I saw Santa, elves, and a lot of Christmas trees. I didn't see anything that represented Christmas as a time of Tribulation, Preparation, Transformation, Good Cheer, Great Joy and Peace. Our world has come to see Christmas and Advent as something expendable and silly. Today I want to show you it as something WAY more....
The Christmas Season is also known as Advent, Advent is the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Advent literally means, arrival that has been awaited.As Christians we observed at Advent in the Church, as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas.
What does it mean to prepare?
John states that we will experience tribulation. Tribulation is a lot of things, pressure, stress, oppression or anguish. A lot of times it seem that the Christmas season brings tribulations. We get stressed about spending money for Christmas gifts. We feel pressures to give into the superficial Christmas. We may feel anguish because a loved one won't be with you this Christmas or we feel oppressed by the negativity of being around your family members. Either way God is working at Christmas time because we have a great thing coming that will bring us peace....
"Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11) The birth of Christ brings great joy and peace to the all earth. During the Advent season we go through tribulation to prepare and transform us for great joy and peace to come. Christmas day is a celebration of a good cheer for what he has done for us through Advent and the Birth of his Son.
I have never understood Advent till now. I never understood the real excitement of Christmas. This year I am looking forward to the peace of Christmas. This I pray for you too.
May Christ be born in you.
This was really neat and encouraging to me. Thanks for posting & sharing!
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