A Gift Too Wonderful for Words

Although the gift of Jesus is "too wonderful for words," take some time today to try to express your gratitude.

Imagine where you might be—now and in eternity—without our wonderful Savior.

To start your praises, why not pray with me: Thank you, Father, for your unspeakable, indescribable gift: Jesus!

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Ministries, is the creator of Upgrade with Dawn. She is grateful for the wonderful women God has brought to the UPGRADE website, encouraging all of us to walk in faith and obedience, and become more like Jesus.

Graphic adapted, Image courtesy of sritangphoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Jesus Came 'in the Fullness of Time'

It's almost Christmas ... a special day. The day we celebrate the birth of Christ. In this special holiday UPGRADE, Dawn Wilson focuses on God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to us!

It's disputed, the date of Jesus' birth. The Bible doesn't offer many clues—not even the time of year!

Traditionally, Christians celebrate Jesus' birthday on December 25th. But it wasn't always so.

Michael McGowan, President of Melbourne's Trinity College, in an article at Bible History Daily (the Biblical Archaelogy Society), suggests Jesus' birth was more likely in the "spring lambing season," because the shepherds were tending their flocks in the fields (Luke 2:8) rather than corraling them (which would be normal in December).

But other than that, there aren't any references to a birthday celebration. And there isn't much extrabiblical evidence from the first or second century either. Scripture focuses more on the death and resurrection of Christ than His birth.

In about 200 CE (AD), McGowan said, "... a Christian teacher in Egypt makes reference to the date Jesus was born. According to Clement of Alexandria, several different days had been proposed by various Christian groups. Surprising as it may seem, Clement doesn’t mention December 25 at all."

Clement did say, "There are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord’s birth, but also the day; and they say that it took place in the 28th year of Augustus, and in the 25th day of [the Egyptian month] Pachon [May 20 in our calendar] ... others say that He was born on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi [April 20 or 21].” 

By the fourth century, McGowan said, "... we find references to two dates that were widely recognized—and now also celebrated—as Jesus’ birthday: December 25 in the western Roman Empire and January 6 in the East (especially in Egypt and Asia Minor)." Some date Jesus' conception  to the dating of His death at Passover. Others connect the birth date to pagan festivals, reasoning, "If Christmas looked like a pagan holiday, more pagans would be open to both the holiday and the God whose birth it celebrated," McGowan said.

He shares a lot more about this, but I want to focus on a verse of scripture rather than a dispute over a birthday.

The Bible says,

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:4-5).

The fullness of time had come. What does that mean?

God prepared the way for Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, prophecied long before the Savior's coming. History and nations lined up to accomplish the sovereign Father's plan.

The faithful, promise-keeping God (Isaiah 55:11) prepared the world to see the fulfillment of His promise ... Jesus.

Although many people skip over Jesus' geneologies, they give a clue to the "fullness of time." In Matthew 1:1-16, His genealogy divides Israel's history into three distinct periods (Abraham to David, David to the Jewish exile, and from the exile to Jesus' birth).

God's promises to Abraham and David were not yet fulfilled, but in the fullness of time, they were! Jesus, the Son of Abraham and Son of David, fulfilled God's covenant promises.

God told Abraham he would bless the earth through Him (Genesis 12:1-3). David also received a promise (2 Samuel 7:11-16). His kingdom would endure forever. As a descendant of King David, Jesus became the Shepherd-King of Israel (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6) and His throne will last forever.

• In the fullness of time, God prepared a young woman to bear His Son. Jesus was conceived in her by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18, 20).
• In the fullness of time, God prepared His people's hearts. Jews were anticipating the Messiah's coming. Roman rule, and false idols and pagan philosophies made them hungry for it, just as believers today are hungry for Jesus' return.
• In the fullness of time, our Father is prepared to fulfill all His promises to us, His children, too.

One of my favorite promises is the truth that I will become a partaker of His divine nature because of Jesus' work on my behalf (2 Peter 1:4). Another promise: Jesus is bringing His "reward" with Him when He returns, to give to faithful Christ-followers (Revelation 22:12).

The date of Jesus' birth isn't as important as the fact. Jesus came. And in His coming, He fulfilled at least ten specific, detailed prophecies.

