Truth Without Lies - The Real Meaning of Christmas

The hustle and bustle of this holiday season can bring back so many memories. I can remember as a little girl the thrilling excitement of Christmas morning with all the gifts and toys I knew I’d find under the Christmas tree. The countdown to the last day was usually the hardest. Oh, how time would stand so still while eager little hearts and sounds of giggles filled the air each night.

Christmas was the happiest time of the year for me. What I remember most is the waking up in the wee hours of the morning with my older brother, running down the stairs while keeping careful not to trip, and seeing who can hit under the tree to grab the first present.

Mother had a gift for embellishing a Christmas tree. Her adornment was so beautifully and skillfully put together it made us marvel every time we glanced at it. Its splendor of dainty grace and the delicate ornaments that hung on each limb sparkled throughout the entire home, while daddy’s music filled the air with holiday joy. It made one want to live in that moment of beautiful serenity forever.

I grew up believing in Santa Claus, reindeers, and elves. I believed in the North Pole and fairies and hoped that I had been a good girl that year so that Santa would bring all the lovely things I had put on my Christmas list.

But I remember the disappointing feeling I felt the night I believed I had missed Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer by the seconds. He had come into my bedroom, given me a kiss and then flew away, so I was told. If I had just awakened a tidbit sooner, I could have beheld one of the most glorious miracles of time. My heart was broken.

Over the years, I have learned that Jesus and Santa Claus cannot share the same space, no, not even for a moment of what appears as a harmless and cute flight of the imagination. The Lord said that He will not share His glory with anyone or anything. He must be first, for He will come second to none. How then can we as believers contribute or allow from our pulpits the idea that Santa Claus really exist?

We all know that Jesus was not born on December 25. However, it is the date that the world has chosen to commemorate the celebration and birth of our King. But you’ll find that even theologians will argue if this holiday should be celebrated at all.

My answer to that is simply this. According to 1 John 1, Jesus came to earth and lived among men, and if He lived among men, then I’m sure He did what human beings did. He had to bathe; if He didn’t, He’d smell awfully bad. When He was a baby, His mother Mary had to change His diapers, for if she hadn’t, He would be exposed to a horrible booty rash. He had to eat; if He didn’t, He would have gotten terribly ill. Also, there are many Biblical stories that tell me that He was also influence by His culture; His parents paid taxes, went to weddings, annual feasts, danced, laughed and yes, I believe celebrated birthdays.

As a proud mother of three, I remember celebrating the Terrific Two’s, Triumphant Three’s, and the Funtastic Four’s; I don’t think Mary was any different from you and me. So whether Christmas is considered a pagan holiday or not, I choose to celebrate the very fact that my Savior was born and am glad to have the freedom to do so.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with Christmas trees, gift exchanging, or setting aside time to spend quality time with family and friends, anything that takes away from the truth and glory of what Jesus’ Birth truly represents is a thief and a robber. The famous tales and fables of Old Saint Nick is just that, a false and improbable account of cute lies to teach a moral. If you are good, Santa will bring you presents they say. It almost sounds like the resounding religious beliefs that if you are a good person and do good works you can go to Heaven.

People often got mad at Jesus when He spoke the truth on things that convicted and pricked their hearts. When Jesus brought to light their hypocrisies, pride, and dared to expose the idols they worshiped, they wanted to crucify Him. Fast forward to the 21st Century and you’ll find that nothing much has changed.

Santa Claus is an idol that hangs high on the throne of many hearts and homes today. When you speak against him, you will find that people will lash out in his defense. Oh, how you risk the chance of becoming an unpopular Jesus freak when you expose the idols we’ve allowed to sit on the thrones of our hearts.

Jesus’ family traveled every year to celebrate the annual feast just like some of us have made traditions of reuniting with family members and friends each year. All the way and up until Jesus was 12 years old did they travel to Jerusalem. Like you and I today, they ate, worshipped, and celebrated. Plainly put, they partied.

But one day, after the close of the annual feast and while making their journey back home, the family realized that they had lost Jesus. I can only conclude that they had been so caught up in musing over such a great time that they actually didn’t realized that one of their family members were missing. I’m sure they reminisced about many things, like the people they hadn’t seen in like forever, the great food, and worship.

