December 2023
Christmas
Christmas decorations are being put up, gifts are being bought and radio stations are playing Christmas music. You must admit, it is a most wonderful time of the year. I won’t lie, I love it. You all are expecting me to write about the babe in Bethlehem, the star, and angels. You are not wrong at all. You also are saying to yourself, I feel a “But” coming on. You are not wrong about that either. So here we go.
Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
I love decorating the house and church….”BUT”… we should ask ourselves these two questions. What are we doing? And, Why are we doing it? The lights, garland, the yard decorations and the power outage I just caused in my neighborhood. What and Why? Am I doing this for recognition, best lights and yard decoration award. Did any of this tell what the reason is for all this glitz and glamor? The world has damaged the real reason for the season, Jesus. The babe in Bethlehem, the shepherds, the wise men, the star, the angels, all of this was to bring salvation to a dying world that is in desperate need for a Savior. Even though the world has damaged the real reason for the season, there is still hope. The season is still being celebrated. With that in mind, maybe, just maybe, we can be shrewd and innocent and decorate with everything we got! Bring on the power outage and have the neighborhood talking about the yard with the Star and angels singing with shepherds and a manger with a Savior. Or maybe something simple, a Silent night, a Holy night, a little star above a simple manger with the virgin Mary and Joseph and the Messiah. However you want to decorate, do it with understanding and always point to the reason for the season, Jesus.
The Birth of Jesus the Christ – Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Merry Christmas
Pastor Quick
