Everyone's Favorite Words

I read an article recently that talked about a recent Gallup poll in which people were asked about their favorite words. Almost without exception, the top three things people like to hear most are "I love you", "I forgive you", and "supper is ready". While we may chuckle at little at the last one there is no doubt that the first two are sorely lacking in our world.

The Holiday season is upon us and with that comes thoughts of family. To some people this means cozy thoughts of a small family gathered around the fireplace on Christmas Eve opening presents. To others it means large  gatherings with in-laws, cousins, etc. To some it may mean feeling the absence of family more keenly than throughout the rest of the year. While many look forward to family get-togethers, others dread them. It seems like family is the hardest to get along with for some.

Families are a gift from God and no one can ever take the place of family in our lives. Christmas time is a time to think about gift giving. The best present some of us could give to a family member would be an "I love you" or an "I forgive you". These words may not always be the easiest to say but they certainly are the most rewarding. At first it may feel awkward to tell these words to someone you haven't used them on in a long time. But words such as "I love you" are healing words when said from the heart.

Is there a relationship in your life that needs mending? Does someone you know need to be reassured of your love and forgiveness? Perhaps you need to ask forgiveness of someone yourself. Maybe you know of someone who is lonely and just needs an invitation to Christmas dinner. Whatever the occasion, make this Christmas special by using the three phrases people need to hear most: "I love you", "I forgive you", and "Supper is ready".

Merry Christmas,

Sullivan Jones 

Star of Bethlehem

Matthew 2:9 - The star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

The story of the wise men who followed a star to the baby Jesus has become an enduring symbol of Christianity. A manger scene hardly seems complete without several wise men and the favorite topping for any Christmas tree is the star. Yet few of us realize what that star really signified.

When we think of the wise men we usually imagine three  men gathered around the baby Jesus with the shepherds on the night of his birth. The reality is far more intriguing. Though the Bible doesn't give us many details, we can deduce a few things from what it does say. 

The Bible tells us that when the Wise men arrived in Jerusalem to tell the wicked king Herod of the star they had been following He and all of Jerusalem were troubled. This means that everyone knew about their arrival. This is probably because they came with a great caravan and caused quite a stir in the city. No doubt it was a great trade caravan instead of a small band of men. We can also conclude that they were wealthy by the expensive gifts that they brought. No common merchant would have been able to give gold and rare spices to a baby. They brought expensive gifts worthy of a king. 

When the wise men told Herod about the star he knew nothing of a new king being born. He pretended to be interested and asked diligently about the time the star appeared. Then when the men were gone, he had all the baby boys from two years old and under killed. They must have told him that they had been following the star for nearly two years. This indicates that they came from a great distance away. When they finally found Jesus the Bible refers to him as a young child instead of an infant. He would have been around two years of age before the Magi arrived. 

Why does all this matter? What does the story of the wise men tell us? Isn't it just a good story. Do the details really matter? They do. They speak to us of a group of people with determination. It must have take some serious determination to travel such a great distance through the desert in search of a king in a distant land. One can only imagine the hardships they endured in their quest for this king. And we can only imagine their surprise and shock when they found that he was born in a stable rather than a palace. 

The story of the wise men is not just a simple children's story. It is a magnificent story of a people desperate for a king. A king that would solve all the world's problems and bring peace to a troubled land. It tells us something of the desperation and hope these men must have felt that they went to such great lengths to find this king. But instead of an earthly king they found something much more precious. They found a savior. 

The light that led these men to Jesus still shines today. For the real light they were seeking was not the star but the king himself. This king still lives and His light is available to all who need it. For Jesus himself is the light of the world. If you need an answer just look to Jesus! His light still shines for all the world to see. 

Wise men still seek Him!

Merry Christmas,

Spanish Pastor Jones 

A Child is Born

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is bron, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

This is one of my favorite times of the year. I know I'm not alone in this. We all love Christmas time. We love the lights, the Christmas Carols, and the generally festive mood. We love watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and "White Christmas". Although we get exasperated with the busyness of the season, and promise to do "something different" next year, we always get caught up in the "Christmas spirit." How could we not? We humans love to have a good time and Christmas is a good time to have fun. 

Yet very few of us will truly take timeto contemplate why we are celebrating. The humble origin of the Holiday is the birth of a baby who came to change the world by setting us free from the bondage of sin. The Son of God wasn't born in a stable so that we could eat fruit cake and sing about reindeer. I love the season as much as anyone. I enjoy the family get-togethers and the exchanging of gifts. It is always such fun to surprise someone with that "just right" present. And I would be lying if I didn't admit that I look forward to the things others will have for me. Yet the greatest gift is not what I will find under the tree on Christmas Eve. The greatest gift was given to the world a little more than two Millenia ago when God gave us the gift of His Son Jesus Christ as the first Christmas present. 

According to some counts there are more than 300 prophecies of the Messiah (The Promised One) in the Old Testament. Every Jew who was educated in the law knew at least a few of these prophecies. No doubt they often quoted them to one another in difficult times. Yet they missed his birth. They were so busy with the affairs of life that they missed the one they had been awaiting for more than 4,000 years. 

In this Christmas season, even as we supposedly celebrate the birth of our Lord, it will be easy to miss him. It will be easy to pass over the celebration of a humble birth for the lights and candles and presents. In my family we will exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. We will eat and laugh and have a good time. We may even watch a Christmas movie. But before we do any of that, we will first open the Scripture and read those timeless words from the book of Matthew chapter one, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise......"

Let's celebrate! Let's have a good time. But Let's not forget the reason for the celebration. For unto us a child is born!