The Greatest Gift of All

The Christmas story is the greatest story ever told. Each year we celebrate Christ birthday. May we not forget the Reason for the Season. I remember when our kids were younger, Bill and I would read the Christmas story to them each year. I often think back as to when they were younger the joy on their face come Christmas morning when they would see the gifts under the tree. Now they are older, one married and one at home. This Christmas was different for us, it was our first one without our daughter at home. It was a happy and sad time. It seems to get harder as they get older. I often think back to when they were kids and how fast the years have gone by. I am also reminded how blessed I am to have 2 wonderful children and now a son-in-law. It was a joy to know that our daughter and son-in-law were celebrating their first Christmas together at their home. They did come over later that morning to open up gifts and celebrate Christ birthday. It was a wonderful day. We have truly been blessed. It was great to see the snow falling on Christmas morning and reflecting on Christ birthday. May we spend each Christmas reflecting on Jesus Christ, He is the Reason for the Season.

Just recently Bill spoke on "Who Are You in the Christmas Story?" in our youth service. It was an amazing sermon. Do our lives reflect that of the Pharisees or Herod? Or the Shepherds? Or the Wise Men? Think about it and meditate on it, which one does your life reflect? Do we let the busyness of the season take away our joy? Do we allow it to become more of a commercial than a holiday? Maybe if we take the time to reflect on Christ birthday, maybe we will truly see the joy of that special and glorious day. Don't allow the busyness of the season to take away your joy. Christ came to earth then gave his life for us. May we each remember the special gift that has been given unto us, the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Luke 2:10-11
An angel of the Lord appeared to them and said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Help us Lord to keep CHRIST in Christmas, help us to be a light unto all the world. Help us not to let the busyness during the season take away our joy or keep our focus on the real meaning of the season. Help us to use the gifts you have so graciously given us for the advancement of your kingdom. Help us not to lose sight of you Lord but keep our focus on you daily even in our most busiest times of the year. May we always remember the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Thank you God for your many, many blessings and your greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ!

Words of Encouragement

Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs."Our words should be used to build others up.
James 3:9-10 says, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." Wow what a powerful scripture. Have you ever said something you wish you could take back? Why is it that we struggle with our choice of words? Gossip and slander can be the most hurtful to others. I have found that if I take the time to pray, God will give me the words to say. I had a situation just a few weeks ago concerning someone whom was speaking very badly and spreading false information concerning my husband and myself. Needless to say, I was hurt and felt betrayed. For those who know me, they knew not to listen to the lies. I did speak to her by phone and asked her where she heard this information, she would not give me an answer as to who told her the information. I will say that before I spoke with her, I had to go to the Lord in prayer as I was deeply hurt by what was said. I simply had to give it all to the Lord. I will never understand why people choose to lie and spread rumors. It causes hurt and pain. I found out all this during the same week I found out bad news concerning my mom's cancer. We were definitely under attack. God reminded me that He has it all under control and gave me a great peace concerning the situation. We have seen growth within our youth ministry. God is really moving within our youth group. It is so AMAZING to see God moving.
Instead of choosing words to bring others down, let us be careful and wise in what we say. May we use words that will build others up. Encouraging words can make a person's day. Taming the tongue is hard for it takes the help of the Holy Spirit daily. I encourage you during the weeks ahead to choose your words carefully. If you find yourself in a situation similar to mine, be very careful in what you say, give it to the Lord. Let us pray blessings over our enemies. May our words be an inspiration to others.

