Anthony Trask » Jesus

Forgetting My First Love

Anthony — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:45:26 +0000

As I prepare for a message series on the seven churches mentioned in Revelation, I have been rocked by Jesus’ message to the Church in Ephesus.
They believed all the right things, rejected all the right things, and seemed to be abstaining from sin very well.
But Jesus tells them that their problem is, that, they had forgotten their first love- Jesus.
One honor for me as a minister, and being a part of a church that is reaching the lost for Christ, is to see new people come to Christ on a somewhat (albeit not enough) regular basis. People who initially, and authentically, have encountered the grace of Christ are so lively, so joyous, so on fire for the Lord, and are so grateful that Christ would save a sinner such as themselves. New Believers act somewhat like a newly dating couple- totally in love with not a care in the world. Willing to do anything or go anywhere just to be with the one they love.
But sadly; due to religion, false teaching, and the enemy, many of those new Believers lose the joy of their salvation in Christ- how could something so monumental and joyous be forgotten or lost??! Just as an established- or married- couple who may technically still love each other can fall ‘out of love’ with one another; Christians often times fall out of love with Jesus.
I don’t have all the answers as to why this happens, but I’ve seen it happen often. To be honest, it’s happened from time to time with me. Often times, I believe, that some who experience such a decline in joy or love in their relationship with Christ, had never truly began a relationship in the first place.
Either way, we are desperately in need of having an intimate loving relationship with Jesus. Jesus wants to give us what’s best for us, and the only prerequisite He gives us for doing so is making Him the first in our lives. If we have forgotten our love for Him, fallen out of love with Him, or have lost the joy of the salvation He has given us, it becomes impossible to give Him our first.
Often times, like the Ephesians, we can get so caught up in believing all the right things and abstaining from all the right things, that we can become full-time “Christians,” but part-time followers (or lovers) of Christ. Craig Groeschel, in his book Confessions of Pastor, wrote that of himself: That he had become a full-time pastor, but a part-time follower of Christ. He, like so many of us, had been caught up in doing all the right things FOR Jesus, that he had put having a relationship WITH Jesus on the back-burner. This is something I can totally relate with. When we put more emphasis on doing the right things FOR Jesus than having a relationship WITH Jesus, we’ll quickly become ineffective in doing virtually anything for Him.
When we forgot our first love, everything else becomes meaningless and ineffective.
I could spend all of my time working in order to provide FOR my wife, and working around our house FOR her. But that would be meaningless unless I was actually spending time WITH her and loving her. To her, me working is important, but not as important as talking, intimacy, and spending time with one another. When our relationship is based on that, the work will be more effective and meaningful.
So I am being reminded that my relationship WITH Jesus is more important than my work FOR Him. Am I spending time talking with Him, reading His Word, meditating on His goodness, and basking in His presence? If not, then my work, again, will be meaningless and ineffective.
I want more of Him, and less of me.
I want to love Him, as He loves me.
I want my relationship with Him to come first.
Because when I give Him my first, He’ll give me His best.

Don’t Be Successful

Anthony — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:13:29 +0000

Everything you will hear over the next few weeks will be for you to go out, achieve your dreams, work hard, study hard, and to be successful; because the sky’s the limit!

-That you can do whatever you set your mind to do!

-That you hold the keys to your destiny!

-That you can be whatever you want to be!

-To set your eyes on whatever it is you want; then take it!

Now not all of these ideas are bad in and of themselves.

But the problem with them is, is that they’re not really all that biblical.

The problem is that these ideas place life’s priorities in complete disorder.

Everything in our culture tells us that “you” are “your number one priority.”

That you are to do whatever makes you happy; and whatever makes you feel the best.

That the objective in life is to get as much stuff as possible, and then go to your death safely!

But that’s deceiving!

The stuff you will acquire, you cannot take with you!

And death is not somewhere you can go to safely- it’s death, after all!

The world wants you to be successful!

But I want to challenge you to not be successful- by the world’s standards.

But to, instead, be successful according to Christ’s standards.

Because when you are successful by His standards, that’s when and where you’ll experience the most joy, the most satisfaction, the most purpose, and the most fulfillment in life!

