He Gave Us The Very Best He Had – Give Him The Very Best You Have

 

Once again the Christmas season is upon us. Many people are shopping, preparing to give gifts to friends and loved ones.  It is a good thing to give, for God has said in His word that it is more blessed to give than to receive. 

We know that the greatest gift that was given, was from God. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  That gift is Jesus the Christ, whose birth we celebrate at this time.

Years ago, I used to play a song for  choirs which we would sing at our church services every year. It was always one of my favorites, as it was a reminder of how God gave us His best, and why we in turn should  always want to give Him our best.  Not just in our church activities, but in the life we live every day. 

This song was penned many years ago by James Dewitt Johnson. It tells the story about the birth of Jesus, and what He did for us, which is why He is the best gift ever given to this world. 

 

                                       “He Gave Us The Very Best He Had”

                                      God gave to the world, His only begotten son 

                                      To bring peace and great tidings, of great joy 

                                      And the star, from the East, shined on this great boy 

                                      God gave us, the very best, He had 

 

                                      The shepherds, they followed the star,  to the east, where Jesus lay 

                                      All wrapped in swaddling clothes, in a manger, filled with hay 

                                      The wise men, they came from afar

                                      Just to see this great child,  that had been sent, by God 

 

                                     The Son went to Calvary, and He hung, on the cross 

                                     Just to save this world,  from sin, and lost 

                                     He hung, on the cross, for it was all He could do 

                                     And to the world, His love, He did prove 

 

                                    God gave us, the very best, He had 

                                    God gave us, His son 

                                    The most precious gift, from anyone 

                                    God gave us, the very best, He had 

 

Jesus Christ is the best gift that has ever been given.  God gave us His best.  That should make us always want to give Him our best.  Not just at Christmas, or just in our local church activities, but in our daily living.   

Give him the best in your walk, in your talk,  and in how you look.  We are children of the most High God, a royal priesthood.  When we come together to worship, remember you are presenting yourself  before the King of Kings, the ultimate royalty.  Therefore, dress your best, walk your best, talk your best, give Him your best praise.  Live your best, and be His true church everyday and everywhere. 

Know that Jesus is coming back, not for a building, but for a church(people) without spot or wrinkle.

God gave us the very best He had. Give Him the very best you have.

 

Jesus Christ is “More Than A Story”

Recently I’ve been spending quite a bit of time pondering what the world thinks of Jesus Christ. Just who does the world think he is ? At Christmas and Easter we see the world celebrate these days if they are just “social activities”. Parties, giving gifts, drinking etc. Some may even take a moment to think about the stories that surround these days, although often mixing Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny with the story about the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Santa Claus and the Easter bunny are just kid stories. However, Jesus Christ is a way of life, everyday, every heart must hear.

It’s important to realize not everyone knows who Jesus Christ really is. The world doesn’t know why He came, why He died, and why He arose from the grave. The following lyrics to a song recorded by Donnie Harper and The New Jersey Mass Choir says it well. Take some time and ponder over these words, then tell the world that He is “More Than A Story“.

“More Than A Story”

People talk of a good man
Came to earth so long ago
In a manger he did lay
It’s the Christmas story they say
But it means more to me
Cause He set my life free
And he came to do the same for you
Cause He’s,
More than a story
That the world thinks of just one time a year
He’s more than a story
He’s a way of life, every day, every heart must hear.

Some have heard of a good man
Lived a life, did no one no harm
On a cross they killed him
It’s the Easter story again
But it means more to me
Cause he set my life free
And he came to do the same for you
Cause He’s
More than a story
That the world thinks of just one time a year
He’s more than a story
He’s a way of life, every day, every heart must hear

We’ve got to show the world
There’s so much more they must read
With every passing day
There’s less time for all to believe.

He’s more than a story
That the world thinks of just one time a year
He’s a way of life, every day, every heart must hear.
He’s more than a story
So much more!

Keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas!

Today I was reminded of a story about a family on the East Coast who held a party to celebrate Christmas. As the guests arrived, they all threw their coats on a bed, and proceeded to celebrate, eating, drinking, opening gifts, etc. It was later discovered that the guests had actually thrown their coats on top of a baby, who was asleep on the bed, smothering the baby who died. They overlooked, or didn’t see the baby, as they had gotten caught up in their partying.

