Blessings for the New Year 2021

 

“…Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Return to Me,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘That I may return to you,’ says the LORD of hosts.”  Zechariah 1:3 NASB

 If we want peace with God, we must draw near to God, be obedient to His Word, and repent of our sin. The New Testament agrees: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). God judged Israel, not to vent His anger, but to bring the hearts of His people back to Him. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.     Stanley, Charles F. Life Principles Daily Bible. page 1611.

    6Continue the daily reading on page 1614, Never Give Up, Psalm 147:12-18. Winston Churchill, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister during World War II, included a now-famous quote in a speech to students of his former school. ‘Never give in ̶ never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty… Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.’

   As Christians, we are called to wait on God until He acts on our behalf. In order to resist the urge to give up, we must no focus on our circumstances; rather we must focus on the power of the very One who protects us.

   Speaking about Moses, Hebrews 11:27 says, ‘He endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.’ Moses consistently looked for God and His will. Standing on the shore of the Red Sea while the Egyptians prepared to attack, Moses clung to God’s promise of protection and called out, ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord’ Ex. 14:13). God parted the sea and the Israelites escaped what seemed to be an impossible situation. Moses triumphed over many dangerous and difficult situations because he was committed to doing God’s work and was focused on the Lord.

   Psalm 147:12-15 tells us, ‘Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem. . . He has strengthened the bars of your gates: He has blessed your sons within you. He makes peace in your borders; He satisfies you with the best of the wheat. His sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly,..’ God strengthens us, protects us, and provides whatever we need to serve Him ̶ no matter how dire the situation may appear or how vulnerable we feel.

   Too often, believers are distracted by their circumstances. When the Lord’s will calls us to step out in faith, we sometimes falter. But a genuine commitment to God with no exceptions means nothing can induce us to give up.

   Our unchanging Lord never deserts His children; He encourages us to cast our cares on Him (Heb. 13:5, 8; 1 Pet. 5:7) and to remember that although we may not see Him, He is continually working out His will (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

   Even now He is answering you, Even now He is sending out His command, and His word is running very swiftly on your behalf. Therefore, remember His power and faithfulness whenever you are tempted to quit. Put your faith in Him, cling to His promises, and commit to Hs way. Never give up! 

    Zachariah 13:1, Life Lesson (page 1629), God often uses a fountain to picture Himself as our source of salvation. As a fountain, He overflows with mercy and grace. As a fountain, He refreshes. And as a fountain, His love must be individually taken in. Water brings life, and living water brings eternal life. God calls Himself our spring of living water (Jer. 2:13); the Spirit is a stream of living water in us (John 7:38, 39), and His living water is ours forever (Rev. 7:17)

Peace at Christmas Time

And the angel said unto them, FEAR NOT FOR BEHOLD. I bring you good tidings of great joy. WHICH SHALL BE TO ALL PEOPLE FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOUR, which is Christ the LORD.

 Luke 2:10-11, King James Version.

The Virgin Mary gave birth to His son. A miracle, we know that anything is possible if we believe in God's love. And we do believe.

Christmas is a time for joy, for hope, for peace. May these blessings be yours today, tomorrow, and in the year that awaits us.

This is a time for gratitude. I am so very thankful for ALL my sisters and brothers in Christ.

For God so loved the world [including add your name] that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever [including add your name] believes in him, [add your name], shall not perish but have eternal life.  NIV   John 3:16      https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/John%203:1 

God's Loving Rescue

1 John 4:7-10 

God’s Love and Ours

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

https://www.biblegateway.com  New International Version (NIV)

   Christianity is unique among world religions — the others all require certain behaviors for people to become acceptable to their god. Therefore, they must perform intense labor, undergo self-denial, or observe specific rituals. But none of us can earn a place in heaven, because we can never reach the Lord's standard of utter perfection and holiness.
   God has provided an entirety different way of salvation. In His wisdom, He reached down to us by sending His Son. Jesus came to live a perfect life and then, by dying on the cross, paid the penalty our sin deserved. Why did God choose to rescue us? The reason was not that we deserved it but because of His great love and mercy. Instead of punishing us for our sin, God poured out His wrath on His Son, thereby satisfying divine justice. Now all who believe in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross are forgiven and accepted as children of God.
   Becoming a Christian doesn't require working or pleading for the heavenly Father's acceptance. Our salvation comes through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ — God's only begotten Son, who went to the cross to die in our place, thereby paying our sin debt in full.
   What do you believe about Jesus Christ? Choosing to trust in Him is the most important decision you'll ever make. After this life is over, all people will have to give account to God for their life. (see Romans 14:12.) There will be no condemnation for those who have received the Savior, but for anyone who has rejected Him, the outcome will be eternal separation from God.

Stanley, Charles F. "God's Loving Rescue." In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. March 2018. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 14.

Belief and Faith

John 3:16-18

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. NIV from Bible Gateway.com
 
   The Apostle Paul told his jailer, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31). That Philippian man and his household had saving faith-they accepted the invitation and joined God's family.
   Saving faith has three elements: knowledge, conviction, and trust... To believe in Jesus as our Savior, we need to know who He is, what He accomplished, and why it was necessary.
  WHO IS JESUS? He is deity-God the Son. At the request of God the Father, Jeus set aside His divine rights, took on human form and dwelled on earth (Phil. 2:6-7).
   WHAT DID HE ACCOMPLISH? Jesus lived a perfect life, which qualified him to be our substitute: He stood in our place and bore God's judgement for our sins. His death on the cross made a way for us to be forgiven and experience peace with God.
   WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE? We could not save ourselves, since our "good deeds" are all marred by our sin nature. When we accept Christ's atoning work, we go from being God's enemy to becoming a member of His family...
   Knowledge without conviction and trust does not bring salvation. Even the demons understood that Jesus was the Son of God (Luke 4:41). Do you believe what you know to be true?

John 1:12-13

¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. NIV from Bible Gateway.com

    ... Knowledge of who Jesus is and what He did must be accompanied by confidence that the facts are true and apply to us.
   First, it's important to realize, I have broken God's law-that makes me a sinner. All of us are born with a nature that rebels against the Lord. Second, we acknowledge that none of our efforts can earn His favor. Third, we agree that Jesus died for each of us. He paid for all our sins, no matter how terrible they are in the world's eyes.
   Next, we believe that Jesus' death is sufficient payment for our wrong-doing; nothing else is needed. We must accept that He paid our penalty and endured the Father's wrath in our place. Finally, we accept by faith that we've been adopted into God's family on the basis of Christ's atoning death. The invitation is for all humanity, but not everyone has true conviction. Too many people see these facts as "information" rather than life-altering truths.
   Once we are convinced that Jesus is our Savior, trust is demonstrated through action. As a "new creature" (2 Cor. 5:17), we each are no longer who we once were, and there are different values and priorities for us to embrace. Jesus, our Lord, has authority over our life, and He alone deserves to be our top priority. He knows what pleases the Father and has sent His Spirit to live in us and teach us.
   Take time to examine yourself for evidence of knowledge, conviction, and trust. If one area is lacking, ask God to help you come to true saving faith.
Stanley, Charles F. "What It Means to Believe in Jesus" & "Saving Faith." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living, June 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. pages 20 & 21.