The first and foremost thing, to being successful in the eyes of Christ is to (Matthew 22:36-40):

1.] Love Him and put Him above all things.

And the second is almost equally as important.

2.] To love those around you, just as much as you love yourself.

When you get these two priorities straight…

Putting God first, and then others….Everything else in life will follow suit:

-Your happiness, your joy, your purpose, your calling, your satisfaction, your finances, your relationships….everything!

The world’s view of success is doing whatever you can to get in front of the pack before others do, so that you can get rewarded first.

-The world’s view of success is putting yourself first, then others, then maybe God.

But Christ’s view of success is:

Mark 9:35b (ESV)

[35b] … “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

The world’s view of success is to put yourself first, then your romantic partner or spouse, then maybe your children….

But Christ’s view of success is:

-To see everything else in a far second place to Him.

-Loving Him so much, so strongly, that all other relationships seems as if they are hate compared to the love you have for Him:

Matthew 10:37 (ESV)

[37] Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

The world’s view of success is to focus on yourself and your needs, and to completely ignore and hate your enemies- those who get in the way of your worldly success.

But Christ’s view of success is to:

Matthew 5:44b (ESV)

[44b] …Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

The world’s view of success is getting back at your enemies, or putting them in their place, so that you can succeed all the more.

But Christ’s view of success is:

Matthew 5:39b (ESV)

[39b] …if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

The world’s view of success is to acquire as much stuff as possible, no matter what it costs you, no matter what it takes, or no matter whom you put down in the process.

But Christ’s view of success is:

Matthew 16:26 (ESV)

[26] …what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

The world’s view of success is to acquire more than your neighbor.

But Christ’s view of success is, that:

Matthew 19:21 (ESV)

[21] “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

The world’s view of success is to live in the nicest house, packed with the nicest stuff.

But Christ’s view of success is, that:

Matthew 8:20 (ESV)

[20] …“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

The world’s view of success is to eat the nicest food, drink the best drinks, and to wear the nicest clothes.

But Christ’s view of success is to:

Matthew 6:31/34 (ESV)

[31] …not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

[34] “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

The world’s view of success is to keep your relationship with Jesus private, and personal.

But Christ’s view of success is to:

Matthew 28:19 ESV

[19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The world’s view of success is to play it safe, to avoid pain and suffering at all costs, to be comfortable, to not make any waves, and to never take un-calculated risks.

But Christ’s view of success is:

Matthew 10:38-39 (ESV)

[38] …whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

[39] Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

We will never truly find life, truly find success unless…

-We are willing to lay down our lives for the sake of Christ…

-To love Him, to love others, and to spread the Good News about Him…

…Whatever the cost: Be it your finances, your comfort, your security, your relationship, your earthly success, or even your life.

This generation could be the generation that God uses to:

-Eradicate slavery.

-Peacefully negotiate the end to the oppressive rule of ruthless dictators.

-Find the cure to AIDS, cancer, or Alzheimer’s.

-Solve the world’s water shortage crisis, end global hunger, and make great strides to end poverty.

-Stop the murder of untold millions of unborn babies.

-And to usher in the greatest revival of the world’s people coming to salvation through Christ, than any other generation has seen before.

If:

-If it’s willing to die to the world’s view of success….And live in Christ’s view of success.

-If it’s tired of living comfortable, boring, and predictable lives.

-And is willing to step out in great faith, take huge risks, and live a life of Holy-Adventure.

-And be more fulfilled, more satisfied, and more successful than it could ever imagine!

We must realize that when we put God first in our lives, everything else will follow suit:

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

[33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Thoughts on Revival

Anthony — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:56:35 +0000

One thing has been on my mind the past few days: Revival.

For those who grew up in church, Revival may carry with it connotations of:

Heading to church immediately after your parents got off of work, without eating dinner beforehand.
Going to this “Revival” at your church every single night, sometimes for weeks on end.
Not getting out of this “Revival” service until after 10pm in the evening.
Torturous days at work and school the day after- Revival Hang-over.
Ministers with bad- really bad- suits.
Singing the same chorus over and over, and over, again.
Late night “dinners” at Denny’s or other local pie shops.
And, sadly, little lasting impact on those who attended said Revivals, with even smaller amounts of impact on the communities in which the Revivals took place.

