I have a question for you.  When was the last time that you went to a birthday party and all of the guests opened up gifts that was given to them by everybody else while the person whose birthday is being celebrated sat there and watched, receiving nothing?

What if the person was you?  What if it was your birthday, a whole bunch of people came over to help you celebrate, and then exchanged gifts with each other ignoring you?

This realization hit me this year a couple of weeks before Christmas.  Here we are year after year running around frantically weeks before Christmas buying presents for others, setting up Christmas parties, decorating, visiting relatives, going on vacation, baking cookies, being nicer to each other, etc.

On Christmas morning, the children wake up, squeal in delight, and race to open presents.  The parents and maybe other relatives look on smiling joyfully as the children open their gifts that were purchased for them.  Wrappings are flown around, the toys are played with, the Christmas feast is prepared for heating later that day.

But what is missing here?  What about the person whose birthday is being celebrated?  What did he receive?

Oh sure you may have gone to church, sang Christmas carols, read Luke 2, even served a meal at the homeless shelter.

But what did he received?  Yes, this is a hard question and one I had to realistically face.  So this year I challenged my family, and myself by asking all of us to give Jesus a present.  I have children ranging in ages from four years old to 11.  How does the child “give” something to Jesus?  What do we give?

“Ask him,” I said.  When you want to give a gift to someone do you not ask or get an idea of what the person wants?  I told my family it could be anything.  The physical something, something that is done, or whatever they believed is what Jesus would want.

Now, I really do not know how this will play out.  How do you give something to the one who created everything?  I did  not have an answer, so I prayed and asked him.  Immediately a gift idea popped in my head.

“Wow, you want that.” I thought upon the answer.  At that moment I realized that what he wanted was never mine in the first place but I considered it as such all of these years.  So without too much hesitation, I started figuring out how that would work in reality of everyday living, and purposed it in my brain that is what I would give Jesus as a birthday present.

And that is what I did on Christmas Day.  Now, I know you want to know what it is.  As I told my children when the idea was first presented, their gift is personal and may remain between them and Jesus if that is their choice.  This is a yearly tradition that I would like them to choose to do, not simply an act because that is what Daddy is expecting of them.

However, if there are enough comments on this article down below, I will tell you what I gave Jesus for his birthday.  Not to show off, but for instruction.

The last I heard, my six year old daughter wanted to be a godly girl for her birthday present.  Wow.  The other children and my wife?  I do not know.  I will bring it up in conversation one more time and then let it go.  The same as I’m doing here with you.

It is not too late to give a gift, you know.  I am sure that you have been to a belated birthday party at least one time in your life.  This could be one.  Not sure what to give?  Ask him.

Share with us below what you have given, or want to give, Jesus to celebrate his birth.

Many people celebrate the New Year, and see it as a time of starting over. While anytime can bring a new beginning, the new year seems best for such resolutions because there is a logical change over to a new number.

Lots of people try to shake bad habits or start good habits during the new year. A person might wish to stop smoking or stop doing something else bad, or they may wish to pray more or draw closer to God. Or, just be kinder to one’s fellow man (though a vague resolution like that can be a bit of a copout unless one lays out some specific ways to do this.)

The Bible gives us 9 great things to cultivate – called “fruits of the Spirit” – in Galatians 5:22-23. By growing these in specific ways, instead of just saying, “I’ll be nicer,” we can have a brighter new year, follow God more closely if we know Him, or come to know Him as a loving, personal Savior and guide in life if we don’t yet know Him.

New Year’s resolutions are hard to keep because we are humans. It’s our nature to wander away from what we should do. “All we like sheep are gone astray, we have turned each one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity (sin) of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) That means we fall short of God’s standard of perfection.

Thankfully, when one simply trusts in Jesus by faith to save them – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31) – God makes them new on the inside. (2 Cor. 5:17) He begins a good work, and promises to complete it. (Philippians 1:6) However, while He keeps trying to work in us to make us more Christlike, our sin nature keeps holding us back unless we focus totally on Him. Even the great apostle Paul, near the end of Romans 7, complains that what he doesn’t want to do, he does, and what he wants to do, he doesn’t.

Thankfully, he finishes that chapter by stating that Jesus can save him from that “wretched state,” and that – to those in Christ Jesus – there is “now therefore no condemnation.” (Romans 8:1) When a person trusts in Jesus to forgive them of their sin, by faith, they can be sure that God will keep them from falling.” (Jude 24) In every situation, when we are faced with temptation to sin, He provides a way of escape so we don’t have to. (1 Cor. 10:13) he is strong enough to keep us saved (John 10:28-29) because He lives in believers through His Holy Spirit. We are sealed with it. (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30)

See, since we are sinners, we don’t have the strength to keep these things on our own. That’s why so many people fail at their resolutions. They are like small children who try to dress themselves, even though a parent is right there wanting to help. The child insists on doing it him/herself, and snaps are done wrong, heads try to go through sleeves,a nd it’s so mixed up you’d think their socks will wind up on their ears. Yes, small children need to try on their own since it’s a skill they’ll need – this isn’t a perfect illustration. But, it does show how we act when we have a loving God who wants to lovingly guide us Himself. This is why we must pray, too, though He knows our needs – He wants us to realize we can’t do it on our own and that we need His help.

This, then, is how to keep those New Year’s Resolutions – give them over to God. Let Him be the one to keep you from falling, instead of trying it on your own. And if you do fail once, simply go to Him and receive His great forgiveness. For if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrightousness. (1 John 1:9)

So, what are those really good fruits that God wants us to grow in us? Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

The word “but” at the start shows there is something before that which is different – usually the opposite. In this case, God inspired Paul to write about things which our human flesh likes to do. Our carnal nature means that we don’t always like to do what’s right. We follow our lusts and tear others down, hate, act stubborn or selfish, and so on.

You may say, “Wait, unsaved people can be kind, gentle, etc..” Yes, but not to the extent and often not in the proper manner that the Holy Spirit builds these fruits in us. Let’s look at each of these very briefly and see how we can have a great New Year trusting in God to grow these fruits in us, instead of trying to do it on our own.

