DECEMBER WITHOUT DISASTER, Page 2

  As earlier stated, December is a month full of ceremonies, such as marriage ceremonies, birthday parties, naming ceremonies, launching of new uniforms by age grade and associations etc.

  But paramount among all these is marriage ceremony, mostly church weddings. People get married more in December than every other month of the year.

  Some men go into borrowing for wedding ceremonies, after which they live in sorrow because of the difficulties they face trying to pay their debts.

  This is a very clear indication that many people are prepared for wedding, but only few are prepared for marriage. Marriage is not all about wedding. The real matrimonial responsibility comes after wedding.

  Now in order to experience a disaster frees December in this regard, you must learn not to raise your hands higher than your ability. Do not allow a day’s ceremony to rob you of your everlasting joy.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  TRAVELING WITHOUT DISASTER

  The month of December is known for traveling more than every other month of the year. Many people who work in different cities usually travel home to celebrate Christmas with their family members and their loved ones.

  Many drives over speed, during this season just to make fast money to celebrate Christmas, not minding the safety of their lives as well as that of their passengers, forgetting that over speeding kills, and that, only the living can celebrate.

  There is higher rate of accident in December than every other months of the year. This can be as a result of the carelessness of and recklessness of the drivers or as a result of evil operation in opposition to the Christmas celebration, which is in honour of the birth of Jesus Christ.

  Remember that as Herod killed little children during the time that Jesus was born, the devil is still trying to kill people in our days so that the joy of Christmas will be killed. Therefore, if you want to travel pray very hard before embarking on any journey especially during Christmas season.

  Sometimes you may be attacked by armed robbers on the way, mostly during Christmas season. They too are looking for money to celebrate Christmas, “what an irony”! Many of them have been killed in the process.

  Now for us to travel without disaster in this respect, let us travel before December or earlier in December, knowing that the earlier the better, because the last hour is always disastrous.

  CHAPTER SIX:

  ADVENT WITHOUT DISASTER

  Advent is one of the most important events of the season in the month December. It is a period that calls for and reminds good spirited Christians to prepare their lives for the coming of Christ.

  In other words, it is the time of great expectation. As we wait expectantly for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We get ourselves prepared through spiritual activities such as conferences, crusades, revivals and retreats.

  This we do in obedience to what the scriptures say through the prophet Isaiah. A voice cries out “prepare in the wilderness a road for the Lord, fill every valley; level every mountain. The hill will become a plain, and the roughed country will be made smooth. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind will see it. The Lord himself has promised this” (Isaiah 40:3-5).

  At that time John the Baptist came to the desert and started preaching “Turn away from you sin” he said, “Because the kingdom of heaven is near!” John was the man the prophet Isaiah was talking about when he said, “Someone is shouting in the desert, prepare a road for the Lord; Make a straight path for Him to travel!” (Matthew 3:1-3).

  “Stay awake so that you may be ready for the Lord’s coming”. (Matthew 24:37-44). Our salvation is nearer now than it was. You know the time has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is even nearer now than it was when we were converted. The night is almost over, it will be day light soon-let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark: let us arm ourselves and appear in the light. Let us live decently as people do in the day time: no drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy. Let your amour be the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 13:11-14).

  This time of great and joyous expectancy requires great preparation for our expectation to be fulfilled; we must be well prepared for it. Or else the Devil will turn this joyful celebration into a sorrowful disaster. Know that the devil is not happy seeing God’s children rejoicing.

  CHAPTER SEVEN:

  CHRISTMAS WITHOUT CRISIS

  Christmas, 25th December is the day when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is celebrated in honour of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  Though history tells us that this 25th December is a day the Romans were celebrating the sun god. But the Christians seized it and decided to use it for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

  This they did in order to discourage the Romans from worshipping the sun god.

  Now the whole world is celebrating Christmas on the 25th December every year. People have different perception and conceptions about Christmas, some have wrong perceptions, and others have right perceptions. Just like blind men who described the elephant according to the part of the elephant each of them touched.

  Those with wrong conception and perceptions about Christmas remove Christ and replace it with X thereby calling X-mas instead of Christmas. As we all know X can mean anything. Those who call X-mas do anything they like to glorify the devil, rather than God. When the real Christians are celebrating Christmas, some people, especially those who call X-mas are busy celebrating “evilmas”.

  But the main lesson for all of us to learn about the birth of Jesus Christ is humility. Though Christ is a King, there is nothing kingly about His birth.

  As he was born and wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in a manger-there was no room for them to stay in the inn. (Matthew 2:7).

  Now do you have a room in your heart for Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ said, listen! I stand at the door and knock, if any one hears my voice and opens the door! I will come into his house and eat with him, and he will eat with me. (Revelation 3:20).

