Birth of Christ

Nothing says Christmas like a water buffalo. For a poor family in Asia, getting a water buffalo is like getting a farm tractor to pull a plow, or getting a milk truck full of delicious milk, or getting a stand at the market to sell cheese. A water buffalo opens the door for work, food, and income. More importantly, it opens the door to talk about Jesus.

And nothing says Christmas better than that. This is Sam from the Masking Journey Podcast, and our goal with the podcast has helped you to try to find your way in this difficult world. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and choosing the Truth Podcast Network. Welcome to ManTalk Radio. This is Roy Jones, the white guy, and my partner, Will Hardy.

The black guy is missing in action. He's taking a well-deserved break over the next couple of shows, and we wish him a very Merry Christmas. It's certainly a safe holiday, and I hope he's getting some well-deserved rest. With us today, we're going to talk a little bit about the whole meaning of Christmas and what it means to different people. We've invited some guests from our everyday life, some work associates, some friends, and different folks to join us over the next two programs.

Right now, we've got Lisa Sizemore. Welcome, Lisa. Hi, Roy.

Good to talk to you. Thank you so much for joining us, Lisa. Lisa, this is obviously a very busy time of year for everyone, and I think oftentimes it gets out of sight of what the real meaning of Christmas is, but what we would like to ask you is what does Christ's birth mean to you as this is the celebration of his birthday, that being Christmas? What does his birth mean to you? Yeah, I think, you know, I had to think about that a little bit, and when I really think what does Christ mean to me, it's so big, and trying to condense that down into something you put in the program. But actually, I had this one thought come to mind, and it was something that was so profound in my life that really changed me, and so I want to share that with you.

And that was, as an adult, I decided to read the Bible straight through, and I started in Genesis and just started reading, and I was so overwhelmed with the God of the Old Testament, and God is our judge, you know, God is holy, and I thought, how can this God have anything to do with us? And then it was like he just dropped it in my spirit, and I realized he didn't want to be separated from us. That's why he came.

And it's like I knew it all my life in my head, but I didn't know it in my spirit, and so then I finally got it. You know, it's like we see the drawing where you have God on one side of a cavern, and we're on the other, and Jesus is in the middle with his arms outstretched, and he's the bridge between us and a holy God. He came because he had been separated from us ever since Adam had sinned. The devil had given a way for a wedge to be put in between us. You see, he had been coming down and communing with Adam, and you know, they just had this relationship, and all of a sudden, it's just like God was separated from his creation. He wasn't the same anymore.

They had all these rules. They had to go through a priest, and he just came up. He said, you know what? I don't want to be separated from them.

I'm going to sin myself. And that just changed everything for us. Now we can be free. You know, we can be connected to him, and we can have peace, and you know, we just have to think in our mind or just talk to him like I'm talking to you.

And there he is. So we don't have to be separated from him anymore. To me, that's the real meaning. That's what it means to me. So he, being Christ, restored the fellowship, and it's given you the fellowship with God that you wouldn't have had without that. Is this the case for all of us? Yes, and he's like my best friend, and I know that sounds cliche, you know, people say Jesus is my best friend, you know, and it's a fault even, but he really is my best friend, you know, and he knows me, and he knows my faults, and still he loves me.

Amen. And I messed up, and I'm not perfect, and still he loves me, right? So it's just so amazing. It's like more than your mind can even comprehend.

It truly is, Lisa, and no matter how we mess up or how we fail, as long as we turn to him and back to him and don't continue to sin, that relationship is restored when we repent each time, and just that forgiveness, and just what an amazing love, and just, you know, you've done a nice job sharing that, Lisa. If I may ask, Lisa, what age were you when you first accepted Christ? Six. Six years old.

Wow. Did you go through a period during that, or after that time in your teenage years, or in college, or early adult life, or any time that you were, that basically got off course, or have you been on course ever since you were six years old? I got off course, and I would say probably somewhere high school, college, and I still, you know, could go to church and all this, but I knew I wasn't doing right. I wasn't, you know, really connected to God like I was supposed to be.

