“A CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL KIT”
 Isaiah 30: 15
I READ ABOUT A CITY-WIDE ART CONTEST FOR UP-COMING ARTIST.~ The rules stated that all entries had to be entitled “peace.”~ It was very clear that the judges were attracted to this beautiful painting of a green pasture .. puffy white clouds .. blue sky, and a little boy with a fishing pole over his shoulder and a quiet brook and some birds … that got second place.~

FIRST PLACE – WELL, IT WAS A PICTURE OF AN ANGRY STORMY day at the sea shore as the ocean was beating against the cliffs and the cliffs were dark because of the darkness of the storm.~ The sky in this painting was angry and dark, green and purple.~ You had to look close, but if you looked part of the way up a cliff there was a bird’s nest with a mother bird resting over baby birds, sound asleep.~ These little ones were totally unaware of the howling storm around them.~



DO I NEED TO TELL YOUR THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE Christ-mas season?~ It’s purpose it to bring peace; but if we look around us we find the holiday pressure is almost unbearable; it is almost like a storm, a stress which leads us into those birds.~

I WANT US TO LEAVE HERE THIS MORNING WITH “A CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL KIT.”~ And it is found in Isaiah Chapter 30.~ Here we are told that Judah was warned a number of time not to make alliance with Egypt..~ “.. thus saith the Lord God .. in quietness & in trust is your strength.”~

Beloved, this is a great verse for the chaos that Christmas become; and we are in the middle of it right now.~

Come on now,.. all the shopping – the entertaining – getting all the cards out – “Oh, who did we forget?”~ All the church events that going on – maintaining all the family traditions – guests are coming – family time; you know.~ Suddenly the Christmas season seems more like “Stress on Earth” than “Peace on Earth.”~ And then God speaks: “In quietness & in confidence shall be your strength..”~



IF YOU ARE GOING TO PROTECT THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS AND NOT submit to the overwhelming force and hassle of Christmas, we must protect a quiet spot at the beginning of each day where quietness and trust will be our strength.~ Think about those birds in that painting.~ Peace was not the absence of the storm, it was peace right in the middle of it.~ They found their quiet spot.~

WELL, THE SECRET IS THE SAME FOR YOU.~ The more hetic the season is, the harder it is to get our quiet time in with the Lord, and the more we need it.~ If it is any doubt what has gone wrong deep within the human heart it disappeared when God became one of us.~

THE LITTLE BABY GROWS UP TO BE THE MAN OF SORROW; he was

killed – He died for us that we might through faith – repentance – confession, have peace, here; in our heart.



THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT ADVENT IS THAT GOD HAS COME TO MAKE peace. ~ He does what we cannot do.~ God is not only bringing peace to us, He is making peace in us.~

I WANT TO CLOSE THE MESSAGE WITH A STORY ABOUT “The True Spirit Of Christmas.”~ This story will give you a deep feeling of enter peace as a Christian.~ {See Christmas Stories, Series 5 # 7}.~ I sure want this spirit in My Christmas Survival Kit.~