The Christ of Christmas

We can not expect the world to worship Jesus Christ, but the world should expect us to worship Him. It is time to stop the whining and complaining and start worshiping Him in word and deed. If Christ be preached and Salvation brought before the masses, so be it.

Let us celebrate Christmas as it meant to be.

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. — Colossians 2:16–17

As we journey to the heart of Christmas, many christian's whine and complain about celebrating Christ’s birth mostly, that when Christmas was originally instituted, December 25 was a pagan festival commemorating the birthday of a false god.

Yes this is a true fact ." Dr. Paul Maier, eminent professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, “The Romans of the time not only celebrated their Saturnalia festival at the close of December, but they also thought that December 25 marked the date of the winter solstice (instead of December 21), when they observed the pagan feast of Sol Invictus, the Unconquerable Sun, which was just in the act of turning about to aim northward once again.”

And yes while this is indeed historical, what is often overlooked is the reason the early Christian church chose December 25.

The purpose was not to Christianize a time of pagan celebration, but to establish a rival celebration to point one to Christ.

Christmas (from Old English Crīstes +mœ ̄sse “Christ’s festival”) was designated as a spiritual holiday (holy day) on which to proclaim the majesty, the Lordship, God's only begotten Son Jesus Christ in the flesh over the superstitions of false gods made of silver, gold and stone such as saturn, the god of agriculture, and sol invictus, the unconquerable sun god.

The world has all but forgotten the Greco-Roman gods of antiquity, annually we celebrate that two thousand years ago the Christ child the only hope of humanity left heaven's splendor to live among us as we live.

As Christians we should celebrate the First Advent of Christ, while simultaneously rejoicing and anticipating the Second Advent in which the He will establish His Kingdom the old ways will pass away and all things will be made new.

'Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,’ declares the LORD. ‘Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.' — Zechariah 2:10–11

Act 17:16-31 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Then also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, "What is this pseudo-intellectual trying to say? " Others replied, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities" -- because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the Resurrection. 19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, "May we learn about this new teaching you're speaking of? 20 For what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these ideas mean." 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new. 22 Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it -- He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 28 For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' Being God's offspring then, we shouldn't think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination. "Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead."

Thank God for #StarbucksRedCup

We are given every opportunity to share the gospel by a Holy and Omnipotent God, we must learn to seize the opportunity instead of squander it.

Look at the Starbucks cup, red , green and white, Three colors to share the gospel message in under 5 minutes with any and everyone.

Red = for the precious blood of Jesus that was shed for you and I , His blood washes away the stain of our sins and cleanses us.

White = is now how God sees us cleansed and made new by the blood and sacrifice of Jesus for He took the penalty for each us.

Green = everlasting life that we are now given because of this gift of salvation we can receive because Jesus have His life on the cross and shed His blood so we may be saved and live with Him.

We must simply acknowledge our sins and repent before Him and ask Jesus to forgive us and come into our lives and change us, and save us from ourselves and from sin and death.

Look the world is the world, it has and will always reject the light, but still we are to shine the light, and go with Him wherever we  we go.

Let's not waste time protesting, let us start proclaiming the good news from the mountain tops, the coffee shops, our neighborhoods and the work places God has set before us.

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.   For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God. “This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it,   so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by   the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

John 3:16-21

The vanity of life

Have you ever thought about the year were born, the place you were born,the family you were born into, the life that you have been given, the talents you have, the gifts you have?

In any of the things mentioned above did you make any of the choices above? Or has God ordained each of these moments on your life?

Most of the time we never take time to think about these things,we just accept that this is how life works, even God's children never take time to dwell on what we are,where we are and who we are.

When God created us, placed us, and formatted our lives it was and is for a purpose, there are no coincidences, nothing is left to fate , or karma. Each detail of our lives is ordained by God, now I am not saying we are mindless creatures , we make choices along the way that God does not want us to make, and we deal with the consequences of those choices.

Free will comes into play once we become a child of God, until then we unwillingly serve sin.

But things in our lives  happen as God molds us into the men and women He created us to be, if we with child like faith would trust Him with all areas of our lives, our lives would be in harmony with His plan.

Today you and I are given another opportunity to slow down, reflect, meditate on God's word, and see the hands of God at work in our lives. So submit, surrender and start living today as He has planned.

Proverbs 23:26 HCSB

My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.

ECC 3:1-8 HCSB

There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

Psalms 25:1, 4-5, 10 HCSB

Lord ,  I turn to You.   Make Your ways known to me, Lord ; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long. All the Lord ’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenant and decrees.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 HCSB

For I know the plans I have for you”  — this is the Lord ’s declaration — “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.   You will seek Me  and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Romans 8:28-32 HCSB

We know that all things work together  for the good  of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.   For those He foreknew He also predestined  to be conformed to the image of His Son,  so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.   And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified;  and those He justified, He also glorified. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?

Worship the King

When Jesus Christ was born angelic host filled the sky, they appeared to the shepherds who were watching their flock.

The shepherds were in awe of the angels and they went to where the angels told them Jesus lay, and they were more  in awe of God giving us His Son and Him being born into this world, and they worshipped him.

We have lost this awe why don't we worship the King Jesus as the shepherds did the night he was born ? Do we need signs and wonders or can we just look back at all that God has done for us through Jesus Christ His Son.

God gave us His all, we have lost our love of God ,we no longer worship Him but we worship what He's created.

God forgive us,  as Christmas season starts let us focus on Jesus Christ the Son ,God's gift to mankind who brought us  salvation.  He brought us hope He brought us peace He brought us love without Jesus Christ we would be lost: lost to an eternity of darkness oh people of the world my plea is turn to Him today. Stop looking for signs and wonders for they are happening before your very eyes. I pray we worship Him not as a baby but as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

LUK 2:4-20 HCSB

And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth  in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,  because he was of the house and family line of David,   to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him  and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough — because there was no room for them at the lodging place. In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord  stood before  them,  and the glory of the Lord  shone around them, and they were terrified.   But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid,  for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:   Today a Savior,  who is Messiah  the Lord,  was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you:  You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth  to people He favors!    When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed  at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things  in her heart  and meditating on them. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God  for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.