9/12/2023 0 Comments Luke 19 1 10 sermon writer![]() ![]() ![]() How much simpler our lives would be, how powerful and free from care and worry, if we only believed that in Christ there is all we need to satisfy every longing of our heart, to make us thoroughly happy and useful and holy. We lose heart, and faint, and give up the fight, when one taste of the rich cordial of God’s promises would give us fresh life and vigor. We are shut up in Doubting Castle, and the key of God’s promise lies rusty and unused. We are caught in the Slough of Despond, and never see the steps of promise, all ready there to guide us out. We admire the green pastures of God’s word, but fail to lie down and rest our souls upon them. Yes, it is the performance that is so often lacking, because the faith is not forthcoming on our part. ![]() Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the lord. Jesus went away so the Spirit could come to stay. Today, the presence and power of Christ remain with us through the Holy Spirit, who is the true, eternal Spirit of Christmas-all year long. Instead, the Holy Spirit is identified as the One who guided Simeon, filled Zacharias and Elizabeth, and created the baby in Mary’s womb.ĭo we, like them, recognize the Spirit’s voice in the midst of all others? Are we alert to His promptings and eager to obey? Will we allow His warmth and love to fill our hearts and flow through our hands? Here, in what we often call “the Christmas story,” there is no mention of people having something just come to mind or of feeling strangely moved. His work is cited in the lives of the unborn John the Baptist (1:15), Mary (1:35), Elizabeth (1:41), Zacharias (1:67), and Simeon (2:25-27). In the first two chapters of Luke, it is striking that the Holy Spirit is mentioned seven times. The acts of generosity and good will that flourish in December often fade quickly, causing many to say, “I wish we could keep the Christmas spirit all year long.” Why does it seem that kindness and compassion are chained to the calendar? Is there an ever-flowing fountain of compassion deeper than warm holiday feelings that pass with the season? ![]()
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