The Marvel of God's Mercy

 Three things we should understand from Romans 9, one of the most challenging chapters of the entire Bible: First, We Long for the Salvation of Others; Second, We Lean on the Faithfulness of God and Third, We Live for the Glory of God.
We Long for the Salvation of Others:  Paul said that he experienced intense sorrow and continual anguish in his heart for those who were without Christ.  I wonder if I have that same cry in my soul for those around me without Christ.  This is the concern of this complex portion of Scripture.  Romans 9 is not an argument for theologians but an affection Christians should have.
We Lean on the Faithfulness of God: The text gives four ways we are to lean on God’s faithfulness
A.        We cannot deny God’s election
God’s call to salvation is unconditional and effectual
When we begin to contemplate the doctrine of God’s election, immediately we begin with the question, “Doesn’t God love everybody and want all people to be saved?”  According to 2 Peter 3.9 and John 3.16, the answer is a resounding yes!  But Romans 9.11-13 are just as true, ⁹ For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. ¹⁰ And not only that, but also when Rebekah became pregnant by Isaac our forefather ¹¹ (for though they had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand, ¹² not from works but from the One who calls) she was told: The older will serve the younger. ¹³ As it is written: Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.
Couple of things that we must remember concerning God’s election
1) Remember the multiple perceptions of God’s will
First there is God’s revealed will; what He has declared in His Word – things like do not murder, commit sexual immorality, do not lie, steal or covet
Then there is God’s secret will; what He has decreed in the world  -- things God has ordained but no one knows, like the number of days any of us will live
2) Remember the multiple dimensions of God’s love
First there is God’s general love that He has for all people, John 3.16
Second, God’s particular love He has for some people, like the way He chose Israel over all the other nations, the way Jesus chose His disciples over other people
God’s election should compel deep humility in us because there is nothing in us that would have made Him choose us; it’s the marvel of His mercy
God’s election should create hope for others, because no one merits salvation.  Again it’s all the marvel of God’s mercy.  That’s the whole point of Romans 9.
B.        We do not desire God’s mercy
Every one deserves God’s wrath and punishment, yet in His great mercy, He saves some
Caution must be applied when we think of God extending His mercy to some and not to others.
C.        We dare not defy God’s authority
He is God and we are not, so we don’t have any right to judge His ways because He has the right to do whatever He wants!
D.        We must not diminish our responsibility
God is sovereign and we are accountable to Him.
Some will object saying, “If man cannot thwart God’s will, then man is not responsible for his sin.”  Paul anticipated that and used Pharaoh as an example.  Pharaoh’s heart was hardened toward God and his choices and actions proved so.  Was God sovereign over Pharaoh?  Yes, without question.  God is sovereign over good and bad alike.  Is Pharaoh accountable to God for his choices?  Definitely, yes!
So how does this come together?  That’s a mystery, not a contradiction.  The mystery that Romans 9 & 10 spells out for us is that God is sovereign over everything and that man is accountable for his or her choices to Almighty God.
Our responsibility is not to determine whether we are part of God’s elect or not.  Our responsibility before God is what we choose to do with His Son, Jesus Christ.  Anyone and everyone who sees their own sin, and how God displayed His love to them through Jesus Christ and God’s power over sin and death by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, can be saved.  Anyone and everyone!
WE LIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD:  Once we have come to God and received His mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, we will receive His power and begin to make His Name known in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth!

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Thanks Giving....

Subharathiri vela idi....

