Category: John

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What’s Better Than a Mama Grizzly

I’m sure by now most of you have heard the term Mama Grizzly. It’s been used around quite a bit in the last few years. Of course the meaning can be construed to fit a number of situations and refers to taking a strong defensive stand.

I want you to look at it this morning in light of our relationship with the Father. When Jesus was on this earth he faced constant criticism from the religious leaders and rulers of his day. His own family didn’t understand Him. People followed him out of selfish motives; they wanted to see the next miracle and have a free meal.

No one other than Jesus has ever lived a perfect life. He was pure, even when angry he was righteous. He looked at people and was moved with great love. He championed the weak, healed the sick, brought comfort to those with broken hearts and restored relationship to those who had been outcast. He even forgave the ones responsible for his death. He came with a single purpose – defeat the power of sin, providing a perfect sacrifice for our forgiveness and restoration to God.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 CEV

When things looked the darkest and hope was almost gone, God stepped in with the ultimate victory.

“We have seen and heard everything He did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And yet they killed Him by nailing Him to a cross. 40 God raised Him to life on the third day and made Him to be seen.” Acts 10:39-40 NLV

When we accept what Jesus has done for us personally is when we truly become God’s child and can call him Father.

“He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name.” John 1:12 NLV

Once we are in God’s family he defends us, we can be confident of that.

“If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things. 33 Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one who makes them right.” Romans 8:31-33 CEV

God, our Father, makes it his personal business to provide for our well being and our defense. He will not, WILL NOT, leave us to struggle through things on our own. It’s his promise!

“’The mountains may disappear, and the hills may become dust, but my faithful love will never leave you. I will make peace with you, and it will never end.’ The Lord who loves you said this.” Isaiah 54:10 ERV

Our loving Father is the one who kept Noah safe in the ark; gave David victory over Goliath; delivered Daniel safely out of the lion’s den; and sent an angel to release Paul from prison. He protects and provides for “his kids”. He’s much better than a “Mama Grizzly”.

One last verse.

“You can go to God Most High to hide. You can go to God All-Powerful for protection. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety, my fortress. My God, I trust in you.” 3 God will save you from hidden dangers and from deadly diseases. 4 You can go to him for protection. He will cover you like a bird spreading its wings over its babies. You can trust him to surround and protect you like a shield.” Psalm 91:1-4 ERV

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It’s About Relationship, My BFF

I want you to take a minute and think about your best friend.

They could be your mate or someone you have known for years, even since childhood. You can see them in your mind’s eye. You know what colors they will be wearing because you know the colors they don’t like. You know their hobbies and where to find them in their leisure hours. You know what types of things they like to watch on television and what kind of books they read. You certainly know the names of their children and probably their birth dates.

I make it my goal to know my friends favorite desserts because I like to make it for them on their birthdays or when they come to visit. I also like to know how they take their coffee. I want to have it ready for them when they get up and I like to make them feel at home. (Except my dear friend makes her own coffee because she does too much with it and says she doesn’t want to bother me with the details.)

Now stop and think about your friend again. How did this relationship begin? Were they someone you worked with, someone from school or maybe someone from a social gathering you attended, possibly from church? Wherever you met, the relationship only continued to develop because of your investment of time and effort.

The same holds true in our relationship with the Lord.

I was thinking this morning about the different names I use when telling you about God. Let’s see there’s God, Lord, Father, Friend. Each name has meaning and is tied to relationship. Some folks talk about God and you can just hear in their voice that they think He’s aloof, far off and unconcerned about them personally. You hear others and you can tell that they feel God is harsh, judgmental, condemning and cruel.

But then there are those who speak His name and their tone softens, a smile comes to their lips and you know they are talking about their “Dad”, their closest friend, their deepest love! Oh yes – that’s relationship!

