Happy Birthday Jesus!

How do you celebrate your birthday. Birthday Cake? Candles on the cake? Receiving gifts and having the Happy Birthday song sung to you? Gathering with friends and family to celebrate? It is a time of celebrating another year of life and living. Today is the day we celebrate the birthday of Jesus. How will we celebrate this birthday? The dynamic of Christmas day being on a Sunday is especially interesting. Though it makes life for families of small children a little difficult, it is a day to set aside a few hours and worship the Christ child.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

We have been so blessed by a Heavenly Father who loved us so much He sent His son to die for our sins. I recently read a friends thoughts about that little two letter word, so. God so loved! God so loved the World! God so loved me!

John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

A beautiful Christmas song that I love is about welcoming this Christ-child into our world - "Welcome to Our World".

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking

How we need to hear from God

You've been promised, we've been waiting

Welcome Holy Child

Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger

How I wish we would have known

But long-awaited Holy Stranger

Make Yourself at home

Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence

Bid our hungry souls be filled

Word now breaking Heaven's silence

Welcome to our world

Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us

Tender brow prepared for thorn

Tiny heart whose blood will save us

Unto us is born

Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You

Breathe our air and walk our sod

Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God

Perfect Son of God

Welcome to our world

Listen at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrgwL5r7IcU

A few phrases are my favorites:

“Bid our hungry souls be filled” is a prayer for my soul. I never want to get to the place that I don't need my heart and soul to be filled with Him; His Presence, His Peace, His Power.

“Rob our sin and make us holy” is a prayer of repentance. Dear Jesus, take away my sin and make me holy in your sight.

Perhaps other lines of this song will speak to your heart. On this Christmas Day 2016, let us worship the Christ child, celebrate His birthday and welcome Him to our world.

Merry Christmas!

The Perfect Gift

“Mom, what do you want for Christmas?” This is a question I get this time of year and it stumps me every time because I don't know what I want. I really don't need anything and my wants are too expensive for those asking the question! This time of year there are many people scurrying around looking for the perfect gift for their loved ones. This makes me think of the Most Perfect Gift, Jesus!

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus is the perfect gift because he left the glories of heaven to come to a sinful world. He came as a baby, pure and holy,  God and man, so that He could save us from our sins. He came to be a Redeemer, a Savior, a Friend.

Matthew 1:18, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 1:23,24, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” We find the reference to the Godhead (the Trinity) being the Word in John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Father God created us from the beginning of time so that He could have fellowship with us. He sent His Son, Jesus, to bridge the gap that was caused by sin so that we can be in right relationship with Him. I John 1:7, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Enjoying His Presence is more important than presents anytime of year but especially during the Christmas season as we celebrate His birthday.

When someone gives us a gift, we need to reach out and take the gift – we need to accept it! Otherwise, the giver can't give us the gift. The same is true of this Perfect Gift – we need to reach out and accept it. We do this by asking God for forgiveness of our sins and asking Jesus to live in our heart. This is when we experience what this verse is talking about: II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

So for this Christmas season, if you don't know Jesus as your Savior, He is the Perfect Gift you can receive. And if you already know Jesus as your Savior, He is the Perfect Gift you can give!

Christmas is . . .

An Alaskan girl was seen by her teacher admiring a beautiful sunset when the teacher suggested that she try to put the scene on canvas. She replied, “Oh, I can't draw glory”.

Christmas is God's picture of glory. Hebrews 1:1-3, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

Sometimes I feel like that girl when I try to write words on paper. How does one express all the many thoughts and blessings of Christmas? I'll try but I know it is limitless.

Christmas is music, fun and laughter. Christmas is cooking, baking and cleaning. Christmas is plays, recitations and caroling. Christmas is family, friends, and fellowship. Christmas is the story of a baby that was born to die. Christmas is a time of joy and gladness. Christmas is sweet aroma's coming from the kitchen, decorations in the house, maybe snow on the ground. Christmas is the happy squeals of children in anticipation of gifts and candy. Christmas is a renewed sense of appreciation for God's greatest gift of His Son. Christmas is shopping, wrapping gifts and decorating a tree. Christmas is good cheer and the wish for peace among all men. Christmas is turkey, ham, cookies and fruit cake. Christmas is poinsettia's, holly and mistletoe. Christmas is a time of sharing, a time of loving, a time of worship. Christmas is all this and more.

It is what we make it as we contemplate what God meant it to be when He sent His son to earth in the form of an infant. That baby held all the promise of salvation for all who would believe. The promise is the same today. Matthew 1:21, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” Are you looking for a Savior? Do you need to have your sins forgiven? Do you want to be a part of the family of God? I implore you to take advantage of the reason for the season – Jesus! He came to save you and me. How sad to go through this time of year and not experience the true meaning of Christmas, Christ in your heart.

Claim your Christmas gift from God, Christ your Savior, who has been prepared before the foundation of the world.

Note: This was originally written by Anita McIlveen, December 1985 as an article in the Altoona Brethren in Christ Church newsletter.

How Can I See Through Dirty Glasses?

A week ago I was sitting in a vehicle with the bright sunlight streaming in past my face. I was facing away from the light so it was showing me how dirty my glasses were. And I wondered to myself, “How can I even see through all this dirt? And how did they get so dirty without me noticing it? I came to the conclusion that it happened so subtly that I got used to each layer of dust and dirt and didn't realize the dirty condition of my glasses. And a light bulb went off in my mind! It took the light to show me how dirty my glasses were and it takes the light of Jesus to show us our sinful hearts. Just as we have to clean our glasses to see better, we must confess our sins to have a clean heart. I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This is how sin sneaks up on us, just a little here and a little there and then, wham! It hits us that we have fallen into sin. But I have good news! Jesus came to earth to be the Light of the World. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Daniel 2:22 tells us, “He reveals deep hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.” Once we see our sinful hearts there is no need for despair. In I John 1:9 we read, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We have many scriptures that give us promises if we walk in light:

I John 1:5, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

I John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Psalm 18:28, “For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.”

In Acts 26:18, Saul was sent to preach so that the people would, “open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

In Isaiah 42, we have this prophetic promise: vs6. “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you”; vs 16, “I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.”

As we are in the beginning of the Advent season our hearts and minds go to the Christmas story and the coming of Jesus as a baby into our sinful world. During this time of year we have many lights: candles, stars, Christmas lights on our tree, perhaps on our mantle, and outside decorations. Lets be reminded of the true Light, Jesus. He is the reason for the season, He is our Light.

John 12:46, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”