Walking by Faith in Your Wintery Season

January 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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At this season of the year when the earth is blanketed in snow and ice, I am amazed as I consider the ugly  tulip and daffodil bulbs that are frozen under the soil which will soon sprout and bear beautiful flowers of hope as the earth is rejuvenated during spring time. And even in the dead of winter when shivering hope appears to be frozen God gives a glimmer of hope as the snowdrops pop their heads bravely through the fallen snow. Oh the joy of seeing that first fragile yet hardy snowdrop – what a wonderful window to our souls of His desire to feed our faith to believe for brighter days. I thank God for His faithfulness in the seasons and look forward in faith to the spring.

Dear Child,

I am also faithful in the seasons of your life! Each season has its own unique beauty and purpose, the same is true with the seasons of your life. The same is true in the ministry of your life.

A time to believe in naked faith, a time to sow, a time to water and tend the potential harvest, and then a time of reward and reaping! The winter season is a time of hidden dormancy on the surface, but oh! under the surface what preparation is going on to burst to life in the spring! Be prepared for the spring! child.

Every season of your life has its own winter of faith, planting time in spring, watering time in summer, and reaping time in the fall. But this winter time of dormancy and darkness without any fruit, is when you must walk by faith and trust my hand to be working in My sovereignty under the surface, to bring beauty to your life in the spring!

You trust me with the seasons of the earth, trust me with the seasons of your life!

                                                              Thus saith Papa

Ecclesiastes 3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

WINTER — The Season of FAITH

SPRING  — The Season of HOPE

SUMMER —The Season of LABOR

AUTUMN — The Season of FRUITFULNESS

CHALLENGE: If you are in the season of a fruitless winter, in faith hold unto hope, don’t give up, spring is on its way, for He is faithful!

 

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A Tribute to Andrae Crouch

January 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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Honoring the memory of one of our greatest songwriters and worshippers of our time who went home to be with His Lord this week by quoting some of his lyrics which have impacted my walk with the Lord for so many years.

Take me back, take me back dear Lord

To the place where I first received you.

Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I

First believed.”

So often don’t we need to return to the place where we first believed, to the foot of the cross?

“How can I say thanks for the things

You have done for me?

Things so undeserved yet you gave

To prove your love for me

The voices of a million angels

Could not express my gratitude

All that I am, and ever hope to be

I owe it all to thee”

These words have reminded me so many times to have a grateful heart.

“I thank God for the mountains,

And I thank Him for the valleys,

I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.

For if I’d never had a problem,

I wouldn’t know God could solve them,

I’d never know what faith in God could do.”

How many times have these lyrics seen me through hard times!

“The blood that Jesus shed for me,

Way back on Calvary;

The blood that gives me strength

From day to day,

It will never lose it’s power.

It reaches to the highest mountain,

It flows to the lowest valley;

The blood that gives me strength

From day to day,

It will never lose it’s power.

It soothes my doubts and calms my fears,

And it dries all my tears;

The blood that gives me strength

From day to day,

It will never lose it’s power.”

This has to be my favorite of all his many great songs, for it is the foundational power of our Christian faith. And all of God’s children said “AMEN!!!”

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Don’t Pack Him Away with the Christmas Decor

January 7, 2015 by 1 Comment

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This week we will all be packing away our Christmas tree decor for another year and discarding all that torn wrapping paper and empty gift boxes. We will be stripping our homes of the symbols of Christmas but don’t let us strip our hearts of love, expectation of hope, joy and peace and the sentiment of the season. We don’t have to pack away the Christmas spirit. We can pack away the symbolic babe of the nativity scene but don’t pack away the living Christ for He lives in us ! Lift Him high for the world to see all year long not only in a manger during the Christmas Season.

Galatians 2:20 It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. 

Don’t store away the light of the world with your Christmas lights.

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Don’t discard Him as you discard the dying Christmas tree losing the glory of its pines for He ever lives in all His glory.

Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.

1 Peter 5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen

CHALLENGE: Pray for grace to live the Christmas message of love, peace and hope throughout the coming year.

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The Eternal Word Became Flesh 

December 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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The pre-incarnated Christ existed long before His birth in Bethlehem.

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.

In the Old Testament there are several manifestations of His existence which are known as THEOPHANIES literally “The appearance of God”.

It is a visible manifestation of God to humankind.

One of these appearances is recorded in:

Daniel 3:25 Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

These are very different from His appearance as a babe in Bethlehem which is known as His INCARNATION literally “God in the flesh”.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

The Incarnation of the Son of God is the terminology used to describe what happened when the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, “became flesh” as he was miraculously conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In the incarnation, the divine nature of the Son was perfectly united with human nature in one divine Person. This person, Jesus Christ, was both “truly God and truly man.”

Charles Wesley penned it so well in his Christmas carol

“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!
Philippians 3:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!

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Rethinking “Twas the Night before Christmas”

December 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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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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