That’s the kind of relationship that comes from spending time talking to Him and listening in return. That’s the kind of relationship that comes from knowing His promises and believing that every word He speaks is true. It’s impossible to have a deep and lasting friendship with someone if you don’t think you can trust their words or believe what they say. That’s why my favorite verse in the Bible is

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” Numbers 23:19 ERV

Jesus knew how important relationship was. He trusted his Father with his life. Jesus had God’s word that when he died his Father would raise him to life again in three days. Jesus had God’s word that when he prayed for the sick they would be healed; when he spoke to the storm it would be calmed; when he prayed over the loaves and fishes it would be enough to feed the crowd. We, too, have God’s word.

Look at the prayer Jesus prayed for us. He was in the Garden and knew his death was eminent. One verse tells us that Jesus was in such anguish that he sweat drops of blood. But in that hour he wasn’t praying for himself alone. He talked to His father about their relationship and then Jesus talked to our Father about us. Yes, he was praying for the disciples that were with him and had been following him but then he added you and me to that prayer too.

“Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of the name that you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.

13 I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. 14 I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.

15 Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. 17 Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. 18 I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. 19 I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.

20 I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. 21 I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.

22 I have honored my followers in the same way that you honored me, in order that they may be one with each other, just as we are one. 23 I am one with them, and you are one with me, so that they may become completely one. Then this world’s people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me.” John 17:11-23 CEV

Now this is the relationship that my Father wants with me and with you, “they will know that you love my followers as much as you love me”. WOW!!

Let me ask you this. Is this a relationship you feel you can invest your time and effort into? It has certainly been worth my time, that I know.

So tomorrow when you get up and have your coffee or tea why not ask the Father how he takes his? I’ve found He likes his the same as I do mine.

May your day be blessed beyond measure today as you realize how much God really loves you!

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If You’ve Ever Been in Need – This is a Must Read!

Years back when I began writing verses on index cards and really began to trust God to keep His promises, I needed to know that God loved me. I knew that He loved the whole world; I knew that Jesus died for me but I needed to know that God loved me enough to think about me each day, to be concerned with what was going on in my family and I needed to know that He truly wanted my life to be good.

Maybe you’re not there but I was. I was desperate to experience God’s love every day!

We were in a real hard place financially. Not sure how many of you have ever been there but it’s not good. We were working hard, trying to make ends meet but we were falling short, way short, every month. We had two pre-teen kids and a new baby. We lived in AZ where our monthly summertime utility bill was more than our house payment. And we knew that the Bible said God would supply all our needs but we definitely weren’t experiencing it.

One day, in the midst of all this, our son came, looked in the refrigerator and it was empty. Not much more than the condiments in the refrigerator door. He looked at me and say very matter of fact-ly, “Mom, you need to go grocery shopping. We’re about out of everything.” He closed the fridge and headed back outside to play.

With that, I walked into the other room where I wouldn’t be seen, sat down on the floor and began to weep! I was devastated. My son was right, we needed groceries but I knew that we had no money and no way to buy any. I cried out to the Lord. “Lord, you HAVE to do SOMETHING. I need to have food for my kids.” Dave and I had learned to fast but the kids needed food.

And then I heard in my heart, “Kristi, come to me with the same confidence that Koy came to you. You don’t need to complain or cry or be worried about any of it. I’m your Dad, just ask confidently, like your son did, and watch me provide.” I was stunned! I had been going to God like some undeserving beggar and He wanted me to ask like a child, making a request to my Father.

“Because you are the sons of God, He has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. The Spirit cries, “Father!” 7 So now you are no longer a servant who is owned by someone. You are a son. If you are a son, then you will receive what God has promised through Christ.” Galatians 4:6-7 NLV

It was then those verses I used a few days ago came flooding back into my memory.