Power of the Most High

  “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1:35)
Across the centuries, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ has been considered a foundational doctrine by Christians of virtually every denomination. Both Matthew and Luke plainly ascribe the conception of Jesus Christ to the action of the Holy Spirit. Matthew uses phrases such as “through the Holy Spirit” and “from the Holy Spirit” to describe what happened. Luke adds an intriguing phrase when he reports the angel Gabriel’s words to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). The verb for “overshadow” speaks of the direct, personal presence of God. The same verb is used in all three accounts of the Transfiguration to describe the cloud that enveloped Jesus, Moses and Elijah (and Peter, James and John) on the mountain. From that cloud came a voice saying, “This is my Son,” even as Gabriel told Mary, “The holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
What is the significance of Jesus being begotten of the Holy Spirit? Since Jesus was born of Mary, we know that He was truly human. Since He was conceived through the Holy Spirit, we know that He was more than a man.
The virgin birth was God’s way of announcing to the world that Jesus was indeed his Son. We’ll never know if God could have done it some other way, but because he did it this way, the unique entrance of the Son of God into the world proves that Jesus was indeed “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14). Through the virgin birth, the Son of God entered the human race, taking upon himself all aspects of true humanity, yet remaining sinless, and without surrendering any aspect of his deity.
Thus the Babe in the manger was truly Almighty God from heaven. He was fully God and yet fully man at one and the same time. Deity and humanity joined together. Theologians call him the God-Man.
What role did the Holy Spirit play? Through some means unknown to us, during the “overshadowing” he created within the womb of Mary the unborn (yet fully human and fully alive) Person of Jesus Christ.
It is a pure miracle of the highest order. No one can explain it. No scientist can duplicate it. It happened once and only once-never to be repeated. The virgin birth of Jesus Christ stands absolutely alone. Nothing can be compared to it because no other birth has been or ever could be like it.
But there it is. A truth to be believed. A fundamental fact to be accepted. A miracle at which to marvel. An amazing beginning for the God-Man. A birth like no other because Jesus was indeed God’s one-and-only Son.
Father, we believe in the virgin birth because we believe your Word. As we contemplate this miracle, increase our faith to believe that nothing is impossible with God. Amen.

Mystery and Wonder

  “How will this be” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).
Christmas has been slow in coming this year. Maybe that’s a statement about me personally, but I think it’s more than that. It’s almost as if the whole nation has been busy and distracted and we almost forgot that a special occasion is just around the corner. But now, at last, Christmas is upon us, just thirteen days away. Earlier this week I looked at our tree and realized we had some work to do. And that’s why I’ve been shopping not once but twice and even three times this week. And I even enjoyed it, although nowadays I prefer to do as much shopping as possible via the Internet.

But gift-giving does not exhaust the meaning of this holiday. Behind the celebration is a solemn and wonderful truth: the birth of Jesus Christ signals that God has entered our world. You will recall that the name Immanuel means “God with us.” The angel told Joseph to call the baby Immanuel because that’s precisely what Jesus is--God with us. He stripped off his royal robes and exchanged them for strips of peasant cloth. He traded a palace for a stable so that he might truly be “God with us.”

Here’s how one Statement of Faith puts it: “We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and is fully God and fully Man.” That sentence contains a phrase that will make the smartest man stop and scratch his head: “fully God and fully man." How that could be is a mystery to us. By that phrase we simply mean that the baby in the manger was God in human flesh. John 1:14 explains the matter this way: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” See his little hands and feet; they are the hands and feet of God. Listen to him laugh; it is the laughter of God. Wipe the tears from his infant cheeks; you are wiping the tears of God.

Some things we understand and therefore believe. Christmas is a miracle of another order. We can think of a thousand other ways God could have done it. But God chose the unusual (a virgin birth) and the unlikely (a baby born in a stable) as his means of visiting our planet. As we ponder the meaning of it all, our theology leads us to mystery and the mystery leads to wonderment. At Christmastime, like the Wise Men of old, we are invited to bring our gifts to Bethlehem and welcome God to our world.
Gracious Lord, you entered our world and brought light into our darkness. We gladly say, “Welcome to our world.” We hope you feel at home because we need you so much. Amen. 
In HIS Service,
SANGHA 

King in a Cradle

  “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him" (Matthew 2:11).
When the Magi finally found the baby Jesus, were they disappointed? They might have been. After all they been through, after such a long journey, after the detour in Jerusalem, did what they find seem anticlimactic? It might have seemed that way.
-He did not look like a king.
-His home did not look like a castle.
-He had no scepter in his hand, commanded no armies, gave no speeches, passed no laws. He could not walk or talk. No royal decree came from his lips.
-There was nothing to make you think he was a king. To the outward eye, he was nothing but a peasant child born in dire poverty.
But to the Magi, he was a king.
He possessed more royalty in a cradle than Herod possessed in his fine palace. He was greater in his infancy than Louis XIV in his ascendancy. He was more powerful as a child than Napoleon as an emperor.
But it did not seem that way. The eyes of flesh revealed nothing but a normal baby, gurgling and cooing, moving his tiny hands side to side, reaching eagerly for his mother’s breast.
Somehow the Magi saw beyond the present and into the future and in deep faith, they worshipped him. They saw that this child would one day rule the world and they were not ashamed to fall on their faces before him.
Let me paraphrase the words of one Bible commentator: Although we read that the Magi met Herod, we do not read that they worshipped him. But when they found this tiny baby, not yet two weeks old, rocking in his mother’s arms, these great men fell on their faces before him. To this baby they gave the honor due a king. What Herod craved, the baby received.

