(Get out some tissues, because these notes will bring tears to your eyes. While they're simply just notes for Burt's profound teachings, I wish I could have heard this whole message in person...)
CHRISTMAS 2025
LUKE 2:7-14
I HAVE NOW LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE SOME PATTERNS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR
WE JUDGE OTHERS BY WHAT WE BELIEVE WE WOULD DO IN A SIMILAR SITUATION
THESE STANDARDS ARE APPLIED TO OUR CONTEMPORARIES—AS WELL AS THOSE WHO LIVED IN THE PAST
AND TO THOSE WILL COME AFTER US
THIS NARCISSISTIC VIEW TENDS TO RENDER HARSH JUDGMENTS
IT PRODUCES A LACKS EMPATHY FOR THE CONDITIONS OF OTHERS WHO LIVED THROUGH MORE DESPERATE TIMES
EACH GENERATION HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE SET OF ATTITUDES INFLUENCED BY THE CONDITIONS OF THE WORLD DURING THEIR LIFETIMES
DURING MY ALMOST 76 YEARS OF WANDERING THIS EARTH—I HAVE HAD SCORES OF CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE QUITE CERTAIN HOW THEY WOULD HAVE BEHAVED IF THEY LIVED IN CENTURIES PAST
AS WELL AS PREDICTING THEIR OWN BEHAVIOR IN THE FUTURE
EVERY TIME I HEAR THESE STATEMENTS I THINK OF PETER’S BOLD PROCLAMATION TO YESHUA
THOUGH ALL OTHERS FORSAKE YOU—I WILL BE WITH YOU—EVEN UNTIL DEATH
THE OTHER APOSTLES SAW PETER AS A MAN OF GRAND COURAGE
YESHUA SAW SOMETHING ELSE—AND REVEALS THE FUTILITY OF HIS VOW
THIS VERY NIGHT YOU WILL DENY ME THREE TIMES
THERE ARE PRECIOUS FEW—LIKE PAUL—WHO HAVE THE SELF-AWARENESS TO SEE THEMSELVES AS THEY TRULY ARE
THEIR WEAKNESSES AND THEIR STRENGTHS
THEY ARE LESS SURE OF THEMSELVES—MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT HOW THEIR BEHAVIOR WILL BE VIEWED BY GOD IN THE END
PHILIPPIANS 2:12—I WORK OUT MY OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING
PAUL’S FEAR IS—HAVING LED SO MANY TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH—THAT HE HIMSELF MAY LOSE SIGHT OF THE GOAL
THAT HE MIGHT BE WEAKENED BY FORCES AROUND HIM THAT SEEK TO DEPLETE HIS STRENGTH
HE IS CONCERNED HE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FINISH THE RACE
WE JUST CELEBRATED CHANUKKAH
A TIME THAT REMEMBERS THOSE WHO FOUGHT AGAINST THE TYRANNY OF EVIL MEN WHO WOULD PROHIBIT THE WORSHIP OF THE ONE TRUE GOD
IN THE FIRE OF CONFLICT IS BOTH THE HERO AND THE COWARD FORGED
MATTATHIAS WAS AN ORDINARY MAN—UNDISTINGUISHED IN HIS GENERATION—UNTIL EVIL CIRCUMSTANCES PRESENTED HIM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEROIC
HE CHOSE HEROISM
THE MAN WHO WAS WILLING TO SACRIFICE THE PIG TO SAVE HIS LIFE CHOSE COWARDICE
SIMILARLY—THE EVENTS ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF CHANUKKAH IN AUSTRALIA AFFORDED SOME VERY ORDINARY MEN AND WOMEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEROIC
WHILE MOST RAN—THEY CHOSE TO RISK THEIR LIVES THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE
CERTAINLY—THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE THAN THIS
THIS CHANUKKAH WAS SPECIAL FOR ME
I REMEMBERED SOMETHING I HAD FORGOTTEN
UNLIKE THE GOD’S HOLY DAYS—CHANUKKAH IS A TRADITIONAL CELEBRATION AMONG JEWS
EVERY SOCIETY HAS TRADITIONAL CELEBRATIONS THAT REMIND THEM OF SOME PAST EVENT
TRADITIONS ARE NOT BAD UNLESS THEY NULLIFY THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
MOST OF CHRISTIANITY CELEBRATES THE BIRTH OF YESHUA ON DEC 25TH
THIS IS A TRADITION—AS THE SCRIPTURES ARE SILENT ON PRECISE DAY OF HIS BIRTH
SPURGEON DESCRIBES CHRISTMAS AS OUR “PRESENT ECCLESIASTICAL ARRANGEMENT AND CALLS IT A SUPERSTITION
FOR THE DAY OF YESHUA’S BIRTH IS NOT IN SCRIPTURE
HOWEVER—AFTER HIS INTELLECTUAL POLEMIC AGAINST THE CELEBRATION OF THE “THE CHRIST MASS”—HE THEN ACQUIESCES
“REGARDING NOT THE DAY, LET US, NEVERTHELESS, GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR THE GIFT OF HIS DEAR SON.”
