I want to begin by saying that I love my wife. She is my best friend, my confidant, my biggest critic. She knows when to tell me "That's not the ditch you want to die in. It's not worth the effort," and when to say, "You have to speak up on this one. No one else will."

But there is one itsy, bitsy little thing, one very minor issue that I probably should even mention. Maybe some other husbands have had this happen. She sometimes will ask my opinion, and then do the opposite. For example, baking Christmas cookies. "Doug, should I bake my mom's lemon cookies, or should I make the chocolate cherry cookies?" "Oh, make the lemon this time. I love those." "You know, Doug, I think I'll make the chocolate cherry." "OK. Why'd you ask?"

Or, "Doug, should I wear these black pants or the grey pants?" "Oh, you can't go wrong with black." "Yeah, that's true. I think I'll wear the grey." "Then why did you ask?"

Does that ever happen in your house?

Sometimes we do that with the Lord, don’t we? "Lord, this year I want a simple Christmas that focuses on what's important. Is that OK?" And in His Word, he tells us what is most important: that Christ was born, He lived perfectly, He died, He rose. "It's very simple. Worship Me. Praise Me. Direct others to me," He says.

And then I turn around and do the opposite. I complicate things. I make choices that turn the Holy Days of Christmas into not much more than Holidays of the season. Because I'm a sinner, I WANT to know His will, BUT THEN I go and do the opposite. I turn this season of the year from a wonderful opportunity to draw near to the Lord and to tell others the reason for the season, into a time where I feel 10 pounds heavier, feel 10 years older, and am tempted to wipe out the bank account. Does that ever happen in your house, this time of year?

We come to worship in the Advent season in need of respite from the world, in need of peace and solitude that only comes through Jesus Christ. Let me give you a tip and a challenge this month, and throughout the year. The lectionary, these Scripture readings on the back of the bulletin, were revised, knowing what you go through at different times of the year. This is God's Word speaking to you in the various seasons of life. The challenge is to see how the 3 readings go together, why they were selected for today. Especially the Old Testament and Gospel readings have a relationship, so each week you might want to try and figure out how they go together!

These 3 readings go together in a specific way. I think the 3 readings answer the questions "What is Advent all about?" and "How can the next 4 weeks be more about the Holy Days of the season instead just about the secular holidays that Hallmark and Wal-Mart proclaim?

First, Advent is a time for Looking back. The word "advent" means "He Comes" and so we should find time to look back at Christ's first coming into our world. Our Gospel reading at first seems sadly out of place, why is the Palm Sunday story being read? Bu the key verse is this: "Blessed is He who comes.. who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest."

These holy days are first about worshiping, praising our God for sending His Son Jesus into our world. The Long-Expected Jesus has arrived. The circumstances may have surprised many people, but it was all according to God's plan and promise!

Does it ever happen in your house where you minimize the mammoth accomplishment of the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the prophecies for centuries before?

The first prophecy was in the Garden of Eden, after the Fall, Genesis 3:15, when God said to Satan, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, between our offspring and hers. He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel."

• A man would enter the human race born of a woman
• He would do battle with Satan
• Satan will strike a blow, but not defeat Him
• This man would crush Satan and His power.

• Genesis 49 tells us the Savior would come through the tribe of Judah.

• 1 Samuel 16 tells us that Savior would be a descendant of David.
• Isaiah 7 adds that He will be born of a virgin.
• Micah 5 specifies that place to be Bethlehem.
• The genealogies of Scripture impresses the fact that God's plan spans the generations.

God the Father orchestrated all of human history to bring His Son into the world at just the right time. Isn't that amazing! To make the Holidays into Holy Days, be sure to celebrate Christ's first coming.

Our Epistle Reading reminds us that Christ's Advent takes place today as He comes into our hearts through the means of grace. Paul says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." When we are asleep we are oblivious to what goes on around us. When something wakes us up, we're groggy and dazed. When people call me in the middle of the night, I'm glad they call. That's what I'm here for. However, I may ask them to repeat the specifics a couple of times so that I get it right. It takes time to wake up.

In the Epistle reading, In a real sense, Paul is telling us to "wake up." Christ could return at any time. Be alert! Wake up! Have priorities that are please to God!

Tim McGraw is a country singer, I like him a lot. He had a song out a year ago that hit home with millions of listeners called, "Live Like You Were Dying." It's about the way our priorities change when we learn that we could be suffering a serious illness. If we truly lived as if Christ was coming again in (say) 30 days, would we change anything? Would we treat people differently? Would our Christmas celebration be different? Would we invest more time in Kingdom activities? Is there anyone we would talk to about Christ's death on the cross for all sinners? Would you say "I Love You" more often? Would the pews be filled?

Too many of us are still in our pajamas. We're still groggy Christians. We aren't dressed and ready to greet Jesus face to face. Paul says, "Put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

Thankfully, this is not something we do of ourselves. It's the gift of God. This advent season should be a time of repentance. It's a time to look inside and assess. And it is a time to confess our sins, our preoccupation with the world. It's a time to rejoice in the forgiveness of sins that Jesus Christ won on the cross for us. It's a time to "remember why Christ was born in Bethlehem" and to receive Him.

If you asked the Lord how to make the Holidays into Holy Days, He would further say, "Look at Isaiah 2." Remember that Advent also is a time to reflect on Christ's 2^nd coming, oh…that there is a much better place awaiting us because of Christ's 1^st advent!

This is a season of hope, and hope means that there is something much better in store for each of us. Today, there is so much hatred, violence, lawlessness, and brokenness. This is the not the world God created. This is the world corrupted by sin. Hope means, "better days are a-comin'!"

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror. Then we shall see face to face."

You can see those words inscribed outside the wall of the United Nations. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Since the founding of the United Nations at the end of World War 2, wars and rumor of war continue.

This week additional efforts were made to find peace between Israel, Palestine, and many Arab nations participated.

Though statesmen strive for peace, The Gospel of Jesus gives lasting peace to all people who receive Jesus. This is the peace with God that comes in knowing sins forgiven and eternal life assured. At Jesus' 2^nd advent on Judgment Day, and the faithful believers will receive peace that never ends.

And this provide through the Prince of Peace.

If you are asking the Lord today how to have a proper celebration of His birth, how to make this Holy Days instead of mere Holidays, He gives you His answer in our Scriptures: focus on His first Advent in Bethlehem, His coming into your heart through repentance and faith, and His second coming where the peace and joy will never end. That makes for a wonderful celebration of Christmas!