And the Light still shines!

I am watching “The Sound of Music”, a personal tradition with me at Christmas time, and feeling a little sentimental as the beautiful music is playing and my Christmas tree lights are blinking. I love the feeling I get when I hear Christmas carols and it really makes me upset when I hear people complain that merchants put up the Christmas decorations earlier every year, to that I say, “So what?” Every day the Christmas tree stands is a day we are proclaiming to the world that we still celebrate the BIRTH of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I realize that merchants are only trying to get gift giving on everyone’s mind so their merchandise moves out faster, again I say, “So WHAT?” John 12:32 Jesus said: “The voice didn’t come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me.”  The KJV says: And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” Jesus was telling them how He would die, lifted up, crucified on a tree, this would draw all men to Him. Granted, it wasn’t a sweeping pine with it’s branches decorated with lights, but a cross made from the wood of a tree, but that old rugged cross had on it the brightest Light the world would ever see, Jesus Christ! John 8:12 Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” We are not honoring the tree to me it stands as a sign that Jesus came into the world and if we would only allow Him to would bring us joy and peace. Luke 2:2-14 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. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Don’t fret over the commercialization of Christmas, whether the world knows it or not they are helping us celebrate the Reason for the Season, Jesus Christ! He is the brightest light we will ever know; I say, “Shine on O Lord, our Lord!” And Merry Christmas!