THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL...JESUS!
What is the first thing you remember about Christmas?
When was the first time you heard the Christmas story...learning about Jesus' birth?
How did you respond when you first heard about the real meaning of Christmas?
We know now that the greatest gift that was given to humanity was Jesus!
- Did you understand the first time you heard about the greatest gift...Jesus...and the greatest gift He offered to you...eternal life/Salvation/a way to be with God forever?
Since the 4th Century, Christmas is celebrated on 25th of December. Why?
The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336,
during the reign of the emperor Constantine. As Constantine had made Christianity
the effective religion of the empire, some have speculated that choosing this
date had the political motive of weakening the established pagan celebrations.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday
and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For nearly two millennia,
people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices
that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas
Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader
(Savior to the Christian world) whose teachings form the basis of their religion.
Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending
church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa
Claus to arrive. December 25-Christmas Day-has been a federal holiday in the
United States since 1870.
Isn't it odd that there are more people trying to prove that Jesus was not born on December 25th than those that believe it to be so?
Do we know that December 25th was the actual day Jesus was born? No...is the answer. However, I am thankful we have set aside a day of the year when we can hear about our Savior and realize the importance of Jesus' birth. Thank God for Jesus being born! Without his birth (born of a virgin and fathered by God through the power of the Holy Spirit), we would not be able to celebrate our "new birth" in Christ Jesus. Being "born again" is an experience we, as Christians, should celebrate every day.
Why is the Christmas story so important? Answer: It brings joy and peace when nobody or anything else can!
Let's think of some positive synonyms/adjectives that we, as Christians, might make as our New Year's Resolutions:
C complimentary, caring, compassionate, committed
H humble, honest, honorable, helpful
R respectful, responsible, reliable, resourceful
I inspiring, integrity, imaginative, informed
S self-disciplined, seeker of truth, steadfast, serving, spirited
T teachable, temperate, thankful, thoughtful
M mindful, make a difference for good, motivated, merciful, meek
A admirable, appreciative, amiable, ambitious toward godly thinking.
S self-controlled in troublesome times, sympathetic toward others.
All of these positive traits we would like to see from ourselves will not be because we wrote down what we are going to try and achieve within ourselves. Only when we "do it" will we improve our countenance and learn to enjoy our resolve to stretch ourselves to be all God wants us to be.
Check yourself at the halfway point in 2022 and see if you, with the Holy Spirit's help, have been successful in improving our relationship with God, family, others...and ourselves!
