The Right Place to Cure a Bitter Root

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

          Hebrews 12:22-24 “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

One of the most destructive sins to every believer is the sin of bitterness. Families are destroyed when the poison of bitterness enters in through sometimes only one family member. Churches are polluted when members spread bitter words and bitter attitudes among each other. Relationships suffer when bitterness goes unnoticed. Bitterness must be recognized before it can be properly dealt with, but it must be dealt with at the right place. The mistake so often made when facing bitter roots is the mistake of going to the wrong place to find a remedy. Where are you going to find the cure for bitterness? We already know that Mount Sinai is the wrong place to find a cure, so where is the right place to cure a bitter root?

Mount Sion is the right place to find His grace to overcome bitterness in our lives.

In our text in Hebrews 12, Mount Sion is associated with the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, angels, the church, God, the spirits of just men made perfect, and Jesus. At Sion, we will find grace to repent, to forgive, and to be forgiven. At Sion, we will find grace to properly respond to difficult assignments given to us by God. But what is so special about Mount Sion? What exactly is it that makes this the right place to go when bitterness has entered our life or the life of someone we care for? Notice three important actions that take place at Mount Sion:

Mount Sion is a place of sacrifice.

It was at this mountain that Abraham willingly took his only son, Isaac, to offer him as a sacrifice out of his obedience to God. Though it was called Mount Moriah, it was at the same location as Mount Sion. This was a prophetical picture of God’s future offering of His only begotten Son for our sins. This was perhaps the most trying time of Abraham’s life. How could God require such a sacrifice of him? Abraham could have justified becoming bitter over this unreasonable request, but he submitted and made the sacrifice. God often asks us to sacrifice things that are precious to us, and often it doesn’t make sense. The testimony of Abraham teaches us, that, rather than becoming bitter when God chooses to take things away, we should submit to God’s providence for us. What has God taken away that causes feelings of loss or emptiness? Bitter roots can be uprooted as we allow God to fill the void created by sacrifices He asks us to make. 

Mount Sion is a place of worship.

            The city of Jerusalem, or Zion, as it is sometimes called in the Bible, became the center of worship to the faithful Israelites and the earthly picture of what Hebrews 12:22 calls, “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” The heroic men and women of Hebrews chapter eleven saw beyond the earthly city to a heavenly city. It was said of Abraham that “he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). The Israelites looked ahead to a place of worship instead of looking back to where they came from. “And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned” (Hebrews 11:13). Bitter experiences of the past, when focused upon, prevent us from expressing a genuine worship of God. If we will focus our attention upon the glorious attributes of the One we were created to worship, our past memories, though once embittering, can be forgotten forever.

Mount Sion is a place of reconciliation and grace.

A visit to Mount Sinai condemns us for our wickedness. However, on another mountain, Mount Sion, stands a cross that represents our reconciliation with a just and holy God. Grace and mercy is found at the foot of that old rugged cross. Jesus came to this earth, lived a sinless life, allowed Himself to be crucified on a cross for our sins, and rose again from the dead. It is His shed blood that covers our sin-stained lives and grants us the right to claim God’s grace (God’s work in our behalf). The Christ of Calvary is the person through Whom we may find the grace we need to live free from the fruit of a bitter root.

Sion is also known as “Zion” in the Scriptures. Zion was a mountain located in the city of Jerusalem, but Zion is sometimes used to describe the city of Jerusalem itself. But history reveals to us that when the book of Hebrews speaks of going to a place called Mount Sion, it is pointing us to Calvary, the cross of Christ Jesus! If we are appropriately positioned at Calvary with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the root of bitterness will never take up residence in our heart. Friend, will you come to Mount Zion? Zion is a place of grace! Here you will meet the one Jesus who will give you all the grace that you need to live free of the horrid fruit of bitterness. A personal and developing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ will eradicate every bitter root and choke it of its devastating fruit. In Him, we all find our place of great grace!

Where God Guides – God Provides

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

            Once again I’d like to discuss where God guides He provides.  When helping others in a time when basic needs are unmet, one must understand three aspects in effectively targeting solutions to this dilemma.  These include; assumptions that must be made, actions that must be taken, and analogies that must be understood.  First, we will deal with the assumptions that must be made when leading others at a time when they lack certain basic needs.

We all have basic human needs.  These include things like food, water, or raiment (clothing).  At times, we may lack even these basic needs and think, “This shouldn’t happen to someone whose life belongs to the Lord!”  This can be a dilemma in which we find ourselves wondering why the Lord neglected to provide for us, or contemplating where we went wrong with the Lord, causing Him to punish us in this way.

