The Problems Of Christmas

THE PROBLEMS OF CHRISTMAS

INTRODUCTION: LETS FACE IT, WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS. PROBLEMS DO NOT TAKE A VACATION, AND IN FACT, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE MORE SIGNIFICANT THE TIME OF YEAR, THE MORE PROBLEMS SEEM TO CROP UP.

IN REALITY, PROBLEMS COME WHEN PROBLEMS COME. IT IS OUR ALREADY FULL CALENDAR, ADDITIONAL STRESS, LIMITED TIME, ETC. THAT MAKE THESE POP-UP PROBLEMS SEEM SO MUCH MORE IN NUMBER AND INTENSITY.

CHRISTMAS IS NOT DIFFERENT. IN TRUTH, I HAVE HAD MY SHARE OF PROBLEMS THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON. THE MOST “OUTLANDISH” ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST COLD SNAP. I GOT UP ON MONDAY AND GOT READY TO GO TO THE JUMP. I DID ALL THE NORMAL THINGS: TAKE LUCAS OUT FOR A WALK, CHECK. BRUSH MY TEETH, CHECK. GET THE THINGS I NEEDED FOR THE GYM, CHECK. GOT IN THE TRUCK, CHECK. START THE TRUCK, NOPE.

I HAD A DEAD BATTERY, OR AT LEAST A BATTERY HAVING HEART PROBLEMS. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT! I DID ACT FAST AND GOT THE BATTERY DEFIBRILLATOR OUT OF THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE (READ BATTERY PACK), HIT THE FAILING BATTERY AND WE STARTED. I WENT TO THE GYM AND DID MY WORKOUT. WENT BACK TO THE TRUCK AND SHE DID START AGAIN, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS, THIS BATTERY NEEDED HOSPICE. I WENT DIRECTLY TO MY MECHANIC, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO GET THE BATTERY REPLACED ( I HAD BOUGHT IT FROM HIM). OF COURSE, THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED AND THE PRO-RATED COST WAS ABOUT 60% OF A NEW BATTERY. AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF, WHEN THEY WENT TO OPEN THE HOOD TO DO THE INITIAL BATTERY CHECK, THE HOOD LATCH UNDER THE DASH BROKE OFF, FLEW INTO THE BACK SEAT LEAVING ME WITH THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE HOOD IS WITH A PAIR OF PLYERS. OF COURSE, THE HOOD CABLE IS, LIKE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE, ON BACK ORDER.

LOOK, AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THIS MIGHT HAVE SEEMED HUMOROUS, BUT RIGHT NOW, WITH LITTLE SPARE TIME AND A LOT TO GET DONE, IT WAS A “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING) MOMENT.

TRANSITION: PROBLEMS HAPPEN; EVEN AT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, THERE WERE SOME PROBLEMS THAT CROPPED UP. LET’S LOOK AT A COUPLE, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE..

PROBLEM #1 – UNBELIEF

LUKE 1:18 (NIV) ZECHARIAH ASKED THE ANGEL, "HOW CAN I BE SURE OF THIS? I AM AN OLD MAN AND MY WIFE IS WELL ALONG IN YEARS."

YOU KNOW THE STORY: ZECHARIAH IS IN THE TEMPLE PERFORMING THE DUTIES ASSIGNED TO HIM AND HIS CLAN.

AN ANGEL APPEARS TO HIM AND TELLS HIM THAT HIS PRAYER HAS BEEN ANSWERED AND HE AND HIS WIFE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY. AND IT IS A BOY!

UNBELIEF IS A PROBLEM FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS:

IT LEADS TO THE SIN OR PRESUMPTION – THINKING WE KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND THEN ACTING ON OUR BELIEF

THE OTHER PROBLEM (AND THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE) IS THAT UNBELIEF HAS A WAY OF BLEEDING INTO EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES

ONCE WE DOUBT GOD’S ABILITY IN ONE AREA, IT IS SO EASY TO LET CIRCUMSTANCES CAST DOUBT ON OTHER AREAS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

PROTECTION

PROVISION

PROMISES

ZECHARIAH WOULD RECEIVE A POWERFUL LESSON. HE WOULD BE MUTE UNTIL THE BIRTH OF HIS SON JOHN.

HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TELL ANYONE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED

HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TELL ANYONE ABOUT HOW GOD HAD HEARD THEIR PRAYERS.

THE WAY TO HINDER DOUBT IN OUR LIVES IS SIMPLE. WELL, KIND OF. WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS COME TO GRIPS THAT GOD IS ALL ABOUT THE IMPOSSIBLE.

WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THAT GOD PLAYS BY A DIFFERENT SET OF RULES, AND I CONSTANTLY COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES, THEN DOUBT TURNS INTO WOW, LOOK WHAT GOD CAN DO.

ZECHARIAH COULD SEE THE WOW, BUT BECAUSE OF DOUBT COULD NOT SHARE THE WOW WIH ANYONE

SO, THIS CHRISTMAS – EMBRACE THE WOW OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE AND REJECT DOUBT.

PROBLEM #2 – STRUGGLING WITH THE WILL OF GOD

LUKE 1:29 (NIV) MARY WAS GREATLY TROUBLED AT HIS WORDS AND WONDERED WHAT KIND OF GREETING THIS MIGHT BE.

MATTHEW 1:20 (NIV) BUT AFTER HE HAD CONSIDERED THIS, AN ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO HIM IN A DREAM AND SAID, "JOSEPH SON OF DAVID, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE MARY HOME AS YOUR WIFE, BECAUSE WHAT IS CONCEIVED IN HER IS FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT.

BOTH MARY AND JOSEPH STRUGGLED WITH THE WILL OF GOD.

OFTEN, WE HAVE AND WILL STRUGGLE WITH GOD’S WILL

MARY STRUGGLED WITH HOW CAN ALL OF THIS BE. SHE HAD NO IDEA ABOUT HOW IT WOULD HAPPEN – CONCEPTION WITHOUT A MAN. I AM ALSO SURE SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS WOULD BRING IN THE RESPONSE OF THOSE WHO SAW HER.