Mentoring Minutes

(Matthew 1:21-23)

In CHRISTmas Memories we recognized both the ups and downs that CHRISTmas can bring.  In CHRISTmas Players we shared a unique perspective from the “least” of the CHRISTmas players, the Bethlehem shepherds, and the role they played as well as lessons we can learn from them. 

In this post, I want to turn our focus directly to the choice that Jesus made which makes CHRISTmas a reality and in doing so gave us the model for our lives and relationships…that of humility and sacrificial love.

Before we unpack The CHRISTmas Blessing I thought it would be worthwhile to point out some things that you may or may not have previously contemplated with regard to the gifts of the Magi (Wise Men) and Herod’s killing of the boys under two years old in Bethlehem found in Matthew 2… 

At about one to two years of age Jesus is visited by Magi or Wise Men (we assume there were three because three gifts are mentioned but The Bible does not indicate how many).  They are overwhelmed and worship Him, presenting Him with the familiar gifts that some scholars say signify His roles as King (Gold), Priest (Frankincense) and The Sacrificial Lamb (Myrrh)…certainly something to think about.  This is beautifully portrayed in the movie, The Nativity, albeit the Wise Men arrive while he’s still an infant in the cave, which is highly unlikely.

What God does next is incredible in protecting His Word that is now become flesh…The Magi are warned in a dream not to return to Jerusalem and Herod (God’s providential protection of this Baby)…Joseph is warned in a dream to go to Egypt and then to return with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth after Herod’s death.  Isn’t it amazing how God orchestrates things clearly and plainly and/or totally behind the scenes to fulfill His prophecies?  God has always protected His Word just as He did His Word in the Flesh!

The reality of CHRISTmas is this…nothing else matters if this didn’t happen!  John 1:1…In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14…The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

The Rest of the CHRISTmas Story

This is what I call the “The Rest of the CHRISTmas story” in Scripture…Immanuel – God With Us found in John 1 and Philippians 2:3-8.  Follow along with me…

⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

What does CHRISTmas…for God to take on human flesh in Christ really mean?  What is the lesson for us as His followers?  Philippians 2:3-8 describes Jesus love and humility and calls us to have the same attitude which parallels the life that He calls us to as His disciples in Luke 14:25-35.

Casting Crowns in their CHRISTmas song, God is With Us, say it this way, “You’re the Savior we’ve been praying for, In our humble hearts You will dwell, You are in us, You are for us, You are with us… Immanuel.”

Immanuel – God. With. Us. From the humble stable in Bethlehem to the humble hearts of mankind!  Each heart must have a Bethlehem experience and find room for Him. Have you received Him into your heart and life?

We must remember the beautiful story of CHRISTmas with all the incredible characters, events and scenes.  However, we must be careful to remember the real purpose of that first CHRISTmas, the Blessing we were given and what it calls us to.

The Beauty of CHRISTmas in a Culture of Self

December Nativity scenes are still quite common (that’s a good thing) even in an age where they have become political fodder in public schools and government facilities.  In the “commonness” we can easily forget how sharply these scenes call to our attention the self-absorbed culture we live in.

First of all, there’s the pure, common teenage virgin, leaning over the manger, who responded with a humble “yes” when divinely charged with bringing about the pivotal point in all of history!  She said, “I am The Lord’s servant, may it be unto me as you have said” (Luke 1:38), knowing full well that the burden of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy would continue far beyond nine months for her entire life.  Her faithful obedience allowed your burdens and mine to be lifted for eternity.

Then there’s the man who stood quietly beside her, remembered by all of history as good and noble because he put this young woman’s welfare, and the Precious Child she bore, above his own reputation.  He raised God’s son, not his own flesh and blood, and he did so without hesitancy or complaint.

Of course, there’s the central figure…God as a Baby…Jesus Himself.  As pointed out in “the rest of the CHRISTmas story” from Philippians 2 above, he emptied Himself of His Divine Glory, took on the form of a lowly human servant and, in doing so, bore all our sin, debt and brokenness on the Cross.  Check out Self-Giving in The Nativity for more and note the “beauty” in all that God does in contrast with our culture, to which I would add question displayed by Mary and Joseph…Which is more beautiful and fulfilling, the sacrifice, purity, engagement and marriage that honors God’s love for us or our culture’s alternatives to relationships and sexuality?”

You see, without Immanuel nothing else matters.  If He’s not Immanuel, then Lord, Shepherd, Friend, Brother, Savior…nothing else matters.  God With Us…He not only came to us, He became us, to save us and offer us Eternity with Him! 

