Christmas

Christmas
The apostle Luke records,
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  
And everyone went to his own town to register. 
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  
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 room for them in the inn.... 
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. 
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord  (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord” ),  and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” 
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,  Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,you now dismiss your servant in peace. 
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
                                                                                      Luke 2:1-7, 21-31.
The Apostle John put things this way,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. ...
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” 
                                                                                                     John 1:1-5, 10-14.
God became a man. The God that created the heavens and the earth became a man. This is the most fundamental belief of Christianity.
I personally believe it.
I believe the apostle John who wrote,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
                                                  John 3:16
God loved man so much that He came to this world in the form of Jesus that all who believe in Him should have eternal life.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that eternal life is free. That salvation is through faith in God, faith in Christ. Writing,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” 
                                                          Ephesians 2:8,9.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”                                                                                                                                                   Hebrews 11:6.
I believe this.
 So at this Christmas time as I do every day throughout the year I will worship God.
And as it is Christmas time when we, my family, friends, and all Christians celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I will praise Him all the more.
And while I may not have all the instruments mentioned I will as the Psalmist did,

“Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

 praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing, 

praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD.” 

                                                                                      Psalm 150.
And that I do not have to think about.
So to all who reads this Christian, or not, may God bless you richly and show you the truth about Jesus Christ this Christmas day, and throughout the coming year.