Put Down The Santa, And Slowly Step Away From The Wise Men!

Dr. Mike Murphy
December 16. 2016

“If you move the ‘n’ in Santa to the end, you know you get Satan!”

When I heard this I knew I had heard enough!  This was the last straw in a series of outrageous statements I had heard surrounding Christmas this year.  “It is sacrilegious to place the Wise Men at the Nativity.”  “Santa is an agent for Satan that is destroying the minds of our kids.”  “I cannot believe anyone would put lights on their house, that is openly mocking the Star of Bethlehem.”  These are just a few of the statements I have heard made at Christmas this year. Normally hearing this I would just shrug it off, but it is who has been saying these words that trouble me the most!

These statements did not come from the masses, the media, or even from those who would be happy to see us stop celebrating Christmas.  These statements came from fellow Christians!  Christians who see the traditions we have come to cherish during this season as scandalous, only designed to lead us away from Christ.  So let us take a close and honest look at a couple of these traditions, and see for ourselves what they truly hold.

Let us start by looking at the Wise Men.  Many will tell you that it is wrong to place the Wise Men at your Nativity scene, as they were not present at the birth. They are right, the Wise Men were not at the birth of Christ, nor did they visit Him on the night of His birth. The Gospel of Matthew makes it clear, they would have came to Bethlehem up to two years after the birth of Christ)Matthew 2:1-18).  The words that Herod spoke, and the actions he took, make that very apparent.  We also see this in the words and the question of the Wise Men themselves as they spoke to Herod and the religious leaders that were present as they arrived in Jerusalem.  The Wise Men asked, “Where is the One who is born King of the Jews?”(Matthew 2:2).  If we read this in the Greek, we soon discover that it is past tense, meaning the birth would have already taken place.  And in the after events of the visit of the Wise Men, we read as Herod ordered the death of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two, leading most to conclude that Christ had been born months earlier.

So if the Wise Men was not present at the night of Christ’ birth, does that mean we need to remove them from the Nativity scene?  Of course not!  The purpose of a Nativity is to remind us of the early events of Christ life, to focus our hope and celebration on what those events brought and still brings.  If we want an accurate account of the dates and details of that glorious night and the events of His birth, we have the Word of God for that. Having the Wise Men at the scene as we lay out our nativities in our homes, is no more taking away from the glory of that night than seeing someone place a smooth, sanded Cross in the ground for an Easter sunrise service.   We place these scenes to honor and remember the event, not to try to recreate them.

For those who would say, we must keep them accurate or we are dishonoring the Lord, I have a few questions for them.  Do they remove the stable if it is a part of the scene? A quick study of Jewish history and the shepherds who lived in the area of Bethlehem, and you will see the birth would have taken place in a basement-like structure under the house, as that is where the shepherds of Bethlehem brought their valued animals to protect them at night. They did not have anything like a stable as we show it today, a barn-like structure.  Do they remove the wooden structure that holds Baby Jesus, what we call the manger?  Christ would have been placed in a rock “trough-like” structure that would have been built out of the wall, not a manger. And do they remove the blanket that we see in most modern day Nativity scenes covering Christ and keeping Him warm?  The Word of God makes it clear, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, which were narrow strips of cloth that bound a child so they would feel more like they did in their mother’s womb.

No one ever talks about removing these things from a Nativity scene, nor should they.  If the truth be said, we are incapable of replicated the miraculous scene that many saw in Bethlehem that night, nor does God expect us to.  The joy of a Nativity scene today is not found in the details, but in the purpose.  The reason that causes us to pause, and to smile at what we see.  The joy that comes to our mind as we remember the events of the early life of Christ.  The Nativity is in our Christmas decorations to remind us and to point our focus where God wants it.  To allow the images we see of that night to bring us into the Word of God, so we know why the Shepherds are in the scene, so we know why the Wise Men came, and so we know why Christ was laid in a manger.  If what we see leads us to spend time in the Word of God, then we will know each of the details of that night without question.  In each of those miraculous details, we will see just how incredible each day of that Child’s life was!   And we will have more reason to celebrate than we could ever imagine!

