But your iniquities have separated you from your God, your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. Isaiah 59:2 NIV

Why do we need Christmas? Have you ever thought about that question? Probably not! If the truth be known, you, like me, are just so busy “doing” Christmas, and enjoying it to, that you haven’t stopped to consider the reason for the celebration.

Now, I am not talking about the “reason for the season”. You have no doubt seen and heard that. People have been wearing pins with that on it for two weeks and you know that it is to celebrate the birth of a Savior, but why did He need to be born?

Here’s why: (and, please, don’t miss this point this Christmas season) We need Christmas because with out it we are going to Hell! Now you’re thinking, “what does Hell have to do with Christmas?”.

Without Christmas, without the baby in a manger, the virgin birth, the shepherds in the field at night, the presents wrapped, the bills to be paid, the parties to attend, the expanded waistline….okay…you get the idea….without all the neat things that make Christmas what Christmas is, we would be eternally lost. See, all of us are lost, without hope, because we all have sin in our life. We are born into sin and can do nothing to rid ourselves of the sin habit.

God is Holy, as you know, and so He cannot tolerate any sin. None! He will not hear us through our sin and so, if we remain in our sin, we remain forever separated from God.

But then there is Christmas, Praise God! Jesus did come on that dark night some 2000 years ago! He came so that through Him we can be saved, completely forgiven of our sins, and enter the presence of a Holy God!

There is a Christmas! We need Christmas! Thank God for Christmas today!

I love to study the images of Christmas. This year a new image came to me; one I had not considered before, which really is the combination of two images I have studied many times.

Image One:

Luke 2:7 says, “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” 

There was no room for them in the Bethlehem hotel.  This fact often reminds me that sometimes my life is too “crowded” for Christ.  I have great intentions for my relationship with Him, but often I choose my “pleasures” over time with Him.  Sad to admit, but if I am honest, and you were to look at my schedule many days, it could be said of me that I have “no room” for Christ. 

Image Two:

Luke 2:8-9 says, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” 

The shepherds remind me that God first appeared with the news of His Son to those who society considered outcasts.  I have read that the courts refused shepherds testimonies in a court of law because they considered them untrustworthy. Shepherds appeared at the bottom of the social status, but they made themselves available to the Christ child.  It reminds me that although I have needed more grace than most pastors His grace is fully available even to me! 

Image Three:

I have never combined the above two images.  Think about this for a moment.  The fact that the inn had no room may have been necessary in order for the shepherds to receive the announcement.  Imagine if there had been room in the inn.  The shepherds would not have been able to visit the Christ child.  They would have had to find a place to take a bath, change clothes, and probably change their occupation if they had a hope of seeing Him. As shepherds, they would have been welcome in a barn, but not in the Bethlehem “Hyatt”.   

It is a great reminder to me this Christmas that God comes to those who do not deserve His presence or His love.  Immanuel presents Himself in places the “good people” never go!  He loves people the world has rejected and He makes Himself available without regard to our background, our reputation, the gossip about us, or even our smelliness. 

This year I am more thankful than ever that there was “no room for them in the inn.”

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 NIV

Heaven: Streets of Gold! Angels Rejoicing! No Tears! Perfect Harmony! Bright Morning Star! Love Abounds! Mansions of Glory! No Pain! Everlasting Joy! Heavenly Father! Peace! Comfort! Victory! Sweet Fragrance! Warmth!

Bethlehem: cold. dark. crying. no blanket. no room. animal smells. struggles of life. heartaches. temptation. work. strife. bitterness. envy. prejudice. hatred. murder. anger. lust. sin.

Jesus gave up the wealth of Heaven and all its benefits to come to a world that had basically rejected its Creator, so that you and I, though lost in our sin, separated from Him because of our poverty of iniquities, can experience the richness of Eternity with Him in Heaven. Jesus gave up everything. He literally became sin so that we could receive forgiveness from the sin we cast upon His back.

You will no doubt see a nativity scene this Christmas. Go over to it, paying careful attention to the Christ child. Try to picture that baby some 2000 years ago lying in that cold, dark manger, realizing what Heaven had lost for Bethlehem to gain a Savior.

He became poor so that we could become rich. Your inheritance is waiting. Jesus paid it all! The reading of the will happen soon. Are you in it?

I have read these two poems numerous times in devotionals and online.  I have never seen a copyright on them, but they are attributed to Ann Weems.  The story I have heard is that she is a minister’s wife who lost her son to murder though I could not confirm that online.  Her poems speak, however, to the heart many feel this time of year as they attempt to celebrate Christmas with a heavy heart.  Perhaps she expresses your heart too. 