Love

The world is decent here. Still, there is such confusion about what love is. Some use it when they mean lust. But, the physical never lasts. Others use it to mean that they care about someone as long as they do something for them. For the most part, an unsaved family can be a very close-knit and loving one, of course. They might be able to come close to the unconditional love God provides, because it’s built into us.

However, only through God can we truly love as Christ did. I’m reminded of an illustration of a father that I read in an e-mail. His son was allergic to bee stings – a bee sting could even kill him. So, he saw a bee buzzing around his son, grabbed it in his hand, and took the stinger himself, so it wouldn’t be a threat. Now, if you expand that, the same loving father might do this for his son’s friend, or maybe even a total stranger. Some have given their lives to save strangers they didn’t know. But, God’s love is much deeper.

God’s love means that He takes the sting of death for His enemies, those who hate him and want nothing to do with Him – He still tasted death for them. Because, all of us were once this way. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) So, that means that for the Spirit to help us love others more, we need to love our enemies. We need to care about others and be willing to pray for them. We certainly need to help others and reach out to those who are hurting even if it means we’ll get teased for it. We need to protect the bullied of our society and show them how to let the Lord help them through things.

Joy

The world has joy, but too often it is at the expense of others. Now, if someone is able to laugh at themselves – and we all need to be better at that (the next fruit gives us that) but the problem with the world’s joy is that it’s full of raunchiness and filthy language and other bad things at times. A couple boys I know were introduced via YouTbue to some classic comedians of the 1940s-1960s era by their father. They said these comedians were the funniest they’d ever heard.

Joy isn’t just laughter, though. It’s being happy even when times are bad. That’s because the Spirit helps us take our mind off of our own worries and focus on God. Many verses in the Bible show people who felt joy in knowing God would be with them even in the worst of times. The world can’t do this, and even Christians have trouble with this when they focus on themselves. Always remember, Paul wrote Philippians – a book which talks a lot about feeling joy – from a Roman prison. If he could do that, God can give us joy, too.

Peace

When we cast all our cares on Jesus, He can give us a “peace that passeth understanding.” (Philippians 4:6-7) Instead of being full of worry, God can give us peace. Even in the worst of times, we can know for sure we are going to Heaven (1 John 5:13, John 3:16, etc.), know for sure God loves us, and so on. We cultivate this fruit through faith.

Longsuffering

This word for patience hits the nil on the head when it comes to a description. Sometimes, patience means we must put up with a lot. Anyone who has ever had small children knows what this is like. Thankfully, they do eventually grow up, and if we do a good job of leading by example and explaining that example to them, they will follow.

God gives us a much greater ability, though. He can put verses or hymns in our mind when we most need them. He can give us words to say that can calm the storms of life. He wants to help us in this crazy world. The Bible warns that at the end of times, “The love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:12 – 2 Timothy 3:1-3 show how these others declining, like we see today, show that the Lord is close to returning.) One reason this is true is that there is so much less patience than there used to be. Another is that we don’t take time to think of others in our busy schedules. These two are tied together. When we take time to think of others, we realize others matter and that we need to be more patient.

It’s hard for us on our own. But, God can work wonders in us if we trust Him.

Gentleness

As noted in the comment on joy about, there is so much more coarseness and vulgarity today. Gentleness isn’t just a gentle touch, it’s an attitude, one that says we’re not going to be really harsh or overly critical or anything else beyond what is needed. At times the world has always been too rough. But Godly people, following the Spirit, have always known how to approach others with the right amount of tenderness. And, that’s different for different people. For instance, Jude 22-23, where God’s Word tells us to tell others of His love in different ways, some needing compassion because of what they’ve been through, others, needing stern warnings.

How do we know which is which? Again, we need the Lord to show us. At times, the world tries to have everything gentle, but that is doing it the world’s way, to draw praise from people, not God’s way. God’s way is like Jesus with the woman caught in adultery. (John 8:1-11) He was gentle and showed He cared, but He still came out and said her sin was sin, and told her “Go, and sin no more.” If you’re like me, you can see Him saying this in a more tender manner than He spoke to the Pharisees, but he still said it.

Goodness

This is fairly easy, and brings a lot of the others into it. It requires that we know what is good, which is hard for us to do without God. Without Him, we just try to make others see us. Jesus said that we should do good to others without trying for praise ourselves; instead, we must let our lights so shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

Faith

Once we trust Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He helps us to have faith by giving us things to pray for or go through that help us to see our reliance on Him. The more we do, the more He’ll call us to do. People like George Muller, the great English man of faith who helped many orphans in the 19th century, was a great testimony to what one person can do when they put all their faith in God. He is the kind of person we should all strive to be this New Year.

Meekness

The world is wrong when they say it means weakness. Meekness means gently loving and having power but choosing not to use it. So, it’s got parts of gentleness, goodness, and a few others. When we are meek, we let God handle the situation instead of trying on our own strength.

Temprance

This word, meaning self-control, probably encompasses the vast majority of all New Years resolutions. It stretches from not flying off the handle at everyone to not devouring boxes of candy, and everywhere in between. It means not losing it at that person who cuts you off while driving, knowing they may have a sick relative they are rushing to see. It means so many things the world just can’t do very well, though some do better than others.

We need the Holy Spirit for this. Like Paul, we’re going to have trouble, but instead of just saying, when we do, “Oh, well, I broke my resolution, now I can go back to how I was,” we must confess and forsake that sin and ask the Lord to change us and help us not to sin.

He will do this for His children, but the first prayer He hears and says “yes” to is that of a repentant sinner coming to Him for salvation. Yes, He may answer yes to another prayer from that person, but only because someone else happened to pray the same thing, or He did it on His own to draw that person to Him.

