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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue# 363 December 25, 2001 Merry Christmas Growing up, I was always tremendously excited about the prospect of Christmas. My folks like to tease me about the fact that I was usually so excited that I made myself sick. I seldom slept more than a couple of hours on Christmas Eve. The rule was that we couldn’t get up to open presents until everyone was awake. As my sisters came along (I’m the eldest), I quickly learned to wake each of them or better still wake one of them and have them awaken the others, then have the youngest wake mom and dad. I still get almost as excited (but not to the point of being sick), but it doesn’t have anything to do with opening the presents. We still do presents, but less than before. We have the turkey dinner, which I love, and often have friends and family over for dinner. I get excited because this is the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth. Oh I know all the arguments against celebrating it, Jesus was more likely born in the spring; Christmas isn’t in the Bible; the date of Christmas was set to replace a pagan holiday; it was implemented several hundred years after His birth as a holiday, but I don’t care about those things. Jesus was born. God came as a baby so that you and I could have hope, freedom and joy. I’m forgiven of my sins (and there have been a lot of those), I know He loves me unconditionally and I have a guaranteed, one way ticket to heaven when I die. How can I not celebrate? I love Him everyday, but I especially celebrate the days set aside to remember His birth, death and resurrection. I love my wife everyday, but I like to remember her birthday and our anniversary. Special days of remembrance don’t mean any less love during the rest of the year. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:20-25 NIV I’m free, I’m loved and I’m saved. I have to celebrate. Until next time, may this be the best Christmas ever for you and may Christ be the very core of your joy today and everyday. If you are one of the many who chose not to celebrate Christmas, may your life still have Jesus as the very core of your joy today and everyday. God bless. Kevin Do you have a personal relationship with this Jesus I’ve been talking about? You need to; He is the only true hope of the world. He loves you and will call you His own no matter what you have done, if you just accept His love. Email me and I’ll share a few Bible verses that explain why a relationship with Him is so important and a prayer that will make it possible. Fill your life with the real reason for the season and accept Him today. To share your thoughts on this issue of Gleanings, or to share prayer concerns email us at corbin_writer@hotmail.com. At Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential. If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page on our website
 © 2001 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin All Rights Reserved SUBSCRIBE TO GLEANINGS FOR FREE
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