What is Christmas About to me?

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By Pastor Jeff,

I asked this question on Facebook recently and received answers that I pretty much expected, “salvation, the greatest gift, and God’s love” these are answers I agree with wholeheartedly. Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

I must let it be know that I love Christmas, though the commercialism of it can be sometimes overwhelming, but even with that I can smile at. Since my grand kids came along my love for Christmas has grown as I get great joy in finding out what gifts they would like, the shopping for; whether on-line or in the store I find exciting, and then seeing the joy on their faces as they open their gifts.

I love that we have the opportunity to share the gospel as it seems people are more open to the message of Jesus Christ coming into the world to save sinners, who I am chief. 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.” becomes a powerful verse at this time of the year.

With that I must say that the last and this years Christmas is different in many ways for in the fall of 2018 I lost a good friend and my eldest son passed away, then this past January my youngest daughter also passed on after a battle with cancer. This of course has devastated me as I’m sure many before me that have gone through similar instances have. The interesting thing is that I don’t feel sorry for myself but have become more aware of those around who Christmas or any holiday, birthday, anniversary that has become hard to face.

I’m aware that though I still have that joy since I have hope in Christ Jesus, others don’t, and even those that do can struggle immensely. I understand that pain even with this hope and I realize that some will go through depression, anger, sadness that many can never understand. I become more sensitive to those and though I love this holiday I have learned the hard way that we can’t just brush people off and ignore the real hurt that is going on in their lives. 2Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

To those that are going through tough times, who are hurting, who are mourning a loved one, I want to let you know that you are not alone, and God loves you and is with you in these times. Knowing this is what kept me and still keeps me going even though there is a great hole in my heart!

If you don’t know this God who loved you so much that He became a child, lived, suffered, died, and rose again so that we may have a hope beyond this corrupt world, I encourage you to find a bible believing church. If you are a believer and still are having a hard time, I also encourage you with the word from Apostle Paul in Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” This life is temporal and relatively short but we will have an eternity to spend with Jesus Christ and our loved ones who have become Born Again.

This is what Christmas means to me this year!

My prayer for you is of comfort, hope, peace, and even that you may find joy this Christmas season, God Bless you!

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Are You SOLD?

For-Sale-And-Sold-Homes-In-Alpharetta-GA

By Pastor Jeff,

Romans 14:8, “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.” Are you totally sold out for the Lord or are you just for sale? That is a question that I have asked myself several times in my walk with Jesus Christ. If I’m honest I would have to say that many times I was a participant but not fully committed to serve my Lord and Savior.

It wasn’t until that I had drifted away to the point I was contemplating suicide when the Lord spoke to me and His words made me do a complete 180 when He stated that “My Grace will only go so far!” Some may argue that the Grace of God never ends but I can state that can lead to one falling into sin and eventually death, Hebrews 6:4-6, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” You can say it was God’s grace that allowed me to hear His voice before I veered to far away from Him to my destruction and I’m so thankful for it but if I had ignored that voice, I dread to think what would of happened to me.

Since that day I have settled in my heart that no matter how difficult the path that Jesus would chose for me, I would walk it because I know He is with me and in me! I will never tell anyone that if you chose to live for Jesus Christ that your life will be a bowl full of cherries, but it will have pits in it and for many of us the journey will be tougher than your walk would be if you stayed in the world. Luke 14:7-8, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Matthew 16:24-25, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

Don’t be for sale for you never know who will purchase you, be sold, fall completely and madly in love with Jesus Christ willing to do whatever He asks of you for His retirement plan is definitely out of this world!

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The Devil isn’t the only liar! (part 4)

Lies .By Pastor Jeff,

Well its been a few days since I did my last blog on “Lies” and a lot has happened that made me step back a bit. I promised a more up beat message and that’s what you will get with this blog. Since then I found out that the doctors have diagnosed that my youngest daughters’ cancer has returned and that the prognosis is not good. I’m not calling the doctors a liar as they go by what they can see and past history as they diagnose patients. But I serve a God who is above past history, of what can be seen, for we find in Isaiah 53:4-5, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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.”

Though man through the fall has been prone to not be truthful, Romans 3:4, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Let God be true, despite all the non-truths (lies) that man is guilty of, we have in Jesus Christ a God that cannot lie, Titus 1:1-3, “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;”

This is so important because though mankind has difficulty in keeping our promises in spite of the most sincere of attempts, the promises of Jesus Christ are Amen and Amen! 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.” This promise is one that all of us so desperately need, “Love” God’s love for us is so great that God through Jesus Christ became a child, grew into a man, taught, healed, suffered and then died for us! It didn’t stop there because the the grave couldn’t hold Him down for on the third day He rose again and told His disciples that soon they would receive another promise, Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost and thank God it was not just for them for Peter declares in Acts 2:38-39, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” He has one more promise that will be fulfilled soon, John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

And God CAN’T lie!

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