CHRISTMAS CELEBARATIONS AND CERTAIN FACTS.

Philip Verghese ‘Ariel’
Christmas is fast approaching. In December 24th night people the world over will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This central event in history divided the calendar into B C (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini- “In the Year of Our Lord”). He was born to die. The meaning of His name is “He will save His people from their sins” (in Hebrew— “Jesus” means “Saviour” Matthew 1:21). The prophets foretold His birth years before it took place. Isaiah the Prophet predicted it in 740 B.C. (Isaiah 9:6, and 7:14). Prophet Micah also predicted the same event in 742 B.C. (Micah 5:2). Christ’s sufferings too were described beforehand by Isaiah
(Isaiah Chapter 52:13- 53:12). The very purpose of Christ’s coming to earth is to die for the sins of mankind.

The recent movement to replace the word Christmas  by other names in America and Britain is an interesting development. In America the conservative argue that Christmas as become almost a dirty word in a politically correct society. The recent report says that almost the similar situation arising in Britain too.

In this connection let us look at the reality. What exactly the Bible says about such celebrations. The Bible has not given any importance to the birthday celebrations. The great Prophets of the Bible Job and Jeremiah have cursed their birthdays (Job 3:1-11, and Jeremiah 20: 14-15). In the whole Bible only two birth celebrations are mentioned, one in the Old Testament, that is of the Pharaoh, a heathen King and  another one in the New Testament that is, Herod the cruel and ungodly King. On both these occasions some tragic events took place. On Pharaoh’s birthday, he hanged his chief baker (Genesis 40: 20-22) and on Herod’s birthday he beheaded a godly and innocent person ‘John the Baptist’, the forerunner of Jesus Christ. ( Mark 6:21-28).

But remembering Christ’s birth in a special way on a particular day of the year is certainly not a sin as long as it is done in the right manner and in the right spirit without bringing dishonor to God. But giving too much importance to that particular day is not good, because God had made all days equal and wants people to worship Him in the same tempo and manner on all the other days of the year as well.
Many celebrate Christmas without Christ in their heart. Unless Christ is born in the heart, no one can meaningfully celebrate Christmas    and really experience the full joy of the occasion. Can Christmas  be a celebration without Christ? With Christ dwelling inside, one can celebrate Christmas not only on 25th December but every day of his life.

At Christmas we tend to give much importance and priority to getting new clothes, decorating our houses, singing carols, preparing delicacies and savories. Often the main person, who is the cause of the celebration, is forgotten and out of the picture. We have no time or rather do not take pains to think about Him, His great teachings and His great sacrifice. Rather we take this opportunity to amuse ourselves and entertain our friends and relatives many times in an unholy way which brings dishonor to His name as well as to our faith. Instead, let us celebrate this awesome occasion in a worthy manner as the shepherds who were glorifying God (Luke 2:20) when they
received the news.

Jesus never asked his followers to remember His Birth instead he commanded his followers to remember His DEATH. This is very clearly mentioned in the book of Luke, …”And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying this cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you (Luke 22: 19 -20).” This institution is called ‘The  Lord’s Supper’ , He has asked the believers to carry out till He comes again. Christians cannot neglect this institution, because it is His commandment. Christians are looking forward to the Lord’s glorious appearing the second time. Instead of wasting time, money and energy on merry-making and celebrations why not take the opportunity to tell others about His first coming and His very purpose for it. Let us make known the teaching of the Lord to many who do not yet know Him even after almost 2000 years of His coming. Weave into the celebration the great truth that Jesus came to save.

A survey says the greatest number of accidents takes place on the eve of Christmas . What does it shows? People go about it in an unworthy manner that leads to such number of accidents.
(The writer is a free lance writer and an editor of a Christian
magazine published from Secunderabad. He can be reached at: : pvariel@gmail.com

Let us wisely utilize our privileges.

 by Philip Verghese ‘Ariel’ 

