25 Days 2 Christmas - Invitation

Scripture: For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. Luke 19:10

Are you planning to invite someone to a Christmas Eve service? 

Remember, "The God of the Bible is a missionary God who graciously pursues people." If we worship a missionary God, then we become a missionary people. 

Ed Stetzer in his blog, The Exchange, (July 21, 2014)  talks about the power of the invitation. An invitation to church is still an effective way to reach the lost.  

Stetzer makes his case for the invitation: "Why is it that many of our un-churched friends are ready for an invitation to church? Several missiologists have recently offered a similar observation. In our post-Christian nation, people who are skeptical of the faith are often attracted to the Christian community before they are attracted to the Christian message. (emphasis mine) Therefore, introducing people into the relational network of a local church community becomes an important aspect of their journey to the faith."

In other words - "Neighbors may come because of an invitation, but they'll stay for the community."

How does the journey of faith begin for most people? It starts with people being engaged with other Christians  in community, where they see and hear the gospel. That connection begins with a simple invite.

The good news is that any one can invite. You need no degrees, no professional training, no clergy title. Just a heart that wants to share the the hope of Christ. Remember, simply introducing people into the relational network of a local church community can be an important aspect of their journey to the faith.

Prayer: "Lord Jesus, help me to seek what you seek, love what you love, the lost."

Gift to others: The greatest gift you can give to someone this Christmas? An invitation to hear the real meaning of it. (James Emery White)

25 Days 2 Christmas - Family

You are members of God’s family. Ephesians 2:19

The conversations may have started weeks earlier. But the refrain is a common one, "When are you coming home for Christmas?" When we gather with family, we reconnect to our past.  We see where our journeys have taken us in the present.  And it becomes a time to wish each other well for the future. 

A highlight, for many families during Christmas, is getting together. It may be for a Christmas dinner. For others it is a time for an extended visit. As I write this, Nancy and I are getting ready to pickup up our adult daughter at the airport. As each year passes, I am recognizing that having all the family home for Christmas is something to be cherished. 

Christmas is about family. God is inviting people to become part of His family. The Bible makes it clear that how we respond to Christ determines whether we are one of God's children. 

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12. 

Jesus says that in order to belong to God's family we need to experience a second birth. We must be born again. Rick Warren in Purpose Driven Life observes, " Every human being was created by God, but not everyone is a child of God. The only way to get into God’s family is by being born again into it....The invitation to be part of God’s family is universal, but there is one condition: faith in Jesus." 

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26

Our earthly families are wonderful gifts. But our spiritual family is going to last forever; our relationships will go on through eternity. What binds God's children together is greater than genetics. We are bonded in the blood of Christ; in His sacrificial atoning death, by the grace of God. 

Are you part of God's family? 

Prayer: "Lord Jesus, I believe in You and I receive You into my life. Thank you for bringing me into God's family."

Gift to others: Tell another Christian that you are glad they are part of God's family.

 

25 Days 2 Christmas - Friendship

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:11

Christmas is a time that we celebrate God's friendship. Jesus came to do his reconciling work, moving us from being enemies of God to becoming friends of God. This is incredibly good news because too many people still believe that good works are required in order to appease an angry god.

From this friendship with God we are called to be in spiritual friendships with others. The bible shows again and again that we all are created for community—that friendship is expected; that you and I are to cultivate loving, nurturing, spiritual relationships with others.

I've heard the excuses about not having deep friendships: fear of being known, hard work, takes time, you are convinced you are doing just fine by yourself or you may simply not know how. 

But it is worth it. In fact, the presence of Christian friends is crucial in living out the life of faith God wants you to pursue. 

So this Christmas season look around and cultivate the friendships that help you move closer to God and who provide a source of support and strength. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to seek friendships that encourage me to grow closer to you.

Gift to others: Invite a friend over for coffee and conversation or for tea and talk. 

25 Days 2 Christmas - Worship

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2

This year at The Journey Church we are doing "The Story". We are preaching through the whole Bible over a period of 31 weekends. All of us are starting to see patterns play themselves over and over when it comes to our faith walk with God.

