Gifts - just for you!!!

Jesus is the greatest person who has ever lived; each year we celebrate His Birth as the coming of our salvation.
Salvation is the greatest gift of all.
Salvation is the only gift that everyone really needs.
Salvation is presented to us as the ultimate Christmas gift in what is perhaps the best known verse of the Bible.
 
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
This Christmas do you have that greatest security? Do you know that you have received the greatest possession of all—Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
Sometimes Christmas is especially hard for those who compare what they want with what others get. But the good news is that as a Christian, God has given us everything in Christ.

All we have to do is unwrap and experience all that He has given to us.
OPEN THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS
Because of our sin—we are all debtors to God's Righteousness; so we need forgiveness.
OPEN THE GIFT OF JUSTIFICATION
Because of our sin—we are all guilty convicts in God's sight; so we need justification.
OPEN THE GIFT OF REGENERATION
Because of our sin—we are all dead in our trespasses and sin; so we need regeneration.
OPEN THE GIFT OF RECONCILIATION
Because of our sin—we are all enemies of God; so we need reconciliation.
OPEN THE GIFT OF ADOPTION
Because of our sin—we are all strangers to God; so we need adoption.
OPEN THE GIFT OF REDEMPTION
Because of our sin—we are all slaves to unrighteousness; so we need redemption.
OPEN THE GIFT OF SANCTIFICATION
Because of our sin—we are all defiled; so we need sanctification.

 Slowly as you understand and lay hold on these truths a life-changing transformation take place in our minds, and then in our emotions, and finally throughout our entire life as we live each day based on God's eternal truth.

A Christmas illustration.....

There was once a man who didn’t believe in God, and he didn’t hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays.
His wife, however, did believe and she raised their children to have faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ despite his disparaging comments. On one snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their 2 children to a special Christmas Eve service in the farm community in which they lived. They were to talk about the birth of Jesus that night. She asked him to come along just like she had done so many times before, but he refused her once again…
“That story is nonsense!” he barked. “Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!”
So she and the children left, and he stayed home.
A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He then sat down to relax before the fire for the evening when he heard a very loud thump… Something had hit the window…so He looked out but couldn’t see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window.
In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn’t go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. And a couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It’s warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn’t seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. The man tried to get their attention by waving a lantern, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to the barn, but they still didn’t catch on.
Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the the opened barn doors. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.
“Why don’t they follow me?!” he exclaimed. “Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?”
He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn’t follow a human. “If only I were a goose, then I could save them,” he said out loud. Then he had an idea! He went into barn, got one of his own geese and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it.
His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn — and one-by-one, the other geese followed it to safety. He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed loudly in his mind: “If only I were a goose, then I could save them!” Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier that evening. “Why would God want to be like us? That’s ridiculous!”
Suddenly it all made perfect sense to him. That is what God had done! We were like the geese–blind, lost, and perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way, and save us!
As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood why Jesus Christ had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer:
“Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!”

A Thankful Heart

We are given amazing privileges when we trust in Jesus. Recalling these promises is a good way to maintain a thankful heart, even when facing challenges in other areas. Consider four such blessings:

1.Christ’s gift of salvation. No matter what trial we’re facing, it is microscopic next to the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. The cross was a steep price to pay, but the Savior willingly took our place in order to offer us forgiveness and eternal life.

2.Assurance of God’s love. The Lord cares for us unconditionally—that is His very character (1 John 4:16). Unfortunately, the storms of life can cause us to question this, but Romans 8:31–39 unequivocally tells us that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

3.Answered prayer. We have the awesome privilege of talking to the Father about anything burdening us—and He never grows tired of listening to His children. Our omnipotent, omniscient God is not only able to help us in any situation; He also knows the best possible way to do so.

4.A personalized plan. The Lord has a will, plan, and purpose for our lives that He will accomplish if we obey Him. No one is exempt from adversity, but we can trust God to bring good from everything He permits to come our way.

Hardships, temptations, and tests will touch us all, but the Lord allows difficulty for a reason—even when we don’t understand why (Rom. 8:28). Therefore, submit yourself to the Father, thank Him for His wisdom, and be confident that He will accomplish His purposes for you..

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;    I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.     Psa 9:1,2

His thoughts for me.....

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Job 23:13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desires, even that he does.

Pss 33:11 The counsel of the LORD stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Pss 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are your wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order to you: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Isa 46:11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country: yes, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, said the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isa 55:10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: >>
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Isa 55:12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Zech 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so has he dealt with us.

Zech 8:14 For thus said the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, said the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:
Zech 8:15 So again have I thought in these days to do well to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear you not.

God is our Helper!

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills--from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psa 121:1,2). 

Where does your help come from? The psalmist lifted his eyes to the hills. The most stable, secure thing the Jews knew were the mountains around Jerusalem. Then the psalmist lifted his eyes higher and said, "No, I don't get my help from the hills. I get my help from the heavens. God is my Helper." Whatever your need or task is today, your help will come from the Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. A God big enough to make this world and keep it going is big enough to help you with your problems today.

