Several years ago I found a poem that basically puts all this Christmas celebrating into perspective. I would like to share it with you now.
What if this year at Christmas... I set Santa to the side... forgo Frosty on the video and rest Rudolph from his ride. Perhaps then I'd forget those things and listen in the night for the clapping sounds of angel's wings that caused the shepherds' fright. And maybe I would start to shine like that old Eastern star~And wonder like those three wise men who traveled from afar. To pay Him honor, not just a passing nod. This year I'm going to ponder~"What Christmas means to God."
Gameboy
Several weeks ago all this hustle and bustle started with the GameBoy 3 coming out for a few selected buyers who lined up with cash in hand, and a lot of cash at that. It created mayhem leaving some people dead, some who were robbed while others became even richer by putting them on EBay. This created murder, covetousness, lust, and jealousy just to name a few of the forbidden sins. This is cause to make one stand back and reflect on what is wrong with this picture. Certainly God did not intend for us to act like heathens in this manner. Where did the peaceful, joyful and love filled spirits go that Christmas is meant to bring out? We have become like the 3 Musketeers, crying out "All for one and one for all!" But Christ is the only One Who came for all, it's just that all of us aren't for the One.
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Our human nature has kicked in and we are putting Christ on the back burner. In reality, this is a spiritual warfare that is going on right underneath our noses and we are too consumed with our lustful natures to even recognize it. If we don't soon sit up and take notice for our own actions, we will find ourselves without the freedom to ever even wish someone a "Merry Christmas". In case you're not aware, Christ is being pushed out of this special time of year. We are mocking Him by saying, "Happy Holidays" in order not to offend anyone. It isn't harmless...is it? Yes, it's going to hurt everyone in the end. If we agree to let Christ be removed from His own birthday, which signifies redemption and freedom to anyone who receives it, then why should we expect Him to continue blessing us for our carnal desires? God will not respond because we have so much as told Him we don't need Him. One day it will be too late. But for now, we still have time. Don't waste it.
Why do I take this so personally? Because it is a personal issue and it should be personal for everyone as well. As long as we lose sight of the Savior and chase after our own personal gods of pleasure, denying the Christ of Christmas, our Lord will also deny us to His Father. No One else can save us, we need Christ in Christmas and in our daily lives. If not, all these things that we are trying to accomplish and consume on our own will be our very demise, and this is not very wise. Before you shrug this concept off, please consider what the apostle John is warning us about when he wrote this;
"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but for the one who does the will of God lives forever." 1 Jn. 15-17
You might be saying, "It's not wrong to love the world, God wants us to love everyone." But God makes it perfectly clear that He hates certain types of love. To love the world and the things of it are absent of God. It contains one's self. The kind of love that God gave us in the birth of His Son Christ at Christmas is a righteous love. This kind of love is affection, perfection and devotion for the Father Who loved us first. Love for the world does not offer this. The world isn't the physical or material things, it's the spiritual system of evil that dominates our very souls. Satan is the master of cunning. After all he's been in this business for thousands of years. We are his pawns unless we know Christ in a personal way. Then we see just how tricky Satan can be to those who are unaware. How aware are you of his lies, deceits and schemes? He especially loves this time of year. He loves it when we overspend, and take part in holiday parties and drink too much. Believe me, when you get that DUI, he won't stick around to get you out of it. Rather he's off to another subject saying his job there is done. He leaves you with consequences to live with and will keep reminding you of the mistakes you made. But Christ on the other hand is reaching out to you saying, "I will make all things new if you just believe in Me." Christ will never remind you of your sins because He already paid for them once. It was finished at the Cross. No one can love the world and God at the same time. To love the world is to be against the God Who gave His only begotten Son to die for you and me.
Yes, God gave His gift alot of thought. If you are taking credit for the thoughtfulness of your gifts, it will never compare to this 'One'. God prophesied the birth of His Messiah almost 1000 years before He ever came into Being through the prophet Isaiah. (Is. 7:13) He even named Him Immanuel, meaning God with us. He meant that in a literal sense. God became a man through the Christ child called Jesus to be with us. He was on a mission of giving us the only gift that would ever save us from our sins. God knew that Christ's purpose on earth was to tell us about the God Who loves us in order that we could love Him back. Then His purpose was to die in our place. There was no other way to make atonement for ourselves in front of a holy and righteous God. Christ was the only One Who could satisfy the Father and make a way for us to live eternaly with Him.
"She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus (meaning Savior). For He will save people from their sins. All this took place that it might be fulfilled which the Lord had spoken through the prophet." Matt. 1:21-22
The first gift of Christmas was God's agapé love for us. He gave us a way to inherit His kingdom. Now of course as with all gifts, we can either claim them or we can deny them. But this is one gift that you will want to own. Christmas to God is our salvation through Christ...nothing else.
Have you claimed this gift of life yet? If not, ask God to forgive you for putting everything else ahead of Him. Confess your sins and claim Jesus as your Lord and Savior over your life. Tell the Father you believe that Christ died for your sins and rose again to sit at His Father's right hand in order to rule and reign over your life. This is the kind of peace that will surpass all human understanding. And if you don't think that God doesn't care, think again. He tells us that every time a lost sheep is found, all the angels in heaven rejoice. That's how special you are to God! Are they rejoicing for you right now? They are if you said this prayer. This is what Christmas means to God.
In order to open this gift, your heart can not be closed.
May you have a very blessed Christmas.
What Christmas Means To God
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