Sin, Sorrow, and the Joy of Christmas

The lights glow softly, the Christmas music plays, and wondrous thoughts of the birth of our Savior fill our minds. What a blessing it is for the believer who still finds childlike joy in this time of year. Being "grown-up" is a bit over-rated, because being "grown-up," according to the world, usually entails a constant stiff upper lip and a cynical heart. Now, there are times to be stout, to conceal your emotion, and be a bit guarded, but too often these virtues can be turned into vices. Just as there is time to be immovable, there is a time to be moved. There are things that should stir our hearts, and move us to childlike wonder, and the story of the birth of Jesus is one of those things.

Sin is our greatest enemy, and it has been ever since the fall. In our natural condition, with hard hearts, we are the makers of our own demise, we despise what is good, and we love that which will destroy us. So much so that it seems we love our own destruction. And what is worse, is that we are constantly heaping upon ourselves the wrath of a Holy and just God who will not let any sin go unpunished, and the thought of such things should cause us to weep.

If this were where we were left, there would be no hope for any of us. But as we know, in the garden after the fall, God promised that He was going to give us a seed who would be the remedy for sin. What is often missed is the fact that right after this promise, we see a curse that was to come upon mankind for their sinful act of rebellion, and one aspect of that curse was that God Himself was going to cause children to be brought forth in sorrow. Why would God do such a thing after such a wonderful promise? Of all the female creatures upon this earth, it seems that humans have the greatest sorrow during childbirth, but this sorrow is not without hope. Every time a woman grieves during the pain of childbirth, it is to be a reminder to us of the seriousness of sin. It is a proclamation of our depraved condition, but that is not all it is, it is also a gesture of God’s love for His people because He does not want us to evade the knowledge of our sinful condition and neglect the promised seed.

As Mary gave birth that night in a dusty stable, she undoubtedly lamented in pain. Any of us who have pondered that night and have thought of the cold ground beneath her, with no doctor’s guidance, and no comforts of home, have heard her proclamation of the tyranny of sin. In sorrow she gave birth, but the Child was to be the death of her sorrow, and even the death of death itself. Like Rachel giving birth to Benjamin, she may have had the desire to call Him Benoni, the son of her sorrow, but the Father, God Himself, had already declared Him to be the Son of His Right Hand. His name was to be Jesus, for He was to save His People from their Sins.

Christ, God incarnate, had entered our sin riddled world. From his first breath He was to be known as the Man of Sorrows, and He would endure it all because of His love for us. All we like sheep have gone astray, but as Christ suffered the sorrows of this fallen world, He never faltered in His righteousness. He then, like a lamb, willingly went to the slaughter never once opening His mouth in protest. Without fail, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and By His stripes we are healed.

If this Christmas season is passing you by, and the thoughts of our Savior have not yet moved your heart to adoration, through the Spirit's work, may the meditation of our great God and His Gospel invigorate our sin embattled hearts and produce once again the childlike wonder of the Christmas season. Through faith, He is the joy of our salvation. Though sorrow may still be a part of living in this fallen world, you can have joy in the knowledge that any sins over which you mourn, and any sorrows you face, have been conquered by the child who was born in the manger: Jesus Christ the Lord.

Merry Christmas,

Doug Eaton

In Preparation for Christmas

It is that time again. Thanksgiving has come and gone, and many have already frantically begun to prepare for Christmas. The sales are on, the shoppers are swarming, and the decorations are going up. The preparation has begun, but none of it can compare to the preparation that took place for that first Christmas. Just imagine what it would have been like to not know the Savior as intimately as you do now.

In order to get ready for Christmas it is always helpful to prepare our hearts by thinking of what it must have been like for those of the household of Israel who had been waiting for the Messiah. It all started right after the fall when God told Eve that there would be a seed that would have His heal bruised by the serpent, but He would ultimately crush the serpent’s head. Already, God was promising a remedy for the spiritual death they had brought upon themselves, and all subsequent generations, and also for the physical death that was working in their bodies at that very moment.

