Words to End and Begin

It's the end of the of the year ~ and the beginning of a new year.

To celebrate endings and beginnings, I leave you with these words ~

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 nothing was made that was made.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it. ~ John 1:1-5

"I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End," says the Lord,
"who is and who was and who is to come,
the Almighty." ~ Revelation 1:8

Gift

There is more to this Christmas story ~

...watch and be utterly astounded! For I (the Lord) will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told to you. ~ Habakkuk 1:5

The modern church has tried to make God more relevant by humanizing Him, but God was the one who first started this trend by making Himself accessible through His Son. Jesus was sent to us as a baby. A man child. He was sent to reveal the Father.

The truth be told, believing in Jesus Christ is a leap of faith. He came as one of us but He is not us. He defies our understanding of Him. He defies our way of thinking about what is real, what is truth. But the more I come to know Him, the more I come to know my heavenly Father ~ and the more I love them both.

This year our family did not do the usual gift exchanges. We took our eyes off what we wanted and what we were going to give. We took our eyes off the enticing sales and the pretty gift wrapping. We renewed our focus instead on the real gift of Christmas ~ relationship. Relationship with each other, with our friends, with our neighbors, with strangers, but most of all, with our God.

Happy Birthday to Us

There is more to this Christmas story ~

Today is my birthday. I used to hate having it so close to Christmas. After all, Christ's birth got all the attention and my birthday was an after thought. When I was a kid my mom even moved my birthday celebration to March so I wouldn't get slighted.

As I got older, I began to enjoy one of the perks of a holiday birthday ~ no school day, and eventually no work day, thanks to Christmas vacation! When I turned 25 I even decided that it was okay to drop the March gig and celebrate my birthday on the anniversary of my real birth day.

And then I came to know Jesus and He was no longer a competitor for birthday attention. The importance of His birthday far outweighed the celebration of mine and I was okay for it to be so. Oh sure, the world decorates for Him, not me. It breaks out in song for Him, not me. It has all the festive activities for Him, not me. But He comes to me every birthday and whispers in my ear, "I love you, sweet child and rejoice that you are Mine." It doesn't get better than that.

Hung Out Not Hung Up

There is more to this Christmas story ~

Jesus doesn't need or seek our approval. That's one of the things I love about Him. He doesn't get hung up about fitting into the world's expectations. He came as a human baby. Born to a poor young virgin. In a stable. And He didn't get bogged down explaining or justifying His paternity.

Jesus knows who He is. He knows why He came to us.

And (Jesus) said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" ~ Luke 2:41-49

He went against the entrenched customs of the day ~ He hung out with the poor, the ordinary, the sinners and the socially unacceptable. He didn't get hung up on political correctness. He came for our hearts. He came for relationship. He came for us.

Peace Love Joy

There is more to this Christmas story ~

Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
Luke 2:14

The Reason for the Season

There is more to this Christmas story ~

Why was Christ born?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ~ John 4:16

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (Jesus Christ), because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord~ Luke 4: 18-19

Happy Merry

For unto us a Child is born ~ Isaiah 9:6

Love.
Light.
Mercy.
Grace.
Forgiveness.
Salvation.

Happy Birthday Jesus!
Merry Christmas to us!

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

There is more to this Christmas story ~

The long promised Christ has arrived at last. And what a commotion He has created. The universe is celebrating. Angelic choirs are worshiping. The shepherds are running around town telling everyone the Good News. But Mary, the mother of the Christ child, responds quietly within herself.

Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ~ Luke 2:19

I bet she pondered! Christ, the Son of God, comes not on a white stallion or in a chariot from the heavens. That's for later. No He is born of a human. A virgin. In a stable where animals are kept.

I bet she pondered! She alone was chosen from all the women in the world for the privilege and burden of carrying and giving birth to Jesus.

I bet she pondered! What will unfold in the days and years ahead as she parents this child toward His inevitable destiny?

His birth causes me to stop and ponder, too. Have I prepared my heart for this Christ? We all have a God-size hole in our heart that He came to fill. Have I cleaned out the room in my heart to receive Him openly?

Come, Lord Jesus, come! Let every heart prepare Him room.

The Mystery of Christmas

There is more to this Christmas story ~

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:1,14

The mystery and miracle of Christmas leaves me awestruck, speechless and on my knees.

Believe, Choose, Obey

There is more to this Christmas story ~

Zacharias, an elderly Jewish priest is visited by the angel Gabriel and told that he and his elderly barren wife will give birth to a long awaited child who will be named John. Mary, a teenage virgin betrothed to Joseph is also visited by Gabriel and told that she will give birth to God's Son through immaculate conception. Both are presented with miracles. Both were a bit confused and perplexed by what they heard. Both chose to react very differently.

