A Charlie Brown Christmas

I love Christmas specials.  My family and I will gather together and watch Christmas classics of days past and it has become somewhat of a tradition in our house.  One of my favorites is called "A Charlie Brown Christmas."  You are probably familiar with this special.

They key scene for me is when Charlie Brown goes out to pick a tree and brings back a sad, little tree that earns him instant mockery from all of his friends.  In the midst of this, Charlie Brown wonders what Christmas is all about. Linus, standing alone on the stage, states that he can tell him, and recites Luke 2:8-14.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.”

He then says, "...That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

As we celebrate Christmas this year, let's look beyond the tinsel, the trees, the presents and the parties and look to the real reason we should celebrate.  God gave us the best gift of all, a Savior, Christ the Lord.

In the words of Linus, “that’s what Christmas is all about!”

A Christmas Thought

I was listening to an Andy Williams Christmas CD this week and there was a track on there called One Solitary Life.  It was a Christmas column by a man named Jimmy Bishop.  I wanted to share it here:

He was born in an obscure village, the Child of a peasant teen who knew not man. He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never married or owned a home. He never held a job, yet paid taxes. He never set foot inside a metropolis. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never wrote a book, or held an office. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He received no awards, no medals, no prizes from His peers. 

While He was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends deserted Him. He was turned over to His enemies, and went through the mockery of a trial. He had no lawyers, no friendly juries, no fair hearing. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had - His cloak. After He died, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave. Those who stood watch could not explain His disappearance. 

And yet two thousand years have come and gone, and today He is still the central figure for much of the human race. All the armies that ever marched and all the navies that ever sailed and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this "One Solitary Life." 

Makes you think doesn't it?  

One life, that changed the world.  One life that forever changed me. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11) 

Finishing Well

The end of the year is fast approaching and before we know it, Christmas will have come and gone.

I do enjoy celebrating the birth of Christ.  However, I believe we should celebrate His birth year round.  Jesus came for a reason and it was not so that we could give lots of presents and sing fun songs.  (Nothing wrong with those traditions by the way.)

Jesus, loved us so much that He came to die! John 3:16 is not just a cool memory verse.  It was the reason Jesus came into this world. He lived to die!

That is the reason I celebrate Christmas.

I enjoy the Christmas parties and presents, but I enjoy spending time in His Presence more.

The older I get, the more I realize how much time I waste on things external instead of things Eternal!  I find the end of the year is a good time to reflect on whether  I am loving the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and my neighbor as myself.  (Luke 10:27)   Am I spending time with the Lord, seeking His face with my whole heart?

I ask these questions because I want that relationship with Jesus Christ to grow, day by day, until my life on this earth is no more.

I want to finish well.  This year, next year and for all the years to come!  I want to know Him more.
His birth is only the beginning of the party.  There is a greater one coming, one I look forward to more and more each day.

(The image above is attached to a neat Christmas devotion for families:  http://www.southsidebiblechurch.net/Content/10300/235010.pdf)

The Bell - I KNow Who I Am

I was sent this in an email and really liked it so I thought I would share it with all of you. Merry Christmas!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17

.

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3 :20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8: 31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph.. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13 )
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).. I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
Who you are?

The Birth of Christ: The Announcement!

Women and new fathers love baby announcements. I say new fathers because most guys don’t usually ask details. We just find out a baby is born and grunt. Women want all the details. ALL.

When both of our children were born, when I shared that we had a new child, ladies would ask about weight, length, time, how long the labor was, etc!

(OK I know the women are now curious so here you go.)

Hanna – 8lbs 3oz, 22” long, 10:12 am
Caleb – 7lbs, 2oz, 22” long, 10:30 pm

When we sent out birth announcements for Hanna, they were printed on card stock and mailed to all our dear family and friends. When Caleb was born I did the birth announcement via email and sent it to all our contacts. Of course I was sleep deprived and had to send a corrected notice with his ACTUAL name.

I've been thinking about the Biblical birth announcement found in Luke ch. 2.

The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy. Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in David's city.

How’s that for a birth announcement?

Notice the detail…in the announcement of His birth, his purpose for being born was also declared: YOUR Savior.

Jesus was born to die, to give His life on the cross and to save us from sin/death and hell.

When the Sheppard’s came to find Jesus in a manger, they told Mary about the heavenly birth announcement and she treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.

It’s easy to get caught up in selfmas. The purchasing of gifts for ourselves and others. We should strive to remember His birth year round, focusing on His birth and the purpose for which He came.

So how can we celebrate?

1. Counting our blessings.
2. Tell others of His love, birth, death and resurrection.
3. Focus on the reason He was born and how it applies to our life.
4. Worship HIM!

Just a few rambling thoughts on the season.

Christmas Ideas

People are always looking for the perfect gift idea. Here are a few.

This Christmas why not give:

A Mosquito Net

A Soccer Ball

A Chicken

A Goat

A Cow

You can find these and a myriad of other awesome gifts in the new Gifts of Compassion Catalog.

There is also a catalogue for Canadians as well: Canadian Catalogue

Or you can make the same life changing decision that my family made almost a decade ago....

You could sponsor a child in need.

In the US just click here: Sponsorship

or in Canada click here: Sponsorship

If you sponsor a child please let me know!

Christmas - The Gift That Matters

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" (Luke 2:8-14)

On Dec. 25th we stop to celebrate Christ's birth. The celebration usually has some form of singing, gift giving, reflection, etc. Thinking back through our life, we probably all have at least 1 favourite memory of this time of year.

I remember the year my family was struggling financially and were losing everything. My parents were only able to get each of us 1 gift. That gift came out of my parents love for us and I know it cost them a lot. (Though not very expensive, when times were tough financially any amount was a huge expense.)

Here, we see an angel of the Lord appear in the sky to tell these Shepherds that a Savior has been born. Think about that birth announcement: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. We get place, reason and identity. We don't get weight, length, etc. It's not a typical birth announcement.

We get a fulfillment of some OT prophesies. The entirety of the Old Testament was all leading up to this crucial point. All of history, past, present and future hinges on this event. This is THE moment. The birth of Christ changes things. We are told, He is the savior. God’s plan as foretold in the book of Genesis is now being fast tracked.

I like the oft-quoted and rarely thought about scripture in John 3:16: "For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) I say rarely thought about because we all learn this verse but rarely do we truly stop and meditate on it.

God loved us so much that He sent HIS Son to die. Jesus was born to die. He sent Him to die on the cross for your sins, for my sins. God's gift to us was His Son.

We celebrate Christmas in Dec but we should celebrate His birth year round. Easter is in the spring time but we should remember His work on the cross, His death and resurrection YEAR ROUND.

He came to die. The gift that matters was the work Christ willingly did on the cross. The gift He gave His life for. The gift that His resurrection made complete. Salvation. Have you accepted that gift?