Today we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world. Thankfully Jesus is not to us as Christmas is to the world, here today and gone tomorrow. We are blessed to celebrate His birth every day! I pray that this spirit of Christmas is superseded by the Spirit of Christ in your life! As Stuart Briscoe said in Meet Him at the Manger:

The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christ is a divine person. That makes all the difference in the world.

It is with a joy in our hearts that we say Merry Christmas to you from our family to you.

Merry-Christmas-Hovinds-2016

Here are a few quotes that I appreciate on Christmas Day:

Feast, Christians, feast; you have a right to feast… But in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem. Let Him have a place in your hearts, give Him the glory, think of the virgin who conceived Him, but think most of all of the Man born, the Child given. I finish by again saying, A happy Christmas to you all! – C.H. Spurgeon

Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life. – Corrie Ten Boom

Here’s a side to the Christmas story that isn’t often told: Those soft little hands, fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb, were made so that nails might be driven through them. Those baby feet, pink and unable to walk, would one day walk up a dusty hill to be nailed to a cross. That sweet infant’s head with sparkling eyes and eager mouth was formed so that someday men might force a crown of thorns onto it. That tender body, warm and soft, wrapped in swaddling clothes, would one day be ripped open by a spear. Jesus was born to die. – John MacArthur

As you enjoy your exchange of gifts, remember that it is based on the ultimate gift of God to man! Learn more about God’s amazing gift with our How to Be Saved article.
Thanks for reading,
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