Without CHRISTmas there is no Easter – no chance of salvation if Christ doesn’t put on flesh, doesn’t become human and give up His life as the perfect sacrifice and atonement for us.

Oh, He is forever King of kings and Lords of lords…but He could never have been our Savior/Lord had he not become a baby…become us…Immanuel!

That’s CHRISTmas…The womb of a virgin, the manger, the swaddling cloths, the hay, manure, cows, sheep and maybe even a dog or two…That’s God wrapped in our injured, dying, decaying flesh!  Don’t miss this!  Everything else you hear this season…Savior, Lord, Shepherd… everything – could only happen because He became IMMANUEL – GOD WITH US…He came as us!!!

Enjoy all of it because He not only came to us…he became us!  We have every reason, even in the struggles, stresses and trials to rejoice because of CHRISTmas!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Have you considered that God becoming flesh in the Christ Child at CHRISTmas had to happen or there would have been no sufficient sacrifice for us on Good Friday? How does the “Other” CHRISTmas story in this article affect your perspective of CHRISTmas? 

Love and Lordship…Action Item –

1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
2. How does the Truth of an empty manger, an empty cross and an empty tomb impact you? 
3. In your prayer time ask The Holy Spirit to draw you closer to Him as He reveals to you the significance of what Christ did for you at CHRISTmas.
4. Find at least one way to share CHRIST this CHRISTmas.
5. Highly recommend you take time to watch these with family and loved ones…The Chosen’s The Shepherd and  Christmas With The Chosen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOTkTBxTxEA).

Before this week’s Top 10, I want to share one song that is my all-time favorite.  It’s included in this post because it so fully encompasses all that God shared with us in Immanuel at CHRISTmas.  Listen to Welcome to our World.

This week’s Top CHRISTmas list… here’s my Top 10 Players in the story of CHRISTmas and what we may learn from them…

10 & 9) Anna (Luke 2:36-38) and Simeon (Luke 2:25-35) – both patient servants of God who waited on Him and their faithfulness provide a powerful testimony to who Christ was and is to Mary and Joseph and to us today! How may God use you as you choose patient waiting on and faithfulness to Him?

8 & 7) Zechariah/Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-25; 39-45; 67-79) – Jesus aunt and uncle, parents to John The Baptist. What role might God have for you?

6) John the Baptist (Luke 1:11-17; 57-66) – Jesus cousin and forerunner announcing Christ as the Chosen One of God…born just months before Jesus Himself. How are you helping others to know Jesus?

5) Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20) – the lowliest, most humble of human beings were the ones visited first by God and the very first to enter into His Presence (after Mary and Joseph) – See CHRISTmas Players for more. The last shall be first…where are you?

4) Joseph (Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 2:1-7) – The humble, virtuous man chosen by God to be Jesus’ earthly father. How difficult and yet what an incredible honorable task to the one who was willing to bear it…what about you and me?

3) Mary (Luke 1:26-56) – The Blessed Mother of Jesus, our Savior and Lord, who by faith was willing to trust in God no matter how difficult His assignment for her would be or become (v. 37-38). Are you walking in faith to trust God for the impossible…have your way in me, no matter what?

2) Jesus – (Matthew 1:21-23; Luke 2:16-20; 29-32) – The Savior of the world, Immanuel – God With Us…in the flesh! Need we say more? Absolutely and that’s what Love & Lordship is all about so we’ll keep doing it every day! I pray you know Him and will do the same!

1) You and Me – (John 3:16; Philippians 2:3-8) Stay with me here…of course Jesus is by far the most important player of CHRISTmas! Without Him there would be no CHRISTmas, salvation or eternity. But think about it…He placed us above Himself (just following His lead) by leaving all of heaven to come to earth at CHRISTmas to save you and me from our sin, death and hell. Each one of us was on His mind. Let’s humble ourselves and do the same…place others above self! This is CHRISTmas!  Make it a great CHRISTmas season with family and loved ones in and for The Lord (Matthew 1:21-23)!

(Luke 2:1-20)

Let me take you back to that first CHRISTmas and just briefly recount the well-known narratives and names.  Then I want to spend the better part of this article on a part of the story that you may have never heard and what we can learn from the lowliest of players in the CHRISTmas story… 

Matthew 1:18-23 – Mary and Joseph engaged; Mary gets pregnant; Joseph chooses to privately divorce Mary which was an honorable thing as he could have had her stoned or exiled from the country and family; the prophecy of a virgin birth is fulfilled and the name of God’s Son through the angel to Mary and Joseph is revealed.