Of course, Jesus himself wasn’t really lost. He was about His Father’s business teaching and preaching the Kingdom of Heaven. But OMG (oh my gosh) the family had lost their child, and it wasn’t until they were in one day’s route that they realized He wasn’t anywhere to be found. It then took three days to find him. Can you imagine that? Read Luke 2:41-52.

How many of us have lost Jesus in the Feast? How many of us have gotten so wrapped up into buying gifts and decking the halls only to be stressed with the bills afterward? How many will actually go into further debt because they somehow feel obligated to fulfill the demands that Christmas brings? If you are in the process of preparing for your yearly grand feast, has the Lord Jesus been given His rightful place? Are we singing Santa Claus Is Coming To Town or O’ Little Town of Bethlehem? After all is said and done, have we sincerely observed the true meaning of Christmas?

The real meaning of Christmas is rejoicing and celebrating in the fact that God gave His only Son so that we could have eternal life. The greatest gift ever given to man was the gift of salvation. If it hadn’t been for His birth, there would be no Christmas. So while there is nothing wrong with the celebration, remember up and foremost that Jesus is the reason for the season.

Christian parents, I encourage you to teach your children the true meaning of this blessed holiday. Impart to them truth without the ties of lies and old fables and legends that neither bring glory nor honor to God. Celebrate, have fun, and rejoice! Glorify the King of kings and Lord of lords and worship Him in the beauty of holiness. Give Jesus Christ the Son of the living God the platform that only He deserves. Let the world have their Santa but give me Jesus. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Thought Provoking Question: Is Jesus sitting on the throne of your heart and ruling in every area or is the platform being shared with someone or something else?

Tilt your hearts toward the Son!

Have You Lost Your Mind?

 

Is your brain tired?  Do many thoughts invade your mind and ultimately leave you stressed out?

Every battle begins in the mind.  Your mind can be the devil’s playground if you do not stand at guard to resist and reject evil and unwholesome thoughts in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 4:7).  Many people struggle because they have allowed their thought life to govern their actions.

The Bible addresses the topic of how to cope with the mind.  Because we have a thought life, we are admonished in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Our life will change when our thought life changes.  While some thoughts originate with us, others come directly from the enemy.  Our mind is subject to follow unbalanced and unhealthy thoughts and emotions, which will eventually cause us to make decisions that, will take us off course and out of the will of God.

We must not compromise or desensitize this topic for fear of being considered too spiritual or too deep.  Christian warfare involves bringing all our thoughts into direct alignment with the Word and the will of God.  The church today is too often tempted to meet the challenges of the world by carnal means and by using worldly weapons, i.e., psychology, philosophy, humanistic wisdom, etc.  These cannot serve as a replacement for the fundamental lifestyle of prayer and an uncompromising commitment to the Word of God.

We as believers overcome our adversary by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.  We must tirelessly say “NO!” to the devil, temptation, and sin because failure to do so will lead to immorality and spiritual death.

Be resolute and determine to fill your mind with God’s Word.  Set a watch to refuse to allow your eyes and ears to be an instrument to any worthless or evil thing.  By doing this, you will obtain the mind of Christ, the peace of God, and rest for your soul.

Tilt your heart towards the SON! 

How Closely Related Are You to a F.A.R.T.? Let's Find Out

Have you ever ran across a F.A.R.T.?  Yes, I said it … a F.A.R.T!!!  FART, FART, FART!  There, I said it again.  I can just hear the “gasps”, the “eh’s”, and can even envision the disgruntled religious twisted face gestures. 

Now, before you start busting my chops about crude humor, tact, or the like, let’s first get rid of the “OMGosh, oh, no she didn’t!” mindset.  For at the end of this blog, you just might find out a little bit more about yourself and how closely related you just may be to a good old F.A.R.T.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog about roses and the fragrances they possess.  This blog is definitely not about roses and sweet smelling fragrances, on the contrary, it’s about the smelly, stinking thinking we can sometimes possess and emit.

Ever notice how much emphasis is placed on our outward appearance?  Society has placed such enormous importance and value from the clothes we wear to the type of gel or mouse we use in our hair.   Nothing wrong with looking dapper, for I myself enjoy and appreciate the art of fashion, but this passion should never exceed or come close to competing with the inner beauty that should reside within each us.