  Here the story about Faith, Hope and Love comes in. These three were waiting for the Lord in prayer. The Lord decided to come in form of a gentle young boy. He first went to Faith and knocked at his door, Faith said get out from me, don’t disturb me, I am waiting for the Lord. He left and knocked at the door of Hope. Hope said get out of my door, don’t disturb me, I am waiting for the Lord. He left again and knock at the door of Love, Love said come in I am waiting for the Lord. You look gentle, come let us wait together and the Lord entered into the house of Love. You see the power of Love! The scripture says, there are three things that last, Faith, Hope and Love. Love is the greatest of all. (1 Corinthians 13:13).

  Without Love and humility, we cannot open the door of our hearts for Jesus Christ to enter. Thus let us pray for the gift of abundant Love to enable us welcome Jesus into our hearts. If you have Jesus in your life every day is a Christmas day for you.

  The most unfortunate thing about the Christmas celebration is that some Christians do not go to church on Christmas day. Those who do not go to church do so because of the preparation for the celebration.

  Just like a woman who was celebrating the birth day of her child and decided to leave the child with the grandmother somewhere outside the feast. When her friends visited her and asked her, where is the child! She said, I leave him with the grandmother because he will disturb us.

  That is how some people celebrate Christmas without Christ, and they celebrate it with physical and spiritual crises, as any life without Christ is full of crises.

  Christmas day which is supposed to be a day of sober reflection is the day that the worst sins are committed, such as alcoholism, quarreling, fighting and prostitution.

  Some people use this one day celebrating to ruin their glorious future.

  One important thing worthy of note here is that these sexual immorality which now becomes the order of the day, endangers our lives. Having sex before and outside marriage
is like eating unripe fruits, as the unripe fruits can wound our tongues and lips, that is how the consequences of sexual immorality can destroy our bodies and souls.

  You can be infected with sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDS, Syphilis, Staphylococcus, Gonorrhea etc. it can also lead to unintended pregnancy, which results in abortion and eventually leads to untimely death. You see how one sin attracts another!

  Many people have ruined their lives because of over consumption to alcohol. Some people would spend all their money on Christmas after which they will be living in abject poverty. Some people will want to eat everything they see on that day, thereafter you see them vomiting even in their wares. What a shameful celebration!

  Christmas is a day of reconciliations with God and humanity. It is a day of sharing love with the poor, relatives and friends. Your gift should first to the poor who cannot give back to you. Giving to the poor is like having an account in heaven where you can withdraw without stress as you kneel down and talk to God about your needs which He provides generously. The first day you start giving to the poor, you have opened your heavenly account. Each time you give again, you service the account. Giving to the poor is also a way of giving yourself away from poverty into prosperity.

  But some people give only to their friends and relatives who will give back to them. It is another way of saying, taste my own let me taste your own.

  Just as the wise men seek Jesus when they heard about His birth, that is how the wise people are still searching for Jesus today. Only the foolish people who celebrate “evilmas” instead of Christmas, refuse to search for Jesus.

  When the wise men reached where Jesus was born, they went into the house, and when they saw Jesus and His Mother Mary, they knelt down and worshipped Him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him. In the same way, the wise men still present gifts to the church, which is the body of Christ today. (Matthew 2:11).

  Now for us to celebrate our Christmas without crisis we must learn to avoid all the negative attitude to Christmas and celebrate it to the glory of God.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  GIVING WITHOUT CRISIS

  December, Christmas season is the season of giving. This began with the wise men. As they visited Jesus, they went into the house, and when they saw the child with His Mother Mary they knelt down and worshipped Him. Then they brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense

  and Myrrh and presented them to Him. (Matthew 2:11). There are many ways by which we can give. Peter said to the lame man, “I have no money at all, in other words; silver and gold I don’t have, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I order you to get up and walk!” then he took him by his right hand and helped him up. At once the man’s feet and ankles became strong; he jumped up, stood on his feet, and started walking around. Then he went into the Temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. (Acts 3:6-9).

  Note; living is giving. Don’t say; I don’t have enough to give! You don’t have to get enough to give, you give to get enough. Everybody has something to give, either by material gift, service, encouragement or advice.

  God gives everybody something, but He doesn’t give anybody everything. When you give, give according to your capacity; don’t go borrowing money during Christmas season just to satisfy everybody, lest you end-up dissatisfying everybody including yourself.

  But if you have not done anything for somebody who will not be able to pay back today, it means you have not lived properly today. Don’t count your daily success by the harvest you make, but count your success by what you give.

  Your success is not successful until you help others to succeed with you, as there is no success without succession. You are not remembered by what you have but by what you give. The quality of your life is not determined by its duration but by its donation. It is good to praise a man by what he says, better by what he does, best by what he gives.

  Remember that your little act of kindness can go a long way to heal a great wound in the heart of somebody. Always try a little kindness, shine your light for everyone to see. Try to put smile on the face of somebody. For a man who carries sun shine to others cannot keep it from himself.

