Merry Christmas

"6 For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." 

Isaiah 9:6-7

Merry Christmas to you all, thank you for reading, and joining with me in the advance of Lord's kingdom this year. 

He reigns, and he shall reign forever more. And all who hope in him will reign with him. 

Glory to God, and bless you and your families. 

The Jesus Revolution and Christmas

As Christians, and westerners, we can become so accustomed to the message of the gospels and of Christianity and Christmas, that we can forget just how revolutionary this event actually was and still is. I think a powerful passage to help us meditate on this is the song of Mary, the Magnificat, from Luke 1. We read there,

“46 And Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.” (Luke 1:46-55).

Let’s reflect on this passage for this Christmas season.

Mary begins by praising God for recognizing her in her humility, “46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” This is one of the most profound events in human history and Mary truly is the most blessed of all women to have ever lived, because she was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Our Lord and Savior, the one through whom everything was made, was carried in Mary’s womb. Though he was conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary, and he is eternally God the Son, according to the flesh he is also a son of this woman and a descendant of King David. A true miracle, the glorious incarnation.

And Mary truly is blessed among all women to be part of the means of God bringing salvation in the world in the flesh. “The Lord who sits within her womb Shall rule, iron sceptre in his hand, He shall break chains, shun the tomb, And gather us in his hand.”[1]

Next, she reminds herself of the power and might of our God who has used his power for the good of his people, “49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.” Jeremiah reflects on how God’s mercies are new every morning. “Morning by morning new mercies we see,” is how we sing this in that great Hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, based on Jeremiah's words. 

The Old Testament is brutally honest about the constant stubbornness and rebellion of God’s people. But God continually outdid their stubbornness with his application of mercy and grace, preserving a remnant, making sure that his promises were fulfilled, and when it came time for the advent of Jesus Christ into the world, there were still righteous and noble Israelites with which he could work, because he had shown “His mercy on those who fear Him from generation to generation." And he still does show mercy to all who fear Him. 

He has also opposed the proud, “51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.” Whether it was the Pharoah who God humiliated in the Exodus, or David when he sinned with his friend’s wife, God has consistently opposed the proud and humbled them. Some, like David were humbled to repentance, others like Pharoah were lowered to destruction. The Lord chooses who shall reign, and he gives many rulers many chances to do the right thing and be good in their leadership. But he has consistently opposed those who abuse their power, while simultaneously lifting up the lowly.

Remember Joseph, remember Gideon, remember Deborah and Ruth, remember the great legacy of those of lowly estate who God has lifted up, and remember that he continues to do this today. God is a revolutionary in some senses, at least when it comes to this world. He is not a Marxist, or a rebellious revolutionary like so many fallen human beings have been. He is a careful, methodical transformer of this world and its systems, so that when they have become evil and oppressive he has dealt with them and put them down, raising a new leadership in their place.

This has been a hope of the righteous through all of history, because often the righteous have found themselves on the wrong side of oppressive and evil governments. The beast of Revelation is not simply a one off future tyrant, he is the model of tyranny in this world, and Jesus has been the best toppler of tyrants the world has ever known. He defends his people, and pleads the cause of justice, and he does this through his people as well who are called to be salt and light in a world hostile to his gospel message of hope. Mary reflects on this as being part of the message of the advent of Jesus Christ. She warns the proud that their Overlord, Jesus, is here, and he carries the iron sceptre of righteous justice in his hand, and he will hold them to account.

And she finishes, “54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.” Some Christians, because of a strange and recent reading of the Old Testament without the proper lens of Jesus, like to only apply the term Israel to one ethnic group, and the promises to Abraham as uniquely applying to this group. But Mary reminds us here of what Paul does in Galatians, the seed through which God’s people will be blessed is Jesus Christ. The seed through which the world will be blessed is Jesus Christ. The nation of Israel carried this blessing as they were like Mary in a way, they were the womb of the Messiah, the means through which the saviour would come into the world. But the ultimate expression of the blessing and promise is the seed, the descendant of Abraham through whom the whole world would be blessed, Jesus Christ, “16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ” (Gal. 3:16). Mary and Paul agree, the promises to Abraham’s seed find their fulfilment in the advent of the Messiah, the Christ, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, who shall redeem his people.  

