Good morning,
Christmas has become a time of lights ever since the time of Martin Luther, who over 500 years ago brought an evergreen tree into his home and decorated it with candles. My wife goes all out to decorate the house with multiple Christmas trees of all sizes with diverse decorations. We got our "real" tree - 9 feet tall - this past Saturday. It is in and all decorated. I love to drive around and see the lights adorning the villages and cities. Throughout December, the evenings are lit up as homes, businesses, and even city streets fill the night with beautiful colored lights and decorations. It seems fitting since that first Christmas was also decorated with lights. There were angels who lit up the night for the shepherds and there was the star in the East that led the wise men to Jesus. In John 1:6 & 7 – “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.”The image of light is not unique to Jesus. The God of the Old Testament was a God of light, who appeared to Moses as a burning bush and led the Israelites out of slavery as a pillar of fire. The image of light is a powerful picture of God. Light cannot be contained. Light has no shape or form. You can’t hold it in your hand, or close it up in a box. In fact, if you look in the dictionary the first definition for “light” is “something that makes vision possible.” Light is mentioned 71 times in the gospel of John. It puts chaos to flight and shows things as they really are and it guides or leads the way. Spiritually speaking, people are living in a world of darkness. “The Sounds of Silence”, a Simon and Garfunkel song from the 70’s, could very well be the theme song for today’s generation. “Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again. . .” Our world needs those who are willing to point others to the light, to be a witness to the light in the same way that John was a witness to the light. Vs. 8 – “He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.” Our role is to point others to Christ Jesus, to point others to the light of Christ. We cannot bring light to the darkened souls of others, but we can direct them toward the light. We can reflect the true light and be representatives of the light of Christ. Ghost Whisperer is a TV program in which a young woman attempts to help earth-bound spirits resolve some problem so that they can go into the light. I see this as our job as Christians, to help troubled, earth-bound people to go into the light of Christ. Perhaps the most precious gift we can give another person is the gift of the light of Christ. We light our homes, we light our trees, and we even light candles on Christmas Eve. The surest way to bring light into our dark and hurting world is by introducing others to the light of the world, Christ Jesus.
In His Light,
Brown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu9zhl6zLFs
Wed, 17/12/2008 - 9:57pm Christians have a bleak christmas in Orissa-Orissa round up
1-Witnesses fail to turn up despite notices
PHULBANI, Dec 16: Five people who were expected to depose before the Justice (retired) Basudev Panigrahi Commission of enquiry to the Kandhmal violence of December 2007, at Balliguda yesterday did not turn up."Notices had been sent to the five but not one of them appeared yesterday," said a official attached to the commission. Today five others deposed as against the notices issued to 22 people of Balliguda area. In fact four of those who are to depose before the commission are present in jail for riot-related cases. The commission will also conduct its hearing at Phulbani for second time on 18 and 19 December and notices have been issued to eight people.Earlier 30 deponents, all from minority community, were ordered to appear before the commission in its camp court at Cuttack, but some of them had prayed that they be heard in Kandhamal district.As many as 362 affidavits were received by the commission in connection to the communal violence of Kandhmal in 2007 said reliable sources. It may be noted that the Justice Panigrahi Commission is probing into the violence of December 2007.
2-Bhubaneswar, Dec 17 - A court in Orissa Wednesday granted bail to a journalist who was arrested by the police Dec 7 for writing an allegedly inflammatory book on the recent communal violence in Kandhamal district.Lenin Kumar, editor of the quarterly magazine Nishan, was arrested for his book “Dharma Nare Kandhamalare Raktara Banya” (Flood of blood in Kandhamal in the name of religion) that blames Hindu groups for the violence.Police had termed Kumar’s book as provocative and aimed at disturbing communal harmony. Two others were also arrested for helping him print and circulate the book.“J.P. Das the district and session judge at Bhubaneswar granted Lenin and other two bail on a surety bond of Rs.20,000 with some conditions,” one of Lenin’s lawyers Biswapriya Kanungo told .Kandhamal district, about 200 km from here, witnessed widespread communal violence after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23While police blamed Maoists for the killings, some Hindu organisations held Christians responsible for the crime and launched attacks on the community.At least 100 people were killed in the state and thousands of Christians forced to flee their homes after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs. About 18,000 people are still living in government-run relief camps in the district.Rights activists, journalists and writers have been demanding Kumar’s release. Last week, about 100 protesters staged a sit-in outside the official residence of the Orissa governor here.The Orissa Human Rights Commission Tuesday sought a report within two weeks from the state government on the arrest of Lenin after his wife Rumita Kundu submitted a petition describing the arrest as illegal and an instance of blatant human rights violation.
