Good morning on this first Saturday of December. Since Christmas is three weeks away, many folks are now in the thick of Christmas shopping. The Friday after Thanksgiving marks the official opening of the Christmas shopping season. Merchants flood newspapers with sale ads, the television with advertisements, and snail and email with special offers. The competition is keen among the many stores and companies to capture a large part of the billions of dollars shoppers will spend on gifts during the Christmas season. Christmas decorations adorn many houses throughout our neighborhoods, Christmas trees are lighted in front of windows everywhere, Christmas music is being played on many stereos, and our televisions are hosting a variety of Christmas programs and movies. All of these things make for a festive atmosphere each Christmas. But I am writing to remind all of us that these things are neither the meaning nor message of Christmas - we are celebrating a birthday, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So Christmas is in reality a birthday party, remembering and honoring the greatest birth in human history - God becoming a man through His birth as a babe in Bethlehem. With all of the commercialism associated with Christmas, we as Christians need to keep our ultimate focus on the Christ of Christmas not the Christmas in Christ. Here are some suggestions to make this happen.
(1) Focus your Bible reading on the coming, person, and work of Jesus Christ
(2) Attend church regularly during this Christmas season. The sermons will be focusing upon the Christmas message now and through the end of December.
(3) Be sure to attend one of the three great Christmas services either on Christmas Eve at 4:00 or 6:00 p.m. or Christmas morning at 10:00 a.m.
(4) Invite and bring as many family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors as you can to hear the gospel this Christmas. Remember the very purpose of Christ's coming was to "seek and save the lost." We are never better fulfilling the meaning and message of Christmas than when we are part of the process of bringing people to a personal relationship with Christ.
(5) Give a special gift to Christ. Remember it is His birthday we are celebrating. While we use it as an occasion to give gifts to our loved ones, should we not give a special gift to Him whom we are honoring?
(6) Fill your heart and mind with gratitude and appreciation to God for sending Christ for you, saving you, and all of your many blessings.
These things will help you have a Christ-centered merry Christmas.
Tomorrow's sermon will be Great Expectations - The Incredible Christ.
I hope you won't miss it.
Mel Brown