Peace - The Third Word of Christmas

Peace – The Third Word of Christmas

Peace at Christmas.  A fantasy?  A dream never to come true?  Life for some is anything but peace. 

~My friend, just yesterday, lost her husband after an extended illness.  That’s not peace. 

~Another might be dreading THE Christmas gathering because of an estranged family situation.  Will we fight again this year?

~A few will fight the financial strain at Christmas.  “There’s just not enough money to do everything we want to do for a proper Christmas,” they say.

~And don’t forget the world situation.  Peace does not exactly invade all lands.  There are threats, wars and rumors of wars, … you name it, it’s happening somewhere in our world this very moment.

Oh my.  We long for peace.  We desire it.  We seek peace.  Where is peace found, exactly?

Perhaps this “peace” we speak of starts as an inside job.  Christ came to give peace to each of us.  It is a personal and individual peace.  Peace within ourselves, peace with God.  It is a relationship peace that we most need, a kindred peace with God at the center of our focus.  And when we get there, it is amazing how all else comes into focus.  It’s amazing how this elusive “peace” will flood our hearts and settle our minds. 

“Shalom” is a word you have heard, perhaps.  It is a Hebrew word signifying “peace” or “more than well.”

What might “more than well” look like?  I am at peace at this moment as I write these thoughts.  Yet, I am “more than well”?  Wow!  Let’s think about that for a moment.  This time last year I was facing surgery.  I survived.  I’m better.  To use the above thought I’m “More than better.”  I am at peace and I can truly say “All is well.  All is very well.”

While we wait for peace on earth to arrive, perhaps, we should open ourselves up to peace, and as the song I once sang says, “And let it begin in me.”

Wow!  You and I might just be the agents of “peace on earth, good will to men”

~Maybe we show a touch more grace in sticky relationship situations.

~Maybe we let the driver move into place in front of us instead of honking and waving a less-than-honorable finger of dishonor.

~Maybe we forgive a slight, a misstep, a harsh tone.

~Maybe we give a helping hand instead of an angry exchange.

Maybe we are to help “PEACE” break out across our land.

Now wouldn’t that be something?

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope Encouragement Inspiration

Joy ~ The Second Word of Christmas

Joy ~ The Second Word of Christmas

Who can’t use a little joy at Christmas? 

Seems this whole season is designed for one reason … to bring us joy.  The lights surely sparkle.  The music is lively, lovely, and adds a spring to our steps.  The decorations make us ‘ooh and aah’, and sometimes take our breath away.

 The angels’ words to the shepherds on the

hillside said it.  “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy.”

One of the great messages of the Christmas story is indeed JOY.  Not just joy, but GREAT JOY. 

Have you ever experienced ‘great joy’?

I came close when I got my new bike in 1958 for Christmas.

And when I bought my first house in 1976 in Albuquerque.

And especially when CB said ‘Yes” to my proposal.

But GREAT JOY!  What is that all about?  I can imagine my heart feeling as though it might burst with such a feeling as ‘great joy’. 

I can only imagine the times in which this announcement was given.  They were joyless times, oppressive times, poor times, hopeless times.  And shepherds lived a joyless life much of the time.

And yet, the announcement came to them on that lonely hill near Bethlehem.  They surely need a spark of joy, and on this night, they were told of unbounding, highly excellent joy. 

And it wasn’t a personal gift.  It was for the world.  JOY to the world.

May we lift our sights a bit higher this year.  May our joy exceed our problems and woes.  May joy be the expression as we see the lights, hear the songs, express the delights that Christmas brings.

And remember the little phrase tossed in at the beginning – Joy TO THE WORLD.

It was a joy for all mankind.  A Savior is born.  One who brings healing, comfort, peace and love for ALL mankind.

Rejoice!  Joy has come.

Enjoy this celebrative moment. 

In case the link above doesn't work in your browser, use this one. 

Joy to the World - Michael Bolton

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope Encouragement Inspiration

Hope - The First Word of Christmas

Hope – The First Word of Christmas

It was a dark and desperate time before the coming of Christ, the Messiah.  Sort of like the times we live in now.  Taxes were high, greed was rampant, division among the social classes was escalating.  They were indeed desperate times.

Where is hope?  That was the dominant thought on many minds in those days.  The scholars and teachers of the law knew hope was promised.  But when, and exactly from where.  They had a vague idea, but still … they hoped.  And they passed their hope onto the citizenry. 

And they all hoped.

We interpret their hope through some phrases in our Christmas songs.

O come, O come Immanuel.  A plea.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.  A sigh of relief, and hope.

Sometimes our hope morphs itself into the desire for some magic wand.  Swing the wand and all despair disappears.  Say the magic words and “poof” … all is right again in our world.

Oh, that it worked that way.

But God gave us glimpses of hope.  He fulfilled his promises, as He promised.  Only His timetable was slightly different from the expected.

The words that came through were words like …

For with God nothing is impossible.

For unto you is born this day a savior.

Don’t be afraid. I bring you good news.  When we despair, I suppose fear rides shotgun, and yet the angels proclaim the opposite.

But Simon knew something of hope, and even more of waiting.  He had been promised a long time ago that his very eyes would see the promise of hope in the flesh. 

He was in the temple on the day when Jesus was presented for his purification rites.  And he knew he saw HOPE. 

His words:

Holy God, I have seen your salvation and now I will go peacefully unto death.  My eyes have seen your salvation, which is for all nations; a light to the Gentiles and the culmination of hope for your people Israel.

(Based on Luke 2:29-32)

And so, we start with hope, the first word of Christmas.

I pray that our hope - yours and mine - extends way beyond what’s under the tree and in our stockings. 

I pray our hope is grounded on the promises of God.

One of the great phrase from our seasonal carols is this one, I believe.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep

God is not dead, nor does He sleep

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth goodwill to men

These are indeed great words of hope!

Merry Christmas!

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope Encouragement Inspiration