Friday, December 10, 2010

Adoration



“O come Let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

O Come, All Ye Faithful, John F. Wade, Frederick Oakley



I love the carols of Christmas. When I study them, I learn so much about God and His relationship with man. What I have learned from O Come, All Ye Faithful I can apply to my worship of God everyday of the year.

I am to enter into His presence with joy. God reminds me of Ps 122:1. The NIV says, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”

God wants me to enter his house victorious. He desires that I come to him with my personal issues settled. This doesn’t always happen but I am there seeking His guidance in the ongoing stresses.

He wants me to glorify Him through Jesus. I can do this by giving testimony of His presence in my life. I can also do this by exhibiting His attributes to others.

The Father desires that we glorify the Son. I can do this by doing what Jesus would do for those who are hurting, in need, and face illness and surgery-theirs and family members.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

He Came To Dwell



And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and

he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,

and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Rev 21:3



God sent His Son to earth to live with us. Jesus spent the last three years of His time here teaching, preaching, and healing.

The Father gave us a gift, His Son because He loves us. God chose to share Jesus with mere humankind.

When Jesus told His followers He would have to leave them, the Master told them He would send a helper, the Holy Spirit, to them.

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we ask Him to come into our hearts. He, in return, sends the Holy Spirit to live within us.

God gave us a gift over 2000 years ago. Even today, His Son lives in the hearts of those who love Him.

When Christ returns to earth, He will live with His people in the New Jerusalem.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Immanuel




The virgin will be with child and will give birth

to a son and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)



All names have meanings. My given name has a secular meaning and a Christian one. Taken straight from the Latin, it means “blind”. I once saw a display of parchments for sale. Each one had a person’s name and a Christian definition written out in calligraphy. The Christian definition of my name was something like ‘calm spirit’. I couldn’t purchase that page at that time. But it made me think.

In Isaiah we read of a sign from God. A child will be born to a virgin. That child will be called Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’. When the angel visited Joseph in a dream and told him that they were to ‘name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’. They were to do this as a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.

We believe Jesus was the human representation of God. After He ascended to the Father’s right hand, our Lord sent the Holy Spirit to us, someone to help us in times of trial and tribulation.

We sometimes forget we have God with us. In past years at Christmas, I have gotten so ‘busy’ with ‘things’ I have forgotten the real reason we have Christmas to celebrate Jesus’ coming to earth to live with us. I heard of a church board that chose to have an appreciation dinner, for those who served, AFTER the Christmas activities because they realized the frantic pace of the world during the days that lead to Christmas were disrespectful of Christ. It gave me something to think about.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...