Rescuing Christmas Music, Part Two

A few days ago, I documented four of my favorite Christmas albums that might rescue you from the same two song cycle being played on the radio (Okay, so it's a twelve song or so cycle). Well, as life is often inconvenient, it so happens that all the good Christmas songs are not contained on those four albums. Thereby, here I will note a large handful--enough to make a compilation CD--of my favorite Christmas songs not on one of the aforementioned four CDs.

It is essential to stress that the following list contains only songs not on my favorite CDs, because many of my absolute favorites are on those. Also, the classics are omitted, for obvious reasons (Do they really need mention?)

In semi-particular order:

1. Christmas Shoes
By: NewSong
Notes: Got tissues? This song, based off the popular novel of the same name, just about will tear your heart out—in a good way! It is about a boy who wants to buy his mom shoes on Christmas Eve. His mom is very sick and about to die. The boy wants to buy her these shoes so she’ll “look beautiful” if she “meets Jesus” that very night. The boy can’t afford the shoes, and the story is told from the perspective of a man behind the boy in line, who had lost the true spirit and meaning of Christmas.
Lyrical Example 1: "Sir, I wanna buy these shoes, for my momma please. It’s Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size. Could you hurry, sir? Daddy says there’s not much time. You see, she’s been sick for quite a while, and I know these shoes will make her smile, and I want her to look beautiful, if Momma meets Jesus tonight."
Lyrical Example 2: “I knew I saw a glimpse of heaven’s love, as he thanked me and ran out. I knew that God had sent that little boy, to remind me what Christmas is all about…”

2. All is Well
By: Michael W. Smith
Notes: Michael W. Smith utilizes a boys’ choir just about to perfection here, creating a breathtakingly beautiful,peaceful, even angelic song.
Lyrical Example: “All is well. All is well. Angels and men rejoice…”

3. Christmas Canon
By: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Notes: Like “Canon in D” needs any help! Well, add a boys’ choir singing about Christmas--and somewhat vaguely about Christ--over top, and it is just that much better!
Lyrical Example: "Merry Christmas... The hope that he [He?] brings... This night we pray our lives will show this dream he [He?] had each child still knows... We are waiting. We have not forgotten..."

4. Strange Way to Save the World
By: 4Him
Notes: This is by far the best song told from Joseph’s perspective that I have ever heard. With a beautiful piano riff as an intro and filler, the chorus chronicles the simple and honest question that must have been swirling through Joseph’s head: Why?
Lyrical Example: “Why me? I’m just a simple man of trade. Why Him, with all the rulers in the world? Why here, inside this stable full of hay? Why her? She’s just an ordinary girl. Now I’m not one to second guess what angels have to say. But this is such a strange way, to save the world…”

5. Appalachian Carol
Arranged By: Dan Goeller
Notes: These are the liner notes from the CD this song is found on: Our Daily Bread, Christmas Edition IV:
"Appalachian music is a rich tea of Celtic, English, and African-American roots. The essential singing style and harmony are Celtic, often imitative of Celtic fiddling where the fiddler may slide from one melody note to the next, while sustaining a single harmony note on a higher string. Scottish Presbyterians and English settlers brought carols and the four-part harmony tradition of the Protestant hymn, which in Appalachia found a less formal expression. African Americans brought rhythmic intensity from the old world--and their experience of slavery to Protestant plantation owners--contributing such Christmas gems as "Children, Go Where I Send Thee," "Go, Tell It on the Mountain," and "Behold That Star!"

If you didn't get all of that, don't worry. Here's my translation, since that description seemed to be talking more of the style of music rather than the particular song:
You won't necessarily think Christmas music when you hear this song, but it is a beautiful and moving tune that will conjer images of prairie-life and pioneering, and the type of Christmases they must have had.
No lyrical example because there are no lyrics; just good music!

6. Mary, Did You Know?
Written by: Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene
Notes: I put the songwriters here for a change since many have performed this modern classic. I give this song this high of a ranking mainly out of honor and nostalgia. When I was a small child, it was very near being my favorite Christmas song. In fact, it might have been (I didn't rank them at that time.) I used to sit in my basement, bang on a toy drumset, and belt the lyrics out with all the lung capacity my little self had. Now that I look back, I think, what was my family doing at the time? Earplugs? ;)
This song is truly great because it focuses not on the birth of Christ, which many other songs do and certainly is a worthy thing on which to center, but it focuses on what Jesus would do--not on His birth, but his life. Even with the Old Testament and the angel's message, could Mary really have known who Jesus was?
Lyrical example: "Mary did you know, that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?Did you know, that your baby boy will calm the storm with his hand? Did you know, that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?And when you kiss your little baby,You've kissed the face of God."

