Category Archives: Christmas
For Nothing
Philip. 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (NKJV)
We are going to be looking at the things that attempted to steal the joy from the hearts of some people who were present at the very first Christmas. We will look at Mary, Joseph, and the wise men and what tried to steal their joy. Read the rest of this entry
Only Jesus
Gal. 1:10 “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
“Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. So the angel said, ‘Do NOT BE AFRAID, Mary, for God has decided to bless and use you! You will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus . . . and he will be the Son of God, and his Kingdom will never end!’ Then Mary asked, ‘But how can this be?’” [Luke 1:29-34 paraphrased]. Read the rest of this entry
Fear Not!
Luke 1:29-30 “She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you.” (MSG)
When we look at all the joy, the celebration, and all the blessings at Christmas, we sometimes forget the reality of even what the people at the first Christmas experienced. The fact is that there was fear during Christmas and over two thousand years after in our little corners we have the fear that we Read the rest of this entry
Bear Fruit
John 15:7&16 “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! …You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.”
When you are fruitful, Jesus says, you will be extremely powerful. “…so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.” Whatever means whatever. Also, note that the phrase “using my name” is not just about appending the Name of Jesus to a statement or rounding up prayers with Read the rest of this entry
Fore Taste
Gen. 22:2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
Today, we will pick up from the final thought from yesterday which is, God wants you and I to understand that Immanuel means God is with us. God saw us even before Jesus was conceived and He knew that we would not be Hebrew speaking. Read the rest of this entry
His Best for Your Best
Heb.2:10 “God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation”.
God wants us to take His gifts to men. I know that when we say things like this, some people really cannot wrap their minds around it because they too are in need. Read the rest of this entry
But Now
Eph.2:14 “For Christ himself has brought peace to us …in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us”[with emphasis].
It is when we receive this gift from God, which is Jesus Christ, that we experience a three-fold peace. And the three-fold peace is peace with God, peace with self and peace with other people. When people do not fully embrace this gift, they struggle with having peace with God. Read the rest of this entry
By Grace
“For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.” Rom.9:15-16 [emphasis added]
It is a very special season particularly because we are transitioning into a new year. I strongly believe that by the time we have transitioned into the New Year, God’s favour would have transformed our lives totally. What separates people from the pack is the favour of God and that favour will rest immensely on you. As believers, we are products of grace. Grace is so Read the rest of this entry
With Jesus & With You
“Because you are special to Me and I love you, I gladly give up other peoples in exchange for you; They are trivial by comparison to your weighty significance” Isa.43:4 [Voice]
Man was not the first of God’s creation to rebel against God. Lucifer and a third of the angels turned their back on God. They rebelled against God. But when satan [as he is known now] fell, God did not come to save him. In fact, his judgment awaits him. But when man fell, God came for us. That is love and that is Christmas in a nutshell. Jesus came to save us. So every time a savior Read the rest of this entry
