Tag: Devotionals

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Seek The Miraculous

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ~ Isaiah 7:14

Christmas Dreams is one of my favorite Christmas songs. One of the last lines Francesca Battistelli writes is:

I guess the person most excited for Christmas is me

Christmas is a magical time, especially as a child. The presents. Santa coming to visit. All the lights and decorations. The holiday specials. Everything is just so much more magical at Christmas time. The older I get, the less I look forward to pretend, make-believe magic but real magic.

Now, I’m not talking about witchcraft magic, but the impossible becoming possible, unexplainable magic. I’m talking about miracles. Christmas celebrates the most miraculous event in history: God lowering Himself to the form of man and being born of a virgin. No longer do I look forward to Santa coming or even the presents under the tree.

Each Christmas I grow older, I look forward to celebrating, honoring, remembering, and encouraging myself with the miraculous gift of Jesus. If God loved mankind enough to become one of us for 33 ½ years, 2000 years ago, then He loves us enough to still do miracles today. Why? Because He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Therefore, be encouraged this Christmas season as you look back on all the miracles He has done in the past and look forward to all the miracles He will do for you in the future. All you need to do is follow Him, ask, and believe.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek The Miraculous.

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Our Christmas Promise

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me One who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. ~ Micah 5:2

This is Micah’s Christmas prophecy that came to pass over 2,000 years ago when Jesus was born of a virgin, the virgin Mary, right there in Bethlehem Ephrathah. It was just a little place with a little name but a huge promise. Ephrathah, though small and insignificant, would be the birthplace of the Promised Messiah. A ruler so great that there will be no end to His rule nor a transfer of His power. He will have an everlasting kingdom with an everlasting throne.

If such a great promise was spoken over an insignificant place and fulfilled, how much more can we who are called by His name look forward to great things? We do not have to be from a huge, important city. Nor do we have to have an earthly royal bloodline. Our name does not have to be great upon the earth in order for God to give us great promises. He uses the humble, the meek, and the insignificant and raises them up to greatness.

So, just because you were not born wealthy or come from a prominent family does not mean that God will overlook you. All you have to do is be a willing vessel, and God will fill you and use you. Even if you are broken, just like the potter fixes marred vessels, God will put you back together and mold you into a useful vessel. He is the repairer of the breach and all that is broken.

That is our Christmas promise from our LORD and Savior. He will love us, use us, and take care of us, no matter who we are or where we come from, as long as we are willing and obedient. That is His promise to us.

Father, thank You that I don’t have to be rich and famous for You to see and recognize me. But that you take notice of the lowly and the unimportant. I totally submit to you, LORD Jesus, make me a useful vessel that You can use, although I’m worn and broken. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Imitator

14 … For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:14b

In this life, we only truly have one real enemy, Satan. He lies, steals, and destroys but never creates. Satan isn’t a creator; he is a manipulator, transformer, and deceiver. See, evil can only manipulate what is already created; it can’t create something new. I think Rise of the Guardians depicts this perfectly.

The villain of the movie, Pitch, is like the Boogeyman. He hides in the shadows, instilling fear, so the moon sends guardians to bring hope to the people. Guardians such as Santa Claus, Toothfairy, Easter Bunny, and Sandman. Now, Sandman’s purpose is to give the children good dreams. But, after much trial and error, Pitch discovers a way to turn the dreams into nightmares. But he still can’t take total absolute control of Sandman’s dreams. How do we know? The eyes of the dreams Pitch stole were still gold, while the rest of the body was black. Just like in real life, there is only one creator, and the enemy is not it.

Has the enemy come after your dreams and turned them into nightmares? Has he manipulated your talents and corrupted your purpose? Has he only shown you the corrupted things? Don’t listen to his lies anymore. This Christmas, take a hold of your God-given dreams. Seek the LORD and His righteousness, and He will show you the Truth. Your True purpose, His true creation, and the true good things He has in store for you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Look Through The Manipulation.

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Keep Christ In Christmas

7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. ~ Luke 2:7

I remember watching a TV show that had a Christmas episode. It was your normal Christmas special until they handed each other Christmas presents on Christmas morning but refused to say Merry Christmas. No. Instead, they said “Happy Holidays” to each other. I was baffled.

They’re celebrating Christmas on Christmas morning but say Happy Holidays to each other so that they can be politically correct and not offend anyone. It doesn’t even make sense. Even if they said Happy Holidays to the audience after the episode was finished, as I’ve seen other shows do, no. They had to make sure they didn’t mention ‘Merry Christmas’ because it’s politically incorrect.

Religion is under attack, especially Christianity. Why? Because Christ changes you. They know that Christmas is the celebration and remembrance of the birth of Christ, so they have to change the name as to not draw any positive attention to Him. They have to completely remove the true love of Christ from society in order to remove the Light and spread the darkness.

