FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA?

We sing ‘Tis the Season to be jolly! Fa la la la la, la la la la!” (I think there are enough “la-la’s” in there.) But “jolly” does not really describe many of us today. I think we would identify more with the Christmas carol, “ye beneath life’s crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way, with painful steps and slow.”

It’s hard to be “jolly” as you watch your country being led by men and women who mock those of us who “cling to our Bibles” and who declare, “America is not a Christian nation.”

It’s hard to be “jolly” when the most defenseless among us, our unborn children, are at greater risk of being murdered in the womb, than they are outside. To add insult to injury, yesterday a majority of our United States Senators voted that healthcare reform would include government funding for abortion! Our tax dollars would be used to pay for the slaughter of the pre-born should this make it to the President’s desk.

It’s hard to be “jolly” when divorce is ripping our families apart and leaving millions of children confused and torn. Adding insult to injury, today’s parents are so self-centered their children are too often left to fend for themselves. We wonder why our schools are struggling to meet academic goals. We need look no farther than the disintegrating family unit.

It’s hard to be “jolly” when the vice is praised and virtue is mocked. Christianity is ridiculed in the public square while pornography is celebrated.

It’s hard to be “jolly” when government spending is growing at such an alarming rate. Today 20 cents of every federal dollar is spent on the military, while 54 cents is laid out for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Welfare programs. The other 26 cents goes for roads and other government projects and the interest on our debt. (Congressional Budget Office 2008). Right now the U. S. Government owes $12,000,000,000,000.00. That’s over $350,000 per American. At the current pace, our debt will equal the total value of all the goods and services our economy produces next year. That hasn’t happened since World War II.

It’s hard to be “jolly” when the Church, the one institution that God has ordained to be the conscience of the nation is for the most part AWOL (a military term meaning “Absent Without Leave.”). Our pulpits are silent on the great moral issues of our day. We refuse to confront sin, proclaim grace that delivers from sin, and promote holiness of heart and life. The fastest growing churches are those that have adopted sensual music and whose leaders embody the spirit of the age.



BUT WE WHO KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST NEED NOT DESPAIR! While we are deeply concerned about the direction of our nation, we have an unshakable confidence, an optimism that is grounded on the unchanging, eternal Word of the Living God— Christ shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though our nation rejects the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though churches neglect the Gospel of the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though sinners oppose the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though the world denies the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though the self-righteous crucify the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though the carnal ignore our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though families renounce our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though schools disallow our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though professors and scientists repudiate our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though cynics and comics deride our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

…Though the enemy and all the powers of hell are bent on destroying our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

You know, the more I think about it, the more thrilled I get! Fa la la la la! La la la la! Hearing the bells of Christendom on Christmas day, Longfellow wrote:

Then peeled the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, goodwill to men.

And that we know is true, for He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

So look up this Christmas season. Whatever the burden you bear, whatever the concern you have, the virgin-born, crucified, buried for three days, risen from the grave, ascended into heaven, and coming-again King of Kings and Lord of Lords shall reign forever! And of His Kingdom there shall be no end.



If this Christ Jesus is not your Lord and Savior He wants to be. No matter how far you have strayed from His will, He loves you with an everlasting love. He longs to see you reconciled to God.

Repent of your sins—confess your sins and decide to do the will of God.

Believe—Trust only in Christ’s sacrifice for your salvation and believe Him. He told the truth, and He is “the way, the truth, and the life.”

Love—Live life from this day forward loving God, loving His Word, loving His will, loving His church, and loving your neighbor as yourself.