“Do not worry. Do not keep saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘What will we wear?’ 32 The people who do not know God are looking for all these things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all these things. 33 First of all, look for the holy nation of God. Be right with Him. All these other things will be given to you also.” Matthew 6:31-33 NLV

And these:

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” (spoken by Jesus) John 10:10 CEV

“Let us go with complete trust to the throne of God. We will receive His loving-kindness and have His loving-favor to help us whenever we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 NLV

Yes, I know I used these verses in the last few days but you see, if you’re going to live victoriously in God’s word the verses have to be the first thing that come to mind. You need to be confident that God won’t lie and that He will keep his promises! If not, worry will overwhelm and fear will prevail.

I’ve heard it said that you won’t truly learn a foreign language until you are no longer translating your conversation in your head. It has to roll out without thinking about it. That’s the way it is with learning God’s language, His word, it has to be so ingrained that it’s the first thing we think of in any given situation. And if not the first, then it needs to take precedence over that first thought. The Apostle Paul calls it a renewed mind.

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1-2 CEV

Now back to that conversation in my kitchen. My son didn’t tell me all that he had done to “deserve” me going to the grocery store and buying him some food. He didn’t say, “Mom, I’ve cleaned my room, been nice to my sisters, I helped Dad in the yard so would you please, pretty please, go to the store and buy some groceries”. No he was just confident that if he told me we needed to fill the fridge I would do something about it.

So as I sat there I gave the Lord my grocery list. I told Him everything we needed. We could use some bread, eggs, milk, meat, veggies, butter, coffee, cereal. And then I said, “Lord, I don’t know how you’re going to get this but I know you’ll come by it honestly. Thank you for providing.” And I got up, went back to the kitchen and finished the dishes.

The next day shortly after breakfast there was a knock on our door. Friends who lived over 30 miles away had come for a visit. “We’re just in the neighborhood” is what they said. Then our friend told Dave he had something in the car he needed help with. His wife and I sat in the kitchen and began to visit. The next thing I knew, they were coming through the door with bags of groceries. Everything that was on my list and more! Even now as I’m telling you this my eyes are filling with tears!

God is good – God is faithful – God can be trusted!

I would love to tell you that was the end of our financial struggles but it wasn’t. It has been a lifetime of trusting God to provide. Sometimes worry has gotten the upper hand, sometimes we have tried to “fix” it ourselves and only made matters worse. But every time we have returned to confidently trusting in the Lord and His promises He has provided.

Is it important to get God’s word in your heart? Absolutely! Is God’s word true? Unequivocally!

Now you have a little more insight into who I am and why I trust God – He loves me and He has provided for my family!

You can trust Him too!

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Oh How I Love Your Word

We had a wonderful evening yesterday talking with friends about the Lord and His word. Sharing what God has done in our lives is a tremendous way to encourage and strengthen our walk with the Lord. It reminds us of what the Lord has done in the past and encourages those around us to trust and believe God in their present circumstances.

Then this morning here they are, some of my favorite verses in Psalm 119. I am so excited with today’s verses. These verses have been a part of my regular Bible reading for about the past 30 plus years. Well enough – let’s just read…read them out loud!

“Oh, how I love your teachings! I talk about them all the time. 98 Your commands are always with me, and they make me wiser than my enemies. 99 I am wiser than all my teachers, because I study your rules. 100 I understand more than those who are older, because I obey your instructions. 101 I have avoided every path that leads to evil so that I could obey your word. 102 You are my teacher, so I will always do whatever you decide. 103 Your words are so sweet to me, like the taste of honey! 104 I gain understanding from your instructions, so I hate anything that leads people the wrong way.” Psalm 119:97-104

Years ago the Lord put a desire in my heart to share His word. It is my greatest delight. I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was a little girl; I was raised in a Christian home but my relationship with the Lord really didn’t begin to develop until after I graduated high school. In college, I had a true experience that let me know if there was no one else in the world in my corner, Jesus was there. And that was enough! But for the next 10 years I still didn’t grow that much – I was just confident in knowing that God the Father was always there and that Jesus loved me no matter what but I struggled a lot with stress, worry, fear, etc.

