Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Romans 12:9-16.
I have often wondered why Christmas is often times very frustrating and disappointing to me, and the Lord has shown me in His Word 'why'. Did you read the statement from Paul? This is the spirit of christmas, but the spirit of 'Christ in us the Hope of Glory' should be the mark of every believer day in and day out. Note: I intentionally wrote Christmas with a lower case 'c' to emphasize my point.
Perhaps the reason that the world looks forward to Christmas every year is because there is such an enormous emptiness in their lives. And Christmas seems to fill that void, therefore putting a sort of euphorian touch on the end of every year. (you will not find the word eupohorian in Webster's...only in Williford's) It is interesting to note that the word euphoria comes from the Greek word euphoros meaning 'healthy'. With that in mind, people seek just a bit of good emotional health, for just a moment, in an otherwise very unsettling way of life. Thus euphoiran...
God's Word encourages us " in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."
2 Tiomothy 4:1-2.
"Preach the Gospel all of the time. If necessary, use words." -- Emerson
Live in harmony with one another.
If I were to describe the Spirit of Christmas in our day and age, I would think of this phrase live in harmony with one another. And you might ask, why? Why would you choose this? Well, have you been shopping since Thanksgiving? People are nuts and there is not a sense of harmony or oneness. There is no sense of peace that Christ represents. All that I see is a world so desperately in need of the Prince of Peace and this is so, so frustrating. The Christmas season of 2007 is not what I remember as a child growing up in Lubbock , Texas
The Question is two-fold:
1. What is the Christmas season?
2. What, then, is the Christmas season, really?
What it is has happened over a long period of time. But what Christmas really is has been lost in the culture of our time. Therefore, the only hope is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And we should be sharing the Reason for the Season to a desperate people in search of happiness, but in the wrong places and things. He did not show up on His day of birth and leave us alone 33 years later. He is with us with you, if you know Him.
Celebrate Christmas? I would hope not. Celebrate Christ for sure!!
Blessings to all, and to all....
"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."
--- Isaac Watts
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