A famous Hindu pilgrim centre in Andhra Pradesh, The Tirupathi temple, (one of the highest pilgrim gathering places in the world) is in the news again. The film actor Amitha Bachen and his family get a special treatment from the temple authorities whenever he visits this temple.  In the recent incident, after his son’s marriage the family members visited the temple with the newly married couple. For giving them special facility the authorities kept aside thousands of other devotees in dark. position.  The old people, women and children all waited in the hot sun for hours together for their turn.  The devotees agitated over the issue and there was a big commotion in the premises.   The temple authorities recently made many changes for the devotees visit.  Earlier the devotees are allowed to go very close to the deity and have darshan, but now for the security reason they made the distance to a 30 feet far. They have to be satisfied with that far vision of the idol.   But here too the VIPs and VVIPs have some special consideration.   Another temple in South, in Kerala, the famous Sabarimala Temple also was in the news recently in connection with the entry of women in the temple.  The women devotees are not permitted to enter into this temple. A women devotee (that too a film actress) entered the temple in disguise a few years back and now the issue is raised up by someone and a big controversy is going on.   Another important thing is that the devotees are allowed to enter in this temple ones in a year. The main gate of sanctum sanctorum opened ones in a year.  Yet another temple in Kerala, The Guruvaayoor temple also was in the news recently.  After the thread ceremony of the grand son of a Union Minister the temple poojari (priest) did a shudhikalasam/Punyaham (purification ceremony).   The reason is that the minister’s wife was a Christian.  Non Hindus are prohibited to enter into this temple.   This becomes a big issue.  Humiliated by this incident the minister’s family filed a case against the Poojari and the temple authorities for the ill treatment meted out to the minister’s family.  What a tragic and sad situation the devotees of other gods’ face. These incidents are classic examples to their sufferings.   One God will not allow women devotees, another one shows partiality towards their devotees.   But how privileged we are as believers’ in Christ.   Our God, who is true and living never, shows partiality. Rich or poor, VIP or non-VIP, men or women all are equal before Him.  His believers have the full access to approach Him at any time.   He the creator of this universe is always available to His devotees. What a wonderful God is our God.  But the problem is that, we are not availing or utilizing this great privilege.   It is our fault, not using the opportunity and looses the blessings Our Lord himself urges and taught His disciples the need or necessity of prayer. He said in Matthew chapter 6   “Pray, then, in this way: The famous prayer pattern of our Lord, which we can read in the following verses.   (vv.9-13) Jesus taught His disciples to pray this way; it definitely shows prayer is needed and necessary. One should submit his needs before the Lord.  Yes, we are His children, like a child we can go to His presence he loves to hear our voices.  It pleases His heart.  We can boldly go to His presence and submit our needs before Him, whereas others can’t.  They go to their gods with fear and trembling.  Our prayer to our God gives us an added advantage and assurance that we are not alone, He is with us, and we are His. Even though sometimes we face trials and temptations, it is in His presence we get comfort and consolation. In Psalm 23 we read like this “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil; for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me”. (v.4).   We believers have this peace with him.  When crisis comes, we feel dejected and depressed. In such situation praising God is a bit difficult task.  But it is possible. When the Holy Spirit over rules our hearts it will be an easy task. Even in difficulties we can rejoice in the Lord and praise God.   Paul and Silas are a good example to this.  Prison situations, as we all know not a pleasant one.  But in such situation they rejoiced in singing praises to God. (Act.16:25)  From such an unpleasant atmosphere Paul wrote some of his wonderful consoling epistles.   He wrote to the Church at Ephesus.  “Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. (Eph.5:20).  Again in another prison epistle he wrote to the church at Philippi: “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4).  Only a spirit filled and spirit guided person can write such thoughts. The Devil our adversary loves and encourages us not to give thanks to God especially when things are moving in a bad way or in an opposite direction.   But only the believers can face such situation boldly.  Holy Spirit will empower us and guide us in such moment and helps us to go to His presence with our pressing needs. Nowhere have we get comforts except in His presence.   Yes, only we, the believers have this wonderful privilege.  For giving such an unfathomable privilege we must always give thanks to Him.  Few of the many privileges we enjoy in Christ Jesus are:

• Any time we believers can approach our God with our needs.
• We have the privilege of growing in His presence.  The greatest of all gifts the wonderful Word of God—The Bible—is in our possession which nobody else have except the believers.   It gives us the comforting words every movement of our life, but we hesitate to utilize it for our peril.
• We are the only people who got the full assurance of Salvation which our God prepared for the world.
• We have the Holy Spirit indwells in us.  It helps us to live a victorious Christian life on this earth.

