UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN

Imagine what it must have been like for the shepherds on that first Christmas night.  One minute, you are just sitting there doing your job, the next minute, all heaven breaks loose.  Suddenly you are surrounded by a great heavenly display that would blow any Hollywood special effects team out of the water.  Their message is simple.  Today in the house of David, a Savior has been born.  He is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).  In their message, they stated three things about this child.

First, He is Savior.  Jesus is in fact the savior of the world.  His purpose for coming to earth was so we might be saved (see John 3:16).  He knew that His sacrifice was the only way to restore His people to the Father.  So He gave up His place at the right hand of God to come to save us from destruction.  He truly is our Savior.

Second, He is Christ.  This indicated that Jesus was the one they had been waiting for.   Ever since the first prophet was told of a King, generations have passed this word from child to child.  These shepherds were seeing firsthand thousands of years of prophecy unfold before their very eyes.

Third, He is Lord.  This shows the deity of Jesus.  It tells of the fact that He is man yet still God.   The shepherds as well as everyone else had to come to this understanding that a little baby lying in a manger of all places is in fact their Yahweh.

The shepherds immediately went to find this baby.  They wanted to see their Savior, Christ and Lord.  So what will you do?  Who is He to you?  Is He your Savior?  Is He you Christ?  And is He your Lord?  This holiday season, I hope you find out that He truly is. 

Resolutions Redefined

My New Year's resolution is to not make any New year's resolutions.  See, I have already broken one.  It is amazing how the mindset of a person can change from December 31, to January 1.  Even though it is only one day, it is a new year and that greets us with promise, excitement and forgiveness.  That is why so many people decide at the beginning of the year that they will join a gym.
So you get a membership, go a few times, and maybe even get a new outfit (or workout clothes for you men).  You are all stoked because when summer arrives, you will have that beach body and be the envy of all those who have watched you go from flab to fab.  You set goals, make a plan and even tell your family that you are not ever eating hamburgers again.  Then it is time to actually GO to the gym.
The first day goes ok.  You are a little sore and out of shape, but that is to be expected.  After all
Rome was not built in a day right?  You are proud of yourself for passing up on the donuts for breakfast and have a salad for lunch.  This is going to be a piece of cake.  That is until you see the piece of cake.  The next thing you know you have already gone through the drive thru and ordered a number two super sized with a bladder busting soda (I don't know this personally.  I am just repeating someone else's story).  The next thing you know you are trying to avoid seeing the trainer you hired, speeding past the gym, and don't even know where you put that new outfit (workout stuff).
The same is true with our relationship with God.  We decide that today is the day that I get my life back on track.  We find our Bible, join a church, and even get us a new outfit (church clothes).  We feel good about our new decision and our new devotion book we picked up.  But as time goes by, life sets in, and it seems like your new found life has taken a back seat to the same old life you have always lived.
God desires more from us.  Luke 9:23 says, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (NKJV) That means that we must let go of our own wants and desires, start lifting daily and follow after our trainer Jesus Christ.  Notice that we are to do this daily and not just on days when the church doors are open.  Many of us want to follow after Christ but when it comes to picking up our cross daily, we fall short.  Don't just try to think of what you will look like in a year from now, just give tomorrow a try.  The next thing you know, you will be living like a follower of Jesus, pumped up and ready to take on the world for Him.
So make a plan.  Start today.  Take it one day at a time.  If not, there is always next year.  January 1st can't be that far away.