What is Christmas?
In America Christmas is a mixture of all kinds of things. Lights, trees, shopping, wrapping presents, unwrapping presents, eating, helping the poor, decorations. There are people you can hire to decorate your house. Down the street there is a house that has over 80 large inflatable characters - snowmen, Santa clauses, elves, penguins, reindeer, Grinch, South Park characters, Snoopy,etc. They have cutouts, lights everywhere and music playing. Oh yes they did manage to put in a small basic nativity scene toward the back. The other day a fellow was working on all those items in the yard and he bumped the cassette player against a tree. Then he let out a string of cuss words including the name of "Jesus" as a swear word. I think he is missing the point - what is the point? For many they ignore God all year, do not want to talk about him or listen, do not study the Bible, maybe even ridicule those who do, but when December rolls around they can't wait to decorate, listen to Christmas carols, etc. Well, I suppose for them Christmas has no real meaning, they just like all the stuff. I for one am especially baffled by those same people who being like that still insist on someone praying at their Christmas dinner. Huh? I guess it makes them feel spiritual enough in that brief moment that they think that will satisfy God for the whole year not realizing that God looks at the heart not the outward appearance. So what is Christmas? Here's the complete version...
Christmas is...
a celebration of remembering that in order for you to avoid the death penalty at the judgment because of your sin, God sent Jesus from heaven to earth to receive death in your place. Now that the penalty of death for your sin has been paid by Jesus, you must now believe in him and surrender yourself to him in order to receive eternal life (that's his very own life). Only people who have eternal life go to heaven. Heaven is the place where those who already have eternal life go to live. God does not decide at the judgment where you will spend eternity. Your eternal destiny is determined here on earth by you not God. If you believe in Jesus and surrender yourself to him, you get eternal life. If you reject Jesus then a judgment of death is already upon you, you are on death row, you do not have eternal life and will not go to heaven. (This is a long version of what John 3:16 says). Also consider John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." That doesn't sound to pleasant does it. This is why the angels said to rejoice, peace has come to the earth (you) and good will toward men (you) from God who offers you a way to escape the judgment through faith in Jesus. DO NOT NEGLECT GOD"S GREAT OFFER! COME TO JESUS TODAY!
That my friend is what Christmas is all about. It's about his coming to earth as a man, the life he lived as a man being one with the Father, his death for you, his resurrection, ascension back to heaven, and the coming of the Holy Spirit to earth whom Jesus sent to take his place on earth so that you may know him intimately, personally because he will dwell inside you. Come on let him in before it's too late.
In America Christmas is a mixture of all kinds of things. Lights, trees, shopping, wrapping presents, unwrapping presents, eating, helping the poor, decorations. There are people you can hire to decorate your house. Down the street there is a house that has over 80 large inflatable characters - snowmen, Santa clauses, elves, penguins, reindeer, Grinch, South Park characters, Snoopy,etc. They have cutouts, lights everywhere and music playing. Oh yes they did manage to put in a small basic nativity scene toward the back. The other day a fellow was working on all those items in the yard and he bumped the cassette player against a tree. Then he let out a string of cuss words including the name of "Jesus" as a swear word. I think he is missing the point - what is the point? For many they ignore God all year, do not want to talk about him or listen, do not study the Bible, maybe even ridicule those who do, but when December rolls around they can't wait to decorate, listen to Christmas carols, etc. Well, I suppose for them Christmas has no real meaning, they just like all the stuff. I for one am especially baffled by those same people who being like that still insist on someone praying at their Christmas dinner. Huh? I guess it makes them feel spiritual enough in that brief moment that they think that will satisfy God for the whole year not realizing that God looks at the heart not the outward appearance. So what is Christmas? Here's the complete version...
Christmas is...
a celebration of remembering that in order for you to avoid the death penalty at the judgment because of your sin, God sent Jesus from heaven to earth to receive death in your place. Now that the penalty of death for your sin has been paid by Jesus, you must now believe in him and surrender yourself to him in order to receive eternal life (that's his very own life). Only people who have eternal life go to heaven. Heaven is the place where those who already have eternal life go to live. God does not decide at the judgment where you will spend eternity. Your eternal destiny is determined here on earth by you not God. If you believe in Jesus and surrender yourself to him, you get eternal life. If you reject Jesus then a judgment of death is already upon you, you are on death row, you do not have eternal life and will not go to heaven. (This is a long version of what John 3:16 says). Also consider John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." That doesn't sound to pleasant does it. This is why the angels said to rejoice, peace has come to the earth (you) and good will toward men (you) from God who offers you a way to escape the judgment through faith in Jesus. DO NOT NEGLECT GOD"S GREAT OFFER! COME TO JESUS TODAY!
That my friend is what Christmas is all about. It's about his coming to earth as a man, the life he lived as a man being one with the Father, his death for you, his resurrection, ascension back to heaven, and the coming of the Holy Spirit to earth whom Jesus sent to take his place on earth so that you may know him intimately, personally because he will dwell inside you. Come on let him in before it's too late.