As we have looked at the Wise Men, let us also take a hard look at Santa Claus. The origins of Santa go back to a character of history many of us are very familiar with, Saint Nicholas.  Nicholas was born during the third century in the town of Patara, modern day Turkey.  At the time of his birth the area was still Greek.  Nicholas was born of wealthy parents, who legend says raised him as a devout Christian.  We are told that his parents died while he was young in an epidemic, but even at an early age Nicholas used his inheritance to help those around him.  One of these early legends of Nicholas says that a man in the town became very poor, and was about to lose his three daughters into slavery. To avoid the fate of his daughters, the man wanted to find a way to marry his three daughters off.  But being poor, he had no dowry to offer a husband of his daughters, a custom that was required for marriage in those days.  Upon hearing of the man, Nicholas went into action.  One night, Nicholas quietly came to the open window of the man’s house, and tossed in a bag of gold to serve as a dowry for the eldest daughter.  Legend says the bag of gold landed in the daughter’s stocking that was hanging by the fireplace to dry(sound familiar?).  Three nights we are told that Nicholas came to the man’s house, with a gold bag for each of his daughters.  On the third visit the man began to wonder who was helping him, so when he heard the bag being thrown he ran out to see who it was.  He caught Nicholas as he was leaving, but wanting to stay anonymous, Nicholas vowed the man to secrecy.

This is but one of the legends that made up Saint Nicholas, the man behind the origins of Santa Claus.  Through the years, as the legend of Santa continued to evolve and grow, many of the characteristics we see of him were added.  When we look closely at these characteristics, we may just be surprised what we see!  We see many of the prophecies, qualities, and teachings of Christ in the story that is told to children about Santa.  We always see Santa with pure white hair and beard.  The Bible tells us that Christ appeared to John with white hair(Rev. 1:14), and Isaiah describes the Messiah with a beard(Isaiah 50:6).  We always see Santa dressed in his famous red suit.  We are told that when Christ returns His garments will be as red(Isaiah 63:1-2, Rev. 19:13).  Any child can tell you that they never know what time of night Santa will come to their house.  We are taught that the time of Christ's’ return will be as a mystery(Luke 12:40, Mark 13:33).  Every child knows that Santa makes toys, he is a toy carpenter.  The Bible tells us that Christ was a carpenter(Mark 6:3). We all know that when Santa comes Christmas Eve night, he will be in and out of our house without us even knowing it.  Christ tells us He will come like a thief in the night(Matt. 24:43-44). Even in the famous songs about the “jolly ole’ man” that we have added to his fame, we sing the words, “He sees you when you're sleeping.  He knows when you're awake.  He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!”  In these words we see the Omnipresent, Omniscient and the all-seeing characteristics of God(Psalm 139:7-10; Ephesians 4:6; John 3:13), and the all-knowing characteristics of Him also(Hebrews 4:13; 1 John 3:20).  Even when we look at the name of the man we are told is Santa, Kris Kringle, we see Christ.  His name is German for “Christ Child”.

Many will hear this and say that Santa is nothing more than an imitator, a ploy by Satan to take our focus off of Christ.  But if we take a close look at those who gave us the story of Santa Claus, we do not see a group of pagans in the forest being led by red-eyed demons, we see Christian like you and me.  People who read the teachings of Christ, and knew the power of the parables He taught. Knowing that these earthly stories with heavenly meanings was a way for us to easily understand the message He brought to this world.  So they did the same, seeing the story of Santa as a precious way to introduce the story, life and promises of Christ to children the world over.

Others will say that in telling their kids about Santa, they are doing nothing but lying to them, taking away from the trust they want to instill in them. That they do not want kids who will one day know the truth, and proclaim they have lied and misled them.  I know, for one, that is the last thing I think of my parents when I look back on my days of dreaming about Santa.  I do not see a mom and dad who tried to deceive me, but parents who loved me.  Parents who were willing to make great sacrifices of their time, efforts, and money for me. Parents who sat up to two in the morning not so they could deceive me, but because they were willing to do anything for me.  Is that not the very love our Father has for each of us?  Is that not the very love we hope to teach a future generation?

If many of you are led to keep Santa from the lives of your kids, I trust you in doing so, and firmly trust that you are looking to Christ in making that decision. But in doing so, you need to also respect and understand the reasons why many faithful Christians choose to accept the tradition of Santa.  I would even suggest that instead of us looking for ways to eliminate Santa, that we, the Church, reclaim Santa with all the morals and message we find in the story.  The we make Santa exactly what he was intended to be, an amazing parable to show all the nature of Christ.

And this year, as we pull out our nativity scenes, hang the lights on our house, and gather the children around to tell them about Santa, may we remember the miracle that brings us together for this season each year.  That we never forget the reason for the season, and make sure that with each blinking light we see, each Nativity scene we pass, and each cookie we put on a plate for Santa, we take every opportunity to teach about the glory that night in Bethlehem brought into this world  That in each light, scene, and story, Christ is both heard and seen.  That each day of this Christmas season, we do not become so logistic that we forget the purpose.  A purpose that should find us each day of this season worshiping and celebrating what that Child brought to this world, and to each of us!