Yesterday’s Pain

In the godforsaken, obscene quicksand of life,
there is a deafening alleluia
rising from the souls of those who weep,
and of those who weep with those who weep.
If you watch, you will see
the hand of God
putting the stars back in their skies
one by one
Yesterday’s Pain
Some of us walk in Advent
tethered to our unresolved yesterdays
the pain still stabbing
the hurt still throbbing.
It’s not that we don’t know better;
it’s just that we can’t stand up anymore by ourselves.
On the way of Bethlehem, will you give us a hand?

Not celebrate?
Your burden is too great to bear?
Your loneliness is intensified during this Christmas season?
Your tears have no end?
Not celebrate?
You should lead the celebration!
You should run through the streets
to ring the bells and sing the loudest!
You should fling the tinsel on the tree,
and open your house to your neighbors, and call them in to dance!
For it is you above all others who know the joy of Advent.
It is unto you that a Savior is born this day,
One who comes to lift your burden from your shoulders,
One who comes to wipe the tears from your eyes.
You are not alone,
for He is born this day to you.

Here are some items that caught my attention this week and caused me to think. 

Center for Creative Leadership has a great post called 5 Keys To Self Development.  It’s simple, easy-to-read and accurate. 

One of my mentors, Dennis Newkirk, wrote a sobering post on called The Currency of Christmas.  It is a reminder we all need to hear repeated often. 

My friend Matthew Paul Turner posted a find from YouTube that makes you wonder what some people do without brains. This one is about Santa Claus. Don’t let your kids see it! 

What if church was run like an airline?  With year-end giving on our mind, maybe this is an answer to consider.  Check it out on MMI’s post here.

Perry Noble scored another one with me this week.  I don’t like thinking of him puking, but I like the application he makes in the sacrifice involved in “getting to the next level”. 

Clarksville, where I live, is getting a mega-sized new industry.  Not only will this create thousands of jobs and make over a billion-dollar investment, but this industry has the potential to place Clarksville on the leading edge of the new “green economy”. Read about it here. 

I am excited about watching father and son coach together at the University of Tennessee next year.  I would love to work for one of my boys some day.  What an honor! 

What did you find interesting this week?

I have a great life.  I have had years of struggles, which have greatly shaped the person I am today, but these days life is fairly calm and I hate to complain even when I am having a “bad” day.  In a church our size, there are always “sober reminders” to keep me grounded.  One would think I would become callous to disappointing news after hearing so much of it each week, but some things will always leave me speechless.  In those times, I learn more about the reality of life.  Other people’s struggles remind me how desperate each of us is for God’s mercy and grace and how incredibly blessed my life is right now.   

There are things that no matter how many times I hear them always take me by surprise.  Things like:   

• When I learn a wife is leaving her husband for another man, it reminds me that what we see in couples does not always represent the reality of what takes place in the privacy of their home. 

• When I hear that a young father received an unexpected stage 4 cancer diagnosis, it reminds me that life is fragile and family time has great value. 

• When I sign another military “notification in case of tragedy” form indicating that I have to bring “bad news” should something happen to the solider, it reminds me that others serve our country so that my family and I can be safe and worship freely. 

• When another teenage daughter becomes pregnant, it reminds me how much pressure is on our teens today and how desperately she needs our love and direction for life. 

• When a mother or father loses their job, it reminds me that their biggest concern this Christmas is not what to buy but how will they buy anything.

• When I find out the reason a couple has been married for years, but does not have children is infertility, I am reminded that there is a pain in a couple’s heart that I will never quite understand. 

• When I talk with a family who has lost a child to tragedy, it reminds me that some pain in life never completely goes away. 

At Christmastime, “sober reminders” always help me remember that Jesus came to those who are hurting, those down in heart, and those in need of a Savior.  

It occurred to me today from a Twitter I wrote that much of what I do seems unproductive to me at the time, but is probably the most productive part of my work.  I have work I am responsible for that only I can do, such as answer emails, fill out forms (which I hate doing) and write messages, but in order for the organization I lead to thrive, there are things which may seem “unproductive”, that I must spend time doing.   

Let me explain by sharing some “unproductive” things I have to do each day: 

Thinking:

Often new ideas hit me in the shower or driving in my car, but many times new ideas are only shaped and realized when I set aside quantity time to brainstorm. 

Reading:

It has always made me feel uncomfortable when someone who works for me finds me reading a magazine or a book, but I know the higher up in an organization a person goes the more important it is that he or she be exposed to ideas and thoughts outside the organization. 

Praying:

I cannot forget that my organization is a church. We are the body of Christ.  I must continually seek His favor and direction. 

Investing in others: 

Helping others on our team succeed in what they do helps the entire organization grow and improve.   I have to remember also, that I’m into Kingdom-building, not only church building, so investing in other pastors not on our team is a part of what I do.