7. A Prayer for Every Year
By: Plus One
Notes: Adapted from the Amy Grant classic “Grown-Up Christmas List,” which has since been re-recorded many a time, this song takes the theistic—and thereby less depressing and hopeless—approach on the topic, although ultimately the chorus is equally unlikely to be fulfilled until the Millenium Reign of Christ. The musical and vocal quality of this particular version may be less than that of Amy Grant, Kelly Clarkson, or Michael Buble, but it is worth the tradeoff to have a song’s lyrics directed towards God rather than Santa.
Lyrical Example: (“Grown-Up Christmas List”) “Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee. And wrote to you with childhood fantasies…”
(“My Prayer for Every Year”) “Do you remember me? Long ago on bended knee, I prayed to you with childhood fantasies…”

8. A King is Born
Written By: Sy Gorieb and Tim Hosman
Notes: This is another song that has been special to me since childhood. At my church, this song would always be performed during the Christmas pageant. The lead singer would always play some sort of drums, and the choir would back him up. I've never heard it on the radio or on a CD, although if you take the link to the writers, it says that Ron Kenoly is the "artist." A Google search revealed the Oak Ridge Boys. However, I haven't heard either of these versions. But, the song is so good and so much fun, I think it would be worth it for you to search it out.
Lyrical Example: "A King is born this day in Bethlehem. Hallelujah, halle, hallelujah. No crown is worn but angels worship Him. Hallelujah, halle, hallelujah..."

9. Emmanuel, God With Us
By: Point of Grace
Note: I'm not sure what it is, but it seems like every song focused on the name "Emmanuel" is fantastic! This song is not an exception, being touching, moving, powerful, and beautiful. Most of the other songs I am referring to are on my favorite CDs, but there are at least two that I cannot think of the names or artists. Maybe you all can help me out.
Lyrical Example: "O Emmanuel, God with us, Spirit revealed in us, that we may be Your hope to the world. O Emmanuel, God with us, with the light to break the darkness, that we may show Your hope to the world. Emmanuel, be God in us."

10. When Love Came Down
By: Point of Grace
Notes: I really love the feel of this song, particularly the introduction and first verse. It is so soft and sweet, illustrating that God--Who is love, as the Bible says--came down at Christmas time, and also showing that we should continue to show people and tell them of that Love.
Lyrical Example: "Christmas Eve, 2 A-M, heavy snow is falling down, and the streets clothed in white, echo songs that were sung by candlelight. We're alive, we can breathe, but do we really care for this world in need? There's a choice we must make each and every day. So close your eyes and share the dream. Let everyone on earth believe. The Child was born, the star shone bright, and Love came down that Christmas time. And Love came down at Christmas time..."

11. All My Heart Rejoices
By: Steve Green
Notes: Another great usage of children's voices, this time in a faster paced song.
Lyrical Example: "All my heart this night rejoices, as I hear, far and near, sweetest angel voices. Christ is born, their choirs are singing, fill the air, everywhere, now with joyous ringing. Come and banish all your sadness, one and all, great and small, come with songs of gladness. Love Him Who with love is yearning, hail the star, that from far, bright with hope is burning..."

12. Good News
By: Steve Green
Notes: Good News. That's what Christmas is all about, and that's what this song is all about. The song portrays well the true yearning, passion, desire, longing, and desperate-ness for the Good News of the Gospel.
Lyrical Example 1: "Good News, Good News, an angel brings Good News. Good news, good news, I leave you with Good News."
Lyrical Example 2: "...The Child grew up to wear a cross; the Child grew up to pledge a life. Behold the time of joy. Behold, Christ a baby boy..."

13. This Christmas (Joy to the World)
By: Toby Mac
Notes: For the rap and hip-hop in all of us, this song focuses on such themes as “it is better to give than to receive” and “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress.” (James 1:27)
Lyrical Example 1: “Well Johnny never got his wish on December 25th. That’s what he said when we left the orphanage. Nine years old, but Johnny was an old soul, gonna spend his first Christmas in a real home...”
Lyrical Example 2: "Father of the fatherless, be with Your sons and daughters this Christmas..."

14. O Holy Night
By: Apologetix—The Christian Parody Band
Notes: This is not your ordinary band or “O Holy Night.” Apologetix is a group that takes secular songs and gives them Christian lyrics—actually, more than that: they tell Bible stories through the same melodies with different lyrics—sometimes completely different, sometimes just focusing on alternate meanings of a statement. The result is often hilarious, as is the case here.
This song is taken from the Frank Valli & The Four Seasons classic “Oh, What a Night.” The song focuses on the need to celebrate Christ’s birth all year round, since we don’t know exactly when He was born—year or day. A couple rap-like portions not in the original flow of the song clearly—and amusingly—demonstrate this. The song also talks about, however, the fact that neither side (those who celebrate Christmas and those don’t) of the debate should criticize the other--I believe they even mention Romans 14.
Lyrical Example: (“Oh, What a Night”) “Oh, what a night. Late December back in ’63…”
(“O Holy Night”) “O holy night! In December back in 6 B.C...."


Certainly this list will be an on-going, evolving project, but it is relatively comprehensive for now, keeping in mind once again that the old classics and favorites from my favorite albums are not located here.

