My wife and II love the Christmas season, although I have to admit, not as much as I used to. We are well into the time of preparation, or Advent as it is known in most of the mainline churches. It is supposed to be a time of preparation for the coming of the Christ child into the world. Of course he has already come and completed his time on earth over 2000 years ago, but we celebrate the birth every year anyway, just as we celebrate the birth of our children and of course ourselves.
The thing is, the birth date, December 25th of each year, really is not important, it doesn’t make any difference if we have the right date or not. Yet there are those who will get very upset if you tell them that the date was probably not December 25th, but probably earlier like in late September or early October, which some of the “scholars” will tell you is the truth. Well so what? You see, it is not important when Christ was born, the truth is it is only important that he was born.
The important item or date for the early Church and for you and I is the date of the crucifixion and resurrection, without the crucifixion, the birth means nothing. We seem to have forgotten that the gift that God has given is salvation, by the blood of sacrifice, on the cross on Golgotha, and the resurrection on the 3rd day that basically says, resurrection to new life is available for all who believe. (John 3:16) tells us that this is what is important in the overall scheme of things, not the birth, but the death and resurrection.
The reality, and this is what I get really upset about, is that the Christmas (Christ Mass), is now only an excuse to shop until you drop. It begins with Thanksgiving week, of course most stores put out the Christmas decorations and start their sales after Halloween. The Christmas craziness begins with Black Friday, Local shop Saturday, Cyber Monday and on and on and on….. It seems like it will never stop, and this year is really getting out there with scenes of parents writing letters to Santa, in what the think is a kids hand, so they can get a Lexus. Then there are those parents who take their child to the Mall Santa, and have the kid ask Santa for the Lexus. Of course Santa delivers their Lexus on Christmas morning, after they get approved for the loan that is equal to 1/2 a years pay, and if it is a fully loaded Lexus could be close to a years pay.
Then we have the guy or woman who has spent hours shopping for stuff, one this year is a giant snowman that lights up, only to have his or her neighbor show up and after they tell the neighbor how much they saved, the neighbor hits the start button of the key of the brand new SUV in the driveway, saying, I saved thousands too. Of course then the one who went shopping now realizes what a dummy they were for not saving thousands on their own brand new SUV.
Of course we also realize that every kiss begins with a brand new diamond ring or bracelet or necklace. The best way to the Christmas Party is by calling UBER and let them take you to the party so you don’t have the trouble of finding a parking place and you can just call them to get home as well. So Christmas is almost here and most of the people are running around buying stuff to give to others and of course keeping the retailers happy, especially Amazon, and Google stores.
Meanwhile, the one this holiday is supposed to be celebrating has been replaced by SHOPPING, by SANTA CLAUSE, and by, you name it, I know it is not Christ anymore, it is just greed, avarice, lust and of course narcissism at its finest. In the scriptures we find this verse: Jos 24:15 ESV And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
My wife and I will enjoy time with our family, we will eat a nice Christmas dinner together, we will have gone to our Church Candlelight service, and worship our Lord and Savior, the one who died for us and set us free to live our lives in service to Him. We will continue to live our lives as best we can as members of the family of God, and we will look forward to the celebration of Easter, the first Holy Day of the church.
I do hope that you who read this missive of mine, will have a blessed Christmas, that you will spend the time with friends and family, eat your fill of good food, and reflect on what this day is supposed to be all about, realize that the greatest gift of all is not the physical things we receive and give, it is that God, so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in him, would have everlasting life.
Merry Christmas, may you be blessed this Christmas, with a greater knowledge of Jesus the Christ, son of God and son of Man, Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
texasjq2 