A Church with a Heart for our Community

December 18th Friday

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ – THE Crucified and Risen Saviour! Wow! 2015 is two weeks from being over and Christmas is but one week away – I trust that you had a great week and have a sense of accomplishment in your spirit. Are you excited about getting together with the Christian family to praise, worship, and fellowship? I believe this will be a significant weekend for many of us. Today I wil be praying for you, asking Father to stir “holy excitement into your heart, mind, and spirit.

Over the last twenty-four hours, God has sent some “G-mail” to me on His “Holy Spirit internet” – and they have been from His Word. He suggested, as only He can do, that I share them with you…so here we go…And Mary sang this song, My soul is estatic, overflowing with praises to God! My spirit bursts with joy over my Life-Giving God! For He set His tender gaze upon me, His lowly servant girl! And from here, everyone will know that I have been favored and blessed!…Those who hunger for Him will always be filled, but the smug and self-satisfied, He will send away empty! – Luke 1:46-48, 53  TPT … Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world–wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important–has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out–but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. – – 1 John 2:15-17  The Message.

I have watched a few Christmas movies this year and believe that the theme for all has been about finding what is really important and valuable in living with peace and joy. Whether it is about relationships restored, home-town businesses being rescued, people renewing their faith in a power beyond themselves or the love that has been long sought for…these are the heart of God’s message to mankind. If you think about this for a moment or two – these themes are expressed in the Christmas music we sing, the notes in Christmas greetings we send, and the gatherings we host. There is a “holy longing” buried in the most secret place of every human being. God said it best in His Word: …He has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. – Ecclesiastes 3:11b NIV. 

There is a children’s song that simply says: “You can’ stop God from loving you – Not God–not now, not ever” John Gowans and that is the captivating message of Christmas. I have heard this message in so many ways, but it always stirs my being: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness [ a right relationship with God revealed through right relationships with other people…and yourself] for they will be satisfied, at peace, whole and complete.  Matthew 5:6.

Have a great weekend – be blessed!