Author: Rev. Charles Pugh

What potential this day has and this whole time of year, when people celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanza or the beginning of winter or whatever! As 2011 comes to an end, another influential day comes when the New Year of 2012 begins. This entire season and particularly this day that is called Christmas has more power of influence over all the people in the world than any other day! What is so special about December 25th and this whole month and holiday season? Amid the hustle and bustle of this time of year, as shoppers look for gifts for family and friends, and amid the additionally sad news of crime and more legal problems for Virginia Tech in the athletic program, I want to take this opportunity to focus attention on something far sweeter than a Sugar Bowl 😉. Consider CHRISTmas Potential!

Do you know of any other typical time of year where there is more happiness and joy and dedication to decorate and spend time and money to give gifts to others and be around family and friends? Of course, today, there is more of an emphasis on celebrating the birth of each individual, than there is any other day of life in their year. That is not a bad thing, if the focus is more on life itself and not simply the status or deeds of the individual. Birthdays are important for people and there is no greater birthday than that of The ONE WHO was previously only Spirit becoming flesh (see John 1:14). This Eternal Life should be celebrated more than any other life! The greatest thing about this Eternal Life is that it was given to be sacrificed to bring Eternal Life to all who will believe! Death reigns triumphantly over life, except for that Eternal Life, which personally defeated death and will one day defeat death forever! Consider the testimony of the beloved Apostle John: “the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us” (1 John 1:2). Do you see this Eternal CHRISTmas Potential? Why wouldn’t you celebrate this Life?

Now, it is true that there has long been a pagan celebration of this time of year, due to the change in seasons and the winter solstice (even akin to certain modern Christmas traditions). Early Christians focused more on what this Eternal Life did than on the Life coming into this world. As time went on, and society developed, more emphasis was also put on the birth. Many traditions, such as cutting down and decorating trees or roasting chestnuts are natural things that have no intrinsic meaning. Natural things are often used as symbols for greater, spiritual things. It is also true that many in America buy into materialism and commercialism to the extent that they lose the significance of what this time of year represents. Still, there are the decorations and gifts given (even as often symbolized in the man Saint Nicholas, who has come to be seen by children and others as a supernatural figure—Santa Claus). There is no greater time of service and giving toward others than at this time of year! Giving is not a bad thing, in itself, and it should be a normal thing (especially for those who consider themselves Christians) and not only at Christmas. Regardless of viewpoint, there is great CHRISTmas Potential!

December 25th may not be the actual time of the birth of Jesus Christ. Some religious leaders theorize that CHRIST was conceived on the same day HE died, thus His birth would have been at this time of year, likely on December 25th. Others note details in the biblical Christmas story that indicate it is unlikely December 25th was His birthday. It is quite possible that the actual date of The Incarnation (GOD taking on flesh) is indeed December 25th, with the birth taking place around 9 months later. Regardless, we know that a new thing happened when the Creator’s foretold plan of reconciliation and redemption was put in place in what the Bible calls the “fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4). December 25th is the day the world has set aside to remember this birth (and moreso, this Spirit and LIFE). We should take this time to celebrate “the true meaning” of what HE came to do for us, even more than what others do for us or give to us. Corruption and commercialism comes from man, but our Creator—Jesus CHRIST—brought His Eternal Life into time and space, humbling HIMSELF to this fragile human state. Because of His conception, His birth, and His Perfect Life and substitutionary death, along with His defeat of death in Resurrection, there is great CHRISTmas Potential, if we only partake!

Lock down! Another shooting on the Virginia Tech campus…another gunman is at large! One has been killed and we know now it was a policeman. Now, another has been found dead…the suspect is said to be a young white male in a hooded sweatshirt with backpack….the Interstate 81 rest stop in Radford in also closed indefinitely. This is how Thursday afternoon went here in the Blacksburg and New River Valley area of Virginia. (There had been a trial run of this type of thing back on 08-04-11, just before the semester began.) Could this actual 12-08-11 shooting event be another 04-16-07 all over again?!? Ironically, all of this activity was happening on the same day that there was a hearing about alleged violations of the Clery Act in Virginia’s State Capital, Richmond. Police from all over the area were descending upon Blacksburg again; Virginia State police were taking the lead in the investigation. The news media was on the story and the local news agencies were overriding normal programming. News of this latest shooting event again spread quickly around the world! Horror, sadness and wonder gripped the emotions of people all throughout the community! Fear began creeping in and controlling decisions that people all over this area were making. Fear was being created!

