Have you ever thought about what the word “redeem” means? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it means “to buy or win back; to free from captivity by payment or ransom; to release from blame or debt; to restore; to make worthwhile.” Redeem…what an amazing word!
I’m a sports oriented, competitive person…maybe a little too much. Anyways, I enjoy a good match in a variety of ways: softball, basketball, cornhole, laser tag, cards, eating contests, even racing family members home. There is something about competition that drives me. I pretty much know my limits, though. I’m not going to challenge my husband to a boxing match because without supernatural power, I’m not going to win. I don’t play when I know I don’t stand a chance at winning.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were given control and authority over the entire earth. The devil didn’t even have power over man. Then one day, Satan played a mind game with Adam and Eve. He played dirty, but he rightfully won the rule of the earth. Now man lived a defeated life under the curse. Satan now had the keys to death. We needed redeemed. There could be no redemption without defeating the devil. It was impossible for man to win over Satan. So, Jesus entered the scene. But to play this game, Jesus had to become a man and give up His power as God. Jesus had to rely on the Holy Spirit now. Jesus invaded the sense world and entered the game to win man back. After living thirty-three years on the earth, it was time for the final showdown. Satan put his all into it. He had Jesus whipped, beat, and humiliated. Then he took Jesus to the cross and conquered Him. That wasn’t enough for the devil, he then took Jesus’ spirit to Hell. Satan was in his glory…he defeated the Son of God! Even the earth got dark. But little did Satan realize that Jesus played a trick on him. Everything that Satan put Jesus through had to happen for the plan of redemption to work. Just as Satan was about to do his victory dance, the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit entered and Jesus took the keys of death off of him. Jesus made a public spectacle of the devil and his demons, triumphing over them. Not only did Jesus win over Satan…He gave man the ability to become a new creation. Now, Satan became subordinate to every born-again human… who was originally slaves to sin. What Satan didn’t realize was that every move Jesus made while living on this earth had a purpose. When Jesus arose from the grave, it was like saying “Checkmate!” Jesus won and passed that victory over to every man, woman, and child that would accept Him! When we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, we are the master over Satan. When Satan deals with us…he’s dealing with God because the Holy Spirit dwells in us! We get to wear the armor of God!
Jesus redeemed us…He won us back. Why? Because He loves you. Jesus didn’t have anything to prove. He didn’t have to play such a horrible game…but the victory was worth it to Him. It gave Him back you. If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior…today is the day to make that decision. Jesus did all the work…you just need to receive Him. Confess that Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. Then ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. It really is that simple. Jesus won the victory for you. He really is that good. He really loves you that much.
At this time of the year, everyone is talking about love. Hearts are decorating homes and stores. Commercials are telling you to get a gift for that special someone in your life. Restaurant reservations are filling up quickly. Florists are having to quit taking orders because they are maxed out. Yet many don’t know what love truly is.
I’ve heard many people say love hurts. I’ve heard people say love isn’t worth the effort. I’ve heard people say they no longer love their spouses. But none of these statements are true. Love doesn’t hurt…selfishness and grief do. Love is worth more than anything… lust and greed are worthless. If someone no longer loves their spouse…it wasn’t love because love never fails. They world defines love the exact opposite of what the Word of God tells us.
I tell the story every year of my husband’s great sacrifice for me. You see, we were very young when we got married. I was nineteen and Sean was twenty. We didn’t have much money, yet we wanted to have a nice wedding and reception. I finally told him we didn’t need to have anything special, but Sean wanted to give me a dream wedding. He comes to me one day and tells me to quit worrying about our wedding…everything is taken care of and paid for. Stunned, I ask him how that possibly happened. He said, “I sold my car for you.” I was speechless. Sean loved his 1970 GTO Judge…it was his first car, his pride and joy. He told me he loved me more. Sean kept a framed picture of that car on our bed. He would jokingly point at that car and tell me, “I sold that car for you. I did that for you.” He would say it was a reminder of how much he loved me! (Smile)
Jesus told me the same thing. He told me to look at the cross. He said, “I did that for you. The cross shouldn’t remind you of your sins, it should remind you of your worth. I loved you that much!” Wow! Love was what brought Jesus to the earth. Love was what moved Jesus with compassion to heal the sick and raise the dead. Love is why Jesus took the worse beating a human ever has. Love is what put Jesus on the cross. And Love is why He rose from the dead. Love conquers all.
