The Day After Christmas

What was the day after the first Christmas like? I suppose Joseph and Mary's minds swirled with wonder. I'm sure they had little or no sleep the previous night. Their baby was born, and the angels had proclaimed His importance. As Mary pondered these things in her heart, the baby quietly cried for milk. Joseph and Mary sat amidst the animals, cuddling their little one. Mary gently satisfied Jesus' thirst. A sheep “baaed” then a cow “mooed”. Perhaps they were praising the newborn Son of God. Perhaps they too wanted to be fed.

Joseph smiled as he looked at their Miracle. He realized that this was the beginning of something special. He felt the weight upon his shoulders. He must train this child and lead Him in the ways of God. He must be a strong godly example for Him. Little did he know that this Jesus would lead not only himself, but all of mankind into a relationship with God the Father. Jesus would give his life for this cause. Jesus the baby will grow in wisdom and stature under the covering of His parents, but it would be through His relationship with God the Father that he would truly become all He was meant to be.

If you haven't invited the One called Jesus into your life, why not call on His name now. Admit your a sinner in need of His forgiveness. Forsake your sin and come to Him. Here is a prayer that you can pray. If you mean it with all of your heart, you will become His very own, you will begin a new relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You will find a love so full and real that it has transformed the lives of millions. And you will inherit everlasting life in heaven, when you pass on.

Dear Father God,

 

Thank you for Your love for me. Thank you for sending Jesus as a baby so He could grow and show me how to live. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. Please forgive me and wash my sullied soul. I need your mercy. Thank you for dying for me on the cross. I forsake my sin and I cling to You. Jesus be Lord of my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.  

I am Complete in Christ

I am complete in Christ

My sense of completion is not based on what I do

It's not diminished

When my grasp does not reach my ambition

It's not what I have or wish to gain

That makes me significant

My significance comes from

Being in Christ

I am complete in Christ

My identity is rooted in

The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ

When He died, I died

When He was buried, I was buried

When He rose, I rose

I am complete in Christ

It is good for me to develop my talents

It is good to serve the Lord

But my number one aspiration must be to know the Lord

I am complete in Christ

Even the act of praising and worshiping the Lord

Does not make me complete

If it lacks adoration that stems from a pure relationship with Christ.

I am complete in Christ

In Christ

In what He did for me upon that tree

In Christ I am complete  

Pray for the Philippines

Please pray with me for the Philippines.  There is a hurricane headed for their shores.

Dear Father God,

We pray for the Philippines this day.  Lord, protect this nation and it's people.  We plead Your blood over the nation.  We speak to this storm, "Be still and know that Jesus is God!  We command you to miss every island of the Philippines and to cause no one harm!" Thank you Lord for moving in this way.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen.

Go

A prophetic word given at FaithBridge Church in West Chicago, IL on 11/30/14

I saw a picture of the Lord on His throne. He was pointing to the earth.

Go my people, go into all the world. Go and speak of my great name. Proclaim my message. Let my love motivate you. Let my love make you bold. Invite your friends. Invite your family. Invite the ones in darkness to partake of my feast. Bring them into my family. For the power of the cross has not diminished. Go and I will make them my own. Go and I will bless you one hundred fold.

Be Thankful

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Thankfulness is the proper response to God's blessing. One day Jesus healed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). He sent them to show themselves to the priests. As they went, they were cleansed, but only one returned to Jesus to give thanks. This man was a Samaritan who received praise from the Lord. But Christ asked, “Where are the other nine?” We may wonder at times what God's will is for our lives. We ask God's will for big and little decisions. We don't always know what we should do, but it is always God's will that we be joyful and give thanks.

Learning to be thankful starts as a decision. A decision that we make with God's strength. As we learn to give thanks regularly, gratitude becomes our lifestyle.

We are to thank God in all circumstances but not for all circumstances. Not everything we face in life comes from the Lord's hand.

When we thank God, we invite His presence in our lives. We also open the door for us to become more intimate with our Father God. Being thankful also defeats the enemy in our lives.

Let's remember the things that we can be thankful for. Things like good health, food to eat, friends and

family, and especially our relationship with the Savior. All of us have things that we can be thankful for. This Thanksgiving let's praise and thank our Heavenly Father for His many blessings.

Dear Father God,

Thank you for all your blessings and for your great love for me. Help me to be thankful always. Help me also to share my blessings with others. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

The Oyster

It lay unobtrusive in the belly of the oyster

Under the cold blue waters

A single grain of sand

An irritant

The beginning of a blessing

Trouble twists and turns us

Along the path

But God uses hardships

For our benefit

The Lord transforms our peril into pearls

It is only through the irritant

That a pearl is formed

It is only through difficulty

That our character is carved

Into Christ's likeness

The Holy Spirit uses our pain

To produce within us His priceless pearls

Building blocks comprising Christian maturity

Joseph felt the sting

When they sold him into slavery

When they thrust him into prison

Though innocent

But these years made him

Into a man

Wise and full of integrity

At the appointed time

He was lifted to a place of prominence

Second in command of Egypt

The Lord transforms our peril into pearls

Suffering into a treasure of the sea

As we offer Him our lives,

God is changing you and me

A Glorious Invitation

God calls us to a glorious invitation. We have been invited to partake in a bountiful banquet. We have access to the presence of the King. The Lord desires intimacy with all His children, and it is possible for us to experience a deep personal relationship with our Lord. You can hear His voice. You can experience His presence.

Christ's blood was shed so that we could have boldness to enter into the holy of holies. All our past sins have been forgiven. They are washed by the blood. We must believe that we have been forgiven. God wants us to repent of our sin, confess it before Him, and accept His gift of righteousness.

The Holy Spirit desires to draw us into a more personal relationship with God. We can come into His presence through praise and worship and through prayer. We can also grow in our relationship with Him by reading and obeying His word. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

Let's draw near to the One who changes hearts. Let's worship the Master. Let's approach Him in humility. In His presence is fullness of joy. Let's make it our practice to enter into His presence every day. When we spend time with our Father God, we experience inner transformation. When we draw near to Him, we are changed. Come and partake of the bountiful banquet the Lord has prepared for you. Come into the presence of the King. Make it your habit to come into the King's presence and you will never be the same – all because of His glorious invitation!

Dear Father God,

Thank you for inviting me into Your presence. Please forgive me of any sin that would hinder me from knowing You. I thank You that I have been made righteous because of Your precious blood. Lord, I surrender all to You and I worship You. You are pure and holy. Lord, I love you. Help me to know You more. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!