I want to here about your favorites, and I also would like to know which of the songs I listed that you have (or have not) heard, and do (or do not) like.

~ Kingdom Advancer

Rescuing Christmas Music from Repetitiveness/Redundancy

I don't know about you, but by this time in the Christmas season, I am about tired of hearing the radio play songs beginning with the following lyrics: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed..." ; "He's makin' a list..." ; "Frosty the Snowman..." ; "I'll be home..." ; "Chestnuts roasting..." ; "Well, the weather outside is frightful..." ; etc.

Now, don't get me wrong and don't call me Scrooge. I love Christmas, and I love Christmas music--even most of the songs I just alluded to. The point is, the radio stations that have dedicated themselves to Christmas music enclose their range into a tiny cycle of familiar songs, artists, and--yes--often secularity. However, even some of the Christian Christmas songs (like "O Holy Night," "Silent Night," "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing," etc.) seem overplayed and, frankly, over-recorded in the same old way--although that is not so much an issue--especially when you consider that even Christian stations rely heavily on the secular songs of the season.

The true shame here is that there is so much good Christmas music out there that barely garners recognition, in both Christian and secular circles, being buried underneath the weight of giants such as Burl Ives, Frank Sinatra, Rudolph, Frosty, and Santa. While I'm fighting off the seemingly "Bah! Humbug!" urge of "not this song again," I wonder, "Why am I not listening to a CD instead?"

And that's what this article is all about: I'm writing to tell you about four of my favorite Christmas albums. If you are a fan of Christian music, I'm sure you'll have heard of at least three of the four artists I mention, but if you've never heard their Christmas CD's, you are in for a pleasant surprise, either as an addition to your Christmas wishlist or as a stocking stuffer for someone else.

1. The Music of Christmas
By: Steven Curtis Chapman
Notes: This song has become about as much of a Christmas tradition with my family as turkey is a tradition at Thanksgiving. I can't recall any song on here worthy of being skipped, except for the fact that you might just be impatient to hear another one. Several of the songs on this production would make it onto my "Christmas Top 20," including arguably my favorite Christmas song: "This Baby." Chapman mixes new renditions of classics with classics of his own, ranging from slow and melancholy to upbeat and fun. All songs, except the instrumental ones, are Christian themed, unlike Steven's newer Christmas album, in which he takes on some secular classics. This is absolutely a must-have!

2. Repeat the Sounding Joy
By: Phillips, Craig, and Dean
Notes: If, for some reason, The Music of Christmas was taken away from me, I'd be able to survive with this CD. This popular singing trio grooves with Gospel-like renditions of "Go Tell It On the Mountain/Amen" and "Joy to the World," and smooth and/or fun originals such as "Call His Name Jesus" (my favorite song on the album), and "Be It Unto Me." The CD does have a few of the overly familiar secular songs, such as a bouncy version of "Sleigh Ride," but the version is so fun in this case, the fact that you've heard it sung a million different times and different ways doesn't really matter!
Although the album is often upbeat and fun, including the likes of what is borderline one of the most fun songs of Christmas--"The Kid in Me"--it doesn't hesitate to slow down occasionally to create great performances of songs like "How Great Our Joy" and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Then, there's the powerful worship medley consisting of "Bow Down/Glorify the Lord/All the Earth Bows Down."
This CD also lays claim to many of my favorite Christmas songs, and it is also a must-have!

3. Snowfall
By: Yanni
Notes: No, I haven't been at the Gaffer's Home Brew (Lord of the Rings inside joke; I think it's gaffer's, isn't it?); no, I'm not off my rocker; and no, I don't have a screw loose. I thought I'd answer all of those questions right away, since some of you might be asking them. To be honest, I don't know much about Yanni--although he gives the impression that he might (stress the word "might") be a bit of a New Age-type. I haven't heard much of his music; I don't know what his beliefs are; and I don't know if all of his music (or everything on his site) is appropriate. I'm not saying I necessarily suspect anything. I simply don't know.
What I do know is that the album Snowfall is incredible. Although there is nothing really Christmas about it (Snowfall? What side of the battle for Christmas is Yanni on?), with an ambiguous title and all original--and wordless--songs, it ranks as one of my favorite Christmas albums for a few reasons: 1.) First of all, because I seem to only pull it out around Christmas time (therefore, I qualify it as "Christmas") ; 2.) Secondly, because of its sheer beauty; and 3.)Thirdly, related to the second reason, it conjures up such beautiful visual images in one's mind of the winter--and thereby--Christmas season.
I often jest that emotionally tantalizing songs without words are "more Christian than a lot of Christian songs." Actually, I'm not so sure that's not true. Why does a song have to have lyrics (or have lyrics in another rendition) to be considered Christian? Why does it have to be written by a Christian to be considered Christian? I have heard it said that "art often exceeds the purpose of the artist." Whether or not Yanni is a Christian or was intending to write a Christian song or evoke Christian thoughts and emotions does not determine whether or not these songs can be edifying to the Christian's soul.
Focusing on soft, nostalgically and reminiscently rhythmic melodies of the piano, this CD transports the listener into the peace of the season's meaning, although Yanni does rampage off into some up-beat, synthesized compositions, which illustrate musically the excitement of Christmas and its true meaning.

