Not a Gift

            According to various research and data groups, the busiest day for shopping is the day after Thanksgiving known as “Black Friday.”  The second busiest day is the day after Christmas, though it is more for returning items than purchasing items.  This leads to the great theological question:  What is the day after Christmas called “Unwanted Gift Day?” 

            When is a gift not a gift?  Recently, I was involved in a conversation where a person was upset that someone bought them a gift. They complained because they did not want the gift.  They refused to accept the gift, and they actually felt insulted because someone bought them a gift.  Not accepting a gift is a common occurrence.  What reasons would someone have for not accepting a gift?

            First, people feel obligated to reciprocate with a gift.  Oftentimes when a gift is given to someone, the receiver, right or wrong, feels they must reciprocate with a gift, especially with a gift of equal or greater value.  If the gift given is out of the economic range of the receiver, they know they will not be able to reciprocate; it is easier to turn it away.  This way the receiver will not feel guilty if they were unable to reciprocate. 

            Second, people feel they do not deserve the gift.  One of the “threats” to children around Christmas time is that if they are good, Santa brings gifts, if they are bad, then they do not get any gifts.  This carries on into adulthood, in that people feel that they do not deserve to receive gifts from people.  They did not do enough to warrant such an action from other people. This is termed, “works mentality.”  A person must earn their gift. 

            Herein lays the problem with that thought.  Something that is freely given is a gift; something that is earned is considered payment.  The term the Bible uses is “wages.”  A person does a job and receives something for the job it is wages.  A person walks up to you on the street and hands you a gold ring and then runs away, that is a gift.  You did nothing to earn the gold ring; it was given to you.  If you then immediately walk over to the trashcan and throw the gold ring in it, is it still a gift?

            The Bible gives the distinction between payment and a gift.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 6:23 NASB).  The payment for sin and our sinful life is death.  Death is what we earn.  However, we are given a gift, a free gift, and that is eternal life.  Eternal life is a gift that is given to us.  We cannot work for it that becomes wages.  It is freely given.

            There is one thing that we must do to get this gift.  The only thing that needs to be done is to accept the gift.  If we do not accept the gift, then we cannot receive the gift.  The Heavenly Father has presented everyone with a gift.  Will you accept the gift, or will it not be a gift at all.

               

Time For A Revival

            A U.S. Lutheran bishop tells of visiting a parish church in California and finding a stirring red and orange banner on the wall. "Come Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!" it declared in words printed under a picture of a fire burning. The bishop was also interested in the sign directly underneath the banner that said, "Fire extinguisher."

            As Christians, how many times have we taken a fire extinguisher to the fire of the Holy Spirit?  Christians quench the Spirit for fear of offending someone, fear of being called a radical, fear of being ridiculed or an assortment of other excuses.  Christians are in a spiritual morass.  C S Lewis once stated that Christians are like wet dogs.  They go to church and get soaked in the Holy Spirit only to shake it off once they got outside.

            With the coming of the New Year, Christians need to have a revival.  Revival is not a bad term, nor should it only be associated with Charismatics and Pentecostals, but a term that must be in every Christian’s vocabulary.  Every Christian must experience revival.

            Where does this revival begin?  Here is one account of how revival begins:  A famous preacher was asked to hold a revival at a church.  Facing a packed sanctuary, he stares at the congregation for a couple minutes.  He asked if they have experienced revival in the last few minutes.  The congregation answered with a collective, “No.”  He stated, “That’s the problem with revivals, we expect them to come to us.”  He then drew a circle on the ground and stood in it, “Let the revival begin in this circle and go out from it.  Revival has to begin with our heart and move outwards.”

            While a church can hold revival meetings for a few weeks at a time, a Christian needs to have revival every day.  Christians need to renew their mind and focus daily, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect,” (Romans 12:2 NASB).  The “renewing of your mind” denotes a constant renewal.  It does not state “be transformed and once you renew your mind you can stop.”  It denotes a constant inspection and renewal.

            How would one go about a personal revival?  First is to pray.  Seek wisdom and guidance from our Heavenly Father.  All things must begin and end with prayer.  Without prayer, a Christian is a rudderless ship, swaying right and left, and rarely getting where they need to go.

            Second is to read the Bible.  Various polls have indicated a troubling trend, less than 5 percent of Christians read the Bible on a daily basis.  A vast majority of Christians read the Bible only once a week and that is when the Pastor states, “Let us open our Bibles to. . .”  The Bible is how God speaks to us today.  It is called the “Word of God” for a reason.  Because it contains the very words that God spoke to His people.  Spend time daily in His Word.

            Third is to act upon it.  Do not suppress the Holy Spirit.  Do not give excuses to quench the fire of the Holy Spirit.  Revival has to come from within and go out.  Every Christian needs to say, “Revival starts with me.”

            While a church can hold a revival meeting for a week, the effects of it; the spiritual uplifting, the emotional uplifting, the fellowship, will last a while, nevertheless, the effects will wear off.  However, having a personal revival every day, the effects will not wear off.  It is time for a revival, so put away the fire extinguisher.