{"id":2565,"date":"2024-12-22T00:01:06","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T08:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/?p=2565"},"modified":"2024-12-22T12:05:42","modified_gmt":"2024-12-22T20:05:42","slug":"christmas-a-celebration-of-the-senses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/christmas-a-celebration-of-the-senses\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas, A Celebration Of The Senses"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Fact:<\/strong> You as a human being were created by a source of energy and<\/span>\u00a0power greater than yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> You cannot create something out of nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> The Creator is always greater than that which is created.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is now the Christmas Season<\/span> or the Holiday Season<\/span> as some would prefer to call it. The fact is that it is a time for celebration. But a celebration of<\/span> and for<\/span> what? I say it is a celebration for the Life that was given for and to us,…all we human beings who inhabit the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

You see, the facts are that every normal human being conceived in his mother\u2019s womb and birthed through God\u2019s Divine Design came to this earth in the same manner and way as all the others came,…except for One. One was already here before the foundations of the earth were formed and came into being. It is that One person,…His conception, birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection that is the real reason and purpose for this celebrated \u201cSeason\u201d of our year. Without this Special One, nothing else, as we know it, would exist,…including ourselves. Indeed we should reverently celebrate the coming to this earth of The Creator of the Universe, Himself, God Almighty.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Because of the \u201cfacts\u201d<\/strong> as stated in the opening sentences of this discussion, and because of the truth of the Creation of the Universe, and Who was already here in place to guide and direct such a grand Creation. And because The Lord openly stated within the greatest and most best-selling Book of recorded history, The Holy Bible. We all know the truth that God was here before the Universe was created. He preexisted before any and all other things were created. These combined truths give what we need to know about where we (as homo-sapiens) originally came from and why we were brought upon the created earth at the very same time all other of the Universe was created.<\/span><\/p>\n

We already have the answers to the most daunting and perplexing questions for all of mankind from throughout recorded history. These questions continue to haunt those men and women who do not yet know the Truth of Life or who refuse to accept the Truth.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Come with me now, through this discussion and it\u2019s logic, bearing nothing on your part except having an open mind and heart. Hear the Truth of Life, ponder it, and then react as your spiritual heart leads you.<\/strong> Please permit me to share with you what the true \u201cBelievers\u201d in life know about Christmas and its real true meaning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scripture clearly states the Truth in the Book of John, Chapter 1, verses 1–5, NKJV:<\/span><\/p>\n

(1) \u201cIn the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God,<\/span><\/strong>
\n and the Word was God.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

(2) He was in the beginning with God.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

(3) All things were made through Him, and without Him<\/span><\/strong>
\n nothing was made that was made.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

(4) In Him was life, and the life as the light of men.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

(5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did<\/span><\/strong>
\n not comprehend it.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Truth of Life is very simple. However, earthly secular men and women do not understand it.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the instant of our own conception, we all were freely given great and glorious gifts from God, These godly gifts were our own five (5) senses: Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch, and Taste. The physical attributes and hard equipment that enables us to use these gifts are: 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, 2 hands, and 1 mouth. As an interesting side note, God gave us some sound instruction without using a great dissertation. In short, God gave us 8 sources of INPUT and only 1 source of OUTPUT so as to enable us to happily and successfully live and exist. Having a complete understanding of this truth and of anatomy,…would be sound advice and instruction for you to follow. If I was to ask you to stop and consider how much and what kind of usage you are providing through your own personal gifts, i.e. Are you using your talents and abilities to take more in than you give out? What would your answer be? I hope you personally understand arithmetic well enough to be using your gifts in the correct and proper proportions.<\/span><\/p>\n