This was a very sad situation, but is also an eye opener as to how Jesus can get “smothered” during Christmas celebrations, ignorantly or deliberately. Our world is moving more and more in the direction of trying to remove Him from being the center of this holiday. Have you noticed that many, particularly in our work places, are afraid or will hesitate in saying have a “Merry Christmas?”  Instead they will say “Happy Holidays.” Some will call Christmas trees “holiday trees.” In some of our neighborhoods, instead of Nativity Scenes on front lawns of houses, we see Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and other cartoon or fictitious characters.

 

Christmas seems to be the only holiday where many don’t want to call it by it’s name, particularly in our work places. In the United States, we seem to have no problem saying any other holiday’s name, like Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, President’s Day, etc. But when it comes to saying have a “Merry Christmas,” some of us stutter.

 

Jesus is the reason for this season, and every other season. For all things were made by HIM and for HIM. This holiday is a Christian holiday, set aside to acknowledge the birth of Jesus Christ. “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.” Isaiah 9

Read the following articles and be sure you Keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas!!

JESUS CHRIST – EMMANUEL “GOD WITH US”.
The Greatest Gift That Was Ever Given – JESUS CHRIST.

JESUS CHRIST – EMMANUEL “GOD WITH US”

EMMANUEL “GOD WITH US!”

“GLORY to GOD in the HIGHEST, and on earth Peace, Goodwill toward men!” Luke 2.

If there was ever a time to PRAISE the LORD the time is NOW!

Notice that whenever you read, watch or hear the news it is not usually very good. There is an overabundance of things going on all over the world. There are many natural disasters all about us the results are devastating… The economy was really down as well as unemployment a few years ago. Now they have begun to gradually climb as well as continuously fluctuate going up and down… The lives of many have again been drastically impacted. Many loved ones have passed on making their transition to eternity! Many corporations have closed, many have lost businesses, careers, jobs, estates, homes, stocks, possessions and yet… Immorality has become acceptable?

 

Notice how scandalous the Political Campaign for the office of President of the United States has become!

 

Don’t fear because GOD is OMNIPOTENT! HE IS The ONE TRUE GOD of Restoration. In HIM nothing is really ever lost. GOD IS FAITHFUL HE will & can RESTORE! There is ALWAYS HOPE in the LORD!

 

Marriage & family is ordained by God! The powers that be and principalities yield much spiritual warfare that seeks to break up many families and put in place a different way of living. Redefining the marital roles according to the world’s demands… Who would have ever thought a few years ago that the US Supreme Court would vote against the WORD of GOD in favor of “same sex unions?”

 

 

LORD open our Spiritual Eyes!!!

 

 

Disloyalty and manipulation, justified, along with works of the flesh and deception slowly but surely intertwining itself in many relationships… Children tossed to and fro within unstable environments. This is not God’s Way! Seemingly harmless it has opened the door for much chaos… Stress levels are constantly being elevated… No wonder; Suicide, divorce, sicknesses, diseases and depression are abounding!

 

“The WHEAT and the tares continue to grow together in the midst of HIS CHURCH! Again no need for fear.  Know that in the end ALMIGHTY GOD will do the separating…  Yes, The WORD of GOD continues to be fulfilled in these “Last Days.” Just learn to; “BE STILL & KNOW!” PRAY FOR DISCERNMENT!

 

There is also a resurgence of discrimination in many shapes and forms and on a multitude of levels. There is an enormous amount of oppression and loss of freedom as well as invasion of privacy & racial profiling; all due to the overwhelming threat of foreign and domestic terrorism as well as suppression & oppression…

 

A host of false teachers controlling and leading many astray… Many are living in fear… But look at GOD! “The LORD is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Strength of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27.

 

It is important to know who you are through Jesus Christ! In HIM you can have the VICTORY!

 

We are living in a time that just about anything goes! What God has said is wrong and what is wrong is accepted as right. What is Good is called evil & evil is called good! Many are trying to make what is right in the eyes of the majority rule and become accepted as the norm… Lord help us!

 

Many seek to make others comfortable in sin. Instead of saying thus said the Lord worldly affections dominate rather than the TRUE LOVE of GOD HE clearly defines in I Corinthians 13. GOD’S LOVE never fails! “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres… ” For many it is hard to discern what true love really is.

