Dec 31

 

Romans 8:28

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Dec 29

 

Ezekiel 34:12

12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

Dec 28

 

Psalms 55:22

22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Dec 27

 

Matthew 2:10

10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

Dec 26

 

Luke 2:13

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

Dec 21

 

Luke 1:32

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

Christmas Message

 Mary wrapped the first Christmas gift.

That sounds like a very commercial statement to some, but if you think about it, she wrapped the first Christmas present for the rest of us. When she took baby Jesus from whoever helped her deliver her baby and wrapped baby Jesus in swaddling, she was wrapping the first Christmas present to the world.

Only the commercialization and the slow generational change in perception of the value of the lessons Jesus of Nazareth, who became the Christ, have eroded the importance of this present Mary wrapped up for us all. We have forgotten the value of that gift that Mary gave the world. When you consider that he was a Jewish man who set out to change the inequities not only in his religion but in the world's relationships with each other, then you realize the value of Mary's gift to us. Jesus was not trying to find or start a new religion. He was trying to fix the one that he grew up in. Jesus was preaching love, peace, and harmony with all humankind, regardless of who or what they believed in. He understood that humanity needed to accept each other for who we are and what we believe in as long as it did not cause harm to others. He was not concerned that the Romans worshipped a pantheon of other gods or that the Samaritans or others had other gods that they held higher than the one he followed and the one he became.

So when Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling, she was wrapping a gift for all of man and womankind to pursue peace with each other, love towards each other, and harmony with all those we interact with, whether we agree with their views or not. These lessons that were repeatedly taught and repeated over and over by his apostles after his crucifixion have been lost to the ravages of time. Saint Peter and Saint Paul passed his teachings along, leading to the formation of a  church. It is known as the Catholic Church or universal church. The message of love, harmony with each other, and peace towards the world was the cornerstone of the teachings of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. You would be hard-pressed to find that in the teachings of most of the present-day churches. You will find that there is hate, exclusion, and dogma that is meant to bind you to a very narrow defined selection of scriptures in the Bible. The selected scriptures are used to further their agenda, not the Christ's teachings.

This is why the younger generation stepped away from organized religion like Christianity and chose to take a spiritual route. So, let's take a moment during this holiday season and realize that we need to embrace the first Christmas gifts given to us by Mary all those many thousands of years ago. We need to reembrace understanding of each other, love towards each other, and peace with all those around us. It should not matter if they have the same belief in the same denomination that we do. It should only matter if they are spiritually aware of the gift and the teachings that came from that gift.

I leave you with this thought. We need to follow Christ's Teachings, not worship Christ. Mary wrapped us up the perfect gift: A gift for all humankind. It is there for any one of us to unwrapped and embrace. It is the teaching of the baby she swaddled that day. 

¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 

¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.  Col. 3:14-15 (ESV)

I wish you a joyful Christmas with many blessings for the New Year.

Dec 19

 

Isaiah 49:13

13 Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

Dec 18

 

Isaiah 25:9

9 In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Dec 17

 

Luke 2:10

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

Dec 15

 

Malachi 3:1

1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.

Dec 14

 

Genesis 22:18

18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Dec 12

 

Isaiah 7:14

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Dec 9

 

Romans 12:12

12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Dec 8

 

Philippians 1:6

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Dec 7

 

Dec 6

 

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Advent

 

Dec 4

 

Isaiah 40:31

31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Dec 3

 

Lamentations 3:22

22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.