JESUS BIRTHDAY, 2022

Celebration of Jesus’ Birthday, 2022    “WORTH CONSIDERING”       12/21/22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMgxfkwZL4k        (Please play while reading)
It is amazing to me that the whole world celebrates the Birth of Jesus Christ even if it is all mixed up with vain traditions and tinsel and round glass balls, Christmas Trees and lights and such.   The Season in some parts of the world has nothing at all to do with the Birth of the Lamb of God into the World for the Salvation of Sinners.  And actually Bethlehem, Israel will be down to about 44 degrees F. on the 25th with no good grass on the meadows for feeding any sheep in the fields by night.   But so what if we really don’t know the exact day Jesus was born.  Fact is, HE was born and we can get saved from our sin.  Even in Japan which is less than 2% Christian, there is a big turn out our Western Season of gift giving.   Now is the opportunity to share Jesus as LORD & SAVIOR more than any other opportunity of the year.   Seems to me that everyone should get a good dose of Charles Dickinson’s “Christmas Carol”   About now and go out and find a Tiny Tim to help.

And as for Santa,   So What?  It is not up to me to make the world change.  It is up to me to help the world find Jesus and to use what I can to focus on HIS kingdom which is not of this world.  My parents were social Christian but when the Christmas season came they knew how to flow with the season and family.   Most of my Christmases as a child were during the Great Depression and so every one knew how to make the Indian ride the Buffalo.  (To hold on to a nickle so tight that the Indian on one side ride the buffalo on the other side of the coin.)   So I usually got a sock with an orange in it with some whole nuts and small hard candy in it and one main present.  And something that would make my head work and give my hands something to do.   Tinker Toys, Erector Sets, Play Dough.   But we always sat by an open fire place in the evening and drank hot chocolate and cooked popcorn over an open fire and read: “Twas the Night Before Christmas” Moore   Https://www.teachervision.com/christmas/twas-the-night-before-christmas-full-text-of-the-classic-poem    Of course it was all traditional junk, but there was a certain feeling out of it that I really liked as a kid and later on that little light got me to Jesus and HIS salvation.   So in your pride don’t put out the little lights but simply add what fuel you can to make the little flames become the fire of God in hearts to serve the King of Kings and LORD of LORDS with all you have which, by the way,  is the first of the Ten Commandments.

So of that light, what do I remember.   First memories were of family Love,  joy and peace where everyone was focused on the season.   I remember making vanilla ice cream out of snow, vanilla , cream and sugar.   I remember finding a Christmas tree in the fence line of Picketts’s Farm next door and getting my little hatchet at 8 or 9 and very carefully cutting that tree down and removing it’s branches from that clutching rusty fence.   Then dragging it home in the snow as proud as punch.  My dad opened the door from me and that beat up sorry looking Christmas tree, and gave me the appropriate hugs and thanks.   And then Mr. Pickett’s knock on the door with his hand out for $5 for that junk of a tree.   Dad paid and smiled,   don’t remember seeing that tree again after that…  But any other time and it would have been my hide.  I remember the toys and the stuff back over the seasons of my life and through all of the dark clouds I still remember the touch of God’s Love through my family which was reserved for this time of the year with Mary and Jesus on every corner as a boy and with little understanding at all.  So it seems rather than being smug about knowing better, it would be to the LORD’S Joy that we gave ourselves to Love, Peace & Joy of the Season and as much as we can try to help the light and fire even burn brighter and more full of Jesus Truth and HIS joy of life. 

So find some one to give an extra bit of special love to that can not be returned to you.   And this is a perfect opportunity to use some of my own advice.   It is so easy to say Bah Humbug! and be like Scrooge in the Christmas Carol because I can think,  “I am just too old and caught up with my own stuff.  After all who knows exactly when Jesus was born, anyway ?”   And/or that it is so full of pagan stuff is just too offensive to my weak faith to endure.   Now I an not suggesting that you go get one of those plastic green things called a Christmas Tree or such.   But neither burn them ether.   Just allow the Love, Peace and Joy of Jesus to flow during this season in which so many doors are open.   I have been upset with Spectrum for many years now.  But talked to a young man there, this morning and the Love, Joy of the season was obvious and the Lord’s peace came into the conversation and I was set free from being upset with Spectrum…  P.T.L.   And there are others on my list that I need to let go of and let the flow of Jesus wash me totally clean.  Listening to the above Christmas Carols as I write and deeply feeling HIS presence that all that our Creator God wants to give us comes through repentance to make room for HIM, and then to Love, Honor and come to Obey HIM as really our  LORD….  The hymn just came on “Fairest Lord Jesus” And when I was about 12 my Aunt Tilly,  dressed me up and had me sing that hymn for her woman’s club at church.  I really did not enjoy the experience at the time, pants were way too short.  But that hymn has been a great friend to me every time I hear or sing it and is full of love and Jesus..  So much of what we do or go through today may not be comfortable now but by and by, when the filters are removed it will bring us great joy.   I can remember another season when I was very lonely on Christmas at a military academy and on a back porch of the mess hall where I was a paid waiter.  I thought I was alone and was singing “Silent Night” And someone mentioned near by, “What a lovely voice.”  It made me cry as I needed love so badly at the time.  I was not a Christian but could feel the draw of the Holy Spirit.   Many times in my life I have felt HIS touch and it is so worth going for.  There is so much freedom in HIS loving Truth & Light,   seems there is no end to it.  Why has it taken me so very long to come to this place?   I pray that the Love, Joy and Peace of the Lord that I send with this little note makes this season of HIS birth remembrance more real for you and yours.       Yours,   in HIS great Love and wonderful Grace & Mercy,   Ken<><   www.OhanaChurch.Life