As we approach the special day, let us take aside a little time to pause and reflect. No matter how humble or luxurious your Christmas may be, let us remember the reason we celebrate.
Many years ago there was a young virgin, girl, named Mary. She was engaged to a man named Joseph. God sent his angel, Gabriel to give Mary a message, Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her 'Greetings, you are highly favored, The Lord is with you.....Don't be afraid.... You will conceive and give birth to a son....and you will call him Jesus. .He will be Great and will be called the Son of the most High...'. Mary was confused....'how can this be?? I am a virgin/?" The angel told her 'the Holy Ghost shall come to you and the Holy One will overshadow you so the one to be born will be called the Son of the Most High...' Mary told the angel " I am the Lord's servant....may your words to me be fulfilled.." and the angel left......
Now Mary's fiancee' was a good man who loved the Lord.....but when he found out that Mary was pregnant he first considered quietly breaking off the engagement.......but God sent an angel to appear to Joseph in a dream....the angel told Joseph ",do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife because what she has conceived is from the Holy Spirit....she will give birth to a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins,,',All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said to the prophet....(.years before).......The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel....(which means God with us...' )" When Joseph woke up he did as the angel commanded and brought Mary home to be his wife, but he still did not touch her.
So now in those days tax season came about. Mary and Joseph had to travel by donkey to the small town of Bethlehem in Judea which was a far distance from Nazareth where they lived.. By now Mary was very far along in her pregnancy. The trip was long and hard. Once they arrived in Bethlehem they were exhausted but all the inns were full, they couldn't find a room. Mary had started labor pains and needed some place to lay down. They finally found an innkeeper who offered to let them stay in his stable where he kept his cattle. A stable in those days was more like a hole in a cave. Mary and Joseph went inside the stable and there in the most humble of all places, Jesus, the son of God was born......They wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger, which was a feeding trough for the animals......
Now Mary and Joseph, along with all the animals in the stable....and all the angels of heaven witnessed this birth......as Jesus quietly came into the world to live in the flesh........and there was a bright star that shone over the stable........Jesus King of Kings.....with the most humble of all beginnings...
The bible tells us that there were shepherds out in the field tending their sheep....an angel of the Lord appeared unto them and he said "don't be afraid for I bring you good news..... unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.....he is the Messiah..and this shall be a sign unto you...you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.....". and suddenly the sky lit up with a heavenly host of Angels singing and praising God.....announcing the birth of Jesus.........they were singing "Glory to God in the Highest....and on earth goodwill to all men..." I can only imagine how the shepherds must have felt after witnessing this...... After the angels left, the shepherds went and found the babe with Mary and Joseph....just as the angels had said......
And this was the first Christmas.......there were 3 Kings that came later.....following the star and they brought gifts.....but the first Christmas there was Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the animals and the angels..... .this is why we celebrate.....it is the birthday of Gods son.....we don't know the exact date he was born....but we celebrate and set aside this day to honor him......I pray all those who read these words will know this and remember as you celebrate....it's not about gifts or tinsels, tress and lights....these things can add joy to the season......but God already gave the most important gift.....and that is his son Jesus......so that we may each know him and be saved.......it doesn't mean a rose garden.....it means peace.......and forgiveness......it means eternal life.......
Thank you, Heavenly Father, tor the gift of your son, Jesus.......Merry Christmas to all who read these words....
Many years ago there was a young virgin, girl, named Mary. She was engaged to a man named Joseph. God sent his angel, Gabriel to give Mary a message, Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her 'Greetings, you are highly favored, The Lord is with you.....Don't be afraid.... You will conceive and give birth to a son....and you will call him Jesus. .He will be Great and will be called the Son of the most High...'. Mary was confused....'how can this be?? I am a virgin/?" The angel told her 'the Holy Ghost shall come to you and the Holy One will overshadow you so the one to be born will be called the Son of the Most High...' Mary told the angel " I am the Lord's servant....may your words to me be fulfilled.." and the angel left......
Now Mary's fiancee' was a good man who loved the Lord.....but when he found out that Mary was pregnant he first considered quietly breaking off the engagement.......but God sent an angel to appear to Joseph in a dream....the angel told Joseph ",do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife because what she has conceived is from the Holy Spirit....she will give birth to a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins,,',All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said to the prophet....(.years before).......The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel....(which means God with us...' )" When Joseph woke up he did as the angel commanded and brought Mary home to be his wife, but he still did not touch her.
So now in those days tax season came about. Mary and Joseph had to travel by donkey to the small town of Bethlehem in Judea which was a far distance from Nazareth where they lived.. By now Mary was very far along in her pregnancy. The trip was long and hard. Once they arrived in Bethlehem they were exhausted but all the inns were full, they couldn't find a room. Mary had started labor pains and needed some place to lay down. They finally found an innkeeper who offered to let them stay in his stable where he kept his cattle. A stable in those days was more like a hole in a cave. Mary and Joseph went inside the stable and there in the most humble of all places, Jesus, the son of God was born......They wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger, which was a feeding trough for the animals......
Now Mary and Joseph, along with all the animals in the stable....and all the angels of heaven witnessed this birth......as Jesus quietly came into the world to live in the flesh........and there was a bright star that shone over the stable........Jesus King of Kings.....with the most humble of all beginnings...
The bible tells us that there were shepherds out in the field tending their sheep....an angel of the Lord appeared unto them and he said "don't be afraid for I bring you good news..... unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.....he is the Messiah..and this shall be a sign unto you...you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.....". and suddenly the sky lit up with a heavenly host of Angels singing and praising God.....announcing the birth of Jesus.........they were singing "Glory to God in the Highest....and on earth goodwill to all men..." I can only imagine how the shepherds must have felt after witnessing this...... After the angels left, the shepherds went and found the babe with Mary and Joseph....just as the angels had said......
And this was the first Christmas.......there were 3 Kings that came later.....following the star and they brought gifts.....but the first Christmas there was Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the animals and the angels..... .this is why we celebrate.....it is the birthday of Gods son.....we don't know the exact date he was born....but we celebrate and set aside this day to honor him......I pray all those who read these words will know this and remember as you celebrate....it's not about gifts or tinsels, tress and lights....these things can add joy to the season......but God already gave the most important gift.....and that is his son Jesus......so that we may each know him and be saved.......it doesn't mean a rose garden.....it means peace.......and forgiveness......it means eternal life.......
Thank you, Heavenly Father, tor the gift of your son, Jesus.......Merry Christmas to all who read these words....
