NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES

Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God has highly exalted Jesus, and given Him a Name that is above every name.  As we are celebrating Christmas today, we need to continue to reflect on what the Father did.  In giving us the Name of Jesus, we now have eternal life.  In giving us the Name of Jesus, we now have the right to combat the enemy, and command sickness to bow its knee to that Name.

In Mark 16:15-18, Jesus tells us what the great commission is: "And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’”

This is what we are to preach this Christmas, and every day of the year.  At the Name of Jesus, sickness must flee.  At the Name of Jesus, God, our Heavenly Father, has redeemed us and restored us.  Do not settle for anything less than what God has promised us in His Word!

As we see how they used the Name in the early church, and throughout all of history, we see the amazing power that God has placed in that Name.  Just think of it: every person that was ever born, every angel, every demon, and even satan himself, will have to bow their knee to this great and awesome Name.

So this Christmas, see Jesus as a baby, but also see Him as the risen Savior, the Messiah, that restores us to all that the Father has provided for us!

Confession:  This Christmas, I am going to keep Jesus first in my life.  It is in His Name that I am saved, healed, and restored.  His Name is above every name, and I am proud to bow my knee to Him today!

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HE WILL SAVE US FROM OUR SINS

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.

Jesus; there is just something about that Name!  His Name is exalted.  His Name is the most beautiful for those who believe on Him, and the most feared for those who do not.  At His Name, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This young child was given a Name that has lasted through the ages, and will last throughout all eternity!  At His Name, the blind can see, and the lame can walk.  At His Name, the storms can become peaceful, and food can be multiplied.  But the most amazing thing is that at the Name of Jesus, we can be saved!

All of us have sinned in our lives, and none of us will be able to go to God on our own righteousness.  Because of Jesus and what He has done, all those who accept the free gift offered to us from the Father have now received eternal life.  The gift is to all that would believe.  Jesus gave Himself freely for you and for me.  He was born in a manger, lived and walked throughout Israel, and then hung on a cross so that we might be forgiven of all our sins.

I cannot save myself, but it is in that wonderful Name that salvation comes.  The angel said to Joseph, "He shall save his people from their sins."  I can just imagine what Joseph was thinking when he heard those words: “Save His people from their sins?  This little child that is going to be born supernaturally from the womb of my wife-to-be will save us from our sins?”

So this Christmas season, do not look to yourself to be saved, or look to religion to come to salvation.  It is a free gift given to us from our loving Father.  This Christmas, see Him Who gave so much for us so that we could have so much.  This Christmas, see the young child Jesus, and see that He will save us from our sins.

Confession:  My Jesus has saved me from my sins.  I am not saved by my works or my good deeds.  I am saved because of what Jesus has done for me.  I am saved and forgiven.  To God be the glory!

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DO NOT BE AFRAID

Matthew 1:18-20 (NKJV) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: after His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."

Can you imagine this one?  Joseph is all excited about getting married to Mary, and then he hears these words: “Hey Joe, I am pregnant, but it is not what you think.  You see, I am pregnant with the Son of God.”  I do not know about you, but that would sure be a hard pill to swallow. 

But God, who is so full of love and grace, sent an angel to Joseph to bring great comfort to this good man.  The angel told Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary to be his wife, and that the child within her womb was not conceived by a man, but by the Holy Spirit.  This child would be the Savior of the world!

Glory to God!  You see, Jesus was not born of natural birth, but by supernatural birth.  Jesus, our Redeemer, is 100% God, and He is also 100% man.  In being God, He cannot fail, but in being man, He can take my place, and set me up for total redemption.  My God, my Jesus, my Holy Spirit, have put together this amazing plan of salvation, so that anyone who would believe it, and receive it, would have Eternal Life!

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  This verse is now for you, and for me.  Because of the awesome love of God, we are forgiven, and we are restored!

So today, hear the words that the angel spoke to Joseph: "Do not be afraid."  Let us not be afraid, but believe God for His great love for you, and for me.  Take hold of His goodness, and receive the Baby who became our all: Jesus Christ, God and man, for you and for me!

Confession: I see the One who has saved me this Christmas season.  I see Jesus, my God, and my brother.  He has forgiven me, and restored me to God the Father.

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WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM

Matthew 2:1-2 (NKJV) Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

I am always amazed that it was these wise men from the east that came and followed the star.  What happened to the Pharisees, and the other leaders in Israel?  They were the ones who should have seen, through the Word of God, that the Messiah was to come and be born in Bethlehem.

Jesus taught a story one day about a wise man who built His house upon a rock.  He was prepared for the storms that life brought to him.  It is the same here.  It will be those wise virgins, who keep their oil filled, that will be ready for the return of Jesus to the earth.  These wise men saw, through the scriptures, where the Messiah was to be born, and they were the ones who were watching the stars for the sign of His coming.

Today, I am asking you: “Are you looking within the Scriptures?  Are you seeing what His Word declares about how the world will be before He returns?  Are you being wise?”  A wise person will keep their oil filled, and lay a foundation in the Word of God.  If you are saying, “Yes!” to these questions, then I could say to you that you are a wise person, and you will be ready for the return of the King!

