Has Christmas Been Cancelled?

This is breathing welcome to the Salvation Army's words of life and being on sensitive labs around the cry that day, Lori and the Dragon. The right 993 a on a welcome back to words of life. I'm Bernie Dakin I'm Cheryl Gillam.

Merry Christmas everybody were in the middle of our Christmas series with Lieut. Col. Eddie Hobgood were so grateful to have him join us, not just on this show.

But on the Spanish version of words of life as well. So please share Pilobolus W that with any of your Spanish-speaking friends and family.

It's such a blessing to get to celebrate unity in this way during the Christmas season, this week Eddie starts off by asking the question we were probably all asking earlier this year in some way has Christmas been canceled so many things that canceled absolutely like. I know my my son is in theater shows got canceled this year we had tickets to show here in Atlanta yeah Broadway in New York. The great White Way is closely so unbelievable another year � so many things. Plus, I mean people lost jobs there were furloughs, terminations, I'm pretty sure there were a lot of people out of work this year wondering when is a song to come to an end, but it's Christmas time and it's a time of joy and and I don't think it would be fair for us to not introduce the opportunity to celebrate Jesus, the perfect gift. Emmanuelle God with us a son sent to save us all from this world, absolutely. That's the real meaning of Christmas.

It is not about all of the external things right mean those things I bring wonderful, comforting feelings to us. But as believers, our comfort is found in Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world. No, despite all of that stuff yeah will you get to have people in your home will you celebrate Christmas with you cooking for your children.

You have family were actually going to go to my in-laws house so were going to go celebrate together with them. And yes, my children will be a part of that and yes will be cooking it will be a smaller gathering that we were to be able to do that this year will last in the beauty of going to someone else's houses there dishes enough to know we all pitch in. Hello, whatever you do for the holidays. We hope that you have a great Christmas time and pray that you'll come back and hear us again next week on words of life. Some gifts don't come wrapped in packages with those ribbons and towing them to abandon some just needs like food or shelter and those can be the most precious year with 11 help rescue Christmas spacing 25,000 monthly knives. I Salvation Army Christmas has been canceled. What'd you say how can you cancel Christmas relax. Christmas hasn't been canceled but a couple of months ago there was a story from the United Kingdom about the possibility that Christmas could be canceled because of covert, 19. The article stated that because England was limiting the number of people that could gather together to six meant that families with more than six people would not be able to get together for their annual Christmas celebration.

For example, a family of five would have to decide whether grandma or grandpa would get to come to their home Christmas day for meal but not both.

Now I think that's a little overstated, but that's what the article said it also said that because of social distancing office Christmas party certainly couldn't happen. Even the way churches celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services would only be a shadow of what they've been before.

And then there certainly could be no singing while whoever thought there would be a day when we talked about canceling Christmas oil. The good news and the reality is, you can't cancel Christmas because Christmas is it a meal or a party or even a church service. I remember as an eight-year-old kid watching for the very first time the cartoon special how the Grinch stole Christmas and thinking how horrible it would be to have your gifts and decorations disappear in the middle of the night but the Grinch hated everything about Christmas, especially the singing that he decided he would still Christmas from Hooverville and on Christmas Eve he did just that.

So very pleased with himself.

He got up early on Christmas day expecting to hear lots of crying and sadness from Hooverville but instead he heard them singing welcome Christmas coming this way, welcome Christmas Christmas day. He was confused. He thought that by stealing their presence, food and decorations. He would keep Christmas from happening and as the story goes, then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas he thought doesn't come from a store.

What if Christmas perhaps rings a little bit more for those who have had a personal encounter with the Christ of Bethlehem, the Christ of Christmas. We know that Christmas is not just a little bit more but a whole lot more. We understand that Christmas happens and will continue to happen regardless of external circumstances because Christmas happens in the heart.

There is a beautiful song that you're going to want to go to YouTube and find it's called be born in me by Francesca Baptist daily. It's a song that is sung by Mary the mother of Jesus. Watch the video and listen for the words you will hear these lyrics I will hold you in the beginning you will hold me in the end, every moment in the middle. Make my heart your Bethlehem be born in the when Christ was born in Bethlehem. God clothed himself with humanity with flesh and blood.

He did this to show us how deeply and desperately. He wanted to be in relationship with us soon had destroyed that relationship and the only way this situation could be reversed was for Jesus to come into the world reveal God to us through his life and then give that life as a sacrifice for the sin which had broken our connection to our heavenly father. And that's why Christmas can't be canceled.

It's about a relationship.

A relationship with Jesus. So cancel the meals cancel the parties cancel the gifts cancel the church services even what God has done for us through Christ Jesus cannot be controlled by any outer circumstance and especially by a pandemic. So how is Christ born in our hearts.

Phil Needham in his book, Christmas breakthrough, tells the story of when his grandson will was three years old. It was December and Phil was telling will that Advent was coming.

What sets it will ask. It's when we prepare for the birth of Jesus. Phil answered to which the boy replied I thought he was born last year Jesus as being born again this year. Well, that's the miracle of Christmas that Christ can be born in millions of hearts and has been born in millions of hearts over the past 2000 years hearts that want to receive him and the gift God offers of a relationship restored.

I love the prayer that the apostle Paul prays over the church at Ephesus. He prays these words, and as I share them. I pray these words over you. Words that will ensure you never, ever have to miss celebrating Christmas because Christmas is in your heart. Ephesians 314 through 21. For this reason I kneel before the father from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who was able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. The Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you. Email us radio USS.Salvation Army.org or call 1-800-229-9965, write us at PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 tell us how we can help share prayer request or share your testimony. Would love to use your story here.

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