Daily and Weekly Christian Inspiration
This was just my “cup of tea”. Chatting with my dear friend Betty Klein and enjoying the Ladies Christmas Tea at First Presbyterian Church in Bethlehem.
Merry Christmas to all the 200 ladies we fellowshipped with both old friends I hadn’t seen in a long time and new friends. Since I annually have a high tea in the summer I know the work behind organizing a function like this. My thanks to all the workers. You made it one of my joys this Christmas!
Teach us to value most eternal things…
To find the happiness that giving brings..
To know the peace of misty, distant hills…
To know the joy that giving self fulfills…
To realize anew this Christmas Day…
The things we keep are those we give away.–
Marvin Davis Winsett
Titus 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate.
1 Peter 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
When we get “dressed up” it is usually to go out somewhere. When we get our homes “dressed up” for Christmas we can’t take our home out so we instead invite others in to share our joy and our faith displayed in our home at Christmas.There is no greater joy than to gather around friends and neighbors in your home to celebrate the season.
Last Saturday we invited our friends and neighbors in to enjoy our “dressed up” home and fellowship with us.
After enjoying a buffet supper and fellowshipping over 40 of us gathered with candles to worship by filling the air in our home with the sound of the carols of old. I shared a short devotional message “The Seed of the Woman” feeding our guests some fresh manna from the Christmas story to inspire us during this season and also to encourage us in the New Year.
We laughed and laughed at our friends’ creativity as we exchanged “gag” gifts and finished the evening with a waft of romance in the air as couples danced to their special love song.
What a wonderful evening! Thanks to all our friends for warming our hearts with love and being pa
Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house.
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hope that Jesus would not come there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed
Not once ever knelling or bowing a head.
And Mum in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.
When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!
The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held in His Hand
Was written the name of every saved man,
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said “Its not here” my head hung in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.
I feel to my knees but it was too late;
I had waited too long and this sealed my fate,
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh! If only I had been ready tonight.
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There’s only one way life and when comes the call
We’ll find that the Bible was true after all!
CHALLENGE: Since there are approximately 300 prophecies about His first coming and over 1500 prophesying He will come again, His second advent is imminent. In the middle of all the hustle and bustle in preparing to celebrate His Birth do we even give it a thought to prepare for His second coming?
“Dear Child,
The joy of the season is found in relationships not in things!
Firstly a restored relationship with Me, and then the grace that I give that you may restore broken relationships with others. Love cannot be displayed without relationships. In loving you find the meaning for living.
Love is only love when you give it away, and in order to give you must have someone to give it to. Therefore you must invest in relationships. If you are giving with the right motivation you will have joy for it is more blessed to give than to receive. If you don’t have joy in giving, look inside and check the motivation.”
Thus saith Papa.
Nothing is more of a joy breaker than broken relationships at the holidays.
They can shatter your Christmas!