The Real Deal

We live in a skeptical world, a world that would just like to keep on giving and getting Christmas presents, but without recognizing the reason for the season. As I observe the passing events, it seems like every year the war on Christmas gets more and more intense. Maybe it is due to te fact that the atheists are getting more and more organized, so they watch for things to protest against or file lawsuits to correct. A national atheist organization headquartered in Wisconsin is making noises about a nativity scene on the lawn of a Texas courthouse. Same old tired mantra—("We must not allow religion to be promoted on government property.") Every year it is the same and every year courts have ruled against the atheists for whatever reason—that is in most cases.

However, even the skeptics have a hard time dealing with the reality of historical fact. The story of the birth of Jesus contains within it several miracles, unexplained to this day. If for no other reason, the birth of the Lord Jesus should be enough to convince people he is worthy to be followed. As predicted in prophecies of old, Jesus was born of a virgin mother. Science has been unable to explain how such a thing could happen, but it did. Oh, the scorn Mary must have suffered among her friends and kinsmen! Pregnant and not married. Even today that bears a stigma. Imagine what it must have been like in Mary's day. Even her intended husband was ready to put her aside—that is until he had a visit from an angel of the Lord (another miracle) telling him the circumstances of his betrothed's "unfortunate" situation.

In order to be unbelievers of this truly marvelous story, people have to think the Bible, which has endured longer than nearly any other printed material in history, and is revered by literally millions the world over, is nothing but lies, fiction and myths. But, that is what unbelievers think. They think this is all some sort of mythological nonsense, in spite of evidence to the contrary. Simply because they have felt nothing of the spiritual reality of Jesus, they suppose He is a myth. I don't know what it is like to have a heart attack because I have never had one. But I would be foolish to think they don't happen. I have never had cancer, but it would be foolish of me to believe cancer does not exist simply because I have never had it. I believe heart attacks and cancer exist because I have known others who have personally experienced these things. The same is true for those who do not accept Jesus as being Who He said He is. They don't believe it because they have not experienced it, and refuse to accept the fact that I have experienced it.

Atheists are intellectually dishonest people who refuse to accept as reality something spiritual they have not experienced, in spite of the fact that millions around the world have experienced it. They will not accept that Jesus is the Real Deal until they experience Him in their own lives, and they will never experience Him in their own lives because they cannot open up to the possibility He is the Real Deal. These poor people delude themselves with the notion that they cannot be wrong about Jesus. That is why we should pray for them.

Mean while, every year we will have to defend our placing of Nativity Scenes on public property. Every year it gets worse and every year the arguments grow weary. But, we will persevere, if we do not weaken.