John 14:6 – Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (NIV)

At this time of year, we often hear people say, "Let's keep the Christ in Christmas", or "Remember the real meaning of Christmas". But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Has anyone ever asked us? Even if they haven't asked, do they see the real meaning of Christmas in how we act?

Why would I choose the verses I've chosen for today for this time of year? John 3:16 is easy. Of course, Christmas is the time we talk about Jesus being sent to us. But what else do we talk about at Christmas? We talk of hope and peace and joy and love. About that love thing — of course we mean God's love for us, but we also mean our love for our fellow man. Compassion — that's it. We think of compassion for others at this time of year.

Let's look for a moment at Samaritan's Purse and their "Operation Christmas Child" — isn't that a neat way to show our compassion for those kids? Franklin Graham, who oversees the operation, is quick to say that the purpose of "Operation Christmas Child" is evangelism. The folks at Samaritan's Purse take those shoeboxes and then have a church distribute them to the kids. What the children get, along with a shoebox, is the Gospel. Franklin Graham makes it very clear that the purpose of "Operation Christmas Child" is to spread the Good News. (It is a great ministry to the people who make the boxes as well.) "Operation Christmas Child" is just one part of the ministry of Samaritan's Purse. Common to all parts is the purpose to draw people to them because of some act of giving — a shoebox, health-care, construction assistance, water purification assistance, etc. — and then to take the opportunity to further witness and proclaim the Gospel.

That's what I mean when I asked if people see the real meaning of Christmas in how we act. Do we show compassion? Are we witnesses for the love of Jesus? If we are, are we then taking the opportunity to further witness? It has to do with what real compassion is. Love of our fellow man expressed at this time of year by acts of compassion is not enough. This is where John 14:6 comes in. If we really love our fellow man, if we really have compassion for each of them, how can we let them be doomed? For they are doomed if they don't know Jesus. We must not just "keep the Christ in Christmas", but work to bring people to Christ at Christmas. If the way we act brings people to us this time of year, let us help bring them to Christ.

Prayer: Dear God and Father of us all, help us not just to show love at Christmas but to show the love of Jesus at Christmas. Show us what to do to make people want to know more and, with the guidance of your Holy Spirit, help us to help them know more — help us to help them know Jesus. Amen.

One of my favourite television shows was The Fugitive, and then there was the movie! Not only did it hit home about the perverse incentives of the "medico-industrial complex" (which is one of my pet peeves), but there were messages to be taken from the story of Richard Kimball.

Richard Kimball is a doctor who has escaped after the crash of the train taking him to prison. He is innocent of the murder of his wife, but he runs because no one believes him and he feels helpless. As scared as he is, and running for his life, he still wants desperately for someone to believe in his innocence and good character. One time when Kimball is running, he holds at gunpoint the main antagonist, Girrard, the hard-nosed policeman.

Kimball to Girrard (pleadingly): "I didn't kill my wife!"
Girrard to Kimball: "I don't care!"

This response is a classic in our society where so many blindly do their jobs without speaking out for righteousness.

We are called by Christ to care for our fellow man. We are called especially to care for the other parts of the Body of Christ. We are asked to care about righteousness and what is right and wrong. In our country today, we see too many people who are only concerned that they continue their job, position, level of success, lifestyle level etc. Challenging the unjust might derail that comfort level and it is not done — "It's not my job". Brothers and sisters, for all of us, it is our job, like the hymn says:

Save us from weak resignation
To the evils we deplore.

In the movie, Girrard finally comes around and has compassion on Kimball — but he adds classically that he does not want it to show. Are we more like that?

Psalm 37:4-10 – Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. (NIV)

Prayer: Dear God and Father of us all, as we bow before your throne, please help us to be the kind of caring people whom You have called Your children. Forgive us our pettiness and self-centredness when we fail to stand for what is good and just and righteous in Your sight. Amen.

Isn't Christmastime a time of love? Isn't Christmas a celebration of the coming into the world of the greatest example of our Father's love? How can I say that Christmas is a time to hate?

Of course, this time of the year is a time for love for each other and of being reminded how we are gifted through the love of our Father with His Son, our Saviour. But a part of loving is to hate what comes between us, to hate what is evil, to hate what would have us love less (the Greek in this verse for "hate" is "miseo" which can be translated "love-less".) First, let us hate the evil and sin within ourselves, then follow His Word and hate the evil in our world that keeps our world from becoming His Kingdom.

We should hate evil, according to Paul, but not evildoers. ("Love the sinner, hate the sin.") Too much we hear (even in "religious" circles) that an ever-increasing array of behaviour is permissible (even "justified" by scripture). But not only do we need to keep our eyes open to see evil where it is, but also we must hate evil in order to love the evildoer. We must hate evil in order to bring true reconciliation to our world.