Have you ever thought about this? Fear can be created! Perhaps you can remember those times that you and some friends were sitting around telling ghost stories. Maybe you recall some time when you were watching a mysterious or even a horror movie? What about those times when you started thinking about evil in this world and wondering if something bad was about to happen right around you? Fear can be created. In fact, fear is a natural and quite common emotional response. Is not worrying about the future—what has yet to happen in time—something that we all tend to do and have to face? Do you worry? Worrying is not the same as reasonably thinking ahead and planning. Does something yet to happen in time or something you are convinced is likely to happen consume you and control actions that you take? For many, it often does. Indeed, it is when we repeatedly think or obsess about any particular thing, that we will most likely be creating fear.

Thoroughly discussing and thinking about this would require more time and space than I have here. I do, however, want you think further with me. Is it not often true that we create our own reality and situations? The way we daily interact with others, psychologically impacts them and they respond from wherever they are at the time. Each of us has much power and influence in the lives of all those around us, whether we think we do or not. We are naturally curious and social creatures. We all regularly make judgments about people and things in our lives. Like it or not, this is true. Our judgments may not always be right and are often not thoroughly objective; we all come to others and interact with them from our own perspective or bias and naturally tend to compare ourselves with others. This is natural, but it is not wise. When we get into a mindset of looking at and comparing our lives with others, we no doubt will become prejudiced against some and even begin to create our own atmosphere that involves fear on at least some level. When we do this, we are unable to show real love to others. The Bible makes this very clear as well. 1 John 4:18 says:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Friend, with the labels that have been placed upon me after that horrible tragedy of 04-16-07, I know and have come to personally understand how harmful and devastating fear can be! Will you allow fear and worry or love and service to control you and the daily decisions and interactions you have? There are things that we should be concerned about and even fear on some level (evil is real). If you will learn with me, you will come to see that the number one lesson from 04-16-07 (of the Top Ten that I discuss in my book) and the number one lesson from this latest 12-08-11 shooting, and in reality the number one lesson in life is to FEAR GOD ABOVE ALL! It is possible to FEAR and love HIM. You can “trust GOD and His Word, no matter what” (the theme of my book). You should be creating that fear!

Following up on my last blog article and remembering today as the 70th anniversary of “a date which will live in infamy,” I am writing to address this issue of sacrifice and suffering a bit deeper. It was 70 years ago today when America was surprisingly attacked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 2,402 Americans were killed and much U.S. property was destroyed in this horrific attack that fully thrust the United States into World War II. That attack on Pearl Harbor came at a great price, yet it ended up mobilizing a pearl of industry and involvement in this Country that led to the victory of the Allied forces in World War II and the defeat of Hitler. From this tragedy and irritant came a pearl of great price! Beautiful pearls can come from irritating things, if we allow our Creator to use these events to mold and make us.

Studying pearl formation is a fascinating thing. In response to a foreign invader, oysters and shelled mollusks produce a crystallized calcium carbonate rounded substance that has been deemed to be of great value by people worldwide. What woman has not at some point had or wanted some pearl necklace or pearls in some jewelry (even if only imitation pearls)? Our Creator has given us so many things to enjoy and learn from to grow into what HE wants for us in this world! Pearls are examples of good that can come through irritants and challenges! Interestingly, natural pearls (as with natural snow vs. “man-made snow”) can still be distinguished from “man-made” or cultured and imitation pearls. 🙂

In the natural world, many oysters have to be harvested in order to find one that contains a pearl. Due to this rarity in the natural world, a naturally formed pearl has greater value and thus becomes a pearl of great price. So, what lessons can be learned from this and the formation of pearls? Many examples come to mind, but I want to use this pearl analogy and this day when we think on the sacrifices at Pearl Harbor to focus on how we respond to outside irritants and attacks.

