Christmas

December 25, 2022

Advent Series Week 4 – LOVE

This post is a guest post written by my husband, Mike Johns.

I was listening to sports talk radio a few years ago and the host said something that piqued my interest. What he said was not new or anything profound but a simple reminder: “Children emulate what they see.” This phrase has stucck with me for years. It is easy to look past how God loved you so much that He calls you, His child. Think about what John wrote about this:

John 1:12, “But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.”

1 John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And, that is what we are!”

It is a wonderful thing to be called a child of God! Think about that – the Creator, Sustainer, Giver & Keeper of life gives you the title of HIS CHILD! You are a child of the King! Now, remember, we are to emulate what we see. May we be found during the week of Christmas seeking to live like Jesus.

I thank the Lord that He has given us leaders to show us how to walk with Him daily. He has placed folks in our lives to speak the Word to us, who help us, who give us an example of daily faith.

Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

Maybe during this advent focus on love, now would be a good time to express your love for those people who are examples of the faith to you. Send a quick message, a card, or make a phone call – encourage someone today!

Another outcome of this great love that God has for us is to love one another. We have experienced such a great love in Jesus that it should overflow onto everyone we come into contact with.

1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Let’s love like Jesus in a world that so desperately needs it.

Have a Blessed Christmas!

Dena

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December 25, 2022

Christmas Day!

Guest post by my pastor, Greg Fine.

Luke 2:6-7 (NIV)

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

The day we have been anticipating, waiting for, preparing for has finally arrived! Merry Christmas! No doubt, for many, this day will e a flurry of activity and celebration. There will be presents to open, food to be prepared and enjoyed, perhaps family to visit. For others, the day may be spent alone reflecting on memories of large family gatherings and celebrations. Regardless, let’s make sure we also include time to worship the Savior whose birth we celebrate!

Luke records that Mary placed the baby Jesus in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. The last phrase of verse 7 has been on my heart with this Advent Season when Luke records, “…there was no room for them in the inn.” We usually picture the scene with a heartless innkeeper turning away the young couple. But Luke does not use the normal word for an inn here. Instead, he uses a more general term referring to a shelter or lodging place. It suggests that Joseph and Mary stopped at a public shelter or place where caravans of travelers could stay for the night. Rather than being greeted by an innkeeper, they are met with an overcrowded shelter. There simply was no more room. The lodging place was already full of travelers because of the census. Joseph was forced to find a suitable location for them to spend the night and ultimately for Mary to give birth—the place where the traveler’s animals were usually kept.

As I reflect upon this verse what strikes me most is not the heartless attitude of an innkeeper but the overcrowding of the shelter for travelers. Overcrowding! I think most of us would say we would ever intentionally deny Jesus room in our lives. But when we allow our lives to become so full of other things then, in essence, we have left no room for Jesus. Our lives can easily become overcrowded with lesser things. Even though we may never intentionally deny Jesus room in our lives, we may unintentionally deny Him room in our lives because we are just too busy. We must be intentional about making room for Jesus in our hearts and lives.

As we celebrate Jesus’ birth today and look forward to a new year ahead let’s be intentional about making room for Jesus. Make time for worship with God’s family consistently. Make time to read God’s Word daily. Make time to spend in prayer, talking with God and growing closer to Him. Make time to serve others and build God’s Kingdom. Don’t let your life become so busy that there is no room for Jesus in your life. Jesus came so He could be the Lord over our lives; to walk with us each day and fill our lives with His joy and peace. Make room for Christmas by making room for Jesus today and throughout the next year! Merry Christmas!

Love,

Dena

December 18, 2022

Advent Series Week 3 – Peace

Guest post by Russell Smithson – Let Peace Rule

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

We are about 10 days away from one of the days that we as Christians anxiously await to celebrate every year. Undoubtedly, you have prepped, cooked, cleaned, shopped, decorated, mailed cards and gifts, volunteered, etc. There is always so much to do during this time. But, wait! Have we taken time to have a cup of coffee with a friend, go to church with a smile and joy, thanked the many people who make our life the wonderous adventure it is every day, spent time with God without a timer set, accepted the gift of peace from God? Wait, peace during this time of year?

We all let the stresses of this time of the year wear us down and defeat us and then by Christmas day we are more ready for it to be over than to celebrate what this day symbolizes. The birth of our Lord and Savior who came here for you and me. He came on this day knowing what the future held for Him. Yet He decided you were worth it. I was worth it. He came with peace from God that He was doing the right thing for His family. US! His brothers and sisters.

Peace can happen anywhere even in the middle of chaos. Think about that night so many years ago. They had traveled for days in the dust and wind. All they want is to clean up and rest. But there is no place. They end up in a stable. The water around them used for the animals to drink from. The place to rest is the bedding of the animals in the stable. No fire for warmth because the stable would burn up. Yet in this setting, Christ chose to come and all the pictures we see are of peace. We see a mother happy to see her child. A father looking over his family. A child sleeping in this unlikely place of peace on a cold night in December. Where did the peace come from? God.

We cannot produce peace on our own. No matter how hard we try. Nothing is going to be perfect. We all have feelings, and they are fragile. One wrong word from someone or someone else’s actions can cause us to start worrying and stressing over everything. We cannot produce peace on our own. Our hearts and minds will not allow us to ignore everything. Work, family, obligations, illnesses, desires, our own mistakes, etc. all cause us to worry and fear. We cannot produce peace on our own. The heart is the source of our feelings. The Bible does not teach that the very thing that we fear will not take place; rather, what the Bible does teach is that God will keep your heart and your mind in a state of peace whatever happens. As Psalm 4:8 tells us, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord make me dwell in safety.” We cannot produce peace on our own. Our God is solid. We proclaim Him to be our rock. If we want peace in our lives, we must accept that it is a gift from God. We get peace when we pray to God and seek HIs peace in our lives. Among all the challenges, struggles, striving for perfection we must humble ourselves and acknowledge the only way to have peace in our lives, in our families, in our church, in our community, in our world is to ask God and accept this glorious gift He has for us.

This is a great time of the year to let go of all those feelings we have harbored all year. What someone did or didn’t do, how we were wronged, what awful thing someone said, that someone who sat in our spot at church, the person who didn’t say thank you after we worked so hard, that person that walked by and didn’t say anything after we greeted them, and so many other things that we allow our heart and mind carry around. Let it go and let God’s gift of peace settle in our hearts and minds. Start a new year with a new goal of accepting God’s gift of peace in your life daily and letting go of those things that we were never in control of anyway. Let God’s peace settle over you like the snow on a cold winter’s night. For the coming year I pray that “the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:26

Merry Christmas my family.

What situations in your life do you need to turn over to God? (Pray right now about them)

What are some of the things in your life to be thankful to God for this past year?

What can you do to fix your eyes on God and not your problems?

What scripture speaks to you about God’s gift of peace? Memorize it and keep it in your heart.

Until next time!

Love,

Dena