 

Yes indeed! The Word of God is being fulfilled! Truly we are in the last days. “No one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man…” Matthew 24. So it is today!

 

Begin to prepare each day as though you were to see the Lord face to face! There is ALWAYS HOPE in the LORD!

 

When Noah was building the ark there were millions and millions of people here on earth. The world had become a place where “anything goes” it was no longer the paradise that God had intended for His people. They allowed themselves to become caught up in the ways of the world. Fewer and fewer listened to the Lord! The spiritual warfare was rampart and satan continued to deceive many! It is a little frightening to see just how quickly God’s principles were laid aside… Imagine it had never even rained! It may be hard to fathom or comprehend but in the whole entire world there was only one man and his family that was listening to the Lord. This man was Noah; he was a righteous obedient man and obeyed the Lord in spite of what was going on in the world.

 

“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – men and animals, and creature that move along the ground, and the birds of the air- for I am grieved that I have made them.” Genesis 6.

 

 

The world had become flooded with evil and this brought a greater flood upon them that destroyed the world. What God had said not to do had become the norm! Does any of this sound familiar? Look at what is going on today? There is much to learn and ponder in the Word of God! It is Powerful and “ALIVE” it is All True! The Gospel is going forth all throughout the world. Time is winding up! From this magnificent illustration we can learn the importance of listening to the Lord rather than compromising His Word in order to be accepted by the masses. God will Never direct you to do anything that goes against His WORD!

 

EMMANUEL GOD IS WITH US!

 

Jesus told us “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED you. And surely, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28.

 

Know God’s Word for yourself! There is only ONE TRUE CHURCH! We the collective body of believers all around this world that was created through HIM are His Church! We are the Body of Jesus Christ!   We are also the Bride of Jesus Christ. HALLLELLLUJAH PRAISE GOD!

 

God is so gracious, loving, kind and Sovereign! He has provided a way back to Him. He has given us a path by which we must travel and Jesus has paved that way! “He is the Way The TRUTH and the LIFE.” It is the Narrow Way that is His way!

 

Today it is important for us to fully embrace the Truth of His Word! He has given us many examples as to what happens when we ignore, disobey or lay aside His Word! Know just like in the time of Noah many will not understand you. Had you ever thought about where were all those multitudes of people that Jesus healed, fed and saved when He was being crucified? How many sat on the sidelines and said absolutely nothing! Just like then many did not really expect the outcome…

 

We too can expect not to be welcomed, maligned, mistreated, persecuted, misunderstood… But do not become disheartened. Become aware and continue to look to the Lord. Ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment to properly apply His Word to your life! “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In All your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3.

 

We must learn to honor and esteem God’s Word above the ways of the world. Remember this; No person, judge, king, queen, prophet, prophetess, pastor, or priest was able to overcome sin in the flesh. Therefore, God sent His only Begotten Son to come in the form of sinless flesh and overcome sin in the flesh for us! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever BELIEVES in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life.” John 3. It within this verse one can gain spiritual acuity and focus upon the Power of The Gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus accepted the punishment for our sins and humbled Himself and was obedient through His death on the Cross! He took back what was lost and redeemed us and He arose with ALL Power! To believe means that you begin to take action and step out on Faith. You are a believer because you have given your life to the Lord and Believe, Trust and Embrace the full Gospel of Jesus Christ! Or do you really?

 

As you Celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; Know that Emmanuel means God with us! Know without doubt that as a believer He abides in your heart! We must continually ask Him to fill us with His presence daily if and whenever necessary…

 

The GOOD NEWS!

 

JESUS CHRIST makes all the difference in the world! It is a wonderful, thoughtful, kind, loving gesture to give to others… So, ENJOY this season of giving…  There are many ways to give. You can partake in giving all throughout the year. However, make it a point to take time and spend some time with the Lord reflecting on ALL He has done for you! He TRULY is the GREATEST GIFT of ALL! We can ALWAYS find something to be THANKFUL for! REJOICE in HIM! We all continue to exist because of GOD! “For in HIM we live and move and have our being…” Act 17. Christmas is REALLY about JESUS CHRIST and not just the presents; but about HIS PRESENCE in your life! HE is our “KING of kings and LORD of lords! He is our PRINCE of PEACE! No matter what you can ALWAYS FIND LOVE, COMFORT and PEACE in HIM! “Be STILL & KNOW!” EMMANUEL “GOD IS WITH US!”