All that being said, please allow me to share with you some most meaningful and valuable information and truths that I know about the Christmas Season and about the coming of this Special One to the earth as our Creator and our Redeemer.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a lot of different things that exist in our own world that many people do not know about, understand, or can even begin to answer as to why and for what purpose such things exist or why they happen. Life has many mysteries…always has, always will. The solutions to these mysteries can be found within the pages of Holy Scripture after much study, reading, and searching. There is a great amount of Mystery surrounding mankind and the conception and birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a celebration of birth Christ is indeed the very essence and meaning of the Christmas Season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sensing<\/span><\/strong>
\n The Mystery of Christmas<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I like to think of the mind, the human brain, as the center of a great city,… as the heart or hub of all of the affairs and activities of the people who live, work and\/or play in such a place. I further envision five major arterials or highways of sorts that flow directly through this great place and on into the center of this city.<\/span>
\n Each thoroughfare represents one of the five great human senses that God freely gifted us as we were conceived within our own mother\u2019s womb. The names of these five boulevards are Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch and Taste. A roadmap is really not necessary, your travel path has been preplanned for you. The net result of your choosing to travel any or all of these five by ways,…these five thoroughfares,…is that each of you gets the privilege to personally experience life, in all of its grandeur and complexity,…and for all that it is worth,…both now and throughout eternity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friend and mentor, loving wife and mother, entertainer, singer, and author, Gloria Gaither had some very blessed words regarding the human senses and how they add great meaning to the Christmas Season:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is by the senses that we learn, gain insights, and internalize all that is true and helpful for life.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If ever there were a truth that needed to be internalized in every way, it is the amazing story of a God who spoke all things into existence and continues to sustain creation with His breath, yet who loved His creation so much that He Himself came as a helpless baby to touch us at our point of need. When we weren\u2019t understanding the immensity of His love for His creation, He spoke His love in terms we could comprehend: the sound of a baby\u2019s cry on a cold night, the smell of a lowly animal-filled stable, the rough texture of a feeding trough filled with course straw, the brightness of a new star in the dark night sky, and the taste of the Bread of Life to feed the souls of us all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since that night more than two millennia ago that divided time itself into B,C. (before the birth of Christ) and A.D. (after the death of Christ), those whose lives have been changed by this baby boy have created dozens of symbols and traditions in their efforts to express an event both human and divine. All the senses have been called into play by the deep longing to share the very personal experiences of a cosmic and eternal change-point.<\/span><\/p>\n

Light, warmth, belonging, satisfaction of deep unnameable hungers, fresh and eternal life, spiritual pilgrimage, the divine gifts, the return of the Song of Life…all these need the ladder of symbol to even begin to approach and express the depths of Redeeming Love!<\/span><\/p>\n

Each of us has been the recipient of a rich heritage of traditions and symbols given by others so that we can experience and communicate to our children the unfathomable love of God. The God who came to walk with us, to touch us where we are broken, to feed us the true water and food of the Spirit, and to be His love made visible.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we celebrate Christmas, let us use all the senses–every avenue we have–to embrace this amazing Story. And as we do, let\u2019s remember to always tell and retell the reason for every tradition, giving thanks for the reality we celebrate! Let\u2019s promise each other that every highway to the soul will never become a by-pass.\u201d Gloria Gaither.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMerry Christmas\u201d is not just a few words strung together into a neat little phrase passed between two or more people in the month of December every year. It is much more than that. It is a salutation. It is a exhortation. It is a call to remember and a call to be grateful, thankful, and excited about the divine event that is the cause for this celebration,…the birth of Christ,…the coming to this earth in human form,…of the Lord and Savior of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pastor, author, educator, and evangelist, Calvin Miller, wrote a book entitled \u201cThey say it never snows in Bethlehem\u201d<\/span> Mr. Miller had these wonderful poetic words to say regarding this most reverent and blessed time of year:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey say it never snows in Bethlehem!<\/span>
\n Too bad for little Jesus!<\/span>
\n He never saw it snow.<\/span><\/p>\n

I wish his infant eyes had seen<\/span>
\n this ice-bright land.<\/span><\/p>\n

For snow can sanctify a holy night<\/span>
\n with jeweled elegance and formal white.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As we contemplate this most blessed and important day and season of the year, let us all remember how much true love God has for us all. He loved us so much that while we were yet sinners, He gave up his life for us as a ransom and was crucified on a cross as the substitute atonement for all of our sins…past, present, and future. (See Romans 5 : 8).<\/span><\/p>\n

Allow me to share another poem written and given to us by the great Calvin Miller that embraces worshiping and this joyous season of the year with all of our senses:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWonder is the holy hush we feel<\/span>
\n when we contemplate the season of His birth.<\/span><\/p>\n

And feeling Christmas is the only way<\/span>
\n we can fully measure the awe<\/span>
\n that has been born in us each December.<\/span>
\n …..<\/span>
\n Those of us who love the Savior<\/span>
\n love equally the celebration of His birth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our souls in such a season<\/span>
\n magnify the Lord so greatly<\/span>
\n that nothing can ever dampen<\/span>
\n the fullness of our joy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christmas comes to us singular and entire.<\/span>
\n Can we divide the wonder? Into what?<\/span>
\n The sacred and the secular?<\/span>
\n \u2028Some of Christmas–most of it–<\/span>
\n is secular, they say.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is the stuff of a winter festival.<\/span>
\n There are elves and reindeer<\/span>
\n and peppermint and snowmen.<\/span><\/p>\n

