Christmas and Covid

Christmas is different this year

With no concerts, church, or teas

No craft shows, sleigh rides

Santa Claus parades

And no more shopping

For the things we love

And love to give

Like the first Christmas

It is cold and it is quiet

Yet good cheer is all around

Because Christmas will never be beat

For the message of hope and good will

It brings can never be one to defeat

 

Christmas is almost here

And won’t be overshadowed

By a virus brought by evil intent

For man this is no small feat

When our lives are threatened

And we must wear a mask

But we are made fighters

For a much greater cause

The cause of love to our fellow man

Love can never be locked up

No matter how dire things are

We’re locked inside our homes

But our hearts are free and we soar

With Christmas tree aglow

Fresh shortbread cookies

Fill the home with baking smells

And some gifts adorn the Christmas tree floor

 

Fresh snow has fallen

And we’ll shovel our way through

And our hearts will remain open

To whatever God has in store

 

I will remember

And I hope you will too

That Christmas is Jesus birthday

And that’s what it’s all about

In a real way

I’m so thankful this year

That all the other things

Have been stripped away

And I truly see the manger

And the Holy Babe who will take away

The sins of the world

Without anything blocking my view

In this I rejoice

For this Jesus of Nazareth

Loves us

And when we allow Him

He will cleanse us from our inherent sin

And make us new from within

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

 

 

 

Covid: A Test of God

If you believe in the sovereignty of God, then you believe that HE is in complete control of our world. There are many conspiracy theories flying around out there. Yet, I haven’t found anywhere in Scripture where these can be substantiated. If you are a born-again Bible believing Christian, I urge you to remember that we are in the last days and have been instructed by the Lord in His Word to look for His coming, NOT the signs of the times.  Focus on the Lord, not the world that is falling apart at the seams.

 As for the Covid virus, right from the beginning (back in March) after I prayed about it, I received immediate peace, and an assurance from the Lord to carry on, go out, and do not be afraid. Not that we go out very much other than for a walk or to get groceries, and when we do, we follow the right protocols.  However, we are certainly active online and in other ways. I believe that as Christians we can have a life-changing impact on all those around us in this dark hour. I believe this is a test of faith through a fire of affliction, to say the least.

 Earlier today, I received this powerful Word from the Lord, which I immediately wrote down as the thoughts came tumbling out, one after another.

 Do you think God is asking something truly great of us?

 From God’s perspective:  Let’s see what my Church will do with this severe testing, whether they murmur, complain and rebel against Me, like my Jewish offspring? Or will they make the most out of this cherished time, and do the most good they’ve ever done? Will they consider the poorest, the lonely, the abused, the ones who are shut in spiritually and mentally too, not just physically? Will they pray more, and reach out to Me more? Will they be willing to forego all the things they’ve loved, in order to re-discover an even greater love, the real thing, my agape love? Will they learn to cherish Me, and then others, more than their parties and social gatherings, more than the events they have cherished at all costs, even at a cost of a close relationship with Me first and foremost?

 Whose works will come forth as gold, and not burn up with the wood hay and stubble, the things of self that are impure and cannot pass the true test of obedience?

 What are My people made of in this critical hour? Can the world count on them to be there like some were as the World Trade Center came crashing down to ground 0? Can the world count on their faithful prayers of repentance and faith to lift this terrible scourge that has reached deep into the heart of every single human being alive today?

 Will My people be willing to be stretched above and beyond anything they have ever experienced before? Will I be able to count on My people to work with me to make them the church I long to return for without spot or wrinkle? So that I can finally take them home? Or will they choose to believe the conspiracies, live with fear, or do nothing because they didn’t get their own way?

 Rest assured, I love my Bride. I laid My life down for her. I am a Groom fiercely in love with My Bride. I promised to protect her always. Just that I want her on My side; I want her to shine brighter than she’s ever shone. I want her to be the Church courageous and triumphant for my sake, so I can show My glory and deliver her and the world, and bring many more into My kingdom.