4. Christmastime
By: Michael W. Smith
Notes: Phew! Don't have to explain myself on this one! Though I would question Smitty on his recording of "O Christmas Tree," this work scoots onto my list mainly because of three songs: "The Happiest Christmas" ; "Welcome to Our World" ; and the title track. I especially enjoy the latter two--they are a couple of my favorites.

Certainly there are others that I love and would recommend, such as Steve Green's The First Noel, but the aforementioned are my main favorites. However, it is a likely scenario that there are albums out there which I would very much enjoy if I would only hear them. I encourage you to comment with your favorites, but I beg you to give a short description if you do.

~ Kingdom Advancer

Not a Whole Lot New? Fine By Me.

Just a note: Today is the 3-month anniversary of Kingdom Advancing! And, as evidenced by the amount of comments on the last post, it clearly is growing--slowly, but steadily--in popularity.

I finally went to see The Nativity Story on Monday night. Those who know me probably wonder why it took me so long to go see such an overtly Christian movie. Well, that's just the way things worked out this time. Anyways...

One of the major criticisms that this film has come under is that there is "nothing new"--or "different"--about it; that it is "too straightforward," "drab," and "dull"; and that it "feels like it was made for a Sunday school class." (Whatever exactly that means.)

I reply to such criticisms with a question of my own: what exactly is supposed to be new?

I have some ideas as to what secular critics would probably love:

Mary and Joseph have premarital sex and ingeniously cover it up with a "Messiah alibi" because of the resulting pregnancy.
Mary cheats on Joseph with a Roman soldier (this would be explicitly shown in the movie, of course), and pulls off the greatest cover-up ever.
Mary simply says "No" to the angel Gabriel.
Mary, as an early beacon of feminism and choice, aborts baby Jesus.
Mary and Joseph don't place Jesus in a manger for a bed; they place Him there as a pagan act of worship to the barnyard animals.
The wise men are actually magicians--who put a spell on the world to accept "Christianity."
Jesus is born gender neutral.

I'm sure that anything like that would have the Oscar buzz humming at full force (;)). But anyone who has any respect for the story--and Christianity's beliefs--would never do such a thing...or even anything remotely similar.
And, besides, the bottom line is that The Nativity Story does not need any help. It is the Greatest Story Ever Told. But more than that: the fact that the story is true compensates for any need of being "spiced up." It is the Greatest Truth Ever Known; the Absolute Turning Point in History; the Birth of the Greatest Man to Ever Walk This Earth. To make a great movie, The Nativity Story need only to be adapted and have some gaps filled. This the makers of the movie did.

Now, for Kingdom Advancer's breakdown:

Biblical Accuracy:

As I've stated in a previous article, "interpretive liberties" and "artistic liberties" are necessary in films such as this one. There is simply not enough dialogue or detail in the Bible accounts to sustain much more than a fifteen minute beginning to a movie about Jesus' life. With this in mind, the makers of The Nativity Story did an excellent job.
The one area where it clearly falls short is the topic of the wise men. As depicted in subconscious legend, nativity sets, and children's imaginations, the wise men arrive on the night of Jesus' birth--rather than almost two years later, as the Bible says.
Also including the wise men, the dream warning them not to return to Herod is not recorded in the movie.

A third element is that a "heavenly host" does not appear with the main angel in the shepherds' fields, as the Bible says.

But, other than that, I did not recognize any glaring inaccuracies.

Acting/Casting:

Unnecessary and inconvenient controversy enters in when discussing the casting of The Nativity Story. Keisha Castle-Hughes, an attractive rising 16-year-old actress, who plays the virgin Mary, is pregnant in real life--and no, of course, she's not married. Shohreh Aghdashloo, who plays her part as Elizabeth excellently, is an Iranian-born Muslim.
Not to mention the director, Catherine Hardwicke, who has produced not-so-wholesome movies such as Lords of Dogtown and Thirteen.
Fortunately, none of these factors seem to have an effect on the movie. As I stated, Shohreh is good in her role; Zechariah, Gabriel, Mary's parents, and the Roman soldiers are all par or better. Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) has some lines and facial expressions that aren't so great, but nothing that ruins the movie. The actor who plays King Herod illustrates well the paranoia of the pagan king. And, Oscar Isaac, as Joseph, is superb in my opinion.

Music:

Few movies in the past have been able to capture the perfect combination of Christmas--but not overtly Christmas--music and a movie soundtrack. The Nativity Story does a pretty good job of this. The movie begins with a rendition of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" in a different language (than English) --and the listening ear can detect--or seem to detect--hints of Christmas music spruced with the more than sufficient score.