One pattern is simply this:  In our lower story will we put God first or will we allow other little gods capture our hearts. 

God's first commandment given to Moses on Mount Sinai was, "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3) 

Randy Frazee in his companion book to The Story writes about this choice we often find ourselves making: In the Lower Story, the one true God is often shoved aside for our little gods. In the Upper Story, God invites us to enjoy all the blessings of life he has given us, but to worship him only. 

(Excerpt taken from The Heart of the Story: God’s Masterful Design to Restore His People)

So who do you worship? What grabs your core? Where do you get your sense of comfort, hope and purpose? Where will you be gathered this weekend? Will you be stampeding to your work, a shopping mall, a rink, your bed or a place of worship? 

Wise men still seek Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to love you with of all my heart, my mind, my strength and my soul. Amen."

Gift to others: Take time to listen to someone for an extended period of time. 

25 Days 2 Christmas - Stress

"...Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand..." (Philippians 4:6b-7a)

A week from today is Christmas. How much stress are you feeling?

The Holmes Rahe scale assigns points to various life stressors. These points are called LCUs or life change units. Dr. Holmes and Dr. Rahe concluded that an individual who experiences a total of 300 LCUs is at high risk for illness.

Among other things, the list includes such events as: 

Marital separation - 65
Marriage - 50
Marital reconciliation - 45
Pregnancy - 40
Adding a new family member - 39
Change in financial state - 38
Trouble with in-laws - 29
Change in living conditions - 25
Change in working conditions - 20
Change in residence - 20
Change in church activities - 19
Change in social activities - 18
Change in sleep habits - 16
Minor violation of the law - 11


According to David Slagle's calculations Joseph and Mary could conceivably have experienced all of the events listed above for a total life change unit (LCU) count of 435. Ironically the LCU excluded from the above list is Christmas. That is worth 12 points!

How do we manage the stress of the season? The story of Jesus birth shows us stress isn't eliminated. But stress is navigated better when you and I...

1. Keep it simple. The birth of Jesus was in a manger. We don't have to exhaust ourselves with overspending and overdecorating. Simplify.
2. Give thanks. Celebrating all of God's good gifts and His greatest gift gives us perspective on what really matters. 
3. Be kind. Be kind. Be kind. This is one of the best gifts we can give others as we move through this holy and holiday time. It will help you forget about yourself and lighten other people's load of stress.

Prayer: "God, help us to keep our focus on the reason for the season - your love shown to us in coming of Christ."

Gift to others: "Run an errand for someone today to reduce their stress."

25 Days 2 Christmas - Perfect Timing

"But when the right time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and lived under the law." Galatians 4:4

Christmas is a reminder that God has a plan and keeps His promises. As the scripture verse above says Christ came just at the right time. God's perfect timing is pointed out in the following illustration. 

In a debate with the atheist (and now deceased) Christopher Hitchens, William Lane Craig noted how Christ's arrival on earth occurred at the perfect time. Craig said:

Human beings have existed for thousands of years on this planet before Christ's coming. But what's really crucial here is not the time involved; rather, it's the population of the world. The Population Reference Bureau estimates that the number of people who have ever lived on this planet is about 105 billion people. 

(Yet) only two percent of them were born prior to the advent of Christ. Erik Kreps of the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research says, "God's timing couldn't have been more perfect. Christ showed up just before the exponential explosion in the world's population."

The Bible says in the fullness of time God sent forth his Son, and when Christ came, the nation of Israel had been prepared. The Roman peace dominated the Mediterranean world; it was an age of literacy and learning. The stage was set for the advent of God's Son into the world. And I think in God's providential plan for human history, we see the wisdom of God in orchestrating the development of human life and then in bringing Christ into the world in the fullness of time.

Prayer: "Thank you, Lord God, for working out your plan of salvation for the world, at just the right time. Amen."

Gift to others: Write a thank-you note to a person from your past who has made a difference in your life.

25 Days 2 Christmas - Share

"After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished," Luke 2:17-18

The Christmas story is to be shared. It is a story that touches us personally but it is never meant to be a private affair.

