REMEMBERING MY FIRST CHRISTMAS.

TEXT:

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people," (Luke 1 verse 68, King James Version)

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God. I've been privileged to celebrate Christmas since I was born.

     I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, precisely at Ibarapa street Ebute Meta. Soon after I was born, I was taken to Ososo to stay with my grandma who happened to be married to Mr Thomas of Egbetua quarters of Ososo, Edo State of Nigeria.

     But my earliest or foremost Christmas that I can remember was when I was seven years of age. My mother had come from Lagos to Ososo to celebrate Christmas with us. On the Christmas Eve of that particular year, my mom took myself and my immediate younger brother to attend a Catholic fellowship that was held at the community primary school hall to commemorate the Christmas Eve.

     That fellowship on Christmas Eve was the first time I ever heard a sermon preached. Indeed, that sermon was the first in my life. The sermon was anchored on the rapture. The preacher, whose identity I can't remember right now, delved artfully into what the rapture was about. He told us that Christ was coming back again for the Church. In his sermon, he painted the graphic picture of Christ appearing in the sky and the dead in Christ meeting Him in the air first and those of us that are alive will be caught up with Him as well (see 1st Thessalonians 4 verses 15 to 18 and 1st Corinthians 15 verses 51 to 56)

     As soon as I heard that sermon, my joy ceased. I became terribly afraid because with my childlike-faith which Jesus has recommended for believers, I believed the sermon wholeheartedly. Right away, I began to weep because to me, there was no reason to live anymore since according to the preacher, the rapture was not only imminent, but sudden. The emphasis he laid on the imminence and suddenness of the rapture thenceforth became the subject of my reflection, focus,  imagination and attention, so much that I regretted being born into the world. To me, if the Lord was coming back soon, all efforts should  be geared towards preparing for His coming, especially as the preacher recounted with vivid emphasis the fate of those that will be left behind.

      I'm not sure if the other members of the congregation were as impacted with the message as I was. Today, as I reminisce about that sermon and the effect it had on me at that tender age, I wonder if we hear such messages anymore from our pulpits. I wonder also if the young ones of today have their minds prepared by their parents to hear and receive God's Word preached to them. Again, I wonder if parents see the need to groom their children for the Lord by ensuring that moments like Christmas aren't  celebrated wrongly. I am certain that the impact  that sermon had on me served to get my heart prepared for His eventual call upon my life. Lord, thank You for my Mom! God bless you Momma.

    Brethren, Christmas should be a moment of sober reflection of Who Jesus is, why He came and what our response ought to be to His coming. It shouldn't be a moment for orgies, and sinfulness.  On the contrary, Christmas is a moment to remember God's visitation to a dying world in order to save mankind from satan's captivity. The Holy Spirit, using Zacharias the father of John the Baptist, spoke and laid down for us, the purpose of Christmas.

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live."

(Luke 1 verses 68 to 75, New Living Translation).

     May you celebrate this Christmas well.

PRAYER:

Father, thank You for visiting us in the Person of Your Son, Jesus Christ. May You help me to appreciate and let others know the real purpose of Christmas, to the end that we don't stray as we celebrate it, in Jesus name.