December Newsletter 2016

Prayer Corner

Pray for our collections for the needy in our community. We ask that the Lord will provide warm blankets for the cold night for our homeless population; for toys for local foster children; for warming and special items for the low income nursing home residents. May God provide - for us to provide!

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What Does Christmas Mean to You?

By Bill Powell

For me Christmas and what it means to me has evolved. As a kid Christmas was Christmas trees, lights, candy canes, cookies. Man, my mother made some great Christmas cookies. I remember snow and songs like The Little Saint Nick by the Beachboys and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Now, I wasn’t a total rank pagan. I did enjoy singing Christmas carols, and for most people it was a given that Christmas was about Jesus born in a stable. The birth of Christ was evident everywhere in our society. Most schools had a Christmas play and I remember once being a Wiseman. Now I am just a wise guy. Let’s face it, for so many, including me, it was all about the presents and Christmas vacation. The commercialism seemed to grow and dominate the holiday as I got older.

When I matured and became born again, my approach changed. I became disenchanted with Christmas and the commercialism. Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th and He never instructed us to celebrate His birthday. Actually, the only reference to birthdays in the Bible was someone getting their head chopped off as a birthday present. What do Christmas trees, lights, and mistletoe have to do with our Savior and Lord? Then there was the Santa Claus issue, and isn’t it lying to your children to tell them Santa lands on your roof with reindeer and sleigh and comes down the chimney with presents if you were a good little girl or boy? Letters to Santa - really?

I have since evolved in my perspective and understanding of Christmas. I think now I have a more balanced approach. Christmas to me has two sides. When our nation began there were no holidays or national traditions. Christmas came into its own because America was a melting pot of people from all over the world. They came here because of the freedoms this nation provided. Christmas was celebrated in many parts of the world in many ways and those traditions were brought here. It was only natural that it became a national holiday. I love the lights, the trees and creating our own traditions. Then there is riding in the winter wonderland on a one horse open sleigh - well, maybe I am getting a little carried away. I enjoy the gift giving. I have actually become more obsessed with the wrapping than the gifts. The lights - hold me back - I got these new lights that, oh man, will blow you away. It is the season to be jolly fa la la la la la la.

The second side of Christmas for me is the real reason for the season and that is the birth of our Savior. The real celebration is our freedom from the penalty of our sins. Emmauel God with us. He came lying in a manger, born of a virgin, and the significances of his birth can’t be over stated. Christmas is such a worshipful holiday and time for evangelism. Maybe the PC culture will change and we can get Christ back in Christmas where he belongs. It would be nice to have Him back in our government, schools and in the public square.

We hope you tune in often to hear the great Christmas music we will have for you. We have worked hard over the years to bring you what we think is the best Christmas music available with the most variety. Spread some Joy to the World. Get in the spirit of Christmas and spread the love of Jesus to all - and to all a good night.

Merry Christmas

By Chris Johnson

Well it’s Christmas time again and that means 100% Christmas music here on The Cornerstone! We love this season and do everything we can to play every one of your favorite Christmas songs each and every day. Before we know it, the holiday season will be past and we’ll be on to 2017, and it’s our prayer that you’ll be richly blessed and deeply ministered to by the music, family programming and Bible teaching during this special month. Also, we hope you will take a minute and share the Christmas cheer with someone you know who might not listen to The Cornerstone! Will you help us tell the story of Christmas to thousands of new listeners by taking an extra minute to tell a friend, family member, co-worker or friendly neighbor in the grocery store about this ministry? We love our listeners so much and pray each day that the Lord would add new friends to our growing audience. It’s such a blessing when new listeners tell us that they’ve just found us on the radio dial because a friend took a moment to share the station with them. Thank you so much and we pray that you and your family would have the merriest of Christmases and a most joyful New Year!

Christ, by highest heaven adored:

Christ, the everlasting Lord;

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of the virgin’s womb.

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see;

Hail, th' incarnate Deity:

Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel!

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King!

Vs. 2 of Hark the Herald

Beyond Tradition

By Donna Bramlett

Christmas is usually, for most families, about tradition. I remember as a young wife and mom trying to decide what traditions I wanted to establish, and my friends and I would share ideas and thoughts on it. However, as I reflect I realize that most of our Christmases have been more about flexibility and fluidity. We had some consistencies, but more often we had to be willing to "make it work" so everyone could participate. A fractured home, working teens, visiting relatives - all became elements of compromise and cooperation. I usually felt as though I were somehow failing my little brood by not being able to keep it the same from year to year, but now I don't think so.

Christmas is about celebrating God's great gifts, most especially the birth of God Himself in a form that could actually be a propitiation for our sin, a substitute for the wrath we deserve. From our gratitude for that has sprung a seasonal emphasis on family, relationships, selflessness, and love, and the best place to begin celebrating this is at home. So in our family we flowed with the needs of one another, preferring grace to rigidity. One year our entire extended family celebrated Christmas on December 26 because I could not get home any sooner. To me, that's Christmas, that's love at its finest.

I say this because I am sure there are others out there who maybe feel a twinge of guilt or disappointment that things will not be as they "should" this year. But the only "should be" is love. If we lay aside our preconceived ideas about gifts - sizes, values, and quantity; about schedules, mealtimes, and fine china; about our own comfort zone and convenience; then we will be in a great position to make a memorable and nostalgic Christmas for those we love most. Merry Christmas!

Tis' The Season, To Share The Reason