From Grinchmas To Christmas

This is Part 4 of my series on the meaning of Christmas. In Part 1, I showcased how the Christmas that Christians celebrate is not pagan, and it’s not a sin to celebrate Christmas. In Part 2, we learned the depth beyond the surface about the Christmas miracle of the incarnation. In Part 3, we learned the depth beyond the surface of light being part of the Christmas celebration. And for this fourth part, which will conclude my series, we’re going to extract important biblical truths from a beloved Christmas classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. So, I recommend that you pause this video right now and either go read or watch that classic, and then return to this message.

Now, assuming you have either read or watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas, let’s extract important biblical truths from that story.

For many people, Christmas is a time of joy and celebration; however, for some people, Christmas is a time of stress, frustration, anxiety, loneliness, sadness, or depression. So, whether you have lost the Christmas joy, have never had Christmas joy, or you merely a need a reminder as to why we need to keep Christmas joy, I want to provide you with The Seven C’s to overcoming Grinchmas, which will help you welcome and celebrate Christmas.

In Dr Seuss’s 1957 How The Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch is depicted as a grouchy creature, secluded in a cave. The Grinch lives on a cliff overlooking the cheerful, optimistic community of Whoville. The Grinch hates Christmas and the festivities celebrated during the season; he is irritated by the happiness of others and derives pleasure from spoiling other people’s enjoyment. Maybe you are a grinch. Perhaps someone else in your life is a grinch. Either way, joy can be obtained and retained. From the story of the Grinch, I think there are at least seven (7) biblical principles we can learn and apply to our lives:

(1) Comparison

The first thing mentioned in the story of the Grinch is that every Who liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch did not. The Grinch stood on a cliff, looking down on the Whos; his focus was on who they were, what they did, and what they had. Comparison creates the “I can’t” moments. The Grinch compared himself with every Who in Whoville – he compared himself with every Who’s smile, joy, laughter, and celebration. The comparison led him to realize that he did not possess what they had; likewise, they didn’t have the character traits he possessed. But instead of allowing that realization to lead him to repentance, he allowed himself to become miserable. Comparison can produce envy, and envy produces hatred. That hatred will either be directed toward the person being compared or the very person doing the comparison. The Grinch had pride; therefore, his hatred was directed toward every Who in Whoville. (Because the problem couldn’t possibly reside within himself, right?) …Are you comparing your life by others’ blessings? If I can be honest and confess my sin to you (James 5:16; 1John 1:8-10), I am guilty of sometimes envying others. And as a Christian, I know I shouldn’t do that (Exodus 20:17). Listen, it’s just the truth that comparing yourself to others will negatively affect how you view yourself. Consequently, how you view yourself will determine your attitude; inevitably, your attitude will determine your actions. But again, as Christians, we’re not supposed to compare ourselves with others. GOD created you to be unique. Embrace your own blessings and stop concerning yourself with what others have, where others are at in life, and what others are doing. You’re the absolute best at being you and doing what only you can do. No one else in the entire world is able to be you like you. Therefore, do what only you can do to the best of your ability.

(Galatians 6:4-5) -NLT
“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”

(Proverbs 14:30) -NIV
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

(Galatians 1:10) -Voice
“Do you think I care about the approval of men or about the approval of God? Do you think I am on a mission to please people? If I am still spinning my wheels trying to please men, then there is no way I can be a servant of the Anointed One, the Liberating King.”

So, from these scriptures, GOD is telling us that we should not compare ourselves to others and envy others because we need to keep our focus on being obedient to what GOD has called each one of us to do, with our sole purpose of pleasing the Lord, not people. And as long as we’re doing what GOD is calling us to do, then we’re at the place we should be and we’re doing what we should be doing.

(2) Confinement

The Grinch lived in a cave by himself. He isolated himself. He had confined himself to his loneliness. Is it any wonder why the Who’s joy irritated him so much? The joy of others only revealed and amplified his own misery. The sound of their laughter traveled into his cave and it seemed to be directed toward his insecurities. The Who’s joy called attention to the very thing he was lacking. Understand this: when you isolate yourself, you are an easy target for demonic attack. Evil will invade your isolated and unguarded mind and infiltrate your thoughts. Remember: the lion seeks to attack the unfortunate animal that gets separated from the herd.

(1Peter 5:8) -ESV
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

(Proverbs 18:1) -ESV
“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

(Proverbs 27:17) -Voice
“In the same way that iron sharpens iron, a person sharpens the character of his friend.”

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) -NLT
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

So, from these scriptures, GOD is telling us that life is not meant to be lived out alone. It is for this reason that GOD said in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” We need others. If we become isolated and separated from the body, then we will become easy targets for the enemy’s attack.

(3) Conviction

Examine the definition of the word, “grinch.”
Grinch: a mean-spirited, unfriendly, or overall unpleasant person who spoils other people’s fun or enjoyment or dampens the pleasure of others.

The creator of The Grinch, Theodore “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, explained in the December 1957 edition of Redbook, how he came up with the idea: “I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of last December when I noticed a very Grinch-ish countenance in the mirror. It was Seuss! So I wrote about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost.”

Dr. Seuss wrote the Grinch story based on himself due to the conviction he felt and then responded to.

Are you placing your focus on the negative aspects surrounding this Christmas season? Are you placing the focus on yourself and your problems? Is it possible that you need to rediscover something about Christmas you have obviously lost (or never found)? We are all familiar with the Grinch who stole Christmas, but we often neglect to see ourselves as the Grinch. Are you being a grinch without realizing it? The Grinch originated from a moment when Dr. Seuss confronted himself with the truth he saw in the mirror. Are you willing to look at yourself in the mirror? Are you willing to confront yourself with the truth? We often discover truth and enlightenment when we face and conquer our own demons. Are you ready to admit your shortcomings? If you have unrighteousness within you, are you ready to repent? Allow the Holy Spirit within you and He will bring Truth; with Truth comes conviction, and conviction is the reason Truth sets people free (John 8:32; 16:7-15).

(Proverbs 1:7) -ESV
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

(Proverbs 3:11-12) -NLT
“My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.”

(Proverbs 12:1) -MSG
“If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it—how shortsighted to refuse correction!”

So, from those scriptures, GOD is telling us that we need to welcome the Holy Spirit to convict us of our wrongdoings, and we need to welcome correction and discipline. It is only because GOD loves us that He desires to correct us. GOD desires for us to grow and mature in righteousness. But conviction comes after being willing to confront the Grinch in the mirror. And so, while refusing to compare ourselves with others, we focus on our relationship with the Lord. However, focusing our relationship on the Lord without comparing ourselves to others does not involve isolating ourselves to a permanent state of solitary confinement. So, while we keep our focus on our relationship with the Lord, we continue to have consistent fellowship with the body; in doing so, we will naturally invite conviction, which will bring us to sincere repentance.

(4) Christ

Sincere repentance and acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Savior is prerequisite for salvation. Repentance leads to Christ, who is the center, the core. We don’t have CHRISTmas without Christ. Jesus came to be the sacrifice who would save us from ourselves. We simply couldn’t live up to the perfect standard of holiness that is required for us to dwell with the perfect and holy GOD, but Jesus came to be the Bridge that would forever reunite us with our Creator. This season is for our Savior. We celebrate the fact that GOD loves us so much that the Word became flesh (John 1:1-4,14) and lived out a perfectly sinless life (2Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26) in order to willingly sacrifice Himself for us (John 10:17-18) — He died so that we may live! We celebrate that Jesus was born into this world from a virgin in order to be the sinless sacrifice who would save us from ourselves. Because we could not reach GOD by our works, GOD came to us out of His grace and mercy.

(Matthew 1:20-21) -NLT
“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ ”

(5) Contentment

Once Jesus is the focus, we will no longer have the focus on others or even ourselves. If we truly realize how bad many people in this world have it in life, it should be easy to be content in any circumstance we find ourselves. This is the opposite side of comparison or envy. And this only happens after you cross the Bridge of Christ. This is how you battle those thoughts of comparing yourself with others. The moment you start to compare yourself with others to see how they might have it better than you, at the same time, you also have an opportunity to see how you have it better than others. There are, in fact, prisoners in the United States who live in greater comfort than those who are considered to be free in third world countries, who are mere skin and bone, starving to death. There are Christians in China, India, and other nations who are being martyred for their faith. The truth is that you are blessed and your life could always be worse than it is right now. The truth is that you are exactly where you need to be right now for GOD to take you to where He wants you to go so that He may bless you there. Our focus is not to be on the world and its ways (Matthew 6:24; John 15:18-21; 17:13-21; James 4:4). In fact, this world is going to come to an abrupt end and we will live in eternity on a new earth under new heavens (Isaiah 65-66; Matthew 24:36-44; 2Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21-22). Neither the Christmas season nor Christmas Day itself is about receiving gifts or possessing anything of monetary value – it is about celebrating salvation through our Savior! To find contentment, you need only to change your perspective. To find contentment, you need only to focus on Christ and what the Holy Spirit is calling you to do.

