CHRISTmas 2020... STILL joyFULL... STILL wonderFULL!

CHRISTmas is ALWAYS a time to remember and to CELEBRATE the INdescribable LOVE of GOD -- no matter what trials GOD has allowed in our lives. Because GOD has done the utterly INcomprehensible act of Agape-LOVE, those who welcome this FACT of HIStory are JOY-filled and thank-FULL. The TRUTH is that "The SON of GOD became The SON of Man so that sinful sons of men might become sons of GOD" (John Calvin).

GOD IS LOVE!

CHRISTmas 2020 may not be the merryEST for the very many affected with the tumultuous events of this year. But for those IN CHRIST JESUS -- those who've put their TRUST in His Person (WHO and WHAT He IS), those who are united with Him through their NEW Birth by the workings of The Holy SPIRIT -- CHRISTmas is ALL the time a GRACE-Full and truly WONDER-Full holy-day to enJOY, even if not the merryEST due to today's UNcertain circumstances. TRUE JOY-Fullness comes from KNOWing that GOD is NOW our FATHER Who LOVES us as His children -- no longer our JUDGE Who condemns us as His enemies, through FAITH in His SON Who died for sinners like you and me, rescuing us from the HELLish EVERlasting separation from GOD and ALL His infinite GOODness -- but adopting us into GOD's Heavenly Family forEVERmore!

GOD SO LOVED!

 

 

CHRISTmas is EVERY day for the CHRISTian -- for he (or she) has been made part of GOD's ETERNAL Family, adopted as a child of The FATHER, SUPERnaturally LOVED by Him as a brother or sister of His own SON LORD JESUS, and he (or she) is ever Presenced by The Holy SPIRIT's INdwelling through The Risen SON of GOD. CHRISTmas for the Twice-Born is LOVE manifested as their daily REALITY -- each moment, each breath, is of GOD's GRACE, received with childlike TRUST, with grateful hearts and sincere praises for The ONE True Living GOD. For the Born-Again peculiar people of GOD, it has been GIFTed to them the highest privilege of calling the Creator of the Universe, FATHER... Papa, Tata, Abba. What UNspeakable, AMAZING, INdescribable GRACE!

CHRISTmas is HIStory -- the FACT of the INcomprehensible TRIune GOD, the INfinite BEing Who has ALWAYS existed, the SOVEREIGN Creator and Master of Creation becoming a Man of flesh and bones and blood like His own creatures! WHY? For WHAT purpose? Because GOD IS LOVE. Because sin-DOers and sin-THINKers like you and me NEED The SAVIOR CHRIST JESUS. GOD IN CHRIST purposely left His Majestic GLORY and Heavenly Splendor to incarnate as a Man into this messed up world to RESCUE messed up souls like you and me. Through FAITH in the fully accomplished RESCUE-Mission of The MESSIAH, The CHRIST sent of GOD -- penitent Believers of The LORD JESUS are brought back into a fellowship of intimacy, of a face-to-face relationship with GOD, even sonship as adopted brothers and sisters of The KING of kings -- The LORD CHRIST JESUS!

EVERlasting LIFE! is IN CHRIST -- GOD's CHRISTmas Gift to ALL who TRUST in Him and humbly receive His SON as their LORD and SAVIOR.

CHRISTmas, to those who BELIEVE and TRUST in The TRUTH of GOD's Word -- is John 3:16 made REAL and very PERSONAL: "For GOD SO (in THIS way) LOVED me that He sent His One and Only SON, His very Begotten and most Beloved -- to receive upon Himself the just penalty and righteous punishment for ALL my SINs, my acts of REBELLION against GOD, my PRIDE of SELF which is satanic idolatry, my putting a false god above The TRUE GOD. i was a HELPLESS SLAVE to SIN -- but my REDEEMER bought me with HIS most precious Blood, setting me FREE from GOD's Anger and Condemnation forEVERmore! HalleluJAH for CHRISTmas! \o/

'For to us a Child is born, to us a SON is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful COUNSELOR, Mighty GOD, Everlasting FATHER, PRINCE of Peace.' (Isaiah 9:6)

