It's HIS Birthday!

    It’s a boy! Wow! I just joined the ‘grandpa’ class and Sandie and I are the proud grandparents of little (big) Brody Lee Myers. We thank each of you for your thoughts and prayers.

    As we move into December I think of another birth and it too was a baby boy. But his birth was different. He was born of a virgin. He was sinless and lived a sinless life. Joseph and Mary named Him Jesus just as the angel instructed them because “He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt.1:21). He lived a sinless life and then “became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness in God.” (2 Cor.5:21). His atoning death on the cross paid our sin debt. He took our sins and gave us His righteousness and rose from the dead on the third day to defeat death and give us eternal life.

    Brody was born on November 13, 2012. On that date, each year, we will celebrate his birthday. Poppy and Meme will shower him with gifts each birthday. As he grows older he’ll have friends to come to his birthday parties, as they too will bring him gifts.

    After Jesus’ birth, wise men from the east brought Jesus gifts as well, gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Now Jesus was most likely between 12 and 18 months old at this time, but it took that long for these wise men to make the long trek to Israel.

    And here we are, some 2000 years later, still celebrating our Savior’s birth. Now most likely it wasn’t December 25 for lots of reasons, but nonetheless that is the day universally recognized as the day of His birth. Why then, I must ask, do we give each other gifts on His birthday? The last time I checked, it’s not your birthday or my birthday. It’s HIS birthday! Why do we make out our wish list of what we want for Christmas? It’s not our birthday. It’s HIS!

    I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we give to Jesus on His birthday? Let’s give Him the glory due His name. And if we do give material gifts to others, let’s give to those in need. Jesus did say, “that inasmuch as you do it [give] to the least of these…you did it unto Me.” [Matt.25:40]. Let’s give to meet another’s need, not each other’s material greed. Happy Birthday Jesus! 

In Christ,

Bro. Royce