Luke 2:1-20 – the famous CHRISTmas narrative of Caesar Augustus’ census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem and a stable where Jesus would be born in a manger and wrapped in swaddling (poor man’s cloths – many think it was the cloths used to wrap the baby lambs…think about that!?!) likely in a cave or barn that was a stable for animals to fulfill a several hundred year old prophecy; angels and shepherds which bring me to the story I want to focus on as alluded to earlier.

The Real Shepherds of Bethlehem

The shepherds keeping watch over the flocks near Bethlehem would have been quite out of the ordinary.  Because of the stench the sheep were normally kept miles from towns and villages.  There was one great exception to this and it just so happened to be Bethlehem at this specific time of the year!  Imagine that…and even more so think about how God brought all of this together?

The shepherds that “resided” in Bethlehem, along with the very large flock, was specifically culled out for one purpose only.  These were set apart as “perfect” one-year old lambs, belonging to and declared so, by the High Priests to be sacrificed in the Temple!  This was the High Priest’s flock and shepherds!  These were the Passover lambs!

This was likely the largest herd of sheep and required a great number of shepherds to tend them…right there in Bethlehem.  You think God may have been orchestrating something all along?

Two other key components regarding Bethlehem and the shepherds…First, Bethlehem was beautifully situated high on a hill and you could see in all directions.

Second, the shepherds were monitored by the temple priests, seeing as how these sheep belonged to the High Priest and were for Passover.  Typically any shepherd (or anyone else) who defiled himself by mingling with the sheep was considered filthy and unclean and therefore unable to enter into the Temple. 

The priests would “watch over” the shepherds “below” from the MIGDAL EDER or “Tower of the Flock.”  In this way they remained ritually clean and certainly “high above” the filthy shepherds so they could enter the Temple. The shepherds who mingled with the sheep remained filthy and were considered unclean and could not enter the Temple or “God’s presence.” 

Hmm…wonder who God might select to be the first to actually enter into His presence and kneel before the newborn Baby King…God in the flesh?  The ritually “always”-clean priests or perpetually filthy shepherds?  We know the answer.

And God’s answer and plan would have been truly shocking, but as one song says,

“To think of how it could have been
If Jesus had come as He deserved
There would have been no Bethlehem
No lowly shepherds at His birth

But Joseph knew the
Reason love had to reach so far…” 

(From Strange Way to Save the World, 4Him)

The Gospel According to the Shepherds

So often in the CHRISTmas story, we focus on the main characters: Mary, Joseph, and of course, Jesus.  But through the short account in Luke 2:8–20, there are four things we can learn from the shepherds that should make the top of our to-do list this and every CHRISTmas, and for that matter, every day of our lives!!!

1) Belief…The angels announced in spectacular fashion that the Messiah was born. As soon as the angels left, the shepherds looked at each other and said: “What are we waiting for? Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened.”

No debate. No procrastination. They don’t decide to sleep on it. They don’t go to the local library (or Temple as they wouldn’t have been given access anyway) to research or ask questions. They just believed. That’s faith. Scripture says without faith it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). The angel said, “Peace on earth among people with whom he is pleased.” Who is that? It’s those who respond to God’s gift through faith. Scripture also says, “For by grace you are saved, through faith, not of works for it is a Gift of God….” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Faith means you say yes to all that God did through Christ. Yes, he is the Savior of the world. Yes, he came to die for my sins. Yes, through him I find forgiveness and new life. Yes, I want Christ as my Lord. If you’re not sure, what are you waiting for?

Faith isn’t a spectator sport; it’s actively embracing all that God has promised and given us in Christ.  Which is the second thing the Shepherds teach us…

2) Obedience…The shepherds didn’t just talk about it…they did exactly as they were told. “Go and see…” We often think of CHRISTmas as a tame holiday…“the sweet baby Jesus asleep on the hay.” Everyone loves that because it’s so innocuous and safe. CHRISTmas isn’t safe! Maybe we would react as they did if angels appeared to us…BUT, wait a minute…WE HAVE HIS WORD!  Are we responding in faith…not just showing up at Church but also living it out daily?

That Baby was/and still is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and the angels and His Word tell us the same thing!!! He came to usher in a kingdom that rivals the worldly kingdom – against culture, against the flesh, against self. That’s threatening. He bids those who would follow him to take up their cross daily—to lay aside our own right and deception to rule ourselves and surrender to His rule.

