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Publisher’s Note
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I’ll be home for Christmas…

by Pastor Nilo Briones of Jesus Word of Life International Fellowship

The tune of “I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me…” was a top single success recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943. Do you know that, being one of America’s most popular Christmas songs, It touched the hearts of the soldiers and civilians alike who were still going through World War II and made Crosby earn his fifth gold record? Moreover, in December 1965, when the astronauts Frank Borman and James Lovell were returning to Earth after setting a record for the longest flight in the US space program aboard Gemini 7 spacecraft, they requested this carol to be played for them.

Generally, when we’re far abroad for an overseas job or even just a distant away from our loved ones, whenever that song is played, we feel nostalgic as we sentimentally recollect good memories and thus cherish the thought of going home to just simply hang around and celebrate Christmas with them. Above all, in our spirituality we wanted to be still and just remember that there was a time in the past, when God left the portals of heaven to come down and be born as a babe in a manger to dwell among his creation. It was an exhausting travel through the dusty, winding road by Joseph with Mary (riding a donkey as she was great with child). They had planned to have the baby home, which would have been easy but they were going home travelling from Nazareth to Bethlehem not to spend the first fanciful Christmas but for the census that Emperor Caesar Augustus decided taking all the names which would be used to collect taxes needed in building the Roman Empire. Tired and frustrated, the matter grew worst as there was no room for them in the inn (a two-story building where guests were kept on the second level and the first being reserved for animals, servants and supplies. But there was one place they could go. The innkeeper did have some stables. Just imagine, the innkeeper saying (with a shrug) to the couple, “If you want to, you can stay there. It’s all I have left.”

And in a lonely manger, the baby Jesus was born. With humility, Immanuel (God with us) had chosen to be born on a humble stable. He could have elected to be born in a palace as He is the King of kings and Lord of lords! Folks, if our hearts are filled with complaints, disappointments and frustrations in life, try to reflect of the humbleness of our Lord who lifts us the humble and opposes the proud. Remember, Jesus did not come to save us only but to show us how to live life to the fullest which means forgiving those who have wronged us and sharing what He has given us to the poor and needy, to those unloved and broken in spirit – this is love and this is the true spirit of Christmas. What will you do then in response to Jesus Christ? The Bible (in John 1:11) says, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” The world wasn’t ready for him then and it isn’t ready for him now. “But to those who received him (Jesus), to them he gave the right to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on his name(John 1:12). Merry Christmas to those who have Christ in their hearts!

“Jesus Word of Life International Fellowship” is congregating at the North East Bible Church with the venue at #175 Whitefield Drive NE, Calgary (just a 100-meter walk from Whitehorn C-train station every Saturday with Bible studies at 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. (children/youth/adult) and worship services at 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. followed by food fellowship. If you need to be ministered in prayer, please call Pastor Nilo at (403) 973-0623 or e-mail at [email protected]. Remember, “God’s mission, our mission: to preach the gospel, feed the hungry and share the love of Christ.”

I’ll be home for Christmas…

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