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“Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.  Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.”-Psalm 86: 1-2

“In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.” – Psalm 86:7

As we prepare to enter the next year, many of us do so with some trepidation.  Some of it seems warranted and some does not.  But irregardless, feelings just are. And sometimes, in the world in which we live, we can’t help but worry what will the future be like?  What kind of country will our children grow up in?  Will we able to provide for our families?  The list is endless…

And for some of us, our top worry is:  “Will we able to keep our children on the “narrow path”.  In an un-Godly world, will we be able to “train our children up in the way they should go”.  And will they keep on that path when they grow up?

The answer is:  Yes!

The key is teaching our children is to teach them to have a personal relationship with Jesus.  We love Jesus so much because Jesus loved us first.  And Jesus loves us -no matter what.  There is nothing we can not tell Him!  There is no failure too big, no sin too dark, no life situation too overwhelming, that Jesus will not forgive us and walk through it with us!  When we have a genuine friendship with someone, when we truly know that their love for us is truly unconditional, then we are never afraid to return to them, no matter how broken.

And when we have a real friendship with someone, we also share all the good things that happen during our today.  We can’t wait to share that we finally got that good test grade, or learned to ride a bike, or that we finally succeeded in catching a ball or found that song we were looking for.  We can’t wait to share that our day went really well, that we made a new friend, or fell in love…The list is endless.  And we share all that, because that is what a relationship is-sharing the good and the bad!

And a relationship is also involves listening to our Friend. So we just don’t share our own day, we listen to them as well!  And the more we listen for God, the more we will hear Him, because Jesus never leaves us!

So when we say our daily prayers, whether we are an adult or a child, our prayers should include all sharing the good and the bad, and listening Even better, share with God all day, every day 🙂

Because when we have a relationship with someone who loves us unconditionally, someone who is truly rooting for us and understands and always forgives us – we will always return to it ?. 

So our job as parents is simple, we plant the seed as deeply as possible, so it can grow ?

And, in the day of our trouble, God will answer us ?

We need forgiveness because without it we can not enter Heaven and we need forgiveness because sin separates us from God.  And forgiveness only comes through Jesus Christ.

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up^[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah“

“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin”. -Psalm 32:1-5

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen (so be it).

When Jesus came, as a people, we had slid so far away from God.  We had immersed ourselves in sin and darkness.  God sent Jesus to Rescue us and we were desperately in need of rescue!

In looking around our country, indeed the world, it has grown dark. But we can still call upon Jesus for forgiveness. We can still call upon our Father and we can turn and walk towards the light that He provides!

God created light!  And God has surrounded us by light.  Picture the sun.  We can barely look at at the sun directly because it is so bright. And yes, God’s light is even brighter than the sun!  And yet if we choose, every time we look at the sun, we can be reminded that our Lord is with us.  Even in the dark of night, God did not leave us in complete darkness.  Instead, God created the moon and the stars!  Then there is the beautiful light that dances on the water or shines upon the trees and flowers.  There is the light of a Rainbow, reminding us that God Always Keeps His Promises. There is Christ’s light that is so often reflected in the face of a believer.  Wherever we are, if we choose, we can see light and be reminded that God is here-with us!

Many are drawn to God’s light, but sadly, some are drawn to darkness.  However, no matter which we are drawn to-it’s our choice which way we choose to go.  And no matter which we feel drawn too, we can choose Christ 🙂

While there is still time, Choose Christ, before it is too late!

What is sin? Jesus made it really clear for us. While He was with us, Jesus said,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:36-40

There is a quote in many Bible’s by Charle’s Spurgeon (1834-1892, Foremost Preacher of the 19^th Century), “The Law cuts into the very core of evil; it reveals the seat of the malady, and informs us that the leprosy lies deep within”.

-We are born selfish.  In order to love and serve both God and our fellow man, we spend our whole lives fighting against our inner selfishness to become unselfish.  And in many ways, that inner selfishness is the root of sin.  It relates to the sins we commit, but it also relates to the sins of omission (for example when we fail to help someone!)

In sin, we want what we want and we want it now. But we must place what God wants over our own wants!  Sin is any choice that is less than loving or selfish. Or our failure to do what is loving and unselfish. In both our relationship with God and in our relationship with our fellow man, love comes first 🙂 No easy task!  

And yet, the rewards are well worth it ?. 

And Jesus is here to help us and forgive us when we fail.  How Blessed are we ?

Yesterday we talked about the importance of obedience.  We talked about what a great example Mary & Joseph set and how their obedience to God changed the world, and our future!   And helped to usher in our Savior!

