Tag: church

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.

Money – Blessing or Curse?

On By CarmenLeave a comment

I’ll start by writing that that there is nothing wrong with being wealthy because God does give wealth to people. A great example of God’s benevolence is to King Solomon. He told King Solomon to ask Him for whatever he wanted. Because he asked for wisdom to govern His people, God told him he would not only give him wisdom, but He would also make him the wealthiest king ever. See 2 Chronicles 1 for the full story. God is indeed generous.

Many of us are not wealthy; some are middle class, some are poor. We are what we are because of God’s will and also because of our own choices. Wherever we are, the apostle Paul tells us in the book of Philippians that we should be content with our current circumstances. 

Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 
Philippians 4:11-12

I write from experience that our current circumstances will not always be our future. By this I mean if you are barely making ends meet today, it doesn’t mean that your tomorrow will necessarily be the same. I remember a time when I was single and had only $5 in my checking account. I was waiting for an overdue check from the company that I worked for and I was in a state of panic. My bills were paid for the month, including rent, but it was too close for comfort. I did not always manage my money wisely in the past, but by this time I had become conservative in most areas of my spending. I had been tithing my money for God’s work and had the habit of saving money, so I knew that God would not let me down. I continued to do without many material things that others seemed to be able to afford for a few years, but I learned valuable lessons and was a better person for it. That was eighteen years ago and I can honestly say that God has brought me a long way. My husband and I consider ourselves blessed by God in all that He has given us, even though we are not rich and we still have a mortgage.

When we prioritize God, we see Him work on our behalf. It may not be right away, but He will help us improve our financial situation if we continue to be faithful. If you find this hard to believe, He tells us to test Him.


"From the days of your fathers you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the Lord of armies. "But you say, 'How shall we return?' "Would anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' "In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the entire nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this," says the Lord of armies, "if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruit of your ground; nor will the vine in the field prove fruitless to you," says the Lord of armies. 
Malachi 3:7-11

Although this was written by God’s prophet Malachi to Israel in ancient times, it still holds true for us today. If we prioritize God in our earnings, He will not only pour out blessings, He will keep what we do have in good shape. Most of us no longer grow our own crops, but we do have jobs and we have things that can break down. We have unexpected emergencies that require us to spend money. This is what God means by rebuking the devourer and not allowing him to destroy the fruit of our ground. In other words, He will keep your old car running as you prioritize Him. He will provide what you need to make it during those emergency situations. I for one can say this is true, because I have seen God do this very thing in my life. God provides for His children in ways that we cannot imagine.

All of those extra material things that we think we have to have or need can wait. It’s not that God doesn’t want us to have nice things, He wants our devotion to be to Him first. Then He will provide for us in His time and in His way. You may have heard the saying, “show me your checkbook and I’ll show you your priorities.” What or whom do we prioritize? If it’s not God, then we will miss out.

Let’s look at another verse concerning worldly riches.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for  yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 
Matthew 6:19-21

For those of us who like “nice things,” this verse should help put things into perspective. Instead of spending all our money on the things that we like and want, God is saying to prioritize some of the money we bring home—for His kingdom. These treasures in heaven can’t be destroyed, but our material things here on earth wear out after a while.

How can we store up treasures in heaven?

First and foremost, we can share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others who may not know Him. This only costs us our time to learn how and to share Christ’s saving work on the cross. If you are not sure how to share the gift of Jesus Christ with others, I have included a link below for Dr. D. James Kennedy’s book, Evangelism Explosion, to get you started. Years go my church in Miami offered this course, so I took it and it taught me scripture verses to explain Jesus’s work of salvation and gave me field experience speaking to others about the Gospel. It was certainly worth the investment even when I had to make the time to attend and spend a small amount in course materials.

Second, we can give our tithe weekly or monthly to our local church and/or an organization that seeks to help those who need Jesus and who may be poor, hungry, persecuted, and affected by wars or natural disasters. Many of these organizations not only help alleviate suffering, they also share the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, we could give directly to others that we know are hurting and have limited resources. We can even take someone to lunch who is down and out to let them know that they are loved and valuable. We can also volunteer our time and talents which can positively impact someone who needs a mentor or friendship. 

Our lives are but a vapor and how we steward what God gives to us is what matters. I hope that when I get to heaven, God will say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” I know that when I am there, I won’t be thinking about money or the material things that I possessed here on earth. How about you?

May God bless you abundantly as you seek His will for your life.

Evangelism Explosion – Dr. D. James Kennedy

https://a.co/d/bmi9wLD”

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.

Relationship with God – Part 2

On By Carmen12 Comments

Once you’ve accepted Christ’s invitation to be the Lord and Savior of your life, you will want to strengthen your relationship with Him. The way to do this is to learn about Him, that is to read about Him, to seek Him, to commune with Him. God wants us to know about Him and He wants a relationship with us. He has given us His Word, His Holy Scripture in the form of the Bible.

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

THE BIBLE IS A GIFT FROM GOD

Over the years since my salvation in Christ, I have heard and read about Bible reading plans. Some of these include reading the Bible in a year. This will require dedication and time daily to study the Scriptures. You will need to carve out a set time that works best for you based on your work and personal life. Some people (including me) prefer to wake up early in the morning before they start their day with their families and/or work. I like reading the Bible first thing because I have uninterrupted time with God to study His Word and I feel that I start my day off with good news and the ability to meditate on or practice what I learned for that day. Other people may have time to read on their lunch hour, and still others prefer to wait until evening after the children have gone to bed and the chores are done. One factor to consider is whether you are an early riser or a night owl. There have been times that I have read morning, noon, and evening. What’s important is that you read consistently each day. If you miss a day here and there, don’t fret, it happens to all of us. Just start again the next day and keep reading. God is not looking for perfection, He sees our efforts and knows our intentions.

