Tag Christmas Eve

A Doll in the Manger and Christ at the Door

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” — Isaiah 29:13

The sanctuary glowed with soft candlelight, the kind that makes even the most ordinary pews look holy. Pine garlands draped across the altar rail, their scent mingling with the faint sweetness of cider served in the fellowship hall. Children in wool scarves shuffled in, their cheeks red from the December wind, eyes wide with anticipation. Tonight was the living nativity.

Beyond the sanctuary doors, neighbors streamed in from the frosted streets, families bundled in scarves and mittens, children tugging at their parents’ hands. They came as pilgrims of Christmastide, drawn by tradition, eager to witness the pageant that had become a yearly ritual. For them, this was more than a performance—it was a seasonal pilgrimage, a chance to feel the warmth of belonging, to rehearse the story that had been told for centuries.

The choir hummed carols, voices rising like incense. A hush fell as the curtain opened: there it was, the manger scene. Mary in her blue robe, Joseph with his staff, shepherds bowing low, wise men bearing gifts. And at the center, swaddled in cloth, the baby Jesus—rosy-cheeked, perfectly still, lying in the cradle of straw. The crowd leaned forward, hearts warmed by nostalgia. Cameras clicked. Parents whispered, “Isn’t it beautiful?”

The ritual unfolded with precision. Scripture was read, candles lifted, hymns sung. The babe in its cradle, adored by all, a symbol of innocence and hope. The people smiled, satisfied that they had honored the season.

But outside, beyond the stained-glass glow, the wind howled. A figure stood at the door, unseen, unwelcomed. His breath rose in the cold night air as He knocked softly, waiting. His hands bore scars of nails. His eyes searched not for pageantry but for hearts.

Inside, the doll received worship. Outside, the Living Christ was left in the dark.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” — Revelation 3:20

What if instead of Santa Claus you got a visit from Jesus Christ?

Allen Frederick 1 Comment

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Here is is a thought to ponder as you end 2014 and make plans and preparations for 2015. Now that Christmas is behind us now maybe a good time to ask this very important question.

We say December 25th is the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth, okay what day do we set aside to celebrate his SOON RETURN?

What instead of spending so much time and energy making preparations for the jolly fat man, who is never going to come because newsflash he is not real, we put the same amount of energy and preparation into a imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Nary a thought is given to a returning King but we sure do spend a great deal of time preparing for the arrival of Santa Claus.

Isn’t something out of kilter here? Shouldn’t the Christian church be focusing people’s attention on the upcoming arrival of King Jesus? Isn’t that what Advent is supposed to be preparing hearts and minds for? Isn’t the coming of a Messiah the reason for Christmas?

He has already been born, he has been crucified, he was buried, he arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, his next big move will be to return to gather together all his believers. Since no one knows the date or time of his upcoming arrival it really would behoove us to be ready and waiting by the door when he comes to call don’t you think?

Many call this generation the Millennials and perhaps they are for this may be the generation that ushers in the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. What are we doing to prepare the Millennial generation for the millennial reign of Christ? Was there any talk around the Christmas tree of Jesus’ second coming? Or were we too busy opening presents and talking about all the stuff we got? You do know that you will not be able to take any of it with you.

The greatest gift ever given to man was when God gave us his own son to die in our place. There is not a gift under heaven that can compare to that great gift of God. Nor is there anything under heave that is able to keep you from the wrath of God that is going to come to this earth. Therefore the gift God gave us is the only thing that we can take with us and will protect us from the coming wrath, everything else is worthless by comparison.

Since we do not know when Christ will return we only know that his return is guaranteed shouldn’t we be working hard to make preparations for his return? Just saying.

That is the way I see it, what say you?

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And the light goes on shining in the dark; it is not overcome by the dark. John 1:5 (BBE)


Fourth man
Image by stuant63 via Flickr

Traveling East on the PA turnpike late Christmas Eve a strange thing happened. As I was approaching the city limits of Philadelphia the sky grew brighter and my visibility increased greatly. It was like the sun was starting to rise. The only problem was the clock read 1 AM, far too early for a sunrise. But the closer I got to the city the brighter the sky appeared. I was amazed at how much light was being refracted off the low cloud cover and the light intensity being reflected off the snow covered ground. I do not recall ever seeing anything like this before in my life and I was truly awestruck. In fact I had to double check the time to make absolutely sure it was only 1 AM.

Light is an amazing thing. It does not take a lot of light to illuminate the night. Prior to reaching Philadelphia I had logged over 200 miles of dark stretches of the PA turnpike. I drove past several cities and did not notice this daylight effect until reaching the outskirts of Philadelphia. I really do not understand the science behind this strange lighted nighttime sky but it was truly a remarkable experience.


Since it was Christmas morning I thought it was appropriate that the sky would be illuminated by a mysterious light. Astronomers will probably be able to explain to me how exactly the night sky appeared as if dawn was approaching and I would enjoy any knowledge that could be shed on this phenomenon. My little bit of research for this article did not uncover anything but I am sure there is an explanation.

Today the Christian church celebrates Epiphany, the story of the wise men coming to Jerusalem from the East to follow a light seen shining in the Eastern sky. They too were amazed at the bright light in the Eastern Sky and sought out the meaning of it. They traveled to Jerusalem for they knew that a King of Israel was born, and Jerusalem was the seat of government so that is where they went to inquire of the new kings birth. Herod called all the chief priests and scribes together to inquire of the scriptures as to were exactly this king was to be born. Wouldn’t it be nice if our own government leaders would take time to inquire of the scriptures to explain the times and seasons.

Now when the birth of Jesus took place in Beth-lehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is the King of the Jews whose birth has now taken place? We have seen his star in the east and have come to give him worship. And when it came to the ears of Herod the king, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And he got together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, questioning them as to where the birth-place of the Christ would be. And they said to him, In Beth-lehem of Judaea; for so it is said in the writings of the prophet, You Beth-lehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the chiefs of Judah: out of you will come a ruler, who will be the keeper of my people Israel. Matthew 2:1-6

Unlike the wise me I, on the other hand, was heading East to join family and friends for Christmas day. I was not in search of a King, nor was I following a star, but because of this nighttime illumination I was reminded of the real meaning of the season. God’s magnificent creation was proclaiming all over again that Jesus is the Light of the world, and He had come to illuminate the darkness. Anyone who follows after the Light will not stumble around in darkness but have the light of life. John 8:12 NKJV


Have you seen the light? Has your life been illuminated by the light the shines in the darkness? Are you like the Wise men of old seeking the King whose star was seen shining in the Eastern sky? One day Jesus is going to come again and his coming will be like a light shining from East to West. Will you be ready when He appears?

Because as in a thunderstorm the bright light coming from the east is seen even in the west; so will be the coming of the Son of man. Matt 24:27 (BBE)

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)



Along for the journey

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