3-ORISSA: Tensions are running high in Orissa's strife-torn Kandhamal district with radical Hindu groups preparing for a showdown and Christians fearing a fresh wave of attacks on Christmas.The Hindu organisations, which had given the state government a Dec 15 deadline to arrest all those involved in planning and executing the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides Aug 23, have said the administration had failed to act on their demand and they would go ahead with a statewide shutdown on Dec 25, Christmas day. Though police have arrested seven people for their alleged involvement in the murder that sparked widespread sectarian violence in the district, Hindu leaders have said police action was not enough. The Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Sradhanjali Samiti (SLSSS), a body affiliated to the VHP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that has called the shutdown, described the arrests as an eyewash. "The state government has failed to perform its statutory responsibility in bringing to book the killers and the conspirators," SLSSS president Ratnakar Chaini said. While Maoist extremists have claimed responsibility for the murder of the Hindu leader, the Hindu groups have maintained that Christians were unhappy with the swami's campaign against religious conversions. Christians have denied they were in the business of conversions. Christians fled their homes and hundreds took shelter as radical Hindu groups attacked them. In the violence that went on for more than a month in this eastern Indian coastal state, at least 36 people were killed.Hindu Jagaran Samukhya president Ashok Sahu said his organisation was not happy that only seven of the 18 people who had conspired and perpetrated the killings were arrested. "I will not say the arrests were just eyewash. But there are some big fish involved in the murder and are yet to be caught," Sahu told IANS, adding that the administration was not making attempts to nab them.He, however, stressed that the shutdown would be peaceful and all steps were being taken to ensure that there would be no violence. "We have told all our people not to resort to any kind of violence. But we are apprehensive that 'Christian militants' may create trouble during the shutdown," he said in a veiled reference to Maoists who have threatened to kill more Hindu leaders. Asked if he was referring to Maoists, Sahu said: "Naxals have no religion. I am referring to those militants who killed swamiji. They are Christians and have taken up arms against Hindus." Notwithstanding the assurances of the peaceful shutdown, the minority Christians in the district, about 230 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, are worried - more so, as the chosen day is Christmas. Rajib Prasad Naik, who stays in a relief camp in Rudangia - a riot-hit village some 40 km away from district headquarters Phulbani, said they had information about some local Hindus planning fresh attacks on their camp. "We have information that some Hindu activists are collecting money to buy weapons to be used against us during Christmas bandh (shutdown)," Naik, who lost two of his relatives during the riots, told . "We have informed police and the district collector about this and hope the administration will take some steps. "Though paramilitary forces are guarding our camp, we are not sleeping at night in order to keep a vigil against any sudden attack," he said, hoping that more forces would be deployed in his village soon. Christian leaders also feared fresh violence during Christmas but hoped that the state government would take measures to protect the traumatised Christian community in the district. "We don't know what will happen this Christmas. The government has promised that they will take all measures to prevent any untoward incident this time around and I believe the administration will live up to its promise,""We will not say that I fear a fresh wave of violence against our community, I just hope this Christmas should go peacefully,"Forty-five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies are currently deployed in the district and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has pledged that his government would not allow the shutdown on Chritsmas.
posted in: Current Issue, Persecution, East India
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Wed, 17/12/2008 - 9:42pm Christian leader abducted in Kandhamal?
Phulbhani-17th Dec-08Hindu extremists on Dec 16th, assaulted Mr. Jubaraj Digal, a Christian leader of Kanjamendi village under K. Nuagaon Block.
Digal, was returning home along with his son Muna, from Congress MLA Mrs. Ajayanti Pradhan , where he is employed as her PS.