 

As we examine the life of Jesus Christ we can see that He encountered an enormous amount of spiritual warfare during His pure sinless life. We learn that He suffered much! Many of those he helped turned their backs on Him… The birth of Jesus Christ born to The Virgin Mary was a marvelous astonishing miraculous miracle! This glorious occasion changed the world forever! Jesus was dispatched from Heaven to defeat the enemy for us! His spectacular Victory was felt on earth and in Heaven!

 

We can offer Praise; because of Jesus Christ we can learn to “Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth!”  Know God is omniscient and totally aware of exactly where each of us are in Him. It is because of Jesus Christ being born in the flesh, living a sinless life, being crucified, then He died and was buried we have the opportunity to come to the Lord!  Jesus is the only Mediator between us and God the Father. He  atoned for the sins of the whole world. He became the Holy, Pure, Sacrificial, Consecrated Lamb of God! He redeemed us through His precious blood. There is POWER in the BLOOD of JESUS! He shed His blood as the ultimate sacrifice so we might have life and have it, more abundantly. Not only on earth, on this side of heaven but through eternity! How amazing!  HALLLELLLUJAH PRAISE GOD!!!

 

The GOOD NEWS!!

 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in HIM before the creation of the world to be HOLY and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons (daughters) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious Grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s Grace that He lavished on us with all Wisdom and Understanding. And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment to bring ALL things in heaven and on earth together under One Head, even, Christ…” Ephesians 1.

 

 

The GOOD NEWS!!!

There is a wealth of godly spiritual knowledge and security within the depths of the Holy Scriptures. JESUS was the WORD wrapped in sinless flesh! Jesus was born during one of the most difficult eras in history! Much political turmoil and unrest was going on… From the very beginning there were those who avidly sought to destroy Him! How interesting, they were so intimidated by His extraordinary birth.  As time passed He was treated atrociously, His integrity undermined, His character constantly questioned, He was beaten, maligned and yet; Jesus still magnificently fulfilled His earthly mission. This is why we ALL need Him as Savior & Lord! Through Him we are “more than conquerors!” Romans 8. He has provided us with precious His Holy Spirit the Comforter to lead, guide, direct and protect us! We can always & forever TRUST GOD!

 

God has already BLESSED us with every spiritual blessing! The blessings of God go far and exceed far beyond just material or temporal they are eternal! Before we were ever born God chose us! God does not want us to be unaware or ignorant of the TRUTH of His WORD nor live in denial! He does not want His Word to be a secret! We must warn the people! He wants us to boldly proclaim “The GOOD NEWS!” The GOSPEL of Jesus Christ! The Word of God is His story. God is Sovereign! When we truly belong to Him we are to represent Him! We are to live out the principles of His Word in spite of what is happening in this world. Jesus is coming soon! How soon is soon?  Only God the Father knows!

 

As we prepare to CELEBRATE the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ it is spiritually beneficial to keep in mind the many wonderful Blessings of the Lord!  Yes indeed, Every day is a day to thank God. Jesus Christ is the most precious “GIFT” ever given by our Creator, Father and Lord! We can REJOICE in this Through eternity!

 

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given: and the government shall be on His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9. HALLELUJAH!

 

When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord we have something to shout about! I assure you in every and any situation God will see you through! “God will never leave nor forsake you!”   He is Omnipresent! We can Praise Him throughout the year and forever more knowing that JESUS CHRIST is not only the “Reason for the Season” but the reason for LIFE and living through eternity!

 

GOD BLESS YOU! ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS & Have a Wonderfully Blessed HAPPY NEW YEAR ~

 

The GREATEST GIFT That Was Ever Given – His Name Is Jesus

Over 2,000 years ago God sent His Son into the world that we might be saved and not condemned. On the profession of our FAITH we are accepted into His Family and become children of God. The Child in the manger has been recognized as TheTraditional Christmas scene down through the ages. It is much more than a tradition it is a True story! As you Celebrate CHRISTMAS with your family, friends and loved ones with your plethora of family Traditions; I would like to take a few minutes to share “The Chronicle of Our Lord and Savior!”

“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.” Isaiah 9

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice highly favored one, the Lord is with you; BLESSED are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob FOREVER. And of His kingdom there will be no end…….