Just as with the shepherds, we can only know/see the Lord through Obedience (FAITH in action – the only real Faith!)…THINK ABOUT THIS – from the time they heard from the angel(s), walking from the fields of Bethlehem, the City of David (City of the King), every step of the way they took in faith based only on what the angel had said.  Not until they completed their journey and arrived at the lowly stable, and entered into the filth and stench did their faith become sight. Unless they had walked in Faith they would have never seen the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in the manger.  The same is true of us…and our walk of Faith.  Unless we continue in it we will not see the King.  That’s what the shepherds taught us by walking out their belief in Faith until they SAW Him!

The world loves to celebrate ‘CHRISTmas’, but they hate to obey him as Lord of their lives. Everyone wants to keep Christ in the manger. But the manger is meaningless apart from the Cross and the Tomb…and His Lordship in our lives!

Ben Franklin stated over 200 years ago…“How many observe Christ’s birthday! How few, His precepts! O! ‘tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.”

CHRISTmas is a time for Faith … for obedience! The two can’t be separated.

The third thing the shepherds teach us is that with real faith they…

3) Told others…When the shepherds arrived in Bethlehem and saw the child lying in the feed trough, “they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” They weren’t preachers; or missionaries…that didn’t matter. They had heard and seen something that meant salvation for the whole world.

CHRISTmas trees, eggnog, and exchanging of gifts are fine (Check out CHRISTmas Memories from last week)! If we enjoy all the trappings but don’t know and share Jesus—if we fail to speak (words and actions) of the real meaning as the Shepherds did; if we neglect to tell others that this Child is Savior and Lord, sent by God to die on the Cross to purchase our deliverance from sin, death, and satan with His royal, divine, human blood; if we neglect to share CHRIST, we miss CHRISTmas.

The angel said that this is “good news of great joy, which shall be for all the people.” If we truly believe it we must share this Good News…this joy.

Finally, the ‘Bethlehem, Passover shepherds’ taught us to…

4) Experience the Holy Wonder…The shepherds were overwhelmed at the angel’s announcement. They experienced holy wonder.

How can we engage in holy wonder? Maybe that means you stop in the middle of your shopping, sit down, and read the CHRISTmas story. Maybe you gather your children around a Nativity scene each night and focus on a particular player or event and the role he/she plays in the CHRISTmas story. Maybe you wake up early one morning and find a place to watch the sunrise as you meditate on Luke 1:76–79…

⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, ⁷⁷ to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

The work of holy wonder is treasuring and pondering that God invaded Earth on a dangerous rescue mission. Let’s do the same…let’s engage in holy wonder.

The shepherds departed, rejoicing in all they’d seen as “everything was exactly as they had been told” (Luke 2:20). The same Truth the angels gave the shepherds is in God’s Word for us to experience Holy Wonder and share it with others!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Isn’t it interesting that Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and all involved faced a decision when they heard about God’s plan for CHRISTmas and then a response as it became a reality.  What about you?  What has been your response to Christ in your heart and life?

Love and Lordship…Action Item –

1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
2. How does the story of the Real Shepherds of Bethlehem impact your understanding of CHRISTmas?
3. What part of the Gospel or CHRISTmas Story according to the shepherds describes where you are with Christ?
4. If you know Christ as Savior and Lord, share Him! If not, find someone to help you fully experience the Greatest Gift Ever Given! Contact us at L&L.
5. Highly recommend that you take the time to watch this with your family and loved ones…Christmas With The Chosen – https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen/livestream?id=93

This week’s Top CHRISTmas list…this week we look at the Top 5 Stressors and how to find peace according to The Prince of Peace and His Word…

5) Calendars – Schedules and Busyness – We all know what it means to “spread our self too thin.”  Stop!  Do what you can and let go of the rest…you’ll be much more at peace – Matthew 6:34 says, “don’t worry about tomorrow.” Great advice, so don’t pile on by adding too much to your calendar.

4) Checkbooks and Credit Cards – The Budget – Here’s another problem similar to our calendar woes…not only don’t do too much but don’t spend too much. Proverbs 22:7 states, “the borrower (credit cards) is a slave to the lender.” Set your budget and stick with it…you’ll be much happier and at peace in the end.

3) History – Ghosts of CHRISTmas past – many struggle with memories of family brokenness, bad relationships, loss of loved ones, etc., which dampens the CHRISTmas spirit. How clever of the enemy to use the very thing CHRISTmas was to bring…Hope, Joy, Peace and Love…and turn them on their head! Remember the message to the shepherds and apply it to your situation – Luke 2:8-14.  Choose Christ and don’t let others dictate your peace and joy!

