Christmas Time

This posting is not an update on our family, but rather some things I've been thinking about lately.  With Christmas fast approaching I have been thinking a lot about the reason for the season.  I know that sounds cliche, but it is true.  JESUS.  There seems to be a lot of attention on Jesus in the media lately, thanks to Tim Tebow.  Kind of funny that Tebow is causing the hoopla about Jesus but yet we are in the midst of the season that celebrates his birthday.  Which has also got me thinking about why non-Christians celebrate Christmas.  Obviously it has become a secular holiday but for me it is a religious holiday.  No one knows what day Jesus was really born but December 25th is the date that was chosen to celebrate His birth.  Because of His birth we have a Savior, but what does that really mean?  To me it means I have someone that loves me no matter what I do or say.  To me it means I have an advocate who is always on my side no matter what.  To me it means I have an intecessor to God.  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  Without him NO one can come to the Father.  So to me his birth is pretty darn important.

 In church we have been studying the verse John 3:16.  Sounds pretty basic as it is one of the most famous verses in the world, one that most people know even if they are not Christians.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  So what does that really mean?  It means that God loved us SO much that he wanted to save us, even though we messed it up with our sins.  He is still giving us the chance for eternal life with him.  And what do we have to do to get this eternal life?  BELIEVE.  That's it.  We don't have to do anything, go anywhere, do any rituals, perform any acts, nothing but just believe.  Sure there are good acts we want to perform because we are Christians and want to demonstrate Jesus' love, but none of these acts gets us the eternal life.  What did we do to deserve this gift of Jesus?  Again, nothing.  God's grace is the only reason we get this Savior.  He loves us so much that he does not want anyone separated from Him, and sin separates us from God.  Jesus came and washed away those sins and if we choose to believe in Him, we will never be separated from God again.  We will have eternal life.  That's it.  It's that simple. 

I love Christmas time and all that it brings with it.  I love my Christmas tree, I love Christmas carols, I love spending time with my family.  But most of all I love celebrating the birth of my Savior.  I hope this Christmas if you don't already you will choose to believe also.  I promise it will be the best gift you will ever receive.

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11

Here is Martina McBride singing my favorite Christmas carol.