As time went on God’s people were taught many things about this coming one who was going to redeem them from the wages of sin. To name a few, they were told that He was going to be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2), He would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14), and He would speak in parables (Ps. 78:2-4). On top of all that, He would be hated without reason (Ps. 35:19), He would be spat upon and stuck (Is. 50:6) and He would be pierced (Zech. 12:10), all to save His people by being a substitute for them in order to make atonement for their sins (Is. 53:5). Then in the darkest hour He would be resurrected (Ps 16:10, Ps 49:15).

The prophecies had been progressively revealing details regarding the coming Messiah, and although they did not fully understand it, it gave them hope. But the promise of a Messiah who was to redeem them from the grip of sin is not the same as having Him present and knowing His name. Those among the Hebrews who really believed must have constantly been wondering who He was going to be and must have longed to know His name. Jacob may have wrestled with Him in some preincarnate form, and when Jacob asked Him his name He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name? (Gen. 32:29),”and he was left in mystery. Later, Samson’s father Manoah may have spoke with Him, and though he did not fully understanding at the moment with whom he was speaking, he also asked Him His name and the response was “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful (Judges 13:18). But all of these events were shrouded in mystery for the name was not to be revealed until the fullness of time.

With such wonder, hope, and speculation, they lived for thousands of years, including an approximately 400-year period of time following the prophet Malachi where God seemed to go silent. Then that faithful day came when an angel of the Lord appeared to Mary and said, “You will conceive and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” His name would be Jesus, and He would save His people from their sins! The wait was over. Sinful humanity was to be redeemed, and the one who was to do it was going to be named Jesus!

Oh, how we have sung His name for thousands of years. How long we have known the only name under heaven by which man can be saved. How long it has filled our hearts with joy. We have not only known His name and His teachings, which are and endless supply of light and life, but we have also known Him because He is still with us today, and will be with us always, even unto the end of the world.

As we already know, He bore our sorrows and carried our grief. He took upon Himself our sins, thus ending the condemnation that the law demanded, and He imputes to us His righteousness, making us co-heirs in the inheritance that He so rightly deserves, and we most certainly do not. None of the rapturous joys that fill the believer’s heart would be the same, had it not been for His birth in that lowly stable when God himself took on flesh.

It is easy to be swept away by all the trappings of the season, but the believer must not lose the infinite worth found in Christ, in all the paltry tin of secular add-ons. As you prepare your home this season, be sure preparation is made to spend time with your Savior through meditation on His word and prayer, for no heart is as full as the heart that is filled with Christ.

May the Lord bless you this Christmas season!

Doug

Thanksgiving, Gratitude, and Leaness of Soul

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! Psalm 106:1

Psalm 106 begins by calling the people of God to praise and thanksgiving. The following 12 verses continue by reminding them of God’s great and merciful works. How He showed His power and set them free from the slavery in Egypt, how He parted the Red Sea to get them to safety, and covered their enemies with water. With thoughts like this we see thanksgiving flowing freely from grateful hearts as they remembered the Lord and His mighty works.

Then, a few verses later, we find a drastic change as we are told how they soon forgot His works, and did not seek His counsel. As they were in the wilderness they began to lust for the old flesh pots of Egypt, and began to test God in the wilderness. As they began to demand meat, as if the Lord had not given them something they deserved, we find this in verse 15, “And He gave them their request, but sent leanness of into their soul.”

In the context of this verse, what was happening was that the Lord had given them what they desired, which was meat in the form of quail, but the meat did not satisfy them. The more they ate the less it gave them what that hoped it would, and for some it even caused disease. Ingratitude works much the same way. When we think that we need something more than what God has already given us, we tend to find that when we get what we desired, it does not satisfy. The reason for this is that our true satisfaction is found in feasting upon God through His word, in remembrance of all He has done for us. But when we begin to forget God, and ingratitude begins to set in, it doesn’t matter what we get, we will still want more. If God and His great mercy toward us is not enough to fill our hearts with gratitude, we will find that nothing will.