Often times Revivals are built around, or spurred on by euphoric spiritual highs, expected manifestations of particular spiritual gifts- often grossly misused, and bizarre unbiblical emergences of “new” spiritual phenomena.

Now some of you may have had awesome experiences with Revivals in the past, maybe some which have made lasting impact in your life and the lives of those around you. I certainly don’t want to diminish those experiences. Plus, all of the things I mentioned before that we often associate Revivals with, although a little humorous, are not all bad things.

I just have been thinking about what a Revival actually is, and wanting to experience one SO badly in my generation; more specifically, in my city!

The definition of “revival” is:

restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc.

Oh, this what I want to see in my generation, in this nation, in the Pacific Northwest, and in my city of Salem, OR! I want to see people’s lives restored! I want to see people’s consciousness restored! I want to see people’s vigor restored! I want to see people’s strength restored!

All of these things have been stolen by the enemy, stolen by sin, stolen by the flesh, and can only be restored by the One who gives life, consciousness, vigor, and strength- The Lord Jesus Christ who has saved us by His grace, and who asks us to put our trust in Him and what He offers.

This is the kind of revival that takes place in the life of everyone who has called upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, but what if there was another kind of revival?

What if Revival took place on a large scale; on a city-wide scale? I believe it can! I am praying for it! I am living for it!

Another word for Revival is “AWAKENING!” Imagine a city being shaken out of its slumber, out of its complacency of death, and being AWAKENED?!

Imagine the Spirit being so strong and irresistible on a community of Christians that people came for miles away to see for themselves, to taste and see that the Lord is good! Imagine this Revival not being an event that Christians came to to get pumped up about themselves! Imagine if this Revival was one where those who were dead, unconscious, or without vigor or strength came to be investigate whether or not they could be AWAKENED, and as they entered into the presence of God manifested through the love, worship, praises, deeds, miracles, and preaching of the Church, found out that they could indeed be AWAKENED- awakened only by surrendering their lives Christ!

Imagine true Revival where those who are awakened never slumber again; where a city is claimed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of His Spirit. Imagined if those who were awakened only knew how to respond by taking such a Revival with them to other cities, to the world!

That sounds like a Revival of Biblical Proportions! That sounds like the kind of Revival that I am praying for, that I am desperate for, that I am hungry for.

So be it.

Missing Out

Anthony — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 17:02:07 +0000

The Lord Jesus Christ returned to the earth in all of His glory. He came for those who had received Him, who had called on His Name; those in whom He had saved. He came like a Groom for His Bride, without announcement, like a thief in the night. Creations’ longing and groaning for One who would deliver them is being satisfied.

As He approached, one who expected Jesus to come for her became furious with Him as He was making too much noise. She walked away, shouted something about “the nerve…” and missed out altogether.

A man who had been waiting for his mansion over the hilltop was offended when he heard the angels breaking though the sky with Jesus singing a song he’d never heard before. Surely, if this was for real, the angels would be singing an old-time hymn, not this atrocity. So he stuck his nose up in the air, plugged his ears, ran inside, and missed out altogether.

When Jesus appeared, a woman who had been waiting to escape this earth, was inside of her home watching the news. When she saw and heard all of the commotion, she couldn’t believe that Jesus would return when she wasn’t even in a church building. She was in her pajamas, on her couch, with a remote control in her hand. “How dare He come when I wasn’t even ready?!”; she murmured to herself. She made her way into the bathroom so she could do herself up, and try to get to the church building down the street before she would be caught up to meet Jesus in the sky. But as she walked down her hallway, she missed out all together.

One man, was upset that the sky grew dark. He couldn’t even see those around him that were going to miss out on the rapture. Another was ticked that Jesus was too bright. It hurt his eyes. “Jesus, of all people, should know about the sensitivity of my eyes…”; he said. One went to look for a well lit sanctuary. The other to his bed where he could pull his blankets over his head until the bright burst of light would be over. They both missed out all together.

