Christmas

Peace on Earth?

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NKJV

Here in Florida, from late Fall to late Spring we have month after month of sunny, generally warm and tranquil weather. But on the first of June, hurricane season begins. For those of us who have lived here awhile that means stocking up on batteries, water and keeping the car filled with gas. We do this, not because we live in terror, but because we know that preparedness is our best friend when a storm heads our way. In that same way God offers peace, beginning at the manger in Bethlehem

We need this peace, like the deer who the Psalmist says, is thirsting for water. What a wonderful thing here to find Paul describing God’s peace as the gift that guards our hearts and minds. Just as we prepare for hurricane conditions, so this peace does not spare us from storms but rather it prepares us for them. It is not fragile or delicate. Instead God’s peace is powerful, fearless, and able to guard anyone who dares to seek for God, like the deer seeking water, the wise men following the star and the shepherds running from their fields to see the Savior in the manger. Because of the cross this peace can be yours. It is God’s gift to everyone who believes, who receives His Son as Lord and Savior and who seeks Him with all their heart!

Lentil Soup And a Wise Man’s Gift

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 
Matthew 2:11 ESV

“What’s for dinner honey?” I said with a laugh knowing that it would be lentil soup for its third and final performance. During those first years of marriage, our food shopping was a low-cost adventure. So, with Christmas not far away; even putting up a tree with decorations was something we couldn’t afford. That year, Christmas Eve was pay day and at four thirty I waited in line for my check. “Merry Christmas” My boss said winking as he handed me my envelope. “There’s something extra in there for you tonight.”  

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I peeked inside and drew a quick breath in astonishment. “Wow thanks Joe! Merry Christmas to you too” I said amazed at seeing a fifty-dollar bill tucked inside! I drove home through the heavy traffic getting there just before five. “Come on Nancy! Let’s go buy a tree!” I shouted as I ran up the stairs to show her my bonus. Five minutes later we bundled up and drove to a Christmas tree lot where the owner was delighted to sell us a tree for five dollars, just before he closed. Then we raced over to the Woolworth store, where for ten cents each we bought some colored glass bulbs and a string of lights with tinsel. God didn’t have to send the wise men with gifts to make it Christmas; but He did. That Christmas our wise man was named Joe and he left us a special gift on that Silent and Holy Night!

The Fire and the Cloud: A Christmas Story

/ pastorpete51 / 8 Comments 
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. Exodus 13:21 NKJV

You probably will ask, “What in the world does the cloud and the pillar of fire have to do with Christmas?” That’s a great question! Well, let’s consider the journey of the wise men. He sent the star to guide the wise men. In the same way, that In the wilderness, God sent a fire by night to lead His people. Have you ever stopped to think that sometimes God leads us that way also? When it is nighttime in our life, and things are going wrong, He sends His light to guide us, in the form of His Word.

But what about those days when there is money in the bank, everyone is healthy, and life is sunny? For the children of Israel, the daytime traveling was by a cloud. Though the wisemen had no cloud to follow, what they did was to continue on the course that the star had set by night. They did not stop and wait for evening but pressed on ahead. In the same way, we must not settle down in our comfort zones. God leads us forward even when things look good because our Promised Land is not here in the desert. No matter how great things look right now, there is a much more wonderful destination ahead because we are not citizens of the wilderness. Our homeland lies on the other side of the Jordan River. So, whether God sends a star, a cloud, or a pillar of fire, He will lead us to our own promised land. If we simply choose to follow Him, He will lead us both by day and by night. Then one day we will come to His home, pour out our treasures and worship Him forever!

The First Noel was one of the songs we kicked off our caroling with at the nursing home this year. Just as the wise men followed that star on the first Noel, God is calling you to follow Him by reading and following His word. No matter how old we are, it is never too late to have a First Noel!