The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The season produces images of red, white, green, every color of light, family and church, and of course, gifts. Then there is the December dessert table that begins early and stretches far beyond Christmas Day…cookies and candy, pie, and did I say cookies and candy? Then there is cake, and did I mention cookies and candy? 

We won't forget to mention all the great holiday meals that will be served around that dessert. Although, as a kid, don't you remember sitting down at the table to eat and before the first bowl was passed to you, you asked, "What's for dessert?!" That used to drive Mom crazy. Christmas just is not a weight watcher's time of the year, is it? America is so blessed. I know there are people in America who are hungry year-round, but yet when you look around, you can see that God has given America great abundance.

Let's look at some of those images of Christmas time. 

Look at the color of red that is so prominent during this time of year. 2000 years ago, that Babe born in a manger in Bethlehem grew up and went to the cross of Calvary, severely beaten on the way to that cross and then nailed to and continued to bleed for the washing away of sin to all who will believe on Him as their Lord and Savior. He died and was buried and rose again from death and the grave three days later and calls for the world to come unto Him and believe on Him as their Lord and Savior. 

Then we see the color white, if not in real snow, artificial snow every where in the decorating. This reminds me of what Jesus' blood does for me. It has washed me white as snow before the Father in heaven where one day we will be presented to Him in white robes of righteousness, Jesus' righteousness. 

Then there is the color green everywhere in the decorations, especially the tree. It represents the fact that Jesus came to raise the believer's soul to a life more abundant than we could ever imagine…ETERNAL LIFE (Romans 6:23). 

And how about those lights that light up the night every night through the neighborhood, downtown and through the country side? Light dispels darkness every time. John reminds us that it is Jesus who lights every man, that is, He gives us life to start with at conception and then removes the darkness of sin from our soul the day we are saved, making us His spiritual and eternal lights of the world…cities on a hill top.   Then there is the family. Joining Jesus in the center piece of the year is the family. This is one of, along with Jesus, the main focus of this time of year. It is He who created man and woman that would be God's origin of what a true family is to look like. It begins with a man and a woman and then comes the children, that Bible family. The earthly family is the picture of the more perfect family of heaven that Jesus was born to gather unto the Father. 

How about those gifts? The giving of gifts is to be an unselfish act toward each other in remembrance of the greatest Gift ever given, that is, the Father giving His only begotten Son, Jesus, to us as our sacrifice for sin. Then within that gift comes the gift of eternal life.

The holiday tables are furnished with great abundance, reminding us that this is what Jesus offers all who will come unto Him. Oh, it may not be tons of food on the table, but He wants us who have received Him to know there is a table spread in heaven before His throne awaiting all who will have received Him in faith to the forgiveness of their sin and the saving of their soul. He tells us that that table will be a heavenly feast.

Will you receive God's Gift, Jesus, not just those gifts under the tree that will rust and rot away with time. Don't receive those material gifts all your life and never receive the Gift of God that brings to you the gift of eternal life. It will bring you the greatest Christmas you will ever have  and will ever remember. Receive Christ as you Savior today.

Charles Empey is the Pastor of Cove Baptist Church, Orange, TX.