‘Twas Christmas morn.

A time to reflect on the Savior’s birth. The shepherds. A manger. The joy set before him. Bright star. Noel.

Not me.

I reflected on other verses—strange verses—given the occasion. During my morning  meditation I read this out of Revelation 14:9-11:

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”

I couldn’t shake it.

Joy to the world. For some. A few.

I’m grieved that  so many who will suffer God’s wrath. It terrifies me that this will happen soon: a few years from now, a hundred years? Longer? Regardless, every death apart from Christ will experience God’s horrendous anger. All who die in their sins will drink of the wine of God’s fury.

This is why I’m passionate about evangelism. This is what I think about and this is what is important to me. Especially on Christmas Day.

Let every heart prepare Him room….

I think about how to reach those who are perishing in new and creative ways, to cause them to think about these eternal issues. Yet I trust in God’s sovereignty, His goodness. Mercy.

This passage in Revelation caused me also to grieve that so few in the church have a passion for the lost when the time is so short.

Only one thing to do, the primary thing:

Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!

Especially after Christmas Day.