Christmas – Does the your joy of Christmas over?

… everlasting joy shall be upon their head … Isaiah 51:11

… the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Praise JESUS

This devotion comes to you on the next day of Christmas.

Some years back, during my childhood days, we started to prepare for Christmas from the 1^st of December itself. Each day the expectation grows for the joy of Christmas, buying cloths, going to tailor shop, going to the rice mill for making the flour, etc and on 25^th of December it reaches its peak. On the next day, I used to feel, I have to wait for another 11 months for this joy again.

Do you have the same feeling? Do you feel the brightness of the star you put in your house is now little bit down? Do you feel the tree you decorated for the Christmas is now loosing its charm bit?

I want to tell you something, you no need to wait for another 11 months to have this joy again. In the kingdom of GOD, everything is eternal, nothing is temporary.

We have eternal life in JESUS CHRIST, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called …” 1 Timothy 6:12

“… every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life ...” John 6:40. We have reason to have joy every day, because we are part taker of heavenly kingdom, if we made JESUS CHRIST as LORD and Savior.

All we need to do is believe in LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Again, I want to remind one of my favorite portions in Holy Bible, the question of the jailor.

“… Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” Acts 16:30, 31

Dear reader, if you have not yet made that commitment to make the LORD JESUS CHRIST as your LORD and Savior, I urge you to make that quality decision now with out making any further delay.

Please read this site which will give you further information about salvation.

http://JESUS-the-deliverer.blogspot.com/2009/10/will-of-god-concerning-your-life.html

Praise JESUS

Christmas – Joy to the world

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 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10, 11

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 3:16

… God was manifest in the flesh … 1 Timothy 3:16

Praise JESUS

This edition of devotion comes to you on the day of Christmas. Christmas is celebrated all over the world from Tokyo to San Francisco, from Moscow to Cape Town, from East to West and from North to South. I Praise JESUS for this.

The Holy Bible tells us, “…God was manifest in the flesh …” 1 Timothy 3:16. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. It would be beneficial for us if we meditate on why the LORD JESUS CHRIST born in this world.

Let us explore few reasons why LORD JESUS CHRIST came into this world.

First, The Holy Bible tells us, “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners …” 1 Timothy 3:16.

God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden. God created the human beings in His own image (Genesis 1:26, 27).  He created the human beings and gave them free will to choose between good and evil and also He has explained them the consequences of choosing evil “…the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”, Genesis 2:16, 17. Both Eve and Adam disobeyed the LORD and ate the fruit and they were sent out from the garden. This little sin of disobedience multiplied and exploded exponentially and sin became the nature of human beings. The Holy Bible tells us, “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one”, Psalm 14:2, 3

“We are sinners not because we commit sin, but we commit sin because we are sinners”

The LORD JESUS CHRIST came into this world to save sinners. The name JESUS means savior. When Simeon; saw the LORD JESUS CHRIST, he said, “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation”, Luke 2:30. The Holy Bible tells us that the LORD JESUS CHRIST took the sin of the humanity on Himself on the Cross, “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”, 1 Peter 2:24. We have pardon from sin through the LORD JESUS CHRIST. The Holy Bible tells us, “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”, 1 John 1:7. LORD JESUS CHRIST calls us, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”, Isaiah 1:18

Dear  reader, do you need this forgiveness from sin? If you are not washed by the Blood of JESUS CHRIST and not have the assurance of Salvation, you can also have this by saying this simple prayer:

Dear JESUS CHRIST, I believe you are the Son of GOD, came to this world to save my soul from my sin. I believe you died on the Cross for my sins and rose again on the third day. I accept You as my LORD and Savior. Forgive me and wash away all my sins with your Holy Blood and make me a partaker of heavenly family. Amen.

Further you can read about the salvation in the blog

http://JESUS-the-deliverer.blogspot.com/2009/10/will-of-god-concerning-your-life.html

Second, the Holy Bible tells us, “… I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”, John 10:10. God said to Adam that he would surely die when He eats the fruit of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16, 17). Indeed the immediate result of the sin of disobedience was death, spiritual death. But the LORD JESUS CHRIST came to the world to give us hope in this hopeless world. He wants to give us life, abundant life, eternal life.