Around 6.30 PM, extremists stopped his motor bike on the road between Telengia to Sitapanga.
The extremist started hitting them mercilessly, luckily his son escaped on the motorbike and reached G. Udaygiri PS around 9.45 pm and informed the police.
Police immediately went for spot inquiry but found nothing.
Police have registered a MISSING case under FIR NO.400, dtd17.12.08 and investigating further on the said matter.
According to GCIC regional co.ordinator, this may be communal attack by Sangh Parivar as a prelude to Orissa Bandh on 25th December, 2008, they have rulled out that aspect.
posted in: Current Issue, Persecution, East India
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Wed, 17/12/2008 - 6:30am Govenment says no Shut down permitted on Christmas day by radicals
Bhubaneswar (16th Dec 08)
The Orissa government on Monday announced that it will not permit the state wide shutdown called by some Hindu groups on Christmas Day, demanding arrest of all those involved in the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader on August 23 that led to communal violence in the state.
"No shutdown will be permitted on December 25," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told the assembly while replying to a discussion on the communal violence in the district of Kandhamal.
"The government will come down heavily on those who try to create any trouble," Patnaik said.
Orissa tops in communal violence
Kandhamal district, about 200 km from here, witnessed widespread communal violence after the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram at Jaleshpata.
While the police blamed Maoists for the killings, some Hindu organisations held Christians responsible for the crime and launched attacks on the community.
Thousands of Christians were forced to flee their homes after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs. At least 38 people were killed in the violence.
posted in: Current Issue, Persecution, East India
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Brown's Daily Word & India update12-17-08
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this Holy Season. The world all around us longs for peace, and we as believers pray for peace as we anticipate celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace. The angel and the multitude of the heavenly host declared to the lowly shepherds, "Glory to God in the Highest and Peace on earth and good will to all men with whom He is well pleased". Isaiah 2:1-4 gives us a wonderful picture of God’s peace. Verse 4 poetically states that the weapons of war will be transformed into items that are constructive. Swords will beaten into plowshares. Spears will be beaten into pruning hooks. At that time, nations will no longer train their militaries for war any more. The transformation of these weapons is from instruments designed to kill into tools that are used in farming. They become instruments that support life. It is God who gives us the fruits of the field. It is also God who makes peace possible. The United States did not enter WORLD WAR II until after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Both civilians and service men alike remember that event. That day and that event marked a time in the history of our country when no one living at the time would ever forget where they were or what they doing when they heard the news December 7, 1941. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt described that day as a day that would live in infamy. Those who were not living at that time have learned about the events of that historic day from the history books. From the moment that Pearl Harbor was bombed onward, the name of the place known as Pearl Harbor became known as a battle cry. For the Japanese, Pearl Harbor was a victory. Years before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, there was a young Japanese boy by the name of Mitsuo Fuchida who, at the age of three, aspired to become a national hero like the Japanese national hero Admiral Togo, who had at one time destroyed the Russian fleet in a surprise attack. Years later, Mitsuo Fuchida became the equivalent of the modern day American TOP GUN in Japan. It was Mitsuo Fuchida who led 360 Japanese planes in the attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ was born in a town called Bethlehem. Far too many times we make light of the significance of this fact. Jesus is the PRINCE OF PEACE (Isaiah 9:6). The name "Jesus" means Savior (Matthew 1:21). Jesus is our Immanuel, which means that He is God with us (Matthew 1:23). He died in our place as the sacrificial lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). German theologian Karl Barth once said, "In Christ both creation and humanity are reconciled. Forgiveness and reconciliation are one