Christmas: It’s About Being with God

Craig von Buseck, D.Min.  cbn.com

Did you know that Christmas is about God wanting to have a relationship with you?

You might have thought it was about presents, or peace on earth, good will to man … that sort of thing – and it is in a lesser way. But at the center of the Christmas message is a God of love who desires to be with you.

That’s right. God wants to spend time with you.

That’s why the Father sent Jesus to be born as a little baby. It set in motion this whole plan of love in Jesus’ death and resurrection that would break through the barrier of sin and reunite mankind with a loving Heavenly Papa.

Hanging out with mankind was God’s idea from the beginning. The Bible says that God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden. The Father sent Jesus because he wanted to renew that kind of intimate fellowship with us.

During the Christmas season we often sing the classic hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” but have you ever thought about what this familiar song means?

The text is based on the biblical prophecy from Isaiah 7:14:

…the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (ESV).

The name Emmanuel literally means “God with us.” God gave Jesus to mankind as the first Christmas present.

The Apostle Paul tells of the wonder of this idea several times in his letters.

…God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27, ESV)

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. (2 Cor. 5:18, NLT)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10, ESV)

Jesus Himself made it clear that relationship with God should be our highest priority in this life.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (John 15:7-8, NKJV)

It is God’s will that we remain in fellowship with Him for all eternity. We see this in the beautiful hope-filled words of Apostle John in his revelation:

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. (Rev. 21:3, NLT)

This is the glorious news that we proclaim to the nations, that Jesus is Emmanuel. By His shed blood, He has ransomed captive Israel – and now He lives with us through the precious Holy Spirit.

So have a very merry Christmas knowing that God loves you and wants to be with you. May you know the presence of your Heavenly Father in a special way during this blessed season. And may you join with God’s people in singing this glorious hymn, both now and forevermore:

“Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel, shall come to thee oh Israel.”

Advent Peace

 

 By:  Robin Basselin,, author, Firstfifteen.com.

Beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, the celebration of Advent is a time of preparation and expectant waiting for the promised Savior. Each Sunday of Advent focuses on a particular liturgical theme. In our first article, we talked about Advent hope; in this second article, we will explore Advent peace.

Advent Peace

On the second Sunday of Advent, many churches will light the second candle in the traditional Advent wreath. This blue or purple candle symbolizes peace. Believers will also read and reflect on scriptures about the peace God promised and ushered in during the first advent of Jesus (his birth), and the cosmic peace that will be consummated by Christ’s second coming. Let’s look more closely at the meaning of Advent peace.

God’s Promised Shalom

You likely already know the Hebrew word for peace: shalom. The word shalom occurs over 250 times in the Old Testament and over the centuries religious scholars have spilled plenty of ink reflecting on its complex meaning and use. Today, the term shalom has become so commonplace that people often use it interchangeably with the English word peace: on protest signs, in sitcom banter, or even on kitschy home decor (e.g., “Shalom y’all!”).

However, in English, the word peace tends to mean something like “the lack of war or conflict.” And while the biblical concept of shalom encompasses this sort of peace, it is only a part of what God promised his people in the days before the first advent of Jesus Christ. As noted in the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, shalom includes peace, but also “wholeness, and well-being.” Shalom is the ideal—for our individual lives and for that of God’s creation at large; it’s a return to God’s original creation, before it was marred by humanity’s sin.

Throughout the Old Testament, God unfolds his plan for re-establishing his shalom on Earth. Through the line of Abraham, God tells his people that they will bless all of humanity. He made “a covenant of peace” with them (Ezekiel 34: 24-25a) and promised to restore all things by sending a Savior. This promised Messiah would be “… called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7). He himself would be our peace (Micah 5:5).

Fullness of Peace to Come

Many of us are familiar with the words of Luke 2 from Christmas plays past, “…the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2:10-14). We know that Christ came to usher in a new era, and that by dying in our place, we can by faith “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Today, we take refuge in Jesus Christ’s words: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Through God’s Holy Spirit we experience this peace, which transcends all understanding and guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7). But God does not mean for us to just sit back and indulge in this peace. He calls us to work along with the Spirit to restore God’s shalom here on Earth (Matthew 5:9).

And so, as we reflect on God’s peace this Advent season, may we be reminded of our role: to actively make peace as we await the fullness of God’s shalom through the second Advent of Jesus Christ. How can you help usher in God’s peace this Christmas season? Some ideas might be to set aside extra time for personal devotions, help a busy or overburdened friend, or provide a meal for a family facing the anxiety of hunger. Advent is the perfect time to commit to pursuing peace in your life and that of the greater world as we look ahead to the time of shalom:

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

Names of Christ: Messiah

 

Wendy Griffith – CBN News Anchor/Reporter

John 1:47

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him,

and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! … When Jesus saw

Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing

false.”

 

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41).

We have found the Messiah! Just imagine how long they had waited, prayed, and looked for the coming Messiah. And suddenly, one day, He’s right there in the flesh, right in front of their eyes.

Of course, Andrew did what we all would do. He ran and found the person closest to him, his brother, Simon, to tell him the great news. Then they never wanted to leave His side and became the first disciples of Jesus of Nazareth.

It reminds me of my two decades-plus, prayerful search and quest to find my husband, Bill. After what seems like a million prayers, a lot of tears, and a few false alarms, one day he was right there in front of me in the flesh. And when the light bulb finally went on and I realized “he’s the one” I had waited so long for, I never wanted to leave his side either.

