Ghosts of Christmas Past 3

Christmas, for many it’s the most wonderful time of the year. For others, it’s a painful reminder of the past.

What if THIS CHRISTMAS, you say good-bye to the Ghosts of Christmas Past and allow God to restore the Joy of Christmas?

For the past few weeks we have been uncovering a few Ghosts of Christmas Past that have a tendency to steal the Joy of Christmas.

Expectations:

Unreasonable expectations cause us to miss the true meaning of Christmas.

Perfect tree, present, family, meal, party, outfit.

We believe that to truly have the perfect Christmas everything has to be just that, perfect.

But perception comes with a cost. Our pursuit of perfection steals the actual meaning of Christmas. Unrealistic expectations of the perfect Christmas steal the joy, meaning and value of Christmas.

Materialism – Instead of focusing on the meaning of Christmas you’re stuck on the money of Christmas.

Have to one up last years gift.

Struggling financially but ashamed to tell family you cant afford to buy gifts.

Don’t want to sound cheap, but truthfully you can’t afford to buy gifts.

Looking back and thinking, “If only this had happened we would have had the perfect Christmas. This year we are doing things right so we can have the perfect Christmas.

When your expectations are wrong, you miss what Christmas is really about.

Video: A Charlie Brown Christmas – Linus’s Speech

Christmas is about Jesus. The night Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a small group of shepherds were quietly tending their flocks. Nothing seemed different about this night from any other night. But what was about to happen would forever change the lives of those shepherds and people throughout the ages. The world would never be the same after the events of this night in the Judean Desert.

That night in Bethlehem teaches us three things about Christmas:

Luke 2:1-14 NKJV

1. Christmas is about Love.

Luke 2:1-7 NKJV

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

John 3:16 NIV 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.

The entire reason for Christmas is God’s love for us!

Isaiah 7:14 NIV Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

The Man and the Birds – by Paul Harvey

The man to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn't make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

"I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church this Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite. That he'd much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound...Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud...At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them...He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms...Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me...That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

"If only I could be a bird," he thought to himself, "and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safe, warm...to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand." At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

John 1:14 NIV The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 John 4:8-10 NIV Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

The whole purpose for Christ coming to earth was to be the atoning sacrifice making a way for man to be right with God.

In order for Him to be the complete sacrifice, He had to be fully committed. It would have meant very little for Christ to just appear out of Heaven and say, “I’m here for you, nail me to the cross, I’m willing to die.”

Instead we see Him lying in the manger… He was man and He was God. He came to confront every trial and temptation. He came to show us the way to the Father. We trust Him with all we have because He is God, and we love Him because we know that He came as a baby in a manger.

2. Christmas is about Joy.

Luke 2:8-11 NKJV

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The angel said great joy! Really?

For many people Christmas doesn’t bring “great joy”. Instead many find themselves feely lonely, depressed, bitter, angry and the list goes on. For many Christmas is just a reminder of past hurts, failures and losses.

But the angel said, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”

In this one statement we can see three reasons to celebrate Christmas:

“I bring you” – shows us Christmas is personal. God cares about you!

“good news of great joy” – everything about Christmas is positive.

“that will be for all people.” – it’s universal. Christmas is a time for everyone, everywhere to celebrate.

No matter who you are, where you been or what has happened. Christmas is a universal time to celebrate.

The good news of great joy is that Christ our Savior, Immanuel has come.

Joy – [Grk] Chara – calm delight – the exaltation that arises from a sense of God’s mercy that has been communicated to our soul by the forgiveness of our sins.

1 Peter 1:8 NIV Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Joy is not based on personal circumstances.

Philippians 4:4 NIV Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Joy is “a constant delight in God.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16 NIV Rejoice always.

3. Christmas is about Peace.

Luke 2:12-14 NKJV

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Isaiah 9:6 NIV For 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.

Jesus would not only teach the way to peace but would also empower us to live lives of peace.

