"And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to ALL people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:9-11 NKJV
You don't have to look very long to see that our country is divided. We are divided in our views of politics, social issues, faith, etc. When there is division you get the subtle idea that you can't please all people...so pick a side. Hopefully you pick the right side, because nobody wants to be on the wrong side. Unfortunately, the spirit of division has crept into the Christmas season. Even some headlines declare there's a "war" on Christmas. Again, the unspoken message is "pick a side".
I am so thankful that 2000 years ago that God didn't choose a side. He could have, but the good news is, He didn't. His first declaration of the birth of His son was "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to ALL people". Sadly, this message has been lost in our culture and traditions. Even among those who are "pro-Christmas".
The biggest stigma given to Christmas is that it's a "religious" holiday. With that connotation it makes Christmas appear to be an exclusive holiday. This notion could not be further from the truth. Christmas isn't just a day to be celebrated by a particular group, it is an act of God's love towards all people. Love came down from heaven and invaded earth for all to behold!
The original Christmas was not part of God's plan to build a multi-denominational religion or to create a society of law abiding citizens. That first Christmas morning was an expression of a Father's heart. Not just in the birth of His Son, but for us to all become sons and daughters. "Yet to ALL who received Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12 NIV).
This Christmas, no matter which side you find yourself on, I hope that you are able to remove yourself from all the distractions and focus on the Father's amazing love for you. Merry Christmas to ALL!
The original Christmas was not part of God's plan to build a multi-denominational religion or to create a society of law abiding citizens. That first Christmas morning was an expression of a Father's heart. Not just in the birth of His Son, but for us to all become sons and daughters. "Yet to ALL who received Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12 NIV).
This Christmas, no matter which side you find yourself on, I hope that you are able to remove yourself from all the distractions and focus on the Father's amazing love for you. Merry Christmas to ALL!
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