Merry Christmas

Photo Credit: Ian Britton / FreeFoto.com

I have heard it said many times over, "One can not know God, He is distant." This is not true. A little over 2,000 years ago the most wonderful thing happened, God became a man in the person of Jesus. While He was in heaven, He choose to come and dwell among us. He could have been born in a rich castle, yet picked a manger. He came not to be served, but to serve...us. His time was short, yet He changed the lives of millions of people, even to this day. Christmas is a whole lot more than jingle bells, Christmas lights, presents and a big dinner; but God became a man. Yes, enjoy all the good things of this season, just remember the One we truly celebrate.

I pray that each of my readers have a Merry Christmas and may God's blessings be upon you. Thank you for visiting my blog.


⁶ 

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.

⁷ 

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

(Isaiah 9:6-7 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.”

(Matthew 1:23 NKJV)

(Also see Isaiah 7:14)

Precious Treasure

Photo Credit: Desktop Nexus

I rejoice at Your word

As one who finds great treasure.

(Psalm 119:162 NKJV)

The NIV uses phrases the above passage this way: "I rejoice in your promise..." God's Word is truth and full of promises, which is a great treasure. God promises to never leave us or forsake us. When we come to faith in Christ Jesus, we have eternal life. No matter how difficult things may become here on earth, God is always with us. Nothing can separate us form the love of Christ. Grab a hold of this truth of Scripture and never let go. Immerse yourself in His Word, for it is precious to our souls and a lamp unto our feet. It is an everlasting treasure to behold. His Word contains the keys to the kingdom of heaven and everlasting joy. People go through life seeking treasure of some sort, but everything this world has to offer is only temporary. I could find a buried treasure worth millions and rejoice for a moment. However, this treasure has wings, which will fly away. (See Proverbs 23:5) The question is not if, but when will it fly away. While I may believe this earthly treasure will solve all my problems, it may also be a source of misery, leading me to wish I never found it. Use the resources God has given you wisely, but hold His Word dear to your heart, for it a precious treasure to behold.

Great peace have those who love Your law,

And nothing causes them to stumble.

(Psalm 119:165 NKJV)

Decisions, Decisions!

     

There are many decisions to make in life. I often wonder which choice is the best and right one for my life. I suppose I should seek God's wisdom and direction more earnestly than I do. Often times I tend to rely upon my own wisdom and intelligence in decision making. This does not always lead to the best outcome. It is easy to let my mind be most focused on the decisions which would affect my life here on earth, while not giving consideration to that which is eternal. For example, should I replace my older car with a new one? Should I learn skills which could result in new career opportunities? What should I do to secure my financial future, especially if the economy goes into a depression?

These are all worthy and important decisions to make. Yes, it is wise to seek God's wisdom and direction in these and other areas in life. However, this brings me to another question, "What is God's will for my life? Can I find the answer in the Bible?"

While God leads some people do certain things, for example, to be a pastor or a missionary. However, this is not God’s call on everyone. We each have our own unique set of skills, likes and dislikes leading each in different directions. However, there is one thing which applies to every believer in Christ. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. Out of this everything else in life should flow. Through Adam's disobedience, mankind became disobedient, ungodly and self centered leaving us dead in our trespasses and sins. Through one man's obedience many will be made righteous. (See Romans 5:19) We were originally created in the image of God, but sin corrupted us and the offspring of Adam was born into the image of man. However, when one is saved, God begins to transform them into the image of Christ.  (1 Corinthians 15:49), “We have borne the image of the earthly Adam, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Christ." We are born again, the new birth, through "repentance toward God and faith toward Christ. (See Acts 20:21) We were born into Him, He became our life. (see Col. 3:3-4) We are a new creation in Christ Jesus. (see 2 Corinthians 5:17)

When we fill our lives with earthly things, we will become more like the world. When we fill our lives with Godly things, we will become more Christ like. We must allow Christ to work in and through us molding us into His image. Through letting Christ work in us and through us, everything else in life should flow. Remember Jesus' words "See ye first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you." What is the primary purpose God has for each our lives? That is, to seek the kingdom of God first. When we seek the kingdom of God first, I believe our decision making will be easier and we will make wiser choices. The beautiful thing is, we will glorify God in the way we live our lives.