1inchrist

It seems to be so natural to be geared up for the holidays by focusing on Jesus Christ’s birth. Maybe you make a point of having special time on the 4 Sunday’s before Christmas we call Advent. Maybe your family looks for opportunities to feed the homeless or donate toys and food to the needy in our community. Many people attend a Christmas Eve service or church Christmas production as a way of celebrating the holiday season. But, what about after December 25^th?

To keep the spirit of Christmas all throughout the year we should set some goals. It would be a wonderful thing to make going to church a priority each week instead of just on Easter and Christmas like many Americans. If this is a new experience for you and your family, make it a goal to go the first Sunday of every month.

We all should continue thinking of those in need throughout the year, because they need food and clothing all year long. Without committing to more than you can handle, maybe choosing to donate to a charity or serving in a community sponsored project every 3 months would be a great start. An easy way to remember would be to coincide your service or giving with traditional holidays. For example, use the ones that are pretty spread out like Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Spending time with family is something we make a priority for at Christmas time. But, let us try to make a point of having family time more than just on the holidays. Giving up one night a week of activities to have a family night. Eat dinner together at the table and spend time discussing the week or other topics of interest. You can alternate through out the month and have a movie night, game night, out to eat night and activity (bowling, putt putt golf, basketball at the park).  Spending time together does take an effort but it is a great way to grow or keep strong those family ties!

Let us keep the spirit of Christmas all year long, and next year could be your best year EVER!

I remember Christmas at our house being larger than life! No matter what it was we wanted, it would always be in our house on Christmas morning. I remember presents would overflow from under the tree to take up a whole lot of room in the parlor. To see that as a child, to have that expectation every year, was so amazing and exciting. I don’t know anybody who had as huge a Christmas as we did.

I used to love the excitement and anticipation of going to the basement for the BIG present that couldn’t fit under the tree or stay in the living room

(like my Air Hockey table and Alex’s Bumper Pool table).

While giving gifts can be an expression of Love, we were well aware that gifts cannot take the place of Love. Many kids have all the stuff they want (all year round) but are empty because their parents did not love them . . . they appeased them with gifts.

While we didn’t have a “Christian” home growing up, I am still amazed at how we were raised us by God’s standard.  It’s easy to look at the Christmases we had back when and say “they didn’t know the real meaning of Christmas” (because of all those gifts). I would disagree. Just as we weren’t raised in a Christian home yet were raised by Biblical standards, our Christmases weren’t Christ centered but do reflect much of God’s character and message to mankind.

Just as our Christmases were larger than life, The Gift GOD gave the world IS LARGER THAN LIFE. The Gift HE gave was Himself. HE gave HIS life for us so we could have Eternal Life – which is much larger than life as we know it!

Just as we got whatever we wanted at Christmas, we have all that we have need of in this life (and the one to come) IN CHRIST JESUS! HE promises to provide for all of our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). In 2 Peter 1:4 we are told God has given us exceeding great, and precious promises! Peter goes on to tell us that the reason HE gave us these promises was so that we “could be partakers of HIS Divine Nature.” 1 John 5:14-15 tells us; This is the confidence we have In Christ, that if we ask anything according to HIS WILL

(i.e. Word ), HE hears us; and if we know HE hears us (because we ask according to HIS Word), whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of HIM.

Christ has given us all gifts that overflow from us to those to whom we minister just as the gifts overflowed from the tree to the parlor. The love of God was poured out to overflowing from the tree (cross) which HE died on. His blood poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. My parents gave us great gifts in spite of our behavior (sins). The only way  they were able to do that was through self sacrifice. The only way GOD was able to give us the gift of eternal life and all those great promises, was Self Sacrifice too!

Just as my parents were able to do, GOD wants us to know that although HE has given us so much, this life is not about us getting what we want when we want it all the time. This life is about Loving Him, walking in faith and obedience to His Word (as we had to do with you), and esteeming others better than ourselves and giving / ministering to those in need.

