Of Frosty, Cynics, And Saints...

This commentary was originally published a little over a year ago on December 14, 2007 by Raiders News Network (RNN), but it is still applicable to today.

In fact, it's even more relevant today than ever before! More importantly, it reminded me of some important realities. I pray it has a similar impact on you, and those you share it with today.


Of Frosty, Cynics, And Saints...
By Jeffrey K. Radt
December 14, 2007

I understand perfectly well the pagan roots of annual Christmas celebrations and although I am not entirely comfortable with the fact that they are intertwined with an event that is so explicitly Christian, I welcome this holiday as the perfect opportunity to share God’s plan for humanity and His gift of salvation with my family.

There are only twelve days left until Christmas. We are only thirteen days into the month of December and I have already watched several versions of Frosty the Snowman with my two kids - - on 4 separate occasions.

My personal favorite is the one starring both him and Rudolph. I think it has something to do with Christmas in July. It was during this last showing when I noticed something that never caught my attention before.

More on that in a moment.

As I sat there watching this Christmas classic and reminiscing about my own childhood I wondered whether or not my own two kids (eyes glued to the television with a smile from ear to ear!) would someday find themselves twenty-five years from now doing the same thing.

I’ll be honest, given my beliefs and understanding of prophecy it was tough to envision such a time and experience for them. Obviously, no man can know the exact timing of Jesus’ return although we are told that we can discern the season.

Twenty-five years from now is a long time.

Think of all the things that have happened over the course of the past month that had a prophetic significance. Now, think of all the things that have happened over the course of this past year. If that does not give you pause nothing will.

Of course there will be some people reading this - - self-professed Christians I might add - - who will say I’m being “too negative” during a time that’s supposed to be filled with joy, peace, and happiness.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you really going to be so negative in front of your kids during Christmas?” some will ask.

My reply will be to simply ask them, “What’s so wrong with anticipating and expecting the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? What’s so negative about desiring His physical presence? Isn’t that the ultimate commandment?”

Besides, there is no better time to be mindful of His second coming than during the season for which we celebrate His first coming.


THE CYNICS


There are very few childhood experiences that are better than the feeling of anticipation that builds leading up to Christmas morning.

As kids, we spend so much time desiring a time when we will finally get that one new toy. As time inches closer and closer to that monumental day, we hope that we did not mislead ourselves into believing in something that was never going to happen.

Invariably, our fears are cast aside each and every year. As children, we were so happy on Christmas morning when we rushed down the stairs and looked under the tree to find we actually received the gift we have wanted and looked forward to for so many months.

Thinking back to those times I now have a new understanding of Jesus’ warning, “Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a child will certainly not enter it” (Mark 10:13-16).

I think it is safe to safe that every Christian loves Christmas.

I am becoming increasingly concerned, however, that not every Christian loves Jesus as much as they should. To put it another way, I fear that there are too many Christians who love this holiday more than they do His holy name.

Upon closer examination, I have found in my own sphere of influence that Christians fall into one of three categories of people. The first group is the cynics.

These are people who claim to be Bible believing Christians even though they will constantly snicker and sneer at any mention of Christianity, Jesus Christ, and the Bible let alone prophecy.

Try having an honest discussion with them about such things and you are met with squirming, eye rolling, and a weird and palpable sense that they are truly uncomfortable. I am not entirely sure why a Christian would react that way, but they would rather not have any kind of religious conversation at all. Instead, they prefer to go through life as spiritual islands, isolated and alone with their own views and interpretations.

Another way to identify them is to apply the simple instruction found in Matthew 7:16 that “You will know them by their fruits.” These are the same people who claim to stand for the truth of the Bible (believing it is virtuous) even though they fall flat on their face when it comes time to defend their position. Why? Their outlook is scornfully and often habitually negative.

“Let’s face it,” they say, “the world has always been this way, will continue to be this way, and will actually continue to get worse. If it’s all inevitable anyways there’s nothing I can do for God to change any of that so what’s the point of getting myself all worked up?”

In demonstrating this tragically skewed view of reality they miss their calling in life and fail to grasp the full potential of a life lived in such a way to bring glory and honor to our Heavenly Father.


THE SAINTS


The second group is the saints. We all know a saint or two. You might even be one yourself.

These are the "holier-than-thou" Christians or the type who can do no wrong. Rather than reaching out to family, friends, and strangers alike with compassion and genuine heart-felt desire they instead choose to look down on others who are not like them with disdain and contempt.

Hypocritical in every sense of being, these people believe that “being a Christian” is a social status and with it comes certain expectations - - even better - - privileges. They are the type of people who are never pleased as well as the type who you could never please.

