What's it all about?

Luke 2

¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

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

Christmas is all about Jesus.

Our Savior

Peace and good will from God to man.

The Promise fulfilled.

It is not the presents

but His Presence

It's not about little children waiting for Santa Claus

It is about one child

Born in a manger

God in the flesh

Emanuel

It is not about warm fuzzy feelings

and magical movies of 'human angels'

The angels that announced to the shepherds were magnificent and fearsome

But brought good tidings of joy and peace to mankind.

Be wise in this season

Like the wise men of old

Seek Him

The truth about Christmas

Perspective

Acts 9:15

¹⁵ ... Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, ...

Talking with one of my Visiting Angels, Pat, who helps caring for  my Father-in-law, 

she made a statement that got me to thinking.

She said how a child is chosen to care for their parents. 

My husband was chosen to care for his father.

What a brilliant way to look at it.

Much better than the worldly way of thinking you're stuck with them.

My Father in law is a blessing to us

He is a dear sweet man

and although my house has been overrun and often feels

like grand central station, I am blessed

because my husband was chosen to care for his father.

Check your perspective and heart

Seek God's Will

and rejoice that you are chosen.

How do you keep that lovin' feeling?

John 15:17

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Love 

A simple four letter we toss about like candy, not careful for what it means or should mean.

And like so many things, it is easier said than done.

What if someone you live  or work with irritates you?

Can you see past the irritation to love them?

Do you find it easier to 'love' people you don't know rather than the ones you do?

For me, the love I have for others is a direct correlation to how close I am to the Lord.

If I am easily irritated, that means I need some Jesus time.

Only in Him can I keep the flow of His love in my heart.

Without Jesus, I am nothing. A noisy gong as it says in Corinthians.

Check your love barometer

Is it indicating more time with the Lord?

Less of you more of Him?

Mine does.

Headed to that Secret Place now.

I need to replenish that lovin' feeling.

The Promise

Matthew 6

⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.

¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Our lives in Christ transcend this world.

For we are of a kingdom greater than any of this earth.

The Goodness and love of God enfolds believers in eternal life.

The Promise

Given from the beginning.

Realized That Christmas morning

Two thousand years ago,

Jesus

In the beginning was the Word

Born of a virgin

Son of God

Seed of the woman

Our Savior

King of Kings

Whose kingdom never ends

Look out, Look UP, Be ready

Matthew 24

King James Version (KJV)

24 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

² And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
³ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
⁵ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
⁶ And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
⁷ For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.
⁹ Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
¹⁰ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
¹¹ And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
¹² And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
¹⁵ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
¹⁶ Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
¹⁷ Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
¹⁸ Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
¹⁹ And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
²⁰ But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
²¹ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
²² And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

A Child is Born

Isaiah 9:6

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.

Christmas is about a Child being born.

Not any child

But the Son of God.

God coming in the flesh of man

To bring peace on earth

between Man and God

The Gift of God

Jesus is the reason for the season.

How's your Grace Gauge?

John 1:17

... but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Grace - God's gift.

Lately, I have struggled with the care of my 91 yr-old Father-in-law who lives with us. Don't get me wrong, we are blessed to  have him, blessed to have care takers who come into our home to care for him. BUT I  noticed that my patience is gone.

Then one of the Visiting Angels said to me this morning that as she dealt with my FIL

she would tell him that he needs to be grateful that there are those who want to 

care for him.

Then it hit me. It's not my patience that is lacking (although maybe some : )

But more importantly my GRACE tank is low.

I am running on empty and in and of myself - I don't have what it takes

to be gracious and loving.

But what a relief. It's not me. It's Christ in  me. He is Grace.

Our gift from our loving Father in Heaven

Sent to us- the gift from heaven - that we  might be saved.

For no one - None - Nada - can make it without God.

Just as the trees in this picture can do nothing to get the light to shine on them.

It is purely the grace of the Son that lights our lives.

So I turn to my Lord, Grateful that He loves me even when I am unworthy

For there is nothing in me that earns His love

It is a gift. His gift to any who reach out to accept Him.

Reaching out for His Grace

I am now at peace. Joyful even

For it's not about me

It's all about Him

His Gift

His Grace!

Glory to the Lord

Numbers 14:21

But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled

with the glory of the LORD.

