This past week, I was blessed to return to preach a couple times in beautiful North Carolina. I was fortunate to return to Fayetteville, NC and be a guest on my friend www.SharonHintonSmith.com TV Show that airs on TIME WARNER CABLE. It was my good fortune to reconnect with my buddy, Brad Huss at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Headquarters and have lunch. Brad is the man! It was a double honor to preach chapel at my alma-mater Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC.  The past two SBC Presidents – Dr Johnny Hunt & Dr Frank Page are alums of GWU! What a treat to reconnect with Dr Tracy Jessup and so many friends. It was a JOY to reunite with my college roommate, George Odembo and his family and blessed to see Brenda “The Omelete Lady” who is a selfless saint whom serves in the cafeteria of my college. She was so sweet and came to hear me speak this week at school. God used her in a BIG way to minister to me at college. It was a thrill to reconnect with my college friend, Evangelist Clayton King www.ClaytonKing.com and we had lunch together and he is now the Campus Pastor at Liberty University.

This message below had been brewing (like coffee) in my mind and hot in my heart for sometime and I was able to finally share it last week while in the Tar Heel State at both Gardner-Webb University and Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC at “AN ALL-AMERICAN CHRISTMAS” sponsored by my dear friends, Pastor Earl & Doris Ellsinger of Dunn, North Carolina. Lord willing, we will post a video clip of the sermon online asap. It was a blessing to reunite with www.LindaOliver.net and she brought the house down with her testimony Sunday morning before my message and that evening at the event at Campbell Univ. Pastor book Linda or Sharon today!

In February of this year, I was invited to attend a Lincoln Day Dinner. Our keynote speaker was former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich (R). In addition to him we had a dozen other speakers ranging from local political leaders, candidates for office and a couple clergy.  In a packed ballroom in Waldorf, MD (my hometown) I was enjoying all the speakers as they talked about my favorite U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, our nation and the Republican Party.

As some of you may know it was my ancestor, Joseph William Shelton whom was on duty at Ford’s Theater, Good Friday 1865 and carried President Abraham Lincoln across the street the night he died. Secondly, it was noted in my ancestors obituary that he was not only personal friends with Lincoln but the President even mentioned that he was his favorite body guard at The White House.  My wife, Ruth and I were engaged on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Our son, Andrew Lincoln Shelton born on Inauguration Day 2009, was named in part after Lincoln and driving to the above mentioned Lincoln Day Dinner I actually drove to the event in a Lincoln (my personal car) and by God’s grace had a few Lincoln’s in my wallet 🙂 Even in this economy every Lincoln counts!

It dawned on me after about the fourth speaker scheduled to speak out of twelve that if anyone had anything to contribute to the discourse it may have been me. This is not arrogant just accurate. It was my honor to work 17 years on Capitol Hill (four with the Republican National Committee) and as some talked about state or local political issues, I was blessed to work at a national level for over two decades by my 34th birthday.  Other than the governor not a single speaker had any Congressional experience. It wasn’t that I had to be seen but knew God gave me a message that needed to be heard. It wasn’t that I had to speak or deserved to speak or that I was offended that I didn’t get invited to speak but I have come to the conclusion over and over that sometimes the “obvious isn’t obvious.”

Elvis Presley died August 16, 1977, and I saw him in concert not once but TWICE by my fifth birthday. To this day, I am a HUGE Elvis Presley fan. Evangelist Rick Stanley is a dear friend and he is step-brother to the late King of Rock N Roll and today a POWERFUL evangelist www.RickStanleyMinistries.com I once read that in the late 70’s Elvis showed up at an Elvis impersonator contest and entered himself unbeknownst to judges, contestants and audience. Drum roll please……………are you ready for this……………buckle your seat belt……….are you sitting down? Elvis Presley came in SECOND PLACE! How? The obvious isn’t obvious.

Right or wrong, it is a fact that when a visiting head of state is overseas and if the hotels are full to capacity that paying common customers have been known to be extracted from their room to “make room” for a dignitary.  Ironically, 2,000 years ago when JESUS, the Son of God, King of kings, Lord of Lords, Messiah in the making was born He was birthed in a barn in Bethlehem. Why? Because there was “no room for Him in the inn.” We made room for earthly kings but missed the memo for Heaven’s King! How? The obvious isn’t obvious.

We missed it at Jesus’ birth but Pontius Pilate missed it in his death. Barabbas was a serial offender, repeated criminal and a felon void of faith. He was guilty, wrong and scheduled to die. Pontius could find no fault in Him (Jesus) but because he feared the crowd more than reverance for The Christ, he (Pilate) buckled. He said to the crowd: “You have a custom that one prisoner could be set free.” They were given two options. Release the man who was a convicted felon or release the sinless Savior? The unthinkable became reality. Jesus was crucified while Barabbas skipped free. How? The obvious isn’t always obvious.

The above video says it best. That precious child saw the line to see Santa at the local mall during the Christmas rush but as cute as only a kid could say: “Where is the line to see Jesus?”  Christmas brought God to man and Easter brought man to God. Christmas is the only birthday that I can think of where the day is celebrated but too often the birthday Boy is not invited. We are comfortable with the music and melody but not the Message or Messiah. We like the songs of the Season but not His Story for sinners. We like the “good works” of this holiday but miss out on the Word and Way of the Savior whom alone is Holy. At best, like a buffet we take the child in the crib but don’t treasure the grown Christ full of grace on the cross. We got the rhetoric and religion but not the relationship to the Redeemer.

One will never find CHRISTmas under the tree but ON THE TREE at Mount Calvary (on a cruel cross). Christmas is partly giving gifts but all about being in His Presence. My prayer for you is that you will enounter the crib, embrace the Christ and enjoy His finished work on the cross and be eternally mindful that this is not our home and we are just pilgrims passing through. It was a miracle that God became flesh and dwelt among us. It’s grace He came once. It is because He is God that He is coming again!

I tweaked something Pastor John Hagee said years ago and added some notes to it. “The first time He came in poverty. The next time in great power. The first time He came, He was the rejected cornerstone but the next time He is the ROCK OF AGES. The first time He came, He rode on a humble donkey. The next time He comes He will ride on a Winning White Stallion. The first time He came, He carried a cross, the next time He comes He is carrying the entire government on His shoulders. The first time, He came He stood silently before Pontius Pilate but the next time He comes Pilate in the whole wide world will stand before Him and give an account.”

The word “mas” in Spanish means more and we need more of Christ this CHRISTmas. It is one thing to miss Elvis among impersonators or me among local leaders talking about Lincoln but whatever you do don’t miss the Messiah this Christmas. You say: “Frank, how could I do that?” Trust me. Sadly, the OBVIOUS isn’t OBVIOUS.