Bah-Humbug!

I just finished watching “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens for the millionth time. This was the version that Jim Carrey played in but not my favorite. I’ve always enjoyed the Muppet’s version.

I always liked saying, Bah-Humbug! This Carol, has a Spiritual aspect but not like “Casper the friendly ghost” spiritual but like Holy Spirit spiritual beginnings.

It begins at the same place where Scrooge did – with a convicting spirit that comes to us in our self-centered lives to show us that change needs to happen. We all have come from our own Christmas past and we have been reminded by the visiting Spirit of what has gone before. The Ghost of Christmas Past that appeared to old Ebeneezer Scrooge could well be compared to the visitation in your heart of the Holy Spirit.

If you will remember, it is Scrooge’s old partner, Jacob Marley, who comes to him first to warn him that he is going to be visited by the Ghosts of Christmas. Marley has already met his doom. In effect what we can see here is that Scrooge is given something that is still offered to every one of us if we will heed God’s Word and listens to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to us. Change!

What was coming to Scrooge was really going to be good news, but he surely did not recognize it as good news in the beginning. His first reaction was one of refusal to. He was very resistant to the leading of the Ghost of Christmas Past and was finally forced to look into the past to see how far he had fallen.

When the Holy Spirit comes to us, it does so in much the same fashion as the Ghost of Christmas Past came to old Mr. Scrooge. Sometimes, before we can hear the good news of what God has done for us, we first need to hear the bad news. It’s only in hearing the bad news that we can truly hear what the good news has to say, embrace it and then desire to make a change.
In both the Story of Ebeneezer Scrooge and your story, the goal is the same: It’s all about redemption; bringing you back into a right relationship with men and with God while there is time. Once life is over; it’s too late then. The change must happen now, by choice.

As Scrooge is confronted with the man that he truly is, he doesn’t like what he sees. He has had his head stuck in his books; and his mind focused only on making money for so long that he doesn’t see the real world around him. He has become uncaring, cynical and angry at life.

As you go through life do you see those in need around you, or do you choose to ignore them and keep moving on? Do we ignore those who are truly needy; pass them by without even a nod; and go on our merry way without compassion?

What about those that we pass by every day in the malls and the department stores? How many of them are lost in sin? How many are just putting on an outward appearance of having fun but down deep inside they are hurting?

How many are lonely and discouraged but we don’t have time to try to lift them up or tell them about the love of Jesus? Perhaps we need a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Present. Perhaps we need a visitation of the Holy Ghost in our hearts to remind us that we are here not only for ourselves, but to reach out to others in need and to share a little kindness and show them the Love of God.

Man has ever searched for ways to know the future, to see what is ahead; to make changes to avoid the dangers, or take advantage of opportunities that may come. Psychic Hotlines, Fortune Tellers, Palm Readers, and other mediums are sought after continually that we can know the future. Some of the most well-known people in America have sought out the services of fortune tellers and spiritual advisors; and many of those advisors need spiritual guidance themselves.

We don’t need fortunetellers and psychics. We have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. The Bible already tells us what’s coming in this world. Whatever comes in the future, God already has a path of victory laid out for those who will follow Him. All of the Spirits of Christmas that visited Mr. Scrooge came with the same purpose in mind – to give him an opportunity to change.

That’s what the Holy Spirit and the Word of God does for us as well. The Bible contains stories of people who waited just a little too long to make the change. Because of the hardness of their hearts, men were cast into the fiery pits, and remain there today and forever, simply because they waited one day too long to heed the warnings that God sent to them.

I doubt that any of you will see three Spirits this Christmas. There will be no Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present or Christmas Future to shake you and awaken you to face reality. But I have no doubt that you will be visited by the Holy Spirit because He never quits trying to reach us. The Holy Spirit will reveal to you how far you have fallen from God. The Word of God will show you how far you are from being a perfect man. And both the Spirit and the Word will point you to the only path to a second chance for a new life.

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."

It’s not where you’ve been; it’s not where you are; but it’s where you’re going from here that really matters; so why not go into the future with Jesus?

(Tiny Tim: “God Bless us, everyone!”)