Christmas is a Gift

Here is our fourth layer, God’s gift comes wrapped in freedom from oppression and war (Isaiah 9:4-5)

When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death God intends to comfort us with the rod of his strength and faithfulness.

Verses 4&5 are meant to remind God’s people of his faithfulness; remember who He is and what he has done.

Remember Egypt; the yoke of forced physical labor was broken so the people could go and worship.

The staff laid across the shoulder of those in captivity, the staff of an oppressive government, has been broken.

The rod of senseless undeserved pain dealt out through the hand of ruthless men has been shattered.

How? How did it happen then? How will it happen now? It will happen now like it happened in the day of Midian.

We are meant to remember Gideon and his tiny army of men with trumpets and torches.

God said in Judges 7:2, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved.


Christmas is meant to be a reminder that it is only God can provide. He kept Adam and Eve alive. He kept Noah through the flood. He kept Jacob and his sons through the famine. He kept his people through the slavery and infanticide of Egypt.

God sustained his people in the desert. He fought for them in Canaan. He kills the giants, gives the riches to build the temple. God brings peace.

When his people rebelled he protected them and then brought them back from their captivity.

God is the warrior and provider of his people. Burn every boot that has been used in battle; we don’t need it. Every garment bloody from battle is good for nothing but fuel; we don’t need those any more.

God is our redeemer and with his gift comes freedom from slavery and oppression.

Praise him. We are multiplied, we have been given joy, and our gladness overflows.

All of these good things of verses 1 through 5 are meant to point us to the best thing of verse 6.

In verse 6 we come to the highlight. The wrapping paper of no gloom, great light, increasing joy, restoration, and freedom has been removed.

Do we realize that such amazing things are just by-products with God? If you get Jesus you get the rest. If you seek him first all these others will be added to you.

(Christmas Countdown 2 days)

Glorious Father, I ask You, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. I pray that whatever we do or say, will be as a true representative of the Lord Jesus, and together we will give thanks through Him to You Most High God. Father, I thank You for calling us to be Your ambassadors of good will here on earth. Amen

~Prayers that Avail Much by Germaine Copeland

Christmas is a Gift

The Second Layer To Unwrap is God's Gift Comes Wrapped in Great Light (Isaiah 9:2)


We must understand that apart from Christ there is only darkness.

The people walked in darkness and dwelt in a land of deep darkness. This is how they were living out their lives; living every day in the darkness of God’s judgment.

Isaiah 8:17 tells us that God was hiding his face from them; their sin had caused separation.

But not just eternal separation. Not just the darkness of hell. Our sin, like their sin, drives a wedge between us and the joy of God’s presence.

The darkness is removed when the light appears. When the light shines the deep darkness flees.

Don’t you long for that; for the darkness of depression and uncertainty to flee? Do we long for the deep darkness of guilt and shame to be pushed out of the lives of our friends and neighbors?

Rejoice this morning. God’s gift of Christmas came wrapped in light; light so magnificent it scatters the darkness.

The Third Layer We Unwrap is God's Gift Comes Wrapped In Increasing JOY (Isaiah 9:3)

We must understand that the joy that accompanies God’s promise is greater than the darkness that accompanies our sin.

Zebulun and Naphtali have been hauled away into slavery; the deep darkness is setting in on God’s people. It’s fullness will come and settle on the land.

The sin and rebellion they have sown have now gone to seed. Theirs is the joyless darkness of God’s judgment.

But do you see in verse 3 that God’s people are rejoicing? God’s people have been captured. They have lost the battle and there will be much more fighting, death, and capture in the future.

Yet verse 3 tells us that God had multiplied the nation and increased its joy. The circumstances are truly bad but the truth of the matter is that in spite of the circumstance God gave joy and the people rejoiced.

The people rejoice before God because rejoicing is what we do in God’s presence.

You rejoice like those who celebrate the bountiful harvest. You have gladness like those who win the war and take home truck loads of spoil.

