How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed!

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 1. 1.‘Lose It’ Over the Secular War on Christmas While Ignoring the ‘Real Thing’ (Matt. 2:7-18; Rev. 12:1-5)

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! Matt. 2:7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! Rev. 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 2. 2.Allow Family Situations to Take You Away from Real Living for Christ (Luke 1:24-25, 57-61)

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! Luke 1:24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying,

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 3. 3.Doubt God’s Promise and Deliverance from Your Current Problems and/or Sins (Luke 1:5-20)

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

“How to Have a Blue Christmas – Guaranteed! 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”