Holiday Traditions

It’s the most Wonderful time of the year….

There’ll be parties for hosting…

Marshmallows for toasting and

Caroling out in the snow *

As the song says, It’s the most Wonderful time of the year…. although some of the traditions listed might not be among those you and your family participate in I am sure you have some. Some families hand-make raviolis, some make boxes of cookies,  others send letters with a summation of the years events. Whatever the case may be for you and yours I am certain that you have warm memories of the traditions that this time of year always brings.

For me, It’s a Wonderful Life** is always a part of the Christmas season. I can have it playing in the background as we trim the tree or make out cards to send. I suspect I can recite it verbatim by now and have my favorite parts as well as the scenes I would like to past over.

As many of you may know it’s a story of how a man gets a chance to see how the world would be if he never existed. It’s a real eye-opener to see how much one man can impact the lives of so many people even if he doesn’t know it. Keeping in mind that it is a fictional account of how things might be I feel it drives home several valuable points.

Point One – Every single person is important and special. Regardless of how we look or what we do or where we live or what we have or do not have – we are each very unique and play a role on this stage of life that no one else could.

I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made – Ps 139:14

Point Two – Money isn’t the most important thing in the world. George Bailey jumps off of a bridge because he is faced with scandal, bankruptcy and jail over the lose of a large sum of money. In the end we see that he is the wealthiest guy in town because he has friends who love him and come to his defense.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.- 1Tim 6:10

Final Point – Be content with what you have. God loves you and will not leave you or forsake you. As the saying goes – “grow where you’re planted”. I am not saying that we shouldn’t be ambitious and work hard to better ourselves but not at the cost of being discontented with our current life.

Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. – Heb 13:5

We watch George Bailey grow from a happy, self-assured young man with lofty goals of seeing the world become a sullen broken-spirited and angry man who feels trapped in his dead-end job and middle class lifestyle. He sees those around him move on to successful careers. The straw that breaks the camels back is the lose of a large sum of money by his business partner Uncle Billy. Believing he is worth more dead than alive George jumps off of a nearby bridge. After the dreamlike sight of a world without him George is returned to his life with a new outlook and appreciation of what he has. I always look around me and appreciate what I have when I watch this movie because – truly It Is A Wonderful Life !

This Christmas Season I hope that all of us carry the love of God to those around us as we enjoy what we have and celebrate the Greatest Gift of all – Jesus !

 

*”It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is a popular Christmas song written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album

**It’s a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy comedy-drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story “The Greatest Gift”, which Philip Van Doren Stern wrote in 1939 and published privately in 1945

The US Mint

Back in April of 1976 my Senior class went to Washington DC. It was a fun trip which required lots of planning and several buses. I remember two things best out of those three days. Lynn broke her leg almost immediately upon arrival in DC (non of the chaperones believed us when we told them she was hurt because it was April 1 or April Fools Day). The other thing that stood out from that weekend was the Mint.

The Mint was a large and impressive building as are many in DC. I don’t recall the tour much but I do remember the presses and the sight of huge sheets of money rolling by. The greatest memory is that of the quality control room. Here stacks of huge sheets of bills would be checked for flaws or errors in printing.

It was the way they checked for errors that stands out all these years later. They would take a fistful of these large sheets of bills and place them on a kind of easel. Then they would take a corner of the stack in one hand pulling it away from the rest and just let them fall back down one at a time – kinda just flipping threw the stack the way one might flip threw a book looking for a certain page. Rarely they would stop and circle a spot or “x” an area. I was amazed at how quickly they were able to spot errors in the printed bills. They didn’t have any example set before them. Just their trained understanding of what the bill was supposed to look like. With that training and understanding any alteration or error stood at even as the pages of bills past very quickly in front of their face.

Oh that we were so well versed in the Word of God! What if we were so educated in the nature of God and familiar with His character that we could spot error in a moments notice! We would be able to spot misquoted Bible verses and doctrinal error in the flip of a page.

When we hear it being said that “The Love of Money is the root of all evil”, we would be able to point out that it is “the Love of Money” not money in and of itself, that “is a root of all kinds of evil”.  1Tim 6:10 NKJV

If we are so well-versed in Scripture we will not be deceived as Eve was when the Devil called Gods Word into question and caused her to sin.  “You will not surely die.” Gen 3:4 NKJV

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

I would encourage all of us to read the Word, read the Word,and read the Word. In doing so you will keep yourself from deception and error. Be Blessed!

(Please note that Eve, by misquoting Gods Word regarding “touching” the fruit, showed the Devil that she didn’t know Gods Word very well.)

 

 

Money Money Money $$$

Now that I have your attention!

       I read something today on a blog that got me thinking. It was a post, or rather an ad on a post, for a “Biblical system” to amass wealth and retire early. Hmmm…sounds interesting.

Money and religion have always made a controversial combination. Some equate poverty with Godliness referring to the humble birth and life of Jesus. Others use the commonly misquoted verse that money is the root of all evil as a way of accepting their lot in life while judging those more fortunate. In actuality the quote is found in 1Tim 6:10 – For the love of money is the root of all evil; and while some have coveted after it, they have erred from the faith. Yet it is true that Jesus overturned the table on the money changers in the temple it wasn’t just because of the money. But that’s a discussion for another time. Still others have taken the approach that wealth is our right as Children of the King and that God is just waiting to shower money down on us if we just exercise our faith and claim it. The pendulum swings too far both ways unfortunately and the truth is often found after it comes to rest.

There are many things said about money in both the old and the new testaments. Time does not allow me to list them all but I would like to share enough on the subject to kindle a fire in you to search the Word and find the truth for yourselves. God has no problem with a person being wealthy. From the beginning He gave great wealth graciously. To  Adam and Eve he gave dominion over the Garden and everything in it. To Noah He gave salvation from His judgement and the new world after the flood. To Abraham He gave the new land and the promise of children innumerable.

Moses records in Deuteronomy 8:18  “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” Wait! What? Did I read that right? Yes, you did. God gives us the power to get wealth and He does to confirm that we are His!
To Solomon, God gave treasures untold ( the Bible records that Solomon was and is and always will be the richest man in the world – move over Bill Gates!) 2 Chron 1:11-12 Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.” But, did you see the reason why? yes, Solomon was given all that wealth because he didn’t ask for it. God saw that his heart was more concerned with the responsibility of governing Gads people rather then personal gain. So, clearly God has no problem with a person being wealthy. It the why and what of it that concerns Him. Why do you want wealth? What will you do with it when you get it. For that matter what do you do with the money you have now?

The Word of God expresses God’s hatred of unequal scales (unfair trading), excessive usury (excessive interest rates on loans), and the covetousness of being dissatisfied with what you have now while wanting more money, cars, and stuff like that guy over there! I could go on and on but will bring this to a close by reminding us of the woman with two mites. She gave to God all that she had and she drew Jesus’ attention more then those who gave a small portion of their great wealth. So, it’s not the MONEY that concerns God, after all, its all His anyway its just passing threw our hands today. More importantly it’s how we feel about it (Jesus said you can not serve two masters [both God and money] because you will love one and hate the other). It’s what we do to gain the wealth – lie, cheat, steal, rob God and our families of our time with them, etc. It’s what we do with it once we have it. Do we give back to the church so that the ministry can continue and expand? Do we give to the poor and widows? Do we save for our children? If we do not consider the thoughts and intent of our hearts concerning money we will only deceive ourselves into thinking that we are in control of our finances.

Did you know that the only time God actually tells us to test Him is in the area of Money and giving? Read it for yourself – Malachi 3:10  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

Looks like a challenge to me. What’s the matter – you chicken?!?!?