{"id":1276,"date":"2012-11-29T16:17:18","date_gmt":"2012-11-29T16:17:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aletheiabaptistministries.org\/Blog\/december-qa-nativity-sceneq\/"},"modified":"2014-01-31T22:25:37","modified_gmt":"2014-01-31T22:25:37","slug":"december-qa-nativity-sceneq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aletheiabaptistministries.org\/Blog\/december-qa-nativity-sceneq\/","title":{"rendered":"A Nativity Scene"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was Christmas time in 1992 when I first visited Russia and Ukraine.\u00a0 In America battles were raging over nativity scenes on government property.\u00a0 It was a startling realization to find that in Russia, the former Soviet Union, nativity scenes were going up all over the place and government schools were inviting Christian ministers to speak to the classes about the birth of Jesus.\u00a0 Churches that were underground for years were now meeting openly and even building church buildings.\u00a0 As an American who grew up fearing the \u201cWe will bury you\u201d rhetoric of Soviet leaders, it seemed like the world was backwards.\u00a0 In America we couldn\u2019t mention God or religion on government property, but in Russia there was freedom to do that and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sadly, such freedom in Russia and Ukraine is being challenged and no one knows where Russia (especially) will end up with regard to freedom of religion.\u00a0 Ukraine seems to be fairing better.\u00a0 I have spent time in Ukraine in 2011 and 2012, teaching in a conservative Baptist seminary and speaking in local churches.\u00a0 Things hardly seem any different than in our country for doing these ministries.\u00a0 In fact, the school that was started by BIEM under Peter and Sam Slobodian in the mid-90s in Kiev is going strong and students are starting churches all over the former Soviet Union.\u00a0 Some of the greatest Christian workers I have met are there faithfully serving the Lord and standing for the faith.<\/span><\/p>\n

To be truthful, nativity scenes have never been my favorite thing, but we all understand the truth behind the images.\u00a0 I prefer a church scene with carolers singing Christmas songs.\u00a0 But I certainly sympathize with the battles for nativity scenes because those are battles for religious liberty.\u00a0 What I don\u2019t like is the display of nativity scenes, or any other decoration, for personal merit or display.\u00a0 A Christmas decoration can be a witness for Christ if done in the right way, and many carry specific messages about Christ, but none should be done selfishly.<\/span><\/p>\n

In our politically correct society, everyone is afraid to mention anything that might offend someone, and aren\u2019t we all tired of people trying to make something spiritual out of everything from Santa Claus to giving gifts!\u00a0 \u201cAfter all,\u201d they say, \u201cisn\u2019t the real meaning of Christmas to give?\u201d\u00a0 Forget speaking of Christ or incarnation, doing the good work of giving is what is important, and if we give in some way we are finding the real meaning of Christmas.\u00a0 So we are flooded with commercials and programs that never mention what God did in Bethlehem but make a saint out of anyone (of any lifestyle) who works in a soup kitchen.\u00a0 One wonders why human beings are so willing to make personal redemption a task rather than a gift from God.\u00a0 But I guess if they can reduce that task to a simple deed at Christmas time, it soothes the conscience!<\/span><\/p>\n

My thoughts go back to that Christmas in the former Soviet Union.\u00a0 Does it take seventy years of oppressive atheism and communism to make a people long for the REAL meaning of Christmas?\u00a0 Does a nation have to give up freedom, allow perversion within, and persecution without, and perhaps even wait for a generation to die off, just to learn what is really true and important?\u00a0 Russia did.\u00a0 I hope and pray America will not.\u00a0 But at this time it seems we have no tolerance for belief in God, or revelation from His Word, or a message that says we need a Savior who is God incarnate.\u00a0 I\u2019m not remembering only church life.\u00a0 What happened to a whole nation, conservative and liberal, cults and societies, religious and nonreligious, who allowed for God and His Word, respected church, honored public prayer, and fought for everyone\u2019s right to have it that way?<\/span><\/p>\n

