I'm Dreaming of a Brown Christmas

Peanuts, a syndicated comic strip created by Charles M. Schultz running from October 2,1950 to February 13, 2000, the day after the Lord called Schultz home. It is considered to be one of the most popular and influential in the history of American popular culture.

In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, and as source material for several books, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts.

On December 9, 1965, the classic television special A Charlie Brown Christmas was aired by the CBS network. On many occasions, Peanuts dealt with religious themes. Here Linus van Pelt, the comic strip’s young theologian, quotes the King James Version of the Bible (Luke 2:8-14) to explain to Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about. In his personal interviews, Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side.

Schultz was raised in the Lutheran faith. As a young adult and then later he taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church: he remained a faithful member of the Church of God (Anderson) for the rest of his life.

- Source: Wikipedia.

Let me share with all people of goodwill [or: on whom God’s favor rests] this delightful excerpt:

A Charlie Brown Christmas
courtesy of YouTube.

CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATION

This Is My Body Which is Broken for You

This is the season when the city is bedecked with star lanterns, tinsel buntings on Yule trees and boughs of holly, and a billion twinkling lights. Buyers and sellers are engaged in a paroxysm of purchases and sales of Christmas gifts for friends and family. Little if any room is prepared for Christ in the hearts of believers who are commemorating His birthday – except perhaps for crèches that are dusted by some from storage to be displayed is some innocuous corner for a few weeks.

As silently calm, bright, even joyful as these Nativity scenes are, they conceal the underlying bitter sweetness of the time: the strenuous forced trip to Bethlehem caused by an oppressive tax census by an occupying foreign power, the tarnished reputation of Mary of Nazareth for her unwed pregnancy [though the Child was divinely conceived], and the difficult [but fully human] delivery in a filthy stable with no one to midwife except the devoted and loving husband Joseph. Forty days later, when Jesus was presented at the Jerusalem temple to be consecrated to the Lord as Mary’s firstborn, an old prophet, Simeon, prophesied, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." [Luke 2:34-35] Some two years later, the slaughter of the innocent male infants in Bethlehem two years or younger was ordered by King Herod the Great in an attempt destroy God’s promised Anointed King. It was a very bitter sweet time.

Inconceivable but true. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Jesus, always fully God, became fully Man from zygote to embryo to fetus to His glorious birth. Then, “He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” “We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [Luke 2:52, John 1:14]

We delight in celebrating birthdays of family and friends, saved or unsaved, because they enrich and gladden our lives. The birth of our True Brother and Faithful Friend is much, much more than that. Full of grace and truth, He teaches us a better, righteous way of living; He restores broken hearts, forgives sins, heals diseases, casts out demons, and redeems us from darkness and death by making possible our rebirth in the Holy Spirit. He fully reveals to us the living, loving and luminous image of God [John 14:9, Colossians 2:9]

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” [Isaiah 9:2] “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” [John 1:4] That is the eternal life. “…so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” [John 3:13-15]

When Christ came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;” …. "Then He said, 'Here I am, I have come to do Your will.' He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." [Hebrews 10:5, 9-10] “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” [Philippians 2:6-8]

His tortured death on the cross is the penalty He took on our behalf for our sins, once for all. “Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by HIM, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” [Isaiah 53:4-6]

So, that body, born one bitter sweet night in Bethlehem was lifted up on the cross on a hill in Jerusalem, died for our sins, was buried and rose to life again, exactly as God promised. Jesus commands us to constantly remember His body, broken in our behalf and His blood poured out for us. [Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26]

Because we shall behold that Body again. "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. [Revelation 22:20]

- End-

Jonseb, Tuesday 18 November 2008.