This Christmas, stand up for your religious freedoms promised to us by our founding fathers. They risked, and many gave it all up in order to ensure a better future for the generations to come. Religious freedom is currently at risk. Therefore, this Christmas pray for our nation, pray for our leaders, pray for those who write and pass laws in this nation, so that we might reach the throne room of God with our prayers and He might move on our behalf.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep Christ In Christmas.

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Micah’s Christmas Prophecy

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me One who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. ~ Micah 5:2

Micah prophesied that a ruler so great that there will be no end to His rule, nor a transfer of His power will come from this place, Bethlehem Ephrathah. This is Micah’s Christmas prophecy of the coming Messiah that was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. The Savior of the whole world. This Messiah, Jesus Christ, will inherit an everlasting kingdom and an everlasting throne.

How is this possible, when kingdoms rise and fall all of the time? There has never been an everlasting kingdom. It will happen because His coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. In other words, His origin is from eternity. Jesus did not begin to exist at the time of His birth. Jesus existed even before time began. For John 1:1-5 declares that it was through the Word, Jesus, that all things were made, and without Him not one single thing was created. Jesus is not only the author and finisher of our faith, but He is the creator and upholder of all that exists in heaven and on earth and in the seas and oceans.

Not only is Jesus the ruler of an everlasting kingdom, but there will be no usurpers in His kingdom. No wars, nor lawlessness. No lack, nor want. No fear, nor dread. Only love, joy, peace, and the fulfillment of a true utopia. The sun will not even burn down on the heads of the citizens of that kingdom, because Jesus will be our light, and the Father will be our supplier.

Let us, therefore, live to this end. Let us purposefully live so that we will be chosen to enter into that kingdom when Jesus comes back to make up His jewels. We are His jewels. We who love Him and keep His commandments, and who look forward with a strong, burning desire to His return.

Father, thank You for choosing me. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to live for You. Now strengthen me this Christmas so that I might make my election and calling sure. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Accept Your Purpose

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. ~ Matthew 1:18-25

One of my favorite movies is Rise of the Guardians. In the movie, Jack Frost is lost, trying his best to be visible to others. He tries and tries again but fails each time, so one night, he helplessly looks to the moon and asks what he’s doing wrong and what his purpose is. The very next day, he gets his answer, but he doesn’t want it to be true; he doesn’t want to accept it, and he blatantly denies it. This is how we all are today.

God created mankind to have a purpose, not to live life hopeless and without value. God wasn’t just talking to the people of Israel when He said, “For I know the plans I have for you” (Jeremiah 29:11). We know this because Paul writes that God is the God of both the Jews and the Gentiles, therefore, if He has plans for the Jews, He has plans for the Gentiles as well (Romans 3:29-30).

Therefore, when the LORD shows you the plans He has for you, don’t fight it. His plans are for our good and for our welfare. The plans we have for ourselves may seem good, but they can’t compare to the plans God has for us. Therefore, this Christmas, let go of your prejudices and preconceived ideas and cling to the good plans the LORD has for us.

Before the end of the movie, Jack Frost accepted and embraced his purpose, and in doing so, he was seen by someone for the first time. When you accept the plans the LORD has for you, the good things that you desire will be given to you. Joseph could have left Mary. He could have quietly divorced her as he had planned to do all along, and in doing so, he would’ve missed out on being the father of the Messiah. But Joseph trusted God and followed His every command, and in doing so, he was not only able to meet the Messiah, but he raised the Messiah.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Accept Your Purpose.

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Christmas Ambassador

3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” ~ Isaiah 40:3-5

I remember when I first got saved in the early 90’s, the Reverent Billy Graham was preparing for a worldwide crusade. Churches all over the world, including the islands of the Caribbean, from every denomination were preparing for the crusade. We had training classes for the altar call, in anticipation for vast amount of people who would respond to the Gospel.

He never actually physically came to a lot of the places, like the little islands of the sea, but places of worship were prepared, and big screens were setup that those in attendance could see and hear the Reverent Billy Graham preach the plain and honest word of God’s truth.

God prophesied the same thing through Isaiah. He said He would send a forerunner, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the LORD.” That was fulfilled in Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist. John was the voice preparing the people to receive their Messiah. He came preaching, and baptizing, and pointing people to the truth. Many came out to him and were baptized by him. Many asked, what must we do…? And he pointed them in the right direction.

Today, God is not looking for forerunners, He has already come in the form and fashion of the LORD Jesus. He lived and died, and was dead and buried for three days and three nights, but on the third day, He rose again and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and He is coming back to get all those who are waiting for His return. But you know what He is looking for? He is looking for Christmas Ambassadors, those who will spread the Good News of the Hope that we have in His death and resurrection. He is looking for those who will tell of all the good things He has done for them, and point the loss in the direction of the cross.