From the flowers upraised in praise with color

to the birds in song to the great Creator 

to the trees reaching upward

to honor God All of 

Creation knows

And points

to the 

One

God is real

He is to be believed

Be assured that He lives

And is worthy of all praise

by heaven and earth and all that

are wise will Praise His Holy Name

The Story of (the) Fall

John 11:25

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” 

This tree is kissed with Fall's chill. The leaves blush and then fall.

The rhythm of life and death. 

With the promise of life renewed in the spring.

So too was mankind's story. 

In paradise, they sinned, felt sin's blush, and were banished to die.

But GOD in His goodness didn't leave them there.

He gave the promise of a Savior

Who would come, take the sin of the world upon Him,

And Die

And Rise again. Resurrected, though dead He lives.

Ponder the now leafless trees.

A testimony of death.

And Remember this season.

The Son of God come to earth,

Jesus born in a manger.

And know that though He were dead

He now lives

And all who believe in Him.

When Heaven Kissed the Earth

Christmas!

Jesus, God come to earth as a baby,

to grow and become our 

Savior.

Joy to the World!

Stand in Awe

Psalm 33:8

Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world

 stand in awe of him.

God is Awesome!

We have said the word awesome so much that it has lost its effect.

But think about Him. 

The Creator of all you see and don't see.

The Master designer who knows all

and you.

He is Ever-present, 

All knowing,

All powerful!

He is God

In every sense of the word

More than we can understand

Bigger than us

bigger than our problems

Yet tender enough

to know our deepest fears and needs.

God is Awesome

Take some time to ponder

His greatness.

The Day of the Lord

2 Peter 3:10-11

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Ok, that sounds a little bleak. But the chapter doesn't end there.

¹³ Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

YES! As Christians, those hidden in Christ, we have hope. Heaven is our home. Let us live as ambassadors to the heavenly kingdom. 
Welcoming, encouraging, compelling those who are lost to come in while there is still time.

For the Day of the Lord will come.
Be Ready

¹⁷ Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Light!

Matthew 5

¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

As Christians, followers of Jesus Christ,

we are to stand out.

Be examples, testimonies, to the Living God.

Now as to good works - what is that?

John 10:32
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

What good works did Jesus do?

We had the bracelets of WWJD- What would Jesus do?

but first we need to see WDJD - What did Jesus do?

• God so loved the world - compassion - Jesus had compassion and acted on it
• Jesus destroyed the works of the devil - 1 John 3:8
• Jesus did only what He saw and heard from the Father in heaven. John 5:19
• Good works are not only good deeds. Beware of the social gospel. It is good to help the poor, feed the hungry, and shelter the homeless. But the world does this too. We need to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit where we can hand out bread for the stomach and the Bread of Life for the soul. If we do as the Lord speaks in our hearts, then will we shine.

Pray and ask what the Lord of the Harvest would have you do. Be ready in season and out to be quick to obey the word of the Lord. Learn His Word and act on it 

Then we will shine.

What Road are You On?

Proverbs 16:17

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: 
he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

I read a post on Twitter how all roads eventually lead to the same place.

What a lie.

Matthew 7:14
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, 
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Beware of those who try to mislead you.

There is but one way to the Father

Jesus.

Walk the straight and narrow path

not alone but hand in hand with 

the Lord Jesus.

Be wise

Be ready

and walk with the Lord.

Grace In Your Heart

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 

How quickly the word of Christ can fall from our hearts and we slip away.

God is always near if we are of a mind to turn, repent, and listen.

Beware of the busy pace and frantic noise of the world

for it lulls us away and asleep in the things of God.

What to do?

Sing, sing the words of songs that catch your heart.

And what better time than Christmas to recapture 

that 'loving' feeling.

Whose heart hasn't sparked after singing or hearing 

Hark the Herald Angel

Away in a Manger

Joy to the World

Silent Night

Read the words, let them sink down deep and ignite 

the dying embers of your heart.

And grasp the grace of God and 

rejoice as  your heart comes alive.

For a time such as this

You were born.

Sing, Rejoice

and be a witness to 

the Light of the World.

Citizenship

^{Philippians 3} 

²⁰ For our citizenship is in heaven,...  (NKJV)

Perspective.

The elections are over.

What will happen as a result is not.

But as Christians,

How are we to react?