Sometimes trouble and tragedy comes from the poor choices that we and others make. We make our own trouble when we act in ways that we know will potentially cause harm. When you smoke, you are making it harder for your body and lungs to function as created. It also becomes much more likely for you to develop cancer or some other disease and the smoke can irritate others around you. The more you drink alcohol, the greater you give over control of your decisions and this will lead to harm for yourself and others around you. How many people are killed in vehicle crashes and how much abuse and relationship problems are caused by alcohol (just research this to see!)? If you overeat, your body will likely store more fat, which leads to obesity and greater health risks. When your attitude is self-focused and haughty or otherwise improper toward others, you will hurt those around you and lose positive feedback and encouragement from healthy relationships. When you choose to worry and stress over the future or things in the present and even the past that you cannot control, you lower your body’s defenses and increase your vulnerability to sickness. Some pearls of good can come even from the bad choices and irritants in life, yet the rare and rounded pearls of great price come through your response to what The Creator allows to come into your life.

Jesus spoke a parable of the kingdom of God being like a man who was seeking for good pearls. This man found one special pearl of great price and then sold all he had to purchase the pearl (see Matthew 13:45-46). When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, he or she finds the greatest pearl in HIM! As many are now beginning to celebrate Christmas and the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, we must remember that HE first came to sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world. Jesus is certainly the most costly pearl of all! Do you have Him in your life? If you do, are you allowing the tests and irritating trials of life to form good in you? Are you encasing the irritating things in life in the sac of faith and letting The Creator grow a beautiful, rounded pearl? It is this, my friend, which will grow your life into a pearl of great price!

Now that the holiday season is upon us, a very important thought comes to mind, which so many are so often neglecting. As you think about it, failure to do this is what really leads to so many tragedies and so many broken relationships all around us. Understanding what I am addressing here would help revolutionize the psychological world and even do wonders for the business world. In fact, when you consider the depth of this, it is at the very core of the Character of GOD and the reason why we can celebrate any greater meaning to the holidays. What am I talking about here?: Self Sacrifice.

Most agree that we are living in a self absorbed society. An attitude of pumping up and pleasing one’s self is what drives so much of our lives! Self esteem is said to be the thing lacking in so much of our society and what you are said to need to help you live better in your home and do better at your job. Esteeming one’s self is still in vogue today and is essentially at the heart of our corrupted human nature. It also drives much of the frenzy we see around shopping for material things and the latest technologies. I submit 😉 that our societal and even relational problems are not found in esteeming or pumping up ourselves. It is not healthy to be motivated primarily from esteeming yourself or even your skills and abilities. It is not safe to even put some group of people in esteem above all others. Like it or not, we, and you in particular, are not the center of the Universe. The world does not revolve around any solely human being! A created world cannot. Now, if you doubt Creation, then you’d better do a lot more study of it and get some greater perspective! Life is not about lifting up man to the place of God. Life is about humbling yourself before the Creator and others and sacrificing your self for His will for you.

Lest you think this is absurd, please consider it further with me. Personally, what lasting reward do you have when you promote yourself alone? Perhaps we could learn from history and the example of the ego-maniac emperor, Alexander “the Great”? After he had conquered the then known world, it is said that he wept because there were no more worlds to conquer! His perspective was so limited! There is so much more to explore in this world and in the vast regions of space, that no mere human being could ever explore and learn and conquer everything. As our knowledge grows and expands, we (that is if you are not living in your own limited world) realize there is so much more we still do not understand! Whenever you promote yourself and reach your goal, what is then left for you to do? There is no lasting satisfaction in conquering any task or situation, unless you have conquered yourself as well and yielded to the One Who has even conquered death (which eventually will also be completely conquered for us all in time 😉). When you are sacrificing yourself to this Creator GOD, you will see that the most pleasure and satisfaction comes in pleasing HIM and serving others and helping them know HIM. There is no higher calling and meaning than to sacrifice self for GOD to Glorify HIM. Please do not misunderstand this as some people and even religions do. Sacrificing yourself for GOD does not mean you blow yourself up to kill others and damage property. It means loving and serving others more than yourself and any personal goal apart from the main goal—to Glorify your Creator and enjoy HIM!