Lord Jesus, grant me eyes of faith to see you as you are, King in a cradle and Lord of the universe. Amen. 

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Naa Jeevithana By Sushil BR

A Very Good Man

“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife" (Matthew 1:20).

Joseph has been rightly called the forgotten man of Christmas. It is natural that most of our attention should focus on Mary since she gave birth to Jesus. Nowhere in the birth accounts do we have any recorded words of Joseph. He appears on the stage of history for a few moments and then disappears.
How old was Joseph? We don’t know the answer for sure, but many writers agree that he was probably a young man and possibly a teenager.
Now Mary turns up pregnant. Joseph only knows one thing for sure. He’s not the father.
What did he say to her? What did she say to him? Did she tell him about the angel Gabriel? If she did, can you blame him for not believing her?
I think Joseph cried harder that day than he had ever cried in his life.
Matthew 1:24-25 are insufficiently celebrated as great Christmas verses. They reveal Joseph’s finest qualities:
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she had given birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Every step he takes testifies to his greatness:
1. By marrying her quickly he broke Jewish custom, but he protected Mary’s reputation. She was pregnant and he wasn’t the father but he married her anyway.
2. By keeping her a virgin until Jesus was born, he protected the miracle of Jesus’ conception by the Holy Spirit against slander by unbelievers.
3. By naming the baby he exercised a father’s prerogative and thus officially took him into his family as his own son.
The story in Matthew 1 is told exactly as a man would tell it. I like Joseph. I wish I could meet him. He strikes me as a very good man.
He was tender when he could have been harsh.
He was thoughtful when he could have been hasty.
He was trusting when he could have doubted.
There is one other line of proof about the kind of man Joseph was. When Jesus grew up and began his ministry, he chose one word above all others to describe what God is like. He called him Father.
Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing Joseph. I pray for the same courage to trust you even when circumstances may tempt me to doubt what you are doing. Amen.

Believing the Impossible

 
“’I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her” (Luke 1:38).
Let’s not underestimate what it cost Mary to say Yes to God. From that moment on, she faced the incredulity of her friends (“Oh Mary, how could expect us to believe such a bizarre story?”), the scurrilous gossip of the neighborhood and the whispers of promiscuity that have lasted 2,000 years.
Mary knew-or would soon realize-that saying Yes to God meant misunderstanding and public shame. Gone was her pure reputation and with it her dreams of a quiet, happy life in Nazareth. In the future her life would many times be happy, but it would never again be quiet.
Since we know the end of the story, we may tend to overlook the possibility of divorce. But Mary had no way of knowing how Joseph would respond to her pregnancy. Would he blow his top and walk out on her? Would he humiliate her publicly? Would he divorce her?
As it turned out, Mary had every reason to worry about Joseph. He didn’t blow his top or try to humiliate her, but he did intend to divorce her. Only an angel’s intervention kept that from happening.
That, too, was on Mary’s mind. By saying “Yes’, she risked losing the man she loved. Her whole future was on the line.
All these things were just the beginning. Mary could not know what the future would hold. Before it was all over, she would experience heartache, opposition, slander, confusion, anguish, despair and loneliness. In the end she would face the greatest pain a mother can endure when she watched her son die on the cross (John 19:25).
Mary couldn’t know all those things. Perhaps if she had known, she might not have said “Yes." But it’s just as well that she didn’t. Sometimes we say, “I wish I knew what the future holds for me.” But you really don’t want to know. It’s far better that we don’t know what life will bring us in 10 or 15 years.
Mary didn’t know the full cost of saying “Yes." But having made her decision she never looked back. Those two aspects of her life may be the greatest things we can say about her:
1. She believed God when it seemed to be impossible.
2. She never looked back.
God said, “Are you willing to believe the impossible?"
Mary answered, “Yes I am!"
Without that “Yes”, there would be no Christmas.
Loving Lord, thank you for Mary’s godly example. May I be ready to say Yes when you call me to trust you. Amen. 

In HIS Service,
SANGHA

Praise be to our Great God

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men

                          I was invited to share a Christmas message on "Emmanuel" in one of our adopted villages called Palapadu. It was a blessed evening with over 100 gathering and was closed with a candle night service, Prayer and benediction. Praise be to our great God.......

