'Tis the season

As we head into the holiday season in today's society, it is often easy to forget what the season is about.  It is about the love we share towards each other, not the gifts we receive.  Yet the "black Friday" sales have already begun.  You can get this awesome product for only $299.00 - regularly priced at $599.00.  What a bargain.  What a bargain for you.  Come in, buy, leave happy. 

(Insert fine print here)

WE WILL ONLY HAVE 2 ITEMS PER STORE.

Unlike in past years, we now get that ability to be tempted and disappointed long before the Christmas season even begins.  Because even if we get the items, our joy in material things fades as quickly as our remembrances of yesterday's weather.

EXCEPT:

The season is about the love we share towards each other.  The remembrance of the beginning of the greatest life in history begins now.  The lead up to the birth of our Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ. (Read Luke 2:1-7).  While there were many proclamations of the coming of Christ, Bethlehem gives us the birth of God in man's form.  "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

Jesus lived a life that no one had before or has since.  A life abundant and sinless.  Max Lucado in  He Chose the Nails issues a challenge to each of us to see if we could live a totally sinless life in thought and deed for 24 hours, then backs that challenge down all the way to the next five minutes.  The reality is that we can't live that sinless life.  Romans 3:10 - There is no one righteous, not even one.  Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 

Yet Jesus - God in man form  - did this and took his life to the cross to die for each of our sins - all of them.  Even the ones that we have committed while reading this post. 

Read Matt 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19 for the story of Christ's love being demonstrated for us.  The physical suffering that he endured to save a wretch like me. 

For the story of Jesus' resurrection read Matt 28:1-7, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, & John 20:1-9.

To think it started with a baby in a manger in the barn of an inn. 

While the celebration of Jesus death and resurrection does not typically happen until Easter, the holiday season is the time (as is every other moment in time) but especially at this time, the time to understand what the season is about. 

The one who came to save us was born. 

The greatest gift we can give this holiday season is sharing the love of Jesus with those around us.  Recently I used the phrase facilitating the introduction to Jesus.  Facilitating that introduction means sharing about him.  Sharing the knowledge that Jesus came and was born to save us.  Sharing the gift that He died for us and that He rose again.  For us.

I pray the blessings of our Lord and Savior upon each of you this day.  I pray that you find the strength to tell those around you about the glory of God and his love for them. 

Thank you for each of your prayers over the past week.  Although the situations that pain me have not changed, the circumstance of my perception has.  2 Corinthians 12:10 says "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  Praise God that he would love a man like me.  Thank you Jesus.

Blessings, Blessings, Blessings to each of you.  God loves you and so do I.

Pastor Jim