A Christmas Message

I am "borrowing" the content for this Blog. I have actually used this passage of scripture as a Christmas message in years gone by. My Pastor and I seem to run on the same track about some things so he will not mind my "borrowing" his words for this season's message. I hope that each of you will take away the true meaning of this message and realize that this is indeed what the Father did when He sent His Son to this world. The question , as in the message, is how will you decide to treat the Son?

To each and everyone of you my family and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Mark 12:1-8 (NIV)
He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. ² At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. ⁶ “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷ “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

As I was reading this passage thinking of Jesus coming into his Father’s vineyard 2000 years ago on that first Christmas, one phrase jumped off the page at me. It was the father’s statement – surely, if I send my son, “They will respect my son.”

It made me think of our celebration of Christmas in this country. You see what’s going on. Political correctness has taken over and, just like in the parable, we don’t respect the Son.

My pastoral prayer( and mine) for you this Christmas season is that you and I would be different than the other tenants. Not only would we respect the Son, we’d welcome him.

God bless you this week,

Pastor Jim

And I add my blessing to that for each of you. Again I thank each and everyone of you who have supported me and my family with your prayers. I am progressing well and growing stronger each day.