Rejoice Anyway

Once again Christmas-time is upon us. It’s the season when familiar sights, sounds and smells are all around us. It’s also the time of year when the secular progressives of the world turn their attention more sharply to anything and everything decidedly “Christian”. It’s the season when municipalities ban, or attempt to ban, nativity scenes, Christmas trees, and Christmas lights – not only on public property, but in private businesses as well. It’s the time of year when the long beloved greeting of “Merry Christmas” is replaced by the corporate mandated, “Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings.” Tis the season when the smallest minority of the country, atheists, get a great deal of air time to attack Christianity and Christians from our openly anti-Christian, liberal media outlets. It’s the time of year when it’s most clear that liberal organizations interpret the words “freedom of religion” to mean “freedom from the Christian religion.” It’s the time of year when public school administrators have to walk on eggs in fear of reprimand or reprisal for allowing too much Christianity onto their campuses. Tis the season when the words, “separation of church and state” are twisted, misapplied, and perverted beyond anything our founding fathers had in mind. Tis the season to wake up and realize that we are at war with the ideologies of the god of this world. Tis the season for Christians to take a stand against the devil who is attempting to eradicate everything Christian from our cities, our states and our country. Our God-fearing moral nation is at risk, and freedom is not free.

[Ephesians 6:11-12] Ever wonder what causes the angels in heaven to shout for joy? There are several instances of angels proclaiming joy, and they all seem to have a common thread. The first instance of the heavenly host expressing joy is during the creation of the heavens and the earth. Recounting the incident, God tells Job that when it happened, “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:1-7). Most Bible scholars agree that the morning stars and sons of God are in reference to angels, who apparently were created prior to the earth. So in this instance, we see the angels being joyous because of God using His creative powers to make something that had never existed before. Let’s look at another instance of the angels showing joy. When the proper time came (Galatians 4:4), God sent His Son to be born of the human race. It is at this time in announcing the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds that angels proclaimed it a time of “great joy” (Luke 2:8-14). So here the angels express praise and joy at the coming of the Christ-child, the God-Man, Jesus. As in the creation, they are expressing joy over something that had never before existed. There is one more instance I can find in the Bible of the angels expressing joy – and this one directly involves us. In Luke 15:10 we are told that “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Seeing a sinner come to God and becoming a new creation brings great joy to the angels. From these three instances, I think we can clearly see that angels get excited over new creations. Think about it: when we have our lives made new through baptism into Christ and we continue to live each day renewed in the Spirit, the angels rejoice over us. What an encouraging thought! “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!” (Revelation 12:11-12a). Tis the season for spiritual warfare. To God be the glory and rejoice with the angels on high.