The spirit of Christmas

On this Christmas Eve 2010 - I am making my final preparations for the Christmas Eve Worship Experience at NRN at 5:00pm. The service with feature a lessons and carols format with communion and candle lighting. I will bring a short devotional from Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). These words are truly trustworthy sayings.

Here is another thought to consider:

In 1977, Guideposts magazine reported a true story about a man hiking in the mountains. He was caught in a sudden snowstorm and quickly lost his way. Since he was not dressed for the cold weather, he knew that he needed to find shelter fast, or he would freeze to death. Despite all his efforts, time slipped by, and his hands and feet became numb. He knew his time was short now.

Suddenly, he literally tripped over another man who was almost frozen to death. The hiker had a hard decision to make. What should he do? Forget about the man and continue on, trying to save himself? Or should he try to help the stranger in the snow? He started to walk on, but he couldn't do it. He came back and threw off his wet gloves. He knelt beside the man. He began to talk to him while massaging the stranger's arms and legs.

Soon, the man in the snow began to respond, and together they were able to find help. The hiker was later told by the doctors that helping the man in the snow had saved his own life. For you see, the numbness in his hands had vanished while he was massaging the stranger's arms and legs. This man’ sacrificial love ignites somebody’s life. That is the spirit of Christmas. Jesus came to us to ignite our life eternal.