God With Us

Reading from the Book of Matthew 1:21-23

 ^{Matthew 1:21} And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

The Creator came to dwell with His creation.
The all knowing One came to teach teachers and students limited by their lack of knowledge and understanding.
The ever present One came to comfort hurting people stuck in their suffering.
The all powerful One came to serve weak people, empowering them with His Spirit.
The Almighty sent His only son Jesus into the world, fully God and fully man.
Yes, the Word became flesh!

God is with us to face down our fears by faith.
God is with us in our doubts.
God is with us in our hurts, applying His healing balm of grace.
God is with us in our transitions to grow our trust in Him. 
God is with us at work and at home.
God is with us in our uncertainty. 
God is with us when we feel His presence and when we don't feel Him near.
God is with us in our successes and in our failures.
God is with us and for us for His glory!

God is with us in our modern technology and our antiquated activities.
The Lord is with us in our big cities and our small towns.
Jesus is with us when we feel joy, laughter and loss.
Christ is with us to comfort us in our pain and encourage us to persevere for Him.
He is with us in the ups and the downs.
He is with us and He is in us to work through us!
 
^{Matthew 1:23} Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Hope & Blessings

Christmas is a time of hope and blessings, a celebration of life and salvation. The Scriptures teach us that children are a blessing from God. It has also been said that the birth of each new child is a sign that God has not yet given up on this world.

That was never more true than the night two thousand years ago when the Son of Man was born in Bethlehem; born to bring the hope of salvation and the blessing of eternal life. No headline, no sorrow of life should turn our hearts from the love of God and the greatest gift ever given!

When the Christ Child came into the world, his cry pierced the night and split all of human history in half. No one can predict the headlines in the weeks and months ahead, but we can rest assured that one day every head will bow and every knee will bend before the King of Kings. The final victory has been won. All that is required of us is that we choose life.

While the focus of Christmas is, of course, Christ's birth in Bethlehem, each year I am reminded of Christmas' unique role in the birth of America. It was on Christmas night in 1776 that General George Washington crossed the Delaware River in a daring surprise attack on the Hessian mercenaries. Washington's victory at the Battle of Trenton was a turning point in the American Revolution. Surely God was there, and I believe that the God of Abraham is with us still!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! And may you enjoy much hope and all of God's richest blessings in the year ahead.

Things That Are Above

Reading from the Book of Colossians 3:1

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

If you want to live the resurrection life that Jesus provides, then seek that new, powerful life by setting your mind and keeping it set on things above, not on things on the earth. If you and I want the good life, then we must keep our minds on good things.

Many believers want the good life, but they passively sit around wishing for something good to happen. Often, they are jealous of others who live in victory and our resentful that their own lives are so difficult.

If you desire victory over your problems, if you truly want to live the resurrection life, you must have backbone and not just wishbone! You must be determined to have victory and refuse to settle for anything less than the best that God has for you.

You must be active, not passive. Right action begins with right thinking. Do not be passive in your mind. Set your mind on the things that are above.