Mark Lowery sings

'Mary, Did You Know'

Courtesy of YouTube

Nearing the Midnight Hour

"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him" (Matthew 25: 6)


Darkening sky slides in the deafening absence of sound
as the grayish haze hides faintly-lit stars, beside

the neon-smeared pool, an old man gazes beyond
a swath of the stellar sea, comic book on hand,

as though watching the inky blackness swallows
a cruising capsule-crib, ahead of which flies up,

up in the sky, a hero’s tale that is faster
than a speeding bullet, but there is another story

more compelling, he reminds himself: a bloodied,
impaled body hung limply between the dark,

shrouded sky and the sin-stained ground,
his dying breath ascending like flickering mist

but weighed down instead by the sins
of us all, until the tale gets to the part

of the empty tomb, the body rising above
curdled clouds, below which gaping mouths

grapple for words, the way endless silence speaks
in volume, there is this other way that his dying,

and rising means everything, not just believing,
not just a mystery that keeps him waiting,

but how his scarlet sins turned white as snow, even
as he ponders the promises veiled in portents

and oracles, clues remain hidden between
the lines until the advent of the end-times, nothing

to flush from the pink urinals’ sludge, but how
he sips the cityscape’s bitter after-taste, even

the tisane from slanting rains he sniffs
for indelible signs of his coming, for all

signs are flowing traceries of prophecies
he used to say before humming lullabies

of longing, for there seems to be no end
from this lengthened spell of solitude, this slow

infinite waltz of waiting, even as Orion chases
the Pleaides night after night, hurtling headlong

across charcoal-coated sky, below which
the downbound train of worn-out faces, crashes

on the final bend, the screeching sound a faint
echo of thundering hooves, as his sunken eyes

continue to stare at a patch of the dark sky,
waiting for the rider on a white horse, with a robe

dipped in blood, to descend from the clouds, it is
starting to drizzle, the gentle breeze cools

his craggy face, a thunder rolls overheard,
its sound as audible as the last trumpet call.

REFORMATION DAY AND HALLOWEEN by Jonseb

On Oct 31, 1517 Martin Luther -- priest and Augustinian monk, lawyer by education, and professor of theology in the University of Wittenberg -- nailed the Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. It was an invitation to discuss by debate the commoditization and commercialization of indulgences: these are church produced documents that remit -- partially or in full -- temporal punishment in purgatory for sins which have already been forgiven spiritually. His argumant was based on the idea that Sacraments of Confession, Penance and Reconciliation have become a commercial transaction instead of a repentant change of heart. This minor matter became the catalyst for the Reformation. Copies of the 95 Theses were sent by Luther to Albert,the Archbishop of Mainz, [his immediate boss], Pope Leo X [his big boss], as well as his contemporary professors in other universities.

It was not unusual for anyone to post announcements on important matters on church doors, which were a kind of bulletin board at a time when there were no newspapers. Neither was the date chosen by Luther. Crowds of all sorts of people were due to flock to the church. Since 835 A.D. the following days -- November 1 and 2 -- were designated as All Saints Day and All Souls Day respectively in the liturgical calendar of the Holy Roman Empire. This was officially decreed by [King] Louis the Pious, issued at the request of Pope Gregory IV. During the time of imperial persecution the early Christians would celebrate the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ (known as the saint's "birth day") by serving an all-night vigil, and then celebrating the eucharist over their tomb or the shrine at their place of martyrdom.. By 270 AD the practice had developed to to a joint commemoration of all martyrs since the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. Frequently, a number of Christians would suffer martyrdom on the same day.

In the Roman Church, the date was originally assigned to May 13 [since 610 AD]. By a strange coincidence, this day was also the culmination of the 3-day Feast of the Lemures [May 9,11,13]. This had been practiced by pagan Rome from antiquity. During this Feast, the malevolent and restless spirits of the dead were propitiated, exiled or exorcised. It was the date when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon -- the temple to all the pagan gods -- at Rome to the Blessed Mary and all the martyrs; the martyrs became known as All Saints or All Hallows. Then in 835 AD, Gregory IV moved the date of this holy day from May 13 to November 1, perhaps to accommodate the Celtic converts who obstinately kept celebrating their pagan festival of Samhain – their new year and harvest festival. They believed that on October 31, the the boundary between the living and the dead dissolved: the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. Costumes and masks were worn to mimic the evil spirits or placate them. Gregory IV’s decision is consistent with the policy of leaving pagan festivals and buildings intact (such as the Pantheon), while overlaying a gloss of Christiian meaning. However, no reliable documentation exists indicating that this was Gregory IV’s motivation.