Is peace on earth really possible?

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:15 NIV Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

The reality is that there will never be peace on earth until…

Nations – Communities – Families – Individual lives.

We won’t have peace until the Prince of Peace reigns in our hearts.

The key to unlocking the peace of God in your life is living and enjoying one day at a time, accepting what cannot be changed instead of worrying about it, trusting in God’s loving care and wisdom, and surrendering to His plan for your life.

Romans 15:4, 13 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we trust the promises of God, when we live a life of love, joy, and peace, then God is glorified.

Set your expectations on Jesus to provide love, joy and peace.

When expect others things to bring love, joy and peace, we are setting ourselves up to be disappointed.

The events of Christmas don’t bring love, joy and peace, only Jesus brings true love, joy and peace.

Ghosts of Christmas Past 2

Christmas, for many it’s the most wonderful time of the year. For others, it’s a painful reminder of the past.

What if THIS CHRISTMAS, you say good-bye to the Ghosts of Christmas Past and allow God to restore the Joy of Christmas?

For the next few weeks we are going to uncover a few Ghosts of Christmas Past that have a tendency to steal the Joy of Christmas.

During Christmas things seem to become magnified.

Loneliness becomes deeper.

Loss becomes greater.

Hurts and wounds from broken relationships become amplified.

We let what someone did or said keep us from enjoying meaningful relationships at Christmas.

Someone has hurt or offended us so we don’t go home.

Offenses:

Luke 17:1-4 NKJV Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. ³ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

Notice Jesus says offenses will come.

You’re going to be offended.

In fact, how many would say, “I know someone who has been offended?”

How many would say, “I am the one who has been offended?”

There are some who are “easily offended.”

Luke 17:1 NKJV Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!”

1. Being Offended is MY Choice.

Here’s what the Lord has taught me about offenses: I choose to be offended.

When I am wronged, or when I feel like I’ve been wronged, I always have the choice to be offended.

Notice ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

If someone sins against you seven times in a day!

My question is how does someone sin against us 7 times in a day?

The answer is because we chose to forgive the other 6!

Being offended is always a choice! It’s choosing to hold a grudge the 7^th time instead of forgiving like you did the previous six times.

Many people find themselves offended at other people.

Proverbs 19:11 NIV A personʼs wisdom yields patience; it is to oneʼs glory to overlook an offense.

The solution to being offended is choosing forgiveness over offense.

2. Failure to Forgive is Rebellion.

“You’ll never have to forgive someone more than God has forgiven you!”

Jesus taught that those who refuse to forgive would not be forgiven. Unforgiveness jeopardizes your relationship with God.

Matthew 6:14-15 NIV For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Failure to forgive is rebellion.

We want to be forgiven, but Jesus taught that God forgives us in the same manner we forgive others.

Colossians 3:13 NLT Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

That’s a high standard!

The way we forgive, release and restore others is the way in which we will be forgiven, released and restored.

3. Be Known for Forgiveness.  

Make it your daily prayer to pray, “Lord, help my first response to be forgiveness rather than be angry, offended or defensive. Help me see each moment as an opportunity to forgive as You’ve forgiven me."

Imagine never being offended!

Instead of looking for offenses, look for opportunities to forgive.

How important is forgiveness?

Mark 11:25-26 NKJV “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Interrupt your other prayers and forgive.

Make forgiveness an absolute priority.

Unforgiveness doesn’t hurt the other person, it hurts me.

“Refusing to forgive someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

"Forgiveness isn't saying they were right, forgiveness is freeing me from the hurts of my past, and empowering me to live free."

The way you forgive those who hurt you is the way God will forgive you.

“You’ll never have to forgive someone more than God has forgiven you!”

Romans 12:17-18 NIV Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵ See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Bitterness is a root that starts small.

As it is nourished it begins to increase in depth and strength.

– You’ve been right and been done wrong.

The only way you can put an end to bitterness is to take the axe of forgiveness and chop up the root.

