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The Gift

Merry Christmas y’all!

For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16.

We give gifts at Christmas.  The person we have purchased or made a gift for has to receive the gift and then open the gift or it is of no effect.  The same is true with the gift of Christ given to us by God.  God sent His son to earth to live, to die and to rise again.  All this was done so that we would have our penalty for sin paid, and to have the grasp of sin and darkness broken in our lives.  God has created us with a free will.  We can choose to accept or reject the gift of Christ.  The gift can never be opened or it can be opened and redemption comes along with many other gifts that God promises to those who believe and receive:

Love, joy, peace, grace and mercy to name a few.  These gifts come and are unexplainable but only come once the gift of salvation is received and opened, so to speak.

The  angels declared in Luke 2 to the shepherds the good news of great joy for all people – a savior.  This would bring the gift of life (spiritual) through Jesus.  No longer dead in our sins but made alive through Him.  Old things are past away, behold all things become new by the power of Holy Spirit.  The light He shines into our lives exposes the darkness and it has to flee.  By the power of Holy Spirit, He then brings to us JOY and PEACE that the world can’t give us.

HE GAVE.  Our part is to believe and receive.  A GIFT so unexplainable and so powerful that will turn our lives right side up!  Receive the gift today!  Call on Him name.

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Like a Child

Kids are great aren’t they? Have you ever thought about the simplicity of children? It really is amazing.

They come into the world completely dependent on us, their parents. They are incapable of doing anything for themselves so they rely solely on those who are caring for them. As they grow, they are acutely aware of what they are and are not capable of doing and quickly ask for assistance.

Kids are very trusting. It is their very nature. They have this sense about them and they know they can trust us with everything. They truly believe what you are saying is true and do not question one word. It is a little scary isn’t it? Knowing that they hang on our every word? Good or bad?

Humility comes easy for children. They are not puffed up with pride. They are very meek or submissive. It is really astounding how natural this trait is in them.

Kids are content with the simplest of things, aren’t they? They could have room full of toys and choose to play with a cardboard box or pots and pans. It really doesn’t take much to please them.
Children have this innocence about them. So untainted by the world. So free from ideologies. Virtuous really.

Loving….Kids are so loving. They hug you so tight. They love without strings. They very quickly receive our love.

With these qualities in mind, let us visit Luke 18:17. Jesus tells us that those that do not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter into it! Adults complicate things. We analyze and we want to be shown! The gospel message of Jesus Christ is made simple for us! You see, Jesus made the way to enter the kingdom of God. He paid for our ticket with His blood. How do we get there?

LIKE A CHILD, we simply BELIEVE in who He is. We freely RECEIVE His forgiveness as we confess our sin. We fully TRUST in the power of the cross, His death and resurrection. We receive His LOVE and rest in His peace. We become solely DEPENDENT on Him.

Lord, help us to come to you like a child with faith that moves mountains, with a belief so big that it leaves no room for doubt, with a trust so strong that it cannot be broken and a dependency on You that leaves us resting in Your arms.

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P A S S I O N

 

 

What are you passionate about this Christmas? ​​ Be honest! ​​ What is passion? ​​ Passion is a strong, barely controllable emotion. ​​ So I ask again, what are you passionate about?

 

Did you know that God is passionate about you? ​​ Truly passionate. ​​ You see, He created you and I in His likeness according to Genesis 1. ​​ The bible says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator. ​​ We were fashioned and formed by Him. ​​ According to Luke 12, He knows how many hairs are on your head. ​​ In Zephaniah, it says that He rejoices over us! ​​ Wow that is hard to comprehend. ​​ Jeremiah says that His love for us is an everlasting love. ​​ A love that never ends. ​​ His initial desire was to have a unique relationship with mankind. ​​ We are all born with that innate desire for Him. ​​ We find that He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. ​​ Their creator communing with them! ​​ 

 

So what happened? ​​ Sin. ​​ When Adam and Eve sinned, it brought separation from God. ​​ We see them being removed from Eden and the bible no longer speaks of that special relationship between God and them. ​​ Sin and God can’t commune. ​​ So a plan was set in motion right from the foundation of the world. ​​ 

 

