God's Perfect Gift

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3:16

Seven days from now the world will celebrate Christmas. For many people it will be a purely secular holiday. A time when they perform the annual tradition of giving and receiving gifts. They will shop for the perfect gift to give their loved one, while all the time missing the most perfect gift given to them by the One Who loves them most. Jesus Christ is the perfect gift given to the world by a loving Heavenly Father. Free to whomever will receive Him, yet costing the Father everything. 

An Obedient Servant

But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

Matthew 1:20-21

The Bible tells us that Joseph was a descendant of David and a carpenter. Described as a "righteous" man, he kept the laws of God. He must have been compassionate and kind, as well. Betrothed to Mary, who is carrying a child that is not his, he does not wish to disgrace her by making her condition known publicly. Then he is told by an angel in a dream that Mary's Child is the Son of God and that Joseph is to call Him Jesus. Little is spoken of Joseph after that, but his obedience to God and faithfulness in carrying out his fatherly responsibilities to the Messiah are a wonderful example to all of us. 

Christmas Light

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house."

Matthew 5:14-15

Christ came to dispel the spiritual darkness of the world. Through His death, burial and resurrection He won the victory over Satan and his demons, who live to keep the world from God. During the Christmas season many people are open to the babe of Bethlehem. But there is so much more for them to grasp. Jesus came as a baby and grew up to carry out the desires of His Father. To bring all people into a saving knowledge of God.Those who have received Christ have the light of the gospel to share. If you know it, show it. Be a Christmas light.

Bridge of Reconciliation

"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation."

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

As Christians, we have a ministry given to us by God. It is the ministry of reconciliation. God has bridged the gap between Himself and humankind with the gift of His son Jesus. Through His sacrifice on the cross we have forgiveness of sins and have been reconciled to the Father. Now we have the privilege of sharing this wonderful gospel news with those who do not yet know the love of God. Christ has bridged the gap. Spread the news!

A Friend In Need

"Make every effort to come before winter."

2 Timothy 4:21a

Paul is writing to Timothy from a Roman prison. His letter is full of exhortation regarding how Timothy should carry out his ministerial responsibilities. Then, in the final paragraphs, Paul's words become more personal. He asks Timothy to come to him soon, and to bring his cloak and books, especially his parchments. Paul names those who have deserted him. All have gone, except Luke. He requests that Timothy bring Mark.  Just before he ends the letter, Paul extends one more plea to Timothy, "Make every effort to come before winter." Perhaps Paul wanted his coat in the cold prison cell before winter set in. Or maybe he was concerned for Timothy's traveling safety and wanted him to arrive before the harsh weather. Whatever the reason, he loved Timothy and wanted him near. God places friends in our lives to help us in our time of need. We just have to be humble enough to ask them for assistance.

Grace In Suffering

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

2 Corinthians 12:9

God does not always answer our prayers the way we would like. Like Paul, we may ask the Lord to remove the pain we are enduring, and He may decline. It is His sovereign right to do so. For the Lord knows best what we need. Perhaps our greatest need is spiritual growth. And to that end we may need to be in a place where we can only survive by leaning on His grace. It is always sufficient. The fact that we rise the next morning to face another day shows this is so. We don't know what Paul asked the Lord to remove, but we do know that the Apostle boasted in his weaknesses to the glory of Christ. 

Practice Trust

"To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 

    O my God, in You I trust,"

Psalm 25:1-2a

Six years ago I went through what I call a "dry spell".  I was serving God, but my soul was weary and parched, like a traveler who had crossed a desert. One night while crying out to God, He reminded me to trust Him. I pondered that word "trust" and penned an acrostic that helped me in a very practical way. When we are faced with a desert experience what should we do?  TRUST –

Turn to God

Rest in Him

Understand His Character

Stand on His promises

Take Him at His word