This is a principle my wife, Taffi, and I are teaching our children every day. Not only that, we're showing them the importance of making God their source, and not the world. We don't want them thinking that the blessings come from us.
They're learning that the manifestation of the blessings comes through us from the Lord. Basically, we're giving them life lessons on true biblical faith. They're learning how to pray, sow financial seeds and expect an abundant harvest.
I remember one year when Taffi and I decided to buy only one gift for each of our kids. They had been conditioned into thinking Christmas time was gift time, and we definitely had to correct that. So, we took it a step further.
We didn't put up any lights or a Christmas tree - we didn't do anything. In fact, we put their gifts under a window - that was it. When our kids woke up Christmas morning, you can imagine the look of disappointment on their faces. One of our daughters even asked if we were playing a practical joke on them. Obviously we weren't.
After our children realized that we were not kidding, Taffi and I sat them down to explain why. We reminded them that they had received plenty of gifts throughout the year. And just because so-and-so's parents buy them a bunch of gifts for Christmas doesn't mean we have to. See, what they didn't realize at first is that so-and-so's parents might have been pressured into buying gifts and probably went into debt as a result.
We had to explain to our kids that as Christians we celebrate Christ. We don't get caught up in the holiday frenzy. We helped them to understand that the purpose for even celebrating Christmas is not to receive gifts, but to thank God for Jesus - His gift to us. We let them know that it's because of Jesus that we're a blessed family.
In the midst of the holiday celebration, it's easy for children, as well as adults, to be misled into trusting the world's system rather than God's. And what our children felt that year is what many believers commonly feel during this time of year.
Disappointment sets in when they don't get the material things they expect. And as a result, they lose trust in God as if it's His fault.
Child of God, this should not be the case for you. The Lord has already given you the greatest gift of all - His Son. And through that gift you are able to obtain everything you desire and all God has in store for you - salvation, deliverance, wealth, health, etc.
Now John 3:16 is one of the most popular verses in the entire Bible. Most people know this scripture by heart, even sinners. Many Christians pride themselves on being able to recite it. Some, however, don't fully understand what this verse means.
Scripture says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." According to this scripture, we see that God loved the world so much that He gave. He saw that sinful man needed to be redeemed from bondage to spiritual death. Although the world didn't love Him, He loved it anyway. This lets us know His love is unconditional, limitless and without restraints.
You see, God's gift to you cost Him a great price, but to Him it was worth it. By giving His only Son, God was able to adopt many sons. As believers, we are His sons (John 1:12). Galatians 4:4-5 says, "When the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman...to purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship...[and be recognized as God's sons]" (AMP).
As part of your sonship, there's much more to your salvation than having a free ticket to heaven. Yes, the Bible promises you eternal life in heaven with God, but you've also been given the gift of righteousness through Jesus (Rom. 5:17). To be righteous simply means "to be in right-standing with God."
So because of your right-standing (or right relationship) with the Lord, you don't have to qualify to receive His blessings. Your born-again status is what qualifies you, not the things you do. That's why Ephesians 2:8 says, "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
According to Romans 3:21-28, your righteousness, which comes through the law of faith, is what redeems you from sin. A law is "an established principle." So when you were unsaved and lived as a sinner, you lived under the established principle of sin and death. As a sinner, you were dying spiritually. But the Bible says, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).
The Birth of the Anointing You see, as a born-again believer, you live a new life in Christ. For years, people thought "Christ" was Jesus' last name. If it were, then His earthly parents should have been known as Joseph and Mary Christ. Of course that's not in line with the Word of God.
Christ is not a name at all - it's a title. That's why Martha said to Jesus, "...I believe thou art the Christ, the Son of God..." (John 11:27). In John 6:69, Peter said the same thing. So Christ refers to Who Jesus is and comes from the Greek word Christos, which means "the Anointed One." And based on Isaiah 10:27 and Luke 4:18, we know that the anointing is "the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God."
Therefore, the Anointed One removed the burden of sin and destroyed the yoke of death through His Anointing so you and I could obtain righteousness.
So, you can't qualify as righteous by doing good things. The law of righteousness in the Anointed One, Jesus, qualifies you (Rom. 10:4). God has declared it. So righteous is what you're called to be. When you are born again, you are counted as the righteousness of God in Jesus. That means God sees you as His own.
Child of God, regardless of what you've been taught concerning the meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Lord wants you to know the truth.
This holiday season is not about food, trees, gifts or even a group of people. It's OK to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but God's desire is that you understand why. It does you no good to only know the story of Jesus' birth, you have to get the heart of the matter and truly experience the celebration.
First John 3 tells you the true meaning behind the birth of Jesus. Scripture says, "...the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). The word destroy in this verse is translated from the Greek word luo, which means "to loose, dissolve, sever, break, demolish."
Also, Acts 10:38 says, "...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." So Jesus was born and anointed to loosen and break the chain of sin and death from around the lives of God's people.
Therefore as a believer, your responsibility is to celebrate the fact that you don't have to be bound by sin anymore. You're free! Satan's hold on you has been broken!
What does the birth of the Anointed One mean? It means if you're blind, you have the right to see! If you're depressed, you can experience the God-kind of joy! If you're broke, busted and disgusted, you don't have to be broke anymore!
The Anointed One and His Anointing is available to prosper you in every area of life. This time next year you can be living in the abundance God desires for you. But it starts by understanding how to tap into the anointing through the anointing connector - the Word of God.
This season is all about celebrating the anointing - the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God. The anointing, made available to you through Jesus Christ, enables you to attain the unattainable and do the impossible. If you're to ever benefit from the power of God, you're going to have to live His way, which is the Word way. You must live by the Word and let it shape your thinking, conversation and ultimately your entire life (Romans 12:2).
During this holiday season, make a quality decision to celebrate the birth of the anointing. Let that be your focus as you spend time with those close to you. There's nothing wrong with throwing a party this year. Just make sure that Jesus, the Anointed One, is at the center of all you do. That's the best way to "celebrate and have a real good time." So come on...let's celebrate the Anointed One and His Anointing!