Reflections on the Manger

     When I was growing up, we did not have the high tech distractions that are so abundant today.  With television, IPADS, IPODS, smart phones, and computers, children today, as well as adults, can become so enamored with things that the babe in a manger can fade away amidst all the slick advertisements.  While we had a television, my parents spent time emphasizing the true meaning of the Christmas celebration and limited the T.V. time.  In fact,  one of the key highlights to our tree trimming was placing the manger scene beneath our tree.  I had the honor to position all the shepherds, kings, and of course, baby Jesus.  I remember spending hours rearranging these figures and looking at them.  I could almost hear the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the cows.  Then, on Christmas Eve, we read the Christmas story out of the Bible and placed the crib with Baby Jesus in the manger scene.  This is a vivid memory for me because it was so important in our household.

     As our own children came along, my husband and I continued the tradition of the manger scene because this is the central message of Christmas.  The tree, the decorations are all beautiful, but they do not outshine the birth of the King of Kings.  On Christmas Eve, we carried on the tradition of reading the story of the birth of our Savior to our children.  For us, the manger, not the gifts was the central point of our celebration.  When our children asked why we gave gifts on Christmas, my reply was that God had given us His best gift in the person of baby Jesus.  He was born to die and offer His life for ours.  Therefore, we offer our best (not the most expensive) but a gift of the heart to one another remembering God's gift to us.  How we present Christmas to our children and grandchildren has a tremendous impact on them for a lifetime.

     Often the Bible speaks of not forgetting God in the midst of our celebrations, our successes and the many blessings we enjoy.  Deuteronomy 6:10-15 reads:  "And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that He swore to your fathers to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give you - with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and other trees that you did not plant - and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  It is the Lord your God you shall fear.  Him you shall serve and by His name you shall swear.  You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you, for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God, lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and He destroy you from off the face of the earth."  As God warned Israel, He warns us today.  We are not to lose Him in the tinsel, the toys, the parties, and the trappings of this season.  We are not to take credit for all the blessings we have, and it is so easy to do this.  So what can we do to keep the manger as our center focus this year?

An actual manger

Here are some thoughts to consider.

     First, make an advent calendar with Christ as the focus rather than a countdown to Santa.  Before we had children, a neighbor gave me a felt kit for making a simple Advent calendar.  There were pockets for each day of advent and in each pocket was a symbol representing some Christian quality.  Each day one of our children took out the symbol and pinned it to the outside of the pocket.   We read a short verse and devotion as we counted the days till his birth.  My children loved doing this every year, and vied for the honor of pinning the Christmas star on Christmas day.

     Another way to bring home the meaning of Christmas is to make it a real birthday celebration for Christ by making a cake.  We did this a few times, and the children enjoyed singing happy birthday to the Lord.  Again, it isn't so much about the food as it was about keeping the focus on the Lord.

     To show service and love at Christmas time, we took our children to a nursing home and distributed a small gift to residents along with other home school students.  We sang carols and greeted the residents.  To see the smiles on their faces was a reward in itself.  I know it left an impression on our children about serving others.  In addition to these visits, we blessed a family in need one year and took gifts for all to their home.  It was a lesson in how to share the love of God with others.

     Of course, having a manger set for children and grandchildren to handle is also a great teaching tool to remind them of what this holy day is all about.  Explaining who each of the characters are and what part they played in the story about Jesus also brings to life in the mind of a child the true meaning of the season.

     Last but never least is taking time to worship in fellowship at church.  The heart of our faith is found in the preaching and teaching of God's Word.  Gathering together in the company of saints encourages us, instructs and corrects us.  We must not neglect our call to joint worship for ourselves or our children.  This keeps our focus on the Lord.

     I am certain many of you can add to these activities other ideas which keep the us centered on Christ, but the primary goal is to bring glory to God in sincere worship and praise.  We must never forget the many blessings we have are as a result of God's calling us to salvation through His Son.  He deserves to be the center of all we do as we gather with friends and family this season.  My prayer is that we will allow our light to so shine that men may see the difference that Christ makes in our lives this season  Selah!

Please share your thoughts of how you keep Christ at the center of this season.  I welcome your comments.

Ever Doubt the Sin Nature?

     Here we are once again at the most wonderful time of the year when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Warm feelings abound, good will seems to be observed in extra measure and there is a kinder, gentler attitude among our fellow men or is there?
     During the long holiday weekend following Thanksgiving, our daughter and her husband went shopping for bargains during the "early" Black Friday sales.  In one store while they were looking at several items, they heard a fight break out over some video games that were on special.  It was at this point our daughter told us she did not feel safe.  Of course, it could have been worse.  She could have been at the store where a woman pepper sprayed her competition in order to get what she wanted.  At another location, someone was shot.  The newspaper reported a customer saying she witnessed two women fighting over towels which cost $1.28.  I find this all hard to imagine, but the Bible tells us that we should not be surprised since "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  If ever there is evidence of our sin nature, this is one occasion we can see it clearly.
     When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God in the Garden, not only were they cast out of this paradise but they also brought sin and death to all mankind.  As Paul goes on to write in Romans 5, he notes:  "Therefore just as sin came into the world through one man, and death, through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...."(verse 12).  Because sin has permeated every part of our being (our thoughts, our will, our soul), we are slaves to sin and dead to righteousness.  It is not until the Lord awakens us by regenerating our soul that we can come to faith in Christ who alone liberates us from sin and death.  His atoning sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection has broken the curse for us.  He carried our sin, and by His blood, we are made whole and clean.  However, it does not stop there.  Our life is a journey as we grow in our faith through prayer, study of God's Word and fellowship with other believers. Nevertheless, we would be foolish to think we will not fall into sin again.  As long as the "old flesh" still clings to us (though its power is broken), we can succumb to old besetting sins once more.  This is why it is so important for us to daily walk by God's Spirit, and be aware of what the Bible calls sin.

     In the fifth chapter of Paul's letter to the Galatians, he enumerates the sins of the flesh and why it is important to lean upon the Holy Spirit.  He writes:  "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are evident:  sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these I warn you as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (verses 17-21).  We need to remember that Paul was writing to believers here.  He knew the frailty of our flesh, and made clear how we must walk by the Spirit.  In fact, verse 16 says:  "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."  Paul's opening verse of this chapter starts out with a call to take a stand:  "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).  The only way we can over come our tendency to return to the sins of the flesh is to rely upon the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength to stand.
     If ever we have doubted the sin nature, Black Friday incidents certainly point to man's selfishness.  However, it isn't limited to this one day out of the year, and unfortunately, there are times when we see Christians also demonstrate sin in their lives.  The Good News is that the baby born in a manger in Bethlehem came to set us free.  He bought our pardon with His blood.  As believers, we need to meditate on this and live it out day by day as we prepare for this holy celebration.  We do not have to live according to the flesh.  Paul concludes chapter 5 to Galatian believers with these words of encouragement:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against  such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another" (Galatians 5:22-26).  Putting into practice this walk in the Spirit will bring glory to God and bless our fellow man.  Take time this Advent season to think on these things and be the example to others of Christ's love.  This is what our world needs much more than a Play Station game or some other bargain on the shelf.  Selah!


I welcome your thoughts and comments here.  Please feel free to leave a word of encouragement.