This Wonderful Christmas Season
This is my absolute most favorite time of the year. We celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus who came to this world to save sinners. God Almighty took off His robe of Glory and clothed Himself in a robe made of the dust of this earth. He walked upon this earth as a man and died for us. We saw His Glory! I love the simple words of the Apostle John in John 1:14, as in the Berean Literal Bible:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, a glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth”.
I was Saved on the 13th of December, 1975. Twelve days later I celebrated my first Christmas in a mental institution where I was incarcerated because of my faith in Christ. Growing up as a Muslim, I knew nothing about celebrating Christmas. All I knew was that it was the birthday of my Savior, the Lord Jesus who had redeemed me.
The day before Christmas I managed to get hold of a small cupcake or muffin, and a glass of orange squash.
When Christmas morning came, I worshipped the Lord and thanked Him for what He had done for me. Then when I took the first bite from the cake, the manifested presence of our Lord filled the place. It is impossible to describe it adequately, but the power of His presence filled the room. It went right through my being. I knew that I was not alone, but that Jesus Himself was present in that cage with me. At that moment my tears began to flow. To think that the Son of God Himself would of all the places in the world come to visit a nobody like me in that dingy cage in that mental hospital!
I had not cried when they had arrested me and brought me to that place, but now in His presence, the tears came. Tears of thanksgiving and joy.
Even today, I am so grateful for Jesus, for all that He has done for me. Today I am no longer incarcerated in a mental hospital or in a prison, but I am a free man living in a free country. I am surrounded by my family and my friends who love me and whom I love very much.
As we celebrate this Christmas, let us do so with gratitude: Firstly, for our Lord Jesus and for what He has done for us. Then let us be grateful for our family and for the friends that the Lord has put in our lives.
We have so much to be thankful for!
May the Lord Bless you and your family, and may your hearts be full of vision and great expectations for the New Year 2023!
In Christ,
Christopher and Britta Alam
