The Wonder of Christmas

Wonder is part of Christmas.  The word “wonder” means “to marvel, to be amazed, or to stand in awe.”  So, what is it about Christmas that causes people to wonder?  Some people wonder at Christmas time because they see such things as: Christmas trees and brightly colored lights. Others have a sense of wonder when they see the snow glistening in the moonlight or hear the snow crunch under their feet as they walk.  Still others tend to wonder when they see beautiful Christmas decorations, hear or sing Christmas carols, or watch a church Christmas program.  These things, enjoyed by most everyone, are all part of the Christmas season.  However, there is something else about Christmas that causes people to wonder.  This wonder is found in the most famous verse in the Bible – John 3:16 – which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  Let’s examine the wonder of Christmas from this biblical perspective.

1)      God’s Motive.  The wonder of Christmas begins with God’s motive which is one of love.  Why did God send the Christ-child to be born in a manger?  Why did God speak to the shepherds on the Bethlehem hillside telling them about the Savior’s birth?  Why did the wise men come to worship the newborn king?  God did these things to share His love for us.  The verse begins, “For God so loved the world,” means that He wrapped his love in the person of His one and only son, Jesus, and sent him to “The world” – to all people, including you and me.  “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

2)      God’s Method.  The wonder of Christmas continues with God’s method which is the act of giving.  The verse simply says that “He gave.”  At Christmas we give gifts to family members and friends to demonstrate our love for them.  God did the same for us.  He loved us so much that he gave us his son to show his great love for us.  “He [Jesus] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree [cross], so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (I Peter 2:24).

3)      God’s Miracle.  The wonder of Christmas is God’s miracle which is explained as eternal life.  When Jesus died on the cross he made it possible for us to have a right relationship with God and experience “eternal life.”  This miracle is available for everyone who “believes in Him.”  Belief in him is needed along with reception of him.  The Bible tells us, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

Maybe it is time for you and me to look at Christmas in a new light through this significant bible verse.  Think about it: God’s motive is love, God’s method is giving, and God’s miracle is eternal life.  “He who has the son has life; he who does not have the son of God does not have life” (I John 5:12). This Christmas wonder can be yours when you believe in Christ and receive him by faith.  Why not make the Christmas wonder part of your celebration this year?

Get Ready. Get Set. Give Thanks!

What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things in your possession that you thanked God for today?  If that were the case, what might you have to enjoy or share?  If you are honest with yourself, most likely you could count on one hand what you thanked God for yesterday and probably have some fingers left.  By human nature we are an ungrateful people.  We so easily fall into the rut of thinking that things will be much the same today as they were yesterday, so we get in the “lean back and relax” mode.  If it were not for the grace of God, we would be woefully lacking in many of the necessities of life.

Usually, the Thanksgiving season is the time of year when people express thanks in some manner.  It is good for us to give thanks.  The Bible helps express this importance when the Apostle Paul instructs people to give thanks.  Notice that along with thankfulness, joyfulness and prayer are also included.  He says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18).   In another place he says, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything” (Ephesians 5:20).  Look carefully at the qualifications for these three activities.

1)      Joyfulness is to constantly be a part of our lives

2)      Prayer should be made repeatedly

3)      Thanksgiving should be expressed in all situations

According to these verses the giving of thanks is not to be reserved for just one season of the year.  Thanks to God ought to overflow from our hearts and be expressed from our lips every day of the year.  Here are three questions to ask yourself as you work your way through the Thanksgiving season.

 1) Am I joyful always?

2) Do I Pray continually?

3) Do I Give thanks in all circumstances?

Giving thanks should be a daily activity.  Let’s make sure that the fruit of our lips express thanks to God and the actions of our hands and feet show our thankfulness to Him and to others.  Let’s not relegate the giving of thanks to Thanksgiving Day in November.  So, Get ready. Get set. Give thanks!  And – and give thanks again and again.