The world has no idea what love is. They try to base love off of experiences and feelings. That’s not love. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (1Corinthians 13: 4-8).” Love hangs in there through the good and bad times. That’s how Jesus loves you.
So, if you are feeling alone and unloved this Valentine’s Day…know that Jesus loves you. He calls you His “beloved.” You are the apple of His eye. He even knows how many hairs are on your head. He knows every detail about you and thinks you’re to die for. His love for you will never fail or end. You can count on Him and His love.
Gifts aren’t about the money. It’s about the thought and love that goes with it. Some of my favorite gifts I’ve ever received didn’t cost a cent. It blesses me to think someone thought of me and cared enough to show it. There’s a sacrifice behind every gift…whether it be time, money, creativity, or thoughtfulness.
One day as I was talking to God, He said “You get that from Me. I love to give gifts, too. I placed the sun, moon and stars in the sky for you. I make flowers appear every spring for your pleasure. I made music for you to enjoy. I gave you tasty food to eat. I gave you friends to enjoy life with. And when I saw that you needed a savior…I gave My Son. For you…I would give everything, and I did. That’s what Love does…it gives.”
There’s a saying: “You can give without loving…but you can never love without giving.” God gave us the ultimate gift…Jesus. It was the most precious and costly gift He could give. He didn’t have to sacrifice so much, but He did because He loves us so much. Let that sink in. God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit loved us that much. Jesus allowed the nails to pierce His hands and feet, the thorns to be shoved into His head, and the whip to rip apart his back because He loved us to that extreme. God the Father allowed His heart to be broken by allowing His Son to be crucified for us. That’s Love. It didn’t cost God a cent…but it cost Him everything.
This Christmas season…allow God’s Love to overwhelm you. Reflect on what He did for you. Then imitate your Father and show Love to everyone that crosses your path.
It’s almost Christmas…such a wonderful, amazing time of the year! I love to smell cookies baking, see Christmas lights twinkling, listen to Christmas songs playing, and feel the Love and excitement in the air! I imagine Heaven has quite a Christmas party, celebrating Jesus’ birthday!
I like to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas, and what the first Christmas must have been like. Each year, the Holy Spirit reveals another aspect of the story to me. I got a glimpse of what the conversation was like in Heaven going on between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They were talking about the fall of man and how humans were desperately going to need a savior. Jesus immediately volunteers. He tells His father that He will give up His place in Heaven to become a human just like us. He will become flesh and will experience life the way we do. He would become everything we are so that we could become everything He is. Being born wasn’t going to be the hard part. Taking our place would be. He would become poor so that we could become rich. He would take a whipping to carry our sicknesses and diseases so that we could become healed. He would be humiliated and shamed so that we could become honored and accepted. And He would carry our sin and go to Hell, so we could be forgiven and go to Heaven. Oh, how God’s heart must have broken at the thought of His Son going through all of this. So, why did Jesus volunteer and God agree? They loved us just that much. There is no other reason. His love was just that great for us. What should our response be to this? We should give Him our endless hallelujah! His praise should always be on our lips! At His birth, all the angels in Heaven sang and rejoiced. Not because Jesus became “real” at his birth…He was real in Heaven. They sang because Jesus was worthy, and the plan of redemption had manifested! They understood the significance of that first Christmas! The plan of redemption wasn’t for them…and yet they couldn’t help but rejoice. The plan of redemption was for us….so we should rejoice! Our gratitude, appreciation, and love for our savior should gush out of us!
This Christmas…reflect on what Jesus did for us. Then celebrate and rejoice like you just won a billion-dollar lottery…. because what Jesus did for you is so much better and eternal! Give God your endless hallelujah!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas! It’s Jesus’ birthday! Time to celebrate! Unfortunately, many are not in the mood to celebrate. They look around with their physical eyes and see gloom and doom. Funny thing is, that’s how it was when Jesus first came to the earth, too.
