Killing God

We are still celebrating Christmas and already the world has begun to turn against God. Drive through town and you will see homes and businesses that just yesterday were glowing with Christmas lights, only today to be void of any celebration. People act like they hate God.

When the wise men departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.” But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaos reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Matthew 2.13-23

Since the first Christmas, the world has always acted the same. Celebrate Jesus one day and try to kill Him the next. Is it any different if we ‘return to normal’ today as if yesterday wasn’t the birth of our Savior? I know people are exhausted from weeks of parties, but Christmas has just begun.

The Twelve Days of Christmas didn’t end yesterday, they began. For many centuries the Church extended the celebration of Christmas through Theophany. Today we are celebrating the birth of Jesus. On January 6^th we will celebrate the revelation that He is One of the Trinity.

Now is not the time to tear down your decorations. Now is the time to reflect on whether you love God or hate Him. Yes, these are strong words but today they are real. The world hates God. If we cannot be distinguished from the world, how are we any different?

Join me for an experiment. When you encounter people over the week, wish them a Merry Christmas and ‘take note’ of their reaction. Today you may get some ‘Merry Christmases’ in return, but it won’t last long. You may be surprised by how people react.

It’s just an experiment but it will change the way you think about the world and your faith. You may have been the one to say, “Christmas was last week,” in the past. This year could be the ‘new you’ only because you celebrated Christmas for more than one day. Please share your experience in the comments section.

Christ is Born; Glorify Him!