Jesus came back and started gathering millions of His followers to Himself. As one woman saw tens of thousands of people around her being lifted into the sky, she was repulsed. Jesus should have known that she didn’t like big crowds of people. “When there’s a big crowd, it’s hard for me to focus on Jesus”; she thought to herself. A deep resonating voice responded within her heart; “When there’s a big crowd, it males it difficult for you to focus on yourself.” She missed out altogether.

One woman was upset because her daughter had a softball game to get to. Another man irritated because he was approaching his all-time high score on a social networking site game. One man was frustrated that Jesus was coming back, and it wasn’t even Easter.’And a woman was upset because she had a big deal to close at work. All of them, believing in their hearts that they were saved, missing out altogether.

Jesus came back. He did His thing. He got the glory. He wasn’t concerned about people’s opinions, traditions, preferences, or feelings about the event. He was concerned with redeeming, for all time, those He had saved so that they could be with Him for eternity, worshipping Him, and giving Him all the glory.

Are you passionate about Jesus? Or yourself? Will you miss out altogether? Or will you go to be Jesus, for Jesus, for eternity?

Catalyst West Coast. Labs. Closing Session Notes with David Platt.

Anthony — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:00:20 +0000

Catalyst Labs closing session resounded with beautiful worship led by Aaron Keyes who wonderfully quoted the Scriptures throughout leading in song.

The speaker for the closing session of Catalyst Labs was David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL. He walked onto stage literally overcome with the opportunity to speak here and all that God is doing through him.

He opened up by stating that, we don’t have time to play games with our lives, and we don’t have time to play games in the church- when 4.5 billion people are alive today, who without Christ, will spend an eternity in hell.

He challenged us that we, in America, have totally changed the Jesus in Scripture to one who suits us more comfortably. He boldly suggested that when we raise our hands and sing in our churches, that we’re not singing to and raising our hands to the Jesus of the Bible, we are singing to and worshiping ourselves (due to the fact that we’ve made up the Jesus we’re supposedly worshipping) ——WOW!!!!!

Platt pointed out that in the New Testament, and in the third world countries of today, that the Spirit of God and the Word of God was/is enough to accomplish the mission of God—not all of our stuff of our modern stuff (lights, sound systems, buildings etc…). And that Christ is enough for us- that He is not a means to an end (wealth, health, relationships, heaven, etc…), but that He is the end!

“What would happen if Jesus is enough?”

