As we celebrate Christmas let`s remember it is the season of joy! Our celebration with God`s people is a coming together to worship God our Saviour. To rejoice in Him! Believers in Jesus Christ assemble together as God desires, with their families, to worship the One and Only Living God. As Christian believers, worship isn`t only our responsibility but our joy! Jesus came as our “Emmanuel – God with us!” Similar to 2000 years ago our society and culture still treat Him as an outsider and see Him as having no significant role in their lives. Although Jesus is unwanted by many, Christian believers are called to give evidence that Christ is alive in their lives seven days a week. Not only to our society but to our family as we bring them to worship on a Sunday. Children are looking for evidence of reality and will imitate their parents when they raise their own families. How important to be Christ-centered and worship together within the Christian community we call Church. The Bible tells us that Church is so important to God. As I expressed on Sunday I am thrilled and excited to have such a message of Good News (the Gospel) to proclaim. Anne and I want God`s “well done!” We want our family to see evidence in our lives that we are sold out to Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Saviour. As Christians, we are called to be God-centered. The Lord Jesus Christ comes as Emmanuel (God with us) to give us the reality of true joy and to know His purpose in our lives.
- Luke 2:10-11, “I bring you good news of great joy…Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you¸ He is Christ the Lord.”
He is the promised Saviour. God has entered space and time to reveal Himself in Jesus Christ. Christmas isn’t about us but about Him! We are reminded that there are more important things than our selfishness, self-centeredness, etc. God has a purpose for our lives.
Bill Sullivan: “Singer Michael Card wrote a song called The Promise, and he wrote a little Christmas devotional on this theme he noted: ‘Christianity is founded on a promise. Faith involves waiting on a promise. Our hope is based on a promise. Promises are made with words…that part of myself that goes with every promise is given to you through my words…Our God is the great maker of promises…His word, our Bible, is a collection of the promises…most of these concern Jesus, who came to be known as “the Promised One” Through all these promises, God was trying to give something of Himself to Adam, and to Israel, and finally to us. The Bible tells us that when the Promised One came, the Lord poured all of Himself into Him. What a costly thing it can be to make a promise – it cost Jesus His life….’”
This Promised One came to be our Personal Saviour. What a cause for rejoicing!
Mary the Mother of Jesus said Luke 1:47: “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”.
Let us and our families rejoice constantly in our Precious Lord during this Christmas Season.
Your friend and Pastor
Jim