Network:

Some of the greatest doors of opportunity as a church have opened to us because of networking.   (BTW, that makes Twittering valuable too!)

These may seem unproductive at the time; especially when I get back to my desk and face dozens of unanswered emails, but successful leadership demands that I spend time investing in intangible production. 

Sometimes sharing your faith with them is a matter of helping them understand their circumstances in light of God’s plans and desires for their life.  If you can connect the two points, a relationship with God makes much more sense. 
 
Recently I received this email from an Internet friend through my devotional ministry (http://www.mustardseedministry.com).   My friend knows how to share her faith, but the situation appears so desperate it has her in quandary of where to begin.  (I have changed the names and deleted a few details to protect identities, but the crux of the story is the same.)
  
Dear Ron,
I need some advice.  I have a friend who has a daughter who lives about 600 mi. away from her, but she is involved in drugs.  My friend (Joan) and her husband are in the process of adopting her three grandsons (all under the age of 8 year old) due to the daughter’s inability to care for them. Joan doesn’t have a relationship with the Lord.  I have a feeling that she has some tough feelings right now.  I really want to bring her to the Lord, but I’m at a loss for some reason right now.  She is in so much pain and she misses her daughter so much. I need ideas on how to share and communicate God’s love to Joan. Thanks so much. 
Patricia
  
Dear Patricia
It will take boldness on your part Patricia, but the fact that God has placed her on your heart so strongly is probably God’s invitation for you to share your faith with her, so I would encourage you to act on it, as scary as it might be. Scripture is clear that when we speak on His behalf He gives us words to say.
   
I would probably approach Joan in terms of a relationship. She loves her daughter in spite of the fact that she is addicted to drugs. She loves those three grandsons. Joan’s heart hurts for her daughter and she would like nothing more than a renewed relationship with her, but the drugs are in the way. They are “separated” 400 miles by distance, but even farther because of the impact. the drugs have on her life. It’s sad, which is why you are concerned for her. 
  
Now take Joan’s situation and put it into context of her relationship with God. God feels the same way about Joan. He loves her. He wants a relationship with her, but Joan’s sins have separated her from a relationship with God. If she will only believe in Christ’s saving grace she can have the relationship with God she needs; now more than ever.

 
God bless you as you introduce your friend to Christ.
Ron
  
If God stirs your heart concerning someone near you who is absent of a relationship with Him, be bold and willing to share your faith. Put it into terms of a relationship, then trust God to give you the right words to say. 

Recently I twittered the questions:

1.      What do you want for Christmas?

2.      If you had to name something intangible, what would it be?

I got some great replies: 

@jessicanthony  For my mom’s cancer to be cured. But more importantly for her to believe that God cured her.

@robertwseymore safety for my believer friends in Afghanistan. 2 killed this past year

 @jerry_thomas  Even though they are beginning to leave home, I always pray for the happiness of my children.

@pastorjeremy  wisdom..is what i would ask for

@Vhutchisoncoach  Unconditional love and acceptance

@daveingland  more patience as an outpouring of my love for others…i’m not a very patient person by nature 

@jd0268  I am scared to ask for something intangible for myself, because God will put me through the opposite to get it! LOL! 

And one Direct Message from a young pastor.  (This one humbled me.)

this year for christmas, I would like several “meet with ron” cards where I can cash them in whenever i want.

What would your answer be?  If you could ask God for anything, but it had to be something intangible, what would you ask of Him for Christmas this year? 

(Feel free to follow me on Twitter here: http://www.twitter.com/ronedmondson) 

Here are some items that caught my attention this week and caused me to think. 

Ministry Marketing Coach is going to provide some ideas in coming weeks to promote the church in low cost and/or no costs.  You can read the concept in the post Buzzing the Great Commission and make a link to start following these posts.  I look forward to the ideas to come. 

Tim Sanders has a candid approach to leadership.  He has helped me personally think through some decisions I have had to make. He wrote a BLOG about why it is hard to tell that his church (a great church BTW) has a United Methodist affiliation.  For those of us who are part of a denomination but do not know whether to advertise that fact at times it is a great read. 

Michael Hyatt is a polished leader.  Even with the demands of an important job as CEO of Thomas Nelson, he is approachable, honest, and invests in others. I have learned a lot from him this year.  His approach to handling the news of the day is one I think more of us need to take. 

I have been following the developments of a new ministry that is launching. The vision is huge.  Bookmark this site and get ready for great impact on the church world in 2009.

If you want to hear some incredible stories of famous people, check out http://www.iamsecond.com This site is well done.

Perry Noble is a “tell the truth” kind of person.  I love his honesty. His series of posts this week titled Four Arguments You Just Can’t Win are dead on accurate!  Pastors read these!