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David. Which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to registered with Mary his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there was in the same country shepherds out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, and angel of the Lord said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of GREAT JOY which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is CHRIST the LORD. And this will be the sign to you : You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths in a manger. And suddenly there was an angel a multitude of the heavenly host PRAISING GOD and saying; GLORY to God in the highest, And on earth PEACE , GOODWILL toward men!

So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when then they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning the child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and PRAISING GOD for ALL the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb…

This is the greatest event that ever happened in the history of the world! So much so that a choir of Angels sang and the sky was lit with a brilliant STAR! “JESUS is the Bright and Morning Star” He wants to Light your heart and give you purpose and meaning in your life! CHRISTMAS IS WHEN WE CELEBRATE “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” TO JESUS! Jesus lived an amazing sinless life to conquer sin in the flesh for us! So we would not be condemned but saved. He was crucified a shameful death on the CROSS, died for us and then after three days in the grave HE arose victoriously with ALL POWER! When you accept Him into your heart you become God’s child and The COMFORTER His precious HOLY SPIRIT comes to live within your heart and your body becomes a Temple! You are then given the gift of ETERNAL LIFE!!! Jesus then becomes your Messiah, Savior and Lord! Jesus is the GREATEST GIFT that was ever given! JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! JESUS is the reason for every season. He is your reason for living in Him you will find the true meaning of life! Have a wonderfully, MARVELOUSLY Blessed MERRY CHRISTMAS and a JOYFULLY Blessed NEW YEAR!!! “GLORY TO GOD in the HIGHEST and on earth PEACE to men on whom HIS FAVOR rests….” (St. Luke }

JESUS Is The WAY! The TRUTH And The Life!

JESUS Is The WAY! The TRUTH And The Life!

Can I be certain that the Bible is true? How many ways is it to Heaven? Can I get to heaven just by being good? Do I have to believe in Jesus Christ? Do you know where you will spend eternity? What does it mean to say; The Lord is my Shepherd?

These are a few of the multitude of questions that many ask? Many are rather confused? I pray that after you read this you will better understand the answers to the above questions!

What is the point and why all the confusion? The confusion comes and many are bewildered because so few take the time to actually know the Word of God for themselves, nor proceed to develop an ongoing personal relationship with Him. They often take second hand information without considering the source and realizing it just might not be the Word? It is really important to know the Word of God for yourself!

What is also a bit alarming; is that there is so much of the Word that is being pushed aside and replaced by old wise fables and tales by Christians… Many opt to determine what is right for them simply based on how they feel and have been erroneously taught. Much ms-information is passed down and becomes accepted as truth… often reflecting an unfavorable picture of the Lord and His Word! What is popular or the latest trends determine how one lives rather than upon the Word of God…

Did you know that tradition can be anything you decide? There are many traditions that are first-rate and quite beneficial. But whenever the principle it teaches is contrary to the Word of God it should be abandoned. It is always GOOD to be Thankful to GOD! God never intended for Christianity to be reduced to a legalistic list of rules, to a tradition nor just another religion or something practiced on Sunday… Christianity was meant to be an everyday lifestyle. Jesus Christ came to show us the Way!

No wonder so many are lost! Rather than follow His directions, many opt to just do their own thing! Think about this for a minute. If you knew me well and trusted me and I gave you directions how to get somewhere and you are guaranteed to arrive there safely, would you follow them? Or would you say Hmm I’m not so sure I’ll ask someone else or I will find the way myself? You may eventually get there but in the meantime you have chosen the tedious path laden with anxiety and uncertainty rather than… Believe me! Do you really believe the Word?

Jesus Christ is the Son of God! As a matter of fact: “For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever BELIEVES in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life. For GOD did not send His Son in the world to condemn the world. but that the world may be SAVED!” JOHN 3. He is door to Heaven and there is no other way to the Father!

Jesus has already prepared the Way! But in order to stay on or get on the right path we must follow His directions! “Do not let your hearts be troubled, TRUST in GOD! TRUST also in ME! In My Father’s house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would not have told you, I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME BACK and take you to be with ME that you may also be where I am…” John 14. Prepare: JESUS IS COMING BACK!

