Christmas Gifts

Greetings!!!

How many times did you hear, "What do you want for Christmas?" I must have driven my family crazy with my consistent answer of, "Nothing." I simply could not think of anything I really needed or wanted. After much thought, I decided that the thing I wanted most in all the world was to know that the most important people in my life (that would include you) would be with me when I stand with Jesus in heaven for all eternity. I can almost hear you say, "How self righteous!! What makes you think YOU will be in heaven?" or "Well!! If you are going to heaven, I certainly will make it."

But really, I do know that I will be in heaven when I die or Jesus returns.

Take a look at the reason the Apostle John wrote his gospel. John 20:30-31 "Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name."

Now, take a look at 1 John 5:1-12: "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this, that He has borne witness concerning His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning His Son. And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life."

The believing that the Apostle John is talking about is more than just an intellectual belief. You see James tells us that "demons also believe, and shudder." Trust me, there will be no demons in heaven. The believing here is being willing to open your heart and receive all that God has for you by faith. John 1:12 states "But as many as received Him, (Jesus)to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."

Were you given gifts for Christmas? Did you receive them and open them, or did you put them away unopened, or did you just outright refused them? I am sure that if you were given a gift, you received it, opened it and took it as your own to your own delight as well as the delight of the giver. Well, God has given you a gift--His one and only Son. Will you receive His gift and my greatest desire for you--eternal life through Jesus Christ God's Son? Do not leave this as a gift unopened.

The LORD bless you with receiving the true gift of Christmas.

I love you,

Ruth

Are You Well?

Greetings!!!

Have you ever had an injury? As I type, I can count six wounds on my fingers, and that is only on my right hand! All of them are in various stages of healing. Isn't it amazing that God built healing abilities into your body, often times without any scars? But when it comes to your spirit, there is nothing you can do on our own to heal yourself and make yourself free of the scars of sin and shame.

Although it is impossible for you find healing and freedom from sin on your own, you spirit can still be healed and cleansed and made alive. Take a look at John 3:16-21. Although it is a bit wordy, I am using The Amplified Bible. "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world (that includes you) that He [even] gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish -- come to destruction, be lost -- but have eternal (everlasting) life. For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge -- to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on -- the world; but that the world might find salvation and be made safe through Him. He who believes on Him -- who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him -- is not judged (he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation; he incurs no damnation). Be he who does not believe (not cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already; (he has already been convicted; has already received his sentence) because he has not believed on and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. -- He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name. The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: that the Light is come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil. For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the light and will not come out into the light, but shrinks from it, lest his works -- his deeds, his activities, his conduct -- be exposed and reproved. But he who practices truth -- who does what is right -- comes out into the light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are, wrought with God -- divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him."

Is your spirit alive and well? If you are unsure, then you need to come to the Lord and receive the wonderful gift of God--His One and only Son Jesus Christ--to heal your wounded and sin sick spirit, to help you come out of the darkness and into the light, and to help you to realize the true meaning and purpose of the Christmas season we are now celebrating.

The LORD bless you with the healing of your spirit, soul and body.

I love you,

Ruth

Will You Give Thanks?

Greetings!!!

What is your tendency when things in your life do not go as you expect or would like? Do you get anxious and fearful? Do you question why these things are happening to you? Perhaps you get frustrated or annoyed. It is possible that you resort to complaining? What should be done when life seems to be unraveling?

Let's take a stroll through the New Testament.

Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Paul also says in Ephesians 5:19-20 "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father"

James takes it a little further in James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Peter really explains why we can give thanks in and for any circumstance. 1 Peter 1:3-9 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining a the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls."

Have you ever noticed that neither fear, anxiety, frustration, annoyance, nor complaining change your circumstance? Oh! But when you begin to praise God and give thanks to Him because He is worthy of your praise and thanksgiving, no matter what is going on in your life, things begin to change. This change may not be outward and may take some time, but the inward change will make you able to know and understand that your Father is good and has good planned for your life.

The LORD bless you with a heart willing to give Him thanks... no matter what.

I love you,

Ruth

Be Relentless

Greetings!!!

Do you use your computer a lot? I use my computer for so many things... mail, work, record keeping, writing, banking, and many other things. Usually, I can get things done very quickly using my computer, but one day last week when I was trying to do my online banking, I could have walked to the bank and back home in the time it took me to get into my account. Like most online accounts, I had to type in my user ID and password, but when I clicked Login, I got an error message. After three error messages, I had to contact my bank. The bank gave me a temporary passcode. I thought I was good to go, but the passcode did not work. I called the bank again and was directed to tech support. The person told me what to do, but as I listened I realized that the directions were for a PC. I have a Mac. When I explained this, the response was, "Oh..." The tech did not know what to tell me. After almost two hours of back and forth with the bank, I still was unable to log into my account! It was not until the next day that the tech realized that the web browser I was using was too new for the bank to support. Using a different browser, I was able to get in with the first try.

