Chrismas Message 2
Rediscovering Christmas
Last year I wanted to make sure I didn't miss Christmas. I had found that often in previous years christmas would come and go so quickly that I would feel that I had missed Christmas. However, this year, I have slowed things down and have done an honest search for Christmas again.
I find you need to rediscover Christmas each year or again you may find that it has passed you by the same old Christmas you had last year. Here is what I have found in my own life.
I am certain, that there are some of you reading this message who have recently or are currently going through a tough time. Others of you may be filling up your December with so many ctivities, that if you were to slow down you would find something was missing. If you are any of these people I hope this message may be of encouragement to you.
Slightly before Jesus was born into the world the Jewish people were going through hard times. They were under an oppressive ruler named Herod, who seemed to have no issue with killing people. Not only did he kill various members of his family, but he also killed many innocent babies in Bethelem in order to get rid of Jesus (Mathew 2:16-18). The movie the Nativity showed the challenges faced by the Jews around the birth of Christ. So if you are facing difficult times this Christmas season, you are having a very authentic Christmas.
In the last few months I have gone through my own set of hardships. There have been some youth events, that haven't ended very well. There were stressful times in October and November where I was away for about three out of four weekends: For my Grandmothers funeral, a family reunion and for TEC (Teens Encounter Christ). I have also been there to support others in their sorrows.
There have also been some good things that have happened recently. Some of my youth have been totally transformed by the TEC weekend. Out of that I have had the blessing of being able to meet with some youth 3-4 times a week for prayer which is really awesome. However, I have also faced a new challenge that has come out of the weekend as well. It seems that during good times seem to also be mixed with difficult times. So as I go into this Christmas season, I go in as someone who has faced some challenges but has also had the burden over carrying other peoples hardships as well.
So what does the the birth of Christ offer to us going through difficult times? Here is the hope it offers me. Christmas shows me that God cares enough for us that he is willing to come into the world like one of us face the same problems we face. Jesus is a man who is familiar with sorrows. In fact it says
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:3
However, there is another important part of Christmas and that is the element of miracles. Around 2006 years ago Jesus came into the world through a virgin birth to a young teenage girl. Even as Christ was born in a miraculous way 2006 years ago, I have seen miracles happen today as well.
One of my youth had many problems including getting into drugs, dropping out of school, dealing with a hard home life, getting into trouble and depression. This youth who had messed up his life has been transformed by God. Now he is working and finishing up high school, working part time and is taking on leadership role with the youth. He is full of Joy and is using his experiences to direct other youth on the right path to God. The strange thing is that he has grown so much in his faith, and made so much progress in his life that he is now teaching other youth who seemed further ahead of him in their faith and have lived a much better life.
Personally I'd love to see something amazing happen this Christmas. I'm sure some of you would like to see something amazing happen this Christmas as well. So I challenge you this Christmas to ask God for a miracle. Go ahead. Test God. See if he does not amaze you this Christmas with something you would not beleive could happen. See for yourself whether the Christmas story is true. This Christmas I'm asking God for a miracle.
Last year I wanted to make sure I didn't miss Christmas. I had found that often in previous years christmas would come and go so quickly that I would feel that I had missed Christmas. However, this year, I have slowed things down and have done an honest search for Christmas again.
I find you need to rediscover Christmas each year or again you may find that it has passed you by the same old Christmas you had last year. Here is what I have found in my own life.
I am certain, that there are some of you reading this message who have recently or are currently going through a tough time. Others of you may be filling up your December with so many ctivities, that if you were to slow down you would find something was missing. If you are any of these people I hope this message may be of encouragement to you.
Slightly before Jesus was born into the world the Jewish people were going through hard times. They were under an oppressive ruler named Herod, who seemed to have no issue with killing people. Not only did he kill various members of his family, but he also killed many innocent babies in Bethelem in order to get rid of Jesus (Mathew 2:16-18). The movie the Nativity showed the challenges faced by the Jews around the birth of Christ. So if you are facing difficult times this Christmas season, you are having a very authentic Christmas.
In the last few months I have gone through my own set of hardships. There have been some youth events, that haven't ended very well. There were stressful times in October and November where I was away for about three out of four weekends: For my Grandmothers funeral, a family reunion and for TEC (Teens Encounter Christ). I have also been there to support others in their sorrows.
There have also been some good things that have happened recently. Some of my youth have been totally transformed by the TEC weekend. Out of that I have had the blessing of being able to meet with some youth 3-4 times a week for prayer which is really awesome. However, I have also faced a new challenge that has come out of the weekend as well. It seems that during good times seem to also be mixed with difficult times. So as I go into this Christmas season, I go in as someone who has faced some challenges but has also had the burden over carrying other peoples hardships as well.
So what does the the birth of Christ offer to us going through difficult times? Here is the hope it offers me. Christmas shows me that God cares enough for us that he is willing to come into the world like one of us face the same problems we face. Jesus is a man who is familiar with sorrows. In fact it says
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:3
However, there is another important part of Christmas and that is the element of miracles. Around 2006 years ago Jesus came into the world through a virgin birth to a young teenage girl. Even as Christ was born in a miraculous way 2006 years ago, I have seen miracles happen today as well.
One of my youth had many problems including getting into drugs, dropping out of school, dealing with a hard home life, getting into trouble and depression. This youth who had messed up his life has been transformed by God. Now he is working and finishing up high school, working part time and is taking on leadership role with the youth. He is full of Joy and is using his experiences to direct other youth on the right path to God. The strange thing is that he has grown so much in his faith, and made so much progress in his life that he is now teaching other youth who seemed further ahead of him in their faith and have lived a much better life.
Personally I'd love to see something amazing happen this Christmas. I'm sure some of you would like to see something amazing happen this Christmas as well. So I challenge you this Christmas to ask God for a miracle. Go ahead. Test God. See if he does not amaze you this Christmas with something you would not beleive could happen. See for yourself whether the Christmas story is true. This Christmas I'm asking God for a miracle.
posted by gardion at
9:47 PM
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