Devotions - Prayer
“You will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is
light” (Matthew 11:29-30).
I know of only one way to enter into this rest that Jesus is talking about. If
understood and appropriated, this truth will usher you into the most glorious
Peace possible on this side of heaven and end ALL feelings of insecurity.
This foundational truth upon which all others are built is the doctrine of
“Justification by Faith”.
*It is the one doctrine you must understand if you hope to enter into the rest that Jesus offers.
I can only touch on the highlights of the magnificent truth of being justified
by faith. Yet I believe God desires to lead His church further into this divine
truth—to give us a foundational strength that will hold us in the days to
come.
Sadly, when you mention the subject of doctrine, many Christians turn up their
noses. They say, “I don’t want to hear all that deep, heavy stuff. Just
give me Jesus!”
**Yet what they really mean is, “I don’t want to discipline myself or spend the Time to Learn what Jesus did at the cross.”
Too many Christians become emotionally involved with the cross but never really study it.
I have heard many preachers deliver emotional appeals about Jesus and
the cross—about His beatings, the crown of thorns on His head, the spikes
driven into His hands.
The preaching of the cross is about much more than that,however.
It is about the “Victory of the Cross” and what Jesus did for ALL of humankind.
For those who desire to “learn of Him,” who want to understand Jesus’
wonderful work at Calvary, let’ look at this concept of justification by faith a little.
Two things are involved in our justification by the cross of Jesus Christ:
1. First, we have Pardon for ALL our sins. **When Jesus went to the cross, His blood pardoned us from all guilt.
2. Second, we are Accepted by God as righteous in Christ, through faith.
* This means God accepts us on the merits of what Jesus DID on the cross and not because of our works or any good deeds.
*Because of the Cross, God considered everything about Our old flesh-man done away with!!
Paul asked, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”(Romans 6:1) and he continued quickly, “Certainly not!”
I believe Paul was saying,
*Why would any Christian, having been set free from such death, go back and resurrect the corpse?
*Why go back to a life of sin when God wants to take away all guilt and condemnation and give you security and peace?
Now, because of the Cross, you can serve the Lord with joy and gladness and obey Him in a new obligation called LOVE.
*“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies”
(Romans 8:33).
Obedience in the Christian life is being in the Zone(like you hear about sports figures when doing well). When we live a life of Obedience, we begin to experience the Reality of God like never before.
* Wisdom grows in our life.
* Meaning and purpose are accelerated.
*In the early Church, the Hebrews gained wisdom through Obedience. *Later, the Greeks were characterized as gaining wisdom through Reason and Analysis.
**Today, we live in a very Greek-influenced Church. Many Christians determine if they will obey based on whether the Outcome will be beneficial to Them.
Imagine if the early Church had adopted this philosophy!
* No walls would have fallen down at Jericho.
*No Red Sea would have parted.
*No one would have been healed.
*No coins would have been found in the mouth of a fish.
*Reason and analysis would not have led to making the obedient decision.
Trust and obey. Leave the outcome to God.
“So,” you ask, “are we simply to take by faith the righteousness of Jesus?”
Yes, absolutely! That is what the Christian walk is all about—Resting by
Faith in What Jesus accomplished!
Our old man is dead, and the new Man is Jesus. (Eph. 2:1-10).
When we put our faith in Him,
God fully accepts us. He considers us righteous, hidden in the bosom of His
dear Son. So whenever you sin or fail, run quickly to your Lawyer, your
Advocate. Confess your failures to Him, and rest in His righteousness.
You may ask, “Don’t good works have any place in this doctrine?” Of course they do, but on this condition:
** Good works cannot save you, justify you or make you righteous or acceptable to God.
***The ONLY thing that saves you is your faith in what Jesus did!
**What did Jesus do? He saved you, pardoned you and accepted you in the
beloved—sins, failures and all.
God sees YOU now only in Jesus Christ and that is why we must come to our Savior every time we fall. The blood that forgave and cleansed us the first time we came to Jesus is the same blood continues to keep us until He returns.
Along with this security comes a higher obligation of doing all our works in
His strength and power rather than trying to do them on our own. “If by the
Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).
The only way to get into God’s good grace is to admit the truth: “There is
no good thing in my flesh, nothing in my good works to merit my salvation. I
cannot become righteous through anything I do in my own strength. My
righteousness is in Christ alone.” Paul says of the gift of righteousness:
“Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will
reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17).
The Lord gave His Word to the Jews but they didn’t believe it. Hebrews 4:2 says, “…the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it].”
We have been given God’s words too, in the Bible. If we will speak God’s Word in Faith, we will get the same results that Jesus did here.
Today, don’t limit God to barely meeting your needs. If you have enough, then believe for extra so that you can bless someone else. “Let God be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants” (Ps. 35:27).
Yield to the Lord’s work in you to bring you into order. When you walk in the Spirit and live in the Spirit, you will come under the rule of divine order, which will produce a great spiritual harvest in your life. Be aware, however, that worldly distractions and other interests will compete with life in the Spirit. You will need to put your priorities in order and maintain kingdom perspective, or you will be drawn away from what is eternally important. Stay connected!
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit
Lord, I believe! Thank You for the good news that Jesus Christ is not dead but alive and that He lives within my heart and has the power to break the chains of sin and the bondage of evil in my life.
Help me to be filled with your love this day and give it away to others in building up others with truthful encouraging words from You Jesus. Thank You Jesus for what You have done in my life. Let me now tell others of what You have done for me (my testimony-Romans 12:11).
Thank You Jesus for the Gift of Rest and Peace I have IN YOU this day!!! Lord, with Easter Coming, help us see Your work on the Cross this year in a Deeper Discerning way and then share with others the True Meaning for Your Glory. Amen
You are the only one who can unlock the door of your heart and allow God’s Love to enter in.
* ” So cut away the thick calluses from your heart and stop being so willfully hardheaded.” Deuteronomy 10:16
**YOU ARE JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD!
Picture yourself standing before God’s throne with no excuse, no alibi.
* Satan, your legal adversary, is reading off the list of charges, with times, places, every shameful detail. He makes accusations of pride, prayerlessness,
covetousness, unfaithfulness, and your heart smites you because you have to
admit, “Yes, that’s me. I did it all.”
It looks hopeless for you. You know God’s eyes are too holy to look upon sin,
and His justice demands that you pay for your crimes against His holiness. You
are helpless.
BUT suddenly, here comes JESUS, your Lawyer, your Advocate. He stretches forth His nail-scarred hands and you know something is about to happen.
**JESUS smiles and whispers, “Don’t be afraid; none of these charges will stand. You’re going to walk out of this courtroom free and fully pardoned. When I’m finished, your accuser won’t have ONE charge left against you!”
**Best of all, JESUS, your Lawyer tells you He has adopted you as His brother. Then He tells you He is the Son of the Judge so you now belong to the Judge’s family, as well!
But there is still the matter of justice. What about the charges against you?
You listen in absolute wonder as your Advocate pleads your case:
*”Judge, You know that I fulfilled the law, living a sinless life.
*And then I took this person’s place, taking on all the punishment for his crimes.
* Through these nail-scarred hands and My pierced side, blood came forth to blot out ALL of his transgressions.
* All these charges were put on My back and I, JESUS paid the penalty for every one of them.”
Your Advocate then looks at your accuser and says, “Satan, you have no grounds to accuse My child. Each of his sins was placed on Me and I have fully pardoned them ALL.
He is not guilty because his faith in the victory of My sacrifice gives him full pardon. You have no case!”
“NOT GUILTY”!-Yes-“NOT GUILTY”!
As the devil slinks out of God’s court, you can hear the Lord cry out: “Who
shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans
8:33).
*The Lord chose you and will keep you.
* When you turn your heart over to Jesus– He says, “Your debt, created by your sin is paid in full and you need not make any more payments on it! Final Verdict– Not Guilty—Go in Peace”!
We have mistakenly given Satan too much credit. He does not have a limitless number of temptations that he can pull on us.