in the same. For God forgives us of our sins through Jesus Christ." It was only through Jesus Christ that Jacob Deshazer, U. S. soldier and ex-POW, was able to get rid of his hatred for the Japanese. Jacob Deshazer had just finished flight school when he heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As a result, Jacob began to hate the Japanese with a passion. He had an axe to grind, a score to settle. In fact he was so hot with passion that he even volunteered for a bombing mission into Japan that was known as the "Doolittle mission". While he was on that mission, he ran out of fuel. Shortly thereafter, he was captured by the Japanese. The next 40 months of his life were spent as a POW. 34 of those 40 months he spent in solitary confinement. One day, he saw a fellow POW die of starvation; that enraged him all the more in his passionate hate for the Japanese. However, instead of building on that hate any more, he reflected on the idea of how he once heard that Jesus Christ could turn hate into love. He spent the next few months begging for a Bible. Finally, his captors got him one. After his conversion, he would pray for his captors even when they beat him. Obviously, through Jesus Christ, God had changed Jacob’s axe to grind and his score to settle into a cross to carry as a disciple of Jesus Christ. God had emotionally and spiritually turned his sword and spear into a plowshare and a pruning hook. One day, years later, Jacob Deshazer and Mitsuo Fuchida ran into each other. It was a meeting that changed Fuchida’s life forever. He had been called to a courthouse as a character witness for war crimes. He had been sent as an investigator to Hiroshima and back to Tokyo along with twelve others after the atomic bomb had been dropped in Hiroshima. Of the thirteen who went to investigate what had happened to Hiroshima, Fuchida was the only one who did not die from radiation. As Fuchida stepped outside the courthouse he saw a crowd around Jacob Deshazer. He noticed that Deshazer was handing out pamphlets of his testimony about how he had turned from hateful U.S. soldier and POW to a new creation in Christ (Second Corinthians 5:17). Paper was scarce, so many were lining the soles of their worn out shoes with these pamphlets. Fuchida took one and read its contents instead. As a result, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He, too, had allowed God to emotionally and spiritually turn his sword and spear into a plowshare and a pruning hook. The spiritual battle has already been won, but the victory that comes from Jesus Christ cannot be our victory until surrender takes place. Sometimes we have been guilty of carrying an axe to grind long for far too long, long after the initial battle or confrontation. We do not have to bear arms to find ourselves fighting with God and each other. All we have to do is refuse to be the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) that Christ has called us to be as His disciples and we will discover that we have allowed the devil to get a toe hold for his bidding as trouble makers who will in the end only keep biting and devouring one another until we have destroyed each other (Galatians 5:15 paraphrased).
If these two men, who were enemies due to the war that they fought in, can become brothers in Christ then why is it so hard for some of us to do the same? The reason it is hard might be because we have not been willing to surrender our swords and spears so that Christ can reconcile us to each other and to God. We cannot proclaim God’s peace unless we have proclaimed it in our own lives. In Jesus our Saviour,
Brownhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpgaWm2pnNs
Praise the Lord for this Holy Season. The world all around us longs for peace, and we as believers pray for peace as we anticipate celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace. The angel and the multitude of the heavenly host declared to the lowly shepherds, "Glory to God in the Highest and Peace on earth and good will to all men with whom He is well pleased". Isaiah 2:1-4 gives us a wonderful picture of God’s peace. Verse 4 poetically states that the weapons of war will be transformed into items that are constructive. Swords will beaten into plowshares. Spears will be beaten into pruning hooks. At that time, nations will no longer train their militaries for war any more. The transformation of these weapons is from instruments designed to kill into tools that are used in farming. They become instruments that support life. It is God who gives us the fruits of the field. It is also God who makes peace possible. The United States did not enter WORLD WAR II until after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Both civilians and service men alike remember that event. That day and that event marked a time in the history of our country when no one living at the time would ever forget where they were or what they doing when they heard the news December 7, 1941. