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Times-Advocate, 1980-12-24, Page 24Leanne Glavin, Gracie 4, Mount Carmel • 4, THE CHARACTER OF THE AUDIENCE The announcement of the Lord Jesus' birth was made first to the com- mon folks, like us, working people, average family people, folks that are faithful to their tasks. The shepherds were going about their .rnsiness in a quiet, unassuming way, humble people - yet, they were aware of the, as yet, unfulfilled promise in their Scriptures that One would come to Israel who would fulfill all prophecies and re- quirements of the Messiah, the "Awaited One." Quite a contrast between King Herod and the shepherds, eh? Evident- ly King Herod's only "need" was to protect his throne by fair means or foul (by killing all the boy babies two years old and under he hoped to wipe out the baby king) while the shepherds faithful- ly plied their trade as God-fearing men, We can identify with the shepherds, not with Herod. Nee, like the shepherds, have spiritual needs that can only be met in the Christ of Christmas. The void, the emptiness, experienc- ed by many at Christmas time can only be satisfactorily filled by "coming to God (in prayer and repentance, by believing that He is (that He is able to save), and that He is a rewarder of all By PASTOR LINN F. LOSHBOUGH Emmanuel Baptist Church, Exeter We live in the age of superlatives: Fantastic! Way Out! Gone, Man! Unbelievable! Really Neat! Out of This World! Man! Mohammid Ali, the box- er, says, "I am the greatest! "Years ago, Fulton Oursler, wrote the book, "The Greatest Story Ever Told". Quite a statement, indeed. Our vocabulary is too limited to ful- ly describe the magnitude and the im- plications of that first Christmas, so we'll just say it is the "Greatest Christ- mas Sermon Ever Preached." We may well ask the question, "what makes this message so great?" Its greatness is proved by its results. It caused the hearers to act on what they heard.' (Church-goer, here's a bit to think about: the definition of a sermon is: An oral address to the popular mind upon religious truth contained in the Scriptures, and elaborately created with a view to persuasion and resultant action. How does what you hear on Sun- day fit these criteria?) THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS SERMON EVER PREACHED can be- believed and received by all people because of these three factors given in that blessed sermon in Luke 2:8-20. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, an angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddl- ing clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there, was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will, toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord bath made known unto us. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told, them concerning this child. And all that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Bur Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Thee:-Advocator December 24, 1930 4 What makes the, message so great? that diligently seek Him," Hebrews 11:6. "Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you," 4. THE CHARACTER OF THE MESSENGER The "preacher" of this short, but infinitely important and powerful "ser- mon" was sent directly from the throne of God in heaven, The "angel of the Lord" in Luke 2:9 brought God's Word to all men, including us, that memorable night. Surely we can believe this record! o, let's sweep away the tinsel and sentiment that has surrounded this occasion for so long, and let the Lord speak to our hearts through His Word, the whole Bible, all of the Bible just as much His Word as the angelic announcement of our text. The Lord proclaims that the child born "unto them" in Bethlehem, is "a Saviour" (Luke 2:11), and the prophet rsaiah, speaking prophetically says, "I, even I, the Lord am, and beside me there is no Saviour." (Isaiah 43:11). Since this is God's Word, and the angelic sermon was given with a "view to persuasion and resultant action", the question posed in the song is most apt: What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you cannot be; Someday your heart will be asking, What will He do with me? The shepherds responded to the message that night - they sought for and found the Saviour. 4 4 THE CHARACTER OF THE MESSAGE If we are on the threshold of world conflagration (who knows, for sure?), and if the Lord Jesus"delayethHis com- ing", and perilous times shall come (yea, are already here) as the Bible solemnly declares: Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers (how about these wick- ed movies about Jesus Christ showing today?), disobedient to parents (familiar?), unthankful, unholy, without natural affection (divorce, homo-sexuality, child abuse and neglect), trucebreakers, false ac- cusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but deny- ing the power of it... II Timothy 3:2-5. If then, my friend, we are in this situation right now, and we are, then we thank God for the angelic message of (1) Hope. The Word says, "He shall save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21, You see, it is not ab- solutely necessary as far as eternity is concerned, that we eat, have money, enjoy good health, have our families, friends, indulge in recreation. As far as eternity is concerned, is it absolutely necessary that we live? The world was here before we arrived, arid it will outlast us, eh? The one necessity for man here