Christmas can be a hard season. Some folks are lonely. Some are grieving. Some are depressed. Some are envious. Many are stressed. Bah, humbug!
Romans 15:13 (NIV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let humbug go. Grab on to hope.
Is Christmas costing you too much?
Think what it cost Jesus.
Philippians 2:7-8 (MEV)
But He emptied Himself,
taking upon Himself the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in the form of a man,
He humbled Himself
and became obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Jesus paid it all! All I have I owe to Him.
Don’t ignore the reason for the season.
“O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.”
Adeste Fideles
Variously attributed to John Francis Wade (1711–1786),
John Reading (1645–1692) or King John IV of Portugal (1604–1656)
Translated by Frederick Oakeley, 1841
Can you sort the lies from the truth?
Lies: What you buy will bring happiness.
You have the power to put together the perfect Christmas.
John 8:44 (ERV)
Yes, the devil is a liar.
He is the father of lies.
Truth: Money can’t buy happiness.
God put together the perfect Christmas.
Ephesians 4:21
Yes, the truth is in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 7:1 GNT
So then, let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy by living in awe of God.
Make this holiday season holy. Live in awe of God.
It isn’t the hyped excitement of a mound of presents under the tree; it is the minute-by-minute acknowledgement of God’s blessings.
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
Be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Jesus, the Gift:
John 3:16 (ESV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.
Jesus, the Giver:
“You gave us so many gifts on your birthday:
A treasure chest of spiritual medicine for the sick;
Spiritual light for those that are blind;
The cup of salvation for the thirsty;
The bread of life for the hungry.”
Ephrem the Syrian (306-373)
The lights of the season shine brightly–guiding you to sales or to the Savior?
Matthew 2:1-2 (CEV)
Some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said, “Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
Take care which lights you follow.
I apologize for the interruption in my Advent posts. Heavy snow brought down our power and internet connection. It was, however, supremely quiet and beautiful.
Don’t let the pressures of the season get you down.
“Joy to the world, the Savior reigns . . .
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.”
Isaac Watts (1719)
The Savior reigns! (repeat no less than daily)
