12/24/2018
You confessed your sins, accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, and were baptized. You felt the joy of that moment of great faith and salvation as it ripples through you and lifted you high, but what have you done in the months and years since? What place has your faith taken in your life; has it fallen to second place, third place, or further than that? To Jesus you are still as important and loved as the moment you first believed... can you say the same about Him?
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
Colossians 2:6-10 ESV
I was a Boy Scout when I was young, as a matter of fact they bent a rule and allowed me to join in 1962 when I was a year younger than the age limit that was set. Wearing my uniform was thrilling, and I can remember wearing it to school on Scout Day; I was so proud of it and the badges I had earned. Just the thought of going scouting thrilled me, meeting day, hikes, projects, summer camp... it was the best thing ever. But, something happened as I grew older; I began to hear kids who weren’t in scouts make disparaging remarks about my uniform when I wore it on scout day, then some of the boys in my troop began to succumb to their pressure and quit. Scouting was becoming something that wasn’t “cool.” I stayed in scouts but quit wearing my uniform, and eventually stopped talking about it in school, finally, two merit badges from scouting’s highest rank, Eagle, I too dropped out. Scouting wasn’t any less fun for me, but I had reshuffled the priorities of my life, girls, cars, and being popular had become more important and scouting made me feel less cool in front of my peers. I abandoned scouts... it never changed or abandoned me. Then, later in life I was a scout leader in my son’s troop, and we leaders had a saying... “If they aren’t an Eagle before they get interested in cars and girls, they probably never will be.”
We have “cars and girls” type pressures in our faith and belief in Jesus as well. When Paul warns... “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” he is talking about the figurative “cars and girls” and how that can draw us away from our faith in Jesus. So how are we doing with this? Have we ceased speaking publicly about Him? Have we quit wearing our uniform of God’s Word? Have we hidden our Boy Scout scarf of faith in our pocket? Or, have we banished Jesus from our daily life, and only visit Him occasionally on certain holidays, and when we are in trouble? Well, He has not abandoned us...
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 ESV
Children are often immature in their decision-making, and don’t make the correct choices, like my decision to leave scouts when I was on the verge of its ultimate success. And, as learning and growing Christians, we are prone to do the same as we attempt to openly live our faith in a world that has for the most part separated itself from God.
So how do we maintain our faith under such pressure? How do we resist a world that might never promote us at work because we are just too religious? How do we resist the teasing and snide comments of those in mainstream worldly life? We turn to prayer, put on the full armor of God, surround ourself with true believers who will encourage us, look for the miracles in our lives, and concentrate on those things that are good, value the true treasure of our faith above all else, and always remember that God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to redeem each one of us... is there anything, or anyone, in the world that would be willing to do such a thing?
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the love which you have for us, and for your Son Jesus Christ whose birthday we celebrate tomorrow. Today begins Mary’s suffering in childbirth, but tomorrow brings the glorious day of birth, and the fulfilling of your promise... the Messiah will have come, and our redemption and salvation will have been realized! From the waters of the womb comes living water that will forever be our joy, and quench our thirst forevermore! Help us Holy Father to resist the temptations of the world that would diminish the joy in our lives that this moment delivers. Help us to clutch His nail scared hand, and kneel before you openly in our lives. Help us to place you first in our lives, and to keep you there as so many labor to separate us. Powerful are you zany God, and great is your Son Jesus! Before you none can stand in opposition, no evil can gain advantage, and neither kings nor queens can rule against you for our souls. Praised be your name Holy Father, now and forevermore. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God who is the focus of my faith, my life, and my heart. All Glory is yours, and all your grace flows through your Son Jesus Christ.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV
Rich Forbes