Just as we had great anticipation for the Big gifts that couldn’t fit under the tree; GOD has great gifts that have not been revealed too! The Bible says: 1Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

We should have great anticipation for Eternal Life, the

Kingdom of
Heaven with Christ Jesus and our loved ones, but none of that is able to fit into our finite minds, let alone under a tree. We will have to be led forth from where we live to a place not seen on the main floor of our lives (and homes). But, just like it was for me as a kid, we KNOW it’s there and we can look forward to going there with great excitement and anticipation! The only difference is GOD has HIS biggest gifts UPSTAIRS!!!

Day 3 The Word walked among man before the Virgin Birth

Read Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

After Adam and Eve sinned, we know that they hid themselves. Who was it that was walking in the Garden of Eden?

Let us take a look at God. He is the Father, The Word and the Holy Ghost.

Jesus said that: John 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

The book of Acts describes the coming of the Holy Spirit this way:

 Acts 2: 2-4 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

John the Baptist describes the presence of the Holy Spirit in this way:

John 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Jesus is the only one of the Godhead that has taken on the flesh of man. So who was it that was walking in the Garden of Eden to talk with Adam and Eve?

What a wondrous thing to have the LORD God Almighty talking to you face to face!

Abraham had that experience. Read the passage:

Genesis 18: 20-23 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward
Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

It was amazing enough that Abraham stood yet before the LORD. But, even greater than that, he had a conversation with the LORD as one would with a friend.

Read Genesis 18: 23-33

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that [are] therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

And the LORD said, If I find in
Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which [am but] dust and ashes: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for [lack of] five?

And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy [it]. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do [it] for forty’s sake.

And he said [unto him], Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do [it], if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for twenty’s sake.

And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there.

And he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten’s sake. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

The LORD God explained beforehand why he was going to speak with Abraham and this is what he said:

Read Genesis 18: 17-19  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

We have learned that the LORD God took the time to talk to a man that loved him and would bring up his family to follow the LORD.

Let us strive to bring up our families in the nurture and admonition of the LORD!

Activity: Have your child trace their footprints on a piece of paper, cut them out and color them to remind themselves that God walked with man, before he came as a baby born to a virgin.

Day 1 Jesus created the world

Read John 1:1- 3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”

Who is this talking about? ___________________________ (Jesus)

Jesus was with God in the beginning of creation and He created the world by speaking it into being.

Now read Genesis 1:1-3

Have each family member take a turn reading the following verses:

Read Genesis 1:6 and 1:9 and 1:11 and 1:14 and1:20 and 1:24 and1:26-27 and 1:31

Why do you think Jesus is called “The Word”?

Craft: Using clay or playdough make a model of the Earth

——————————————————————————————————–

Day 2  From the Beginning, Jesus’ coming to earth is foretold by God to Adam and Eve

Talk about what happened in the Garden of Eden:

Adam was told not to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

God created Eve as a wife for Adam

The serpent came and tempted Eve to take a bite of the Fruit from that tree

Eve took the fruit and after biting it, gave it to Adam to eat.

They hid but God called them out.

God punished them for their disobedience to His one rule.

Read in the book of Genesis CH3: 14 and 15

“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; unpon thy belly shall you go and dust you shall eat allthe days of your life And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between your seed and her seed, it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. “

Talk about how the punishment of the serpent, who was satan, was to bruise the heel of the child of the woman, but HE would bruise the head of satan.

This is talking about when Satan would get Judas to betray Jesus, but after Jesus was crucified and rose again, Jesus would destroy Satan and his power.

Read Genesis 2:9.

“And out of the ground made the LORD God every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; The tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” 

Who represents the Tree of Life?

Read John 14:16 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Activity: Make a tree out of Construction paper, this tree will represent the other Tree in the Garden. This is the Tree of Life. This represents Jesus who came to give us eternal life.