ADOPTION

And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary,

 of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

 Matthew 1:16 

Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 

Luke 3:23  

So when they saw Him, they were amazed;

 and His mother said to Him,

 "Son, why have You done this to us?

 Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously."

 And He said to them,

 "Why did you seek Me?

 Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"

 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth,

 and was subject to them,

 but His mother kept all these things in her heart.

 Luke 2:48-51 

The Son of GOD was willing to be adopted

 by an earthly father

 so that the sons of men could be adopted

 by the Heavenly Father.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,

 but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,

 "Abba, Father."

 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit

 that we are children of God,

 and if children, then heirs-

-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,

 if indeed we suffer with Him,

 that we may also be glorified together.

 Romans 8:15-17 

The Spirit of adoption is the Holy Spirit, 

Who is the Spirit of GOD,

 Who is the Spirit of JESUS.

Invite Him now by asking Him to come into your heart.

As you receive this Spirit of adoption,

 you will become a child of the Most High GOD!!

Welcome to the Family!!

With Love,

Your brother and sister in CHRIST.

Giving Gifts

Two important aspects of Christmas celebration are lights and gifts.

We may give for the sake of keeping tradition 

or because of love.

Love gives.

We give gifts to the one who celebrates the birthday showing that person is special and is loved.

At Christmas time we exchange gifts indicating that all of us are special and that we love one another.

************************************************************************************************************

This tradition did not originate from man but from GOD. He set the example for giving.

"For God so loved the world

 that He gave His only begotten Son,

 that whoever believes in Him

 should not perish but have everlasting life.

 John 3:16 

When purchasing gifts we do our best to find the most suitable gift for each individual.

GOD gave the gift most suited for mankind.

A life for the lives of people.

A Saviour for the sinner!

***********************************************************************************************************

Traditionally, gifts are wrapped with colourful paper and placed under the Christmas tree.

GOD’S gift was a precious little baby from heaven

wrapped in swaddling clothes 

laid in a manger - the feeding trough for cattle!

Gifts come in varying sizes and shapes.

Our 3 year old granddaughter Shannah was modest when we asked her how big her gift should be! 

But we do understand that the size of the gift does not determine the value of it.

A tiny box with a piece of jewelry could be the most expensive of the lot!

***********************************************************************************************************

Shannah loves to receive ‘Pregents’! Who doesn’t? 

Although Shannah knew that she was getting a ‘pregent’,

she had to wait patiently until Christmas to receive it.

But when the fullness of the time had come,

God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,

born under the law,

to redeem those who were under the law,

that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

Galatians 4:4-5

This is the core, the centre of the true meaning of Christmas.

Although it may not be that exact day on the Jewish calendar that JESUS was born, 

people all over the world celebrate Christmas
on the 25th of December.

It is the day of the Saviour’s birth.

Christ - mas meaning CHRIST for the masses!

*******************************************************************************************************

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them,

and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid,

for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy

which will be to all people.

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord.

"And this will be the sign to you: 

You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 

Luke 2:8-12

GOD’S special gift was accessible to the humble shepherds

and they received the gift with joy and gratitude.

Don’t we say ‘Thank You’ when we receive gifts?

Then the shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God

for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Luke 2:20

******************************************************************************************************

Some gifts don’t last long for example a box of chocolates, while others do!

Imagine receiving one gift. 

Then as you open up the wrapping you find a gift and also find another layer of wrapping.

You open it up eagerly and find another gift,

even more precious than the first.

Imagine this goes on for eternity! 

This is the nature of the gift GOD has given to us!

Psalm 104:24

O LORD, how manifold are Your works! 

In wisdom You have made them all. 

The earth is full of Your possessions--

**********************************************************************************************************

In the process of exchanging gifts, 

we like to in some way match the value of the gift we give with the value of the gift given to us.

GOD gave His gift of love and He expects us to give all of our love and all of ourselves to Him.

In giving to the LORD, we give ourselves in serving one another in love.

As each one has received a gift,

minister it to one another, 

as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Peter 4:10

***********************************************************************************************************

Gifts are a token of GOD’S great love for you.

Even as you open your hand to receive your gift this Christmas,

make sure that you open your heart to receive GOD’S special love for you with thanks.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15

Wicked, Weak and Weary

Wicked

"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. - Jeremiah 17:9-10  

The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. - Psalm 33:13-15

Every human being is born with a heart that is wicked. The physical heart is turned to the left indicating that all of us have turned away from GOD.

