First Sunday after Christmas (Ps) January 1st

Psalm 106:24-48
24 Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
25 They murmured in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the Lord.
26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
scattering them among the lands.
28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29 they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
31 And that was counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33 for they made his spirit bitter,
and he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples,
as the Lord commanded them,
35 but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
36 They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
38 they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they became unclean by their acts,
and played the whore in their deeds.
40 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
41 he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied
by all those who held them captive.
47 Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord!
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ps 106:24-48). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

The People of Israel have constantly turned their back on God. They cause him great pain and anger. They never seem to list. Therefore, God lead them into the dessert or wilderness. God even had nations rise against them. He gave them plagues in order to call them to repentance. But yet they still turned to foreign gods and idols. But the God of Mercy had pity upon them and remembered his covenant and his steadfast Love. When they cried to the LORD he heard them.

But these people did horrible things. Even as Christians celebrate the Birth of their new born King, they continue to disdain him and other Christians. They celebrate with voices and songs but their hearts are still far from the God of Abraham who has delivered them. The Psalmist talks of people who, "sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood."

Most Christians do not sacrifice their children by slitting their throat and watching the blood pollute the land. Even these Israelites did not sacrifice all their children (because then they would have no further offspring to pollute). But Christians do sacrifice their children to world. They sacrifice them by teaching them false truths. They hand their children over to Demons of violence, sex, and greed or popularity.

How can we allow these truths to stand next to or alongside the TRUTH of Jesus Christ. There is only one way to the Father. There is only way to eternal life, and that is through Jesus Christ. He is the one who has given you life and Salvation. He is the one whose innocent sacrifice pays for the sins of those who even spill innocent blood. Do not lead others to follow the ways of these Israelites, but to Call upon the name of the LORD and say, "Amen! Praise the LORD!"