Ephesians 4:32 NIV Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

We must learn to live with an attitude of forgiveness that mirrors the God kind of forgiveness.

“Just as” is the key to allowing God to rid our hearts of the bitterness that has the potential to destroy every relationship we have.

The only way to rid your heart of bitterness is through the power of forgiveness.

This is where you’ve must have the grace of God.

Hebrews 12:15 NIV See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

The grace of God works in 2 ways.

The Grace of God is not just unmerited favor.

Titus 2:11-12 NIV For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

The Grace of God when it comes into your life:

1)    Gives you the DESIRE to do God’s will.

2)    Gives you the STRENGTH to follow through with it.

Some don’t want to forgive.

– The Grace of God will fill your heart with desire.

– The Grace of God follows desire up with strength.

It’s only through the avenue of the Grace of God that you’re going to be free from bitterness.

If you are going to go free, you must know the power of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the supernatural burst of energy we need to break free from the grip of bitterness and resentment on our lives.

Once we learn to accept God’s forgiveness in our own lives and learn to offer that same forgiveness to others, then we will begin to live a life of freedom and peace.

It’s a daily choice to forgive anyone who has hurt or offended you so you can be forgiven by God.

The way you forgive those who hurt you is the way God will forgive you.

How different would your life be if you walked in forgiveness every day?

God predetermined how He would respond to your sin!

What if we did the same? What if we predetermined how we would respond to hurt and offenses?

How different would this church be? It would be like Jesus!

Once we learn to accept God’s forgiveness in our own lives and learn to offer that same forgiveness to others, then we will begin to live a life of freedom and peace. 

That’s what forgiveness does. Forgiveness restores our ability to reconnect with one another.

Relationships are not perfect. There will be snags and problems.

Forgiveness will be required.

This Christmas you are offended at those who have hurt you in some way; physically, emotionally, relationally; what if This Christmas you chop up that root of bitterness and forgive.

Forgiveness will bury the Ghosts of Christmas Past and allow you to enjoy a peaceful Christmas.

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Christmas, for many it’s the most wonderful time of the year. For others, it’s a painful reminder of the past.

What if THIS CHRISTMAS, you say good-bye to the Ghosts of Christmas Past and allow God to restore the Joy of Christmas?

For the next few weeks we are going to uncover a few Ghosts of Christmas Past that have a tendency to steal the Joy of Christmas.

Labels: Your family is one of the first groups of people who tell you who they think you are.

The baby, the black-sheep, the clumsy one, the funny one, the happy one, the pleaser.

Our family’s also label us as adults: still single, divorced again, the one with the addiction, the jobless one, the kid who never left home.

Labels start out innocent but sometimes they hurt and leave scars. Some people carry the baggage of labels for the rest of their lives.

Labels are often times painful reminders of our past.

Labels will keep us from coming home and from enjoying Christmas.

Jesus understands labels.

Matthew 13:54-57 NIV Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. ⁵⁵ “Isnʼt this the carpenterʼs son? Isnʼt his motherʼs name Mary, and arenʼt his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ Arenʼt all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”

Jesus time on earth most likely began with labels!

Matthew 1:18-25 NLT This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: ²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Luke 1:26-38 NLT In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. ²⁸ Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

²⁹ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ³⁰ “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

³⁴ Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

³⁵ The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For the word of God will never fail.”

³⁸ Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Imagine the labels Mary and Joseph carried!

Let’s talk about labels.

1. Who Am I?

Many answer this question based of off the labels others have put on them.

We’ve lost sight of who we are. – We are children of God.

We've allowed the enemy to rob us of our identity as children of God.

John 10:10 NLT The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

A lie believed as TRUTH will affect you as though it were TRUE.

A. I Am What People Say.

 “Who Am I?” –

Many have believed the lie of the enemy for so long that they no longer know the answer.

Maybe today your answer to the question, “Who Am I” would simply be to say, “I’m not good enough.”