All Souls Day is distinguished from All Saints Day in that it commemorates the souls of the dead Christians who have not yet been purified and finally arrived in heaven. Thus, on display at the Wittenberg Castle Church on October 31, 1517 were numerous relics collected by Frederic III [aka ‘the Wise’], Elector of Saxony, who later became Luther’s political protector. It was believed at that time that viewing a relic and donating something for the preservation of the Castle Church would earn the viewer/donor a commutation of 100 days in purgatory per relic for himself or for a dead relative or friend.

Luther’s objections and resevations about these beliefs were strongly resisted by some and strongly supported by others. In 1520 he was officially denounced and excommunicated by Pope Leo X in the bull ‘Exsurge Domine’. He escaped the fate of being burned a heretic -- as Jan Hus was in 1415 – only through the foresight and cleverness of Frederick the Wise.

The ensuing conflict eventually solidified Luther’s theological ideas into the five principles of the Reformation. These are:

v Sola Scriptura, ("by Scripture alone"). This principle recognizes the Bible, the word of God, as the only infallible and authoritative basis of faith, notwithstanding human and church traditions. As Martin Luther said, "The true rule is this: God's Word shall establish articles of faith, and no one else, not even an angel can do so."
v Sola fide ("by faith alone") teaches that justification- being declared right by God - is received by faith only, without any mixture of or need for good works; though saving faith is always evidenced by good works [James 1:18]. "Faith yields justification and good works" rather than "Faith and good works yield justification."
v Sola gratia ("by grace alone") teaches that salvation comes by God's grace or "unmerited favor" only — not as something merited or earned by the sinner,
v Solus Christus ("Christ alone") affirms that Christ is the only mediator between God and man, and that there is salvation through no other, Mary of Nazareth, the Apostles, the saints and the angels notwithstanding .
v Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone") teaches that all glory is to be due to God alone. No human being should be exalted for his or her good works, but rather praise and glory should be given to God who is the Author and Perfecter of people and their good works.

In response, the Council of Trent was convened in Trento -- three times between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 -- by Popes Paul III, Julius III and Pius IV. The ecumenical Council, after 18 years of deliberations, – and not allowing the few invited reformers to speak their views nor even vote -- entirely rejected these 5 principles proposed by the Reformers and pronounced an eternal anathema [curse] on all who believed and taught as Luther did. Likewise, the Lutherans, as this first group of Reformers were known, also pronounced an eternal curse on the Roman Church.

On October 31, 1999 the Roman Church, represented by Pope John Paul II, and the Lutheran World Federation signed The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. In effect, the Roman Church and the LWF, are apparently in agreement on Sola Fide without saying anything about the four other Solas. The excommunications and eternal curses of both groups relating to the doctrine of justification were mutually lifted. Confessional Lutherans, such as the International Lutheran Council and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, reject the Declaration. So do all present day churches that developed from the Reformation [except for the World Methodist Council].

Most of these churches have retained the celebration of All Saints Day, though many have moved it from November 1 to the first Sunday of November: but for most of the secular world, Oct 31 and the following days, it is the Haloween season [a contraction of All Hallows Evening]. In the Philippines it is known as ‘Undas’, perhaps from the Spanish word ofrendas (offerings), which are made on this day in Portugal, Spain and Mexico. Here, the day is devoted to visiting the graves of deceased relatives, where prayers and flowers are offered, candles are lit and the graves themselves are cleaned, repaired and repainted. In rural areas, candles are lit in houses all through the night to assist the spirits of the dead find their way in case they wish to visit. Elsewhere, in the USA and Europe, in the affluent gated-communities of Greater Manila, it is a season of tremendous fun, especially for children who come Trick-or-Treating!