(Romans 12:1-2) -Voice
“Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.”

(Philippians 4:8-9, 11-13) -NLT
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you…. For I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

So, from those scriptures, GOD tells us that our perspective about our circumstances, our outlook on life, determines our ability to remain content. Essentially, our inner disposition should never be altered by our exterior circumstances; instead, our faith within us should embolden us to walk through any valley of the shadow of death. Why? Because the Lord is with us (Psalm 23). And if GOD is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

(6) Contribution

The Grinch stole all of the Who’s material possessions – everything of monetary value! And as the Grinch stood on the cliff, waiting to hear mourning and crying from Whoville, he heard joyful singing instead. After hours of pondering and self-examination, the Grinch finally realized that material items don’t bring joy; in fact, he discovered that the joy had already been within them. And that’s when the Grinch decided to return to them all of their gifts. In the process of doing so, the Grinch discovered joy in the act of giving. Why? Because to love others is to put them before yourself. So, what can you give? Your time? Love? Financial support? Maybe you’re good at cooking meals and can feed someone? Maybe you’re a gifted musician and you can play music for someone? Maybe you’re an excellent artist and you can draw a picture for someone? Perhaps you can simply be there for someone and provide a listening ear. There is always something you can do; there is always a way to give.

(Acts 20:33-35) -NLT
“I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

(1Corinthians 13:4-8) –MSG
“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always ‘me first,’ doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never dies.”

So, from these scriptures, GOD tells us that genuine contentment leads to loving contribution. GOD has loved us! Now, how can we love others?

(7) Camaraderie

After giving the [stolen] gifts back to everyone in Whoville, the Grinch joined the Whos for a feast. And so, even though the Grinch had discovered joy in giving, everyone in Whoville gave the Grinch a gift as well: forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35). Understand this: GOD did not design us to do life alone. Our desire for contribution will naturally lead us to camaraderie, which means a mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.

In Acts 2:41-42, after everyone had been filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, it is written, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

That word “fellowship” is the English translation of the Greek word κοινωνία [G2842] koinōnia (koy-nohn-ee’-ah), which is derived from the root κοινός [G2839] koinos (koy-nahs), which was a prefix in ancient Greek. If you were to add this prefix to words meaning “living,” “owning a purse,” “a dispute,” and “mother,” you would get words meaning “living in community together,” “owning a purse in common,” “a public dispute,” and “having a mother in common.” So, we see that the root of the word, “fellowship,” means “to hold something in common.” The Greek word koinonia was used to describe corporations, labor guilds, partners in a law firm, and the most intimate of marriage relationships. From the usage of the word, we can conclude that fellowship is a word denoting a relationship that is dependent on more than one individual. It is an interdependent relationship. Koinonia is used nineteen times in the New Testament and in addition to being translated as “fellowship” it is also translated by the words, “contribution,” “sharing,” and “participation.” A close study of the usage of this word shows that action is always included in its meaning. Fellowship, you see, is not merely being together in one place, but it’s also doing something together! Fellowship is a relationship of inner unity among believers that expresses itself in outer co-participation with Christ and one another in accomplishing GOD’s will on Earth.

By now, you should realize that you are already blessed. So, who can you bless this Christmas? Blessing others will bring you joy. Do you want to experience true Christmas joy? Then join forces with the body of Christ and then go out and bless others. Remember what Christ told us:

(Matthew 22:37-40) -NLT
“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

(Matthew 9:13) -ESV
“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

(Micah 6:8) -MSG
“But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.”

In conclusion, the seven C’s is the pathway we take to leave Grinchmas and arrive at Christmas. I challenge you to go bless others this Christmas and create the joy you seek to attain for yourself. Spread Christmas cheer and do it openly and loudly for all to hear. And if we love with a lasting impression, perhaps those who do not believe will catch a glimpse of Christ that will remain with them until that seed grows into understanding. And when it does, it will be just as it was with the Grinch when his small heart grew three sizes that day. So, go. Create joy. Bless others and praise GOD as you go.

The Meaning Of Christmas: Light Of The World (Hanukkah, Festival of Lights, Feast of Dedication)

This is Part 3 in my series about the meaning of Christmas. In Part 1, I addressed the criticism about Christmas being pagan. In Part 2, we learned that GOD tabernacled in a sukkah, a greater and more perfect temple not made by human hands (Matthew 12:6; Hebrews 9:11). Christmas is all about the incarnation, the birth of the Savior, Christ Jesus. However, if the eternal Word entered into time within the world and tabernacled within the divinely designed body of Jesus, what did that mean for the world?

On the last day of Sukkot (Hoshana Rabbah), Jesus publicly declared Himself to be the Living Water and the Messiah, but He didn’t stop there. It is written in John 8:12, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’ ”

Just as Jesus’s declaration to be the Living Water correlated with Sukkot, Jesus’s bold declaration to be the Light also correlated with the Festival of Tabernacles. Giant golden lampstands were lit in the Temple courtyard, and people carrying torches marched around the Temple, and then they set these lights around the walls of the Temple, indicating that the Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6). According to the Mishnah (Sukkah 5:2-3), at the Temple “there were golden menorahs with golden bowls at the top of each…. There was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not lit by the light of the festivities.”

During Christmas season, Christians will often decorate their homes with lights and even use candles. But history reveals that even the faithful ones of ancient Judaism used light in their celebration via a menorah. But what is a menorah? It’s a uniquely designed lampstand. Why did they use it? Well, a lampstand, principally the seven-branched lampstand, was constructed initially for use in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-39) and placed in front of the inner curtain that shielded the ark of the covenant (Exodus 27:21). And so, Scripture informs us that the lampstand, though it has seven branches, was one solid piece of pure gold. Throughout the book of Exodus within the construction instructions, things were often purified (such as the gold for the table of Presence) or in one solid piece (such as the lampstand). Think: is the church of purity and in unity? Is the church one body with many parts functioning toward the same common goal? Is Christ the head and the center stem (1Corinthians 12:12-31; Colossians 1:15-20)? In Exodus 25:37, the seven lamps for the lampstand were to be set so that they would project their light forward. If we are part of the one unified body, are we shining our light forward? Whomever or whatever we reflect will determine our direction and projected path. Proverbs 27:19 says, “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man.” For this reason, Jesus said that out from the heart (center/core) of a person will flow his/her true nature (Mark 7:20-23). Also, the menorah has the decorations of an almond tree and, as a tree in the midst of the place where GOD makes His presence known to humans, is to remind Israel of the garden of Eden. Thus, the menorah was to stay lit continually, 24 hours a day, and never allowed to be extinguished (Leviticus 24:1-4). The eternal flame symbolized GOD’s omnipresence. However, in order to keep the menorah lit continually, the priest had to ensure that its oil never ran out.

Eventually, a nine-branched menorah, called a hanukkiyah, became the central symbol of the Jewish festival Hanukkah. So, what is Hanukkah and what is the significance of having nine lamps rather than seven?

Examine John 10:22-30: “²² At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; ²³ it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴ The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, ‘How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ ²⁵ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. ²⁶ But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. ²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.’ ”

So, the people who wanted Jesus to tell them plainly if He was the Messiah got extremely angry after He told them plainly that He is, and they wanted to stone Him to death (John 10:31). Now, they didn’t desire to stone Him to death because He claimed to be the Messiah, but because He made Himself equal with GOD (John 5:18; 10:33) and also told them, “you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.” So, Jesus rejected them. However, it’s important to understand that His rejection of them was based on their rejection of Him. Now, Jesus spoke those particular words during winter, at the Feast of Dedication, which is also known as Hanukkah. So, what is Hanukkah? Well, the word חֲנֻכָּה [H2598] hanukkah (kha’-noo-kah) simply means, “dedication” or “consecration.” But that leads us to a curious question: what was being dedicated or consecrated? Well, it was the Temple of GOD, but the festival was due to a past event when it had been rededicated and reconsecrated. But that leads us to another curious question: why would the Temple have been reconsecrated and rededicated unless it had been deconsecrated and defiled?