But today, if you are saying, “No, I have not been doing any of these things.  I have been living my life for myself, and not putting any time into the Word or the fellowship of the saints,” then I say, “You need to look up, because His return is near, and I do not want you to miss out on that amazing day!”  Make a quality decision to live for Him, and to take time each day to put the Scriptures deep within your heart.  I promise you, you will never regret it!

Confession: Today, I declare that I am going to give His Word first place in my life.  I am going to be a doer of the Word, and not a hearer only, and I am going to keep my oil filled!

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GOD CHOOSES THE LITTLE TO DO GREAT THINGS

Micah 5:2 (NKJV) But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

I am always amazed how God chooses the small things to make such an impact in our world.  He chose Bethlehem, one of the smallest cities, to bring the Messiah into the world.  He chose Israel, one of the smallest nations, to bring the message of the Gospel to the world.  And He chooses us, little nobodies, to share His message of salvation to the world.

Sometimes I am blown away when I think of who we are, “nobodies,” and yet God uses us to do big things for people.  You might say, “Well Pastor, God might be using you, but He is not using me.”  No, every one of us are used by God.  We just need to see the field that God wants us to plant in, and start sowing!

Too often, we think that we have to reach everyone, but to reach the world we need to reach one.  I always wonder, who was the person that shared the message of salvation with Billy Graham?  Did that person ever think that God would use him to bring one to Christ that would reach so many?

Many times, we look at our few loaves and fishes, but it is when we put these loaves and fishes in the Master's hand that we see the multitude of blessings that they make.  So do not look at your lack; look at God's ability!  Look at how God can take a hand like yours to bring a cold cup of water to someone in need.  Look at how God can take that dollar, and use it to reach way beyond what you ever thought or imagined.

Today, look to Jesus, the One born in little Bethlehem, and see what He accomplished!  Then see that through Him, you can do great things for His Kingdom.  Together, with Him at the wheel, He will take you into places that you never thought you would go.  God and you; what a team!

Confession: My Jesus was born into one of the smallest cities that there is, and I believe, today, that God can take little me, and use me to be a true blessing to others.

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UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV) For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus came for no other reason than to seek and to save those that are lost, and to destroy the works of the enemy (Luke 19:10 and 1 John 3:8).  Knowing this, when we read a Scripture like today's, we can see that God sent His Son into the world to redeem us.  I love how this verse gives us different names of Jesus.  Let us look at them today:

His name will be called Wonderful, and I can say a thousand times over, HE IS!  He is the most wonderful of all!  He is high and lifted up, and one day, we will see His glory. 

He is our Counselor.  He is the greatest counselor that we could ever have.  When we need wisdom, we need to go to Him, for He is all wisdom.  He created us, and He knows what makes us tick.  So go to Him for your counsel.   Fall on your knees, and listen to His sweet, still voice.

He is the Mighty God.  Amen, and a hundred times amen!   He is the One true God who came to redeem us and set us free.  He is the only God, and the only One that can bring us to salvation, and the forgiveness of sin. 

He is the Everlasting Father, and as Daniel has stated in his book, He is the Ancient of Days.  He was before there ever was anything.  He is the beginning, because He created the beginning.  All things revolve around Him, and He is the One who has now given us eternal life. 

He is the Prince of Peace.  One day, when the rulers of this world bow to Him, there will be peace on earth as this world has not seen since before the fall of Adam and Eve.  The scripture says that the lion will lay with the lamb.  There will be no more death or sickness.  There will be no more sorrow or tears.  This is the true peace that our hearts yearn for.  So today, look at each of these names and let Him become all of them to you!

Confession:  Today, I declare that Jesus is Wonderful to me!  He is my Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

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HIS NAME SHALL BE IMMANUEL

Matthew 1:23 (NKJV)  “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

They shall call His name Immanuel, which is: God with us.  Not God somewhere Who cannot be found.  No, our God came and dwelt right with us, in the body of Jesus.  When we see Jesus, we see the very heart of our Heavenly Father.  Jesus was born into this world to show the world the Father’s amazing love for us.

One day, Jesus was talking about the Father, like He always did, and His disciple Philip said, “Ok already, would you show us the Father?”  Jesus looked back at him and made this amazing statement in John 14:9: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?”

Everything that we see in Jesus (His love, His healing, His provision, and so on) are exactly what the Father does and is.  Jesus and His Father are one, and now because of all that Jesus did on the cross and at the resurrection, God has become our Father also!

As we celebrate the Christmas season, we need to remember what the purpose of Christmas is.  It is that God Himself can now dwell among us.  We have been washed of our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus, and we can stand before our Father as if we have never sinned, because Jesus took our sins away.

There is no verdict of guilt to those who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb.  Christmas is not about giving presents, but about God giving us the greatest present, and that is Himself, in Jesus Christ.

Jesus said it so well when He said: “Me and the Father are one.”  So this Christmas, remember that God, the Father, loves us.  He has provided for all of our needs, and when we receive Him as the greatest present, He will dwell within us, guide us, and love us throughout all of our lives.

Confession:  God, my Father, has given me the greatest gift, and that is the gift of Himself!  Jesus, my Lord and Savior, has restored me into fellowship with the Father.  He is my Immanuel!  God is with me today!

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