 This Scripture comes to mind:

 1Pe 4:17  For the time has come for the judgment to begin from the house of God. And if it first begins from us, what will be the end of those disobeying the gospel of God?

1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

1Pe 4:19  Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing, as to a faithful Creator.  MKJV

 This is not the time to pay any attention to the conspiracy theories.  We need to pay attention to the Word of God more. Do not make the same mistakes that the children of Israel did, and forget about God in her hour of need. We need to spend time in prayer and ask God to reveal His truth and Himself to us in this critical hour. Faithfully pray and ask Him for His peace, then take this peace and our hope to a hurting and dying world. God bless you today as you consider this important word.

 

 

My Life is Not My Own

 Recently, I had one of those “wow” moments when God revealed something profound to me.  It was something I had known for a long time, but I haven’t been applying it in this one area.  It has to do with making plans and decisions, and then carrying the weight of it, rather than realizing I don’t have to carry it.  I realized that much of my thinking has come from a limiting worldly perspective.  We are taught to be independent and self-sufficient.  It may have even been thrust upon us whether we wanted it or not.  We are rewarded for self effort, and perhaps at times this is appropriate if we have struggled to overcome a hardship or difficulty.  Finishing grade 12 or graduating from university deserves some recognition and a celebration.  But as we journey through life, we soon discover that few things turn out the way we expected.  In my case, I have had to wait for God’s best.  I had to wait many years for my writing career to transpire.  It all came in God’s perfect time.  I didn’t need to strive as much as I did about it. I just needed to trust Him, and then focus on the tasks He had given me to do at that time.

Another thought, and we need to be careful with this one, is that we may think that we can do whatever we want, therefore, we should plan our life according to our own wishes and desires.  For example, the saying “Live and Let Live” may be popular and we may even agree with it.  After all, you have the right to do with your life as you please, right?  No one should interfere. Yet, what I think is good for me may harm you.  Another one is, “You do your own thing, and I’ll do mine.” Isn't this taking a cavalier attitude that allows me to do whatever I want without thinking of consequences?  Well, truthfully, this is the world’s wayward way of thinking. We have this idea of freedom all wrong. We think that freedom has to do with our rights, and the right to do what we please, when we please.  But this will put the success and failure of our plans and deeds squarely on our own shoulders, right? Hence, the extra stress we carry that keeps us awake at night.

I used to think that freedom meant doing my own thing. Then when the Lord rescued me, and spoke to me at Bible School when I needed a friend, everything gradually changed. My thinking changed. It took awhile though because I had to learn to trust in my new Friend, that He was steering me in the right direction. Soon, I discovered that He’s the only One who can steer us in the right direction, and that He is the only one who can really set us free.  

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

I was to learn that our real freedom lies in the level of our submission to HIM. Just how much are we holding back from Him at any given time?

In addition, it’s unlikely you’ll give your heart and life to someone you don’t know very well. That’s why God reveals Himself to us so that we know Him. AS we get to know Him and His love for us and His faithfulness to us, then we start to trust Him more.

1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

1Co 2:11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 

So God reveals Himself to us through His Spirit to our spirit. We cannot understand Him in the natural. It is all done in the spirit.

Likewise, when it comes to living our day to day life, we tend to drift to the natural and not make decisions based on specific spiritual guidance. We think that as long as we live a moral and ethical life, we can pretty much do whatever we please whenever we please. We’ll leave the really big things to God, and we’ll take control of, or take care of, everything else. Scripture will disagree with this. 

The fact is, when we came to Christ, we became new creatures. We were adopted brand new into the family of God, and we became His child. Just like when you get married, you are no longer a lone ranger doing your own thing irrespective of your spouse’s desires and wishes.  If you think you can hang onto your independence to the detriment of your spouse, then your marriage will fail. So, there is a whole new set of dynamics to consider.

