Author: | Anne Kaestner | ISBN: | 9781310451546 |
Publisher: | Anne Kaestner | Publication: | December 20, 2014 |
Imprint: | Smashwords Edition | Language: | English |
Author: | Anne Kaestner |
ISBN: | 9781310451546 |
Publisher: | Anne Kaestner |
Publication: | December 20, 2014 |
Imprint: | Smashwords Edition |
Language: | English |
Are you, as a Christian, irritated with all the carnality that surrounds Christmas these days? Do you yearn for the way things used to be? Do you miss Christian Christmas carols playing in department stores? Do you resent other religions crowding the media with their holiday events at the time of year when we want to celebrate the birth of Christ? Do you hate seeing houses so lit up for Christmas that it reminds you more of Las Vegas than the Lord’s birthday? If so, this book is for you!
The book has five chapters. The first one is “The Amazing Love Of God.” It starts out by talking about a Christmas burglary that took place at the apartment of the author the first year she was married. People often say that vicious criminals are like animals. However, it goes on to describe the sweetness of a stray cat named Tom and his love for his mate, Mixie. It talks about a cold winter night when another cat was sleeping in an outdoor bed that the homeowner made for him. The homeowners thought for sure there would be a cat fight when Tom got back from his nightly rounds. Instead, the next day he and the other homeless cat were found curled up sleeping together keeping each other warm. The chapter continues with a description of the kind of relationship God the Father and God the Son had prior to the creation of mankind. It speaks of the tremendous love they had for each other and their sacrifice for us that went way beyond human comprehension.
Chapter Two is “What Really Is Christmas?” It provides scriptural proof pertaining of the Trinity of God, and that our Creator has a Son. In this case it involved a young man who had been deceived by a book claiming we all came from aliens who landed here from another planet. He attempted to prove it with scripture. But the reverse occurred and the author, a newly reinstated Christian, was led by the Holy Spirit to answer his trick question. But instead of proving his point, the answer amazed him. And the author learned more about the Lord through the experience! Chapter Three is “God Brings Hope And Joy Out of Despair.” It is designed to increase the faith of those discouraged by events that take place in their lives especially at Christmas time. It describes the true experience of three widows who had lost everything but faith for their future. They were heading for Bethlehem, hoping to find food to eat. One of them became so despondent that she left the group and returned to the pagan ways of her past. As for the remaining two, they continued their journey carrying little other than an expectation that God would provide for them. Yet despite the bleakness of their circumstances, the Lord had a plan for their future that would bring joy and great blessings for them and hope for their descendants forever.
Chapter Four is “A Manger For The Sheep.” It describes the significance behind the metaphor of the manger. Sheep eat from a manger. And God sees us as sheep (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus said that He must be our spiritual nourishment (Matthew 26:26, John 6:53). Therefore He was placed in a manger, symbolic of the food that the Lord’s little lambs must eat. Chapter Five is “The Santa Claus Spirit.” It gives the history behind this mythical character that attempts to usurp the attention away from Christ at Christmas. Research reveals the whole thing began with a third century Catholic bishop named St. Nicholas. In the United States it was the Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam who worshiped him on St. Nicholas day. Protestants wanted nothing to do with saint worship. That is until Clement Clarke Moore and several other prominent New Yorkers changed that. Moore was the son of the first Episcopal Bishop of New York. It was his poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” that turned a third century bishop into the Santa Clause to know about today.
This book was written in the hope of putting Christ back in Christmas!
Are you, as a Christian, irritated with all the carnality that surrounds Christmas these days? Do you yearn for the way things used to be? Do you miss Christian Christmas carols playing in department stores? Do you resent other religions crowding the media with their holiday events at the time of year when we want to celebrate the birth of Christ? Do you hate seeing houses so lit up for Christmas that it reminds you more of Las Vegas than the Lord’s birthday? If so, this book is for you!
The book has five chapters. The first one is “The Amazing Love Of God.” It starts out by talking about a Christmas burglary that took place at the apartment of the author the first year she was married. People often say that vicious criminals are like animals. However, it goes on to describe the sweetness of a stray cat named Tom and his love for his mate, Mixie. It talks about a cold winter night when another cat was sleeping in an outdoor bed that the homeowner made for him. The homeowners thought for sure there would be a cat fight when Tom got back from his nightly rounds. Instead, the next day he and the other homeless cat were found curled up sleeping together keeping each other warm. The chapter continues with a description of the kind of relationship God the Father and God the Son had prior to the creation of mankind. It speaks of the tremendous love they had for each other and their sacrifice for us that went way beyond human comprehension.
Chapter Two is “What Really Is Christmas?” It provides scriptural proof pertaining of the Trinity of God, and that our Creator has a Son. In this case it involved a young man who had been deceived by a book claiming we all came from aliens who landed here from another planet. He attempted to prove it with scripture. But the reverse occurred and the author, a newly reinstated Christian, was led by the Holy Spirit to answer his trick question. But instead of proving his point, the answer amazed him. And the author learned more about the Lord through the experience! Chapter Three is “God Brings Hope And Joy Out of Despair.” It is designed to increase the faith of those discouraged by events that take place in their lives especially at Christmas time. It describes the true experience of three widows who had lost everything but faith for their future. They were heading for Bethlehem, hoping to find food to eat. One of them became so despondent that she left the group and returned to the pagan ways of her past. As for the remaining two, they continued their journey carrying little other than an expectation that God would provide for them. Yet despite the bleakness of their circumstances, the Lord had a plan for their future that would bring joy and great blessings for them and hope for their descendants forever.
Chapter Four is “A Manger For The Sheep.” It describes the significance behind the metaphor of the manger. Sheep eat from a manger. And God sees us as sheep (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus said that He must be our spiritual nourishment (Matthew 26:26, John 6:53). Therefore He was placed in a manger, symbolic of the food that the Lord’s little lambs must eat. Chapter Five is “The Santa Claus Spirit.” It gives the history behind this mythical character that attempts to usurp the attention away from Christ at Christmas. Research reveals the whole thing began with a third century Catholic bishop named St. Nicholas. In the United States it was the Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam who worshiped him on St. Nicholas day. Protestants wanted nothing to do with saint worship. That is until Clement Clarke Moore and several other prominent New Yorkers changed that. Moore was the son of the first Episcopal Bishop of New York. It was his poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” that turned a third century bishop into the Santa Clause to know about today.
This book was written in the hope of putting Christ back in Christmas!