My LORD JESUS CHRIST said,

“…I am the way, the truth, and the life …” John 14:6

“…I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” John 11:25

I really like this whenever my LORD JESUS CHRIST says “I am the …” In Old Testament, when Moses asked the GOD about HIS name, HE said, “… I AM THAT I AM …” Exodus 3:14. This refers the unchanging nature of GOD, yes the Holy Bible tells us, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” Hebrews 13:8. On the other side, if we look at the name “I AM”, this sentence is yet to complete. I like to fill it with what my LORD JESUS CHRIST said about himself like the “I am the way, the truth, and the life”, John 14:6 and “I am the resurrection, and the life”, John 11:25

My LORD JESUS CHRIST came into this world so that we may have life in abundant. The moment we close our eyes in this world, we can live eternal life with the LORD JESUS CHRIST in heaven.

My LORD JESUS CHRIST came into this world to die for us. He was the only person in the history of the humanity who chose to die. You may ask question, James what about the people who sacrifices their life and dies for another? But whoever born in this world should have die one day, the only thing is they died bit earlier, but one day they would have dead. But the LORD JESUS CHRIST is GOD came in flesh, decided to die for us, to take the punishment for the sins of humanity on the Cross. It didn’t end there, on the third day, He rose from the dead, “…I am the resurrection, and the life …” John 11:25, and through His resurrection, we have life, that’s why He said, “…he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”, John 11:25

Dear reader, if you have not received the LORD JESUS CHRIST as your LORD and Savior, I encourage you to make the decision to follow him and have life in abundant.

Next, the Holy Bible tells us, “… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil”, 1 John 3:8. When Eve disobeyed the LORD by listening the devil to eat the fruit of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-6), the humanity became slave to sin, and made the devil as master to them. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin”, John 8:34.

The LORD JESUS CHRIST came to the world to destroy the works of the devil. It is the devil that brought curses, diseases, sin and all the things that belongs to the darkness. But we have hope in CHRIST JESUS.

Dear reader, if you are in bondages, I encourage you to trust in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. We have deliverance in CHRIST JESUS. The Holy Bible tells us,

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”, John 8:36

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”, John 8:32

“…the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”, 2 Corinthians 3:17

This devotion brought blessings for me, I believe, it is a blessing for you too.

Praise JESUS

What does the Holy Bible say about Drinking – [ little, moderate, occasional, excessive etc ]

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise Proverbs 20:1

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again

Proverbs 23:28-33, 35

Praise JESUS

I saw a banner in a secular shop, “Wine and Cakes”. It is the understanding of the shop owner that during the Christmas season, people will buy the cakes to eat and the wine for them to drink.

It troubled my spirit and thought of digging the issue of drinking.

First let us try to understand why people drink?

First, people drink when they feel loneliness

It happened to me to meet a cab driver in USA during the Christmas season of 2008. I asked him what you would do on the Christmas day. He replied that he would go to a bar and drink and spend the day like that, also he added, he doesn’t have a family, and he is alone.

The cab driver was alone and that was the reason for him to go for drinking. The solution he opted was temporary. Drinking is not the permanent solution for loneliness. The wine will not be his friend and be with him forever. But the LORD JESUS CHRIST said, “... I am with you always, even unto the end of the world ...” Matthew 28:20.

A man of GOD said, “When I am alone, I am not alone – My LORD JESUS CHRIST is with me”.

The fellowship with LORD JESUS CHRIST takes away all the loneliness, Indeed GOD called us to have fellowship with Him, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” 1 Corinthians 1:9

“No never alone … No never alone…

He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone …”

When the cab driver spoke I remembered the verse from Holy Bible, “God setteth the solitary in families ...” Psalm 68:6 and prayed for him in my heart that one day, the LORD JESUS CHRIST will take away his loneliness and he may know the salvation through our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Dear reader, if you are going in the path of loneliness, I encourage you to have fellowship with the LORD JESUS CHRIST. He will be a good friend for you for your entire voyage of life and also in the heaven after the life in earth.

