CHRISTMAS
THOUGHTS
The beautiful Christmas Song, "Silver
Bells", tells of people who are busy because
it will soon be Christmas Day. Everywhere we go
this season, we see people rushing to buy that
last minute gift. The malls and stores buzz with
holiday excitement as the glitter and glitz of the
season's decorations create a holiday atmosphere.
People love shopping and giving presents to loved
ones and friends to show love and appreciation.
Before the Thanksgiving decorations are put away,
people everywhere are hurrying out to look for
special gifts. This is one of the most prosperous
Seasons of the year for merchants. Many people go
into debt buying things people don't need, with
money they don't have, yet forget to present the
most important Gift of all to our Lord and
others.
We see people each holiday season preparing ahead
for Christmas Day. We also join in the hustle and
bustle of the Season. The presents must be
wrapped, traditional foods prepared, and Christmas
plays rehearsed. Everyone is busy making sure
everything is completed before the 25th of
December. Christmas Eve finds many people making
one last trip to the stores to look for sale items
or last minute gifts. When Christmas arrives, it
is too late if one has not prepared for the
day. When the 26th of December arrives, it
is over. It will be the same on the Day of
our Lord and many will not be ready who have not
offered their best to the Master in exchange for
his free gift of salvation. There is no
price to pay for this gift except to surrender our
will and life unto Him. Yet, still people
refuse Him.
We must present ourselves to Him as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable which is expected
of us. We must also share his free gift of
salvation with others as the message was shared
with us. Do we ever stop to think that soon
it will be the "Day of the
Lord"? Are we preparing for that
day also? The Bible tells us the
coming of the Lord will be as it was in the days
of Noah. People were caught up in eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until
the flood. They had not made preparation for
their salvation nor listened to the preaching of
Noah who proclaimed the message of the Lord.
Only Noah and his family were saved as Noah had
prepared ahead by building an Ark of safety as
instructed by God. Are we working at lifting
up God's 'Ark of Safety', (salvation), by
proclaiming the news that the 'Day of the Lord' is
at hand?
We know not the day or hour, but we do know it is
even closer today than yesterday. We must be
prepared and help prepare others by laboring as
Noah. We must declare the Word of Truth. Noah
built and also warned. Just as God had said and
Noah proclaimed, the rains came and the flood of
destruction was upon the land. The Nations are
also going to enter the the troubled land in the
East given to God's people, "as a flood"
would overtake land. They will be led by the
forces of evil. We are told when this happens,
"the Spirit of the Lord will intervene and
raise up a standard" at the right time.
Many will be deceived and not be in the Army of
the Lord.
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse,
which shall stand for an "ensign" of the
people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and his
rest shall be glorious. And the Lord shall set his
hand in that day, a second time, to recover the
remnant of his people which shall be left. He will
set up an ensign, (standard or banner), for the
nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of
Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah
from the four corners of the earth. The Messiah
himself will be a rallying point of all Nations
and a sign to all. Then they shall come to
Him, and put their trust. The House of
Israel shall be regathered and even so, we see a
regathering in this day and time. There is a
great day coming soon and there will be peace in
all the land. It will be true peace from God which
we shall rest therein in the thousand years of His
reign during this time prophesied. Then we shall
enter into the eternal rest of the Lord for time
and eternity.
I believe Jesus will take his own, who are counted
worthy to escape, out of this world. The dead in
Christ shall rise first, and they which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Jacob's
troubles are not something the saved will have to
worry about or the Greater Tribulation of this
time. They shall be with Him in heaven, then in
the 1,000 year reign and in all eternity. We must
learn of these times to help prepare others in
this day to be counted worthy to escape the things
which shall come to pass.
Jesus will also appear at the end of "the
day" called "his Day" in Daniel's
week, for every eye to behold. He will defeat the
enemy with the Word of his mouth and destroy all
the works of darkness eternally. Soon after this
every knee shall bow and tongue confess that He is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He is as a
"dove of peace" over and in this earth
now, seeking to fill souls with His spirit of love
and dwell within them forever. It is a choice all
have to make, and a choice that results in eternal
life or eternal death, (separation), from God.
Each person has a choice to listen to the report
of the Lord or to receive the lies of the enemy of
their soul.
