God’s gift . . .
The Light of Love in the Advent Season
The story of Christmas is the story of God's relentless love for us.
(Max Lucado)
Beneath the stars, surrounded by all of the hosts of heaven—Love came . . . Welcomed by an earthly mother and father, shepherds and wise men—Love came . . . King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Messiah, and Ruler of All—Love came, not as a lion but as a lamb.
He came as an innocent baby whose purpose was to walk this earth in complete love . . . and then to sacrificially give His life as a compensation for the sins of His children . . . Emmanuel—God with us—Love in the form of a man.
That was God’s plan . . . From beginning to end, He knew every minute of Jesus's life . . . He knew that the cross of Calvary was waiting for Jesus, yet He still sent His only Son so that the debt of our own sins could be paid . . . There is no greater gift than this . . . At that moment God gave us the gift of His love for all eternity.
The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love, peace, and joy . . . It lights up the heart and soul, and shines on the importance of everyone becoming more focused on people, rather than things . . . It is a time to seek the joy in people, and to forget “self”. . . forget selfishness, ego, and pride . . . Jesus is God’s perfect, indescribable gift! . . . Christmas is the time to celebrate the love of God and share that love with others.
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another,
God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
1 John 4:12
The blessing is we receive this gift every day of the year . . . But sometimes it takes Christmas time to remind us of this . . . Be encouraged to accept the warmth of God’s love, the precious gift of His Son, and to share it with the world.
The whole meaning of Christmas can be explained in that one little four-letter word—LOVE . . . God sent His greatest gift of pure love to us that first Christmas . . . This gift descended from heaven to be born of a virgin . . . It wasn’t wrapped in a beautiful package and set under a decorated tree . . . God sent us a gift of love wrapped in swaddling clothes
. . . God sent Himself to live among us and teach us the true meaning of love . . . and later our perfect gift would be rewrapped in the scars of our sin and nailed to the rugged wood of a cross, all because of love.
The world was blessed at Christmas with a miracle of love . . .
A guiding star and angel choir rejoicing from above.
They pointed to a tiny babe within a cattle stall—
A Savior bringing peace on earth—the greatest gift of all.
Please accept these simple words as a reminder of His love,
And may your Christmas season be blessed by God above.
(Anonymous)
♪♬♪ Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFloWX1yuyQ&list=RDpFloWX1yuyQ&start_radio=1
INSIGHT . . .
When Jesus came to this earth, He brought a very different kind of love . . . love that is unselfish, compassionate, unconditional . . . He loves us just as we are . . . It is a love that picks us up, where we are right now in life, and carries us further than we could ever go on our own.
As we move through the Christmas season, remember who we are as followers of Jesus . . . Ask for His love to be evident in your words and actions as you interact with others . . . Listen to people with sincerity and interest . . . let the love of Jesus shine from your heart and soul into the world.
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.
Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world
so that we might have eternal life through him.
This is real love—not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
1 John 4:7-10
God's love takes on many various forms throughout Scripture . . . Parts of the Bible even refer to God as love itself . . . Love is wanting the best for someone, and that's exactly what God wants for you and me . . . We don’t have to work for His affection . . . We don’t have to make ourselves perfect before God . . . God loves us simply because He loves us.
The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon
the likes of which we have never seen before . . .
So, stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder.
There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing.
For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.
(Jan L. Richardson)
INVITATION—TO TALK WITH GOD . . .
Have you ever watched the true classic, “A Muppet Christmas Carol” . . . or Scrooged, or any of the 125 adaptations of A Christmas Carol (stage & screen-starting in 1901 to the present)? . . . no matter what version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale you read or watch, the significance is the same . . . Scrooge needed to learn to not be so cruel and selfish . . . and instead learn to be more giving to those around him.
And while that’s certainly the better take on Christmas (or life in general) than always chasing after more, more, and more stuff—it still falls far short of what Christmas is truly.
Christmas is not about our being generous to other people;
It’s about God’s generosity to us in Jesus.
It’s about God’s love coming to earth and becoming clear for all of us to see.
The solution to the problem of sin and darkness was set into place . . . The plan that God had promised long ago began to be put into motion. . . . This is what we celebrate . . . this is love with a purpose . . . bringing the chance of an eternal peace between God and each of us.
The focus of a lot of those Christmas movies is, like A Christmas Carol, that we should be kind and loving to those around us . . . What is often missing though is why we should show that love . . . We don’t love one another for an empty reason—like it’s simply the “right” thing to do, or because it makes us feel good, or it makes other people like us . . . No, we love each other because God has loved us . . . Jesus is our motivation for loving each other, not just at Christmas, but for the whole year.
This is the true meaning of Christmas . . . it lasts for more than a night, or twelve days, or a year, or even a lifetime . . . This true meaning of Christmas is that God’s eternal love has come for us, and it will last through eternity.