Praying the reason for the season is seen in all your decorations, and heard in each of your stories this Christmas!

Somewhere Between Good And Evil

Dr. Mike Murphy
October 17, 2016

"My life is like everyone else I know, it is somewhere between good and evil. I know I have done more good than bad in my life, so in the end, I know that I am going to be okay.  God will see that I have lived a good life, and I know He will be proud of me for it.”

As I read the words, my head fell.  The words of a woman so lost, she did not even realize that she needed to be found.  Her words came in a reply to a question that a friend of mine asked online.  They had simply asked, “How do you know you are going to Heaven?” Many of the answers I saw astonished me, but the words of this woman troubled me the most.  And as I looked closely at her reply, the amount that agreed with her even troubled me more.
We live in a world today, that no longer sees morals and principles in black and white, but in unlimited shades of gray.  Images that are so mixed together, distinct color can no longer be seen, left only with impressions that are at best blurred.  Good and evil can no longer be identified clearly, because both have become nothing more than one’s own interpretation. And as our society so easily makes right and wrong a matter of one’s own opinion, then whatever I deem as right in my situation, can never be denied me.  Without us ever taking a moment to realize it, we have eliminated the standard by which our society judges right from wrong.  We have replaced God’s wisdom with our own logic, and placed our own purpose above God’s plan.

So what is good? And what is evil?  Good is simple to answer.  Good is everything that is God.  And to fully understand this, we only need to take a look at what is evil.  The dictionary describes evil as “morally reprehensible, sinful, wicked”, but as described, we now see evil as anything that is destructive to society.  But in our definition, we make evil a cause, not the effect that God’s shows evil to be.

To understand this, I would ask you to picture walking outside in Alaska in the middle of January with snow three feet deep.  As you walked out the door, what would your words be?  I can guarantee that one of those words would be “cold”.  But if you talked to any scientist, they would quickly explain to you there is no such thing as “cold”.  Cold is the word we have created to describe the absence of heat.  The less we feel the heat, the “colder” we say we feel.  

Evil is the same as cold.  It is the word we have created to describe the absence of God, and the goodness that can only be found in God.  This is why the farther we find ourselves separated from God, the greater the chance that evil will be seen.  When we watch a tragedy take place on the news, such as a mass shooting, our first impulse is to refer to what we see as evil.  But evil is not what we are seeing, it is the result or the outcome of the tragedy we see.  Evil is not an action, it is the effect or the outcome of the action.  The action that caused the evil, the tragedy we see, is sin.  And often we confuse sin, the act, with evil, the outcome.  

We easily forget, sin is the act of behaving against the laws and teachings of God, and living outside the plan of action He has for our life.  Sin is a choice each of us make, and in acting on that choice, we separate ourselves from God, not allowing His wisdom and love to guide us.  Evil is the outcome of that sin, and the effect and outcome of not choosing to allow God’s plan to lead us.  We must never forget, where God is present, evil cannot exist.  All evil separates us from God(Isaiah 59:2), and for that reason, we are told to reject all evil(1 Thessalonians 5:22).  We want our choices to lead toward the goodness that the presence of God offers, not the evil that separation from Him causes.

As we look at this nation and at our society, we see a move to define evil without sin, and goodness without God.  An attempt to make goodness nothing more than well being of conscience, with evil being the absence of that well being.  A move in which our logic has decided that we can create our own good, and can define our own evil.  Without giving a second thought as to where that will lead us.  If our logic is the deciding factor of good and evil, then good and evil become nothing more than opinion.  A moral vote where society decides for itself the principles that will lead them, and the values that will guide them.  But in our foolishness, we have quickly forgotten, opinions change daily.  The opinion we agree with society on today, may be the very opinion society uses to convict us with tomorrow.

Without a cause, a constant standard that possesses in it meaning and purpose, there can be no true values and morality.  For us to have true morality, or moral law, there must be a moral law giver.  One who is capable of understanding and giving us a standard of morality and purpose that all good and evil can be judged by, and defined within. The simple fact is, without God, man is incapable of defining good and evil, or even knowing what good and evil means.  

Honest atheists, like Friedrich Nietzsche, have admitted that without God there could be nothing we call good, nor anything we could understand as evil. Nietzsche knew that if there was such a thing as evil, then you must also accept that there is such a thing as good.  And if you assume that there is good and evil, then there must be an absolute and unchanging moral law by which man could differentiate between the two.  And if you accept that there is a moral law, then you have to accept there is a moral law giver.  And if you accept there is a moral law giver, then you must accept there is a God.  And if we accept there is a God, then only by His Word can good and evil be defined!