As 1 Jn. 2:16 says, there are three areas where the devil tempts us:
(1) the lust of the flesh,
(2) the lust of the eyes,
(3) the pride of life.
Jesus’ three temptations correspond to these.
By ascribing to Satan limitless temptations and abilities, we have built up our adversary to be bigger than he is. The truth is, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (I Cor. 10:13).
Satan would like you to think that he is tougher than he really is. One of his greatest weapons is Intimidation, BUT he has been defeated. His teeth have been pulled— Now he can only roar as a lion seeking to devour uninformed souls who don’t know their authority in Christ (1 Pet. 5:8).
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up”. (Gal. 6:9)
You will find yourself glancing back at past things for a moment before moving forward. However, there will be a temptation to relive old rejections and places of isolation and loneliness. **Refuse to allow these memories to cause you to get stuck in oppression or condemnation.
**The past has no power unless you remember so clearly that you put yourself in the same situation again.
*But, the purpose of looking back is to see how far you’ve come and how much you have overcome.
* Rejoice in this opportunity to take stock before taking the next step moving forward. You are an overcomer!
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Since Jesus was the Word of God (Jn. 1:1), anything he would have spoken would have been the Word.
Jesus could have said “scat” and the devil would have had to go, yet He quoted the written Word of God three times. (Matthew 4:1-11).
This gives us great assurance that the written Word of God is sufficient for us. Jesus, in the face of the greatest temptations that Satan had to offer, did not need to say anything that was not already recorded in scripture.
It is likely that when Jesus returns to this earth and destroys His enemies, He will just speak the Word that has already been given in scripture. No wonder Satan tries to keep us from studying and knowing God’s Word.
* Even our good works will hurt us if they keep us from really knowing the scriptures.
God has given us this mighty weapon of His Word! When we speak the Word in faith, hell shakes. Satan and his minions have already experienced what the Word can do. They know its power. We need to know it, too.
1John 4:4 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.
Knowing God loves us is the only thing that will give us true identity and security in this life.
* “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…” Psalm 73:25
Lord, Thank You for allowing me to dwell In Your Strength, and Your Power, and Your Might. Because your strength is in me I am blessed! (Psalm 84:5). Because YOUR strength in me, I can do all things! Because I have put on Your whole Armour (Faith, Truth, Peace, Righteousness, Salvation, Spirit, The Word), I am able to stand against the attacks of Satan. (Ephesians 6:11-17). For Greater are You that is in me that he that is in the world.
Lord, As I travel on this journey of life, You sometimes send me up mountains and through the valley of weeping. But You also provide comfort while passing through the valley of weeping by making it a well and providing rain as nourishment to restore my soul.(Psalm 84:6) You provide me direction and protection. You show me your goodness. You give me grace,mercy and glory. You promise not to withhold one good thing from me as long as I abide in you, obey you and trust you. (Psalm 84:11-12). These trials along the journey only take me from strength to strength and one day my journey will end at your throne! Praise Your Name! (Psalm 84:7)
AMEN
If we continue to strive for excellence and integrity in our own lives, then we can only be setting a positive example for those around us.
*God wants our heart–not vain, empty ritual. He wants us to have an authentic Relationship with Him.
*The Primary purpose of Jesus’ coming to this earth was not forgiveness of sins, BUT to Give US Eternal Life which is a quality of Life, the life of God imparted to those who believe on Jesus Christ.
*Sin separated us from God so Jesus dealt with sin. However, His payment for sin was just a step toward His ultimate purpose of reconciling man to God. (See John 3:16).
*Eternal Life is not imparted knowledge, but the reality of God in our lives through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
*We may know all about Him with our minds, and yet miss the personal knowledge of His presence in our LIVES.
* God wants us to place HIM at the
centre of all we do and all we are!
***”The gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
Acts 19:32 Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there.
*Here is a great example of human nature. A small disturbance breaks out and quickly becomes a riot. Much of the city is in an uproar and this verse tells us they don’t even know what’s going on.
How often do people jump on a political band wagon or even take sides in the church without even knowing what the issue is?
They simply follow the crowd, mindlessly doing whatever seems easy, cool, popular, profitable.
* How many innocent lives have suffered?
*How many wrong decisions have been made?
“Half-hearted commitments can end in disaster”.
I’ve seen it happen over the
years, in areas of life ranging from sports to marriage, from friendships to
business.
* All of us, at one time or another, have probably been hurt by others who
have made half-hearted commitments.
Why is it important to walk in wholehearted, simple commitment to Jesus?
*Because the things we DO as Christians can easily become the focus of our faith.
*It is all too easy to end up committed to a Christian program or denomination rather than being Committed to Christ.
Listen to Amos. 5: 21 from the Message Bible—- “I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. 22 I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. 23 I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
*Programs and churches can let people down.
**Jesus never does!!!!!
Waiting on JESUS gives me the quiet confidence of His Presence upholding me moment by moment.
” But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint”. (Isaiah 40:31)
*When an Eagle watches a storm approaching, he waits until it strikes. Then he faces it, spreads his wings, and rises upward through it.
* As storms hit your and my life, our wing power takes us through the storm and lifts us above it.
*This strength comes from waiting upon the Lord. The word “wait” means here “habitually Trusting”.
It’s all too easy to commit to following the Rules of Christianity rather
than being committed to Christ.
* Following rules can become sterile and confining.
**Following Jesus is about “Relationship” not rules.
**Following Jesus brings Truth, Love, Freedom and life!!!
It doesn’t matter how many people you’ve led to the Lord, how many Scriptures you’ve memorized or how many Bible studies you’ve taught; if you’re not fully convinced God loves you…there’s something missing.
* “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:14-15
I’m not saying that you should neglect your commitments to your church, but
what I am saying is that your Commitment to Christ should be the Drive for your life-long commitment to God!
*** When you become wholeheartedly committed to Christ, all other
commitments you’ve made, become Enhanced and Noticeable.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,…..
The number one thing that sets Christianity apart from religion is We have Jesus Himself living in our hearts. Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.
Knowing God loves us is the only thing that will give us true identity and security in this life.
** “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…”Psalm 73:25
Father God, thank you so much for Your faithfulness. You never disown me, I am yours always. Father you know my heart and I pray that my heart will desire You more than anything. Thank you for being my shelter and my strength because I am so very weak. You use me when I am at my most useless. Thank You, Jesus for being the One Who understands and sympathizes with us in every Circumstance we experience. Thank you for allowing me to be Yours. Thank You for Your Full Commitment to each one of us. “To Know You IS ETERNAL LIFE”. (JN 17:3). Amen.
Read MoreGod’s Love is the most powerful force in all the universe.
* “Flood waters can’t drown love, torrents of rain can’t put it out. Love can’t be bought, love can’t be sold-it’s not to be found in the marketplace.”
Song of Solomon 8:7
*There is no escaping true love. For if you know love, it can never be extinguished.
*God is Love. So by Loving others we are showing them God.
God’s Love is a freeing love. It allows us to release the other person from our own demands and expectations.
* “…freely you have received, freely give.”Matthew 10:8
Maturity in Christ is not knowing a bunch of Scriptures or going to church regularly. It’s simply knowing how, moment by moment, to continually abide in God’s Love.
* “This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples-when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:35
* We show love in the things we do and in the way we treat each other. If we in the church don’t show the love of GOD to ourselves then what example do we show the worldly people?
*I want my love for Christ to be reflected in the way I love others, especially people who are difficult to love.
*So many people see love as ‘just a feeling,’ but it’s so much more than that. True love shows itself in Action.
*Love is something that can be seen.
The moment we invite Him to take control of our lives, God comes into our hearts. And God Himself is Love.
* “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”1 John 4:16
1 John 4: 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
The 4 Loves:
The natural human loves inspired by friendship (phileo), family (storge), or romance (eros), are awesome blessings from our Creator, but Agape is the only love essential to human survival. Only God’s Divine Love can give us the identity and purpose we need to live life to the fullest.
* “If I have not [God’s] Love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2
The whole Bible is summed up by the word “love”.
