Merry Christmas

The birth of Jesus Christ was heralded by angels from heaven proclaiming “Glory to God in the Highest. Peace on Earth, Good Will To Men.” Two-thousand years later, we still come up short on fulfilling the great promise of the Son of God. Wars go on continuously now, breaking out almost anywhere. There are few rich nations, many more poor. Desperate poverty brings hunger, disease, and global terrorism. Small cells composing the world’s body of 100 million terrorists can show up anywhere to instantly destroy life and property using poor man’s weapons. The number of food-deprived human beings in the world has been steadily coursing towards 1 billion. Fully 20% of all nations must import food to meet domestic human need. Even in food-graced U.S.A., 12% go to bed hungry every night. There is a persistent global energy crisis and extreme asymmetry on energy resource distribution among nations. The U.S.A. has only 4% of world population, but consumes 17% of the global energy product. If every nation follows our example, only 25% of potential world population can survive. In a world losing logistical energy, food-limited nations now importing will be unable to get what they need for their people to survive.

Global life and death statistics are reaching a crossroads. The world presently hosts 7.6 billion people, and is estimated to have a carrying capacity peaking at 10 billion people. Global humanity is growing 1.1% (83 million) per year, slowing since the 1970s. Greatest population surge correlates with the rise of petroleum for boosting transportation and extending reach for supplies, especially food. Global deaths stand at 55 million annually, and are expected to increase until about 2050 (when birth rate and death rate cross over). Some predict a world steady-state population of 1 billion without petroleum. Some predict fatal diseases and injuries will keep the death rate climbing. Some even predict world-ending cataclysm due to climate upheaval and war.

These sobering statistics and expectations compose a world scenario far different from what the angels proclaimed at the first Christmas. The Son of God’s Great Commission has fleshed out Christianity at 1/3 of today’s world population. About half of the world population of Christians are Catholic and one-third Protestant. The U.S. (population 327 million) leads the world in Christian population (243 million). However, among U.S. Mainline Reformation Churches, only 72% believe Jesus is the Son of God, 34% attend weekly church services, and 16% regularly read the Bible. The Evangelical Body of Christ in the U.S. (those personally committed to sharing the Gospel with others) is estimated at only 2 million. This means that each True Evangelical must reach and facilitate conversion for 164 unevangelized U.S. citizens (about the size of a small church). If all U.S. Context Christians were mobilized for evangelism, the U.S. Conversion Ratio drops to 1.3 Converts per Evangelical (a friend-to-friend scenario), and the U.S.-World Conversion Ratio drops to 31 (the size of an academic classroom or half-dozen “global neighborhood” families). Estimating World Evangelicals at 250 million, each Global Evangelical must reach and facilitate conversion of 30 unevangelized global citizens. With U.S. Mainline congregations in double-digit decline, one might confess that flagging Christian Leadership by the world’s leading Christian Democracy is a significant reason for the deteriorating state of global life.

Promises made by Our Lord remain sure and true:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:

I (Jesus) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Johm:10.10

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life:

he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John:6.35

We of this later age seem to have fallen short of active Sons & Servants, Doers & Implementers, Staunch Christian Soldiers of the Cross, Peacemaking Children of God. Absolute numbers are not up to the global vision of 100% in Christ, and Spiritual motivation for outreach appears to be thinning among the Faith Community. These are days when God is expecting a whole world at peace as consummation of the Christmas Promise. If we are not delivering to our Heavenly Father’s world in need what we already have had in such abundance, perhaps the frightening statistics on death, disease, starvation, and conflict reflect how a disappointed God registers His anger. We should not have this blood on our hands.

King David was an anointed servant of the Lord who came into his time of service against a formidable adversary (Goliath) and courageously won. Sample his heart in Psalm 103, below offered as a Christmas Meditation. David began as a man of blood, but matured into a man of deep faith, obedient to the inward presence of God who is loving, kind, merciful, beneficent, healing, satisfying, renewing, and reviving everywhere. Jesus was the Son of David who uniquely validated God’s preferred harmless helpful way to boundless peace David so desired, but fell short of. We are wise to emulate Jesus’ peaceful way to peace today. Weapons and wars and spying won’t win the world to Christ. Indulgent and indifferent living won’t save lives or souls. Let’s purpose to revive America as a Christmas gift to God, then share the Prince of Peace with a world teetering on destruction if we do not accomplish this vital God-given Commission. Have we not been armed with talent liberalities, Spiritual gifts, and constructive knowledge & technology that can deliver everyone a wonderful life?

Psalm 103

A Christmas Meditation

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul. Psalm:103

Merry Christmas 2018

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