I recently heard that one of our new church families had a Christmas party and unbelievably someone went around and swiped the baby Jesus figurines from their nativity displays. While the world obviously has more pressing concerns and problems than a few missing pieces of porcelain, this event does point out the larger general cultural trend of removing Christ from Christmas. From rabid commercialization to Christian apathy to hyper political correctness, the star of Christmas is slowly fading to the background of this increasingly secular and pluralistic society.
The problem with the trend is that the answer to our country’s woes is directly tied to the prominence of Jesus Christ in our nation and individual lives. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” is a promise that cannot be claimed when that Lord is now rejected. We prove we’ve removed Jesus from the throne of our land and hearts when we prosecute people for dog fighting (and I am certainly a dog lover and despise this deplorable crime) and fight for the right to terminate human life (and even make the taxpayer pay for it). Someone recently told me about the horror of forced abortion in China for population control. I remarked that what’s worse is doing this by choice in the land of the free and the home of the brave!
I encourage you to keep the Lord Jesus Christ at the front and center of everything you are and everything you do this Christmas season and throughout the coming year. Christians in this great land need to rediscover their moral compass, their courage, and their voice once again. Speak up and stand up and let’s put Jesus back in his rightful place for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of our future as a nation.
There’s something on you this Christmas…it’s the blessing!
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