Christmas is coming!

Christmas is a week away. A week of focus on purchasing gifts for those we love and care for. A week of anticipation...what will I get for Christmas? A week of worry, do I have enough money to get all the "stuff" I need to purchase? A week of hiding those treasures from the kids. A week of anticipation for the children...will I get what I really want? Is there really a santa claus? Will we get snow?

In this week some will take a moment to think about what Christmas is really about- the birth of Christ, the Messiah of the world.

In spite of attempts to take the focus off of the real reason for Christmas it is still all about Christ himself, God's revelation of his love for the human race.

Christmas is about God's love- it's revealed in the birth of his son, the only savior of man.

Christmas is about God's mercy- it's revealed in the fact that he doesn't give us what we deserve, but rather gives us what we don't deserve and could never attain on our own.

Christmas is about God's grace- it's revealed in his provision of his riches for us through Christ. It's provided while we were his enemy, and had no desire for him, and yet God showed us his grace by the birth of his son.

Christmas is about God's sovereignty- it's revealed in the birth of his son in spite of man's best attempts to foil God's plans. The Messiah was born, died and rose again to provide salvation for mankind.

Christmas is about God's salvation- in this time of year we celebrate HIS gift of a son, a messiah, the only way to salvation, Jesus Christ, God's son, the hope of the world.
And lastly Christmas is about God's hope- God gives us hope. Hope of a solution, hope through his love and savior. Hope for the future embodied in the baby in the manger. Hope of life because of God's gift, Jesus Christ.

Have a great Christmas.