Are you making room for love this Christmas? . . . to experience God’s love?
All God asks for is our heart . . . can you give Him yours?
We need to allow room for God’s love in our lives, make room for Christ . . . Make room and take time . . . in our homes, in our self-care, our caring for others . . . in our focus—what we read, watch, and listen to . . . make room in our schedules . . . make room in our hearts and souls to appreciate and experience God’s love through Christ.
Have you noticed that, generally, people are nicer and
more generous around Christmas? . . . are you?
Are you taking time for the things that are most important: worship, family, friends, sharing the joy of
the birth of Christ with others?
Is love the gift you are giving and receiving?
ILLUMINATION . . .
Seeing the Love of the Season in the Light of Christ
There are two ways of spreading light:
to be the candle or [to be] the mirror that reflects it.
(Edith Wharton)
In this season, and in our hearts, Christ is the candle, its light radiating with His love . . . and we are the mirror, reflecting that light out into the world . . . the Light of Christ reflecting from our eyes, our hearts, and our souls outward, to the hearts and souls of others.
Our life is filled with broken, colorful pieces that, when filled with Christ’s Light, become unique and interesting patterns of living . . . When you focus and point yourself toward Christ’s Light, His Light enters your heart, bounces around a bit, and then reflects outward in brightness and beauty . . . kind of like the broken pieces and mirrors in a kaleidoscope . . . as we find peace in the coming of Christ and reflect the beauty of Christ’s pure light through our brokenness, we become a visible testimony of His love to others and the world.
This Christmas, make peace with your broken pieces . . . realize and accept yourself for who you are . . . God does.
Just like a kaleidoscope when illuminated by the right light, accept that those slivers and chunks of brokenness reflecting Christ’s Light and Love create the beautiful person God sees in you, inside and out.
It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you . . .
yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand.
(Mother Teresa)
There is a lyrics from “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” . . . “Hail the incarnate deity” . . . we might ask what that has to do with Christmas, Christ, and love? . . . Well, at Christmas, God showed His love for all of us by sending Himself wrapped as a baby in a manger . . . Incarnate means “made flesh” . . . This idea of love incarnate is powerful . . . Jesus is God in human form . . . God, so that we can see Him, touch Him, talk to Him . . . What a spectacular gift!
Christmas is a reminder of the hope that was born that night—a tiny sliver of hope, a single crystal of light . . that will shine to the whole world throughout eternity.
Can you see it? . . . Can you feel it?
Are you being a mirror of Christ’s Light and Love?
Pray that Christ’s Light shines to the world through you.
INSPIRATION—PRAYING THROUGH MUSIC . . .
Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
(The Grinch)
And we are blessed to be able to listen, experience, and sing about the more, a lot more—about the birth of Christ!
I encourage you to take time to listen to any or all the songs below . . . there is no right or wrong style of music—it is what speaks to you . . . listen to the melody and the lyrics and feel the response of your heart to what God wants you to hear . . . and I do understand that music doesn’t speak to everyone . . . and that is okay too.
♪♬♪ Current . . . When Love Was Born
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29egcOT1MPQ&list=RD29egcOT1MPQ&start_radio=1
♪♬♪ Traditional . . . God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VxHdITRRmE&list=RD-VxHdITRRmE&start_radio=1
INTO EACH DAY AHEAD . . . (finding love in the season one day at a time)
Jesus taught the world what it means to love one another . . . That’s the spirit of this season . . . That’s the message . . . He showed us how to love . . . To put others first . . . To sacrifice . . . To forgive . . . To lay down one’s life.
Jesus showed us perfect love . . . Agape love . . . Divine love . . . It was a love defined by righteousness, virtue, and honesty . . . His was a holy love . . . His love didn’t, and doesn’t, ignore sin . . . but instead it offers grace and mercy and forgiveness.
Sharing love this Christmas season is not the greatest gift of all . . . Sharing Jesus is!
This is the message the angel brought to Mary and Joseph, the message the angels sang to the shepherds . . . This is the message our world needs to hear . . . Jesus, Christ the Lord, OUR SAVIOR is born!
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:14-19) is a prayer for us too . . .
“I kneel before the Father and I pray . . .
Father, out of Your honorable and glorious riches, strengthen us, Your people.
Fill our souls with the power of Your Spirit so that through faith Christ will dwell in our hearts.
May love be the rich soil where our lives take root.
May love be the bedrock where our lives are founded
so that together with all of the Lord’s holy people,
we will have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and know this love surpasses everything anyone has previously experienced. —Amen.
♪♬♪ Love & Prayer Time . . . Timeless Christmas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoHYOM8V8mY&list=RDEoHYOM8V8mY&start_radio=1&t=746s
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