"Let's give thanks to the Lord above cause Santa Claus comes tonight."

[Note: Readership of my blog posts has multiplied exponentially in recent months. If you are promoting my blog, many thanks!]

I'm a geezer. 

The first Churches of God Conference I attended was in 1976.

Things have changed significantly among us during those decades.

Back in the day, very few Churches of God congregations celebrated Advent. This year, thr Executive Director of my Conference and of the General Conference sent out messages to the body focusing on the meaning of Advent and on the the importance of the Church Calendar. 

Back in the day, Churches of God Christmas sermons, if there were Christmas sermons,decried the evil of the commercialization of the season,... if Christmas sermons were preached at all. 

Now, from what I see, the Advent-ification of our churches is nearly complete...

... and our slow decline of past decades has become decay.

From what I see, our "pastors" are content to blend Advent ritual with secular commercialization. 

We do our Advent candles. And, simply acknowledge that, apart from Advent Sundays, and, today?

Let's give thanks to the Lord above cause Santa Claus comes tonight. 

*****

Since I've stopped blogging regularly, I've received more feedback than I expected that people miss reading what I blog. 

It's time, I think, to blog a prophecy I entered, for the first time, as far back as the days of Brian Miller's Emerging Church blog:

THE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS, let alone Advent, IS A DISASTROUS LOST OPPORTUNITY. 

The New Testament doesn't detail early disciples celebrating the birth of Jesus.  Only two of the four Gospels even mention it... and, then, only to demonstrate that Jesus came to earth in fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy, i.e., He was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, etc..

My friends, early disciples didn't preach His Advent, they proclaimed His incarnation.

"The word became flesh and lived among us."

"... have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God... made Himself,  nothing taking the very nature of a servant..."

In Matthew 25, Jesus is clear. When He separates sheep from goats, believing the right things about His coming will not be the issue. 

What will matter is whether if your knowledge and faith produced fruit in righteousness and mercy, particularly among "the least of these."

This year, again, most "pastors" and parents missed the opportunity to take advantage of the commercialization of Christmas. Because they focused on the advent of Jesus,...

... not on the truth that the moment of His coming was merely preface to the story of the true miracle: The Word became flesh and He lived among us. 

We must repent.