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In HIS Service,

His Work of Art

 Do you ever wake up and wonder if you are where God wants you? Do you ever wonder if you are really following God’s plan for your life? These are normal questions and ought to be asked by every true believer in Jesus Christ. We should desire to follow His plan; and the only way to know is to ask, listen for direction, and obediently follow.
The most important part of God’s plan is that we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin; “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God wants us all to repent, turn to Jesus, and receive His gift of Salvation. He wants us to step from eternal death to eternal life through faith in His one and only Son!
But many people receive His gift and then continue life with no real change, no new direction. This should not be! When we receive God’s gift of Salvation, something wonderful occurs; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we place our life in His hands, He wipes away the ugliness of our sin and begins to grow and mature us into the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29). This process of maturing growth IS His plan!
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
When we become a new creation in Christ, we become God’s workmanship. The Greek word for workmanship is “poiema” – it’s where we get the word poem. And though it might be difficult to think of our life as a poem, the idea being presented is that God is creating something beautiful, something almost poetic which touches His heart.
It might be easier to switch analogies and think of God as the Master Painter. When we give Him our life, we hand Him our old canvas covered with the grotesque ugliness of sin. But by grace, the canvas is wiped clean, and the Artist begins to paint a work of art with Jesus as the model. Every stroke of His brush is to make our canvas look more and more like Christ.
Are we where God wants us? Are we following His plan? To help find the answer we should ask: Is the likeness of Christ beginning to form, or is my canvas still filled with ugliness and confusion? Am I allowing Him to paint, or am I trying to take the brush at every opportunity?
God really is the Master Painter, and He really does know what He is doing. If we will allow Him to finish His work, the end result will be better than anything we can imagine!! Let’s give Him our canvas and allow Him to paint. Let’s follow His plan and allow our life to become His work of art.

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The Everlasting Father

  “He will be called . . . Everlasting Father “ (Isaiah 9:6).
In the Hebrew the phrase is literally “the Father of Eternity.” This speaks of the purpose of his coming.
He is before, above, and beyond time. He is the possessor of eternity. He is eternally like a father to his people. This is not a statement about the Trinity but about the character of our Lord. All that a good father is, Jesus is to his people.

Because he is like a father, he cares for his people. Because he owns eternity, he can give us eternal life. That’s important for those who live on this sin-cursed planet. No one lives forever. Sooner or later we will all find our own place in the graveyard. We are not immortal but transitory. We’re here today, gone tomorrow. A dead Christ will do us no good. Dying men need an undying Christ.

Here’s a key phrase: He is a father forever! That’s important to me because I had a father, but not a father forever. I had a father, but he is gone now. I received a message from someone who said her aunt knew my father, Dr. Tyrus Pritchard. That warmed my heart because it’s been 38 years since my father died. He was a very good man, but he was not a father forever. I am a father to Joshua, Mark and Nick, but I am not a father forever. I will someday pass away. All human fathers must go. But Jesus is a father forever! He’s just what we need.

We are glad, O Lord, for your love that never ends. We rejoice in the thought that you are greater than any problem we may face today. Amen.

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Only One is Needed

 The news is filled with stories of pain and heartache, frustration and confusion. It seems everywhere we turn, people are crying out for help and simply existing from day to day. This is NOT the life God intended! The abundance of trials we see today is not necessarily a reflection of a drastic change in the world; rather, it’s likely the result of our eyes being opened and our heart becoming more sensitive to His Spirit. We see pain where we did not see it before; but our ability to see now begs us to offer a solution.
Over the last ten years, God has performed a radical change in my life. I no longer see with the same eyes and my definition of “important” has been completely transformed. I try to live each day in submission to the Spirit of Christ and seek to glorify Him in all I do. Granted, I often fall short; but the result of this transformation has been a life characterized by peace and contentment. I’m often compelled to praise God for being set free.
We who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ have indeed been set free; and now we must live and proclaim His truth: He came to set us free! Eternal freedom is found only through the complete forgiveness offered by Jesus, but daily freedom – daily contentment and peace – is found only through complete submission and devotion.
Martha had become irritated that her sister Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus rather than helping her prepare the meal. In fact, she was so bothered she approached Jesus and said: “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” (Luke 10:40). But Jesus very patiently replied:
Luke 10:41-42
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
The world continually tries to tell us what’s necessary and important – but it’s a lie! And we never really understand nor see the deception until we consistently make the time to worship at the feet of Jesus and hear Him say; “You have now chosen what is better.”
No matter what this day may bring, we must live each and every moment in devotion to our Lord. No matter what our circumstances, we CAN be set free…and we can offer this freedom to others. We may need to adjust our priorities and eliminate some things which consume our time and clutter our thoughts; but the freedom of true worship at His feet is worth it ALL. Let’s boldly respond by taking a stand for Christ, faithfully proclaiming His truth to the world, and building our life on His solid foundation. Let’s remember that though many things may seem important, only one is needed!

