The Challenge

Is it not amazing how busy we all get at this time of the year? You know that even us so called Godly people, you know Pastors, we also can fall into the trap. But we must stop and remember why we have Christmas. You see the USA, Americans are the ones that have ruined Christmas. Let me tell you a story of a true St. Nicholas, because there really was a rich man, many years ago that would take what he had and gave to those around him less fortunate. As a child he was born into a family with lots of money. He watched as he grew up how his parents would give to those less fortunate around them and in this in the untimely death of his parents he continued the tradiation. He would do this around the birth of Jesus because of the wonderful gift he was given from Jesus. This man name was Nicholas and as he got older he followed Jesus command to take all he had and sell it giving the money to the poor. He then went and lived in a monastery and in time he became Bishop of Myra which is near present day Turkey. Here he continued giving to those that were poor and less fortunate around him. Upon his passing he was then made a Saint by the church. Now ths was around the third century, so we need to fast forward to 1920's in America and we are struggling through the great depression, after a great war WWI. Then came WWII in the 1940’s, the market place (Stores and Business Owners) knew that they had to do something to spark our economy and get people spending money in their stores. Well this is the time when the President talked of a chicken in every pot and a car in every drive right? So the stores in a marketing boon took a little of St. Nicholas and sprinkled in a little bet of pride, greed and selfishness and there you go, the Christmas Season was born. Can you top your neighbor on what you get your children? The Christmas Season back then in our great grand parents day would run from just after Thanksgiving or the first of December till Christmas Eve. Did you notice when they started putting up this year, I think I saw things going up before Halloween. And there is all the talk on the news about how much money the stores are making, and how disastrous it is for our economy if the retailers do not make major profits. Brothers and Sisters this is not why Jesus was born, God did not become human so you could get more gifts than Bob or Larry or whoever. He was not born so that we could line some business persons pocket. If He was, don’t you think He would have been handing out toys to everybody that came to visit Him? But you see this is not your or my birthday is it, who’s birthday is it? It is Jesus birthday!!! The greatest revolutionary that has ever walk this earth!!! We should remember this and think what would Jesus want on His day, do you think it is the new X-box or Wii? Or is it possible He wants much more from us? Have you ever heard of a place or worked for a place that does matching funds for your giving for retirement or savings funds. Then if this is Jesus’ day why don’t you match what you spend on your family, and friends’ gifts and the Christmas feast you are going to prepare and give to your church for outreach in the community. Let's see the average family will spend around $800 for this holiday when all is said and done. Do you think that the local church could use this money for their outreach like their food bank or food bank they support? Do you know how much that could buy? Do you know some families that could not even imagine buying a holiday meal for their family, do you know how many families $800 could supply. Ok maybe even you could not match $800, so maybe you only spend $400 for your family and $400 for God’s family. You see it’s not about me, it is not about you, it is about Jesus, the Christ, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!!!! Let us return the overabundance of God’s love and blessings for us by sharing our love and blessings with the rest of our family, God’s family.

May you go in the Mercy, Grace and Peace of Jesus