“He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of his mercy…” Mary speaks of this as being fulfilled in her day. But how can this be so if it is talking about the rescue of a physical nation in the land of Israel? It can’t, because not only was that nation not rescued, it was crushed by the Romans in a cruel and barbaric war a few decades after she sang this song. But if it refers to the Holy remnant, those whose hope in God and his Christ remained steadfast, then it most certainly was fulfilled because Jesus redeemed his people in her day,

“8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:8-10).

God has most certainly helped Israel. For His Son is the true Israel, and all who have repented of their sins and trusted in him have been made full citizens of the people of God, the city of God. A city that will lift up the lowly and humble. A city where the oppressor is made to repent or he is denied entry. A city where we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth as a little child, a child who grew up to be a man, the God-man, who change everything by his righteous life and death on that cruel cross. A city whose citizens hope in the one whom death could not hold. 

“My soul magnifies the Lord, And my Spirit has rejoiced in God my saviour.” Mary sang the first ever Christmas carol. Praise God for Christmas. Praise God for the coming of the Lord Jesus who changed everything.

 

List of References

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[1] The Magnificat, Diamon Sceptre, https://open.spotify.com/track/24TrXw3OS0nzO3f0uOZ2nD?si=e93b2578f4794938

Why You Should Not Lie

 

“13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.”

Psalm 34:13

You should not lie because it is wrong. But it is important to understand, that if you do choose to live a life of lies, you will be robbed of all joy and peace. A Spurgeon notes,

“Deceit must be very earnestly avoided by the man who desires happiness. A crafty schemer lives like a spy in the enemy’s camp, in constant fear of exposure and execution. Clean and honest conversation, by keeping the conscience at ease, promotes happiness, but lying and wicked talk stuffs our pillow with thorns, and makes life a constant whirl of fear and shame.”[1]

Danger can come upon any man at any time. Such is the way of this world. But the liar lives in expectation of it, from every direction, constantly. He lives in constant fear of being exposed, he lives in constant fear of saying something which will cause the entire tapestry of his worldview to fall apart. He lives in dread of those who pay careful attention to what he says.

The honest man will be wrong from time to time, but he simply admits this, and moves on. Most people will accept this, some might choose not to, because they see it as a means of constantly attacking him. But in general the honest man does not have to fear being wrong, because part of being honest is knowing that you do not know everything and that you will make mistakes.

The liar, on the other hand, does fear being wrong. Because his mistakes are not simply mistakes, they are cracks in the façade of a life that is built on a house of cards. A house that will come down. He must be ever watchful, ever suspicious of others around him, because that is his nature. He acts suspicious and treats others the very same.

A life of lies is unnecessary and unhealthy. Being crafty might be considered a skill, some people certainly are better at it than others. However, it is a poisonous trait to live by. As Spurgeon also says, "Men cannot spit forth poison without feeling some of the venom burning their own flesh."[2] To live a life of lies is to live a life by slow, but effective poison. To not experience that slow personal death in your life every day is a good enough reason to avoid it.

Why live in chains, when you can live free.

Of course, to live by the truth takes courage. It is hard for people to do at times. But anything else is choosing to live in chains.

List of References

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[1] Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David, Commentary on Psalm 34 vs 13

[2] Ibid.

The Devil Won’t Win

 

"Peace and goodwill to all mankind"

That is why Jesus came.

Recent events show us that we aren't there yet. As we know. Every generation of the Church has sought to lift up the message of Christ in a world where many opposed it, directly or indirectly.

The devil, the thief, came to steal kill and destroy. He still does that today. But we also know from Scripture that the Dragon rages because he knows he has been defeated.

Brothers, sisters, he has been defeated! It may not seem like it every day, his tail still sweeps dangerously. But he has been defeated, and the Church has rejoiced and sung about his defeat in much darker times than we live in.

We will conquer him because of the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of his word. He has been defeated!

Rejoice, rejoice, the dragon cannot win.

The Child and the Dragon

Verse 1

A sign appeared in heav’n above,

A woman crowned with light;

The sun her robe, the moon beneath,

Her stars with glory bright.

