Tag: #JESUS

Do You Hear It?

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

Said the night wind to the little lamb:
“Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite”

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy:
“Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea”

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king:
“Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold”

Said the king to the people everywhere:
“Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people everywhere!
Listen to what I say!
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light”

– 1962, Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker

Are you listening? JESUS is the answer; the only answer to all of the trials and tribulations and troubles we are dealing with – yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The Child Who left His Throne wants to give you peace. We still have to live in this sinful world, but we have a choice. Live in worry and fearful anticipation of what might happen, or be at peace in your heart.

I have troubles, and I would love to be able to see past them. I have concerns about where my country is headed (the phrase “to hell in a hand basket” comes to mind….) No matter what, I know that no matter what happens, my God is in control. If I should die tomorrow, or in the next 5 minutes, I’m not afraid, because I know where I’m going, and it’ll be FANTABULOUS.

Do you hear what I hear? The Glorious sound of the celebration of my Saviour’s birth, Who came to die and cover our sins with His blood; Who was resurrected on the third day, and returned to heaven to prepare a place for me! Can you say it for yourself?

The angels and all of Creation are joining in the song!!

The BABY In The Manger

The Scriptures tell us Who Jesus is. This is my Jesus, my Saviour. Do you need more?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:1‭-‬2 NASB1995

“And when He again brings the Firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.” Hebrews 1:6 NASB1995


“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am.” ” John 8:58 NASB1995

“And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” ” Mark 2:5-7 NASB1995

“But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.” ” Hebrews 1:8 NASB1995
“And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” ” Revelation 5:13 NASB1995

Christmas Day

We know that Christmas Day isn’t actually the day that Jesus was born. It’s a day that was co-opted from the pagan celebrations of the winter solstice, and many of the symbols were co-opted, as well. Is there anything wrong with this? Should we, as Christians, take this day and disown it, choosing to celebrate Jesus every day of the year?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1‭-‬5 NASB1995

Jesus has always been. He IS and WAS and WILL BE to come. Why bother with His “birth” day? And how do we come up with a birth date? We’re human. We need the tangible in order to grasp the intangible. Choosing a day to celebrate the birth of our Saviour as a man, a GOD-man, gives us the opportunity to show His birth to the world. It’s unfortunate that the day has evolved into a day of giving gifts to other humans instead of celebrating the gift that God gave to humanity. I think Christmas is a great example of our degenerate humanness and just how far we have fallen. We take a day that celebrates God, and make it all about us.

It came upon the midnight clear,

That glorious song of old,

From Angels playing near the earth,

To touch their harps of gold;

“Peace on the earth, good will to men,

From Heaven’s all-gracious King.”

The world in solemn stillness lay,

To hear the Angels sing.

JOY to the world!

I choose to embrace the Christmas season. I celebrate my Saviour’s birth in Bethlehem. On the morning of December 25th, my household listens to me read aloud the Christmas story from Luke. (Even when I’m the only human in the house.) It’s up to each of to determine how, and when, we celebrate God’s birth as a baby boy. Celebrate the Reason for the Season, and don’t be ashamed to say “MERRY CHRISTMAS!”

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NASB1995

What does LOVE Require of Me?

“Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family.” Proverbs 6:16‭-‬19 MSG

Haughty eyes,

A lying tongue,

And hands that shed innocent blood, 

A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that run rapidly to evil, 

A false witness who utters lies,

And one who spreads strife among brothers. (NASB1995)

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 NASB1995

Jesus’s new, all-encompassing, inescapably simple command is this: We are to do unto others as our heavenly Father, through Christ, has done unto us. When we submit ourselves to God, when we open our eyes and our hearts to Him, the enemy can’t stay. When we fill our hearts with the Love of Jesus, there isn’t room for hate. All those things that God hates are overcome by His Love; real love. It’s not emotional or sexual, it’s knowledge and choice.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34 NASB1995

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 1 Corinthians 13:8 NASB1995

There’s a whole lot of hate being spewed by a lot of people in our country. My country. I don’t like how this presidential election is being handled. Politicians and “celebrities” are publicly lying and hating on the American people. My job, commanded to me by God, is to love these people, and to pray for these people. If the media is correct in calling the election (and I’m not at all convinced that they are correct), the we, the people of these United States, are in deep trouble. All of the things that God hates are embodied in the Democratic party’s candidates….. and yet, as Christians, we are to love them and pray for them.

God help us.

Are You Ready to Die?

“The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26 NASB1995

Are you ready to die?

I am.

Don’t freak out. I’m not contemplating suicide, and I’m not looking for a way out of this life, but I’m serious. I’m ready to die; I’m ready to leave this body and this world. Any time.

Shouldn’t all Christians be ready to die?

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalms 23:4 NASB1995

I can be ready to go, and still be concerned by what I leave behind. I’m not anxious to die. I’m not looking for a way out. I’m just ready.

My first thought is that there are a few people who would be sad, and of course I don’t want to be the cause of any heartache. I worry a little about my dogs, because they wouldn’t understand why I deserted them, and because they have me really well trained. (No, they’re not spoiled! Heeheehee.)

God says we should be ready, anytime and any place. Remember what Jesus said about His return?

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Matthew 24:36 NASB1995 (also Mark 13:32)

I’d love to still be here when Jesus returns. Can you – or do you – ever consider what that will be like? What a triumphant moment! At the same time, though, I’m ready now. I mean, seriously, what on this earth is worth missing time in heaven, with my Lord and my family and friends that have gone on before me? Why do we mourn when Christians die in this earthly body? We should be throwing parties! When I die, whenever that time comes, I sincerely hope that there will be a big celebration. Positive and upbeat music, party favors, food….. I know I’ll be celebrating!