*” The whole point of what we’re urging is simply love-love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God.” (1 Timothy 1:5)
*Love from a pure heart has no expectations or ulterior motives. It is not living for yourself.
The meaning of life lies in relationship. First and foremost is our relationship with God, and then our relationship with each other.
* “We love, because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips. – Proverbs 27:2
*In our business and personal life, our positioning among those who will know us should be a by-product of our life and service, not an end itself.
*What is your “position” today among your peers?
Do not be afraid! The Lord is at work in your life to bring you to your appointed destiny in maturity. Even when you get off track, you can trust the Lord to bring you back. Set your Heart to pursue Him, and set your Will to never on purpose go back to the world. You did not choose the Lord; He chose you to establish His kingdom(God’s way of doing things) where you are on the earth. Establish His kingdom in your heart, in your relationships, where you live, where you work and where you worship. That is the Lord’s will and purpose for you and me.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you -.
*Your Testimony!!!
*When we connect who we are with what we do then we are true witnesses.
* I need to always remember whatever I do and wherever I go– I represent God. *My life ought to reflect Him so that others will see Jesus for who he is (not a misrepresentation by showing them my sinful nature) and so they will come to know Jesus personally.
Father, continue to teach me and remind me this very truth. So often I allow my sinful nature to control me and to show up to others. I do not want to misrepresent you–help me mature in You. My desire is that all would see You for who You are Jesus and fall in love with You. Amen
Read MoreThis is a Big subject. But here is a small bit to get us going.
What is the Kingdom of God?
*God’s way of doing things!
*The Kingdom of God is about Righteous living and supernatural ability to maintain a mind set which realizes the mind of Christ is the resource that supersedes circumstances.
*The Kingdom of God is about LIVING a life of goodness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
*(Matthew 28:19-20 The Great Commission).
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people.
Less of talk more of action. That is the kingdom we have received from God.
*The world is tired of religion. The world is tired of vain, powerless human ideas and gimmicks or schemes which are not able to change lives. Only God can change lives. Only God can bring a lasting or enduring change. It’s time for us to use what God has put inside us to affect and effect a change in our environment.
The NIV Study Bible calls the Kingdom of God, “His present reign in the lives of his people. That dynamic new life in Christ, the power of the new birth showing itself in a humble life, dedicated to Christ and his mission. Empty talk is contrasted with the genuine power of the Holy Spirit.”
So my life today will reflect the Kingdom of God as I live an empowered life, full of the Holy Spirit and submitted to the King’s rule and reign in my life. When this life is over, will my life be a legacy of words or a closer relationship with Jesus?
Genesis 4:20 MSG. God’s Way is not a matter of mere talk; it’s an empowered life.
****1 Cor. 4: 20 For the kingdom of God is demonstrated not in idle talk but with power.
*God equips us with spiritual gifts to accomplish his agenda.
*God’s Way is not a matter of mere talk; it’s an empowered life.
*Christ’s power is revealed by love and gentleness and humility in each of us.
*Lord’s Prayer(Matthew 6:9-14). What did Jesus teach about the resources of the Kingdom in that prayer?
*God’s kingdom is not about physical pleasures or earthly things.
*God’s kingdom is not about the pursuit of the things that will end when your physical life ends – to pursue such things is to conform to the world.
*We are the transformed! If we truly belong to God’s kingdom in heart, soul, mind and strength then we pursue those things that don’t end in this life, but the very things that pull us through to our eternal union with Christ:
* Believers are to experience the Kingdom of God NOW!
“Thy Kingdom come. Your will be done ON EARTH as it IS in Heaven.”
Everything that exists in the Kingdom of God He wants us to experience now!
*Many people will talk about the kingdom of God.
It is nothing but air unless there is spiritual power in our life. The proof is in the fruit of our life – not riches – spirit.
Gal. 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
***The kingdom of God is the reason human history is marching forward.
The entire history of the world is tied to what God is doing in and for His kingdom.
***The kingdom of God is also the most powerful entity on the planet.
**** The kingdom of God has at its disposal the omnipotent power of God. That power can be used to change lives, relationships, communities and countries.
I know it seems at times that we belong to a weak and powerless entity. Satan would want us to believe that, but it is just not true.
I know that at times it seems like the kingdom of this world is winning.
But read the book of Revelation(see Bible Study option below) and it’s clear that we are on the victorious side. What you and I need to do Is believe!
****We need to believe what the word of God says about the kingdom of God. *We need to believe that despite our smallness we have great significance. ****We need to look at ourselves with eyes of faith (the way God sees us) instead of eyes of sight.
**We are members of the most significant and powerful entity on the planet. We are members of the kingdom of God.
*You have to believe the kingdom of God is within you and everyone who believes. God said I put a deposit of my kingdom inside you.
Your righteousness is a powerful force against darkness. It is in faith and righteousness that the kingdom of God is established in you, around you, and through you. Don’t underestimate the victory that comes when you maintain right relationship with Jesus and those who belong to Him. Stay close and continue to seek His face, listen for His voice, and obey His leading. Jesus is establishing purity and peace in those who truly belong to Him and in return we will experience His Kingdom here and now.
* Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Lord I want to live a life identified by Your power working in and through me. What an empty conclusion to this life if the only thing left over is a bunch of Christian conversations. Take my words and replace them with your power in my life. Please make me effective for your Kingdom today by using your Spirit to manifest your power in my life. I want to yeild to your power in my life today. Here I am Lord, fill me with your power! Let Your Word and Holy Spirit fill me daily to Have Action for the lost. Amen
Read MoreDear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.(1John 4:7-10).
God’s Love is unconditional. In spite of what someone does or how wrongly they respond, His Love keeps on coming.
* “I have loved you with and everlasting love…”Jeremiah 31:3
The 4 Love’s we have!
The natural human loves inspired by friendship (phileo), family (storge), or romance (eros), are awesome blessings from our Creator, BUT Agape is the only love essential to human survival. Only God’s Divine Love can give us the Identity and Purpose we need to live life to the fullest. That’s Agape Love!
* “If I have not (God’s) Love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2
Only as we seek to learn about God’s unconditional Love (Agape) will we begin to comprehend how vastly it differs from human love.
* “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord.”
Isaiah 55:8
God’s supernatural Love is not affected by the other person’s response, nor is it dependent upon circumstances.
*”If you love someone [with God’s Love] you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. God’s love never fails.”
1 Corinthians 13:7-8 (Living Bible)
Even when you can’t love the nasty neighbor down the street…God can.
* “…for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8
God’s Love is the only solid foundation upon which human love can be built. If “feelings” have diminished or died within a relationship, only Agape can rekindle the flame.
* “…the things impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27
We cannot learn techniques or methods to love like God. Only God is Love, and we cannot learn to be what only God is.
* “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”John 15:5
Maturity in Christ is not knowing a bunch of Scriptures or going to church regularly. It’s simply knowing how, moment by moment, to continually abide in God’s Love.
*”By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”John 13:35
Is there someone you can share God’s Love with today as a result of your faith, and in spite of your feelings?
* “And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.”
Luke 6:32
Here is how the Bible describes God’s Love:
* “God’s Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. God’s love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (Living Bible)
Faith, Hope and Love. The greatest of these is God’s Agape Love!
* “Let love be your highest goal.”
1 Corinthians 14:1
The Lord doesn’t choose the way man chooses. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).
Agape is the divine “glue” that can bind us all together.
* “And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”
Colossians 3:14
Even though surrounded by great corruption, we must daily choose to walk in faith, hope, and love.
*”Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report…think on these things.”
Philippians 4:8
God’s love is electric, and when we allow Him to love through us, we become “supercharged” with the radiance of His Life.
* “And it came about when…he was coming down from the mountain…Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.”Exodus 34:29
Love is not a choice. It is a commandment.
* “Now as to the love of the brethren…you yourselves are taught by God to love one another…”
1 Thessalonians 4:9
Fruit is something we can easily see. The evidence of Godly fruit is not found in word, deed, talent, success or accomplishment, but rather in the humble qualities of:
“…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” Galatians 5:22-23
It’s extremely important not to judge a person by what they say or do. God is the only One who truly knows the human heart, so He is the only righteous judge.