Shakespeare said, Journeys end in lovers meeting. It was the same for those first disciples. When they realized they had found the Christ, their wait was over—journey’s end.

The good news for us this Christmas is: When we find Jesus, when we make Him our Lord and Savior, our wait is over too. We don’t have to look to the world anymore to try and fill that void that only Jesus can fill. We have found the Messiah.

Merry Christmas!

Names of Christ: Bread of Life

 

Ashley Key, author, cbn.com

I want to encourage you with some powerful Scripture today. Let’s take a look at John 6:35 (NIV):

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

But what exactly does Jesus mean by that? Let’s take a look at another verse of the same chapter. Jesus tells the crowds who were seeking him out, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:27 NIV). Here, Jesus is setting up His declaration, that He is the Bread of Life.

Jesus uses this metaphor to emphasize that the key to living is not found in natural things, such as bread and other things of this world, but in the will of God. And the will of God is this: for all to believe in the One He has sent, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus continues the parallel between physical nourishment that bread gives us and spiritual nourishment that He gives us in verse 27, ending it with this: “For on Him, God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

Bakers in Jesus’ day sealed a mark on their bread to ensure its quality. Likewise, He is the Bread of Heaven, bearing the Father’s mark of approval.

This Christmas, make sure you thank Jesus for being the Bread of Life, our spiritual nourishment, our everything.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Learning to Be Still and Stop the Rush

 

By Debbie McDaniel, crosswalk.com

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” – Psalm 46:10

He got dressed, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, then said, “Mom, how many minutes till I have to leave for school?”

“10 minutes,” I yelled out as I busily worked packing lunches and backpacks.

I saw him get out some paper and markers. My sweet 7-year-old son worked diligently on a project up until the time that I was rushing him out the door.

“Hurry up Noah, it’s time to go!” We said our goodbyes, 3 kids hustling, bustling out the door.

It closed.

Minutes later I came back to clean the kitchen table. And found this.

Tears came.

Such truth…such love…straight from the heart of a child to his God.

Maybe that’s why Christ reminds us to be more like them, precious children, Matthew 18:3.

Humble.

Teachable.

Loving.

Trusting.

 

Simplicity of truth shining through so profoundly.

May He help us, as adults, to keep the perspective they often seem to have. And to slow down. Stop rushing everywhere, and everyone, and everything.

And just listen close for His voice.

So many things and people will call our names every day. We’re needed. We’re pressed. But without simply learning to be still first, within His presence, we’re never re-fueled. Or refreshed. We get drained and irritated. We lose our focus and our awareness of His Presence in our lives is dulled.

In the midst of busyness and hectic, full days, I’m reminded again to stop for a few minutes, focus on the most important, and ask God to make my heart more like His. May He fill us with such a spirit of praise and gratefulness, that all we do would bring honor to Him.

Names of Christ: Our High Priest

 

Heather Sells – CBN News Reporter

There are many names of Christ, but perhaps one of the most beautiful is that He is our High Priest. In the Old Testament, God gave his people priests and they would offer sacrifices to God on the people’s behalf to take away their sins over and over. Hebrews 10:11 describes this process:

“Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11 NIV)

But Jesus changed everything completely.

“But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:12, 14 NIV)

So, that one sacrifice was the death of Jesus on the cross. He came to earth as a full human being and also fully God to die for the sins of all people. Hebrews 10:21 goes on to explain what this means for us:

“Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.” (Hebrews 10:21 NIV)

Really beautiful words here. And continuing in verse 23:

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23 NIV)

Faithful, indeed! Part of the beauty of having Jesus as our High Priest is that He intercedes for us to the Father. And as One who has been fully human, He gets us.

I hope that this encourages you today, wherever you’re at—that we have One who is interceding for us, is our High Priest and that He gets us.

Wonderful, Merciful Savior!

 

From:  finding purpose.net

“And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!” – Isaiah 9:6

One of my favorite worship songs, entitled Wonderful, Merciful Savior, was written and sung by a group known as Selah, a contemporary Christian vocal trio consisting of Todd Smith, Allan Hall and Amy Perry. The word Selah is used at the end of some of the Psalms calling for a pause or break in the singing for the purpose of reflecting upon the words just sung.

The prophet Isaiah describes the coming Messiah above with these words, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!” Jesus is the embodiment and fulfillment of this prophecy. He is the most wonderful counselor. He is sympathetic to our weaknesses and so understanding of our failings and fallings. Jesus invites us “to approach [his] throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). Do you need mercy and grace and peace this morning? “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Isaiah calls the Messiah (Jesus) Mighty God and Everlasting Father. Jesus, in essence, declared Himself to be God in the flesh. Listen to the dialogue between Jesus and Philip found in John 14:8-10. “Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?” Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me?’” Isaiah is not saying that Jesus is the Father, only that He is like the Father. If you want to see what God the Father is like then look to God the Son. They are One according to the Scriptures. The Trinity is a mysterious concept and beyond human comprehension. The Bible clearly teaches that followers of Jesus believe in one God who exists in three Persons, and yet, is still one God. How can this be? Perhaps we will be given full understanding in Heaven. Until then, know this: with His mighty power, Jesus is able to do all things and He knows all things. Most importantly, He can even rescue the souls of men. Has your soul been rescued by our Mighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ?

Finally, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the only one who can bring peace into our hearts and into this troubled world. Have you come to Jesus to find peace? Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and burden is light.” If you are carrying a load of guilt or some other great burden, come to Jesus. Remember, He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!