While no one in the secular world believes anymore in the reality of restless, wandering spirits of the dead, goblins, ghouls, witches, vampires, zombies and the like, the memory of these is celebrated in the costumes, masks and visitations of children collecting teeth-decaying obesity-causing candies and goodies from house to house: these houses vie with neighbors with artistic décor of cemeteries, skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, haunted houses and anything with a scary motif. Cinemas feature horror movies that entertain viewers by making them scream in terror. Halloween is fast overtaking Christmas as a season of humungous retail sales. Just as in Luther’s time the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation was commoditized and commercialized, the day set aside for commemorating the Christian martyrs, Blessed Mary and all the beatified saints has become commoditized and commercialized for a great many people.

Halloween may be harmless, innocent fun. Maybe. Surely it is not in accord with St. Paul’s message: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” -- Philippians 4:7-8, NIV

The Dark Night of Halloween: No Joker's Caper

Have you noticed the increasing popularity of Halloween celebrations in Metro Manila during the past years? I do. It’s particularly interesting because this custom/practice is "borrowed" from Western culture. When I was a kid, my usual brushes with anything that comes closer to this "celebration" were the usual doses of tales revolving around "patianak", "kapre", and other creepy creatures etched deep in Capampangan folklore. "Trick or treat" was entirely alien to us (at least those of my generation), as alien as the "manlalague" of the stories told during brownouts and moonlit nights when there was nothing else to do but plumb the innermost recesses of imagination to kill boredom (only a few families in the neighborhood had TV sets then).

Fast forward to the future. The practice of "trick or treat" and costume parties during “ ‘tis the season to be scary” has become commercialized to the extent that shopping malls have been promoting this practice with a target market in mind: kids. Merchandise shops try to promote this supposedly "fun" activity to encourage parents to buy costumes, candies, toys, and other Halloween stuff. But do they realize that they may be sacrificing a young child's psychological and spiritual growth in the altar of crass commercialism?

A few years back, we bought grocery items from the newly opened shopping center in Pasig. Sales clerks donned spooky attires ranging from "Scary Movie" costumes to headless priests. My wife interviewed some of them who admitted that who admitted that management directed its employees to wear grotesque costumes and make-up during Halloween week. They formed a beeline leading to the supermarket, causing a young girl to scream her lungs out at the frightening sight. At the food court, another girl tried to hide under the table, her innocent face contorted in tearful terror when these costumed “creatures” started prowling each nook and cranny of the mall. The adults with her tried to hush her up but to no avail. Later on, they were forced to drag the poor girl outside the establishment.

I was incensed by the fact that insensitive mall operators have no qualms on what they could possibly do to a poor kid's psyche. Kids tend to have hyperactive imagination. Would they be able to sleep soundly at night knowing that horrible creatures may be lurking a few paces away from one’s bed? What if they would have recurring nightmares? And what about those kids who were encouraged by their naïve parents and merchandisers to wear witches' costumes and masks of the devil? Are they not being subliminally led to believe that it's cool and cute to be on the "dark" side? When they grow up, wouldn't it be easier for them to embrace occult practices? I cringed once to a remark I overheard a few years back. A teenager gleefully told her friend that "Halloween” is the "dark flipside" of Christmas in a snippet of a conversation.

The connection between Halloween and its pagan and occult associations is well-established. In the booklet The Facts on Halloween by John Ankerberg and John Weldon, the authors noted that “it is generally agreed that, in church history, Halloween took the place of a special day celebrated by ancient Druids who were the learned or priestly class of the Celtic religion. These people engaged in occult arts, worshipped nature, and gave it supernatural, animistic qualities”. The writers further noted that “although Halloween as commonly practiced today is a seemingly innocent time for most youngsters, it is a very serious observance for many witches, neo-pagans, and occultists. Reading through various histories of Halloween, one is struck by the large number of superstitions and divinatory practices involved”.

