[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] Girlfriends in God - December 8
Eric Calhoun
eric at pmpmail.com
Fri Dec 9 07:34:17 UTC 2011
Original Message:
From: "thefamilyoffaith" <TheFamilyofFaith at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] Girlfriends in God - December 8
Date:
Thu, 8 Dec 2011 07:05:59 -0500
December 8, 2011
How to Have a Joy-Filled Christmas
Part 2
Mary Southerland
Today's Truth
For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son (John 3:16, NIV).
Friend to Friend
I believe the secret to a holy and
joy-filled celebration of Christmas is found in giving. It always has been.
Are we giving the wrong gifts to the wrong people? Maybe we are not
receiving the right gifts with the right attitude. Over the next few days,
we will examine several truths about Christmas that will lead us once again
to the manger, where we will worship the Christ child and experience a
Christmas holiday filled with love, peace and joy.
First truth: We must receive God's gift
to us.
Luke 2:8-12 "There were shepherds living
out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An
angel of the Lord appeared to them; and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be
afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the
Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths
and lying in a manger." (NIV)
Second truth: We must give the right
gifts to Him.
Christmas is the birthday of Jesus
Christ. Yet, we celebrate His birthday by giving gifts to everyone but Him.
What gifts does He want from us? What gifts are fit for the King? To
answer that question, let's go back to that first Christmas and see what
gifts He received that first Christmas night.
The gift of trust
The gift of trust was given to Jesus by
Mary, a teenage girl who was engaged to Joseph. I can only imagine what
thoughts raced through her mind when an angel appeared to Mary announcing
she would give birth to a son named Jesus. I am certain she could not have
possibly understood what the angel told her, but she knew the one who sent
the angel, and that was enough for Mary. I can almost guarantee you it
would not have been enough for me if I had been in her place. After all,
she was a virgin and last time I checked, virgins cannot be pregnant. What
would Joseph think? Trust shines best in the darkness. Trust is a gift fit
for the King.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with
all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (NASB).
The gift of obedience
Joseph gave Jesus the gift of obedience.
He was betrothed to Mary, and in Jesus' day, a betrothal was legally
binding. While engaged, Mary becomes pregnant. Joseph knows he is not the
father of this baby because he has never slept with Mary. His first
reaction was to divorce Mary quietly, but an angel comes to him and
explains that Joseph is to keep her but not sleep with her. Joseph's
response could have been many things but he responded with obedience.
John 14:15 (NIV) "If you love me, you
will obey what I command."
Obedience is not just an outward action,
but an inner attitude. I love the story of the small child who was riding
in the front seat of the car. Wanting to be close to his dad, the youngster
stood to his feet. Dad said, "Son, please sit down and put on your seat
belt." The little boy said, "But dad, I want to stand by you!" It took
several attempts but the boy finally sat down. When his father bragged on
his obedience, the little boy responded, "I may be sitting down on the
outside, but I'm still standing on the inside." Obedience is a deliberate
choice to do what God wants us to do. Obedience is a gift fit for the King.
The gift of praise
When the shepherds heard the news, they
went to see Jesus for themselves. Afterwards, Scripture tells us they went
on their way - praising God. Praise is a continual choice we must make
again and again until it becomes a habit. A young hippie was sitting on a
park bench, reading his Bible when he suddenly began shouting, "Praise God!
What a miracle!" A cynic walking by stopped to ask the man why he was so
excited. The hippie replied, "I was just reading how God parted the Red
Sea and the whole nation of Israel walked on dry ground!" The older man
snapped, "That's ridiculous! Don't you know the Red Sea wasn't a real sea
at all? It was only a few inches deep." He then turned and walked away.
For a moment, the young man was confused and discouraged but it was only
minutes until his shouts again filled the air. The unbeliever returned to
ask, "What are you shouting about now?" "Well, I just read how God drowned
the entire Egyptian army in only six inches of water!" Don't let anyone
keep you from praising God. Don't let any circumstance deny you the joy of
praise. Praise keeps us kneeling before the manger and is a gift fit for
the King.
Psalm 150:6 (NASB) "Let everything that
has breath praise the Lord."
The gift of sacrifice
The wise men came, bringing gifts that
required sacrifice on their part because they knew true worship always
involves sacrifice. They brought gold, a precious metal, myrrh, an
expensive perfume like Mary later used to wash the feet of Jesus, as well
as incense, a rare and expensive product used in worship.
1 Chronicles 21:14 (NCV) "I won't offer a
burnt offering that costs me nothing."
Sacrifice goes beyond what is required or
expected. The best gift, the most expensive and extravagant gift should go
to the one whose birthday we celebrate. This year, give a sacrificial gift
in His name.
As the Christmas season approaches, I
encourage you to examine your heart and life. What gift does Jesus want
from you this year? Is it whole-hearted trust? Is the Father waiting on
your willingness to obey before revealing the next step on your journey? Do
you live in the gear of attitude and praise? Is He asking you to lay
everything down as a sweet-smelling sacrifice unto Him? The best gift we
can give Him this year is our heart, soul and mind.
Yesterday, I revised my Christmas list
from last year and it occurred to me that the name of Jesus is not on that
list. To have a joy-filled Christmas, Jesus Christ must be in the backdrop
of every gathering...every preparation... every plan and every holiday
celebration. May it be so in our lives this Christmas.
Let's Pray
Father, I celebrate the birth and life of
Jesus Christ who is the very reason for the Christmas season. My gift to
You this year is me ... every part of my life in full surrender to Your
plan and purpose. Please help me keep my eyes firmly fixed on You as I
celebrate Christmas this year. May others see the joy and peace only You
can give as I honor You on Your birthday.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
Consider the following gifts you can give
to Jesus this year. Read and memorize the verses listed below. Record them
in your journal. When you are tempted to get side-tracked by the world's
materialistic view of Christmas, remember the gifts that are fit for the
King.
Gift of trust
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB) "Trust in the LORD
with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your
ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Gift of obedience
John 14:15 (NIV) "If you love me, you
will obey what I command."
Gift of praise
Psalm 150:6 (NASB) "Let everything that
has breath praise the Lord."
Gift of sacrifice
1 Chronicles 21:14 (ICB) "I won't give an
offering that costs me nothing."
Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info at girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com
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