Wardrobe/Sets:

This isn't a overly-romanticized production or cheap church play. There are no halos floating above Mary and Jesus' heads, and Mary does not wear flowing, royal purple robes to help her stick out from the crowd. Because of this type of thing and other factors, the movie has been accused of being "dull" or "not magical." Well, welcome to first century Jewish life. As a matter of fact, the movie comes across as very believable--is that not what you want in a movie? Perhaps unbelievers don't want anything about Jesus to look believable.
The sets are well-done and the scenery is breathtaking, the movie having been filmed in Italy and Morocco.

Plot:

When I wrote about One Night with the King, I asked the question in reference to the plot: "Does it get any better?" Well, it took time, but I think my question is now answered. This story is so awe-inspiring, so plain inspiring, so harrowing, so hope-inducing, and so true!!!
Before having seen the movie, I had heard that it focused on Mary and Joseph. I cringed at the thought, worrying that too much emphasis might be put on their work or they themselves and not on the essential part of the story--the arrival of the Christ-child. But, after seeing the movie, I realize that is not a necessary concern.

Filming/Special Effects:

This movie does not rely on special effects, but it does have some cool--if not eery--effects, such as a hawk in flight representing the arrival and departure of the angel Gabriel.

Summary:

If you only see one movie this Christmas season, see this one. If you aren't planning on seeing any--then change your mind and see this one. The Nativity Story does its best to do the ageless story of the birth of Jesus respectful justice, and ultimately, supporting this film is one step of many that can be taken to help keep Christ in Christmas. .

Favorite Elements/Parts:

1.) The Birth of Jesus: And you were expecting something else? To the non-Christian, the scene of Jesus' birth in The Nativity Story might come across as anti-climactic. But, to the Christian... I hope you like chills and spine-shivers.

2.) The Shepherds: The shepherds are portrayed more realistically in this movie than in any other portrayal that I have seen to date. You really feel sorry for these guys. The scene with Mary and Joseph on their journey conversing with one of the shepherds can almost bring one to tears. The extra-curricular--but certainly somewhat biblical nature--sub-plot of "everyone is given a gift" that is revealed in this part is really one of the best elements of the movie. By the time the shepherds show up at the stable, you really see how the Savior is a gift to even the lowest of people.

3.) Joseph's Dream: Although I thought that Gabriel's visit to Mary could've been better played out in the film, Joseph's dream is intense, exciting, and unique from other works. I would tell you just what about I like so much, but I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it.

4.) The Love Story: It's not love at first sight--at least not both ways--and there's no fireworks here. This is likely exemplary of the mass majority of marriages at that time. But the relationship between Mary and Joseph is so sweet in its slow building, virtuous way, with virtually no physical contact--at least in a romantic/sexual way: no kissing, tripping and falling on the ground together, or--obviously--"Rated R" scenes, if you know what I mean.

5.) The Roman Soldiers: Ever since I was a little kid, I've always loved the Roman Soldiers in "walk through Bethlehems," Christmas pageants, and nativity movies. Not because I liked that they were mean and brutal, but because they were soldiers. Hey, I was a little boy who liked to play soldier--what are you going to do? Anyways, in this movie, the soldiers are cold, heartless, inconsiderate, brutal, and always quick to say something clever. They illustrate a double-truth: the attitude of the soldiers and how difficult it must have been for the Jewish citizens to humbly and meekly pay exorbitant taxes, etc.

6.) Jewish Life and the Journey: Life wasn't a bowl of cherries for the Jews in the first century, and this film illustrates that well. But, it also shows a softer side of Mary and the Jews in scenes where children are being read Bible stories. The journey was long, hard, dangerous, and desperate, and that is also well portrayed in this movie.

~ Kingdom Advancer

This season, go see in motion picture form the Reason--if not the origin--for the season.

The Christmas Watch

Check out this blog I just started: The Christmas Watch. This is still my main blog, of course. I just want a convenient way for everyone to post news about Christmas. To see what I mean, go there and read the post. I want everyone to contribute, if they can. You can even become a team-member if you want to. It's not about origins or the virtue in Christians celebrating Christmas (or not). The battle over Christmas is just a small taste of a much bigger battle over Christ and people's souls, and this blog is about illustrating that battle through the venue of Christmas.

Oh, yeah, read my new post below, too, though.

~Kingdom Advancer

Is Anything Possible?

There is a great Hallmark Hall of Fame Christmas movie entitled A Season for Miracles. It’s one of my personal favorites. But I feel that one of the themes heavily intertwined in the movie is worthy of being discussed from a Christian perspective, although the makers and writers of the movie probably never intended it to be taken the way I’m going to discuss it. It is the idea that “anything is possible.”