* “…for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
Let’s be brave enough to share our own experiences of being downcast and wounded. Don’t be afraid. God commands us to love, and anytime we love…we become vulnerable.
* “…so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”2 Corinthians 1:4
Imagine what the Church would be like if every believer chose to follow Christ’s simple command:
* “And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way.”
Luke 6:31
God’s kind of love is not self-serving or self-seeking. Agape love will cause a person to lay down his life for another (Jn. 15:13), because he has literally forgotten himself.
Many times when heros are asked why they put themselves in jeopardy to save someone else, they reply that they didn’t even think about themselves. All they thought of was the danger to the other person. That’s God’s kind of love.
God’s type of love involves emotions many times, but it is not an emotion. It is an ACT of the will.
We can choose to love even when we don’t feel like it and we can always conduct ourselves in a godly manner, when we feel God’s kind of love. God’s kind of love is a choice.
God’s kind of love is also the antidote to selfishness and pride. We cannot conquer self by focusing on self.
* The only way to win over self is to fall in love with God more than with ourself. It is in discovering God’s love that we lose self love.
Jesus didn’t feel some emotional sensation when He chose to die for us, but that was the greatest demonstration of God’s kind of love that the world has ever seen. He made a choice in spite of His emotions. Because He was consumed with God’s love, He acted properly, even when His emotions didn’t agree.
Jesus is the ultimate example of God’s kind of love.
As Jesus leads and guides you today, ask Him to show you someone who needs an extra special blessing that you can fulfill.
* “And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:12
The moment we invite Him to take control of our lives, God comes into our hearts. And God Himself is Love.
* “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”1 John 4:16
John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him….
* Christ didn’t come to make you feel guilty but to save you because He loves you!!
-Romans 1:16- I am not ashamed of the gospel because it the power of salvation to all who believe.
Psalms 109:26 Help me, OLORD my God! Save me because of your unfailing love.
1 John 4:11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
Today’s focus has been all about Love. My desire is for God to remove everything that does not please Him and replace it with more of His Love. We can not give love away to others till our own personal cup is full and overflowing with God’s Love in us!
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus into this earth so that I can be free. Thank You for opening the door to eternal life. I accept the sacrifice Jesus paid on that Cross so that I can be free. Come into my heart. I confess that You are my Lord and Savior in Jesus’ name. Amen.
May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.( Eph. 6:24)
Learn from you Failures & Trials!
Failing does not make us failures. It makes us experienced!!!
Proverbs 19:2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.
* A good reminder that passion does not equal wisdom or knowledge. We have to make sure our passion is directed in the right direction.
*Let’s remember to Pray first and Ask for Godly Wisdom before jumping into new activities.
* As the Holy Spirit does His work in us, we learn to walk with God. We learn what it means to see our work as “His work” and we desire to do it “His way”.
Matthew 22:29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.
**One of our biggest Failures—- is not to understand the power of God.
Proberbs 17:3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.
*We need to withstand the heat while being transformed into something of even greater value.
*Because God loves us, and sees us as valuable to Him, He allows us to go through trials.
If God did not love us, He would not bother with trials because He does not care weather we become better, stronger, more holy….
*The trials of the Lord are seldom enjoyable – but the lesson learned is invaluable, if wisely and patiently endured .
*The theme of scripture is Glory out of trials, pain & suffering. Because God loves us He considers our state, and He is moved because out of love He is driven to see us become what His Son, JESUS has made possible.
James 1:3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Know that God is up to something.
1. God has a perfect plan for you.
2. God’s plan is always moving forward.
3. God’s is constructive and not destructive.
*How do you know God has a plan for YOU? The answer is –YOU are still here.
*Some things in life you can’t get unless you get down on your knees.
Romans 2:4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he(David) became their leader….
1 Samuel 22:2
*Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks at the inward- the heart!
Learn from Failure
Learning from failure and having regret are two separate things.
* Regret is an emotion; a feeling of disappointment along with a modest amount of shame or guilt.
* But to look back at a circumstance and figure out what went wrong gives you some very important information.
This review allows you to evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and more importantly, why.
Often when you are removed from a situation, you can look at it more objectively which will allow you to make better choices to keep moving forward.
Ask for Help!!!!!!You are not alone!!!!
It may feel that way sometimes, but there are many people who would extend their hand and lift you up if asked. Tap into Experience of the Faithful!
* Often times we are afraid to ask because we don’t believe we are worthy to receive the help.
*** Think about this: we are surrounded by millions and millions of people by design – for a purpose. Some have had the personal experience you need.
** A hand to grasp, a shoulder to cling, and a face to radiate hope can help you to keep moving forward.
Joshua 1:9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Think about all the miracles God has performed for you? They haven’t produced in you much faith to help you in your present trouble!
I believe the greatest lasting sign or wonder to the world in these last days is not a person who has been raised from the dead. No,(even though Great) what truly makes an impact on the mind and spirit of the ungodly is the Christian who endures all trials, failures, storms, pain and suffering Daily with a confident faith. People want some of that!!!
Such a believer emerges from his troubles stronger in character, stronger in faith, stronger in Christ—Knowing Jesus is in control!
Ephesians 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.
God often uses failure to make us useful. When Jesus called the disciples, He did not go out and find the most qualified and successful people. He found the most Willing. He found a fisherman, a tax collector, and a farmer.
*The Hebrews knew that failure was a part of maturing in God.
*The Greeks used failure as a reason for disqualification. Sadly, in the Church, we often treat one another in this way.
This is not God’s way.
*** We need to understand that Failing does not make us failures. It makes us experienced.
***Failure makes us more prepared to be useful in God’s Kingdom — if we have learned from it. Use them to help others. And that is the most important ingredient for what God wants in His children.
Deuteronomy 31:8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.
Father, thank You for Jesus’ courage, which dared to challenge human traditions. Grant that I may see myself and others as You see us–sick people in need of a physician. Lord–I am encouraged that You are always with me. Whom shall I fear with You with me. How can I fail as long as I follow your way. Thank You for All Your promises.
Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Amen
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.
The meaning of life lies in relationship.
Hosea 6:6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
*No amount of activity for God will ever take the place of a heart that is right with Him.
I share Hosea 6:6 in a few translations, only because I wanted to see what they
said (besides the KJV above),
* the Contemporary English version: “I’d rather for you to be faithful and to know me than to offer sacrifices” and
* The Message version: “I’m after love that lasts, not more religion. I want you to know God, not go to more prayer meetings.”
What does the Lord want? Relationship!
*God wants our love and our devotion.
*God wants us to be pure and true to Him.
*God wants us to want Him like He wants us.
*God is seeking those that will worship Him in spirit and in truth.
**God wants a lasting relationship, not actions pretending to love. I feel like this kinda goes with 1 Corinthians 13 that with out love, all we have and all we do is nothing.
Hosea 4:6 You have destroyed my people by failing to acknowledge me!
Because you refuse to acknowledge me, I will reject you as my priests.
*Luke 4:4 We cannot live without Gods word.
*Psalms 119:105 the word of God shows us the right path. A light in a dark place. *John 17:17 Gods word is truth.
We by nature are self-seeking, we want what we want for ourselves, for our families those in our immediate circle.
(I am not saying that there is anything wrong with wanting the best for yourself and your family), but we have
to look outside the box we live in sometime and see the hurt and the pain of others and be willing to reach out and touch them with the love of the Father, believe it or not this is the will of God.
*Psalms 119:165 the Word of God brings peace.
Faith, Hope and Love. The greatest of these is God’s Agape Love!
* “Let love be your highest goal.”
1 Corinthians 14:1
* Draw near to God and He will Draw near to you.
The meaning of life lies in relationship!!
*First and foremost is our relationship with God,
* and then our relationship with each other.
*We may each have these relationships or one more than the other, But let’s get a Balance of the Two for God’s Glory!
