Postscript from Lola:
My dear husband does not share my faith – so out of respect for him, I did not include the following in our official Christmas letter from the two of us but I offer it here for those who want to read it.
There was so much good in 2010 – and so much blessing. I should have gone through the calendar sooner! I had a hard time getting into the ‘Christmas spirit’ this year. I was overwhelmed for people who had suffered horrible losses this past year – one in particular. There were some huge challenges. But what I see in reading through the calendar reminds me of the positives. And the most positive of all at this season is God's gift to us.
God is good. In His goodness He didn’t just ‘send’ his Son. His Son was His only birthed ‘offspring’ but was also literally God Himself incarnate – in the flesh. God created us, then came Himself to be the sacrifice for us. It is perpetual Good News!!!!! He came as the Prince of Peace.
He didn’t come to bring the kind of peace people often visualize. He is Peace – and He came to bring peace between God and man. The peace that was shattered with the first Adam’s sin was redeemed with the second Adam’s sacrifice. Jesus, Messiah, the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, came as Redeemer to usher in a New Covenant in His blood. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords died for me. It is an overwhelming reality. When we accept the Prince of Peace as Savior, we gain an inner peace that is beyond the world’s comprehension. We know our eternal destiny – and our eternity begins the day we place our belief and trust in Jesus.
I am a stickler for accuracy, so I have to offer one minor disclaimer: I readily acknowledge Jesus wasn’t born in the winter – even though it is when we celebrate His birth. The point of His birth is all about what He came to achieve – to demonstrate God’s LOVE by dying for our collective sin. What amazing love! What an incredible gift of Himself. His gift to us brings salvation, reconciliation and eternal life. We have to accept the gift. He didn’t come to create a religion. He came to have a relationship – with His created. He loves all people. He created all of us. The Bible says that one day everyone will kneel before Him and acknowledge who He really is. ‘Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.’ Why wait? We can begin now!
I have a lot of people in my life who do not share my Biblical worldview. I love them dearly, and do not want to offend them – nor do I want to stand before God someday and have them say, “You never told me.” In the tug between offending some of the people I love dearly vs. offending God if I do not stand for Truth, I have to choose God.
I know that if you want to know TRUTH, you have to go to the One who is Truth for the answers. God reveals Himself most clearly through His Word, the Bible. Finding a relationship with our Creator is the greatest thing we will ever do, and the Bible clearly teaches that the only way to God is through belief in His Son – accepting the gift of salvation Jesus (AKA Yeshua, Isa, and many other translated names) purchased for us by His death. His gift of life was insured by His resurrection from the dead. He lives! He will come again!
His coming was the greatest gift ever given. When we give gifts in that spirit of love, we reflect His love. He is the true Spirit of Christmas. A belated Merry Christmas – and may the blessing of knowing Him more fully be yours in 2011.
Shalom!
Wonderful reminder and inspiration. Thank you.
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