Have A "White, Merry Christmas"
As I looked out our window today and saw the snow falling, I see that we are going to have a White Christmas this year. It is the perfect background scenery for listening to Bing Crosby singing, "Happy Holidays", "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas…and may all your Christmases be white" and "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open slay". And the singing of carols like "Silent Night", "A-way in the Manger", "O, little Town of Bethlehem", and "It came Upon a Midnight Clear".
Watching the snow come down, also gave me a strange sense of longing and nostalgia for a simpler, saner time that seems to now be passing away. A time when Christmas, apart from Saint Nick, was the unashamed celebration of the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ who would bring redemption, forgiveness and peace on earth. Before the Christmas season was just called "The Holidays" so as not to offend people of "other Faiths".
The days before supposed "global warming", when snow during the Christmas season simply meant the onset of winter and God still controlled the weather and the planet. However, more snow again this Christmas is not a sign of global warming is it. That should give us even more reason to want to sing "Jingle bells". As I went out and started to shovel the snow and plow the driveway, I almost wished we did have some "global climate change", but then that would only mean a "white Christmas" would only be a dream. Anyway, I am glad that on this Christmas the globe is still not getting any warmer, at least here in the Northeast, even if it means that I still must shovel snow, plow the driveway and split wood to keep warm.
What truly is a spiritually warming thought, is remembering that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again, a second time in power and great glory to establish His millennial kingdom. Our globe shall truly experience climate change and much of the sting of creation shall be removed as Isaiah the prophet said.
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. (7) And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. (8) And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. (9) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (10) And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." (Isaiah 11:6-10)
"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. (2) It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, [and] the excellency of our God." (Isaiah 35:1-2)
"Then shall the lame [man] leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. (7) And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, [shall be] grass with reeds and rushes." (Isaiah 35: 6-7)
"No lion shall be there, nor [any] ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk [there]: (10) And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35:9-10)
In the Millennium, there shall truly be peace on earth. There shall only be one true faith and that will be trust in and submission to Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Christ will literally be sitting on the throne of David in Jerusalem as the sovereign potentate of the whole earth.
"And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more". (Micah 4:3)
"The LORD hath sworn [in] truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne." (Psalm 132:11)
As the rest of the politically correct celebrate "The Holidays", the Christian must not forget the words our Lord spoke in Mark 8:38,
"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels".
The Bible also speaks of a judgment day of real global warming for all that hate God and who refuse to glorify and submit to Him.
"And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. (9) And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory". (Revelation 16:8-9)
"May all your Christmases be white" and Merry Christmas, as we celebrate the incarnation and birth of our Blessed Savior, Jesus Christ and a Blessed New Year also!
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13)
Jim Wenger
PS:  If you are reading this Christmas letter and you are "A-Mill", just substitute the phrase "Eternal State" for the word "Millennium" and "yes, Christ is now spiritually sitting on the throne of David at the right hand of God the Father in heaven" (Acts 2:32-38). However, I believe He shall also literally sit upon the throne of David in the Millennium.
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