I wish you a “MARY” Christmas Part 1

 Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").

Lk 1:26-38 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"  The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."  "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. NIV

A little doctrine and a little devotion.  Read on to the end, I think you will enjoy this.

In a time where women were not regarded in high esteem and were, in fact, degraded as half a person, not a reliable witness and all other atrocities, God begins the process of redemption with women.  With the first message of Christmas came two women, Elizabeth and then Mary. Ladies, God loves you! God initiated creation with a man and the new creation and redemption with a woman….awesome.  

I want to in the next few devotionasl look at Mary’s example. Mary has been a real source of interest to the church.  She should be. Her example of courage, humility and love for God is above and beyond many in the Bible.  In the face of scandal, rejection of family and fiancée, in the face of fearful angels she said, “let what you have said be done to me.”  I am not a proponent of Mariology or Mariolatry, but a little credit, please.  

Let’s look at something you might not have heard much about lately…the virgin birth. The most important belief the Christian church has besides the resurrection is the virgin birth.  Without it Jesus is not who he said he was! If God did not become a man, then all bets are off.  If Jesus is not the son of God, then all He did means nothing.  I want this to be as simple as possible.  It is worth the study and mental sweat.

So we will have a little doctrine then a little devotional... ok? Listen to a few quotes:

Albert Mohler laments, “With December 25 fast approaching, the secular media are sure to turn their interest once again to the virgin birth. Every Christmas, weekly news magazines and various editorialists engage in a collective gasp that so many Americans could believe such an unscientific, supernatural doctrine. For some, the belief that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin is nothing less than evidence of intellectual dimness. One writer for the New York Times put the lament plainly: “The faith in the Virgin Birth reflects the way American Christianity is becoming less intellectual and more mystical over time.”  Does belief in the virgin birth make Christians “less intellectual?” Are we saddled with an untenable doctrine? Can a true Christian deny the virgin birth, or is the doctrine an essential component of the Gospel revealed to us in Scripture?”

It is important because the virgin birth testifies to the fact that Jesus is fully divine, that he is fully human, {that he was really born} that he was sinless. He was born like Adam as the new head of the human race, exempt from Adam’s sin.  His birth is the very nature of God’s grace. The birth of Christ is accomplished by God. It is salvation by God’s act, not human effort.  The birth of Jesus is like our new birth, which is also by the Holy Spirit, it is a new creation.  I believe it is necessary to believe the virgin birth to maintain these vital aspects of Christianity

“Christ alone was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38); as such, He alone qualifies to be Savior. Why does this matter? Only as the Holy Spirit takes the place of the human father in Jesus’ conception can it be true that the one conceived is both fully God and fully man. Christ must be both God and man to atone for sin (see below), but for this to occur, He must be conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a human virgin. No one else in the history of the world is conceived by the Spirit and born of a virgin mother. Therefore, Jesus alone qualifies to be Savior.

Christ alone is God incarnate (John 1:1–18; Heb. 1:1–3; 2:14–18; Phil. 2:5–11; 1 Tim. 2:5–6); as such, He alone qualifies to be Savior. As Anselm argued in the eleventh century, our Savior must be fully man in order to take the place of men and die in their stead, and He must be fully God in order for the value of His sacrificial payment to satisfy the demands of our infinitely holy God. Man He must be, but a mere man simply could not make this infinite payment for sin. But no one else in the history of the world is both fully God and fully man. Therefore, Jesus alone qualifies to be Savior.” Bruce Ware

Jack Hayford when commenting on the Virgin Birth and Resurrection of Jesus  “In order for God to become flesh, He had to find a vehicle, and He couldn’t use the usual human channels because man, being sinful, transmits his sin to successive generations. So God sired a Child. Because it’s a human child, and coming through the process of human experience, He used the body of Mary, an available, holy young maiden who was a committed believer in the ways of the Lord. By the mention of the intimate part of the human anatomy—the womb—God is saying that He wants to get as close as He can get to us. With Mary, it was a miraculous sowing of His seed into her womb. If there had been any kind of intercourse, even with a divine being, Mary would not have been called “the virgin Mary who bore the Child.” There’s a supernatural transmission of that Life to within the womb.

