SIMPLY JESUS! Is there
ANYTHING simple any more in these days we are living in? Most everyone on the face of the earth has
probably voiced this question; and if not, at least thought it countless
times! Especially in the thick of
frustration and stress. Like when your
long list just grows instead of getting shorter!! And when whatever you are doing, just does
not go right – or takes longer than you thought – or you have to go get a
missing piece or part or ingredient so you can finish it up! Sound familiar?
We have just celebrated the extra-special opportunity to show
our gratitude and thanksgiving during this special season, though in fact,
every day should be Thanksgiving day for those who know and follow Christ! And now we stand on the precipice of the
retail glacier of Christmas, hoping against all odds that we will escape the coming
avalanches of stress that include long lists for gift-giving and holiday meals,
programs and parties, and those incessant sales flyers and e-mails and texts
all vying for whatever cash we think we can part with. Or heaven forbid, for how many times we will
swipe those credit cards with a slippery slope of interest that will push us
off the edge of the financial glacier and straight down into the crevice from
where there is rare rescue! Whew! Does ANY of this sound like ANY scriptural
account of Jesus’ birth and the true meaning of that first Christmas heralded
in by the shouts and songs of the angels on that starry night o’er the fields
outside of Bethlehem?
In the escalating rise of the retailer’s greed for more profits
from their skewed, kidnapped celebration of what they call Xmas … and in the
surging rise of the consumer’s greed for more of everything stocked high on the
shelves of the stores that won their first-place attention – Christmas is no longer sacred and for sure,
no longer simple! How did we get
here? How did the Christ of Christmas
get trampled on and thrown out of the celebration we dare even equate with the
birth of Christ? The One who gave the
most priceless, precious Gift ever given to mankind, is at most a fleeting
thought in many homes. And the gifts
piled high are soon to be covered with a messy mountain of crumpled gift-wrap
that has also covered any tiny reminder of the One who was sent as a Babe in a
manger – to be our redemption and our promise of a forever future (when we
choose Jesus as our Savior!). For too
many people nowadays, they are just glad to “survive” Christmas and then when
reality hits, they must face the days to come trying to look up out of that
deep, icy crevice they fell into when they began the craziness of it all two
months earlier!
And so … this twisted view of celebrating Christ’s birth
translates into a faith – or lack thereof, that somehow cannot see anything
simple and pure anymore. People assume
that knowing Jesus has to be complicated, and following Him must be most
difficult and stifling. And so because
they are blinded by the enemy through the ways of the world, they’ve long ago
lost the beautiful, simple truth that Jesus came one night long ago … to save
us! When we grasp what we can of such a
powerful, painful, loving plan by the Father to give us life eternal, we simply
accept what His Son, Jesus, obediently came to offer us! Anything less would be a gut-wrenching blow
to the One who gave us such a sacrificial gift of totality – His all … His very
life - with every drop of blood spilled out so that ours would not have to. The most costly, precious gift we could
choose for someone with all the love and personal meaning humanly possible …
pales in comparison to the Gift that Jesus gave us. And He gives it to us every day through the
“good and perfect gifts” He provides; and through all the “benefits” that come
with His salvation. God’s plan was to
make us joint-heirs with Jesus … sons and daughters of God, making us royalty;
His plan was that the blood of His Son, Jesus, would not only save us, but heal
us, set us free, empower us, give us wisdom and love and compassion, bring to
us provision and abundance so we could share with those in need, teach us to
live with joy in the midst of our trials, and to walk in His peace and with His
comfort. And sooo much more!
All we will ever need in this life on earth to be who He created
us to be … was gift-wrapped in the flesh of God’s Son! THAT’S what the celebration of Christmas is
for those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of our
sins, and in Life Everlasting! A gift like
that cannot be contained in any box or held within any wrapping. It bursts forth fresh and new each day,
filled with God’s grace and mercy … a gift that goes on living for as long as
we have breath here on this earth! And
then … it goes on living forever in our Heavenly home as we live in the
presence and glory of God, our Father, Jesus, His Son and our Savior, and the
Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Guide ~ who are ONE! We are blessed beyond words and comprehension;
but God offered us the opportunity to understand and accept this Gift of His
love so that we could live each day, making it all about Jesus . . . SIMPLY
JESUS! We invite you to do the
same. If you have never felt loved or
valued before, we pray that now you do.
And if you have never said “yes” to this Gift of all gifts – then simply
tell Jesus that you want Him to be your Lord and Savior. From this moment on, your life will never be
the same, and you will finally understand the Real Reason for the Christmas
Season: Jesus’ birth, His death, and His
resurrection! The Gift that was
hand-picked and personally chosen just
for YOU! Celebrate Jesus with us!!
REMEMBER . . .
“He who did
not withhold or spare (even) His own Son but gave Him up for us all,
will He
not freely and graciously give us all (other) things?” ~ Romans 8:32
“Every good
and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above;
it comes down from
the Father of all (that gives) light … “ ~ James 1:17
Joyfully Serving Christ . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