For me,

the elections were a cutting

I care about the country I was born in

But I experienced 

a recognition that heaven is my home.

Our future is secure

in a place that

will not burn, or be destroyed

We are secure

Now in this time of insecurity on earth

Let's stand and point the Way

to Jesus

Hosanna

Mark 11:9

And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

Hosanna

I heard a teaching the word

means 'save us from ourselves'

How true that is

If we were capable of 

being perfect

We wouldn't have needed

a savior.

We aren't capable of being

righteous

Only through Jesus are

we righteous

and that not of ourselves

but His righteousness that He

accounts to those who believe

He is the Son of God.

Hosanna and again I say Hosanna

I am needy and poor in my own righteousness

I need my Savior

I need Jesus 

His righteousness

Hosanna

Prepare

Psalm 91:1

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most 

High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

so our nation has chosen

whether it chose wisely or not

That is another question.

That judgment is coming 

I believe is almost a surety

Our nation has thumbed its nose

at God

Promoted the slaughter of the unborn

sexual immorality

mocking God

My opinion - and only an opinion

seek the Lord,

Dwell in the secret place

Abide in His grace

Be Wise

cover your mind and words in

Grace 

And Watch and Pray

Fear Not the Day!

Proverbs 21:1

21 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord,

 as the rivers of water: 
he turneth it whithersoever he will.

No matter today's election outcome,

the Lord's hand is mighty 

to save his

people.

WWJD and other hard things.

John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

We have the WWJD bracelets.

The church says we need to do what Jesus would do.

But do we?

The Hard things?

Words are easy to say, 

The doing a bit harder.

Why?

Because it is usually death to self.

And the flesh doesn't die easily.

Challenge - go thru the New Testament 

and write down what Jesus says to do.

And then do them.

It doesn't take long to see that on our own

It is not going to happen.

Only thru faith and His strength

can we do what is required.

When we are weak

He is strong.

How to Pray

When monster storms have washed over you

and you are at a loss of how to pray

Jesus said:

Matthew

⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.

¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

¹⁴ For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

¹⁵ But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Wait upon the Lord

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Ever had one of those tired days?

Then stop, wait, and listen for the Lord.

He is our strength

He is our promise

He is coming!

Wait

Upon the

Lord!

The enemy

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary

 the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, 

seeking whom he may devour: 

The devil, is he real?

Yes.

Our adversary.

He tempted Christ in the wilderness.

And sets traps for us today.

BUT JESUS

1 John 3:8... For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,

 that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Be wise

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. 

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

And 

Revelation 20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The Son will Shine

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Many see the Hand of God move on their behalf,

Preserving their lives, 

Comforting from the Heavenly Father.

His Presence

in the Storm.

And many will see the Hand of God

through His people 

Called by 

His Name.

Who put aside their

own needs and put out their

hands to help one another.

Hebrews 13:3
Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Pray for those afflicted

Be sensitive and listen for the Holy Spirit

And give what you can to help those in need.

Scriptures for Adversity

With earthquakes on the west coast and 

storms on the east coast, I thought knowing 

scripture verses to encourage in times of adversity 

would be a good thing,

Here is a link to a good website Uplifting verses

The Psalms are always a good place to look.

Psalm 23, 91

Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, 

that we may obtain mercy, 
and find grace to help in time of need.

How do I know what to do?

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.  

The Bible.

God's Word - Inspired

by the Holy Spirit.

Truth.

Some may ask - It's written by men. How can it 

be right?

The answer - GOD.

God is big. Amazing. He created it all.

Is it so hard for God to put His Word down on paper

Through the hands of men?

I don't think so. 

Read the Word.

Study it and show yourself approved.

Have a question - search the scriptures.

You can count it.

Complain or Proclaim

Philippians 2:14-15

Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

¹⁵ That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

How easy it is to complain and murmur about what you think is wrong.

But what does that do?

One thing it does is make God small in your eyes.

If your circumstances are bigger than God in your mind,

you are in trouble.

Instead of complaining - proclaim the goodness of God.

Seek the scriptures for verses that speak to your heart 

and address the troubles you are in.

Complaining will focus your mind on the problem

Proclaiming the goodness of God and His victory

takes you mind off the problem and onto

the One who can solve it.

1 Corinthians 10:9-11

⁹ Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.¹⁰ Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.¹¹ Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.