Dear Friends,

Time certainly flies. It seems no time from one December until the next. Every year seems to go faster and no sooner are the trees and lights coming down after one Christmas than they are going back up again for the next. Perhaps that is due to the fact that Christmas seems to start in July as far as the shops are concerned. There is so much fuss, so much advertising, so many attempts to wrestle hard earned cash from our fingers.  And all the time so little room for Jesus.  I saw a powerful post on Facebook recently:

“Jesus is not part of the story of Christmas.

Christmas is part of the story of Jesus”

Isn’t that so true?  Very often even believers just manage to squeeze a little of Jesus into their Christmas festivities but we need him right at the centre of everything not just Christmas.  He came to die on the cross and that cross gives meaning to everything.  It explains why Christmas had to happen, it proclaims the meaning of Easter, it brings hope to those despairing over their sin, it enables those who have lost loved ones to look to the future with confidence, it shines light into the darkness of our broken world.

If you want a Happy Christmas this year then look to the Cross and place your faith in the crucified One. He is not just the reason for the season. He is the real meaning behind everything.

Our reaction to Christmas should be the same as that of the Wisemen in Matthew 2V11

Matt. 2:11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Let us all worship Him this Christmas and let us all give Him the gift He most desires and deserves. The gift of the full surrender of our lives.Happy Christ to everyone of you.

Brian Boyd