|
A Great Death
Before every great move of God, there has first been “A Great Death.”
Hello everyone. Before I get into the column this week, I wanted to try something a little different for my Christmas Column next week. I’m asking that you send your Christmas memories to us here at PutHimFirst.com. You can email them to me or my brother Gabe at gabe@puthimfirst.com or geno@puthimfirst.com. You can send any memory you feel like sharing and I’ll put them in the column next week (with discretion of course). It can be maybe a special gift you got as a child, a family tradition, a Christmas miracle, something funny that happened to you, or pretty much anything you feel would touch someone’s heart. We’re going to try this out and see how it goes this year and if we get a good response we might make this an annual thing here at PHF. If so, next year I’ll give you a couple week’s notice in advance, ha. Love you all and thanks for your support.
Before every great move of God, there has first been “A Great Death.” Moses wasn’t able to lead the people out of Egypt until he first died to himself in the wilderness. Samson’s greatest feat came during his death. The three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego, chose to die in flames rather than bow to idols and Christ was revealed to the king in the fire. Abraham earned his title as the “Father of Faith” by his willingness to take the life of his own son. Stephen’s death as a martyr started the spread of the gospel to the world. And the greatest show of love was Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. By His death we are able to have life.
John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
I was reading the Christmas story again last night (and no, not the one about Ebenezer Scrooge). I usually go back through the Bible and read the story about Jesus’ birth around this time every year. For most of us it is a very familiar passage. Jesus was born in a manger to a virgin named Mary. Growing up I must have seen a million plays and dramas. I’ve heard all the songs over and over again, but I don’t think we truly understand the cost God paid for sending His only begotten Son into this world.
During the birth of Christ there was also a great death. After hearing about the birth of a Child that was prophesied to become King, Herod ordered the death of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years of age and younger. I think we tend to skip over this part of the story because it is utterly cruel. The baby Jesus made it out alive, and that truly is the most important part, but it wasn’t without a cost.
The Bible says in Matthew 2:18, “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
I was thinking about these mothers that lost their young children during this time. How could anyone explain to them that it was necessary that their children be murdered in order for the world to be saved through one Child? Jesus’ death is the ultimate sacrifice for us all, but His birth also came with a great cost. Whenever God is doing something great, the enemy always tries to counteract that move and tries to kill it off.
In order for you to do great things for God, there has to first be a death in your life. I’m not talking about a physical death, although sometimes people and things around you must die, but more a spiritual death. We must die unto ourselves in order to live for Him. Sometimes it takes that death around you in order for life to spring up in you. A seed must first die and go into the ground before it sprouts up and gives life to a plant.
I don’t know why I’m writing about death today. Christmas is about life. A child is born unto us in Bethlehem. It’s a celebration of the joy of our Lord Jesus given to us as Savior to the world. But then again, you cannot talk about Jesus’ life without talking about His death. You cannot live unless you first die. It’s a paradox that does not make sense to the world. The world is more concerned with the pleasing of the flesh. “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die” is the slogan the world lives by. The pursuit of happiness, the “American Dream” is the chase after wealth and riches and the lusts of this world. But true happiness is only found in Christ. And in order to find Christ we must first die to self.
Life and Death go hand in hand. Every day is a choice. Are you going to live for Christ or are you going to live for the world? Are you going to die to yourself or are you going to live for the world? This isn’t a feel good Christmas column, but I believe it is necessary for us to understand that God’s love for us came with a cost. That cost was death.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
The Bible says that we are to live like Christ. In order to live like Christ, we must also die like Christ did. I’m not saying we’re all going to be hung on a cross and beaten. I’m saying that we must deny ourselves like Jesus did. We must pattern our lifestyles to do the Father’s will instead of our own will. I hope that maybe this column has brought some perspective to you. Let’s be grateful this Christmas. God paid the price so that we can be set free. Let’s remember to rejoice in both the life of Jesus and also in His death, for it was “A Great Death” that ultimately gives us life.
w/muchluv,
geno
DON’T FORGET!!!!!!!!!!!
SEND US YOUR CHRISTMAS MEMORIES!!!!!!!!!
DO IT NOW!!!!!!! BEFORE YOU FORGET!!!!!!
RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! YES, THIS INSTANT!!!!!!
GABE’S WAITING!!!! DON’T MAKE HIM SAD!!!
HA, LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!
|