Zacharias' responded in disbelief. He demanded a further sign that what he was being told the truth. His reward was an inability to speak over the course of his wife's pregnancy.

Mary responded in belief. "Okay," she said, "If you, the God of the universe, can work out this miracle thing who am I to disbelieve and get in your way? I am your willing maidservant." And many blessings were heaped upon her to which Mary said:

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me. ~ Luke 2:46-49

Mary chose to believe. Mary chose to obey. Her faith, her choice, her obedience blessed not only her but all of mankind.

Light

There is more to this Christmas story ~

Contrary to the date of our celebration, Jesus was most likely not born in the winter. The clue is right in the Biblical text ~

Now there were in the same country, shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. ~ Luke 2:8

Israel is not particularly balmy in December and shepherds don't hang out in the fields in the winter No, that's a place they would more likely take their flock in the spring and summer. But what I love about celebrating Christ's birth on December 25th is that it's a few days after the winter solstice ~ the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere where I live.

The shortest day of the year means the longest night. The shortest day means the least amount of light. The shortest day means the most amount of darkness. But Jesus is Light. Celebrating His birth at the darkest time of year means that His Light shines even more brightly. I just love the juxtaposition of these two events.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a Light has shined...For unto us a child is born. - Isaiah 9:2, 6

What's in a Name?

There is more to this Christmas story ~

His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. ~ Luke 2:21

One of the privileges and joys of being a parent is naming your child. It's a sweet blessing after nine months of waiting for and untold hours of delivering that child into the world. And the name that is chosen usually has great meaning or it just sounds right.

The Christmas child was given a name by His Heavenly Father, not His earthly parents. He was given a name of great significance ~ Jesus or Immanuel ~ which means God is with us.

God is with us. Let that settle on our brains and our hearts. God is with us. God came to our level in our form to be with us at great sacrifice to Himself. Why would He do that?

Love.

Heavely Press Release

There is more to this Christmas story ~

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest.
And on earth peace, goodwill towards men!

Luke 2:14

The shepherds have a front row seat to the first press release on a newly born Christ child, and what a press release it is! Imagine being in a field at night under a star filled sky. Maybe there is a sheep bleating here and there but for the most part it's quiet. Same old thing night after night. And suddenly an angel appears proclaiming the birth of the long awaited Christ ~ an announcement that is backed up by a full compliment of singing angels.

I think I would be a bit intimidated, terrified and fascinated. I would most likely fall to my knees, try to run away or hide. But the shepherds stayed the course and their recorded reaction was almost childlike in its sweet simplicity ~

"Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." ~ Luke 2:15

They didn't argue whether they were hallucinating or the butt of a cruel joke. No, they simply said, let's go check it out. And once they confirmed the heavenly press release, they went on a promotional campaign of their own.

Now when they had seen Him they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ~ Luke 2:17-18

And when they were done, they praised God for His good news, news that peace and goodwill were showered on men by their very Maker.

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen... ~ Luke 2:20

We could camp out with these shepherds for awhile. The significance of God's choice for the first people who receive the news of His Son's birth; the way in which it was proclaimed to them and their reaction; both the angels and the shepherds praising a glorious, merciful, loving God. It makes me feel even more connected to Him. He came to my level so that I could rise to His.

I Bring You Good News

There is more to this Christmas story ~

Now there were...shepherds...keeping watch over their flock by night. 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 I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to ALL people. For there is born to you this day ...a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manager." ~ Luke 2:8-12

God sure does things differently than the world would. His most holy and magnificent Son is born of a virgin. His first crib is an animal's feed trough. And the good news of His birth is first proclaimed to a bunch of sheep guys.

I mean shepherds, for heaven's sake, in a field! Couldn't God do better than that? Where's the paparazzi? Where is CNN? Where is the internet posting? Where is at least one representative from church or government who has some credibility and authority to announce such a thing as this? Instead, God relied on a bunch of guys who hang out in the field with sheep. Who is going to believe their story about seeing and hearing from an angel who tells them the long-awaited Christ is born?

Ah, this is the beauty of His birth announcement. Christ came for ALL. Not just the wealthy or the most fortunate or the well-placed or the best looking or the most popular. Christ came for ALL. And what better way to announce His birth than to the least wealthy, the least fortunate, the least well-placed? Praise the Lord for His tender heart ~ and for not using a publicist who would have gotten it all wrong.

