Christmas reminders

At a clearance sale, the wife of a federal district court judge found a green tie that was a perfect match for one of her husband’s sports jackets. Soon after, while the couple was vacationing at a resort complex to get his mind off a rather complicated cocaine conspiracy case, he noticed a small, round disc sewn into the design of the tie.

The judge showed it to a local FBI agent, who was equally suspicious that it might be a “bug” planted by the conspiracy defendants. The agent sent the device to FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, for analysis.

Two weeks later, the judge phoned the Washington office to learn the results of their tests.

“We’re not sure where the disc came from,” the FBI told him, “but we discovered that when you press it, it plays Jingle Bells.”

So! Are you ready for Christmas?

Is Christmas all about having parties and exchanging gifts?
It must be more than that.

Here’s an old material that serves as a reminder from Henry Van Dyke:

Are you willing –

• to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children;

• to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old;

• to stop asking how much your friends love you and to ask yourself whether you love them enough;

• to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open?

Are you willing to do these things for a day? Then you are ready to keep Christmas!

Text messages, Viber, or Group Chats – complete with emojis and stuff – are swell, but nothing beats an old-fashioned Christmas card that will always pass the test of time.

One of my favorite Christmas cards carries the following words:

Where would we be without Jesus?

• He was born of a woman so that we could be born of God.

• He humbled Himself so that we could be lifted up.

• He became a servant so that we could be made heirs.

• He suffered rejection so that we could become His friends.

• He denied Himself so that we could freely receive all things.

• He gave Himself so that He could bless us in every way!

May you know His love this Christmas

Such simple words may mean nothing to many people, but it means a lot to those who know Him.

When you read the Bible, you can see all the symbols of Christmas. And as I present them to you, treat this day’s message as if it were a Christmas card I am giving you.

So please listen very carefully.

May the Christmas PRESENTS remind us of God’s greatest GIFT – His only begotten Son.

May the Christmas CANDLES remind us of Him, who is the LIGHT of the world.

May the Christmas TREE remind us of another TREE on which He died for us.

May the Christmas FEAST remind us of Him, who is the BREAD OF LIFE.

May the Christmas CAROLS remind us of His glad tidings, which we are to proclaim to all mankind.

May the Christmas season remind us in every way of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

(Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms).