Among all of our American celebrations and festivities, there is nothing like Christmastime.  It is a time for all-out decorating, family gatherings, mouth-watering feasts, thoughtful generosity, evocative worship, and much-needed vacation.

Two Kinds of Christmastime

The New Testament speaks of “time” in two primary ways.  The first is chronos, from which we get the word “chronology.” This is the idea of continuous time that we measure in hours, minutes, or seconds.  The second word for time is kairos, which is the idea of a fixed moment or a season of opportunity.  The difference between these two words is the difference between a minute and a moment.  A minute is measured by seconds on a clock.  A moment is measured by an experience or an opportunity.

In my book The Seven Most Important Questions You’ll Ever Answer, I speak of this issue extensively.* One conclusion I draw is that we must learn to find kairos in the chaos of our chronos.  This is especially true when it comes to Christmas.  We experience a lot of chaos in the rush and bustle of the season.  Yet, wisdom dictates that we look for and focus on kairos in the midst of the commotion.  This is the secret to a truly meaningful Christmas.

Looking for Christmas Kairos in all the Right Places

Practically speaking, how do we seize the moments, not just spend the minutes, as we celebrate the birth of the Savior and seek to enjoy the time we share with others?

Discovery, not just a date – This year our family celebrated Christmas on the weekend prior to December 25th, rather than the weekend of December 25th.  Our second son and his wife have to be back in Texas for Christmas, where he serves as a worship pastor.  Therefore, we made December 19th & 20th our Christmas celebration.   This reminded me that the focus is not on a number on the calendar but on the joy of what God has for us around this season.  It was a discovery of the moments of being together, not just a date that we rigidly have to clench.

Generosity, not just gifts – This Christmas, economic realities have changed the way many people manage their gift-giving budgets.  While the gifts may be smaller, they are more sacrificial.  This is a good reminder that Christmas is not about the presents, but the purpose of giving.  In many ways, more sacrificial and meaningful gifts are more Christ-honoring than just piling presents under a tree because it is the thing to do in a materialistic culture.

Trust, not just traditions – Families love to create and capture Christmas traditions.  Good as these may be, they inevitably change.  Children move away, family members pass away, and the “good old days” fade away.  However, Christmas is deeper than even our cherished traditions.  Christmas is the “mass of Christ” – the worship of a Savior.  He is not just a figure in history but also a living Lord, present and powerful in December 2009.  You may have lost many of your holiday traditions through the changes of time – but you can trust the living Christ with every thought, emotion, and concern of your life.

Intimacy, not just activity – Ultimately, the most wise and considerate way to experience Christmas kairos is to focus on issues of eternal significance, even though all the trappings and activities can be so captivating.  Ultimately, we must give our best energies to those eternal moments with our eternal God – and eternal moments for eternal souls.  Time spent in intimacy with Christ brings us back to the reality of the true meaning of Christmas.  Time spent focusing on eternal souls for the sake of Christ represents the heart of the Christ of Christmas.

Last year, on Christmas day, we experienced the first Christmas when not all of our children were home.  Justin and Christa were in Minnesota enjoying family in their first holiday as a married couple.   Rather than bemoan the change, the rest of us decided to go to a local nursing home – sing Christmas carols, give gifts, and pray for those less fortunate.  It was a different way to spend the day – but so meaningful.  We remembered that Christmas could have eternal significance even when the temporal trappings change.

Biblical Insight for an Ideal Christmas

God’s Word gives us solid reminders about what we do with our time this Christmas. Paul wrote, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15–17).

Paul reminds us to be wise, not foolish, in how we manage our moments and live our lives.  Good advice for the Christmas holiday.  He tells us to “redeem” or make the most of our time, because the days are evil.  The idea here focuses on purchasing something, buying something back.  Paul is saying, “Redeem the time.” It is not yours automatically.  You have to seize it, reach for it, and grasp it.  Why? Because the days are evil.

With similar insight, Moses prayed in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Christmas is a moment when we must be wise to rise above the ever-present and growing evil of this world in order to grasp the meaning of life and the real treasures of this journey.  Let us seize these kairos moments – for the glory of Christ and the good of our souls.

On behalf of our family and ministry, I pray for Christ’s provision and presence in all of your Christmas moments.  Thank you for your friendship and partnership.

