GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS DAY Behold, the virgin shall be with a child and shall bear a son and they shall call His name Immanuel which translated means God with us. (Matthew 1:2; Isaiah 7:14) Tis the season, and you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste the season, way before the event of Christmas takes place. We are bombarded with the commercialization of this time that is called Christmas. Paul Simon speaks of this extended season leading up to the day in his song GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS. From early in November to the last week of December I got money matters weighing me down Oh the music may be merry, but it’s only temporary I know Santa Claus is coming to town In the days I work my day job, in the nights I work my night But it all comes down to working man’s pay Getting ready, I’m getting ready, ready for Christmas Day (Getting Ready For Christmas Day/Paul Simon) Now this blog is not about castigating the commercialization of Christmas or as we Christians say crossing Christ our of Christmas by saying, Merry Xmas. It is not going to speak of going into a store in a couple of months before Christmas Day and seeing all of the displays and hearing all of the Christmas music blaring. We are not even going to debate whether or not Santa is real or not real or if you arrange the letters in his name you will spell satan instead of Santa. But what we are going to talk about is getting ready for Christmas Day. The preparation or the consecration of something takes thought and time for a coming event to take place. In the church we call the celebration of this day called Christmas, Advent. Various dictionaries define the word advent as: (1) The arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. (2) Synonyms: arrival, appearance, emergence, materialization, occurrence, dawn, birth, rise, development (3) The first season of the Christian church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding Sundays. (4) Christian Theology: the coming or second coming of Christ. In the natural, the preparation for Christians and non-Christians alike takes place well before the actual day takes place. As we prepare of the people and festivities to converge at our houses we begin the process by transforming the house into a magical, winter wonderland with decorations, a tree, hanging stockings, displaying Christmas cards sent by loved ones. We begin to think what we can buy for someone and wrap the gifts carefully to be placed under the tree. We set the mood by listening to Christmas songs from Amy Grant to Nat King Cole to Elvis to Andy Williams (fill in the blank with your favorite artist). We prepare for Christmas parties by doing a deep cleaning of our homes and begin to plan menus and guest list. As we are waiting for Christmas Day we lead up to the event in the season of advent with anticipation. We take each Sunday in December up to the day (and really all the days in-between the Sundays with anticipation and preparation of our hearts. This preparation is called consecration or sanctification prior to the actual event. This thing called preparation or consecration or sanctification is sometimes the missing element in our journey. We just want to flow in the Spirit and Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be the futures not ours to see, Que Sera Sera. But the Scripture are replete of and event or encounter with God with preparation. Then Joshua said to the people, Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you. (Joshua 3:5) CONSECRATE: qâdash (kaw-dash)=A primitive root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally): - appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy (-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify (-ied one, self), X wholly. Our ability to walk in and receive the wonders of tomorrow are hinged on our consecration on the day before tomorrow. Some people say that they just dont receive something from the Lord in a service, or they just dont sense the presence of the Lord, or the anointing is just not there in a service, but they have not prepared in advance, there is no anticipation, there is no getting ready. In that song by Paul Simon that we mentioned earlier, there is a sampling of a preacher by the name of Reverend J.M. Gates message, Getting Ready For Christmas Day. The phrase getting ready for Christmas Day is used as an analogy of a coming event where we will be in the presence of the Lord Here are some graphic samplings that were interspersed in Paul Simons song: (Reverend Gates): Getting ready for Christmas Day. And let me tell you, namely, the undertaker, he’s getting ready for your body Not only that, the jailer he’s getting ready for you.Christmas Day. Hmm? And not only the jailer, but the lawyer, the police force Now getting ready for Christmas Day, and I want you to bear it in mind. (Reverend Gates): Getting ready, for Christmas Day. Done made it up in your mind that I’m going, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago. I’m going, on a trip, getting ready, for Christmas Day. But when Christmas come, nobody knows where you’ll be. YOU MIGHT ASK ME. I may be layin’ in some lonesome grave, getting ready, for Christmas Day. NOTE: If you listen closely, when you hear the phrase YOU MIGHT ASK ME, you will hear the influence of Reverend Gates in the Talking Heads song Once In A Lifetime) Reverend Gates: Getting ready, ready for your prayers, “I’m going and see my relatives in a distant land.” Getting ready, getting ready for Christmas Day. Reverend Gates speaks of a time of going and see my relatives in a DISTANT LAND. He is speaking of the 2nd Advent when Jesus, after He had entered planet Earth by the first Advent with His birth to a virgin, and He demonstrated the will of God on earth as it is in heaven for 33 years and then was killed in our place on the cross for atonement for our sins, buried in a cold tomb, and then resurrected from the dead. He is COMING BACK AGAIN. And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Now as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, tow men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, WILL COME IN JUST THE SAME WAY AS YOU HAVE WATCHED HIM GO INTO HEAVEN. (Acts 1:9-11) FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY Tis da season to get ready...make your preparations...consecrate yourself for the remembrance of His first Advent...get ready daily as you walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh in preparation to hear his voice and manifest His Kingdom through you on planet earth, and most definitely, get ready for His second Advent so that when He comes back, He will find faith on earth, especially in your life. Merry CHRISTmas and Happy HOLYdays. Love and Expecting and Consecrated Kisses Rodney Getting Ready For Christmas Day Boyd P.S. Enjoy Paul and Revered Gates Getting Ready Christmas Day https://youtube/watch?v=DA81JjI40V0
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 13:33:23 +0000
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