I think we mourn because we’ve been left behind and we’re missing out on the real party.

“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” Hebrews 10:35‭-‬36 NASB1995

Whenever, wherever, however the day and moment comes that I leave this world behind, my most fervent hope is that people will remember me as someone who loved Jesus. Nothing else really matters.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 NASB1995

Truth? Or Lies, Deceit, and Evil?

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” – Galatians 6:7 (NLT)

The following story is powerful!

“Reaping What You Sow” from 1-Minute Devotions

“A young teenager wanted to aggravate the hard-working farmer that lived next door. He led some of his pals to sneak into the farmer’s field one night and spread crab grass seeds all over the farm. Soon, the crab grass came up. He laughed every time he saw the farmer vainly trying to get rid of it.

A few years later, long after the teenager forgot his prank, he fell in love with the farmer’s daughter and they were married. When her father died, he inherited the farm and for the rest of his life he battled that sorry crab grass he had spread all over his fields.”

What “seeds” have you been sowing? What are you planting right now? When I contemplate what Paul said to the Galatians, frankly, it frightens me. I think if you are honest with yourself it will frighten you, too. The words are definitely worth repeating:

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God.” Satan will do anything to distract you (me) from God. He will use everything at his disposal to mislead us. And just like us, he will face justice. NO ONE, NOTHING, will escape GOD’S final Judgment.

“You will always harvest what you plant.” We have all done things, said things, and thought things that were – and are! – against the Word of God. All of the seeds of discord and discontent are out there producing fruit. All of the actions, good and bad, that we have taken are bearing fruit. They may be in a dormant state for now, but God promises they will bear fruit.

Will my actions bear God’s Fruit, or will they bear rotten fruit? Scary thought…

Prayer. Do You Need It?

Jesus said: “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [ For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ ] For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:8‭-‬15 NASB

Do you remember Jeremiah, the “Weeping Prophet”? When the Hebrews were taken prisoner and moved from Jerusalem to Babylon, most of their prophets were telling them not to worry, this would be a very short captivity and then they would be able to return home. God had other plans, and He chose Jeremiah to give them the real plan….. and they considered him to be full of doom and gloom! I think we do that, too. When we don’t get the answer we want, we tend to be “Oh, woe is me!” We need to concentrate more on the Word and the positive that God is telling us.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ ” Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬14 NASB

Most of us are not in physical exile like the Hebrews were, but we may feel trapped in a job or a relationship. God doesn’t create chaos; we do that through the exercise of our own free will and by neglecting to listen to the LORD. He allows us to do these things, but if we will turn back to Him, we can sometimes remove ourselves/be removed from the bad situation, and other times we learn to be content in it. Remember, bloom where you are planted. I know; much easier said than done sometimes!

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Daniel 3:17‭-‬18 NASB

• Pray for peace, and for prosperity for the place God has placed you.

• Pray for the economy, citizen safety, wisdom and integrity of our leaders/politics, and for prosperity of the community and the country.

• Beware of false Teachers and Prophets! Biblical prosperity does not resemble health and wealth. It is Peace with God.

• Trust God’s plan. The long term, not necessarily the immediate.

“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17‭-‬18 NASB

• Finally, receive God’s blessing.

Don’t be IN or OF the community, but FOR the community you are in. Society today is not pro Christian, nor does it favor Christians. Wherever you are, be ALL there. Seek peace, practice practical loving. A community cannot be at peace, TRUE peace, until they are at peace with God through Jesus Christ. Pray for what you care about.

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 NASB

Tempted? Ah, This Isn’t Anything Bad….

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” James 1:13 NASB

Sin. What is it, anyway? I’m good. I haven’t done anything horrible. It’s just a white lie. Everybody else is going…. doing it. It’s not so bad. It’s nothing compared to so-and-so.

We are so good at justifying our thoughts and behaviors and actions! Mention sin and see how people around you respond. It doesn’t exist. That’s an old fashioned idea; an antiquated thought. Nobody believes in sin anymore. Just be a good person and you’ll be okay. I’m okay, you’re okay, we’re all okay!

“Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them.” Deuteronomy 11:16 NASB

Oh people, we have allowed ourselves to be fooled by the enemy. There’s an alphabet soup of aberrant behavior that is not just tolerated, but condoned and celebrated. Whether it is murdering unborn babies, or accepting pedophilia as ‘normal’ behavior; selling your body, living together outside of marriage…. these should be easy for Christians to identify as sin. But what about these? Overeating and gluttony? Abusing the prescription your doctor gave you by not following the instructions? Watching and listening to things that exploit the bodies of young men and/or women; of children. Discrimination, both covert and overt.

Well! I’m certainly not guilty of any of those things!

Oh, but you are. I am. We all are.

“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” Proverbs 28:13 NASB

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8‭-‬9 NASB

Thank God for the gift of the LORD Jesus Christ!

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long.” Psalms 32:1‭-‬3 NASB

“I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.” Psalms 32:5 NASB

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24 NASB

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, JESUS the SON OF GOD, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the Throne of Grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:13‭-‬16 NASB

Friends, draw near to the Throne of Grace! We, the children of the Most High GOD need to be on our knees, praying for our country, our leaders, our communities. It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat or an Independent; man, woman, or child; Baptist, Catholic, Church of whatever. As Christians we are called to prayer. It’s the only way to save our home here.

The LORD said this to Solomon. I believe it is relevant to us, today, too.

“…… and [if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NASB