Jesus came in the Father's will, at just the right time. He put on humanity and, again, when the time was right, He dealt with our sin and alienation from God. He redeemed sinners, condemned by the law, "so that we might receive adoption as sons."

Today, Jesus is still seeking hearts prepared to receive Him.

How does the truth that Jesus came to fulfill the Father's promises give you confidence that we can trust our Redeemer to come again, just as HE promised (John 14:2-3)?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Ministries, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is the President of the San Diego chapter of Network of Evangelical Women in MInistry (NEWIM San Diego). Dawn is the co-author of LOL with God and contributed "The Blessing Basket" in It's a God Thing. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic, "Christmas Nativity," Adapted, wallpho.com, #47201

Christmas Joy

Kelly DeChant is one of the most joy-filled women I know. I asked her to share her take on what brings the most joy at Christmas in this Holiday UPGRADE.

“Christmas Joy—is it what you give or what you spend?” Kelly asks. “Think about it . . . is it what you GIVE or what you SPEND?”

Christians would likely answer, “what I give,” but I (Dawn) think that’s still not the best answer, as Kelly points out so clearly.

She continues . . .

As you meandered down the aisle at Costco, making your way to the pumpkin pie counter for your fall dessert choice (mid-October), what came over you when you saw the nicely manicured Christmas trees adorned with every color bulb imaginable? 

Did you succumb to a numbing effect—ice running through your veins at the very sight of the trees? Did you immediately check you Smart Phone calendar to verify the date? It just couldn’t possibly be that time yet! 

Were you overcome with sheer panic of the thought that Christmas was in fact only 75 days away and you were counting at a warp speed? 

To fight off the anxiety, did you grab the nearest spoon to politely (of course) begin shoveling spoonfuls of the delightful pumpkin pie into your mouth?

Oh yes, it has happened to us all. And once you have recovered from the initial shock, the truth of it all sets in. What are you to do? 

You can commit to spending money on things that people will rarely acknowledge as valuable, or you can rethink your entire Christmas season strategy. I challenge you to sit with a nice cup of peppermint tea and gain complete and total perspective. 

It all begins in the way you think. To change your behavior, you have to change the way you think. Let’s begin with “The Reason for the Season.” Simply put, it’s Jesus. He is the reason we celebrate.

How will you keep Him center stage in your Christmas? He is where our true JOY will be found.

I think of it like this: JOY = Jesus Occupying You

Yes, occupying—occupying your thoughts, your actions, your spending and your giving. 

This is His party, and He wants us to celebrate Him. We do this by keeping Him first in our giving. As we spend time with family and friends, we are giving of ourselves. It’s not about the gift giving, but rather the life living. That is the greatest gift we can give Jesus this birthday. 

How do we celebrate? Is it the Hallmark Christmas movies that tug at your heart to get you in the Christmas spirit . . . or is it the reading of His birth announcement in Luke 2  that sends heart-throbbing joy into your soul?

Think about that journey taken by Jesus’ earthly parents to bring this child to us.  

“For unto us a Child is born. . . .” He was born to be our Savior, and there is no greater gift ever given. 

Throughout the season, read each day from the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—their difference renditions of that precious time in history. It will bring a newness to your Christmas season and you will keep Him at the center. 

Remember: Jesus Occupying You! That’s Christmas Joy, not what you give or spend.

What are you doing this December to refresh the wonder of Christmas joy in your heart?

Kelly DeChant, a wife, mother and Grammy, enlists herself as a Disciple of the Risen King. She is passionate about sharing the Gospel to everyone she encounters, and she does so with great joy!

Graphic #1 adapted from layoutsparks.com. Graphic #2, Costco Insider. Graphic #3, adapted, Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Upgrade My Life with Grace

At Christmastime, we are reminded of God's incredible grace to us in sending His Son, Jesus. Kathy Carlton Willis reminds us to extend that grace in this Christmas UPGRADE.

"God’s grace isn’t merely for the pre-believer to come to faith in Christ," Kathy says. "It is for every day of every soul’s life."