God is much more concerned with what’s taking place in our hearts than what we look like on the outside.  Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27)  For their religion was outward in form with no inward godliness of the heart.  They were all about ‘traditions’ and keeping the letter of the law by their own selfish interpretations, and they occupied their office all in the name of the Lord, but their lives were morally lax and worldly.

I know that anything that is unclean usually tends to stink big time.  That’s how the lives of the Pharisees and Sadducees appeared to Jesus because He saw right through their impious funk.  You see, they were often exposed for the hardness of their hearts and for their religious hypocrisies.  Yet, many times they attempted to trip up Jesus by slapping down Scriptures and quotes from the fathers of old, but our courageous Lord would openly reprove them every time revealing their wickedness, double-standards, pretense, two-facedness, and insincerity.

Much like today, the spirit of the Pharisees (far-to-see) and the Sadducees (sad-to-see) still moves and envelops the hearts of many.  They are what I call F.A.R.T.s – Fanatical, Analytical, Religious, Tarts, whose only aim is fulfilling church quota, attendance, and looking pious in the public eye.  It is a fault-finding, overly critical, insensitive, behavior that is found WORKING rather than WORSHIPING. 

F.A.R.T.s are constantly pointing the finger at others not recognizing that the same hand that points the finger has four fingers pointing right back at you.  F.A.R.T.s are ready to throw you under the bus or into a den of lions saying, “See, see, doesn’t the Scriptures say …” all while Jesus is extending out His loving hands and saying, “I forgive you, now go and sin no more”.  This hypocritical mindset sees everyone faults but never its own and will be the first one to shout, “Off with her head!” 

The F.A.R.T. mentality is not kind or gracious and its mother Supercilious has made certain that they are planted on every corner of Condescending Circle Drive.   They sport their shades of pride which blinds them and they are cloaked in the draperies of arrogance that hang from the hem of their garments.  The flicker of their superiority shrouds and poisons the thought process so they fail to realize that genuine change takes place from the inside first and then emanates on the outside, not the other way around. 

F.A.R.T.s never truly understand the JOY of the Lord or experience the bona fide liberty wherein Christ has made us free because they are so caught up in doctrines of men, which makes the Word of God of non effect.

Vow today that you will not be a F.A.R.T. and you will disallow the stinking thinking of the Pharisees and Sadducees attitude to dominate or influence your life.  Vow today that you will live your life by putting on the cloak of humility and love others through their process of change regardless of how messy or smelly it is.  It is always helpful to remember that you too are still a work in progress. 

When you ‘buss a F.A.R.T.” just say excuse me.  You’d be surprised how a little spray of meekness can dissolve the bad aromas of an old F.A.R.T. 

Tilt your hearts toward the Son!

~Narda Goodson

Well, that's JUST ME and who I AM! Hmmm ...

Well, that's JUST ME and who I AM!  Well, maybe that's the problem!

Ya' think?  Ever heard those words before?  I've had to make a conscious decision to smile more and configure my facial expressions to "nice".

My daughter told me during dinner one day that I look like a "snob" and people were probably afraid to approach me due to it; then my sister confirmed it.  I was "offended" at first thinking "Gee, I'm a pretty nice and friendly person.  How in the world would you think that?".  But what I thought and what my body expression gave off were two different things.  We have got to be WILLING to CHANGE.

I'm not talking about the petty people who nick-pick and criticize everything you do right or wrong. There are some people you will never please.  What I'm talking about is becoming more conscious of your body language that sometimes speaks louder than words.

Tilt your heart towards the SON!

Influence, Inspire, and Infiltrate Your World!

Narda Goodson

First Lady of Whitewright, Texas
2012 Will the REAL ME Please Stand Up!

Facebook/Twitter: @nardagoodson

©2012 Daily Doses of Gospel "PiLLs"

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Jesus, the Gardener and Cultivator of our Souls

Jesus, the Gardener and Cultivator of our Souls

As believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been called to produce.  To produce means to yield something, to bring forth, or bear something.  Our lives are constantly producing ‘something’. Let’s take a closer look at the ‘something’ we are called to yield or bring forth. Last week we looked at how the rain, wildflowers, weeds and tall grass, garden maintenance, abiding in the vine, and digging can impact our garden’s growth and expansion.