Humble Beginnings for a King's Son

There is more to this Christmas story ~

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manager, because there was no room for them in the inn. ~ Luke 2:7

A young virgin gives birth to God incarnate and lays Him in a food trough for animals. No five star hotel. No room service. No puffy feather bed. No, it's about as humble a beginning as one could have.

humble ~ (adj) having or showing feelings of humility rather than of pride

pride ~ (n) a sense of one's own proper dignity or value

The Son of God who has every right to the best of the best, comes in humility. Indeed, His entire ministry will be one entirely lacking in pride. God detest pride. (Prov. 6:16-17)

This Post is Rated for Adult Content

There is more to this Christmas story ~

...the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin ,,,,(named) Mary...The angel said to her..."you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus."....Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered..."The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also that the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God." ~ Luke 1:26-35

"To not know a man" is a euphemism for virgin. That means Mary was a virgin.

virgin ~ (n) a person who has not experienced sexual intercourse; in a pure or natural state, untouched.

Our belief in who Christ is depends upon our belief in the nature of His conception and birth. If we do not believe that Christ was God incarnate, born of a virgin through the miracle of Holy Spirit conception, then He is merely a teacher or a prophet who is a good example to follow.

Unfortunately, we miss out on the truth of Christ. We miss out on the good news of Christ. We miss out on the grace and salvation of Christ. We miss out on the greatest love story ever told that continues to unfold into eternity.

Christmas Was Prepared in Advance for You

There is more to this Christmas Story ~

So this is the part that blows my mind. God knew before He created the world that His Son would have to walk among us. And even Jesus knew that! We are talking duplicity here (or should I say, triplicity since the Holy Spirit was in on this too). This is the part that trips up a lot of us. Jesus was a partner in creating the world knowing full well He would be born of the virgin Mary and hung on a cross. What kind of action plan is that?

God gave us free will to love Him or not, knowing full well, in advance, that we would blow it and need His grace. The birth of baby Jesus is more than a heartwarming story. It's more than the miracle of virgin birth. It's more than tinsle and lighting and gifts and visiting relatives.

It's a God who so loves us, that Christ's birth and death was prepared for in advance. Jesus knowingly and willingly created the world with the intention of walking and dying among us so that we could live eternally with Him.

Is your head spinning yet? My heart is beating wildly for this God who is Love. For this God who so desires me that He lay in a manager.

To help wrap your head around this concept, think of parents, who with pre-knowledge of their unborn baby's life threatening illness, carry the baby to full term, sell everything they own to pay for over-the-top medical care and even sacrifice their own kidney or other body part(s) to give full life to that child. That's a thimble full of God's love for us. That's the real Christmas story.

It's All About Love

There is more to this Christmas Story ~

I have always wondered why God made people. After all, He knew we would break His heart. He knew Eve would eat that forbidden fruit. He knew as imperfect creatures we would reject His love time and time again, sometimes never embracing the grace, salvation and relationship He offers. He knew we would turn to other gods and idols. He knew His Son would have to be born and sacrificed to reconcile this broken world. Knowing this since before He created the world, why then would He put Himself through this?

Love.

God is love. He can't help Himself. It's His character, His nature, His very essence.

Love. (n) An intense affectionate concern for another person. A beloved person. God's benevolence and mercy toward man.

Love, by it's very definition, requires something to love. Love doesn't exist in a vacuum. Love is given. God wouldn't be satisfied just loving Himself; no He needs to give His love, otherwise it's narcissism not love.

...love comes from God...God is love. This is how God showed His love among us; He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ~1 John 4:7-12

A Royal Lineage

There is More to This Christmas Story ~

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham...Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. ~ Matthew 1:1-17

Jesus, the Son of Man, had an impressive human lineage but as Son of God, His heavenly lineage predated time.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men...The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:1-5, 14

Their Reaction

There is More to This Christmas Story ~

I have to get back to Mary and Elizabeth. Here's what they both had to say when they heard they were going to be pregnant.

Mary: "I am the Lord's servant...May it be to me as you have said." ~ Luke 1:38

Elizabeth: "The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown His favor..." ~ Luke 1:25

I don't know about you, but I can say with pretty good certainty that those would not have been my words. I mean let's get real.

Mary is a virgin who became pregnant with God incarnate when the Holy Spirit passed over her. Let me say that again, and remember, this is waaaay before test tube babies and in-vitro fertilization. Mary does not have sexual relations with a man but is impregnated by a Spirit who fills her womb with a human child who just happens to be the Son of God. No, I don't think I would have had a momentary hiccup like Mary ~

"How will this be...since I am a virgin?" ~ Luke 1:34

~ and then said, "So be it." Sorry to say, my unbelief would have me freaking out, which is why God wouldn't have chosen me in the first place. No, He chose a spotless vessel whose undoubting heart was filled with love for her God.

And Elizabeth? Heck, this woman had been barren her entire married life and now she's, well, she's old. Instead of, "Why, oh why now and not before?" she just basks in the blessings of her God.

Their reactions humble me. Their heart for God inflames my desire to love Him deeply, too.

