Christmas Has Its Cradle

18 Dec

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Christmas Has Its Cradle

by Rae E Whitney

Christmas has its cradle, where a Baby cried;

Did the lantern’s shadow show Him crucified?

Did He foresee darkly His life’s willing loss?

Christmas has its cradle and Easter has its cross.

Christmas has its cradle, shepherds came to see

Little Son of Mary Lamb of God to be;

Had His Father warned Him, none would grant Him room

Save in the Christmas cradle and in the Easter tomb?

Christmas has its cradle, Wise men came to bring

Myrrh and gold and incense, offerings for a King;

Myrrh alone stayed with Him, death’s balm for this Boy,

From the Christmas cradle and to His Easter joy.

Christmas has its cradle, where that Baby cried;

In the Easter garden, Christ lay, crucified;

When death’s power was conquered, God’s life through Him poured;

Christmas has its cradle and Easter has its Lord!

We celebrate Christmas in part for the manger, and in whole for the empty tomb. The One who came as the greatest gift wasn’t fully delivered until He finished the work He came to do: to seek and to save the lost. To take the punishment of mankind’s sins upon Himself then defeat death and conquer the grave. Hallelujah He is risen indeed makes provision for us to sing oh holy night and proclaim good tidings of great joy!

Christmas most likely finds many, if not most of us, weary of the sin-filled world where death temporarily stings and where Jesus’ rule has not yet been eternally established.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

And so, even as we celebrate Jesus’ first coming, we look towards His coming again when God’s Kingdom will reign in the new Heaven and new earth. Where all will be full of truth, beauty, and good. Where we can be joy-filled forever and live holy as He is holy. Where we can see face to face and know Him even as we are fully known by Him. Where we can live at peace with men and nature. Where all is reestablished aright.

Even so, come Lord Jesus, come!

May we ever strain our eyes towards Jesus and Heaven. May we major on the people and the work that is important, and minor on the mirage of material possessions, status, and striving for fleeting pleasures. May we live as Christ. Lord Jesus, help us to do so!

Christmas has its cradle and Easter has its Lord…

Merry Christmas,

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It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

30 Nov

I’ve begun to wonder if we haven’t romanticised Christmas.

The snow, the lights, hot chocolate and fur-fringed attire…I wonder if all of our man-made fluff hasn’t gotten in the way of the real heart of Christmas.

Christmas: a story that only God could craft. The Christ child born to a virgin and a simple carpenter from an obscure town.

Only the King of Kings, holy in all His ways, would write His Son into a story of simple obscurity and then cloak it in heavenly lights and angels heralding His birth to the poorest of the poor: nomadic sheep keepers seldom in the company of people much less the Son of the Most High. In a single night, royalty was tied to poppers, and peasants were afforded the honor of being the first to welcome the Messiah. And aren’t we all the least of these apart from our adoption in Christ?

Christmas is for all people: the rich, poor, the simple, the wisdom seekers, the joyful and sorrow-filled.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ~Luke 2:10-11

The sights and sounds of the holiday are a welcome reminder of the reason we should celebrate our Savior all year long. The true gift is the One who was given.

I pray that this Christmas season will find us wrapped in thoughts of Jesus, grateful for the gift of salvation that He brings to all mankind; not pining after a nostalgic ideal that misses the mark of CHRISTmas… God with us.

Yes, partake in all the seasonal festivities as much as the Holy Spirit allows you freedom to do so. However, also steal away from the crowd as Christ himself did and spend time in private awe of The Gift, giving Him thanks and the glory due His name.

May we not rob Jesus the joy of worship in the season that celebrates comfort and joy.

Praising Him along with you this Christmas season and always,

 

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Abiding Joy

2 Jul

Abiding in God’s love brings fullness of joy.

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Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

~John 15: 4, 9-11

May we abide in his love and experience fullness of joy together today. Praying for you friends.

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Protected: Pictures of Joy

16 Sep

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