GOD specialises in fashioning and restoring hearts!

"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. - Isaiah 1:18-20

GOD is wooing us back to Himself with great love.

We need to be willing and allow Him to work on us.

Refusing His invitation and rebelling against Him is wickedness. So also is stubbornness.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." - 1 Samuel 15:23

But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it. - Proverbs 2:22  

Unfaithfulness is wickedness.

They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons." - Matthew 21:41

As servants of GOD, not rendering to the LORD in their seasons the fruits of our work in His vineyard is wickedness.

We need to be diligent to treat those whom we serve as GOD’S property.

We should also give GOD all the glory and not take pride in the success of the work He enables us to do.

Our joy and rejoicing should be the LORD Himself more than the fruit of our work.

The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. - Proverbs 15:29  

Only the prayer made in the name of JESUS is heard by the LORD because our righteousness in only in Him.

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. - James 1:21  

Let us lay all our filthiness of sin and wickedness at the foot of the cross of JESUS where it can be disposed of effectively.

We can also dispose of the wickedness of others thrown at us by leaving them at the cross in intercession.

It is the word of GOD that is able to cleanse our souls of all wickedness.

As the word convicts us, let us put away all wickedness and receive the truth of GOD’S word.

Let us forsake our wicked ways, repent and return to Him.

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. - Isaiah 55:7

Let us allow the LORD to change our wickedness into Godliness.

As I decrease and JESUS increases in me wickedness will decrease and righteousness will increase in me.

Therefore let us not refuse the LORD and rebel against Him

but repent of our wicked ways and return to Him.

Let us not reject His word but receive it with meekness.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. - Psalm 139:23-24

Weak

"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." - Matthew 26:41

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. - Hebrews 4:15

He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:29-31

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9  

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. - Romans 8:26

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. - John 15:5

We are strengthened in our weakness by the LORD as we watch and pray as led by the Spirit and wait on the LORD and abide in Him. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

We should also strengthen others in their weakness

Weary

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30  

For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, "This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest," And, "This is the refreshing"; Yet they would not hear. - Isaiah 28:11-12

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. - Romans 8:26

"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, "how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. "Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget. - Deuteronomy 25:17-19

We are spiritually strengthened when we pray in the Spirit in tongues.

We need to come to the LORD JESUS and find rest in Him.

When we enter into His rest we only do what He requires of us.

As we find our rest in Him we should also rest physically.

We should not become busybodies so that we are too weary to do what GOD requires of us. We should save our time and energy to joyously do His will.

We also give the devil the opportunity to attack us when we are unduly weary.

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. "But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." - Luke 10:38-42

Attacking one who is weak and weary to make him fall is a work of the devil. That is what he did to JESUS and now does to us. We should never do that to others. We should help others in their times of weariness.

Enduring Evangelist

Enduring Evangelist

Evangelist - Messenger of Good News.

Why Evangelize?

• Because we have found the only way of salvation.

""Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."" - Acts 4:12

• It is our LORD’S command.

""Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen." - Matthew 28:19-20  

"'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" - Matthew 25:30

What is the message?

• Repent, Receive, Refreshing, Restoration.

""The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. "But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, "and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. "And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. "Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. "But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, "and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, "whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." - Acts 3:13-21

Why Endure?

• Because it will determine where in the ‘End U Re’! - Serving the LORD in submission or not.
• JESUS endured the cross - offered forgiveness to the soldiers

                                                   salvation to the criminal

                                                   comfort to His mother and to John

• Paul endured suffering in prison - wrote epistles and saw the jailor and his family saved.

How Do We Endure?

• By the Word and the Spirit.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." - Ephesians 6:10-20

What To Endure?

• Shame

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2

""For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."" - Mark 8:38  

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." - Romans 1:16

• Fear of Persecution

""But he who endures to the end shall be saved." - Matthew 24:13

• Anti-conversion Rules

"But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."" - Acts 4:19-20

• Hardship

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." - 2 Timothy 2:3

• Deception

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

• Deviation into Worldliness

"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. ... for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica--Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia." - 2 Timothy 4:1-5, 10  

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." - 1 John 2:15-17

""But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." - Matthew 6:33

If we are not full of Faith to influence the world, we will be influenced by the world.