Display the JOY!

As we enter the Christmas season, it is important that we remember that joy, real joy, comes only from God because of the sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Man-made joy falls apart, but joy from God is eternal! Show someone the joy you feel this week; rejoice in what Jesus has done and celebrate the Season!

Blessings,
Bro T.J.

What is Christmas?

Christmas … what does it mean to you? Now, let’s be honest here for a moment: Does it mean added stress? Does it mean frustration and aggravation? Does it mean last minute running around and going crazy? This week, I’d like to challenge each of us to pause for 1 hour, 1 entire hour, and consider for a moment the true meaning of the Season. The meaning, is simple: Nearly 2,000 years ago, God so loved the world that He willingly gave His own Son to us as a gift, that we might seek Him out and be redeemed back to our Creator. Christmas is the remembrance of that gift and truly we need to pause and give glory to the One who came to pay it all for us … Christmas IS the celebration of God’s love for us!! I pray that we would take the time to ponder this, and remember that Jesus is the ONLY reason for the Season!

In Christ’s love … Bro TJ

Encouraging Note - Nov 26, 2010

Mary pondered in her heart the calling God had placed on her life to be the mother of His Son; and from that pondering a song arose in her spirit which caused her to rejoice to the God who created her! As each of us has an opportunity to reflect this Christmas season on how God wants to use you, will you in turn rejoice that He has not only given His Son to save you, but through Jesus you have been saved for His glory! God is faithful to fulfill His promises, and we must be faithful to turn to Him in all things, and obey Him when He calls.

May God bless you this week and throughout this entire GLORIOUS season!!

~ Bro TJ

What was celebrated?

For weeks now (even months for some) we have been preparing for this past weekend, and now it has come and gone. The wrapping paper is all cleaned up, the new gifts are finding new homes in the rooms, and all that is left is dishes, exhaustion, and the desire to not eat for a week. However, do you hear it? Do you hear the still small voice that calls to you to remember what we celebrated? It is the birth of the Christ child, who willingly left the splendor of Heaven to come to a world that would shun Him, reject Him, and finally crucify Him ... all for you.

As we all begin to contemplate packing up this coming week, let us remember to NOT pack up the love of Jesus Christ. It is a sacrifice that has been given willingly to you, for the forgiveness of your sins, so that you would not be eternally separated from God in a place called hell. Did you know Jesus spoke about hell twice as much as He did about Heaven? He did so for one purpose, so that you would not spend your eternity there.

So, as you are packing up the stockings, the lights, the decorations, and in some cases the holiday cheer; never forget that their is a Savior who willingly laid down His life for you, to call you "friend". Jesus loves you is more than a catch phrase -- it's a truth that we must embrace today in order to be saved tomorrow. Do you know this Jesus? I pray that you do.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."
John 10:9-15

What is this Christmas?

Over the past few days I have been really trying to consider what this season means to me, and to be perfectly honest I have been coming up short trying to find words to fully explain it.

I realize that often times we all celebrate the holidays in different forms and fashions, and some don't celebrate at all - but collectively, what if we could spend time together just being thankful and grateful for what we have been given by the Lord? As many know I am an unashamed follower of Jesus Christ, and as I consider the biblical stories of Jesus and His disciples, the one theme that I constantly see is that they are always in fellowship, not spending time being divided or apart. Even in the most difficult situations, the disciples still managed to come together for a common purpose in serving one another and those they came across; with a focus and sole emphasis on sharing the message of the Lord with everyone they came across.

I wonder, if right now as the world collectively celebrates the birth of our Lord, if we would be so bold as well to join together for one purpose, and that would be to bring one another together. Of course, I'm not talking about having a "we are the world" moment where we start getting all warm and fuzzy and want to hug perfect strangers ... but what if we joined hearts for a common purpose of seeing Jesus Christ truly lifted up so that others could see Him? We all have our different angles on the holidays, and some have different views of exactly how to worship; but never once did I ever see Jesus assign different roles to the disciples to begin the Methodist movement, the Baptist movement, the Catholic movement, etc.

Jesus simply said ,"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

What if we got serious about these two verses and actually practiced it? What if we spent time lifting Jesus up, and telling others about who He is; instead of spending so much time trying to convince one another that our "form of worship" was the right one? How much more could He be glorified in that ... as He should be?

Christmas is not about us, friends. It never has been. It's not about Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, or even Saint Nick. It has nothing to do with our waistbands getting bigger nor does it have anything to do with going to church one of two times a year to "make your appearance". Christmas is about exalting the Christ child, who is the foretold Messiah of Isaiah 9. Can we agree on that friends? Can we lift up the One who matters?

From my home to yours ........ Merry Christmas. I pray that sometime today you would get alone with God and offer Him the worship and praise that He so richly deserves.

It's about the Joy

Well, another week is about to hit the downhill slide and so I thought perhaps I would write a bit about some events that have been going on. Of course, everyone that I know has been preparing for the holidays in one form or fashion, but not everyone I know has really been taking a lot of time to pause and remember just what it is we are celebrating, so I thought I would do that here.

You see, this time of year has nothing to do with Santa Claus, or about the fact that our waist lines might be expanding, or even the desire to peek at a gift to see what so-and-so got us … but it is about celebrating the birth of this world’s Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Over the past few weeks I have had the pleasure of talking each Sunday morning in regards to the Advent season, and I actually never really spent much time focusing on the purpose behind Advent, other than knowing some candles were lit to show what each week represented. However, did you know that each week has a theme to it? For example, last week (week 3) discussed the JOY of the Lord, and I found one specific verse that just speaks to me so clearly about JOY. Interestingly enough, this verse comes from Luke 23:43 and it says, “… assuredly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” From the cross, as Jesus was fulfilling the purpose of His birth, he brings JOY to a repentant sinner who willfully cries out for the Lord’s mercy. I had to stop and really consider that. From this painful instrument of death that the Romans used, while Jesus was dying for our sins, He acknowledged that a man needed JOY and PEACE that could only come from God … and it was given to him.

So I ask you, are you involved in giving JOY this holiday season? How about PEACE? Are you focused on the HOPE that this season brings? Are you telling others that there is a WAY for us to have all of these things? Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; and no man comes to the Father accept through me.” As you look upon the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I pray that you would constantly keep this in mind and understand that Jesus was born to die, for you.

Are you willing to give your life to Him? Are you willing to tell someone else about the true reason for the season?