In Exodus, we see the Israelites in a similar situation.  They lacked water upon their arrival in Rephidim, after a trek through the arid, desert wilderness.  Here, God used Moses to fulfill this need.  This Biblical account is pertinent even today, as there are economic tsunamis taking place all around the country.  For instance, as Christian Law Association recently reported, the 2 major issues they currently deal with are; bankruptcy and embezzlement. So, how shall we respond when basic needs are unmet?  Let’s look at what assumptions must be made.

There are three assumptions that must be made when responding to this problem. 

First, we see that obedience to God’s commandments may lead to extreme need.  In Exodus, we see that the Israelites’ lack of water was a result of their obedience.  The Bible says, “…according to the commandment of the Lord.”  God clearly led them to Rephidim, using a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.  This was visual evidence displaying how God, at times, allows His children to suffer despite their obedience.  Our natural response is to look at a situation and draw an extraneous solution.  We assume that if they were following God’s will, He wouldn’t have led them to a place where they lacked a basic need.  Never assume that God leads you to a place of security and stability where all is provided.  It doesn’t work that way.  Satan would like us to believe that when God allows pressure in our lives, He’s not Who we thought He was or doesn’t really care for us.

The second assumption that must be made is that similar or different problems will eventually occur in our journey through life.  This isn’t the first water problem the Jews experienced.  Previously, in the wilderness, the Jews came across bitter water and subsequently, no water at all.  Just when you think you have a problem solved, another one comes your way.  If we are going to be effective believers, or be led when a basic need is unmet, we have to assume that obedience to God’s commandments may lead to a position of extreme need.  If it were easier to follow the Lord than not to follow Him, our testimonies would be poor and as a result, not glorify the Lord.  He is a Lord of faith, love, and commitment.  God wants you to follow Him, not for what He’s “handing out” to you, but because you love Him.  Love is shown by remaining loyal to Him, despite any negative circumstance faced.

In Exodus 17, it shows how the Israelites received water from the rock, fulfilling a need, followed by involvement in a war with an enemy. (This is a great prophecy lesson, indeed!) They seemed to encounter problems around every corner.  We must accept the problems we face and praise the Lord whenever we don’t have a problem as one is likely just around the corner.  We should not judge one’s love for God on the basis of the presence or absence of problems in his/her life.

The third assumption is that we are not supposed to know what God is doing at any given time.

God doesn’t tell us everything that is going on.  For instance we see in Exodus1:1, the Jews travelled from the wilderness of sin to Rephidim.  However, in Number 33:12, it says, “And they took their journey out of the wilderness of sin and encamped in Dophka…encamped in Alush…encamped in Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.”  Some would say that God’s word has errors in it.   However, God is in the business of telling you what you need to know, when you need to know it.

In conclusion, we need to have complete dependence on the Lord by making certain assumptions.  First, we will have needs that won’t be met, which will strengthen our faith in Christ.  Second, we will encounter many different problems throughout our life.  Third, we must understand that we’ll not know all that the Lord is doing; however, it will be done for the glory of God.  When the Israelites griped, chided, and murmured against Moses, they failed to lay their burdens before the Lord.  They lacked faith.  The Lord requires that we live by faith, not by explanation.  Remember, where God guides-God provides!

Great Needs Are Met by Faith

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17:2-6 KJV)

What do you do when you and those you are helping encounter a time when basic needs are unmet? Whether we lead or follow others, complete dependence on the Lord is essential. Recently, we discussed the assumptions that must be made when leading or helping others in stressful times like these. This time we will deal with the actions which must be taken to effectively lead others during this situation. These actions include: passing responsibility on to God; reminding others of how God perceives a situation and how it’s up to Him to respond to it; and crying out to God for guidance.

In Exodus 17, we see Moses in Rephadim, with the Israelites, at a time when they lacked water. Moses responded to their remarks against him saying, “Why chide ye with me?” He simply passed responsibility on to God. The Jews, at this time, were still young believers and didn’t fully understand that Moses wouldn’t be the source of water. Often, we place a false dependence on the person, in our lives, that strongly influences us for the Lord, instead of properly depending on God. Moses passed the buck! Remember, God had brought them there, not Moses. Effective leaders bring God into the equation and do not make excuses for following Him, nor the direction of His leading.

Why do we blame others? One never wants to be accused of chiding (contending/quarreling) with God. However, we often pick out the human leader representing God and chide with him/her.

Next, Moses reminded the people of how God felt about the situation, as well as how God was responding to it. Immaturity often surfaces as one focuses attention on the placement of blame. The Jews were reminded that God was being tempted by their provocation. Moses said that God was becoming upset with their actions, as out of desperation they thought of stoning him. What provoked God was the fact that the Israelites neglected to rely on Him and come to Him first. Despite this, Moses cried out to God. God can lead others to meet our needs even if they are not privy to the specifics.