More than a century before the incarnation, there existed a viciously evil Seleucid king of Syria named Antiochus IV. After his expulsion from Egypt, he invaded Jerusalem to extend his power by forcing the Jews to Hellenize (enforce the “superior” Greek culture). Some Jews defected from the purity of Judaism and “adopted” Hellenism, which revolved around humanism that glorified human pleasure and self-centered desires. In short, they compromised, which allowed the enemy to infiltrate, inundate, indoctrinate, and then dominate. Eventually, an ultimatum was given to all the Jews: either the Jewish community must give up its distinctive customs (Shabbat, kosher laws, circumcision, etc.) or die. In fact, history reveals that Antiochus and his soldiers murdered over 80,000 Jews. Further, to prove his point and attempt to assert his superiority, Antiochus desecrated the Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus (whose image coincidentally resembled Antiochus), sacrificing an unclean pig on the altar, pouring the blood on the Scripture scrolls, and even insisting on being called “Epiphanes” (ep-ee’-fan-nace), which means “God manifest”. This blatant blasphemy sparked a major military and social conflict, which exploded into what is now known as the Maccabean Revolt. Pious faithful Jews went to war to protect their essential Judaism against the danger of Hellenizing Jews, whose collaboration with Hellenistic rulers eventually brought about laws against being Jewish, that living out the Torah was illegal. In other words, the government of that day tried to usurp GOD’s authority and override GOD’s Word. Antiochus had conducted a reign of terror for three years until his defeat by the “Maccabees,” which is from an Aramaic word מַקָּבָה [H4717] maqāḇâ (mak-kaw-baw’), meaning “hammer.” A man named Judah/Judas (Y’hudah) – who was a son of the Hasmonean priest Mattathias – was known as the leader of this revolt and was given the nickname of “Maccabeus,” presumably because of his effectiveness in battle. Just as Peter and the other apostles would later say in Acts 5:29, “we must obey God rather than men,” the Maccabees had declared the same. And against all odds, Judah(s) and everyone else who joined him prevailed over Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) in 164 BC and then led the reconsecration and rededication of the Temple on 25^th of their ninth month (Kislev), which is now celebrated as Hanukkah (the Feast of Dedication). Therefore, Hanukkah commemorates this awesome victory over an evil tyrant, who was a type of the future Antichrist who is to come (Daniel 9:24-27; 11:31-45; Matthew 24:3-31; Revelation 13). And based on the deuterocanonical account of the cleansing of the Temple in 1-2 Maccabees (esp. 1Macc 4:36-61), Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days beginning at sundown on 25 Kislev, which usually falls in December. For example, this year in 2022, it will begin on December 19^th, and next year in 2023 it will begin on December 8^th. However, in 2024 it will begin on December 26^th, which is only a day apart from December 25^th, which is the date Christians typically celebrate Christmas (and this is perhaps why gift giving eventually became a tradition during Hanukkah).

Now, the traditional reason for the festival lasting eight days is given in the Babylonian Talmud, where the rabbis explain that after the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple, they desired to light the eternal flame (the symbol of GOD’s presence); however, they found only one day’s worth of undefiled oil. Now, they knew that it would take them about eight days to produce new pure oil; therefore, if they lit the eternal flame, they would run out of their current oil supply before they were able to refill it from their next oil supply. However, they determined that it would be best to light the eternal flame immediately as a symbol of GOD’s victory so that they can praise the Lord. And what followed their faith-filled decision was nothing less than a miracle of GOD, reminiscent of the widow’s oil (2Kings 4:1-7) – the one day’s worth of oil lasted for eight days, ensuring that the eternal flame of GOD’s presence did not go out! Hence, the main observance for this holiday revolves around lighting the hanukkiyah. Jewish families progressively light nightly the special menorah with eight candles, using the center [ninth] candle, known as the shamash, to light all the other ones. The “shamash” means the “attendant” or “servant.” And this is why Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights!

In the Jewish publication, Chanukah, a writer said, “Then the light is kindled to give inspiration, for the light of Messiah must burn brightly in our hearts.” So, looking back at John 10:22-30, I find it interesting that those Jews who desired to stone Jesus to death did in fact have a light of some sort burning within them for the Messiah; however, when they encountered the true Messiah, they rejected Him because He did not conform to their expectations, which were formed from religious traditions. They claimed they were children of GOD, and had even hoped for the Messiah, yet Jesus told them they were not true believers and were not His sheep. That is a sobering and scary thought that someone can claim to be a child of GOD and yet still be rejected by the Lord. For this reason, Jesus had warned people quite a few times that in the end, He might tell them that He never knew them (Matthew 7:21-23; 25:1-13; Luke 13:22-30). Why? Because the people to whom He will say this are evildoers, those who did not do the Father’s will (Matthew 23:2-7; John 8:34-37). After all, why would they desire to kill Jesus when He continually healed people? And so, although those particular Jews had a light within them, it was the light from an all-consuming fire of prideful religious hypocrisy that burned genuine relationship to ashes. But that’s not the light children of GOD are supposed to shine.

Now, as with all the biblical holy days, there are spiritual lessons to be learned. A few of the lessons to be learned from Hanukkah include remaining faithful to the Lord, being courageous, and shining the light of the Lord. But perhaps the most vital lesson is seen in its very name. The festival commemorates a time after great tribulation and an abomination of desolation, when the true worship of GOD was restored in Jerusalem, just as it will be in the future (Revelation 21:1-6). Now, that ancient Temple no longer exists today, but there’s a good reason for that: each follower of Jesus is the holy temple where the Spirit dwells (John 14:23,26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Romans 8:9-11; 2Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9). But too often, believers endanger the purity of this sacred temple by allowing idolatry into their lives, just as Antiochus did centuries ago. And so, we should take seriously Paul’s exhortation in 1Corinthians 6:19-20, “¹⁹ do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰ For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

In Exodus 37, within the construction instructions for the sanctuary, a theme of purity is evident because we glorify GOD in the holy temple. Holiness is pure and that’s why the Ark of the Covenant, Table of Presence, Lampstand, and Incense Altar needed to possess purity (37:2, 6, 11, 16-17, 22-24, 26, 29).

So, ponder on purity: it is written in Matthew 5:8 that those whose thoughts are pure are blessed and they will see GOD. Purity is commendable. What person commends another for his/her lack of purity? What element is desired to be impure? It should be our goal to remove impurities. Silver (or gold or diamonds for that matter), would not be as valuable or desirable as they are without the process that removes impurities. Why? Purity is beautiful. Isn’t a diamond desired when it meets the four C’s during inspection? The inspector examines the diamond for Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat. And those four C’s determine its quality.

It is written in Proverbs 25:4 that if we remove impurities from the silver, the silversmith can craft a fine chalice. Ponder on this: pure silver has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals; in fact, pure silver defines conductivity; all other metals are compared to it. This means that the conductivity is reliable. People desire to use pure silver on circuit boards when they need the circuit board to work right the first time and every time. Remove impurities from your life so you can be conducive to GOD’s will for your life and the lives of others. To be as pure as possible, we need only to be in alignment with GOD’s will, which can be discerned by knowing GOD’s Word. The better you are aligned with GOD’s will, the more pure you become in your sanctification process; therefore, your conductivity grows greater and greater. Those who follow GOD’s Word are better equipped to receive GOD’s directions via the Holy Spirit; those who are better equipped to receive GOD’s directions are less likely to get lost.

Paul, speaking to believers in 1Corinthians 15:33-34, said, “³³ Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’ ³⁴ Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.”

It is written in Ecclesiastes 10:1 that dead flies in perfume make it stink, and a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom. The moral of the story is clear: the bad contaminates what is good. Think about it: a person desires his/her drinking water to be pure, right? Would you purchase purified water and then pour dirt in it right before you drink it? Would you put moldy bread in with fresh baked bread? Good and bad don’t belong together. Good that is surrounded by bad stands a great chance of becoming bad. Imagine purified water as the good in your life. Now imagine just a single drop of food coloring as something that is bad. If you were to drip food coloring into purified water, that food coloring would spread and soon the water would no longer be clear. The bad contaminates the good, whether that involves your sex life, what you eat, or the impure thoughts you allow within your mind. Is your holy temple infested with mold? What impurities do you need to remove from your life today? Purity does matter, but the implications are spiritual because unholiness affects our relationship with the Lord and others (Leviticus 20:7-8; Ezekiel 44:23; 1Corinthians 6:18-19; 2Corinthians 6: 14-16; 1Thessalonians 4:3-7). However, we must make this distinction: there is a big difference between a prideful-pious purity that’s based on religious works that claims a “holier than thou” status, and a humble-at-heart purity which acknowledges that we’ve only been cleansed because of the blood of Christ Jesus. The former is religion and the latter is relationship. The religious person will claim that his/her tabernacle is holy because of what he/she has done or abstained from doing out from his/her own strength and greatness. However, the one who has a genuine relationship with the Lord will proclaim that his/her tabernacle is holy because of Christ’s finished works and the power of the Spirit who now tabernacles within him/her! And because the temple is holy, idolatry has no place in our lives! For this reason, the Maccabees purged the temple from evil and Jesus later cleansed the temple because of unholy practices within (John 2:13-17). Both cleansings were done due to them having a genuine relationship with GOD and refusing to compromise what would take away from GOD’s holiness.

