The Christmas Story

Ok, I choose this for Funny Friday; I thought it was very cute. Have a look yourself.

PLUS a short Christmas Joke:

Little Boy wants a present [Read more…]

Simeon and Anna’s Moment

 

 

Simeon and Anna’s Moment

by Olga Hermans

We have a beautiful painting in our living room from Ron DiCianni. It’s called “Simeon’s Moment”. It is one of my favorite paintings. It must have been such an awesome experience for Simeon to hold the Son of God in his arms! For Simeon it was indeed the moment of a lifetime as it showed the fulfillment of God’s promise to him and to the world.

Simeon’s Moment speaks to the joy and elation that Simeon must have felt at seeing that prophecy fulfilled. This is the moment that Simeon had chosen to live his life for God. Luke 2:21-35

The people of Israel had eagerly waited for centuries for the Messiah to arrive, but it wasn’t until the perfect moment in history, during the census of the entire Roma world, when the baby was born. Jesus was born right on time and in the right place, fulfilling many Old testament prophesies.

Jesus is consistently, perfectly, always on time. You may be waiting for God to fulfill a promise to you. Don’t lose your hope; he’s on time and always keeps his promises.

And than there is Anna; what did it mean to her to see the Messiah? Can we even imagine what was like for her? As a prophet. She had spent years waiting for the Messiah. She knew the promises that God had given to his people throughout the centuries and she had spent her life praying and fasting, longing for the Messiah to appear.

Anna exemplified qualities of anointing and steadfastness. After being married only seven years, her husband died and this widow chose a life of fasting and prayer in the temple. She did not depart from the temple, but made the choice to serve God. Luke 2:36-37, clearly chose to walk in moral purity and dedicated service. The name “Anna” means “Favor” or “Grace”. She did find favor in God’s eyes for He revealed the Messiah, the Hope of Israel to her.

So, when she overheard Simeon giving thanks to God because he had seen the Lord’s Messiah, she knew she had to see the child. In that tiny body was the hope for Jerusalem, the redemption of the people.

There is worth and value in whatever passage of life you may find yourself. Many people might consider elderly people worthless or those lonely years of widowhood unbearable. But our God can make any time in our lives worthwhile and useful. You may be washing floors and wiping up after young children right now. Or maybe you are in between jobs and uncertain about what step to take next. Maybe you’re waiting for a husband or for financial security. Choose to believe that promise that you have; God will come through for you!

Many who prayed and waited for the Messiah never saw Him. But one day the Lord allowed these two elderly people to see the Christ child and joyously praise God for that long-awaited answer to prayer!

Wherever you are in life, look for ways to serve God in and through your life situation. And I know this; If you choose to be faithful, God will honor you.

…WHO JESUS REALLY IS

This morning I received this e-mail from one of my teachers in VBI in Tulsa. This is a great bibleschool; if you ever desire to attend a bibleschool, then you should certainly prayerfully consider this one. Any way Eddie Hyattt was one of my favorite teachers; he writes books on revival and is very knowledgeable on the moves of God. I so enjoyed this article that I want to share it with you. Here it is:

OLD TESTAMENT NAMES OF THE MESSIAH REVEAL WHO JESUS REALLY IS

It is Christmas again and the world is again being confronted with Jesus. Yes, I understand that the real Jesus is too often obscured by all the tinsel and commercialism of the season, and I am aware of the overt attempts to completely remove Him from Christmas. Nonetheless, instead of cursing the darkness let’s light a candle and ask God for creative ways to make known to this generation who Jesus really is. [Read more…]

5 Qualities Of A Doer

5 Qualities Of A Doer

by Olga Hermans

 

Have you been watching The Apprentice with Donald Trump? I have, as I mentioned that last week. It was a race to win and everybody wanted to finish strong, but only one could be The Apprentice of  Donald Trump. It was Brandy Kuentzel and not Clint Robertson. Of course Ivanka  and Don Jr.  had their sayings in this finale.

In this race life, it may take you double the effort to reach your destiny, but you will get there if you one thing; get back up and keep running! A stumble is not a loss. It’s just another opportunity to get back up and succeed.

You will have many opportunities to trust God and many opportunities to doubt. If you stumble in your faith, don’t let it stop you from running your race. Clint Robertson is getting back; we all know that! Most people who have seen great success with God have not been perfect, but they’ve been faithful.

I believe that God wants the body of Christ to overflow with goodness; with love, with joy, with peace, with prosperity, with health and with good relationships. Is it a sacrifice to get back? Yes, it takes effort and a will to get back up after you have struggled or even fallen. Is it worth it? Of course it is.

God loves you. There is no doubt about it. Throughout His Word, He gives you verse after verse about is unconditional love toward you. This world will cut you down. The devil and even your own thoughts will try and tell you that you’re nothing, that you aren’t valuable and aren’t worth the effort. Those thoughts are lies from the pit! God loves you no matter what you look like, what you say or even what you do. His love never fails.

You see, you’ve got to get it in your mind that God wants to see you succeed. He is not against you; He is for you. He is not looking to take from you; He is looking to give to you. The Word says it gives God great pleasure to see you prosper. Psalm 35:27

It brings God pleasure when we enjoy the fruit of our labor. It magnifies Him. He wants to see us shout for joy and be glad. He wants us to do the right thing in life.

Look around you at the successful people that you know or admire. Did they achieve their success easily? Probably not. Real success requires that you sacrifice something of yourself. Something must be sown for something to be reaped. A doer is someone who moves beyond his/her own thoughts and ideas and into action.