Do you wonder at times if you can TRUST GOD and HIS Promises? CHRISTmas tells you, “YES! You can!” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches us in this text from Isaiah 9:6 that we must THINK MORE HIGHLY of the Gift of CHRIST we are given from The FATHER. A GIFT tells us about the one who gives as well as the one who receives. When we consider the GREATness of GOD GIVING us His SON, we understand three things. First, we must MAKE MUCH of GOD and not only CHRIST; The GIVER IS AS GREAT AS The GIFT. Second, we must be in VERY GREAT NEED if we are GIVEN SO COSTLY a Gift. Finally, our response must be one of AMAZEMENT, GRATITUDE, and PRAISE. GOD LOVES us SO MUCH that He GAVE us THE GREATEST Gift that could be given! Hold fast to that when you struggle to TRUST GOD’s Promises. CHRISTmas is the GUARANTEE that we CAN TRUST GOD’s GOODness. (CHRISTmas Day message from Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones -- "A SON is Born, A SON is Given" -- https://www.mljtrust.org/.../a-son-is-born-a-son-is-given/)

The INdwelling Holy SPIRIT through our LORD JESUS illumined my mind and uplifted my heart through Pastor Dean's edifying TRUTH-message of CHRISTmas -- the REALITY that those who have put their FAITH in the SAVING Work of The SON of GOD are living out Romans 8:1-39 -- 'There is NOW NO CONDEMNATION for those who are IN CHRIST JESUS!' GOD, because HE is now The FATHER and not The JUDGE to those who LOVE Him and BELIEVE in Him and His SON JESUS -- GOD's ULTIMATE Gift -- GOD is now our Heavenly FATHER Who disciplines, not punishes, His erring children. GOD The FATHER is NO LONGER angry with His own peculiar children, but He LOVES us tenderly and eternally, even as He corrects and trains us into CHRISTlikeness. GOD is FOR His children -- our FATHER (Who was IN CHRIST reconciling us to Himself) is NO LONGER AGAINST us! HalleluJAH! \o/ (Notes from Pastor Dean Roberts' CHRISTmas message, begins at 45:00 -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58jAza6bv4k)

Have you believed GOD's GOOD News? Have you changed your mindset about Who and What GOD IS -- His UNapproachable HOLINESS -- and come to unflinching acceptance of your own UNholiness, understanding that NO ONE can stand in GOD's Glorious Majesty without the PERFECT Righteousness required of GOD to enter into HIS Kingdom? Have you turned FROM your sins and turned TO GOD for His INTERVENTION and RECONCILIATION and TRANSFORMATION? Then humbly RECEIVE His ULTIMATE Gift this CHRISTmas -- CHRIST JESUS, SON of GOD, LORD of lords, SAVIOR of repentant sinners like you and me -- GOD's Sacrificial LAMB Himself, Who shed His BLOOD at the CROSS as FULL Payment for ALL our SINs. By GOD's GRACE alone, through FAITH alone, IN CHRIST alone -- are we sinFULL men and women fully JUSTIFIED, and made fit for our forEVERmore LIFE of Glory in Heaven. \o/

Psalm 119 -- GOD's WORD...and The WORD Is CHRIST JESUS!

JESUS said, “I AM The ROAD, also The TRUTH, also The LIFE. No one gets to The FATHER apart from Me.” (John 14:6) ...Recently GOD spoke to us directly through His SON -- CHRIST JESUS...This SON perfectly mirrors GOD, and is stamped with GOD’s Nature. (Hebrews 1:1-3) JESUS said, “You address Me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I AM....I’ve laid down a PATTERN for you. What I’ve done, you DO...IF you understand what I’m telling you, ACT like it—and LIVE a BLESSED Life. (John 17:12-17)

In the Beginning was The WORD, and The WORD was with GOD, and The WORD was GOD. (John 1:1) Whatever GOD has promised gets stamped with the Yes of JESUS. In Him, this is what we preach and pray, the great AMEN, GOD’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. (2 Corinthians 1:20) But of Him you are in CHRIST JESUS, who became for us WISDOM from GOD—and RIGHTEOUSNESS and SANCTIFICATION and REDEMPTION... (1 Corinthians 1:30)

JESUS said, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the BLIND SEE, the LAME WALK, the LEPERS are CLEANSED, the DEAF HEAR, the DEAD are RAISED, the POOR have the GOSPEL preached to them." (Luke 7:22) JESUS said, "I AM the BREAD of Life. He who comes to Me shall NEVER HUNGER, and he who BELIEVES in Me shall NEVER THIRST." (John 6:35)

