Friday, December 24, 2010

Manger to Cross


It’s Christmas Eve. Beloved Husband is baking his traditional pies – pumpkin fragrances mingle with spices of apple and waft up here to my ‘office.’ I’m printing the last of my Christmas gifts. I cannot describe them now, everyone in the family has access to the internet and it would spoil the surprises!!

Know this, though, that part of what I’m doing includes an addendum to my grandfather-in-law’s will:

Hand written by Martin Tshudy Blickensderfer, January 21, 1932:

To my dear family survivors; the greatest asset I can hand down to you is to commend you to the Lord Jesus Christ whom I have tried to serve from childhood. He is the only rock or foundation you can safely build or rely upon and you should love Him with all your might.

You see, he wanted to pass down to succeeding generations the most important thing in his life – the acceptance of Jesus Christ as his Lord. So do I. Both Martin and I join John in believing it brings joy:

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. [3 John 1:4 KJV]

During this Christmas season, we often lose track of His birth. Instead we see decorations, evergreens; red, green, white lights; multitudes of ribbons, wrapping paper and bows; neglecting so great a salvation that came because God so loved the world. Once Christmas is past, will we remember the manger that led to a cross?

If we do not, how can we answer this question posed to Hebrews:

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; [Hebrews 2:3 KJV]

We cannot say we did not hear. Must we answer that our neglect was due to our own ignoring?

1 comment:

  1. That is a wonderful testimony in the will! What a joy it is to have chidlren who walk in truth...but also to have a legacy of forefathers who served the true God!

    ReplyDelete

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