Let’s allow our spiritual minds to take the forefront and ask the Lord to open our spiritual ears and camp here a moment! Is your heart troubled? Have you made a bad decision? Has someone lied on you? Is your mind confused? Are you or a love one physically or mentally ill? Have you been given some bad news? Are you uncertain about your future?

Well I have some “GOOD NEWS!” Jesus has already prepared a Way! All His Word is true! It is okay to analyze and assess to a degree what is going on and take a look at what is happening in your life… But in order to see your way through or out of a situation clearly you must learn to TRUST JESUS!

No matter how much we plan; things can and will still happen that are beyond our control. Therefore you cannot put all your TRUST in something you see. Upon accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, God has given us an inner compass to guide us! Regardless as to where you are, what is happening or what has happened your way out is through Him! The first place you must turn is to GOD! If you are a believer you have been given His Holy Spirit as a Comforter! Belief in Him and in HIS Word is supremely paramount for safe travel on the narrow road! “Seek first the Lord and HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness and ALL these things will be given to you as well…” Matthew 6. You must seek Him or begin to seek Him above all else!

If you do not know Him start now! If you have grown slack in your commitment to His will in your life recommit! Sincerely confess that you are a sinner and you are sorry for the sin in your life that separates you from Him. Let Him know now you want to turn your life over to Him. You want to draw closer to Him and invite Jesus into your heart! You want your life to be different and you want to learn more about Jesus Christ and His plan of salvation… You want to learn how to trust Him…

Why is that? If you are trusting in something you can see or figure out then it is not FAITH! “Now FAITH is being SURE of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see…” Hebrews 11. What is key here is being sure and certain! It is so important that you develop your very own personal and intimate relationship with the Lord! Know God so well that when anyone tells you something, you are able to discern or you can go to the Word and find out for yourself if it is of HIM!

The Greek word for faith is pistis! Faith is being confident in a reliable source!

There is so much spiritual warfare designed to get you off track on to the broad road where there are so many travelers that it appears it is the right direction. Have you ever noticed when there is a lot of traffic you must drive much more carefully! You must pay closer attention to where you are going. If you don’t you can easily miss your turn, or have an accident…

GOD is who He says He is!

When we confess Jesus Christ as our personal Savior we enter the spiritual realm of belief. Not just any belief but we actually profess we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This does not mean we merely join a spiritual social club and are then just indoctrinated to a particular denomination or non – denomination. It goes much deeper than that? Yes it is wise to pursue a place of worship where the Word of God is being taught! You need to fellowship with other Christians who are able to properly spiritually nourish you! It is important to know and understand that you have made a commitment to live God’s way! What are you saying…

The Greek Word for believe is pisteuo. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. We are saved by Grace through FAITH not works!

When you become a Christian you embark on a spiritual journey that is a lifelong process of spiritual growth. This is just the beginning… Wherever you are in your life you now must begin to go forward in the Lord! You cannot undo anything that has transpired in your life! There is nothing that God is not aware of! Now you must get to know Him as your Creator and Sustainer of life on a personal level. You must become familiar with His voice! You must learn to “Be STILL and KNOW!” You are now to travel on the narrow road that is less traveled!

You have been given the gift of His Holy Spirit that resides within you!

Faith is an action word! You must step out on FAITH! In order to feel the impact of His Spirit’s presence you must sincerely ask to be filled daily by inviting Him into your day to day life. Throughout the day you can actually become cognizant and reconnect when you feel yourself shifting… You must take the necessary steps to develop an ongoing personal intimate relationship with Him.

Wherever you are God knows! Wherever you have been and whatever you have done God knows that too. GOD LOVES YOU! It is important to know that you have entered into a spiritual war zone. There are powers & principalities that be who desires to tempt you away from GOD an wreak havoc upon your life! The world at large is hostile to believers! Once you become strong in the FAITH you threaten their system of embracing whatever is popular… Thinking outside of the box they have prepared for you is not welcomed… So prepare for opposition! But our weapons are not carnal! Think about Jesus, who was sinless and how they conspired against Him… He was not readily accepted by the very ones He came to help! His motives were always questioned and He was slandered, called everything but a child of God! They even used someone that was supposedly close to Him to betray Him… Jesus as well as His disciples endured harassment, ridicule and undue mistreatment. Yes, we too must go through some things…! So do not be surprised like Peter tells us; “In this greatly REJOICE, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trails – These have come so that your FAITH – of greater worth than gold, which perished even though refined by fire – may be proved GENUINE and may result in Praise, Glory, and Honor Jesus Christ when revealed.” I Peter 1.