When you trace the trustworthiness of the historic record of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, you draw the conclusion that it’s easy to believe in His virgin birth because of everything else that happens in His life. We are dealing with a Personality different from any other in human history. Most dramatically and conclusively is His resurrection—a literal rising from the dead, not a resuscitation.

The verification of Jesus’ rising from the dead is not difficult for any honest mind to come to terms with. If you take time to look at the historic record and all of the evidences that verify His resurrection, it takes more faith to disbelieve in the resurrection of Jesus Christ than to believe in it. The point is, if you believe in the resurrection as the climax of His life, it’s not difficult to believe in the supernatural beginning—the virgin birth of Jesus Christ”

Now some devotion: 

Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.  From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.  His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.  He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.  He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors." TNIV

Mary was ‘blessed’

In this song of praise sung by Mary, there is a portion of the verse frequently misunderstood. When we read Mary saying “behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed,” (v. 48) some have taken this to mean Mary is to be esteemed above other beings. There is an unusual and exalted place Mary was given simply by the fact that she was allowed to be the avenue by which the Christ Child was born. Yet there’s nothing in the Bible that suggests she is to be esteemed, praised or acknowledged as a mediator between us and the Lord. But if you say less about Mary than the Bible says, you can miss one of the most profound revelations in the Scriptures, and foundational to everything the Lord would have us understand about His wanting to be incarnate in our midst—Emmanuel, God with us.

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.  From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.

50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.  {My Body}

The Greek word for “blessed” used in this text isn’t the word synonymous for praise or exaltation, but a simple word meaning joy and happiness to every believer who will heed the Lord’s way Matthew 5 shows the blessed life of the believer.  Mary is saying that she is happy because the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14…a virgin shall conceive… happened to her.  Every believer is blessed if they are obedient and submissive to God's plan for their life as Mary was. 

What happened to Mary is a prototype for us

Successive generations—including ours right now—are within God’s intended purpose to recognize that Mary is a prototype or model of a kind of happy thing God wants us to experience. What happened in Mary was biological. She literally is impregnated with a baby. The parallel as it bears on us is just as real—a coming of Jesus into our lives, but into our hearts, not the womb.  Four things we need to consider are:

• God wants to enter your life
• God wants to grow inside you
• God wants to happen through you
• God wants to change the world around you

Significance and scope

The growth in Mary was literal—there would have been stretch marks after the birth of that baby. There was the discomfort of carrying the child. Her world (and ours) was changed. There was universal scope and significance of what happened to and through Mary.

The significance for us is no less impacting in terms of something happening in us and the world that it changes. What’s the size of your world? What are the problems of your personality, circumstance or world that needs a Savior? The things that happened in Mary are essential toward the realization of the same kind of thing in us: Jesus entering me, growing within me, happening through me, changing my world around me. That’s what He wants to do.

Jesus entering me

Many of us have already received Jesus Christ as our Savior, but at this Christmas are you consciously opening up to a new dimension of Jesus in you? Are you willing to want more of His kingdom in you? If you let Him in, it’s not going to be status quo.    

Jesus growing in me

I hear it’s uncomfortable to be pregnant. If Jesus gets inside you, it’s going to stretch you.  And just like pregnancy does to a woman, it’ll change the way you walk. Let Jesus begin to grow in you, and you don’t always look as slick as you used to. 

Jesus happening through me

The “happening through” happens in every way you can think of that’s inconvenient. For Mary, it happened in a stable instead of a more suitable and comfortable quarters. There is travail that attends birth—when Christ starts to happen through you, it isn’t always a neat and easy moment. But, the outflow of it is mighty, and the impact that it has on your world is worth it.

