Christmas Giving

If Jesus was never born we would not know about sacrificial giving.

Jesus taught us about how to give in Luke 21:1-4 - As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. ² He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ³ “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴ All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Jesus said - My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. - John 15:12-13 He gave up His life for us, and died in our place for our sins.

Because of Jesus’ willingness to come and give His life we can know eternity with God.

 Jesus promises eternity with God in heaven in John 14:1-3 - “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

 In John 14:6-7 Jesus declared - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Thank you Jesus for preparing and being the way!

Have a good Godly day.

Christmas Knowledge

Let’s think about the question; What if Jesus had never been born?

There is a lot that we would never know.

Jesus tells us in John 3:16-17 - 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

If Jesus had never been born we would not know the full extent of God’s love.

He loved us so much we was willing to die in our place on Calvary. He loves us so much that once we accept Him as Savior nothing can separate us from His love.

As Paul writes in Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Praise God for the gift of Jesus!

Have a good Godly day.

A Life Well Lived

All of us have seen the classic Christmas movie; It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart. In the movie, Stewart plays George Bailey who inherited the Bailey Building and Loan after his father dies. Throughout the story we see this man overcoming one thing after another: the stock market crash, the Depression, and World War II. Just when life was returning to normal another drama unfolds. His absentminded uncle misplaces $8000 and George knows he will probably go to jail. On a snowy night he heads out in desperation, uncertain about what to do. He comes to a bridge and considers committing suicide wishing he had never been born. George is saved by Clarence Oddbody, his guardian angel, who jumps in first. George saves him, but still wishes he had never lived. George’s request is granted.

Stewart’s character gets to see what the world would have looked like had he never been born. Through the rest of the movie we discover that George’s life has made a significant impact on his family, his friends, his community, and had he never been born, other people’s lives would have been worse off. The movie helps us realize the impact one person can make on those around us whether it is for good or for bad.

How about the Christmas story, and posing the question, what if Jesus was never born?

What if the first Christmas never happened?  No angels, no virgin birth, no manger, no shepherds, no wise men… No baby Jesus?

What kind of an impression has Jesus made on the world?

In our personal lives Jesus gives us hope, healing, wisdom, direction, protection, provision, rest, and so much more.

In our society we know most orphanages, hospitals, care organizations, and colleges were all begun by Christians.

What impression has Jesus made on you?

Have a good Godly day.

Christmas Compassion

Look at what Jesus says in Luke 4:18-19 - “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

He is announcing that Messiah has come and that the Scripture has been fulfilled. Immanuel – God is with us! He wanted to make sure that the world knew who he was, and the ministry of compassion. Jesus proclaims freedom to the poor in spirit, those imprisoned in sin, and give hope to the hopeless. He healed the sick, lame, and blind to give people a miraculous sign of His power. Jesus shows His love for everyone – regardless of our condition.

This Christmas may we take on His compassion for the world around us. We have many opportunities to show God’s love in a real way.

Are you ready to share Christ with someone?

Today can be that day.

Have a good, Godly, and compassionate day.

Adore Him

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

Luke 2:15-16

We all know the song, O Come All Ye Faithful:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

We have that same calling and opportunity to experience Christ.

Remember the last verse?

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

Accept Jesus in every area of your life. It’s the best present you could ever receive.

Have a good Godly day.

The Height of His Love

“As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward us” (Psalm 103:11)

God’s mercy, grace, and love show the height of His love. He promises us that nothing can separate us – Nothing! Praise God for His enduring love.

Romans 8:35-39 - 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord

Remember God’s love for you this Christmas – His name is Jesus!

Have a good Godly day.

The Depth of His Love

God reaches down to the most horrid and hopeless sinner. Yes, that includes you, me, and all humanity.

Look at Ephesians 2:1-10 - 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God loves you deeply. Acknowledge it, praise Him for, and be obedient to His call on your life. Amen?

Have a good Godly day.