God’s Word makes it clear, “No one is good but God alone”.(Luke 18:19). You cannot look at God and not see good.  It is only when we know Him that true goodness can be understood.  We can look at many things around us and see some good in them, but there can only be One where all goodness can be seen. And that good and perfect God invites all of us to understand good by knowing Him(Psalm 34:8).

When we realize this, we soon begin to understand that salvation is not based on our goodness, but on the goodness that Christ brought to this world. Romans 10:9 tells us, “If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved.” Salvation is a gift, not something we can achieve through our own goodness, but a gift that God gives us because in His goodness, He has an unquestioned love for us. And praise the Lord for this gift!  It is not a gift I could ever do enough good to earn, no matter how hard I might try.  I could spend all day, everyday, trying to do nothing but good, and never come close to being perfect enough to earn that gift.  Like all true gifts, the gift of salvation is given, not earned(Ephesians 2:8-9). Only Christ alone was good enough to earn His way to Heaven, and no matter how hard I might try, I can never do enough good to earn my way there.

Despite everything this world might tell you, somewhere between good and evil, only evil resides.  An evil I can never do enough work to change, or do not have the wisdom to be able to redefine.  A good, that I alone can never achieve.  And a goodness that I can only show this world if my actions and words are allowing others to see in me a reflection of Christ.  1 Corinthians 13:6-7, says to us, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Evil will seek to deceive us, keeping the truth from us.  And only in the love of His goodness can that truth be known and found.  The truth will never be found in the evil of our own logic, but only in the goodness of His wisdom. 

Evil would happily have us living somewhere between good and evil, thinking we are safe.  Living in a land of blurred morals and values, thinking each of our actions are making us good enough.  But in reality, leaving us in a land where only evil prevails, and good is nowhere to be found.

Praying His goodness will always surround you.

Godspired!

Dr. Mike Murphy
August 8, 2016

While receiving chemotherapy, you will see many things.  As you sit in the recliner, with a needle attached, you cannot help but watch the reaction of the people around you. Some sit in quiet, almost afraid they will not have the words to speak to anyone around them. Others you see in a panic, anxiety overtaking them as their treatment is being made ready. But from this recliner, in each face of those around me, all of their hopes can be seen.  The hope that they will not be overcome with sickness.  The hope the treatment will work.  And the hope that they will never have to sit in one of these recliners again.  And I also realize, that if they are able to look beyond my smile, they would see many of these same expressions in my face.

In each recliner, you will see people who look for some form of distraction from the tubes and needles that lead to their arms.  Some bury themselves in a book, hoping to get so caught up in the story that time will just fly by.  Some turn to their phones and their laptops, looking to occupy their time in the lives of others.  And there are some who watch the television screens that are around the room.  Looking to take their mind off of why they came, if only for a few fleeting moments.  But from this recliners, time tends to stand still. The reality of what brings you to the recliner somehow slows time, as seconds seem to turn into minutes.  And minutes seem to turn into hours.

But from this recliner, God has taught me an amazing lesson.  He has shown me a hope that is not found in tubes and needles.  But a hope that is instead found in opportunity. An opportunity to share His hope with those around me, those that so long for any hope.  A captive audience on each side of my recliner, where I can share with someone else what God is doing for me.  An hour, or often two, to talk to someone about the hope that only God can offer.  And to share with them what the Lord so longs to do in each of their lives.  An opportunity to bring hope to a face that is in desperate need of hope.  A face in a recliner, often reaching out for hope, when they did not even realize they were reaching out at all.

An opportunity to not be an inspiration, but to be a Godspiration.  An opportunity to show them that the hope they seek will not be found in a recliner, but on a Cross.  That the cure they seek will not enter their body through a needle, but can only enter them through the Holy Spirit.  An opportunity to show them that inspiration will never be found in the nurse’s voice, the doctor’s word, or the sounds they hear me speak.  That true inspiration can only be found in the whispered, but powerful words the Lord is lovingly speaking to them.  An opportunity to let each of those around me know, their only hope cannot be bought with an insurance card, but has already been purchased for them with the blood of Christ.

The Lord has used this recliner to teach me that hope is far more than just wishful thinking.  My hope is not an aspiration of things I wish for, but is the assurance that I am not going through all this alone.  The confident expectation that the Lord will provide me everything I truly need to face head on whatever this world may throw at me.  A frequent reminder from this recliner, that my hope is found in the breath Christ daily breathes into me, and in the certainty of His arms as they surround and hold me.

