Advent: Day 7:
“Preparing the Way for an Authentic Christmas Day Celebration”
Scripture: “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel
back to the LORD their GOD. It is he who
will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘To turn
the hearts of the fathers back to the children,’ and the disobedient to the
attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the LORD”
(Luke 1:16-17).
I love advent because it is a daily reminder of the true
significance of our Christmas celebration.
When a friend recently was preaching a recent Thanksgiving sermon he
made the comment that our culture has totally bypassed Thanksgiving and
immediately we start focusing on Christmas. But our focus, even for believers, is normally on the commercial aspects
and not the true significance of it.
I’m
convinced the reason for that is because we do not fully comprehend the depths
of our depravity.
We truly become deeply grateful when we fully recognize the depths
from which GOD has redeemed us. Apart
from Christ JESUS we are all truly wicked and evil. Left to ourselves we are capable of anything. But because of GOD’s redemptive work born on
Christmas Day but conceived from the foundations of the creation itself, we
have become children of GOD . . . new creatures in Christ.
Thanksgiving and Christmas will not have a life-changing impact
until we realize how desperately we need a Savior and how GOD has given us what
we need most.
Throughout this Advent season, every day, be a forerunner like
John the Baptist; build excitement and great anticipation about the coming
birth of JESUS our Savior on Christmas Day with your immediate family, with
your extended family, with your believing friends, and with those you know who
are not a part of the family of GOD.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Richard
No comments:
Post a Comment