How To Face the Holidaze or Worship on the Holy Days
II Corinthians 9.1-15
Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!
The next 6 weeks will either be a time of great worship in your life or you will walk around in holi daze. It can be a combination of both but the holi daze usually dominates. Let Thanksgiving and Christmas be holy days- times of wonderful worship.
The Bible is not against giving gifts - quite the contrary! This chapter is about giving. More specifically it is about a gift from a group of churches to the Mother Church in Jerusalem. We gave shoeboxes last week to go to help needy children. These churches gave to help needy saints.
1. Lets look this morning at the roots of these Holy Days. Deuteronomy 5.15
American Thanksgiving- This is our day. While other countries have harvest type of celebrations, ours is focused on Almighty God.
While it began with the Pilgrims it was President Abraham Lincoln who signed the proclamation (www.infoplease.com/spot/tgproclamation.html) *
Back to the Pilgrims (www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/pilgrims.htm)
Great Epochs In American History, a set of books that belonged to my great grandfather, who was a seminary professor in New Jersey. In volume two which covers 1562-1733, there is a chapter entitled The First Voyage of the Mayflower. It is Governor William Bradford ‘s account. He had been a leading member of a little dissenting congregation in England. Throughout the 15 pages are phrases such as “for the glory of God, the will of God, it pleased God, God’s providence, sustaining Spirit and grace of God, good providence of God, LORD be merciful to them…”
Let me read a few lines from my great grandfather’s book, “But though this had been a day & night of much trouble & danger unto them, yet God gave them a morning of comfort and refreshing (as usually He doth to His children)…gave thanks to God for His mercies, in their manifold deliverances.” Governor William Bradford
Humility- in poverty much thanksgiving- the widow’s mite
Christmas- Christ is born Bethlehem and it announced to a group of shepherds!
Read the accounts in Matthew and Luke as well as John 1.
2. Keeping Things Simple This Year
Don’t let the world crowd you or squeeze you into its own mold. (Romans 12.1-3)
It may be their holiday and each year gets more ridiculous but it first and forever is our holy day! The Desire of the Ages has come!
As far as Thanksgiving we need to at the very least capture it in our own hearts and share it with the children around us.
Don’t wear yourselves out on things that perish!
Begin some traditions of peace and quiet as much as possible. This season originally was one of Peace on earth.
Begin some godly traditions. For instance tell the people you are thankful for that you are thankful for them. Be specific. You will both be blessed! Thank God for them too.
3. Avoid the Holi Daze Be transformed by the renewing of your minds…
Give gifts to Jesus. Some of you already have- with the shoeboxes last week. It His birth we are celebrating and there are some wonderful things we can do for Him to express our love. Salvation Army buckets, worthy charities…
Give a great gift that is only yours to give- your time! Take some time and make it a gift to someone who is lonely or under great pressure. There is a possibility they won’t accept it- but the fact you offered is wonderful. Be prepared for a surprise - they may say yes.
Look around. One year a funeral home called and asked if I could use some pointsettias. It was Christmas Eve morning. I called up one of the teens in the church to help me and we went around to every older person, particularly the ones who shut in and handed them out. What joy came over people’s faces. The whole thing only took 2 hours. It was wonderful. We prayed with each soul.
Live Enjoy this time! Sadly a friend, a Christian friend, told me a few years back that they hated this time of the year. We ought to be living not lamenting at these celebrations. If there is a difficult relative in your number- love them in Jesus‘ Name!
Relive (memories). It is a good time to get a cup of tea or coffee or hot chocolate and do some fond remembering. Think back over God’s blessings. Don’t be surprised if when you do they may be the times when you had very little. More is not always better.
Thank God as you do for His Indescribable Gift.
4. Keep These Days, until the New Year, Holy II Timothy 1.12
Set them apart for Jesus now. Give them to Him. Tell His Story/ our story
Something extraordinary can happen. Miracles happen at Christmas and even at Thanksgiving. Let’s live in thanksgiving and the Hope of Jesus’ First and Second Coming. In these days of uncertainty we know Whom we have believed in. We are persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him until He appears the second time.
Make these holidays Holy Days. In so doing you will avoid the Holidaze.
No comments:
Post a Comment