She cried in pain to bring forth Him,

The long-promised, holy child—

The One to rule the nations all,

The Shepherd strong and mild.

 

Refrain

Rejoice, rejoice! The battle’s won,

The ancient foe defeated!

By Christ the Lamb, God’s conqu’ring Son,

His fiery wrath is cheated.

 

Verse 2

Behold, a dragon fierce and red,

With horns and crowns of might;

His tail swept down a third of stars

To cast them from the height.

He waited near the woman’s cry,

To seize the infant fair;

But God caught up His promised King

To heav’n’s protecting care.

 

Refrain

Rejoice, rejoice! The battle’s won,

The ancient foe defeated!

By Christ the Lamb, God’s conqu’ring Son,

His fiery wrath is cheated.

 

Verse 3

Then war in heav’n at once arose—

Saint Michael drew his sword;

The dragon and his hosts were thrown

From glory’s throne outpoured.

They fell to earth with furious rage,

No place for them remained;

The voice of heav’n cried loud and clear:

“The Lamb has surely reigned!”

 

Refrain

Rejoice, rejoice! The battle’s won,

The ancient foe defeated!

By Christ the Lamb, God’s conqu’ring Son,

His fiery wrath is cheated.

 

Verse 4

The dragon chased the woman still,

Poured floods her path to drown;

Yet God prepared a wilderness

Where grace and help abound.

He rages now against her seed—

All those who trust the Lord;

But we shall stand, for by His blood

We conquer through His Word.

 

Refrain

Rejoice, rejoice! The battle’s won,

The ancient foe defeated!

By Christ the Lamb, God’s conqu’ring Son,

His fiery wrath is cheated.

 

(If you want to listen to this song, you can do so here:

Don’t Let Difficult Family Get To You

 

For some people having difficult family is a source of real struggle in life. But can I encourage you, I have never met anyone who doesn’t have some difficulty in their family somewhere. We even see this in the Bible.

The first wife took the first opportunity she could to rule over her husband, and that husband then just submitted to it passively. The result? The fall of the world and also something very personal, their first son murdered their second son.

Then there is the dishonour that Noah’s son Ham does to him, in uncovering his nakedness.

Then there is Abraham’s mess with a childless wife, a young slave woman and a regretful pregnancy that fractures their family.

Then there is Jacob’s family. Most of the second half of Genesis is spent dealing with the struggles of this one family. The fights between brothers. The clashes of the Jacob’s wives. The pain this causes all of them. If your brothers have not tried to sell you into slavery, because they hate that you are the family favourite, maybe things aren’t as bad as you imagine, right?

Then there is the mess of David’s family, many of the families in the book of judges, and so much more.

Be encouraged, that if you have brokenness in your family, you are not the first, you are not the only one, and you are likely not the worst. Many people feel like failures because of the struggles in their families, but even good families aren’t perfect.

Some families are genuinely healthier than others, that is for sure. Some families exude peace. Some families exude chaos. Most are in the middle of these two positions. None are perfect. The difference between a healthy family and a bad family, is the healthy family have ways of reconciling issues, rather than just manifestly expanding them.

Family is a wonderful gift, that we must steward as God’s people wisely. Don’t think your family is the only one with struggles. But don’t settle for unhappiness being ok. It’s not, the family should be a place of more joy than pain.

I know some of you will want to go to all the family events this year, and this is good. I know some of you will feel obligated to do so, even though you don’t want to.  So, let’s look at some practical wisdom from scripture, about how to navigate the day.

Navigating The Family Gathering

The base line for celebrating Christmas is knowing your freedom in Christ, and that the goal of holiness is genuine joy. The goal of family is happiness, through holiness. The goal of festivals is happiness founded on holiness. This is a base line. But we also want to know how to navigate the difficult situations we can find ourselves in at family events. So, here are some principles of application.

1.     Come with a spirit of joy – Deuteronomy 14:26 - “And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.” Coming together with your family is supposed to be about joy, especially at a holiday celebration. So, check your spirit before you go. You need to be intentional about this.