* “We love, because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19
When we come to KNOW the Lord we will begin to see that He wants us to truly love our neighbor just as we love ourselves.
Mark 12:29 Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
* We are to cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh, rejoice when they rejoice.
* When we really settle in our hearts that we are going to do everything in our power to get to know the Lord things really begin to happen in our lives, great things wonderful, miraculous things.
*Don’t let yourself think that everything has to be just right.
*Don’t allow your mind to tell you that as soon as I get this or that right then
I can really dig in and start praying like I should or start reading my bible like
I should or set aside time to really be in the presence of the Lord like I should.
If you wait for “the right time” or if you wait for “when I get things right” you
never will. Why do I say that?
* I say that because our enemy will see to it that you will always have something to be trying to “get right”.
It truly is time to seek the Lord while He may be found and really get
to know Him and know Him well.
“Lord, I despise myself.”(Job 42:4-6)
It looks as though God has humiliated Job and brought this poor, broken-hearted man down into the dust almost cruelly.
Yet it is not cruelty, it is love—because, at this point, when Job has finally given up trying to defend and justify himself, God begins to heal and pour into this man’s life blessings he never dreamed of.
This is the story of the whole of Scripture, isn’t it? Everywhere the Scriptures seek to tell us this.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,(Matthew 5) the men and women who are bankrupt in themselves, who stop counting on what they have to make it.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
God will begin to heal a life that repents before Him, and He will fill it with blessing and honor and glory and power.
None of the prideful things to which we cling will be worth the smallest portion of the glory and joy we have discovered in coming into a Relationship with God Himself. (To Know Him is Eternal Life…. JN. 17:3)
The Lord doesn’t choose the way man chooses. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).
The whole Bible is summed up by the word “love”.
*”But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
(1 Timothy 1:5)
Refuse to allow presumption to cloud your discernment. You should never act, react, respond, or take your next step based on what you assume is truth. If you are uncertain about an issue or circumstance, take the time to investigate and discover the facts. Just because your conclusion seems reasonable does not make it true. And, presumption will plunge you into the darkness of deception. Stay in the light and truth, and maintain confidence in the word as you follow the Lord’s precepts.
* Psalms 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
*David understood that we have faults that we don’t even know about. This section of this Psalm shows that when asking for forgiveness, we should pray for those things that are hidden in our hearts.
Thank You, Father, for this penetrating look at my own heart. How proud I have been, how filled with self-justification with complaints before You. Teach me to put my hand upon my mouth and admit to You that the problem lies so often with me so that You will heal and restore me. Father help me to put You first, again. Even ahead of the things I do for You….especially ahead of that. Help me to make time for those moments where You and I can connect. I need that more than I know. I need You more than I know. Thank You LORD for this reminder/warning. For Your Glory and my Joy. Amen
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.
“Do not be angry and frustrated!
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!”
(Psalms 37:8).
James 4:1-10 James addresses the “Root Issue” of all frustration here.
*” Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you”? (James 4:1).
“What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?”. (James 4:5).
*When reading James this AM-it hit me that– The same Spirit at work in me is the same Spirit at work in you.
*“For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:18 NIV)
*Did you catch that? The same Spirit at work in me is the same Spirit at work in you. There is only One Spirit. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit throughout the body of believers to accomplish HIS purpose for HIS glory.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling,”(Eph. 4:4).
*Is there another believer with whom you have trouble getting along? Remember, the same Spirit at work in you is the same Spirit at work in him or her.
The Holy Spirit has been sent to be our teacher, but we have to show up at class and expect to receive (Jn. 14:26). He’ll even show us things to come (Jn. 16:13).
“When the disciples saw Him(Jesus) walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.” Matthew 14:26
Have you ever had some unexpected event happen in your life that caused great fear?
*Sudden calamities can result in great fear unless we know WHO is behind the event.
*Such was the case for the disciples when they were out in their boat at night. Suddenly, they saw a figure walking on the water and assumed it was a ghost. They feared for their very lives. But as the figure got closer and closer, they could see that it was Jesus. **Their Fear turned to joy because now they knew whom they were confronting.
This seemingly life-threatening event turned into one of the great miracles of the Bible.
*Peter was invited to walk on the water — and he did just that.
Many times we have events in our lives that appear to be ghosts. For me, it was a period in my life when I experienced family loss, loss of my finances, and my business’s — all in a matter of a few months.
These were the ghosts that instilled fear and great turmoil in my life. Feelings of unworthiness, shame and guilt. But after 10 years in a desert experience, God revealed His true purposes for these events.
*God turned them from being a place of fear, to a place of miracles.
*He led me to a totally new calling in my life, and He demonstrated to me that He was behind the storm that led to these new discoveries. God never left me—He was Leading me into a deeper Relationship with Him.
* The events were real. The emotions I went through were real. I had to hold fast to the reality that Nothing can touch us without passing through God’s sifter.
***Through all this I now have the Faith and Trust that what God allows, is only that which is necessary to touch us. And if it does, it has a Purpose. But we may not know it for a while.
Are there some “ghosts” in your midst? Look beyond the appearance and let God turn your ghosts into a miracle!!!
God said to Moses, “I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 10:1b-2).
God has a reason for everything He does.
These delays were designed to bring greater Glory( a display of God’s perfection–Jesus IS the Glory of God) and were to be a lasting legacy of God’s miracle-working power for generations to come.
When the people were freed, God again hardened Pharaoh’s heart to go after them. This action of God to harden Pharaoh’s heart was to set the stage for an even greater miracle — the parting of the Red Sea.
*The people were angry with Moses for bringing them to the desert “to die.” But God said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on” (Ex. 14:15b).
There was only one place to go by this time — the Red Sea.
As we know, God parted the Red Sea, and another greater miracle took place.
Moses learned several lessons that each of us must learn.
* God’s Promises are True, but His timing is not the same as ours.
* God always wants Greater Glory than what we might be willing to give Him. * * God puts obstacles and adversity into our lives in order to build perseverance and faith.
Why has God put the mountain in your life at this time?
***To demonstrate His power through your life. To show His glory!!!! Jesus!
When we become Christians, our identity changes forever as we become identified as “Children of God”.
*Our value no longer depends on things like athletic skill, beauty, brains, or the opinions of others, because it is rooted in Christ.
*When we understand His work on the cross and accept His love, we can weather challenges to our identity on earth.
* Our “True identity” is as a perfectly loved and accepted child of the living God!
*Allow God to direct your mind, your life, your heart, your all.
*God wants to move US from wanting for my pleasure to wanting for His glory.
* God is committed to your development.
*Don’t be ashamed of the hole God dug you out of. Talk about where you came from and save a soul. “Your Testimony”
” Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Romans 5:1).
Verse that explains our Antidote to frustration:
“You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”.(1JN 4:4).
Psalms 34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged.
Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you – yes, I help you – yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand!
Your Love for each of us is SO amazing God and I thank You for showing me it in Your word trough the Holy Spirit. Thank you for choosing to give us knowledge but also for giving us free will to fully accept and love You as our Heavenly Father giving us that Peace.
Lord, today I claim the victory I have in you. I have faith that I am victorious because You live in me. Amen
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.
Worship that is fresh, leads to a witness that is faithful.
Psalm 96:1-2 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.
God is righteous, and we are born sinners. He gave us an opportunity to be saved, and we need to grab a hold of the opportunity. We must share this salvation. We can’t build friendships just to share the Gospel. We can’t wait, as it needs to happen now.
God calls us to be fresh in our worship. * “Song” speaks of worship.
* Our mind is in AWE of God
* Our heart is in LOVE with God
* Our will is SUBMITTED to God
*** “New”= Fresh
**** God wants a FRESH WORSHIP!
God commands us to be faithful in our witness.
*Worship 1st/Witness Second
*If we praise Him, we will proclaim Him
* Believers are commanded to witness by:
*Verbally speaking
*Visually showing
*Generously sharing.