Then I started hearing some preachers talk about victorious living as a Christian – really? Victory?? Absolutely! Once I began to study, really study God’s word, I found that His purpose for my life was victory. If I am victorious, being no one special, then my victories can be a testimony to others that God will do the same for them. Dave and I became frustrated with our nominal Christian lives and began to seek God, seeking Him in every area of our lives. We became “whole” Christians – Christians who dare to believe the whole word and applying it to our whole life.

And then, after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the verses in the Bible began to jump off the page and into my heart, not just my head, but my heart. Since it’s the Holy Spirit who inspired the writers of the Bible, who knows better what it means. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come and teach us all things…Teach me Holy Spirit, teach me! I realized I had been spiritually retarded for so long and now I was hungry and growing. It was then I found today’s verses – and they described what was going on in my heart.

Have I been victorious in everything? No. Do I always feel like studying God’s word? No. Do I always come back to it? Yes!!! Where else can I go to find the words of life – no where. Only here in the pages of God’s word!

Jesus was teaching in John 6. He had just fed the 5000 and word was spreading that following Jesus was a good thing. The crowds increased, not because of the teaching but because of the miracles. Jesus told those following Him that He was the bread of life and they must eat of him. They thought he was talking about cannibalism and so they left because this was really offensive. Jesus asked his disciples if they were going to leave too. I love Peter’s answer.

“After Jesus said these things, many of his followers left and stopped following him.67 Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you want to leave too?”68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe in you. We know that you are the Holy One from God.” John 6:66-69

It’s really the same as what David is saying in today’s verses. “103 Your words are so sweet to me, like the taste of honey! 104 I gain understanding from your instructions, so I hate anything that leads people the wrong way.”

I know where God has brought me from and what He has done in my life and I know that He doesn’t play favorites; so if God opens His word to me, He’ll open it to all. It is my heart’s desire to share God’s word in a simple, easy to understand way so that Christians will grow in their walk and won’t have to live for years in a retarded spiritual state.

Yes, David put the words of my heart down perfectly…“Oh, how I love your teachings! I talk about them all the time.”

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The Main Thing

What’s the one thing you desire most? I would like to say that my one thing is to honor and serve the Lord, but many times my days are so wrapped up in my own pursuits that the Lord is put somewhere further down the line. Just bein honest folks – if we aren’t honest with ourselves we can’t and won’t serve the Lord the way we know we should.

“Lord, teach me your laws, and I will always follow them. 34 Help me understand your teachings, and I will follow them. Obeying them will be my greatest desire. 35 Help me follow your commands, because that makes me happy. 36 Give me the desire to follow your rules, not the desire to get rich. 37 Don’t let me look at worthless things. Help me live your way. 38 Do what you promised me, your servant, so that people will respect you. 39Take away the shame I fear. Your laws are good. 40 See how much I want to obey your instructions! Be good to me, and let me live.” Psalm 119:33-40

David had a “one thing” mentality. The Bible says that David was a man after God’s heart. He wanted to serve God will all his natural ability but that wasn’t enough, he wanted more. He knew he needed God’s help if he was truly going to follow God’s word.

David didn’t just sit by each day and have harps playing in the background, eating grapes and contemplating the greatness and vastness of God. His life was full – he had a kingdom to run, he had wives and children, there were enemies to defeat and battles to be won. Yet his priority was God’s word – he wasn’t seeking wealth or power – but those things came to him. He was “seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things were added to him.” David was living the very thing that Jesus taught but he was living it hundreds of years before Jesus delivered the message.

I’ve heard people say, “I don’t really study the Old Testament, there isn’t much in there for me.” Well, that’s all that David had! In fact, he had the first five books of the Bible and then the book of Job; the rest of it was being written as he lived it and after his death. He took God’s command to Joshua seriously – meditate in the book of the Law day and night and then you shall be prosperous and have good success.

