Have you ever been truly afraid of something? I've noticed that whenever holy things of GOD are about to take place, the recipient of the news always has to be told not to be afraid. This helps to remind me in my daily walk that I need to be discerning of matters set before me. What is truly spiritual and of GOD and what is not? I believe that GOD will give me complete peace in matters that I take to HIM and I will not feel edgy concerning it. I believe HE will also give me a warning if there is something that I need to steer clear of. After all, GOD is the same~ yesterday, today and forever. I just need to stay close to HIM so that I can hear the messages HE has for me. In regard to this thought, here I've listed a few "fear not" words of grace for the greatest story every told…
- In Luke 1, we read Fear not, to Zacharias… This tells about his son, John, who would be born to prepare the people to receive JESUS.
- Then there’s, Fear not, Mary… This is about GOD’s son, JESUS coming to prepare sinners for the kingdom of GOD.
- In Matthew 1, we read fear not to Joseph that he might take Mary to be his wife.
- In Luke 2, we read Fear not to the shepherds from the angels proclaiming the birth of CHRIST.
Any mother can tell you that it’s very difficult to travel under the best of circumstances when you are in your ninth month. I wonder how long it took Mary and Joseph to travel and how many times they had to stop along the way. Scriptures don’t tell us if they had a donkey, but a donkey always shows up on Christmas cards. I really wonder if they had one. Well, whether they had a donkey or not, I’m sure aching bodies and sore feet were part of the ordeal for both of them. I wonder how we would physically feel under those circumstances. How would we emotionally feel?
Mary trusted GOD and offered herself as the LORD’s handmaid. Joseph trusted also that GOD had everything under control. GOD had planned from the start just when and where JESUS would arrive. HE looked on earth to find the suitable family, orchestrated the angel choir and placed the star in just the right place and at just the right time.
O holy night when CHRIST was born. O holy months and another journey when the wise men finally found HIM. O holy years where Mary and Joseph would raise HIM and teach Him through childhood the things that HE should know. O holy ministry when the SON OF GOD would walk among the people teaching GOD’s kingdom on earth. O holy suffering, death and resurrection that ushered in the finished work of CHRIST. O holy forever, now we wait for HIS return to reign in glory. Hallelujah!
This is truth for the CHRISTIAN! Hallelujah! What a Savior!
But not everyone believes in CHRIST as Savior. Christmas is just another holiday celebration for some. There are many other traditions attached to the Christian's very strong faith in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. There are extra stories and non-Christian traditions intermingled with biblical truths everywhere you look. The secular side of Christmas has very little to do with CHRIST. Yet, the unsaved world witnesses this presentation every year and believes what they see about CHRIST because of it.
Sadly, eyes continue to be blinded. There is no one there to show them the true CHRIST. Their ears continue to be stopped because there is no one there to tell them the gospel of truth. Their hearts continue to be cold because there is no one to show them the love of CHRIST. Their heads continue to be filled with misconceptions because they just don’t know whom to trust.
You see, many Christians like the Baby Jesus because who can find fault with a baby? These Christians get all excited about celebrating Christmas. But friends and family, the real story of CHRIST cannot be told without telling about HIS suffering.
Dear friends and family, CHRIST did not remain that beautiful little baby boy. CHRIST grew to become a man in order to represent the human race throughout the ages. HE offered HIMSELF up as a living sacrifice so that we might have everlasting life. HE commissioned us to be HIS representatives here on earth so that we might show and tell the gospel and that we might love on those who have lost all hope and that we might encourage the lost that JESUS loves them and died to save them...
Let's just think about what that means...
· HE loved us so much that HE first shed HIS blood drops in the garden, as sweat from his brow, when HE laid down His human will for GOD’s heavenly will. JESUS could have taken HIS life back at that time but HE didn’t. HE did this so that we might have a way to the FATHER. HE gave us an example to follow in laying down our will for GOD's will. Matthew 26:39 O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26:42 O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood on the whipping post. HE allowed this to break the curse of sickness. HE could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE continued the work. 1 Peter 2:24 who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
· HE loved us so much the HE shed HIS blood when the crown of thorns was placed on HIS head. This HE allowed to break the curse of poverty for those that believe. JESUS could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE didn’t do that because HE was thinking of us all the time. Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground... Matthew 27:28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. Galations 3: 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree…
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood when they pierced HIS hands. HE allowed this to restore dominion for the work of the hands of those that trust in HIM. HE could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE didn’t because HE was the lamb for the sacrifice. Deuteronomy 28: 12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them…
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood when they pierced HIS feet. HE allowed this to restore dominion to the walk of the believer. HE could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE continued HIS work. Joshua 1: 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood when they pierced HIS side. HE allowed this to heal the broken hearted among us. JESUS could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE chose to think of you and me instead of himself. Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood internally as HE was bruised. HE allowed the beatings to bruise HIM and break every iniquity and to drive sin from our flesh. JESUS could have taken HIS life back at that time but HE finished HIS redemptive work to save us. Isaiah 53:5 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
· HE loved us so much that HE first shed HIS blood drops in the garden, as sweat from his brow, when HE laid down His human will for GOD’s heavenly will. JESUS could have taken HIS life back at that time but HE didn’t. HE did this so that we might have a way to the FATHER. HE gave us an example to follow in laying down our will for GOD's will. Matthew 26:39 O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26:42 O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood on the whipping post. HE allowed this to break the curse of sickness. HE could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE continued the work. 1 Peter 2:24 who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
· HE loved us so much the HE shed HIS blood when the crown of thorns was placed on HIS head. This HE allowed to break the curse of poverty for those that believe. JESUS could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE didn’t do that because HE was thinking of us all the time. Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground... Matthew 27:28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. Galations 3: 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree…
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood when they pierced HIS hands. HE allowed this to restore dominion for the work of the hands of those that trust in HIM. HE could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE didn’t because HE was the lamb for the sacrifice. Deuteronomy 28: 12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them…
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood when they pierced HIS feet. HE allowed this to restore dominion to the walk of the believer. HE could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE continued HIS work. Joshua 1: 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood when they pierced HIS side. HE allowed this to heal the broken hearted among us. JESUS could have taken HIS life back at any time but HE chose to think of you and me instead of himself. Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…
· HE loved us so much that HE shed HIS blood internally as HE was bruised. HE allowed the beatings to bruise HIM and break every iniquity and to drive sin from our flesh. JESUS could have taken HIS life back at that time but HE finished HIS redemptive work to save us. Isaiah 53:5 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
How
awesome
a thought that
GOD loved you and
me that much! Do we need
Christmas trees, stockings, tinsel,
decorations, shopping sprees, and huge
feasts to remember CHRIST at Christmas?
Of course not. Do we need CHRIST? Yes, indeed we do.
So let us remember the true meaning of CHRISTMAS.
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Let us live so that others may
believe!
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31
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