To change the world around me

Mary welcomed what the Lord wanted to do through her. She became a case study of God making an investment and God finding an instrument. He wants a new dimension of the incarnation of His Son in us. God wants to invest Jesus in us to multiply His life through us, and to make us an instrument through which He can touch the world.

The word “generation” does not always refer to a season of years, but also to a “genre” or a type of people. When Mary says, “All generations shall call me blessed,” she is saying, there will never be a genre of people who, if they understand what’s happened to me, won’t look toward this as the possibility of a happy moment for them as well.

Mary rejoices in this rich truth

• With worship (v. 46-47)
• With wonder (v. 48)
• With praise (v. 51-52)
• With promise (v. 53-54)

She is rejoicing because she knows God has done something in her that is going to last. That song happens in anybody who opens up and says, Lord, I want something new of You.

She rejoices because there is hope (v. 48) that God has exalted the ordinary person. Mary’s wonder and worship are based on the ability of God to come and bring life into you notwithstanding what you don’t have in yourself. As a member of the Israeli culture living under the heel of Roman rule, she says, what God is working in me is going to break the oppression that’s on me and around me (v. 51-52).

He sends away the “rich” not as an economic condition; a person can have almost nothing and still refuse God’s offer: I don’t need that. The Lord says, and then you won’t get it. He sends you away empty because you provided Him no place to give you anything. But in contrast, He fulfills the hungry (v. 53-54). 

Who among us today have been so suffocated by pain in the past that you’ve given up hope? Mary is worshiping God because He has given her “expectancy."  We use the same word to describe our hopes and dreams as we use to describe a woman who’s going to have a baby. God comes to bring an expectation. You have to decide if you’re willing to open to it.

Mary’s song of praise glorifies God working in her life. The Lord wants you to entertain an expectation He’d like to bring to you. God wants to get you pregnant!  What? You heard me! He wants to see you pregnant with vision, hope, expectation, and Christ being formed on the inside of you.  He want you to have a Mary Christmas.

LIAR, LIAR your life’s on fire.

LIAR, LIAR your life’s on fire.
Pr 19:22 What matters most is loyalty. It's better to be poor than to be a liar.

Col 3:9-11 Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire.  Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. {Message}

Some of you have seen “Liar, Liar” am movie with Jim Carrey Fletcher Reede (Jim Carey) is a particularly career-focused lawyer and divorced father. He has a habit of giving precedence to his job, breaking promises to his young son Max (Justin Cooper), and then lying to both his son and his ex-wife Audrey (Maura Tierney) about the real reason for having done so. Ultimately, Fletcher misses his son's birthday.  Max wishes while blowing out his cake candles that his father couldn't tell a lie for an entire day, a wish that immediately becomes true.    His brutal honesty reveals all the lies he has been telling in the past and the consequences it brings to his life are numerous.  

What if that happened to you?  What if you were not able to do anything but tell the truth without reservations?  What would be revealed?  

Now I am not saying you have to speak your entire mind.  That foolish and violates other scriptures? Proverbs 29:20 says, “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” But what lies would be revealed that you have revealed that you have already spoken?  

Lies can start a blaze than sometime cannot be put out. Pr 16:27 Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze.{ NLT} The scripture also posits that, “ It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire.  A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. {Jamess3:5-6 MESSAGE}

Before the liar knows their life, world, relationships and possible your eternity is on fire, smoldering than nonexistent:  Liar, Liar you life’s on fire.  You need the water of the truth. One of the occupants of Hell is “all who love and live lies”. Revelation 22:15.

The word “lie” in the Greek language carries the idea of any type of falsehood. It can picture any person who projects a false image of himself; someone who deliberately walk in a pretense that is untrue; or someone who intentionally misrepresents the facts or truth.  They can also be talking about you who feel like you view of theology is the only one.  Your view of the truth can be a twisted lie that excuses you lifestyle. I have seen a lot done in the holiness of God that was a lie and an excuse for sin and worse, self righteousness.   Pope John Paul II said, "An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded."

