A different take on Christmas . . .

Isaiah 9:6 -- for to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders, and He will be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Luke 2:25-32 -- Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:  "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people,  a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

I John 3:8 -- "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work."

at Christmas-time, talk seems to revolve around peace and joy and goodness and love . . . and these are all well and good.  after all, Jesus did come to give us these things, to be our salvation and our peace and our life.

but there is more than this behind Christmas.  more than tinsel and lights, even more than the manger scene.  too often we get caught up in these, and we fail to see the big picture of what Christmas is really about.

Christ came to free us from a lifestyle of sin.  He came to save us, and to eradicate, annihilate, and completely destroy the work of the devil in our lives.  He is the only one who can save us -- but Satan is not the only one who can enslave us.  

for when Christ saves up from our sin, He frees us from the entangling lifestyle Satan had us bound in.  we feel, at times, that we are trapped in an endless cycle, that we can't get out -- but He has already freed us!  the only thing holding us back now is lines we ourselves have drawn around us to contain us.

this Christmas, we should break free -- and live our lives the way Christ intended us to.   

John 10:10 -- "I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly"

John 6:67-69 -- "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."