“A loser; A failure; Divorced; Addicted; Fat; Far from God;

Un-loveable; a lost cause;” and the list could go on and on.

So many of us believe this lie and it affects us as if it were true because we base our worth on the wrong things.

The Lie: “Who Am I? I am what people say.”

You have believed the lie that your identity is based on what people say about you.

It is totally unbiblical to base your identity on what others say about you. This causes you to be a man pleaser instead of a God pleaser.

“What others think about you is none of your business.” – Sam Chand

Ephesians 2:10 NCV God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.

We can’t discover our identity by listening to what people say about us. Our identity must be discovered through our relationship with Christ.

B. I Am What I Do.

Some people wrongly determine their identity by what they do.

Your answer to “Who Am I?” is… “I am what I do.”

What I’m saying is, there are some people who think there identity is largely based on their role. You think your identity is found in what you accomplish.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NLT Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. ¹¹ But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

When we believe the lie that our identity comes from our roles, we are finding our identity in: What we have accomplished – What we have – What people think about us.

Remember this and never forget it: You are not what you did. You are not what you do, and you are not what you are going to do.

You are who God says you are.

2. God Says I Am…

You are who God’s Word says you are. We have to let that truth settle in our hearts. We are not our performance, or what we accomplish, or what we accumulate, or what others think of us. We are who God says we are.

Please remember, you are not who others say you are, and you are not the sum total of your past experiences. You are who God says you are.

A. You are a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

B. You are a child of the King. You’re a prince or a princess.

Who are you? You are who God says you are.

Galatians 4:4-7 NLT But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. ⁵ God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. ⁶ And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

C. You are Forgiven.

1 John 2:1-2 NLT My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. ² He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

D. You are Loved.

Jeremiah 31:3 NIV The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

Romans 5:8 NIV But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 NIV 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 we wake up every morning amazed that we are loved by God?”

– Phillip Yancy, Prayer, pg. 43

3. Change the Tag.

During World War II Triage was the policy by which doctors color-tagged the wounded indicating the degree of medical assistance that was needed.

Red - Those who will die, even with medical attention, hopeless

Blue - Those who will live with medical care, immediate attention

Yellow - Those who will live with or without of medical attention.

A soldier was brought in for medical care and quickly given a red tag indicating his situation was hopeless.

The doctor concluded that since his legs were so badly blown apart that life would be excruciating.

A nurse standing nearby noticed the soldier was still conscious so she began to talk softly with him so that he would not face death alone.

Their conversation had gone on for about an hour.

After spending an hour talking with the soldier, the nurse felt a bond with him and she decided she couldn’t simply let him die.

But what could she do to save his life?

She decided to change his tag from red to blue.

The blue tag would mean he would get medical care needed to prevent him from dying from his wounds.

Jesus is the Master Care Giver.

When we have been wounded by the enemy’s attacks, we can trust Jesus to change our tag and provide the hope and healing we need.

John 10:10 NLT The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Biblical examples of people who didn’t labels define them and determine how they lived.

Watch how Jesus changed the tags of these individuals.

David – His family saw a shepherd boy, God saw a King.

Peter – His community saw him as an uneducated fisherman, Jesus saw him as a world changer.

Esther – an orphan nobody who God used to save a Nation.

Ruth – a widow with no future who didn’t even know God, yet became the great-grandmother of King David, and in the lineage of Christ.

Rahab – labeled as a prostitute, helped birth the nation of Israel at the battle of Jericho, and became a part of the lineage of Christ.

Moses and David – both murders, both forgiven, both used by God to lead Israel.

Jesus – seen as a nobody carpenter’s son from Nazareth, yet His real identity is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God.

So this Christmas, it’s your decision.

Will you keep struggling under the labels you been given or will you allow Jesus to change the label?

Bury the Ghosts of Christmas Past with their labels and decide you’re going to live with the Joy of knowing who God says you are.