And so that fellowship was broken there, and I would say somewhere in my early 20s, then I came back, thankfully. And like, just like that picture I was saying, his arms are outstretched always, just waiting. He gives us every chance in the world, and he's always just saying, come back, come back. So thankfully, yes, that was a short time in my life. An amazing, amazing amount of love that he shows us, isn't it, Lisa?

Yes. So how has his birth affected your life through the years, as far as, you know, through the good times, the bad times, and, you know, once you accept him at such an early age, you know, he never leaves you, but you may have walked away and gotten off course, but how has his birth affected you, Lisa, aside from your salvation and your daily walk? Yeah, I mean, he's my guide, my strength, and I think, you know, when I think of it, really, I think he gives us that strength that allows us to have a peace that others see, and I think they don't understand sometimes, right? How can you be at peace right now? But God gives us a peace, and I think throughout my life, mostly, you know, when I've been connected to him, like I'm supposed to, I have that peace, and that's what's different, I think, than if I didn't have him.

So the overarching thing would be peace, and if I'm hearing back through all of the trials and difficulties and things that you weren't sure how you were going to get through or particular challenges that came up in your life, you just had an overwhelming sense of peace throughout that journey. Right, because he's our strength, and we can lean on him, right, and we don't have to fall to pieces, we don't have to fall apart, you know, he's there for us, and he'll get us through it, he'll take us through it. I often think of that scripture, if he's taking care of the sparrow, the birds in the field, then he's certainly going to take care of us, right? Yes. And how much more important we are to him than that, and it's easy for us to lose sight of that when we're in the middle of a storm, isn't it, Lisa?

Yes, yes. Lisa, one thing that came to mind as I was preparing for the show is, how has the commercialization of Christ's birthday affected your thought process, in terms of, do you sometimes lose track of, as you're getting ready for Christmas, like most people, how has it affected your thought process, and does it require being deliberate as a result of all the commercialization that's gone on around Christmas through the years? Absolutely, it's different, and I even tried to make sure that as I raised my kids, you know, that we emphasized Christ and that part of Christmas, and I said Santa Claus is a game that some people play, and if you want to play a Santa Claus game, you can play that. But Christmas is about Jesus coming, you know, and so we try to focus on that in my family, but we still give gifts and, you know, we still enjoy it and enjoy the season, but you have to keep Christ in the center, wrapped up in that other stuff. You can stress yourself out, right?

Oh yes. It takes all the joy out of it. It does, it does, and so many people do, right? They're running here and there, trying to buy this present, trying to buy that present, fretting over something that's not available, that they're supposed to be available, and never slowing down until the last minute to really recall or remember why we're celebrating Christmas, and it truly was the birth of our Savior. And I was having a conversation the other day with someone about it, and in today's times, people say, well, we don't want anybody to be offended, so hence all the stores have quit talking, or a lot of stores don't say Merry Christmas anymore. It's Happy Holidays, which, you know, it's one thing that we have in this country. It's a federal holiday, right, for Christmas, so it's okay to say Merry Christmas because it is a federal holiday, and most importantly, we're celebrating our Savior's birthday. So when you tell someone Merry Christmas, it's not about the gifts or what you're going to give or receive. It's truly about the celebration of our Savior's birthday. So Lisa, how would you say, you'd shared a little bit about it, about how to overcome this trend and sharing the true meaning, so you're really being deliberate with your children, still celebrating by giving gifts and that sort of thing, but obviously talking to them about the true meaning of Christmas as I'm sure you do your family members and knowing you well and know your heart. So what other ways would you suggest that we can do to make sure we don't get too wrapped up in this commercialization piece and we stay focused on the true celebration? Yeah, I know one thing we try to do is to read the Christmas story and also, you know, like you said, just don't go overboard with things, and I think as you get older, it's easier to get back of it, but when you're younger, you know, you do get wrapped up in stuff, and so it's easier to get wrapped up in all the shopping and everything when you're younger, but I think as I'm getting older, all of that is just like not important anymore. And it's relationships and it's people and, you know, like you said, spending time with God and focusing on Him, those are the things that really matter that are going to have eternal significance, and this stuff, I mean, just like Christmas Day, you know, a day or two later, it's always going to have everybody's mind. I know, isn't it?