Examine both the seven-branched menorah and the nine-branched hanukkiyah: the branches shoot out from the center stem. If we don’t extend from the Center (the Source, the Head), we have no light. And of course, Jesus is the Center! Jesus is the Head! Examine what is written in John 15:1-11: “¹ ‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. ⁹ Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

In John 8:12, Jesus said that He is the Light of the world. In John 9:5, Jesus said, “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” But Jesus knew He was going to ascend into Heaven and that’s why He told His disciples (and us) that we are now to be the light of the world. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said, “¹⁴ ‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; ¹⁵ nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

And so, again, examine the nine-branched hanukkiyah: the center (ninth) candle is the one that gives light to the other candles. I believe we can learn a lot if we examine the shamash (the ninth candle). Again, shamash means “attendant” or “servant.” Remember what the Lord said! Jesus taught us that the greatest shall be the servant of all (Matthew 20:25-27; 23:11-12; Mark 10:42-44; Luke 22:25-26)! Also, the servant is not greater than his/her master (John 13:16). Jesus said He came to be the suffering servant as an example that we should do likewise (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; Luke 22:27; John 13:5-15). Therefore, Hanukkah symbolizes how the Lord, who served us, gave us light. And because the design of the lampstand is to project light forward and provide light for everyone in darkness so that they will be able to see, Christians are to shine their light for everyone in the darkness so that they may see our good works and glorify GOD. But what kind of good works should those in the darkness be seeing from the light-bearers? In John 13:13-15, Jesus said, “¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.” So, whether we are ensuring justice is done (Micah 6:8), showing compassion (Luke 10:30-37), forgiving others (Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35), feeding the hungry, inviting strangers into our homes, providing clothing to those in need, or visiting people in the hospital or prison (Matthew 25:31-46), we are truly children of GOD if we are not only loving GOD with all of our hearts, souls, and minds, but also loving others as we would love ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). Our light, though it is fire, should not burn others, but provide comfort and warmth. Our light, though it is pure, should not blind others, but provide vision and guide people to the straight and narrow path (Proverbs 4:23-27), which leads to the Door, who is Christ Jesus (John 10:7-9; 14:6).

Philippians 2:1-8 says, “¹ Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, ² make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. ³ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; ⁴ do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Therefore, in order to shine the light of Christ, we must first and foremost be in Christ and branch out from Christ. Then, after He gives us light, we must shine the light of loving servitude. And in order to shine continually, our oil must never run out (Matthew 25:1-13). The oil is faith and the Holy Spirit continually produces this oil.

And finally, another tradition of Hanukkah that has since developed from the Maccabean Revolt is playing games with a dreidel (a four-sided top). Each face of the dreidel is marked with one of four Hebrew letters: נ nun (nun), ג gimel (gim-el), ה hei (hay), and ש shin (shin), representing the phrase Nes Gadol Hayah Sham (“A great miracle happened there”). However, in Israel, the letter shin is replaced with פ pei (pay) for the Hebrew word meaning “here.”

In conclusion, there is a connection between Judaism and Christianity, and between Hanukkah and Christmas. Hanukkah recalls a military victory for Israel, oil provided for them by GOD, the light of the Lord overcoming the darkness, and true worship being restored. The entire Festival of Lights is a reminder of those who courageously remain faithful to GOD – even in the face of persecution! However, it’s also a reminder of GOD’s miracles and His love for us. If the miracle of Christmas was the birth of Christ, then the miracle of Hanukkah enabled the miracle of Christmas. For without the Jewish people, there would be no Messiah (or Christ) and hence no salvation. But out from GOD’s sovereignty and unfailing love, a Savior was born. And so, this Christmas, may we all remember that the greatest gift we could ever receive was born in a feeding trough for animals beneath temporary shelter (sukkah) outside because the world didn’t have room for Him (Luke 2:7). But what about now? Do you have room for the Savior? He wants to give you the light of life.

The Meaning Of Christmas: A Savior Is Born (Tabernacles, Booths, Sukkot)

In a previous article, I provided some clarification to some confusion that some people have regarding Christmas being a pagan celebration and I answered the big question as to whether or not Christians should celebrate Christmas. And so now we know – the Christmas that Christians celebrate is not pagan. Christians don’t worship trees, nor do they make Santa Claus an idol to be worshiped. But this leads us to a curious question: why do we celebrate Christmas?

Christmas is so commercialized nowadays that the true meaning of Christmas has been lost by many people. Even non-Christians celebrate Christmas, but their celebrations are typically centered around buying obligatory gifts for people, receiving gifts they probably don’t even want, eating food, spending time with family members they might not even like, and simply enjoying their time off work because they hate their jobs. For many people of our secular society, Christmas is merely a paid vacation day that allows them to indulge in either laziness or activities that are centered around pleasure for self. On average, Americans spend approximately $1,000 on Christmas each year. So, while most people get Christmas day as a paid holiday, they also spend a week’s worth of their salary out from obligation just because they feel like that’s what they’re supposed to do around this time of year because consumerism has become an indoctrinated concept within our culture. And because of that, Christmas ends up being extremely stressful and burdensome for many people. But that is the way of secular society, not Christianity.

So, why do Christians celebrate Christmas? What’s it all about? What’s the meaning of Christmas? Well, simply put, it’s all about the birth of Christ Jesus. And this is also known as the incarnation. Now, many people — even non-Christians — know this surface-level truth with head knowledge, but there is always depth beyond the surface. And unfortunately, even many self-proclaimed Christians don’t fully comprehend the awesomeness of this Truth. So let’s investigate the depth and examine our discoveries.

Matthew 2:1-10 says, “¹ Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ² ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’ ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ⁶ ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’” ⁷ Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.’ ⁹ After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”

Now, I intentionally stopped reading at verse 10 because I’m going to return to that passage at the end of this message. So, keep that passage in mind.

In Judaism, the חַ֧ג הַסֻּכּ֖וֹת Feast of Booths (a.k.a. Festival of: Booths, Tabernacles, Tents, Ingathering, and סֻכֹּ֔ת [H5521] Sukkot [soo-koht’]) is a week-long celebration where the Jews live in temporary tents or booths (made from natural elements of the earth) in order to remind themselves of their ancestors’ time in the wilderness, after GOD led them out of Egypt, because they had to dwell in temporary shelters on their journey (Nehemiah 8:14-17). This was sometimes also referred to “the festival of the Lord” (Judges 21:19) or simply “the festival” (1Kings 8:65). But this was the third of the three pilgrimage festivals. All Jewish males were required to go to Jerusalem to recall GOD’s providence toward Israel during their 40 years of wandering in the desert while living in tents (Deuteronomy 16:16). This festival started on the 15^th of the seventh month [Tishri] (September/October). For example, this year in 2022, Sukkot was on October 10^th, but next year in 2023 it will be on September 30^th; however, it starts at sundown the previous day. The reason for this is because unlike our western Gregorian solar-based calendar, the Jewish calendar uses both lunar and solar movements. The months are determined by the moon, and the year is determined by the sun. The Jewish day begins at sunset.

So, we know the reason for this festival, but what was the ultimate goal? Well, the name of this holy day tells its purpose. Essentially, it is twofold, with the first being related to the fall harvest. During this week, they also celebrated the fruit harvest. As Leviticus 23:33-43 teaches, Sukkot was to be a time of bringing in the latter harvest. It is widely believed that the Puritan colonists, who were devoted students of the Hebrew Scriptures, based the first American Thanksgiving on Sukkot. A secondary meaning of this holy day is found in the command to dwell in a temporary shelter. This festival can be summarized with the word, “habitation.” We know from the Torah that GOD dwelt with His people in their 40-year wilderness wanderings. And so, the theme is that GOD dwells with His people. Leviticus 23:40 says, “Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” And so, avoiding all work on the first and last days of the festival, they were to mark the week with sacrifices, celebration, and joy (see also, Numbers 29:12-40). In addition, every seventh year the Law was to be read at this festival (Deuteronomy 31:10-11). Two ceremonies were part of the last day of Sukkot:

1. Giant golden lampstands were lit in the Temple courtyard, and people carrying torches marched around the Temple, and then they set these lights around the walls of the Temple, indicating that the Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6).
2. And then by the first century A.D. when Jesus had walked the earth, another part of this festival involved the drawing of water for a libation offering (nisukh hamayim) from the Pool of Siloam with great ceremony and joy, which symbolizing that when the Messiah comes, the whole earth will know GOD “as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).

There is so much depth to be discovered beyond the surface of this week-long festival. So, let’s go diving into the depths, investigate, and then examine our discoveries. The Festival of Tabernacles is interesting, but why is all of this important for New Testament Christians? Well, not only did the Israelites erect temporary shelters for themselves to dwell in, but after GOD delivered the Israelites from slavery, the Lord had His people construct a tabernacle so GOD could dwell among them (Exodus 25:8). The word “tabernacle” is a translation of the Hebrew מִשְׁכָּן [H4908] mishkan (mish-kawn’), which means “dwelling-place.” It’s the special dwelling place of GOD. Why is this important? In short, the tabernacle foreshadowed Christ.

