December 9th, 2007 - Joy of Giving

Hope this Lord's Day fines each of you doing well. Let me hear from you Ken. You’re still deeply in our prayers. Blue what's the up date on your Dad? Well let us all keep these two men in our prayers.

  This morning the lesson is entitled the joy of giving. I don't claim to know the true meaning of the season Christmas is not a Bible subject it is a Catholic thing created by them for them and borrowed by the rest of us. Like everything else in this world it has been commercialized to death. If there ever was some golden and noble purpose it has a long time been forgotten. It has been turned into what are you going to get ME? What did you get? Look what I got!!!

  The birth of Jesus is a Bible lesson notice Matt.2:11 "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." Now how we came from honor and glory to God for the birth of a Savior with worship and gift's from us to him; to gift's for everyone on our list as a celebration of his birth is beyond me. My child is named Jessie not Jesus and she is not the only one I try buy for this holiday season.

  There is only one explanation for season to be so costly and that's the joy of giving. It's part of the story of Jesus notice Heb.12:2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the Joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" The joy of giving us something that we needed so badly inspired him to endure the shame and the pain. Some of us are thankful and show it each day of our life. Others spend their days wishing he had of just left cash so we could have picked out something we really wanted.

  The joy of giving comes from seeing thankful faces and receiving heartfelt thank yous. We are robbed of the joy by disappointing faces and thanks-a-lot attitudes. So is our Lord. So remember this season to be a thankful soul for all that you mite receive and have receive from our Lord and our family and friends for it is all by grace you haven't done anything to deserve what you have received this season even if you completed some deal the deal was grace. Unmerited favor. May God bless you all!

The Chaplain Tex