Yes, right. It's on to the credit card bills that are coming in and on to New Year's celebration, all that sort of thing. So Lisa, thank you so much for joining us.

We've got time for one more quick question in about 30 seconds. What would be the message you would want to share about Christmas to our listeners today, Lisa? The main thing I would say is that God loves you, He cares about you, and He does not want to be separated from you. So take time for Him, take time to love Him, and to let Him know that He's with us today.

Amen. The greatest gift of all to us was Him as our personal Savior. If you accept Him, folks, that's the key.

You've got to invite Him into your heart, accept Him, and turn from your sins. Lisa, have a Merry Christmas. Thank you for joining us.

Thank you, Lord. TAWCMM would love to have you join their community of men for breakfast every first and third Friday of every month. They have Bible discussions and fellowship after the best breakfast in town. The meeting location is at their gracious Host Church, First Christian Church in Kernersville, 1130 North Main Street in Kernersville.

They have a hard start at seven o'clock and a hard stop at eight o'clock. First time visitors eat for free. Join your hosts, Will Hardy and Roy Jones Jr., a black guy and a white guy. Meet us at the Summit starting February 4th, 2022. You're invited to a special two-day event. TAWCMM presents the Summit Conference, a conference so big we need two days for it all. Day one kicks off at 6 30 p.m. with a special co-ed event at the First Christian Church in Kernersville. Then you'll get to hear a message from speakers Lee Strobel, Jerry Boykin, and Bishop Larry Jackson. Day two is a men's one-day conference from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They'll have a multitude of speakers like Lee Strobel, Jerry Boykin, Bishop Larry Jackson, Pat Teague, and Bishop Charles Flowers.

For tickets or more information, visit TAWCMM.com. Don't miss your chance to meet us at the Summit on February 4th, 2022. Welcome back to ManTalk Radio. This is Roy Jones, your host, and if you're just joining on the second half of the show, Will Hardy is taking a much-needed vacation, and we miss Will. Will, I hope you're having a great holiday, and Merry Christmas to you, brother. Well, with us tonight, who do we have today?

You know, it's nothing like having multiple guests on your show. So, Wendell, are you there with us? Yes, I am, Roy. I hope you're doing well this evening. I am doing very well, Wendell. Such a nice thing to hear your voice tonight.

Likewise. It's good hearing yours as well. Wendell, we appreciate you so much joining our show, and what we're talking about here as we get ready for Christmas here in just a few days, Wendell, we just are asking some of our followers of Christ that are brothers and sisters in Christ to us to kind of give us a little bit of insight, if you don't mind. And the first question I'd like to give you, Wendell, is what does Christ's birth mean to you?

Yeah, no, I appreciate that, Roy, and it's always a blessing just to be able to share with other believers and others who Christ is in our lives and who I feel he is, and you know, when you ask the question about the birth of Christ, for me, I can sum it up in one word. I think the birth of Christ for me is assurance, Roy. Assurance. Assurance, I'm talking about assurance that God loves us so much that, you know, he sacrificed his most precious possession, and everything about that is just an assurance of who he is, who he is in our lives and what he can do, and an assurance that the Bible and every promise in it is real.

It's an assurance, a blessed assurance. Oh, that's great, Wendell. Wendell, I asked our previous guest, Lisa, this question a little bit later down the line, but I'll ask you now, how old were you when you accepted Christ, if you don't mind me asking, as your personal savior?

No, no problem. I was nine years old, and actually, when I accepted Christ, it was based on the relationship I have with my earthly brother, and he introduced me to Christ, and he witnessed to me, and not just to myself, I was actually in the backyard playing basketball with a couple of my friends. And, you know, he took that time, and it was so important to me just having that conversation and that relationship with my earthly brother and the introduction that he provided me to my spiritual father.

