Keeping Christmas
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
A whisper of wings … and other things
If we take the time to ponder the events of one night more than 2,000 years ago, we often find elements of the extraordinary, the inexplicable, and the most astonishing surrounding the announcement of a baby’s birth.
It would seem the supernatural world came down and danced with us mere mortals.
The true wonder is that the same miraculous things happen today. No, not angelic beings or spiritual anomalies that sometimes capture our attention.
Our Savior’s birth was just the beginning of the eternal love story between the Creator and His creations.
Oh that we would slow down long enough this Christmas season to truly comprehend the true gifts Jesus wants each of us to receive … to supernaturally love, forgive, sacrifice, and believe so that we may grow in our faith. And then, to look to the heavens in wonder and awe of the most perfect love story ever created.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them … “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!” Luke 2:9-10, NLT
Shepherds and wise men
One group followed a star and the other followed the angelic announcement. Yet, both were being obedient to the Heavenly realms.
Shepherds were on the bottom rung of Jewish society. They were both physically and ritually dirty, which kept them isolated – outcasts. They certainly had no gifts for this new born king. The wise men, on the other hand, were depicted as educated, respected and wealthy, bringing lavish gifts.
The disparity between a wise man and a shepherd is more than just life style or ethnicity. The differences actually show the vast expanse of God’s invitation – it truly is for all.
Regardless of their diversity, they followed the call – from a far off place and from around the corner.
The truth is the most amazing journeys all begin with just one step. A more wondrous truth is that when we seek Him, God is faithful in leading us to find Him.
No room
Most are familiar with the Nativity story. Jesus was born in a stable among farm animals because there was no warm room for Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem that night.
The reality is that many find Jesus but some don’t have room in their hectic schedules to accept the gifts He wants to give us. A deeper truth may be that we have no room in our hearts.
In order to experience a personal relationship with God, we not only need to invite Him into our lives, but we also need to make room in our hearts.
Keeping Christmas in our hearts all year long is as unadorned as a manger filled with hay, as natural as a mother giving birth, and as down-to-earth as shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. It’s unpretentious and clear-cut. These are the ordinary things God used on one extraordinary night to bring forth the Hope of the world.
Our desire shouldn’t be to put Christ back into Christmas, but instead put Him back into our hearts. Imagine the remarkable lives we would live if we remembered.
If we take the time to ponder the events of one night more than 2,000 years ago, we often find elements of the extraordinary, the inexplicable, and the most astonishing surrounding the announcement of a baby’s birth.
It would seem the supernatural world came down and danced with us mere mortals.
The true wonder is that the same miraculous things happen today. No, not angelic beings or spiritual anomalies that sometimes capture our attention.
Our Savior’s birth was just the beginning of the eternal love story between the Creator and His creations.
Oh that we would slow down long enough this Christmas season to truly comprehend the true gifts Jesus wants each of us to receive … to supernaturally love, forgive, sacrifice, and believe so that we may grow in our faith. And then, to look to the heavens in wonder and awe of the most perfect love story ever created.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them … “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!” Luke 2:9-10, NLT
Shepherds and wise men
One group followed a star and the other followed the angelic announcement. Yet, both were being obedient to the Heavenly realms.
Shepherds were on the bottom rung of Jewish society. They were both physically and ritually dirty, which kept them isolated – outcasts. They certainly had no gifts for this new born king. The wise men, on the other hand, were depicted as educated, respected and wealthy, bringing lavish gifts.
The disparity between a wise man and a shepherd is more than just life style or ethnicity. The differences actually show the vast expanse of God’s invitation – it truly is for all.
Regardless of their diversity, they followed the call – from a far off place and from around the corner.
The truth is the most amazing journeys all begin with just one step. A more wondrous truth is that when we seek Him, God is faithful in leading us to find Him.
No room
Most are familiar with the Nativity story. Jesus was born in a stable among farm animals because there was no warm room for Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem that night.
The reality is that many find Jesus but some don’t have room in their hectic schedules to accept the gifts He wants to give us. A deeper truth may be that we have no room in our hearts.
In order to experience a personal relationship with God, we not only need to invite Him into our lives, but we also need to make room in our hearts.
Keeping Christmas in our hearts all year long is as unadorned as a manger filled with hay, as natural as a mother giving birth, and as down-to-earth as shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. It’s unpretentious and clear-cut. These are the ordinary things God used on one extraordinary night to bring forth the Hope of the world.
Our desire shouldn’t be to put Christ back into Christmas, but instead put Him back into our hearts. Imagine the remarkable lives we would live if we remembered.
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:13-14
Christmas Blessings, Francine
SPECIAL NOTE: I pray that each commentary I write here will bless you, but please understand that some are built on previous entries. I use a Biblical basis from which my thoughts are developed. It’s important that you understand my words aren’t the end of the story, so to speak. I would encourage you to check out the archives if you have questions concerning what I’ve written. Also, I’ve included links to several web sites that can provide much more detailed guidance than I’m able to do here. Check out “Running Empty” or “Power to Change” (see list of links to the right). For more in-depth study, you can visit “Now Try God” at http://www.nowtrygod.com or “New Christian Life” at http://newchristian.com as additional resources. The bottom line – don’t accept what I say as gospel. That’s what the Bible is for. An excellent on-line resource is BibleGateway.com at http://www.biblegateway.com.
Another good site is Crossmap, at http://crossmap.com and not just because my inspirational messages can now be found there. This organization, which has been running since 2000, serves the Christian community as a web portal. There are great columns by talented nationally known writers and pastors, a wide variety of other Christian sites, news, and commentaries.
As always, I welcome your comments or you can contact me at tenderheartaz@yahoo.com
Another good site is Crossmap, at http://crossmap.com and not just because my inspirational messages can now be found there. This organization, which has been running since 2000, serves the Christian community as a web portal. There are great columns by talented nationally known writers and pastors, a wide variety of other Christian sites, news, and commentaries.
As always, I welcome your comments or you can contact me at tenderheartaz@yahoo.com