They may be culture warriors, but they are fighting each battle with the wrong weapons and tactics. Worse, they blur the lines of appropriate Christian behavior believing that the end justifies the means, and in doing so they end up doing more harm than good.

In demonstrating this tragically skewed view of what it means to live the Christian life they miss their calling in life, and fail to grasp the full potential of a life lived in such a way to bring glory and honor to our Heavenly Father.


THE FROSTYS


Back to Frosty.

We all know the story of how Frosty turns into a regular snowman whenever his magic hat is removed from his head. Simply put, take away that hat and the magic is gone as Frosty becomes a regular snowman who is indistinguishable from all the rest.

Keep the hat on his head and the magic is always there! In fact, after awhile, the hat loses its individuality and becomes a part of Frosty. They are one and the same. In other words, one helps to define the other.

The best and most endearing parts of these shows are the moments whenever Frosty has the hat placed back on his head and he shouts, “Happy Birthday!” to commemorate the day he is born again.

And so it happens that this beloved Christmas classic presents us with another reminder of the simplicity of salvation.

It also reminds me of our final group of Christians. I call this group the Frostys.

These are the people who either believe that you can lose your salvation (that eternal security does not exist) or they are the type who have made a decision for Christ, they have the Holy Spirit after being saved, but they deny the power thereof.

In other words, these are the people who say they are born-again Christians yet they continue to sin willfully and willingly when they know that their actions are blatantly sinful, and in contradiction to their proclaimed beliefs.

You will find them sitting at church on Sundays, but sinning like the devil Monday through Saturday often without any attempt to restrain themselves. In essence, they deny the power of the Gospel by living a life that is inconsistent with their public beliefs.

2 Timothy 3:5 is an adequate description for, “They have a form of godliness but they deny the power thereof.”

Unlike the classic cartoon, these Frostys are misled by believing that they can wear their Christianity like a magic hat whenever they choose to, and that their salvation is something that that they can put on and take off whenever they please depending on the circumstances.

In demonstrating this tragically skewed view of what it means to live the born-again Christian life they miss their calling and fail to grasp the full potential of a life lived in such a way to bring glory and honor to our Heavenly Father.


WHO WE REALLY ARE


My grandfather is fond of saying that there are only two kinds of people in this world. You and me. As it turns out, all of us are a part of a much larger social club. I call this group the sinners.

We are all sinners in need of God’s saving grace. The only way to obtain His free and eternal gift is to repent of our sins, ask for forgiveness, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

The one similarity between all three aforementioned groups? They believe in God, but they deny the power of the Gospel in their daily lives.

If Jesus Christ is not the LORD and MASTER of your life He is NOT your Savior as you claim. Anyone who is unwilling to let go and let God actually denies Jesus Christ and turns the grace of God into lasciviousness by telling the world with their words that they are saved while telling the world with their actions that you can be saved and still live like the world does.

Sure, they believe in God, but they are unwilling to surrender their lives to Him. Doing so would require them to let go and let God. It is a frightening proposition for anyone who is accustomed to being in control and doing things their way.

Besides, to give God full control and reign over your life would mean that you would have to face some harsh realities about yourself.

Even though we are a culture that promotes therapy, we are not willing to face the truth about ourselves because it would require that some serious changes are made. Instead, we prefer to be told only what we want to hear. Enter the prophesied apostasy.

We do not want to hear anything too tough, but something with just enough bite to make us feel as though we are doing something right without making us feel too badly about ourselves. I mean, after all, it is all about me, myself and I, right?


WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?


So, how does all of this connect back to Christmas and this holiday being the perfect opportunity to share God’s plan for humanity and His gift of salvation with my family?

God desires a personal relationship with us all, and one that is eternal. The only way we can enter into a relationship with Him is to become born-again. That simply means that we acknowledge our sinful ways, ask Him to forgive us, ask Him to save us from the consequences of those sins, and ultimately accept Him as not only our Savior, but now also our Lord and Master.

Faith in Jesus’ shed blood, His death and resurrection, and what it all means will release you from the bondage of sin. Jesus came to set the captives free. When the blood of Jesus is applied to your life all the shackles are loosed!

When I was in the world, I was an evil person with absolutely no care in the world how many thoughts and actions violated God’s view of how a life should be lived. I also had no idea that my ignorance and refusal to see the truth was ultimately keeping me from my full potential and destiny.

When I was in the world, the devil was the one who I served and who held me captive. When the blood of Jesus came, Jesus kicked the devil to the curb and took me to Himself. That is where I’ve remained ever since.

