No Christmas....

No Christmas...

The stores are quiet, no aisles of red and green, no nativities, no songs, no holiday sales over and over again, no wrapping paper for no gifts that are endlessly advertised....

No sermons of the meaning of Christmas, no manger scenes, no practices for a special program, 

Just days of sameness...no speaking of miracles of Christ’s birth, life or resurrection...no hope...

There are those of whom this is true...even now...those unreached...who have never heard of the Bible, God’s Word...they may worship something or someone...but not the Christ who came as a lowly baby ...not the Emmanuel, the Prince  of Peace, a Savior, the Son of the Most High...whose kingdom has no end...

Wouldn’t life be different from what we know?

No joy of the eternal, no angels singing, no shepherds, no wisemen, no testimonies of disciples, apostles, no future revelations, no help for the day to day living, no transformation, no encouragement, no ———,

No All that we have in the Word , the truth of the Holy Spirit speaking into our lives, no promises....nothing...

Oh God, I am so thankful that there is no “nothing”...You have given the world hope, the Word, joy, salvation through repentance, the Holy Spirit, and so much more..

I pray that those who have the “nothingness” in their lives seek and find you...that the Word would increase into their world wherever it is, from the inner city to the valleys not yet found, from the suburban family to those forbidden to seek....just everywhere and everyone...that “none should perish “ ...their hearts softened to the inner calling of truth that You put on the heart of all...

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8 

We don’t need all the commercialism of Christmas...we need the Christ 

Of Christmas...we need the Savior...the redeemer, the Word... the Joy, the Hope...for all the world...the real Gift...

Thank YOU...

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=Awr9K54L._BdYFkA50FXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEycmkwaWk3BGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQTA2MDdfMQRzZWMDc2M-?p=piano+guys&fr=yfp-t-s#id=49&vid=dceba55085a368ae48da8ce08c4e1cfa&action=view

(I heard from my area, that over 13,000 boxes were sent to operation Christmas Child...amazing...that means 13,000 children and families will hear the Word at the presentation of these and have the opportunity to study more...just Think this will multiplied by millions around the world...a small gift can do so much, just as a small baby can grow to be the Hope for the World)....

Psalm 71...

Psalm 71...

Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. 

From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. 

Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. 

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. 

Who is like you, God? Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

Psalm 71:3,5-6,17-20 

There are times in life, like everyday, we need the Lord...we can turn to him at all ages and stages...from childhood to old age...from light days to heavy days...24/7...He never forsakes, leaves...He is everywhere all the time...in the depths of night to the bright of day...in the deep to the heights...no surprises to Him...

I may wander, walk away, forget, turn...but He never does...

I find this more and more comforting as I grow older...more forgetful, less strength, more “alone”...He is a breath, thought away...

Thank YOU....

20 ....And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20b

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 

Mary’s Joseph....and others...

Joseph, Mary’s husband...

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/things-we-learn-from-josephs-faith-at-christmas.html?utm_source=today%27s+topical+bible+study&utm_campaign=today%27s+topical+bible+study+-+biblestudytools.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=3014442&bcid=dad4cb6ffa9cb8224d8b23b17fc6f551&recip=488704412+

Getting ready for Christmas again, I was  again reading about Joseph, Mary’s betrothed...this article came across cyberspace.

But, it made me think of the other two Josephs, the prominent one in the Old Testament as well as the one mentioned as Joseph of Arimathea in the New Testament...

They all exhibited the traits mentioned in the article about Mary’s betrothed ...

1. Kindness under pressure...
2. Courage...
3. Guidance ...
4. Obedience...

Reading, comparing all three is interesting...

The name, Joseph, carries the meaning of, “ he will add” or “Jehovah increases”. This certainly fits all three in their lives..

Thank YOU for the examples You supply in Your Word of godly men...

That Mary’s Joseph was willing to father our Lord...in his obedience...

Joseph of the Old Testament saved a nation...remained true through trying circumstances...

Joseph of Arimathea stood by his belief courageously caring Christ in his burial...fulfilling prophecy...a follower, a disciple ....

https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/whatever-happened-to-nicodemus-and-joseph-of-arimathea/

https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/joseph-in-the-old-testament-bible-character-profile-and-study/

Unbroken...

Unbroken...

I have been listening to the book, “unbroken” about the men in POW camps in Japan during World War 2. The years of degradation, torture, killings, starvation,  beatings, etc., etc., etc.....awfulness...how humans can treat one another to such treatment is beyond comprehension...and that this was going on in Europe as well to a whole culture group is ...words can’t describe...

“Coincidentally” I have been slowly reading  Matthew and have hit the crucifixion and the torture endured by Christ in his last days...

These scenarios don’t paint a pretty picture of humanity...but showed the endurance of people through extremely hard life situations...

The men in Japan held on to hope...answered prayers...as well as their families back home through the thick hardness of life...their wills were not broken even though their bodies were...

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12 

Christ gave over to God’s will...to be done...for our eternal destiny...he knew of his resurrection to come...he knew of this happening from the beginning, but in His humanness, it was still hard...His love revealed so openly for us...and God “gave”...what a wonder...what a blessing to us...

Thank YOU...it is beyond amazing comprehension the love YOU have  for mankind...each person...

In this Christmas season, this is the celebration...this life born to die for our sakes...this little baby to face death in adulthood for us, everyone...that we may have eternal life...if we believe and accept Your gift of salvation...God had this plan in place of eons of time...”amazing grace ...how sweet the sound ...” thank YOU again and again...

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33:21-22 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

KING....

KING...

Matthew 27 recounts the crucifixion of Christ...

The sign posted above his head read, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS”

The question it generates is, “is He King of my life?”....