David search the Scriptures daily and his advisors did as well. His writing of the Psalms let’s us see how vitality important he knew them to be.

“God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God. 2 Instead, the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night. 3 They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. Those people succeed in everything they do.” Psalm 1:1-3 CEV

Have you ever sat and looked at a single day in the life of Jesus? Talk about a full schedule. From the time He got up until late at night he was busy. His daily life was filled with walking, sailing, healing, teaching, facing his critics and then raising the dead. When he did take time to pray and be alone, people would seek him out and interrupt his prayer time. He had learned the Scriptures from his youth and was living them out each and every day.

Jesus said “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38

It’s not that we have to do nothing but study God’s word all day long. It’s that we live what we read. Reading one verse and living it all day will have more of an impact on our lives and the lives of others than reading chapters and walking away and not having it change us.

I like this next part in today’s verses. “Don’t let me look at worthless things. Help me live your way.” There was a time that David looked at worthless things and it got him into a lot of trouble. He was up on his roof top and looking down he saw Bathsheba – he committed adultery and murdered her husband all because he was looking at the wrong things. He knew firsthand how destructive it can be to take your eyes off the Lord. It begs the question “what worthless things am I looking at”?

Lord, my heart’s prayer is this – don’t let me look at worthless things but let me focus on You.

Like David, our goal should be to live in a way that people know we are depending on the Lord, trusting Him and making God’s way known to the people around us. He was God-minded and his “one desire” was to know God more.

Don’t just read the Word today – live it!

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No Shame!

Have you ever felt like you were all alone in your journey? No one to support you or to encourage you. It might seem like you’re doing this all on your own; at times you feel weak and like you really don’t want to go on. You’re ready to quit but don’t!

It’s ok to be honest with God? Today’s verses are heart-felt and filled with honesty.

“I lie here like a dying man. Say the word, and I will live again. 26 I told you about my life, and you answered me. Now, teach me your laws. 27 Help me understand your instructions, and I will think about your wonderful teachings. 28 I am sad and tired. Say the word, and make me strong again. 29 Don’t let me live a lie. Guide me with your teachings. 30 I have chosen to be loyal to you. I respect your laws. 31 I follow your rules closely, Lord. Don’t let me be put to shame. 32 I do my best to follow your commands, because you are the one who gives me the desire.” Psalm 119:25-32

I Samuel 30 tells a heart wrenching story. King David and his men had been out fighting and when they returned to their home town of Ziklag they found it had been burned and all the women in the town taken captive; their wives, mothers and daughters. They were distraught and the Scripture says they all cried loudly and they wept until they were weak and could weep no more.

These men, mighty warriors, were so overcome with emotion that their bodies were physically and mentally exhausted and they had no more tears – they were hopeless. Have you ever been there? Almost but not quite to that extent but almost! I can imagine the questions – why God, why? This isn’t right!! WOW! David’s men were ready to stone him they were so sad and angry. Now watch what David did…

“…The men were talking about killing David with stones. This upset David very much, but he found strength in the Lord his God…8 Then David prayed to the Lord.” I Samuel 30:6-8

One version of this verse says David “encouraged” himself in the Lord. In the midst of trouble, he didn’t go seeking advice from Dr. Phil, Oprah, Fox News, his local pastor – he went to the Lord. And the Lord answered him and told him how to overtake his enemies and recover their families and not one life was lost.

I remember one time in particular that I was at a very low point. Things were not good and I was at the end of myself. I was a basket case. I left work and drove to the beach. A friend of mine had told me it was ok to be honest with God; He knew what I was thinking whether I spoke it out loud or not. So there, overlooking the sand and waves, I began to cry.

I told God that he was failing me. I told Him that I had been praying and asking for things to change and He wasn’t answering. I think I even cussed a time or two as I was telling Him how HE was letting me down. And then I got quiet and told the Lord that I knew that He wasn’t the problem. That I had walked with Him long enough to know that He was always honest and that He could never fail – I knew that. So I asked Him to show me my failure and how He wanted me to be going forward.