When we are asked if we lie, we may pause and say well not really. When asked again, “are you or have you ever been guilty of exaggerating the facts or embellishing on the truth?”  We may answer with a sheepish yes.  Richard Nixon said, “I was not lying. I said things that later on seemed to be untrue. “If you going to be a “good” liar you better have a good memory.

The bible tells us that we, as sinners, have propensity of lying. Adam and Eve misrepresented the facts in the garden, when asked about eating from the tree…the blame game started, the facts were twisted and the lies began.  The bible tells us from the inception of our lives we started lying.

Ps 58:3 The wicked crawl from the wrong side of the cradle; their first words out of the womb are lies. {THE MESSAGE}

 A liar is self deceived, for he has been mislead by the devil into believing that if he lies, he can get better results in life.  But the truth is that lying is a great sign of insecurity and poor self worth. What the devil never tells you is that a liar is an impostor, a fake, a phony, one who has lost his Identity, and has now become the man behind the mask, the puppet on the devil's string.

 Lying is an act of fear and lack of trust in God.  When we lie to someone it is usually a desire to get out of trouble" by other means than God's help.  Sins against other people committed by speech, such as defamation, gossip, swearing falsely, and scoffing are "bearing false witness against our neighbor. A failure to defend someone who is unjustly criticized is under the category of lying.  Anything or anyone that is false is a liar.  Lying hurts people Proverbs 26:28, “A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. “

Listed in scripture are: False apostles (2 Co 11:13); False prophets (Mt 7:15); False teachers (2 Peter 2:1); False Christ’s (Mt 24:24); False brother (2 Co 11:26); False witness (Mt 19:18) and False words or one who speak falsehoods (1 Ti 4:2).

Who can say he has never lied?  Who can say he has never sinned or lied? In fact 1 John 1:10 says, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.  You call God a liar when you do not admit your sin.  God is the only one who cannot lie, 1 Tim 1:2; Numbers 23:19 and Hebrews 6:18}

When you realize how untruth mankind is it really adds to the compliment Jesus gave Nathaniel in John 1:47, “When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching; he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

[i]In Col 3:9 Paul's words to the Colossians could be interpreted like this: “I command you to stop the practice of misrepresenting the truth, twisting the facts, projecting untrue images, or deliberately misleading others by giving them false information....”

Lying is a temptation that all of us have to deal with in our lives. Apparently even the Colossian church struggled so strongly with this problem two thousand years ago that Paul had to write and tell them to stop lying.

You may not deliberately set out to lie, but anytime you misrepresent the truth about your abilities; say something about another person that you don't know to be true; slightly twist the facts to your advantage; or trump up a story about yourself or your past deeds to make yourself look better in the sight of others — you have fully entered into what the Bible views as “lies.”

All this behavior was forbidden by Paul when he wrote, “Lie not to one another....” Paul's words cannot be misunderstood or misinterpreted. This is a clear mandate to stop the habit of lying and to no longer give your consent to participate in any type of falsehood, dishonesty, deceit, fabrication, or misrepresentation of the truth in your life or in your conversation.

If you are the head of your household, church, ministry, or business, you have every right to demand that people stop being untruthful with you and each other. Let it be known that truthfulness is important — so important, in fact, that it is the foundation of all successful relationships at home, at church, and at work. It is impossible to build trust in a relationship if you suspect that the other person is being dishonest with you.

If you are the one in charge, set the example by always being truthful with the people under you. When people know that you are being straight with them, at least they'll know they can always depend on you to tell the truth, even if they don't like what you're telling them. In this way you can set the standard for integrity and truthfulness between all the members of your family, your church, or your business.

But what if you are the one who dresses up or slightly misconstrues the facts to your advantage or to the disadvantage of others? If that is the case, it's time for you to get honest about this sin in your life! And that's exactly what it is — sin! Quit telling yourself that you're just exaggerating a little or being dramatic.