But There’s a Lot of Poor People

Anthony — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:42:14 +0000

A few days ago, one of my leaders and I went to meet with a community leader to share with him the vision of our church within our immediate region and our plans for Easter to see that vision begin to be realized.
The community leader responded with great enthusiasm; saying how desperately this region needed something like what we were planning to do, how there was nothing like this happening here, and how much he was grateful for our ministry efforts. But then came something strange as he said;” …yeah, but there’s a lot of poor people here.”
What the heck?! My friend and I looked at each other in confusion. It was as if this community leader was saying that everything we were planning was great except for the fact that there are so many poor people in our region. It was as if he was saying the poor people were unreachable, didn’t deserve to be reached, or would only cause us problems as we moved forward in spreading the Gospel in our community. Maybe he was suggesting that the poor people we would be reaching wouldn’t be able to financially support our ministry efforts. Either way, whatever he was implying was not positive.
I don’t want to assume too much about this man, or judge him without truly knowing his heart, but his statement personified the heart of the American church for so many decades; that the Gospel is for the white, middle-class, suburbanite, and if you get lucky, for the upper-class and the wealthy.
So many, if not most of, this nations mega-churches (which I desire to pastor one day) lay far outside of their city’s center, and on large pieces of property near the suburbs or tree-filled neighborhoods populated by the middle and upper-class.
Now obviously I know that in reality, it does take money to reach people. But I also know that the God who gives us mission and vision to reach the lost, will also give us the provision to be able to do it.
I recently spent several days in Orange County on the nicest church campus I have ever seen. The only thing it could be compared to was a small private university campus. As I walked amongst the waterfalls, playgrounds, multiple buildings, skate parks, ponds, parking structures, and palm tree lined walkways, I couldn’t help but think that it was a little unfair. I know it was a selfish thing to think. But I thought it. To plant/build a church in one of the nation’s wealthiest regions, in one of its wealthiest neighborhoods seemed too easy. And obviously I know that both the rich and the poor need to be reached. But reaching the rich seems like the easy way out- like being called to Maui for a mission’s trip. Salaries and building funds are a lot easier to raise amongst the rich, than they are the poor. Though, at my church, the majority of our giving comes from those on fixed incomes verses those who are upper and middle-class.
Almost every church growth book I read, every leadership podcast I listen to, every college course I take tells me that, as a pastor, I need to have a “target-audience”; that I need to pick a subculture, economic class, or ethnic group, and then go after them with the good news of Jesus. But it seems to me that if a pastor has to choose the perfect audience to reach, that their flesh will always lead them to the “beautiful upper-class” where problems do not exist on a level equal to those experienced by the poor. With a target in mind, it becomes easy to pick the most-comfortable-to-reach target.
And again, I’m just thinking-out-loud here, I do think that there are certain things that can be used to reach the upper class that will not be as effective in reaching the poor and vice versa, but isn’t Jesus big enough to break down the walls to reach multiple “targets” at once?
The problem with this community leader’s statements about the poor, the mega-church in the upper-class suburbs model, and the idea of a target audience, is, Jesus! Jesus ministered to and reached every single segment of society. His ways of grace, love, and hope spoke to every people group in His greater-culture. And if anything, He spent the majority of His time reaching out to the poor, the outcast, and those who the religious-elite considered to be unreachable, untouchable, and unworthy. And if there was a group that He was more harsh with, more than any other, it was the rich, those in power, and the religious.
Jesus did indeed have a target audience, though. It was anyone who was breathing, whose heart was beating. And that’s who I chose to be my target audience as well. And I’m thrilled to be doing it right in the middle of a culturally and economically diverse city, from the center of a lower-class neighborhood. And as I lead my church to minister to the poor, I believe that God will send in the upper-class and the rich to fund our efforts. That’s how God works.
So are there a lot of poor people? You’re dang right there are, and we are going to reach them!

Anthony — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:15:38 +0000

I’ve been too busy, and too sick, to blog much lately. I’m hoping to become more consistent once again.

So my first blog post in about a week will be one to bring honor where much honor is due- all for the glory of God.

I am wrapping up our “Money Matters” series as a church. The key idea for this series is Jesus’ words;” Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

This idea is certainly not foreign to me. I grew up in a home where this was excruciatingly, and beautifully, modeled from the top-down. I know with all certainty that my father’s heart is with my Father-in-heaven’s heart. For he has sacrificially put all of his treasure, all of his life’s resources, into God’s Kingdom where it will never wear out, never grow old. And because he has faithfully stored up his treasure in heaven, his heart has naturally followed. And because of that, my father has always been able to follow Jesus, when Jesus so requires- and following Jesus is never easy, never cheap.

Without the example that this “Man of God” has set, there would be no Fellowship Church; no unique move of God taking place right here, right now; and far fewer soul’s in heaven with Jesus.

Let’s give honor, where honor is due. Thank you for the example dad!

Reluctant Army

Anthony — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 06:49:33 +0000

There is an army armed with the most powerful weapons the world has ever seen. It has the greatest Leader to ever walk the earth. It has a communications system millennia ahead of its time. They have been given a grande mission with a clear strategy that cannot fail. Their resources are unlimited, their time is not.

The battle is a no-brainer. It’s really already been fought, and won. The army only has to go into the enemy’s land to declare victory, occupy their territory, lovingly invite them to join the army, and begin training them in the way’s of the Leader.

The enemy is also powerful, knows that the battle’s already been won, and that the time is short. They are bound for destruction, and because they’re angry about it, and hate the Leader so, they want to take down as many as they can.

The Leader is anything but forceful, and wants to develop an army who trusts in his leadership so much that they’re willing to follow his mission and strategies without hesitation. So He patiently waits for them to follow his orders and engage the enemy. Time is short, though, and eventually he’ll step in to finish the battle himself, judging the soldiers- or those who claimed to be so- for whether or not they joined the battle.

