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If you’re not excited about something, chances are you won’t tell many people about it. For many Christians, the excitement of the Christian walk has been dulled by everyday distractions, materialistic pursuits, and unconfessed sin. We can stay excited about our relationship with Jesus Christ and, as a result, tell more people about Him.
The Bible calls us to be transformed into being overcomers through becoming more like Christ. If you think back on your life before Christ, before knowing Him and being united to Him, there may have been times you were addicted to something— and it doesn’t have to be drugs or alcohol— it could have been your career, money, fame, influence. But when Christ came, He changed everything. There is power in our testimonies. We become the light of the world when we share about the blood of the Lamb and our testimony. By sharing with others they too can become overcomers.
Have you ever asked someone “How are you doing?” And they respond by saying, “I’m blessed by the best!” Have you ever thought about what they were getting at? When we recognize that all things come from God— our homes, our careers, our ability to take a breath— you’ll begin seeing how truly blessed you are by God. When we are blessed, we are also called to be a blessing. To give back to God the love, respect, and adoration He deserves for blessing us even in the midst of suffering, of when money it tight, of the highs and lows of life. God deserves our praise!
Our God is not only a pursuing God, he is a sending God. Jesus’ great commission is for his people to go and do likewise. To go and seek those who are lost and share their witness, their testimony of who Jesus is and what he has done in and through our lives. God calls us to be part of the rescue mission, the search party, the body of Christ to love those who are lost.
What a journey those Magi from ancient days must have had following the star that led them to Jesus the King of kings and Lord of lords. Have you thought about your journey with Christ? Maybe you’ve sat on the sidelines hoping for something to happen. Or maybe you’re afraid of what will happen if you go all-in for Jesus. Whatever the case let Him take control of your life, let Him have the steering wheel and one thing for sure, your life will be an adventure.
We come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. Through this service of communion and candlelight, we will hear prophecies spoken and prophecies fulfilled through this child who came to us in a manger. Joy to the World the Lord has come. Light has shown in the darkness of our lives.
You’ve maybe heard it said that “God’s NO is not a rejection. It’s a Redirection.” God’s goal for you is to become more Christlike and often, we take a number of turns that take us off God’s intended purpose and we need redirecting. The thing is, we don’t yet see things clearly, we know things in part, and we struggle perhaps in the wrong direction, but we will, one day, “will know fully, even as we are fully known” by God. Isn’t it amazing that we can hand over all our past, present, and future to a God who knows us and desires the best for us?
As followers of Christ, we are to continue to walk and be focused on Him. When you look at the world, it is easy to become afraid or lose hope. But in Christ, we have hope now until the end when He returns. This hope comes to us as Emmanuel, God with us. It is this blessed hope that came in a cradle that we focus on through the cross that gives us the gift of eternal life.
Who do you thank? Gratitude in all things comes through a renewed heart and mind. Being thankful is found in the Bible multiple times. As Believers, as followers of Christ, we are called to give thanks to God for everything— in all things, for all things, during all things. Thankfulness is to produce rejoicing in our lives to glorify God. Saying “thank you” to God hardly seems enough in light of all He has done for us. And yet, when we do, He gladly receives our praise.
Our prayers need to be seasoned with the word of God. When we pray using the Scriptures we talk to God in His language, using His way of speaking. With it, brings power. When we pray through the Bible, we are bringing God’s word directly into our prayers and His power into our praying.
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