Why do you think GOD HIMSELF required such an elaborate sacrificial system for HIS people, Israel? Why is personal sacrifice even often admired by us when we see someone risking their own well being for the good of others? Do you understand what I am thinking about here? Sacrificing self is what GOD calls us to do, because it is part of Who HE is! It is why so many celebrate the Holidays and what is really behind what Christmas should represent. GOD sacrificed Himself and limited using His own rights and abilities as GOD, in the Incarnation. Immanuel means GOD is with us (Matthew 1:23)! GOD commands those who follow HIM to have this same mindset as HE did in the Person of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (see the whole chapter for a more full understanding). Christians are called to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1)!

Friend, will you emulate GOD HIMSELF or promote your own self? Please learn to Sacrifice Self!

Following up from my last blog article, I’m thinking more about how recent news events bring up a very important truth—Intervention! Finally, we see some intervention by city leaders around Wall Street in New York to help curtail the public health and safety issues that are being compromised at many of the Occupy protests. If people occupied The Street I talked about in my last article, there wouldn’t be all of the problems at many of these Occupy protests! Another serious news story out of Pennsylvania has also rocked the news world and a well know college campus and football program. The reason why so many are being let go or resigning and the big question coming out of all of that alleged child abuse has to do with why there was not more intervention. So, what is our responsibility to intervene?

Well, to start to answer this important question, you might wish to review my 06-16-09 unusual and challenging article: “Mind Your Own Business!” The exclamation to “mind your own business” is so often a front to hide bad behavior and is used (by the speaker and even those spoken to) as an excuse for neglecting one’s responsibility in society before others and before GOD to “do justice and love mercy” (c.f. Micah 6:8). Haven’t you seen some of those videos where someone is being beaten up or in trouble somehow and desperately needing the help of others? What is needed there and in so many other situations every day in our lives is for more intervention! Failing to intervene might even mean your job at some point in the future (as college football’s most winning coach and the recently released Penn State President now know) or worse yet, it might mean the physical life or wellbeing of someone.

There is an important balance here, especially if we are to continue with the privacy and freedom that most wish to maintain. We must not overstep and improperly intervene! I personally know the trouble and tragedy that improperly intervening can bring about, as this is what led to all of the labels that I have been given and the tragedy of being separated from my family. Others failing to love and properly intervene is (at the time of this writing) what is still keeping my five dear children from any relationship with their earthly father. There are times when things should be left for people to deal with privately and there are times when those surrounding a situation should intervene to help all involved. That is what love does and love does not overstep its bounds to wrongly seek control over someone.

It is our human responsibility to love and to serve one another (my 5th and 7th Top Lessons To Learn). This necessarily involves intervention into the lives of those whom we are loving and serving. It is not that difficult to understand why we are having so many problems throughout our society! Proper government intervention would have prevented the banks from overreaching and thus struggling so much, particularly in the housing market, which was the catalyst for the downturn in our and the world’s economy. Governments all over the world know how important intervention is, but often fail to find a good balance between helping and protecting people verses controlling them and limiting freedoms. Individuals in any society who fail to properly intervene in loving and serving others around them will necessarily contribute to the degradation of that society.

Human nature being what it is and nature itself suffering from the curse of sin requires intervention! Did you know that GOD chose to intervene into this world in The Person of Jesus Christ? HE knew what our greatest need was! GOD so loved us that HE gave us His Son, who gave His life to pay the penalty for our sins. He intervened to the greatest degree and even defeated the worst enemy—death. Because HE lives, we too can defeat death and the curse of sin if we respond to His intervention! Until HE intervenes again, to reign on the earth and straighten out the messes man has made, we must be people that look to serve Him and follow His example. We must intervene in love and service toward others around us! We must seek to protect others and also warn people of the consequences of their actions and inactions or else suffer the consequences of failing to intervene. We must intervene to help rescue others from the fire, just as the half brother of Jesus Christ taught (Jude 1:22-23).