Maybe that's how you try to rationalize your behavior, but God views it as telling falsehoods and says it should not be tolerated in your life!

Are there any areas in your life where you have permitted a little exaggeration? Have you ever misrepresented the truth about who you are, what you can do, what you have done, or what you have heard or think of others? Can you honestly say that the words you speak are accurate, or would you have to admit that you have been a little dishonest in how you report certain matters? If you know in your heart that you haven't been totally truthful, what are you going to do about it now?

Or perhaps you are a leader in your family, church, or business, and you know that people under your authority are regularly misrepresenting the truth to you. If so, will you continue to tolerate this seriously wrong behavior and thus allow a lack of confidence and suspicion to prevail? Or are you going to put an end to all lies and deception? What are you going to do about this situation?

The Holy Spirit is available to help both the liar and the one who must bring correction to the liar. So if you have misrepresented the facts in the past but are willing to repent and change, God's Spirit will enable you to stop lying and to learn how to be more truthful. And if you are the one who must bring correction to the dishonest person, just turn to the Holy Spirit for help. He will show you exactly what to say and how to say it so truth can prevail in that particular situation.

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I admit that I've exaggerated the facts and embellished the truth on many occasions. I'm so sorry for doing this. I blamed it on my personality, but now I understand that You view this as dishonesty. I ask You to help me stop making excuses for this behavior and to accept responsibility for the words and messages I project to others. When I stand before You, I want a clear conscience that I have been honest, forthright, and balanced in the things I've said about myself or about others. Holy Spirit, I need Your help to bring correction to this part of my life, so today I yield myself to You.  I pray this in Jesus' name!

CONFESSION THIS by faith: I confess that I speak the truth and that I don't exaggerate the facts or speak lies! When people talk to me, they can count on the fact that I don't embellish the truth or twist the facts to my advantage. They can rest assured that I'm honest about myself and the situations in which I find myself. I keep my nose out of other people's business and concern myself instead with those issues that have to do with me and my areas of responsibility. Because God is my Helper and His grace is working mightily in me, I am becoming more and more honest every day!   I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!

Prov 12:22 The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.

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[i] Sparkling gems in the Greek is used as a reference throughout

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God’s love!

1 John 4:7-8 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. NIV

1Jn 4:16-19 We know how much God loves us because we have felt his love and because we believe him when he tells us that he loves us dearly. God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him. And as we live with Christ, our love grows more perfect and complete; so we will not be ashamed and embarrassed at the Day of Judgment, but can face him with confidence and joy because he loves us and we love him too.  We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; his perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what he might do to us. If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do to us and shows that we are not fully convinced that he really loves us.  So you see, our love for him comes as a result of his loving us first. TLB

   

God love is the heart of the scripture, it is precious to us. “God’s love is an unselfish, self giving love that causes him to act on our behalf for our happiness and welfare.”  It included his strong emotions for us and his powerful deeds toward us.  The word Loving-kindness is a great word it shows his strong emotion Love and his actions kindness.

1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His loving-kindness is everlasting. NASU

Psalms 100:5 For the Lord is good; His loving-kindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. NASU

Psalms 106:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His loving-kindness is everlasting.

    

Ps 36:5-7 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep’s Lord, you preserve both man and beast.  How priceless is your unfailing love!

Max Lucado: "If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen."

Though God is good to his creation, his love is between people. Though Gods goodness and love are intertwined, the difference between love and goodness is relationship with people. God’s self love is self giving.  One thing you may have never heard is that God loves himself. There is a Love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that that supplies God with the loves he desires. God does not need anyone’s love, he has love already. 

Why is this so important? Why do I bring it up?  His loves between the in the God head is essential to understanding his love for us.  God was not constrained to make someone to love; he already had someone to love. But he voluntarily created us for one reason…he wanted to love us!  God does not need the world in order to love. He loves us because he wants to love us. That very fact will cause us to love him back.