My joy must not depend upon my circumstances. My joy must depend on the presence of Jesus in my life.

Though my sin and frustration want to cloud my life with gloom, anguish, and contempt the presence of Christ will flood my life with light.

Though loss and captivity want to rule my emotions and darken my vision I have been given the gift of Christmas.

There is a real, tangible, overwhelming reason to rejoice in spite of difficult; the reason to rejoice is Christmas. Christ has come bringing increasing joy.

(Countdown to Christmas 4 days) December 22, 2010

Father, thank You for loving me and rejoicing over me with joy. Hallelujah! I am redeemed. I come with singing, and everlasting joy is upon my head. I obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing flee away. That spirit of rejoicing, joy, and laughter is my heritage. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty — emancipation from bondage, freedom. I walk in that liberty.

I have the victory in the name of Jesus. Satan is under my feet. I am not moved by adverse circumstances. I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I dwell in the Kingdom of God and have peace and joy in the Holy Spirit! Praise the Lord!

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

~Prayers that Avail Much by Germaine Copeland

Christmas is a Gift

It is better for God to give than to receive.

When we slow down during the Christmas season, take in a deep breath and look up to where salvation comes we will be reminded that Christmas is a gift.

Having a thankful attitude can turn the holiday into a joyful time. To be completely overwhelmed by the blessing of Christmas we can all rejoice with increasing joy. Let us be glad and rejoice for our Redeemer has walked upon the earth and fulfilled the Fathers promise for all mankind.

Only when we focus on Christ will what is covered in contempt be turned into something glorious. Only through Christ will the darkness of sin be replaced with a great light.

It is through Christ that we find increased joy and gladness. His name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He is these things for us; for our eternal salvation and our ever increasing gladness.

Even our anguish and gloom are swallowed up when we turn our eyes upon Jesus.

The gift of God is the gift of Christmas. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.”

Let's look into the book of Isaiah where we find in 9:1-7 a prophecy of the newborn king. As we read we can begin to joyfully unwrap and celebrate the gift of Christmas.

First God’s gift comes wrapped in no gloom (verse 1)

We must understand that joy is found by looking to and relying on God’s power to accomplish his will.

Gloom, depression, and despair come from turning away from God and looking to the things of this earth.

In Isaiah 8 we learn that the people have turned away from God. They are looking to another nation for their rescue. They are not looking to God for strength (8:6).

They are going to mediums and psychics for their direction instead of listening to God’s testimony and his teaching.

To make a long story really short they have abandoned God, suffered for it, and then cursed God and the king for their troubles.

They believe their sin and suffering are not their fault. It’s God’s fault and it’s the king’s fault.

So God has hidden his face from them. God has removed his presence and they are thrust into thick darkness.

And then comes the promise of Isaiah 9:1,

BUT [in the midst of judgment there is the promise and the certainty of the Lord's deliverance and] there shall be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time [the Lord] brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He will make it glorious, by the way of the Sea [of Galilee, the land] beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

Oh there was gloom; God’s people were in anguish. The people of Israel, the northern kingdom, specifically the land of Zebulun and Naphtali were the first to be captured and hauled away by the Assyrians.

This is terrible. They now belong to another. But a glorious time is coming; it is the glorious time of Christ.

Matthew quotes from Isaiah 9:1 & 2 and says in Matthew 4:14 that these words of Isaiah were fulfilled when Christ left Nazareth and went to live in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.

Our deepest gloom and grievous affliction can be turned around. The capture of Zebulun, Naphtali, all the Northern Kingdom, and even the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple itself are inconsequential when it comes to living a life of joy.

Now get this; the removal of gloom doesn’t come when Israel is released from Babylonian captivity.

The removal of gloom doesn’t come with the rebuilding of the temple. The removal of gloom, the exchange of depression for joy comes only through God’s gift of Christmas.

(Countdown to Christmas, day 5)