God exhorts us there to express our praise to Him in various ways. In particular, He says that we are to “sing to the LORD a new song.” God never wants His praise to become old, to become stale, to become just a matter of ritual and routine.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul writes to Christians in the epistle to the Ephesians. He speaks about three different ways in which we can bring praise and worship to God.
He speaks about psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
1. Psalms, I understand to mean, are those which are recorded for us in the inspired words of Scripture.
2. Hymns are the great traditional songs of the Christian church which have been consecrated by age and usage and which express our faith and our worship.
3. But there are also spiritual songs. I believe that’s what the psalmist speaks about when he speaks about a “new song.” That’s not something that’s written down in advance. That’s something that’s Given to us spontaneously by the Holy Spirit just as we enter God’s Holy Spirit and begin to worship Him, just as we recognize some new facet of His salvation. So the Holy Spirit gives us a new song. It’s a spontaneous response to a fresh revelation of God’s ongoing salvation.
How does the Psalmist say to represent Him among the nations? By telling two things.
1). His Splendor
2). His amazing deeds
So what does this mean for us? It means two things.
1). It means we need to corporately be worshipping God together, experiencing Him, knowing Him,
2). and it means we need to be telling the “nations” (the unbelieving) about how great He is and what He has done. Scripture says “His amazing deeds”–during the Psalmists time, those deeds are recorded in Scripture: the plagues in Egypt, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, miraculous wins in battle, enemies being swallowed up, people being healed, people being killed, fire falling from heaven and consuming sacrifices…the list goes one.
But for us, His most amazing deed would in fact be the death and resurrection of Christ, that God’s own Son, through whom all things were created, should die in our place, and then rise again, and THEN bestow within us the Holy Spirit that we might be indwelt by God’s Spirit. Those are pretty amazing deeds. I wonder what the Psalmist would have said to that?
We are so Blessed!!
Lord help me to live my life in a constant awareness of God and who he is and what he has done.
God, help me to lie totally for you, aware of you and thankful for all you are and all you do. Thank You LORD for saving my soul and for revealing in me your glory! I will decare You among the nations! Amen
God’s plan IS perfect and best for His glory!
Genesis 22:21 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
Take now thy son . — Genesis 22:2
*God’s command is – Take now, not presently.
* I need to fully and faithfully move forward and follow the Lord right through the afflictions to come, knowing God’s plan IS Perfect and Best for His glory.
Romans 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
*It is extraordinary how we debate! We know a thing is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it at once.
*If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it can never be done later, it must be done now.
And the sacrifice must be worked through our will before we actually perform it.
“And Abraham rose up early in the morning and went unto the place of which God had told him” (v. 3). The wonderful simplicity of Abraham!
* When God spoke, he did not confer with flesh and blood.
*Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood”,(Gal. 1:16) i.e., your own sympathies, your own insight, anything that is not based on your personal relationship to God.
These are the things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.
Abraham did not choose what the sacrifice would be.
*Always guard against Self-Chosen Service for God; self-sacrifice may be a disease that impairs your service.
**If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace;
** if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him.
*** If the providential order of God for you is a hard time of difficulty, go through with it, but never choose the scene of your martyrdom, as to say “I will only go to there, But no farther”.
God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed or protested, But he went steadily went through with obedience and faith.
If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to Blame God or pass Judgment on God.
You must go through the trial before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because by going through the trial you learn to know God better.
*1 Peter 1:6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.
*Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. (1 Peter 4:12-13).
*** God is working in each of us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and man’s purpose become one!
Make sure this year, especially, this day, give the right response.
Some of us will never receive the blessing God has in store for us until we are WILLING to give THE RIGHT RESPONSE!
Some of us wonder why do I keep going through the same thing over and over again!? Perhaps it may be the response we always give to the Lord???
Now, most often the request is very very difficult!!! now we may not like it, but that response is YES LORD! Practice it!!! YES LORD!!!
**God sometimes doesn’t open the other door until we walk through the first door.
*Unless we are willing to respond to God properly….we may never witness the change God has for our life!!!
God needs you and me in 2012 to be willing to properly respond to Him. The proper response is YES LORD!
He wants us to take the things that mean the most to us, our lives, our time, our treasure and offer it to HIM!!! For some of us, our money or hobbies or work is our Isaac!
* God wants to know if we are willing to sacrifice it for him!?
*When we are willing to sacrifice ALL that is precious to us, God will be at His best!
*To let go of our most prized possession; God clearly makes that easier for us when we bring it to him rather than letting it go on own before we worship him.
*Sometimes I struggle to approach God due to my Sin and idolatry, and I feel shameful trying to worship Him with all these guilty conscience.
Once again, God will reveal that I need to come to Him as who I am and allow God to direct the actions I must take. **That’s worship. Faith does not come from my beliefs or actions but true faith, which is the source from God’s grace, works within us when we “Completely Empty Ourselves” to receive God’s authority.
I pray that our faith will be determined by God’s faithfulness alone.
Romans 1:17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
*God sets it up so that His Son is the center of the process of knowing and doing what is right, making Himself the centerpiece of righteousness, Not us. **Wondering what is the right thing to do in your situation?
** Go to the creator for the Right thing to do! Read His Word the answer is there. (Try Read All of Proverbs with your question in mind and Listen).
***What we don’t realize, just as we are making our way up one side of the mountain, there’s a lamb climbing on the other side of the mountain!
We won’t run short if we would simply give God the right answer!!
Walk in faith! God WILL take good care of YOU!
1 Peter 4:19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
Lord, help me to first of all trust you with the faith of Abraham then help me to be a husband, dad and grandpa who can be trusted as much as Abraham was by Isaac! What trust he had Lord! Thank You Jesus for your word of Truth. Help me in my trials to have faith and obedience to You, knowing there’s a lamb climbing on the other side of the mountain for me as I surrender to your will- for your Glory and my Joy. Continue to peel away the addictions of sin from me. Thank You God, that You are working in each of us to reach Your highest goals until Your purpose and man’s purpose become one! “…To Know YOU, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth”. Jn 17:3. In Jesus Name, Amen
“Spiritual Abundance” God promises in His word!
*To be a follower of Jesus, I must be a student of Jesus.
The Bible says we are to love God and one another, but many Christians have little or no idea how to do that.
* “…for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”
Romans 7:18
Before us stretches a new year, a new beginning. The old is past, put away forever.
God invites us always to forget about all the distrust and fears, all the anxieties of the past, all the resentments we have been holding against others, all the grudges, all the criticisms–to put them away and begin again.
The question that hovers over us is,
“On what basis am I going to live in this new year?
* Will it be on the old basis of it-all-depends-on-me, do-it-yourself goodness before God, trying my best to be pleasing to God and meaning it with all my heart but never realizing the depths of evil with which I have to deal?”
* Or will I accept the gift of God that is waiting for me every day, fresh from His hand, a gift of forgiveness, of righteousness already mine, of a relationship in which He is my dear Father and I am his cherished, beloved son, and in which He therefore have provided for me all I need, all day long, so that I may say no to evil and yes to truth and right?
Will it be on that basis? If it is, this will be a year in which my life will be characterized by peace, fragrance, and beauty. And so will yours.
Either Christ completed all that was necessary for your salvation, or he did not!
If Christ did finish it, then rest in him and be glad, and say, “I am secure forever because my salvation is finished.
I have nothing to do but to live to the honor of Christ who has completely saved me by His Grace, His blood, His righteousness.
****How many of us can honestly say we are living the life of “spiritual abundance” God promises in His word?
* “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”John 10:10
Rejoice and be glad for the Lord has wonderful plans for you fulfilling His eternal purpose through you!
* ” Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19
*****Psalms 119. A Balance in Life!
verses 1-24
*The way of blessing is the way of obedience (1,9,11,17).
Many will choose the way of disobedience – ‘influential people sit together and slander me’. We must choose the way of obedience –
‘Your servant will meditate on Your teachings’(23). Following Jesus Christ will not be easy.
We see many people turning back from following Him. We are tempted to join them. We feel the pull of the world. We must not take our eyes off Jesus. We must not return to the world’s way of living.