Sadly, most of the army sits around and talks about the Leader, maybe two or three times a month. Every once in a while they’ll read his orders and strategies. And they’ll gather together to speculate about the day when he’ll step in to finish the battle. They never utilize their weapons. Fail to communicate with the leader. Live in fear of losing a battle that’s already been won. And sit around accomplishing nothing, never joining the fight. Never ushering in the Leader’s victory into enemy territory. Never taking the opportunity to join with their Leader in finishing the fight.

The Leader is looking for an army, not of posers, but of soldiers. Are you ready?

The Inconvenience of Christ

Anthony — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:19:08 +0000

‘”Christ is so inconvenient! Always requesting me to “follow” Him, “feed” His sheep, “Go” and make disciples, “love” my neighbor, “keep” His commandments, etc… Sheesh! Doesn’t He know I have a life to live!”

“School is the most important thing to me right now. If I don’t get a good education, I won’t land my dream job. It basically takes up all my time. Anything else, just gets in the way. My weekends are for relaxing, and maybe a little bit of partying to get my head back in the game. Church?! Ha! Maybe when I’ve got a two kids and a dog or something!”

“Putting in extra hours at work is a-given if I want to climb up this corporate ladder and make some serious bank. After all, I’ve got big goals and aspirations: a sweet ride, a big house, the biggest and flattest tv available, anything new with an apple on it, keeping up with the latest fashion trends, and showing off my new body on a beach somewhere warm- sometime soon! Plus, everyone knows you have to have a nice investment portfolio to let you play once your work is over. I’m thinking I can pull that off at, like, forty. Support a ministry?! With my money?! Possibly when I win the lottery or something!”

“I’m currently single, so looking for someone to hook-up with is definitely on the top of my mental priority list. Spend a little time serving someone else?! Are there any hot single girls there?!”

“My kids absolutely come first for me! My youngest has swimming, ballet, tumbling, soccer, junior cheer, and modeling try-outs. My oldest, he’s really busy. He is in basketball, karate, football, baseball, swimming, TAG, junior student government, drama, and hip-hop dancing to make sure that he is well rounded. I’m sure he’ll go pro in one of his sports. After all, we’ve invested so much into it. God will honor us for it, I know. Church?! Whew! If we had time. We’ve got to keep our priorities straight .”

“I’m so tired when I get home from my two jobs! I usually just spend 4 or 5 hours laying in front of a good movie, then if I’m lucky, play Black Ops online with a few friends that I haven’t seen since high school. Read the Bible?! Did you not just hear how busy I am!?”

“My wife and I are newlyweds, and just had our first baby. We make sure to stay in as much as we can so the baby doesn’t catch something. We try to spend quality time together while the little one’s taking his naps. All we need is each other. Join a small group?! Maybe when the kid’s out of the house or something….Jeez!”

“I’m so busy online with my job search all day. When I become exhausted after a long afternoon of job-hunting, I usually chill on the couch and get my mind off of things by playing Farmville for a while. I keep trying to get to church, but usually I’ll look at my clock on the computer, only to realize that I’ve already missed it.”

“Sunday is game day from August till February. I’ll see if I can make time for the church-thing in the Spring, between fishing and a few weekends of camping, I think I can make it a few times.”

“I’d love to go talk my neighbor and help her mature in Christ. That’s great she is desiring more of God in her life. But when I get home from the gym, I have a lot of crocheting to work on. And before you know it, it’s time for Oprah.”

Do you have time for Christ and His Bride, the Church? He’s kind of a big deal…

The Religion of Christmas

Anthony — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 06:17:26 +0000

We live in an extremely highly offend-able society. It celebrates diversity, yet lives in fear of what others will think if you ‘think’ or ‘do’ something different than the rest of the society: oxymoronic, I know… So out disproportionate respect for others, we have come up with the art of being “Politically Correct”: Doing and saying things in such a way that allows us to hint at our opinions and lifestyles without fully divulging them with others, in order to avoid hurting someone’s feelings- unless those opinions and lifestyles fit into the agenda of those who are easily offended, but that’s a whole other story.

Navigating the maze of rules encompassed within political correctness can be very complicating.

