PASTOR TODD'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Pastor Todd Christopherson
Mid American Stock Car Series
December 21, 2010

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010

What a great time of the year Christmas can be if we can remove the clutter. We can get tied up with running from house to house, which is fun but not the reason or needed focus for the season. We can get tied up with gifts, getting and giving. We can get tied up with the tree and lights and decorating. We can get tied up with cooking and baking those special treats. As much as we enjoy each of those things, they cannot take the place of what needs to be or should be our focus. We can fill our schedule with concerts or church gathering. Those can be good, but they too can take our eyes off the reason for the season.

It is like in racing, we can do some things well in the in the shop, you can do some things well practice and be headed the right direction and build on them in qualifying. You can be busy all day. You can even win your heat race, then run well in the beginning of the feature and still lose out by starting in the back and never able to make up the lost positions. Even though those earlier things were good, if you do not finish up front you have missed the focus, the goal of the win.

As we come to Christmas, let me remind you and myself of some things to help us stay focused on CHRISTmas. Yes, it is all about Christ, Jesus Christ the Lord. Christmas is about remembering that Jesus, God himself, came to earth on purpose, and with a purpose. He was and is fully God and fully Man. Even though we do not know the exact date of the year, we can take a day and celebrate and echo praise that He did come and will come again.

As we think about the gifts we give during Christmas, we are reminded that Jesus offers the greatest of all gifts, which is salvation. Jesus offers salvation to those that will follow and surrender to His lordship, those who are willing to put self out and put Christ on.

Let’s look at the importance of “gifts” to God as He explains them. In Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." In that verse, we see that we are given eternal life in Christ Jesus. In Ephesians 2:8 the Bible states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God". To emphases this and place it in context 2 Corinthians 9:15 proclaims, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift"! WOW, can you believe we are given this. A stranger, an enemy of God, is allowed to have the indescribable of the highest magnitude, the gift of salvation. God also talks of the gifts of repentance, of grace, and of the Holy Spirit. None of those gifts should be taken lightly, yet in comparison with salvation they pale. Are you a little more excited about Christmas now, a little more focused on the reason for the season?

Here are some other things that remind us of Jesus being the focus of the season:

Lights – the star that guided the wise men to Jesus and the Jesus is the light of the world

Singing – there is great worship in Psalms and Revelation where we see singing

Gathering together – we see those waiting for Messiah, those coming to see Him

The tree – two important ones, one for a cradle and one for a cross

We are reminded that there were many prophecies that were all fulfilled proving the incredible nature of the gift of Jesus Christ coming to us and for us. We are the ones that are given the gift of salvation. It is placed before us and God wants us to receive it. John 1:12 - "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." Colossians 2:6 "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord "- make it clear that we have this gift available and we have to receive it. Don’t miss it. Don’t miss the greatest gift ever given to man. Your Christmas’s will never be the same if you are part of His family.

My prayer is that if you have not called out on Jesus as Lord you would do that right now! When you have done this will be revived and Christmas would be a new, child-like, awe of the One who came and is coming again. He loves you some much.

John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

Have a great day racin’ in the SONshine and

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Todd

December 2010

I would be remised in not stating that I know this can be the most difficult time of the year for some. Those who lost loved ones and a missing them, those affected by war and struggles in relationships, those that labor with the lack of sun light, etc… You are not forgotten. I am praying and if you need specific pray please do contact me. I may be able to share in prayer and more importantly God’s Word.