Peace came. The situation didn’t change immediately but from that day it began to get better…

Back to Psalms. This segment of the chapter conveys heartbreak and disappointment but what it doesn’t do is blame God for the problem. It seeks him for the answer. If we find ourselves blaming God, then He becomes our problem and it makes it very hard to find the right answer. God is the only “right source”.

“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

In distress and trouble what’s your first reaction – cuss or pray? Cussing doesn’t help – it’s not the answer. Praying brings us to God’s presence and then the Holy Spirit can bring us the answer that we so desperately need. That’s what David did – he let the Lord lead him and he was able to recover everything the enemy had stolen. We have an enemy, a very real enemy. His name is Satan and he tries to steal from us but once we recognize who the enemy is, God will give us wisdom in how to take back what has been stolen.

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

When Jesus was tempted of Satan, He countered each temptation with “it is written, it is written, it is written”! If Jesus needed to use the word of God, shouldn’t we do the same? We can’t fight with our own weapons, we won’t be successful but when we use God’s we are promised victory.

One of the last things we find in these verses in Psalms is that if we follow God’s word we won’t be put to shame! Follow Him carefully – He’ll never lead you astray.

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The Gift of Salvation

Merry Christmas to one and all.

The house is quiet except for the little boy I hear talking softly in his bed. I’m not sure what time he woke up but he has been talking to himself since I got up, or maybe he’s talking to Jesus.

I know that first Christmas night was probably filled with activity. Shepherds coming and going, a baby to nurse and then so much for Mary to go over in her mind.

What an occurrence! God became flesh and came to live on earth with us.

I guess I could have entitled this The Gift of Self Sacrifice for that’s what Jesus did. He left heaven, He left all that was comfortable and majestic to become a child. He has been at the creation of the world, the parting of the Red Sea, He had given the tablets of stone to Moses and now here He was, a small baby dependent on human parents to provide for his every need.

How odd – he had always been the provider and protector. He had always been self-sufficient and now He required the watchful care of a young woman and her betrothed.

“The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us.” John 1:14 ERV

He gave us the splendor of his heavenly home to live here on earth and it was all for us.

“You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that he gave up his heavenly riches for you. He gave up everything so that you could be richly blessed.” II Corinthians 8:9 CEV

He set aside all that He had a God so that he could prove that as a human we could be victorious in life if we committed to following God’s word.

“We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:14-16 CEV

Christ gave up everything so that we could gain everything.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 CEV

As you open gifts this morning, open the greatest gift you have to offer, open your heart to Christ. We can’t be good enough to earn salvation, it’s a free gift. If you’ve never prayed before pray this morning and thank God that Jesus came in human form to restore relationship between Him and us. Tell him you accept His wonderful gift and ask Him to make you new. He will do it gladly.

Merry Christmas – welcome to new life in Christ.

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The Gift of the Invitation

Christmas is a time when there seems to be worldwide celebration. It’s not just an American, British, Chinese, Japanese, Asian or European holiday – it belongs to all of us. Just like Jesus!

Remember the words of the angels:

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy.” Luke 2:9-10 ERV

The message was to ALL people – A-L-L or as in the verse above to everyone. So that means you and I are in that grouping. No one has been left out. Good news to all! I love that, God’s gift was exclusively inclusive.

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” John 3:16 ERV

God’s love extends to everyone in the world. Some Christmas parties are only for those who belong to a certain company or club; others are for a particular group of neighbors or friends. Some have special printed invitations that are proof that you have been invited and deserve admittance but God offers an ALL invitation.

“Then the Lord will save everyone who asks for his help.” Acts 2:21 ERV

“The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” II Peter 3:9 ERV

I encourage you today to RSVP to the invitation you been given. There will be a great celebration and all of heaven is waiting for your acceptance.

“Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, “Let’s celebrate! I’ve found my lost sheep.”

7 Jesus said, “In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over ninety-nine good people who don’t need to.” Luke 15:6-7 CEV

God’s plan for us is to have a good and joyful life. The angels said the news that brought would bring great joy. Jesus said he came to give us a full and abundant life.

“10 A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

God has given you the invitation, I encourage you to accept the Gift and receive the abundant life that He desires you to have!

Have a joy-filled Christmas.

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The Gift in the Plain Wrapping

Have you ever bought a gift, the perfect gift, and had to keep it hidden away in the closet or under the bed so that it wouldn’t be found until just the right time? This has been THE most special, spectacular gift ever. You may have even started dropping hints like “you are absolutely going to love the gift I got for you”. The excitement was building! You could hardly wait, the anticipation of giving this wonderful present filled your every thought! But because the gift was so special you knew it didn’t need fancy bows or brightly colored paper, simple and plain was the best – it wouldn’t detract from the gift.

If that has ever been your experience then you know just some of the joy and anticipation that God the Father was feeling on that night when He sent the angels to the fields outside of Bethlehem to herald the news, His gift had arrived!

“That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. 9 All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. 10 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. 11 This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.” Luke 2:8-12 CEV

Enter Jesus, the best gift ever!

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” John 3:16 CEV

God had been waiting to give this gift, wrapped in the body of a human baby, since way back in the Garden of Eden. God had enjoyed his relationship with Adam and Eve and would walk and talk with them each day until they sinned and broke that bond. From that time forward God the Father began working on a plan that would restore that relationship.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 CEV

Jesus restored us to the position that we had before Adam sinned. In Christ we are a NEW CREATION – a new creature – like the one that God created in the Garden. Jesus restored us to our place of being created in God’s likeness.

“But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace.
8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” Ephesians 2:4-10 ERV

In Christ we have been made new. It’s not something we work to earn but something we receive freely by grace. Just as Adam, created man, was God’s idea and he did nothing to deserve or even request his creation, it was God’s plan; so is salvation and the restoration of man to a living and loving relationship with the Father God.

So since it’s Christmas, I give you permission to open the best gift you have ever received, the One that came wrapped in muslin cloth and was placed on a bed of hay in a manger – the gift of salvation, of renewed life and relationship with the Father. Open it now and share it with others!

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The Gift of Faithfulness

Faithfulness! The sign of a true friend is faithfulness. Through the years, Dave and I have been blessed with many acquaintances and even dear situational friendships. You know, those friends that are in your life for a particular seasonal or location. But then there are the friends that rise above time and space. They are the ones who you may not talk to for months or even years but when you see them, your heart is stirred with love and memories and the relationship picks up and grows even deeper.

Yes, we have been truly blessed with friends that fall into that category! Our lives are richer, warmer and fuller because of their love!

I was mediating on that word “faithfulness”. Faith+full+ness. Faith= the established belief in someone or something not seen. The knowing that they will always be the same. Never failing, always there.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Full= not empty, not lacking, abundance, more than enough.

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

Ness= a suffix added to a word to indicate quality

Faith= believing in the unseen; Full= abundance; Ness= quality Faithfulness: believing in the abundance of someone always being the same in overflowing abundance, to the greatest extent or quality.

God’s faithfulness endures forever! He will always be the same – He keeps His promises and His love never fails! Rest in Him today.

“Our Lord, you are eternal!
Your word will last as long
as the heavens.
90 You remain faithful
in every generation,
and the earth you created
will keep standing firm.
91 All things are your servants,
and the laws you made
are still in effect today.
92 If I had not found happiness
in obeying your Law,
I would have died in misery.
93 I won’t ever forget
your teachings,
because you give me new life
by following them.” Psalm 119:89-93 CEV

Trust in the faithfulness of your loving heavenly Father! It’s His gift to us.

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