Gratitude flows freely from a heart that is full of God, mindful of His great works, and aware of His grace to such unworthy and sinful creatures. The sinner, who hungers and thirsts after righteousness and has been filled by the justifying work of Christ, can find themselves in any harsh situation that this life has to offer and still have hearts that rejoice and are full. But the one who has forgotten God’s great works toward them and begins to think they deserve something more, can be in the most pleasant of all earthy positions but will live with souls which are lean.

The same Gospel that saves us from our wretched condition is the same Gospel that will fill our souls with joy for all eternity. We are never to forget how great His love is toward us, that we should be called sons and daughters of God. To go about our lives without this at the center of who we are will cause leanness to our souls that will never be satisfied with anything else we try to put in its place.

This Thanksgiving, and moving on into the Christmas season, if your heart has been forgetful of God’s great love and works toward you, or if you find yourself unsatisfied with what the Lord had done for you, it is time to seek His face and remember His goodness. Do not let one more day pass without spending time in His word, and calling out to Him in prayer, for the greatest holiday meals will not cure the leanness of soul which accompanies ingratitude toward God. And if you have remembered your God and your heart is full with Him, then any lack you face this holiday will not be able to empty the joy and gratitude which fills your Soul.

May all our hearts burst forth with gratitude toward our great God this holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Doug

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100

A Lamp in the Window (A True Christmas Story)

Here is a wonderful and true Christmas story from a friend of mine. When things seem dark, sometimes a lamp is right around the corner.

A Lamp in the Window


Merry Christmas,

Doug

Christmas Hope (For the Hurting)

Christmas, Heartache, and the Christian

Many people have trouble celebrating Christmas because of the pain and heartache they are facing. But for the Christian, pain and heartache is often used by the Lord to move us into a deeper celebration, because we realize that the one we are celebrating is our ultimate redemption from all pain and heartache.

Doug

A Shepherd's Christmas

To hear the shepherds tell their story must have been wonderful.

Hope Shone Forth From an Infant Child - Christmas Poem

Children and Christmas - Charles Dickens

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty founder was a child himself.

-Charles Dickens-

The Star and The Wise Men

If wise men of old came to Jesus and worshipped, should not we come also? My intense desire this morning is that we all may pay homage to him of whom we sing, "Unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given." Let those of us who have long worshipped, worship anew with yet lowlier reverence and intenser love. And God grant-oh, that he would grant it!—that some who are far off from him spiritually, as the Magi were far off locally, may come to-day and ask, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have come to worship him." May feet that have been accustomed to broad roads, but unaccustomed to the narrow path, this day pursue that way till they see Jesus, and how before him with all their hearts, finding salvation in him. These wise men came naturally, traversing the desert; let us come spiritually, leaving our sins. These were guided by the sight of a star; let us be guided by faith in the divine Spirit, by the teaching of his word and all those blessed lights which the Lord uses to conduct men to himself. Only let us come to Jesus. It was well to come unto the babe Jesus, led by the feeble beams of a star; you shall find it still more blessed to come to him now that he is exalted in the highest heavens, and by his own light reveals his own perfect glory. Delay not, for this day he cries, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

C.H. Spurgeon - The Star and The Wise Men

Peace on Earth

"And on earth peace": by which is meant, not external peace, though, at this time there was peace on earth all the world over; nor internal peace, as distinguished from that eternal peace which the saints enjoy in heaven; nor even peace made by Christ; for this, as yet, was not done on earth, but was to be made by the blood of his cross: rather Christ himself is here intended, who is called "the man, the peace" Mic_5:5 and "our peace", Eph_2:14 and was now on earth, being just born, in order to make peace with God, and reconciliation for the sins of the people. "

-John Gill-

From Heaven Above to Earth I Come

From Heaven above to earth I come,

To bear good news to every home;
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
Whereof I now will say and sing.