Complete Transformation

Often a home or a facility can be refreshed and transformed on the inside without a change being seen on the outside.  For example, the addition of a fresh coat of paint can make a dramatic change.  The drab turns attractive; the dull becomes bright; the dreary turns out to be cheerful; and the uninteresting develops into something attention-grabbing.  I believe a dramatic change can happen not only in a facility, but in the lives of people.  Obviously, people do not need a coat of paint, but they need a transformation.  The Apostle Paul suggested a life-change for individuals when he wrote these words: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2). Here are three questions about human transformation.

1)      What does it mean to be transformed?  To transform means to renovate, refurbish, repair, restore, or mend.  In the verse above the word that was used for “transformed” has to do with a metamorphous – a complete change.  This change is similar to the way a butterfly emerges from a cocoon that was spun by a worm.

2)      How does transformation take place?  Transformation is made possible by a force that is outside of the individual.  The Bible tells us that force is “the Lord” who is “the Spirit.”  Scripture also says, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (II Corinthians 3:18). It is God the Holy Spirit who transforms individual lives.

3)      In what way does human transformation take place?  Change takes place through renewal.  To “renew” means to restore or to make new.  It is God who does the renewing as shown in the text – “comes from the Lord” – and the renewal begins with our minds – “renewing of your mind”.  “Renew” here means that the transformation is continuous, and the change is ongoing.  In another scripture the Apostle Paul reminds us that we are being “made new in the attitude of your minds” (Ephesians 4:23).  God makes the transformation in the minds, hearts, and lives of people.  And it is by faith that we need God’s help as we become more like Jesus daily.

Think about these questions: (1) Are you determined that you will not be conformed to the pattern of this world?  (2) Has your life been transformed by God?  (3) Has the attitude of your mind been made new by God’s renewing power?  You can enjoy a complete transformation and be part of God’s forever family when you put your trust in God.  Scripture tells us that, “He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name” (John 1:12, NLV).  It also tells that that we can enjoy eternal life, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever” (John 3:16).  Let God completely transform you and make you a brand-new person.

Being Refreshed

It is easy to bend under a load of concern and the burdens of life which tend to weigh us down.  Whether the weight is physical, mental, or emotional we become exhausted and extremely tired shouldering this concern.  Sometimes we are so tired that we do not even have enough energy to pray.  Of course, God knows all about that inability but He still wants us to come to Him despite our feelings so we can be refreshed.

If we want to do the best job that we can possibly do, we need refreshment – physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual.  To be refreshed means to be energized, restored, rejuvenated, or invigorated.  Often, we experience refreshment when we simply take time to rest our bodies.  Other times refreshment comes to us when we spend time in quiet meditation – reading God’s Word and thinking about what it says.  Periodically we can also be refreshed by people, especially those that excel in expressing positive words and acts of kindness.  Here's what the scripture tells us about being refreshed.

1)      God’s word always refreshes.  “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul” (Psalm 19:7).

2)      Refreshing comes when we turn to God.  “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

3)      Refreshing someone else can bring personal refreshment.  A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25).

4)      Friends can supply refreshment.  “May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains” (II Timothy 1:16).

5)      Some refreshment comes from eating.  “Refresh yourself with something to eat” (Judges 19:5).

6)      Other refreshment comes as we rest.  Of God it was said, “On the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:17).

We constantly need refreshment, and we need to remember that we can also assist in the refreshment of others.  Why not ask God to help you experience the refreshment you need and make you a good refresher of others through the words that you say, the actions that you take, and the care that you give.

Summer's Lesson

When people think about “summer” the name seems to conjure up different meanings.  For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is the season that falls between spring and fall, from late May to late September.  To others summer is the three months of June, July and August.  Still others consider summer to be the months of July and August – the hottest months of the year.  Can you believe that some people consider summer as just the month of August? The Bible has a lot to say about summer and here are some of the things it explains.

1)      God created the summer.  “It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter” (Psalm 74:17).

2)      Summer will always bring heat.  “For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer” (Psalm 32:4).

