When talking about worship, I often like to go to the following passage that speaks of three ways in which NT believers can offer sacrifices to God.
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."Hebrews 13:15, 16
I find it easier in the Christmas Season, (busy and commercial as it is) to offer God my "sacrifice of praise" than at any other. We play more "praising music" in our home at this time of year than at any other. In fact as I write, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is singing Christmas praises for me - I am joining in, but silently.
Here in our Vietnamese apartment building, filled with mostly Vietnamese, the muzak in our hallway sometimes includes Christmas carols in English words! A friend told me that this week he heard a Christian Christmas Carol in a local grocery store - surprisingly sung in Vietnamese! The Good News sung publicly in our country! Sacrifices of Praise!
In this Christmas Season it is also easier for most of us to make room for sacrifices of "doing good and sharing with others." We had an opportunity to do that last night. Two of our young adult Vietnamese friends brought three of their friends over for a small Christmas Party. Jan prepared well: she taught them how to make snow flakes by folding and cutting paper just the right way. None of them have ever seen snow except on TV so had fun making snow flakes.
Then Jan provided a small cake for them each to decorate as their own Christmas cake. We ate some of the cakes as well as some fruit. While we sat at the table, I asked them if they knew the history of Christmas. Two of them knew almost nothing about the Christmas Story, so we enjoyed a great table discussion about what the coming of Christ was all about.
Monday night we will host a small farewell/Christmas party for a young woman who has been teaching English here but moves later this month to south Vietnam. Then on Wednesday we will host another party. Our two Vietnamese friends want to bring five more friends to our apartment to play games, eat, and talk about the history of Christmas.
Thank you God for opportunities to offer you sacrifices of doing good and sharing. I hope you really enter into this special season with its many extra opportunities to offer sacrifices to our Lord.
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."Hebrews 13:15, 16
I find it easier in the Christmas Season, (busy and commercial as it is) to offer God my "sacrifice of praise" than at any other. We play more "praising music" in our home at this time of year than at any other. In fact as I write, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is singing Christmas praises for me - I am joining in, but silently.
Here in our Vietnamese apartment building, filled with mostly Vietnamese, the muzak in our hallway sometimes includes Christmas carols in English words! A friend told me that this week he heard a Christian Christmas Carol in a local grocery store - surprisingly sung in Vietnamese! The Good News sung publicly in our country! Sacrifices of Praise!
In this Christmas Season it is also easier for most of us to make room for sacrifices of "doing good and sharing with others." We had an opportunity to do that last night. Two of our young adult Vietnamese friends brought three of their friends over for a small Christmas Party. Jan prepared well: she taught them how to make snow flakes by folding and cutting paper just the right way. None of them have ever seen snow except on TV so had fun making snow flakes.
Then Jan provided a small cake for them each to decorate as their own Christmas cake. We ate some of the cakes as well as some fruit. While we sat at the table, I asked them if they knew the history of Christmas. Two of them knew almost nothing about the Christmas Story, so we enjoyed a great table discussion about what the coming of Christ was all about.
Monday night we will host a small farewell/Christmas party for a young woman who has been teaching English here but moves later this month to south Vietnam. Then on Wednesday we will host another party. Our two Vietnamese friends want to bring five more friends to our apartment to play games, eat, and talk about the history of Christmas.
Thank you God for opportunities to offer you sacrifices of doing good and sharing. I hope you really enter into this special season with its many extra opportunities to offer sacrifices to our Lord.
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