For many of us we have a set way in which we do this each day. May of us might even have a schedule that tell us what we are to be doing from day to day. It may tell us what meetings we have to attend or other important information. Sure we do live in a day and age in which we do all tend to think we lead busy lives. But sometimes we I think need to be reminded of a song in which every time I hear it speaks to my heart. It is "motions" by Matthew West.
May times I think we look at our schedules and we just go thru the "motions" of life. However I like Matthew West think that doing so can lead us to just go thru the motions.
When we just go thru the motions of life I think many times we fail to the power of the Holy Ghost work in our lives so we can see how much God wants to bless us. I also tend to think that when we do so we fail to give God the best we can in service for him. For we much realize my friend that we need to give everything to God. We must live to have that all consuming passion inside of us and burn with fire!
Will you let God take you all the way so that you can give everything instead of going thru the Motions?
This year as I look at Christmas I do so differently then in years past. Nothing has changed because I am still God's servant, but yet I am looking at Christmas in a different way.
Christmas for me is still about the Birth of Jesus Christ. But thru the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart I see Christmas in a way that because of my work in Christian Ministry I should have seen years a go!
Maybe for me the reason I see Christmas in such a different way is because of some of the ministries Ivan now connected with as a person in leadership or a friend of the ministry.
So what is it that I see that's different? I my friend see the side of Christmas that is not so joyfully for folks. I see the pain & disparity that some in this world are facing this Christmas. I see the ones who are saying "Where is the Hope, Where is the Joy?"
Sure Jesus was born to help with the pain and disparity. He came to bring hope. But friends maybe I see the broken world we live in and this see Christmas differently.
So you might wonder what I plan on doing due to seeing Christmas differently? For one I plan on being on Twitter as much as I am able before Christmas and on Christmas day. Why?, because I see the folks who are in pain and realize Gods placed my in leadership with the ministry I work with and that I can't be silent on Christmas and MUST reach out to the broken world much like Jesus did when he was born on Christmas Day!
So now that you see how I look at Christmas this year will you pray for me as I reach out to folks who are in pain, folks who will not have a joyfully Christmas and forks who are part of the broken world we live in?
As I look and reflect on how Christmas will be here before we know it I can't help ask if some how even us Christians have somehow forget what the "Greatest Gift" given was?
For me I see nothing wrong with putting up a Christmas Tree. However, what I do see wrong at times is how we want to make it look good by putting things on it along with other things. But as I realize that the greatest gift given was given to us when Jesus Christ died on a cross I can't help but have a sadness in my heart when I see lights and other things put on a Christmas Tree.
I am not sure why the sudden change in the way I see the Christmas Tree but maybe it has to do with how I see the "Greatest Gift." Maybe for me I have come to realize that there was nothing "nice" or "cute" about the tree that Jesus Christ died on. In fact if you truly look at the Cross I feel you too will see it had blood and guts all over it and will come to realize there was nothing "nice" or "cute" about the Cross. So, was the first Christmas Tree really as "nice" and "cute" as we make them look each Christmas? For me the answer would be NO!
This year when family members put up the Christmas tree I just sat back and let them put it up. I didn't say much and didn't really protest them doing so. I am sure everyone means well, but if the Christmas Tree is to point us to the Cross that Jesus Christ died on then do we really need to make it nice or cute?
Now before you all go off and say that I think we should take down the Christmas Tree that is not what I am saying at all. I am just trying to get everyone to think and maybe realize that a plain tree with nothing on it might be better then a "nice" or cute" tree, seeing as how it should point us to the tree that Jesus Christ died on, because as far as I see it there was nothing nice or cute about the Cross!
This song reminds me that even folks like myself who have been serving God for some time need to rediscover him. For we don't know everthing there is to know about God and will not tell we get to Heaven! So I my will you Rediscover?
Folks why is it that may of us Christians want to sit back and be so silent? Why is that we do this and let the world we live in slip away? Over the years I have come to understand much to my sadness some ministries and Churches are letting the youth of today slip through the cracks so to speak. See it is our job as ministries and Churches to train up the youth of today, for they folks will be the pastor's and ministry leaders in the future.
It is time we ministry and Church leaders take a stand and time the we start "Speaking Louder Then Before" so that we can train up the youth of today to become the pastor's and ministry leaders God has called them to be. Ones who understand God's word, ones who want to live a holy life. Ones who are on fire for God.
Folks as much as some of you do not want to come to understand like I have that the youth of today are the hope to a broken and dying world they are. They with our help are the ones that can I feel if given Biblical knowledge will be able to reach, teach, and train up other youth to serve for God. So we must not let them fall thru the cracks. We must help them to understand they are loved, we must reach out to them with compassion, and mercy. Sure, we might not like the style of music they listen to or other things about them. However, my friend if the kind of music truly is seeks the face of God, then who am I to tell God how to reach his people so they can turn around and serve him?
My heart is heavy when it comes to the youth of this nation. The reason is because of being in Christian Ministry I see the kinds of things the youth have to face. But not only at times do I see it first hand or read about it due to some of the ministries I am involved in. I get to here about it from friends who work in "inter city" ministries and I am sure could tell you much more then you would ever care to know about gangs, homeless youth, and other "issues" that youth face. So because of this I myself will now be "Speaking Louder Then Before" so that others may realize we all must do our part.
So will you join me in "Speaking Louder Then Before?"
For Christians Christmas is about celebrating Jesus Christ, at least last time I checked that was my understanding. So my question is "Do we make Christmas what Christmas should be?"
Sure we put up the Christmas Tree, but do we stop and truly understand why we do so? For some I feel we do it because we feel Christmas would not be Christmas with out a Christmas Tree. This might see logical to may of us, but may I remind you Jesus Christ died on a cross, which was made out of wood that came from a tree. So folks the next time you see a Christmas Tree let it remind you of the tree that was used to make the cross.
You see folks when we truly remember Christmas is celebrating Jesus Christ then we I feel can see also why the wise men gave gifts to Jesus Christ. Thus in our gift giving at Christmas we all should want to give the gift of our hearts to Jesus Christ!
So will you look at Christmas how that world does or will you look at Christmas and see a different meaning of Christmas?