If anything is possible, then I might someday be the President of the United States. (True statement)

But, if anything is possible, then I might die and reincarnate as President George W. Bush (Not true statement, by Christian—or just logical—standards)

If anything is possible, then you might get married (or re-married, for that matter) on June 17, 2014, at 2:15 p.m. in Honolulu, Hawaii. (True statement)

But, if anything is possible, then homosexual marriage might be just as legitimate and sanctified (even by God) as traditional marriage. (Not true statement, from a Christian perspective)

If anything is possible, then you might someday be the parent of twenty-four children, adopted or hereditary. (True statement)

But, if anything is possible, then unborn babies might be just blobs of tissue, whose lives’ breath should be dependent upon the whims of pregnant women. (Not true statement, from a Christian worldview)

The problem with the magical statement “anything is possible” is that, if anything is possible, than anything is also NOT possible (or “possibly not”). This really violates the Christian faith, while at the surface it seems to tickle our imagination and beliefs. Examples:
If anything is possible, then Jesus Christ might have been the Son of God. But, if anything is possible, it is possible that Jesus Christ might NOT have been the Son of God.
If anything is possible, then Jesus Christ might have been right when He said that “no one comes to the Father but by" Him. But, if anything is possible, it is possible that there are other ways to heaven, and Jesus is NOT the only way.
If anything is possible, Jesus might have been born of a virgin. But, if anything is possible, Jesus might not have been born of a virgin.
If anything is possible, the Bible could be right that there is a hell. But, if anything is possible, then the Bible could possibly NOT be right and there might NOT be a hell.
If anything is possible, God might have created. But, if anything is possible, God might not have.
If anything is possible, the Bible might be the inerrant, infallible Word of God. If anything is possible, however, than it might not be.
If anything is possible, the Red Sea… If anything is possible, Noah’s Ark…. If anything is possible, if anything is possible, so on and so on.

I could make the list go on and on, but it kind of makes me sick to write it. I think you’ll understand.

So, in other words, if anything is possible, then nothing is certain. If Santa Claus might exist because anything is possible, Santa might also not exist because anything is possible (nothing is certain). The fact is, we could never know, could we?

The Bible tells us many things are certain. “In the beginning, God created…” (Genesis 1:1) “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6) “There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we might be saved.” (Acts 4:12) The Bible is full of unwavering truths. I’d virtually have to reprint the whole of the Scriptures to do this point justice.
The Bible isn’t even afraid of the word “impossible.” Why should God be afraid of it? He’d know if something was possible or not, wouldn’t He? The Bible says it is “impossible for God to lie,” (Hebrews 6:18) for example. It also says it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).
So, as I’ve made clear, Christians have biblical, godly, and logical grounds to say that “anything—as in everything—is not possible, rather many things are certain.”

I really don’t want to sound like an old, dull, over-certain scrooge, especially since what most people mean when they say "anything is possible" is that "a borderline countless number of improbable and unexpected events can transpire." I think Christians should be wary of too often saying that something is not possible.. The conclusion that “anything is NOT necessarily possible” often leads to a materialistic worldview. “It’s just not possible that God _____” fill in the blank on the path to Deism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Relativism, Nominal Christianity, ad nauseam. That type of thought-processing is what really makes me want to believe that “anything is possible,” but those three words just don’t seem to fulfill my desires.

Christians do need to be cautious when speaking in absolutes, though. Have you ever heard the statement, “Nothing good can come out of this.” That’s about as unbiblical as you can get. The Bible says that “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love the Lord.” (Romans 8:28) Plus, considering that God has an unchangeable plan/will, the aforementioned statement implies that God’s plan—although God’s perfect plan would be that all would be saved—is not good.
We need not limit God. He is the Author of Miracles, remember. The Bible says that “the things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) Remember, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) “With God, all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26; this passage and Luke 18:27 are synoptic)
The important thing to keep in mind is that all these things need to be taken in context. For instance, “With God,” it is NOT possible for God NOT to exist, is it? Of course not. I can NOT war against Christ “THROUGH Christ Who strengthens me.” A true statement is that God can do whatever He wants. But, God would never want to sin in any way, so some things, for all practical purposes, cannot be done “with” God’s approval or help.
On the other hand, though, the Bible tells us that we “can move mountains.” (Matthew 17:20) But we must always keep God’s will in mind. Take a lesson from the Master: Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that the crucifixion might in some way be avoided. But He never latched onto the promise that “all things are possible.” He cared more for God’s will to be done. You could even make a compelling case that these Scripture verses I’m referencing--at their core-- actually mean “in God’s will.” With God = with God in His will ; through Christ = through Christ’s will.