John 1:1-4 says, “¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

From the beginning of John’s gospel, he references back to the beginning, which echoes Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The Word is not named as such in Genesis, but is immediately seen in action when GOD spoke everything into existence. The word, “Word” is the Greek λόγος [G3056] logos (log’-ahs), which means a word (uttered by a living voice), a saying, or speech, and denotes the expression of thought. The Word was a term used by theologians and philosophers, both Jews and Greeks, in many different ways. In Hebrew Scripture, the Word was an agent of creation (Psalm 33:6), the source of GOD’s message to His people through the prophets (Hosea 4:1), and GOD’s Law, His standard of holiness (Psalm 119:11). In Greek philosophy, the Word was the ‘reason’ behind everything, the principle of reason that governed the world, or the thought still in the mind. In Hebrew thought, the Word was another expression for GOD. Jesus, therefore, is the Creator of the universe and all life (Genesis 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24), the ultimate revelation of GOD, the living picture of GOD’s holiness (Colossians 1:15), the One who “holds all creation together (Colossians 1:17). The Greek word corresponds to the Aramaic memra, a technical theological term used by rabbis in both the centuries before and after Jesus when speaking of GOD’s expression of Himself. Thus, the Messiah existed before all creation. For this reason, Jesus said in prayer in John 17:5, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Also, for this reason, Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees in John 8:58, said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” Hence, Jesus had made Himself equal with GOD (Exodus 3:14; John 5:18; 10:33) and the eternal Wisdom of Proverbs 8:22-31, which existed before creation and was present during creation.

John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

When it says that the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. The word “dwelt” is a translation of the Greek ἐσκήνωσεν eskēnōsen (es-kay-no-sen), which is the word σκηνόω [G4637] skēnoō (skay-naw’-oh), which means to tabernacle, tent, encamp, or dwell. Therefore, John 1:14 literally says that GOD tabernacled among us. GOD, who is 100% Spirit (John 4:24), tabernacled within the 100% flesh body He created; thus, Jesus is GOD incarnate. Hence, the incarnation. It is for this reason Jesus is known as Ἐμμανουήλ [G1694] Immanuel (Matthew 1:23), which means “God with us.” It is also for this reason that Jesus referred to His body as the Temple (John 2:19-21) and even said He is greater than the physical temple structure (Matthew 12:6). And for this reason, Hebrews 9:11 says that the body of Christ was the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with human hands.

When it says we saw His glory, the word “glory” is the Greek word δόξα [G1391] doxa (dox’-ah), which describes the goodness or value of someone. Hence, this one word attempts to effectively convey the indescribable, infinite, and intrinsic worth of GOD’s essence, His divine quality of magnificence and majesty, which we translate as “glory.”

Therefore, just like GOD dwelt with His people in the Old Testament (Exodus 25:8; 29:45-46; Numbers 35:34; 1Kings 6:13; Ezekiel 43:9; Zechariah 2:1-4), John and Paul both teach that the fullness of GOD tabernacled in Jesus and the Spirit now tabernacles within us (John 14:23,26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Romans 8:9-11; 2Corinthians 6:16; Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9).

So, as John sought to describe the Messiah’s first coming, the most obvious picture to portray and explain was Sukkot, the holy day that celebrates the dwelling of GOD via temporary tabernacles!

The Talmud tells of a custom that developed in the Second Temple time period. At that time during this holy day, a priest would take a water pitcher down to the Pool of Siloam, dip it in the water, and carry it back to the Temple. Crowds of people would then form a huge processional behind the priest, dancing, singing, and chanting the Hallel (Psalms 113-118) as they entered the Temple mount. For each of the first six days of Sukkot, the processional would circle the Temple altar one time, and on the seventh day there would be seven processionals to magnify the joy. The highlight of the ceremony came when the priest dramatically poured the water on the altar of the Temple. The response of the multitudes was so immense that the Talmud says whoever has not been in Jerusalem for this ceremony has not experienced real joy. Hence, it became known as Rejoicing of the House of Drawing Water (Hoshana Rabbah). Why? Talmudic rabbis speak of deep truths from Isaiah 12:3 in regard to the ceremony: “Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” But “salvation” in Hebrew is יְשׁוּעָה [H3444] yeshua (yesh-oo’-aw), the name of the Messiah! And yes—Yeshua means salvation! So, the Rejoicing of the House of Drawing Water was to prophetically illustrate the days of messianic redemption when the water of the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon all Israel. GOD will ultimately build His habitation with His people when the Kingdom is established under the Messiah’s rule. And John 7:37-39 explains the next connection to Sukkot:

John 7:37-39 says, “³⁷ Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” ’ ³⁹ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

So, on the last day of the festival, Hoshana Rabbah, Jesus declared to be the Living Water and the Messiah, just as He did with the woman at the well (John 4:7-26). Imagine the setting: Sukkot was in full swing, and the joy of the first six days was exuberant. On the great final day, the crowds were filled with expectation for the Messiah and the Holy Spirit He would bring. At the very time of the water-drawing ceremony, Jesus (Yeshua) made a bold proclamation: “Do you truly want the living water of the Holy Spirit? Does anyone understand the true significance of this ceremony? If anyone desires what “the place of the water drawing” symbolizes (Beit Hashoavah), let him believe in Me. I am the Messiah who will pour out the Holy Spirit on Israel!”

Therefore, with all aspects of Sukkot now pieced together, the Bible provides a few different themes for us to know: GOD’s provision, His dwelling with His people, and the joy of the Holy Spirit. Yet, there is still a future element remaining to be fulfilled by the Festival of Tabernacles. John, in Revelation 21:1-4, shares a vision of final things in that the reality of Sukkot will be obvious to all: “¹ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, ⁴ and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.””

Sukkot was always known as the holy day that commemorates GOD dwelling with His people. How fitting for the Kingdom of GOD, when it fully comes to the redeemed earth, to be considered the ultimate fulfillment of this holy day. GOD Himself will finally dwell with His people in all His fullness. The סֻכָּה [H5521] Sukkah [sook-kaw’] (booth/tabernacle) of GOD will be among men when Messiah Yeshua dwells as the ruler of the thousand-year messianic Kingdom! Sukkot is said to be the premier celebration of the Millennium. As the prophet Zechariah predicted in Zechariah 14:16-17: “¹⁶ Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. ¹⁷ And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.”

The Tabernacles:

• In the Garden (Genesis 3:8)
• In the Messianic believer (Exodus 33:15)
• In the wilderness (Exodus 40:33-35)
• And the Divine Presence (1Kings 8:1-11)
• And the incarnation (Matthew 1:23)
• And the Kingdom to come (Revelation 21:1-6)

Now, ponder on this: the detailed description of the tabernacle and its construction comprise more than one-third of the book of Exodus (25-40), signifying its theological importance to the life of GOD’s people before the forming of the nation-state of Israel. And yet it was all mere material of the earth that GOD allowed to be destroyed due to the sinful rebellion of the Israelites (1Kings 9:8-9; Ezra 5:12; Lamentations). GOD put so much care and concern into what He knew would be destroyed. Does that sound familiar? It should. The true and more perfect Temple not made by human hands, the divinely designed body of Christ Jesus, was greater and had even more care and concern and attention to detail in creation (Matthew 12:6; Hebrews 9:11) and yet GOD knew that the true Temple would be destroyed (John 2:19-21). However, the Father revealed to the Son that in three days the Temple would be rebuilt (Matthew 12:39-40; John 2:22). Jesus would rise again and conquer the grave, taking away the sting of death for all who put their faith in Him (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-13; 1Corinthians 15:54-57).

In conclusion, I shall return to the beginning where this message started. In Matthew 2:1-10, the magi sought and finally found the Messiah. But where did they find the Messiah? Luke 2:7 says, “And she 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.” The word “manger” is the Greek word φάτνη [G5336] phatnē (faht’-nay), which comes from the word πατέομαι patéomai (pat-ay-ohm-eye), meaning “to eat.” And because Luke 13:15 informs us that this was a location where animals such as oxen and donkeys were kept, we know that Jesus was placed in a feeding trough for animals. Why? Because there was no room for them in the “inn,” which is the Greek word κατάλυμα [G2646] katalyma (kat-al’-oo-mah), which is a lodging place for travelers where they can put down their belongings, take off their traveling gear, and halt for the night. Therefore, because Joseph, Mary, and Jesus weren’t able to stay in the main lodging area, they were discovered in a temporary shelter that can be likened to a sukkah! The body of the Messiah is the Holy Sukkah and He was discovered in a sukkah! Now, is there any wonder why when the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, that the magi, the caste of wise men, in Matthew 2:11, did what they did? It is written: “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

So, what is Christmas truly about? Truly, it’s about the Christmas tabernacle, the incarnation. The birth of the Savior! And so, in all honesty, we should be celebrating the birth of Christ in the month of Tishri when the festival of tabernacles is celebrated. And that falls anywhere between September and October. But, ‘tis the season for the drudgery of winter where everything is dark, dead, and cold. And as long as we’re bringing light, life, and warmth into the world, we might as well take advantage of the season and share the reason for light, life, and warmth: Christ Jesus. For without Jesus, there is no light and there is no life (John 14:6). But… it could be warm. Really warm. Like, lake of fire warm. But I digress. That’s a message for another day.