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Many
today have rejected the grace of Christ. They seek
his hand to move in their behalf, but some do not
seek his heart or want his words of healing and
life to speak to their hearts. Some will not show
the love He wants them and reach the lost as He
would do. He wants our hearts to be a dwelling
place for His Holy Spirit and desires all of us to
belong to Him. We must display the attributes of
our Lord in our speech and in our daily walk with
Him.
Noah was pleasing to the Lord and chosen. God
saved Noah and his family by safely shutting them
in the Ark and even closed the door which shut out
the rest of the unrepentant, disbelieving people.
Because many will reject the Lord over and over,
their hearts will become hardened. The waters
lifted up the Ark and Noah's family was saved. The
same waters destroyed those who did not believe
and swept them away. Can you imagine how those
must have felt when the rains came who had laughed
and scoffed at Noah and his warnings? It was too
late once God shut the door to the Ark. Today is
the day of salvation but so many believe the lies
of the enemy that they have plenty of time. So
many are blinded to the things of God and thus
deceive themselves and others. Today could be our
last breath, our last hours. What counts in all
the tomorrows is how we live today, the condition
and preparation of our heart for eternity and the
Day of the Lord.
Is this generation as concerned about the coming
Day of the Lord as celebrating the birthday of our
Lord? Many prepare for Christmas but have not made
spiritual preparations. These feel they will have
another chance, another day. We know not the day
nor the hour of the coming of Christ, but we do
know the signs of the times tell us it is drawing
nigh. We must prepare as never before for the day
of his appearing. Each day is another opportunity
to draw closer to him and work in the vineyard of
the Lord. Souls are dying and facing
eternity each minute who are spiritually
unprepared.
The best part of preparation to meet the Lord is
the fact receiving Christ is a free gift with love
and eternal benefits. There is no cost
except believing, receiving, and obeying the
commandments our Lord has set forth for us.
Obedience results in our being blessed and
prospering as our soul prospers. Every day
we have both spiritual and physical blessings
bestowed upon us. Do we recognize these
blessings? Do we see God in His Word and the
life that he gave that we might have life and be
blessed? Do we have his peace in our hearts
and minds? This is a true blessing which we can
have all the time. Do we recognize God in
the morning sunrise and the strength he gives us
to rise and start each new day? Do we see
His blessings in the food on our tables and the
shoes on our feet. There are many who do not
have a roof over their head or material blessings,
but if they have the Lord in their hearts, they
are blessed abundantly. We must see God each
day, his Salvation and many blessings. Our
prayer should be to behold God in His Word and our
hearts to know Him better. We should not only
desire Him to bless us, but to bless others daily
and these blessings be recognized as from His hand
and heart.
Today is the day of salvation. Today there
is a gift waiting for those who are searching for
the best in life. It is the best gift of all and
Jesus paid the price on Calvary's cross.
Without the shedding of his blood there would be
no remission of our sins. His gift came
special delivery from heaven to deliver us and
make us new creations..... children of God.
The Greatest Gift of All....JESUS
God's plan is so simple even a child can receive
this free gift. A child believes and receives
God's plan by faith. All anyone has to do is call
upon the name of the Lord when they realize they
are a sinner, confessing with their mouth what
they receive in their heart. All who receive must
go on to follow him in obedience by being taught
God's Word. Obedience to God is preparing to meet
him. It is living as if we expect him to come at
any hour but also working in his kingdom while
awaiting his return.
As we enter into another new year soon, let us
make sure our preparations have been made. We
won't know it is the Day of the Lord by the
striking of a clock at the midnight hour but in a
"twinkling of an eye", we will know. The
sound of the last trump could be the next sound
which we hear. Are we listening and ready?
The most important gift of all is the gift of
salvation and today is the acceptable day to
receive this free gift. Remember, we are only one
heartbeat away from eternity. Preparation for that
day is the most important thing anyone can do. It
will soon be what we call "Christ's
Day", as the 'Day of the Lord' is coming
soon. At the end of this time when all sin and
rebellion is removed, there will not only be a
celebration of his birthday, but one of all the
redeemed eternally. He is King of Kings and Lord
of Lords who will reign for all eternity.