Second, people drink to forget their sorrows

It may be some time difficult for peoples to forget the betrayal, bitter experiences happened that remain unhealed in their heart and they could not forget, but their memory torments them every day and they decided to drink.

I do agree, this world is full of pain and sorrows. Our LORD JESUS CHRIST Himself said, "... In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" John 16:33. He knows our problems. He himself was betrayed, He knows how He is going to die cruelly on the Cross, and the punishment for the entire humanity was laid upon the LORD JESUS CHRIST. He is there to help us.

 

Choosing the wine will not turn the sorrows into joy. Only our LORD JESUS CHRIST can change the sorrows into joy "... your sorrow shall be turned into joy" John 16:20.

Only our LORD JESUS CHRIST can change anyone’s the bitterness into sweetness (Exodus 15:23, 25)

Dear reader, if you are going through the path of sorrows and bitterness in your life, trust in the LORD JESUS CHRIST and He will definitely take you out from your current problems.

Some drink to forget the body pain. A person told me that he was drinking to forget the pain, works very hard all the day and if he drinks then only he can sleep properly. Today that may give him temporary solution, but this habit could lead to diseases and lead to sleepless nights, loosing physical strength and take away the joy of the family and finally takes the soul of the person to hell for eternal torment. Prefer which, baring little pain in the body pain or eternal torment.

Third, people drink to have fun and joy

These people are really playing with snake; they don’t know the value of their soul. A person was taken into hell and shown the punishment of the drinkers. This is what the person saw:

A man died because of drinking was shown a bottle, he assumes it is alcohol and drinks it. It is a liquid like acid, He cried and shouted and kept crying. This happened for some time. Again, he saw a bottle and he thought it is alcohol and the same thing continued.

The wine will not give eternal joy.

Now what does the Holy Bible tells us about drinking, is it sin or it not?

Drinking alters the condition of the brain and creates a temporary illusion state. This affects the way the human brain works in normal condition. This makes GOD given wisdom to slip. It deceives the person who takes it. It is clearly mentioned in Holy Bible, “…whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” Proverbs 20:1

Drinking makes a person addictive. Human beings should not be slave to wine or drinks, but salves to righteousness. "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness" Romans 6:18

It leads to diseases and destroys the body.

I saw a wine bottle in a person’s desk and asked about that. He said, someone gifted it to him. I told him, it is a serpent. It is not my opinion, that’s what the Holy Bible tells us, “In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper” Proverbs 23:32

Many secular and carnal Christians are deceived that moderate drinking or occasional drinking is not bad. “... Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” 1 Corinthians 5:6. In the Holy Bible, devil is depicted as serpent. How much series it is if the Holy Bible depicts wine as serpent?

Dear reader,

If you are addicted to this bad habit, you can get the deliverance from this. The Holy Bible tells us,

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" John 8:36

"ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" John 8:32

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" 2 Corinthians 3:17

Trust in the LORD JESUS CHRIST; ask His help, He will definitely deliver you.

A genuine prayer brings definite answer

Praise JESUS

Running – The RACE of FAITH - THE RACE, THE PRIZE, the adversary

…let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;… Hebrews 12:1, 2

           

Praise JESUS

The Race

In the above verse the Holy Bible tells us, as a believer of JESUS CHRIST, we have a race to run. The race mentioned in the Hebrews 12:1, 2 is the Race of Faith. This race is all about endurance and being in right track.

The above verse also says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;…”. We have an inspiration to follow, our LORD JESUS CHRIST, “…for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2, Our LORD JESUS CHRIST ran the race enduring the Cross, despising the shame …

Some times we may be weary and faint during the race, feeling like loosing our strength and energy. During that time, it is necessary to wait upon the LORD. The term waiting could be watching in prayer, we can fast and Pray during that time, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; …” Isaiah 40:31, also we can get strength by meditating on how our LORD JESUS CHRIST ran the race, “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” Hebrews 12:3

We no need to rush in the race. Some time we may have to go inch by inch, just press forward. Apostle Paul mentioned he was pressing forward “I press toward the mark …” Philippians 3:14. This verse tells us that we no need to hurry because we don’t have any contender in our track for the prize. We are the only contender and the prize is assured if we strict to our lane and complete our course of race. Paul says, “… I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” 2 Timothy 4:7

We may face so many trials and tribulations in our life during the race, all we need to do is, endure the sufferings, hardness of the life like the good solder of JESUS CHRIST (2 Timothy 2:3) and reach the finishing line by keeping our faith on our LORD JESUS CHRIST, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” Matthew 24:13.