Oh, wow. What an amazing, amazing testimony to have your bigger brother share that with you. Yeah, I mean, he lives the life, and he shines a light, and he's still doing that today, which has been just such a great role model for me. That's great, Wendell. Wendell, if you don't mind me asking, did you grow up going to church, or was that your first introduction to Christ? No, I grew up going to church. And like I said, so I grew up going to church, born and raised in Louisiana, and so my father was a deacon, my mother served on a Sunday school, and so I was in the cherub choir and every choir and the youth department. And so I grew up in church, but like after the conversation with my brother, church changed. It changed from an organization to more an organism, and just having a more connection with the purpose of serving, with the purpose of praising.

So I've grown up in a Christian home, and just through the grace of God, I've been able to live that type of life, and my family's doing the same in terms of growing up in a Christian home and just trying to serve Christ. You know, it goes back to that assurance, you know, just that everything that we have on this earth is temporary, and it's just a fleeting moment, but we have an assurance of an eternal life, and we have an assurance of eternal paradise. And so that's where it started, but that's not where it's going to end, so we're just trying to share and witness as we go along the way. Amen.

Great word, Wendell, great word. Well, that brings up to my next question. If you look over your life, Wendell, and you've got a few sunrises and sunsets behind you, like the rest of us, how has Christ's birth affected your life throughout the years? How would you summarize that?

That's a great question. I would say, you know, Christ's birth in terms of how it's affected me throughout the years. I would say, Roy, you know, I talked earlier about it being an assurance, but in addition to being assurance, I'd also say it's a compass, and when I say a compass, just from a guiding factor and a guiding force, you know, when I feel like things are a little bit confused in the world, I can go to the Word, I can go to Christ. When I need a word, when I need direction, when I need, you know, some type of upliftment or motivation, I can go to Christ, and, you know, it all starts back at his birth. So it's been a compass that I use to help direct me on the path I should go, and it's something I try not to stray away from, and unfortunately, you know, we all do to some degree or form, that compass is always there, and it continues to point me back to where I need to be.

It's a north star, it's a guiding force. That's great, Wendell. But that was one of the questions I'd ask a former guest, Lisa, was, have you always been on course, or like most of us, did you wander off either high school, college, or in that journey, or have you always been tight in your walk?

Oh, that's a good question. I would say, Roy, I wouldn't say that I ever, like, got off course, but I think there was times I didn't move as quickly or steadily on the course. You know, again, just growing up in the family that I have, I've had the blessing to grow up into, knowing right and wrong, but more importantly, knowing Christ has always been helpful. But there's times, particularly I'd say maybe in the college years, when I could have kept walking a little quicker, or even more importantly, bringing people along the journey with me. And so those are some things that I would regret, but at the same instance with Christ, we always had that second chance, so I've been able to, I don't want to say make up for lost time, but he's given me opportunities to be redeemed. He's a redeemer in every form and every fashion, so I just thank him for that.

That's great, Wendell. In fact, when you were talking about that, it came to mind that this being the season of gift giving, what greater gift to give than to share your story and your testimony about how Christ has impacted your life, which gives us great idea for new gifts, right? We could potentially start writing our story out as part of our gift giving, say, hey, here's how Christ has impacted my life, in just a few words, and read it when you're by yourself.

Man, what a great gift that would be. It is, and that's one thing we kind of talk with our kids about during the Thanksgiving holidays, as well as the Christmas holidays, is to really focus, like everyone says, the reason for the season, but truly focus on it and count your blessings. One of the things that we've asked the kids to do sometimes is just think about your blessings for the day. So many things that we can take for granted, but when you start to really count them and see what he's done versus what you think you've done in your own light, it really paints the picture and it really causes you to be even more grateful. It really does, and so many things that we don't think about and things we really don't know at times that he's been there taking care of us, provision, protection, all those things that's part of that walk with Christ that someday will be revealed to us, but when you stop and really think like you're sharing with us about, it makes a difference.

That's a great word, Wendell. Wendell, one of the things that comes to mind about Christmas time is the commercialization that has occurred through the years around Christmas, and we really, in today's environment, we don't even celebrate publicly the true meaning of Christmas. In fact, oftentimes people don't even say Merry Christmas anymore because of don't want to offend anybody, but when you think about the commercialization of Christmas, how has that affected you as a follower of Christ in your thought process? I know for me I have to sometimes remind myself because I'm looking at all the stuff that's going on, thinking about all the things that are happening, and I just have to sometimes force myself to stop and reflect on the whole season.