As new creations in Christ, we are no longer our own:

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1Co 7:23  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 

You are His chosen, predestinated, and His purchased possession:

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

 Carefully read these Scriptures (Ephesians 1:3-14) because they will lay an important and firm foundation in the way that you think about things, whether you should just go ahead and live your life because it is yours to live. Rather, your life belongs to Christ, and He has a plan that He will reveal to you day by day. Look at verse 11 again: being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

 When it comes to the “will,” this is where the rubber meets the road. Whose will is my life directed by – God’s or mine? This is a sobering thought. Is my will in the way of God’s will, and therefore, the brakes are on (as far as moving up or forward) until my will is submitted completely and entirely to Him? You know that this means I must accept a NO when I really want a YES for that job, or that house, or that trip, relationship, or whatever.

One of the most powerful and freeing verses for us to follow is what Paul had discovered–the power of living the new life in Christ, and realizing the old life is gone forever.

 Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 So what does this mean exactly? It means that I (the old sinful me) am crucified, and I no longer exist as the sole ruler of my life, but “Christ liveth in me.” I live by His “specific” direction and guidance.

 To sum this up, if you apply these Scriptures and expound on them, for instance, look up the doctrine of pre-destination and ask God for wisdom and revelation about it. This is a tremendously freeing study, and you’ll see how, when you view yourself in God’s pre-destined plan for your life, you really don’t have to stress about making decisions. He’ll clearly and plainly show you the way; He’ll open and close doors; He’ll give you grace and peace, and an assurance that all is well. What an incredible, blessed, and stress-free life we can live when we realize our life is no longer our own.

Not of this World

Recently, we were talking about the pandemic, and the days we are living in, and how difficult they are. Our way of life has drastically changed. For instance, a year ago, we would have gone for a Fall Supper, and sat together with about 100 other people in the same room. We wouldn’t have thought twice about it, and that if we sat too close, we could get terrible sick, and possibly die. It would never, under normal circumstances, have entered our minds. Now, everyone wears a mask. We have to stay apart and separate. Hugs are a thing of the past. There is a sadness of our great losses, and a constant fear of what our future may hold. It looks pretty grim if you think about these changes and losses.

 But thankfully, there is another wonderful, positive train of thought. It comes from having a trusted relationship with our loving Friend Jesus, and God our loving Heavenly Father. The Bible, His Word, is filled with promises to those who believe in Him. This morning I was a reminded again, as I’ve been so many times since this pandemic started. Because I am a child of God, I belong to the Kingdom of God. I am no longer ruled by the god of this world. I have been redeemed and adopted into the family of God. I belong to God, and He has promised to deliver me from evil. The pandemic is evil because it seeks to take lives. I can boldly rebuke and defy the pandemic, and command that it never come near me, or my loved ones. I can stand in faith on the Word of God that says,

 Psa 91:9  Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

Psa 91:10  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

I read these verses in my devotional this morning:

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

A dear friend mentioned she is struggling with the social limitations imposed on her because of the Covid. She said she feels disconnected from people, and I certainly understand that feeling, even before the pandemic started. But I was reminded that we are not of this world, we are of the Kingdom of God. Here is what Jesus said:

Joh 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

1Th 2:12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

Even amidst our losses due to the fear of contracting the Covid virus, we are promised that all our needs will be and are supplied by our great Savior, Jesus.

The promise of our spiritual needs are met:

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

The promise of our natural physical needs are also met:

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

I can honestly say that God has always kept His many promises to me. He has always been my faithful Provider. Why wouldn’t He do so now? He hasn’t changed, and His Word hasn’t changed. If anything changes, it is usually us. So, in these difficult times, we definitely have a choice, either to live by faith in God and His Word, or disregard faith, and instead fear the worst. Do we believe and buy into much of what is more than likely a whole lot of worldly propaganda, and allow our lives to be ruled by a perceived threat of a virus?

First and foremost, I choose God, and I believe what His Word says. I like to put action to my faith, as well, and not live in fear. I believe that as believers, we have tremendous power through prayer.  God and one are a majority.  And when as little as two agree in prayer, it shall be done.  Let’s keep those prayers going up, and inviting heaven to come down.  Let’s spread the faith around, and watch the Kingdom of God unfold on this earth that is in so much peril.