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* This book is available here at www.strategicrenewal.com and is a very relevant resource for the beginning of a new year.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.

A few days ago I received an e-mail from a pastor in Florida, following a recent renewal weekend held in Titusville.  He wrote:

“I just heard a lady on our local Christian radio station speaking about the Prayer Summit so I thought I would drop you a line and pass on her comments. She said she had never experienced anything like it before in her life. This is the first time that she actually experienced the presence of God and it was powerful. She said she would never be the same as a result.”

Of course, I was deeply encouraged by the testimony of this unnamed caller.  I am sure she also blessed others as she shared her experience with listeners.

On the other hand, I find it quite interesting that so many believers, like this lady, have a genuine void in their sense of experiencing the presence of Christ in their lives.  It is so easy for all of us to go through our days with a dutiful commitment to Christian doctrine and behavior, yet not enjoy a powerful sense of His presence.

The Christmas Promise for Those who Believe

At this Christmas season, we must embrace the message delivered to Joseph in the days before the birth of Christ.  Quoting the prophet Isaiah, the angel declared, “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’“ (Matthew 1:22-23).  Jesus is the manifestation of God’s fullness (Colossians 1:19 & 2:9) and His finished work on the cross made it possible for His presence to live in and among us in a personal and permanent fashion.  We have become His temple, individually (1 Corinthians 6:19) and collectively (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:21) as the church.  Truly God is “with us” because of Jesus.

The Compelling Reality of God’s People

To better understand the issue of God’s presence among men, let’s make a quick review of this doctrine.  First, there is the fact of God’s GENERAL presence.  The Bible speaks of His omnipresence in passages like Psalm 139, where the writer affirms that he cannot go anywhere in the universe apart from God’s presence (Psalm 139:7-10).  Second, there is the truth of God’s PERSONAL presence, revealed to us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, made possible through the finished work of Christ, our Immanuel.  Third, there is the reality of God’s MANIFEST presence, when God’s glory is revealed in an unusual way.  This was seen in the Old Testament through the “shekinah” of God in the cloud by day, the fire by night, and the holy manifestation of God’s presence in the temple.

In a New Testament sense, this is this idea of Christ living in the fullness of His power in the believer and among His people.  The doctrine of “glory” really represents this idea.   I define the New Testament doctrine of glory as “the magnification of the person of Christ by His people and the manifestation of the presence of Christ among His people."

When presenting the Gospel message to the crowd in Acts 3, Peter described this good news as “times of refreshing” that would come from “the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).  Christ wants to fill the church with His glory (Ephesians 3:20).  We are all invited to experience His presence “with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” so that we will be “transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).  When this occurs in a context of biblical worship, unbelievers in our midst are captivated and exclaim, “God is truly among you” (1 Corinthians 14:25).

The Call to Draw Near

While our sense of the presence of Christ cannot be reduced to some occasional feeling, we must truly experience this presence in real and powerful ways.  Otherwise, we have reduced “Immanuel” to a theological principle and a historical religious figure.  Like the Florida caller, many of us do not experience His presence as we should.  Why was her experience so powerful during our Prayer Summit?  How can you understand and sense the power of Immanuel this Christmas?

Psalm 145:18 says, “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”  James 4:8 elaborates: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  Hebrews 10:19-22 speaks of the boldness with which we can “enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,” inviting us to “draw near with full assurance of faith."

The call to Christmas is a call to “draw near.”  I often say, “The Lord is always glad to oblige when we give Him our undivided attention.”  Jim Cymbala notes, “The main thing God asks for is our attention.”  The Florida group drew near to Christ over several days – worshiping earnestly, reading His Word, and calling out to Him in extended, focused fashion.  They sought Christ with sincerity, repentance, faith, and passionate love.  He drew near with His gracious, transforming, and holy presence.

The Present of Presence

This Christmas we do not want to miss the best present of His manifest presence.  We do not want to be like the religious people of the Old and New Testaments who drew near with their mouths but whose hearts were far from God (Matthew 15:8).  Busyness, distraction, and apathy will keep us from the fullness of Immanuel.

Take time to give Him your time and attention – beyond the common presentations and church services of the season.  Carve out quality time to really draw near to Immanuel.

Remember, “it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).  Enjoy the gift of His presence as you seek the face of the Christ of Christmas.