In the little town of Bethlehem, the most important birth in all of
human history took place on what we now consider the first Christmas.
It was sparsely attended by some bleating farm animals and a handful of
shepherds who wouldn't have been there had not the sky lit up with a
multitude of heavenly hosts only minutes before, praising God and
inviting the shepherds to the stable. What an invitation! With the
exception of that outburst, however, no one else knew. Oh yes, there
were some astrologers from the East who figured out what was going on
by studying the stars and some ancient manuscripts, but they didn't
make it to town until at least a year or two later when the baby was a
child. Why such an uneventful welcome for such an auspicious event?
It's God's way. He's always been quiet about his work on earth. 'How
silently, how silently, the wondrous gift was given/So God imparts to
human hearts, the blessings of his heaven.' He's even pretty quiet
about the way he works in our lives. Silently, he came into the world;
silently, he comes into our hearts. No fanfare. No welcoming committee.
God has never been into self-promotion. He lets his work speak for
itself.
And that would be you and me. Believers are the result of Christ's
coming. It is all about good news and glad tidings for all people. A
Saviour has been born and he has been born for us. Or as the angel
announced it: 'The Saviour -- yes, the Messiah, the Lord -- has been
born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!' (Luke 2:11 NLT)
It occurs to me there are two ways to take all the fanfare and glitter
of this season. We can see it as the over-commercialism of Christmas,
or we can take all the lights, and gifts, and decorations, and parties,
and bells, and carols, and Christmas specials on TV -- even Santa and
reindeer in the front yard -- and bank them all as celebrations of the
birth of Christ. We can even take the conversion of old Scrooge as the
joy of new life and forgiveness of sins.
There's no law against sanctifying the secularisation of Christmas in
your own heart and mind. It's what we make of these things that count,
anyway. Every single light can represent another soul secured in
eternity as the result of what Christ has accomplished.
There was no room available for the Son of God when he came the first
time. Let's make sure there's room in our hearts this Christmas, and
don't let anyone take away what is good about the glad tidings of
Christ's birth!
Our beloved Gandie passed away peacefully early on Tuesday 19 December
2006 aged 101 years. The loving Mother and Mother-in-law of John and
the late Paddy & Peter. Special Gandie of Debbie & Robbie, Kevin & Jane
and darling Nyang Nyang (great gran) of Sean, Jason, Ryan, Brendan,
Kyle & Heyden. Babs as she was more generally know to her friends was a
wonderful caring lady with a wicked sense of humour. She will be
greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
'For evil men will be cut off but those who hope in the Lord will
inherit the land. A little while and the wicked will be no more; though
you look for them they will not be found.'
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Harken, wild Africa
And bid your creatures hear.
Tell them to be joyful,
For Christ is very near.
Today it is His feast day,
With peace, goodwill to all.
Remember that he loves you too,
Great animals and small.
Call, you little Hyrax;
Sing, you little bird;
Whistle, gentle reed buck,
And pass along the word.
Cheer, you little crickets,
And come you all this morn.
Trumpet, bellow, bark and roar,
For Christ this day was born.
Hush, whistling thorn tree;
Roving wind be still.
Grasses, stop your whispering,
That all the beasts who kill
May hear that Christ is with us,
May even hear him say,
'Be happy, kind and gentle,
On this good Christmas day'
F M Spooner
Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people, and to
remember what other people have done for you ... to remember the
weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old ... Are you
willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world ...
stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death... Then you
can keep Christmas! But you can never keep it alone.--Henry van Dyke
The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a
happy family all wrapped up in each other.....
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