Daily and Weekly Christian Inspiration
Teach us to value most eternal things…
To find the happiness that giving brings..
To know the peace of misty, distant hills…
To know the joy that giving self fulfills…
To realize anew this Christmas Day…
The things we keep are those we give away.–
Marvin Davis Winsett
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?
“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!
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.
To fulfill prophecy of the reason for His coming, the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. He was born where lambs are born, not in a hotel room or hospital but in barns and stables. May the Christmas Nativity with the stable remind us of the reason for His birth.
Revelation 13:8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” © MMB