Month: December 2017

“The Babe of Bethlehem”

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“And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.” Matthew 2:5-6

At the writing of Matthew 2:5-6, over 700 years have gone by since the Old Testament prophet Micah told of a Ruler that would be birthed out of this little town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-3).  While over those centuries of waiting, countless babies have entered this world and linked the beginning of their lives to this motherland, only One’s heritage can connect the dots with those long-ago words that herald the coming of the Savior of the world.

He would be the freedom the world has longingly yearned for.  He would be the peace, souls since the beginning of time, have dreamt about.  He would be the Shepherd who would not lead with a rod or a staff, but with His life.  This blessed Babe of Bethlehem would be the all eternal One, whose days are from everlasting (Micah 5:).  He would be the Babe seen as He “who is, and who was, and which is to come, the Almighty,” (Revelation 1:8), and He would change everything the world once knew.

No wonder hearts were stirred.  No wonder souls were searching with excitement.  No wonder kingdoms were in a ruckus.  The Babe of Bethlehem was no ordinary babe.  He was God incarnate, God in the flesh, “God with us,” (Matthew 1:23).  The imperfect people born in this world would need the help of that perfect Savior born in Bethlehem.

The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of that precious Babe who had finally arrived in the world to bring this long-awaited hope.  He that was born as the prophesied Messiah would lift the judgment of condemnation for those who not only seek Him but find Him.  And, they are no longer content to have Him wrapped in swaddling clothes, but their soul’s desire is to wrap Him in their hearts.

 

“Stand Your Ground!”

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Stand your ground, be firm,
don’t settle or rest.
Wear your resolve as an emblem
mounted upon your chest.

You know who you are.
You know Who knows you.
And, you know in your heart
you have nothing to prove.

Don’t let their words sway
how you feel about yourself.
Don’t let their thoughts control –
For the time will tell.

Your character, your work,
will speak for your stand.
Believe in who He made you.
You were perfectly planned.

Opinions of others,
their views of you,
pale in comparison
to the Creator of skies so blue.

Let them judge and balk,
throw verbal stones at you.
You are committed in faith
and God will see you through.

So, stand in your beauty
from the inside out.
Rest your heart in God’s thoughts,
and under your feet, place their doubts.

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;).”  Hebrews 10:22-23

“Qualified!”

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“Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” – Colossians 1:12, NKJV

Too many wrestle with thoughts of a less-than attitude.  Even those who have had their lives and souls transformed by the power of the blood of the Lamb, they often succumb to the attitude of inferiority.  When those rogue thoughts mine their way into your thinking pattern it changes how you relate to yourself, this world, and others.  Those wayward thoughts begin to literally unravel the work of grace accomplished on the cross.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out if you place one piece of moldy bread in a container with good, whole bread; the moldy will start affecting its surroundings.  Meaning every piece it comes in contact with and shares the atmosphere with gets fed from those spores of decay, eating away and disintegrating everything in its path.

Outside of sin, there is nothing more damaging to one’s salvation than believing anything out of Christ Jesus got you there.  And, there is nothing more poisonous to the soul than allowing others to speak anything contrary to that great truth against you.

When you have been qualified it means you are now authorized to be a part of something or to have something.  Think in terms of a home loan.  When you are approved (qualified) it means you are now privy to obtain a said house for such and such price.  The bank or lending company looks at you as being fit to take on the responsibility of the mortgage for that property.

We, as saints of God, have been enabled to take on a greater reward than any earthly house could provide.  We have an inheritance in store for us because the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us; because the work of His Spirit in us has transformed us; because we have been redeemed by the salvation He has provided for us.

In other words, not to sound repetitious, but we are qualified in Him.  We are approved to walk the path of the rest of the saints.  Christ has given us access to be a child of the light, for He is the Light.  Christ is over us.  Christ is in us.  And, following Christ, He daily is leading us to our eternal inheritance.

So, shut the mouth of those who speak against you saying you are not enough.  You serve the God that is more than enough, and through Christ, He has already approved you.

No matter what people say, you’re qualified.

No matter what the circumstances look like, you are fit to do this.

No matter how hard it seems, you are spiritually equipped to make it.

The mortgage lenders may have to debate back and forth whether or not they will give you their stamp of approval.  But, God only has to look at the work of Christ in your life to dip His spiritual stamp in that heavenly ink pad and declare you are QUALIFIED!

Listen, it has never been about what goes on on the outside.  It’s all about what He has done on the inside.  There, in the crevices of your heart and soul, you are who He says you are: QUALIFIED!

Therefore, remember dear friends, wherever it is that God is leading you and whatever He has called you to do – you are QUALIFIED!

He has already provided the greater reward of the heavenly inheritance that awaits all His saints.  Believe that while we are still here on this earth, He too has empowered us to do some special and amazing stuff for Him as well.

Other encouraging verses:

Ephesians 1:6 – “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

2 Corinthians 3:5 – “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.”

1 Corinthians 15:10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain . . .”

Philippians 1:6 – “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 2:13 – “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Psalms 138:8 – “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me . . .”

“God is with the Generation of the Righteous!”

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“For God is with the generation of the righteous,” Psalm 14:5, NKJV

“With” is a simple four-lettered word we throw in the middle of a sentence to show the togetherness of something or someone.  But, when speaking of our relationship with God, we do have that definition of God being near us wherever we are.  We do have the meaning of Him walking amongst us through the valley lows and the mountain highs.  We do have that basic hint of the word “with,” but we also have so much more.

That word, as general as it is in meaning, not only tells us where God is in conjunction with His people but because of where He is, it also declares a shift in our stance and position in this world.  We are not just the run of the mill ordinary folk you may meet on the street in passing.  We are not the average Joe that people may be used to dealing with.  As we are taking our daily steps and going about our routines, we and they must realize there is so much more to us than what the naked eye may see.  As we sit at our desks to work or do whatever tasks our job requires, our position may look like everybody else’s on the outside – oh but, inside He is there.  God has implanted a part of Himself in the heart of each believer and He has attached Himself to the righteous.

Listen, it may not always feel like it, but when people look at you what they are seeing is just a shadow of what you really got going on with you.  Surrounding you and dwelling in you, through the power of the Holy Spirit is God Almighty.  Today, walk with your head held high knowing that no matter how people perceive you, their view is obscured by whatever bias they carry.  Who you are in God and God with you speaks of so much more.  Your stance and your position now is one of grace, power, holiness, love, and peace that is not only covering your life but is walking with you every step of the way.

Today, Lord, You have chosen to draw near to where Your people are.  You have surrounded us on every side and have taken up residence in the innermost parts of our being.  God, thank You for the gift of You.  Thank You for loving us so much that in spite of Your omnipotent and holy nature, You have attached Yourself to humble creatures such as we, Your people, and You desire to be with us wherever we are.  This is a most priceless gift to us.  Let us not take lightly this preciousness of Your presence with us.  In the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!

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