3)      As the earth exists there will be summer.  “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (Genesis 8:22).

4)      Some people use summer for saving food.  “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!  It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest” (Proverbs 6:6-8).

5)      Wisdom considers summer a time to gather produce.  “He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son” (Proverbs 10:5).

6)      Living water will one day flow in both summer and winter.  “On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter” (Zechariah 14:8).

All of these things are interesting; however, think for a moment about another idea regarding summer.  Summer and harvest represent God’s opportunities for us to repent. That is an interesting concept, but even those times will pass as the scripture states.  “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20).  How would you answer these two questions: (1) Have you repented?  The Scripture says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).  (2) Are you ready for the Lord’s return?  The Bible says, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:44). So, let’s learn a lesson from summer and take the action that God suggests in His Word.

Spiritual Freedom

Something that all Americans enjoy is patriotic freedom.  We live in a land that has been bought with a great price paid by many Americans sacrificing their lives to assure our liberty.  We need to thank God for the freedom we have and remember those who gave themselves so we might enjoy our country’s independence.  Patriotic freedom, however, is not the only freedom available to us.  The Bible tells us about spiritual freedom.  In the scriptures we discover where spiritual freedom is found, what it does, and how we can experience it.  Here are five truths from the Bible about this freedom.

1)      God wants us to be free.  The Apostle Paul said, “You, my brothers were called to be free…” (Galatians 5:13). Peter reaffirmed that statement when he said, “Live as free men…” (I Peter 2:16).

2)      Freedom is found in Christ.  Again, Paul notes, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…” (Galatians 5:1). He also said, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (II Corinthians 3:17).

3)      God’s Word directs us to freedom.  The Psalmist identified where he found spiritual freedom when he said, “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts” (Psalm 119:45). Jesus adds to that statement by saying, “…the perfect law gives freedom…” (James 1:25).

4)      Having faith in Christ means that we can boldly come into God’s presence.  Scripture proclaims, “In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).

5)      Freedom should never be used for ungodly practices.  The Apostle Peter said, “…Do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil…” (I Peter 2:16). Paul comments, “…But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).

Are you grateful for your patriotic freedom?  Are you experiencing spiritual freedom?  Why not take a step towards the Savior today?  If you have never responded to God in faith, do it now.  When you do you will enjoy the spiritual freedom about which the Bible speaks.

Worth and Dignity

When we hear the words “worth” and “dignity” when applied to people we should remember that everyone has been created by God and made in His image.  That means that each person has intrinsic value and God views them as having great worth.  Since God has such a high view of people, we should view them the same way.  These two concepts should be more than nice-sounding words to us.  They should be backed up by the actions we take that show that people are extremely important.

“Worth” has to do with the great value people have because they are the handiwork of God.  “Dignity” has to do with honor, esteem, and respect.  Both worth and dignity are terms that should be used to emphasize that every individual has an essential right to be highly valued, honorably respected, and sensitively treated.

The Bible affirms the worth and dignity of everyone when it says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).  Notice several aspects of this verse.

1. “God” - The God of the Universe conceived, designed, and formed people exactly the way He wanted them to be.
2. “Workmanship” - God’s craftsmanship has been exhibited with divine skill that indicates his creation is the very best possible work that could ever be done.
3. “In Christ Jesus” - The image in which we have been created is that of Jesus Christ, God's one and only son.
4. “To do good works” - The purpose individuals need is to be involved in excellent good works – the very best that we can possibly do.
5. “Prepared in advance” - The good works we are to accomplish have been planned for us by God Himself and take place though us living a godly life.

The principles of fairness, justice and honorable treatment are meant for everyone.  In scripture, the Apostle Paul reminds us that this principle needs to be broadly applied to each person when he said, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.” (Galatians 6:10).  How do you view other people?  Do you see them as individuals having great worth and dignity and worthy of great respect according to God’s standards?  Ephesians 2:10 (see above) should give us the motivation to make worth and dignity top priority as we interact with people.