If you go with an expectation of conflict, you will likely find it. If you go with a spirit of joy, you might find conflict, but at least it won’t be your fault. You might just get lucky and not find it all. Proverbs 10:28 – “28 The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”

2.     Keep Your Expectations Low – Philippians 2:3 – “3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Go with low expectations about what you deserve, about what you will get, about how you will be focused on. Think not about what you are going to get, but about what you will give.

If you go in expecting this and expecting that you are likely going to have fights, because you will become offended. With some people this is pretty much all they do to everyone else. Demanding behaviour creates a whirlwind of conflict. 

I am not saying allow yourself to be pushed around, I am just saying don’t be the one who pushes your wait around. 

3.     Think like an adult – 1 Corinthians 13:11 - “11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” Paul quotes this passage in the context of talking about Spiritual gifts, but he is using a principle of wisdom that has far wider application. We need to leave childishness behind us, and act like the adults we are.

Many people, when they go back home for Christmas, default to their instinctive home-based behaviour from childhood. This is the source of a lot of family conflict, a lot!

For some families it is wise to avoid having Christmas at the folks house, if this kind of conflict is normal. Have everyone at your house, or another siblings house, or somewhere neutral. Or don’t all get together at the same time. A change in environment can help with this issue.

But also recognize that get-to-togethers at Christmas are pretty much a day for kids and for grandparents, not parents with childlike behaviour. Make it about them, and watch how much more fun you have.

4.     Be Reticent To Talk – Proverbs 10:19 – “19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” I am the first to admit I suck at this. I love a good debate. I don’t tend to start them, but sometimes people say something, and I am like: I cannot let that go! I will not let that go!! “Here I stand I can do no other!” 

But the less you say, the less likely you are to say something that will cause conflict. It’s a simple principle. All the extroverts suck at this. All the introverts are like, yes please. Sometimes the crueller introverts like to say something to provoke the introverts, and sit back and watch.

Most family gatherings are not great places for robust conversation, they should be, but the reality is they just aren’t. Remember this. Also remember it is not your job to change this, you will only hit a brick wall of conflict if you try to.

5.     Lead With Humility – Proverbs 11:2 – “When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with the humble is wisdom.” This one speaks for itself. Come with humility and avoid pride. Pride is the source of many evils, and for some reason, pride is often as close as the apple sauce and Christmas cake at the family Christmas get together. Remember pride is your enemy.

One of the core problems with our pride, is that it is very capable of latching on to our sense of justice. “I am justified!” is often both correct and wrong at the same time. But pride will run with this if we let it. Don’t let it. 

6.     Don’t Be Afraid To Be Honest – Proverbs 11:3 – “3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” None of what I am saying means you cannot share your honest opinion, and challenge what you think is nonsense. Just wrap it up in these previous pearls of wisdom from Scripture. Be honest and be cognizant that not everyone is going to like that.

It is what it is.

7.     It’s Not About Possessions – Proverbs 11:4 – “4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” Don’t be obsessed with what you get or don’t get. Envy and jealousy and greed are other sources of many evils. Don’t begrudge someone else getting more than you either. Celebrate their good favour with them, you will have more fun if you do.

8.     Be Kind – Proverbs 11:17 – “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” And last of all be kind. If you approach the day with all of these tools of wisdom under your belt, you have the best chance of successfully dealing with any difficult family.

I am the first to admit that I have not always applied these principles perfectly. We have had some wonderful family Christmas events, and some not so wonderful ones in past years. Some people are just so difficult nothing you do can make it peaceful. Remember in such cases you are free, you are under no obligation, no one is allowed to judge you for choosing not to go along with tradition on Christmas day, and instead just choosing to be away from the conflict.

Be free, and work hard to have fun, righteous and holy joy with your family this Christmas. 

 

Shame On Us

 

I think everyone criticizing some of the police action on Sunday, and the hesitation to act, that we see reported by many witnesses should consider a couple of things.

Police aren't trained for combat. At least most aren't. They are not soldiers. What they encountered on Sunday at Bondi was urban combat, by men that it looks had some training or practice. Most Aussie police are not trained or equipped for that.  

Secondly, just recently, a police officer who the government considered too enthusiastic about stopping a dangerous criminal on a motorbike, was charged and convicted for killing that kid.

“A New South Wales police officer has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing death after an Indigenous teenager on a stolen motorbike collided with his parked car, in a case that has drawn international attention following a viral Sky News Australia clip.