He is always trying to draw us toward Him. He wants us to realize the things I’ve said above. He wants each of us to see as I saw years ago, that I was a sinner in need of a Saviour. That Christ died for my sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and rose again the third day. Just call on Him by faith to save you. (Romans 10:9,10,13; Ephesians 2:8-9, etc.) It’s as easy as ABC – Admit, Believe, Choose.

Once you have done that, God’s Word promises to develop the fruits of the Spirit, but He also warns us not to quench the Spirit. It is so much easier when we follow the Lord. Just always remember, we don’t do it because we have to. We follow Him because we get to. He promises to give us life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) Part of that abundant life is helping us to grow to be more Christlike by growing those fruits of the Spirit.

Because, so much of what we seek – like the things I mentioned the world seeking above – don’t last. Whenever we try to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, or the pride of life (1 John 2:16), we wind up feeling emptier later. That’s another reason why people can’t always keep their resolutions – they need something to fill themselves with instead.

This year, let us resolve to fill those empty places with the fruits of the Spirit.

The Gospel of Christ

The gospel of Christ is the good news of salvation which has to be proclaimed to all those who live on the earth, to every nation, tribe, language and people. It has to be proclaimed everywhere, at all times, with great urgency with boldness, and as a testimony to all.
Those who are entrusted with this gospel are called by God, set apart to both proclaim and defend the gospel, and are under divine orders to fulfill its mandate.

Let us take our queue from the apostle Paul whom God entrusted with the gospel to the Gentiles, he said; “I Paul a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, the gospel he promised before hand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God, by his resurrection from the dead, through whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:1-6).

With regards to the defense of the gospel the apostle Paul wrote: “It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart: for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.” His encouragement to the brethren was, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, then whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God” (Philippians 7, 27).

With regards to being under divine order, the apostle Paul wrote; “When I preach the gospel I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me” (1Corinthians 9:16-17).
What exactly is the gospel which God promised before hand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, for which Paul was called, set apart, and under divine orders to preach?
Let us allow the apostle Paul himself to unveiled this mystery, which according to him, “Was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets:” “And to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:5, 9).
The apostle Paul began by saying; “I want you to know brethren that the gospel I preach is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” He continued; “But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace was pleased to reveal his Son to me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus” (Galatians 1:11-12; 15-17).
The gospel, the good news of salvation, the mystery of the ages that was revealed to the apostle Paul is three-folds;

1. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures

The apostle Paul wrote; “Now brethren, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise you have believed in vain: For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1Corinthians 15:1- 3).
This is good news for all, because, “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man some one might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrate his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).
“For the love of Christ compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

2. He was buried and was raised on the third day according to the scripture

Rising again after three days and three nights is the proof of his Messiah-ship that he gave to the Scribes and Pharisees, when he said to them; “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” He also told them; “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (Matthew 12:39-40; John 2:19).

Now the main point of him being resurrected from the dead, is to fulfill his role as our High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, to make intercessions on behalf of our sins, and for this reason, “He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the internal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15).

3. We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

The gospel which was revealed to the apostle Paul not only confirmed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also made known the means of redemption, which is made possible only by the blood of Jesus Christ.
In unveiling the gospel which Paul received, he said; “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Then Paul in addition said to them; “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1Corinthians 11:23-26).
The gospel according to the apostle Paul is the power of God for salvation. He wrote; “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jews, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17).
The gospel is called the ministry of righteousness. It reveals God’s righteousness through faith; and now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22).
This is the gospel of Christ: anything else that is required of us is as an expression of gratitude, in thanksgiving to his abundant mercies and manifold graces, and out of love through our own volition, we ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name; bringing an offering and appear before his presence at his appointed festivals, and worship him in the beauty of holiness, tremble before him; and loving one another as our own selves. However, there are stipulated laws by which we can express our gratitude, and it should be done through faith, and not by law, because we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name.

http://createspace.com/3501245

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.  Proverbs 3:13-15 

For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  Proverbs 2:6

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  James 1:5 

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.  Proverbs 8:17 

For those who find me find life and receive favor from the LORD.  Proverbs 8:35

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.  1 John 5:11-12

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life (eternal life) in his name.  John 20:30-31 

AMEN!!!

Find wisdom and gain understanding in God’s Word.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Mark

www.nuggetsofwisdom.us

… spread the Word

New Year gives an opportunity to look back over the past year and count all the blessings in our lives. We need to celebrate New Year with genuine spiritual values, and not the values of a fallen world like “eat-drink-and-be-merry-for-tomorrow-we-die”.

 Scripture speaks about New Year in Exodus 12:2 “This month shall be unto you the Beginning of Months: it shall be the “First Month of the Year” to you”.

 Our  New Year Resolutions should be Godly virtues, commitments to change, grounding in holiness , righteousness ,keeping and seeking for all the commandments of the God, delighting in Gods word and constantly growing in the Knowledge of the Scriptures, by repenting of our sins. Since the last days are going to be so evil, we are advised in the scriptures that we need to put on the Armor of God against all the spiritual forces of Satan and its evil people. We need to stand firm, with the belt of truth buckled around their waist, with the breastplate of righteousness Keeping the Full Armor of God Enduring Hardships, Sufferings, and Trials through Christ. Ephesians 6: 10-18

 Many celebrate New-year in sinful parties that involve alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling, fornication, provocative dancing, sinful pride, heathen music, immodestly dressed women etc. Galatians 5:19-21 says, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

 As believers, we are to guard ourselves against temptation, remembering that “bad company corrupts good character” (1 corin 15:33). God says to focus our thoughts on heavenly things not earthly things. We are to set our minds on the things of God and on the things that bring glory to Him Not Conforming to the Things of This World. 1 John 5:19 says we know that we are from God and that the whole world lies under the control of the evil one.

Jeremiah 10:2 God says that we are not to learn the ways of the heathen.

 Conclusion: We all need to thank God that we are alive for another New Year day because many of them do not have that opportunity.

I want to wish each one of you a prosperous, healthy New Year filled with joy, peace love and God‘s blessings . Happy New Year!

