THE REAL CHRISTMAS STORY (1 OF 3)
by Jerry Watts
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
This content is part of a series.
The Real Christmas Story (1 of 3)
Series: The Wonder of Christmas
Jerry Watts
Matthew 1:18-25
Last Christmas, grandpa was feeling his age, and found that shopping for Christmas gifts had become too difficult. So he decided to send checks to everyone instead. In each card he wrote, ''Buy your own present!'' and mailed them early. He enjoyed the usual flurry of family festivities, and it was only after the holiday that he noticed that he had received very few cards in return. Puzzled over this, he went into his study, intending to write a couple of his relatives and ask what had happened. It was then, as he cleared off his cluttered desk that he got his answer. Under a stack of papers, he was horrified to find the gift checks which he had forgotten to enclose with the cards.
Deb loves to tell this story on me (she tells it for the truth, but 'I' don't know). When our kids were born I was a worship leader and it was a transition when God called me to preach and I became a pastor. So goes the story: in our first pastorate, after service one more, our 'VERY YOUNG DAUGHTER' asked, ''Dad, what you said this morning, was that the truth or were you just preaching?''
After thinking about that story (true or not), I am struck by one truth in this culture. As a culture, we are prone to attempt to revise history. Imagine my shock when I discovered that the pilgrims were not religious people, that the word of God had nothing to do with the founding of this nation, and that Christmas is offensive to people. Candidly, my parents clearly taught me the truth which lines up with the universal principle which says, ''History is what it is! All we can do with history is study and learn it - we can do nothing to change it.'' It's as simple as this: turn on the light at a specific time and for all eternity the truth is that on this day at that time- I turned on a light.
To read the history surrounding the celebration of Christmas can be confusing because so many attempt ...
Series: The Wonder of Christmas
Jerry Watts
Matthew 1:18-25
Last Christmas, grandpa was feeling his age, and found that shopping for Christmas gifts had become too difficult. So he decided to send checks to everyone instead. In each card he wrote, ''Buy your own present!'' and mailed them early. He enjoyed the usual flurry of family festivities, and it was only after the holiday that he noticed that he had received very few cards in return. Puzzled over this, he went into his study, intending to write a couple of his relatives and ask what had happened. It was then, as he cleared off his cluttered desk that he got his answer. Under a stack of papers, he was horrified to find the gift checks which he had forgotten to enclose with the cards.
Deb loves to tell this story on me (she tells it for the truth, but 'I' don't know). When our kids were born I was a worship leader and it was a transition when God called me to preach and I became a pastor. So goes the story: in our first pastorate, after service one more, our 'VERY YOUNG DAUGHTER' asked, ''Dad, what you said this morning, was that the truth or were you just preaching?''
After thinking about that story (true or not), I am struck by one truth in this culture. As a culture, we are prone to attempt to revise history. Imagine my shock when I discovered that the pilgrims were not religious people, that the word of God had nothing to do with the founding of this nation, and that Christmas is offensive to people. Candidly, my parents clearly taught me the truth which lines up with the universal principle which says, ''History is what it is! All we can do with history is study and learn it - we can do nothing to change it.'' It's as simple as this: turn on the light at a specific time and for all eternity the truth is that on this day at that time- I turned on a light.
To read the history surrounding the celebration of Christmas can be confusing because so many attempt ...
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