**We must remember all that Jesus has done for us – ‘He loved us and gave Himself for us’(Galatians 2:20) – and recommit ourselves to following Him:
verses 25-48
***‘Revive me according to Your Word’(25).
How does God revive us according to His Word?
* He gives us His salvation: ‘Let Your unfailing love come to me, O Lord – Your salvation according to Your Word’(41).
* He gives us His strength: ‘My soul is weary with sorrow. Strengthen me according to Your Word’(28).
*He gives us a change of heart: ‘I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws… I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free… Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with my whole heart… Turn my heart to Your testimonies…’(30,32,34,36).
* He gives us ‘new life’: ‘When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!’(40; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
verses 49-72
***God’s Word makes such a difference! When everything seems so hopeless, we turn to God’s Word and we find that there is ‘HOPE’(49).
When we are going through a time of terrible ‘suffering’, we turn to God’s Word and we find ‘comfort’(50,52).
When everything seems to be going so badly, we must keep on reading the Word of the Lord: ‘The wicked have laid a trap for me, but I do not forget Your law’(61).
**Through His Word, God is teaching us to see His purpose in our sufferings: ‘The punishment You gave me was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your laws’(71).
* God is showing us what is really important: ‘The law that You gave means more to me than all the money in the world’(72).
*He is teaching us to see His ‘love’ in every part of our life (64).
verses 73-96
***We rejoice in God’s ‘constant love’. This is our ‘comfort’- God keeps on loving us no matter what’s going on in our lives.
We may be going through really hard times – ‘Men persecute me with lies… They have almost succeeded in killing me’. There’s one thing that never changes – God’s ‘constant love’.
* He loves us in the hard times as well as in the happy times.
* His love inspires us to keep on loving Him when we feel like giving up in despair (76,86-88).
We see many changes taking place in our world.
Sometimes, we wonder, ‘Where is God in all of this? Has He abandoned us? Can we keep on trusting Him and rejoicing in His Word?’.
** When our minds are full of negative thoughts, we must remember God’s Word – ‘Your Word, O Lord, will last for ever… Your faithfulness endures through all the ages’(89-90).
verses 97-120
***Throughout life, we have to make choices.
Some choices are relatively straightforward. Others are very much more difficult. Some choices don’t affect the rest of our life very much. There are, however, choices which affect the whole of our life.
There is one choice which is more important than any other -** Choosing the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. *Those who refuse to choose are ‘double-minded’(113). They can’t make up their mind. They know that they should be following Christ – but they are still ‘in love with the world’. They are ‘lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God’(I John 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:4).
Make your choice. Say to the world, ‘Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God’. Say to God, ‘I have decided to obey Your laws until the day I die’(115,112).
verses 121-144
**‘The entrance of Your words gives light’(130).
The Word of God brings LIGHT into our lives. Sadly, many people ‘love darkness rather than light’.
* They refuse to ‘come to the light’. *They prefer to remain in the darkness. *They refuse to listen to what God is saying to them through His Word.
**Then, when things are not going so well for them, they blame God.
*They say, ‘It’s all Your fault’! Things could have been so different. They could have learned to spend time with God. They could have learned the lessons of faith which are found in God’s Word. They could have learned to cope with life’s difficulties. They could have been filled with the strength of the Lord. They would not be complaining against Him. They would be rejoicing in Him: He has ‘called us out of darkness into His marvellous light’(1 Peter 2:10).
verses 145-176
***‘With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!’(145).
God is calling us to PRAY. There is nothing more important than this.
If other things have become more important in our lives, we need to think about the way we are living. God wants to send His blessing into our lives: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you’(Matthew 7:7). His blessing will come to those who seek him with their whole heart: ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you seek me with all your heart’(Jeremiah 29:13).
* If we do not ask, we will not receive: ‘You do not have, because you do not ask’(James 4:2). God’s blessing is not given to those who are half-hearted. God is calling us to love Him with our whole heart: ‘I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight’(174).
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
* God has given us his word to use not just to have. We use it to show truth and expose lies, to show us when we have wondered off and how to get back in line with God. God uses his word to instruct us what we are to do on a daily basis.
** How can I, or anyone, say they live a life for God and lead by God, but do not spend time in his word daily.
I must be in his word, seeking what He desires of me constantly. Without that I am alone in my decisions and that is what gets me off his path and on my own path.
***To be a follower of Jesus, I must be a student of Jesus!!!
Father, your word is what I need in order to follow you and bring Balance to my life. Help me to Use your word daily in my life so I can stay on your path for my life and not wander off. Help me to understand your word and gain wisdom from it and share with many others for Your Glory and my Joy. May 2012 be a year of “coming back to Jesus”(a deeper personal Relationship) for ourselves, our families, our cities, our states, our nations, our World. Amen
Read MoreI encourage everyone to take the closing day of the year to plan how you are going to read the Bible in the new year. Don’t leave it to chance. One of the main reasons we don’t read God’s word is that we don’t plan to.
We must not only be “hearers” of God’s Word, but “doers” also. When God brings someone to mind, be sure to follow through with whatever He tells you to do for that person.
“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead…”James 2:17
So-Thank you for providing such generous support this past year. As you have given, you have had a part in every life that has been changed, every soul saved, and every family strengthened through the touch you have provided.
In the coming year, we also want you to know that we will be here for you and your loved ones . . . to strengthen, to teach, and to encourage you to love Jesus more deeply and to serve Him more. It is a privilege for us to be connected with you.
“The Hope Connection”
Our web: movingforwardwithhope.com
How many of us can honestly say we are living the life of “spiritual abundance” God promises in His word?
* “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”John 10:10
It’s extremely important not to judge a person by what they say or do. God is the only One who truly knows the human heart, so He is the only righteous JUDGE.
* “…for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
Satan’s greatest weapon is deceit.
Anytime Satan’s oppression is present, God’s presence IS there too (Heb. 13:5).
It’s just a matter of where our focus is. Focusing on the devil is a trick of the devil. Choose to focus on God!!!
Paul’s IDENTITY was not based upon himself, but upon the person of Jesus Christ. Each and every day we must remind ourselves: It’s not I…but Christ.
*”For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20
The apostle Paul was one of the most mature Christians who ever lived, yet he wasn’t ashamed of his human frailties. He knew God loved him no matter what, and He understood that confessing his weakness was essential to walking in God’s Strength.
** “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses…for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10
“Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.” -Ruth 1:3-5
Naomi’s life was going well (read Ruth 1:3-5). A great husband. Two fine sons who had two wonderful wives. Then the unthinkable happened. Her husband died. A little time later both her sons die. Her and her daughter-in-laws find themselves in the midst of shattered dreams. This isn’t how life was supposed to be.
How did Naomi react to her situation?
“…for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” (Ruth 1:13)
Ah, we see her true feelings about the situation. “How could a loving God let this happen?!”
“Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” (Ruth 1:20-21)
Mara means bitter. She knew where she was. She was bitter toward this so called God of love. “How can I possibly reconcile this?!”
No life insurance. No widow’s fund. “What is going to happen to me and my daughters?”
The Bible says the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous. Naomi and Ruth move to a community where some of her relatives lived. Ruth goes out to work in the fields to put food on the table. She just so happens to work in the field of a wealthy farmer named Boaz.
When Ruth tells her this the first ray of hope penetrates her bitter heart. Even she can recognize the hand of God.
So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz. Then Naomi said to her daughter-in law, ‘Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!'” (Ruth 2:19-20).
Hebrew custom was for the next in kin to care for the widow in the family.
Boaz was to be this man. He would eventually marry Ruth. She would bare a son, Obed. He would be the father of Jesse, the father of David. Jesus would come from the same lineage.
Shattered dreams often lead to a world-impacting destiny. But getting there is often a process where we must work through honest feelings before we can see the God who redeems even the most devastating shattered dream.
** I have learned, a true follower of God is one who just sticks to the word. Read it, study it, meditate on it, then speak the WORD.
