Can you believe that Christmas is upon us?

Already it is December! Soon it will be Christmas day. For many children and children at heart the anticipation of the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, the ultimate Gift, cannot come soon enough. For the busy corps officers, soldiers and employees of The Salvation Army a successful Christmas Season cannot be completed soon enough. Yet, this is the time of year when more people are open to the Message and Ministry of Christ, and that should be something all Christians would want to last for a long time.

I have noticed the word "Believe" a lot this Christmas. Sometimes it is "Believe in the Magic" of Christmas. So I have come up with some M&Ms of Christmas.

Believe in the Message of Christmas - that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Believe in the Ministry of Christmas - The kettles, the bells, the food boxes, the gifts, the rest home visits, the mail appeals, the Christmas Eve services, the focus on the Advent Wreath, the speaking at Service Clubs, and the list goes on and on - all of these activities are points of ministry when we share the Love of God and help move people closer to a right relationship. This happens when we do all we do as though we were "doing it for the Lord."


Believe in the Magic of Christmas - There are a lot of great stories and traditions that come to us at this time of year. The world seems to stop and wait for something to happen. Build on that magic and that expectation to point to the real message. Jesus was God's peace offering to establish a relationship with humans. The angels sang "Peace on earth good will toward mankind." It was not a sentimental wish it was an announcement of God's plan.

Believe in the Miracle of Christmas - Watch for that moment or moments when your heart is blessed and you feel the Presence of God. It may be in the eyes of a child or an elderly person. It may be that it happens in a Sunday Service or while you are shopping. It may happen at your Christmas Center or at a Kettle. Believe and you will receive!

May God bless you and remind you how much He loves you!