Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The Angel said he not only brought them good tidings but tidings of great joy. We read this scripture every Christmas and what joy do we have? At Thanksgiving what are we thankful for? I believe we should be thankful year round for Christmas and what God has done for us.
What is Christmas to you? Is it one time of year that you can feel warm and fussy inside about giving someone something? Is Christmas a time that we have turned into a ritual of doing the same thing, eating, sharing gifts with family and friends that we can’t afford to buy and the gifts we buy the receiver doesn’t need? Do we feel guilty if we don’t buy our children what they want and their wants become bigger each year? Where does it end? Don’t know if there will be an end but, the cost will come to reality soon after New Year’s when the bills come in.
You might be thinking right now, “well, Ronnie must be an old scrooge.” No, I’m not. I have some great memories of Christmas when I was growing up with a loving Mom and Dad. Also have great Christmas memories of Brenda and I with Keith and Kevin when they were growing up. But, can anyone reading this confess that Christmas has always been centered on what God has done for us? Has it always been celebrated in the gift God gave to mankind?
I wonder what Christmas means to a mother who has lost her husband who must take care of three or four children, working every day, never quite getting everything done, never making ends meet? What does Christmas mean to her? I wonder what Christmas means to a family in a foreign land that just heard about Jesus by a missionary? They are barely surviving and know nothing of shopping malls or Christmas trees. What does Christmas mean to them? I wonder what it means to missionaries who have spent their whole lives away from families and friends, who are sacrificing so much to take the gospel message to others who have never heard it? What does Christmas mean to them?
Sometimes I get the feeling that we are like the folks who decided to throw a party to honor a special friend. They sent out invitations, decorated the hall and had the food catered. All the people came together on time but to their surprise, the guest of honor was not there. Finally, they made the embarrassing discovery that no one had ever invited the guest of honor.
I wonder if that happens at Christmas time. Do we go through all the decorating and buying presents and preparing elaborate meals but somehow forgot to invite the guest of honor? Jesus is the reason for the season. It’s God’s gift to mankind. So we should say Glory to God in the highest.
It’s all about John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Have you ask Christ into your life? There is no greater gift, no greater joy in knowing for sure that you will spend eternity with the Lord Jesus and have the forgiveness of sins. Do it today because tomorrow could be too late. Hebrew 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
From Brenda and I, we pray that you and your family have a safe and Christ filled Christmas.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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