Break Free from Bondage and Fly on the Promises

Life is a constant struggle. Some don’t like to use the word struggle in reference to life because it has such a negative connotation. By definition it is a forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint or resist attack. i would say that this is an accurate description of how life goes. For the majority of us, we are constantly trying to resist some kind of attack life throws at us. Whether it’s trying to shake poverty or a common cold, it seems that in every aspect of life we are struggling. But struggling isn’t always a bad thing. Struggling takes on a negative connotation when we repeatedly fight the same battles. In every struggle we should learn a lesson; if nothing else, we should know how to break free the next time we face that particular hurdle. When we learn from our struggles the very word takes on a totally different meaning. Frederick Douglass observed, “Without struggle, there is no progress.” If a slave could grasp this concept, so should we. What are you struggling with? What are you trying to get free of? What are you trying to resist attack from? Whatever it is, just know that there’s a blessing on the other side of the valley.

We must not pray that our struggles end, but we must pray for the strength, wisdom, and understanding of how to break free. We must trust that HE alone is the supply to all of our needs and wants. We must believe that HE is the orchestrator of what goes on in our lives, and when we struggle we must look for the lesson it brings.

Consider if you will the Israelites who were held captive by the Egyptian Pharaoh. GOD heard the cries of HIS people and called Moses to set them free. After initially resisting, the Pharaoh eventually decided to let the Israelites go. Once the Israelites were set free they went into the wilderness to commune with GOD. What was supposed to be a short journey to the Promised Land of Canaan quickly turned into forty years of wandering in the vast barren desert for nearly a half of century. Think about that. Talk about struggling. Millions of Israelites wandering around the desert for forty years, aimlessly, with nothing but the clothes on their backs is the very bottom of hardships. They were slaves and had no possessions. They neither had food nor water. But GOD provided like a father should. For forty years GOD sent Manna down from the Throne Room of Glory to feed HIS children. The Israelites’ needs were sufficient for each day. When some of them tried to gather and store the Manna it spoiled and turned into maggots. A clear revelation that all GOD wanted them to do was rely fully on HIM for their every need. Thousands of years later HE wants the same exact thing from us. HE wants us to have the faith to believe that HE will meet every one of our daily needs.

When we struggle it’s really the good Lord speaking to us. HE speaks to us the same way HE did the Israelites. Likewise, he made a promise to the Israelites, and as descendants of Abraham, HE has made that same promise to us: to inherit the Promised Land that flows with milk and honey. But for us to inherit this promise we must be faithful. We must be obedient to HIS Word and sensitive to what HE is trying to show us though our struggles. The reason the Israelites wandered around for forty years is because they didn’t fully rely on HIM, for they did not believe that HE would take care of them in such a difficult time. The Israelites only inherited the Promised Land when they fully believed that GOD was their sole provider. We too will inherit the Promised Land once we believe the same.

The Promised Land was a good and large land, flowing with milk and honey. Whenever the Bible talks about something being good it means perfect, for if GOD made something it couldn’t be any better. So the Promised Land was a perfect and large land, flowing with milk and honey. The milk symbolizes everything we need. Milk is a great source of essential nutrients; it makes us strong and can prevent osteoporosis; it has all the fat our brain needs to develop. For an entire year, my son only drank milk flowing from his mother’s bosom. So, in essence, all we really need to survive is milk. The symbolism here is remarkable. Generally speaking, human beings only need food, water, and shelter to survive. Well, the Promised Land has that, but there’s more. It also flows with honey. The honey symbolizes everything we ever wanted. Honey really has no nutritional value, but it’s delicious. Think about all the mouth-watering treats made with honey: Honey Combs, Honey Bar-b-cue Wings, Honey Nut Cheerios, Honey Mustard, Honey Baked Ham, Honey Butter from J. Alexander’s; I could go on and on, but I digress. In the present day, the honey GOD promised symbolizes the things we desire such as, bonuses on the job, nice vacations, big cars, big homes, 52-inch flat screens, etc. GOD wants us to have these things but we must obey HIM. We must realize that our profession is not the source of our supply, neither are our parents, or those fat refund checks, but GOD is. When we start to truly believe this we will inherit the Promised Land. GOD didn’t promise us a land that has milk and honey, but a land that flows with it, which means there is abundance, better yet, an unlimited supply of blessings.

The most important part of the story of Moses and the Israelites isn’t necessarily the Promised Land or wandering around in the wilderness, or the Manna that fell from the sky daily, but it’s about the process of how they got to the Promised Land. The very first, most important step in reaching the Promised Land was getting out of bondage. The Israelites had to get out of slavery before they could go anywhere. Likewise, this has to be our first step as well.

As slaves, we are not in a position to be blessed. To inherit the promises of GOD we must free ourselves from slavery, we cannot wait on Moses. The first step is to understand that we are indeed slaves. Many of the Israelites wanted to return to their former life of bondage because it was all they knew. They didn’t think being a slave was all that bad. In a way, they enjoyed being a slave, it was somewhat blissful. Harriet Tubman freed one thousand slaves and would’ve freed one thousand more had they knew they were slaves. As i look around i notice that most of us are slaves as well. Soon, we don’t even realize we’re slaves because we’ve been in bondage for so long. Some of us are slaves to money, others fear. As slaves to money it controls where we go, how we feel, what we think, and when we move, if we move at all. When we are slaves to fear on the other hand, it dictates our movements and impedes our progress. We fear the unknown so much that we don’t try anything new. We don’t grow because we are afraid to. Instead, we grow complacent and get comfortable. Then our lives fall into a thoughtless routine which ends in mediocrity.

All of us are slaves to sin. We are controlled by our selfish desires and if a change doesn’t occur we will burn in our own lust. Many of the Israelites were killed because they became slaves to sin, or wrongdoing after they were freed from physical bondage. The GOD inside us allows us to know right from wrong. It is up to us to do the right thing, for the sake of righteousness, for the sake of inheriting what GOD the Father promised us. And if we are too stuck in our ways to inherit what HE promised us, the very least we can do is head in the right direction so our children can inherit the land that flows with milk and honey.

