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Jesus A Gift To The World

Jesus A Gift To The World

Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign: The virgin[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[c] will call him Immanuel.[d]
Matthew 1:23
23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[a] (which means “God with us”).
Luke 2:7
and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh 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.
Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Luke 1: 30-35
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most  High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God.
Luke 2:13-14
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This morning as I look out of my bedroom window, I can see snowflakes gently falling to the ground.   There are only three days left until Christmas, and basically, the entire town has come to a silent halt.   For days now, the weather stations have been predicting, that the temperatures would plunge to very low and dangerous levels and that we would see snow.  It was also predicted that this would be one of the coldest Christmases on record, across forty-five states.

That being said, isn’t amazing how God chooses to slow things down.  I consider this a huge blessing, especially this close to Christmas.  What a great opportunity to enjoy spending time with God, focusing on His birth and His sacrificial stay here on earth.  This is a wonderful time to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate or hot tea and spend hours reading, journaling, and studying His word. It is also a great time to refamiliarize yourself with the story of the birth of Christ. 

Also, take a moment and think about all that Mary and Joseph went through in preparation for Jesus’s entry into this cruel world in the form of flesh.  I encourage you to put yourself in Mary’s shoes for a minute.   How would you have responded to the Angel that brought Mary the excellent news, that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus?   How would you feel knowing that you were indeed carrying the Savior of the world?   How would feel knowing that you were bringing a child into this world, knowing that He would be crucified? You see even though she understood the purpose for His coming, He was still her son. 

It may be a little difficult for you to focus on all that I am asking you to do If you have not finished your Christmas shopping.  You are probably going into panic mode right about now, wondering when the streets will be cleared enough for you to finish your Christmas shopping.  I want to encourage you to take some time to release yourself from the commercial side of Christmas, relax, and just for a few minutes simply bask in the spiritual side of Christmas.  After all, it is what truly matters.  Everything else will work out one way or the other.  I know that when you do, you will feel a sense of peace and you will be blessed for being in God’s presence.  You will also be focusing on what Christmas is really about and that is Jesus!    May you and your family be blessed with a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

He Is The Real Gift!

Originally Posted December 4, 2016

Matthew 1:18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

Just a few days ago I was visiting with a lady who was very close to full blown panic mode, because she had not yet decorated her home for Christmas.

I was happy and skipping through life, virtually carefree until I spoke with her. All of a sudden, I started to feel a little stress creeping in, because I began to think at least your tree is out of the box.  My tree was still in the box and very much unassembled.

Of course I didn’t share that with her. Things started to rush through my head, such as, where are the Christmas lights, and what box are the decorations in?  You see we moved in the past year, and there are still boxes stored away. Let’s just say, I’m glad I am not the one who will have to look for the lights.  I am sharing this story with you today because it became quite clear to me, that I was starting to assume her stress and anxiety.

 Ladies during this season we can get so caught up in the presentation of everything that we miss the things that are really important. So let’s just breathe slowly, breathe in and breathe out.  Just take a moment to slow down inside, and just breathe.

Now that I have your attention and you have calmed down let’s talk about what’s really important. Let’s talk about the precious souls that we will scurry past, if we are not carefully watching for those who are truly in pain, and hurting during this season.

Who will you bless?  There are those who will have no one to share Christmas with.  So why not set an extra place at the table and invite someone over to partake in a wonderful meal, and just to feel as a part of your family. Pick up an extra pair of gloves or a devotional, or something that you can wrap and share with them. So that as your family gathers around the tree they will feel like they belong as well.  Why not send a special card of encouragement, or call someone who may be struggling  with their first Christmas after losing a family member. Become a Christmas Angel  to a family that can’t afford to purchase toys for their little children. Volunteer at a shelter.  Reach out to someone this season and give a gift of love, not to someone who will then rush out and buy you a gift also, but to someone who is deeply in need of help.

Look for the opportunities to share Jesus with those that you come in contact with. You are their link to hope, as you share the true story of Christmas, and remind them why Jesus came  you are giving them hope. Hope gives them a reason to keep living and to keep trying here on earth.  Most importantly you are sharing the eternal hope they have in Christ for a life with Him eternally.

It doesn’t matter how much is under the tree.  What matters is that we see a glimpse of Jesus this season and that others see a glimpse of Him too, because He is the real Gift and the Reason for the Season!

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)
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.

10 Tips On How To Have A Strong Prayer Ministry

I am happy to say, that I am blessed that I come from a praying family.   All of my life I have witnessed what it looks like to see God powerfully working as a result of prayers going up.  There is a saying that I have heard over the years, and you probably have heard it too ” When prayers go up blessings come down”.

Today because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer, I would like to share 10 Tips that I think will give you a strong Prayer Ministry.   If you do decide to start your own personal Prayer Ministry, you can be sure that God will be honored and you will be blessed.

10 Tips On How To Have A Strong Prayer Ministry

1.  Keep a small notebook and an ink pen in your purse at all times, to write down prayer requests.  Be sure you not only write down their request but try to get their contact info also.
2.  Set aside a few minutes each day to pray over the prayer request in your notebook.  Continue praying over these requests, until your prayers have been answered.  Put a heart or star by the name of the person that you were praying for.   It will be encouraging to see how many prayers are being answered.
3.  Follow up with a call or text to see how the person you are praying for is doing, and how you can better serve them through continued prayer.
4.  If you have their mailing address send them a card of encouragement.
5.  If a prayer request is anonymous or unspoken.  Respect the privacy of the person requesting the prayer.  God knows who they are and their circumstances.
6.  Find a scripture that applies to their situation and share it with the person that you are praying for to encourage them.
7.  When their prayer has been answered, call them and ask them if they are ok with you praying a prayer of praise and Thanksgiving.  This will encourage them to remember to give God the glory for their answered prayer.
8.  Some prayers are not answered quickly.  It may take months even years to get an answer.  In this case assure the person that you are praying for, that God hears their prayers and that they are not in this alone.  Let them know you are willing to continue praying until God sends their answer.
9.  Depending on the severity of the prayer request, you may consider asking the person if they are ok with you sharing their request with other prayer warriors that you know.  Only share if you have been given permission to do so.
10. I personally use the ACTS method of praying.  I even use this method in journaling my prayers.  I think that you may like it as well, and it is something great to share with the person you are praying for.

   A- Adoration
  C- Confession
   T- Thanksgiving
  S- Supplication
May God richly bless you, as you go to Him in the prayer on behalf of those who need to hear from Him. Your example of praying may lead someone to Christ. Remember prayer changes things and it changes people.  We definitely love and serve a God who answers prayers.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
2 Kings 6:17
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
1 John 5:16
16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.
1 Samuel 12:23
23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.
Job 42:10
10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.
James 5:16
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Colossians 4:2
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.