How do we share, like the shepherds, the story of Jesus' birth in a culture that is growing increasingly skeptical?

Rico Tice, author of Honest Evangelism, makes this observation about his context in the UK: As London has become an increasingly secular city, I have come across three basic attitudes related to faith in Christ: Christians are weird, Christianity is untrue, and Christianity is irrelevant. Now, increasingly, I am also seeing a fourth attitude: Christianity is intolerant.

But even with this skepticism people are still searching. Rico Tice makes this point: "But all this is only half of the story.There is also increased hunger in our culture, and this may be heightened around the Christmas season. 

That means there is a two-sided approach as we share our hope about Christmas. We know that we will encounter anything from polite indifference to hostile skepticism. The gospel story of Christmas is a hard one to hear because it challenges and provokes all of our assumptions and attitudes.

But we will also encounter a spiritual hunger from people who want something more from life. The story of God drawing near to them offers meaning, grace and hope. 

Just like the shepherds of old we will continue doing what the church has done throughout the ages - sharing through word and deed the story about this Child.

Prayer: Lord give me a heart and the courage to be a light that leads others to the Christ Child.

Gift to others: In your conversations see where you can make a connection to the Christmas story.

25 Days 2 Christmas - Near

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. (John 14:1)

Too often we turn the first Christmas story into character development: about being humble, making sacrifices and being more loving. If we are not careful Christmas becomes nothing more than a religious moralistic event and a burden to heavy to bear. 

But what if Christmas is about something more? What if we really grasped Christmas is time to draw near to God in a whole new way.

Tim Keller in his article,"Why Christmas Matters" writes, "...if Jesus Christ is actually God come in the flesh, you're going to know much more about God … If Jesus is who he says he is, we have a 500-page autobiography from God, in a sense. And our understanding will be vastly more personal and specific than any philosophy or religion could give us. [Because of Christmas] look at what God has done to get you to know him personally. If the Son would come all this way to become a real person to you, don't you think the Holy Spirit will do anything in his power to make Jesus a real person to you in your heart? 

Christmas is an invitation by God: Look what I've done to come near to you. Now draw near to Me. I don't want to be a concept; I want to be a friend. 

Prayer: "Lord Jesus help me to draw near and embrace the friendship you desire." 

Gift to others: Take time to have a conversation with another person and learn about their life by asking questions and listening.

25 Days 2 Christmas - No Room

"...because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7

This is often an overlooked part of the story. Someone has said the first "king size" bed was baby Jesus in the manger. Just think about it. When we consider British royalty of Kate and William, it is hard to even begin to imagine their children, George and Charlotte, in a feeding trough. 

It makes us mindful that Jesus came into the world and identified with the poor and the bottom end of society. This was no palace or mansion. Nor did his parents have the means or the influence to make things happen. Christ identified with the weak. 

We often overlook these people in our lives. We can get caught up with the powerful, talented and popular. The baby in the manger may not look as impressive as other things that can take up our energies and attention. 

We must be careful.  We too may find we don't have any room for the baby Jesus because our lives are already filled with other important guests that have captured our hearts and minds. 

Prayer: "Lord be King of my heart today!"

Gift to others: Start looking for opportunity to invite others to celebrate Christ's birth at a Christmas Eve service.

25 Days 2 Christmas - Smile

"You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy." 1 Peter 1:8


I am trying an experiment this Christmas. I am giving away smiles. Not necessarily my infamous big goofy smiles. Just a merry smile. Interesting results so far! Kids respond to a smile quickly with a smile back. Youth are almost as quick. Adults look nervous but then often smile back.

"A smile is happiness you'll find right under your nose" says Tom Wilson. "We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do." observed the late Mother Teresa. A warm smile is the universal language of kindness -  William Arthur Ward

We smile because it is the window on our souls filled with joy that our Savior has come. He has defeated sin and death. Faith in Him is an invitation into God's kingdom to live a life of meaning and hope. Christ coming we celebrate at Christmas is the beginning of all this joy. 

Let's smile!