According to ABC News, Benedict Bryant, an officer with over 22 years of experience, was convicted after the court heard that he had established a roadblock that left the rider with no way to manoeuvre around it.

The Crown argued that Bryant’s decision directly led to the fatal incident. “The accused had relevant information indicating that the rider of the trail bike would go to considerable lengths to avoid capture,” the prosecutor said. “Given this knowledge, he should have recognised the risk and acted accordingly.”

The court agreed, with the judge stating that the evidence proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Bryant had driven his vehicle, which was stationary at the time, in a manner dangerous to others.

The ruling has sparked outrage, with critics warning it could set a troubling precedent for law enforcement. Former police officer and Caldron Pool contributor Evelyn Rae said on Sky News that the decision could have wide-reaching implications. “This doesn’t seem like justice at all,” Rae said, noting that the ruling “sets a precedent for every police officer attempting to make an arrest.”[1]

All the officer did was park his car on the road as a barrier and the kid ran into him. And he now faces jail, and other sanctions. I would not be surprised if this man's plight is in every police officers mind right now. The system can be cruel to cops too.

I also do not think it is an accident that the detective who took down one of the shooters was an experienced officer. Even many soldiers trained for combat hesitate in their first battles. Police are trained for de-escalation, not firing for effect and urban combat. So, it makes sense that an experienced man was so much more effective.

Also, even the Israeli army stopped putting women in frontline combat roles when they observed how it almost always went wrong. Women should not be called to lay down their lives for society. I think it is cruel and unusual that we encourage that in our society. Seeing women in police uniform hiding should be a pretty clear message to us that we have made a great error in our society about who should be put into such vital roles as peace officers.

Firstly, standards were lowered so that tiny, small women could join the police force. Secondly, pushing young, tiny women into a job that can turn into a combat situation, they are not trained for or designed for, is evil in my view. Shame on us. As a society we have to stop encouraging this.

List of References

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[1] Caldron Pool, Staff Writer, 2025, https://caldronpool.com/police-officer-guilty-of-dangerous-driving-causing-death-after-teen-on-stolen-motorbike-hits-officers-parked-car/

Men You Must Be Strong

 

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

1 Corinthians 16:13

What happened on Sunday, at Bondi Beach in Australia, is a reminder to all men, that you need to be physically strong, aware of your situational surroundings and ready to act for the good of your loved ones and innocents around you.

The man, Ahmed, the hero, was a relatively big man. Big men have a natural strength that comes from being large. But most men need to work out to be strong.

-        Men, you need to be physically fit and strong, so that if you need to wrestle an attacker you can do it successfully. Many men remember how strong they were once, in their lives, but this fades rapidly if you are not a physical labourer or do not work out.  

-        Getting strong means lifting weights, walking or doing other cardiovascular exercise regularly. Start with 10 push-ups a day, do that for a week, and then in stages work up to 50 push ups, minimum, a day. That is not a lot. Walk on the treadmill or the street 30 minutes 5 times a week, minimum, so you have some endurance in your legs. Better yet, lift some dumb bells and bench press regularly as well. Build upper body strength.

-        You might need to carry a loved one out of trouble. Be aware of this. You are responsible to carry your wife, your daughter or small son, if needed. Make sure you can. I once joked in a sermon, “How strong do you need to be need you be? Well, how much does your wife weigh?” There is your guide. It is not really a joke, though. 

-        Do some personal self-defence courses, if you have not already. Learn about what you should and should not do in a dangerous situation. And then practice in your mind how you would respond if you were in a terrible situation. 

-        Be situationally aware. Not paranoid. But be alert. If someone suspicious is walking behind you, be alert, alter how you walk. Shift your pace. Just be aware, be present in the situation. Just this itself can make all massive difference.

And pray to God that you are prepared to act and never have to. No one ever wants to be in such a situation. But men, our society is not as safe as it once was. We have a responsibility to be strong. This is actually a command in the Bible for men, that we be strong, it is not optional, unless of course you have some kind of debilitating injury.