2) Family – in-laws and outlaws, marriage, children and making it all work. How do you look at those in your family, blood relatives and in-laws, regardless of how they act? You can choose to honor, respect and love them even if they don’t deserve it…just like Christ did for us when He came at CHRISTmas. As a matter of fact, He came out of Love, because we needed a Savior, even though we didn’t deserve it – Isaiah 9:6; John 3:16!

1) Image – Do we have as much or look as good as everyone else? This may be at the core of many, if not all, of the above so if we can solve this one we might solve them all.  Contentment is the key to laying down pride, ego and “keeping up with the Joneses” especially at CHRISTmas. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 gives great wisdom as to what’s really important and the peace and contentment that come with knowing Christ.

Make it a great CHRISTmas season with family and loved ones in and for The Lord (Matthew 1:21-23)!

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned… For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.     Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

Before we start this article and CHRISTmas series I want to let you know to look for a Top CHRISTmas list at the end of each article leading up to CHRISTmas!

As I prepare this article I’m listening to Classical CHRISTmas music and I’m reminded each evening when I come home that Ami, my wife, nearly always has the CHRISTmas lights on. She usually asks me if I like it that they’re on when I arrive home to which I always heartily answer, “Absolutely!” Because I really do!

Don’t know about you but I have great CHRISTmas memories…Early on it’s always been about the lights, decorations and trees (which were always live as I didn’t know they had fake trees when I was growing up).  Even if we’d known about fake trees, we likely couldn’t afford them, which probably helped fuel my “obsession” with real trees to this day…that and the awesome smell…even though it’s getting harder to afford those!?!

Most importantly, my greatest memories every year always draw me back to the Nativity, the angels, the shepherds, the manger and the Biblical account of CHRIST’s Advent, His coming to earth in the form of a helpless Baby ultimately to save us!  More on that throughout this series!

Memory #1 – CHRISTmas? A Bundle of Switches and a Lump of Coal

Many memories of CHRISTmas flood my mind and fill my heart but there are 2 specific CHRISTmas memories that push to the forefront of my thoughts as I begin this series.  The first is one that hopefully few but likely many can relate to…I was 7 years old, my brother, 5, and sister, 3.  We came running, and I was jumping, down 10 steps at a time not even worried I might go right through the front door. I remember we’d not been, let’s just say, particularly good that year and sure enough, as promised, Santa had us on the “Naughty List.” He left us each a bundle of switches under the tree and a lump of coal in our stockings hung on the fireplace mantle. 

What?!?  Was it really true that Santa Claus would leave these “gifts” to children that were disobedient and maybe even a little defiant?  Yes He would. 

After my parents made us go to our rooms to think about it and making sure that our tears and remorse were real, they called us back downstairs.  Much more slowly than our earlier pace, we sadly sauntered down to offer heartfelt apologies.  To our childish delight, presents had magically appeared and our stockings were full!  I remember getting a Big Wheel that year – what better gift is there for a 7-year old boy!?!  My brother and I wore out the heavy duty plastic wheels before the next summer was over!  How could I ever forget that CHRISTmas or the related lessons?

Year after year, no matter how difficult, CHRISTmas was always special and I have nothing but wonderful memories of the season. Sadly, I know that’s not true for everyone and maybe that’s why my wife and kids think I go just a little overboard each year but I love everything about it!  

I like to be first on my street, if not neighborhood, with lights and tree up! Sad, but can’t help it.  Even more sadly I must admit in full disclosure…a couple years ago I lost to a blow up Santa and Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer display! I love it! 

Memory #2 – Our First Family CHRISTmas…spent in a Hospital

The second vivid recollection was the year our first child was born.  He was born on December 21 and the plan was to be home by CHRISTmas Eve and celebrate our first CHRISTmas as a family.  I had decorated the house prior to heading to the hospital.  The team I was coaching at the time had given us a white rocking chair for the occasion and I had come home on the last day of practice before CHRISTmas break and fallen asleep on my wife’s pregnant lap. 

A couple of hours later she awakened me and said, “It’s time!”  I helped her into the already packed car and we headed to the hospital.  From the moment we arrived we should have known it was going to be memorable.  It was all worth it as I held our son while my wife slept soundly for the first time in weeks.

The doctor came in the next morning and said they would need to place our son “under the lights” in order to help him overcome the jaundice (infection) that he had.  He was placed in isolation on December 23 and was there for 3 full days. 

