“The Seed of The Woman” 

Sharing this Christmas message at Hilton Baptist Church Virginia.

The protoevangelium, the plan of redemption, is first mentioned, in Genesis 3:15 and talks of the seed of the woman bruising the serpent’s head. But how can this be since a woman doesn’t have seed? Over the years as I read this it confused me since a woman doesn’t have seed in her womb. God led me to the story of the annunciation of Mary when the angel gave her the word that she would conceive of the Holy Ghost. Suddenly as the Lord opened my spiritual eyes, I saw that ‘the seed of the woman’ talked about back in the Garden was the Word, the Rhema, that was given to her. 1Peter 1:23 writes of the Word being the seed of God that He plants in our hearts. According to the parable of the sower in Luke 18:11 the seed is the Word of God

Luke 1:38 uncovers the mystery to us! “Behold the handmaiden of the Lord! Be it unto me according to thy Word”. Note she didn’t say “Be it according to my seed.”

At the time of the miraculous conception what was the seed of the Father that Mary received?

It was the Word that was conceived in her womb. The gospel of John tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.That’s the real meaning of the Christmas story, Emmanuel, God with us. Mary was obedient although she could not fathom how this could be but in faith she declared, “Be it unto to me according to thy Word”. Although the seed is full of life it is powerless until believed and obeyed. Then the seed mixed with faith becomes a Rhema word. Faith gives the Rhema substance. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11.1 The Rhema will become incarnate just like the seed of Mary’s womb, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”.

Have you ever become pregnant with a Rhema and thought but how could this happen? Have you believed and cherished it until it would become flesh? Or have you neglected the fetus in your spiritual womb? Or maybe through discouragement or doubt you have tried to abort it? Maybe right now you are having labor pains, that’s a sure sign that birth is on its way! Although that seed is of the spirit it needs the physical part of you to become incarnate and be a witness to the world.

When we receive a Rhema word into our hearts, we become pregnant with a vision or a purpose and as we are faithful to feed, guard and protect that seed, one day it will give birth, it will be brought to fruition. Feed it with stubborn, ever increasing faith regardless of fear of rejection or unbelief from others for if this seed is of God the Father, the day will come when He will claim what you are giving birth to as His own! Others will see that this was the Lord’s miraculous doing.

God’s part is to give life and breathe to the seed which He planted within us.

Our part is to nourish it through faith during the long months or maybe even years of pregnancy and then when labor pains begin, hang in there and deliver it to the world.

CHALLENGE: Surrender your whole being, body, soul and spirit and in faith declare as Mary did “ Behold the servant of the Lord! Be it unto me according to thy Word”.

Dressing The House to Celebrate

 

I was spending time “Dressing the house” and putting finishing touches to my Christmas tree to celebrate the season, when I took a moment to sit down with my Scottie and Westie, to reflect and be inspired as I read Jack Hayford’s Christmas Devotional where he  writes:-

“Be assured this is righteous.

I mean it! Decoration of the house at Christmas is neither a surrender to pagan traditions nor a capitulation to commercialism.

Listen….
If God commissioned angels to roll back the night and fill it with blazing light
If God provided a mighty celestial choir to serenade a few startled shepherds,
If God graced the heavens with a miracle star,
If God arranged such a memorable entry point as a feeding trough in a stable,
If God went to all this trouble to open our eyes to His entry into our world
Then we needn’t apologize for festooning our home with a few seasonal reminders!
Since the light of the world has come, lights strung across the roof only shout it from the housetop. Candles and candelabra, stars and starlight, gifts and giving, songs and sonnets, light and lightheartedness, angel cookies and wise men or ornaments – all are consistent with what transpired on our little planet two thousand years ago.
That we celebrate the memory with attention and care, the wonder-filled and wonder-full is entirely appropriate”.

CHALLENGE: As we prepare our hearts for His Advent let us also prepare our homes as a window to display the celebration and joy of the season for family, friends and neighbors as they visit our homes.

Unraveling the Stress of the Christmas Season

As we head into heat of the Christmas season with the frustrating lines in the stores, the tangled lights that don’t work after hours of decorating, the strained relationships especially within families, the baking that was a flop, the stress to fit all the activities into your calendar are only examples of  the pressure cooker we make of the season as we blow our tops and lose the joy of the season, I am cautioned by this word my heavenly Papa dropped into my heart.

Dear Child,

The pressure and stress that robs you of the joy of this season has been manufactured by man and led man into slavery when this season was to set man free from the bondage of this world. The angels cry “Joy to the world” not “Stress to the world”.

Do not try to package my gift in wrapping paper of stress tied up with a bow of pressure!

My gift came wrapped in joy and tied with love.

May the joy of the season overflow from your hearts as you extend your arms as ribbons of love to others.

Thus saith Papa

Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

CHALLENGE: Do not let the world pour you into its mold of stress during this season of joy.

 

 

What Now? When The Christmas Anti-Climax Is Over?

We often  experience a bit of a Christmas anti-climax once Christmas Day has passed. All that planning, shopping, build up etc and then its all over in just a few hours! We may find it hard to maintain our Christmas joy especially during this often lost week between Christmas Day and New Year.

May it help you to remember that each new day is a gift from God. Each breathe is a gift. His gift is a lifetime gift for all seasons.

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Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being.

These Boots Are Made For Walking.

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Stepping out Texas style to travel to San Antonio for dinner at the River Walk and enjoy the story of The Life and The Music and The Legend of Buddy Holly, a native son of Lubbock Texas, at the Cameo Theater.

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