Christians also need to avoid venturing outside the realm of biblical, godly absolutes into the realm of our own reasoning ability—or even our own stretched and varying interpretations of the Bible. Example for each case:
How many Christians do you think said that “man will never fly...period...” before the Orville Brothers’ time? How many do you think said afterwards that “I guess anything is possible”? Obviously, man still hasn’t figured out how to fly without assistance. But, people went outside the safe realm of absolutes and said that man will never learn how to fly when the Bible says nothing of the sort, and when the actual case was “man will probably never learn to fly.” We must be careful to not turn cases of probability or opinion into cases of certainty, but we must also not turn cases of absolutes into cases of probability (God does not probably exist; God DOES exist).
Interpreting the Bible is an even more precarious situation, because we must draw the line somewhere between clear biblical teaching/contextual interpretation and opinionated conjecturing. Glass pulpit or wooden? Real wine during communion or grape juice? These are exemplary of some debates going on in and between churches. Now, I'm not sure if these two things in particular are heated anymore--or if they ever really were--but, anyway, things that cannot be determined beyond a doubt as laid down in the Bible are often being treated that way in churches--where do you think we got so many denominations? Many split-off because of real concerns (whether the changes they made were biblical or not), but other differences between denominations are not so serious.


So where does this leave us? Here’s a summarization: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD, THROUGH CHRIST, IN GOD’S WILL, AND CORRESPONDING TO THE ABSOLUTE PERAMETERS OF THE BIBLE.*As containing as that seems, it really is not. The “magic” of the Bible and the “magic” of the last two thousand years of God and Christianity are plenty optimistic, exciting, imagination-inducing, inspiring, and spontaneous for me. How about you?

~Kingdom Advancer

*This of course, doesn't necessarily--or overtly--pertain to more trivial matters, such as "could Temple beat Ohio State in football" or "can he fit twelve marshmallows in his mouth." Also, all these elements aren't necessarily essential at the same time. A Jesus-hating, Bible-disbelieving football team can win a game because of God's will. I'm speaking more of matters of truth or the Christian's life.

The Battle Resumes

True Story: A man walked into a post office. He asked the postal worker, "Do you have any Christmas stamps yet?" The employee responded, "Yes. They are up there," pointing to the upper left corner of a bulletin board. Three different pages of stamps were present. Perhaps a little hard to see, the man pointed to the first page and asked, "What are those?"
"Oh," the worker replied, "Those are for Hanukkah."
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man said. "I was looking for Christmas stamps." Then, looking at the second group of stamps, he asked, "What are those?"
"Oh, those are for Kwanza."
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man stated with a tad of sarcasm. "I'm looking for Christmas stamps." Thinking, "What's there to lose?" the man questioned, "Then what are those?"
"Those are Islamic."
The man turned away from the stamps--a bit frustrated--and said to the employee, "I guess you have mistaken me. Do you have any Christian Christmas stamps?"
"Oh, yeah," the employee assured. "I have some Madonna ones right here. I just haven't put them out yet."
The man turned and walked away from the desk, thinking, "Great. Catholic." He ended up purchasing snowflakes as his "Christmas" stamps.

Now, some might say that there's nothing wrong with Madonna-stamps, but--right or wrong--that's beside the point. The indisputable point is that there is a war going on over Christmas. It stays relatively stagnant in a stalemate for about eight to ten months of the year, but for those few months that it rages, it really rages. Many of those effecting Christ negatively don't even know it. They simply get sucked into erroneous ideas of "tolerance," "relativism," and then, of course, apathy. Even Christians fall into this trap. But, there are more concerted efforts. Like in everything else, secular humanists, secular progressives, and atheists want to take Christ out of the public square--really, the private square, too, in as many places as they can. They literally want to take Christ out of Christ-mas. I didn't even mention the conspiracy of Santa Claus (which I will blog about in the future) and the complete materialization of Christmas. Then, of course, you can't forget about the ultimate secularization of Christmas--calling it the "Winter Holiday."
So what do we do? Well, first of all, we shouldn't try to take away anyone's freedom to celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanza, etc., etc.. That's not what America is about, and it is not what Christianity is about. But the bottom line is that Christmas is Christmas, and no individual, organization, or even government should feel obligated to totally generalize the entire event. That would be taking away THEIR freedom. But why should Christians care?
Because, most importantly, I think, Christmas, like Easter, is an incredible witnessing opportunity. Even in this secularized world in which we live, the story of Jesus can't be totally hidden and smothered, because "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." Christmases come and Christmases go, admittedly, as people apathetically, arrogantly, and ignorantly ignore the story of Jesus and for what which it calls. Yet, once a year, Christmas comes around, beckoning to all with the beginnings of the Greatest Story Ever Told--the greatest truth ever known. If you need a conversation-starter to witness to someone, ice-breakers don't get much better than the Christmas story. People gravitate to it--and for good reason. People aren't offended by it, though they should be offended by their own sin. When you begin to explain the story of the First Christmas, though, and illustrate WHY Jesus had to come as He did and WHAT He did, then the Gospel message shines through fully as it should.

We need to get back, though, to what we should do. We all can't do the big things, obviously. We are all not James Dobson, or Albert Mohler, or George W. Bush, for that matter. But I've compiled a small list (in random order) of what EVERY Christian can do. I hope you will join in.