God made a plan that would restore that relationship with Him and mankind that He created. ​​ God promised a seed that would come from the woman in Genesis Chapter 3 that would strike the head of that serpent bka satan. ​​ He has been pursuing us since the beginning. ​​ From Adam and Eve forward we see them offering to God sacrifices and offerings. ​​ Sacrifices acknowledge sin and offerings acknowledge God. ​​ We acknowledged we did wrong but that sin was never removed. ​​ And no matter what, we just couldn’t get it right. ​​ So God made a plan to redeem us from sin, once for all. ​​ Once sin is removed, that relationship with Him is restored. ​​ 

 

How? ​​ God would send His only son, that perfect sacrifice to live, to die and to rise again. ​​ His blood shed in death would pay our penalty for sin for without the shedding of blood, according to His Word, there is no remission of sin. ​​ His resurrection would make a way for us to eternally live with Him. ​​ 

 

Isaiah 9 says that a child would be born FOR us, a son will be given TO us. ​​ As the angel explained his conception to Joseph in Matthew, he said that his name would be Immanuel, God is with us! ​​ B O O M! ​​ There it is. ​​ God with us. ​​ Forever. ​​ He would be born to save people from their sins. ​​ God sent His son into the would not to condemn it but that it might be saved. ​​ 

 

We all sin so we need a savior. ​​ JESUS IS that savior. ​​ How can we be saved? ​​ God’s Spirit draws us to Him. ​​ According to Romans 10 we acknowledge Him, His death, His resurrection and believe. ​​ I John says that if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. ​​ Jesus preached repentance for forgiveness of sins. ​​ Repent means reversal, to reconsider. ​​ Turn around. ​​ 360.

 

God made it simple. ​​ We make it complicated. ​​ 

 

HE is passionate for you. ​​ What gift are you giving Him this Christmas? ​​ All He wants is you! ​​ Just as you are. ​​ Believe, confess, repent. ​​ RECEIVE Him. ​​ Receive forgiveness. ​​ 

 

Merry Christmas y’all! ​​ May His love fill your heart!

 

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HE came with Purpose

nativity

MERRY CHRISTMAS y’all!  God’s blessings to you and your families!  Thought I would take a moment and share a portion of what God has laid upon my heart for Christmas devotion this morning.  Hopefully you are sharing Christ with your loved ones today.  Mary was told by the angel of this Christ child that would be born from her loins would be the savior of the world, that He would one day be King.  When Christ was born, He was born with a purpose.  A purpose that came from God the Father.  This purpose was to be our SAVIOR, our REDEEMER, our HEALER, to name a few.  As He lived life, He was not without adversity.  Actually, He did not have it easy at all.  He was mocked, constantly ridiculed, and hated by many. When it came time to die for the sin of all mankind, the weight of the world on His shoulders was so great that His sweat became blood in His agonizing prayer for God to remove the “cup” from Him.  When He was on the cross, He felt as if God had forsaken Him.  YET HE chose to do the will of His Father and fulfill His purpose.  

Did you know that we are all born with a God given purpose?  God knew you before you were born according to Psalm 139.  He knit you together in your mother’s womb.  In Jeremiah 29, God says that He knows the thoughts and the plans that He has for us.  Some of us never have lived according to God’s purpose and have actually never thought about it.  Some of us have, at one time, lived according to His plan and purpose but when things got though, we gave up or turned our backs on God or blamed Him for things gone wrong in our lives.  Some of us walk in the fullness of His plan and purpose everyday.  Where do you fall into those categories?  See, we need to live by Jesus’ example.  We need to follow through on God’s plan and purpose no matter what comes our way.  He had a rock solid relationship with His Father and was unwavering in His obedience to Him.  NO MATTER WHAT CAME HIS WAY.  I just want to encourage you to not give up on God’s plan and purpose for your life.  Only you can do what God is calling you to do.  You are unique, you are special, you are HIS.  

If you have never lived your life for Christ, I encourage you to take that step toward Him.  It is easy.  He came, He lived and He died and rose again for you.  He was fully God and fully man.  He died to pay the price for your sin.  All you have to do is receive it.  Believe in who He is and what He has done, confess and turn away from your sin and let His blood cleanse you and free you from the bondage of sin.   Holy Spirit then starts working in your life and brings change from the inside out as you spend time in His Word and in prayer.  It is that easy.  He loves you today.