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt described that day as a day that would live in infamy. Those who were not living at that time have learned about the events of that historic day from the history books. From the moment that Pearl Harbor was bombed onward, the name of the place known as Pearl Harbor became known as a battle cry. For the Japanese, Pearl Harbor was a victory. Years before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, there was a young Japanese boy by the name of Mitsuo Fuchida who, at the age of three, aspired to become a national hero like the Japanese national hero Admiral Togo, who had at one time destroyed the Russian fleet in a surprise attack. Years later, Mitsuo Fuchida became the equivalent of the modern day American TOP GUN in Japan. It was Mitsuo Fuchida who led 360 Japanese planes in the attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ was born in a town called Bethlehem. Far too many times we make light of the significance of this fact. Jesus is the PRINCE OF PEACE (Isaiah 9:6). The name "Jesus" means Savior (Matthew 1:21). Jesus is our Immanuel, which means that He is God with us (Matthew 1:23). He died in our place as the sacrificial lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). German theologian Karl Barth once said, "In Christ both creation and humanity are reconciled. Forgiveness and reconciliation are one in the same. For God forgives us of our sins through Jesus Christ." It was only through Jesus Christ that Jacob Deshazer, U. S. soldier and ex-POW, was able to get rid of his hatred for the Japanese. Jacob Deshazer had just finished flight school when he heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As a result, Jacob began to hate the Japanese with a passion. He had an axe to grind, a score to settle. In fact he was so hot with passion that he even volunteered for a bombing mission into Japan that was known as the "Doolittle mission". While he was on that mission, he ran out of fuel. Shortly thereafter, he was captured by the Japanese. The next 40 months of his life were spent as a POW. 34 of those 40 months he spent in solitary confinement. One day, he saw a fellow POW die of starvation; that enraged him all the more in his passionate hate for the Japanese. However, instead of building on that hate any more, he reflected on the idea of how he once heard that Jesus Christ could turn hate into love. He spent the next few months begging for a Bible. Finally, his captors got him one. After his conversion, he would pray for his captors even when they beat him. Obviously, through Jesus Christ, God had changed Jacob’s axe to grind and his score to settle into a cross to carry as a disciple of Jesus Christ. God had emotionally and spiritually turned his sword and spear into a plowshare and a pruning hook. One day, years later, Jacob Deshazer and Mitsuo Fuchida ran into each other. It was a meeting that changed Fuchida’s life forever. He had been called to a courthouse as a character witness for war crimes. He had been sent as an investigator to Hiroshima and back to Tokyo along with twelve others after the atomic bomb had been dropped in Hiroshima. Of the thirteen who went to investigate what had happened to Hiroshima, Fuchida was the only one who did not die from radiation. As Fuchida stepped outside the courthouse he saw a crowd around Jacob Deshazer. He noticed that Deshazer was handing out pamphlets of his testimony about how he had turned from hateful U.S. soldier and POW to a new creation in Christ (Second Corinthians 5:17). Paper was scarce, so many were lining the soles of their worn out shoes with these pamphlets. Fuchida took one and read its contents instead. As a result, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He, too, had allowed God to emotionally and spiritually turn his sword and spear into a plowshare and a pruning hook. The spiritual battle has already been won, but the victory that comes from Jesus Christ cannot be our victory until surrender takes place. Sometimes we have been guilty of carrying an axe to grind long for far too long, long after the initial battle or confrontation. We do not have to bear arms to find ourselves fighting with God and each other. All we have to do is refuse to be the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) that Christ has called us to be as His disciples and we will discover that we have allowed the devil to get a toe hold for his bidding as trouble makers who will in the end only keep biting and devouring one another until we have destroyed each other (Galatians 5:15 paraphrased).
