Circuit Rider - December 2009

From The Pastor's Desk

What is the message of Christmas? The message of Christmas is, "You matter to God." You matter to God so much that He sent Jesus Christ to earth to let you know that you matter to Him. That's the whole message of Christmas.

There is a word that we'll hear more and more in the next month. The most used word in this season is the word "gift". You will be out frantically searching for gifts, finding the right gift at the right place at the right price. Where did all that come from anyway? The tradition of gift giving began because God gave you a gift at the very first Christmas. God has a gift for you and His gift is Jesus Christ. It's a person.

"The angel said, 'Don't be afraid! I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everybody.
Today your Savior is born. He is Christ the Lord. Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be
peace among people who please God.'" Luke 2:10-14

I think it's significant that the very first thing the angel said to people when he announced that Jesus is born is "Don't be afraid." Some people are afraid of God. But Jesus Christ came to earth not to scare us but to save us. That is why he came as a baby. Who is afraid of a baby?

If God wanted to relate to cows, He would have become a cow. If He wanted to relate to birds, He would have become a bird. But He wanted to relate to human beings so He came to earth as a human being. He came into the world the same way all of us came into the world. As a birth.

This Christmas accept God's gift of happiness, of hope and of harmony. These are the side benefits of receiving God's big gift, Jesus Christ.

The angel said, "I bring you the most joyful news ever announced." He says I want you to be happy. God is not some cosmic kill joy in the sky, standing up there waiting to deal you a bummer, waiting to make your life miserable. God says, "I come to give you great news of great joy. And the first gift God wants you to have is He wants you to be happy, joyful. Jesus said, "I came to give life -- life in all its fullness." Enjoy it! God wants you to make the most of your life, not to waste it or abuse it, but to make your life count. Have you accepted God's gift of joy!

The scripture says, "Today your Savior was born." God sent us a Savior. What is salvation?
What does it mean? It means three things. It means forgiveness for your past, it means freedom from the problems that mess you up in the present, and it means fulfillment in eternity. Forgiveness, freedom and fulfillment. That's what it means. But you've got to accept God's gift.

Then it says, "Let there be peace among the people." God wants you to have good relationships with other people, not just with Him. Christmas is a time for reconciliation. It's a time to break down barriers, build bridges, restore relationships that have been broken and damaged. It's a time to say, "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

For many people, Christmas is a very tense time because it means dealing with relatives you have unresolved issues with. Christmas is a time for reconciliation. First you get peace with God and once you've got peace with God, then you get the peace of God in your life. Once you've got the peace of God then you can have peace with other people.

I encourage you this Christmas to open up the gift God's given you and receive Him into your life. It's real simple. All you do is ask Him.

See you in Worship - Pastor John