God is also our Keeper. "He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (vv. 3,4). This is a dangerous world we live in. Enemies would like to attack and destroy us. But as we walk in the will of God and depend on His power, He is there as our Keeper and Preserver. "The Lord shall preserve you from all evil" (v. 7). This verse doesn't say we won't have pain. It doesn't say we will never suffer or sorrow. Though we may be hurt, we won't be harmed. "He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore" (vv. 7,8).


God is your Helper and Keeper. No matter where your path in life leads, if you walk in His will, He will preserve you. Walk with confidence today. You have a Helper, a Keeper and a Preserver, who will see you through.

Enduring satanic attacks

Ephesians 6:10-14

Every believer faces temptation. Take a moment to recall a particularly enticing situation involving something that would displease God. Did you realize you were involved in a satanic battle?

The Devil is real. Scripture reveals that he leads an army of fallen angels and is prideful enough to think he can gain victory over God. By definition, a satanic attack is a deliberate assault upon an individual, which is designed to cause spiritual, physical, material, or emotional harm. Satan desires to thwart the Lord's purpose in believers' lives, to rob them of joy and peace, and ultimately to deny God the worship He receives through yielded followers.

As in any war, knowing the enemy's plan helps us prepare for the attack. First, be aware that the battlefield takes place in our minds. To walk in a godly manner with Christ, we must first be sure that our thoughts are in submission to His Spirit. This takes daily surrender and time in God's Word. Second, Satan tempts us during vulnerable moments. Be cautious when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (This is often known as the H.A.L.T.  warning). Third, he is deceptive; we won't recognize the trap as an evil scheme. Instead, it will seem good, and we'll likely wrestle with some sort of doubt.

As Christians, we should walk closely with Jesus. Satan desires to lure us into destructive actions that rob us of God's plan for a good, full life. Stay connected to the Savior: read the Word, pray, and fellowship with other believers. These are weapons we use against the Devil in spiritual war. 

Godly life

1. Introduction: God desires that every believer lead a righteous life. But our culture places a tremendous amount of pressure on Christians to "fit in." The doctrines of our faith are often mocked and ridiculed in the public arena. Individual believers sometimes make spiritual or moral compromises in an attempt to be accepted. How can we resist the secular influence of our time? In Romans 12:1-2, the apostle Paul reveals how to pursue holiness and resist compromise.
2. God calls us to godly living.
   1. God's call to surrender our lives to Him as living sacrifices is reasonable because He redeemed us from spiritual darkness and adopted us as children. 
      • In Romans 1-11, Paul explains salvation, victorious Christian living, and the Lord's ultimate plan for Israel. In Romans 12:1-2, he urges believers to give control of their lives to God in light of all He has done for us.
   2. We must make the choice to give control to the Father.
      • As God's people, we no longer have the right to run our own lives, but He still allows us to choose whether or not to surrender. Your entire being—including your mind, will, and emotions—should be yielded to God. 
   3. We are called to be living sacrifices.
      • Becoming a "living sacrifice" means we allow the Holy Spirit to live through us. As we surrender to the Spirit's guidance and leadership, He empowers us to live a godly life.
   4. The apostle also urges believers to be holy sacrifices.
      • In Greek, this word means "set apart" (as in "for a special purpose"). In one of the paradoxes of our faith, sanctification—or being made holy—happens immediately at salvation, but it is also a lifelong process.
   5. Our lives should be acceptable to God.
      • As believers, we ought to be different from the world. Our goal should be to act as Jesus did: forgiving, loving, and helping others—yet knowing when to speak the truth in love or share our faith. When we sin, we should be quick to confess and repent.
        
        A godly lifestyle will attract some people to you, and it will drive others away. But sometimes the same people who resist the gospel will seek out a believer for help when life gets difficult.
3. Those who live in a godly manner will face conflict with the world.
   1. Pressure from those in the world sometimes causes believers to compromise their convictions.
      • As individuals, Christians sometimes justify compromising the truth in this way: they claim they are "being a witness" by spending time with ungodly friends, even when that includes making unrighteous choices. Instead, we should make sure our best friends are believers who take their faith seriously 
        (2 Cor. 6:14-15, 17; 1 Cor. 15:33). Our highest priority should be to please God rather than to fit in with the world.
   2. Paul warns believers, "Do not be conformed to this 
      world" (Rom. 12:2). 
      • The media frequently portrays the idea that if we become rich, attractive, influential, or famous, we will be happy and content. But none of things guarantee joy. Don't let our culture shape your value system and determine your priorities.
   3. To resist conforming to the world's image, you must "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:2). But how?
      • Fill your mind with Scripture. It is through the Bible that we learn God's perspective.
      • Focus on positive, righteous, and holy things (Col. 3:3; Phil. 4:8). This should include choosing friends and entertainment wisely.
      • Apply biblical truth to your heart. As you go about your day, ask God to show you how to put into practice the principles of His Word.
      • Practice the presence of the Lord. God is always with you. Ask Him to make you more sensitive to His presence. As you allow the Holy Spirit to live through you, He will help you withstand temptation and become more Christlike.
4. Conclusion: The key to living a godly life is full surrender. That means we must let God have complete control over our lives. The Lord is looking for faithful men and women who will stand up for truth in a world that is increasingly opposed to the gospel. Rather than base your standards on popular opinion, allow Scripture to set your values. Answer the Lord's call to a godly life, and you will never be the same.

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

  

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.