So, what is the meaning of Christmas? What’s it all about? Well, Linus told everyone back in 1965 in A Charlie Brown Christmas when he recited Luke 2:8-14: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ ”
And then Linus says, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Yeah. That’s what Christmas is all about. So, if you’re going to celebrate Christmas, then celebrate the right reason even if your timing might be a little off. Merry Christmas. May the Lord bless you, and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.

Superhero: Armor of GOD: Shoes of Readiness

---

If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…

---

This is Part 17 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems. In Part 13, we saw that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors! In Part 14, we saw that true superheroes do not have identity crises – they know who they are even if others don’t! In Part 15, we saw that superheroes are always ready to fight evil with the belt of Truth. In Part 16, we saw that superheroes are always ready to resist evil by putting on the breastplate of righteousness.

In this message (Part 17), we will see that superheroes are always ready to walk with purpose.

---

 

Continuing the examination of the whole armor of GOD, we are now instructed to put on the shoes of readiness (Ephesians 6:15).

Marvel’s superhero, Daredevil, is a great example of having feet of readiness. In his true civilian identity, Matthew Michael Murdock is a skilled and respected New York attorney, detective, tracker, and interrogation expert, as well as being an expert marksman. But the amazing thing about this superhero is that he is blind! However, Daredevil – though he is blind – is always alert and ready to respond appropriately to any situation and is prepared to dodge danger and evade evil. But not only is Daredevil ready to avoid the attacks of his adversaries, he is also ready to effectively combat evil and accomplish good.

Many people might believe Daredevil to be far-fetched fairytale nonsense, but there are numerous accounts of people being amazing despite being blind – click on the examples to see their inspirational stories:

• 7 Amazing Blind People
• Three Tales of Inspiring Blind People
• Inspiring America: Two Blind Brothers Curing Blindness With Clothing
• Helen Keller

So, what are the shoes of readiness? What purpose did shoes serve for a Roman soldier? What purpose do these spiritual shoes serve for us? The shoes were primarily composed of two parts: the greave and the shoe itself. The greave was a fitted piece of bronze or brass that began at the top of the knee and extended down past the lower leg, finally resting on the upper portion of the foot. The shoes were equipped with spikes on the bottom. How does this apply to our lives as superheroes for the Savior? Well, imagine a solider being completely covered with protective armor yet having bare and exposed feet. Just one rock, glass shard, or nail could bring a soldier down to his knees, trip him up and cause him to be overcome in battle. Because the feet carry the soldier and direct him to the battle and through the battle, protection for the feet are necessary.

For example, in Greek mythology, the most enduring story of the death of Achilles describes how one single arrow shot from a man named Paris landed in the one spot Achilles happened to be vulnerable – his heel. The one area of exposed weakness was enough to bring the great warrior down in defeat. Another example can be found in the comedic 1990 movie, Home Alone. In a hilarious scene of boobytraps and mishaps, the criminal, Marv, steps on a nail with his bare foot and then falls down stairs:

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
(Ephesians 5:15-16) -NASB

May you also understand that it’s not necessary to have physical feet in order to put on the shoes of readiness. This is a spiritual war and the spiritual armor still applies to those who don’t have physical legs. There have been many people who have either lost their legs or were born without legs yet they accomplished good deeds in life. Consider the following examples:

• Sir Douglas Bade
• Zuly Sanguino
• Shwanda Corbett

Stand Your Ground:

The spikes on the bottom of the Roman soldier’s shoes helped him to have firm footing and prevent him from being pushed back or slip and fall down. Scripture tells us that we are to stand in the confidence of knowing that we have on the shoes of readiness given by the gospel of peace. The word “peace” is taken from the Greek word eirene, an old word that conveys the idea of a peace that prevails or a conquering peace. When you have strapped on that peace and you have peace on the bottom of your feet, you are immovable. This peace helps us stand our ground and hold you in place when the enemy tries to drive you back. The person who has the footing in peace is like a tree with deep roots that won’t get knocked down during a storm. In Ephesians 6:14, 1Corinthians 16:13, and 2Corinthians 1:24, for example, we are instructed to “stand.” It’s interesting to note that the majority of verses in the New Testament that have to do with standing also have to do with faith. It’s time to take a stand. Stand your ground! Don’t allow the enemy to push you back!

Dodging Danger; Evading Evil:

Due to fallen humanity’s inclination toward evil and war, it is estimated that there are about 110 million land mines throughout the world that are still in the ground right now. That’s what we created! Think: What are we creating? An estimated equal amount of mines are in stockpiles waiting to be used or destroyed. If de-mining efforts remain at about the same rate as they are now, and no new mines are planted, it is estimated to take over 1,000 years to get rid of all the world’s active land mines. Research declares that about every 20 seconds, someone in the world gets injured or dies due to mines. And that’s merely the danger of human physical warfare. Now imagine how many ‘mines’ have been strategically placed in the spiritual war that is waging all around us.

[Recommend Reading: Is Religion the Cause of Most Wars?]

Even after war is over, the remnants of war remains; wounds still must heal – both physically and mentally. The full extent of war’s destruction is evident in the aftermath through the process of rebuilding. The spiritual war was won when Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross and then rose again on the third day; however, there are still traps for those who refuse GOD’s gift of grace and mercy. There are traps for those of us who have accepted GOD’s gift of grace! Even though the enemy has been defeated, the spiritual mines still remain active. Until Christ returns and takes us to the New Earth under the New Heavens (Isaiah 65:17-25; 2Peter 3:13; Revelation 21-22), this current life is still Operation Relentless Rescue.

Observe. Think! Analyze. Be aware. Do you truly believe that the temptations which come your way are merely coincidental? Is it possible that Satan knows your selfish desires? Do they seem too subtle to be certain? The physical enemy plants physical mines where there is a likelihood for people to travel; likewise, spiritual mines are also planted in places where people frequently travel through life.

Like the birds in the 2003 movie, Finding Nemo, many people scream, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” Many people are so accustomed to saying, “mine” for selfish reasons that when the word is heard, they believe the word to be a proclamation of possession. Like many people, I am also screaming, “Mine!”; however, I am screaming for your sake, not mine. Consider this message of mine to be yet another warning. This is just one of many warnings I will preach.

Our culture that is contaminated by corruption of the Counterfeiter has planted millions of mines within our advertisement and entertainment industries (see my article, “Reflection and Direction“). Be careful: these mines look like your desires. All mines are strategically placed around sex, money, title/position, stimulants, and material possessions. Why do you think this would be so? Well, Jesus told us the answer:

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
(Matthew 26:41) -ESV

Those who work in the entertainment and advertisement industries know that the flesh is weak – that’s why they promote their products in the appealing ways that they do! We must put on the shoes of readiness and watch our steps or we will find that we won’t even have a leg to stand on. We better watch our steps or we will lose our way. If we’re not careful, we’ll not only lose a limb or life, but we can also lose our purpose and then our eternal joy in Heaven will instead be eternal sorrow and anguish in Hell. Consider the wisdom of what is written:

“For 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?”
(Matthew 16:26) -ESV

“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
(Proverbs 14:12) -NASB

• It may be tempting to allow the anger within to explode outward, but do not sin in your anger (Genesis 4:5-7; Ephesians 4:26-27). #Mine 💣💥
• It may be tempting to puff up with pride, but don’t walk into anger, step into that argument, and allow poisonous words to spill out from your mouth (Ephesians 4:29-31). #Mine 💣💥
• It may be tempting to see if the grass is greener on the other side, but don’t walk over boundaries and step into another person’s romantic relationship (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21). #Mine 💣💥
• It may be tempting to get credit and receive praise for something you didn’t do, but don’t walk into dishonesty and dishonor by stepping into another person’s place of honor (Proverbs 3:27; Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3). #Mine 💣💥
• It may be tempting to immerse yourself in the entrancement of technology, but don’t walk into a dead end by stepping into isolation (Genesis 2:18; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Proverbs 18:1; 1Corinthians 12:14). #Mine 💣💥
• It may be tempting to exchange personal information for the sake of friendship, but don’t walk down Disrespectful Drive or Slander Street by stepping into the realm of gossip (Exodus 23:1; Leviticus 19:16; Proverbs 11:12-13; 20:19; James 4:11). #Mine 💣💥
• It may be tempting to compromise an area of Truth to experience ‘fun’ or receive pleasure, but do not walk into disobedience to seek temporary desires that never fulfill. Never make a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion. Don’t trade away GOD’s lifelong gift to satisfy a short-term appetite (Genesis 25:29-34; Hebrews 12:16-17; 2Samuel 11-13). #Mine 💣💥
• It may be tempting to escape suffering and sorrow, but do not walk down Evil Lane and step into the entrapment of drugs. Don’t walk into that store and step your way into becoming a drunken fool. #Mine 💣💥
• It may be temping to risk everything you currently have in order to attain everything you desire, but don’t step away from responsibility by stepping into unrealistic odds that are not in your favor. #Mine 💣💥
• It may be tempting to escape the pain in life by ending your life, but do not walk into the possibility of Hell by stepping your way into suicide. #Mine 💣💥