THIS YEAR—SPURGEON’S WORDS PRICKED MY HEART
I WAS ABLE TO SEE PAST THE THEOLOGY AND IGNORE THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THIS DAY
GOD GAVE ME EYES TO SEE THE PROFOUND EFFECT YESHUA’S BIRTH HAS HAD ON THOSE CALLED BY HIS NAME—THOSE WITH WHOM HE IS WELL PEASED
THE ESSENCE OF THIS MOMENT IN TIME WHEN YESHUA—SALVATION—ENTERED THIS WORLD
GOD BROUGHT TO MIND AN OBSCURE FACT FROM ONE OF MY HISTORY CLASSES ABOUT DEC 25TH
THAT MEMORY BROUGHT ME TO TEARS
1914 SAW A WORLD-WIDE—MAN-MADE CATACLYSM—WW1—AND IT WAS BRUTAL
THE WORLD BECAME A KILLING FIELD—THE LIVING AND THE DEAD DWELT TOGETHER
CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND EXPLOSIVES FELL FROM MECHANICAL BIRDS OF PREY FOR THE FIRST TIME
THE BITTER COLD—COUPLED WITH LITTLE MEDICINE TO HELP THOSE INJURED OR SICK—MADE FOR HELL ON EARTH
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE OF THE WAR SAW A PROFOUND MIRACLE HAPPEN ON THE WESTERN FRONT
GERMAN SOLDIERS FESTOONED THEIR TRENCHES WITH LANTERNS
THEY SET UP SMALL FIR TREES—LIT UP BY CAREFULLY PLACED CANDLES
THEY GATHERED ROUND THESE TREES AND SANG CHRISTMAS CAROLS
THEY THEN SHOUTED ACROSS THE “NO MAN’S ZONE” (DMZ) TO THEIR ENEMIES—MERRY CHRISTMAS
THE ENGLISH RESPONDED IN KIND
MANKIND TURNED HIS THOUGHTS FROM KILLING—AND WORSHIPPED THE THE PRINCE OF PEACE
THE MEN IN THE TRENCHES CARED LITTLE FOR KAISER WILHELM’S GRAND DESIRES FOR WORLD DOMINATION
FEARING THEY WOULD BE SHOT BY SNIPERS IF THEY LEFT THE PROTECTION OF THEIR TRENCHES—THEY WERE FORCED TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES IN THOSE TRENCHES
FOR THE SAME REASON—THEY COULD NOT BURY THEIR DEAD—WHO SHARED A GRAVE WITH THE LIVING
THE FOUL STENCH OF DEATH—URINE—AND FECES SATURATED THOSE PATHWAYS CARVED INTO THE EARTH BY MEN WITH SHOVELS
THE FOUL—STICKY—MUDDY CLAY CLUNG TO THEM LIKE A DEATH SHROUD—TRAPPING THE COLD AGAINST THEIR SKIN
THEY LIVED IN THE MOST DEFILED CONDITIONS IMAGINABLE
THEIR FROZEN PROVISIONS WERE A VIVID REMINDER OF THE WARMTH OF THEIR HOME HEARTHS AND KITCHENS—WARMED BY YULE TIDES—SUNG IN THE COMPANY OF LOVED ONES
THEIR DESIRE FOR PEACE WAS NOT COWARDICE—IT WAS A REBELLION AGAINST MADNESS
EVERY MOMENT REVEALED THE VIRTUES OF BEING AT PEACE WITH ALL MEN—AND HOLINESS—WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN SHALL SEE GOD
THERE ARE NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT CHRISTMAS EVE IN 1914
ONE BROUGHT ME TO TEARS
I REMEMBERED TANNENBAUM
I DO NOT REFER TO MY OLD JEWISH FRIEND FROM BROOKLYN
TANNENBAUM IS THE GERMAN WORD FOR AN EVERGREEN TREE
IT BECAME THE NAME OF A TREASURED CHRISTMAS CAROL
A SINGLE GERMAN SOLDIER—CLIMBED OUT OF THE MUCK AND MIRE OF HIS TRENCH—AND ASCENDED INTO THE DARKNESS
HE LAID DOWN HIS WEAPON—AND ENTERED “NO MAN’S LAND” AND ERECTED A SMALL EVERGREEN TREE
HE FIXED CANDLES ON THE BRANCHES AND LIT THEM—AND PROCEEDED TO SING—GIVING GLORY TO THE SON OF GOD
THE LIGHT OF THIS TREE SHONE ROUND ABOUT HIM—AND PUSHED BACK THE DARKNESS
THAT LIGHT TRAVELLED IN ALL DIRECTIONS—TOUCHING THOSE IN THE TRENCHES OF BOTH SIDES
SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY AT FIRST—THOSE IN DARKNESS WERE DRAWN TO THAT LIGHT—AND MEN OF WAR WERE DRAWN TO THE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING
ENEMIES—WHO HAD BEEN KILLING EACH OTHER EARLIER THAT SAME DAY—NOW GATHERED ROUND A SMALL TANNENBAUM—EMBRACING ONE ANOTHER AND SHARING PROVISIONS
AN IMPROMPTU GAME OF SOCCER BROKE OUT