The Scriptures is full of stern warnings on these practices and beliefs. God cautioned the Israelites: “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:31). “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD…” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

The booklet’s authors pose the following questions which could never be easily brushed aside if one claims to be a professing Christian: If the purpose of the Christian life is to glorify God, is it really possible to glorify God by imitating, however innocently, what occultists do on their special day? How does God, as He looks down on Halloween night, in full awareness of the events that have happened historically and today, view little children, especially Christian children, dressed up as ghosts, devils, witches and goblins? Is Halloween a deliberate mockery of God by letting God’s own children participate symbolically in celebrations that are tributes to the devil, pagan gods, and all kinds of evil?

Reflecting on these questions, I was tempted to unleash our dog to bite these unscrupulous mall operators and shop owners. I could only utter a prayer for protection from all evil influences that continue to corrupt the minds of humans. May the good Lord continue to help us keep the perspective that everything is in God's control and that He would not allow His children to fall from the precipice toward the dark side.

Discovering Your Life

Discovering the Bible

On Sunday, October 5, 2008, the Rejoice in Jesus Christ Discipling Group will host a 90-minute presentation of two segments – The Old and The New Testaments – of the DVD production by the Christian History Institute “Discovering the Bible”. It will be presented at 3:00 PM, either at the Third Floor Food Court at St. Francis Square Bldg, or in the Fourth Floor Old Worship Hall of CCF at the same building. The event is open to all who wish to discover God’s written message of His love for everyone. It is part of RJCDG’s program of fulfilling its part in Jesus’ Great Commission to all His disciples.

Among the many evangelists and apologists [legal defenders] for Jesus and the Christian faith is Lee Patrick Strobel. He is a holder of a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School, and had been investigative journalist for 14 years at the Chicago Tribune. In the early 1980’s he set out to write a book to disprove the truth of the Gospels and the resurrection of Jesus in particular. He researched and thought about this for two years, mainly to disillusion his wife who is a steadfast believer and follower of Christ. By the unfathomable grace of God, the book he ended up writing was The Case for Christ, proving the authenticity of the Gospels, historically, scientifically and archaeologically, especially the resurrection of the Lord.

Other books he has written are: The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity, recipient of a 2001 Gold Medallion Book Award, The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ, and Experiencing the Passion of Jesus, co-written with Garry Poole as a discussion guide for Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ, the recipient of the 2005 ECPA Christian Book of the Year award. He also became a teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, from 1987 to 2000, and of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California from 2000 to 2002, and now writes and produces Apologetics and Evangelical TV shows. His website is http://www.leestrobel.com/.

Here is a video interview of Lee Strobel by Jerry Johnston discussing the apocryphal and pseudepigraphal Gospel of Judas which inspired the Gnostic fiction “The Da Vinci Code”.

Is the Bible Reliable as a Historical Document?

END

Visit the OMF booth at the 29th Manila International Book Fair

I know I'm going to send like an ad here but I simply can't pass up this opportunity to invite you to the 29th Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City this Sept. 12-16, 2008. Glenn and I have been regular patrons of the book fair for about 3 years now (Glenn, being a book junkie, has been into it for years).

What's interesting for growing Christians like you and me is the proliferation of Bibles and Christian books being offered at discounted prices by Christian book stores and publishers during this period. OMF, for one, usually puts up a big exhibition area and offers a host of books that you might find interesting.

If you really want to dive into the Scriptures, do invest in the study Bibles (e.g. Life Application Bibles) and commentaries (strongly recommending Nelson's Old and New Testament Survey for newbies on Bible commentaries, these are 2 separate volumes) on sale at the OMF booth. (Personally, I get a lot of help from the notes in my NIV Study Bible and commentaries like these.) There are reference books a-plenty which can help you a lot in your studies. This is the best time to avail bagsak presyo discounts, I think they go as high as 50-75% off.

OMF also offers a great selection of Christian-themed literature, both foreign (if you're hankering for Philip Yancey books) and local (if you want to complete your Ed Lapiz collection), and on various topics like apologetics, eschatology, leadership, relationships etc.

For more details, check out their web site at www.OMFLit.com. You may also drop by www.manilabookfair.com for additional information.