Align With God
Isa. 8:13 “Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” (KJV).
Mary had the fear of inadequacy. Joseph had the fear of disapproval. The shepherds had the fear of sudden change. Luke 2:8-10 “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. SUDDENLY, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” (emphasis added). 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
Gifts For Him
Isa. 9:6 “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.” (KJV)
Christmas is for giving and a lot of us are going to buy gifts for the people we value this Christmas – true or false? True. Now the question is, what are you going to give Jesus this Christmas? After all, it is His birthday. Read the rest of this entry
Time, Talent & Treasure
Matt. 2:11-12 “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (emphasis added).
God wants us to be positioned in such a way that we can say like the wise men, we are seeking Jesus. What happens when you give God your time, your talent, and your treasure? He multiplies it, that is what He does. Let me share a personal testimony with you. Read the rest of this entry
Wise Action
Matt. 2:1-2 “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
The wise men came from Babylon. Historically, it is said that it took them at least two years to go from where they were to where Jesus was. Two years of seeking Jesus – wow! When the star stops, they stop. When the star moved, they moved. Read the rest of this entry
The Expedition
Ps. 63:1 “O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust. I seek You with every fiber of my being. In this dry and weary land with no water in sight, my soul is dry and longs for You. My body aches for You, for Your presence.” (Voice).
To position himself for God’s blessings, Joseph cooperated. Are you cooperating with God’s Word and with God’s plans for your life? Are you cooperating with God? To position themselves for God’s blessings, the shepherd celebrated. Read the rest of this entry
Ponder vs. Wonder
Ps. 119:105-106 “Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me and keep me from stumbling. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again and again: I will obey these wonderful laws of yours.” (TLB)
To be positioned for God’s blessings, particularly this season and beyond, we have to cooperate like Joseph, celebrate like the shepherds, and contemplate like Mary. Mary contemplated. Luke 2:17-19 “When they had seen him, they told what the angels had said about this child. Everyone was amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured these things and CONTINUED TO THINK ABOUT THEM.” (NCV, emphasis added). Read the rest of this entry
Immanuel
Luke 2:10-11 “but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
To be positioned for blessings this season, we have to be like the shepherds and celebrate that God is with us. Joseph cooperated; the shepherds celebrated. Luke 2:16&20 “They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger… The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.” (emphasis added). Read the rest of this entry
Trust
Jer. 29:11 “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (MSG).
Joseph cooperated, the shepherd’s celebrated, Mary contemplated, and the three wise men dedicated. To get positioned for blessings this Christmas, we must learn from these four categories of people that were rightly positioned at the first Christmas and were blessed. Read the rest of this entry
