Hello Everybody,
I want to thank each of you for visiting my blog or site depending on where you are reading this.
I also especially want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas. I know that many places have gotten away from using this expression and some work places even forbid their employees to use it. But here, I do not wish others "Happy Holidays" for the simple reason that I am not celebrating a holiday. I celebrate Christmas. I do not greet you with "Season's Greetings" because I wish to honor a Saviour rather than a season.
Let us remember this Christmas what the true meaning of Christmas is. Yes, I know that we do not actually know the day Jesus was born, but I really don't see why that matters. I do know that he was born and I also know that the reason he was born was to die for the sins of the world. As far as I'm concerned that is reason to celebrate, and Dec. 25th is as good a time as any.
In my line of work I probably come across more people than the average person, just due to the fact that my job requires me to constantly interact with new people. During this time of year I see so many people who are stressed out, not just during the Christmas Season, but because of it. I had a man the other day tell me that as far as he was concerned it was just another day, due to the fact that his family didn't get together.
I really believe the problem with most folks is that we have done like the people who changed the word Christmas to Xmas. Even if we are not conscious of it, we have gotten so involved with buying presents and getting ready for family get togethers that we have in a very real way taken Christ out of Christmas. Sure we take 30 seconds before our meal to thank him and mention somewhere in the prayer that we remember the reason for Christmas but as soon as the prayer is over we tend to dismiss it.
When you take Christ out of Christmas you have taken the meaning out of it. When the giving of gifts doesn't remind us of the gift God gave us, then it is just something that cost us money and creates hard times next month. Sure it's fun to watch others, especially our children as they open the gifts, but without the significance of why we give those gifts, many of them are just simply bought because we feel obligated.
Even if you truely enjoy Christmas time, which I do by the way. If the enjoyment of the atmosphere or the getting together with family is where you gain meaning for Christmas, it can be taken away from you, like the man I mentioned before who no longer sees any difference between Christmas and any other day. His family doesn't get together so he doesn't see the point.
In conclusion, where it is all fun to me, Christmas is not about recieving presents. It's not even about giving. Christmas is not about family, although I love spending it with them. Christmas is about one thing and one thing only. It is the celebration of the fact that God Almighty himself loved us enough to leave heaven and be born a little lower than the angels, his own creation. And he didn't come to live a great life or even so much to show us how to live, although he did accomplish that. He came for the singular reason to die for us.
I know that some of you might say that Jesus wasn't God Almighty, he was the Son of God. But consider this:
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
This passage tells us plainly that this "Word was God." It also tells us that the "Word" was the creator that Genesis tells us of, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It does say that "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." So keep in mind that the "Word" was the Creator God.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
So, yes, Jesus was God's only begotten son, but he was also God Almighty who created everything that has ever existed. If we keep in mind the wonder of it all that God himself would come to earth to die for us, then Christmas will have great meaning for you regardless of your situation on this day.
So again I do not wish you "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings." I do though wish you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
http://hartlinefinancial.com/
I want to thank each of you for visiting my blog or site depending on where you are reading this.
I also especially want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas. I know that many places have gotten away from using this expression and some work places even forbid their employees to use it. But here, I do not wish others "Happy Holidays" for the simple reason that I am not celebrating a holiday. I celebrate Christmas. I do not greet you with "Season's Greetings" because I wish to honor a Saviour rather than a season.
Let us remember this Christmas what the true meaning of Christmas is. Yes, I know that we do not actually know the day Jesus was born, but I really don't see why that matters. I do know that he was born and I also know that the reason he was born was to die for the sins of the world. As far as I'm concerned that is reason to celebrate, and Dec. 25th is as good a time as any.
In my line of work I probably come across more people than the average person, just due to the fact that my job requires me to constantly interact with new people. During this time of year I see so many people who are stressed out, not just during the Christmas Season, but because of it. I had a man the other day tell me that as far as he was concerned it was just another day, due to the fact that his family didn't get together.
I really believe the problem with most folks is that we have done like the people who changed the word Christmas to Xmas. Even if we are not conscious of it, we have gotten so involved with buying presents and getting ready for family get togethers that we have in a very real way taken Christ out of Christmas. Sure we take 30 seconds before our meal to thank him and mention somewhere in the prayer that we remember the reason for Christmas but as soon as the prayer is over we tend to dismiss it.
When you take Christ out of Christmas you have taken the meaning out of it. When the giving of gifts doesn't remind us of the gift God gave us, then it is just something that cost us money and creates hard times next month. Sure it's fun to watch others, especially our children as they open the gifts, but without the significance of why we give those gifts, many of them are just simply bought because we feel obligated.
Even if you truely enjoy Christmas time, which I do by the way. If the enjoyment of the atmosphere or the getting together with family is where you gain meaning for Christmas, it can be taken away from you, like the man I mentioned before who no longer sees any difference between Christmas and any other day. His family doesn't get together so he doesn't see the point.
In conclusion, where it is all fun to me, Christmas is not about recieving presents. It's not even about giving. Christmas is not about family, although I love spending it with them. Christmas is about one thing and one thing only. It is the celebration of the fact that God Almighty himself loved us enough to leave heaven and be born a little lower than the angels, his own creation. And he didn't come to live a great life or even so much to show us how to live, although he did accomplish that. He came for the singular reason to die for us.
I know that some of you might say that Jesus wasn't God Almighty, he was the Son of God. But consider this:
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
This passage tells us plainly that this "Word was God." It also tells us that the "Word" was the creator that Genesis tells us of, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It does say that "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." So keep in mind that the "Word" was the Creator God.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
So, yes, Jesus was God's only begotten son, but he was also God Almighty who created everything that has ever existed. If we keep in mind the wonder of it all that God himself would come to earth to die for us, then Christmas will have great meaning for you regardless of your situation on this day.
So again I do not wish you "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings." I do though wish you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
http://hartlinefinancial.com/
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