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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GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

Luke 2:8-14 (NKJV) Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

Can you imagine being there on that day?  Here these shepherds were minding their own business, when all of a sudden these beautiful angels appeared to them and spoke these words to them, and to us: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

God’s heart for us is peace and goodwill.  God desires our hearts to be full of goodwill, and full of peace.  God is not into bringing torment to us.  He gave us a Savior, Jesus Christ!  God, the Father, loves us so much that while we were still lost and in our sins, Jesus came and set us free!  Jesus did not come to hurt us or knock us down.  He came to lift us up, and to empower us to do great things!  Jesus said that He came to seek and to save those that were lost.

So during this Christmas season, make a decision not to get caught up with all the stuff of this world, but to get caught up in Him.  Let His love and goodness get all over you.  See how much He loves you, by hearing these words that the angels spoke to the shepherds on that day so many years ago: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  Enjoy Him, because He wants to enjoy you!

Confession:  This Christmas season, I am going to get caught up with my Father.  I am going to enjoy Him, and thank Him for all He has done for me.  He is the greatest!

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PUTTING HIS WORD FIRST

Psalm 19:7-11 (NKJV) The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.  10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.

God's Word is so powerful!  As we take time to read it, study it, and meditate on it, it has great reward.  In these verses, the Psalmist shows us that God's Word converts our soul, or we can say, “renews our mind.”  It makes wise the simple.  That sure has helped me over the years!  I do not have to be earthly smart.  If I take time in His Word, it will make me heavenly smart!

God's Word does so much within us.  It renews us, restores us, and lifts us up.  The eternal Word of our Heavenly Father will guide us throughout our lives, and I believe that after we have lived a good, blessed life, His Word will guide us to our eternal home.

The Psalmist also tells us that His Word is to be desired more than the gold of this world that vanishes away.  As we put His Word first, the gold of this world can come to us, because we would never let it control us.  Instead, we will use it to bring many to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

So today, let His Word be your all.  Give it a special place in your heart and your mind, and you will see that His Word will help you to prosper in all of the affairs of life.

Confession: God Word is my standard in life.  His Word guides me and leads me today.  I choose to give God's Word first place in my life, and I know, because of that, I will prosper in all that I do!

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