Remember this, it is the police officer's job to deal with these situations, but you might find you don't have that option. Maybe they are late to the scene, or you are put in a situation of confrontation where you need to protect your family. This is not impossible in our world, and it is especially not impossible with the way our world is going.

Don't be irresponsible by letting yourself be physically weak.

Praise God for men like Ahmed, who step up when they are needed.

Diamond Sceptre Christmas Watch Party

 

You can view the livestream of this Diamond Sceptre Christmas album at 8pm AEST on YouTube here. And of course, after this time you can watch the recording.

I remember when I was in my twenties having a debate with a pastoral colleague of mine about Christmas. This is a man I greatly respect and have had many debates with over the years. In this debate we were talking about whether or not an associate pastor or youth pastor should be expected to be at Church during a Christmas day service.

His position was yes, and he would not hire an associate who did not want to work on Christmas day. My position was no, and part of the basis of my argument was Colossians 1:16-23,

“16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

My argument was simple, Paul explicitly tells us that we cannot judge someone according to their observance of holy days. He makes a similar argument in Romans 14-15. Here is a core part of his argument Romans,

“5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Rom. 14:5-9).

Paul repeatedly taught that we should not pass judgement on someone regarding holy days. Christianity is not the same as the old ways of the Law of Moses, we do not have the same kind of official and mandatory liturgical calendar. His argument was, sure, Christians should not be expected to observe certain holidays, but he would expect someone who was on his staff to be at all services, including on days like Christmas, because he considered this part of their role as a pastor.

What are your thoughts?

I still believe that we should not judge people according to what days they celebrate. Catholics celebrate lent, and not eating meat on Fridays, may they do this in honour to God. Protestants celebrate Easter, Christmas, and maybe one or two other historical Christian holidays during the year, depending on their denomination, may we do this in honour of God. Some people don’t want to celebrate any of these special days, may they do this in honour of God.

But I also have to reflect on the fact that in my early twenties I had really soured on Christmas. I was not anti-Christmas. How can you be anti-something so good? But I did not look forward to it a whole lot. I looked it as a once great holiday that had become overly commercialized. So, I chose not to really emphasize. I remember one year going for a jog on Christmas morning and spending the day just happy that I did not have to work.  

This all changed when I went to France in 2011 and I got to see Christmas being celebrated in the heart of ancient Christendom in Europe. This awoke in me a real affection for Christmas. Seeing atheists at a local church practicing to sing Christmas carols in English worshipping Jesus, reminded me that there was something special about this time of year. People generally do start to act different, and not just by going crazy in their shopping habits. There is a cheer, a freedom, a forgiving nature that comes out at this time of year, that you don’t see at other times of the year.

Jesus’ coming into this world really did change everything, as O Holy Night tells us, “O holy night, The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth, Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'Til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth, A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” Jesus’ coming changed everything (John 1:9-13), and just his presence in the world broke the power of evil in some ways, and his victory on the cross and over death broke evils power even more. Centuries of passionate and devoted Christmas celebrations had sanctified this time of year and made it something different, something special. This is why enemy soldiers in WW1 laid down their weapons to exchange gifts in the middle of the war, at Christmas time. This time of year is different, it really is. And many people, Christian or not, experience that difference.

Since then I have dedicated myself to stirring up affection in people for observing this time of year. No compulsion, but affection. Jesus came to set us free, and in my mind this time of year really is different, really is worth observing, and really has a transformative nature about it. Not because of the date, or the time of year, in Australia we swelter in hot summer days during Christmas, we don’t have cosy gatherings around warm cocoa and fireplaces. But because of what we celebrate and what we focus on.

I have taken great delight in listening to and singing more intently Christmas carols at this time of year. Especially the Christian ones. Having a daughter probably helps with this, as well, as she loves Christmas carols. And while some of these classic songs might get some of the placement, itinerary, and attendee details a little off about the original Christmas when the magi gathered to celebrate the young Jesus some months after his birth, they all get the central message right. They are all correct about the special holiness of the event and our Lord Jesus Christ at the centre of that event.

Now, with the advent of generative AI, I have been able to use a combination of the Bible, my own writing experience, a theologically trained AI, and music generation, to create my own Christmas album: Diamond Sceptre Christmas.

