Why Celebrate Jesus' birthday on December 25th?

The Atheist's Guide to Christmas

The Atheist's Guide to Christmas reviewed here:

the earth will be filled with the glory of God

When Christ came to earth over two thousand years ago, he came to inaugurate his kingdom successfully. During his ministry here, he bound Satan. Within a generation of his crucifixion he destroyed the old world of the old covenant and ushered in a new heavens and a new earth. The church is now the Holy City of God and all of the nations are brought into it. She will continue to preach the gospel on earth for thousands upon thousands of years, progressively growing in number and strength until one day, far in the future, the entire world will be transformed by the power of Christ and an Eden-like paradise will be restored. At some point in that golden day, Christ will return to judge the living and the dead. Those who rejected his gospel will be sent to eternal punishment. The dead in Christ will be raised, joined to their resurrected bodies, and all the saints of all the ages will live together in union and communion with the Triune God for eternity. (p39-40, Duane Garner 'Why the End is Not Near')

deep contentment

Thou shalt not inordinately desire what thou hast not; and especially what belongs to thy neighbor. It includes the positive command to be contented with the allotments of Providence; and the negative injunction not to repine, or complain on account of the dealings of God with us, or to envy the lot or possessions of others.

The command to be contented does not imply indifference, and it does not enjoin slothfulness. A cheerful and contented disposition is perfectly compatible with a due appreciation of the good things of this world, and diligence in the use of all proper means to improve our condition in life. (Hodge, Charles 'Systematic Theology, Vol 3 p 498 quoted in Sinai Strategy)

Quoting Philippians 4:11-13 North says: 'Any external condition is acceptable to the man who is content with his present role in God's plan for the ages. But having little is usually the condition against which men rebel.'

The Grace of God in our circumstances

Have you ever thought about why you were born into your particular circumstances? If you are reading this blog entry you are most likely a Christian whose life has been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. You are also likely relatively wealthy, at least compared to most people living in the world. If you have the ability to eat three times per day and have shelter over your head, you are better off than many people in the world. If you earn $25,000 per year, you are the richest 10% of the world. You are rich. In fact if you earn $2,200 per year you are the richest 15% of the world. If you reading this you are literate and likely had several years of education. If so you have received more education than hundreds of millions of people around the world. Perhaps you have gone to college, even graduate school.

So why? Why you? Why your particular circumstances? There are people around the world who might be asking the same questions. Wondering why they weren't born in America. Wondering why they can't eat three times per day, why they don't have the luxury of throwing food away. Wondering what it would be like to go to school or attend college or even read. Wondering what a warm bed feels like.

You could have been born as an impoverished child in an unreached nation. Perhaps as a girl born into a Muslim family where you would be forbidden to show anything beyond what can be seen through the eye slits of your veil and could be beaten if you disobeyed even the simplest command of your father. You could have been born in a remote village in Vietnam with little food or education and no opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You could have been born as a girl in Africa who will eventually be sold by your parents into sexual slavery. That could have been you.

But it's not you. Instead you were born into privileged circumstances. Blessed physically, educationally, financially, and spiritually. Why? Only by the grace of God. What is our response then to such blessing and grace?

Obviously we need to change $ into £ and substitute in UK rather than America. But that works readily. To find out what Michael Oh says our response should be, read the rest of his article here. It is excellent. 

National Health Service

Daniel Hannan talking about the good and the bad things in a Nationalised Health Service. In other words Socialised Health Care that is in essence a State monopoly of a sphere of our nation's life. He makes that case that the NHS is NOT best for the poorest in society.  

He shall reign for ever and ever!

Trying to imagine this at Merry Hill, Dudley! 

HT Mike Smith

A crushing view of the future

Orwell paints an ultimately dehumanizing and horribly suppressive view of the days to come: ... 'If you want a vision of the future, picture a boot stomping on a human face forever.' (p7)

The Scriptures teach us that if you want a vision of the future, picture a foot crushing the head of a serpent, forever. (p10) 

[Duane Garner 'Why the End is Not Near'] 

unhappy times

The great thing with unhappy times is to take them bit by bit, hour by hour, like an illness. It is seldom the present, the exact present, that is unbearable.

Remember one is given strength to bear what happens to one, but not the 100 and 1 different things that might happen.

C.S. Lewis, Letter to An American Lady

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

The apostle Paul gave thanks for his friends in Thessalonica

Even though, as far as we know, none of them could play the harmonica.

They accepted the gospel with joy and stayed keen

Even though some of the people around them were quite mean. 

p29 KEEP ON GOING (On the Way 14+ Junction Books)

What are we feeding?

All true needs - such as food, drink, and companionship - are satiable. llegitimate wants- pride, envy, greed - are insatiable. (p107 Idols for Destruction: The Conflict of Christian Faith and American Culture)

Water is useful for sailing on, but dangerous in the hold

He may be said to be covetous not only who gets the world unrighteously, but who loves it inordinately. (p174 The Ten Commandments (Body of Practical Divinity))

Nice oxen!

John Frame lists a fourfold distinction that theologians have recognised with regard to our desires [many of which are right and legitimate: the desire for blessing from the Lord (Deuteronomy 28; Mark 10:29-31), for food (Matthew 4:2), for drink (John 19:28-29), for sleep (Luke 8:23), for sex (Genesis 2:22-23; Song of Songs), for children (Genesis 30:22-23; 1 Samuel 1:17; Psalm 127:3-5), for a better house (Proverbs 24:27), to be an overseer (1 Timothy 3:1 & 1 Peter 5:2).

Here it is, not quoted exactly, but quoted with the adjustments that he then makes later in his chapter:

1. Spontaneous desire (one that catches you off guard)

2. Nursing that desire (sometimes called titillatio)

3. Making a plan to achieve it unlawfully

4. Accomplishing the desire. 

The key word is under 3. Unlawfully. 
The problem isn't that my neighbour has a nice ox and I admire it and want one like it. The problem is that I think about stealing it, or defrauding him of his ox in some way. Frame illustrates this with regard to lust: 

Lust is sexual coveting. It is not wrong, say for Chuck to desire a sexual relationship with Alice, given that both are single. That is a God-given incentive towards marriage. It is wrong for him to desire sex with her apart from marriage, for that is a desire to violate God's law.

(p846-849) DOCTRINE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (Theology of Lordship)

Whole hearted

Q 113. What does the tenth commandment require of us?

A: That even the smallest inclination or thought, contrary to any of God's commandments, never rise in our hearts; but that at all times we hate all sin with our whole heart, and delight in all righteousness.

Heildelburg Catechism