At the time of Jesus’ birth, the Roman Empire was corrupt and dominating the Jewish people. Their lives were hard and dreary. They were looking for the Messiah to come and free them from their government. They were looking at the small picture, though. God didn’t want to just free them from what their physical eyes could see…He wanted to free them from the darkness of Satan’s kingdom, too. You see, Satan held the people in bondage way more than the Roman government did. He put fear, weariness, depression, sickness, poverty, and hopeless on the people. Yet, the people wanted freed from the Romans more than they did Satan. They felt if they had a good and fair government, life would be good. And although that would help, it wasn’t the core problem. The devil had deceived the people into thinking what he put on them was just how life was. They people accepted fear, sickness, and weariness as a part of their lives.
Does this sound familiar? How many of us feel if we had a perfect president, governors, and senators our world would be good? Are we looking for a human savior or at The Savior? Yes, God cares deeply about who is governing us here on earth…but humans will never be our Savior.
Just as darkness was covering the earth at the time of Jesus’ birth… there’s a darkness in our world today. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself: “Is there fear, weariness, hopelessness, sickness, lack, or depression in my life?” If you answered “Yes,” to any of these… there is an area of your life that needs The Savior. These things bring darkness upon you. But Jesus is the Morning Star that pierces the darkness. He is the Light that has come…and darkness cannot overcome Him. That’s why the angels praised and shouted, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. A Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord!”
That message is still true today! It’s your decision whether you celebrate and accept all that Jesus came to give you. You can continue to live in darkness and despair…or you can choose to step into the Light that only Jesus can give. I choose to live in joy! I choose to live in peace! I choose to live in love! I choose Jesus! He is the greatest gift ever…Happy Birthday, Jesus!!!
You know what’s frustrating? Trying to untangle Christmas lights. The longer the strand, the more knots and tangles there are. There are times I have seriously just thrown the lights away and bought new ones. To get to that point, I am beyond frustrated. Yet, when you take the time to untangle them and hang them up…they are just beautiful.
Have you ever thought about what caused Jesus to volunteer to come to the earth as a man? I think it’s because we were like a bunch of tangled lights that were a mess. Seriously, we humans screwed up time and time again… causing a big, tangled, jumbled state of disarray. First, we doubted God’s Word in the Garden of Eden and believed Satan lies. Then we figured we could earn God’s forgiveness and favor by our pathetic acts. The more we tried not to sin and be perfect, the more we messed up. Be honest, have you ever tried not to sin on your own effort? You tell yourself, “I’ll never do that again.” Yet, within a week…you’ve done it again. The longer time went on, the more “knots” we got into. Our souls became dark and we were destined for the garbage can (Hell). And let’s face it, even without the knots, on our own we could never plug in to the source of light. But God! He looked down and saw the beauty in us when no one else could. He could see us untangled and shining bright with His love. He loved us too much to throw us away and start over. He wanted to “untangle” us to our original state the way He created us to be. The only way that could happen was for the true Source of light to come down and fix us. Jesus volunteered. When He went to the cross for us…one single drop of His blood was enough to wash away every sin and untangle any knot we had. So, why doesn’t everyone accept Jesus? Some people are comfortable with their “knots & tangles.” Some people don’t think they could ever shine and be beautiful. Others think they deserve to be in knots. And some don’t realize what a tangled mess they’re in. Even some Christians live with knots! How many times have you lived in turmoil and tension over things God can clearly handle? Fear and worry are ways to get all knotted up. Regardless, living in darkness and in knots is beneath the life that Jesus came to freely give you.
This Christmas season accept the amazing and wonderful gift Jesus is offering you. The gift of salvation isn’t just the forgiveness of sins, it’s: healing, peace, joy, provision, wisdom, restoration, protection, power, and forgiveness. Accept the entire gift! If you ordered a large pizza, would you be satisfied if you opened the box and there was only one piece there? No…you’d send it back! You want the entire pizza! Be the same way with the gift of salvation. Jesus wants you to have it all…He provided it for you. Allow Jesus to untangle the knots in your life so you can shine for Him!
