Year Round Joy for God's Children and Hope for All

Christmas came and went - but the message of Christmas is for every day.

There is never enough time to get it all done to make sure Christmas is perfect.

Christmas preparation really is a year round job for Christians.  If you are not a Christian I will tell you how to become a Christian at the end of the article.  If you are already a Christian here is a partial list of the gifts God would like you to give to Him.  After all, Christmas is about Jesus’ birthday.  He should be the one who gets the first gifts, the best gifts, and the most gifts.

The Gifts God Wants from you are your:

Heart – God wants your heart.  He wants to be first in your heart.  He wants you to love Him the way He loves you.

Mind – God wants your thoughts to be ever toward Him and the instructions He gives you on how to live your life.  He wants you to give Him the gift of trust.  Trust Him that the boundaries He sets for you are for your own good.

Ears – God wants you to give Him the gift of your ears.  He wants you to hear what He has to say to you in the Bible.  He wants you to not listen to evil words or music.

Eyes – God wants your eyes.  He wants you to keep your eyes on Him.  He wants you to keep your eyes off the evil that is in this world.

Mouth – God wants your mouth.  He wants you to speak what is true and right.  He wants you to avoid evil speaking and gossip.

Hands to work – God wants you to work for Him.  He wants you to actually do the things He says to do. -

Feet to go – God wants your feet.  He wants you to go where His word leads you.  He is not going to lead you astray, or anywhere that breaks a commandment.  He will lead you in the best path.

Body to work – God wants your body to work for Him.  He wants you to do whatever you do in a manner that would please Him.  Your work for an employer is reflection of how you work for God. 

He wants all of you – God wants you to love Him and work for Him with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul. 

Christians are supposed to pledge eternal and unchangeable allegiance to God, to His kingdom, and to a future that is not of this present world.  Christians are supposed to view the world through the eyes of what the Bible has to say about this world and our lives in this world.

This is not a one-sided deal.  God has far more for Christians than Christians have for God. Lets take a look at Psalm 103:3. 

It says, ‘Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

And don’t for Psalm 147:3 which says, ‘He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.’

 In Psalm 103:3 we get the overwhelming good news that God forgives all our sins.  God is concerned with ALL your sins.  He is big enough to forgive your very big sins, and please be honest enough with yourself to admit you have committed at least a few very big wrongs.  He also cares about the continual sins in your life, and the little occasional sins.  If you are a child of God, then even the little sins bother you at least part of the time.  Please don’t make the mistake of comparing your little sins to the big sins of others and thinking God really doesn’t care if you have a few small sinful things you do.  He does care.  He wants to forgive you of ALL your sins and help you have a better life. You get a clean slate through God’s forgiveness.

 Your body bears the consequence of sin, whether it is a big sin or a little sin.  Healing begins with a heart that is healed of its sin and grief.  This is obviously NOT a license to do more wrong.  It is a true way to get past the wrong things you have done in the past.  Even if you happen to have a very good excuse or explanation for wrongs you have done, you still need forgiveness.  Don’t waste time justifying or explaining your actions by the actions of someone else.  Instead go to God for forgiveness and healing.  Also go to Him for healing wounds caused to you by others.  Let God heal your heart of those wounds as well as the self-inflicted wounds.

 Joy is much more natural when you are totally forgiven by God.  He will strengthen you to go forward to a better life.  If you have wronged someone you need to sincerely ask their forgiveness.  You can ask for it, and pray for it, and do you very best to make amends; but no matter what happens, God has forgiven you! 

 Most people are interested in physical healing when they think of going to God for healing.  Physical healing is possible.  Sometimes God heal infirmities for at least a season.  But, healing of the heart is eternal.  (Eventually the body is restored for eternity.) If a physical body is racked by a sin-sick heart it will show.  Loss of joy and mental depression are to be expected in the heart of the Christian who is separated from our heavenly Father by sins. 

 When you are making your list of Christmas gifts for other, remember the list of things God wants from you.  Don’t consider it hard.  Remember Matthew chapter 11:28-30 which says,

’28.  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

 Follow these instructions and your spiritual life will improve. Give the gifts to God that He asks of you. 

