THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR?

Christmas. "The most wonderful time of the year" or at least what it is supposed to be, isn't it? We may sing "Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright" but for so many families, this Christmas is anything but calm or bright. 

Celebrating Christmas is supposed to be focused on the birth of Jesus Christ who came to the earth tell us the good news (the gospel) in order that we could be saved from our sins. Apart from Jesus Christ, we are all doomed to hell. But thanks be to God for this most amazing gift. Right?

Or are we totally missing the point of Christmas because we are too busy focusing on other things such as arguing about how much money to spend or where you need to be on what day, worried about how we are going to pay for all of the gifts that we bought or trying to make sure that you put up more decorations than anyone else in your neighborhood?

The next time you are tempted to fight about decorations, how many gifts to buy or where to go on Christmas day, think about the many families in our community who are suffering the loss of a loved one this week. People who are wishing they had one more Christmas Day with someone that they love but now is gone. Be grateful that the "biggest problem" you are facing is money or travel arrangements. Be thankful that you get to see your loved ones again this Christmas. Pray for those who are hurting this Christmas because of an empty chair. 

Too often, we are tempted to be selfish at Christmas. We think it is all about us when it's really all about Jesus. It's His birthday, not ours. So put away your selfishness and pride so that you can experience what Christmas is really all about. "O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!" 

IS CHRISTMAS NOT THE RIGHT TIME? OR IS IT?

In 2015, I will be taking two teams to the Philippines to preach and teach the gospel plus offer medical camps on the second trip through a partnership with the hospital in Davao City. This task is great and requires lots of resources. I am so thankful to everyone who partners with us. 

I am often challenged by some of my friends about the way we think about things such as “Why do we do things the way we do them?” or “Why do we believe that?”. Last night, one of my friends told me last night that “Christmas is not a real good time to be trying to raise funds…” Is Christmas not a good time for raising money for a mission trip… or is it?

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? 
Many, if not most, people think about Christmas trees with lights and ornaments plus lots of presents under the tree. I remember a time in a K-mart store that a woman was showing her little boy a manger scene and she said something like “Look at that Christmas scene.” The little boy was confused and looked up at his mom and asked, “But where is Santa Claus?”

The true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus as announced in Luke 1:30 (ESV)  And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

So if it is His birthday, shouldn’t we be focused on Him and what He would want us to do? Think about His words in Luke 19:10 (ESV)  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”. Or how about His words in Acts 1:8 (ESV)  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”?

I know you have seen the “WWJD” bracelets signifying “What Would Jesus Do?” but how about these questions:

WWJHMD?
“What Would Jesus Have Me Do?” Think about the original question in this post, “Is Christmas not a good time for raising money for a mission trip… or is it?” If Jesus came to “seek and to save the lost.” and we are the body of Christ, shouldn’t we be doing what He has been doing all along? Should we stop supporting missions in December so we can spend lots of money on material things?

How about these verses? Luke 2:10 (ESV)  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The angel told the shepherds not to be afraid because he brought them what? “good news of great joy”! And what is that “good news”? The Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

So “What Would Jesus Have Me Do?” Simple, stay focused on what He was focused on. Seeking and saving the lost.

HMTDWH?
Another question to consider is “How Much Time Do We Have?” Look at the international news stories and you will quickly recognize that we are much closer to the end of time as we know it than we have ever been before. Do we have enough time to take December off?

Ephesians 5:15 (ESV)  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16  making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Paul said we need to make the best use of time. Time is going by very quickly as if you hadn’t noticed. The next trip is in the spring and the second is in late summer. It won’t be long for it’s time to minister.

WAYWTD?
Last question for you in this post. “What Are You Willing To Do?” Are you willing to support a mission trip like ours as a gift this Christmas? A gift that sharing the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ? If so, visit www.gofundme.com/hmd2p8 and make your donation of any size. Some are giving so much a month. Whatever you give, thank you for helping us spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE SAMTSIRHC!

It is not by accident that the picture above is loaded backwards. I did this intentionally because that is how our world views Christmas... BACKWARDS. The way that so many of us celebrate Christmas is so backwards and unbiblical. Keep reading, you will see what I mean. I know that this post may push your buttons a little but it might give you something to think about as well.

THINKING BACKWARDS ABOUT JESUS
I know you have heard this passage many times but read it one more time and this time slowly.

Luke 2:10 (ESV)  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 

Do you see anything in this passage that could make us think backwards about Jesus? How about verse 12 "you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger"? Sure Christmas is about the birth of Jesus and yes, He was "a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths" but Jesus wasn't just a baby. He was and still is a "Savior" and He is still "Christ the Lord"! So while it is true in one sense, Jesus was a baby who needed to be taken care of like other babies but then on the other side, this baby was and is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Anointed One, He is the Christ.

This Christmas when you see a manger scene, don't underestimate the power of Who He is. He is more than just a baby laying in a feeding trough. This is the King of kings and the Lord of lords! (Revelation 19:16)

THINKING BACKWARDS ABOUT THE GIFTS
If it is Jesus' birthday, and it is the day that we celebrate it, then why are we not giving Him gifts but giving each other gifts instead? I will admit it now and always will, I have been as guilty in this as anyone else... being so focused on the gifts that I was anxious to open my presents. Thankfully, as we get older, we start to understand some things much better than we did when we were younger.

Dave Ramsey said it very well when he said "We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.'' 

• How many of us buy way too much stuff for the kids or for our spouse? Or our friends? Instead of getting a simple gift or two, we try to keep up with everyone else.
• How many of us have lots of stuff sitting around that we will never use? That is why retailers are so busy the day of Christmas because so many people are returning their gifts for something that they really want.
• How many of us are going deeper into debt trying to buy gifts for everyone we know?
• Each year, how many people did you buy a gift for only because you felt you had to? If you didn't buy them a gift, they would be offended or what if they bought you a gift and you didn't have one for them?

It's Jesus' birthday, what are you giving Him this year? And there are plenty of other areas that we could look at and discuss how we are thinking backwards with those but let's look at a very important question...

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE KEEP THINKING BACKWARDS?
If we don't stop thinking backwards at Christmas time, we will keep thinking that Christmas is all about us and miss the point of Christmas totally. Look at verse 14 one more time and see what they said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Two things I want you to see.

1. The glory belongs to God, not us. It is not about how many presents you got, how big your tree was, how many lights are on your house or anything else about you... it is all about God and His wonderful Son, Jesus!
2. The ones who experience real peace are those with whom God is pleased. If we are not pleasing God, we will not have true peace.

I close with a quote that you have heard many times but this time, please read it with a new mind... JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.