When I was a sinner, I was a straight up sinner. When I was saved, things changed - - dramatically! God saved me from my sins and from the power of my sins. I am no longer ruled by my flesh. I am a new creation in Christ, and the Holy Spirit gives me the ability to overcome the flesh.

I have been transformed by the renewing of my mind and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. I am far from being a perfect, sinless person (it will never happen!), but I am not accepting of my sin and saying I’m powerless against it any more because I am not.

I do not walk around sinning all the time like I used to. I serve God. When I do sin, I immediately ask God to forgive me and help me do better. When you are saved you become a saint who sometimes sins rather than remain as a sinner who sometimes acts like a saint.

The grace of God is powerful (what an understatement!). The book of Titus tells us that the grace that brings salvation teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

There are real results too! The power of God is on my life. The peace of God is in my life. My family loves the Lord and is blessed of the Lord. I am constantly learning new things about God and His ways as He reveals Himself to me. My mind is on holiness.


LIKE A CHILD ON CHRISTMAS MORNING


Now that we have established how to establish a personal relationship with God how do we go about making it an eternal one as He desires?

As mentioned earlier, Jesus warned, “Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a child will certainly not enter it” (Mark 10:13-16).

But what does it mean to “welcome the kingdom of God like a little child”? In general, we take it to mean “to welcome the kingdom of God like a child welcomes it.” That corresponds to some other words of Jesus found in Matthew’s Gospel: “If you do not change your hearts and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

A child trusts without reflecting. Children cannot live without trusting those around them. Their trust is not a virtue; it is a vital reality. To encounter God, the best thing we have is our child’s heart that is spontaneously open, that dares simply to ask, that wants to be loved and expects that He will do what He says He will.

Welcoming a child means welcoming a promise. A child grows and develops. In the same way, the kingdom of God on earth is never a finished reality, but rather a promise, and an uncompleted growth process.

Children are also unpredictable. In the Gospel story, they arrive when they arrive, and in any case not at the right time for the disciples, but Jesus insists that they must be welcomed because they are there.

In the same way, we have to welcome God’s presence when it presents itself, whether it is the right time or not. We have to play the game.

Quite frankly, I do not understand how anyone who calls themselves a Christian can criticize those of us who are eagerly expecting His return.

Like a child on Christmas morning expecting their gift, I am merely eager to meet my Lord and Savior and I know that He is coming because He said that He would.

God must have wanted His followers to learn Bible prophecy because He dedicated almost 30 percent of His Scripture to it. Not only does prophecy teach us about future events, it also assures us that God keeps His word and His promises.

For example, the Old Testament features more than 100 prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. Through these prophecies (written long before Jesus came to fulfill them) we know that He was truly the Messiah since He fulfilled every single one of them.

Consider the fact that Jesus promised He would return physically to this earth five times more frequently than He promised to come the first time! Since His first coming is a historical fact of history, we can be at least five times as certain that He will come the second time!

Besides, these are easily the most exciting days to be alive, not just because of the breathtaking advances in technology and science, but because we twenty-first century Christians have more reason than any generation before us to believe that Christ will return to take us home to His Father’s house.

We are not the first generation to think like this, of course, for history reveals that many interpreted the events of their day as fulfillments of end-time prophecies. As Christian columnist Jack Kinsella points out in a recent column, “Bible prophecy tells us what to expect, but not exactly what to look for. That is an important distinction. God accomplishes His will according to His plan, not ours.”

Still, He desires that His children look forward to seeing Him. We are instructed to treat His second coming as though it were imminent. At least previous generations were studying the Bible in an attempt to properly discern the times. Many of them sincerely longed for Christ to end the moral corruption and deterioration of their age by ushering in His kingdom of righteousness.

Can the same be said for a majority of so-called Christians today? Is that not an event that we all should be longing for these days? If you are not eagerly anticipating His return then why are you even praying the Lord’s Prayer?

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.”

Ring a bell? If you do not believe in His second coming enough to anticipate and watch for it as He instructs that why are you praying for it?

If there is a true disconnect between what you truly believe and what you pray then all you are participating in is vain repetitions. That, my friend, is a much bigger problem demanding some serious introspection.

Welcoming God’s kingdom like we welcome a child means keeping alert and praying so that we can welcome it when it comes, always unexpectedly, whether at an opportune moment or not.

With 2008 right around the corner, the New Year is always a good time for new beginnings. I encourage you to start fresh and cultivate a spirit that longs for Him.

However, heed the words of Allan Redpath who said, “Before we can pray ‘Thy kingdom come,’ we must be willing to pray ‘my kingdom go.'"

Posted in: America In Prophecy,How Close Are We?,Week In Review