Month: December 2017

The Power of Joy in 2018

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I was watching a Christmas movie that showed the power of joy.  A woman who was considered unconventional smiled and shared joy with some rather stuffy people.  Some of them seemed incapable of joy and others seemed to have stopped due to sorrow around them.  The heroine of the story smiled, laughed and shared the joy that was spilling out despite her challenges.  I enjoyed watching many characters respond to her cheer.

There is great power in joy.  It is hard to stay gloomy in the presence of appropriate cheer.  This is not to say that there will not be sorrow and tears.  I have fought the pressure to always put on a happy face.  I felt as though I could not be honest about the pain of life.  God has brought me to a point of asking Him to help me deal with sorrow without throwing joy out the window.  This is not easy; it is a part of life-long learning.

I pray no matter what God allows in your life that you share in the power of joy.  May 2018 bring you closer to Him each day.  His power gives strength to balance sorrow and joy.

God is so good!

The Christ of Christmas

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This year God has been reminding me of the reason for Christmas.

Jesus Christ, who is Almighty God, came to earth to be born as a baby. He grew up for the purpose if suffering a horrible death.

Why? Because we sin. We make choices that have horrible consequences. Since we sin, we are unable to remove those consequences. Jesus lived a sinless life. Truth! He never did anything wrong. Therefore, He was able to pay the penalty for sin.

I pray if you have not learned Who Jesus Christ is, that you will this Christmas. He is worth your attention. Do not wait another moment.

Wonderful Counselor

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At Christmastime, we don’t tend to go to the book of Romans. However, the concept of Jesus being a Wonderful Counselor is readily discussed because of Isaiah 9:6.

I fear that we do not want to accept the counsel of Jesus. His Word is not first in our lives. We go to those who give us feel good statements to help us through a tough time.

We need to go to the Savior who humbled Himself and became a helpless baby. He is the One who knows all and gives all good gifts. He owes us nothing, yet He gave us everything – His own life.

As we go into Christmas, let us together worship and praise the name of Jesus. If you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior, please do not wait. Do not waste another moment.

Jesus is worthy and He is worth it.

Praise His name!

Christmastime

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I enjoy many things about Christmas: the decorations, music, family get-togethers. Christmas can produce many wonderful memories. However, none of those special times mean much without Jesus Christ being the center of our lives.

Christ is worthy of that central position. He bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). Too often we rebel at the thought of being owned by God. Oh, friend, being owned by God, Who paid with His only Son’s life, is worth everything.

So this during Christmas season, don’t forget to keep Christ at the center of your celebration. He is worthy and He is worth it.

An Ordinary Sunset

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After the brilliant sunsets I have recently seen, I find myself watching for more.  Tonight the colors were more muted, not as bold.  

I find that life has more of those ordinary moments.  We have exciting times on occasion, but not necessarily often.  I have to admit, I tend to prefer the exciting times.  However, God frequently works through ordinary circumstances to bring about extra-ordinary results.  Life is all about Him anyway.

So the next time you feel bogged down with the ordinary, remember that God is working out the extra-ordinary.