It is an interesting fact that we do not find a lot of \u201choliday traditions\u201d in the New Testament.\u00a0 We do not see the believers keeping a special day for the birth of Christ, much less reconstructing a little artifact of what that scene in Bethlehem looked like\u2014and there may have been some there who would have known!\u00a0 It seems that Easter (as we and all the pagans call it) was celebrated every Sunday morning and not just once a year.\u00a0 There is a real silence in the New Testament about such things.\u00a0 Even Jewish feasts are only mentioned incidentally as the disciples (especially Paul) happened to be going to Jerusalem during that time.\u00a0 The churches, it seems, were busy going about their business in another way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now I have never objected to using religious or secular artifacts that remind us of good things.\u00a0 We have a Christmas tree at our house.\u00a0 We bake birthday cakes and blow out candles.\u00a0 We do not, however, keep Halloween in any form because these kinds of things have gone way beyond any worthwhile function.\u00a0 I certainly have no objection to being deeply patriotic or celebrating other national memorials such as Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, or the fourth of July.\u00a0 To the believer, however, these things are symbolisms that may have little or no real substance, including Christmas and Easter paraphernalia.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

My proposition is this.\u00a0 The incarnation of God in the flesh (Emmanuel, God with us) must be believed and accepted (along with Christ\u2019s death and resurrection) by simple faith in the heart.\u00a0 That faith, will create the real nativity scene.\u00a0 I am not saying that such faith takes the place of the original nativity.\u00a0 That fact cannot be changed.\u00a0 God became a man (actually at His divine conception nine months before His birth) and that is an undisputed fact of history.\u00a0 Whether anyone believes it or not cannot change what happened.\u00a0 A whole country may decide to outlaw its public mention and discard every memory of the fact.\u00a0 It is fact nonetheless.\u00a0 But even a scientific interest in Bethlehem\u2019s manger or the arrangement of the stable will not fulfill the purpose for that event.\u00a0 Only a reception of the truth of it will truly represent the first nativity scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

I think the apostle John was highly sensitive to this when he wrote his three epistles.\u00a0 Repeatedly he underscores the need to believe that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh.\u00a0 \u201cWho is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?\u00a0 He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son\u201d (1 Jn. 2:22).\u00a0 \u201c\u201dEvery spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist\u201d (4:3).\u00a0 \u201cFor many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.\u00a0 This is a deceiver and an antichrist\u201d (2 Jn. 7).\u00a0 John had no patience for a hypocrite who went through the motions of Christianity while denying truth of Christianity.\u00a0 We would really be politically incorrect\u00a0 today if we called a non-Christian who puts up Christmas decorations an antichrist!<\/span><\/p>\n

Let me go back again to that Christmas in the former Soviet Union.\u00a0 That nation had rejected the truth of God\u2019s incarnation for seventy years.\u00a0 It had robbed its people of the gospel and hope of eternal life for generations.\u00a0 But the reconstruction of nativity scenes after the fall of the iron curtain was not the meaning of Christmas again in that dark land.\u00a0 The reception of the truth of the incarnation was the real nativity scene.\u00a0 That image that I carry with me of my father-in-law preaching again to his own people; the hungry soul that, when he had received a New Testament, said, \u201cAh, bread!\u201d\u00a0 that was the real Christmas.\u00a0 So now, the thriving churches that gather each Lord\u2019s Day to worship the true God, this is the real nativity scene that is reconstructed anywhere and anytime the truth of the incarnation is received.<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a time in America when not even nativity scenes were necessary to display the real meaning of Christmas.\u00a0 Believers gathered together, preached the gospel to friends and visitors, baptized their converts in a watery grave, solemnly memorialized the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and lifted their voices to God in praise and worship.\u00a0 For me, that is all the nativity scene I need.\u00a0 That is the real representation of the incarnation of Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a time in America when nonbelievers allowed such nativity scenes without fear and animas.\u00a0 They too realized the great benefit that was gained living in a country with that kind of a foundation.\u00a0 No one was forced to believe it, but all benefited from it.\u00a0 Alexis de Tocqueville once said that America is great because America is good.\u00a0 When America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.\u00a0 That is the spiritual cliff we are on.\u00a0 Americans have lived on the capital of a spiritual and good nation.\u00a0 But that capital is about gone.\u00a0 Contrary to atheistic dreamers, the true nativity scenes cannot be expunged here anymore than they can in countries like the Soviet Union.\u00a0 They will thrive in every corner where the gospel is preached.\u00a0 And it will be preached because that will always be given unto God and not to Caesar.<\/span><\/p>\n

May we all create a real nativity scene in our hearts by true belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior.\u00a0 And may that scene be displayed throughout our needy land where ever true Christianity is found.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our father\u2019s God, to Thee, Author of liberty, to Thee we sing:<\/span><\/p>\n

Long may our land be bright, with freedom\u2019s holy light; <\/span><\/p>\n

protect us by Thy might, Great God our King!<\/span><\/p>\n

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;<\/span><\/p>\n

Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell;<\/span><\/p>\n

O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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