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What Is Advent?

  What Is Advent?                             
For many Christians unfamiliar with the liturgical year, there may be some confusion surrounding the meaning of the Advent season. Some people may know that the Advent season focuses on expectation and think that it serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. This is part of the story, but there’s more to Advent.
The History of Advent                                 
The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4^th and 5^th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1–2), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (John 1:29–33), and his first miracle at Cana (John 2:1–11). During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.
By the 6^th century, however, Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.
Advent Today                                   
Today, the Advent season, which begins on the Sunday that falls between November 27^th and December 3^rd, lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. At that time, the new Christian year begins with the twelve-day celebration of Christmastide, which lasts from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6.
Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these “last days” (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2), as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis they called for God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people. In this light, the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” perfectly represents the church’s cry during the Advent season:
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
While Israel would have sung the song in expectation of Christ’s first coming, the church now sings the song in commemoration of that first coming and in expectation of the second coming in the future.

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A Darkened Heart

 When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, the people of Jerusalem had been living in sin for a very long time. It had been 300 years since the kingdom of Israel divided; and, despite God’s patient warnings, the people continued to rebel and worship other gods.
God finally told Jeremiah He would no longer endure this continued rejection; “I have withdrawn My blessing, My love and My pity from this people” (Jeremiah 16:5). God also said that because of the many years of rebellion, destruction was now certain; “I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness” (Jeremiah 16:9). He then told Jeremiah how to respond to the inevitable cries and complaints.
Jeremiah 16:10-12
“When you tell these people all this and they ask you, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?’ then say to them, ‘It is because your fathers forsook Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook Me and did not keep My law. But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers.’”
This is a difficult message. God is characterized by extreme grace and patient love…but He has His limits. He will not tolerate continual disobedience. If we claim to be a child of God we must deal with the very real issue of sin. God hates sin because it causes separation from those He loves.
Continual and unrepented sin causes us to lose the ability to recognize our sin. It becomes a cancer which causes our heart to turn cold and dark, unable to even hear the conviction of the Holy Spirit; “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). Sin clouds our vision and causes us to drift further and further from God’s path.
The people of Jerusalem could no longer recognize their sin – they stood before God in their wickedness and boldly asked: “What wrong have we done?” Today, we are at risk of becoming equally darkened anytime we fail to address the sin which continues to push into our lives. What activities have we begun to tolerate? What behaviors have we begun to accept? What “teachings” from the modern media have we begun to receive? What sin has begun to fill our heart?
If our eyes were truly opened, would we be surprised to see how far we’ve compromised and strayed? Let’s recommit our lives to holiness, purity, worship, and absolute love for God. Let’s allow His light to indwell EVERY area of our life. Let’s repent of our sin and refuse to live with a darkened heart.

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Christmas in Eden

  “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed” (Genesis 3:15).
Although you may not see it at first glance, Christ is in this verse. He is the ultimate Seed of the Woman who would one day come to crush the serpent’s ugly head. In the process his “heel” would be bruised on the cross. In short, this verse predicts that Jesus would win the victory over Satan but would himself be wounded at the same time.

As the centuries rolled on, Satan kept winning victories and God kept raising up men and women who would continue the godly line on the earth. I like to think of this verse as the top of a wide funnel. When the promise was given, no one could have imagined the coming Jesus Christ. The “seed of the woman” simply meant that he must be a member of the human race. But after the flood the line was narrowed to Noah’s descendants, then later to Shem’s descendants, and later came to rest on one man-Abraham, the father of the nation Israel. Then to his son Isaac, to Isaac’s son Jacob, to Jacob’s son Joseph, and then to Joseph’s son Judah. Centuries later the line was narrowed to the house of David. Finally some nine centuries after that, the line came to rest on the firstborn son of a virgin named Mary. What started with the whole human race has narrowed to just one man-Jesus Christ.

He didn’t come in the usual way; he came by means of a virgin birth. No one before or since ever entered the world as he did. Thus he is the ultimate “seed of the woman” since no man was involved in his conception.