A while back I gave a guy something he needed in his home. I think I was as blown away by his reaction as he was by getting it. He tried to pay me what he could and kept saying said he owed me. I assured him he owed me nothing and need not pay me back, it was a gift, no strings attached (no he didn’t need to listen to me preach before he could leave either).

So there’s the economy we carry from material world to every other part of our lives. We think that everything comes at a price. Trust me I’m just getting used to this myself. It’s kind of the “love without condition” carried further. If by doing something for you, I expect (even eventually) something in return, maybe it’s just your friendship, or admiration, then I’m not doing it for you at all, I’m just bartering for something for myself.

I think giving is easier with strangers, maybe people you will never see again, do a random act of kindness and walk away, never expecting to see them again, and they can never pay you back. It seems a lot harder among acquaintances, maybe hardest in relationships. We’ve been raised in this “point” system; I help you with your car, later when my computer dies you help me.

In relationships, try to remember the beginning, think back to when just being with that person was the goal, didn’t matter what you were doing, just being around them was enough. Let a relationship last long enough and we tend to put it to the “point system” more and more it becomes what we’ve done for the other or what we can do, or vise versa “what have you done for me lately” or “look at all I do for you and what do I get in return?” well if you’re looking for something in return you weren’t really doing it for the other person were you?. As our relationships with God are compared to a marriage I think we tend to go down the same path, we forget where our faith began, when just knowing he was there was enough.

I’m not throwing out acts of love or intentionality that come naturally through love. But if you buy your wife flowers on valentines merely BECAUSE it’s Valentines Day, it is in your heart, an empty gesture, really, just acting out of obedience or obligation. The same can apply to our faith lives.

So now I get to the point where I may be wrong. But… we are told to go out and spread the Gospel… Gospel means “good news” I’m pretty sure the good news isn’t “well Christ died on the cross now you should feel guilty and not do anything wrong and make sure you read your bible 5 times a day and here’s a check list of do’s and don’ts”.. I’m pretty sure the Good news is the price is paid, “it is finished” not “hey, now the ledger shows you in the red so you owe me”.

In the beginning (before time began) God created the heavens and the earth.  … Genesis 1:1

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. … Genesis 1:31a

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. … Isaiah 40:26 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn (the most important) over all creation. For by him (Lord Jesus, the Word) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. … Colossians 1:15-17 

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. … Revelation 4:11 

Glory to the mighty God!!!

This mosaic image is the sharpest wide-angle view ever obtained of the starburst galaxy, Messier 82 (M82). The galaxy is remarkable for its bright blue disk. Most of the pale, white objects sprinkled around the body of M82 that look like fuzzy stars are actually individual star clusters about 20 light-years across (One light year is 5,865,696,000,000 miles) and contain up to a million stars.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: J. Gallagher (University of Wisconsin), M. Mountain (STScI), and P. Puxley (National Science Foundation)

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She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

The word “saved” implies danger. There is no need to be saved if there is nothing to be saved from. The Jews in the first century wanted deliverance. They wanted to be saved from a secular government, but many did not realize that they first needed to be rescued from something else. They needed to be saved from their sins.

At His first coming, Jesus did not come to rule, but to die. He came to save His people from their sin. The supreme irony was that He came not only to save Jewish people, but also the Gentiles. The wicked heathen people whom the Jews had separated themselves from would be saved by the Messiah! Praise God for His great and wide grace!

Doubtless, Joesph might have confined the words spoken by the angel, “His people,” to include only the Jews. But these words contain a much wider scope of people, these words include the redeemed people of all ages. They include both Jews and Gentiles. They include Enoch and Noah. They include Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They include Moses, Ruth, David, Esther, and all the rest of the redeemed, both in the past and those yet to be born. All of these people are saved by God, saved from their sin, and granted that which they do not deserve.

Jesus came to save His people from their sins! He came to save His people from that which they rightly deserved! The final penalty for sin is eternal damnation. Hell. The wrath of God. But Christ bore His people’s punishment on the cross; He bore the wrath of God in order to make salvation possible!

After the angel of the Lord had finished his explanation concerning the purpose of the Messiah, Joesph’s dream was complete. When Joseph woke up, he obediently acted according to the words of the angel and took Mary as his wife.

Related Posts:
Isaiah’s Prophecy: It’s Fulfillment (Part 1) – Matthew 1:22-23
Joseph, Do Not Be Afraid to Take Mary as Your Wife – Matthew 1:20
Joseph’s Dilemma – Matthew 1:19
The Virgin Birth – Matthew 1:18
The Lineage of the Messiah – Matthew 1:1-17

In the beginning (before time began) was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him  (the Word) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

The Word became flesh (a human being – the Lord Jesus) and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:1-4, 9 & 14

Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. (God) I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, (believe in your heart what he says) I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.  John 12:44-47 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. (of your life)  John 6:37-39 

Praise the Lord and Merry Christmas to all!

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The virgin birth, in and of itself, was a great miracle, but the child to be born would bring about even greater miracles. In the past few verses, Matthew has mainly focused on Mary and Joseph. The emphasis has been on Mary’s unique pregnancy, but now the emphasis shifts to the infant who is soon to be born:

She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

In a dream, the angel of the Lord told Joseph concerning his wife, “She will bear a Son”. This event would certainly come to pass. Nothing could be done to stop or prevent Mary’s pregnancy. What Joseph may have wished to happen did not matter, for if God deems that something will happen, it will happen.

The angel of the Lord commanded Joseph, “And you shall call His name Jesus”. Jesus means Saviour. He is the Anointed One— the Messiah. Through His life, Jesus would bring about dramatic change, but not the change which many had expected. At His first coming, Jesus did not disturb the world order. He didn’t overthrow the Roman government and restore governing power to Israel. He didn’t launch an assault against the Gentiles, nor did He make Himself the ruling king of the known world. In short, Jesus did not lead an army so that He could reign over the earth.

