CHRISTMAS IS FOR OLDER FOLKS TOO!

SCRIPTURE READING: LUKE 2 V. 25-38

          SIMEON AND ANNA WEREN’T IN BETHELEHEM WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN. THEY DIDN’T SEE THE ANGELS FILL THE SKIES OR WATCH THE SHEPARDS RUN TO SEE THE BABY. THE MANAGER WASN’T A PART OF THEIR FAITH WALK. THEY WERE JUST FIXTURES IN THE TEMPLE, WAITING FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S PROMISE TO EACH OF THEM; TO SEE THE MESSIAH. LUKE CALLED SIMEON RIGHTEOUS AND DEVOUT. ANNA WAS DESCRIBED AS “WORSHIPING NIGHT AND DAY, FASTING AND PRAYING”. THESE TWO WERE SAINTS, PEOPLE THAT NEVER FORGOT THEIR FIRST LOVE, WHO CONVICTED OTHERS BY THEIR LIFESTYLE AND BEHAVIOR. IT WASN’T A PRIEST OR ELDER THAT BORE WITNESS TO THE BABY MESSIAH, IT WAS FAITHFUL WORSHIPPERS THAT FELT THE BLESSING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MOVING IN THEIR SOULS. WHAT A JOY IT MUST HAVE BEEN TO CRADLE THE BABY JESUS IN HIS ARMS FOR SIMEON! NOT ONLY WAS THIS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES, BUT IT WAS THE COMPLETION OF THE PROMISE MADE TO SIMEON BY GOD. AS WE LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY AND DEVOUTED TO CHRIST, WE THAT ARE OLDER, HAVE SEEN GOD’S PLAN WORKED OUT IN OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF OUR LOVED ONES. NO, IT DIDN’T ALWAYS WORK OUT THE WAY, WE WANTED IT TO, BUT HIS PLANS HELD TWISTS AND SURPRISES THAT WE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED. ANNA DEMONSTRATES HOW WE SHOULD REACT SINCE WE ALL HAVE SEEN AND KNOW THE SAVIOR, BY FIRST GIVING THANKS. AFTER THANKING GOD FOR HIS SAVING GRACE, SHE SPOKE TO ALL WHO WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE REDEMPTION OF JERUSALEM. I SUSPECT THAT MEANT SHE SPOKE TO EVERYONE ABOUT HER ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST. GOD DOESN’T NEED US TO DETERMINE IF PEOPLE ARE REDEEMABLE, HE JUST WANTS TO USE US TO TELL THE STORY, HIS STORY, THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL

          YES, CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN. SANTA, TOYS, BIG MEALS AND GATHERINGS ARE ALL A PART OF THIS SEASON. HOWEVER, SO IS DEVOTION TO THE CHRIST CHILD AND THE RISEN SAVIOR. OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS NEEDS TO BE ON DISPLAY, NOT FOR OUR SAKE BUT FOR HIS. OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, LOVED ONES, NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS MUST SEE CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE LENS OF OUR LIVES. LIVES THAT ARE NOT PERFECT BUT FORGIVEN. LIVES FILLED WITH LOVE, PEACE AND FORGIVENESS. WE, THAT HAVE BEEN GRANTED LONGER LIVES, HAVE BEEN GIVEN SO MUCH GRACE AND FAVOR OVER THE YEARS. AS WE CONTINUE IN THIS SEASON OF HOPE AND EXPECTANCY MAY WE OFFER TRUE AND ETERNAL HOPE. AND MAY OUR LIVES POINT TOWARD HIS RETURN AND THE FULLFILLMENT OF HIS PROMISE TO EACH OF US.