Celebrate Love

December 2021

Message from Pastor Tom:

The holidays are in full swing at my house and I’m sure at yours as well. All Christmas shoppers are running around as if they will never complete their Christmas tasks or their endless shopping lists, feeling Christmas will be a disappointing time to all those involved if they don’t complete it. Yet this season should never be a time of disappointment, or one to agonize over. Rather, this is a time to celebrate, remember and appreciate the gift of unconditional love from our heavily Father and our earthly families love and support. We need to be truly spiritual and not be hypercritical. We need to be gracious, compassionate, and loving people, and yes, I know this can be hard for some of us, including me.

Most psychological minds feel we are basically all party and social animals. I tend to believe each person is to a point, but at different degrees of this in life. It depends where they are on the social scale in their own mind and that of their connected friend’s mind. Fortunately, God is patient and waits on us as the Holy Spirit works continually to change our social love of all earthly things. I feel this is defined as me, myself and I, and anything that fits our needs from a specific person. This type of thinking happens until our heart starts changing to Christian love. I’ve learned this is part of God’s plan through His love and Grace, teaching us how to fit and belong in His plan for mankind. Now this is what I call one super Christmas gift, second to none, other than His birth and Resurrection. 

I also find we need to fail in the “worldly” sense, we need to win, and we need to have a sense of life with freedom by choosing our own way, which is happing in the social world as I have defined earlier. However, some never find Christian love. I ask, is this also in God’s plan to help teach us deeper love and respect for Him and the Church? Some of us are like Paul. We are slow to be accepted and sometimes never accepted in our own hometown. Paul had Christian love. Didn’t he learn it through the process of social love as I have stated? God created us and loves us more than we can imagine. God accepts us as we are. If we come to Him with pure hearts, our eyes set on the cross, trying our best to do what is right, with God’s help we will accomplish it. We only need to reach out, make every effort to continually show our Christian love by accepting and including others in our life. 

What stood out and really drove the meaning of “love” home to me was reading this quote in one of John’s letters, “Love is costly, not painless. Love isn’t passive; it takes initiative. Love doesn’t ignore or excuse sin; instead, love makes sacrifices…” I find this in my marriage, at work and most powerfully in my Christian walk. Jesus is our best example of love by showing it with His atoning sacrifice upon the cross, defined so elegantly in 1 John. We are able to start understanding unconditional love as Jesus forgives sinners that come to Him for mercy. 

Yet, when Jesus tenderly searches for wayward lost and hopeless sinners, then joyfully forgives them, it not only shows, but proves how He possesses extraordinary love. Jesus and His brothers James and Jude in their own letters have especially explained this throughout the Bible, with 1 John being the most defining. As John pointed out, love should be a major part of every Christian’s life. In fact, love is what truly defines us as Christians. 

So this Christmas, take the time to give love, celebrate Love with all those around you, and feel the warmth of our Heavenly Fathers Loving arms around you this Christmas and all the days ahead.

Heidi and I ask you join with us in praying for peace for our country, our leaders and those who are racially and spiritually persecuted worldwide. Until next month, may God richly bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you. Merry Christmas and may each of you enjoy a very happy and prosperous new year in Christ.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6