Romans chapter 5 use the phrase “the ‎love of God has already been ‘shed abroad’ in your heart by the Holy Spirit. This means you don't have to come up with this supernatural love by yourself. The words “shed abroad” are from the Greek word ‎ekcheo‎, which denotes a pouring forth, a discharge, a spilling out, or something that is dispersed in abundance.”  

One of my favorite hymns is the Love of God look at the picture this hymn gives…..

The love of God is greater far
 than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
 and reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
 God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
 And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
    the saints' and angels' song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.

    

Tit 3:3-8 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.* He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."  NLT

His love is not based on our works or situation he loves us because he wants to not because he has too.  No scripture says it better than Romans 5:6-11 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation.  For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. NLT

C.H. Spurgeon told the story of the preacher who was walking in the country side and stopped by a farm house for a drink of water. The old farmer who lived there went out to talk to the preacher. As they were talking the preacher noticed that the barn had a weather vane on it that was spinning around in the wind. On the weather vane the words "GOD IS LOVE" was engraved. The preacher said to the man, "I don’t think that is a very good way to talk about God’s love. Are you saying that God’s love is Wishy Washy and changes depending on the way the wind blows?" “No, no" said the farmer. "That Weather Vane is saying, "No matter which way the wind blows, God is Love."

Ro 5:3-5 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

WHERE WERE YOU "Where were you Lord When my heart was breaking in two?" "I was there", the Lord said, "Holding it together for you." "Where were you Lord When fear showed its face to me?" "I was there," the Lord said, "Protecting you from its grasp and keeping you free." "Where were you Lord When circumstances turned my joy to pain?" "I was there," the Lord said, "Those were my tears you felt, not tiny drops of rain." "Where were you Lord when my eyes were blinded and I could not see?" "I was there," the Lord said, "Guiding you where you needed to be." "Where were you Lord When I thought for me death would be best?" "I was there," the Lord said "Giving you purpose. Giving you rest." "Where were you Lord When storms of life encircled me?" "I was there," the Lord said, "Surrounding you with my arms and holding you next to me." "Where were you Lord when confusion came and I didn’t know what to do?" "I was there," the Lord said "I placed peace inside of you." "Where were you Lord When around me my enemies did swarm?" "I was there," the Lord said, "Protecting you from harm." "Where were you, my child when I called out your name?" "I was busy and didn’t hear you Lord, I’m sorry and ashamed." "Your repentance has been heard, I forgive you," said the Lord. "It is the heart inside I see. When you’re in need just call on me." “I’LL BE THERE," said the LORD.

            

    

Two Groups singing about the Love of Go!

The love of God {excellent harmony}

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKHoCR33ZHc&feature=related

Hymn the love of God:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWnvmKoLWUU

Sticky Leaks

 

Check our this new link and lCONNECT TO US!  and also listen TO THIS WEEKS SERMON CHRISTMAS CONFUSION THIS WEEKS SERMON

Ecclesiastes 10:20 “Don't bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, and don't abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home. Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around. Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.”  THE MESSAGE:

I’m sure by now you have heard all the new about the WikiLeaks information site. WikiLeaks is an international non-profit media organization that publishes submissions of otherwise unavailable documents from anonymous sources and leaks. Its website, launched in 2006, is run by The Sunshine Press. Within a year of its launch, the site claimed a database that had grown to more than 1.2 million documents.   It is basically revealing things to and about our enemies we did not want them to know. It is revealing sensitive documents and secrets that were not mean to get out in public circulation.  I don’t know about you but I think something’s were meant to be kept secret.   These guys not are going to have to face Interpol {International Criminal Police Organization} for what they have done.  There is always a penalty for revealing secrets, some good and some bad.  

Don’t give information to the enemy.

The slogan “Loose lips sink ships” was in use by 1942. This phrase was coined as a slogan during WWII as part of the US Office of War Information's attempt to limit the possibility of people inadvertently giving useful information to enemy spies. The slogan was actually 'Loose Lips Might Sink Ships. This was one of several similar slogans which all came under the campaigns basic message - 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'. Unguarded talk may give useful information to the enemy. Loose lips were like a leak in a ship it will eventually take on water and sink.

