The Christmas Story: Hot Air or Bright Lights?

I remember growing up in Las Vegas in the early 70s…it never snowed. Never! Except…that one Christmas morning I’ll never forget. My brother and I ran outside, giggling and laughing as we pummeled each other with snowballs. After our valiant battle, we gathered up all the snow we could find (including some we stole from the neighbors’ yard), and made our very first snowman, a perfect replica of Star Wars’ Gava the Hut.

Today, I live in sunny California. And here as well, it never snows. Instead, people resort to artificial means for adding some Christmas ambiance. Walking in my neighborhood each morning, I can’t help but snicker as I survey the carnage: Countless flattened santas, snowmen and reindeer litter the lawns of this otherwise peaceful neighborhood.  All puffed up with hot air yesterday but today, their substance escapes them, leaving in their wake nothing but withered vinyl puddles.

After witnessing this tragedy year after year, I notice there is always one Christmas scene that survives; the sturdy manger scene filled with a greater substance: light. It never falls, it never fades, and it never shrinks back, no matter how many times people try to poke holes in it.

This Christmas, take time to consider its meaning. Which have you embraced? Shopping and giving, visiting with family and friends, childhood memories of santas and reindeer, or a chance to “be nice” to our fellow man… these are all noble pursuits. But what if there is more? What if you’ve missed the greatest pursuit of all?

On the night Jesus was born, the sky lit up with a chorus of angels pronouncing the Messiah’s birth. And to whom did these angels bring this glorious message? The religious people? The powerful people? The popular people? No. They visited a group of smelly sheep herders working the night shift, regular “Joe’s,” representing the everyday people in the world God so desperately loves.

The Light of Heaven entered our world to bring you a gift: Himself. God initiated Christmas to be more than childhood dreams, it’s the reality of a heavenly Father’s passionate pursuit to rescue His beloved children. God is not looking for religious people, or impressed with power or fame; He’s looking for His lost children.

Don’t let the world’s “hot air” deceive you into thinking there is no God, we don’t need rescuing, or there is no Savior; instead, may God’s love draw you into the Light, scoop you in His arms, and whisper in your ear the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus, “God with us.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” which means, God with us. (Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 7:14)

Shadia Hrichi

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Is Forgiveness Really the Greatest Gift?

Have you ever forgiven a loved one who wronged you and said they were sorry? It’s difficult, but to save the relationship, many people find it in their heart to forgive – especially if the other person is sincerely sorry. But how about the person who wrongs someone and is not sorry? Should they be shown forgiveness? It happened….about 2,000 years ago…

All of us, at one time or another, chooses wrong over right: to lie, steal, curse, or to resent, hate, or be jealous of another person. God calls this sin which is opposite of God’s nature of truth, kindness, mercy and love. Because we are made in God’s image and created to be in relationship with Him, when we sin, we separate ourselves from God and break the relationship—which breaks the very heart of God. But God wants to restore this relationship and is willing to forgive even when we’re not sorry. The Bible says in Romans 5:8 that “God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God did not wait for us to come to Him for God knew that, left to ourselves, it would never happen. “God looks down from Heaven to see if there are any who seek after God…[but] no one seeks for God…they have all turned aside” (Psalm 14:2-3; Romans 3:11)

So, 2,000 years ago God went on a rescue mission. He came to forgive those who needed forgiveness but didn’t know to ask. God left His glory behind in Heaven and came to earth, wrapped in human flesh, to become the complete sacrifice for sin. He came because He believes you are worth dying for. “For God [the Father] so loved [every person in] the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

God sent His Son to earth, not out of obligation, but to rescue His family. Jesus came to earth willingly, like a knight on a rescue mission! He presents Himself to you saying, “You are worth dying for. I want to help you become the person I created you to be. Will you follow me?”

The greatest gift ever given is not God’s forgiveness, but God’s Son. Anyone who looks upon God’s Son who, as He was being nailed to the Cross, said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34) and turns away, will not spend an eternity regretting their sin – that’s done and paid for. Rather, that person will be left to remember all the ways God tried to reach out to him, reveal Himself to him, and demonstrate His love in an endless pursuit to have a relationship with him—that God believed he was even worth dying for—but the person refused.

God sent His Son on a rescue mission. Christmas is the celebration of this amazing gift. Jesus left Heaven to save us, all of us, and to open His Heavenly home to all who will receive Him. “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12). God wants to restore a relationship with you and He is only a prayer away. If you want to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior – the greatest gift ever given – you can pray a simple prayer something like this: Father, thank you for loving me and sending your Son to forgive me. Jesus, thank you for paying the penalty for my sin. I am sorry for living my life apart from You and choose today to follow You. Please come into my heart and make me the person You created me to be. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, I’d love to hear from you. Then, begin by reading the gospel of John to learn the whole story and ask God to lead you to a healthy, loving church home where you can grow in your faith.

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)

What a gift! What love! What an amazing God!