At His second coming, Jesus will reign over the earth (the book of Revelation describes the bloody scene leading up to Jesus’ reign). However, if Jesus had not come for a different purpose the first time, then no man would be able to dwell in His kingdom. God is perfect in holiness; He requires man to have a perfect record. All men have fallen incredibly short of this standard of perfection. Not even the animal sacrifices offered up to God in the Old Testament times were enough to blot out man’s innumerable sins. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4)

Jesus did something of infinite greatness at His first coming. No words can fully describe this supreme act of sovereign love. Jesus told His disciples, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) That is what Jesus did: He laid down His life— He died. But death did not hold Him, He defeated the grave! He rose again! He did what only God can do, He saved His people from their sins.

Related Posts:
Isaiah’s Prophecy: It’s Fulfillment (Part 1) – Matthew 1:22-23
Joseph, Do Not Be Afraid to Take Mary as Your Wife – Matthew 1:20
Joseph’s Dilemma – Matthew 1:19
The Virgin Birth – Matthew 1:18
The Lineage of the Messiah – Matthew 1:1-17

1. Celebration of Jesus’ birth on the 25th of December is not idolatry: There are many Christians who do not celebrate Christmas even opposed to such celebrations just like those religious crowd during Jesus days. When Jesus was born, Babylonian wise men came from the East to worship the Savior. You would have thought that the religious leaders would have gone to see Jesus, but instead they informed Herod of the whereabouts of the little Baby Jesus so Jesus could be murdered. The religious leaders knew where Christ was to be born yet they did not go to see him. Isn’t this just like the religious world today who oppose celebration of Christmas and who have declared war on Christmas? They claim the name of Christ, but their hearts are so far away from God.

Phil. 1:10 says that “For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives.” There is clear instruction to Christians to stay away from those that distort the truth of the gospel resulting in splitting the unity of the church (Romans 16:17).

You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. (Exodus 23:2). Peter the Apostle states: But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies… (2 Peter 2:1). And of course, Jude4 also states: For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness.

However Jesus also never told us not to celebrate His birth. Paul specifically prohibits getting involved with the pagan festivals .Paganism is a worship or sacrifice offered to an idol to demons or false Gods. But Christmas is worshipping true God because Jesus Christ is a true God. 1 Timothy 3:16 says: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. God tells us not to adopt the practices and lies of false religions (Jeremiah 10:2-3) like Halloween etc Satan is at constant work stealing the true meaning of Christmas and has been replaced as a Happy Holidays or calling chrismas as paganism. If we say that our Christmas has originated from pagan then what about the technology we have today all the modern facilities we have today. Is it all biblical or Are we following each and everything biblically in every area of our life in everything? We don’t even question whether they are biblical or pagan and why do we have to question about the day reserved to praise, rejoicing and worship our Lord Jesus Christ?

Every society in which ever country they live have many man made holidays like Mother’s Day, Father s day, labor day, black Friday , Martin Luther king, Columbus day, Valentine’s Day etc etc to remember the event . They are all not biblical either and not mentioned in the scriptures either and we all have do not have any problem with that but we have a problem if there is a day set to worship our God our savior Jesus Christ? Christ is the mighty God, a Great God and Savoir, As King of kings and Lord of lords which says in scriptures.

2.Confusions of Christmas: 25th of December has been set aside to honor And glorify Jesus Christ .Satan has deceived and created many confusions among people regarding Christmas has perverted Christmas day as a pagan day . We do not need to compare everything with dates and question about each and every dates and timings such as when the 10 commandments was given? When Christ was conceived? when God spoke to people which day which time? Nowhere in the Bible has given dates for early events like Creation, the flood and the exodus from Egypt. It is not necessary that we must and ought to know all dates in order to celebrate Christ. It’s irrelevant. If God wanted us to know the exact date and time I am sure He could have told us plainly.

Jesus says that Satan “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44). We must remember what Gods says: You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you. (Deuteronomy 6:14). That means we are not to worship false Gods but there is nothing wrong in worshipping Jesus Christ. Is there any verse for not worshiping for our Lord Jesus Christ ? Jesus Christ was God’s Christmas Gift. Romans 8:32 states, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, With deep gratitude for this Gift, the apostle wrote, ” Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).

3.Christmas is not associated with pagan sun worship: Most of them accuse that Christmas has the roots of pagan worship associated with birth of the Sun god, Mirtha and many non Christians and pagans worship the sun God. We do not need to compare and think like pagan. Even though the 25th December also celebrated by pagans and might have pagan roots but we as a Christians also celebrate the same day as birth of our saviour so we have biblical roots of celebration. Let the pagan celebrate in pagan way and we Christians celebrate in Christ’s way. We have to make every attempt to Christianize the popular pagan celebrations. There are 2 types of the spirits- the holy spirit which is of God and Evil spirit- which is of demon. The Holy Spirit ALWAYS comes to us in Jesus’ name. This is what John 14:26 says,” But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”

As a Christian believer we should not have split opinions on the same subject which is double minded which God says to avoid and we as believers do not have to think like the heathen. Just because the pagans celebrate their God on the same day its not necessary that we should also think and act like them. Our attitude should be Christian and we can celebrate our God Jesus Christ. And 25th of December is celebrated by the entire world in different ways. Every soul in the universe will ultimately bow on their knees before Jesus and confess Him as Lord (Philippians 2:10) Hebrews 13:8 declares, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

First of all, the birth of Christ is biblical, so one cannot make a case by calling Christmas non-biblical. Jesus Himself celebrated a holiday that corresponds to Christmas. Jesus celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22)or also called as Feast of Dedication or festival of lights which is not in the Old Testament. As Christians, we can celebrate Hanukkah rededicate our lives to Christ and acknowledge Him as the perfect and true light of this world and to remember God’s wonderful miracles. Hanukkah is celebrated even to this day by Jews and some Christians.

Christmas affords believers with a great opportunity to exalt Jesus Christ. The shepherds glorified and praised God for the birth of Jesus the Messiah. They rejoiced when the angels proclaimed that in Bethlehem was born a Savior, Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). The babe laid in the manger that day is our Savior, the “Lord of lords and King of kings” (Matthew 1:21; Revelation 17:14).

