“The world would never starve for wonders, but only for the warmth of wonder.”  – G. K. Chesterton

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

Who can you share the wonder of Christmas with this year?

On December 10, I sent a devotional titled “Letter from Jesus about Christmas.” In response to that I received several thoughtful replies. The one from Vickie Pittman impacted me the most. She made some excellent points. Here are a few excerpts from Vickie’s email:

“I usually don’t ‘react’ to any of your daily emails, but today’s concerned me a little!  I read the rest of the letter and, by the end, it was much better.  However, you have a lot of influence and I get concerned when we are encouraging people to not take a stand, even in seemingly small things.  Per the letter in your daily email, I agree that we should be friendly to all we see in the stores, on the street, etc, and I agree with not shopping on Sunday and some of the action points stated.  However,  the few people that are speaking up against removing all references to Christmas don’t represent the majority view at all …

It is what  happened in Nazi Germany when there was a slow and methodical change and millions were murdered and tortured.  It is what is happening across the world now…

The word Christmas in a catalog may seem insignificant, but at least people are finally stepping up and saying ‘we have had enough’.  From the top of our government down to every “holiday’ program in our communities,  the few are trying to remove any Christian reference.  I agree that Christmas is way too commercialized, but, for many people, it is one of the few times a year they may reach out to a church, attend a service and make some statement that they believe in the one true God.   I commend those who are taking action – in a legal, responsible way, to let their voice be heard. Our founding fathers had to do the same.  Although, I do see the letter’s point in that people seem to focus on the wrong things at times – much like the Pharisees wanted a good appearance but their heart attitude was wanting.  Christians are not standing up for what matters in way too many arenas. Our freedoms are being eradicated on a daily basis.”

While posting emails into my journal on December 12, I discovered that Dr. Jerry Graham sent a devotional to his email list on the morning of December 10 (the same day as me) titled “Letter from Jesus” with the same topic as mine. That was absolutely amazing considering we had never communicated in any fashion about this. For some reason, God is raising a red flag to pay attention.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for people like Vickie who are bold enough to warn me when they think I might be abusing my influence. Thank You for the gift and wonder of Christmas and the love and joy that is manifested during this season. At this special time of year, we all renew our sense of wonder in recalling the story of the first Christmas in Bethlehem nearly 2,000 years ago. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Reagan’s Christmas Message – outstanding video clip at Sermon Spice

Blessings to stand up for what matters most (Jesus)!