A true Merry Christmas discerns the climate. There is a war and
these are the days we live in. It will get more clear as time goes on who is
with who. It's no surprise there would be a satanic display next to a nativity. Why
should this shock or offend? There is no such thing as a middle ground. For all
time, there has only been life or death. We can talk of the great divides in
politics and religion to no end, but the Bible brings clarity and answers to
the reality of life or death. Jesus is Life.
“And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the
prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil,
and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy
still be holy." "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense
with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who
wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that
they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and
the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and
practices falsehood.”
Revelation 22:10-15 ESV
Revelation 22:10-15 ESV
“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will
spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need
nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and
white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness
may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”
Revelation 3:16-18 ESV
Revelation 3:16-18 ESV
“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who
lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"”
John 11:25-26 ESV
John 11:25-26 ESV
“They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus
said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the
works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the
truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the
works your father did." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual
immorality. We have one Father—even God." Jesus said to them, "If God
were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came
not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It
is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil,
and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the
father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one
of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them
is that you are not of God."”
John 8:39-47 ESV
John 8:39-47 ESV
“"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine
linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor
man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell
from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man
also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes
and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, 'Father
Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in
water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said,
'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and
Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in
anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed,
in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none
may cross from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him
to my father's house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest
they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses
and the Prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if
someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they
do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone
should rise from the dead.'"” Luke 16:19-31 ESV
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not
gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be
forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And
whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever
speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in
the age to come.”
Matthew 12:30-32 ESV
Matthew 12:30-32 ESV
“"Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity
and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the
River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve
the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers
served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose
land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Then
the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to
serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up
from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great
signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all
the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the
peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the
Lord, for he is our God." But Joshua said to the people, "You are not
able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not
forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve
foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having
done you good." And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve
the Lord." Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against
yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him." And they said,
"We are witnesses." He said, "Then put away the foreign gods
that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of
Israel." And the people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will
serve, and his voice we will obey." So Joshua made a covenant with the
people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. And
Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large
stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the
Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a
witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to
us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with
your God." So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.”
Joshua 24:14-28 ESV
Joshua 24:14-28 ESV