The last action in effectively leading others is to cry out to the Lord. In Exodus 17:4, “Moses cried unto the Lord saying, “What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.” He could have said, “Why didn’t you just let me continue to be a shepherd? Moses, however, was much more mature than that. He was a problem solver. He said, “Lord, what can I do? How can I help this situation?” In your life, when you see a problem, do you merely complain or are you one to find a solution. Moses was a mature Christian. He didn’t ask how or why, but what he could do to solve the problem. When he was put under pressure, he didn’t complain. He went to the Lord, and implemented God’s instruction. Moses had a clear responsibility to identify the need and act on it. It wasn’t enough to just pray, he had to demonstrate biblical faith.

It took a lot of faith to strike the rock with his staff at Horeb. We knew water would come out, but Moses didn’t. He had to exercise extreme faith. God told Moses to go before the people and take the elders of Israel. God understood that the older people would be a great influence on the youth. The Lord wanted people to witness the water spewing from the rock. Those that would witness this would be great spokesmen for God with respect to trusting and following Him. People in old Hebrew society had great respect for the elders. God wanted Moses to get these elders on board so they may get the “followship” of the other people. It’s important that the people with responsibility are eye witnesses to the miraculous hand of God. Even today, this is what hinders churches. The members fail to see the supernatural hand of God personally. As a result, they often lose the zeal and commitment needed to be effective in Christ.

As important as it is for me to see the hand of God providing, it’s of utmost importance for the young generation to be put to the test and experience supernatural provision for themselves. We will stagnate when we lose a generation of people committed to living by faith and seeing the hand of God in action.

Finally, we need faithful obedience, unto the Lord. To accomplish this effectively, we need to take action. We must pass responsibility on to God, remind others of God’s perception of a particular situation, and cry out for His guidance. Following this plan of action in your life, just as at the rock, you will see that great needs are met by faith.

FROM RESOLUTION TO RESTORATION

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

This is the time of the year resolutions are made. There is nothing wrong with resolutions. It is always good to make a firm decision to do right. I want to encourage you to go past the resolution to restoration, become one with whom you are, the person God made you to be. I received my challenge from Ruth 4:15, “And He shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born Him.” Naomi is promised through Boaz and Ruth to have a kinsmen redeemer. Even as Boaz championed Ruth and Naomi’s cause, the offspring of this union will be the Restorer of mankind and God through the Kinsmen Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. The word I want to emphasize in this passage is “restorer.” It is also found in Psalm 51:12, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” The Hebrew lexicon defines “restoration” thusly, “to recover to build, to turn back, but not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point.” 

I see something that I hope you see as well; it means to build, but not meaning you go back to the starting point but you start where you are. In many instances you don’t want to go to a chaotic starting point; you need a fresh vision for today. We need a new step for a new day. God is into starting anew: “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).  God wants to do something that is better than the beginning.

1. Let us be restored in reality with Jesus 

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31,32). Convert means to turn about. Earlier Jesus asked His disciples whom people thought He was. They replied some thought He was John the Baptist come back to life or Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.  But then our Lord said, “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?”(Matthew 16:15). Our Lord wanted to know what His disciples thought of Him, almost to say, “Am I real to you for who I am?”

Christ only becomes real to those who humble themselves before Him.  Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” In a city in Scandinavia is a famous statue of our Lord, looking down with His arms outstretched. One day a visitor standing before it was very disappointed, and he didn't hesitate to share his feelings with an attendant. "I can't see the face of Christ," he complained. The attendant replied, "Sir, if you want to see His face, you must kneel at His feet." The visitor knelt and he saw!

2. Let us be restored from ruins in relationships.

Joel 2:25 promises, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” This is a promise to Israel in general and Judah specifically. Go to Athens and the tour guides will show you the ruins of a once mighty civilization where the likes of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Philipp of Macedon and Alexander the Great once walked. Take a trip to Rome and they will show you the ruins of the society that once conquered the world and built magnificent temples--now in ruins. God said to Judah, I will bring you back from ruins. That’s the way He deals with His people.

Do you look at any of your relationships in the ruins? Your marriage? Your children? your job? Charles Allen said the saddest word in the English language is the word “hopeless.” I agree with him. Too many of God’s people look at some broken relationships as irrevocably irrecoverable. The Word of God is resplendent with examples to the contrary. The Bible records, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52).  “And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men” (I Sam. 2:26). God is interested in the early formative years of a child’s life that they learn to get along with each other. Once Jacob got right with God after wrestling with the Angel of the Lord all night, God declared a name change, “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). Jacob was promised power with God and man. When we obtain power with God, we simultaneously obtain power with man!

