It is time to rejoice and celebrate the Christ of God our Savior! The Ark is preparing for our Christmas Dinner, December 23rd. Many homeless, needy and lonely people spend this day fellowshipping with us.
Will you join us in praying? “…asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you [and all Ark guests] the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may know Him better.” (Ephesians 1:17, addition and emphasis, mine) I just can’t seem to leave Ephesians, these days!
My desire is that each of us has “the eyes of our hearts enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which He has called us, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints…” (Ephesians 1:18) We are not hopeless! It is time to share all we have (and are) in union with Christ. It’s not the material things and gifts we must focus on, but Christ Jesus, His word and mighty workings. It is His gifting to us of love, mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation that we celebrate on December 25th. (NOTE: This date was chosen by early Christians and is not known for sure to be Jesus’ actual birth day.)
“It is by God’s grace we have been saved.” (Ephesians 1:4) “God expressed His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians1:7) Don’t focus on gifts and get into debt or stress. Help us, Holy Spirit, to return to the simple truth: “Christ is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 1:8) Is our focus on Christ or on parties and Santa Claus? “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 1:10, NIV)
We need quality family time and home activities honoring Father God and His gift of Jesus! We can share smiles, home cooking, arts and crafts with family, friends and those in need. We can read of this fabulous birth to children and others. We can celebrate and show and tell this great GOOD NEWS to restore hope to the hopeless. We can sing carols, serve dinners where needed and fellowship as we share His love.
May these acts of kindness, mercy, and giving of ourselves continue through all of 2017 and not just this month! Help and strengthen us, Holy Spirit, with the dynamic outpouring of God’s loving nature to all. This offering of ourselves can and will bring healing, love and reconciliation. It is our individual choice to do.
“All things are possible…” (Matthew 19:26) with God and prayer.