Prayer: Lord Jesus thank you for the hope, peace, love and joy I have in you. Please help me make a connection between my heart and my face. Amen"

Gift to others: This is a simple one. Smile at people today. Watch the response.

25 Days 2 Christmas - Love (part 2)

“Let love be your greatest aim." 1 Corinthians 14:1a (LB).

God is love and He calls us to live a life of love. (1 John 4:8)  We show the world we belong to God's family when we love each other. Jesus said, "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:35).

So this is the question: "How now shall we express Christ's love to others?" 

At Christmas we celebrate that God expressed His love to us in that He spent time with us. Christ made his home among us. (John 1:14) Giving others our time is a gift of love. 

Rick Warren in his classic book "The Purpose Driven Life" says, "The best use of life is love - the best expression of love is time - the best time to love is now"

Warren observes: The importance of things can be measured by how much time we are willing to invest in them. The more time you give to something, the more you reveal its importance and value to you. If you want to know a person’s priorities, just look at how they use their time. 

Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you will never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time. 

So one Christmas gift of love is time. How else we do express God's love that we celebrate at Christmas? Come back tomorrow as we continue in our 25 days 2 Christmas. 

Prayer: "God, may my love reflect your love this Christmas as I give my time to love my neighbor; whether that is with my family, my friends, my church and my greater community."

Gift to others: How will I make relationships my first priority? Plan to give time to others you have recently overlooked. 

25 Days 2 Christmas - Thankful

The song "My Favorite Things" from the classic movie, Sound of Music,  is sometimes heard during this holiday season.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

Wisdom in this simple song. Giving thanks for the good things we have been blessed is good for the soul. 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Cor. 9:15 

This bible verse reminds us that the greatest gift from God is found in Jesus. What makes this gift so wonderful? 

The gift of Christ allows to experience today the riches of God's grace, kindness, patience, wisdom, power and mercy! 

The gift of Christ means eternity is being with God forever. We will be completely changed to be like Christ. And we will be freed from all pain, death, and suffering.

Now those are not just favorite things but ultimate things for everyone to embrace! This is what we celebrate at Christmas: God's indescribable gift.

Prayer: "We give thanks to you, God, for all that Jesus Christ gives. Help us to receive this gift by faith."

Gift to others: Tell 3 people you are thankful that you know them!"

 

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25 Days 2 Christmas - Wrappings

A well wrapped gift is a feast for the eyes. It says, "I took time, thought and effort in preparing to give you this gift."

Quick facts about gift wrapping in America, (let's assume in Canada we are about 10% of these stats)

• 2.6 billion dollars: Amount spent on gift wrap in the U.S. annually.
• 98% of consumers wrap gifts during the holidays.
• If every American family wrapped just 3 presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

"...She wrapped him in cloths…” Luke 2:7

Wrapping a newborn children tightly with linen was an ancient custom. These strips of linen were tightly wrapped around a newborn to make the child feel secure, and to help straighten the limbs.

Use your imagination. The Prince of Peace, Son of the Most High God, Messiah is wrapped up from head to toe. This is often how God's kingdom presents itself to us even today: vulnerable, helpless and weak.

Don't get fooled by the wrapping!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to see into the weakness and humility of your birth. It is the exact opposite of what our world desires. Help us to embrace the path of weakness to know your strength. Amen"

Gift to others: Surprise someone with a nice gift wrapped up in newspaper!

25 Days 2 Christmas - Feelings

Feeling good is a high expectation for this season. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year sums it up in its lyrics: 

It's the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings 
When friends come to call 
It's the hap- happiest season of all 

Happy feelings are great. And yet they are not the essence of Christmas. It is about God deciding to love us. Love is first and foremost not an emotion but a matter of the will. 

C.S.Lewis in Mere Christianity observes, "But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him.

Romans 5: 8: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us." 

Knowing that God loves us despite our up and down feelings about Him and others should make all of us makes the hap -happiest people of all! 

Prayer: "God, forgive us when we wait to feel loving to You and others. Rather give us the strength to act loving to you and others, in this moment. Amen." 

Gift to others: Do one act of love to someone that you presently don't "feel" very loving towards with no expectation of reward or recognition"