When God wanted to save the world, he didn’t send a committee; he sent his Son.
When God wanted to say, “I love you,” he wrapped his love note in swaddling clothes.
When God wanted to crush Satan, he started in a stable in Bethlehem.

Even in Eden, God was planning for Christmas. He was thinking of you before you were born because he knew that one day you would need a Savior.
As we begin our Advent journey, let’s remember that Christ came in fulfillment of a promise made amid the wreckage caused by Adam’s sin. Our sin may be great, but as the promise is greater than the transgression, through Christ’s great sacrifice we have been set free.
Lord Jesus, with your own blood you kept the promise God made. Glory to you, our Savior and King. Amen.  

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Day of Remembrance

 There are only a few more days to go! If you read this on December 1st, there are only twenty four days until…until what? Why is December 25th so special? What really is this day we call Christmas?
The early church didn’t give much thought to the birth of Jesus. Of the four Gospels only Matthew and Luke even mention His birth, and these accounts are relatively brief. Certainly, the emphasis of the Gospels was on Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection. And after Jesus ascended to Heaven, the focus of the church was on living for Him, sending out His message, and waiting for His return.
No one is really sure when Jesus was born. The first recorded celebration didn’t occur until 200 years after His birth, and it wasn’t until the year 330 that the birth of Christ was assigned to December 25th. Some say Jesus was actually born in September or October and others are sure He was born in March or April (in fact, a case has been made for His birth in each of the twelve months!). But it is generally agreed that, due to the relatively colder weather, December was an unlikely time for the birth of our Savior. So what really is Christmas?
John 1:1,14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”
These verses refer to Jesus Christ as “the Word” who was with God in the beginning and at the same time was God Himself. Though it is difficult to understand, Jesus left His Heavenly dwelling to begin life with us as a little baby. He “made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). This sacrifice represents a whole lot of love!
Christmas is a day to remember the most profound event in the history of the world. On that first Christmas (whenever it was), God came to earth to live among us! He was born into the most humble circumstances, grew and taught us His truths, died on a cross for our sin, and was raised to be with The Father; all so we might live with Him for eternity.
December 25th is a day to celebrate with quiet reflection, as Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). It is also a day to celebrate with great rejoicing, as the shepherds “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). The world has tried to remove Christ and insert many activities into this season which do not glorify God. But this need not hinder our worship. We have the ability to turn away the evil and embrace that which is honoring and good.
We can (and should) glorify God and celebrate the gift of our Savior every day throughout the year. But let’s take the opportunity to make this season and this day special. Let’s celebrate with a focused and thankful heart, and make December 25th a blessed day of remembrance.

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The First Move

 In our celebration of the birth of Christ, we know the focus of Christmas must always be on remembering the eternal gift given through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This season ought to irresistibly draw us near to God as we reflect on His gift of love.

The birth of Jesus gives great insight into the character of God. For one, we see His methods are far different from our own; “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8). How many of us would bring the King of Kings into the world through two common young people in a dirty stable? But God had a purpose!

These lowest of beginnings set the example for a life of humility. Jesus Christ is the Creator of the Universe! “For by Him all things were created” (Colossians 1:16). Yet, He humbled Himself to the point of being born with the animals, and continued by humbly walking all the way to the cross.

As we reflect on His humility, how can we then make prideful demands on life? How can we assume there is a standard to which we are entitled? Jesus set the standard for humility and we are now called to follow; “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

But perhaps the greatest insight we can learn from the birth of our Savior is simply that He came. Our sin must have been detestable and vile to One so holy, but He came to live with us…and love us! Without Jesus Christ, we have absolutely no hope – we can do nothing to save ourselves from the bondage of sin and an eternal separation from God. We can do nothing, yet God made the first move to set us free. He took the initiative in our Salvation by providing a way and calling us Home.

1 John 4:9
“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.”

God clearly saw our sinful condition; and yet, He loved us enough to send His Son so we might be restored to a right relationship with Him. He sent His Son so we might live! God made the first move 2000 years ago and He continues to make the first move in our lives today. He calls long before we even recognize His voice, and He continues to call us to surrender our life and live with Him in a deeper and more intimate relationship.

If you hear His call today, please respond! It’s a great privilege to hear His call, so be encouraged…but then respond! His call cost Him dearly, and it represents a love we will never fully understand. Let’s boldly answer and follow wherever He leads. And remember, He loved us enough to make the first move.

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