The Gift of Jesus

Three days stand between the world and the happening of another Christmas. I truly LOVE everything about the month of December, and I find the season of gift-giving both exciting and heartwarming. Nothing compares to the beauty of a well-decorated tree and precious time spent with loved ones. 

So much about the season is wonderful but the commercialism surrounding the holiday so often leaves many hearts forgetting the actual reason for the season.

That reason would be the birth of Jesus. We celebrate Him on this precious day (and we should honor Him with each day that we live, but that is another thought for another time)

I have thought a lot about gift-giving. I love to buy practical gifts; items someone uses daily and something that they truly need. 

As the word 'practical' has continually swirled around in my thoughts, I couldn't help but remember Isaiah 9:6; the sweet and powerful reminder of who Jesus is and how exciting and amazing His birth was. 

I can imagine so much planning going into every intricate detail just as parents often spend weeks or months preparing for Christmas, hoping that everything about the holiday will become a precious memory.

The presence of Jesus provides many wonderful and practical gifts that can and should be applied in our lives daily: 

The Gift of Counsellor refers to the infallible wisdom that He graciously provides all throughout His Word. Jesus is the ultimate advice giver and He will never steer you in the wrong direction.

The Gift of His Might: Many life circumstances leave families weakened and without any source of strength. You will forever need the gift of His might. Perhaps whoever stumbles upon my words today finds themselves traveling through some situation that proves to be overwhelming and difficult to understand. The gift of His might will provide you with every ounce of gumption you'll ever need to walk right through it. 

The Gift Of Eternal Life: The promise of an eternity to spend with Jesus is perhaps the sweetest gift of all. The gift of salvation is offered freely to all who are willing to accept it. Jesus loves you and His greatest desire is for you to place your life in His hands. 

The Gift of Peace: The incomparable peace that is experienced through knowing and trusting in Jesus truly IS wonderful. The world holds no promise of hope, but Jesus IS our blessed hope. The gift of peace comes from knowing that this world is not our home. 

May the focus of our Christmas holiday be more about celebrating the gift of Jesus and remembering the need for His presence in our lives. 

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6 KJV)

What Are You Eating?

 

We are truly living through dangerous days. Our surroundings are filled with unprecedented levels of uncertainty and unfamiliarity, and the continual presence of societal poison has now been thrown out into the open for the entire world to see.

The staggering amount seems quite overwhelming. Studies show that most of what we consume daily is considered harmful. The fast-food industry continues to crumble as many are now avoiding what they're selling. 

That only places the foundation for my message today----the nasty ingredients found in what we are consuming don't only exist in our edible food---they are within everything we take in through our senses---the music we listen to, the television shows we're streaming, and those little devices that occupy so much of our time (that last part was written from personal experience)

One quick Google search about the dangers of processed foods will show their harmful effects on our bodies. While we should care about our physical condition, we must also remember to be diligent about our spiritual health. 

It's so easy to drift away from what is healthy for us; spiritual warfare surrounds us and those areas are continually under attack. 

How can what we eat spiritually open the door to darkness? 

Where do the problems begin to surface?

Through The Condition of Our Heart:The spiritual condition of the heart is reflected in every aspect of life. The world often encourages you to 'follow your heart' but the Bible warns us that the heart is deceitful and that we are to keep it with all diligence. 

The Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines the word 'keep' as   "to preserve from falling, or from danger; to protect; to guard, or to sustain." 

Failing to guard the heart will leave it diseased and endangered. Jesus loves you and His greatest desire is for you to be healthy. We all need a check-up on the heart from time to time. How is yours looking?

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV)

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23 KJV)

Through The Condition of Our Minds: . You'll find so much about the condition of the mind throughout Scripture. It's often said that if you live without filling the mind with the truth of God's precious Word, the world will never fail to fill it with thoughts that are rooted in darkness, fear, and doubt. Perhaps you are facing an uncomfortable or uncertain situation at the moment. Pray about it, ask the Lord to calm you down, and think about what His Word says. He's always by your side and He'll always be there. All you need to do is trust Him.

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV)

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV)

Through the Condition of Our Rest: The world is surely not a place of peaceful rest; endless turmoil surrounds us, and the power of spiritual warfare can keep you tossing and turning (literally and figuratively). Looking to Jesus will keep you resting in His perfect peace. This powerful truth is short and sweet, but it's so simple. There's never been a problem that God couldn't solve, and there's never been a battle that He couldn't conquer.

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8 KJV) 

Don't buy into the poisonous garbage of this world. Choosing to fill yourself with it will forever leave you hungry and without proper nourishment.

You may get what you want, but you'll never find what you need. 

It's often said that you are what you eat.

What are you eating today?