We must hate evil to cast it from us and from our relationship with others. We must hate evil to be able to have love that is genuine, and to appreciate fully the wonder and glory of this season.

Luke 6:27 – But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. (NRSV)

Yes, that's what it is all about – loving our fellow man. How can we know the greatest gift ever given and not want – with all our heart – to mirror God's love for us to everyone we meet?

Prayer: Dearest Father of us all, help us to see and learn to hate the evil within ourselves and to hate the evil of this world. Let our hate for evil be so intense that it forces direction to our love, for our fellow man and, most especially, for your Son whose birth in our world we praise and celebrate this season. In His name we pray. Amen.

Our God is awesome. Consider for a moment the wonder of our God's infinite all-knowing and all-seeing power.

There is an illustration which reflects on the all-knowingness of God (and perhaps the concept of predestination) which will be clear to many of us as parents. Often we as parents (who have finite but extensive knowledge of our children's behaviour) are able to predict our children's actions in a given situation — we know what they will do. How much more does our heavenly Father know our minds, when God's knowledge above ours is infinitely greater than ours above our children.

As mere children, we have a limitation in understanding the truly infinite and what it means. With infinite knowledge our God can (and does) transcend time. We often speak of God being everywhere at the same time while we are unable to comprehend that God is everywhere at every time. All-knowing makes time, if not compressed, at least irrelevant.

Prayer: Dear Lord and Father of us all, be with us and watch over us as the sun rises and sets, and in your awesome power, be our God, even should you reverse the sun's course. Amen.

Our God is awesome. Consider for a moment the wonder of our God's infinite all-knowing and all-seeing power.

As a youth I remember a lesson in Youth Club which illustrated our relative understanding of things divine. It focused around an African tribe whose mathematics included only the numbers 1, 2 and 3. Everything else was "many". Their ability to understand the concept of a thousand was compared to our inability to comprehend the extent of God's power. After three came infinity, but where does it come for us? When we think we are close to the limits of our understanding, there is an infinite distance to where God's even starts (and it never ends).

Prayer: Oh Lord our God, with your power and wisdom, guide us this and ever day, for you know we seek to do your will. Amen.

Our God is awesome. Consider for a moment the infinite power of our Lord. To partly grasp the issue of the infinite, I am reminded of a Bob Newhart spot about the subject. I'm not sure if it was to illustrate probability or the concept of infinity.

It has been said that if we had an infinite number of monkeys and an infinite number of typewriters, they would eventually write all the world's books. But if they ever were going to do it they would need observers to check on their progress. It might go something like this…

"Hey, I think number 8704 has something here — It sounds like something famous: 'To be or not to be… that is the gezorninplat.'"

What isn't addressed is that the time for this experiment is irrelevant. God would know which monkey was going to write the whole phrase, which ones were going to write the whole play and which ones would write it starting with the first character and proceeding directly to the end.

Because God is infinite, He already knows what we will do. "Before they call I will answer". We can't know why, nor how. The "monkey" who will write the complete book is already known to our heavenly Father. We need to wait on our Lord rather than jumping to conclusions when we see the starting words, so as to not end up with "gezorninplat". "Never let our process interfere with His purpose."

Prayer: Dear God and Father of us all, give us the vision to wait for You and show us Your way. Amen.

It was over 40 C (104 F) when I arrived late at the Charlotte Motor Speedway for a Promise Keepers meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hot, tired and frustrated after a mile-long walk from my parking spot, I was unable to find the location to purchase an entry pass after another 90 minutes of walking. I decided to go back, listen to the last speaker on my car radio and get a head start on the crowd going back to the motel. As I got to the car, a mile from the venue, I heard the voices of 50,000 men lifted in praise to the Lord. WOW!!! – what a gift I had been given! The next day, as we sat in 114 degree heat for the day, I was energized as perhaps no one else was, when we again sang praises, for I knew we were reaching out in the name of our Lord.

Since I have been home, I have realized that we all have made promises as part of our walk in faith with Jesus. When we join His church, our affirmation of faith is a promise. When we unite as a body at a baptism and pledge to nurture a new life in Christ, we are making a promise. When we marry we make a promise before God and man. As we commit our lives to His service we are making a promise. I have been especially blessed to have had fellowship with this group which seeks to help one another be faithful in their promises and do His work. The theme of Promise Keepers this year is reconciliation, interdenominational, interracial, and international. Join me in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Prayer: O let us be the generation of reconciliation and peace, and serve the Lord in unity so others will believe. Amen. (from a Promise Keepers song).