Obedience is such an old fashioned word.  We do not hear it very ofen in today’s society.  It was used more when I was a child, and it was used when I was raising my children.  But it does not appear to be used too often now.

Obedience is defined in the dictionary as , “compliance with an order, request or law”.  We see quite a bit of disobedience in today’s society and look at the state of our world now!

God gave us the “law” for a reason.  For our welfare and to guide us.  And make no mistake, God requires our obedience.  And those of us who Trust our Lord, obey God as much as we possibly can.  But because God loved us and knew that we would, despite our best efforts, fail sometimes.  He sent His only Son Jesus to Save us.  And it is through His Son Jesus that we are forgiven ?  Thank you!

But while Jesus did come to Save us, He didn’t come so that we could not even try to live a life of service both to God and to our fellow man (and woman).

Jesus came, so that when our best efforts are not enough, we could be forgiven through our faith in Jesus ?

 Sometimes with all the gift wrapping, cooking and spending time with family and friends, we can forget what Christmas is really about:  Christ’s Birth.  And because Jesus was born, we were given a New Beginning.  A way to Heaven.  A bridge of forgiveness to the Father.  Because Jesus came, the Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Friend.  Because Jesus came, we are Saved 🙂

What Joy! To know that we will always be loved, always be forgiven.  And always have hope.  And that is just a few of the gifts we received!

But notice, that although Jesus’ arrival started with God’s Plan to redeem us – on earth the arrival of Jesus started with the unquestioning obedience of God’s servants, Mary & Joseph.  Can you imagine being a young girl so many years ago, being pregnant before you were actually married?  Can you imagine riding and walking 62 miles before you gave birth? I can’t imagine how frightened they both were, but they truly believed God and kept walking.  No matter how much pain, no matter how tired they were, they kept obeying God. Thank you both!

And no matter how many people whispered (or shouted) back home, they they obeyed God.  Do we?

We live in a time in which our society wants to make their own choices, no matter how sinful.  Many believe that they know better than God what choices we should make. They will find out the truth soon enough.

This Christmas, we can give Jesus the Gift of our Hearts.  We can be Obedient to God’s Word.  And we can follow Jesus, no matter the cost.  And we can say Thank You!

In preparing for Christmas, we spend much time thinking about the gifts we want to give those we love on Christmas Day.  Hopefully, we also spend time thinking about the gift we want to give Jesus.  (Hint:  We can give Jesus us?) 

With all of these thoughts and our hearts filled to overflowing, we sometimes forget about the one of the greatest Gifts God gives us:  Joy.  In fact, sometimes during the Christmas season, we are so busy “doing Christmas”, we forget to take the time to really experience God’s Gift of Joy ?

Kelly Wise Valdes writes,  “The second fruit of the Spirit is joy. The word ‘joy’ appears nearly 200 times in the Bible, which helps us understand just how important this second sweet fruit of the Spirit really is. Joy is a condition of the heart.”

Joy lifts us up and out of any and all suffering.  It’s the feeling we often experience when we are deep in prayer.  The world can’t touch it!  Because it is God – Given, Holy Spirit Breathed.  And it will last as long as we let it.  And if we loose it, we can simply pray for its’ return.

When the world gets to be too much, pray.  Pray as you have never prayed before.  Pray in a place where you will be uninterrupted.  Even Jesus took time out for prayer, because that is how important prayer is! 

Pray in a way that you think of yourself as going to a “place”.  A place with God.  In it, the sun shines on you, warming you all the way through.  The Joy, of the Holy Spirit fills you as does the Peace that only God can give. And just be.  And listen for that “small still voice”. ?

“Be still and know that I am God” – Psalm 46:10

This is what many refer to as “meditative prayer”.  Instead of seeking assistance, we are simply seeking God.  We seek nothing for ourselves but to be in the presence of God, but we walk away with everything ?.

And we walk away with one mission, to share our Joy with others and teach others how to find it for themselves.  Prayer, in the name of Jesus, is the way…and an open heart that welcomes the Holy Spirit ?

In a couple of days, it will be Christmas. It’s hard to imagine not being filled with Joy on Christmas Day. The day we celebrate Christ’s Birth, and our Salvation. From that day on, our path to Heaven and our Bridge to God was started. It’s hard to imagine anything more Joyful!

But it’s been a hard couple of years for all of us. As we look around our lives, Joy is not always the first thing we feel. But Jesus wants us to have Joy-Now.

So here are a few prayers to restore our Joy!

“Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; ³ have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.” – Psalm 86:1-4

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” -Psalm 51:12

In a couple of days, we will celebrate the joy of Christ’s Birth, and the beginning of our real freedom. We need to allow ourselves to experience that Joy 🙂

The Day of Apostasy is not coming, it is here. And with that apostasy comes much confusion. Apostasy is defined in the dictionary as: “the abandonment or renunciation of a religious belief”.

And what does God say about apostasy?

“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” – Matthew 24:12

” Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;³ Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” – 1 Timothy 4:1-3

“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,” – 2 Peter 3:17

We need to pray for each other and ourselves. My prayer for myself is something I heard in a Christian song: Lord if I ever fail to hang onto you, please hang on to me. And we need to pray and do our very best not to leave anyone behind too! As a friend of mine reminded me, “we are our brother’s keeper”.

This Christmas, we can choose Faith In Christ and all that this includes or we can can choose to celebrate Christmas without Christ. This is unfathomable to me because without Christ, there is no Christmas. And yet many do it. They regard Christmas as simply a time to gather and wish each other well. How mistaken they are!

Christmas is about Christ’s birth. It’s about the beginning of our journey Home. It’s about people such as Mary and Joseph who had the selfless courage to obey the Lord, no questions asked, and bring us Home 🙂

It’s about Jesus and His love for us! It’s about His Willingness to leave Heaven where life was so perfect and come down to earth just so we could go to Heaven. It’s about the Bridge Jesus built between God and us. It’s about forgiveness. It’s about hearts overflowing with love. And with all of that comes hugs, laughter, joy, and dare I say relief? Relief that we will never again have to worry about reaching our Father :). It’s a New Beginning, given to us by God Himself 🙂

Please rain down on us Holy Spirit, and on our World. Help us to share our Joy at Jesus’s Birth with others :). Amen.

Thank you Father for sending your only Son to Save us. Thank you Jesus for Saving us 🙂

“I was made to walk in the valley…I was built to stand in the storm” – Ross King

And make no mistake, a storm is coming! We will one day look back on the current time in which we live, and realize these were the easy days…

Mary traveled 62 miles on a donkey and walking to have Jesus in a Manger.  Can you imagine?  I could hardly walk, much less travel, even with my husband’s help, those last few weeks I carried my children.  Ha!  If I’m honest, I could hardly leave the bathroom, lol!  And then I had my babies in a nice clean hospital where everyone took care of me!  I couldn’t even imagine having a baby in a manger!  And let’s face it, I don’t think any of us could!

But Mary and Joseph were made to “to walk in the valley… built to stand in the storm”! How brave Mary & Joseph were!  They didn’t demand an explanation from God, they just said “Yes”! How willing they were to obey God no matter what the cost!  How selfless Jesus was to come down here and suffer so to Save us! 

Let’s pray that when we are faced with the difficult times that are coming, we will be as selfless and brave as Mary & Jospeph.  And that we will love others as Jesus loves us! And that we will never, ever loose our faith in Jesus 🙂

Society may change, even countries may change-But God does not!  We either stand for something, or we don’t.  The time is coming when we may need to make a choice.  The time to pray and prepare is now!

God did not make one Bible for African Americans and one for White people.  Just as God did not make a different Bible for each country.  It’s one Bible.  One Truth.  And we all need  to accept that and to follow God’s Word as it is-not as we want it to be!

In our efforts to justify our life style, we do not get to manipulate God’s Words.  We do not get to tell God what is right-He tells us-through His Bible.

God created the world in which we live, the sun, the moon, the stars, the seas, land and the mountains.  God created us! 

Why anyone would think that we can “set the rules” over what God decrees, who clearly has such great power, is beyond me.  Obviously, God gets to “set the rules”, so to speak.  We are here and alive through His Grace!

And here is some more “food for thought”.  God made us.  So of course He knows what is  Best for us.  And what would make us Happy!

Let’s look at one example.  God said “Do not steal”.  God did not say is was okay to steal if you are poor or want something bad enough.  God did not say it was okay to steal if you are rioting for a cause.  And God did not say it’s okay to steal if no one on earth catches you!  God said, “Do not steal!”.  And it applies to all-equally.  No exceptions.

God is and always will be colorblind.  He loves us all.  Jesus came for us all ?.  And God expects us to do the same.  To love one another as He does-regardless of color, country or economics, politics or any of the other ways we divide ourselves… We were created to love God and love one another-no exceptions ?

But the same Truth applies to the Bible as well.  It’s One Truth given to ALL of us by God Himself!.  There is not “his” truth or “her truth”.  Truth by it’s very nature has only One Truth-God’s Truth.

So this Christmas, let our Gift to Jesus be our willingness to accept God’s Truth and Follow it. ?