** I was not placed here to debate, but to speak the Holy Spirit inspired words of God.
** Anyone who is looking for Truth will see God’s word is Truth.
** Everyone else, to speak and debate with them is like throwing pearls before swines.
* Let us follow Christ on ‘the narrow road which leads to life’(Matthew 7:13-14).
The fulfilling of God’s dreams involve our actions – primarily serving God in all circumstances.
* The choice is ours. You can allow other things to become more important than spending time with God.
Don’t be ‘too busy for the “One” thing that is more important than anything else – listening to God’s Word (Luke 10:41-42).
Once again, thank you so much for all you have done and all you continue to do. May 2012 be a year of break throughs in Jesus for you and me while giving Jesus ALL Praise and ALL Glory!
Amen
* The temptation to run away from stress, worry and fear should never win out.
*How can we do this when stress, worry and fear come? By desperate prayer and particular promises. Go to the Bible and look for the “I wills” and the “I shalls” of God.
*Cry out to Jesus. Then ransack the Bible for His appointed promise. We are fragile. But he is not.
*Instead of sinking into a paralysis of fear, or running to a mirage of greener grass, God will awakened our sincere cry for help and then answer with a concrete promise from His Word.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8).
We need to be honest with each other in sharing our shortcomings as well as our victories.
When we are real and transparent with others, we give them the freedom to “remove their masks” in our presence.
“It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” Proverbs 16:19
*Our problem with fearing God is usually a problem with recognizing how weak we really are and how GREAT God really is!!!
*To not fear God may just be one of the most terrifying things ever.
*When you have a healthy fear of the greatness of God and what He’s capable of and then realize He’s With You….tell me what can’t you do? Cry out to HIM!
*A holy respect for God combined with a realization that he’s for you not against you, will cause you to be Totally for God and Obedient to Him.
Let’s be brave enough to share our own experiences of being downcast and wounded. Don’t be afraid!!!
God commands us to love, and anytime we love…we become vulnerable.
* “…so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”2 Corinthians 1:4
THE ROOT OF FEAR keeps us from sharing our past experiences to others which, as we have learned is the way to heal personally.
“ Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you. Then your face will brighten with innocence. You will be strong and FREE of FEAR. You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away. Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Even darkness will be as bright as morning. Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. ” (Job 11:14-18).
*All fear can be traced To a spot Of SIN and Secret iniquity Harbored in a man’s heart.
*He has the power in his hand To put it away. (Do not surprise the Truth. Romans 1:17 and on–But Renew your mind Romans 12:1-5)
Despising the riches of God’s grace,
His . . . forbearance and longsuffering,
He continues in his evil way, Allowing in his own life What he condemns in others, Becoming a law unto himself.
He seeks to be God’s favored exception
To escape wrath and tribulation.
But God is no respecter of persons,
Judging ALL alike, Promising glory, honor and peace To those who put evil away.
***And then he shall lift up his face without spot. He shall be steadfast And shall NOT FEAR, For only where SIN lies at the door Is man afraid.
**Remember: The enemy lies to us to make problems Appear Bigger than the solutions we carry! (We have Victory in Jesus. 1 John 4:4).
**2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Our “death to sin” and “resurrection to life with Christ”, is already a reality in our spirits but will only become a physical reality when we Know and Believe it.
In the Same Way that Jesus died unto sin once, and death no longer has dominion over Him, the person who recognizes their death with Christ unto sin, will not allow sin to rule over him anymore.
Christian’ who are struggling with sin have not recognized that they are dead unto sin.
You have been in a time of old things coming to an end. And, even though you cannot see ahead to know what is coming, you can trust the Lord to continue to shut the doors that need to be shut and to open the doors that need to be opened. Do not Fear, for the Lord is with you to bring you into divine purpose and destiny, and He will fill the void in your heart and any sense of emptiness that has resulted from changes that are taking place or need to take place. Put your trust in the Lord. Do not Fear!
**Revelation 3:8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Release yourself from the bondage of Fear, Stress and Worry. When your faith is in JESUS, He will carry you in the flow of His Spirit. But, you must not hang on to the things of the world or put your trust in natural things.
Your Faith is vital to your success in any endeavor, and you must put it to work by Actual Belief and not just hope. Jesus is looking for a people who have a strong and working faith whose Actions demonstrate His kingdom. Keep Moving Forward!
***Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
God is willing to remove all that guilt and shame from us when we simply reach out to Him and cleanse ourselves by refusing to sin.
I know that refusing sin sounds like an impossible task, but the Holy Spirit will be with you. He’ll guide you away from places you shouldn’t be as well as guide you in rough situations. God will become real in your life, and others will see a change in you and want that which you have.
*We need a true yearning for Jesus, and mourning, a brokenness and weeping with godly sorrow for Sin in our lives. Only after such dealings of the Spirit will the true blessing of joy come!
Our Relationship with Jesus MUST define who WE are!
All of this starts by Us accepting God and receiving the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. COME LORD JESUS-Come! Lord, I don’t have the discipline needed for Your Holy Work. You have to give it to me! Give me Your burden for lost souls; put Your weeping Spirit in me. You are my only hope, so I surrender and turn totally to You. I’ll do anything You tell me and I will depend on You for everything! Amen
* “Love…does not seek its own…”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. (Luke 2:…10)
The Birth of Jesus.
Luke 2:1-20
It’s a familiar story. A young Hebrew teenager is told by an angel that she has been chosen by God to bear a very special child.
Her fiancé threatens to cancel the wedding.
The same angel interrupts his plan. She visits her relative Elizabeth, who is much older and also pregnant.
She returns to Nazareth to wait for her child’s birth, only to be required to make the ninety-mile journey to Bethlehem close to her due date.
With no room in the inn, she gives birth in a manger and uses an animal feeding trough as a bassinet.
*A strange story? Yes.
*A story full of surprises? Yes.
*A story that affects us today? Another yes!
This little baby – JESUS – was a gift to all humankind. Our Healer. Our Savior. Our Lord.
**No story is more beautiful, more astounding, more life-changing. The little baby born in a stable was God’s Son!!!
The birth of Jesus on Christmas is the fulfillment of a prophecy that God promised throughout scripture.
*The Miracle:
1. Born of a virgin named Mary, Jesus was fully God and fully human.
2. God becoming flesh. Matthew 1:22-23. It’s amazing to know that the God of the universe came to us in the form of baby born in a manger (Luke 2:5-7).
*The Meaning:
1. Peace on Earth – John 14:27. If you want peace, you need to receive God’s greatest gift.
*The peace Jesus brings is inside of us, in spite of or circumstances not because of them. Christmas is about Hope
Where do you put your hope, job, career, people, family, money? The only place where our hope should be put is in Jesus. Everything else will let you down.
2 God’s Favor – “…goodwill towards men on whom his favor rests.” All have sinned and fallen short of God’s Glory. But his greatest gift is SALVATION through his Son, Jesus.
*The Message:
***Receiving IT – Unless we receive “GOD’S GREATEST GIFT”, it does us no good!
Although Jesus was fully human, He never sinned. His death on the cross, as a perfect sacrifice, bought OUR freedom so WE could become the sons and daughters of God the Father.
** As followers of Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory (Romans 8:15-17).
“The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke 2:11
*The angels used 3 words to describe the New Born that will bring Great Joy to ALL people!!
*The Savior: Roman term that referred to an emperor who delivered his people from oppression and harm.
*The Messiah: Reference to O. T. Promises of a God. A given Leader and deliverer, translated “Anointed One”.
*The Lord: Title meaning “master” or “ruler” used of God from the very beginning of Hebrew Bible (150 times in Genesis alone).
If you know the Lord Jesus, YOU HAVE the greatest gift God can give to a person. Out of the richness of your life you will find yourself gladly sharing from all that you have with those who have less, that there may be the ringing out of joy and thanksgiving in a season like this.
***What are you giving Jesus this year for his birthday?
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:14
THANK YOU GOD, FOR THE WONDERFUL GIFT OF YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST.
AMEN
Merry CHRISTmas everyone!
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17