I wonder at times that through unguarded speech we give useful information to the enemy.  Do we express things he would never know and things he can use against us by running our mouth too much?   Stan loves to use our own words against us. Do not give him any more ammo than he already has. Stop calling yourself stupid, fat, or saying I cannot do anything right etc. He has enough ammo without giving him more.  He will make it stick to you. So, if you have sprung a leak, plug it up with prayer and good speaking.

Damaging information can be spread about you and I all over the internet today.  Often, employers, law Enforcement and just anyone curious enough can look on the internet and see what you have said on social networks, picture you have posted and etc.  There are now websites and services to help clean up things that have been said about you and clear your good name.  

The Yiddish folklore offers a telling tale about gossip-makers. One such man had told so many malicious untruths about the local rabbi that, overcome by remorse, he begged the rabbi to forgive him. “And, Rabbi, tell me how I can make amends.”

The rabbi sighed, “Take two pillows, go to the public square and there cut the pillows open. Wave them in the air. Then come back.”

The rumormonger quickly went home, got two pillows and a knife, hastened to the square, cut the pillows open, waved them in the air and hastened back to the rabbi’s chambers. “I did just what you said, Rabbi!”

“Good.” The rabbi smiled. “Now, to realize how much harm is done by gossip, go back to the square...” “And?”

“And collect all your feathers.”

As you can see that is virtually impossible to do… once you have said it is out there.  

One also said, “Gossip is the most deadly microbe. It has neither legs nor wings. It is composed entirely of tales, and most of them have stings.”  Morris Mandel

But all that said, how does God feel about people who gossip? There are many scriptures that speak about gossip

Leviticus 19:16 (AMP) You shall not go up and down as a dispenser of gossip and scandal among your people, nor shall you [secure yourself by false testimony or by silence and] endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord.

Proverbs 11:13 (AMP)  He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy and faithful in spirit keeps the matter hidden.

Proverbs 17:9 (AMP)  He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.

The Message - Prov 26:20 When you run out of wood, the fire goes out; when the gossip ends, the quarrel dies down.

Eph 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” The following verse continues to say, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God....” The implication is that when “corrupt communication” comes out of a believer's mouth, it causes the Holy Spirit to be grieved

You see, gossip is a sin that grieves the Holy Spirit. Did you notice that Paul calls it “corrupt communication”? This phrase comes from the Greek word phaulos, which refers to something that stinks or to something that is rotting, such as meat that is full of maggots. This kind of communication is dead, decaying, and it stinks. It is offensive to the Spirit of God, and it grieves Him.

Gossip is so destructive and offensive that Paul forbids gossip in 2 Cor 12:20. In this verse, Paul says, “For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swelling, tumults.”

Do you see the word “whisperings”? This is the Greek word psithurimos — which means gossip!

To make sure we know how evil gossip is, Paul lists it side by side with several other horrible attitudes and actions. He places gossip right alongside with:

Debates:

From the Greek word eris, which depicts a church divided by church politics. It could be translated as the word quarrels or wranglings.

Envyings:  From the Greek word zelos, which pictures a person so self-consumed that he fiercely fights for his own cause, not considering the needs or desires of others. It can be translated as the word jealousy.

Wraths: From the Greek word thumos, portraying a person who suddenly flares up and loses his control of some kind of unresolved, deep-seated anger. This is a person who literally boils over with anger and blows up, erupting in an ugly outburst that negatively affects other people.

Strifes: From the Greek word eritheia, depicting a selfish desire to promote one's own way even if it means splitting and dividing the church. This is a picture of people taking sides in the church and thus dividing, splitting, and splintering the church into opposing factions.

Backbiting: From the Greek word katalalia , meaning to talk down or to speak derogatorily about someone else. It can be translated as the word slander.

