What Christmas is about...

I'll be talking about the message of the Christmas story... but I won't touch much on the commercialization of Christmas... as that's what Christmas isn't about. I'll talk about how it is a message of hope and love... Hope to those who are hopeless (read the way the shepherds reacted in Luke 2 for an example of that). It is a message of love... and this story illustrates that well:

There was once a man who didn't believe in incarnation or the spiritual meaning of Christmas, and was skeptical about God. He and his family lived in a farm community. His wife was a devout believer.
One snowy Christmas eve she was taking the kids to the Christmas eve service at church. She pleaded with him to come, but he firmly refused. He ridiculed the idea of the incarnation of Christ and after they left, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As he looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening.
Shortly, he heard some noises coming from outside. He went to the window to investigate, and low and behold, there were geese calling frantically outside, somehow braving the blizzard.
He had compassion for them and wanted to help them. He thought to himself, "The barn would be a great place for them to stay! It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. Starting to get frustrated, he went over and tried to shoo them, run after them, and chase them toward the barn. They only got scared and scattered into every direction except toward the barn.
Feeling totally frustrated, he exclaimed, "Why don't they follow me! Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm! How can I possibly get them into the one place that will save them? If only I was a goose, then they could understand me.”
He stood silently for a moment as the words that he just said reverberated back to himself in his mind: "If only I could become like one of them -- then I could save them." He thought about his as the winds and blinding snow abated, his heart became quiet and pondered this thought. He understood what Christmas was all about. He knew why Christ had come.

That's why Christ came...

In His Service,

Isaiah Henni
Associate Youth Minister
Riverton Christian Church

A Turnaround Story

Manasseh was one of the most wicked king of Judah... he rebuilt the altars that had been torn down, built new ones, practiced divination, witchcraft, and even placed altars in the Temple of the LORD... Then the King of Assyria came, took him prisoner (placing a hook in his nose and bronze shackles on him) taking him to Babylon.
In such a state, he humbled himself before God, and when he prayed to God, the LORD listened to him and brought him back to Jerusalem. He then rebuilt the City of David, and devoted the rest of his life to removing all traces of idol worship that he could... He restored the altar of the LORD... and told Judah to serve the LORD...

There are many stories of men and women in the Bible who made a turnaround... stories of redemption and hope.
I want you to think to yourself... just think what you could change in your life...
Is there something that you can remove from your life that's holding you back (like the idols held back Manasseh).
Is it time for you to repent, to turn back to God?
Is God truly #1 in your life?

Just some thoughts to ponder...
Isaiah
2 Chronicles 33:1-20

The Sun of Righteousness...

Malachi 4:2
But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings....

Have a scar in your heart that won't seem to disappear? Seek the Sun of Righteousness... Jesus Christ...

He specializes in Cardiac surgery...

Something to think about,

Isaiah
Associate Youth Minister