Category: Advent

Words Just Words
Advent · Christian.

Words Just Words

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December arrives with all its winter charm and celebrations. Close behind comes the controversy known as “The War on Christmas”. Those who love Christ should re-evaluate their involvement in this battle. The fight is about traditions and not about what is Holy.

I hear people upset that stores, politicians and commercials have started saying “Happy Holidays”, but those who celebrate their Lord’s birth should not be upset. Christians should embrace this salutation.

Holiday derived from the words “halig (holy) plus daeg (day)”

A politician declares a tree to be a Holy Day Tree; what is that to us? Use the comment to remind yourself of The Holy Son of God who stepped down from heaven to enter the world in the form of a little baby.

We are wished Happy Holidays by those who mean it as a way of equalizing all religions. Why should we expect someone who does not know the child that was born so long ago to hold as special the day of our Savior’s human birth?

Thank the person who is, if somewhat unknowingly, reminding you that this is a holy season. Slow down from the chaos our secular society has built around this season. Spend a moment in communion with the Lord who lived before this world existed.

I hear Christians arguing for Christmas to be left alone because it is a secular tradition in this country. What are you doing? It is better for that remnant that remembers the reason for the season to stand alone in celebrating the birth of the Lord than for the traditions of Christmas to steal away the Holy meaning of the Celebration of Christ’s Mass Day.

I challenge you each time you are wished “Happy Holidays” to stop and say a prayer of praise to the Lord.

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest and peace, goodwill toward men

 

Christmas Colors Are Christian
Advent · Christmas · Uncategorized

Christmas Colors Are Christian

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Continuing the discussion of the Paradise plays performed on Christmas Eve, the evergreen tree (green) was decorated with apples and white wafers tied to the limbs.

The apples represented the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Was the fruit in the garden an apple? No, but it was the fruit they had available.  The bible does not give us any description of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The fruit represents mans rebellion from God.  Eve wanted to be a god.  She believed Satan’s words and she ate the fruit.  Then she persuaded Adam to do the same.

I find it interesting that the result of their sin was their separating from God.  He walked with them each day, but this time when He came they hid.

God takes the pair and removes them from the garden and allows them to know both Good and Evil in their life. Before they had only known what was good.  Now they knew suffering, pain and death.

Back to our tree.  The actors placed white wafers on the tree.  These were unblessed eucharist to represent Christ whose birthday they would celebrate the next day.  God stepped down from heaven to be born a baby in a stable.  He lived and taught and loved the people around HIm.  Then as a Passover Lamb He was sacraficed to cover the sins of all who trust Him as Lord of their lives.

We now have red, white and green–Christmas.  They would leave the tree up for Christmas day adding sweets and treats for the children to find in the morning.

Meditation

Spend time looking at my life and the times when I am in Rebellion from God.  Look at where I may say the words, but I am not living like I believe him.  Or I want something so I make excuses to justify what I want.

Prayer

Pray for forgiveness of specific sins and ask Christ to help me have true faith–to believe all He has said.

Action

When I see the Christmas colors of red, green and white, I will stop and thank Jesus for stepping down from heaven and for giving HIs life to cover my sins and build a bridge back to Him.

Paradise Tree, Christmas Tree, and Tree of Life
Advent · Christmas

Paradise Tree, Christmas Tree, and Tree of Life

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Two trees stood in the mist of a paradise on Earth.  A garden created by God with the intent to bring pleasure to his creation.  The word Eden means pleasure.  God gave the Garden of Pleasure to Adam and Eve for their home.  The trees provided delicious food, beautiful sights and aromas to please.  And God told these two humans they could eat anything they desired except the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The humans tempted by Satan chose to believe the him and to disobey God.  Their sin was not trusting God and once done, they hid themselves from God when He came to walk with them in the cool of the evening.       Their sin separated them from God.

Millenniums later, in the fourteenth century after Jesus’ birth, followers of Christ created a series of plays which told the stories in the bible.  One play presented Adam and Eve’s tale.  The presentation occurred on Adam and Eve Day or December 24th.  To tell the tale, they needed a tree playing the part of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Someone went out and cut down an evergreen (available in winter).  The tree was left up as part of the Celebration of Christ’s birth the next day.  Over time, the tradition of having a Christmas tree in the home at Christmas time spread to other parts of the world.

But there is a third tree.  The first tree represents mankind’s break from God through sin.  The Christmas tree represented the bridge God built between HImself and mankind.  He became human and died for our sins.  I will look at this more tomorrow.  But the third tree was the Tree of Life.  It existed in Eden and those who ate from it would live for ever.

Genesis 3:22 “now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever”

We hear about the Tree of Life again at the end of the book.

Revelation 22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal,flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.  And they will reign for ever and ever.

 

Prayer: Ask God to show me what life lived with God reigning on earth would be like.

Action:  Read Revelation 21 and 22

Meditation:  Visualize what the world will be like when we are living in the new heaven and new earth.

Where is my Hope?
Advent · Christian.

Where is my Hope?

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The first candle of Advent represents Hope.

Merriam Webster defines hope as follows:

intransitive verb

1:  to cherish a desire with anticipation <hopes for a promotion>

2 archaic:trust

transitive verb

1:  to desire with expectation of obtainment

2:  to expect with confidence :trust

Where is my hope?

People like Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:26-38) longed to see the Messiah.  They were rewarded for their faithfulness.  When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, they knew he was the promised one.  Imagine they held in their arms the one they long to see.

Meditation:  Do I long for Christ’s return?  Do I even think about Jesus’s return on a regular basis?  If I daily think about HIs return and have confidence that He will return, would I live my life differently?

Prayer:  Each day during this season, I will pray “Come, Lord Jesus” an echo of John’s words in Revelation 22.

Action: Go out each day and look towards the eastern sky.  And think about Christ’s return and talk with the Lord about helping me to live my life in expectation of his return.  I want to hear the words “Well done my good and faithful servant.”  I know I am cleansed of my sins.  I know I will live with Christ forever.  But I want to know He will be pleased with how I lived my life.

Advent · Christmas

Advent Challenge

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DSC00623Advent represents a time of preparation.

Not just preparation for the Celebration of Jesus birth,

but preparation of the heart for his return.

I intend to challenge myself this year with a commitment to prayer, focused meditation and action each day of this advent season.  It is a fast of sorts.  A fast from the commercialism of the season by changing my focus (as cliche as it sounds) to the reason for the Season.

I will post my daily challenge in case anyone wants to join me in this fast.