Tag: Abide

Hallelujah! Our Righteous King Has Come!

On By CarmenLeave a comment

As we prepare for this Christmas season, let us not forget the true reason we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas is derived from the Old English Cristes mæsse meaning the “mass of Christ” or the church celebration of the birth of Christ.

The birth, life, and death of Jesus on earth is the greatest gift ever given, and not by any human, but by God the Father Himself.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 

John 3:16-17

I am so grateful that the LORD Jesus was willing to leave His throne in Heaven, come down to Earth, be born among mankind as an example of how we should live our lives, and take upon Himself the sins of the whole world. 

He was born as King—THE KING of kings—not in a palace with all the wealth and comforts of royalty at that time, but in the humblest of conditions in a manger with animals and their smell surrounding Him.

Jesus is the best gift we’ve ever been given!

His love, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice is better than any material thing we could desire.

…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23b

Without Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, we’d all be lost to eternal damnation.

This was God’s plan for the redemption of mankind from way back when Adam and Eve committed the first sin in the Garden of Eden.

We all need a Savior to rescue us from our sin nature. This Savior is Jesus Christ Himself—the perfect Lamb, the perfect Gift.

The Hope of all the world was born, completed His ministry by going to the cross, and resurrected to the Father where He lives seated at His right hand.

Our Savior is active on the throne of Heaven and is present in our everyday lives. He is alive and in command!

Let us not become complacent with such a majestic gift.

Today, we are blessed because we have the Bible, the Holy word of God, to teach us about God’s plan of salvation, our LORD Jesus Christ, and our future based on the choices we make, especially the most important choice we could ever make.

There was a time when Israel, God’s chosen people, was anticipating our Savior, expectantly hoping, and eagerly awaiting.

Life was difficult for them because they sinned against God and subjected themselves to all kinds of consequences that God had warned them about.

God had already spoken His plans through the prophets of old, and because Israel was under the rule of foreign nations, they were waiting on their Messiah to come rescue them.

They knew the Savior was promised by God and they had experienced the faithfulness of His word many times.

Finally, over 2000 years ago, Israel’s Savior, our Savior, was born in Bethlehem in God’s perfect timing when Rome ruled the world.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:1-21

May we continually glorify and praise God as the angels did on the night of our Savior’s birth.

The gift of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ is for everyone who is willing to accept Him in their hearts, invite Him into their lives, and follow Him in all His ways.

As the angels stated at Christ’s birth, those with whom He is pleased will have peace and joy today and forevermore. 

While we’re busy decorating our homes, shopping for gifts, and gathering with our families and friends, let’s remember that without Jesus Christ, there is no Christmas.

Let’s demonstrate the same excitement, wonder, and awe as the shepherds did who went to see Him that first Christmas night!

I wish you a Blessed and Merry Christmas.

Enjoy this song of praise to our Father in Heaven for our most wonderful gift. I have enjoyed this song over the years and hope the same for you.  

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

What Does it Mean to Be Blessed? – Part 2

On By CarmenLeave a comment

In my last post, What Does it Mean to be Blessed?, we examined the word “blessing” by looking at what God says about it in His word, the Bible.

Today, I would like to share even more of what Jesus says about being blessed in the book of Matthew.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great;”

Matthew 5:3-12

As we read this scripture based on Jesus’s teachings to His disciples, we find that there are blessings that can be uncomfortable—much unlike what we today view as blessings.

A blessing uncomfortable?

Yes, even grievous for our earthly lives in the here and now.

Please allow me to explain.

Jesus is telling His followers that in this life there will be difficulties if they stand with and for Him.

He was simply preparing them and us to expect opposition from the world—AND to equally expect wonderful blessings from our Father in Heaven when we finally make it to our eternal home with Him.

He gives us hope that the difficulties we overcome here on earth by staying true to Him and His teachings will be greatly rewarded in eternity.

Let’s examine these verses more closely.

Blessed are the poor in Spirit…

Being poor in spirit means recognizing one’s own sinful nature and realizing we cannot forgive ourselves nor make ourselves sinless.

It also means that we understand that only God can forgive us and make us sinless.

A person poor in spirit is humble and seeks God’s mercy much like the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.

Blessed are those who mourn…

Those who mourn over their sinfulness with godly sorrow are granted salvation through their repentance. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Their comfort is a result of their repentance that leads to salvation and assurance that they will reach the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are the meek…

Merriam-Webster defines meekness as humble or gentle, and the Bible refers to gentleness as one of the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-24)

This means that someone who is meek exercises supreme control over his actions guided by the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 37 expounds upon blessings for the righteous in Christ Jesus and consequences for the ungodly.

One such blessing is the inheritance of the land along with abundant peace and prosperity.

Cease from anger and abandon wrath;
Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be eliminated,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
Yet a little while and the wicked person will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Psalm 37:8-11

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…

When we submit to God’s righteousness rather than reveling in our own self-righteousness, we will experience an inseparable knowledge of Christ through our faith.

What could be better than having a right relationship with God that fills our hunger and thirst with deep satisfaction as opposed to the emptiness of the world’s promises?

We will truly know our LORD Jesus and understand not only His suffering, but the supernatural power of His resurrection as well. (Philippians 3:8-11)

This is nothing we should fear or shun but peacefully anticipate sharing in His perfection.  

Blessed are the merciful…

Mercy is defined as compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it.

Forgiving others is what we are taught by Jesus to do. (Matthew 18:21-35)

If we have been forgiven for all our sins by our LORD and Savior, we should gladly forgive others for their wrongdoing toward us.

This is not always easy, but I do remind myself of this scripture and forgive as Jesus told us to, because I want the blessing of God’s mercy when I see Him face to face.

Blessed are the pure in heart…

Do you know anyone who is pure in heart?