The Struggles We Face

James 1:2-3 says, "Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
Over this past year, we have been through some battles, persevered only through the help of the Lord. I will say that this past month was not a good one. We were facing one trial after another. We were hit hard. I am a person who pleases God but I also want to please others. I have learned both in Youth Ministry and in life that you cannot please everyone. It is a struggle when you are a people pleaser. I know God will get us through the hurdles. I know there will be more to come. I want to be like Paul and Silas when they were thrown into prison, they sang songs of praise unto the Lord. They kept the faith and their focus was on the Lord and not the trial. There will always be struggles in life. We must choose to keep the faith and keep our focus on the Lord and not the storms of life. Storms are a part of the journey. Everything that happens has a purpose.
After much prayer, God has given me scriptures and words of encouragement along with the help of my friends. Thank you to all my dear friends for your many prayers. May we learn to lift others up, pray for our enemies, and have a heart for the lost. We are called to be like Christ. Lord give us a heart for lost souls. When others mistreat us, may we bless them, pray for them and shower them with kindness as your Word instructs us to do. Help us Lord to praise you even in our struggles. Help us to persevere. May we put our complete trust in you daily. Help us Lord to keep our focus on you no matter what storms we may face. May we sing songs of praise to you even during the storms. Thank you Lord for your great love and mercy. Thank you for what you are about to do in our life!

Faith

Hebrews 11:1
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what do not see."

By faith we believe God created the universe and all that is in it. By faith, Noah built the ark when warned about things not yet seen. If you read Hebrews 11, you will find many stories of people who lived by faith. Some of them include Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Abel, Enoch, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, the prophets, the prostitute Rahab, and others. I would encourage you to read Hebrews 11 especially if you are struggling in your faith.
Should we as Christians doubt God? NO! For if he can calm the storms, walk on water, feed the five thousand, turn water into wine, heal the sick, and raise a dead man; how can we doubt God? We must not doubt but believe. It takes complete faith. Faith is believing in the things not yet seen.

James 1:6
"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

We must believe and not allow Satan to put the doubt there. If we give it to the Lord at the altar, then leave it there, don't take it back. With faith also comes action. We must act in faith believing and knowing God called us according to his purpose for such a time as this.

James 1:22
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

James 2:20
"You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?"

James 2:26
"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

Let us live by faith and not by sight that we may be an example to others. May we listen to God's calling and be obedient to His calling. May we be credited as a righteous child of God. May our lives reflect the love of Jesus Christ towards others. Help us O'Lord to believe and not doubt. Help us each day to walk by faith, doing what you have called us to do.
Blessings to you all!!!

Prayer of Faith

Prayer is very powerful and very essential in our spiritual walk with God. It is also a very powerful way of communicating with God. One Sunday morning, we had a missionary speak at our service by the name of Karla. She is so anointed by the Lord and spoke with such boldness and compassion. Her title was "Prayer of Faith." I would like to share some of my notes from her message that morning. It was so powerful. It is a reminder that when we pray, pray the prayer of faith. There are three key points in praying the prayer of faith: Prayer of Faith, Fervent, and Availeth Much.

James 5:13-16 "The Prayer of Faith"
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of righteous man is powerful and effective."

I am going to begin by talking about the Prayer of Faith. There are two ways we can pray the prayer of faith:
1) Pray in the Word (stand firm in the Word)
You have no power if you aren't submerged in the Word.
2) Be used in the gift of faith
Be available to be used.

The second key point is Fervent:
Agonize in prayer.
Pray according to God's will not your own.
Pray fervently, in tongues and in the Spirit.

The final point is Availeth Much:
Be available to be used by the Spirit.
We cannot operate in God's will unless we are in the Spirit.
The prayer of faith gets the job done.

Imagine if we all spent an hour a day praying, even if it was a short simple prayer, what a difference the power of prayer makes. Praying and spending time with God allows us to develop a more personal relationship with God. He will make our paths clear and help us in times of turmoil. The power of prayer changes things.

I love the quote "You have no power if you aren't submerged in the Word." You simply can't grow spiritually if you are not reading God's Word or applying it to your life. You have to make time to read God's Word and study it. It requires disciplining yourself. You must make time with God in order to have a relationship with God. It is amazing what God can do through us if we allow him to use us according to his will. Make an effort to spend time in God's Word and in prayer seeking God's will for your life. Make an effort to pray the prayer of faith. By praying the prayer of faith, praying fervently and being available to be used by the Spirit, God can move in miraculous ways.

Romans 8:16-17
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."

Romans 12:11-12
"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."