"For unto us a Savior has been born! he is Christ the new born King!" Rejoice!
Good Morning Reborn in Christ, Hope-Filled, Family! Contemplate that salutation as you pronounce it over you and our fellowship! God put on flesh and came to live among us that we might have the opportunity to be reborn in Christ, be filled with hope and enabled to complete our mission together as we spur each other on in faith. What joy we can know as we grow in sharing our hope and inviting others to walk with us as we learn to live and love like Jesus better. Pray into that and pray into Sunday's festive Acts 2:42 type of worship service we will celebrate together and with invited guest who don't know Jesus or us yet. Father, Thank You for love and new life. Thank You for being with us always working all things together for your glory and Kingdom. Move us to be Your hands and feet, to share our hope well and to help others find new life in You. Please tear down any strongholds or barriers for those you are sending Sunday. Thank You! In the name of Jesus we pray as we ask for new life, Jesus' love and for healing and hope to come alive. Thank You! Amen! (pray something like that often for Sun and prepare your heart to allow God to use you.)
Sunday's message will be all about pondering who that baby in the manger is and how that affects our lives. We will use a lot of the Gospel of John we have just completed. Who is that baby to you? How has He affected your life? Be prepared to share that on Sunday. Charles Stanley has a great thought about that in His devotional today. Check it our below! God has some great plans for you, us and some people He is drawing to Him for Sunday! Rejoice, pray and prepare to bring and live the Good News!
Today will be a very hard day for our family as we bury two year old Hunter, our niece's son. We covet your prayers. Thank you. Many of us know grief and are experiencing some real hard things this year. As I have been ministering in this with myself and many of you, I am constantly reminded of my hope, my solid faith, God's ever-present love and care and His compassion. Today as I read Psalm 42 from ODB (open your Bibles and read that and 43 out loud) I was reminded of the last episode of season 3 of the Chosen. Asaph had prepared a Psalm to read to David with a choir humming behind Him. POWERFUL! Watch it and listen to and contemplate that Psalm today as you thirst after God and put your hope in Him. God is there with you with open arms of love and comfort and He may be stirring you to be His comfort as well. Love like Jesus. Be present, still, and share His love and compassion.
Yesterday I was questioned by one of our seasoned, solid-in-faith homebound members about something that was troubling him. How could our God allow death and suffering. He knows the answer but His empathy and compassion were bubbling to the surface and he is struggling with his having questions of God. God loves us and loves we when we question for understanding, healing and wisdom. Think about the virgin Mary wondering how she would become pregnant when she was still a virgin and trying to wrap her head around all that was being prophesied over her. Think about the "thick headed" disciples questioning Jesus all the time. It is ok to seek God for understanding and wisdom and discernment. Don't allow Satan or your own thinking to cause you to question your faith or motives. I'm always crying out to God to help me become a disciple maker, why I am failing, who am I supposed to disciple when it seems like no one is available or wanting to. He knows our hearts. He made us. And He allows and helps us through whatever we are facing step by step including questions for understanding. And we have to know that sometimes, He won't reveal the whys or answers to our questions and learn to be ok with that and continue on in faith. Some things we will never understand this side of heaven as we continue to grow in faith and journey with Jesus. That is a fact. Remember, we walk by faith not by sight. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts not like ours. Seek and love God with all your heart. Don't lean on your own understanding. (that's a command. some things we can never understand) Acknowledge God in all your ways and trust Him to lead you step by step--even through and forward in grief and questioning. He loves you! He knows you.
At Christmas we celebrate Hope, Healing, Joy and Love coming and putting on flesh. God wants to incarnate those thing in and through you as you allow Him to put flesh on His Love, Healing, Hope and Joy and walk around displaying them wherever you wander.
Yes we often wonder as we wander. But we do know our Savior and His love is real and perfecting and everlasting. Receive it, dwell in it and share it today. God is love and Love lives in you and comes alive through you. God knows who will come and who will not. Many are choosing Hell. Shake the dust off the flip flops and place those Hell-bound ones in God's hands and look for where He is at work and join Him. But for those He is drawing and sending you to, love like Jesus. Who need to hear who that Baby is to you and hiw he changed your life?
I end below with a photo of my Harvest prayer starter guide for today (no time to type it) pray through those things as we experience God threading His love through our lives, actions and preparation time with Him. He is speaking to your heart right now and pronouncing His love over you. Sit in it a spell as you prepare to follow Him today. Go! Love like Jesus. Know Christ and make Him known! Amen!
Charles Stanley:
ODB:
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My mother’s shiny red cross should have been hanging next to her bed at the cancer care center. And I should have been preparing for holiday visits between her scheduled treatments. All I wanted for Christmas was another day with my mom. Instead, I was home . . . hanging her cross on a fake tree.
When my son Xavier plugged in the lights, I whispered, “Thank You.” He said, “You’re welcome.” My son didn’t know I was thanking God for using the flickering bulbs to turn my eyes toward the ever-enduring Light of Hope—Jesus.
The writer of Psalm 42 expressed his raw emotions to God (vv. 1–4). He acknowledged his “downcast” and “disturbed” soul before encouraging readers: “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (v. 5). Though he was overcome with waves of sorrow and suffering, the psalmist’s hope shone through the remembrance of God’s past faithfulness (vv. 6–10). He ended by questioning his doubts and affirming the resilience of his refined faith: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (v. 11).
For many of us, the Christmas season stirs up both joy and sorrow. Thankfully, even these mixed emotions can be reconciled and redeemed through the promises of the true Light of Hope—Jesus.
By Xochitl Dixon
REFLECT & PRAY
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How has Jesus helped you process grief while celebrating Christmas? How can you support someone who’s grieving this season?
Dear Jesus, thank You for carrying me through times of grief and joy all year round.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Psalm 42 is one of the twelve songs (Psalms 42-49, 84-85, 87-88) credited to the descendants of Korah, members of a Levitical choir commissioned by David to serve in the temple as singers and gatekeepers (1 Chronicles 6:31-33; 9:19; 2 Chronicles 20:19). Scholars say that Psalms 42 and 43 were originally one song, characterized by the introspective question: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” and the repeated assurance, “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (42:5, 11; 43:5).
K. T. Sim |
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Harvest Prayer Starters for today:
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