Tag: Christmas

The Real Gift of Christmas Was Born!

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“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

He is not found on display in a decorated window.

Nor will He be purchased from off the store shelf.

No, the only purchasing to be done is

when He came to purchase you for Himself (Titus 2:14).

 

For you, the Savior has come.

For you, the prophecy had been fulfilled.

For you, heaven’s glory was housed in a manger.

For you, He was born by God’s overshadowing will.

 

The greatest Christmas gift one has ever,

or will ever receive,

is the truest reason for Christmas itself

found in Christ our Lord, the newborn King.

 

If it were not for us, He would not have come.

If it were not for us, there would be no need to be born.

But born He was, God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23; 1 Timothy 3:16)

purposed to save us from sin and eternal death.

December 25th is waited for with hope throughout the year of giving and receiving gifts. But on that holy night, at the announcement of the Lord’s birth by the angel, the shepherds working the sheep in the field knew the real gift of Christmas had been waited upon for much longer.

“For unto you.” Let the beauty of those words speak to your heart. The gift of Jesus was given for you, for us, for me.

God’s gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes at His birth (Luke 2:12), and linen at His burial (John 19:40), was personally wrapped and given for failing humanity.

May we ponder, as Mary did that night, the real gift of Christmas a little more closely this year. I pray that you would feel the Father’s love as He presents this Gift to you for unwrapping. I pray you would know the heart of the Father more fully as you receive His “indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15) for yourself.

Christ was given, by the hand of God, for all who were, and for all who were to come: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17).

For this Christmas, and all to come, no Christmas gift could be or should be cherished more, than this gift of God’s great love (John 3:16).

At the trial of His crucifixion, Jesus spoke these words:

“To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” John 18:37

The gift was born for you.  

Thank You, Father God, for the personal gift of Jesus Christ into my life. Neither words nor time would be enough to express my deepest gratitude for the Savior. Your Gift has intervened in my life and saved me, helped me, protected me, and blessed me far more than I deserve. My thank You seems inadequate for this season, but humbly thank You, I do, and I praise You for the real Gift of Christmas in my life.

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay 

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“When God Visits…”

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“And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.” Luke 7:16

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23

The day was not one she expected.  Her only son was dead, and now it is time to lay his body to rest.  What would happen now?  Her life was left with many unanswered questions.  Being a widow, and now with the loss of her only son, she doesn’t know about her tomorrow.  As if dealing with sorrow wasn’t enough, her heart can’t process what might be up ahead.

A lot of us wonder about what’s up ahead for us.  Many question their days with hard-to-find answers.  What will life look like for me from here on out?

We can only imagine the swirl of emotions afflicting this poor mother as she followed the coffin of her son.

As the crowd moved forward, a commotion came from the front.  With compassion written all over His face, a man stepped close to the coffin where her son lay.

Touching it, He peered inside and saw what no one else could.

He saw the brokenness the mother now carried.  He saw the worries for the future.  He saw the life that wasn’t but could be.  He saw a better ending for this family than what they are experiencing now.

He speaks, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.” (Luke 7:14).  And life returned.  Wholeness and healing had come for this family.  Their hope for tomorrow was restored.

Seeing the miracle, the people rejoiced, “A great prophet has risen among us!” (vs.16).  “God hath visited his people!”

The revelation of their praise was true, more than they could have imagined.  The realness of Who was in their midst probably could not really have been fathomed.

Over thirty years prior, an angel encouraged Joseph about the babe Mary carried in her womb:

“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:20-23)

“Emmanuel … God with us”

“God hath visited his people” were on the lips of those who witnessed the widow of Nain’s son raised from the dead.

Friend, God is with us.  He has visited His people.  He is still speaking life to those who are dead.  And He is setting people up for a better future than what they see now.

When Jesus spoke, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10), His focus was not only on the circumstances of the day but on all our eternal futures for tomorrow that’s coming.

When we recognize who it is with us now and offers us new life, we can find joy and peace for this abundant living like we never could before.

When we recognize the magnitude of “God with us” and align our lives and hope, in faith accordingly, we will not only find joy and peace now but also for all eternity.

Jesus spoke to the widow, saying, “Weep not” (vs. 13).  If you have accepted Christ as your Savior; if you have welcomed into your life, “Emmanuel … God with us” –  there will come a day when the Bible declares: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

That glorious future for tomorrow starts by recognizing and accepting who Jesus Christ is in your life today.

More than a prophet has come.  God incarnate has taken the stage in history.  Let Him take the stage in your life today.  Because when God visits, things will change for the better, forever.

Father God, help many souls and hearts to see the true reason for the season: “God with us.”  Our Lord came to be born, and to die, and to raise us to a new life in Him.  The widow of Nain joyfully received her son back to life and we know that heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents (Luke 15:7) and starts life anew in You.  Help many to hear, see, know, love, and accept Jesus Christ for themselves that they might have life, and have it more abundantly for all eternity.  In the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!

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The Christmas Purpose Fulfilled

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It will not last, my friends.  The wickedness of the days we see, the corruptness in the land, will all one day vanish away for good.

In this world, we may see the unfolding of many evil deeds.  At times, it may seem as if the leash has been cut, and like a made dog, the world is running rabid.  But rest assured, dear friends, regardless of what it may look like, God will always have the final say and it will not last.

Psalm 37:12-17 expounds on this truth by letting us know:

“The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.”

Therefore, dear one, take heart in what your Lord has done and is doing.  They may rage, but He laughs.  They may try to come against His people, but it is the Lord who will come against those who come against His people.  It is the Lord who will break their attempts and “uphold the righteous.”

When the weariness of this world gets you down.  When you see things that you just cannot seem to understand.  When it seems that things are out of control, remember God is for justice.  God is for righteousness.  And God is for His people.

There is a day coming when all evil will be dealt with and silenced forever.

Take heart, the wickedness you see today will not last.  Zacharias prophesied of our Savior with this promise:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.” (Luke 1:68-75)

Friends, let us remember as we have come into the Christmas season, the purpose for it all.

Our Lord, as glorious and celebratory the scene may be, did not come to stay a babe in a manger.  He grew, and died, and rose to crush wickedness once and for all.

Fulfilling prophecies: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15; compare Hebrews 2:14).

Defeating darkness: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15).

Ushering in victory: “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Because our Lord grew out of the manger and raised out of the grave, the Christmas purpose has been fulfilled.  The promise of our redemption has come and conquered, and victory over wickedness has been won forever.

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“Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate . . .”

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“Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the love of God and family and to create memories that will last forever. Jesus is God’s perfect, indescribable gift. The amazing thing is that not only are we able to receive this gift, but we are able to share it with others on Christmas and every other day of the year.”

Joel Osteen15727116_953959881370783_5471131508485053887_n

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“Merry Christmas Everyone!”

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My Project 81-001

Just want to take some time to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!  God has used each one of you to bless me in one way or another this year.  You guys are awesome and I pray His very best for you now and into the next year. 

Also, unless I become deeply inspired 🙂 (we all know how that is), I will be taking the week off from writing.  There will be no new posts or Sunday School lessons until January. 

Be blessed.  Enjoy your Savior, your family, your friends, your holiday!