For Nothing is Impossible with God

There is More to This Christmas Story ~

Miracle babies don't seem like such a big deal any more. Science has given us test tube babies, in-vitro fertilization and surrogate mothers. We have become blase about it all. But take a closer at the two tiny miracles that happened over 2,000 years ago.

Miracle baby, John the Baptist ~

Zechariah...and his wife, Elizabeth, had not children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years...An angel of the Lord appeared to (Zechariah) and said, "...Your prayers have been answered. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son"...

Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."

Miracle baby, Jesus Christ ~

An angel said to her, "...You will be with child and give birth to a son."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

Both these women conceived and gave birth by direct intervention from God. He released Elizabeth from her barrenness so that Zechariah could plant his seed, and He impregnated the virgin Mary by the passing over of the Holy Spirit. Often, we do not believe God, or in God, because God's ways are not our ways and we cannot explain or understand His actions. But ~

..nothing is impossible with God. ~ Luke 1:37

Not Just One Baby But Two!

There is More to This Christmas Story...

Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. ~ Luke 1:36

God chooses not just one woman to make way for His desired redemption of mankind, He chooses two! No words between God and man for 400 years, and suddenly He's speaking to women about having babies. You gotta love it. Totally the unexpected ~ or was it? The Old Testament has over 300 references to the coming Messiah.

And six months before His birth, John the Baptist is born to prepare people's hearts for Christ's imminent birth. John means "the Lord is gracious," and Jesus means, "the Lord saves." They made a great tag team.

The Tender Heart of God

There is More to This Christmas Story...

The angel went to (Mary) and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you....You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High". ~ Luke 1:31

After 400 years of silence, God's first words are, "We're having a baby!" These words were not announced from a mountain top or in the temple. They were spoken intimately to Mary, the woman handpicked by the Almighty to give birth to the Son of God and the Savior of man.

My head spins every time I think about it. In one fell swoop, God says the curse that He put upon women will now be a glorious blessing.

Then the Lord God said to (Eve), "What is this you have done?" To (her) He said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children." ~ Genesis 3:13,16

...the angel said to (Mary), "Do not be afraid...you have found favor with God...The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." ~ Luke 1:30,35

The Prequel

There is More to This Christmas Story...

"Surely the day is coming...all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble...," says the Lord Almighty...."But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings..." ~ Malachi 4

Thus ends the Old Testament. God was furious and heartbroken with His people for repeatedly turning away from Him, so much so that He remains silent for the next 400 years. But even in His final words, He offers the hope of salvation.

I love the word play on the word "sun" in this passage. The sun represents life-giving light and warmth for our planet. There is another son that, too, is life-giving and that's the Son of God. He is our salvation, our reconnection to God. The life He gives is eternal and it's ours for believing and asking.

And The Meaning Is ...

There is More to This Christmas Story...

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses ...Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you...so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)

It's easy to believe in a secular Christmas. It's easy to believe that it's about me, about gifts, about decorations, about parties and cards. But it becomes a hollow belief based on a shallow vision of the reason for the season.

I love the way Luke starts his telling of the Christmas story ~ so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. I know for sure that secular Christmas is not the certainty of Christ. And I know for sure that the birth of a babe is not the full story of Christmas.

As Visions of Sugarplums Danced in Their Heads

Last night we attended our city's annual Hometown Holiday Celebration complete with parade, tree lighting and ice skating. It''s the genuine thing with boy scout troops, high school marching bands, fancy cars, and of course, the arrival of Santa. It's a glorious evening. A tradition. A heartwarming way to welcome the season of Christ's birth.

Enjoy the parade, starting with the grand band stand and our neon sign that stretches across Main Street.










Our infamous precision marching balloon platoon.



Santa arrives.


The parade may be done but everyone floods into the street. Time for the tree lighting and ice skating.



Discarded hot chocolate cups are what's left of the night as big kids and small head home for a night of sweet dreams.

Pleasanton knows how to throw a birthday party!

Sweet Memories

road trip ~ LA

Santa Monica, Brentwood and LA to be more precise. I never tire of visiting the ocean, and I'm particularly fond of the views from Ocean Park along the southern California coastline of Santa Monica. My son and I had a terrific afternoon playing tourist and reminiscing about his babyhood days on this very lawn and at this very beach. Sweet memories.

Mrs. Roper's Book Club

We get together. We read books that challenge and strengthen our faith. And we have fun, too! This month's book is The Shack by William Young, hence, the p.j. party with pancakes for dinner.

I'm off to L.A. Back to my blog postings on Sunday. I will leave you with the thought that what you do and say has a ripple effect that touches the universe.

Pictures Trump Words

road trip ~ Tahoe continued

We came, we saw and we were left breathless. I will let the lake and mountains speak for themselves.