Samuel writig his name in his New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs on
19 December 2018
This photo of Samuel is probably the most unusual
Christmas card you have ever seen. There is a valid reason for this. Please
continue reading.
This message is for you personally – according to the
statistics there were just more than 13’000 page views. When I started out some
years ago, I never imagined that it would come to many people actually reading
my posts and looking at my photographs. I had people from Albania and China
looking at my blog.
Although I don’t know all of you personally, I do appreciate it
that you interact with me. I do know some of you thru Facebook and Whatsapp contacts I appreciate our contact. Tomorrow is Christmas and we are middle in all of
this silliness of happy, happy, happy. What is it all about?
Samuel is a Telkom technician who attended to our
complaint about our landline and internet connectivity. He arrived on the scene
within about 18 hours after we lodged our complaint and he sorted the problems
out within the space of an hour. He was friendly and courteous towards us and
took his time to answer all of my questions.
He was climbing his ladder and working outside in
blistering sunshine during the heatwave hitting us in Sandton area. My plants
are wilting, chickens panting and the air void of any moisture. The light winds
blowing are hot and stale.
It was hot.
And dry.
Samuel did his job to the best of his abilities and
solved the problems.
I invited him back to my home/office and offered him a
glass of water from the fridge. He finished that in one gulp!
Then I offered him a little blue New Testament, Psalms
and Proverbs – the type the Gideons International in South Africa distribute.
The moment he saw it, his face lit up with a huge smile that you could wrap around
his head.
“Oh,” he said, “I got one while I was at school in Zimbabwe.”
I asked him it he reads it. “No,” was his answer “I don’t know where it is. May
I have one?” he asked. I gave him this one and started quoting John 3:16 and he
took over and completed the verse. Do you know that important verse in Scriptures?
Just to jog your memory, here is the exact quote:
For God so loved the
world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.
Do you believe this verse? If you don’t, I ask you to
reconsider and accept it – it is worthwhile because this is the real Christmas
story.
Is it about snow covered candles or a bushveld thorn tree
covered with LED lights? Is it about presents brought to you with the
compliments of Father Christmas on his sleigh with his reindeer? Is it about
the best whisky you can afford? Is it about laughter with abandon and frolicking
in the swimming pool? Is it about a well-earned holiday in the bushveld or at
the sea? Is it happiness that we should pursue at all costs like the mouse in
the video clip? Click here and enjoy this clip.
The list can go on and on and on … and you may add
some stuff yourself.
I suggest to you that the birth of the Christ-child is
the real and penultimate reason for Christmas and nothing else. I will repeat
that the real reason is Christ and nothing else.
His birth was like no other in the entire history of
the world.
Prince William and his wife Kate’s babies were born in
privacy under the strictest of strict security measures and in the utmost luxury.
The best medical attendance you can imagine was on duty with each birth. The
births of these babies were announced at Buckingham Palace and on social media.
Not so with the Christ-child. He was born in a stable
because the world at that time had no place for Him to be born. Angels came
down from heaven to sing His praises. Shepherds and special men from the East
came to honour him. All of this happened while the animals were surrounding His
earthly father and Maria. I am sure that there was not a security guard to be
seen – not anywhere at all! This Babe is the Christ and not an ordinary baby at
all.
It was predicted in the Scriptures that He would be born
and He was indeed and in fact born at the right time.
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11“Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the
deepest depths or in the highest heights.” ... Nevertheless, there will be no more
gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of
Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of
the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
A medical practitioner by the name of Luke recorded
for posterity the birth of this Christ-child and I invite you to read with me Luke2: 8 - 20
And there
were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks
at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory
of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be
afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has
been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said
to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.”
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying
in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the
word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what
the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things
and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as
they had been told.
I ask you to read my emphasis again: “This will be a sign to you: You will find a
baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke tells us that he
personally researched these events and we can trust him for the accuracy and
reliability of it. And the shepherds found it exactly as the angels told them.
It was proven in other words. This is not an ordinary cute little baby! He is
the Christ-child the Saviour of the world. Of you and me.
I pray that you may indeed experience the wonder of
the Christ-child in your life during this wonderful festive Christmas period.
Remember Christ is the reason for this season.
Neels Coertse
Sandton
South Africa
24 December 2018