No need to be afraid, but you must begin to be aware of what is going on. Pray for spiritual discernment! Peter shares with us how important it is to know what lies ahead! He knew you can expect persecution from just about anyone including at times your own family…”If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15. Is it becoming any clearer why you need to know the Word for yourself?

Update 7/21/13: Read this CNN Article “Losing Christ and Finding Jesus”. See why in this 21st Century it is so important to Know The Lord For Yourself, for there is no way to “Lose Christ and Find Jesus”, for in the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD. And the WORD became flesh (Jesus Christ).

Good News !

Good News! Good News! Did you know that before you were knitted together in your Mother’s womb that God knew who you were? Did you know that there is absolutely nothing that God does not know? When you know who you are in Christ you will experience much joy! When your faith and trust are in the Lord He will give you an inexpressible inner peace. The joy and peace God provides is not contingent on your circumstance. God does not want you to live your life as a yoyo experience. You cannot change anything that has already happened in your life. But you can start by reaching out to Him right now, anywhere and anytime! God is, can be, and wants to be your constant companion. Don’t wait until something unpleasant happens. Begin today to really get to know God. God wants you to walk with Him. He has left us His Comforter, His precious Holy Spirit to teach, lead, guide and direct us. Begin if you don’t already to take time each day to thank and praise God for who He is. He is worthy of our praise! We really do have a reason to be thankful!

When ever life presents a test or a trial, it is an excellent opportunity for you to strengthen your relationship with the Lord. To be still and know! God wants to be a part of all of your life. God is able to keep you from falling! I Peter says the trials that we experience in life are to test our faith? God wants to refine you. Your faith will be tested in the fire. Fire purifies gold. Gold is refined under fire. A prospector who discovers a rock that bears gold will send it to an assayer for evaluation. The fire will melt the impurities away and eventually yield pure gold. Our faith in God is far more precious than gold. I Peter even tells us that our faith will bring us honor on the day of Jesus Christ return. Trusting in God will bring Salvation to your soul. The power of Jesus’ Christ resurrection is Good News! It has been preached to us by the power of His heaven sent Holy Spirit. We can even look forward soberly and patiently to more of God’s kindness when Jesus returns.

Good News! Good News! Many people all over the world are still waiting for the Messiah to come. We as Christians know that He has already come. We know through faith that Jesus comes in and sets up residence in our hearts when you truly accept Him as your personal Savior. Matthew traces Jesus roots all the way back to Abraham. Abraham was the first to receive the promise. Matthew goes on to record the story of Jesus life on earth. He tells how His Mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. Many unexplainable things took place surrounding Jesus’ birth. There was a lot of spiritual warfare on the horizon. Before they were even able to come together as husband and wife Mary was found to be with child through the power of the Holy Spirit. God allowed an angel to appear to Joseph who assured Him that he was not to be afraid. He was told that she would give birth to a Son and to name Him Jesus and that this child Jesus would save the world from their sins. Imagine the faith and trust this took. Please take time to read this entire historical event again. Mary and Joseph were obedient to God. We now all benefit from their obedience.

As a child of God He wants us to obey Him as well. He does not want you to slip back and forth into your old ways. God has called us to Holiness. Jesus paved the way back to Him! Holiness is not wearing no makeup, dresses to your ankles, running all over the place and falling out, wearing white or……… Now do not go there. There is nothing wrong with wearing white. I happen to really like white. Yes, and certainly there is nothing wrong with shouting and praising God. We certainly have many reasons to praise Him! The point is spiritual purity goes much deeper than the surface. Yes, white is symbolic of purity. But remember the KKK wore white too. They also ran around and shouted. (A bit of humor is always good) They just wore white to cover up who they really were. God knows who His children really are. He knows everything. The story of Jesus birth is an excellent example that displays just that! God’s Word is so powerful!

