Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Pastor Rick
Jackson
If you try
to boil Christmas down to 3 basic ingredients in a general sense, I think you
would find those ingredients to be The Gifts of Christmas, the Spirit of
Christmas, and the Celebration of Christmas though not necessarily in that
order. Even the world acknowledges these 3 aspects but we Christians hopefully
lean toward a more spiritual version. In answer to the question, Every day can
be like Christmas. The Gifts, the Spirit and the Celebration of Christmas can
continue.
I. THE
GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS [2 Corinthians 9:15] Thanks
be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
1. God Daily
Offers Salvation
Isaiah 49:8
Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of
salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a
covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the
desolate heritages;
2
Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the
day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold,
now is the day of salvation.)
2. God Daily
Gives [Psalm 68:19]
Blessed be
the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
Selah.
3. God Daily
Hears our Prayers [Psalm 86:3]
Be merciful
unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.
Psalm 88:9
Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee,
I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
4. God Daily
Gives Us Bread [Matthew 6:11, 25-34] Give us this day our daily bread.
5. God Daily
Speaks Through the Gift of His Word [Pr. 8:33-34]
Hear
instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth
me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
II. THE
SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS [Gal. 5:13-26]
The
cheerfulness, the joy, the love, the peace on earth… Not only can we have it-
we are commanded to have it!
III. THE
CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS [Col. 3:12-13]
1. Giving
& Receiving [v. 14-15]
2. Singing
[v. 16]
3.
Decorations [v. 17]
What better
decorations than letting our light shine [Mt. 5:14-15]
Ye are the
light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men
light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth
light unto all that are in the house.
And to let
our life be decorated with good works [v. 16] Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven.
So,
Christmas can be celebrated on a daily basis. As Ebenezer Scrooge said in
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in repentance, “I will honor Christmas in my heart
and try to keep it all the year.”
And Dickens
closes by saying, Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all and
infinitely more… and it was always said of him that he knew how to keep
Christmas well if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said
of us, and all of us!”
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