Advent – Part 4 

God with us! How amazing is that!

Have you ever looked up into a clear night sky & seen the 100s of twinkling dots of light –stars of faraway galaxies?

Have you ever walked on a beach & squished the sand between your toes and wondered how many grains it takes to cover that shore?

Have you looked out across a vast ocean –water as far as the eye can see & tried to fathom how many drops it took to fill it up?

That’s the God Who is with us! The Amazing Creator God of the Universe! He became a man –how Amazing is that! The Creator became part of His Creation!

But He had to. He had to become man in order to redeem mankind. He had to be a “near kinsman” (think Boaz with Ruth) in order to redeem us –those are the rules He set up! And He had to become human in order to pay the price of redemption for humans. Because it was the sin of the man Adam that brought the curse upon humans & all creation. So a man would have to pay the price of perfection to redeem man from the curse and restore him & God’s Creation back to perfection. It had to be a Perfect Man! But no man is perfect, & even if he were, would he be willing to give his perfect life for sinful man?

So God knew there was only one solution –One Who would be Perfect, and Who so loved man that He would be willing to give His Life as a Ransom –His Son Jesus! For God so loved the world that He gave His uniquely-born Son so that whosoever receives and believes in Him would no longer remain under the curse, but be restored to the beauty of perfection and relationship with the Father for which he was created. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved (John 3:16-17)! That’s why His Name is Jesus –it means Salvation!

The most Awesome, Loving & Powerful Being Who exists, stepped out of Eternity and stepped into time, laying aside all His Majesty, Beauty, Grace & Glory to become a little Baby, lying in a manger, 2000+ years ago, for one reason & one reason only. Because He Loves! He loves you & He loves me & He is concerned about everything that concern us! And there is nowhere in all of time and space that you can go where His Love cannot reach you (Ps. 139). God With Us! Emmanuel!

Here’s some Christmas music to help you keep in mind HE is the Reason for the Season, and the Grace & Forgiveness He brings from the Father!

Light of the World by Lauren Daigle

Lift up Your Eyes by Danny Gokey

Christ is Come by Big Daddy Weave

Ring The Bells by Travis Cottrell with Natalie Grant

Merry Christmas!

Karen

Advent – Part 3

Imagine Mary & Joseph’s anticipation -9 months of waiting, waiting to witness the appearance of the Promised One! Did they hear right? Is this all a dream? Did an angel really appear –to Mary with the announcement, and to Joseph in a dream to tell him Mary’s story was true? Waiting before the watching eyes of all their friends, family & community? For 9 months for the birth. For 30 years for His ministry. For 3 years to see its fruit. For 3 days to see –would He really rise again? Lots of waiting!

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt you heard something from the Lord and then had to wait –to see if you’d heard right & it was really going to come to pass? How well do you do at waiting? When I think of waiting I have a picture of sitting quietly with hands folded and trying to patiently wait for someone else to do something or for some event or action to happen. But that’s not the biblical picture of waiting at all! The word in the bible that we translate as “wait” is a picture of turning and twisting as in dancing, or of a pregnant mother in the convulsions of childbirth! Very different picture! The true biblical picture of waiting involves a lot of activity, and sometimes discomfort, in order to come to a desired outcome.

I remember an old department store commercial that had a lady standing at their store window staring in with her nose pressed against the glass & both hands tapping on the window saying, “Waiting. Waiting. Waiting”. She wasn’t doing nothing. She knew what she wanted. She knew where it was. She had a plan and was actively pursuing it. So the next time you start to feel discouraged because the things you thought would happen hasn’t happened yet, know this! That picture is a picture of the Father –waiting for all that’s needed to be aligned in your life so that He can bring the blessing to you that He longs to! He has not forgotten one word that He has declared over your life –not one promise! He is waiting for the time when He can add His blessing to your life when there will be no sorrow with it (Prov. 10:22). As we wait for the coming Celebration of Christmas I pray that the Revelation of Christ become ever more real to you!

Here are a couple Christmas songs to help you celebrate

Mary Did You Know

Joseph’s Lullaby   

Advent – Part 2

So the 1^st human with whom the Father shared the secret of the long anticipated coming of the Savior was the young girl who was to be his mother –Mary! Can you imagine her Joy, her concerns, her questions, her faith?

Joy –the Messiah is now coming! And God has chosen me to bring Him into the world!

Concern –what will that mean for me –for a virgin to be with child –the risk of death overshadowing that joy.

Questions –how will this come to be? How can a virgin give birth?

Faith –if God said it, let it be -for it will be if He said it!

Do we have Joy in anticipating the Celebration of Jesus’ birth? Do we daily let that Joy of the reality that Christ is Come fill every part of our hearts & lives? He is the Reason for the Season! He is the Reason for All Joy! He is Unspeakable Joy! And when we have Him in our lives every day can be filled with Him –with Unspeakable Joy! After all He did say, “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be in you joy, and that your joy may be FULL!” (John 15:11).

Here’s a link to enjoy some Christmas music today –Chris Tomlin Unspeakable Joy!

Advent – Part 1

I don’t know about you but for me there’s usually just so much hustle & bustle going on between Thanksgiving and Christmas that I sometimes lose track of what it’s all about –until I get past Christmas then take a moment to stop & breathe.

This year during this season of Advent I want to take time to anticipate the coming celebration of our Savior’s birth! I want to be able to look forward to it with expectation –of all the Wonder, the Joy, the Majesty & the Glory that this event brings. Jesus’ birth changed everything –for all time!

So with all the Hosts of Heaven, and all saints throughout all the ages we celebrate & sing

O Come O Come Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lowly exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee O Israel!

Here’s a youtube link to listen to this Christmas Carol to put you in the mood & mind for christmas!

The Lord has been talking to me a lot about Grace recently.

I’ve heard it said that Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve but Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve. Grace is truly so much more than this! Grace is a Gift of immeasurable worth. Grace brings healing and restoration. Grace brings provision & power. He told Paul, My Grace is sufficient for you (provision) for My Power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

Grace is the unfailing Love of God that relentlessly pursues us to bring us into His Kingdom & to make us Heirs of His Salvation! It was His Mercy and Lovingkindness that caused the Father to send the Son to bring Redemption to mankind. But it was Grace that caused Him to not be satisfied with that alone. Instead He pursued us to the point of adoption & making us co-heirs with Christ. This Is Unfailing Love!.This is Amazing Grace!

The King is in His House &  in our midst & we pour out our praise & adoration on Him!

During Worship this morning at Victory Christian Center Fathers Day -6/21/15

When Jesus paid the Bride Price of His Life at Calvary He purchased so much more than just our salvation. He also redeemed for us our inheritance as His sons & daughters, including everything that Adam and Eve lost in the garden of Eden which includes living, breathing, moving and being clothed in His Glory, just as they used to be! And being able to talk to the Father face to face! So go forth sons & daughters of the Living God moving in & releasing His glory in the midst of the earth, in perfect communion with the Father!

When Jesus paid the Bride Price of His Life at Calvary He purchased so much more for us than just our salvation. He also redeemed for us our inheritance as His Sons & Daughters, including everything that Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden which includes living, breathing, moving and being clothed in His Glory just as they used to be! And being able to talk to the Father face to face! So go forth Sons & Daughters of the Living God moving in & releasing His glory in the midst of the earth, in perfect  communion with the Father!