuel was (Matthew 1:1-3). They didn’t understand God wanted to do more than just unite the divided kingdoms of Israel, He was making a way to unite all nations and tribes into one people—His people, like it was in the beginning. Whether we agree or disagree, like it or not and that’s the hard truth!
Most people have a hard time accepting the truth, even when there is nothing we can do about it. I wasn’t crazy about either of the candidates, but I had to vote my spiritual beliefs.
What shocked me the most about the election was that some of my friends who are Christians didn’t agree with me. One in particular became so hateful on social media; I began to wonder about his relationship with Jesus. Jesus made it clear that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is, He knows the real ones (Matthew 7:21).
Friends don’t always agree and sometimes can’t be trusted. The more I tried to explain my perspective to my friend, the more hateful he became. The fact is we can’t make others see the truth, save them or make them believe.
Jesus had a similar problem with the people from his hometown (Mark 6:1-4). The hard truth is most people want lies that make them feel good, instead of truth.
Truth?
Webster’s defines truth as: the real facts about something, the quality or state of being true, a statement or idea that is true or accepted as true. And that is why some truth is just too hard.
People don’t want to check out all the facts or they don’t want to accept them once they do. Sometimes it’s just easier to accept a lie than it is to handle the truth. Sometimes it is easier to admit our mistakes than it is to live with them, because most the time the truth hurts.
Mistakes and the truth humble us. Most of us don’t like being humble because were full of pride. But, pride blinds us to the truth. Hence, once we are humbled, the truth hurts when we see it.
I’ve spent most of this year exploring hard truths God is constantly teaching me. Humility is a lifelong lesson, not just a onetime pop quiz. As 2016 comes to a close, I realize I will never stop learning or facing the hard truths of life.
So, for the remainder of this blog I want to discuss the hard truth of XChristmas, Merry Christmas—not happy holidays! Despite what the world wants to tell us the first Noel wasn’t about receiving, it was about giving and it is glorious.
Secular Christmas focuses on getting everything you want with all the bells and whistles! It takes the focus off of God and puts it on man. That’s how a fallen world works. It wants God out of the picture, because it can’t handle the truth. Sometimes we forget what it means to be one nation under God.
It’s not about a winter wonderland or if Santa Claus is coming to town. It’s about Jesus and the birth of love. It’s about God not giving us what we want or deserve, He’s a good Father who gives us grace. Truth is most people don’t want or understand this kind of love. Sometimes I wonder if I do.
I wonder if even Mary knew on that oh Holy night or wanted this type of love. Mary was Jewish and the Jews wanted a different type of hero, one born of earthly royalty (2 Samuel 7:12-16)). The Jews didn’t receive their earthly powerful King; they were given a humble Savior.
Jesus left His heavenly throne to show the world it’s a long road to humble. Jesus’s birth in a lowly manger is proof of this and His own people didn’t want to accept it. Although the Jews and the Pharisees knew all of the prophecies about the Messiah, they failed to put the pieces of prophecy together correctly and then missed what God was up to-they missed the facts about the One God would use.
Pieces?
The truth isn’t always what it seems. The New Testament fits together with the Old Testament like the different pieces of a puzzle. The Pharisees knew it the 365 prophecies about the Messiah, and still missed the big picture. They knew God wanted to save them but forgot that God wanted to be with them, me and with you and that’s the real treasure (Isaiah 9:6).
They forgot Who Emmanuel was (Matthew 1:1-3). They didn’t understand God wanted to do more than just unite the divided kingdoms of Israel, He was making a way to unite all nations and tribes into one people—His people, like it was in the beginning. Whether we agree or disagree, like it or not and that’s the hard truth!
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