While in this recliner, the Lord has shown me that hope is a fundamental part of righteousness.  That without God's hope, much of the meaning of this life is lost.  When I place my hopes in the trust of God’s hands, disappointment will always escape me.  And fear and anxiety can never find a way to me.  He reminds me that my hope is deep rooted in the structure of the Cross.  And those roots have spread so far and so wide, that they encompass my recliner each time I find myself sitting in it.  From the comfort of this recliner, the Lord shows me that my hope goes far beyond endurance.  That my hope stands stronger than time, and is without the limitations that we see time holding over us.  That my hope, may have begun with the Cross, but it did not die on the Cross.  My hope knows no end, and will live in me long after cancer has taken this body.

Along with my faith, hope is the persevering makeup of my life, and without that hope I could never know what true love is.  It is through that hope, that my joy is found.  And despite the despair that serves as a reminder in the needles and tubes that they weekly prepare for me, it is hope that brings peace and comfort to this recliner.  Hope reminds me that my life is not defined by the cancer that brings me to this recliner, but that my life can only be defined by the Lord above.

This recliner serves as a constant reminder, my hopes will never be found in my dreams, but is always present in God’s will.  No matter where we find ourselves in this world today, and no matter what our beliefs might be, at the core of all of us we seek something unconditional.  Something, or should I say “Someone”, with the power and kindness to reach out to us, to fulfill our deepest needs, and to lead our life in a difference making direction.  The truth of this recliner shows me that I can never do that for myself, and that the world around me cannot begin to offer it to me either.  For my hope to ever be more than a dream, I must seek a source for my hope that can make it a reality.  A source that is greater than my primal wants.  A source that not only knows what I need today, but already knows everything I will need tomorrow.

This world can never be the source the reality of my hope seeks, only God can. When we accept His love, mercy, grace, and power within us, nothing can ever stand against us. It is only because He is found in me, that my hope becomes more than just another dream. And as He makes my hope a reality, my dreams become visions of His will. Visions that fill my eyes every time I see His will fulfilled.  And in the beautiful purpose of seeing His will fulfilled, I joyfully get to watch as my hopes also become fulfilled.

God’s word tells me, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 8:38-39).  When His will becomes my will, when His vision becomes my vision, when His needs become my wants, all my hopes become more than just a dream.  They become the reality of what He promises me tomorrow, and the perfection of everything He is showing me today.

Each time I find myself in this recliner, I am constantly reminded, I can never have a good day’s work, unless it is first a God’s day’s work.  No matter how weak this cancer might leave me, no matter how much of my strength it may drain from me, a good day’s work can still lie ahead of me.  God uses this recliner to remind me, that a good day’s work is not seen by the grueling hours I put into each day, but by what I do with the opportunities He gives me each day.  A good day’s work can only be judged by what I do with all the things He lays at me feet.

There are now days that this recliner becomes my office.  Days that never allow me the strength to do all the things I so long to still do.  But even from this recliner, the Lord has shown me that I can still do everything He needs me to do.  And if I cannot go to work, if I remember exactly where my hope is found, He will bring that work to me.  This recliner shows me that cancer does not leave me with an excuse, but in His hands, it leaves me with an opportunity.  An opportunity to reach that one person He so needs me to reach.  An opportunity to just nudge the door open a little, so the Holy Spirit can then enter that door and do what He does best.  I may no longer be able to reach the many, but my cancer does not excuse me from doing all I can to still reach the one.  And who knows whom that one might be?  That one, that very one, that the Lord still  blesses me to be able to reach today, might be the very one that the Lord uses to reach countless, precious lives tomorrow.

Each day I find myself in this recliner, I am reminded of just how precious of a gift from the Lord that this life is.  And from the reality of this recliner, He also teaches me that the value of that gift is not seen in the amount of days we live, but what we do for Him with each and every day.  It is in that gift, in that value of every precious day, that my hope is found.  And with each day, He so lovingly reminds me, that even with my cancer, my hope will always be alive tomorrow.

As I struggle to again climb into this recliner, I am again reminded of the promise that is held in my hope.  As I look around me at all the faces, I pray that God will give me the chance today to share that hope.  To help just one to see hope as more than a dream.  That from this recliner today, they will not just see in me the tubes, the needles, the IV’s, and the drip bags that are attached to me. That they will see in me the One who sits in this chair with me, who each minute in this recliner has His arms securely around me.  As those around me today look at this recliner, may that not see me, but see Him.  May they not be inspired by the little I, alone, have to offer.  But as they look at this recliner, may they see the hope the Lord has so lovingly given me, and be Godspired!

Today, do not be inspired, be Godspired!