The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 24,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 9 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
As you gather with your family and friends this Christmas, don’t forget to keep Jesus in the center of your celebrating. We have much to celebrate! We serve a living, caring, loving Savior, who willingly came to earth to redeem us from our sins! This is good news. Don’t forget to share this good news in your gatherings. Don’t forget to demonstrate His love whenever you can this Christmas! Be the hands and feet of Jesus everywhere you go and to everyone you meet and share your time with!
Luke 2:1-20 NKJV And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:14 “Glory to God in the highest,And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heardit marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Thank you Father, for sending Jesus Christ our beautiful Savior and Lord!
Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son. ~ Charles Spurgeon
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Have you ever wondered after seeing Jesus perform so many miracles in front of their eyes and giving them the ability to do the same, the disciples could still doubt His ability to do more? In the book of Mark we see Jesus sending out the twelve men in pairs after giving them power over unclean spirits. They were told to take nothing for their journey, as God would provide. They obeyed and did as He commanded. Mark 6:12,13 NKJV12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. They saw multiple people saved, delivered and healed before their very eyes. They were witnessing first hand the miraculous power of the Spirit of God!
Yet as we continue in the same chapter when faced with the need for another miracle, they seem to have forgotten that with God all things are possible! Mark 6:31-44 NKJV31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. 35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
So soon after witnessing miracles with their own eyes, they forgot that Jesus was more than capable of a task such as feeding a huge crowd. As we continue through the chapter we see their belief in His supernatural ability tested yet again.
Mark 6:45-51 NKJV 45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.
Jesus gave them yet another opportunity to witness His power!
So how is it that after witnessing people being saved, delivered and healed before their very eyes that they didn’t consider His power to multiply food to feed the crowd or walk on water? Mark 6:52 gives us our answer.52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. Wow! That is the explanation in a nutshell. Before we get too critical of the Apostles we must take a good look at our own hearts. How many times have we seen God answer prayer, move mountains, save, deliver and heal others and yet find ourselves in a place where we doubt His ability? We too forget that He is the King of King and Lord of Lords, He is our Healer, Deliverer, Savior, Counselor, Friend and more than capable of handling any situation we may find ourselves in! We have only to put our trust in Him to come through. Without faith it is impossible to please Him and therefore we MUST believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him!
Lord please forgive us for having a hard heart. Forgive us for not believing that with You all things are possible, as Your Word tells us! Forgive us for doubting Your love for us and Your ability to work all things out for good in our lives. Give us a tender, trusting heart that relies solely on You for the impossible in our lives. Help us step out if faith and believe that You are who Your Word says You are! We ask this in your beautiful name,
Amen
Our bodies and our spirits are both created with a need for replenishing. In order to function properly physically we must find time to feed ourselves and also find time to rest from activity. In order to function properly spiritually we must find time to feed our spirits and also find time to rest from activity. Both are essential. As the body needs food so the spirit needs spiritual food, the Word of God. Jeremiah 15:16 NIV 16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.
Matthew 4:4 NIV4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
It is an essential ingredient in our walk with Christ if we want to remain sound. It is through the Word that we are able to receive God’s message of love, mercy, grace reproof and encouragement. It must be a mainstay in our spiritual diet if we want to walk in peace and joy. It doesn’t do us good to gorge on the Word one day and then neglect it for weeks. It must be a daily meal. When we neglect to feed our spirits with the Word of God, it doesn’t take long before we are basing our joy and peace on the temporal. This leaves us vulnerable to living on an emotional roller coaster and virtually makes us unfit for service.
If we are living based on our emotions we will not be able to carry out the things God has called us to do. Instead we will always be waiting for a better time to do things. A time when we feel happier, more generous, kinder, more giving etc. As followers of Christ we are not called to live by our emotions but to live by the truth of the Word of God. A truth that never changes, unlike our emotions. Can you imagine Apostle Paul dealing with shipwrecks, beatings and all the persecutions he suffered for Christ if he lived by his emotions? I think we can safely say he would never have reached the world with the gospel the way he did!
Just as we need to replenish our spirits with a daily meal of the Word of God, we also need to know when to rest. By rest, I don’t mean avoid doing anything but instead rest in the presence of Christ. Rest in His arms as we lean into Him with our prayer requests. We can turn to Him and lay before Him all our needs, the needs of others and whatever burdens we may be carrying. We can lay them at His feet and rest knowing He is more than capable of taking care of them all!
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
1Peter 5:6,7 NIV 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Phillipians 4:6,7 NIV 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, defeated, discouraged or far from God, we need to replenish our spirit with both the Word of God and time resting in His presence. Neglecting both will cause us to stumble very quickly. Both must be part of our daily routine. If you are not in the habit of reading the Word, start today. Pick a time to spend at least 10 minutes reading your Bible. Ask God to open your eyes and heart to receive the Word into your spirit. Ask Him to help you hide His Word in your heart! The same with spending time in prayer. I have found Monday to Friday, I can spend wonderful time in prayer in my car as I drive into work in the morning. It’s quiet and I don’t have any interruptions. I don’t recommend closing your eyes however! 🙂 Just make sure that you do find some time every day in the presence of God. Once you get into the habit of doing both daily, you will begin to find yourself growing spiritually and will not become easily depleted! You will have the energy to carry out whatever service Christ has called you to do!