If these two men, who were enemies due to the war that they fought in, can become brothers in Christ then why is it so hard for some of us to do the same? The reason it is hard might be because we have not been willing to surrender our swords and spears so that Christ can reconcile us to each other and to God. We cannot proclaim God’s peace unless we have proclaimed it in our own lives. In Jesus our Saviour,
Brownhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpgaWm2pnNs
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Brown's Daily Word & India update12-16-08
Good Morning,
In the Gospel of Luke, we come across two characters who make their appearance in the final acts of the Christmas drama. One is a man named Simeon; the other is a woman named Anna. They don’t appear in any nativity scenes or in many Christmas cards, but they are significant players in the first Christmas pageant. Both of these individuals were waiting for something -- actually, they were waiting for someone. Luke uses a Greek word of anticipation that identifies them as waiting with expectation for the coming of the Messiah, or Savior. It literally means that they were “alert to His appearance, and ready to welcome Him.” We see this word in Luke 2:25 in reference to Simeon where we read that “He was waiting...” and in Luke 2:38 to describe a woman named Anna who was, “...looking forward to...” Simeon was Waiting For Comfort: We’re introduced to Simeon in Luke 2:25, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon Him.” Simeon’s expectation focused on the comfort that Christ would bring. Among Jews of Simeon’s day one of the popular titles for the Messiah was Comforter. They were longing for the Messiah to come and bring His comfort to them. The desire to be comforted is a universal human need. We all struggle at times with loneliness, emptiness, insecurity, and even desperation. In fact, the Christmas season is one of the major crisis times of the year for depression and suicide. It is a part of the human condition. The Holy Spirit prompted Simeon to go to the temple courts at just the right time on just the right day that Joseph and Mary were bringing their infant to the Temple. When Simeon looked at the baby Jesus, now about 6 weeks old, he knew that God’s promise had been kept. Here was Immanuel, “God With Us,” to make everything right, to provide significance by His presence, and to eliminate rejection, fear, and loneliness. Luke 2:28 says that Simeon reached down and took Jesus out of Mary’s arms and began to praise God. As he broke out into praise, he acknowledged that God had not only fulfilled the individual promise to himself, but also the promises of the prophets to send the Anointed One to comfort both Jews and Gentiles. The other Christmas Character waiting with anticipation was Anna. After her husband had died, she had dedicated herself to fasting and praying in the temple. In fact, the Bible says that she never left the temple but worshipped day and night. She was looking forward to the same person as Simeon was, but with a different orientation. Instead of looking for comfort, Anna was looking for forgiveness. Take a look at verse 38: “Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” The word redemption is related to the idea of captivity. The Old Testament Passover and the release of Israel from Egyptian slavery stood in Anna’s day as the ultimate redemption and the symbol of God’s power to release captives. Ultimately, Passover pointed ahead to that day when God would provide deliverance from the slavery of sin. When Anna saw Jesus, she gave thanks to God and spoke of Him to all who were waiting for redemption. Here, at last, was the One who would save His people from their sins. When Jesus came, He provided the very things that Simeon and Anna were waiting for -- God’s comfort and His forgiveness. How can we not find what we have been looking for? Once we have found it, how can we keep quiet about it? Once you have the Son, you have everything. Many years ago, there was a very wealthy man who shared a passion for art collecting with his son. They had priceless works by Picasso and Van Gogh adorning the walls of their family estate. As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram saying that his son had died. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season had vanished with the death of his son. On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hands who said, “I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you.” The soldier mentioned that he was an artist and then gave the old man the package. The paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man’s son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man’s face in striking detail. Overcome with emotion, the man hung the portrait over the fireplace, pushing aside millions of dollars worth of art. Then the old man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given.The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces of art for which museums around the world clamored. The following spring, the old man died. The art world waited with anticipation for the upcoming auction. According to the will of the old man, all the art works would be auctioned on Christmas Day, the day he had received the greatest gift. The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world’s most spectacular paintings. Dreams were to be fulfilled that day. The auction began with a painting that was not on anyone’s museum list. It was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid, but the room was silent. “Who will open the bidding with $100?” No one spoke. Finally someone said, “Who cares about that painting. It’s just a picture of his son. Let’s move on to the good stuff.” The auctioneer responded, “No, we have to sell this one first. Now, who will take the son?” Finally, a neighbor of the old man offered $10 dollars. “That’s all I have. I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it.” The auctioneer said, “Going once, going twice…gone.” The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, “Now we can bid on the real treasures!” The auctioneer looked at the room filled with people and announced that the auction was over. Everyone was stunned. Someone spoke up and said, “What do you mean, it’s over? We didn’t come here for a painting of someone’s son. There are millions of dollars worth of art here! What’s going on?” The auctioneer replied, “It’s very simple. According to the will of the Father, whoever takes the son gets it all.” This is the message of Christmas. Because of the Father’s love, whoever takes the Son gets it all.
