Christmas...you can accept it...you can reject it...manipulating it won’t change the Truth!

I once read an article by a Jewish Scholar that said he believed in the resurrection of Jesus for the Gentile religion. That is a great example of what an unwilling heart will do. There is plenty of evidence for the resurrection and this historian sees that, yet, because it would mean that he would have to accept the “whole” truth, he manipulates the facts and custom fits his argument to make it satisfactory for himself. Understand what he is saying in reality, Jesus was a good man and even a miracle worker, but He also was a LIAR! Jesus claimed to be God, not one of the gods, or a god for a particular people.

When we are unwilling to face and deal with “Truth” we will begin to manipulate it. That is exactly what King Herod did.

Matthew 2:4–7 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.

Manipulation...the Truth may take away my crown...I must stay in control...so I’ll...

We all know where this leads and will examine that in following days, but consider why this takes place. Whenever the Truth is going to cost you something you do not want it to, and you are unwilling to yield...you will become manipulative.

The Pharisees did:

John 11:45–48 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

Mark 3:6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

The tragic fact is that if our heart has decided to refuse Truth, no amount of it will change our mind. We will amass a lot of information, yet we still miss the point.

Matthew 22:15-46 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?" Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. [34] Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says," 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." ' If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

 This is a terrible game we play and in the end we lose. We decide what the “truth” is and then make the facts line up to match our “truth”.

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Proverbs 21:2 All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.

Over 2000 years later it still happens: Today in New York City a group that deny God exists are so desperate that they have gone so far as to deny historical truth. They have a sign on Times Square with Santa Clause and the statement "Keep the Merry!" Underneath is a picture of Christ being Crucified and the statement "Dump the Myth!" Pathetic! If you want to deny Christ is God...I understand your argument, even though I disagree, but to call Jesus a myth exposes either the highest form of arrogance or a total ignorance of history. No historian worth anything, no matter his or her faith or lack thereof, would deny that a historical person named Jesus lived, died and even had claims that he arose from the dead, though they would say his body was stolen. There is more evidence for Jesus walking the earth than there is of Caesar. Maybe the folks believe in Santa and that’s why they cannot accept history as true!

 

Seriously though, I am sad for those folks. They have every right to deny God, their Creator gave them that right. But to be so obsessed with making sure everyone agree with them they even deny what history has testified to as far as Jesus walking the earth. To believe He is God, history will not do that...that requires faith. 

AHHH you say...you believe in something you cannot prove...YES...prove to me your stand... “Big Bang?” “Monkey Man?” “Cosmic Gas?” If you refuse to manipulate you will have to admit that it takes faith...Even to NOT believe in someone you cannot prove, takes faith!