Luke 1:39-44 (KJV) 39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
VERY BRIEFLY WITH THE HELP OF THE LORD AND THE GUIDIANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS I WANT REASON WITH YOU VERY BRIEFLY ON THE THOUGHT
DON`T TAKE CHRIST OUT OF YOUR CHRISTMAS
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAVE YOU EVER BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND SEEN A SIGN THAT SAYS MERRY XMAS
AND I`M CERTAIN THAT THEY MEANT WELL
BUT IT`S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS WAS TRULY MISS IN A BAD WAY
YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS CHRISTMAS IS BEST DEFINED AS CHRIST OR THE MESSIAH
AND MAS OR CELEBRATION
THUS CHRISTMAS IS THE CELEBRATION OF BABY THAT WAS BORN INTO THIS WORLD WHO WAS GOD WRAPPED IN HUMAN FLESH
AND TO SAY MERRY X-MAS IS TO SUGGEST THAT YOU WANT THE PARTY
BUT YOU DON’T WON`T GIFT THAT GOD GAVE TO A SIN SICK MANKIND 2000 PLUS YEARS AGO
AND THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS NOT ABOUT GOING TO THE MALL
IT`S NOT ABOUT A SALE OR A MISTLETOE
IT`S NOT ABOUT A DIAMOND RING A GIFT OR A TREE WITH DECORATIONS ON IT
BUT THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS WHEN WE LOOK TOWARD HEAVEN AND SAY THANK YOU TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN FOR HIS PRESENCE AND GIFT IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST
BECAUSE IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD THERE ARE TIME THAT WE CAN LEARN MORE FROM A CHILD THAN A WELL EDUCATED ADULT
AN SUCH IS THE CASE IN THE TEXT BEFORE US IN THE STORY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
BECAUSE JOHN WHILE HE WAS IN THE WOMB OF HIS MOTHER ELIZABETH SHOWS US HOW TO CELEBRATE AND KEEP CHRIST IN OUR CHRISTMAS
BECAUSE IF AND UNBORN INFANT CAN LEAP BECAUSE HIS CHRIST IS NEAR
HOW MUCH MORE SHOULD WE DO WHO IS OUT OF THE WOMB FOR OUR RISEN AND RESURRECTED SAVIOR
**************************************
WELL LET ME SUGGEST TO YOU WHY JOHN THE BAPTIST KEPT CHRIST IN HIS CHRISTMAS
BECAUSE JOHN THE BAPTIST KNEW WHO JESUS WAS
YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN GOD EMPTIED HIMSELF INTO A HUMAN BODY TO PROVIDE A SACRIFICE THAT HE WOULD BE PLEASE WITH
SO WHEN JESUS WAS BORN HE WAS NOT JUST SOME ORDINARY BABY HE WAS GOD MADE MANIFEST !
BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU THIS MORNING IS
DO YOU KNOW WHO HE IS
YOU SEE ADAM KNEW HIM AS HIS REDEEMER
NOAH KNEW HIM AS HIS ARK
ABRAHAM KNEW HIM AS A ROAD MAP
ENOCH KNEW HIM AS HIS WALKING PARTNER
THE HEBREW BOYS KNEW HIM AS A LIBERATOR WHO CAN TAKE THE HEAT OUT OF THE FLAMES WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF IN FIREY FURNACE CALL LIFE
BUT WHEN YOU KNOW WHO HE IS YOU WON`T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH KEEPING CHRIST IN YOUR CHRISTMAS
**************************************
WELL NOT ONLY DO YOU NEED TO KNOW WHO HE IS
BUT THE 2ND REASON I WANT TO SUGGEST TO WHY JOHN SHOUTED IS BECAUSE WHAT WAS IN JESUS HAND
NOW NOTICE –NOTICE—NOTICE
JOHN WAS IN ELISABETH WOMB BUT WHEN HE HEARD MARY VOICE HE BEGAN SHOUT
BECAUSE JOHN KNEW THAT IN THE WOMB OF MARY WAS THE PROMISE MESSIAH
AND IN HIS HAND WAS SALVATION FOR THE WHOLE WORLD
I KNOW THAT DON`T SIT WELL WITH SOME PEOPLE
BUT WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE FACT THAT WE SERVE A GOD WHO TAKE DOPE SMOKERS AND MAKE THEM PREACHERS
A GOD WHO TAKE AIN`T AND TRANFORM THEM TO SAINTS
A GOD WHO TAKE HOOCHIES MAMA AND MAKE THEM MISSIONARYS
A GOD WHO TAKE ORDINARY PEOPLE AND DO EXTRA ORDINARY THINGS
IT`S ALL BECAUSE SALVATION IS IN JESUS HAND
**************************************
WELL NOT ONLY DO YOU NEED TO KNOW WHO HE IS AND THAT HE HAS SALVATION IN HIS HAND
WELL THE 3RD THING I NOTICE IN THE TEXT IS THAT
JOHN KNEW HE WAS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH
AND IF YOUR GONNA KEEP CHRIST IN YOUR CHRISTMAS YOU HAVE TO SPEND TIME IN HIS PRESENCE
YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
CHRISTMAS IS NOT ABOUT PRESENTS BUT ABOUT HIS PRESENCE
AND JUST IN CASE THERES SOMEONE HERE UNDER THE SOUND OF MY WEAK VOICE WHO DID`NT GET A GIFT WRAP IN FANCY WRAPPING PAPER
I STOP BY TO TELL DON`T GET MAD ---DON`T GET UPSET ---DON`T THROW A PITY PARTY BUT YOU OUGHT TO HAVE A PRAISE PARTY
AND AS YOU ARE GETTING YOUR PRAISE ON YOU OUGHT TO TELL SOMEBODY THAT YOUR PRAISE HAS A PURPOSE
AND THE PURPOSE BEHIND YOUR PRAISE IS THAT
THE GOD OF HEAVEN SENT A PORTION OF HIMSELF DOWN THRU 42 GENERATIONS
BORN BY A VIRGIN NAME MARY
REARED IN NAZERETH
BAPTIZED IN THE JORDAN
TEMPTED IN THE WILDERNESS
BETRAYED BY ONE OF HIS OWN
LED UP A MOUNTAIN CALL CALVARY
NAILED TO AND OLD RUGGED CROSS
DIED UPON THAT CROSS
FOR YOUR SINS AND MINE
PLACE IN A BORROWED TOMB
BUT EARLY----EARLY SUNDAY MORNING
HE GOT UP STEP OUT ON RESURRECTION GROUND AND DECLARED THAT ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND EARTH WAS IN HIS HAND
