There is a very real God whose presence you can know, whose hand you can hold, who will speak with you and His voice will not be somewhere in the distance, but rather IN you. He loves you and wants to live with you and through you!
It’s an exciting time of year – a time of decorations, baking, lights, and of course, Christmas gifts! There is another very special aspect of this season – it’s what the angels said, Behold, unto you a Savior is born. Good will towards all of mankind. Christmas is indeed a miracle.
When Kevin was a young boy, his father passed away leaving eight children. For the grieving family it looked as if there would be no gifts for Christmas that year.
On Christmas morning however, as the family awoke not expecting any gifts at all, they found on the front porch a giant box of presents for all eight children! It was truly a miracle Christmas for all!
Today, the greatest miracle gift of all is Jesus. May He be at the very center of your Christmas, and the focus of all that you do. Merry Christmas!
Scripture says we are to “love others as we love ourselves” (Mark 12:33, author’s paraphrase). Maybe the reason there is so much harsh treatment of others is that people hate themselves. They don’t see themselves as good enough or worthy enough, and they project the same attitude toward those around them!
I believe one of the ways God shows us His desire to love us is through His creation. The stars twinkle and say “I love you!”…the birds singing every morning when we wake up are a song from our Father in heaven telling us, “I love you!” The rays of the moon shining out from behind the clouds on a cloudy night I believe are saying to us, God your Father in heaven loves you!
The most dangerous time is to deal with a beehive is when the bees have stopped producing honey and the hive is full. Bees with no work to do become agitated and begin to look at the beekeeper and each other as enemies, so they begin to sting. The same thing happens in the church when it loses the larger purpose of reaching out to others. They begin an inward-spiraling cycle of backbiting, scorn, and criticism that can cause destruction to the church and the very people they are called to work with!
There is no reason for us to lay down and be afraid in these times in which we’re living! There is no reason for us to allow the devil to torment us with fear, because the Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 1:7 that God has NOT given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind—and THAT is the truth!
What does the world need? They need a revelation of the Father—John 3:16—“For God so loved the world.” Do you understand how powerful that is, or have you just skimmed over the surface? Do you take it lightly, or do you realize that this love broke the power of every demonic power that exists?
If we could see people through God’s eyes then we would win the world, but instead we see them through our own eyes, labeling them with a big sign that says “Sinner.” Have you ever asked how much that “sinner” is worth? How much God paid for them? It was the price of His Son. How much are you and I worth? The same. The difference is, they don’t know it. When we truly understand this, we will be motivated to tell them.
If you can get the proper perspective and understanding of how God sees you and how intensely He loves you, you will have a foundation that cannot be moved by the storms of life. You can stand fast regardless of feelings and emotions, circumstances, people, bad reports and symptoms!
Many people think God has a huge office and a lot of work to do, and because He’s so busy He has no time for them. They look up at the sky wondering, “What will God do for me? He’s way up there somewhere…” The truth is, God never says “NO!” to you! God’s answer to everyone is YES! He is always reaching out to us! “If you are hungry, come to Me, and I will feed you! If you are thirsty, come to Me and drink! If you are in need, come to Me, open up your heart and give Me your problems!” Why? Because He loves us, and that’s what love does!
