Are you the music of Christmas?????????

Good morning everyone! Only two more day until Christmas. Joslyn is super excited and Luke just feeds off from her. So, it will be a great time at our house. Today's devotional is not mine. I am passing one that I read along to you. I really liked it and thought you would too. It is a little different so, read the whole thing. One more thing. I can't stop talking about us going Christmas caroling the other night. It was just a true blessing. Next year come join us! Well, check this devotion out and have a Merry Christmas.

So what comes to mind when you hear the word “Christmas”?

Decorated trees? Church bells ringing? Friends and families?

X-Box 360 and Call of Duty?

For me, I can’t help but think about music. For some reason I never grow weary of hearing the classic carols and the Christmas songs that I’ve sung as long as I can remember. And here’s a list of songs that I don’t exactly remember, but seem to fit our world pretty well. Check these out:

Schizophrenia -- Do You Hear What I Hear, the Voices, the Voices?

Amnesia -- I Don't Remember If I'll be Home for Christmas

Narcissistic Personality Disorder -- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

Manic -- Deck The Halls And Walls And House And Lawn And Streets And Stores And Office And Town And Cars And Buses And Trees And.......

Multiple Personality Disorder -- We Three Kings Disoriented Are

Paranoid -- Santa Claus Is Coming To Get Us

Antisocial Personality Disorder -- Thoughts of Roasting You On an Open Fire

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder -- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Alzheimer's -- Walking In a Winter Wonderland Miles from My House in My Slippers and Robe

Oppositional Defiant Disorder -- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus So I Burned Down the House

Social Anxiety Disorder -- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas While I Sit Here and Hyperventilate

Attention Deficit Disorder -- We Wish You......Hey Look!! It's Snowing!!!

No offense meant and all kidding aside, have you ever wondered where the first Christmas song to Jesus Christ was sung? You may be surprised, and you definitely don’t want to miss the meaning behind this incredible scene:

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed (Luke 2:8-18).

Can you even imagine being at this breathtaking scene? Imagine the greatest music your ears could attend to and multiply it by infinity, and it still wouldn’t compare to the heavenly choir’s harmony celebrating the tiny infant who would one day walk out of His own grave.

And not only is the music ridiculously awesome, even better is the message that the angels proclaimed:

“Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master”

This is the heart of Christmas - which comes from ‘Christ + Mass’ (mass being a celebration) - so we rejoice and marvel at the fact that the God of the Universe wrapped Himself in flesh to give us the greatest present that humanity could ever experience: Jesus Christ.

So this Christmas, take some time to be still and reflect on the incredible weight and implication of the angelic message: our Savior has appeared, and because of His birth, death has been defeated. Christmas means forgiveness. Christmas means eternal life.

And Christmas also means that we have the same opportunity as the shepherds - remember what they did?

“They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child.”

The shepherds were so overjoyed and overwhelmed by the good news of Jesus that they ran to tell anyone and everyone who would listen…

And how about you? Have you tuned out of the message because of the busy/stressful/materialistic/food coma season that robs us of the true joy that comes when we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world?

Let’s make the music of our Christmas a song of deliverance that celebrates the Christ and tells the world the Good News!