Here Are 5 Qualities Of A Doer:

  1. They are not lazy.
  2. They are willing to work in whatever circumstances are necessary.
  3. They are willing to change and exchange old methods for new methods.
  4. they are proud of what they have done, but they aren’t satisfied with stopping.
  5. They do!! That’s what they do; they do!!

Doers make the world go around. We write about them. We talk about them. we are amazed by their focus, their tenacity and their accomplishments. What do they have that non-doers don’t have? Determination.

Use your will to determine the integrity of the soul; your soul loves to achieve things in life. Go for it!

“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” William Jennings Bryan

Prepare The Way Of The Lord

How am I preparing the way of the Lord? This is a viable question that each of us need to ask ourselves. As members of the church, am I doing what I was called to do? Am I prepared for His return?

Some Christians believe that revival is something the Lord does as a little “pick me up” for the church. To get them out of the “valley” so to speak and up unto the mountain top. But one cannot live on a mountain top.

God’s will has always been to reveal Himself to His people. To let them live in the revelation of His love and then take them higher and into new depths of revelation.

Revivals stop because of the wills and attitudes of people. We are not saying this to condemn, but so that we can become wise and pray out the way. We do not want to make the same mistakes made in previous revivals.

When the presence of the Holy Spirit invades, nothing remains the same. Nothing. But there is a cost to be paid to have revival because it involves laying our “self” down. Even this takes help because SELF will not kill its self. Only the Lord can help us get up on the altar and then stay there for Him to work in us and through us.

It is good to have memories of what God has done in previous times but if you live in that memory, then there is nothing new taking place. We want our testimony to be one of moving with God–every day, every step. Always advancing and increasing in Him.

When we are not, it is because the intimacy which brought us to our first love has waned. It gets replaced with doctrine and the works of man. Our talk becomes talk of what the Lord did in days past.

Is the Lord the lover of your soul today? Our relationship with Him is not about works. It is about love. It is about loving Him each day and allowing Him to love us. This is how intimacy stays fresh and alive. And if you love Him, you will do His commandments. His love will cause you to want to prepare the way for His return.

Remember, He did not leave us alone but gave us His Word and His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspires prayers in us to be prayed that bring about change. That change prepares the way for His return. Will you be ready?

For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name]. (16) May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. (17) May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, (18) That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; (19) [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! (20) Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]– (21) To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).
(Eph. 3:14-21 AMP)

The Next Wave of God’s Spirit is Coming

The following excerpt is taken from Tongues – Beyond the Upper Room by Brother Kenneth E. Hagin:

The Next Wave of God’s Spirit is Coming

When you’ve preached as long as I have (almost seven decades!), you can start to see some things come in waves. And I can sense it in my spirit – there is another wave coming. Get ready for it. It isn’t coming just because God said it’s coming. We are going to have to enter into the deeper realm of prayer we have been talking about and give birth to that which God wants to do.

If you’ve ever gone down to the ocean and watched the waves coming in, you know that before a wave even breaks on the shore, it has its beginnings way out in the deeper waters of the ocean. The potential energy of the wave begins long before you ever see the final result washing up on the shore. [Read more…]

The Greatest Illustrated Sermon

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

Merry Christmas

I believe it was a beautiful night with the stars shining overhead when Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem in preparation for the birth of the Christ child. Perhaps it was a crystal-clear night when, according to Matthew chapter 2, the wise men saw the star in the east which went before them until it came to the little town of Bethlehem and stood over where the young child was.

From Bethlehem, God preached His illustrated sermon through an infant child, our Savior, Jesus Christ! Christ’s arrival on the earth caused the moral climate of this world to be turned upside down. [Read more…]

20 Good Qualities of Abigail

The story of Abigail in 1 Samuel 25 is a story of one of the most faithful and honorable women mentioned in God’s Word – definitely a woman of integrity!

Abigail

I promised to give you 20 good qualities of Abigail.

1. SHE was a woman of good understanding (clever and wise). Verse 3

2. SHE was beautiful, but not proud or self-exalted verse 3

3. SHE was humbly and godly – unspoiled regardless of her riches. Verse 2, 6 and 23-35

4. SHE had a sense of appreciation for anything others did to aid her household in any degree. Verse 14-19

5. SHE was reasonable, listened to her servants and sought to protect her unworthy husband as well as all her household from danger. Verse 14-35 [Read more…]

A Daily Choice

“Choose you this day” (Joshua 24:15). Choosing to side with God’s Word is a continual challenge. It’s not some- thing you do just once. It’s a process of choosing to believe and act upon the Word of God over and over in every circumstance. That’s what everyone has to do.

Years ago I decided I was going to choose Jesus. Since then I’ve had to choose Him again and again in situations every day. I’ve chosen Him as my Lord and Savior. I’ve chosen Him as my Healer. I’ve chosen Him as my Financier. I’ve chosen Him as head of my household.  And I still have to choose Him moment by moment. [Read more…]

A Christmas Greeting

by Dave Roberson

This year has been a world of discovery for me.  Every time I find out a little bit more about the love of God, His love always opens the door to find out even more.  And it’s with great pleasure and expectation that I look forward to the days ahead and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Looking back through the years, I thank God for the gift of praying in tongues, which is a foundational revelation gift that not only prays out the mysteries of God, but helps us understand those mysteries once we have prayed them out–such as the revelation the Apostle John shared when he said, God IS love (1John 4:16).

You see, of all the things I have experienced, love is genuinely one of the most powerful, life-changing attributes I have ever learned to draw from.  God does not have love, “He is love.”  What would be the point of being love if there was no one to love?  [Read more…]