No matter what the world says--IT IS CHRISTMAS TIME--the most celebrated Christian holiday all around the world. It is OUR day and we should not back down from our celebration. We carry in our hearts the greatest TRUTH to all men everywhere--God's grace and mercy for all who will believe and receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The sinner has been forgiven and born again by the Holy Spirit.
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son and whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to CONDEMN the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is NOT condemned, but whoever DOES NOT believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment. The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But WHOEVER does what is true, comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God." (John 3:1-21)
When I was growing up, the Christmas pageant was the highlight our church's celebration. I always wanted to play Mary, but settled for being an angel. One year my mother made me incredible angel's wings out of coat hangers and white crepe paper. I will never forget them. They looked so real. My father for years played the third wise man, singing the third verse of 'We Three Kings' as he came up the center aisle, to kneel before the baby Jesus.
The pageant left such an impression on my mind, that when we had grandchildren, we started our own Christmas pageant tradition. For fifteen years,the grand children would dress up and play their parts. O course, the part of Mary would have to be shared. Often when there was a newborn that year, we had a REAL baby Jesus. Pop-Pop read the Christmas story and the children acted it out. I was the coach behind the scenes. As each grandchild grew older, they would help me dress the younger ones and teach them their parts or lead in singing. With thirteen grandchildren, you can see that we had plenty of actors.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FAITHFUL READERS, YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS. CHRISTMAS DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN REMEMBERING THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. CHRISTIANITY IS THE ONLY FAITH WHERE GOD SO LOVED THE THE WORLD THAT HE CAME DOWN TO DIE FOR OUR SINS AND TO BRING US BACK TO HIMSELF. MAY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ALWAYS BE THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU WILL EVER RECEIVE.
The power of the Holy Spirit is an almighty Spirit. He can change the stony heart into a heart of flesh. He can break up and destroy the strongest bad habits, like paper in a fire. He can make the most difficult things seem easy, and the mightiest objections melt away like snow in spring. He can fill up every valley, and make every rough place smooth. He has done it often, and He can do it again.
Does anyone of us desire to help the church of Christ? Then let him pray for a great outpouring of the Spirit. Only the Holy spirit can give edge to sermons, and point to advice, and power to rebuke, and can cast down the high walls of sinful hearts. What is needed this day is more of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Taken from Herald of His Coming J.C. Ryle
This article makes me think of Luke 3:16. John the baptizer says,"I indeed baptize with water, but one is coming mightier than I , the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with FIRE."
I never realized that the power of the Holy Ghost was like FIRE. Jesus told His disciples that He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to replace Himself on earth and that He would baptize them with FIRE. It would be His power in them to be His witnesses that He was resurrected.
I believe the Holy Spirit's power burns up the 'old man of sin' and out of the ashes He raises up a new creation in the image and likeness of Christ in the believer. It doesn't happen over night, but the fire of the Holy Spirit will eventually burn up the old life of sin.
Fire is powerful. It will produce ashes of anything that it burns. There is quite a difference between the baptism of John to repentance and the baptism of Jesus with fire! This is a whole revelation and teaching in itself.
The other night, as I was watching the news, right before my eyes, I saw a family home fall into sinkhole. Perhaps you witnessed this too. A home that once sheltered a family from tornados, hurricanes and fire, all of a sudden disappeared. It was gone forever. In this story, however, I learned that a man was in his bed and never knew what happened to him. You might ask, why would anyone build or buy a house built on a sinkhole? I don't think it was intentional. Perhaps the builders, knew better. However, the question still stands, did the builder seriously research information before he developed the area?
This incident made me begin to think, "Is my faith up to code, or is it built on a sinkhole? Will it hold me through a devastating crisis, if I lose everything I have held dear? What if the culture has changed and I am separated from my family and placed in a concentration camp because of my faith? Is my faith built on a rock or a sinkhole?"
In Mathew 16:13-20, Jesus shows great concern for the faith of His own disciples when He asks them this question, "Who do you say that I am?" He wanted to make sure that their faith was built on Him and not an religious concept. Simon Peter responded, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.". And Jesus answered him saying,"Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this ROCK I will build my church, and gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.." Jesus Christ is the SOLID ROCK of our salvation. We build on Christ alone.
Human faith is a sinkhole. It is NOT enough. If it was, we would be boastful and proud of our faith. But, it is a gift of God, by grace through faith, so we can't boast. (Eph.2:9:10) Faith is like a muscle. We have to use it or it will grow weak. That is why the Lord allows trials and tribulations to test our faith to see whether we are "built up" or "puffed up". If our relationship with Jesus Christ is real and a growing living relationship, WE ARE NOT BUILDING ON A SINKHOLE! If our faith is built upon the "rock", the person of the Lord Jesus, there is no reason to fear. He has promised to never leave or forsake us and to bring us safely to His home in His time.
In the early nineties, I had a dream of a huge earth quake shaking the East Coast. Buildings were falling all around me. In the midst of all this devastation, I saw coming in from the Atlantic ocean a humongous wave. It was a tsunami. I cried out to the Lord, " Jesus help!". As soon as I did, I saw the front door to my house floating by. The Lord told me to get on it. I obeyed. Then, I found myself standing on the door, riding the wave like a surfer. I felt safe and secure, capable of riding out the storm. I woke up.
"Lord," I asked, "what was that all about. What do you want me to know?"
The following thoughts quickly came to my mind. The earth quake was the breaking up of America's morals as a nation. The tsunami following was a sprue of filth. Porn was rapidly spreading throughout the land, the occult was openly practiced , homosexuality was respectable, abortion was exceptable and atheism was becoming a religion. Weather patterns were changing causing much destruction. More judgement was coming to the church. She would be shaken to the core, separating Her from the world to be a Light to the Nations. It is coming true.
" Lord, thank you for the door to ride out this storm. You are the door." My thoughts went to Noah and the ark and how the Lord protected him from the flood. For 120 years the Lord tried to warn the people to repent, but they refused. Only Noah and his family survived the judgment.
"Jesus said, As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.( Matthew36-40 ) The world at that time was wicked and no one worshiped the true God except Noah. In the days and years ahead, Jesus is our only safe place. The Lord is the the Ark. Jesus is the door to the Ark.
"Truly, truly, I say to you. I am the door of the sheep. All who come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I AM THE DOOR. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pastures. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" John 10:7-10
