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Viewpoint from Alan Smith 14/12/0212
 Alan Smith
Community Manager, Great Yarmouth Salvation Army
As we approach this Christmas time we will be inundated with advertisements and messages giving us a sentimental vision of how Christmas should be, what we should buy, how we should spend our money and time in order to make it the perfect Christmas. As the Community Manager for the Salvation Army, I meet a lot of people for whom Christmas will be no different to any other day of the year, and indeed will be a very stressful and lonely time for them for a variety of reasons and circumstances
It is a time when the Christian Church remembers the birthday of Jesus (The Son of God)
The Bible tells us that that Joseph and Mary were travelling from Nazareth to Bethlehem as part of a government census. On arrival Mary, who was pregnant, gave birth and as there was no accommodation available they had to make do with a stable where animals were kept
There are many people in our society today who are caught up in government legislation and are unable to find suitable accommodation, living rough, out of work or unable to cope with the pressures that modern day life can impose. This will be happening in your town or in your street
Most of us will be spending time with our families or friends, enjoying the festivities
Take time to:
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Remember those who will be unable to do this because of their circumstances.
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Remember Jesus this Christmas (The Saviour of the world)
The Bible says:
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for God so loved the World that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life (John 3 v 16);
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Jesus said “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father but by me” (John 14 v 6);
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“No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again”. (John 3 v 3);
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you must be born again not of flesh, but of the spirit
When we remember family and friends birthdays, we do so as they are now not as they were in the past
Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus (The Son of God) at this time, but that was only the beginning. He was born, grew up, was then crucified, died, rose again and now abides with his Heavenly Father, having paid the price of the human sin that separates us from having an eternal relationship with God the Father
He gave us the gift of his son to make us right with himself and gave us the choice to accept or reject his gift
Accept the gift of an eternal relationship with him, or reject it and you accept an eternal separation from God
The best gift you can have this Christmas is Jesus
May you have the best ever Christmas and the gift that will last forever
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