The Holiday Focus
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· 6 viewsGratitude takes our focus from us to God.
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Holidays
Holidays
When I think of Holidays I think of food, family and friends.
When I think of Christmas, I think of Jesus, I think of food. I think of white trees, dustings of snow. Warm fires. Sweaters, and Smiles. Hot Chocolate and Ice Skating.
When I think of thanksgiving I think of food and family. I think about what I am thankful for.
This was not always the way it was.
I remember thinking of Black Friday, and what I would get for Christmas.
Thinking of the excitement of what deals I could find, of what things I could buy.
It seems like now every time I go into a store there is one holiday or the next exploding all over the store.
I am almost sick of Holidays.
When you go to the store there is Christmas stuff, decorations of every kind. Wall to wall Santa’s and Elf’s Green things and red. Snow globes and pj’s. Everything Christmas the heart can think of is there.
And after Christmas, its all on sale. When that sale ends, the shelves transition to Valentines. Then Easter, Memorial Day, Mothers day and Fathers day.
No matter the Holiday the selves are stocked with those products and sales flow from one to the other.
More stuff!
More marketing!
More Sales!
More, More, More.
We are marketed to death.
When did Holidays go from family to things?
If you don’t buy this your holiday will not be complete.
When did kids go from being happy with 1 or 2 presents to needing a tree full of Greed.
What we are doing is opposite of what God does.
God is the Great Giver!
God is the Great Giver!
One of the questions I am always asking myself is, “Who is God?”
I think that this is the biggest question of all.
To ask who God is, is to get to know him.
Knowing God is the most important thing.
In the sermon on the Mount
In the sermon on the Mount in
The New King James Version Chapter 7
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, r‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who sdoes the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we tnot prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And uthen I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; vdepart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Matthe 7:21-23
Have the holidays gone from, Celebrating the Giver.
To Celebrating the Greedier
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God, gave us: Life, Love, Redemption, Sanctification!
God is our supply, our life.
When we need He is there. When we cry He is there.
God is the giver, Sacrificial in every way.
God gives, and we take.
A Shift in Society
A Shift in Society
A Shift in Society
A Shift in Society
Listen to the difference in these Christmas songs.
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Jolly old St. Nicholas, Lean your ear this way!
Don't you tell a single soul, What I'm going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming soon, Now, you dear old man,
Whisper what you'll bring to me: Tell me if you can.
Its Beginning to look a lot like Christmas
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,
Toys in ev'ry store
Santa Baby
Santa baby, just slip a sable under the tree for me;
Santa baby, a '54 convertible too, light blue
Santa baby, I want a yacht and really that's not a lot
Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born,
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn.
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
Christmas, the session of Gratitude for the birth of Christ has gone from:
Gratitude to Attitude.
Joy to Selfishness.
Service to Serve me.
Bring Your Gifts
Bring Your Gifts
Bring your gifts. It is almost Christmas time, are you ready?
When we think about ready for Christmas we think about, the trimmings, the decorations, the lights the presents.
I am sick of buying presents for the wrong reasons.
Have you brought your gifts?
When we think about Christmas its about me. Its not about thanks, or blessings.
Its not about the true giver.
We set up the tree. We fill it to overflowing. We go in debt, to surprise, and its almost like the more in debt we go, the greater we feel.
At least until Jan 30, when the credit card bill comes do.
The amazing thing is we are going into debt to please others.
We go into debt to please people.
Friends we are all ready in debt.
But someone gave.
Someone paid the debt for us.
You don’t have to go in debt this Christmas!, Someone already paid your debt!
If we are celebrating Christ’s birth,
He already brought the gift!
Why not this year Instead of bringing gifts to the Tree,
Bring your gifts before the Lord.
Why not bring your money, and gifts to Jesus? It is after all His birthday.
Let us celebrate Him.
Where your treasure is there your heart will be as well.
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Rather then loving our selfs we need to love God and others.
The Story of the Wise men is interesting, it says in
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Matthew 2:1-2
Matthew 2:11
And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Christmas was worship, before gifts, It was worshipping God, and then bringing our gifts to him.
I am sick of the Christmas vanity, the Christmas selfishness.
Its time for Christmas Worship.
Maybe its time we turn Christmas into, Worship, with a question of, What gifts can I bring to God?
Let us stop denying the power of God.
Let us focus on the real present - for even while we where still sinners Christ died for us!
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”