Hello readers! This is wishing you compliments of the season and a happy new year in advance. Isn’t it wonderful how that this turns out to be the most thrilling and exciting time of the year? Yes, it is clue to the Lordship and the divinity of the man we celebrate in this season. Christmas exists because of Him. he is the Jesus, the Christ! You noticed I did not say, “was” but “is” Jesus, the Christ. He lives till date and the empty tomb was a true proof.
I hear many who visit the tomb site till date, come back with an unusual believe and conviction about Christ’s resurrection. Hallelujah!
Christmas is “Christ’s mas”. A celebration of Christ. And whether we like it or not, since it began to exist, it has been the most exciting time of the year when humanity comes closest to what God intended it to be, before we rebelled. It’s a season humanity experiences the greatest joy and peace. Even unbelievers fell into the mood just because of the personality of whom we celebrate on that day.
I recall the popular story of the spontaneous mood on December 25th 1915 at the front lines of World War 1, which led to a temporal and indeed spontaneous and unplanned ‘cease fire’ between the enemies. The Germans and the British/French forces come out of their trenches singing Christmas songs and played a football match. They felt with each other in the spirit of Christmas and wished there didn’t have to be a war.
The “History Learning Site” puts the account this way:
Bertie Felstead, the last survivor of that football match, died in July 2001 aged 106 years.
Bertie Felstead, pictured above, remembered the following:
He was a member of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
On Christmas Eve, he was stationed in northern France with his colleagues near the village of Laventie when he heard the Germans in a trench 100 metres away singing “Silent Night”. In reply, the Royal Welch Fusiliers sang “Good King Wenceslas”.
On Christmas Day, after some shouting between both trenches, he and his colleagues got out of their icy trench and greeted the Germans. Bertie Felstead recalled that the Germans probably were already out of their trench before the British got out. He claimed that nothing was planned and that what happened was entirely spontaneous.
A football was produced from somewhere – though he could no re-call from where.
“It was not a game as such – more of a kick-around and a free-for-all. There could have been 50 on each side for all I know. I played because I really liked football. I don’t know how long it lasted, probably half-an-hour, and no-one was keeping score.” The truce ended when a British major ordered the British soldiers back to their trench with a reminder that “they were there to kill the Hun not to make friends with him.” The mood of Christmas friendliness was shortly broken by the firing of British artillery. Bertie Felstead described the Germans as “all right”.
It is however funny how this is changing. Free thinkers now clamouring for a ban on the term “Christmas” with all the niceness that comes with it. If you’d recall, God’s judgement is that “men saw light and purposely choose to stumble in darkness”. little wonder, things only get worse and terrible with our new ways of thinking in this 21st century.
Back to our story above, it awakens in me the imagination of what can happen when the whole world chooses to honour Jesus Christ with just one day. How much more if the whole earth had a relationship with the Godhead as Adam had in Eden. Indeed, we would have replenished the entire world with the project Eden. The whole earth and subsequent planets which we explore would have been Eden centers, replicating heaven’s kingdom on earth.
However, we are redeemed for just that. To carry the project Eden influence wherever we find ourselves on earth and win souls in this. And however bad the earth could get, it is preserved by the presence of the church. Until that fateful day when the church would be taken up and darkness left to rule on earth, we can still hold things up here together as we ought to – it’s called shinning our light in the darkness. How lovely, for the church all the same, for we shall be taken up into the most glorious “Edenic” realms possible. The kingdom of Heaven itself having streets of gold where weeping never exits.
Back on earth, let us profess the truth and engage it ourselves. It is not the date that sets this season apart. It is not an agreement to be joyful and peace-filled in this season that makes Christmas Christmas. It is not a choice to walk in love and buy gifts that has empowered the spirit of this season over the years. It is the Spirit of the One whom we honour at Christmas that has characterized this season around the globe. I can’t think of any other holiday that brings as much goodwill among men.
Let us ponder on these words and preach Christ in a season like this. And as we celebrate, never take out the essence of this season. The one whose grace has characterized this season for us.
Just to prevent a long post this morning, I will be sharing in bits, some biblical lessons, very vital, about the life of Jesus – What characterized His most successful Mission on earth and how we can apply such to our individual “God-given” missions on earth.
Savour not just the season but the Person behind the season.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New year in Advance.
Nonso Aniamaka,
Web Author at WiseWatchers Online Community