Saturday, December 24, 2016

Christmas 2016: Reflections

When God says …….

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 KJV)

Signals the season of festivities for His arrival into our world.

That's Christmas!

What a very beautiful, meaningful and powerful word ever!

It is beautiful as it portrays the magnificent expression of love ever displayed. A loving God sending His only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ stepping down into the earth He created to embrace His prodigal creation – all men, women and children who have been caught in the spiral roll of sin in a corrupted world. Yes, we all needed a Savior. And, out of His love He came to save us by His grace (Ephesians 2:8 NIV) and mercy so we can be with Him in eternity. He designed us to live in eternity where there are only two choices – eternal life or eternal death. God wants us to choose life, by accepting our Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts by faith to be our Savior. (Romans 10:9 NKJV). It is simple. Just accept Him and trust in Him and stay with Him by keeping ourselves fed by His Words – The Holy Bible.

It is meaningful as Christmas embodies His grace and mercy. You see, He does not expect us to work hard to impress Him with our self effort of goodness and perfection. He is already impressed with us. He loves us and nothing can ever change that. (Romans 8:31-39 NLT). He does not need our goodness and perfection. We can’t be. We are flawed in everything and every way. All He wants from us is have faith in Jesus and put our trust in the work He has done which He finished by dying in our place on the cross. Yes, He died so that we may live both flourishing in this world and rejoicing in eternity. No other father ever did that for us. Only Him, whose love for us is relentless. What a meaningful word it is. Christmas is God loving us!

It is a very powerful word to reflect on. This reminds us that when our Lord Jesus touched ground on earth at His birth in the manger in the little town of Bethlehem, a transformation occurred. The earth is changed. A world that was once hopeless is now hopeful. This world is now a Paradise restored in Christ. And, everyone who accepts Jesus the Lord of his/her life will become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV). Yes, in Christ, we can live in the new paradise where all the provisions of grace are made available. And yes, there will still be challenges and trials and upheavals as we are still in the flesh. But, as we are in Christ, we can be at peace even in the middle of the turmoil of the world. When our Lord Jesus died on the cross, it did not end there. By His wounds, He healed our disease. He defeated death – ‘Where, O death, is your sting?’ (1 Corinthians 15:55). He rose from the dead to give us the power of His grace and mercy to live a victorious life, here on earth and in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV).

This is why to me, Christmas is the most beautiful, meaningful and powerful word ever in the English lexicon. I trust it will always be. It is because Lord Jesus came. I can rest in this assurance: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 NLT)

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I love you all!

In Jesus name,

And I say … AMEN!