I love Christmas. It can be such a happy time of year with beautiful decorations, wonderful carols, and presents. (Although, I get more excited over the kids presents than my own. LOL)
I also love how people are more open and receptive to the message of Christ. It is His birthday after all. Oh, you'll get some hum drummers, but overall, we have a little more leeway at Christmas to talk about God.
Which brings me to the second reason we should read the major books of prophecy (you can read the first here). The Apostle Paul put it this way,
"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." 2 Cor. 5:11 KJV
The way the prophets pleaded with Isreal, reminds me that I should plead with those around me.
THEY are the reason Jesus came after all.
And I ought to be telling people about God, especially in this season.
The major prophets help me remember what's a stake if I keep the good news to myself.
But the key is to read the prophets with a receptive heart. I can gloss over them, instantly forgetting what I just read, but if I open my heart to the truth of their message, the major books of prophecy remind me why Christmas is important. Why the great commission is important. Because I know, WE KNOW, what's coming if one doesn't trust Jesus as their Saviour.
Reading the major prophets can help you remember that the gift of life is more important than picking the perfect gift to put under the tree.
Will you remember why we celebrate Christmas this year? Will you plead with people as the prophets plead with Israel to turn from their sins?
Don't let the strong messages of the prophets pull you down. Let it stir you up! Spread the good news this Christmas.
Would you like to read some other blogs about Christmas?
Here's a little list from fellow bloggers:
Susan writes Christmas reminds us that change is possible. (Loved the challenge, the core message of this one)
Nola writes about Christmas songs! (I loved all the stories and songs she shared!)
Karen has two. The first is: 11 Practice tips to Finding Peace and Purpose (I loved this list, AND the personal story she shared about putting that list into action.)
Karen's second blog is: 9 Gifts that Help Bring Peace and Purpose (A wonderful and unique way of looking at the decorations around your home and using them to remind you of Jesus's gifts to us. Just Beautiful.)
Thanks for that, Dienece. The prophetic books can certainly be challenging, especially if we just plough in without knowing the context. Some of it can seem strange to our ears, but it's still meaningful to us today. I've recently bought a chronological Bible, which contains the whole Bible but with books and passages arranged in the order they occurred. For example, the prophetic books are interpersed among the historical books so we know when that prophet was speaking; some of the Psalms appear after the particular event for which they were written (e.g., Psalm 51 after the passage about David and Bathsheba), and Paul's letters interspersed with Acts. It has a reading for each day and I'm only up to…
The prophetic books are indeed challenging to read, but contain important truths. I'm also encouraged by their reluctance! (Jeremiah 1:4-9 and Jonah 1-4) And God's enabling (Jeremiah 1:19).