gELo...

Christmas day is rapidly approaching…..
What are you planning to give for your loved ones this Christmas?
I believe that the shepherds have something to suggest for a perfect present this Christmas for someone who is close to your heart.. …

“To tell the Truth and nothing but the whole Truth, so help me God…..”   A very popular phrase that popped out of my mind when I was reading my bible, particularly in the book of Luke 2:8-18. This was about the shepherds who had an encounter with angels during the night when Jesus was born. They became instant witnesses of history that will change millions of lives of people. The moment when the Savior was born, I was asking my self regarding the significance of the shepherds being informed by the angels of God… Why them? What was God’s purpose of letting them know that Jesus was born on that night?

What can I learn from them?  I was even imagining that the angels might have done a better job if they have chosen to inform someone who is influential, rich and powerful who would create an intense impact to other people… But why these shepherds..? Who were just common people?

Then I came to a point of realizing that the answer is their response to God’s call……. v.15 “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

They knew that God was telling them to go to Bethlehem though the angel was not directly instructing them to do so. But they still decided to see where the Messiah can be found.  The story didn’t end the moment they have seen the  Lord Jesus lying in the manger …

They also knew that they need to share what they have witnessed…

v.17-18”When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them”

Indeed, God is not really after any famous, popular and powerful personality.. He is not after our own GREATNESS.. He is after a passionate and an obedient heart that He can use to glorify HIS name!

Who must be like the shepherds today? Who are called to do the same?

God is pleased whenever we bless other people out of generosity with precious presents and surprises… But CHRISTMAS I believe is about sharing the greatest gift, that God longs to give for every lost person in this world…If only THEY would respond… …if only WE would share….  To our loved ones….To our friends and classmates….The Gift of Salvation….. The Messiah who lives inside our HEARTS!
                 
v.20 “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

Like the shepherds:

           “To Declare the TRUTH and nothing but the whole TRUTH”