THE LAUGHTER AND SINGING COULD BE HEARD FOR MILES ACROSS THAT FROZEN WASTE LAND
THAT SMALL GATHERING OF THOSE WHO DESIRED PEACE INFECTED OTHER SECTIONS OF THE WAR ZONE
SMALL POCKETS OF PEACE ERUPTED IN MANY OTHER PLACES
WE TEND TO BELIEVE THE MIRACLES THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST
BUT THE MIRACULOUS BIRTH OF KING MESSIAH—WHICH HAD TAKEN PLACE 2000 YEARS EARLIER—COULD NOT BE CONTAINED BY THAT MOMENT IN TIME
ON THE EVENING OF DEC 24 1914—THE MIRACLE OF THAT BIRTH REACHED OUT FROM THE PAST—AND TOUCHED THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO WERE PRESENTLY ENGAGED IN BATTLE
ON THIS DAY—THE PROCLAMATION OF THE ANGELIC CREATURES WAS FULLFILLED
PEACE WAS FOUND ON EARTH—AND GOOD WILL WAS MANIFEST IN THE HEARTS OF MEN
THE BEHAVIOR OF THESE MEN WHOSE THOUGHTS TURNED TO GOD—STOOD IN STARK CONTRAST TO THEIR COMMANDERS
THOSE WHOSE MINDS WERE ON THE AFFAIRS OF MAN
LEADERS ON BOTH SIDES SAW THIS OUTBREAK OF PEACE AS FRATERNIZATION
THEY FORBID ANY FURTHER OVERTURES OF PEACE
SIDE NOTE:
ADOLF HITLER WAS A CORPORAL IN WW1
HE WAS NOT ON THE FRONT LINES WHERE THE PEACE BROKE OUT—BUT ACCORDING TO THE ACCOUNTS OF THOSE WHO KNEW HIM—WHEN HEARD—HE WAS QUITE APPALLED BY THE EVENT
HIS RESPONSE WAS
“SUCH A THING SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN WARTIME. HAVE YOU NO GERMAN SENSE OF HONOR LEFT?”
BUT FOR THOSE WITH EYES TO SEE—THERE WAS BLESSINGS
A REAL MIRACLE OF GOD IN THE HEARTS OF MEN CAUSED THEM TO DEFY THEIR ORDERS FROM MAN
I WANT TO READ TO YOU THE WORDS OF GOD
CLOSE YOUR EYES—AND LET HIS WORDS DRENCH YOUR SOUL IN THE SOUNDS OF PEACE
LUKE 2:7-14
And Miriam gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 In the same region there were shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night.
9 An angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
10 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is the Messiah—the Lord.
12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men, on whom his favor rests.”
GOD SET HIS FAVOR ON THOSE LOWLY SHEPHERDS—AND THEIR LIVES WERE CHANGED
THEY PUT UP THEIR FLOCKS AND EMBARKED ON THE JOURNEY TO BEIT LECHEM—WHICH MEANS THE HOUSE OF BREAD—FOR THEY KNEW IN THEIR SOULS—THERE THEY WOULD FIND THE BREAD OF LIFE
THESE SHEPHERDS ACTED AS MOSHE—WHO WAS DRAWN TO THE BUSH THAT BURNED WITHOUT BEING CONSUMED
THEIR REACTION TO THE DIVINE BEING MANIFEST AMONG MEN—WAS SHARED BY THOSE MEN IN THE TRENCHES OF WW1
A PEACE NOT BROKERED BY MAN—BUT BY THE REVELATION OF THE CREATOR OF MEN
THIS YEAR I LEARNED—AS SPURGEON BEFORE ME
NOT REGARDING TIMES AND SEASONS—WE SHOULD REJOICE IN THE REVELATION OF SAR HASHALOM—THE PRINCE OF PEACE
SOCIETIES DO NOT EXPERIENCE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE FROM THE TOP DOWN
LEADERS OFTEN MISLEAD FOLKS WITH SLOGANS AND GRAND PROCLAMATIONS
WHAT HAPPENED ON DEC 25TH 1914 WAS BROUGHT BY ONE LOWLY SOLDIER—WHO SET DOWN HIS FEAR AND WORSHIPPED
EXHAUSTED AND UTTERLY DEFILED BY THE BUSINESS OF WAR—HE ROSE UP FROM THE DUNG HEAP—LITERALLY—WALKED INTO THE DARKNESS—AND LET THE LIGHT OF GOD SHINE THROUGH HIM
AND OTHERS SEEING HIS GOOD DEED—JOINED IN GIVING GLORY TO THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD
BY THIS ONE DEED HE REVEALED HIMSELF NOT AS ONE OF THE KAISER’S ARMY
BUT ONE OF THE ARMY OF GOD—WHO FIGHTS AGAINST THE DARKNESS OF MAN—REVEALING THE GLORIOUS DIVINE LIGHT
GO AND DO LIKEWISE
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments are moderated.