The big canvass mass appeal of Christmas

Lunminthang Haokip *

GLITZ IS A HITCH IN C'MAS: The world commercialises the Christmas season. Christmas Bonanza, Discount, X'mas Party, Gifts, Dinner, decoration etc. Christ was the Son of God who never cared for dresses nor fun. Neither was He a foodie. He gloried in fasting. "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17.

In Christmas celebration, Godly righteousness should be sought first. Jesus who had no sin was made sin so that we the actual sinners may have God's righteousness. When a man notionally accepts Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour, he is deemed to be righteous in God's sight.

This virtue, in turn, creates peace and joy in his heart. Meat and drink and all that associated jazz are lesser dispensables. It's a costly blunder to make such glittering fanfare 'indispensable' to Christmas merriment.

TOP PRIORITY - TO SAVE SINNERS: The priority of Jesus was to save sinners. "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21. He lived the name given to Him, the Saviour, to His last breath. Disregard of His saving grace means hellfire. Grace offered will surely be taken away some day.

If men needed houses most, Jehovah would have sent a builder. If eating good food topped the Almighty's priority, He would have sent a chef. But God was concerned that without salvation, sinners were rushing headlong into hellfire. Man cannot save himself.

He needed a sinless Saviour. That's why the Son of God took birth in flesh and blood. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The invisible God became visible in human form to make redemption feasible and take the world by storm.

THE BIBLE IS OUR GPS: "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign..." Isaiah 7:14. The faithfulness of Daniel in the kingdom of Darius made the king honour the God of Daniel which, much later, led to the raising of the Wise men of the East from that land. The Magi were led by the sign of the appearance of the star over Bethlehem. The star was their GPS and Google Map.

The Scriptures can be used by the Spirit to guide a person in the same manner as GPS (Global Positioning System) once helped the US Army in navigation. The wise men of the East sought Infant Jesus sincerely.

They could be the descendants of believers who were transformed by Daniel's spirituality in Babylon. The Spirit led them to be bang on target. Meeting the infant Christ, no gift was too costly for them. They gave their most precious possessions: Gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).

THE PRINCE OF PEACE: The light that shone on them was the sign given by God to the shepherds that the Saviour was born. Isaiah 9:6 predicted the birth of the 'Prince of Peace.' Luke 2:14 confirmed: "Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace, good will toward men." Whoever receives the Lord saves himself from a life of trouble-mongering.

The much touted peace agreements, like glass and human heart, at the end of the day are destined to be broken. Such brief spells of 'ceasefire' that 'misfire' may be termed as truce. Many social climbers take risks in launching out to the deep in weird ventures in the hope to become one like the 'Prince of Wales'.

Most of them end up in a whimper as 'princes of wails.' Jesus is the true Prince of peace. Have Christ. " Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them (Psalm 119:165)." When Jesus comes in, hatred for others runs away for cover.

OUR LOCATION AND DESTINY: GPS - Global Positioning System - was used by the US Airforce from 1978. It is a global navigation satellite system which helps us know location and time of any place. Google map shows us our location, corrects our route and directs us to our destination. Jesus is the unseen spiritual GPS and Google Map who guides us through the Bible.

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." John 14:6. A miss in a road turning adds many miles to your journey. Once I forgot to turn right on Jaklabandha-Dimapur road. I nearly reached 'Nengboi lenna Jorhat tolpi.' What a waste of time and fuel. The Word of God is our GPS and Google map. It tells us our spiritual location, guides us towards our destination in life and corrects us when we meander from our way.

THE RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS: "Government will be upon His shoulder." Isaiah 9:6. Over and above the worldly governments, we have the spiritual Government of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Three turbines whirl full force at Leimatak power house to generate hydro-electric power.

The spiritual turbines of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit had been generating the 'resurrection power' ever since the crucifixion of our Lord on the cross of Calvary. That power which can activate a dead soul is up for grabs for all who repent and confess their sins.

Once You accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you are in the loop as a functionary of His spiritual authority in the governance of His kingdom on earth. In this type of 'power-transmission,' obedience to the Word is the transformer.

WALK WITH CHRIST: Peter and John healed the lame man in His name. "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: in the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise and walk." Acts3:6. And everyone who walks with Jesus is guided by spiritual light. A daily walk with Christ will get rid of your spiritual 'lameness.'

Abraham got spiritual lameness when he failed to exercise faith in the midst of famine. His foolish detour into Egypt had far-reaching ramifications. The patriarch was back on the right track when he later realised his mistake and walked together with Jehovah. The world around him was harsh for Sadhu Sundar Singh because he walked with Jesus. Those who hated Christ loathed him.

Once he was denied a homestay facility in a village. It was winter time and the weather was very cold. As he spent the night inside a cave, the Lord made a python to curl up around him all night to keep him warm. The snake slithered away in the morning.

THE DEVIL TREMBLES AT THE MENTION OF JESUS: Paul and Silas countered the deception of the devil-possessed woman by casting out the adversary in His name. "But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." Acts 16:18. Jesus is the only name the devil trembles at the mention of.

His is the name we ought to honour more than the worldly names of highest rank and fame. In 'achhe din,' we take pride in our fleeting and vague association with the influential elite in the corridors of power. But when we are in dire straits or under serious attack of the evil one, only the name of Jesus stands capable of saving us. The devil also knows about it.

Acts 19:15 says, "And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" To reach that super-duper upper stature of being known by the power of darkness, we've got to undergo the 'Damascus road experience' that lifted up Saul to be revered as Paul (Acts Ch. 9).

NO OTHER NAME TO SAVE US: We have popular names in the world who dominate TV News and the media in whose name we can do certain things in a limited manner. But when it comes to salvation and great things of supernatural wonder, His name rules supreme. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

In worldly parlance, in India, crucial government orders are issued in the name of the President or the Governor in States. In the spiritual administration of the universe, what matters most is the name of Jesus Christ.

St. Paul cast out the evil spirit in His name. Acts 16:18 says, "But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus to come out of her." The evil spirit had to obey the command of the Son of God.

JESUS WILL REIGN FOR EVER: "Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end...." Isaiah 9:7. Kingdoms and governments of the earth came with promises and ended with a resounding thud! The Greeks reigned strong centuries before the Romans ruled half of the known world, just before the birth of Christ. God had a purpose in the road infrastructural achievements of the BC empires.

The roads constructed by the Roman empire were used by St. Paul to spread the Gospel around Asia Minor and the Bible land. The government of Lord Jesus is eternal without end. I have strong reasons to believe that the Lord of the universe also has a purpose in Asian highway -1 that stretches from Tokyo to Istanbul via India. He decides things for eternity.

He is authorised by the heavenly High Command to have the last word. He will come back to make the crooked paths straight. Isaiah 45:2, "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in under the bars of iron." On our part, let's spare no effort to ride pillion smoothly on the highway of righteousness with the Saviour.