Let it Shine

Have you ever heard the children’s song, This Little Light of Mine?

This little light of mine/I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine/I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine/I'm gonna let it shine

Let it shine/Let it shine/Let it shine oh yeah!

I am reminded during this time of year that we really are to let the light of Christ shine in us. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says: For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

We spend a lot of time putting up Christmas lights on our homes and on our trees, so they will shine. I pray we spend time in letting others know about the light of God, and remember this next verse in the song.

Hide it under a bushel Oh no!/I'm going to let it shine

Hide it under a bushel Oh no!/I'm going to let it shine

Hide it under a bushel Oh no!/I'm going to let it shine

Let it Shine/All the time/Let it shine/Oh yeah!

Let your light shine - especially at this time of year. Amen?

Have a good Godly day.

Titles

Notice that Jesus is described in Isaiah 9:6 with two word titles:

Wonderful Counselor - Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD

Mighty God - Isaiah 11:3-4 ³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; ⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Everlasting Father - John 14:9-10   ⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

Prince of Peace - Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

At this time of year, let’s remember who to focus on – Jesus, and what to focus on - our relationship with Him.

Have a good Godly day.

Unto Us

This is a prophetic word from Isaiah foretelling the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 9:6-7 -   ⁶ For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.              

What does “unto to us a Child is born, and unto us a Son is given” mean?

I think that it is a reminder that Jesus is for everyone and He is a gift from God. Salvation is available for all who call on the Name of the Lord.

If we accept this gift of salvation then we too are reborn, and we are given to the Son. To give Him honor and glory all the days of our lives should be our main focus. Amen?

Have a good Godly day.

Fulfilled!

Matthew 1:22-25 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

This passage is a very moving revelation of important truths of God’s plan for the world. Even though He is King of Kings, and all will bow in His honor, he was born in a stable, not a palace. Jesus came to show God’s love for people who feel they have nothing. God has known the same sadness.

Jesus alone can bring hope and light in to a dark world.

If you want to give your loved ones a great Christmas present this year, give them the gift of Christian Hope. On page after page of the New Testament we find it: the Good News that God will win, that nothing can defeat Him; that ultimately God and goodness will have the victory and that when we put our hope in Him, nothing, not even death, can separate us from His watch care and His love and His triumph. Once each year, Christmas comes along to renew our hope and to remind us that the darkness of this world cannot overcome the light of the world.

Have a good Godly day.

The Family of God

Jesus’ birth was planned by God. All details concerning His birth were exactly as they should have been.

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. 17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

   20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:16-20

This shows that Jesus was the Son of God. Having no human father, conceived by the Holy Spirit shows His divinity. Born to a human mother shows His humanity.

The Great News is not that we are human, but that Jesus was born, died, and resurrected so that we can have the Holy Spirit living in us.

Are you just human, or holy and human?

Holiness only comes through Jesus.

Have a good Godly day.

Christmas Lights

Lights are a big part of our Christmas decorations. We see them every where: in the mall, outside adornments, and inside our homes. John chapter 1 talks about Jesus bringing God’s light in to the world on Christmas Day!

 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (vv. 4-5) ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (vv. 9-14)

Are you any different today than if Jesus was never born?

What difference has Jesus made on your life?

Receive God’s gift of salvation, and all the promises he gives to his children today.

Have a good Godly day.

Grace and Mercy

If Jesus was never born we would not know God’s grace and mercy. Jesus’ disciples John and Peter testify to His grace and mercy.

John 1:17 - For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-4 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.

George Bailey, in It’s a Wonderful Life couldn’t grasp the affect that his life had made on the world around him until it was shown to him.  Jesus knew that the world needed saving, and He was the only way to bring it about. He left the splendor of heaven to come in to this dark world as a baby. Jesus brought the light of heaven to earth, and made salvation available through His sacrifice.

Praise God that Jesus was born and still lives today!

Have a good Godly day.