Does God Own Everything That You Possess?

“What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). How would you answer that question? Think about your bank statement, the recent promotion, your marriage, children, grandchildren, your athletic abilities, your spiritual gifts, even your salvation? “What do you have that you did not receive?” I see only two possible answers:

You did not receive all that you possess — or — You did receive all that you possess.

The first response commits a heinous, theological crime: it confuses the Creator-creature distinction. God alone is the only being in the universe to possess without first receiving something. We, on the other hand, must receive something extra nos (“outside of ourselves”) before possessing anything. After all, who can bestow on themselves the gift of life? The second response, then, is the most theologically accurate response a Christian could give: you did receive everything that you possess.   Continue at  David E. Briones

A Christmas Message Based on the Prophetic Lyrics of Mr Roy Wood

By way of contrast to the priorities of my grandfather, the rise of the toy-and treat-obsessed society which wants the materialism of Christmas every day of the year reflect a society where individuals increasingly find their value and meaning in what they can do - or, more often, buy - for themselves.   This love is directed inwards to the gratification of the self.  That is where value and meaning are found.  That is where the restless heart is supposed to find rest, although the spread of Christmas to the whole of the year would indicate that such rest has proved elusive.  In fact, the ubiquity of the Christmas spirit arguably witnesses to the extension of the Augustinian childhood of unrestricted, unapologetic and frequently unchecked self-love to the whole length of life and the very fabric of society.  To adapt the Roy Wood lyric, we really do wish it could be Christmas everyday.

The irony of the Christian Christmas is that the Christ child comes not because of any need of his own or any desire to fulfill a selfish or inwardly directed want; this child, the child in the manger, considers it not robbery to be equal with God and yet humbles himself by taking the form of a servant in order to be obedient even to death on the cross. All of this is done for those who not only did not deserve it but who despise the very thought of grace. For the strong and the self-sufficient to be shown their need and to be delivered therefrom by a nobody who begins life in a manger and ends it on a cross is a profound insult to everything we hold dear. The world looks on - now as then - and see this all as so much childishness; the tragedy, of course, is that it is the unsuspecting world which is truly childish.  Read it all HERE

Keeping Christ in the Holidays Takes Little Effort

A number of America’s holidays have Christian overtones, particularly Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Because these holidays originated as times to celebrate God’s graciousness to us, it is not all that difficult to restore their original spiritual meaning. This will happen only if we value doing so and are willing to expend a bit of energy. I would like to share some considerations and suggestions.

My first consideration is that we become comfortable with the secular. As followers of Jesus Christ, we find ourselves in the world, though we are not of the world. This means we must walk the tightrope of participating in our society and its decent (good or neutral) ways, while at the same time refraining from its wrong ways.

Gift-giving, decorations, Christmas cards, rich treats, a Christmas tree, touring light displays, or gorging oneself with a Christmas meal are all part of the fun. Secular is not necessarily evil, but secular is not enough.

My second consideration is that we remind ourselves that we are not enslaved to traditions that may negate a truly blessed Christmas. We need not incur amazing debts or keep up with our siblings by matching extravagant gifts. Although most of us want Christmas to be a family time, we are free to dissent from family customs when those customs are offensive or counterproductive to our own families. Continue Reading>>>

A Radical Approach to December 25th: Why we won’t be Celebrating Christmas this Year.

If the views my wife and I have about television, public schools, vaccinations, Easter, and long-term missions wasn’t enough to drive friends and family crazy, our latest decision certainly will. (I also suspect that will ruffle a few feathers on DefCon as well.)

After thoughtful deliberation we have decided to forego celebrating Christmas this year (and every year hereafter) for two main reasons, one being obvious and the other not so obvious.

No, my wife and I have not lost our minds.

No, we have not become Jehovah’s Witnesses.

No, we aren’t trying to take fun away from our children.

I have always loved Christmas. I could often be heard singing Christmas carols all year long. Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year with all the decorations, food, family, memories, and nostalgia. So my decision to essentially cancel Christmas was not an easy one.

Please hear me out before coming to any conclusions or casting dispersions upon our decision. In the end you may still not agree with us, but at least you’ll understand our reasoning. Continue Reading>>>

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