"When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” Matthew 2:10

What excites you most about Christmas? There are many things to get excited about. Things like gifts (both giving and receiving), events (programs, plays, musicals, etc.), traditions, gatherings with family and friends, and even food (cookies, chocolate, peppermint mocha’s, Frango’s, and lutefisk, well maybe not lutefisk). And so, I am curious, when was the last time you were truly excited about Christmas… and why?

In the gospel of Matthew, chapter 2, one can read about the wise men from the east searching for the King of the Jews. They were excited just by seeing the star (His star). I wonder what they expected. Here we have a team of scientists (for their day that is what they were) setting out on what most likely was a long dangerous journey across the wide face of the known world. They must have expected to find something extraordinary. Who was this child? What made him special?

Paul in his letter to the Christians at Colosse summarizes who this child was and is when he writes beginning in chapter 1 verse 15 through verse 22 about Christ. “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

What an amazing find! Matthew’s account tells us that the star led the wise men to the place where the child was and upon entering the house after seeing the child and his mother, they bowed and worshiped him. What a truly awesome Christmas! This Christmas I hope you can look past all of the things that have become associated with Christmas and find the true reason to be excited!

Thanks for reading - Merry Christmas!

"Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us...to guide us to the path of peace." Luke 1:78-79

Do you have the Christmas spirit? Every year most of us feel pressure as we enter this season. Traffic is terrible. Finding a parking space close to where you are going is likened to a miracle. The stores are all crowded. There is so much to think about and do: gifts to buy, friends to see, family to visit and care for, programs to attend, parties, budgets, baking, cards, etc.. The list goes on and on, and just writing about it feels exhausting.

As we race through stores and drive in our cars a familiar song plays in the background, “Hark the herald Angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.” We might even be humming along as it continues… “Peace on earth and mercy mild…” Peace, you might muse, what a thought. How great it would be to have peace. “If only I had a moment’s peace.” Have you heard someone say this statement (have you said it yourself)? Yet, is it peace we are after, or are we really longing for an absence of conflict? Are we really seeking to exercise what peace is really about, or do we just want people to stop fighting, and leave us alone? One has to finish the rest of the song to know what peace the songwriter is talking about, “… God and sinner reconciled.” The only One who can give true peace is God, and the peace he offers is so different from the world’s idea of peace. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

So often, the peace of the world is really just truce. Truce is a temporary absence of conflict (I have also heard that it is the time when people are re-loading). There is no reconciliation just an agreement to stop the fighting for now all the while allowing the real problem to fester and boil over inside. Peace on the other hand, is the interjection of righteousness into a situation in order to bring about reconciliation. This often causes chaos because people want their way and do not want to consider that they are a part of the problem. Peace involves humility and the realization that I may have to give up my perceived rights, and exercise my responsibilities. When we allow the King of Peace to rule in our hearts and make His desires ours, then we will experience true and lasting peace. The peace that was promised and given through the baby in the manger.

I really like the way Jack Hayford says it, “Wrapped up in Christmas is the greatest gift ever given. Packaged in the Person of Jesus is every gift we will ever need to fulfill every longing we may ever have.” This good news remains untainted by anything that this world offers, and has brought the greatest change (peace) in the hearts of people everywhere who have received it. May your Christmas be filled with His presence and all that comes from knowing Him.

Thanks for reading.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 (NIV)

Where were you when it started to snow last Saturday? I found myself on a ladder climbing onto my roof to hang Christmas lights. I was somewhat caught off guard just how quickly a couple of snowflakes can become a blizzard of heavy wet snow. Being a die-hard Christmas light fan I kept working. However, I soon had to stop as my boys took turns pelting me with snowballs. There may be three of them, and they may be younger, but my aim is still good! We soon were in the thrill and fun of trying to hit each other with the slippery white stuff. Soaking wet and tired we went in to the house for something hot to drink. It was great fun!

The season of Advent can be a wonderful time. In the gospel of Luke chapter 2, one can read about one of the first air shows and outdoor musical events on record. This amazing event was complete with shepherds, sheep, angels, and fabulous, fantastic, great news! Which brings me back to why I was on the roof in the first place, I do not know about you, but I really enjoy Christmas lights. My philosophy about lights is similar to my philosophy about power tools—one can never have too many! In fact, the best gift (in my opinion) to give a person is a cordless drill. It really does not matter if they already have one—they can always use a backup.
You might be wondering, “What do Christmas lights have to do with the Christmas story?” Well, when I decorate our home with lights, etc., I am not one who is surrendering to Christmas commercialism. Rather, I am devoting the time as an act of worship. God commissioned angels to roll back the night filling it with blazing light and He provided a celestial choir to serenade a few startled shepherds (not a group from the highest of social networks). On top of that, He then graced the heavens with a magnificent star. If He went to all this trouble to open our eyes to His entry into the world, then we need not apologize for adorning our home with a few seasonal reminders.

This time is about Him, so give Him glory as you decorate your home, and celebrate the season. I pray that your homes and lives be filled with joy, peace, love, and generosity this Christmas!

Thanks for reading.