Giving Gifts of Hospitality

December 15, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Titus 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate.

1 Peter 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

When we get “dressed up” it is usually to go out somewhere. When we get our homes “dressed up” for Christmas we can’t take our home out so we instead invite others in to share our joy and our faith displayed in our home at Christmas.There is no greater joy than to gather around friends and neighbors in your home to celebrate the season.

Last Saturday we invited our friends and neighbors in to enjoy our “dressed up” home and fellowship with us.

After enjoying a buffet supper and fellowshipping over 40 of us gathered with candles to worship by filling the air in our home with the sound of the carols of old. I shared a short devotional message “The Seed of the Woman” feeding our guests some fresh manna from the Christmas story to inspire us during this season and also to encourage us in the New Year.

We laughed and laughed at our friends’ creativity as we exchanged “gag” gifts and finished the evening with a waft of romance in the air as couples danced to their special love song.

What a wonderful evening! Thanks to all our friends for warming our hearts with love and being pa

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Twas the night before Christmas

December 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house.

Not a creature was praying, not one in the house

Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care

In hope that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed

Not once ever knelling or bowing a head.

And Mum in her rocker with baby on her lap

Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter.

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open  the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.

With a light like the sun sending forth a ray

I knew in a moment this must  be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head

It was Jesus returning just like He had said.

And though I possessed wisdom and wealth,

I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His Hand

Was written the name of every saved man,

He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;

When He said “Its not here” my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love

He gathered to take to His Father above.

With those who were ready He rose without a sound.

While all the rest were left standing around.

I feel to my knees but it was too late;

I had waited too long and this sealed my fate,

I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;

Oh! If only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;

The coming of Jesus is drawing near.

There’s only one way life and when comes the call

We’ll find that the Bible was true after all!

CHALLENGE: Since there are approximately 300 prophecies about His first coming and over 1500 prophesying He will come again, His second advent is imminent. In the middle of all the hustle and bustle in preparing to celebrate His Birth do we even give it a thought to prepare for His second coming?

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What Can Shatter Your Christmas ?

December 13, 2017 by Leave a Comment

“Dear Child,
The joy of the season is found in relationships not in things!
Firstly a restored relationship with Me, and then the grace that I give that you may restore broken relationships with others. Love cannot be displayed without relationships. In loving you find the meaning for living.
Love is only love when you give it away, and in order to give you must have someone to give it to. Therefore you must invest in relationships. If you are giving with the right motivation you will have joy for it is more blessed to give than to receive. If you don’t have joy in giving, look inside and check the motivation.”
Thus saith Papa.
Nothing is more of a joy breaker than broken relationships at the holidays.
They can shatter your Christmas!

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Gifts with a Prophetic Meaning

December 12, 2017 by Leave a Comment

 

Matthew 2:11  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Over two thousand years ago wise men offered Him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

This Christmas we can also offer Him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. But these gifts have much more than monetary value for they cost us the treasures of our hearts.

GOLD prophesied His royalty as King of Kings

And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:16

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, [be] honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. I Timothy 1:17

We present unto Him the Gift of Gold out of the treasure of our hearts when we submit to his Kingship and Lordship in our lives.

FRANKINCENSE prophesied of His everlasting priesthood after the order of Melchizedek

Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek Hebrews 6:20

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. Hebrews 9:11

We present unto Him the gift of Frankincense as we daily offer Him our thanksgiving, prayers and praise at the Golden Altar of Incense where we present ourselves as living sacrifices holy and acceptable. It will be a sweet incense to Him.

MYRRH prophesied His suffering as the Lamb of God.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. I Peter 2:24

We present Him the gift of myrrh as as we willingly identify with His suffering and take up our cross daily and follow Him.

CHALLENGE: Make the Christmas pageant come alive this year in your heart as you present unto Him, gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. As you confirm that He is your King, great High Priest and the Lamb of God that takes away your sin.

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Never Judge a Gift By It’s Wrapping

December 12, 2017 by Leave a Comment

It has been said that we should never judge a book by its cover. During this gift giving season I want to remind us that we should never judge a gift by its wrappings! The most expensive, the most planned and thoughtful gift ever offered to this world was placed in an old manger for a box and wrapped in lowly swaddling clothes but as we start to unwrap this precious gift we find it is tied with red ribbons dipped in the blood of the greatest love mankind has ever known.

Unknown

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life

As Isaac Newton writes

“Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

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