He decided that he would never ignore Christmas again, and not just the date on the calendar.”
–C.J. Petit (The Second Star)

“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”
–Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
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“Then I blew out the candles, one by one, until there was only one left. If it has been the evening star, I’d have made a wish, but it wasn’t a star, so I blew it out, too. Anyway, it was too late for wishes.”
–Jesse James (Christmas, 1864)

In this wonderful time of the year there are many out there hurting. Some are good at disguising it, while others don’t care and have seemed to have lost all hope. Jesse James seemed to be this way back in 1864; he was only 17. “Too late for wishes,” yes, but it is not too late for the reality of Christ to come into someone’s life.
There are those who are suffering the pain of a broken heart, the pain of a broken marriage and family, the pain that comes from emotional abuse, the pain that comes from moving away from God, the pain that makes the body ache. There are all sorts of pain. I read the following from Dave Roever’s newsletter and want to pass it on.

“People often relate pain as being punishment or judgment from God. The reality is–pain is a gift from God. Without pain we would not know how to interpret the aching arm and sharp discomfort in the chest and relate it to the possibility of a heart attack. Without pain we would not know that the severe ache in our abdomen could signal that our appendix had ruptured and could be systemic.”

People take pain as punishment or judgment when actually it should be a warning to bring us back to God. Man has choices in life, as Jesse James did. It is never too late to come back to the Lord; never too late to bring our pain to Him. We have a choice. The last Christmas before he was killed Jesse wrote,

“I get so lonely…. Sometimes I’ll just sit, oiling my pistol and wiping it down. Counting the number of shells I have left. Sometimes I think that’s about all I have left: bullets.”
–Jesse James (Christmas, 1881)

Jesse was a man that had knowledge of Jesus Christ, but never accepted Him as Lord. Jesse chose the way of perdition and his last Christmas note shows a man who has pain, yet will not turn away from the lifestyle that caused the pain. Jesus is always there, waiting to heal our pain.
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Christmas Thought: “Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it ‘white.'”
–Bing Crosby

If you’re truly dreaming of a “White Christmas” then it should be celebrated and shared throughout the year. Christmas gives us the opportunity to do so in a special way. If you haven’t been sharing your blessings before, this is a good time of year to start.

Me, I’ve never seen that years made a man smart, for simply getting older doesn’t mean much unless a man learns something meanwhile.”
–Louis L’Amour (Killoe)

“And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
–Romans 5:4 (NLT)
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Greed, get it while you can and by any means you can, seems to be the creed of the day. Christmas is the season for giving and yet many around us are still seeking to gain more and more materially. Remember, the fool trusts in the wrong treasure.
This Christmas do not be stingy. Now, I don’t mean to be foolish with your money for we are to always be good stewards of that which the Lord has given us, but this is the time of the year to give just a little more. In other words, use common sense in your giving. Do not want what the rich man has to offer, for in the end you’ll end up paying more than it’s worth. Real gifts have more than monetary value; they also have meaning.
One other warning: do not be envious of the rich; do not begin to envy their lifestyle. If we do we may begin to overindulge and overspend using that dreaded piece of plastic to be like someone we’re not. Live within your means and thank the Lord for that. Remember, “as ambassadors of Christ, we are called to humility and service, to modesty and good manners, to simplicity and to truth.” (Bob Beasley)
A little note of humor here. Someone said, oh for the good old days when people quit spending when they ran out of money.
In regard to the above, read Proverbs 23:1-8.
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Christmas Thought:
“The earth has grown old with its burden of care,
But at Christmas it always is young.”
–Phillips Brooks

The world, the media, the scandals, the terror, and a myriad other things would have you get your mind off the Christ-child and Christmas. They will do what they can from mockery to chicanery to get you to groan with a burden during this wondrous time of year. Did you see where at one Nativity that Mary has been replaced with the figure of a man? The scorning doesn’t end, but though it may anger you, they are the ones with the serious problem. Don’t let them burden you with their problems and issues!
This is the time of year to celebrate, no matter the world’s condition, no matter the nation’s condition, no matter one’s personal condition. This is the time when God sent His only Son to earth. This is the beginning of the hope of mankind, don’t let the news taint your Christmas. Become young again.

If you’re afraid of love…you’re afraid of life. If you fear life, you are already mostly dead.”
–Alex Cord (A Feather in the Rain)

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“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan… .
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory… .
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph — so help us God… .”
–President Franklin D. Roosevelt

This was a moment in history that forever changed the world. Because of this cowardly and treacherous attack social systems in the world would change, governments would change, politics would change, military strategy and tactics would change, ideologies would change, and on we could go. This date should never be forgotten, yet I fear it is becoming just a vague memory. Almost gone are those who faced the evil that threatened the world. Soon the following generation will also be gone. Will Generation X and the Millennials take time to remember or will it become, as the Civil War has become, a war to protest and tear down?
When they remember the reasons it will be too late. When they discover what it means for their forefathers to sacrifice it will be too late. Hopefully, there will never be a conflict like World War II again, but if the younger generations don’t take heed, it will be too late. I wrote in an Echo, not too long ago the following: “Maybe you and I remember why the old wars were fought; the newer generations don’t know; they haven’t studied history.” (Tom Anthony) I would add to the following, and they don’t care!
Today, I for one will–
REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR!
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Christmas Thought:
“And is it true? And is it true,
That most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window’s hue,
A Baby in an ox’s stall?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Became a Child on earth for me?”
–Sir John Betjeman

Oh the wonder of it all! The Creator came to earth to be with His creation. He came to earth to save mankind; to do so He became man. He became a child. It is too grand, too marvelous for comprehension.
God did not just decide to do this. This event was established long before creation. It wasn’t just happenstance that it took place. Evil had to be defeated and man needed to be redeemed. A palace for a stable; a throne for a manger. It is truly the “most tremendous tale of all.”
This Christmas, stop and ponder the majesty of Christmas.
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What do you think? President Trump officially recognizes Jerusalem as capital of Israel. It sure started some rumblings throughout the world. Hmmm, seems to me that it is setting the stage for those final years before the Lord comes back to reign on earth. Nations will choose sides for that great climatic battle.
It was quite a “Christmas present” for the nation of Israel.