Today, I would like us to center our focus on the soil.  The soil is one of the most important elements in producing a beautiful and healthy garden. But what type of soil will we find in our garden?

Soil is the top layer of most of the Earth’s land surface.  It contains the unconsolidated elements of rock erosion, organic decay, bacteria, and fungi.

There are five soil-forming factors:
1. the parent material: the primary material from which the soil is formed i.e. bedrock, organic material, an old soil surface, or a deposit from water, wind, glaciers, or volcanoes
2. climate: the weathering forces such as heat, rain, ice, snow, wind, sunshine, and other environmental forces that break down parent material and affect how fast or slow soil formation processes go
3. organisms: all plants and animals living in or on the soil (including micro-organisms and humans)
4. topography: the location of a soil
5. time: all of the above factors assert themselves over time

In Mark 4, Jesus tells a parable about the sower who went out to sow:

First case: The WAYSIDE

Some seeds fell by the side of the tough, hard path where the soil was not broken up and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. Not only could the seed not get beneath the surface, but it was trampled down and afterwards picked up and devoured by the fowls.

Second case: The STONY or ROCKY ground
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth -- "the rocky ground" is a ground that has a thin surface of earth covering the rocky place.

Third case: The THORNY ground
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit -- This case is that of the ground not thoroughly cleaned of the thistles, thorns, and weeds which rising above the good seed, "choke" it. The “thorns” smother the seed reducing it of any light and air, as it drains away the moisture and richness of the soil. Thus it becomes unfruitful; although it grows, it never ripens to full maturity.

The evil here is neither a hard nor a shallow soil, for there is enough softness and depth; but it is the existence that is living within the soil that draws all the nutrients of it away to itself, and so starves the plant.

Fourth case: The GOOD ground
And other fell on good ground and did yield fruit. The qualities of this last soil are the reverse of the other three soils. It is soft and tender, it has depth that allows the seed to take firm root, receives the necessary moisture that provides vitality and strength, and it is also clean grounds. In this type of environment, the seed brings forth fruit.

Are we allowing the deposits of God’s Word to fill our lives? Do we permit the storms of life to break up our stony and hard places? What forms and shapes us, the love of God or pressures of life? Does the climate of our circumstances break us down or build us up? Are we pliable or hard and rocky? Is our garden planted by the rivers of water (Psalm 1)? Do we see growth over a period of time?

We must allow the Word of God to cultivate our hearts so that we can experience an outpouring of the manifestation of His awesome power. In time, we will see our gardens filled with the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; and against such there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23). 

Tilt your heart towards the SON!

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Do you know ABOUT Him or Do you KNOW HIM?

Do you know About Him or Do you KNOW HIM?

 

To know only about an individual is never enough evidence to make a reasonable and sound judgment about one's character.  Sure we read or hear stories about people all the time, but basing our assumptions only the premise of what others have said can be very dangerous and misleading.  We can structure a false and unfair personal view and judgment about them without really having or knowing all the facts.

Sometimes the outside of a book can appear coarse and hard, but the saying, 'never judge a book by its cover', does hold some depth. Over the years, I've gotten to know people for myself, and in that, I have learned a valuable lesson.  Not everything said is always true.

To know means to identify, recognize, distinguish; it is an action word, for example, I know (or recognize) the book is on the shelf, I know where the coffee is, I know my schedule, or I know which one is mine (identification).  You are collecting information and facts about people and things all the time.  You learn to identify characters, distinguish the difference between cultures and religion, and so on.

But to know is not enough and you will find that many people usually stay at this first phase - the knowing.  They know that it's going to rain or the road is dangerous because they have heard or read some article about it.  I can know that the weather is bad and the roads are dangerous and yet, still choose to ignore it.  Again, this phase is only a collection of information.

The word knowledge, is a noun, and in view of this topic, means information, facts, and data acquired through a skill, experience, or acquaintance.  This is the second phase.  Many of us know about God, we may have some knowledge about Scripture, but knowledge without understanding is as a light fixture without bulbs. The Scripture says that the entrance of thy words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple (Psalms 119:130).