Father God, I pray that You will give me the discipline and desire to both spend time in Your Word and in Your presence daily. Forgive my neglecting both Lord. Keep me close to You and keep my spirit sensitive to Your Holy Spirit so that I may accomplish great things for Your Kingdom in my daily walk.
I ask it all in the precious name of Jesus Christ,
Amen
In our world we see people doing all kinds of evil things in the name of their religion. On a daily basis we hear of people being beheaded, persecuted and murdered by all kinds of vile methods for not converting to radical Islam. People trying to force another by violence to adhere to their twisted ideology. Amid all of this, I am so grateful that we who are followers of Jesus Christ serve a Savior and Lord that does not require that we use violence to draw people to Him. He requires love! How awesome is He! He tells us to let our light shine, He tells us to let the world see His love for them through us! He tells us that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick and give water to the thirsty we are doing it to Him! Matthew 25:31-40 NIV 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
In the book of Mark we see our beautiful Lord and King healing the leper after being moved with compassion. Mark 1:39-42 NKJV 39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
Jesus, the Son of God, the Holy One, the King of Kings was moved with compassion! What a beautiful picture of our Jesus! A King who feels for the cast offs of society and is moved to save, heal and deliver them! A King who does not see class distinction. A King who does not wish any should spiritually perish! A King that is moved with compassion!
Today let the reality of the character of Jesus sink into your heart. Ask Him to give you a heart of compassion for those who are lost, sick and bound. Ask Him to guide you in reaching out and sharing the good news with those who so desperately need to hear it! Let His love and compassion shine through you this Christmas season!
Have you ever heard the phrase, “That person is so Heavenly minded that they are no earthly good?” I was thinking about this phrase this morning and have come to the conclusion that it is total bunk! If a follower of Christ is truly Heavenly minded, they are aware of the fact that one day every person who lived will stand before the Creator of the Universe and give an account for their actions. The idea of eternity is not just a random concept to a Heavenly minded person but it is a reality. They KNOW that the time we spend here is precious and will determine where we spend all of eternity! A truly Heavenly minded person does not get caught up and waylaid by the cares of this world. They realize that distractions that draw us away from Christ are to be avoided at all costs! When they look at people they see their potential in Christ and make every attempt to share Jesus with them, knowing that that is the heart of the Father.
Heavenly minded people are the intercessors. They are the drone workers willing to help when there is work for the Kingdom to be done, regardless of how menial it may seem. They are not easily distracted because eternity is never far off from their thoughts! Though they love their families and friends, they choose to keep Christ first in all their decisions. Though they are far from perfect, their eyes are on Jesus, knowing the reality of seeing Him face to face one day and because of this they are continuing to grow more like Him!
In the book of Colossians, Apostle Paul actually admonishes us to keep our eyes on things above!
Colossians 3:1-4 NIV 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Jesus told us that one day every man, woman and child will bow before Him and acknowledge Him as Lord!
Romans 14: 10-12 NIV 10 For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written: “As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.” 12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
With this in mind, the Heavenly minded person makes daily decisions with eternity in mind. “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we will die,” is not going to suffice! Instead they choose to heed Paul’s words found in Phillipians 2:12-18 NIV
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Now I realize that often when the phrase “too Heavenly minded” is tossed around it is usually tossed by people that are very uncomfortable with a person having the type of faith that actually changes their behavior. Perhaps they are too “radical,” too focused on “Jesus,” instead of being the average run of the mill Christian who believes in Jesus but doesn’t believe He needs to be Savior and LORD of their lives. My prayer is that all who call themselves Christian will become truly that! They will realize the need for repentance, salvation, filling of the Spirit, baptism and a NEW LIFE. These are all the hallmarks of a true follower of Christ. As we continue to grow in our walk with Christ we are to study the Word of God and allow the Spirit of God to make us more like Jesus. If we do, we too will become Heavenly minded. We will begin to look at others differently, knowing that one day they too will stand and give an account before God. This will motivate us to care more, intercede more, share the gospel more, reach out more.
The truth is, a truly Heavenly minded person is more earthly good! They choose to live their life in obedience to Christ and serve in whatever capacity they are called to serve. They are not sitting around contemplating the stars, they are growing more like Jesus and are actively doing the works Jesus did! They are interceding for the lost, they are reaching out to the downtrodden, they are living a life of obedience, with Heaven never too far from their thoughts!
Lord please make each one of us more Heavenly minded! When we meet others, let us keep eternity in mind and let it motivate us to share the gospel with them! When we see the hurting and downtrodden remind us of the importance of not turning a blind eye but instead to reach out and help! Let us keep eternity in mind every day as we run the race you have set before us! In Jesus name, Amen
Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Jesus-Yeshua Saves!!
livingmoreabundantly 