How has that affected you, Wendell? That's a good question, and like you said, Roy, it's just stopping and reflecting, and the good thing about this time of year, both my wife and I and the kids, we're usually off for a couple of weeks, and that gives us time to recharge and rejuvenate ourselves for the upcoming year, but more so to reflect. It's like, okay, great we have some presents under the tree, great God has blessed us from that perspective, but what's the true meaning, and what's the real gift, and what's the real present, and it's being in His presence, and it's being with one another. And like you're saying, it's a shame that a lot of places are replacing Merry Christmas with other, I hate to say slogans, but trying to move away from it, but what we try to do is move to it and just be intentional. Even when we give gifts, it's like, how can you put a scripture in a gift, or how can you ensure that even the postcards, not postcards, but the stamps that you use and the birth of Jesus are some reference to it.

Oh, that's good. Let's remove Frosty the Snowman, let's remove Santa Claus, and those things are cute, but those things are not going to be eternal, those things are not going to help draw you closer to Christ, so how can we infuse Christ in this? We try to be intentional with it, and with our kids, and even the Christmas Day, just remembering the birth of Christ, and using that day as an opportunity to set the stage for the upcoming year.

So those are a few things that we try to do, and we appreciate that even when our kids start looking at trying to give gifts or have a conversation with their friends, how they can work that in. So it's a blessing to see, but it's something that does require work, because the world will try to drive you to a different place, and we have to always kind of beat that back. Very true. Be that light for Christ. It's not easy, but we can't deny Him here and think that it's going to work for us later. We have to be bold.

That's right. We have to be bold. We do, we do, and bold is the key word, right? You've got to be bold, and be loving, but be bold and not be afraid to stand on your standards, which is great, Wendell. Wendell, as we're getting ready to wind down here shortly, what would be the one message you would want to leave our listeners with from your personal relationship with Christ and what God's put on your heart?

I would say what I'd like to share with our listeners is something simple, is that God loves you. No matter what's going on in your life, no matter what trials and tribulations you have, or even what successes you have or you think you may have, God loves you. He's in the midst of every situation, and He is right there. He's not far and nigh. He's near, and He's present. He's ever present.

He's ever ready. So at a drop of a dime and at any time, just call on Him and just be amazed about not only how much He loves you, but how much He wants to take care of you and protect you and provide for you. So be reassured and have that assurance that God loves you. Folks, God loves you.

We've heard that several times today. God loves you. And if the birth of Christ doesn't show that to you, be reminded that it really does show that to you. How amazing it is that He loved us so much, as Lisa had shared in the earlier call and as Wendell has shared, that He sent His Son to die for us.

He is your everything. No matter how bad it is, no matter what you've done, and if you haven't accepted Him, we just invite you to do that. Wendell, we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

We've got about 30 seconds here. I just want to say thank you, appreciate your witness as a brother in Christ. It's always a pleasure being around you and just love your countenance, and it's truly evident that God's got His hand all over you and your family.

And just look so forward to seeing you at the first of the year, Wendell. Thank you so much for your time. Well, thank you, Ron. Blessings to you and your family, and thank you for this ministry and continue the good work and the work of Christ. Have a Merry Christmas. Thank you, Wendell. Look forward to seeing you in 2022. God bless.

God bless you. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Folks, we'll be back next week in a post-Christmas show. Look forward to seeing you then. Merry Christmas and God bless all.

We love you. As we wrap up today's show, be assured that TAWCMM, Talking and Walking Christian Men's Ministry, is building a community of men that are Christ followers with a desire to be servant leaders in their homes, communities, churches, and work environments. Check out our website for upcoming events and regularly scheduled meetings. Drop us a note for topics that you would like to have us visit in the future. Thank you for joining us on Man Talk today. Visit us at www.tawcmm.com. Men walking the talk.