Ever heard the phrase, "give her some grace"? I (Dawn) have, and it usually means someone is doing something wrong and I need to be more patient. But Kathy is using the words "give them grace" in an entirely different way.

Kathy continues . . .

As we enter this holy season, let’s look at this very special Christmas gift—grace.

I remember the Christmas I grew up. Under the tree I found a box smaller than a breadbox that weighed more than the bowling ball I tried to throw down the lane during our Girl Scout outing. What could it possibly be? The tag said the gift was from my brother and parents. Normally sibling gifts were purchased with our meager allowance, so I didn’t expect much.

Finally, Christmas Day came. As I ripped away the paper, first I saw a yellow cardboard box. It housed an entire paperback set of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder—Little House on the Prairie. For me? My very own library? One book would be a treat—but an entire set of books? Pure joy!

I was lavished with an amazing gift of great cost, which brought me great pleasure. This was the year I grew up. Books were my favorite gifts that year, not toys or dolls or games. And I think the reason why the experience matured me was not just because of what I received, but because of the way it impacted me.

This was an extravagant present—a generous gift.

My special gift made me realize how to receive love and to lavish love on others. This is grace extended. And isn’t that what the birth of Christ delivered to us all?

As we learn from the gift of His life, how can we give grace away? Give with Grace!

I have a confession to make.

Sometimes I say, “I’m at your service,” and I’m really not. I set out wanting to serve—but I want to do it my way. I have terms to the grace I offer others. If I volunteer hours, it has to be when I say it can be. If I offer to listen, it needs to fit around my schedule.

I realize as I write this, I’m not much of a servant at all. Sure sounds to me like I’m pretty bossy!

It’s human nature to want to be in control. If you’ve ever been on top of a horse who suddenly decides to go his own way, at his own pace, and make his own trail (where there isn’t one), then you know how it feels to not be in control. None of us like that feeling very much. So we hold tightly to the reins.

Part of acting in grace to others is not having to be in control—letting God lead us.

One example we can learn from is Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus. Mary was a godly young woman, open to receiving an assignment from God. Although many of us are older than Mary would have been, we aren’t that much different as we receive our assignments from God.

Let’s see how God used her.

Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 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. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

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

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. 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. For nothing is impossible with God.”

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. (Luke 1:28-38 NLT)

God used Mary as an instrument of His grace, and He wants to use us today. Let’s look at several Give with Grace principles:

1. We have been gifted by His grace and God wants to use this grace in us for His purposes. The angel told Mary that she was the object of God’s favor. This is another term for grace—the grace of being chosen for His use.
2. God doesn’t look for experts, He looks for people who are willing to be used. Mary didn’t negotiate terms or offer up excuses. She was available for duty.
3. God is standing by to equip us when we are flexible with how the story ends. Mary was compliant with the angel’s message. She listened and didn’t make demands for more proof when she received the details.
4. God’s grace makes our weakness enough when paired with His power. Even though Mary was a virgin, that was not an obstacle for her to be pregnant with God’s Son. There will never be another Mary, and there will never be another you, which makes it even more important to listen for God’s custom-fit instructions for your life.
5. God gets the glory when we yield to receive and distribute His grace. We may not understand exactly why He selected Mary, but His reasons were perfect. We may not understand why He wants to use us, but it pleases Him to use us as ministers of His grace.

God has lavished His grace upon us. Will you extend that grace to others, especially during this Christmas season?

Kathy Carlton Willis writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. She shines the light on issues that hold women back and inspires their own lightbulb moments. Almost a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books releasing over the next three years, including Grin with Grace with AMG Publishers (at amazon: amzn.to/1wg6Nmh). She and her husband/pastor, Russ, live in Texas. Learn more at: www.kathycarltonwillis.com/

Note: Today’s article is an excerpt from the galley of Grin with Grace by Kathy Carlton Willis, AMG Publishers, 2015.

Bear One Another's Burdens

Just a passing thought to UPGRADE your Christmas. Think of all the ways you can bear someone's burdens and brighten their days. This isn't just for Christmas, of course, but it's a powerful way to share Jesus' love while people are even more open to acts of kindness.

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ"  (Galatians 6:2, ESV).

Beary Christmas!