This reminded me of Jeremiah 29:11-14: 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found by you.' declares the LORD

and Jeremiah 33:3: 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'

Are you feeling like you are using the wrong web browser with God? Continue to be persistent. Do not give up. Keep calling on Him. Keep seeking Him. Seek Him with your whole heart. Get desperate in your search. You have no idea what God has in store for you, but do not give up. Do not stop short. There are so many things God want to reveal to you... great and wonderful things.

The LORD bless you with being relentless in your search for God's plans for you.

I love you,

Ruth

Are You Guilty?

Greetings!!!

Are you guilty of circumlocution? Everyone knows that politicians can be very circumlocutory, but how about you? Do you have a tendency to use many words where fewer would do, especially when you want to be vague or evasive? Are you guilty of speaking more than you listen, or before you understand? Maybe words are used to hide insecurities. Perhaps it is in the hope of impressing someone or to manipulate the conversation that so many unnecessary words are used.

The song "Final Word" by Michael Card initiated this writing.

You and me we use so very many clumsy words.

The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard.

When the Father's wisdom wanted to communicate His love,

He spoke it in one final perfect Word.

He spoke the incarnation, and then so was born the Son.

His final Word was Jesus, He needed no other one.

He spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.

And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.

And so the Father's fondest thought took on flesh and bone.

He spoke the living luminous Word, at once His will was done.

And so the transformation that in man had been unheard,

Took place in God the Father as He spoke that final Word.

And so the Light became alive and manna became Man.

Eternity stepped into time so we could understand...

He spoke the incarnation, and then so was born the Son.

His final Word was Jesus, He needed no other one.

He spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.

And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.

And this Jesus, who was He? Let's take a look at Philippians 2:3-11.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Since we are to be like our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, why is to so hard for us to humble ourselves and be obedient to God and serve Him? Maybe we have a wrong view of what being a servant really is. Maybe, just maybe, what we despise in this life - being a servant, slave, or of what appears to be a lowly status - is what it would take to change this world and usher in the Lord's return.

The LORD bless us with words and actions that will bless Him and glorify His kingdom.

I love you,

Ruth

Are Your Dreams Wild Enough?

Greetings!!!

Have you ever heard the song "The Promise" by Michael Card? God has been speaking to me through this song for a few days. Here are the words God has been quickening in my spirit:

The Lord God said when time was full

He would shine His light in the darkness

He said a virgin would conceive

And give birth to the promise

For a thousand years the dreamers dreamt

And hoped to see His love

But the promise showed their wildest dreams

Had simply not been wild enough

When I asked God what He was trying to say to me there were two Scriptures that came to mind.

The first is found in 1 Corinthians 2:9 and references Isaiah 64:4.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 "but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAS NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

The second is found at the closing of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21.

"For this reason, I bow my knee before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God. Now to Hm who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." (emphasis mine)

I cannot help but wonder... if Israel's prophets caught a glimpse of God's plan and as a result had great expectation of what God promised, but as Michael Card says, "But the Promise showed their wildest dreams Had simply not been wild enough", couldn't it be that today, even with the power of the Holy Spirit upon us, that our wildest dreams of what is to come are simply not wild enough?

What are your expectations of God? If you are going to dream, dream big. If you are going to ask God to work, ask Him to work in a way that is bigger than yourself. If you are asking for the salvation of loved ones, expand your vision. Do not stop with your family. Ask for tribes, languages, peoples, and nations. We are told "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11 How much better will it be to bow and confess now, freely choosing to serve Him, than at the point when you have no choice!! I tell you, "now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

The LORD bless you with realizing His dreams for your life... whatever they are.

I love you,

Ruth

Are You Prepared For An Intruder?

Greetings!!!

What do you do when you get a mouse in your house? It is that time of year when the little critters who are outside are looking for a warmer place to stay inside. It does not take much of an opening for them to come in and set up house. So, what do you do when one of those little critters invades your house? Do you ignore it and hope it will go away, or pretend it is not there? If you are like me, at the first sign of intrusion, you set a trap or put out bait to kill the unwanted pest. Why are we less vigilant in our spiritual life?

Jesus gave us the perfect example of how to deal with an onslaught of the devil in Matthew 4:1-11. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.' " Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he stood Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU; And ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.' " Jesus said to him, " On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.' " Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things will I give to You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.' " Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Have you left your life unguarded and open to attacks from the enemy? The only offensive weapons the Lord gave us in the full armor of God are the "sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" and prayer. It is not enough to just have a sword when an enemy comes, you must know how to wield it. If Jesus needed the Word of God to defeat Satan, how much more do you and I need to know the Word of God in order to stand firm against the devil!! Do not take your Bible for granted. You have the freedom to have one. You have the blessing of being able to read and understand it. Do not put it off. Start today. Begin in Genesis and read through the last word of Revelation, or read the New Testament, Psalms or Proverbs. Whatever you do, pick up the Bible, read it and learn it.

The LORD bless you with hunger and thirst to read and know His Word.

I love you,

Ruth