A few weeks ago, my husband, son and myself went out to eat at a local chain restaurant. The waiter came to our table with menus and informed us that for one low price, you could eat unlimited appetizers. My husband asked if that meant you could get one unlimited appetizer or if it meant you could get one appetizer first then order a different appetizer next, and a different on after that. The waiter said, “You can order anything that’s listed on the appetizer section. If you can eat it, you can order ten of everything.” With a look of shock, my husband said, “This is too good to be true.” I had to chuckle at his response, knowing my husband and son were going to get way more than they paid for. And they did. Neither one left hungry. On the way home, my husband was talking about what a great deal that was. Jesus started talking to my heart.
He said, “That’s what I did for you. Think about Psalm 23. I prepared a table for you…a feast. You can sit down and have everything that I prepared for you. Nothing ever runs out at My table. I don’t feed you just enough for you to survive. You should never get up from My table hungry. Look at the first verse. It says, ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ It doesn’t say ‘need,’ it says ‘want!’ You shall not want. And the bill has been completely paid for by Me.”
Wow! Isn’t that just amazing! Now, you may be asking, “What did Jesus prepare for me?” I’m glad you asked that (smile). Everything good! At His table there is forgiveness, peace, joy, healing, protection, abundance, creativity, provision for every need, and love.
Too many people don’t take the time to sit at the table and enjoy all that Jesus provided for us. Or they’re in a hurry and leave the table still hungry. Why? There are so many reasons: cares of the world, lack of knowledge, feelings of unworthiness. But Jesus is saying, “Come.”
Jesus didn’t invite a select few to come to His banquet. He has invited everyone. Will you accept His invitation and His provision? He loves you so much and has made a place for you at His table. He wants to fill you to the point you say, “My cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)
At this time of the year, I often think about the attack on our country on 9/11. I remember so many details of that day. Scenes from the news are seared into my mind. I think everyone who was alive at that time has some memory of that day. I’ve read there were nineteen men involved in the terrorist attacks that day. Nineteen. Nineteen men who believed a lie flipped our country upside down that day. Nineteen men effected millions of lives on one day…and they believed the enemy. What could nineteen people who know The Truth do in one day? The Truth is way more powerful than the lie. So, what if nineteen born again believers, who are on fire for God, got together and decided to share God’s love and truth with America. What would happen if Christians realized we were all on the same team, with the same mission, and decided to show Jesus to the world? If nineteen men believing a lie could be so powerful….what could nineteen people who knew The Truth do? Think about it.
There’s a story in the Bible, found in Daniel chapter 3, about three young Jewish men who were in covenant with God. They were forced to go to Babylon and serve King Nebuchadnezzar. The King made a huge image of gold and told everyone in that country that they must worship this idol. The penalty for disobeying the law would result in being thrown into a fiery furnace. When the instruments played, everyone dropped to their knees and worshipped the idol…the false god. Everyone that is, except for the three young men: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Furious with rage, King Nebuchadnezzar called for the three men to be brought to him. He gave them one more chance to bow. Their response was, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us, and rescue us from your hand. But even if He does not, we will not serve your god.” Wow…that’s gutsy. But not to Nebuchadnezzar. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. He had his strongest soldiers tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…and thrown into the furnace. Know what happened? The soldiers were killed from getting to close to the flames, and when the King looked in to see what was happening to the men, there weren’t three men in the furnace…there were four! You see, God will never leave His children alone. Jesus was in that furnace with them… and there is NO power greater than Jesus. No man, no weapon, and certainly no fire. King Nebuchadnezzar hollered out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” Notice he called them “servants of THE MOST HIGH GOD!”? All the high ups noticed that these three men didn’t even smell like smoke! What was the result in their act of bravery and loyalty to their God? King Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego! I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Then he promoted the three young men. Three people who believed The Truth changed their nation in a day. Wow!
Jesus has called us to be a light in this dark world. Imagine being in a huge gymnasium where it is completely and totally dark. If you light one little candle, you can see it. That’s because darkness can never overcome light. Think about that. We are called to be the light. Darkness can’t overcome us. We need to be committed to God and His commission to win the world. He promises that He will never leave or forsake us. Let’s get together and see Jesus get the reward He deserves…and that is to see everyone saved and spending eternity with Him. He loves us all that much.