is foregiveness of sins procured for us by the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus'on the Cross of Calvary (Colossians 1:14), without "hick forgiveness we will never spend eternity with Him. He is our Hope! (2) Peace, The angel's message was "peace on earth, good will toward men." Cessation of war will never be a reality for sinful men. The angel's word promised spiritual peace to the receiver of the Saviour. Jesus Himself said, "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27. Do you possess this peace? "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" says the Bible in Romans 5:1. (3) Joy. "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy- " Luke 2:10. Again, the angel proclaimed the truth. His "sermon" included "joy to all people— ", and since Jesus Christ is the source of joy, there is' no other source of it. • In contrast, let's understand that "happiness" which the world is trying to achieve from material possessions, is not JOY! Happiness depends on "happenings" (and happenings can be sad, depressing, pleasing, but always temporal), so God does not offer tran- sient happiness in Christ, but Joy in Him, which is permanent and full like the salvation we experience in Him. For those who know the Lord, or better still, are known of Him, the Christmas message brings ;i'om the heart a warmth and a hearty "Amen"! and "Thank you, Lord" response. For any who are strangers to His Grace and to God's Son, the divine invitation still stands as of Christmas, 198 0.— "Whosoever will may come to Him," John 6:37. The shepherd did. it's within yourself PerSpectives Human nature being what it is, we tend to ignore situations until they force themselves upon us. Winter is one of those things that we try to forget about, perhaps because we are less than enthusiastic about cold, wet snow settling in around our necks and in large heavy lumps in our laneways. Thus, we don't dig out boots and warm clothes, or put on snow tires until we are forcefully reminded that they are a necessity, even to the., point of survival at times. Here in Southwestern Ontario we tend to think of storms as occuring somewhere else in places with names Kapuskasing or Espanola. My wife and I got a rude awakening the other night, about the way a blizzard can come up so fast that it can make your head spin. We had fifteen miles to go. All day it had been raining. Now the wind was gusting with real force, forcing me to put me little car 'down into third gear to even keep moving. Then the lights went out, or so it seemed. sn ow rain changed into snow and before we knew it visibility was down to about ten feet and sometimes even less. The car ahead of us, a friend, By SYD FLETCHER * * * HUMAN NATURE Huron Country Playhouse Wishes to establish a new logo for their Theatre, to be used not only as part of their Tenth Anniversary Season of Celebration, but to be carried through on all printed material for all time. They are anxious to have a simple design projecting the image of the Theatre. This symbol should be adaptable to letterhead, envelopes, brochures, signs, etc, Because Huron Country Playhouse is a community affair, it is felt that everyone should be able to play a role in the conception of their new logo. All entries will be assesed by a local art director and the logo chosen will be an- nounced. The logo chosen will entitle the designer to a "Lifetime Subscription" to Huron Country Playhouse. All entries should be mailed no later than January 30, 1981, Please sit down now and send your suggested logo, along with your name, ad- dress, telephone number, and a bribf explanation for your design to: Heather Redick LOGO CONTEST Huron Country Playhouse Grand Bend, Ontario NOM 1TO Huron Country Playhouse . has finished it's ninth season, the most successful yet . Now they are preparing for a very special Tenth Anniversary Season with great enthusiasm. If you have not been a part of their past success, plan to join with them in their future. Merry Chrismuss old frend - Well mebby yer not so old. But we're not so young as we used to be. But then, come to think of it, we never was! I spose growin old ain't so bad when youse consider the alternytive. Everybuddy wants long life, but they seems to fergit it involves old age. Me, I'm startin to feel on Saterday nites like I used to feel Mundy mornins! But I've still got the wife and former sweethart on hand to hold hands with. She sez the gleem in my eyes nowadaze Times Established 1873 .4,47 =Ad.,v.t...!_ateEstabLisped:..: 881 imes dvocate While many people complain that Christmas appears to roll around more quickly each year, there's little doubt that it hasn't come any too soon this year. It's one of the few occasions in the year when people can almost totally dismiss the cares and woes of the world for a few hours to enjoy themselves, and 1980 is winding down with a long list of problems from which some relief, however temporary, is indeed welcome. There are, of course, a number of aspects associated with Christmas that make it difficult to forget some of the woes people face. For instance, anyone fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus being pulled along by his eight trusty reindeer, will immediately be reminded that with the continuing price hikes on gasoline, we'll all be out look- ing for some reindeer to pull our cars along the highway, When dad takes the carving knife in hand to slice up the Christmas turkey, he'll be able to