Shadia Hrichi

Portions of this article were inspired by Dr. David Eckman’s books, Knowing the Heart of the Father and Becoming What God Intended.

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Going for the Gold!

When I was in grade school, there was nothing more thrilling than getting a gold star on my schoolwork. Today, I imagine kids receive an animated smiley face via email or something to that effect; still, the thrill of getting a reward– “the gold star” –remains the same. As adults, we continue our healthy hunger for gold stars by placing high value on noble achievements, granting awards in the areas of science, humanities, and the arts. In the Bible, Christians are taught that “gold stars” continue even farther—into eternity—where rewards will be given out in heaven. And yet, many Christians are uncomfortable with this thought.

According to the New Testament, Christians’ efforts in this lifetime can result in earning gold “crowns” in Heaven. These crowns are rewarded for enduring hardships, serving with godly leadership, longing for Christ’s appearing, living godly lives, or sharing our faith with others. The Bible says that when we do these things, rewards are set aside for us in heaven. The misapplication of this teaching occurs when we add motive to the equation. As a child, when I worked hard on my schoolwork, it was not to gain a gold star in order to boast in it or to collect them in order to admire them later. No—I wanted the gold star to please my teacher. I wanted her to know that I worked hard just as she had hoped. The gold star felt the same as if she had stamped her smile of approval on my paper—and that made me happy—so naturally, I wanted to earn as many of her smiles (“gold stars”) as possible!

When we get to heaven and God grants us gold crowns, we will know that we did not earn them for the sake of gaining the crowns themselves, but rather, the thrill will be in the fact that God noticed our efforts. And because we pleased our heavenly Father, He will be proud to say, “’Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)

Then, when we look at Jesus, by whom and through whom we accomplished all that God had hoped—and believed—we could (John 15:5), we will eagerly cast our crowns at his feet—for He, and He alone, is worthy of all praise. Anyone who trusts in Jesus to save them by accepting His sacrifice for their sins and surrenders to Him as Lord will enter Heaven, but only those who live lives worthy of rewards will have a gift to present to their beloved King. “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ…If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” 1 Cor 3:11, 14-15

Jesus is preparing for us a heavenly home for all of eternity; let’s not arrive empty-handed.

 

Shadia Hrichi

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Are You Angry?

“Do you have a right to be angry?” asked God.

“[Yes] I do!…angry enough to die” replied Jonah. (Jonah, chapter 4)

I have to admire Jonah’s honesty. Seriously, what a drama king! One might assume the dialogue pertains to Jonah being thrown overboard a ship into a raging ocean, or spending three days in the belly of a huge fish, but no…he’s angry over a plant!

After all Jonah went through because he ran away from God, he finally obeyed God by preaching to the people in Nineveh. Afterwards, Jonah sat outside the city to see what would happen. Even though the people responded to Jonah’s message, repented of their wickedness, and turned from their ways, Jonah wanted—and fully exptected—God to wipe them from the face of the earth.

As Jonah sat in anticipation, God provided a vine to grow up over Jonah’s head to give him shade from the blazing desert sun. As a result, “Jonah was very happy about the vine” (verse 6). But when God “provided a worm which chewed the vine so that it withered,” Jonah wanted to die (verse 7).

Have you ever felt like that? Happy one moment when everything is going your way, then angry the next—perhaps at God—when they are not?

God wanted to reveal to Jonah that Jonah cared more about his temporary inconveniences than the souls of more than 120,000 people whom God loved.

What inconvenience in your life has you angry—perhaps angry at God? Could there be a lesson in it? Perhaps a lesson in compassion or trust? Or maybe the situation is distracting you from something so much greater: a calling, a mission, or simply someone in need?

Lord, teach us to see our circumstances through your eyes and open our eyes to understand what’s really important.

“Seek fist His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

(for further reflection, read Matthew 6:19-34)

Shadia Hrichi

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Leaving a Legacy

Every so often someone comes along whom so inspires others that he or she is remembered years later – perhaps a preacher, a songwriter, or president. However, this story is not about a legend, but a legacy. I have a friend who has been quietly building a legacy few outside of Heaven would recognize. She has a divine gift of “spotting” someone who’s hurting—seeing right through the mask and into their heart. She ministers to people quietly, without much fanfare, but makes a world of difference in each of their lives. I know because ten years ago, she “spotted” me.

I was reminded of her heart for the hurting when she called me this morning from the hospital where she’s currently a patient. She’d been there a month, hundreds of miles from home with a stubborn broken leg. Seven surgeries later, the doctors have taken bone from the other leg, a rib, muscle from her back, skin grafts, and have dealt with blood clots, kinked veins, and a partially collapsed lung. No one, especially my friend, was prepared for all of the frightening complications.

Still, she found the strength to call me this morning to ask me to locate a God-honoring pregnancy center to help a young nurse she befriended at the hospital. The woman is a single mom who’s pregnant and frightened. I was truly inspired to see my friend’s heart, despite all she’s going through, still reaching out to others.

