Born To Die

If you're someone involved in the music ministry of your local church, there's no doubt that this season brings a massive influx of Christmas-themed worship songs on your Sunday service setlist. I can probably no longer count how many modern worship arrangements I've heard of those timeless Christmas songs, some of them I like and some of them I feel like it did not give the song justice. But then again, there's nothing bad with proclaiming year after year that this time is indeed the fulfilling of Biblical prophecy: that Jesus Christ had come in the form of a man, in the most humbling manner I might add, that He would one day bear our sin and shame in a death that we deserved in the first place.

Which brings me to a song I'd love to share. (No, I won't do a cover of it.) You see, of late I've somehow now become one of those people who would listen to the more heavier genres of music. But there's something about this song that is very somber to me: how the lyrics reflect one's thoughts about the birth of our Saviour and how His birth has indeed changed the world as we know it. I am more than convinced that I have lost count of how many times I almost cried when I give this song a listen.

The song is called I Celebrate The Day, written by Matt Thiessen.

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could covey 
If only I could find the words
To say to let You know how much
You've touched my life

Because here is where You're finding me
In the exact same place as New Years Eve
And from the lack of my persistancy
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time that You opened Your eyes
Did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare
The things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

To look back and think that 
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That You were born so I might live

I celebrate the day that You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life 

In less than a month, I'll be twenty years of age. Back in those days in which church meant Sunday School and bragging rights on who's got the coolest craft made from the activity; it's funny how I use to brush off the notion that Jesus, not the gifts or some red bearded guy, is the reason for the yearly celebration. Today, I stand here in absolute awe of how He was able to take a wretch like me and slowly but surely transform me into His image. I am way far from perfect; but I'll forever be thankful that when the fullness of time had come, as Paul notes in Galatians, Christ came to free us from sin.

Even though my foundation is not on solid rocks, I will continue to persevere.

At work! but YOLO. kidding, how pagan of me.

It all starts with Apostle Paul...

Paul the apostle was an incredibly godly godly man, a man of God. Who suffered and went though many trials, as he was stoned, insulted, flogged, persecuted and the list goes on (2 Corinthians 11:22-33). Regardless, he remained and stood firm in the faith, and continued to worship God with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. Let us not neglect that, it was Paul's obedience to God and submission to the Holy Spirit that placed him in such trials.

Currently, however, it is hard for me to relate with Paul, because persecution, floggings and so forth, I have not/yet to experience, by God's grace. But, what has really been speaking to me, comes from the book of Acts (17:18), where Paul was preaching to the people of Athens. In this passage, while Paul was preaching the Gospel, he began to offend the Greeks and Athenians, because he told them the wrongs of the practices within their culture. Not because he wanted to purposely, but because their culture conflicted with the true Gospel. (note: he didn't force or create his own opportunity to preach, but God provided an opening). As you read verse 18 of that chapter, you see that some labelled Paul a "Babbler". A babbler as Google definition defines, "a person who babbles" = makes no sense or speaking out of their butts.

Now, Paul being called a babbler, is like calling the most educated man in our society an idiot. In the bible times, not everyone knew how to read and or write. For someone to be literate in itself, places him or her (mostly him) on a pedestal not many have the opportunity to be on. Now, we are speaking about Paul, a  pharisee of pharisees, who read the in and outs of the old testament and knows every rule and law given by God. He was an incredibly educated man. So when Paul is labelled a babbler, it's calling him a man who is clueless and speaks nonsense, almost like a crazy man if you think about it. Do you see the irony in this?

Now, I won't ramble on, but what I have been struggling with lately, is realizing and seeing, no matter how smart, how much you learn and know, or how "great" you can be as an individual, if you truly live and follow the rules, laws and commandments of Jesus Christ, you will be rejected by society. You will be seen as an inferior. And this happens time and time again in scripture. (Elijah to Jesus).

Not to say, you will be rejected wherever you go, no. What I am saying is, if we are to live like Christ and truly follow his rules, laws and decrees, God will place trials before you. So when it happens, be like Paul and remain in Him, as we owe God our life and more. With God, there is no compromise in faith and in truth. Let us understand, just because we have been placed in this culture, we do not have to be of this culture.

I don't know what God is doing in each and every one of your lives, but I really do hope that you grow strong and firm in truth that comes in Christ. As I hope I do as well.

With love!





Books I really recommend; Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan AND the Holy Bible, maybe with commentaries by John Mac. :)