This is the fifth article in the series “Christmas Time”  and it will be the final one on this topic. I suspect some readers are asking the question, “When Is He Going To Write On Something Else?”  One reason I have done five articles is because I suspect many will still not share Christ this Christmas season. It is my hope that by approaching the subject enough times in print that it will motivate those whose hearts tend toward God and their fellow-man. If I can motivate just one person to realize they have the words of “Eternal Life” in them then maybe they will open their minds enough to open their mouths for Jesus.

This is now the fourth article on Christmas and I want to move from the negative things that keep us quiet to the positive things that result in an expectation that God will use them in ways they may have not experienced as of yet. God is constantly on the lookout for believers that will “Believe” that He is able to do “Extraordinarily More” than we can ask for when it comes to touching the world for Christ. If you haven’t read the first three articles please do so first so that you are able to track my thoughts throughout this topic. These articles are all starting with “Christmas Time”.

Christmas time should be the easiest time of year to share our faith about Jesus and his ability to forgive our sin and give us a brand new life. The question then becomes “Why” do I and others like me struggle with testifying to Christ’s great love during the month of December? There are two previous articles on this subject and if you haven’t already read them please do so before reading this one as they all build on each other.

You would think sharing the love of God with others and telling how God sent his only Son into the world as a baby would be an easy thing to do and yet many believers never share Christ, even during the Christmas Season. In this article we will be looking at just some of the reasons why so many struggle with expressing their love for God even when the season sets the stage for communicating their own salvation experience.  If you haven’t read the first article on “Christmas Time” please read that one first as there are some important things to consider before reading this second part.

I have found that there is no better time to talk about the love of God and the birth of Christ than during the month of December. The real truth is that the radio and TV are doing a lot of the work for us and the Holy Spirit is speaking to the human heart no matter how broken the person may be. We so often are reluctant to share the story of the gospel because we look at the outside of people and think they don’t need our help when, in fact, they are crying out on the inside.

When most of us celebrate Christmas, we often have feelings of tenderness and joy. Even if we had a rough childhood, with a dysfunctional family we can still reflect on Christmas as a special and wonderful time. There’s something about the story of God loving us and sending Jesus that warms us.

For me, my family was anything but normal. Yelling and arguments were the norm so much so that my friends rarely came to my house to play because of my parents. Yet when Christmas came around, my heart would rise with an expectation that something good was coming. I know part of it was wrapped around presents, but it was more than that. I felt God was trying to communicate with me more during that season than at any other time of year. Maybe it was all the Christmas music, maybe it was all the decorations or maybe it really was God trying to get through to me that He was there and He cared about me personally.

Christmas can be a very difficult time of the year for many because once the decorations are all put away, our expectations of good can be overshadowed by the feeling that this was just a fantasy.

As we approach the Christmas season, people get really stressed about money. Can they buy what they need and still purchase things for people they love? Most Americans will rack up a huge debit on their credit cards just for Christmas presents.

Reading in the gospel of John this morning, I am captivated once again at how simple life would be if I just did what God asked of me! 😎

How often do we expect God to supply our wants and needs and yet we fail to follow his instructions listed in black and white. The scriptures provide God’s heart about so many things and yet we go to God in prayer asking if he would provide something all the while not reading the scriptures to see if he already communicated his willingness or the lack thereof. Just because he loves us doesn’t mean he will violate what’s best for us by granting foolish or unwise requests. 

Recently, Sue and I took our two boy grandkids to see the new movie “The Star” and found it so encouraging that I wanted to encourage as many of you who have young kids to make the time and go see it. If you miss it in the theater, buy the DVD.

What I appreciated about the movie was that it not only presented the story of Jesus being born, but presented the story Joseph and Mary embracing their calling in a difficult world.

Having a number of conversations lately about being generous with people we meet caused me to think of one of my favorite books, especially during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season we are heading into.

This book is a great story of people learning that generosity is often is as simple as putting your spare change in a jar and then finding a person to give it to. It’s a short read and would be a great book to read with your kids let alone for yourself.

At my last church, we made it a yearly event to pass out canning jars a number of months before Christmas and then the week before Christmas we would find a person to bless. We would pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to just the right person who need the encouragement. We would try not to look at the persons outward condition in choosing them, say a person in poor clothing, but anyone that need a touch from God to know they were loved by God. I can’t tell you how many times people were surprised at the impact this kind of generosity would or could have on someone.

As we are seeking God for his equipping in the various places we find ourselves? I want to encourage us all in our pursuit of being filled with the Holy Spirit to have the power from above rather than just human power in demonstrating God’s love.

Eph 5:15-18
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.