JESUS said, “And I will pray The FATHER, and He will give you ANOTHER Helper, that He may abide with you forEVER—The SPIRIT of TRUTH, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you KNOW Him, for He DWELLS with you and will be IN you." (John 14:16-17) I AM The VINE, you are the branches. He who abides IN Me, and I IN him, bears MUCH fruit; for WITHOUT ME you can DO NOthing." (John 15:5)

For IF you live according to the FLESH you will DIE; but IF BY the SPIRIT you put to DEATH the DEEDS of the BODY, you will LIVE. For as many as are LED BY The SPIRIT of GOD, these are sons of GOD. (Romans 8:13:14) But IF you are LED BY The SPIRIT, you are not under the law...the Fruit of the SPIRIT is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL... (Galatians 5:18, 22-23)

JESUS: "When you OBEY My commandments, you REMAIN IN My LOVE, just AS I obey My FATHER’s commandments and REMAIN IN His LOVE. This is My commandment: LOVE EACH OTHER in the SAME way I have loved you. You are my friends IF you DO what I command. This is My command: LOVE EACH OTHER." (John 15:10, 12, 14, 17)

JESUS: "You’re BLESSED when your commitment to GOD provokes PERSECUTION. The PERSECUTION drives you even deeper into GOD’s Kingdom.  Not only that—count yourselves BLESSED every time people put you down or throw you out or speak LIES about you to discredit Me. What it means is that The TRUTH is too close for comfort and they are UNcomfortable. You can be GLAD when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I DO! And ALL heaven applauds. And KNOW that you are in GOOD company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble." (Matthew 5:10-12)

JESUS: "You’re BLESSED when you’ve worked up a good APPETITE for GOD. He’s FOOD and DRINK in the BEST meal you’ll ever eat. (Matthew 5:6) But The COUNSELOR, The Holy SPIRIT — The FATHER will send Him in My Name — will teach you ALL things and remind you of EVERYthing I have told you. When The COUNSELOR comes, The ONE I will send to you from The FATHER — The SPIRIT of TRUTH who proceeds from The FATHER — He will testify about Me." (John 14:26, 15:26)

“Why do you call Me GOOD? ” JESUS asked him.  "No one is good but One— GOD." (Luke 18:19) EVERY GOOD Gift and EVERY PERFECT Gift is from Above, and comes down from the FATHER of Lights, with whom there is NO variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17) And we know that ALL things work together for GOOD to those who LOVE GOD, to those who are The CALLED according to His Purpose. (Romans 8:28)

JESUS said to His disciples again, “PEACE to you! As The FATHER has sent Me, I ALSO send you."  And when He had said this, He BREATHED on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy SPIRIT." (John 20:21-22) The REVELATION of JESUS CHRIST that GOD gave Him to show His slaves what must quickly take place. He sent it and signified it through His angel to His slave John. The one who reads this is BLESSED, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and KEEP what is written in it are BLESSED, because the time is near! (Revelation 1:1,3, HCSB)

JESUS said, “COME to Me, ALL of you who are WEARY and carry HEAVY burdens, and I will give you REST. TAKE My yoke upon you. LET Me teach you, because I AM Humble and Gentle at HEART, and you will find REST for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

For the Law was GIVEN through Moses, but GRACE and TRUTH CAME through JESUS CHRIST. (John 1:17) But EVERYone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does NOT do them, will be like a FOOLish man who built his house on the sand...(Matthew 7:26) You’re BLESSED when you get your INside world—your MIND and HEART—put RIGHT. Then you can SEE GOD in the OUTside world. (Matthew 5:8)

Here’s how we can be sure that we know GOD in the right way: KEEP His commandments. If someone claims, “I KNOW Him well!” but does NOT keep His commandments, he’s obviously a LIAR. His life doesn’t match his words. But the one who KEEPs GOD’s word is the person in whom we see GOD’s mature LOVE. This is the ONLY way to be sure we’re IN GOD. Anyone who claims to be intimate with GOD ought to LIVE the SAME kind of life JESUS lived. (1 John 2:2-3)

We also have the message of the prophets, which has been confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to this Message, as to a LAMP shining in a DARK place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your HEARTS. (2 Peter 1:19) For the Commandment is a LAMP and the Teaching is LIGHT; and REPROOFS for DISCIPLINE are the Way of LIFE. (Proverbs 6:23)

