The first Christmas party, after becoming a committed believer, has had lasting impacts. The food, the decorations, the friendly people, and the common ground that united us filled my heart with joy and great gladness. The work and resources the host and hostess invested in the celebration still bear fruit today. True, no matter how great our gatherings celebrating the Lord’s birth are, they do not compare with that first Christmas fellowship meeting. By the way, I was just tagging along with a pastor couple that had taken me under their wing.
One cannot adequately describe a great Christmas party with words. Even photographs do not do the event justice. A person needs to be there in the flesh to benefit fully. Tables full of food, meat, bread, cheeses, and delectable desserts fill both the nose and the eyes first, and later the stomach. The colors of the tablecloths are festive and matched by the fabrics that drape the furniture. A tree with lights and decorations, pine boughs spaced across the whole house; indeed, there was some design to this Christmas Party. Thank You, Patsy!
New friends were made, and old ties were renewed. The host and hostess were classmates of my father, and in a way, their old friendships were renewed vicariously at this celebration of Jesus. The people feasted on the wonderful victuals and in the fellowship of the great advent. A time was set aside to honor the Lord with worship and testimonies of His goodness. The picture here is about forty people lining the walls of a 20-foot by 20-foot living room facing toward the middle. Some testimonies flowed freely; others had to be encouraged.
I got encouraged with about a five-minute notice. Being a Bible College student, I was a target. What do I say? I was about a year and a half into my faith walk, past the honeymoon stage, and in the middle of God doing His strange work on me. For those who don’t understand this, sometimes God will completely undo a person and rebuild from the ground up. It was a wonderful time, but it also was a terrible time. The people didn’t need to hear that testimony on this day…God, what do I say? The Holy Spirit quickened within me a scripture.
I was introduced by the hostess and this was my testimony. “This past year, there have been some incredible highs and unbelievable lows. However, I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will come between us and the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (see Romans 8:38,39). The princes and princesses of the Kingdom of God echoed an Amen, and it was done.
If one is willing to embrace it, the whole party is by design. From the food, personal fellowship, and worship to the inspiring words from the Bible, it was orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. God was there, and He manifested Himself through all the trappings.
The Designer’s Christmas Party
The first Christmas party was by divine design, and God manifested Himself in all the accoutrements of that special gathering. The birth of Christ was by design! Born in a manger, a picture of humility. Born in a manger, what a perfect place for the Lamb of God. In the town of Bethlehem, home of King David, he was promised his descendant, the Son of David, would be the Messiah. Angels and stars lighted the sky, and everyday people, yes shepherds, were in attendance. As a baby, innocent and helpless, God entered the world in the most vulnerable form of life one could. His Glory was evident from the rough feed-trough cradle and resonates through history today. It stands to reason, the Messiah, born a Jew, would be the most famous Jew of all time. It is so with Jesus. He was mercy in the flesh, mankind’s everlasting hope. The price of redemption was pumped by that tiny heart, and the ransom of mankind from the slavery of sin flowed through this little baby’s body. Christmas is no accident; it is by design.
Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
LUKE 2:14 (KJV)
The thing is, the host was God. The baby, the Son of God, is God too. He emptied Himself and started from the ground up, just like those born again into the living hope. He knew our parents; the manger event of children often renews their divine fellowship, yes, friendship with the host, even God the Father. Peace, grace, and glory belong to the day of His birth and reverberate through history every time it is commemorated. Now then, let that peace, grace, and glory fill your hearts and souls as you remember the birth and bask in the manifested presence in Christmas. And the princes and princesses belonging to the Kingdom of God sound the resounding, Amen.
Feature Images: Bigstock.com | Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION of the Bible.