We should take advantage of that openness to witness to them of the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ. Christmas is chiefly about the promised Messiah who came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Christmas is wonderful opportunity to share this truth.

4.The Sun is a good symbol of Christ: December 25th was a pagan feast for pagans and holy feast for Christians which is called Natalis Invicti, which means “Birth of the Unconquered (Sun),” the Calendar also names the day as that of natus Christus in Betleem Iudeae: “Birth of Christ in Bethlehem Judea. The Nativity Scene calls our attention to the prediction in Micah 5:2-5 of the place of His coming – Bethlehem. The Sun represents the hope of Malachi 3:1 and 4:2 that the Sun of Righteousness would arise both as Judge and with healing in His wings. The Angels represents the fulfillment of the Prophetic hope as Jesus’ Birth was announced to Joseph and Mary in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38.

Sun is not just related to pagan worship infact it is also related to biblical symbol as well. The sun represents Jesus, His gospel, and His righteousness. “The Lord God is a sun.” Psalms 84:11. (Malachi 4:2.) Without Jesus there is no salvation (Acts 4:12). More than anything else, Jesus wants His church to overflow with His presence and glory. He created spiritual light. The purpose of the Heavens was to declare the “glory of God”, to reveal the person and plan of the Creator, our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is described as the light of the world in John 8:12, John 9:5, Matthew 4:16, Matthew 17:2, John 3:19-20, John 12:35-36, John 12:46, Ephesians 5:14. Ironically the light of the world is sun. John 1:3-8 says “through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”. Without the Sun nothing would grow and we’d all be dead. So sun can be compared to Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ our life is dead.

Also we know that there is Biblical significance of Sun-day as the Lord’s day. Some of them are After Pentecost Christians met on Sunday(Acts 20:7), Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday( Mk 16:9; Lk 24:1,13,21), The Holy Spirit first fell upon the disciples on a Sunday( Acts 2:1-4). We do not have to think like the pagan world but we can think biblically. God did not create sun just for pagans but for everyone. Here I am not saying that we should worship sun but we have to worship Jesus Christ directly. Sun is only the comparison and biblical symbol. We need to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(Luke 4:19)

5. Reason for celebration of Christmas: Christmas is Honoring of Christ’s Birth. a Time to Witness for Christ and Share the Gospel, to remember the prophet’s pronouncements of the birth of Jesus Christ. To Fulfillment of prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus Christ, for the salvation of all believers. Christmas is to be celebrated because the Savior of the world was born, walked among us, and showed us the way to salvation and a personal relationship with God. He paid the price for us and set us free from our slavery to sin.

Jesus Christ became the author of eternal salvation, Eternal God and Creator, He is the First and last, the Beginning and the End, the alpha and omega, He is same yesterday, today, and forever.

6. Christmas has spiritual significance: The nativity stories, forming the basis of the celebration of Christmas, are recorded in the scripture. The date of Christmas was chosen primarily for Christian reasons, as opposed to so-called pagan reasons. The word Christmas comes from the Latin word [cristes maesse] which means, “the Mass of Christ.” Christians choose to remember this glorious moment yearly by a special celebration in prayer, commemorative decorations, placing stars and lights on a tree, and indulging in the spirit of giving. It only symbolizes the important birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ and all these decorations etc commemorates certain people and events for the spiritual enhancement of believers. The Christian believers are aware that the decorations like light bulbs , Christmas tree and any other ornaments they use for Christmas are just pictures and idols and they do not worship them either but used only to fix attention on God and their worship is directed to God himself . Rom. 12:2 says “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out…”

Bells are played to ring out the joyous news, candles are lit to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world (John 1:4-9), a star is placed on the top of a Christmas tree to remember the Star of Bethlehem, and gifts are exchanged to remind us of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, the greatest gift of God to mankind. There were three wise men because of the three gifts that were given: gold, incense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). The wise men were guided to look for the King of the Jews by a miraculous stellar event, the “Star of Bethlehem,” which they called “His star” (Matthew 2:2). They consulted with King Herod in Jerusalem concerning the birth of Christ and were so directed to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:4-8). They followed God’s guidance joyfully (Matthew 2:10). Their gifts for Jesus were costly, and they worshiped Him.

When we look at Christmas lights, we remember the Light of the world. The believer of Jesus Christ is the reflected light of the Lord Jesus. He is the light of the world and He said His followers are to be “light in the world” ( Eph. 5:8; John 12:35-36). Jesus said , “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). By claiming to be the Light of the World, Jesus is proclaiming that He is the living Lamp Stand that came down from heaven delivering men from darkness .We need to be a light to others that our good works should be visible to others so that the goodness of God is clearly seen. Jesus is the Light, the only light into the presence of God. You will no longer be walking in spiritual darkness if you will follow Him. The one who does not “follow” or believe in Christ still remains in darkness. In those days men carved wood idols and put faces and jewels in them and worshipped them. But if we can look upon that tree merely as a beacon to all, a symbol to signify to all the present, beauty, and joy in the birth of our Savior.

Also I wanted to make a point that Not all images are prohibited. After being given the commandment against idolatry the ancient Israelites were then commanded to create images used in worship services. Those included the cherubim near the mercy seat and the oxen of the sea of the sacrifice.( Exodus 25:18–20).

Christmas is an opportunity to witness to the unsaved who might not otherwise attend a gathering of believers. Christmas trees are not worshipped but used as a symbol of Jesus or a picture of the cross to remind us what the true meaning of Christmas is. The gifts are nothing but to remember the greatest gift our lord Jesus Christ .

7. True Christmas should be Christ centered: Christian believers should keep the hearts and minds in Christ to exhort one another in continuous prayer, Encouraging and uplifting those who are standing for truth and righteousness and cease and silence all murmurings against negative preaching of Christmas. Christmas should be approach with joy and thankfulness instead of hidden wrong motives like Herod wild drunken worldly parties, fornication, gamblings etc. Herod was also a person who was seeking after Jesus. He searched the Scriptures and claimed that he wanted to worship Christ but he had hidden motives.