Have you ever struggled frequently in a certain area of your life? Maybe it’s gossip. Every time you decide you won’t participate in it, it surrounds you. Every person you run into wants to tell you about someone or something that isn’t useful or beneficial. Sometimes people even disguise it as a “prayer concern.” You know what I’m talking about… “Did you hear Nancy and Greg had a huge fight? She called him lazy and he called her fat. They started throwing things at each other. So please pray for them.” All along, the gossiper never takes this concern to God. Then you do the same thing and pass this information along as a “prayer concern.” If your heart is in the right place, and you want people to pray…first you’d be selective in who you tell. Then you’d say something like, “Nancy and Greg are struggling right now. Please pray and speak the Word over them.” You would leave out the unnecessary details and definitely not tell someone that has no intention of praying for them. Maybe you struggle with overeating. Every time you decide that you won’t “comfort” or “binge” eat…you do anyways. Life hits you hard and you find relief in food. Maybe you struggle with fear. No matter how hard you try not to be anxious or fearful…life keeps blindsiding you with situations out of your control and you don’t know what else to do other than fear. Life is just full of struggles.
Whatever we allow to conquer us will keep coming at us until we put it away as dead and crucified with Christ. We are no longer our old selves and powerless. It says in Galatians 2:20, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ in me.” Then it says in Romans 6:6, “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him, so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and be our Lord and Savior, our old nature is gone and we are a new creation. Our new nature doesn’t have a problem with gossiping, eating, fearing, or anything else. Our old nature does…but you have to remember that your old nature has been crucified and buried. So, when a gossiping opportunity presents itself to you say, “My old nature has been crucified and buried. I am a new creation and have the power over sin. I choose to live the life Jesus provided for me. I won’t participate in this sin anymore.” Instead of letting sin conquer us…we must conquer it! Just say “No,” to sin. On our own strength and ability…this is just about impossible. But remember that God’s grace is sufficient in any and every situation. Lean on Him instead of yourself. Focus on Him instead of sin and temptation. And when you slip up, just repent and ask Him for help. He never gets tired or angry with us.
Let me warn you, when you make a decision to stop sinning in a certain area…Satan will attack harder in this area. But when you constantly remind yourself that you are a new creation with all power and authority over the devil and sin…you will walk in victory. Your new nature doesn’t have a sin problem. So, when you feel a struggle coming on to participate in sin…shut it in the coffin and nail it shut. That old you is dead and gone. The new you is a child of God…an overcomer! Stop struggling and lean on God. He loves you so much.
There is so much noise, confusion and chaos in this world today that its hard to concentrate on just about anything. People try to multitask, but that’s pretty much impossible. Yes, you can do more than one thing at a time…but nothing gets your complete and undivided attention.
I remember times when my son was in the hospital emergency room and he’d want to tell me something. He would tell me he wanted to whisper in my ear what he wanted. He was three years old and didn’t want everyone to hear what he was saying. I would think to myself, “Doesn’t he realize the noise and commotion going on around him? How am I supposed to hear his whisper?” But I’d lean in close and concentrate on what he was saying. Guess what? I always heard him.
I always wondered about the story in I Kings 19:11-13 when God spoke to Elijah. It says in verses 11-12 that God didn’t speak through the powerful winds, the earthquake, or the fire. It says after the fire came a gentle whisper. God spoke in the whisper. I didn’t understand that. God is so big and mighty. He speaks and the earth trembles. Why did He whisper? Then I thought about my son and how he’d whisper to me. I would have to get close and focus on him. That’s what God wants from us. He wants us to get close to Him and listen. When we get close to Him, we are resting in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). That’s the safest place you can be. It says that under His wings we will find refuge and that no harm will overtake you.
Take time to be still and listen to God. Lean in close. Don’t be rushed or thinking about the hundreds of things you should be doing. Nothing is more important than your time with Him. God loves to whisper because it draws us near to Him