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
(1Corinthians 10:12-13) -ESV

Advance Forward:

The spikes on the bottom of the shoes isn’t only for standing your ground and refusing to be pushed back, it’s also for traction in order to gain ground and advance forward. Are you taking ground or losing ground? In Joshua 1:3, GOD told Joshua that he would possess all the land he walked on. GOD freely gave the children of Israel the Promised Land; however, in order for them to possess that land and enjoy it, they had to advance forward while overcoming opposition. It is written in Romans 16:20 that “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” The word “crush” is taken from the Greek word suntribo, and it was historically used to denote the act of smashing and utterly crushing grapes into wine. But it was also used to denote the act of snapping, breaking, and crushing bones. Because of Jesus, Satan is under our feet. Alone, we are no match for Satan. But because we have partnership with the Lord, we can overcome. Jesus completely destroyed Satan’s power over you through His sacrificial death and resurrection. Standing in faith is a defensive move and a refusal to go back; walking with the Lord is an offensive move and a decision to advance forward. And because we walk in the confidence and peace of knowing this, it’s time to advance forward and walk with purpose.

Walking With Purpose:

It is good to be able to dodge danger and evade evil, but that does not mean that we should avoid the adversary or stay away from sinners. Superheroes do not run away from problems; rather, they embrace their callings and seek solutions.

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
(1John 2:3-6) -ESV

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ ”
(Matthew 28:16-20) -ESV

Wherever Jesus had directed the disciples to go, they went there. The shoes of readiness help us to dodge danger and evade evil; however, the shoes of readiness also guide us to walk with purpose. Our purpose for walking by faith is to share the Gospel (good news). If your feet don’t take you out of your comfort zone and into the battlefield, then you’re not wearing the shoes of readiness. The Couch Potato Christians might as well wear ankle monitors and consider themselves prisoners of their own probations.

When Saul of Tarsus became Paul, Jesus helped him to realize that he had been blind to the Truth all along (Acts 9:3-19). From this, we can learn that without Jesus, we are all dead in our own sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). The Lord is the Light (John 8:12) and the only reason we have sight (Isaiah 42:16; Ephesians 2:4-9). Without Jesus to give us vision, we would all be blind darkness dwellers. Without GOD as the Light that guides our steps (Psalm 119:105), we would all be the blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). But because Jesus called us out of the darkness and into the Light (Colossians 1:13), we became the light-bearers (John 9:5; Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 5:8; 1Thessalonians 5:5; 1Peter 2:9) who act as travel guides. Just as tourists typically follow tour guides until they reach their destinations, the “lost” only follow Christians until they come to Jesus. People ultimately follow Christ, not Christians. But as light-bearing guides, we must put on the shoes of readiness if we are to lead those in the dark to the Light. Don’t walk in the darkness without your shoes on; don’t go into the battlefield with bare feet. Are your shoes on? Are you ready?

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ ”
(Romans 10:14-15; see also Isaiah 52:7) -ESV

Prayer:

GOD, thank You for the shoes of readiness You gave to us. Please open our eyes and help us to see what You truly want us to see. Expose the lies and reveal the Truth! Please open our ears and help us to hear what You truly want us to hear. Help us to recognize the ‘mines’ for what they truly are. Help us to walk the straight and narrow path of righteousness (Proverbs 4:25-27; Isaiah 30:21; Deuteronomy 5:32-33; Matthew 7:13-14) and keep us from deviating from the path of Truth. And when we encounter the ‘mines,’ please help us recognize the path of escape that you promised to provide (1Corinthians 10:13). Please lead righteous people our way and surround us with good and righteous influences who will keep us accountable and inspire us to rise to new and higher levels in our lives of faith. Please use us to guide others away from the destructive ‘mines’ of the adversary’s mind. Please help us to guide the lost to the One who can save. I humbly recognize that if You had not given me vision, I would still be blind. Help me lead others to You so that You may heal them of their blindness, open their eyes and help them to see — truly see! Help me to be a bright light in the darkness of this world. Help me to provide my light to those without sight so they may find their way Home. Help me to give light to those without light so they can also go shine their lights and help others acquire light. A candle was designed to provide light. A candle can either refuse to be lit and remain a mere candle all its inactive days or it can accept the fire of the Holy Spirit and provide light as it was designed to do! I understand that as I provide light, my life will dwindle down to nothing, but in doing so I will truly live (John 11:25-26). And truly, I’d rather live than merely exist. It is better to sink while sailing for the Savior than to forever float in Hinder Harbor, tied to the devil’s dock.

GOD, I am only another mere candle creation, but please help me light as many other candles as possible before my time ends. Please guide our steps to be in step with Your perfect will. Amen.

You Doing The Most

First and foremost, I want to present a challenge to you (the reader) to read this entire article even if you’re not a Christian – especially if you’re not a Christian. May this serve as insight into Christianity, but also challenge your worldview. You may not think that you’re “doing the most,” but you probably are.

In ministry and in life, we are not meant to merely survive, but to thrive. How do we not only stay in the game, but stay on top of our game? To be able to stay on top of our game, we must first ensure that we stay in the game. Life can be draining. Ministry can be draining and cause people to quit. Selflessly loving people can be draining sometimes – especially when we receive so much hate simply because we live to love others. It’s disheartening.

According to John Maxwell, more than two-thirds of all biblical leaders finish poorly. That is alarming! How could it be that about 67% of biblical leaders finish poorly? I believe it’s because they ran out of gas and lost sight of the ultimate end goal. The key to staying in the game is to prevent burnout. When ministry is a challenge, that isn’t an indication of failure or ineptitude. It’s simply reality. There will be tough times of conflict, disappointment, and loss, so ministry requires a heart and soul that are alive and full to the point of resiliency. In 1Corinthians 9:24, Paul tells us that we need to run the race well so that we finish well (see also, Hebrews 12:1,7). This requires endurance. This life is a marathon, not a mad dash to an immediate goal. Those who go too fast, too quickly, find themselves too tired to finish the race. What good does it do if you started the race yet never finished it? We must challenge ourselves to grow, but also be careful not to grow too quickly. If the growth happens too quickly and overtakes ability, we will feel overwhelmed and we will burn out. Yet we must grow. We must not be complacent and remain comfortable. We can’t be stinky stagnant water. We must practice self-leadership. How do we do this? It is much easier said than done. I have failed at it many times. We need as much input as we output. We need encouragement, motivation, and inspiration. And to be inspired, we must be learning. We must also have fellowship and accountability. We are not meant to live life alone.

Unlike Demi Lovato — who believes allowing love within will cause a heart attack — I know that love is what heals the heart. We need to make sure that our heart is full of love and that we are fully devoted to GOD. But to be full of love and fully devoted to GOD, we must constantly cast out all the bad that tries to stick to us. And they will stick if you let them! It’s easy to allow bitterness, resentment, disappointment and pain to stick to us and pile discouragement on top of us, forcing us to carry an unnecessarily heavy load. They are the Sticky Bandits who steal our joy and our drive to thrive. These Sticky Bandits will hinder us and prevent us from fulfilling our purpose. And those things that stick to us act like muck and guck that clog a pipe and won’t allow water to drain. They act like the various substances that clog the coronary arteries, which causes heart attacks. Dear Demi, heart failure is not because of love, it is from a lack of love.

And as unfortunate as it is for me to admit this, we need to heed the advice from Taylor Swift and “shake it off.” How do we ensure that the muck and guck won’t stick to us and cause us to become jaded and faded, pained and drained? It’s simple. We must make time for GOD. (Remember: being simple doesn’t mean it’s easy.) It’s possible for us to work too hard in ministry yet spiritually starve ourselves. When our pace is too fast, discouragement follows close behind. In 1Peter 5:6-11, Peter tells us that the devil prowls around like a lion, just waiting to pounce on its victim (vv.8)! But he also informs us that we will encounter difficult times (vv.9-10) and he instructs us to cast our anxieties on GOD (vv.7).

