Grace For The Journey

  Because this is the week before Christmas, I would focus my thoughts on preparing us for Christmas – to shift our focus away from the “commercialism” of Christmas and to the “Christ” of Christmas.  My prayer is that we might experience afresh the passion and power of waiting on God during these last few days leading up to Christmas Day.

I don’t talk with many people who do not anticipate Christmas Day.  Certainly there is much to look forward to.  I am not talking about looking forward to the gifts we will receive or the end of all the festivities and activities … I am talking about the importance of the coming of Christ.  There has been many “arrivals” that the world has anticipated and needed:  The invention of the light bulb … the invention of the automobile … the invention of the computer … the invention of the cell phone …  These have all benefited and helped man in his life.  However, the coming of Christ into this world has benefited and helped man more than anything else man might discover or develop.

At Christmas, we celebrate two profound events in the life of one promised person . . .

The two are (1) the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem; and (2) His promised return when He will consummate His kingdom.

The promised person, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus truly is the reason for the season!  However, in our increasingly secular society, the Christmas season –  with all the “gifts we are buying, family, church, and company gathering and parties we’re attending hosting, as well as making sure we have enough marshmallows and chestnuts for roasting” –  has a tendency to “X” Christ out of our hearts and minds if we aren’t careful.

Christmas should remind us,

Not only of the coming of our Savior,

But of our continual need of Him day by day.

At Christmas we are reminded of God’s plan of salvation that provided salvation for us then, and, if we have repented of our sin and accepted Jesus as Savior, is saving us now.  God not only saves us from the penalty of our sin; He saves us from the power of sin.  The biblical description of salvation teaches that God is saving us daily from our old way of living and empowering us to live a new way – with a new heart, new goals, new desires, and a new direction in life.

Remembering Christmas helps us to

Keep these Gospel truths in clear vision.

It is my prayer that the rest of this week’s blogs will help us all to be ready, willing, and able to celebrate – not so much the presents under the tree, but the Present who made the tree and was nailed to it in our place, taking on Himself all our sin and giving us His righteousness, that we might be right with God and have eternal life.

May this week’s blogs be a source of encouragement that will strengthen your hope and sharpen your focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, who has come and is coming again.

As the Bible promises in Revelation 22:20, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus!”

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”