There went our “perfect” CHRISTmas plans in our new home with our first child.  We ended up staying on the top floor of the hospital, which had been converted into a “hotel” type setting for just such occasions to accommodate the family of patients that needed to stay under hospital care. 

To exacerbate the situation, except for a limited holiday staff, we were the only ones on the entire floor! 

As CHRISTmas Eve rolled around, my wife (neither of us had been able to hold our newborn since the first few hours after his birth) became understandably dejected and tearfully expressed, “This is not how I envisioned our first CHRISTmas as a family to be.” 

I truly believe The Holy Spirit gave me my next idea.  I went to the greatly reduced holiday staff on the floor and asked if I could gather any/all CHRISTmas decorations on the floor (except for those at their workstation) and put them in our room?  They gladly consented and I grabbed a couple fake trees (maybe the only time ever?!?), garland and lights and every other CHRISTmas décor that I could find and brought them into our room.  It was beautiful and right on queue, as we looked out our window, God blessed us with a snowfall that glistened through all the lights as we looked out over the city from our seventh floor room. 

I called our families and they sacrificially but excitedly agreed to bring all the gifts, food and trimmings the next day…CHRISTmas Day…to celebrate with us in the little hospital/”hotel” room!  It was magical, except that we couldn’t hold our son…

Until 2 days later when he was released in good health and we took him home!  The evening of December 27, I sat rocking my son in our brand new white rocking chair right next to the CHRISTmas tree as his eyes locked in, literally, for minutes at a time on the twinkling lights on that tree!  Tears ran down my face as I thanked God for CHRISTmas and His greatest gift as I sat rocking a very similar gift in my arms. 

For these memories (the good and the bad) and all the others, I choose to see everything…time with our families, the lights, trees, decorations, food, stories (even Santa and all related stories – St. Nicholas – real life ‘St. Nick’), my CHRISTmas ties, the music (love it) and every memory in light of The Spirit of CHRISTmas and the real reason for it…CHRIST…God With Us.  I encourage you to consider doing the same thing, no matter what past experiences or memories hold.

The Greatest CHRISTmas Memory and Gift

How do you choose to see CHRISTmas and how does it affect you and your family?

The Greatest Memory and Gift of course is that CHRISTmas is CHRIST!  That’s what we’re going to unpack in some unique ways over the next two weeks leading up to that most wonderful of Holidays in which we received the Greatest Gift of all – Jesus – God as a Baby in a manger…God in the flesh!  After all, that’s what it’s really all about – God dwelling with us, making a way through His Son (Immanuel – God With Us) and His Spirit (abiding in us) – this is CHRISTmas and if we choose we will see it all around us throughout the season and beyond, even in the tough times.

This CHRISTmas is one of the most difficult and even while I’m sad it only heightens the meaning and Joy of CHRISTmas.  In the last four months two dear and precious family members passed away – one was my 80 year old Mom and grandmother to my children and nephew. Her final days were full of Joy because she knew Christ had made a way for her and she had fully accepted this Babe in a Manger as her Savior and Lord. I know where she is and I will see her again some day because Jesus came!  The other was my wife, Ami’s, stepfather who passed away very peaceably at the age of 89 after two to three years of gradual decline. We are assured both at this season and all year long because the prophecy and promise that came true on that First CHRISTmas… Matthew 1:21-23

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – What are your favorite CHRISTmas memories?  Which memories are not so pleasant?  How have you chosen to view the memories and how has that affected you, your faith and your family? 

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s) –

1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
2. Journal how your CHRISTmas past has impacted your CHRISTmas present.
3. What will you choose to do with the memories or feelings that bring you down?
4. List some things you can do to experience the Love, Joy and Peace of Christ this CHRISTmas for you and your family. Follow through even when it’s not easy.

All-time Top 6 CHRISTmas movies…let us know your favorites/what we left out?

1. The Nativity (2006) – brings the True story to life!
2. A Christmas Carol – starring Alastair Sims (1951) – how Christ changes lives!
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas (animated, 1965) – The True story read on TV!
4. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – the difference one life can make!
5. Miracle on 34^th Street (both versions, 1947/1994) – the need for Faith!
6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (animated, 1966, 2018) – really about loving each other!

Bonus: I highly recommend you take 24 minutes to watch The Chosen’s “The Shepherd – The story of the First Christmas.” See it here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paOjgZZDads&t=13s. You will be blessed!

Make it a great CHRISTmas season with family and loved ones in and for The Lord and God bless in Christ (Isaiah 9:6)!