Now we have to decide it for ourselves.  Are we utilizing these great privileges for the utmost satisfaction of our Lord? Or are we neglecting it, and missing the opportunity God has given us? Yes, we are answerable to these questions.  Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit. Mahatma Gandhi was once asked by a missionary.  “What is the great hindrance to Christianity in India? Pat gave the answer, “The Christians” Dear brothers and sisters please think about this answer seriously, is it not true in many cases?  The other day a prominent Christian leader of  Andhra Pradesh who holds many responsible positions in Christian circles, while speaking to a special audience he said, “Present day, even in churches the leaders, Bishops, Pastors, Evangelists and Elders are at loggerheads for some unforeseen reasons”.  Yes how true it is, we can see a cold war going on in between these Christians.   What a tragic situation we Christians face in our community?   How can we lead a victorious Christian life?  The time is up.  Let us grow in the knowledge of our Lord.   Let us have His mind in us that is the only solution to all such problems.  Let us pray for a total and great transformation even among us.  Let’s wisely utilize these golden privileges which we posses. Let us draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. (James. 4:8) May God help us. pvariel@gmail.com

LET’S NOT DESPISE THE WORD OF GOD

by Philip Verghese ‘Ariel’

We live in a world, which is subject to changes.  Every moment changes are taking place.   What we see now disappears the next moment. Those who are in high places today are unceremoniously removed from there tomorrow. But in this transitory world, there remains one thing immovable. That is the Holy Bible, which we possess.  But to our own shame and sorrow, we see almost everywhere an increasing tendency to belittle this priceless treasure—The Bible

This book contains the gracious words of Lord Jesus Christ; we should meditate it day and night. The first Psalm begins with the word ‘Blessed’. One godly man had described it as an introduction to Psalms, which he called God’s hymnbook. Whenever we hear the word ‘Blessed’ the thought that comes immediately to our mind is of ‘person who is perfect and self sufficient, having all things and is in need of nothing’.  But in the Holy writ, this word is used in an entirely different connotation (context).  It is used in relation to the word of God. In the Psalms and the gospels the word” blessed” with the same context is recorded several times. It is further clarified in Revelation 1:3. Many Old Testament saints, from Abraham are called “blessed” in the Holy Scriptures. But we, the believers are a congregation of blessed men and women, who are elevated to the height and pinnacle of it. Yea, we are a blessed people.      This truth was made clear by the apostle Paul, while writing to the Ephesians (1:3; 2:7). A picture of our highly exalted position today can be viewed there.  The entire joy of the blessed man in Psalm 1 is centered in the law of the Lord. He rejoices in God’s word as a man who happened to find a great booty (Psalm 119:162). It is a matter of great importance for us to know what the source and object of our joy is. Is it in the pleasures of the world? If so, it is only momentary. It is a joyful experience to find delight in God and His Word day and night. Such a man is compared to “a tree by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth its fruit in the right season; its leaf also shall not wither”. The benefits we receive from a tree are many. It has been estimated that a palm tree is useful to man in more than 250 things. It is also estimated that an ordinary tree inhales approximately 14000 liters of carbon dioxide, and exhales double the quantity of oxygen for human survival.  Just as a tree renders selfless service, a godly man is obliged also to serve selflessly. Let us labour without any desire for benefits; God is the rewarder. The root of such shall be established in the word of God. They receive nourishment from it for growth and maturity. That will also cause blessings to many. Let us receive strength by being rooted in Christ and His word, like the tree planted by the riverside. Those who are not so shall disappear like the chaff driven away by the wind (1:4). Their way leads to destruction.  We will reflect the divine nature by our constant communion with the word of God. Separation from the world is inevitable to receive blessings from God. At the same time, without their co-operation our lives will be miserable, as long as we are in the world.   However, it is absolutely possible for us to live a life without absorbing the impurities of this world.  How bitter were the consequences of being carried away into the world for Peter. He reached a stage where he had to deny his beloved Master. Peter who “followed afar off”, ended up sitting with them to warm himself. To be carried away into the world is a gradual process.  Another example before us is Lot. He was attracted to this world by its greenery, and ended up most miserably. Believers should keep themselves away from the world. What is meant by ‘the world’ ? Whatever comes, as an obstruction between God and us is the “world.” It may differ from person to person. To some, it may be their fortune, job, children, family relationships and so on.  In a world subject to changes, many storms and waves may lash against the boat of our lives. If the Lord is in the boat, we have no reason to fear. Let us grant priority to the Lord and His words.  Let’s not despise it.  Let us make sure that the Lord is in the boat. May the Lord help us. 

(The writer is a freelance writer and an editor of  the magazine ‘Confident Living’  published from Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India’. He can be contacted at: pvariel@gmail.com)                   

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