Perhaps it’s someone you’ve observed for some time who does what they say no matter the cost to them.

Or someone with whom you shared intimate details in your life who kept it private.

Maybe it’s someone who walks away from gossip or changes the subject when others start to gossip.

A person who is pure in heart and follows God’s ways while living in peace with others will see God in Heaven. (Hebrews 12:14)

Blessed are the peacemakers…

My husband is a peacemaker. He always looks for a solution that can make the situation better for all involved in a disagreement. He forgives those who wrong him and does not hold grudges.

Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to pray for them because God is good even to those who do evil. (Matthew 5:44-45)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake and when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me…

If there is one thing that makes me angry, it’s seeing people who do what is right being abused. I can only pray for them to have the strength and courage to keep moving forward, trusting that God will one day right the wrong done to them.

There have been and still are many people across the globe who are suffering for their faith and steadfastness in Jesus.

Many have lost their jobs and homes, suffered imprisonment, and have even been martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ.

God tells us in His word that those who are persecuted for His sake will be blessed. (1 Peter 4:12-14)

We are told to be the salt of the earth, i.e., to be of good use and to preserve the word of God.

We defend God’s word and make the world a better place by doing what He tells us.

When we do, we are seen as different in that we “leave a good taste” in others’ mouths as true representatives of Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells His followers that we are the light of the world and that we are to let our light shine as a beacon of His word.

We are to be guides and lead others by our actions to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

To all the Christ followers out there, don’t lose heart when you encounter sorrows and trials because the LORD sees all the workings of mankind and He takes pleasure in your steadfastness to abide in Him.

He will right all the wrongs done to you and He has many blessings stored up for you in eternity.

May you be blessed by this song that tells us that whatever we go through, God is with us.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Prayer That’s Powerful

On By CarmenLeave a comment

I have been wanting to write about prayer for some time, because I have personally seen God work miracles in my life and the life of others when we pray to Him and trust Him with the answer He gives us.

It’s important to know that God hears the prayers of His children.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Prayer is a direct line to God and is welcomed by God. He wants you to communicate with Him and go to Him for your needs.

Prayer is a way for us to spend precious time with God and to draw near to Him. It is during times of quiet prayer that we often hear from God through the Holy Spirit what we should do when we are searching for answers.

And God is perfectly fine with you just spending time with Him in thankfulness and adoration.

Jesus tells us we must put God first in our lives.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. Matthew 6:33

All these things refer to our basic needs—food, shelter, clothing, etc. In the sixth chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells his followers to not worry about their needs in life, that God will provide because He already knows what they need.

Of course, we should not be lazy and wait for God to place our basic needs neatly in our laps. We should always work to achieve what we can and leave the rest to God. He knows our hearts and intentions and enables us to provide for ourselves. It is when we are not able that He intervenes by answering prayer in His loving, powerful way.

We should indeed ask God for what we need—according to His will.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

God is a good Father and He enjoys blessing His children just as you enjoy blessing yours.

This does not mean that if we pray for whatever we desire, God will give it to us. We must ask according to His will something that will be good for us now and in the future.

I’ve learned in seeking God that sometimes He says yes to my prayers, sometimes He says no, and sometimes His answer is delayed for the proper time to receive it.

For example, years ago when I was single, I was praying to God for a husband.

After some time seeking and asking God, I finally understood that He had to prepare me to be a good wife to the husband He would give me. He was not yet done molding me to be the wife I needed to be for the husband He was going to give me.

When I decided I would surrender it to Him—no matter how long it took—and wait for His best for me, God answered my prayer. He gave me a better husband than I asked for.  

Looking back, I am so happy that God did not give me who I wanted to be my husband at that time. Instead, He had someone in mind for me who would come along side me to be a loving husband and a great partner to achieve dreams that He has given me.

I believe that when we give our concerns to God and trust Him with His choices for our lives, we are blessed beyond what we could imagine.

God will give only His best to His children, not what will harm or destroy us.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:17-18

Firstfruits means the first and best of God’s creation. He placed man above all His creation on earth to be good stewards. He even made us in His image and gave us intelligence and abilities far above the rest of His creation.

God is good to us.  

He will not answer a prayer that will lead you into you sin or keep you in sin.

He will not answer a prayer that will do you harm.

He may choose to have you wait so that you can grow in your faith toward Him if you will seek Him and abide in Him. This is a good way to know God and to understand Him.

When we look back and understand that God did us a favor in saying no or making us wait for the right time, we appreciate His goodness toward us, and we trust Him even more.

I have come to realize that I am walking with God today because my dear grandmother prayed for me. She was the best grandmother anyone could have, and the greatest gift she gave me was her prayer over my life.

When we pray to God for something that we are concerned about and He says yes, we become captivated by His love for us.

In my first post, God Still Performs Miracles, I shared how my oldest brother was brain dead and I traveled home to say goodbye and to help my parents with the burial process. When I visited him in the ICU, all I could do was beg God for his salvation primarily and then for him to be given another chance to live. My family gathered around him and prayed that God would heal him completely.

AND HE DID!

I will never forget God’s goodness to my brother and my family during that week that I witnessed this miracle happen! It seemed impossible from our perspective, but NOT FOR GOD!

Jesus tells us when we pray together in His name, we are heard by our Father in heaven.

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:19-20

Will you pray along with me?

A few of my current prayers are for a friend who was just diagnosed with brain cancer, a baby girl and a church member’s husband who both need heart transplants urgently, freedom from addiction for certain family members, Israel and Ukraine to overcome their enemies, and salvation for those who have not yet surrendered to our LORD Jesus Christ.

If you have any prayer requests that you would like to share, I’ll be happy to pray along with you.

I would like to close with a beautiful song by one of my favorite Christian artists.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.