DRAW NEAR to GOD, and He will draw near to you. CLEANSE your hands, you sinners, and PURIFY your HEARTs, you double-minded. (James 4:8) 

You are my Shelter and my Shield; I put my Hope in Your WORD. SUSTAIN me as You promised, and I will LIVE; do not let me be ashamed of my Hope. SUSTAIN me so that I can be SAFE and always be concerned about Your statutes. You REJECT all who stray from Your statutes, for their DECEIT is a LIE. I tremble in AWE of You; I FEAR Your judgments.  (Psalm 119:114,116-118,120)

They are MORE desirable than gold, yes, than MUCH fine gold; SWEETER also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:10) And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I LOVE; and I will MEDITATE on Your statutes. The Law of Your mouth is BETTER to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. I shall DELIGHT in Your commandments, which I LOVE. (Psalm 119:47-48,72) HAPPY is the man that finds Wisdom, and the man that gets Understanding. (Proverbs 3:13)

OPEN my eyes, that I may behold WONDERFUL things from Your law. Take away reproach and contempt from me, for I observe Your testimonies. My SOUL KEEPS Your testimonies, and I LOVE them EXCEEDINGLY. (Psalm 119:18,22,167) SUCH knowledge is TOO WONDERFUL for me; It is TOO high, I cannot attain to it. (Psalm 139:6) 

O, the DEPTH of the RICHES of the WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE of GOD! How UNsearchable His Judgments, and UNtraceable His Ways! (Romans 11:33)

The Fear of the LORD is CLEAN, enduring forEVER; the Judgments of the LORD are TRUE; they are RIGHTEOUS altogether. (Psalm 19:9) SPLENDID and MAJESTIC is His work, and His RIGHTEOUSNESS endures forEVER. (Psalm 111:3) You are near, O LORD, and ALL Your commandments are TRUTH. The sum of Your word is TRUTH, and EVERY one of Your RIGHTEOUS ordinances is EVERlasting. (Psalm 119:151,160)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will NEVER pass away. (Luke 21:33) ForEVER, O LORD, Your WORD is settled in Heaven. (Psalm 119:89) I know that ALL GOD does will LAST forEVER; there is NO adding to it or taking from it. GOD works so that people will be in AWE of Him. (Ecclesiastes 3:14)

The Law of the LORD is PERFECT, restoring the soul; the Testimony of the LORD is SURE, making WISE the simple. (Psalm 19:7)

From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I HATE EVERY FALSE WAY.  Therefore I esteem right ALL Your precepts concerning EVERYthing, I HATE EVERY FALSE WAY. (Psalm 119:104,128) A RIGHTeous man HATES FALSEhood, but a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully. (Proverbs 13:5)

Your testimonies are righteous forever; Give me understanding that I may live.  O LORD, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. (Psalm 119:144,169)

My son, IF you accept my words and store up my commands withIN you, listening closely to Wisdom and directing your HEART to Understanding; furthermore, IF you call out to Insight and lift your voice to Understanding, if you SEEK it like silver and SEARCH for it like hidden Treasure, then you will understand the Fear of the LORD and discover the Knowledge of GOD. For the LORD gives Wisdom; from His mouth come Knowledge and Understanding. He stores up SUCCESS for the UPright; He is a Shield for those who live with INTEGRITY so that He may GUARD the paths of JUSTICE and PROTECT the way of His LOYAL followers.

Then you will understand Righteousness, Justice, and Integrity — EVERY GOOD PATH. For Wisdom will enter your MIND, and Knowledge will DELIGHT your HEART. DISCRETION will watch over you, and Understanding will guard you, rescuing you from the way of EVIL —from the one who says PERVERSE things, from those who ABANDON the right paths to WALK in ways of DARKNESS, from those who ENJOY DOING EVIL and CELEBRATE PERVERSION, whose paths are CROOKED, and whose ways are DEVIOUS.

So FOLLOW the way of GOOD people, and KEEP to the paths of the RIGHTEOUS. For the UPright will inhabit the land,  and those of INTEGRITY will remain in it; BUT the WICKED will be cut off from the land, and the TREACHEROUS uprooted from it. (Psalm 1:1-15,20-22)