Holy Spirit

Christmas All Year

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

It is no secret that Christmas time brings tends to bring the best out of many people. It appears that people seem to be more courteous and generous, as well as, more joyful and well….merry. Often times this burst of excitement and kindness is believed to be brought about by what many label as “The Christmas Spirit.” However, the Spirit of this holiday season was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger many years ago and His desire was and still is that His magnificent Holy Spirit be seen by people everywhere, any time, and in any situation whether good or bad.

For many people, Christmas is the time of year that in spite of the stress and anxiety of making preparations, fighting crowds to purchase gifts, and hanging extravagant decorations, they do find time to put into practice the fruit of the Holy Spirit within them during this special time of year. However, the generosity and kindness that seems to surface at Christmas time in the lives of so many, is to be seen and enjoyed by everyone around us all year long.  What is it about Christmas time that enables us to act in a manner that some may never see in us throughout the year? The answer is; we can’t deny that Jesus is the reason for the season and that focus on Him stirs our convictions to live out what we have been taught in the scriptures about who Jesus is and how He desires for us to live and walk as He does!! This is why satan works tirelessly throughout the year to keep our focus off of Christ so that the fruit of the Holy Spirit will not be produced in us and through us like it tends to be at Christmas time.

You see, it is because of the focus being on Jesus this time of year that tends to bring out the best in people, which is why satan has a difficult time with this holiday season and therefore, is constantly trying to work through the lives of his followers to get it removed and abolished from existence. But the great news is that no matter how hard the enemy and his children work to remove Christ from Christmas, IT CAN”T BE DONE!!! Furthermore, the enemy has no power to keep us from living out the generosity, compassion, and kindness all year long, because the Holy Spirit is forever within those who have been born-again and He gives us the ability to be “CHRISTmas” like, all year round. So may we all be encouraged to make the necessary preparations in our lives, that will allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be a open gift to everyone we encounter all year long, rather than it being just a gift to be opened and enjoyed at Christmas time!!!

Remember; as magnificent as the birth of Jesus Christ was, it would have meant nothing without the cross and what He accomplished there!! Because of what Jesus accomplished at the cross, we all have the ability to give God the Father the greatest gift of all, and that is; by receiving the greatest Gift that He could give; His Son and ALL that He is. Christians should not seem “different” at Christmas time in their words and actions, but rather just more excited and thankful as we gather to attend the greatest birthday party of all!!!  – God Bless

-Darren McClerren

 

A Prayer of Repentance

God, I come to you in Jesus’ name. I confess that I have sinned against You and have come short of Your standards. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to pay the price for my sins. Jesus thank You for dying on the cross for me. I repent of my sins and ask You to be the Lord of my life. I give you my life today and I receive God’s free gift of eternal life. Thank You Lord for saving me. In Jesus Name, Amen.