turn to the family and note that his actions are similar to those across the country who appear bent on taking a carving knife and slic- ing away certain sections from the main. Those sitting at the west end of the table will want the choice cuts, of course, leaving the neck and a few giblets for those seated elsewhere. Mom could 'receive plenty of com- plaints for not having enough gravy with which to smother the potatoes, but u ar. an Dispe sect by StnIley By Bill Smiley Ever have the feeling that someone is out to get you? Society, or God, or Somebody? When I was an airman, an intrepid fighter pilot, I knew that bad things came in three's. And they did, Two times I came back to my squadron badly shot up. The third time I was shot down. There were three guys in my tent in Normandy, July of 1944, The three of us were shot down (two killed) in three weeks. But I'm beginning to think that three is not the only bad number. Seven and nine are no hell either. Right now I'm about the seven stage. When I hit nine, I'll be writing you from that Great Typewriter in the Sky. It all began last summer. On a fine, sunny day in August, someone lifted my wallet while I was on a visit of mercy: seeing my kid brother and trying to assure him that he still had a few years, despite a spine fusion, several yards of intestine removed, and a head condition that was driving him blind. , Not long after, the Infernal Revenue people told me I owed them eight hun- dred bucks. We're still battling back and forth, but since the post office needs three or four weeks to get a letter from me to them , and them to me, we have a Mexican standoff. But I know who's going to win. And it ain't me. They have the computer.'All I have is honesty, decency, integrity and good citizenship. Up goes the price of oil and gas. This is not a personal tragedy, but it doesn't help that Trudeau presents his un- believable arrogance, and Alberta cuts back oil production by 15 per cent, and begins talking seriously about separa- tion. Then the Liberal government, smug in its majority, starts railroading its own version of the Constitution through parliament, I was perfectly happy, like most Canadians, to leave that yellowed document in Westminner. Who needs a constitution, when we have no political ties with Britain? But petit Pierre wants a monument. she can point out that people have to get accustomed to not having any gravy, what with the dizzy plateaus to which the interest rate is climbing and the dollar is dropping. Just having the potatoes will bew accomplishment enough for many families. Kids who find that their toys quit working after limited use on Christmas morn can be advised that there are a lot of things not working in Canada these days, the most noteable among those being people. There are a few who just need• their batteries recharg- ed, but the majority of those not work- ing are in that predicament by cir-• cumstance and not choice. But enough of the doom and gloom! There's already too much of that, and upon honest reflection, the cir- cumstances surrounding us on Christ- mas 1980 are no more worrisome or onerous than those which people have faced through the ages preceeding. Consider the mode of travel and the aaommodation provided for the cen- tral figures in that first Christmas and compare it to the fact that more Canadians than ever will be boarding a jetliner this year and heading for plush hotels and the life of luxury in the sun- ny south. Consider the fact that many families in this area will waste more food this Christmas than their grandparents had to put on the table during the Depres- sion or that millions of people around the world would consider enough ,to feed them for several days and you get Not a bronze one, or a stone one, but one in the history books, which will show that he, almost single-handedly, established a constitution for Canada, liberally (pardon the expression) sprinkled with things the Liberal Party deems important to its continued ex- istence. Everybody is mad. Me too. Then I head off to make a speech for an old friend. A bit late because of highway construction, I went over the speed limit, just a little. A cop nailed me, gave me the old siren, and when he came up to me, hit me with $28, not for speeding, but for sitting there like a big dummy without my seat-belt fastened. I didn't have enough brains to step out of the car and lie like a trooper that I'd had it fastened. My wife went slightly out of her mind and ordered aluminum storm windows for the whole house. The money we spent will never be recovered by the oil we save. And I have ten huge, wooden storm windows sitting in 'my tool shed, which I'll probably have to pay somebody to cart away. Then she left me, my wife. Not for good, just for two weeks to visit my daughter in Moosonee. Thanks again to the postal service, the column I wrote about her being away appeared three weeks after she'd got back, con- fabulating a lot of people who kept say- ing, "'I hear you're going to Moosonee." Next, an. old veteran of my English staff had another attack of angina and decided to pack it in. This meant an en- tire re-arranging of English classes, about as simple as sticking your finger in a chain saw. My English department has been decimated by the 'flu. Nobody knows who is teaching what, when or why. Then I get the greatest mother of a head-and-chest cold that anybody has suffered since the Middle Ages. Anti- biotics don't touch it, We go on