Summary: 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

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

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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

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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

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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