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 Holiday Worship Guide:
‘Twas a Nightmare Before Christmas
By Pastor Greg Wooten
Lincoln Church of the Nazarene
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[December 11, 2014]
As
disturbing dreams go, this one was a doozy. Recently my sleep was
troubled by a nightmarish scenario: Christianity had fallen out of
favor in our land. In fact, it had become illegal. Christ-followers
were stripped of their freedoms. No longer permitted to assemble to
worship and practice their faith in public, Christians were forced
into hiding and congregated in the shadows. Heartbreakingly, this is
exactly the situation millions of God’s children face in other
corners of the globe, but to think it had come to “the land of the
free and the home of the brave” was nearly inconceivable.
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 But it gets worse. A summons was issued throughout the nation
calling out Christian leaders – pastors, preachers, priests, and
teachers – challenging them to prove their allegiance to Jesus by
surrendering themselves to the governmental authorities at a certain
place on a certain day for public execution. The edict dared these
outlaws to give themselves up instead of waiting to be found out and
brought to ‘justice.’ The details of the vision are fading, but I
can still recall the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as I
counted the cost on the eve of this awful judgment day. Would I
stand up or back down? Could I go knowing it would cost me
everything?
By the mercies of God I awoke before the dawning of that day. My
heart was pounding and my mind raced and my gut churned with mixed
emotions. I thanked God it was only a dream, but I was greatly
troubled by the way I hesitated in the nightmare. Right up to the
end it was a question of whether or not I was ready to lay my life
down and join the ranks of the cloud of witnesses who have sealed
their testimony with their blood. It boiled down to this: Was my
love for Jesus Christ worth dying for? Could I truly give it all up
for Him? Was He worth my life?
 Before the establishment of the world our Creator made a decision.
Before the first tick of time God made a choice. Before the universe
blazed with light and the earth was formed and the sun ignited,
before paradise was prepared and human persons were fashioned from
the strange and wonderful concoction of dust and Spirit-breath, our
Lord fixed upon us an inestimable price. How infrequently we give
thought to our worth! Worth His patience. Worth His love. Worth the
life of His Son. Before there was anything else, there was a Father
who decided we would be worth dying for.
And there was a Son who was willing to empty His limitless heavenly
Self into a tiny form of severely restrictive skin and bone. There
was a Son who had never known need who was willing to become utterly
reliant on the nurture and love of an earthly mother. There was a
Son who would grow up to show us the tender and ferocious love of
His Father. There was a Son who would demonstrate what it meant to
be a servant. There was a Son who, for the incredible joy of
bringing God’s wayward children home, would yield His precious flesh
to the thorns, the nails, and the spear.
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The calendar has once again delivered us to the season of Advent. It’s the time
of preparing for His coming. And it’s a good time to gaze beyond the sights,
smells, sounds, and sentiments of the secular side of the season to remember
that He came. Jesus really came. He really gave it all up – heavenly splendor
and earthly existence – just for us. As we look forward to the day of His
return, we look back in wonder that without hesitation He gave His all because
He believes we are worth the price.
The greatest gift you could receive this Christmas is to know how priceless you
are to your Heavenly Father!
“O, holy night,
the stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world
in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appeared
and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope!
The weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks
a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees!
O hear the angel voices!
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born!”
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