In Christ ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltX-6HblGJI
In the Gospel of Luke, we come across two characters who make their appearance in the final acts of the Christmas drama. One is a man named Simeon; the other is a woman named Anna. They don’t appear in any nativity scenes or in many Christmas cards, but they are significant players in the first Christmas pageant. Both of these individuals were waiting for something -- actually, they were waiting for someone. Luke uses a Greek word of anticipation that identifies them as waiting with expectation for the coming of the Messiah, or Savior. It literally means that they were “alert to His appearance, and ready to welcome Him.” We see this word in Luke 2:25 in reference to Simeon where we read that “He was waiting...” and in Luke 2:38 to describe a woman named Anna who was, “...looking forward to...” Simeon was Waiting For Comfort: We’re introduced to Simeon in Luke 2:25, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon Him.” Simeon’s expectation focused on the comfort that Christ would bring. Among Jews of Simeon’s day one of the popular titles for the Messiah was Comforter. They were longing for the Messiah to come and bring His comfort to them. The desire to be comforted is a universal human need. We all struggle at times with loneliness, emptiness, insecurity, and even desperation. In fact, the Christmas season is one of the major crisis times of the year for depression and suicide. It is a part of the human condition. The Holy Spirit prompted Simeon to go to the temple courts at just the right time on just the right day that Joseph and Mary were bringing their infant to the Temple. When Simeon looked at the baby Jesus, now about 6 weeks old, he knew that God’s promise had been kept. Here was Immanuel, “God With Us,” to make everything right, to provide significance by His presence, and to eliminate rejection, fear, and loneliness. Luke 2:28 says that Simeon reached down and took Jesus out of Mary’s arms and began to praise God. As he broke out into praise, he acknowledged that God had not only fulfilled the individual promise to himself, but also the promises of the prophets to send the Anointed One to comfort both Jews and Gentiles. The other Christmas Character waiting with anticipation was Anna. After her husband had died, she had dedicated herself to fasting and praying in the temple. In fact, the Bible says that she never left the temple but worshipped day and night. She was looking forward to the same person as Simeon was, but with a different orientation. Instead of looking for comfort, Anna was looking for forgiveness. Take a look at verse 38: “Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” The word redemption is related to the idea of captivity. The Old Testament Passover and the release of Israel from Egyptian slavery stood in Anna’s day as the ultimate redemption and the symbol of God’s power to release captives. Ultimately, Passover pointed ahead to that day when God would provide deliverance from the slavery of sin. When Anna saw Jesus, she gave thanks to God and spoke of Him to all who were waiting for redemption. Here, at last, was the One who would save His people from their sins. When Jesus came, He provided the very things that Simeon and Anna were waiting for -- God’s comfort and His forgiveness. How can we not find what we have been looking for? Once we have found it, how can we keep quiet about it? Once you have the Son, you have everything. Many years ago, there was a very wealthy man who shared a passion for art collecting with his son. They had priceless works by Picasso and Van Gogh adorning the walls of their family estate. As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram saying that his son had died. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season had vanished with the death of his son. On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hands who said, “I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you.” The soldier mentioned that he was an artist and then gave the old man the package. The paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man’s son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man’s face in striking detail. Overcome with emotion, the man hung the portrait over the fireplace, pushing aside millions of dollars worth of art. Then the old man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given.The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces of art for which museums around the world clamored. The following spring, the old man died. The art world waited with anticipation for the upcoming auction. According to the will of the old man, all the art works would be auctioned on Christmas Day, the day he had received the greatest gift. The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world’s most spectacular paintings. Dreams were to be fulfilled that day. The auction began with a painting that was not on anyone’s museum list. It was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid, but the room was silent. “Who will open the bidding with $100?” No one spoke. Finally someone said, “Who cares about that painting. It’s just a picture of his son. Let’s move on to the good stuff.” The auctioneer responded, “No, we have to sell this one first. Now, who will take the son?” Finally, a neighbor of the old man offered $10 dollars. “That’s all I have. I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it.” The auctioneer said, “Going once, going twice…gone.” The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, “Now we can bid on the real treasures!” The auctioneer looked at the room filled with people and announced that the auction was over. Everyone was stunned. Someone spoke up and said, “What do you mean, it’s over? We didn’t come here for a painting of someone’s son. There are millions of dollars worth of art here! What’s going on?” The auctioneer replied, “It’s very simple. According to the will of the Father, whoever takes the son gets it all.” This is the message of Christmas. Because of the Father’s love, whoever takes the Son gets it all.
In Christ ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltX-6HblGJI
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