Christmas is more than a day, it is an attitude we need to have in our hearts. We need to remember why we celebrate and why we even have Christmas.
Here is how Webster’s defines Christmas
Christmas:
a Christian feast on December 25 or among some Eastern Orthodox Christians on January 7 that commemorates the birth of Christ and is usually observed as a legal holiday
But how do you define Christmas, that is the question.
Is it a day for family, presents and fun or is it a day of remembrance to celebrate our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
If we look at Christmas through the eyes of our Creator, we would see the true meaning of Christmas.
Hebrews 1:1-10 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son"? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him." And of the angels He says: "Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire."
But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions." And: "You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Hebrews 12:1-4 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
God sent Jesus to us, He spoke to us through His Son. A prophet of old days was God’s way of talking to man, a priest was man’s way of talking to God. Christ is both, the perfect prophet, and the perfect priest, angels where sent to minister to men the message of God, Jesus is God’s revelation or message to man.
Jesus was begotten, or came out of or just as God, and is redemption for all of mankind. He holds all things, created all things, rules all things, and is the final authority of all things. Nothing has happened, or will happen that He is not over.
Jesus Christ is the reason for Christmas, a celebration of Him, for Him, by Him.
That is why I said in the beginning Christmas is an attitude of our heart, and something we should celebrate everyday. We have within us the cure for what ails the world, the cure for sin and death. We must give Him away everyday, the more you give Christ away in all you do, the more you will experience Christ love.
Jesus came knowing He would give up His life for the redemption for mankind. Man could not come up to God, so God came down to man. And Jesus faced the cross with joy, He kept His eyes on the prize, us. He faced things most of us will never know, He did it without complaining, and He gave us His all so we could live our lives. Lay down anything that would hinder you from serving Him. He alone is the author and finisher of our faith, look to Him daily to strengthen you, and celebrate Him with everyone you can.
So as you celebrate Christmas this year, keep that attitude going until God calls you home, and remember Gods' words.
For this is the Christmas story, the story of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:1-7 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Merry Christmas
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17
In Christ
brian
Showing posts with label White. Show all posts
Showing posts with label White. Show all posts
Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
God is not gray
The world we live in seems to be filled with gray matter. Truth is out of reach of most people, because they refuse to acknowledge it. People say that it’s to hard to be good, and I am not as bad as most people. As a matter of fact, most people say that they are better than anyone around them, making themselves the lights in a dark world based upon their own morality.
Justification of ones own acts ,or life is something that continues to go on based on their ideas of good and bad, because we all have our opinion of what good and bad truly are, after all we are all human right? But God has a different opinion, He says that He is the light. And as His children we are commanded to walk in the light. God is not gray, God is not black, God is light.
1John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
These words are not an easy task for us to undertake, and on our own we will not, but if we trust in Jesus Christ we will. We know when we do wrong, the Holy Spirit is always communicating to us and teaching us, we just don’t choose to listen to Him. But that is why John included verse 9, God is faithful He will forgive us, but we must be repentant, not just oh I’m sorry, we must hate our sin.
John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24"He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
So many people want a god of their own making, because the gray area is really a greater place to live in. When Jesus said to keep His commandments, to Obey Him, people shy away, because it is easier to live our lives without thinking about consequences. But again God says that there is know gray area for His children.
Matthew 12:30 "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. 33- "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34"Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.35"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
I hope you really read the word of God, and to what Jesus is saying, we are held accountable on the day of judgment, think about that before you say something out of hate, or anger without repenting, think about what Jesus says, about if your not with Him, then your against Him, again no gray area, God is a God of light. We try to serve two masters, one is the system of the world and all it offers, and the other id God, we can not serve both.
Luke 16:11 "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12- "And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? 13 "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." 14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
Jesus says again here do not justify yourself, before men. God knows our hearts, and our hearts or flesh wars against the Spirit. Again there is no gray in the kingdom of God, we must learn to walk in His light and keeps His commandments. Obedience is our act of love back to Christ, not that works saves us, but faith without works is dead according to God’s word.
