What a great time of year that we celebrate the greatest of all birthdays! “Christ the Lord, the newborn King!” All of God’s children are invited to celebrate Christ’s birth and to abide with him always. The first invitation, “came upon [a] midnight clear, to “Shepherds of old [that] heard the joyous strain”, from angels saying, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people….For unto [us was] born [that] day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”. Then “with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
God loves all of his children and only wants good will for all of us. This is why God sent his only begotten Son. We find joy when we are willing to draw near to Him, adore Him, and strive to be like Him. We find joy when we willingly receive Him and allow the [spirit of] Christmas to change our hearts towards all of our fellowmen, which then leads us to go about “doing good” as Christ did. This is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I Love the Christmas Season because it turns my heart to others. I love the season also because I am reminded of the great gift that Christ is for us, which is summarized in the Hymns, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Joy to the World”
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!…
No more will sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He’ll come and make the blessing flow.
May our hearts be filled with gratitude for the blessings we receive and show God by accepting His gift, His Son, Jesus Christ. May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, taking our changed hearts as our gift to the Savior during this Christmas season and throughout the year!
Merry Christmas!
Love from your Sacramento East Stake Presidency