MERRY CHRISTMAS

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them;
and they were sore afraid.And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
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, good will toward men.

Merry CHRISTmas! I hope your Christmas day has brought you nothing but joyful memories filled with smiles, laughs, gifts, friends and family.

I hope that the true meaning of Christmas hasn't escaped you this year. I know it's easy to lose sight of the real Christmas message amidst all the worldly 'stuff' we surround ourselves with. I also know that all of the 'stuff' in the world can't fill that void in our hearts...only one thing can: God. During the Christmas season we concentrate so much on the birth of the baby that sometimes we lose sight of the true message of Christmas. It's not that He was born that makes Him remarkable. What's remarkable---and the most powerful thing that you could possibly imagine---is that He died... and He died for you.

If the end of that baby's life didn't end the way it did we would never had known that He existed. The true Christmas message is that He existed so He could die for our sins. His journey, from manger to cross, gives us a path to salvation. He died so you could fill the void in your heart---with Him.

I really, truly believe it because I've seen it work in my own life. And for as much as we want to make it about Frosty the Snowman and Santa, and stuff, the real gift of Christmas is: Redemption.

I pray this Christmas that you find what I have found. And finally, once and for all---fill the void.

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas.