Dodger: Hello there! Merry Christmas to you! Lilly and I are really excited about the upcoming holiday and celebration, and we've even brought a friend to help us discuss it, along with how important it is!
Lilly: Please welcome, Soul, the cat. She is a fervent blogger, a pleasant feline, and a great lover of Christmas. We even have a video of her chasing down Santa Claus, or at least, a puppet that looks like him. Here it is:
Lilly: "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 NKJV)
Lilly: That is interesting. By the way, you can stop speaking in green, Soul.
Dodger: Don't worry about it.
Dodger: Thanks Soul. You can start talking in black again.
Definitions:
Lilly: Please welcome, Soul, the cat. She is a fervent blogger, a pleasant feline, and a great lover of Christmas. We even have a video of her chasing down Santa Claus, or at least, a puppet that looks like him. Here it is:
Soul: I was kinda naughty that year, 'cause I didn't get nothin'!
Dodger: Well, you did beat up Santa Claus.
Soul: That was after I found out I got nothing.
Lilly: Well, at least you now know Christmas is more than presents, right?
Soul: I already knew that, but the presents are still nice!
Dodger: Granted. But that's not what we're here to talk about.
Lilly: Soul, would you do us a favor and read us a passage from the scripture?
Soul: I'm a cat. I don't read.
Dodger: But you write a blog!
Soul: Someone takes dictation for me.
Lilly: Than how do you type it?
Soul: Lessons.
Dodger: From who?
Soul: Are you guys really THIS curious?
Lilly: Well you just said... oh never mind. I'll read it. It's from Luke 2:1-7. You see, the whole reason we celebrate Christmas is because of Someone's birthday. His name is Jesus.
Dodger: If you've been here before you've heard us talk about Him. Like everyone else, He came into the world as a baby, but with a very special mission.
Soul: Really? You know, like one of those people that make brown round chunks of cat food? I'm sure they're doing something secretive over there.
Dodger: Yes and no. He did intend to give us something important, even more important than food, actually...why are you looking at me like that, Soul? Um, anyway, what He was doing was no secret, and it wasn't filled with weird ingredients either.
Soul: First of all, I already knew that and it was just a joke! And secondly, don't go knocking around brown round chunks! Have you ever tasted them? They're delicious. Except when Tom eats them. He makes me lose my appetite.
Dodger: I'll keep that in mind when I invite you guys over for Christmas dinner. Anyway, what's the verse say, Lilly?
Lilly: "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 NKJV)
Soul: I like that story. Although I have no clue what "swaddling" means. What, does it mean a cloth waddling about?
Dodger: Um...
Lilly: Well...
Soul: AHA! From the "1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language":
"SWAD'DLING-CLOTH, n. A band or cloth wrapper round an infant. Luke 2."
Say, it mentions Luke 2 in there! How interesting. Now if I could just know-
Soul: What?
Soul: Huh? I'm no tree-hugger, although I do remember that one time that I ran into a tree, but that's a different story.
Dodger: Anyway, the important thing about that birth is Who was born that night.
Lilly: You see, each of us, Soul included, has made mistakes and sinned. Soul, please look that up in the dictionary for me.
Soul: Look what up?
Dodger: Sin.
Soul: Oh. Okay, well, it was a little bit too long, like a paragraph or eight. So here's a different definition from Dictionary.com. "any act regarded as such a transgression [against divine law], especially a willful or deliberate violation of some... moral principle."
Soul: Huh?
Dodger: Oh, never mind. You see, sin separates us from God. He's holy, and we're not. Each of us has done the wrong thing. When I yell at my friends, or Lilly disobeys her mom, or Soul steals her sister's pillow-
Soul: That was TOM, not me.
Dodger: Okay then, when TOM steals his sister's pillow, that is an act of rebellion against the law of God which He gave us. Since He's the perfect King and Judge, Who never sins, He can lay down those laws, and when we don't follow them, we have to be punished, and unfortunately, our punishment is an eternity spent away from Him, that is eternity in hell. But that's where the wonderfulness of Christmas comes in!
Soul: If you're a Christian (and I hope you are), doesn't that mean you get to go to heaven?
Lilly: Yes, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Soul: What does that mean?
Dodger: Google it. Anyway, the reason Jesus came to earth is so we could live with Him forever! He gave His life on a cross and sacrificed His blood and life to take away our sins. Then He rose three days later from the dead and is watching you with love. It all started on that Christmas night, when He was born for us in a manger. The King of Kings was born in a stable with a bunch of smelly animals-
Soul: WHAT!?!? What do you mean, a bunch of "smelly" animals?
Lilly: The cats were probably the cleanest if they were there.
Soul: Oh yeah, like they couldn't lick themselves. You know, I don't have baths every two days. I LICK MYSELF!
Dodger: Thank you for that. Anyway, the fact is that if it wasn't for Christmas, there would be no opportunity for each of us to live with Jesus forever. But He loves us so much, He came for us as a little baby boy. So now each of us can live with Him.
Lilly: That's why Jesus' birthday, Christmas, is so important! That was the day that God sent the Redeemer of every man, woman, and girl and boy to come and live among us. Now God can live in us too.
Soul: Yeah, but, I hope you know that nobody else should, 'cause that would be just weird.
Dodger: So if you've never even heard of this before, now's your chance. Christmas is more than just presents and cookies. It's all about God's ultimate gift to all mankind!
Soul: Yeah, but presents and cookies are pretty cool too. You know those catnip cookies? They're pretty AWESOME!
Lilly: Indeed, but really, none of them would be anything without Jesus. He's the one that makes Christmas what it is. After all, it has His title in it, Jesus Christ. So if you want to accept what He did for you, you can pray now. In His own words: "Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14 NKJV) So if you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and live with Him forever, take these words to heart. The Bible says "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9 NKJV) If you want to do this, you could say a prayer like this:
Dodger: Dear God, I know I've sinned against you and done what was wrong, but I believe you sent Your Son on that Christmas night so that He could one day die for me and take away my sins. I believe that You raised Him from the dead, and I confess my faith in Him as Lord and Savior. I love you God. Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday. Please come into my heart, in Jesus Name, Amen.
Soul: That's the best prayer ever!
Lilly: Well, making the decision to accept Jesus is the best decision anyone can ever make.
Dodger: Hear, hear! Well, Merry Christmas to you! Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change. By the way, we had a Christmas card made for you. It's a photo card!
Soul: I HATE having my picture taken.
Lilly: Feliz Navidad!
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
Definitions:
sin. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved December 23, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sin
Swaddling-Cloth- 1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language
