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It’s the most beautiful time of the year!
Have you ever wondered what Christmas is all about? Like Charlie brown?
I asked a bunch of people "what Christmas means to you ?". And here are some interesting answers that I handpicked.
“A festival that Christians Celebrate”
“The birth of Universal savior & sharing the arrival of King of Kings”
“Surprise Gift and Santa Claus”
“Christ’s Birthday – He is the reason for this season”
“Helping poor people is Christmas”
“The Man with the plan who came down for me”
“The real meaning of Christmas was masked by a lot of personal and other stuff.”
“God’s presence is doubled during this time”
“I was one way, but when he came down for me it gave me his peace, and I am saved”
“The reason we know what love is”
“He was born and I got resurrected”
“Happiness” “Sharing & Helping”
“Showing others our God’s love”
“My Birthday (My poor brother shares a birthday with Jesus), A unique, heart-warming season which is indescribable by words, it’s my season”.
Let me put that question in front of you, What is Christmas to you?
Hold up while you are at it... I am going to pull a Linus Van pelt on you :P
Let’s Dig into the scripture and see what it says about Christmas or the birth of Jesus per se.
Once upon a time
In the beginning of the world, God created Heavens and Earth. He simply spoke and the world came to be.
During the first week, he created everything and anything, today we see and wonder at its sophisticated beauty.
Time Skip to the Third day,
God said, “Let plants grow from the earth” and plants grew out of the earth, giving their own kind of seeds. Trees grew with their own kind of fruit. They grew and cherished the earth.
As it is till today, the plants and trees are rooted in the land. You cannot pluck them out and expect them to grow --because they couldn’t live without their source.
Moving on to the fifth day, God said “Let the waters be full of living things. Let birds fly above the earth in the open space of the heavens.” and it came to be. The water is suffused with all kinds of sea creatures. Nemo, Dory the whole Gang.
As you noticed the water is the source here. Same old colorless odorless H2O. And the creatures made in it dwell in it. You cannot fish them out of their home and expect them to survive because they couldn’t live without their source.
Then on the sixth day, God spoke among themselves (The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit) and decided to create Humans. To rule over everything he made. And he did.
God created mankind in his own image. As Male and female, he created them.
Adam and Eve came into existence. They had a relationship with GOD, an Innocent and a trusty worthy one, which we find hard to fathom.
At the end of the day, God saw everything he created and it was very good –Muy Bueno.
What does a Sunday school lesson about the creation week have anything to do with Christmas? you may ask.
It actually does.
Allow me to break it to you,
After some unfortunate turns of events (The Fall), the relationship between God and Humanity changed. Or to put it in the words of Ross Geller “We were on a break” (but never broke up).
Years after years, God’s perseverance to reconcile that relationship never ceased. Who do you think he created the Aurora Borealis for? The penguins at the north pole?
After loads of attempts – The commandments, Moses, Tabernacle, All the Victories, through the words of the Prophets he continued his pursuit. For us
While without care we YOLO’d here. “Everyone sinned, and fall short of the Glory of God,” the Bible says.
You think you didn’t or haven’t sinned in your whole life, you need some serious self-realization session and redefinition of sin or new homies to hang with, pal.
Finally, God decided to bring his big gun to the fight.
He had a Plan B. Scratch that,he had Plan C (Christ & Calvary :P)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3: 16 (NKJV)
>> For God So loved the World – He sent Jesus for the whole world.
The whole, 7 continents, 5 oceans, and the one with the glacier that hit the titanic, world. There is no division as Roman, Greek, Hebrew, or Not. White or Brown or Rich or Poor. Your ethnicity can’t stop him from loving you.
Christianity cannot be bounded by a particular religion. It was never meant to be. In fact, following Christ was not just a religion it was THE Relationship.
For that mere purpose,
>> He Gave his Only Begotten Son – On a silent night, the Darling of heaven came to earth. No red carpet, no ceremony. No room for the King. The first Christmas was celebrated in a manger.
>> And Whoever Believes in Him –
When Jesus came down to earth and died on the cross for you and me and your friend Steve, He ended the authority of sin and darkness over our lives and mended the relationship that was ruined in Eden Garden.
In return, we were asked to do one thing – To believe in Him.
That simple.
To believe that you are a new creation without blemish. Not undeserving but righteous In Christ.
Believe all he spoke of you is true. To believe that you are already loved, already chosen, Already forgiven. That you are not alone.
To believe that you are the apple of his eye, His own son and daughter. And share the Good news with the whole wide world.
Not too shabby. Ye?
I always thought I had to earn my way
But I'm learning You don't work that way
~ The God who stays (Matthew West)When we believe that Jesus came and died for us, He’ll become our Joy and peace. We are free, of sin and everything other things that have been binding us down.
God is not asking you for flashy stuff. No medals.Not even a blue tick nor to donate a Million bucks to charity (Though that is not a bad thing to do).
He never wanted you to be in a certain way. All he wants from you is you. The real, messed up broken you.
In case you’ve been told God hates you if you don’t pray three times a day or don’t read the bible regularly, you are mistaken. Those two disciplines are supposed to strengthen your relationship with Him, not the other way around.
It’s hard to focus on God with all the chaos around I can relate. Despite that, if you keep showing up, it’s all that matters.
One might argue, It is difficult for me to be what God called me to be. I am weak. Well, Gideon already tried that and God called him a mighty warrior.
If you think you don’t worth it – Rahab was a prostitute and she become great great great (How many greats do we use to denote 30+ generations ?) grandmother.
You say you are too old, Abraham was 100 years when Isaac was born.
Perhaps you feel like you are too young? A Young lad’s willing heart was the main reason behind the miracle of 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
So what’s your excuse?
Trust me God can work through you. He made up his mind about you a long time ago.
Jesus was born to be the epitome of Hope.
Hope that showed I still have someone who loves me enough to die for me.That I am not alone, and that I have someone who fights for me.
Someone who stays by my side when everyone else turned their back on me.
A Hope that he is and will be my north when I am lost. He is my strength when I feel like quitting. and, he will be my sponsor during recovery.
A Hope that He is my prince of peace👑
It's remarkable
To think that a baby boy born in a stable
No prestige, No privilege, No social media or social status, Political campaigns, or private airplanes.
And yet, he turned B.C. into A.D.
He flipped the world on its head. He's the most famous name around the globe. Inspired by the most-read book ever written.
He reconnected us to Heaven and, in turn, brought Heaven down to Earth.
And now he offers us redemption.
A fresh start, – freedom.
So that we can hold our heads high and march through this life knowing that we are never alone.
That every woman and man, boy and girl
To all of us who feel like we have nothing left, nothing to bring.
That we can know that God is smiling at us. That he's loving us, that we are enough.
So light up that Christmas tree. Stand under the mistletoe.
Surround yourself with the ones that you love the most.
And together, let's celebrate.
The greatest news this world has ever known
~ (Christmas monologue – For King & Country)
To answer the ultimate questions,
God sent his own son to showcase his care and love.
He stayed with us as Immanuel (Which means God with us) and made us His (righteous and owned) because he knows for Damn sure, He is our source and we cannot live without Him ;P
This is the one time of the year, we all expect and accept presents with a merry heart.
The amazing thing is, the birthday baby doesn't receive any but he became one, for you and me.
And that My friend is what Christmas is all about!
Feliz Navidad!
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