 Hebrews 11:6 tells us, ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’

 God has rewards for those that diligently seek Him. Believe what God is telling you.  If you lack faith, ask God to increase your faith. In obedience to God, you are giving God the things He asks of you, and you are setting yourself up to receive good things from God.  Diligently seek His face.  Learn what He asks of you through reading the studying the Bible, and apply Bible teachings to your personal actions.   That is the gift God wants from you on a daily basis.  In return you will receive rest for your soul.  In resting there is healing.  Give to God and He will give to you. 

 Please remember that I am not speaking of material wealth or physical healing.  It is true that you God may give you material wealth and physical healing, but that is not what these verses are promising.  You can give to God of your material wealth, whatever it may be.

 For those reading this who are not already Christians, you may be wondering if this applies to you, or how to make it apply to you.  To personalize God’s promises, you must be adopted into the family of God.  This is done through salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  It requires that:

 1.  You recognize that your sins have separated you from the God of the Bible who is the God of creation.  You need to understand that there are two divisions of ‘righteousness’.  First, there is the utter continual perfection of God.  He is perfect in every way every single second.  There is no human being who can say that about themselves truthfully.  Many people are much kinder and more righteous than other, but none but Jesus Christ has ever been without some sins.  The human division of righteousness is between human beings.  We can compare ourselves to others, and find ourselves better than many evil people in the world, but none of us can honestly call ourselves perfect.

 2.  God has made a place for sinners or the unrighteous.  This place is hell. 

3. God has made a place for the righteous, those who have been made righteous through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice at calvary, called heaven.

4.  God is willing to save the unrighteous from hell.  When a man or woman turns from the life he or she is living and turns to God, God saves them from hell.  It is a personal choice that everyone makes.  It requires a specific definite decision to turn to God and His ways.  Through Christ, hell is escaped and heaven is gained!

 Some verses that are good to consider when seeking the way to God are:

 Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  (I know – I already used that verse – but it is worth reading twice.)

1 Timothy 1:16

 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

 1 John 5:13

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.’

  I love this verse.  You can KNOW that you have eternal life.  Remember God is greater than how you feel.  Once you are God’s child, you are His eternally.  That means He is with you on the days you ‘feel’ His presence and on a dark night when you may feel alone.  Feeling abandoned is just a feeling.  It is not a reality.

 DO YOU WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU DIE?

1.  Hebrews 9:27

 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

 So first is the judgement.

 2.  John 11:25

 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Next – those who have believed in Jesus will live again.

 3.  Revelation 14:11

 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

 Those who have refused Christ’s offer to save them from hell will go to hell.

DO YOU WONDER WHAT HEAVEN WILL BE LIKE?

1 Corinthians 2:9

 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

 1.Matthew 19:14

 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

 Some of the things we see in children that will be in heaven are innocence, honesty, trust, joy, unconditional love, many other wonderful things.

 DOES GOD WANT YOU PERSONALLY?  HAVE YOU BEEN SO BAD HE WILL NOT TAKE YOU IF YOU ASK HIM?

 2 Peter 3:9

 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO GO TO HEAVEN?

John 3:16

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 John 3:36

 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

 CAN I GET TO HEAVEN SOMEWAY WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST?

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

IS THE GOD OF THE BIBLE GENERIC?  IS HE THE SAME AS THE gODS OF OTHER RELIGIONS?

Exodus 20:5a

 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God;

There is an old Christian hymn that asks the question ‘Are YOU ready for the judgment day?

If you cannot say – YES!  I am ready!  I am safe in Jesus Christ.  By HIS sacrifice I have been promised entry into heaven, then now is the time to ask Jesus to save you personally from the evil times to come.

There’s a Great Day Coming

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/g/tgreatda.htm

There’s a great day coming, a great day coming;

 There’s a great day coming by and by,

 When the saints and the sinners shall be parted right and left,

 Are you ready for that day to come?

Refrain

Are you ready? Are you ready?

 Are you ready for the judgment day?

 Are you ready? Are you ready?

 For the judgment day?

There’s a bright day coming, a bright day coming;

 There’s a bright day coming by and by.

 But its brightness shall only come to them that love the Lord.

 Are you ready for that day to come?

Refrain

There’s a sad day coming, a sad day coming;

 There’s a sad day coming by and by,

 When the sinner shall hear his doom: “Depart, I know you not!”

 Are you ready for that day to come?