Diamond Sceptre, unlike Iron Sceptre, is a female led band with light heavy metal influences. I wanted to create a range of Christmas songs, in more classical style and also a heavier rock style. What I have done is upload 9 songs to Spotify, Amazon Music, iTunes, Apple music and a few other places. There are four original songs with two versions of each song, a rockier version and a classic version, plus one cover of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. I also thought it would be fun to do an online YouTube watch party to debut this album. To help promote the album, but also help stir in you some more love for Christmas.

Here are examples of the lyrics from the songs:

Song 1, Promise Long Foretold

Verse 1

Behold, the promise long foretold,

A virgin bears a holy Son;

The Spirit overshadows her,

The Father’s faithful work is done.

To Joseph comes the angel’s voice:

“Take Mary, fear not to obey;

For He who grows within her womb

Will save His people in your day.”

 

Refrain

Fall on your knees

Bow before him

For he is your king

And he shall ever reign.

 

Verse 2

In Bethlehem, of Judah’s line,

The promised Shepherd comes to reign;

The Holy One in lowliness

Lies cradled where the cattle lain.

Yet angels guard His quiet rest,

And heaven holds its breath in awe:

For God has stepped into our night—

The Word made flesh in stable straw.

 

Song 2, The Child and The Dragon

Verse 1

A sign appeared in heav’n above,

A woman crowned with light;

The sun her robe, the moon beneath,

Her stars with glory bright.

She cried in pain to bring forth Him,

The long-promised, holy child—

The One to rule the nations all,

The Shepherd strong and mild.

 

Refrain

Rejoice, rejoice! The battle’s won,

The ancient foe defeated!

By Christ the Lamb, God’s conqu’ring Son,

His fiery wrath is cheated.

 

Verse 2

Behold, a dragon fierce and red,

With horns and crowns of might;

His tail swept down a third of stars

To cast them from the height.

He waited near the woman’s cry,

To seize the infant fair;

But God caught up His promised King

To heav’n’s protecting care.

 

Song 3, The Magnificat

Verse 1

My soul now magnifies the Lord,

My spirit joys in God my Savior;

He looked on me in humble state,

And all shall call His servant blessed.

 

Refrain

The Lord who sits within her womb

Shall rule, iron sceptre in his hand

He shall break chains, shun the tomb

And gather us in his hand.

 

Verse 2

The Mighty One has done great things,

His mercy flows from age to age;

His arm has scattered all the proud,

And raised the lowly to His throne.

 

Song 4, Light for All the World

Verse 1

Before all worlds the Word was there,

With God in splendor bright;

Through Him were made both earth and air,

In Him was life and light.

The darkness could not overcome,

Nor silence still His voice;

The Father’s everlasting Son—

He comes, let earth rejoice!

 

Chorus

O Jesus, Light of all the world,

Shine on our darkest night!

The Word made flesh, God’s glory shown—

Our everlasting Light.

O Jesus, Light for everyone,

Now born that we may see:

The grace and truth of God revealed,

His love made flesh for me.

 

Verse 2

The true Light came into the world,

Though once unknown, despised;

Yet to all those who received His name—

New children God has prized.

Not born of flesh, nor human will,

But born of God above;

He calls us out of shadowed paths

Into His changeless love.

Song 5, is a cover of the famous O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

1 O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

2 O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.

 

I actually modelled the lyric structure of a couple of my songs of O Come, O Come Emmanuel. This has previously not been one of my favourite Carols, because it is often sung almost as a dirge in music style at least. But the lyrics are incredible, and the style of the lyric structure is also timeless. I used a combination of my own writing, scripture and an AI trained on theology to create the lyrics for my original songs. Some songs are more my work than other others. All of them I have reviewed intensely before publishing. They are based, in order of the songs above, on Matthew 1:8-2:23, Revelation 12, Luke 1:46-56, and John 1:1-18. The alternate version of Promise Long Foretold has a slightly different refrain, because I spent a lot of time toying over which style I preferred better, and decided both should be published.

I hope you enjoy this album. I hope it blesses you. And I hope above all else that it brings glory to Jesus Christ and helps magnify him more in your heart. Our saviour came to save us from our own sins and Satan’s power. What a momentous advent to celebrate.

Viva Christo Rey