Christ Came; And No One Cared!

Maybe it is the Christmas Season, or perhaps the cold dreary weather, but I am aggravated. I was informed that the church I attend is not planning to have service on Christmas day because "no one will come." Then I read on CNN.com, that several so called mega churches are canceling service because "people don't want to be there, and it is Christmas." I thought we were Christian aka Christlike, but apparently I was wrong.


We claim to be Apostolic, Believers, Anointed, but the very reason we celebrate, or at least the reason we claim, isn't important enough to acknowledge the reason we even have a Christmas Day!


Now I realize Jesus wasn't born on Christmas Day, December 25, but HE was born. This is the only day the majority of the world even acknowledges His existance, and that is the day we choose to cancel church service? Can anyone tell me why? I remember growing up and talking to my friends about God, but most of them wouldn't come on a normal sunday, but they all made a point to be in a church service somewhere on Easter, and yes Christmas Day.
What has happened to us? What has happened to our beliefs? What has happened to our respect for our creator?


The liberal world is busy even trying to remove the word Christmas from the season. Let's call it a holiday season, we don't want to offend those who don't believe. Hogwash. Remove Christ from Christmas and all you have is fat women, and rude men running over each other in greedful exasperations early in the morning at Walmart, for that one item that there is only one of, and it is on sale! I seen reports of people being trampled in stores, while trying to find some stupid present that was overpriced made by some cheap labor force overseas so that the retailer could fatten his already bulging wallet. And yet, the calm time in the Shopping Storm has always been the fellowship, the drama, the music, and the cheer, and peaceful thoughts of religious diligence and real love for Jesus Christ in our church worship. And we are throwing it out, because people might not show up.


It is idiotic to call ourselves Christian, when we care more about the gifts, than the Giver of Life.
He made Himself of no reputation, but we have to have designer clothes, and XBox, maybe a new car, and a massive credit card bill we will still be paying off in 2010.


See, the first time Jesus came it wasn't a big crescendo. No one really knew, but a couple shepherds, and a few wise men from the east. They weren't even of His own nationality, but they had studied stars, and papyrus scrolls, and they knew something was going on that was important. He couldn't even get a room at a hospital or a Motel 6 to be born in, but a stable. The King of ALL eternity, born in a cow trough. No bells, no party, probably not even any baby gifts, just a bit of cloth wrapped around his body, while a couple sheep looked on. And this was after the prophecies had foretold his birth, even to the city, but even then people were so busy with their lives, they didn't care or realize that He came for them.


Zoom forward a little more than 2000 years, and we are back at the same place. If He came back on Christmas Day, would we even know it? Oh yes, I know we think we are saved. We think when the rapture happens we will be like rockets out of this pathetic world, leaving the horrible heathens behind. Thing is, when God created the earth, He said it was good. We are the ones who screwed everything up. This earth is pathetic and dying because of the inhabitants, not because of the creator. We want Him to save us from the misery, pain, sickness, and all the trouble we bring on ourselves, so that we can be "like Him."


"Like Him?" We don't even know Him! The Bible says some have entertained angels unawares. And most of us have read the accounts of the disciples at Emaus, they didn't even realize who he was until He did something. And how about Thomas, "Lord, if its you...." "Thomas, look at the scars on my hands, stick your hand in my side." Yet somehow in our pompous, self righteous Christianity we think we would know Him?


I mean put yourself in His place. You have been gone for a long time from "home." Where would you come? To the place that is "your house," of course. We call our churches houses of prayer, house of worship, even the house of God, but we treat them like recreation halls, and marketplaces. But when He came home, the doors were locked; everyone was somewhere else. "Those that look for Him, will he appear a second time..."


We have become so organized and choreographed with what we call worship, that if the service don't fit with our plan, we are lost. So instead of being there for the lost who may show up, we close the building down. If even Jesus showed up at our church, on His day, of all days, no one would be there.


We make a big deal of the trumpet, the great white horse, the return of the saints, and somehow gloss over the "thief that comes in the night," when no one is prepared. He came the first time without a lot of fanfare, it wasn't on the news, no fancy hall, no party, what makes us think it will be different the second time?


I am more inclined to believe He will come the second time like he came the first, more like the hide and seek game, than the charging army. Instead of royal robes, and a calvacade of horses and chariots, He would appear in the midst like he did after His ressurection. How would you feel if you came home for Christmas, and your loved ones were all gone somewhere else? Think He feels different? Showing up after all this time, and it wasn't important enough for His own people. It is a shame isn't it? But let's lock our church doors, and make sure the lights are off and make sure we are busy with candy, punch, extra ham and potatos, and of course that pie... we don't want to be open for the one who may show up wearing rags, homeless, dirty, and hungry; I mean that would mean we would have to leave our comfortable warm fire, and our games, and "you don't know, that one may not even show up. And then we would have wasted all that time."


So, let's get our Christmas Celebrations out of the way early in the month, and hand out our candy canes,oranges, and peanuts at the beginning so we won't be caught off guard on Christmas.


"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment." Matthew 25:40-46


I think we need to be in church on Christmas, even if we are alone, but if your doors are locked, how about stopping by a nursing home and singing some carols, or perhaps shoveling someone else's sidewalks, or take a food basket to someone you know is hurting. It is what He would do!
If He returned on Christmas, what would you be doing?

God Bless Us, Everyone! Help Us to KNOW YOU!

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