Christmas Reminder

Luke 2:11-14, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (NKJV)

There are two more days before we enter into the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. But that is really a misstatement for Christians. I for one celebrate Jesus Christ on a daily basis because I am able to recognize His presence being with me on a consistent basis. I do not need neither do I want my recognition of the presence of Christ to be based on a "holiday" that only rolls around once a year. I want to be sensitive to the fact that Christ is at work in my heart and life on a daily basis and I desire to respond to His presence with praise, adoration, thanksgiving, exaltation and with a personal testimony to the goodness of God. 

My heart was drawn to some important points of remembrance during a conversation with a dear friend of mine who has encountered several health issues over the past few years. One of the points that I will share today was inspired through the words that he spoke to me. Each of these points should be a "given" for each of us but honestly speaking it is very easy to take for granted those blessings that God has provided for us. We can find ourselves either so captured by the good times of life or so overwhelmed by the challenging moments of life that we fail to fully put things into the proper perspective. 

1) We should remember on this Christmas Day to offer thanks to God for the opportunity and privilege to have a relationship with Him. It was the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that opened the door of salvation for each one who would say yes to His invitation. 

2) We should remember on this Christmas Day to offer thanks to God for the family and friends that God has placed in our lives. We understand that no one us has a perfect family or a perfect group of friends but we do recognize and appreciate the impact and influence that each one of them has had on our lives. On a personal note, I am thankful for my wife, my children and their wives as well as our grandchildren. I am thankful for my Mom, siblings and their families. I am thankful for my in-laws as well as their families. I would like to give recognition to my Dad as well as Ann's Mother and Dad. These special people will not be present with us in a physical manner but they are certainly "alive" in our hearts, in our memories and through the lessons of life that they taught us. Each of them are in the presence of God but they are also in our presence through the impact and influence that they imparted to their families. 

3) We should remember on this Christmas Day to thank God for the church family that He has given to us. Our church family is certainly not perfect either but we do know that they have our backs so to speak and we understand that we can count on their prayers, support, and encouragement. We do not need to take for granted those who serve among us and those who are willing to invest their time and effort into our lives.

4) LAST BUT NOT LEAST!! We should remember on this Christmas Day or Christmas Eve Day to pray with our family. It is important for the leaders of the family to pray for the younger members of the family. We must take seriously the need to "stand in the gap" for one another. We need each other and we need to support each other in Prayer.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE WILLINGHAM'S!!!