Plum Global Methodist Church

There is a Christmas song that contains the line, “Although it’s been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to you.” As I get older I am beginning to think that I have said it just about every which way that it can be said. So as I sit trying to come up with yet another way to say Merry Christmas, it dawned on me that we don’t really have to come up with a new way to say it. We just have to keep on saying it and celebrating it.

YHWH came down from Heaven in the form of a baby boy named Jesus, born to a virgin named Mary who was pledged to marry a man named Joseph. This young couple were just minding their own business, preparing to start their lives together and something happened to them that we still talk about. How many people who lived 2000 years ago do we still talk about? We feel like we know them. We certainly know the baby who was born that night.

Jesus came into the world in the most ordinary way possible, the same way that we all came into the world. But His life was different. His calling was different. His purpose was different. The baby in the manger grew up and was eventually the guy on the cross. He went to the cross to lay His life down as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. While His birth was ordinary, His death was not. His resurrection was most extraordinary, as he made a way for us to spend eternity with Him in the presence of YHWH.

Can you think of any better news? We don’t have to come up with new ways to say it. We need to live it and tell others about Him any and every chance that we get.

Merry Chirstmas,

Pastor Raymond

November has become a very busy month at Plum. A lot our attention this month centers on Operation Christmas Child and packing shoe boxes. It  never ceases to amaze me how God uses this ministry in all of its facets. No matter what we are doing, the most important thing is always going to be for people to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The child who receives the shoe box is the one was are ultimately trying to reach with this effort, and there are many stories of souls believing in Jesus because of receiving a shoe box.

But this process of getting these gifts to children throughout the world is incredible. It starts with you, going to the store and getting some items and putting them in a box. It ends with a child, thousands of miles away opening this box, receiving a gift and hearing about Jesus (maybe for the first time). In between these two steps are thousands of other moving parts, from packing them in cartons here, to shipping them somewhere else to be checked to a loading dock, to an airplane, etc. etc. It truly is an amazing process.

There is no greater blessing than sharing the Gospel with someone else, especially a child. When you pack a shoe box, that is what you are doing. You are becoming part of the process of bringing the blessing of salvation. As we approach Thanksgiving, we often talk about counting our blessings. As you count your blessings this season, I hope that you are able to be a part of the shoe box effort this year. I can guarantee that you will learn what it means to be blessed by blessing others.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Pastor Raymond