C.S. Lewis had once said that what one calls the interruptions of life are precisely one’s real life experiences. Think about that. Those ‘interruptions’ are not actually interruptions as we perceive them to be. They are a part of life. Certain parts of life may interrupt our plans, but our plans are not part of real life experiences until those thoughts actually become actions. Thus, those perceived ‘interruptions’ are real life experiences we just happen to stumble into as we’re trying to figure out what we’re doing. We’re running into things and we’re getting mad at the things we’re running into! (This sounds like a George Carlin stand-up comedian act.) Have you ever seen the video with the woman who falls into a fountain while texting? How dare that stationary fountain interrupt her entire world of important text messages!

Do we have a solution to this problem? Yes. Don’t get bitter; get better! We’re going to get interrupted. None of our plans are going to work perfectly. Surprises will happen. We must make room in our lives for interruptions and surprises. Overscheduling leads to being overwhelmed and overreacting. Our day should begin with GOD, pause in the middle of the day to be with GOD, and end our night with GOD. In Luke 5:16, it is written: “But [Jesus] would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” Quiet time is important. Time alone with GOD is important. Time with GOD brings clarity. We must discipline ourselves to be in constant connection with GOD.

If we try to do too much, we will collapse under the weight of expectation and we will end up hardly doing anything at all. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus tells those who are weary and burdened to go to Him and He will give them rest. Jesus also tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. With the knowledge of this in mind, wouldn’t it be counterproductive to crush ourselves under the weight of ministry, thereby being ineffective in ministry? If there is a routine panic over not knowing how things will get accomplished, then it might be a heavy burden that’s too heavy. If projects are abandoned before they’re completed just so new initiatives can begin, then it might be a heavy burden that’s too heavy. If volunteers leave because they feel overworked, resulting in a smaller team to carry all the weight, then it might be a heavy burden that’s too heavy. Instead of the Jeff Foxworthy “you might be a redneck if” jokes, this is starting to sound like a teenager’s “you might be doing the most if” commentary. If your family suffers because they’re being neglected while all your focus is spent on other people, you might be doing the most.

When the burden becomes too heavy, our attitude tanks, our hearts strain, and our call to ministry becomes foggy with frustration and clouded by confusion. This type of workload does not honor GOD. We must remain realistic. We should not continue to pile on the ambitions if the ability simply isn’t able to carry that ambitious load. Success can still happen and be recognized in a steady and gradual growth. When Dr. Seuss told us about the places we’ll go, he gave us wisdom we can use in the ministry:

“So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
And remember that Life’s
A great Balancing Act.”

It’s true — we must be balanced. So how do we stay balanced? We could simply take advice from a mafia member: “Fuhgeddaboudit!” We could also listen to Elsa from Frozen: “Let it go! Let it goooooo!” But how about we seek the Source and dive into GOD’s Word instead? It is written in Philippians 3:13-15: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way.”

We must give ourselves a complete shake-down to loosen evil’s grasp on our lives. What are these Sticky Bandits we need to shake off? Bitterness? Resentment? Disappointment? Doubt? Fear? These Sticky Bandits are also sneaky suckers! Picture them as leeches. A leech latches itself onto you and sucks the life (blood) out of you. But know this: a leech releases an anesthetic into its host to prevent the host from feeling the leech. Although you may not feel the life being sucked out of you, you must realize that life is indeed being sucked out of you! The sneaky sucker releases an anesthetic into you while it is consuming you! Also, the leech injects an anticoagulant into its host to ensure that the blood will continue to come out. Likewise, the sneaky suckers ensure the depletion of our life-force. As long as those Sticky Bandits are attached to us, they will continue to suck the life out of us. You need to give yourself a good shake-down and thrash those sneaky suckers off you! Go ahead and scream it – “GET OFF ME!!! You don’t know me! Get off me! You don’t know me, son!”

To stay balanced, we need to shake off the Sticky Bandits and keep our eyes on the prize. We can’t allow the past to affect our present so much as to prevent us from going into our future with purpose. After we shake off the Sticky Bandits, we need to leave them there. Let it go. If we refuse to allow our focus to be on the Sticky Bandits, we can place our focus on the truth that GOD loves us and love wins in the end. Don’t get stuck staring at the muck and guck, continually placing your focus on the leech while screaming, “This sucks!” Just shake it off and keep going. We will experience difficulties. That’s reality. There will be some hard times. That’s life. But those things are the ‘interruptions’ in life. That’s all they are! When looking at the bigger picture of life, those difficulties interrupt us for mere moments at a time. At the time, they seem like they might last forever; however, in the big picture, they are mere moments sprinkled throughout a lifetime. Pastor J Don George of Calvary Church in Irving, Texas constantly tweets out advice in the form of “West Texas Wisdom.” One of his tweets said, “Stop yer stinkin’ thinkin’. Nuf said.”

View this post on Instagram

Where is your focus? #NOTW

A post shared by Trenton Gill (@pointless_thorns) on Jan 1, 2016 at 4:31pm PST

To be balanced, we do need a heart full of love, but we also need a healthy mindset in order to produce realistic goals that will accomplish healthy results in all that we do. Shaking off the Sticky Bandits is necessary in order to maintain the healthy mindset that prevents us from overcompensating and “doing the most.” What is the best way to shake off those Sticky Bandits? Again, seeking the Source provides us with an answer:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
(Philippians 4:6-9) -NLT

So, what are we placing our focus on? The negative or the positive? I have learned the hard way that placing my focus on the negative life-sucking Sticky Bandits only creates a negative mindset. With a negative mindset, failure is inevitable. Our focus must be placed on the positive and praiseworthy things as it is instructed in Philippians 4:6-9.

Many years ago, there had been a little boy caught in an small explosion due to mistaking kerosene with gasoline. He had been found unconscious in the building engulfed with flames. Later, the doctors told his mother that he would probably die. This boy’s name was Glenn Cunningham. He made a decision that he not only wanted to survive, but that he wanted to thrive. The doctor had told his mother that since the fire had destroyed so much flesh in the lower part of his body, it would almost be better if he had died, since he was doomed to be a lifetime cripple with no use at all of his lower limbs. Thankfully, Glenn’s mother refused to let the doctors amputate. Though he was unable to use his legs, Glenn made up his mind that he would not merely survive — he would thrive! He was determined to walk again. Over time, through his parents’ persistence in massaging his legs daily and Glenn’s persistence and resolute determination to walk again, he eventually developed the ability first to stand up, then to walk haltingly with help, then to walk by himself — and then miraculously — to run! Glenn began to run to school. He ran for the sheer joy of running just because he had been able to run. Like Forrest Gump, Glenn ran everywhere that he could simply because he could. The people in his town would often see him run by on his way to who-knows-where and smile. Later in college, Glenn made the track team where his tremendous determination paid off. He eventually received the nickname the “Kansas Flyer” or “Kansas Ironman.” In 1933, Glenn won the prestigious Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athlete. In 1934, in New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, Glenn — who was at first expected to die, and then expected to never walk again — ran the mile in four minutes and eight seconds, which had been the new world’s fastest indoor mile! He eventually went on to beat his own record by shaving off another four seconds. After setting a few world records, he eventually retired from running competitions in 1940. Glenn also eventually earned both his master’s degree and doctorate. Dr. Glenn Cunningham and his wife later opened the Glenn Cunningham Youth Ranch in Kansas, where they helped to raise thousands of underprivileged children. Glenn kept his eyes on the prize and ran the race in such a way as to finish well. But him finishing well didn’t happen overnight. Success takes time. Glenn decided that he would not merely survive, but that he would thrive. With that as his mindset, he finished well. It’s important to start, but it’s more important how you finish. We can even learn that lesson from the tortoise and the hare, can’t we?

When I was 17 years of age, I had written out a suicide letter. I almost didn’t finish the race. There are a lot of people who have quit and never finished the race. Don’t be one those people. I’m not going to be one of those people. Despite where we are currently at in life right now, we are going to finish the race well. We are not going to merely survive. We are going to thrive! We are going to stay in the game and we are going to stay on top of our game. And we will do this by keeping our hearts full of love, being fully devoted to GOD, shaking off the Sticky Bandits, moving forward, keeping our eyes on the prize, remaining at steady pace, growing slowly, and allowing for time alone with GOD.

If you happen to be an unbeliever reading this, I want to challenge you to assess your life. You obviously know that you started. Do you know where you will finish? You’ve been doing things your own way. Is it truly working? Have you built your life on the firm foundation of Christ? Or have you built your life on sinking sand? After all, if there is no GOD, why are you doing what you’re doing? In fact, why are you here at all? Are you spinning your wheels and only spitting out sand and never really going anywhere? Building on the firm foundation of Christ provides the traction necessary to move forward with purpose. If you do believe you’re driving somewhere, do you know where you’re headed? Do you know the purpose of it all? If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me and I’d be happy to have a friendly conversation with you. I’d love to introduce you to the One who saved me from myself. I had once been an atheist. I’m now a Christian. To find out why, read my other article: “Why I Am A Christian”