The Lord wants us to take the initiative in getting along with each other, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). Husbands are to take the lead in keeping relationship intact with their wife. “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (I Peter 3:7). God also said John the Baptist would bring parents and their children together. “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:6). When we walk with God in the light of His Word, we tap into this promise: “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:1-4).

God’s Workout Program – Strengthening the Hands

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

As we embark on the New Year many make resolutions.  Not a few will be to lose a few of those holiday pounds or to begin a new workout program.  What we need is God’s Workout Program. 

Hebrews 12:11-13 “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

Over the years, I found out what happens when you have a heart attack. Oh, I have known a lot of people who had heart attacks. I have been to hospitals to pray with and for them. I have read about all symptoms. Before they released you from the hospital, they gave you a custom-designed workout program to improve my cardiovascular strength and help prevent another heart attack. I told you that God designs the program specifically for each believer. It was planned just for them. The cardio regimen is not a pleasant program. It is rigorous. You do not get up in the morning and say, “I can’t wait to get down to the gym and get on that elliptical trainer!” You will get used to one level on the treadmill, and then they would make it go faster and increase the angle so it was higher and create more resistance to make you work harder. I might hate that program, but you must know that it was for your benefit.

Non-Optional Classes.

Then you would do it all over again…and again…and again. I might have hated gym class. But it was not optional-you could not quit. You could try not doing the exercises, but I heard of one trainer having a motivational device in his office called a paddle. So, you did the leg lifts, and the jumping jacks, and the push-ups, and the sit-ups, and ran laps just like he told us to do. God has assigned us non-optional chastening, because He loves us so much. He brings adversity, pressures, problems and people into our lives as part of His custom workout program prepared just for us. Let’s look at God’s exercise program, and what it is designed to do in our lives.

First,

God’s workout program is designed to strengthen our hands for work.

The hands mentioned in verse twelve are a metaphor for our work for the Lord. So, God has designed our training to make us stronger in His work. More than fifty times, the Bible talks about the work of a man or woman’s hands. Work is not a curse; it is a blessing. Adam had work assignments even before the “Fall”. There is a work that God has called every one of us to do. Too many people think that God’s calling is restricted to preachers and missionaries. If you are doing the work that God has called you to do, it is sacred work, whether you are a pastor or a plumber; a missionary or a machinist. For the children of God, there is such thing as sacred and secular; everything we do is to be done “as to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:23) Wherever you work, you are working for the Lord. No obedient Christian serves God part-time.

Secondly,

God’s workout program is designed to strengthen our hands for prayer.

In 1 Timothy 2:8, Paul wrote, “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” What does that mean? In the Hebrew culture, it was common for people to raise their hands up toward Heaven while they prayed; in fact, many Jewish people still do that today. Psalm 28:2 says, “Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward the holy oracle.” God intensifies the burdens and pressures in life, so that I will develop as a man of prayer.

Thirdly,

God’s workout program is designed to strengthen our hands for praise.

Psalm 63:4 says, “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.” Psalm 134:2 says, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” One of the main purposes for which we were created is to give praise to God. It is easy to praise Him when you are on top of the mountain. It is easy to lift up your hands in praise when you have experienced a great blessing, but what about in the hours of discouragement? What do you do in those times when those burdens are so heavy? That is when God develops our strength of praise. He says, “Now, I want you to lift up your hands unto Me. Now, I want to hear your praise.” God puts us in His workout program to strengthen our hands for work, for prayer, and for praise.

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

What is the spirit of Christmas?  We can best answer that by first asking ourselves...

1. What is Christmas?

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior.  Matthew 1:21-23 says, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”  As Christians, we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, when God became flesh and dwelt among us. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  It is precious to us because He came to all people everywhere.  John 3:16 reminds us of this: “For God so loved the world....”  John prophesied that the church will be made up of people from all points of the globe.  “...for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9). 

At Christ’s birth the Shepherds came, later the Wise Men came and at the Temple Simeon and Anna recognized Him.  Different groups of people, from different parts of the world welcomed the little King of Kings! We see when Jesus was only twelve he astounded and confounded the teachers of the law.  In His ministry he came to women of ill repute, maniacs and tax collectors.  Some of the highest-ranking religious rulers came to Him such as Nicodemus.  Even the enemies of our Lord said, “...behold, the world is gone after him” (John 12:19).  Christmas is a reminder that Christ is the gift to the entire world. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15).  Christ was born to die for our sins.  He rose again and is willing to give eternal life to whosoever believes by repenting and putting their whole life in His hands by faith.