Does He have preeminence...is He the paramount chief...supreme authority....

He has all that and so much more...but, do I really acknowledge that...or is he just out there ruling and I don’t think about it ....

God asks Job, “ where you when... “ in Job 38-39..as LORD,

He is LORD, KING... and it behooves me to acknowledge that reality in every moment, every thing...

He alone saves...loves with unquenchable love...he alone sees my soul, heart and mind with clarity...he knows my every thought, heartache, joy, action...nothing is hidden...how can He not be King...

Thank YOU...words cannot describe the deep abiding thankfulness of Your kingship...so yes...YOU are KING ....

“King, noun 

Definition of king 

1

A

: a male monarch of a major territorial unit

especially : one whose position is hereditary and who rules for life

b

: a paramount chief

2

capitalized : GOD, CHRIST

… to worship the King, the Lord of hosts …

— Zechariah 14:16 (Revised Standard Version)

3

: one that holds a preeminentposition”Merriam- Webster

Dictionary

Dictionaries - Smith's Bible Dictionary - King. King, [N] [E] "a chief ruler, one invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country."

Dictionaries - Easton's Bible Dictionary - King

King[N][S]

is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan ( Joshua 12:9Joshua 12:24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings ( Judges 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king ( 1 Peter 2:131 Peter 2:17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king ( Matthew 14:9; Mark 6:22).

This title is applied to God ( 1 Timothy 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God ( 1 Timothy 6:151 Timothy 6:16; Matthew 27:11). The people of God are also called "kings" ( Daniel 7:22Daniel 7:27; Matthew 19:28; Revelation 1:6, etc.). Death is called the "king of terrors" ( Job 18:14).

Jehovah was the sole King of the Jewish nation ( 1 Samuel 8:7; Isaiah 33:22). But there came a time in the history of that people when a king was demanded, that they might be like other nations ( 1 Samuel 8:5). The prophet Samuel remonstrated with them, but the people cried out, "Nay, but we will have a king over us." The misconduct of Samuel's sons was the immediate cause of this demand.

The Hebrew kings did not rule in their own right, nor in name of the people who had chosen them, but partly as servants and partly as representatives of Jehovah, the true King of Israel ( 1 Samuel 10:1). The limits of the king's power were prescribed ( 1 Samuel 10:25). The officers of his court were, (1) the recorder or remembrancer ( 2 Samuel 8:16; 1 Kings 4:3); (2) the scribe ( 2 Samuel 8:17; 20:25); (3) the officer over the house, the chief steward ( Isaiah 22:15); (4) the "king's friend," a confidential companion ( 1 Kings 4:5); (5) the keeper of the wardrobe ( 2 Kings 22:14); (6) captain of the bodyguard ( 2 Samuel 20:23); (7) officers over the king's treasures, etc. ( 1 Chronicles 27:25-31); (8) commander-in-chief of the army ( 1 Chronicles 27:34); (9) the royal counsellor ( 1 Chronicles 27:32; 2Sam 16:20-23).

Falls....

Falls...

I have had the privilege of having four falls this year...I love fall...

 the temperature, the colors, the beauty, the crispness, the scents of pumpkin and fall spices, gathering, harvest...teaching my youngest grandchildren to stomp those crisp, dried leaves as we take walks in the woods...Abundance of squirrels running to and fro gathering their food for winter, balancing on electrical wires high above the streets with their tiny feet...mulled cider, egg nog, pumpkin pies...lots of birthdays...

It always reminds me of my favorite weddings that I had the privilege, again, of doing the flowers, of coordinating...friends...

I am glad for the seasons that God so graciously created for us..each with its purpose of rest, renewal, rebirth, planting, harvest....our lives have these seasons as well...we have seasons of rest, growth and renewal, planting, harvest...looking back we can see them more clearly than sometimes in the midst of them...

As I head into winter this year, the coldness settles around with ice, snow and that penetrating chill...I am thankful for the four falls...they have warmed my soul for memories in the winter...giving me pictures to remember, with which to keep warm, the hugs, the walks, the love...

Thank YOU...You give so abundantly...readying us for the advent season...a time of birth and celebration...

I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.

Leviticus 26:4 

then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.

Deuteronomy 11:14 

He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

Psalm 104:19

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 

They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’

Jeremiah 5:24 

Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

Acts 14:17 

Giving...

Giving ....

It is December....my mailbox is flooded with letters, cards, notes for good causes...reaching out for funds in the biggest giving time of the year...some I have never heard of while others are familiar names and places...lists of needs, wants and desires...some really fit with the list from the following scriptures...

1. Food
2. Drink
3. Shelter
4. Clothing
5. Prisoners

There are some real needs all over the world and right next door...

And there are some fake letters as well, sorry to say...

We each have the opportunity to search our hearts and respond accordingly....what is the Spirit trying to tell us about our place in giving?

Who would He have for us particularly to share our abundance with?

In our land of abundance, our life style of much, to whom has He impressed us to give and share?

Those many pieces of mail, which ones come to the top for a response?

There are local missions who need food to give out, places in the world whose food food supply has been disrupted for various reasons...

There are places that don’t have water close at hand...

There are places where people are sheltered in tents, make shift covering due to storms, war, etc..

There are places where clothing is scare..

There are places in the world where people are held captive, either in spirit or physically...

Pray, asking for wisdom, where can I help, where does God want me to help?... a little can go a long way...as with the loaves and fishes that were given by a boy to feed thousands with Jesus’ blessing...

Thank YOU for the opportunity to give...help me with discernment in making those choices ...You have given so much...use me as a tool to bless others...

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was clothing thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Matthew 25:31-46