Jesus

Merry Christmas, Messiah has come

Some five hundred years before the arrival of Emmanuel, the prophet Isaiah, prophesied that Emmanuel would come. ” Therefore the Lord himself will give the sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Thus, when it was nearing time for Emmanuel’s arrival, God sent the angel Gabriel to reveal His plans to the chosen virgin:

“And in the sixth month He sent the Angel Gabriel unto a city in Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Subsequently, the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

When she saw him, she became troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.
Behold thou shall conceive in thy womb, and give birth to a son, and shall call his name JESUS” (Luke 126-31).
When Joseph heard the news, he became distraught.”How could this be? He thought. Mary and I have not come together yet! I must divorce her before everybody finds out.”
“As he contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. The child she is carrying is of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).

“So it came to pass that there went Joseph up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David. He went there to register with Mary, who had pledged to marry him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came, and Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:4-7)

Jesus shall reign for ever and ever

“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7).

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

 

Do you want to be a winner?

Zack Greinke

Zack Greinke (Photo credit: Keith Allison)

At a Dodger Stadium news conference on Tuesday December 11. 2012 , the Los Angeles Dodgers introduced their newly acquired $147 million Baseball pitching star, Zack Greinke to the news media. Majority owner, Magic Johnson was asked whether money was no object with the Dodgers. He responded with four words, “We want to win”.

Everybody wants to be a winner. Winning is everything in the secular world, especially in sports and athletics. It is not enough to compete. One has to win, and win now! Otherwise, you are deemed a loser, and since no one wants to be a loser, the pressure of winning becomes greater.

Unfortunately, not everybody can be a winner. There is only one spot on the podium for the winner, so some of us have to settle for the unpopular also ran position.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Instead, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. . . Hebrews 12:1-2

However, unlike the secular world, everyone can be a winner in Christ and in the Christian world. In this sacred world, the race is not awarded to the swift nor the battle to the strong. This race is a marathon, and the winners are those who run with patience and endure to the end. There is no controversy in the Christian race. No doping scandal and no false start. Everyone is on equal footing.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10

There  is no so-called superstar in the Christian race, and there is no mention of judges or referees. There is only one Judge–the righteous JUDGE and He cannot be bought. He does not take a bribe. He calls the race as He sees it. It does not matter how popular you are, and how long you have been running. He does not curry-favor.

Here is how a winner in the Christian world sounds at the end of his race:

I have fought the good fight, and I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing”. 2 Timothy 4.

What am I thankful for today?

English: "The First Thanksgiving at Plymo...

English: “The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth” (1914) By Jennie A. Brownscombe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is so much for which I am thankful. My blessings are many and endless. I am thankful for every waking hour, every breath I take and every step I make.

I especially thank God for His saving grace. His love and His mercy. He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs and pulled me from the mire clay. I thank Him for spared life, my family and friends, those who are near and far, and those on Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress. I thank Him for my neighbors and co-workers. I thank Him for governments; Federal, State and Local. I thank Him for the utility companies, and the mail carrier. I thank Him for my church family, and I thank Him for my employer, who took a chance on me and gave me a job. Thank you Lord for everything.

Finally, my brethren, Just like the pilgrims were in early autumn of 1621, I am particularly thankful to God today for the opportunity to live in the greatest country on earth. Despite its sordid past and its problems at home and abroad, the USA is still a beacon, and I would not exchange it for any other country…Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Defy the critics and live in anticipation of Jesus’ return

Repent! Jesus is coming soon

Repent! Jesus is coming soon (Photo credit: Ben Sutherland)

Despite what critics think, there is manifestly no doubt that Jesus will return for His church when most of us least expect. His return was imminent when Saul got struck down on the Damascus road, and it is even more imminent today. However, no one knows the minute or the hour. Jesus Himself said so: “But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Therefore, brothers and sisters, every Christian should live in readiness and anticipation of that day. If we do not, we may jolly well end up like the five foolish virgins.

The five foolish virgins got locked out of the banqueting hall; because of their failure to live in readiness and anticipation of the Bridegroom. They knew He was coming, but because of haphazard planning, (lack of spiritual readiness), they missed their only chance to have a seat at the banqueting table. One can only imagine how those poor women felt, when they heard the words: “Depart from me. I never knew you”.

The Bible never told us what happened to the five foolish virgins. We can only assume. However, it tells us what will happen to those of us who are not ready when Jesus returns for His church. In 2 Peter 3:10, the apostle Peter warns: “The Day of the Lord will come “like a thief in the night”. On that Day, the heavens will disappear with a roar and the elements will melt and dissolve, and the earth and everything in it will burn up”.

Just like in the days of Noah, many people doubt the word of God. Some people pretend that they believe but their actions do not match their words. Still, some people think there is plenty of time before Christ returns. Another group claims it has been two thousand years since Jesus promised His return and it is yet to happen.

Two thousand years may seem like a long time to us, but to God it is not. Here, is how the apostle Peter addressed this issue: “Moreover, dear friends, do not ignore this: with the Lord, one day is like one thousand years and one thousand years like one day. The Lord has not been slow to fulfill His promise as some people think; quite the opposite, He is patient with us; for it is not his intention that anyone should perish, but that everyone should turn from his sins” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Finally, my dear brothers and sisters, it does not matter how long we wait. God does not count the days, and the years like we do. Furthermore, He is giving everyone a chance to repent. Therefore, the most obvious thing to do is to live in spiritual readiness and preparedness for the Bridegroom when He returns.