And some of it–<\/span>
\n the least of it, some say–is sacred:<\/span>
\n the decent of God into human flesh.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is the baffling mystery of a Jewish baby born<\/span>
\n for His own execution and our redemption.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sacred and secular motifs<\/span>
\n in time were bound to be spun<\/span>
\n into a single entanglement.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a general feeling<\/span>
\n that we need to keep Santa and Jesus<\/span>
\n in separate pockets all through Christmas.<\/span><\/p>\n

The shepherds and elves simply pass too close.<\/span><\/p>\n

Angels and sleigh rides are odd companions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which of the tales are about the North Pole and<\/span>
\n which are about Bethlehem?<\/span><\/p>\n

Which of the motifs contain camels,<\/span>
\n and which reindeer?<\/span><\/p>\n

Which holds the fictions of<\/span>
\n the Grinch who stole Christmas,<\/span>
\n and which holds the story of<\/span>
\n the infant-killing Herod?<\/span><\/p>\n

Is there any way we can ever get<\/span>
\n the sacred and the secular to bend their knees<\/span>
\n at a single altar? There is.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is born in a single truth:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery good and every perfect gift<\/span>
\n is from the Father above, coming down<\/span>
\n from the Father of heavenly lights,<\/span>
\n who does not change like shifting shadows.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He chose to give us birth<\/span>
\n through the Word of Truth (James 1:17).<\/span><\/p>\n

…..<\/span><\/p>\n

Our worship is the great unifier of the chasm<\/span>
\n between Santa Claus and the Holy Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

We have to but ask ourselves,<\/span>
\n not, \u201cIs this gift sacred or secular?\u201d<\/span>
\n but \u201cis this a good gift?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And if it holds goodness, it is worthy<\/span>
\n of our Christmas celebration.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christ will not be embarrassed if we mention<\/span>
\n snow and peppermint as we celebrate His<\/span>
\n coming into human flesh.<\/span>
\n …..<\/span><\/p>\n

Christmas is a time for loving God.<\/span>
\n and all things in such a season will stir our<\/span>
\n senses–all our senses:<\/span>
\n smell, sound, sight, touch, and taste.<\/span><\/p>\n

These five senses integrate our worship.<\/span><\/p>\n

Forget sacred and secular, and<\/span>
\n call the entire season one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider the sound of sleigh bells<\/span>
\n ringing out the joys of the season.<\/span><\/p>\n

I wonder if their sound<\/span>
\n Wasn\u2019t much like the sound of those bells<\/span><\/p>\n

that dangled from a camel\u2019s bridle<\/span>
\n in Matthew, chapter two.<\/span><\/p>\n

A candied apple may be as sweet<\/span>
\n as honey from a honeycomb,<\/span><\/p>\n

fresh gathered from the jungles of<\/span>
\n the Jordan River<\/span>
\n …..<\/span><\/p>\n

Make no division in the season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sense all of it at once!<\/span><\/p>\n

Smell it, hear it, see it, touch it, and taste it.<\/span><\/p>\n

And suddenly everything is holy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heaven\u2019s mercy inhabits the common things<\/span>
\n as well as the grand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christmas! The adoration of all things<\/span><\/p>\n

great and small.<\/span><\/p>\n

A celebration of the senses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our God, our Creator,…our Savior is always on the job,…at work,…at His desk 24\/7…no breaks, vacations, or sabbaticals. For all of those who \u201cBelieve\u201d in the Lord Jesus Christ,…for all those who have read and understand \u201cThe Christmas Story\u201d as told in The Book of Luke, chapter 2,…<\/span>and for all those who have asked The Lord Jesus to come into their spiritual heart,…indwell them,…and be their personal Lord, Master, and Savior,…then rest and be secure in the Truth that Jesus, after having been invited into your own heart, promises that He will never leave you or forsake you….that you are now saved and will continue to be saved forever.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Have a most wonderful, blessed, and joyous Christmas holiday.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Happy Birthday, Dear Lord Jesus!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Peace and Love to All of You……………..Poppa Bear<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fact: You as a human being were created by a source of energy and\u00a0power greater than yourself.   Fact: You cannot create something out of nothing. Fact: The Creator is always greater than that which is created. It is now … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2565"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21697,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2565\/revisions\/21697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}