Correct worship of God must be done “in spirit and truth,” not in the light of humanly devised traditions. Right tradition is an important aspect of a godly life, as the apostle Paul testified: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). But Paul clearly did not mean that every human tradition was appropriate, because he later wrote to the Colossians2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ”. But these verses merely condemn erroneous human traditions. He was not condemning all traditions. He condemned only those that made God’s word void.

Paul says that much Christian teaching is to be found in the tradition which is handed down by word of mouth (2 Tim. 2:2).This oral teaching was accepted by Christians, just as they accepted the written teaching that came to them later. Jesus told his disciples: “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me” (Luke 10:16). The apostle praised those who followed Tradition: “I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you” (1 Cor. 11:2).

Jesus came to the world To take away sin (1 John 3:5), to destroy the devil’s works (1 John 3:8), to serve (Matt. 20:28)and save the world (John 3:17; Luke 19:10), to preach the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43)and to testify to the truth (John 18:37), to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 5:17) and to give life (John 10:10,28)

8.Jesus accepted worship: The Bible says that Jesus is God in flesh, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…..and the word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14); and, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9). Jesus, therefore, has two natures. He is both God and man. When Jesus Christ died on Cross his human nature died but not his divine nature.

There are many scriptures to show that Jesus was worshipped:

Some of them are Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Matthew 2:11 “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.”

Matthew 14:33 “Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 28:9 “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, Rejoice! And they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.”

Matthew 28:17 “And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.”

John 9:38 “Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him.”

Hebrews 1:6 “But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”

Acts 10:24-26 “On the day after that he entered into Caes•a•re’a. Cornelius, of course, was expecting them and had called together his relatives and intimate friends. As Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet and did obeisance to him. But Peter lifted him up, saying: “Rise; I myself am also a man.”

Hebrews 1:6 “But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all God’s angels worship him.”

Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 5:11-14 “And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘The Lamb that was slaughtered is worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’ And every creature that is in heaven and on earth and underneath the earth and on the sea, and all the things in them, I heard saying: ‘To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever’ And the four living creatures went saying: ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

Conclusion: God’s word says in Titus 3:9 that we need to avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because they are unprofitable and useless. Similarly in 1 Timothy 1:4 says not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than God’s ongoing purpose, which involves faith.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Tit 2:11-14)

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Pe 1:13).

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3). In a world steeped in mystery cults, the apostle Peter admonished believers to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet. 3:15).

Don’t be afraid to talk about your faith when the opportunity arises and be proud to celebrate Christmas!

(Jesus said) I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day (the day you die) you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:18-20 

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation (or trial) has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 

(Jesus said) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33 

I sure needed this today. Thank you God!!!                                                                   

www.nuggetsofwisdom.us   

A double minded person is one who say one thing and do another, they claim to know God and yet their actions  do not live up to such claims. He thinks about two different things at the same time and can’t make up his mind about anything; they are dually focused and have split opinions on the same subject. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:8. It is God who promises to,” forgive ALL our sins and heal ALL our diseases.”(Psalm 103:3).But only if we do it God’s way and Gods standards and not in man’s way or man standards. We see many warnings in Bible being double minded. Some of them are: Elijah told Israel to stop being double-minded (1 Kings 18:21), Jesus tells us to stop being double minded (Mat 6:24), James tells us to stop being double minded ((James 4:8).

  One example of being double minded is that the person may ask help from God and at the same time he may suspect Gods promises and he do not trust enough that the Lord hears and answers his prayers because he does not have true faith. One moment he trusts and believe in God, the next moment he rely on himself or any other man like doctors, experts, scientists, counselors etc instead of trusting God 100%.There are few other  Christians when they get sick instead of claiming  God’s promise for healing they say  that God can heal through their doctors. But often they forget that When Jesus was on earth and people came to Him for healing, He never once said, “Go see Luke, I heal through doctors.” (Luke was a physician). Instead, Jesus healed the person directly. Our actions will reveal our beliefs. If you claim to have faith, to believe God’s promises, but you don’t act on them, then you really have no faith. Your faith is “dead.”(James 2:26). The human wisdom tells us that in order to trust anything we should believe only when the evidence is seen. Many people including me often have said I’ll believe it when I see it,” but God says different he says to us “walk by faith and not by sight.”(2 Corinthians 5:7).

  In order to get healed by God one should have  a genuine faith in God, confess and repent of his sins, follow the commandments, laws and decrees of God, Abide in Jesus Christ, humbly surrendering and submitting himself to God daily in everything ,pursuing righteousness and praying unceasingly by covering with the Blood of Jesus Christ.

 We need to come to God in complete faith, without doubting and wavering .God will reject our prayers, if we are insincere, or double minded. Devil always wants us to doubt God. Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1).

 In Psalms 32:10 reminds us that “The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.”

  The Spirit of God which is our Holy Spirit creates faith in us and we should never reject what it says because God’s voice is the Holy Spirit .We need to have true faith in God because he is trustworthy Hebrews 11:6 says ‘And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him’.

  Mark 9:23 says: Jesus said to him, if you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.

  Mark 11:24 says: Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

  Every believer is commanded to be single minded  and can claim health and healing today on the merit of the Blood of Jesus Christ making his requests known to God through prayer and supplication continuing to believe and stand for it, whether  his request happens or not.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”   Psalm 46:10 

You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.  Nehemiah 9:6 

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,  what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?  Psalm 8:3-4

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22 

(Jesus said) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:28-29

AMEN!!!

About this image: The brightest object in the center of this image is designated Pismis 24-1 and was thought to weigh as much as 200 to 300 solar masses. (one solar mass is about 332,950 times the mass of the Earth or 1,048 times the mass of Jupiter)

ImageCredit: NASA, ESA, and J. Maíz Apellániz (Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Spain)

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