When starting to read the Bible, many wonder where to start. Some say that it is good to start in John in the New Testament. Here you will find John 3:16, “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.” Everything in the Bible points to Jesus, the gift of God, and promise of salvation. The Old Testament is full of prophecy that points to the promise of our Savior; the New Testament is about the life of Jesus and His redeeming work on the cross; and the last chapter, Revelation, is about His second coming and eternal rule over all the nations. I won’t recommend where you should start, but I have always started in Genesis and read all the way through to the end of Revelation. Each time I read through one version of the Bible I immediately start another version. There are many versions available and the hardest one for me to read was the King James version. I promise you that I read it in its entirety! It took a little more effort, but was completely doable.

Before reading each day, speak with God in prayer and ask Him to show you what He wants you to understand and learn. Also, remember to meditate on what you learned and maybe even practice it for that day or talk to someone else about it who reads the Bible and is a Christ follower. There will be times that you may not understand what you are reading and that’s ok. Perhaps after talking to your friend who is also reading, you may understand better. There have been times that I have searched for online comments by Christian sources that I have followed and trust in their knowledge of the Bible. There are also study Bibles available that explain the context which references the time and customs when the chapter was written. Also, you can reach out to the pastor of the Bible-believing church you will be attending.

FELLOWSHIP IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR WALK WITH CHRIST

It is important that you attend a church that teaches from the Bible. You may want to go to several churches before you decide which one is right for you. And remember, ask God to show you where you should attend and He will make it clear to you. When my husband and I moved from Florida to South Carolina, we started searching for a new church home. This was during COVID, so it took some time because some churches were just starting to reopen their doors. We attended many different churches before we decided on one. We would go to one church and then another, until we gravitated toward one church in particular. The primary reason to choose a church is that it teaches from the whole Bible with Jesus as the central theme, and all honor and glory are given to God—not man. There are other attributes that are important such as a youth program, Bible study, the worship ministry, men’s and women’s ministries, financial stability, outreach programs, and for my husband and me—cultural diversity in the membership.

Once you decide on the church that you want to attend, you should attend regularly and get involved. It may take a few weeks before you get to know some of the people, but make it a point to reach out to the members of this church. Remember the old saying, “To make friends, you have to be a friend.” Yes, you must make the effort to get to know people. When you do, soon you will start to be invited to the different programs that the church offers. Make it a point to introduce yourself to the pastor and his wife. They may be busy talking to others after church on occasion, but wait for your opportunity to talk to them. The leadership wants to meet you and know what they can do to help you in your walk with Christ. They will help you get connected in programs that you need or have an interest in. The reason to get connected is not so you will have a social calendar full of events; it is so that you can connect with others that have walked with Christ during both good times and trials. They will be more than happy to help you with your struggles and celebrate your victories.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I remember when I first started attending a new church in Miami many years ago, I made a promise to God (after I surrendered my life to Jesus) that I would do whatever He wanted me to do. I was sincere. It wasn’t but a few weeks later that there was a request at this church for volunteers at a pregnancy center. I felt in my spirit that God wanted me to get involved and I did. I contacted the pregnancy center, signed up for a Saturday orientation class, and became a volunteer at the center closest to my home. I could not have imagined how God would use me in this opportunity to counsel young pregnant women (and sometimes their husbands/boyfriends) on the sanctity of human life. It was a joyful experience for three-and-a-half years to volunteer weekly at this pregnancy center while meeting many who were determined to keep their babies and counseling others who were scared and wanted to make a good choice for their lives. I also gained a few friends that I know were and still are praying for me to reach God’s potential for my life.

I could go on and on about all the doors God opened for me to get involved in this church. There were many and I walked through them as He led me. What I gained in return was far more than I could have ever imagined or asked Him for. He is so good to us! I made so many dear friends and met women who wanted to help me and walk alongside me in my walk with Christ. There were many who were praying for me. Others taught me God’s word, gave me a safe place to talk about my struggles, showed me kindness, invited me into their homes, paid for Christian conferences (that I couldn’t afford and would never have asked for), taught me leadership skills, and gave me opportunities to grow in leadership. God only intends good for us and HE makes the way. We just need to be willing to follow His lead.

A NEW AND MORE JOYFUL LIFE

Jesus promises us that we will have an abundant life while living on this earth. We all want to have deep inner joy and feel like we have purpose in the here and now. As we become a doer (not just a hearer) of God’s word, we will find that our walk with the Lord leads us to a purposeful life. We grow in confidence in Him to achieve goals that we never imagined we could. And when the difficult trials of life come, we learn who our provider is—our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we have walked with Him through the storms, we understand that He loves us and cares for us and will never forsake us.

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.”

John 10:9-10

My prayer is that you will allow God to show you His love and mighty hand that will make a way for you. May you also reach your full potential in Christ Jesus and enjoy the abundant life.

Below is a song that I have included for your listening pleasure. Music was and still is a great enjoyment and support that helps me in my walk with Christ. I hope you enjoy it too.

“I Surrender” – Hillsong

See my previous post Relationship with God.