  As you are pouring out goodness from your jug, no one can pour any bad thing into it; instead God will pour more goodness into your jug. Goodness is the only investment that never fails.

  Note that as you give to the poor you are giving yourself away from poverty into prosperity. So try to do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can and as long as you live.

  Sharing with the poor means you are a share holder in heaven and you know what it means to be a share holder in heaven! It means you are lacking nothing. As the popular adage goes, “givers never lack”. (Read Luke 12:32-34).

  Your goodness is gathering some cloud in the sky, one day the rain of Jesus will fail on you with all it goodness.

  In Joppa there was woman named Tabitha, who was a believer. (Her name in Greek is Dorcas, meaning a “Deer”). She spent all her time doing good and helping the poor. At that time she became ill and died, her body was washed and laid in a room upstairs. Joppa was not very far from Lydda, and when the believers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda. They sent two men to him with the message, “please hurry and come to us”. So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, he was taken to the room upstairs, where all the widows crowded around him, crying and showing him all the shirts and coats that Dorcas had made while she was alive. Peter put them all out of the room, and knelt down and prayed; then he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha get up” she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. Peter reached over and helped her get up. Then he called the believers, including the widows, and presented her alive to them. The news about this spread all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. (Acts 9:36-42).

  That is how your goodness will one day bring you back from death to life. Don’t worry, those who receive gifts from you, especially believers are praying for you and God will soon answer their prayers, and your Peter will soon arrive. And when he arrives, your case will never be the same again.

  (Psalm 41:1-3) says, Happy are those who are concerned for the poor; the Lord will help them when they are in trouble. The Lord will protect them and preserve their lives; He will make them happy in the land; He will not abandon them to the power of their enemies. The Lord will help them when they are sick and will restore them to health.

  (James 1:27) says “what God the father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this; to take care of the orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.

  For our Christmas celebration to be without crisis; we must try to help the poor, the widows and orphans and avoid all forms of corrupt practices.

  CHAPTER NINE

  BOXING DAY WITHOUT CRISIS

  Boxing Day is the first day after Christmas. It is an official holiday in Britain and some other countries.

  Boxing Day is a day when employers and Masters present gifts in boxes for their employees and servants respectively. This they do to appreciate the services of their employees and servants, especially during Christmas season.

  In the Church, especially Catholic Church we have a special box where people put gifts to support the poor.

  This day is a special day for giving. A husband gives some gifts to his wife to appreciate her effort during the Christmas season. The wife in turn appreciates her husband. Parents appreciate their children, they in turn appreciate their parents. Friends appreciate one another. The families appreciate one another.

  This day indeed is a day of giving to appreciate humanity.

  Gratitude is what makes life rich. So let us learn to develop an attitude to of gratitude to make life enjoyable. Boxing Day comes and goes but giving continues. The seen and unseen nature of our kindness does not count what counts is the spirit by
which we show kindness.

  Christmas season with the boxing day inclusive is a time we get our past forgotten and our present remembered. It is a time of forgiveness and forgiveness heals, but unforgiveness is self imprisonment. As long as you refuse to forgive somebody, you are a prisoner to that person. You must forgive to set yourself free. unforgiveness causes friction to the heart, but forgiveness lubricates the heart.

  Christmas season is a time to get closer to Christ for him to come closer to us. (James 4:8). If we make Jesus the head of our family, whether we have enough or not, “with Jesus in the family, happy, happy home”, as we all know, “the family of the Lord is always full of joy”.

  Let us not try to use Jesus like our spare tyre, which is only useful in the time of trouble, and forgotten in the time of joy. Instead let us be in constant fellowship with him, both in the time of trouble and the time of joy.

  CHAPTER TEN

  NEW YEAR WITHOUT CRISIS

  First January every year is celebrated as New Year day. It is every body’s birth day.

  In Catholic Church, it is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Many people make New Year resolution on this day and this has to do with a firm decision to do or not to do something.

  Some people decide to be more devoted to God. Others decide to stop their bad habit like smoking, drunkenness and the rest. Whatever decision you take as your New Year resolution, it takes commitment and will power to keep it. It is not just saying it that matters, you have to be mindful of what you say and act accordingly.

  As the popular saying goes, “New Year new fashion”. Many people change fashion every year, some change positively, others change negatively.

  Though everything changes, except change, some people don’t want any change at all in their lives. For such people, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. If you refuse to change, you will be in chains. You need to train your mind to accept new ideas.

  Remember that, rejecting all new ideas will save you a lot of headache and any hope of progress. Learn to be flexible in your decision. Don’t be too rigid. When there is a wind storm, the flexible trees that bend easily are able to withstand the storm, but the trees that are rigid are broken down. That is how the flexible people are able to withstand the storm of life, and those that are too rigid are broken down by the storm of life.