A Holiday Prayer and Christmas Message

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this time of year, full of laughter, fun, and celebration. Thank you for the time to reflect on you and your many blessings and celebrate the birth of your only Son as your long-fulfilled promise of love for us. Although the world depicts a time of year full of laughter and joy, I pray for those who feel alone, for those who are grieving. I pray as they look around and see nothing but happiness that they do not feel like something is wrong with them. Why they cannot seem to just choose happiness in the “Most Wonderful Time of The Year”, as the Christmas song depicts. My Father, I pray for those who have lost a loved one or several loved ones and feel nothing but pain and sadness during the holidays. I pray that we do not forget them — I pray we show them kindness and understanding. I pray we can let them know that any and all feelings can be felt during the holidays, and that is okay. I pray that this year, we enjoy the family we do have around us. I pray we remember the good times we had with a loved one now lost and that only good memories abound in our minds. I pray that the holidays bring love, joy, and kindness to us all and that we show it to a world that is broken and hurting.

Thank you for coming to earth and living among us until it was time for you to die and rise again for us. Thank you for taking away our sins and offering us the gift of salvation. I pray that the focus of the holidays this year be about you and your love for us — that we keep Jesus at the heart of our celebrations.

We love and trust you with all of our hearts, our Lord and Savior.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Birth of our Savior Mary Did You Know

It’s the holiday season again and the joyful Christmas music is playing everywhere. One of the most extraordinary contemporary Christmas song is Mary Did You Know. It is one of my personal favorites. Let us reflect on these powerful lyrics from the famous Christmas Song Mary Did You Know written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene:

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has come to make you new?

This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will calm the storm with his hand?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little baby

You kiss the face of God

We can only imagine what Mary must have been going through knowing that her child was somehow to stand in a unique glorious destiny. It seems that it would have been hard for Mary to know the details of her son’s future life or for her to grasp the magnitude of his miracles to come and his all encompassing effect on the world for generations thereafter. She could not have known it all, but she knew enough. She knew and felt enough to believe in her special assignment. Any one that saw the Christ child recognized that this baby was anointed. The clergy, the prophets, the Shepards and, the Magi all were reported to have traveled from afar to bow before him offering gifts to the living beloved son of God, Jesus The Messiah. At that time a newborn, just a small baby boy. Yet, they knew that the King of Kings was now in their presence. Blessed are we that we can live in a time to have the miraculous life of Christ as our guidance and promise of divinity through him. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Do we feel Christ in our heart, do we recognized him. Do you see him in your everyday life. The Good News is that he is born and he is still alive. Let Christ live within your heart. It is what we celebrate throughout Christmas and Easter season.

Review these Bible Verses About the Birth of Christ: Ephesians 1:3

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Luke:2 The Birth of Jesus Christ

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 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. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,

28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation

31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage

37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.

40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Merry Christmas