There are many people who are still asking, “What must we do…?” They need one of God’s Ambassadors to point them in the right direction. Yes, there are those who do not want to hear, but I believe God is doing something great. He did not give us one more opportunity for no reason. Let us, therefore, strive to please Him and Him alone. Let us not live to our own selves, but let us live to please our LORD and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is your opportunity to partner with Jesus to be a Christmas Ambassador and to tell others about Him and what He has done for us and for our family.

Dear Heavenly Father, if you can use anything, please use me to be a Christmas Ambassador so that I can point others to You so that they may live and not die. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Christmas Intolerance

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ~ John 3:19

I remember being a kid enjoying the reading of the true Christmas Story at Epcot. Not only did they read the true Christmas Story found in Luke 2, but they also sang Christmas carols like Silent Night, O Holy Night, Angels We Have Heard On High, etc. One of the last years we enjoyed this event, I overheard a lady standing nearby complaining about the reading of Christmas Story. She explained that she enjoyed the songs but not the reading of the Christmas Story out of the Bible.

Being me, I had to fight every ounce of my being not to ask her what the difference was because her complaint made no sense. Think about it, all of those Christmas carols are saying the same exact thing that’s in the Christmas Story she was complaining about them reading. The other thing was, why go if you’re just gonna complain about the very purpose of the event? That’s crazy. But that’s the way the world is.

It wants you to accept and support everything they love to indulge in, but they want to silence Christianity. There isn’t another religion that is hated the way that Christianity is. They don’t even have a reason for the hatred. They’re okay with the mentioning of God, even the mentioning of Jesus; just don’t live for Him or read His Word. Why? Because those two things bring change. The Word of God sparks a fire within the hearts of those who hear it. It’s living, active, and can change the life of anyone who allows it to.

This Christmas, let the Word of God change you so that you may be a Light in this world as you live for Christ. Don’t let others silence the Truth with the false perspective of tolerance. Those shouting tolerance are always the most intolerant.

Dear LORD, please use me. Help me to be a Light for You. Please write Your Word on my heart that I might not sin against You, but instead that I might share Your Word and love with all I meet. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Look For His Prophecies

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel. ~ Genesis 3:15

2,000 years ago, God set off His Godliness, took the form of man, and came to earth as a baby to save the world. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. This was a well-planned rescue mission prophesied from the Garden of Eden. See, God created Adam in His own Image and then created woman because man could not be alone. His creation was perfect, and He would come, walk, and talk with His creation daily. Then suddenly, in an instant, His creation was completely corrupted.

So, what does God do? In the punishment of the tempter and deceiver, God prophesies the hope of all of humanity. See, the Serpent was the root of the fall of mankind, so not only was the Serpent punished, but the eventual undoing of all that he had done was prophesied. Let that sink in. The Serpent intended for the downfall of all humanity, but the LORD not only punished him but also told him how He (God) would undo his evil actions.

Let this be a reminder this Christmas season that even when the Devil tempts you successfully, God will be there to show all involved His plan of redemption. Be encouraged by this and let not your hearts be discouraged by the temptations of this world, for the LORD will also come to redeem those who love Him and whom He loves.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Look For His Prophecies.

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Live For Today And Look For Eternity

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

When you lose people you love, the holidays become bittersweet. It’s almost as if you can’t wait to enjoy the holidays, but as you do, you just want it to end. Almost like it’s too painful or wrong to enjoy the holidays without them. All of those emotions and feelings you’ve been bottling up all year long seem to come crashing down during the holidays, and it’s easy to feel crushed underneath it all. But even in a dark place, there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel.

I’ve noticed a trend in movies and TV shows that when someone dies, those mourning that person will end their conversation with them with, “wherever you are.” What could be a sadder statement? I miss my loved ones dearly. It’s been almost a decade, and there are still those moments when, just for a second, I go to pick up my phone to call them and tell them what just happened, and then it hits me, they’re no longer there.

A lot of pain fills our hearts in the holiday season, but one thing that we have as an ease of the heart is this: we don’t mourn like those without hope because we know that this time without them is just a short time compared to the eternity we will share with them one day. It can be difficult sometimes, but when we focus on today and look to eternity instead of focusing on the past and what could be, we’ll be able to cherish every moment we have with the loved ones we still have with us.

Dear LORD, please ease the pain in the hearts of all who are mourning the loss of loved ones. We know that grief and pain only last for the night, for Your joy comes in the morning. LORD, please let Your sun rise in each and every heart and let Your peace and love surround them always. Please teach each of us to focus on today and to live for the hope of eternity. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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