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5- For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6- Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8- For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
Here we are told not to partake of darkness, for we once where I it, we know what it is, but now we are light in the Lord , and need to walk as children of light. If we are honest, just review the events of the day, how much light did we shine today, did we serve a gray god today, or the God of light?
Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5- you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
God told us in the 10 Commandments not to make a god for ourselves, that means any gray god whom we would choose, today we can submit to the god of choice, for marriage or abortion, tomorrow we will submit to the god of thievery, the next day the god of adultery, the next the god of hate, the next the god of whatever needs we have. It is a slippery slope we slide on once we bow our knees to these gray gods. We can’t make gods to suit ourselves, we will have to face Jesus Christ one day, and he knows what it is like to live on this earth.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4- In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5- And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
We as children of God, must comprehend the light, the light of this world is Jesus Christ, He is the way, the truth and the life, and we must live our lives as He has told us, we can not go around bearing false witness, serving grays gods. We must serve Him, and Him alone.
1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
As children of God we have lived to long in the gray, we need to come to the light, live in the light, and fellowship in the Light. And we can no longer have fellowship with the darkness. Again there is no gray area in God’s kingdom, our God is light.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
In Christ
brian
Justification of ones own acts ,or life is something that continues to go on based on their ideas of good and bad, because we all have our opinion of what good and bad truly are, after all we are all human right? But God has a different opinion, He says that He is the light. And as His children we are commanded to walk in the light. God is not gray, God is not black, God is light.
1John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
These words are not an easy task for us to undertake, and on our own we will not, but if we trust in Jesus Christ we will. We know when we do wrong, the Holy Spirit is always communicating to us and teaching us, we just don’t choose to listen to Him. But that is why John included verse 9, God is faithful He will forgive us, but we must be repentant, not just oh I’m sorry, we must hate our sin.
John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24"He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
So many people want a god of their own making, because the gray area is really a greater place to live in. When Jesus said to keep His commandments, to Obey Him, people shy away, because it is easier to live our lives without thinking about consequences. But again God says that there is know gray area for His children.
Matthew 12:30 "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. 33- "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34"Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.35"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
I hope you really read the word of God, and to what Jesus is saying, we are held accountable on the day of judgment, think about that before you say something out of hate, or anger without repenting, think about what Jesus says, about if your not with Him, then your against Him, again no gray area, God is a God of light. We try to serve two masters, one is the system of the world and all it offers, and the other id God, we can not serve both.
Luke 16:11 "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12- "And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? 13 "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." 14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
Jesus says again here do not justify yourself, before men. God knows our hearts, and our hearts or flesh wars against the Spirit. Again there is no gray in the kingdom of God, we must learn to walk in His light and keeps His commandments. Obedience is our act of love back to Christ, not that works saves us, but faith without works is dead according to God’s word.
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5- For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6- Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8- For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
Here we are told not to partake of darkness, for we once where I it, we know what it is, but now we are light in the Lord , and need to walk as children of light. If we are honest, just review the events of the day, how much light did we shine today, did we serve a gray god today, or the God of light?
Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5- you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
God told us in the 10 Commandments not to make a god for ourselves, that means any gray god whom we would choose, today we can submit to the god of choice, for marriage or abortion, tomorrow we will submit to the god of thievery, the next day the god of adultery, the next the god of hate, the next the god of whatever needs we have. It is a slippery slope we slide on once we bow our knees to these gray gods. We can’t make gods to suit ourselves, we will have to face Jesus Christ one day, and he knows what it is like to live on this earth.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4- In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5- And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
We as children of God, must comprehend the light, the light of this world is Jesus Christ, He is the way, the truth and the life, and we must live our lives as He has told us, we can not go around bearing false witness, serving grays gods. We must serve Him, and Him alone.
1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
As children of God we have lived to long in the gray, we need to come to the light, live in the light, and fellowship in the Light. And we can no longer have fellowship with the darkness. Again there is no gray area in God’s kingdom, our God is light.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
In Christ
brian
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