Did you know that your body is the temple of God? It was designed as a place for His Holy Spirit to reside. It is as my granddaughter says; an earth suit. Jesus actually lived in His Mother Mary’s body. He came from heaven and humbled Himself to our existence and bore a body of flesh. He lived a sinless life. He conquered sin in the flesh for us! The scriptures tells us that His earthly body did not decay. Jesus restored to us what Adam and Eve relinquished because of their disobedience. God has created a marvelous wonderful thing when He created mankind. We are His workmanship. But we are responsible for what we do with our lives and our bodies. This is why we need a Savior. God wants us to walk in the light of His Word. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. The Apostle John wrote to people who were already Christians. He wanted to remind them of how one’s faith affects a person’s life. God wants us to walk in the Light not in darkness. Notice how he says if we claim to be……. Well, there should be a difference in your life when you claim to walk with the Lord. Have you ever thought about some of the things you say and do? Have you ever heard the song “Walk in the Light? God knows when and if you are walking with Him!

Although John was thought to be somewhere between 80 and 90 when He wrote the epistles bearing His name, he was still vigorously urging the Church to walk in the light of God’s Word. To have true fellowship with Him. You can have banquets and shake hands all day long. But in order to have true fellowship with Him you must walk in the light! I enjoy taking a relaxing bubble bath each day. But, looking at a tub of bubbles will not clean you. God’s true Church is supposed to be a pillar of Truth. Guess what? When everything but the Truth is allowed to prevail God knows. Living for God is serious business. You must really get into God’s Word. So His Word can really get in you. Getting into His Word will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Guess what your faith will also be strengthened. The Word of God can and will convict you of any wrongdoing. It will bring any impurities to the surface and allow you to truly repent. Let’s not get repeating confused with repentance. Remember that purifying process I talked about?

The Good News is God is the reason for not only the season. But for life! Jesus Christ is the only atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only our sins but the sins of the world. Jesus is the Light of the world. God has given us so much. “Our lives are a gift from Him. What we do with our lives is our gift to Him.” Are you happy with your life? Do you need to give more of your life to Him? Let’s make it personal. Are you really obedient to Him? True fellowship is having a relationship with God. God is the ultimate Father. He gave His only Begotten Son to redeem us! The Good News is there is power in the name Jesus. He has given us the precious gift of eternal life. God is not only there for you; He is everywhere! There is freedom in Christ. Please, remember as I said earlier that your trials come to purify you and make you strong. God is not a surface God. God is really and truly deep. He wants to take us to deeper depths and higher heights. Jesus paid a ransom to save us from the broad road that leads to destruction. This narrow road leads to heaven. The Good News is He paid for our lives and sins with the precious life and blood of His sinless life. It is because of this our trust can be in God who raised Christ from the dead! Now our faith, trust and hope can rest in Him alone.

The Word of God tells us that, “All honor belongs to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: for it is His boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again, so that we are now members of God’s own family. The good News is we live in eternal hope because we know without a doubt that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. And God Himself has reserved for His children the priceless gift of eternal life. Hallelujah! It is kept in heaven for us, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. Now do you see how very important it is to know who Jesus is! How very important to know what God has done for us! God is powerful. He will and can make sure that whenever that time comes that we will safely get to heaven to receive and continue on in His precious gift of eternal life.

It is very important that you get to know God for who He is and not for just who people say He is. Get to know Him for yourself! Then you will not be tossed to and fro by every different kind of doctrine. Remember that inexpressible joy and peace I talked about? Always remember even when the going gets tuff down here for a while or season; God is always there. All you need to do is keep your focus on the Lord! After all He is the author and finisher of your faith. When you make it a goal in your life to please God you will not have to have a yoyo experience. God can keep you in perfect peace if your mind is stayed on Him! Delight yourself in God’s Word! He will not only give you the desires of your heart but, He will also give you a sound mind! You can be like that tree in Psalms that is planted by the rivers of water. This type of tree roots goes deep! Far beyond what the human eye can see. When your faith is in God He will see to it that any fruit is brought forth in His time. All the Glory belongs to Him. Remember God. is always just a prayer away. Remember that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Good News! Good News! This is the time of the year we set aside to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Joy to the world the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing! We give gifts to our love ones, friends and neighbors. Let’s remember that every good and perfect Gift comes from God! Let’s remember each and everyday that God gave us the Greatest Gift of all! Let’s remember now and throughout the year to praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above thee heavenly hosts. Praise, Father Son and Holy Ghost!

We’ve Come To Bow Down And Worship HIM!