1.) Try to avoid using (in speech or writing) "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings," or something similar. This generalizes Christmas--thereby taking Christ out of it--and frankly demotes it, if you know what I mean. Although they may seem appropriate for including "Happy Thanksgiving," "Merry Christmas," and "Happy New Year" in one package, try to use "Merry Christmas" as much as possible. If you want to reference the incoming year, say (or write) "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year." It may seem like a mouthful, but it's worth it.

2.) Personally, I wouldn't even say or write "Holiday Blessings." This may be over the top, for, as I said, you may be wishing to refer to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day all-in-one, but if you are referring to the Christmas season in particular, say "Christmas Blessings," or, better yet, say "God Bless You." In fact, say that all the time.

3.) As I mentioned above, say "God Bless You," staying away from luck, the Fates, etc. You should do this all year round anyway. I'm reminded of the song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. One line of lyrics says the following: "Through the years, we will all will be together, if the fates allow..." The song has been Christianized, to say this: "if the Lord allows..." Is that a small change? Yes, in all appearance, but I would suggest singing the Christian version, even if the version you are singing WITH is the "fates" rendition.

Before I lose you all, I want to add this sidebar. This may sound like nit-picking, or extreme, but as the saying goes, "Extreme times call for extreme measures. (Or desperate times call for desperate measures.)" If we are only going to do the little things, we need to do a LOT of the little things. Even if we are going to do big things, the little things give us the chance to never cease being a part of the battle. And we know our enemy, Satan and his minions, are incessantly fighting.

4.) When writing or typing, please don't use the terminology "xmas." Although it may seem convenient, it is the epitome of taking Christ out of Christmas. Here's an idea on how to use the "xmas" phenomenon, though:
An "x" is made from a "cris-cross." It is used in "xmas" to make "crismas"--Christmas. But notice the second part of the x: "cross." Cris-cross. Christ-cross. Christ ON the cross. I'm sure there's a witnessing tool in there. But for normal usage, I say avoid "xmas."

5.) I've already mentioned "Season's Greetings," "Happy Holidays," and "Winter Holiday." But, also, here's a reminder not to call the time off of school "winter break." It is Christmas Break. Although kids in year-round school might have a normal off-time in the winter, kids who do not have year-round school get two to three weeks off because of Christmas and the "sub-holidays."

6.) As I've alluded to, stay away from Santa. Santa is one of the biggest detractors from Christ, especially when it comes to children. Woe, that we would cause the little children to stumble! That we would lead them astray! That we would distract them from the greatest Gift and Gift-Giver of them all! Santa is a cutesy figure, and he can be parts of Christian celebrations relatively harmlessly, but if children and/or unbelievers are involved, he should not be.
Santa parallels Christ in some elements. Along with that, if Santa is put on the same level with Christ at Christmastime, when children grow out of believing in Santa, why would they believe that the story of Christ is real? If parents are willing to lie to their kids that "yes, Santa is real," why would the kids later believe their parents when they are told, "Yes, Christ is real"?

7.) Seventhly, we need to get Christ and the story of Christ back into the media and the mainstream. An effort is currently being made at that through The Nativity Story, coming out in December. I can't fully endorse the movie's content--as I am not familiar enough with the script--but I can say that the base idea is noble. There are movies en masse about Santa Claus every year. The same should go for Christ--from preceding stories preceeding his birth, to the actual birth, to the ramifications of His birth and life.

8.) Support stores like Wal-Mart and Kohl's (Update: Sears and Macy's, as well) for bringing the word Christmas back "in their vocabulary." Criticism and boycotts from Christians finally caused a change, and a reward for these stores from Christians should ensue. The pressure needs to stay on stores like Best Buy, although, as I said, they can do anything they want, just like Wal-Mart can say ONLY Merry Christmas if it wants to (although, of course, it doesn't). Read the story here.

9.) Get involved with Christian charity operations. One of my personal favorites is Operation Christmas Child. (If you know of others, feel free to post them.) This group ships shoe-box sized packages that you assemble to under-privileged children around the world, and simultaneously shares the Good News with these children. If you don't have time to purchase and assemble a present, you can simply donate funds.

10.) Don't be afraid to mention Jesus! That's what this holiday is about: celebrating His birth. We shouldn't hide our speech about Him in the home and church. As I mentioned, it's a GREAT witnessing opportunity.

11.) Lastly, don't forget to pray. As I have spoken of prayer before, I don't feel I need to add anything here, except to emphasize it. Our focus during Christmas should be salvation, and there is no better one to have the assistance of than the God of Salvation.

~Kingdom Advancer


Ever since Christ's birth, starting with Herod, effort after effort has been made to "exterminate" or "eliminate" Christ one way or another in one form or another. Modern-day Christians find ourselves in the midst of the same battle that caused Joseph and Mary to take Jesus to Egypt; the same battle that caused Christ's crucifixion; the same battle that the Apostles fought; the same battle that has caused millions of Christian martyrdoms; and the same battle that has resulted in several concerted efforts at the destruction of the Bible, either literally or "intellectually." Will we Christians stand up today?