I wonder how many of us will get Christmas cards with the two different terms on them 1. Merry Christmas and 2. Happy Xmas.
According to the dictionary the meaning of Merry Christmas is: The real meaning of “Merry Christmas” is, to be full of absolute joy because God Himself, knowing none of us could *ever* get free of sin ourselves, provided the way for our salvation. It is only through God that we can obtain Holiness because none of us are able to cleanse ourselves to the point of pleasing God.
Whereas Xmas (also X-mas) is a common abbreviation of the word Christmas. It is sometimes pronounced, but Xmas, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation. The “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Christós (Χριστός), which became Christ in English. The suffix -mas is from the Latin-derived Old English word for Mass.
Personally I prefer the first one of the two
A lot of kids these days are brought up to believe that Santa and toys are ” The reason for the season” We must remember as Christians that Jesus is ” The reason for the season”
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
How far is it to Bethlehem? Not very far. Shall we find the stable room Lit by a star?
Can we see the little Child? Is He within? If we lift the wooden latch May we go in?
May we stroke the creatures there Ox, ass, or sheep? May we peep like them and see Jesus asleep?
If we touch His tiny hand Will He awake? Will He know we’ve come so far Just for His sake?
Great kings have precious gifts And we have naught Little smiles and little tears Are all we brought.
For all weary children Mary must weep Here, on His bed of straw Sleep, children, sleep.
God in His mother’s arms Babes in the byre Sleep, as they sleep who find Their heart’s desire.
11 As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’[e]12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[f]
Or as The Message translates it,
Romans 10 The Message (MSG)
11-13 Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”
I have a question for you. Can you honestly say you have had a ‘Stress free’ live? I know I haven’t. Something I’ve always tried to bare in mind when stressed or worried is the old saying ‘It’ll all work out in the end’ and it usually does.
Of course as we all know some of the more common stress factors are Marriage, Divorce and financial problems and that’s only the tip of the iceberg as they say.
As Christians dealing with stress we must trust in God because as The Message puts it ‘He’s the same God for all, a generous God who can help.
You were the Word at the beginning One With God the Lord Most High Your hidden glory in creation Now revealed in You our Christ
What a beautiful Name it is What a beautiful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is Nothing compares to this What a beautiful Name it is The Name of Jesus
You didn’t want heaven without us So Jesus, You brought heaven down My sin was great, Your love was greater What could separate us now
What a wonderful Name it is What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a wonderful Name it is Nothing compares to this What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus
How sweet is your name, Lord, how good You are Love to sing in the name of the Lord, love to sing for you all? Death could not hold You, the veil tore before You You silenced the boast, of sin and grave The heavens are roaring, the praise of Your glory For You are raised to life again
You have no rival, You have no equal Now and forever, Our God reigns Yours is the Kingdom, Yours is the glory Yours is the Name, above all names
What a powerful Name it is What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is Nothing can stand against What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus
You have no rival, You have no equal Now and forever, Our God reigns Yours is the Kingdom, Yours is the glory Yours is the Name, above all names
What a powerful Name it is What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is Nothing can stand against What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus
What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the LORD’s feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “LORD, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41″Martha, Martha,” the LORD answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
The last couple of days I have been unusually busy, in fact so busy one day that I never managed to post a blog (don’t know if anyone noticed).
It is important that we set aside a time in our daily routine to spend some time with God. Have you spent that precious moment with him today yet?
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To God’s holy people in Ephesus,[a] the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to son-ship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,9 he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
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