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The Joy of Messiah
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Luke 2 - Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem
1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
10 But the angel said to them, " Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The angels that appeared to the shepherds on that Christmas day so long ago, announced the good news of great joy that a Savior, Christ the Lord, had been born. And as we reflect upon the birth of Jesus Christ it is our joy also. We rejoice and are happy because Christ came to sacrifice his life upon the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. God has washed away our sins and sanctified us with His Holy Spirit so that we might now live lives that are wholly acceptable to Him.
Joy – Definition
Merriam’s dictionary defines joy as: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.
Unfortunately joy is a relative term.
Joy is not the same thing for all people. We can be certain that the birth of Christ did not fill Herod with joy, as he feared for his crown. Nor did the Scribes and Pharisees rejoice when Christ appeared to them. To the contrary they plotted and conspired to kill him.
In Exodus 32 we are told the story about Moses on Mount Sinai. And while he was there the people got tired of waiting for him and so they turned to Aaron and said, " Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. "
And we are told that the Israelites rose up early to make sacrifices to the golden calf which Aaron had forged and to eat, drink and play. Then, when Moses finally came down from the mountain and found the people having a wild orgy he threw down and shattered the stone tablets that contained the Ten Commandments and that day 3,000 of the Israelites were slain.
What was the problem? The Israelites just wanted to play and enjoy life a little. But, their idea of fun and joy and games was in direct contradiction to God’s commandments. It was basically the same problem we saw in the Garden of Eden when God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the forbidden fruit. So, why did they do it? Because Adam and Eve thought they were smart enough to do what they wanted instead of what God wanted. They thought they would find joy in doing things their way instead of God’s way. Adam and Eve paid the consequences for their disobedience by being kicked out of the garden and bringing certain death to all mankind. Similarly, the Israelites at Mount Sinai paid the consequences for their idea of fun and joy with the lives of 3,000 people.
Proverbs tells us not once but twice… There is a way that seems right to a man, but the way thereof leads to death.
It may seem rather odd, but people haven’t really changed much at all throughout history. People are the same as they were 2000 years ago when Christ was born. People are the same as they were nearly 3,500 years ago when Moses came down from Mount Sinai. People are still the same as they were almost 6000 years ago when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden.
People just want to have fun. They want to be happy, and joyous and gay.
And just like Adam and Eve, the Israelites at Mt. Sinai and the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day… people want to believe that they should be able to do whatever they want to do so long as it makes them happy and fills their life with joy.
Today we live in an age where the pursuit of joy is at an all time high. Our technologically advanced civilization leaves more time for the pursuit of pleasure and entertainment than ever before in the history of the world. Sadly, finding true joy seems to be more elusive than ever. We live in an age where delayed gratification has become a thing of the past… people want it and they want it NOW. So, they pursue one thing after another only to become discouraged and give up. Depression, suicide and divorce are all at record highs. Yet, despite all of this many insist that they have the unalienable right to do whatever they want, whenever they want in the pursuit of happiness and joy.
Some of the pet phrases of our relativistic age include such things as… If it feels good… do it! It’s ALL good! And… What I’m doing isn’t hurting anybody else.
Isaiah 5:20 the Word of God says , “ Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
So, to Herod… Jesus was not good news of great joy. But, bad news, a headache, a threat and a danger to his security. No doubt Herod found joy in slaughtering the children of Bethlehem when he thought it would eliminate he who was born King of the Jews.
But this problem of calling evil good and good evil so we can justify our sense of joy even permeates the church today. Some theologians think that they know better than God. In the church we call it liberal theology. Surprisingly, one of the ways one denomination expresses this is through the slogan… God Is Still Speaking. This is a catch phrase which really means… Gay is OK… God didn’t mean everything He said in the Bible…
The homosexual agenda within certain denominations is tearing the church apart. Homosexual men and lesbian women are insisting that they should have the same right to be married as husbands and wives. To deny them the opportunity to get married, they say, is to prevent them from enjoying life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
But, is it OK for a Christian to be homosexual if it gives them joy? Is it OK for Church pastors to be homosexual and married to someone of the same sex? Is it OK for pastors to perform marriages of men with men and women with women?
What does the Bible say about it?
In Leviticus 18:22 the Lord says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination”
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 the Apostle Paul tells us, " Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. "
So, even when the Word of God says that homosexuality is evil… the elite of certain denominations are insisting that it is good… because it gives people joy. Oh, they have entered like wolves in sheep’s clothing among the flock, my friends. And in them the prophecy of the Apostle Paul has been fulfilled from 2 Timothy 4:3 where he says, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
Yes… woe to them that call evil good and good evil.
It didn’t work for Adam and Eve, it didn’t work for the Israelites at Sinai, it didn’t work for the Scribes and the Pharisees in the days of Christ our Lord. And it won't work today.
Romans 1:18-32 gives us an explanation as to why...
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
The Apostle Paul then goes on to tell us in 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
These references indicate that homosexual passions and acts are unnatural, shameful, contrary to sound doctrine and deny entrance to the Kingdom of God . This being so they cannot be the basis of a Christian marriage sanctioned by God's Church. The Church exists to save people, not to bless the means of their damnation. No marriage can be sanctioned by the Church if the very basis of the marriage involves acts that put the couple outside of eternal salvation. No matter what our society our denomination may legislate, the law of God is clear - that a marriage is not a godly marriage if it is a same sex union.
Make no mistake, the Word of God approves only one sexual relationship: that between a husband and wife within marriage. You can search the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation looking for the existence or approval of such alternative relationships as living together and same-sex marriage, but there is none. Certainly there are accounts of fornication, adultery and same-sex relationships, but they are always in the context of sin, which is the breaking of God's law ( 1 John 3:4 ).
And yes, some of God's most faithful servants committed sins in the sexual area—and the Bible duly records the painful consequences their actions had on them and others. These servants of God allowed themselves to be unduly influenced by the society around them, just as Christians can be today.
So why does our Creator forbid all sexual relationships outside of marriage? Does He not want people to have what some consider to be fun? Does God not want those who are attracted to the same sex to have the same happiness, commitment and sense of fulfillment that is achievable within a committed, lifelong, heterosexual marriage?
Let us now return to the manger. Imagine baby Jesus lying there, with Mary and Joseph by his side. As the child Jesus grew into a man he lived a life that is an example to all of us. A life that is pleasing to God. A life that brings true purpose and meaning, joy and fulfillment. Can you imagine Jesus involved in a gay relationship?
Our joy and happiness comes from no other source than Christ our Lord. In John 10:10 Jesus Christ states, " I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. " And again in John 16:24 he tells us, "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
Article submitted Tuesday, December 15, 2009 & read 1348 times.
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» left by Marijo Phelps(199)(2 years 54 days ago.)
AMEN - Keep 'em coming Mark SUCH good articles! MarijoRespond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (2 years 54 days ago.)
Hi Marijo!
I had a feeling I would run into you here at WWBS. I hope the Lord is blessing you with that joy unspeakable.
Mark
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» left by Marijo Phelps(199)We appreciate your comments!
Rereading this one - still saying bravo! Glad you are on the "front page" of WWBS today, Mark - send some more this way - missing you here!Respond to this comment