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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas


MERRY CHRISTMAS
From our house to yours,
We wish you a wonderful Merry Christmas as we all celebrate the season of the Savior’s birth.

Christmas is about loving God and loving others.

When I think about Christmas I can’t help but see the two commandments Jesus told us to live by.  These commandments seem to sparkle especially bright during Christmas time.

Think about it....  As we celebrate Christmas we celebrate the love we have for Jesus Christ.   And as we celebrate the remembrance of the greatest gift to mankind, we give gifts to others.

We in the Spirit of the season, love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and that overflows to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

This giving of cards and gifts some say come from the magi (wise men/kings) who followed the great star to Bethlehem to bestow gifts to Jesus but I am pointed in another direction when it comes to gift giving.

This custom,  I believe was, influenced by Jewish festivals such as the festivals of Purim where there was deliverance from death.  During these festivals, even to this day, food and presents are given to one another and to the poor.

We too celebrate the deliverance from death (eternal death) through our Savior Jesus Christ who came as a baby, born of a virgin.

  Jesus speaking of himself said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Not long after this, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz:  “Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will crush your enemies as I have promised.  Ask for anything you like; and make it as difficult as you want.”  But the king refused, “No,” he said, “I wouldn’t test the LORD like that.”  Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! You aren’t satisfied to exhaust my patience.  You exhaust the patience of God as well!  All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign.  Look! The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel- ‘God is with us.’”  Isaiah 7:10-14

Christmas.  It is a season where we celebrate our deliverance through Jesus Christ. 
  Celebrate the joy of deliverance! Merry Christmas!

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