2.  Why Gifts at Christmas?

Like a tree with one trunk and multiple branches, the custom of gift giving has more than one reason.  The record of gifts at Christmas comes to us from the Wise Men or Magi, ”And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had  opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).  The Magi viewing from Jerusalem would have seen the star as it in the sky above the little town of Bethlehem.  (Christ was a toddler at this time).  So after the Wise Men left Jerusalem, God continued to guide them to the exact spot to find Jesus and it is no coincidence that gifts were brought to Jesus on.  So the first Christmas gift giving did take place. 

The second branch on our Christmas tree comes to us from an actual person named Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara, when this area of the world was under Greek dominion.  He was reared in an affluent family and while very young, his wealthy parents died leaving a substantial fortune to him.  Nicholas committed his life to serving Christ and took very seriously the words of Jesus when He said, “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in” (Matthew 25:35). “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” (Matthew 25:35,40). Shortly after entering the ministry Nicholas became the Bishop of Myra located in modern day Turkey.  As Nicholas beheld the poor and abused of his community, he desired to secretly become a blessing.  So he stealthily set out at night away from observing eyes and threw small sacks of money into people’s windows, chimneys or shoes which had been placed outside the houses.  Because of the vast sum of money left to him in his inheritance, he was able to keep this custom up for a good while.  One of my favorite stories of this kind man tells of a poor village man who had three virgin daughters and in that time and area of the world a man was required to pay a dowry in giving his daughter away in marriage.  If a man were not able to make dowry, his daughters would not marry or, even worse, become prostitutes to make money for the family.  As each girl came of age to be married, Nicholas anonymously threw a sack of gold into the house to cover the girls’ dowries.  One night, one of the girls had washed out her stockings and hung them above the smoldering embers of the fireplace to dry while she slept and when Nicholas threw the sack of gold into the chimney, the dowry money for the girl landed in her stocking.  Thus, the custom of hanging stockings at Christmas was born.

By the time the reformation began to take place, Nicholas, like many departed saints (which all believers are) who had lived a good Christian life, began to be venerated beyond God’s design.  Thus, to restore the true desire of Nicholas to remain unknown in his giving so that Christ might receive the glory,  Martin Luther of Germany began to refer to this ancient giver of gifts as “Christkindl” meaning “The Christ Child.”  Therefore in the original intent of Nicholas, to give God the glory as the giver (James 1:17), Luther encouraged everyone to give in the spirit of the Christ-child.  And this is where we get our modern “Santa Claus,” a derivative of the Dutch name “Sinterklaas” meaning Saint Nicholas.  Let us embrace the spirit of giving like the Wise Men as an act of worship to Christ and let us be practical in our giving to be a blessing to those we love in the spirit of Christ.

Christmastime is Here...But Where's Christ?

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

As we approach this wonderful time of year known as Christmastime I wanted to share a word with you from our Legal Missionaries at the Christian Law Association and the National Center for Life and Liberty.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

The word "Christmas" begins with the name "Christ" for a reason: it is a celebration of the day Christ came to earth--a celebration of His birth and His willingness, as Philippians 2:7 says, “to take upon himself the form of a servant to be made in the likeness of men.”

Yet, in our increasingly hostile society, the name "Jesus" or "Jesus Christ" is offensive. It's offensive because Christ claims to be the only way to eternal life. To believe that Jesus is the only way requires us to reject all other claims of truth and acknowledge that God's Word, as delineated in Scripture, is the only source of real, absolute truth. Once we admit this, we are held accountable to a standard of behavior that many of us aren't willing to accept.

So how do the liberal theologians and atheists convince more and more people of their belief that Jesus is not God? They do this by first removing Him from our society in every way possible--from our conscious existence. Out of sight, out of mind. Nowhere is this more obvious than during the season in which we celebrate His birthday: at Christmas.

Truly, if they can convince us that Christ has no place at Christmas, then surely He has no place in our lives during the rest of the year.

Keep in mind that many of these efforts to eliminate Christ were (and are) not necessarily made by anti-religious groups. Rather, they are made by those who have been convinced, or deceived, into thinking that public expressions of Christianity are illegal. Much of this belief, however, comes as a result of concerted efforts by anti-religious groups in the last 15 years to create this perception. And, frankly, this campaign has been successful in many ways. People are worried about being sued, so they quickly back down and remove the manger scene or forbid Christmas carols at the "Holiday" concert when these religious expressions are challenged. This is not necessary--Jesus is still legal in America!

So don’t let your expression of Christ at Christmas time be challenged. Remember Luke 2:11 & 14

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.