25 Days of Christmas - Day 25

Merry Christmas to you and your family from The Howard Family!

Today is that special day that we've all been waiting for...Christmas Day!  Make this day all about celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  One of the best ways you can do that is by giving your life to Him and by serving others.

Our family will be giving to the lonely, the hurting, the less fortunate by serving meals at Gondola's today for about 2 hours.  It's a great way to give back and minister to those who could never give anything in return.  What a joy to serve others with the love of Christ on Christmas and all year long!

Let's come and worship the new born King!

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels;

O come, let us adore Him

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name ,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)

Adoration is a word that we love to use during the Christmas season thanks largely to the classic carol O Come, All Ye Faithful as we sing, “O come, let us adore Him.” So many of us during the Christmas season spend more time thinking about Christ and giving Him adoration than any other time of the year. Think about it for a moment. More people go to church during Christmas than any other time of the year. We also tend to find ourselves singing and listening to songs about Jesus more during the Christmas season than any other time of year. As a result, Christmas is a time when we love to praise Him, honor Him, and adore Him much in the way Philippians 2:9-11 describes.

While it’s great that Christ earns so much of our attention and adoration during Christmas, it’s important to remember that we should pay that same amount of attention to Him 12 months a year instead of just one. Sure, it’s easier to get caught up in all the Christmas hype and spend more time thinking, singing, praying, and adoring Christ during December, but in order to have a true relationship with Christ we must adore and spend time with Him daily and not just during Christmas. This year as you move out of the Christmas season and back into the normalcy of life, strive to find a way to capture that Christmas spirit that will enable you to adore Him and grow with Him every day of your life.

What things keep you from adoring and spending time with Christ on a daily basis?
What steps will you take to ensure that you spend time daily with Christ?

25 Days of Christmas - Day 23

Angels From The Realms Of Glory

Angels from the realms of glory,

Wing your flight o’er all the earth;

Ye who sang creation’s story,

Now proclaim Messiah’s birth:

Come and worship,

Come and worship,

Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

Luke 2:13-14 NIV

The actions of the angels are one of the most exciting aspects of the Christmas story from Luke 2. First you have the angel who suddenly appears to the shepherds to tell them the good news of Jesus birth (Luke 2:9). Then, as if the shepherds haven’t had enough, there is a whole multitude of angels suddenly appearing in full concert to finish it off (Luke 2:13). This is such an epic celebration like nothing ever seen in the Bible, and it was displayed not for the government officials, the upper class of the city, or the spiritual elite, but for the lowly shepherds. What a beautiful tension and a perfect picture of the power of Christmas. It is the biggest news that mankind could ever know, its celebration is led by the very angels who hang out in the perfect presence of an all-powerful God, and the message is meant for the lowly and broken.

This old carol is such a simple but powerful reminder of all who have been invited to celebrate and to worship Jesus. Jesus is the most amazing gift given to us. God loved us so much that He sent His only son to enter humanity so that ultimately we could have the chance to be right before a holy God. That is the power of Christmas, and the angels understood it. The shepherds experienced it first-hand. The wise men believed it. They not only joined the worship celebration, but their excitement and worship inspired others to do the same. This Christmas, let our worship would be so authentic and exciting that we would draw others to “Come and worship; come and worship; Worship Christ the newborn King!”

How can you celebrate and worship Jesus throughout this Christmas season?

How can you inspire others to do the same?

25 Days of Christmas - Day 16

The Little Drummer Boy

Come they told me, Pa rum pa pum pum

A newborn King to see, Pa rum pa pum pum

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.     Romans 12:1 MSG

The night was silent, except for the beating of his heart. It seemed so loud to him, he wondered if his traveling companions could hear it too. He was nervous to see a king, but he kept walking, holding tightly to his drum.

His heart was about to beat out of his chest. The others were carrying beautiful boxes filled with precious gifts, gifts worthy of a king. He had nothing but his drum which suddenly seemed an inappropriate instrument to play for king, not to mention a newborn baby king. If only he had a more soothing instrument, like the harp the shepherd boys sometimes play.

His heart beat was deafening as he stood before the king. And then Mary nodded. The King’s mother nodded at him.. She actually wanted him to play. He raised his sticks and began to beat out of the first pattern that came into his head, the rhythm of his beating heart.

And so the Little Drummer Boy gave his heart to God. He played his best. He gave his best.
How often do we feel our gifts are not good enough? We compare ourselves to others, wondering why their gifts seem so much more “useful” for the kingdom. We want to teach like our Pastor, or sing like our Worship Leader. Or maybe we want to share our blessings, but at times, we don’t feel very blessed. We can’t give what we don’t have, but rather than lamenting our lack, we need to look for our “drum”, the one thing that only we can give.

The truth is God already has teaching like the Pastor’s. He already has singing like the worship leader’s. And what He wants, what He can really use, is your heart.

Think of ways that you can bless others this season and in turn bless God. You don’t have to spend money. You just have to give of yourself, of your heart. Just like the little Drummer Boy. And Jesus smiled at him. Think of Jesus smiling at you. Kind of makes your heart race, doesn’t it? Listen.

How can you bless God by blessing others this holiday season?

Are you giving your best to God? If not, how could you give your best to him today?

25 Days of Christmas - Day 8

Away In A Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for His bed;

the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.  Luke 2:6-7 NIV

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is born in a manger with not so much as a bed to lie on. The humble beginnings of our Lord’s life remind us that we are to be humble and thankful for what we have been blessed with. The true meaning of Christmas is reflected so poetically in the story of Jesus’ birth that we cannot help but find ourselves grateful for all that was given to us on that day.

The song describes how even when Jesus wakes, he does not cry out or make a sound. This day was a day of rejoicing, and the baby lying awake on the hay was no ordinary child, He was the Savior of men! The last verse of the song asks the Lord to stay beside us, to lead us, and to eventually take us to Heaven to live with Him. How often is that our prayer? Stay beside me Lord as I make my way through this earthly life.

How glorious and beautiful is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We celebrate His birth and the life that was given to us by Him through His life, death, and resurrection.

In your opinion, how does this carol reflect the love of Christ?

What does this carol show you about our Lord at the beginning of His life here on earth?

Why do you think God chose for his son to be born in a manger instead of a birth fitting of royalty?