another mission of mercy: to see grandad, who is 88, and a little frail, but full of beans. My wife gets a horrible cold, the kind that makes her ugly as a Gila monster, emotionally, and I get a seized-up knee. a better perspective of where you're at this Christmas. Yes, some family members may not be home this Christmas because of financial circumstances, but consider that many families in the past were un- able to unite because someone was on a battlefield in some distant country. And so it goes.... the many reasons why the -worries of Christmas 1980 should pale when put into proper perspective, We've inflated our needs and in reality very few will suffer if they are forced to tighten their belts. The examples of excess are everywhere, the victims of hardship within our midst are scarce. * One of the victims of the ,over- inflated idea on what life is all about is Christmas itself, The criteria for its success has been misconstrued into one of bounty, when in fact it was born'out of love, simplicity and peace. The only price tag for their realiza- tion and enjoyment is in the genuine giving and, receiving of them. The paradox is that while so many become entwined in the extraneous wrapping of Christmas and life they fail to realize that what they are searching for is so readily handy. It is within yourself! Our wish is that your search of love, simplicity and peace will be successful this Christmas season. I don't know whether or not you know what a seized-up knee is. Imagine your throat seizing up so that you can't speak. Imagine your bowels seizing up so that you can't. Well, that's what my knee was like. It occurs every few years, but this was the worst. I couldn't get into the car. I couldn't climb stairs. I couldn't des- cend them. In bed, I had to put one foot under the bad knee and shift it, so that I could turn over. It ached like a tooth. Oh, I got a lot of sympathy. An old colleague, an old friend, a veteran, said, "I see you're practising up for Remembrance Day pavade." Oh well. The knee is some better. I'm still coughing up stuff that would make you seasick. My wife is actually asking me how I feel, instead of telling me how she feels. The new storm windows are on. The Internal Revenue depart- ment is silent. The English department is functioning, sporadically. Maybe there is a God, and he's in Heaven, and all's right. Maybe. WYNA +CNA slowed to a stop, then turned into a laneway. He thought it was the highway crossing ours! I pulled into the lead; supposedly I could see a little better. Three miles to go. I got out of the car to clean off the windshield wipers. My friend's lights had disap- peared though he was no more than seventy-five feet away. I ran back to his car for a moment, the wind at my back, When I tried to return to my own car it was as if an invisible person was, pushing, at me squeezing the breath out of my lungs. I gasped for breath when I got back into the car. For the last two or three miles, I was forced to open my door in order to see the left shoulder of the road, while my wife kept an eye on the other side. Even in town, visibility was next to zero. The next morning I counted 34 cars in the ditch in a ten mile stretch of road, and even then the tow-trucks had been working since 3:30 a.m, pulling out vehicles. I would imagine that more than one person in this part of the world, including myself, will be a little bit more prepared for old man winter after that experience. is jist the sun reflected in my glasses. Peeple needs peeple. It's the ones what's aloan worry about, and wish I could help. Well, there is somethin I kin do. I kin adopt one of them to be my grandma or grandpa fer $12.00 a munth, You herd about yer Foster Parents Plan fer Faraway Childern? Well, now there's an organy-ization does the same fer old peeple, called Help the Aged, Did you know there's a fella in Kingston Pen adopted two Grans. He ain't got much, but he sends em each $12,00 and regler letters too. He keeps ther potygrafs and rites regler and geta a deep feelin of speerchul satisfaction. I'm gonna do the same fer ,some old person who'd like to be in my shoes only they ain't got any. Science has dun a good job of addin yeers to our lives, but what we need now is to add a little life to our yeers, It looks like were gonna have to help them oldsters, on accounta peeple nowadays seem to have more respeck fer a cheese than a person when it's old. Help the Aged before you become one yerself ! Yer frend, Charlie Farquharson CHRISTMAS By Lori Lynn Wagner Exeter P.S, The kitchen now is full of smells, Of baking Christmas cookie bells The shelf is laden with sprinkles and candy, To make the cookies look just dandy. THE CHRISTMAS TR EE By Derrick Vea le Exeter P.S. The Christmas tree is full of light With stars that are so very bright It smells so strong of new cut pine And I'm so happy because it's mine. Amalgamated 1924 BLUE Ri8 8QN AWARE) 1980 He's gonna get ya SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A. CLASS 'A' and ABC Published by J. W. Eedy Publications Limited LORNE EEDY, PUBLISHER Editor — Bill Batten Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh Advertising Manager — Jim Beckett •vn ComRosition Manager — Hairy DeVries Business Manager — Dick Jongkind Published Each Wednesday Morning Phone 235-1331 at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registrotion Number 0386 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $14.00 Per Year; USA $35.00