One arena where things get interesting is Christmas time. Christmas time, for centuries, has been a holiday where the birth of Christ is celebrated by Christians and anyone else who would like to get in on the festivities. There have always been people around the world who do not profess to be Christians, and because of that or other firmly held beliefs simply chose not to celebrate such a holiday. And that is their choice. No one has ever infringed on their right to not celebrate the holiday.

But recently because of a few fanatical non-Christians, it has become questionable whether or not it is appropriate to talk about Christmas in public, in schools, at work, and in the marketplace. So Christmas has been changed into “The Holiday Season”, Christmas Break has been turned into “Winter Break”, and Christmas Trees have been turned into “Festive Trees”.

Those who stand on the soapbox crying foul when anything Christmas is mentioned say that they do so because it infringes on their freedom of religion. They claim that anyone who is celebrating Christmas is pushing religion on them. And surprisingly businesses, government agencies, schools, and the marketplace have bowed to the demands of the vast minority who fear religion.

So in order to avert religion all together, it has become acceptable to celebrate things such as snow, snowmen, Holiday cheer, merriment, turkey dinners, and festive colored lights instead of the birth of the highly offensive Christ. But the thing that is elevated above all is gift giving.

I have a six year-old and a two year-old and every “Holiday” movie we watch promulgates the idea that the “reason for the season” is to give and receive gifts. Not because God gave the greatest gift of all in His Son. And not because wise men from the East came to bring His Son gifts. The reason for the season is to give and receive gifts simply because it’s a good thing to do.

So our children are taught, including my son by his school where “Christmasy” things can’t be mentioned, that in order to receive gifts from Santa, they must be “good”. And if these children are good, they are taught that, Santa will take notice and give them rewards in the form of gifts. And if these are children are not good, then Santa will punish them by leaving them coal. In order to appease Santa all-the-more, milk and cookies are to be left near his entrance to the house.

The problem with all of this, and the reason for which I am writing this to begin with, is how ironic this all is. In order to prevent religion from creeping into our lives with Christmas, we have invented all of these ideas, concepts, behaviors, and rituals to celebrate instead. What’s so ironic is the very things that are invented to keep religion out, are by their very definition religious!

Religion at its very core is being what you consider to be good so that you can appease a deity or deities, avoid punishment, and get a reward. In our modern “religious-free” Holiday season, we celebrate and promote that very thing. Be good and nice so that you can get a gift. Give gifts because it’s the right thing to do and it will make you feel good.

Quid Pro Quo.

The secular version of Christmas that we teach our children and celebrate even as adults couldn’t be any more religious! Be a good boy or girl so that you can appease the Holiday god (Santa). Leave a sacrifice (Milk and Cookies) to the Holiday god at his alter (the fireplace) and he’ll be even more pleased with you and will probably come back next year. If your behavior throughout the year has appeased the god who perceives all things associated with human behavior (Santa), and if your sacrifice to him was appropriate, he will bless you and allow you to enter into his heaven (Holiday gifts). If you do not please your god (Santa) he will send you to his hell (coal). If you in turn give gifts to others on his Holiday, he will be more pleased with you and you will be a good little worshiper. And finally in celebration of your god and his Holiday, you and your tribe (family) will participate in a sacred feast (Holiday dinner) in worship to him.

Follow my logic?

You see, if religion is what the politically correct powers want to avoid, then they ought to embrace the actual meaning of Christmas instead. That which they deem to be religious (Christianity and its version of Christmas) is in fact the exact opposite of religion. Religion, as explained earlier, teaches that “IF you do X, THEN you can be Y“. Christianity teaches something entirely different. It teaches that “BECAUSE Jesus did X, NOW you can be Y“. Religion is works-based. Christianity is grace-based. God freely giving us exactly what we don’t deserve (salvation), but what we want so desperately want (forgiveness, relationship, purpose, and eternal life). Grace is received not through anything we’ve done, only by what Christ has done for us.

So instead of crying foul the next time someone says the word “Christmas” or shares the true meaning of this ancient holiday, the easily offended ought to look at the religion they’ve created and embrace the original freedom from religion: Jesus Christ.