As Paul said, one day, we should also say, “I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”, Hallelujah.

The Prize

We are running the race and there should be some prize for it. I believe, not one prize, but there are many prizes for those who finish the race successfully. In this world they give only one prize for those who win the race, but our LORD JESUS CHRIST gives many prizes generously.

Apostle Paul said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” Philippians 3:14, also, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” 2 Timothy 4:8. The prize is Crown of Righteousness. Salvation is a kind of prize, our LORD JESUS CHRIST said, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” Matthew 24:13. In the book of Revelation, we could see many prizes laid up for us when we finish the race.

It is encouraging me to continually run this race and endure the sufferings of this world and it is worth to loose anything in this world to gain the prizes stored in heaven. Praise JESUS.

the adversary:

Though we don’t have any contender in our track for the prize, we have an adversary who is constantly trying to get us out of the track. Our LORD JESUS CHRIST said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:…” John 10:10, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ” 1 Peter 5:8.

The devil knows the only way one can miss the prize is by taking them off the track, by making one disqualified. “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize …” Colossians 2:18.

So Let us run the race patiently, enduring the problems of the life and one day, we all should say as Apostle Paul said, “I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” Hallelujah.

Praise JESUS

Mary is Blessed, but what about us?

“… behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed” Luke 1:48

“… rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” Luke 11:28

Praise JESUS

This devotion comes to you in the Christmas season.

I am excited whenever I read Luke chapter 1. This chapter gives us the picture of the faith and holiness of Mary. When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce how JESUS CHRIST will be formed in her womb, she believed in the message, whereas priest Zacharias could not believe what the Angel told. What was told to Mary was more difficult to believe than what was told to Zacharias.

Mary was a virgin when she conceived JESUS CHRIST. This is very important Christian belief. She could be considered as the Woman after GOD’s own heart, I saw a book titled like that some time back.

The response of Mary for this event was, “… behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed” Luke 1:48.

As Mary said, even today we read about her and every Christian has great respect for her since JESUS CHRIST born in her womb.

But what makes me excited was when I read Luke 11:27-28, “And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it”

Also I want to mention one more verse here, “And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it” Luke 8:21

The verse Luke 11:28 actually mean those who hear the word of GOD and doing according to it are more blessed than Mary. These are the words came straight from our LORD JESUS CHRIST. So it is absolute truth. Because JESUS CHRIST said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life …” John 14:6.

This is what excites me, that JESUS CHRIST Himself said, if we put our diligent effort to make the scripture as the way of our life, we can be more blessed than Mary. What else we need more in this world?

The Holy Bible tells us, “Blessed is the man … his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” Psalm 1:1, 2

Many people make the resolutions on New Year Day to follow. I don’t know how much they keep, but making this resolution is worthy for our life.

In this Christmas season, why can’t we make a quality resolution of making the Holy Bible as the way of our life? The Holy Bible has solutions for all the problems of our life; it is well applicable even today. Some time I was meditating on what does the Holy Bible says about corruption, paying tax etc. We have solution in Holy Bible for all the problems in current world.

The WORD of GOD is unchanging, it has life in it, it cleanses us when we read. It heals the sick.

A man told me some time back, he found peace whenever he reads the Holy Bible. He was not a Christian when he said this, I believe some day JESUS CHRIST will surely touch him and lead him to salvation.

So Let us make the quality decision of making Holy Bible as a way of life and be blessed as the LORD JESUS CHRIST said in Luke 11:28.

Praise JESUS