To you, this night, is born a Child
Of Mary, chosen mother mild;
This tender Child of lowly birth,
Shall be the joy of all your earth.

’Tis Christ our God, who far on high
Had heard your sad and bitter cry;
Himself will your Salvation be,
Himself from sin will make you free.

He brings those blessings long ago
Prepared by God for all below;
That in His heavenly kingdom blest
You may with us forever rest.

These are the tokens ye shall mark,
The swaddling clothes and manger dark;
There shall ye find the young Child laid,
By Whom the heavens and earth were made.

Now let us all, with gladsome cheer,
Follow the shepherds, and draw near
To see this wondrous Gift of God,
Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.

Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes!
What is it in yon manger lies?
Who is this Child, so young and fair?
The blessèd Christ Child lieth there!

Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
Through Whom e’en wicked men are blest!
Thou com’st to share our misery,
What can we render, Lord, to Thee!

Ah, Lord, who hast created all,
How hast Thou made Thee weak and small,
To lie upon the coarse dry grass,
The food of humble ox and ass.

Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
She yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.

For velvets soft and silken stuff
Thou hast but hay and straw so rough,
Whereon Thou King, so rich and great,
As ’twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.

Thus hath it pleased Thee to make plain
The truth to us, poor fools and vain,
That this world’s honor, wealth and might
Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Here in my poor heart’s inmost shrine,
That I may evermore be Thine.

My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep,
I too must sing, with joyful tongue,
That sweetest ancient cradle song.

Glory to God in highest Heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given,
While angels sing, with pious mirth,
A glad New Year to all the earth.

--Martin Luther

Tiny Tim's Christmas Thought

"Somehow he [Tim] gets thoughtful sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard. He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant for them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see."

- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol-

Sin, Sorrow, and the Joy of Christmas: A Meditation

The lights glow softly, the Christmas music plays, and wondrous thoughts of the birth of our Savior fill our minds. What a blessing it is for the believer who still finds childlike joy in this time of year. Being "grown-up" is a bit over-rated, because being "grown-up," according to the world, usually entails a constant stiff upper lip and a cynical heart. Now, there are times to be stout, to conceal your emotion, and be a bit guarded, but too often these virtues can be turned into vices. Just as there is time to be immovable, there is a time to be moved. There are things that should stir our hearts, and move us to childlike wonder, and the story of the birth of Jesus is one of those things.

Sin is our greatest enemy, and it has been ever since the fall. In our natural condition, with hard hearts, we are the makers of our own demise, we despise what is good, and we love that which will destroy us. So much so that it seems we love our own destruction. The disgracefulness of our sin is of such a nature that it does exactly that; it destroys the natural graces in which mankind was created. Left alone we will do nothing but revel in our own corruption, making ourselves all the more miserable. And what is worse, is that we are constantly heaping upon ourselves the wrath of a Holy and just God who will not let any sin go unpunished, and at the thought of such things should cause us to weep.

If this were where we were left, there would be no hope for any of us. But as we know, in the garden after the fall, God promised that He was going to give us a seed who would be the remedy for sin. What is often missed is the fact that right after this promise, we see a curse that was to come upon mankind for their sinful act of rebellion, and that curse was that God Himself was going to cause children to be brought forth in sorrow. Why would God do such a thing after such a wonderful promise? Of all the female creatures upon this earth, it seems that humans have the greatest sorrow during childbirth, but this sorrow is not without hope. Every time a woman grieves during the pain of childbirth, it is to be a reminder to us of the seriousness of sin. It is a proclamation of our depraved condition, but that is not all it is, it is also a gesture of God’s love for His people because He does not want us to evade the knowledge of our sinful condition and neglect the promised seed.

As Mary gave birth that night in a dusty stable, she undoubtedly lamented in pain. Any of us who have pondered that night and have thought of the cold ground beneath her, with no doctor’s guidance, and no comforts of home, have heard her proclamation of the tyranny of sin. In sorrow she gave birth, but the Child was to be the death of her sorrow, and even the death of death itself. Like Rachel giving birth to Benjamin, she may have had the desire to call Him Benoni, the son of her sorrow, but the Father, God Himself, had already declared Him to be the Son of His Right Hand. His name was to be Jesus, for He was to save His People from their Sins.