We tend to think that “great, impacting” ministry often occurs at a piano, podium, or pulpit. Today, my friend reminds us that there is only place we need to be to partner with God: His Presence.

Where are you right now? Do you want to leave a legacy but feel hindered or inadequate? Are you waiting for something to fall neatly into place and then God can use you? We tend to think we must be in the “right place and time,” but God sees things differently. The apostle Paul wrote most of the New Testament while in prison; God gave the Revelation to John when John was exiled on the island of Patmos. When you think you can’t be used by God, please remember my friend: while laying immobile on a hospital bed hundreds of miles from home, she stands in the very Presence of God; seeing her heart for His Kingdom, God then brings someone in need to her.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men [and women] lay hold of it.” Matthew 11:12

Shadia

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Lift Your Eyes

Have you ever done something wrong as a child and could not lift your head to look at your parents? Recently, I was visiting with my brother and his family. Their 5-year old daughter had just been told not to swing from the low branches of a very small tree. Minutes later we heard a loud crack as a branch my niece had seized broke from the poor little tree. My niece was fine but knew she was in trouble. My sister-in-law told her to go to my brother and explain what had happened. Somewhat fearful, she timidly walked over to my brother who asked her to show him what had happened. I watched from the back deck of their rural house as my niece hung her head in shame and guilt, pointing to the broken branch lying on the ground. My brother bent down, spoke something to her, and gave her a hug. In no time, she was off running and playing once again.

As God’s children, we are all guilty of breaking God’s commands. I can easily picture myself hanging my head low, unable to face God when I know I’ve done something wrong. But the scene at my brother’s house helped me to see the situation differently. My niece was powerless to look my brother in the eye. She knew she had broken his rule. There was nothing she could do to remedy her situation. It was my brother who reached down to meet her where she was. He had to come down to her level, reach out his hand, and lift her head towards him so that she could see his desire to forgive her and restore their relationship.

On our own, we are powerless to reach a holy God covered with guilt and sin. He must come down to us. And even then, we hang our head in shame as we know we are incapable of remedying our situation. We need Him to reach out his hand and gently lift our eyes, pointing us to the cross on which He paid the price for our sin. In that moment, we are reminded of God’s amazing grace, power to forgive, and passionate desire to restore our relationship with Him.

Look up, receive His forgiveness, and then run in the joy and freedom of being called a child of God!

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:44

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Did God Forget Me?

There’s been no shortage of jokes out there regarding the fizzled Rapture prediction by Harold Camping. Some quite clever: people posted their “Rapture meal” dinner menu on FaceBook, or shared their evening escapades, wanting to “get in” one last party. The volumes of rapture jokes are endless. My favorite:

“Can’t think of a good rapture joke? Don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world.”

Someone at work mocked, “I can’t believe no one here was taken.” Now, it would only take a few moments to see that the Bible says no one can know the exact day or the hour of Jesus’ return. Jesus Himself said so (though He did say there would signs of its imminence). But when the rapture does happen, why would anyone be surprised they are left behind? Would a loving God force people to spend an eternity with Someone they didn’t want to be around? Didn’t He give us, out of His wisdom and grace, a free will? The same free will by which we choose to shun God in this life doesn’t get trampled on in the next.

God certainly wants every person to go to Heaven; however, Heaven is holy and perfect and well, in case no one broke the news to you, we’re not. Not a single one of us. If there was a way to get to Heaven on our own effort, Jesus would not have had to come to earth to die a tortured death in our place—to make us holy and perfect in God’s eyes: not because of anything we’ve done but because of what Jesus has done—He took our place so we could share His—in Heaven.  God the Son willingly left His holy throne in Heaven to come into a sinful world to save us and bring us back with Him to Heaven—but only if we are willing.

There are plenty of jokes and misguided predictions but none changes the fact that Heaven is real, God is real, and He desperately loves you. God did not forget you—as a matter of fact, you were on His very mind when He laid out His life for you on the Cross. But Hell is also real and for those who prefer a life with God out of the way, that’s exactly where the road they’re on ultimately leads. I was on that road myself until someone cared enough to challenge me to consider where I was heading. I was joking and laughing with the rest until someone dared me to examine the Bible and its claims. After all, my friend proposed, “What have you got to lose?”

Just as a person taking a trip needs to select and board the right plane to reach his destination, there is only one way to get to Heaven. First, choose the right plane: acknowledge your sinful state before God, your need for His forgiveness, and recognize Jesus’ death and resurrection as God’s evidence of His love for you. Then, get on board! Ask Jesus to save you and be the Lord and King of your life—right now—and when Jesus does return, He will lovingly gather you up along with all of those who desire to be with Him. And, like them, you and I will know that without His sacrifice, we too would have been left behind—not because God had forgotten us but because we had forgotten God.

“When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.” (Hosea 13:6)

“The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:35-36)

Shadia Hrichi

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