Eternal Life........A reason to believe, receive,
and labor for the Lord.
Heaven is to gain......Don't miss it for the
World!
Matthew 24:42---"Watch therefore: for ye know
not what hour your Lord doth come."
Blessings in Christ,
Jo Ann
Previously published by J. P.'S Inspirations (c)
2000 @ Themestream, Edited, Dec. 8, 2001.
Share the message of salvation and God's love with
others today by "doing what Jesus would
do" in all things.
+ ~WWJD?~ +
Will the Christ
Child Come?
"But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and
in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship
Him" John 4:
23.
This is the day.....this is the hour when our Lord
tells us to worship Him not just by words or
deeds, but from our hearts. Our heart is our
innermost being, the dwelling place of the blessed
Holy Spirit. He who dwells within searches
the heart and knows every desire and intent before
it is ever spoken unto Him. He knows what we
really need. It is his desire to give us our
needs, not just our "wants". Will
we let Him come in "His strength" and
"his power?" Will we adore Christ
the Lord today by letting Him reign in the midst
as Lord of all?
Many worship with their mouth, but their hearts
are far from him. We are a very
blessed Nation in spite of all the tragedy we have
seen recently. Yet, still we seek God's
material blessings upon us more than we seek his
spiritual blessings upon others through us, to
build up and edify the Body of Christ across this
land. There is a turning across the
land to thoughts of W.W.J.D.?
The recent events have stirred up many Churches
with the thought, "what would Jesus do if he
were walking this Earth today"?
He is still alive and well, in our midst through
his Holy Spirit. He tells us to
"come see and go tell". He
calls the Nations to "let Him come" in
power and to "come and adore Him".
What will get God's attention and a true move of
his Spirit to bring real revival? Only
a humble and contrite heart, only a cry from our
soul for "God to Help Us" will
open Heaven's windows to pour out the blessings
needed across this Land.
Many today only seek the hand of God and omit
seeking the face and heart of God to bring revival
to a sin sick society. "If"
my people" will humble, seek, pray, and turn
from wicked ways, is still the cry of the Lord
unto us. "Then", and then only,
will He hear from heaven to forgive, restore, and
heal this land. God will put a desire in his
children to pray, seek his face, and to
acknowledge "we need His help" as the
Body of Christ. We glorify Him when we seek
his heart to carry his burden and
be joined with his yoke.
Unity across this land by God's children will show
a lost
and dying world that God's people really do
care. Unity is like the dew of Hermon as in
Psalms 133. We are told this is "good
and pleasant". The life giving water of
His Word will then flow forth to reach others who
are in chains of darkness.
We are to be as the salt of the Earth.
God still uses his people to "roll away
stones" of doubt, fear, hurt, and to help
others as we are called the "salt of the
earth." The same sun that hardens the
clay, melts the wax". His light
can melt hardened hearts like wax, for his glory
and honor. Salt is also symbolic of
"prudence" and godly wisdom of God
within which is to be a "savor" to the
World, to offer them the
"Saviour". It is very simple
to understand that we cannot be salt with
"savor" if we are never
"shaken" in spirit with a contrite heart
to be poured out for the Lord.
It is a wonderful feeling to know we are free in
the Lord. True freedom has no intimidation,
no condemnation, no fear, jealousy, or any other
spirit which is unlike Christ. True freedom is
salvation and rest in the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we are free indeed, we will have as our number
one focus a desire to see God bless others as they
receive Him as their Lord.
It is not always easy to crucify the flesh and let
God have his way, but it is the only lasting
way. "Will Christ come" is
the cry of many. He has already come and is
still present today. Many do not recognize
Him, many cannot hear what He is saying to us, nor
the true burden of His heart. We must
let his sayings "sink down into our
ears," as we are told in Luke 9: 44. This is
the only way they will "take root" and
bring forth fruit fit for the Master's use.
Let us hear the call of the Lord today to take up
our cross daily and follow Him alone. He
will speak peace to our hearts, our lives, and
give us a touch which will protect us from
effects of oppression the enemy may try to place
in hearts.
May we recognize the many ways Jesus is present
with us. Remember, He is an "on time
God", all the time!
Blessings in Christ,
Jo Ann
J. P.'s Inspirations (c) 2001
|
