We are ONE week into Christmas. Yep, that’s right, the minute that December 1st hits the calendar, the countdown begins! Lights start going up on houses (our street looked like a pin ball game last week). One house was lit with lights, then the next, then the one across the street, then the one next to it, and so on and so on and so on. Now the street is lit up and jolly trees appear on roof tops of cars as they are carried home in great anticipation of being decorated! Shopping malls and store parking lots soon become a raffle ticket situation to find a parking spot, and Christmas songs are played every where twenty-four hours a day!

Yep, it’s true, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”  But how are you doing?

Are you feeling jolly as those light’s light the streets? Are you feeling happy as Christmas tree after Christmas tree passes you on the road? Are you turning into Scrooge as you “patiently” wait for a parking spot to open up at the mall? And are you signing along with those Christmas songs or are they bringing you sadness? Christmas can feel lonely.

I listened to a pastor I know share a devotional on Christmas. He started out by saying, “I hate Christmas!” WOW, did that get my attention! I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I can’t wait to go through all of the painstaking traditions and struggles it provides to decorate, shop, bake and sing! As I listened further to his message I understood his point.

He hates that CHRISTMAS distracts from the very name sake it celebrates…CHRIST!

He shared how anxious he gets as he worries about the money it will take to buy all of the presents. He stated that his anxiety grows each year as he faces “getting everything done!” Then finally, he shared that Christmas can distract him from Christ altogether. It can leave him feeling frustrated and lonely.

Have you ever felt like that?  While I cannot agree with the statement, I hate Christmas, I can agree with the sentiment it evokes. By putting Christmas stuff ahead of Christ Himself, we can be left feeling overwhelmed and alone.

The Truth is, the very meaning of CHRISTmas, Christ coming to earth in human form, made it possible for us to NEVER BE TRULY ALONE! HE IS WITH US!

The first name of Jesus on my advent calendar that I shared with you last week is,

THE WORD! JESUS CHRIST is The Word!  What does a WORD do? A word communicates. The WORD, JESUS CHRIST, took on humanity.  God spoke and the universe came into being.

“Let there be light.”  Genesis 1:3a

The Word was God Himself and He was with God from the beginning.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and The Word was God.”  

John 1:1

The Word has relationship with God. They are co-eternal. The Word became flesh. God The Son, who has an intimate relationship with The Father, has made Him known.

Jesus CHRIST, the meaning of Christmas has revealed this to us.

JESUS IS THE WORD.

JESUS IS GOD.

JESUS HAS REVEALED AND EXPLAINED GOD TO HUMANITY BY BEING WITH US, IMMANUEL!

Jeus made the invisible God visible! What we could not know or see in God, we can see and learn in JESUS CHRIST! He is the answer to all of our questions.

Is God loving?  Look at Jesus Christ!

Is God merciful?  Look at Jesus Christ!

Is God compassionate?  Look at Jesus Christ!

“All the fullness of Him, Christ, dwells in Him in bodily form.”  Colossians 2:9

The Phillips translation put it like this:

“IN THE BEGINNING GOD EXPRESSED HIMSELF.” JOHN 1:1

GOD DESIRES THAT WE KNOW HIM! HE SENT HIS SON SO THAT WE COULD KNOW HIM AND SO THAT WE WOULD NEVER BE ALONE!

TRUTH BOMB

BECAUSE OF CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS, WE ARE NEVER ALONE!

I STILL LOVE CHRISTMAS AND WILL NEVER BE A “HATER!”  BUT NOT BECAUSE OF THE TREES, TRIMMING, GOODIES OR GLITTER, BUT BECAUSE OF THE GREATEST GIFT GIVEN, JESUS CHRIST!  

HE WAS FROM THE BEGINNING AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS!

YOU AND I ARE NEVER ALONE WHEN HE IS IN OUR HEARTS!

Speak Truth Love