The word understanding means the ability to grasp, perceive, and explain the meaning or the nature of something or somebody. When I begin to grasp or perceive the value of the knowledge (the information) of God's Word and how it applies to me, this is called understanding.  It is like a light bulb goes off and you say, "Ahh".

The word wisdom means judgment or good sense that comes from the knowledge and experience needed to make sensible decisions.  It is the accumulated learning of life in a particular sphere of activity or interest that is gained through your experience.

Proverbs 1:5 says that a wise man will hear and will increase in learning.  The more you learn is the wiser you become in that area. But if you do not know God for yourself, if you do not open the Bible to read the personal love letters that are written to you, if you only base your faith or belief on the premise of what others have to say, then you risk the possibility of facing a great danger because people can lead you astray.

God is not looking for religion, tradition, superstition, or fiction; he desires and longs for personal intimacy with his beloved.  That's you!  I challenge you to know God for yourself.  Don't just know about Him, KNOW HIM in the full knowledge of His goodness and grace.
He's real folks . . .

Tilt your heart towards the SON!

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We must be willing to alter and adjust so that the process of making or becoming different can take place.

We must be willing to alter and adjust so that the process of making or becoming different can take place.  

Serving God is more than our weekly church attendance and having titles or positions.  You’d be surprised at the many pews that are filled with people who faithfully attend church services, only to walk out the same way they walked in.

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise though.  In Jesus’ days, the temples were filled with such people; they were called the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  The Pharisees and the Sadducees were two of the most prominent religious groups in Judaism.  Their religion was outward in form with no inward godliness of heart (Matt. 23:25).  They were all about ‘traditions’ and keeping the letter of the law by their own interpretations.

They occupied their ‘office’ all in the name of the Lord, but their lives were morally lax and worldly.  While appearing to hold to the laws of God, they really denied many of the teachings when they opposed Jesus’ wisdom and miracles.  They’re obsession with ‘keeping the letter of the law’ blinded them from the truth that they were actually doing quite the opposite as they refused to recognize the depravity of their own nature.

If we look around today, we will see the spirit of the 21st Century Pharisees and Sadducees moving in our midst; this mindset or spirit still flows today.  It is ‘working’ rather than ‘worshipping’.  This spirit sits on the church boards, serves communion, handles the Lord’s money, etc.

Jesus’ message is ‘change’ and ‘repent’.  The word change, in this case, is a noun, and it is the process in making or becoming different.  To change in its verb form means alter or adjust.  The word repent means to be sorry, apologize, or ask forgiveness.  We must be willing to alter and adjust so that the process of making or becoming different can take place.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.” God’s Word should challenge us to change daily.  The words Jesus spoke often pricked or offended the Pharisees and Sadducees because of their wicked ways.  Does God’s Word offend or prick our hearts, or does it cause us to humble ourselves and repent?

Tilt your heart towards the SON!

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PATIENCE IS A QUALITY YOU ADMIRE IN THE DRIVER BEHIND YOU AND SCORN IN THE ONE AHEAD.

PATIENCE IS A QUALITY YOU ADMIRE IN THE DRIVER BEHIND YOU AND SCORN IN THE ONE AHEAD.

 

Patience—the ability to wait; endurance, staying power, fortitude; ability to bear prolonged hardship, pain, or exertion; stamina; the survival or persistence of something despite the ravages of time; lack of complaint

It is not how you start but how you end.  The Bible says that the end of a thing is better than the beginning of a thing (Eccl. 7:8-9). 

Our days are identical suitcases—all the same sizes–but some people can pack more into them than others.  While accepting the path of God for your life, whether it seems rough or smooth, remember that God is at work in you.

Although learning to trust in times of adversity has its difficulties, facing unexpected changes opens the opportunity for growth.  Hebrews 6:12 encourages us to be followers of them who through faith and patience inherited the promises of God.

 

We are called to run this race with an unruffled and vigorous  persistence.  The appointed course of the race is set and we must strip ourselves of every unnecessary weight and the sins that so easily entangles us.

Remember, the race is not for the swift nor the battle for the strong but for those who endures to the end.   

Tilt your heart towards the SON!

 

Narda Goodson

First Lady of Whitewright, Texas

http://firstladiesoftheroundtable.org

http://nardagoodson.org

http://predestinedbygod.com

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