Christ, God incarnate, had entered our sin riddled world. From his first breath He was to be known as the Man of Sorrows, and He would endure it all because of His love for us. All we like sheep have gone astray, but as Christ suffered the sorrows of this fallen world, He never faltered in His righteousness. He then, like a lamb, willingly went to the slaughter never once opening His mouth in protest. Without fail, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and By His stripes we are healed.

If this Christmas season is passing you by, and the thoughts of our Savior have not yet moved your heart to adoration, through the Spirit's work, may the meditation of our great God and His Gospel invigorate our sin embattled hearts and produce once again the childlike wonder of the Christmas season. Through faith, He is the joy of our salvation. Though sorrow may still be a part of living in this fallen world, you can have joy in the knowledge that any sins over which you mourn, and any sorrows you face, have been conquered by the child who was born in the manger: Jesus Christ the Lord.

Merry Christmas,

Doug Eaton

A Shepherd's Christmas

And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:18

What would it have been like to hear the shepherd’s testimony? Though we don’t exactly know what they were saying, it may have been something similar to this…

There we were out in the middle of a pasture, and all the sheep where sleeping. Then all of the sudden the sheep began to stir. At first we didn’t know what was going on. Then we saw them, the Angels who had come to tell us that born this day in the city of David, was a child who is Christ the Lord…the long awaited Messiah.

For thousands of years the prophets have been prophesying His coming. But what I can’t believe is that the Angels came to tell us: shepherds. Why would God announce it to us? We are not the priests or the holy ones of Israel. Most people despise us, and see us as dirty and not worthy anything. The only thing I can think is that this Messiah is willing to save anyone, even those like myself the dirty and despised. God Himself was born today and the Angels came to tell us!

What is most humbling is what the prophet Isaiah said. He said, the messiah will be wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our sins: and it will be by His stripes that we will be healed. I’m not sure what all this means, but to think that this little child whom I just saw, is the one who is going to redeem His people, and that He has even come to redeem people like myself, only makes me love Him more. Maybe that’s why when I saw Him, all I could do was bow down in adoration. Some people may only see a child, but I see my Savior and my King.

Make sure you tell everyone, HE’S HERE, THE MESSIAH HAS COME!!!

-Doug-

Hope Shone Forth From an Infant Child - A Christmas Poem

Hope shone forth from an infant child

In the manger that cold dark night

In humility, God himself appeared mild

Yet His plan moved forth in all its might

Salvation to humanity was born

The angels could not help but sing

This Infant Child would bear our scorn

This newborn Sovereign King.

Helpless was mankind in sin

Until the star shone forth its light

Our salvation to begin

Bringing hope to the contrite

The sin we bear has shown us guilty

Under the righteousness of God

Our defense is proven faulty

As He sees through our façade

But this Child would fulfill

The law that we could not

And by our sin, His blood we’d spill

to pay our debt and take our lot

There is no guilt which can’t be cleansed

The darkest stains can be removed

When His Grace has been dispensed

By Jesus Christ, in Him approved

Let us worship the infant child

Born, a life, to set us free

By His grace we are beguiled

Infant born of sovereign decree

-Doug Eaton-

Merry Christmas From the Eatons

I hope you all have a great Christmas remembering the birth of our Savior.

Ready My Heart

Ready my heart for the birth of Immanuel

Ready my soul for the Prince of Peace

Heap the straw of my life

For His body to lie on

Light the candle of hope

Let the child come in



Alleluia, alleluia Alleluia,

Christ the Savior is born



Mine is the home that is poor and is barren

Mine is the stable of cold and stone

Break the light to each corner

Of doubt and of darkness

Now the Word is made flesh

For the birth of me



-Steve Bell-