We can make Jesus famous by making Him Center of our hearts, Center of our families, Center of our church gatherings, and Center of our daily lives.

Consider the name given to Jesus at His birth – Immanuel meaning, “God is with us”(Matt 1:23). John 3:16 declares that God the Father sent Jesus His only Son to give Him as the sacrifice for our sins so that He could live with us – here and forever.

After listening one day to a lot of news about Canadian and world politics, I got tired of it; so that evening I sat down to read Jeremiah to focus instead on God’s Kingdom politics. My eyes became glued on two verses in chapter 23. Here we see God’s description of a false prophet. How would you describe the very nature of a false prophet? ______. Here is God’s description of such in verse 18: “Has any of these prophets been in the LORD’S presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen?” And verse 22: “If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds.”

How can we as God’s servants receive His direction if we don’t spend time in His presence? How can we as individual followers of Jesus or as groups in local church meetings or in missions planning and strategizing hear “what He is really saying?” Do we care “enough to listen” to Him?

It is thus that we can practice Christmas, the presence of Christ, Emmanuel, each day. He is to be the Center of our lives in our love, thoughts, values, traditions, and actions. In midst of challenges and struggles may we experience Christmas as “the joy of the Lord is our strength”