Bible Reading: Luke 2:1-20
Key Verse: Verse 20 - “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
Key
Words: glorifying and praising God
There is a
movement afoot today to have God totally removed from our existence. This is not just the ranting of a Baptist
preacher, this is a fact.
·
God
is not allowed in our public schools but evolution is.
·
Nothing
religious or symbolic of God is allowed on government property or in government
buildings.
·
Many
department stores have removed Christ from Christmas referring to Christmas as
the “holiday season.” The Christmas tree
has become in many cases the “holiday tree.”
Christmas songs are referred to as
“holiday songs.” Now for some reason
this just does not fit. Can you imagine
singing, “Have yourself a merry little holiday” or “I’m dreaming of a white
holiday?”
·
The
Bible is not considered a “credible authority” on such subjects as abortion and
homosexuality.
·
Those
of us who believe in God and are doers of the Word are called “extreme right
wingers” and are considered a threat to society.
·
In
our society Allah, Buddha, Confucius, and others are equal to the true and
living God.
This raises
the question of why and how have we deteriorated to such a lowly state of
existence?
First of all,
Satan is at work. We are told in
Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places.” It is interesting to note
that there are three encounters between God and Satan. In the first encounter in Isaiah, Satan
wanted to be just like God. In the
second encounter in Matthew, Satan wanted God to worship him; and in the third
encounter in Revelation, Satan wants to destroy God. In each encounter, Satan desires more power
and authority. Well, we are now living
in the last days when Satan wants to see God destroyed, which is one of the
reasons we find ourselves in this depraved spiritual condition.
Secondly,
society is to blame. The lost world sees
God as the enemy standing in the way of their living as they choose. Remember, it was the people who yelled,
“Crucify him, crucify him.”
Thirdly, we
are to blame. Yes, we are born-again
believers but we have failed to stand for God. In the past, we were passive
about which judges and political leaders were going into office. We were happy so long as we had our house,
car, a little pleasure, and our retirement program in place. We went to sleep on the job while the ungodly
forces of evil were at work.
So now what do
we do?
- Pray (II
Chronicles 7:14).
- Write the heads of department store chains
such as Wal-Mart, Sears, Kohl’s, and Target. Tell them to put Christ back
in Christmas.
- Vote for politicians who stand for right.
4. Witness and spread the
gospel.
- Be
faithful to God yourself through prayer, witnessing, church attendance,
and yes, even financial giving.
What to do:
✞Apply
the five principles above.
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