Whisperings: From the Greek word psithurismos, which expresses the idea of a gossiper. The reason they whisper is that they know this kind of talk is wrong and that they'd get in trouble for what they were saying; therefore, they whisper their tidbits of information to others in secret.

Swellings: From the Greek word phusiosis, which carries the idea of a person filled with pride. In fact, it can be translated to be puffed up. This is a person who is puffed up in pride about something that isn't even important; nevertheless, he has allowed this thing to delude him into a false sense of over-significance or of being better than others. This word could also be translated as the word arrogance.

Tumults: From the Greek word akatastasia, referring to anarchy, chaos, insubordination, or to some kind of attitude or action that creates upheaval, unrest, or instability. It describes the attitude or actions of a person who creates some type of disastrous disturbance.

I want you to notice that “gossip” is right smack dab in the middle of this list! What does this tell you about what God thinks of gossip and of those who are involved in the act of gossiping?

Let's be sure we understand what the word “gossip” describes! It describes a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts, rumors, or reports of an intimate nature that are none of his business.

For instance, gossip would include:

·         Talking about other people's business and things that do not concern you.

·         Repeating what someone else said, even though you don't know whether or not it's true.

·         Talking to others as if you were an authority about matters that are other people's business, when in reality you don't know what you are talking about.

In a certain sense, gossip is like a deadly poison. It hurts people; it kills relationships; and it destroys trust. In the workplace, “gossip” usually happens between two employees who have become friends and feel like they can truly “share” with each other. They are often people who have been offended or hurt by the one who is the subject of their gossip; therefore, every rumor they hear becomes a “choice morsel” to share with the other offended party. This is what Prov 18:8 (NIV) is talking about when it says, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.”

Gossip is usually based on hearsay; it is usually inaccurate; it creates suspicions; and it divides people. It is so evil that I absolutely forbid it in our ministry.

It is interesting to note that the Greek word for gossip means to whisper. This means that gossip almost always takes place in secret. Just think about it — where does gossip usually takes place? If you have engaged in gossip in the past, you probably listened to someone tell you information or hearsay about other people, which you then whispered to someone else:

·         In the women's bathroom at the office.

·         In your office when the doors were closed and no one was watching or listening.

·         In the lunch-break room when it was only you and the person to whom you were talking.

·         In a prayer meeting, where people often whisper about others under the camouflage of “prayer.”

·         In a corner where the boss, director, pastor, or subject of your gossip couldn't hear what you were saying.

You need to know that gossipers usually attract to each other like magnets. When they get together, they see things alike and therefore begin to think they are right. Thus, they form a little faction right inside the office or church, often concluding that they are doing God's business as they meet together to discuss all the problems going on in other people's lives, even though it isn't their business to discuss or solve these problems or to meddle in other people's affairs.

Since the word “gossip” really means to whisper, it would be good when you are about to tell something you've heard to first ask yourself: Would I say these things publicly? Would I say this in front of the person I am talking about? If your answer is no, you can conclude that you shouldn't say it privately either.

So I urge you not to allow the devil to snag you and drag you into the sin of gossip. James 3:8 tells us that the tongue is “...an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” But you can refuse to be the source of gossip or to participate in it when it takes place.

If you really love Jesus, why would you want to participate in something that will poison people's opinions and ultimately divide and hurt others? Think of it — if it were you whom people were talking about, wouldn't it be hurtful to you to discover that they were talking this way behind your back?

It's too hurtful to get into this business! If you have to whisper it, then you probably shouldn't be saying it at all. In fact, a good rule to live by is this: If you can't say it publicly, don't say it at all! Make the decision today to refrain from gossip and to stay away from those who practice it!

Gag the gossiper

Ps 101:5 I put a gag on the gossip who bad-mouths his neighbor; I can't stand arrogance. Message

A gag is to put something in your mouth to stop or stifle speech.  You often hear about courts put on a gag order which mean you are not allowed to talk about a case outside of court.

Ps 39:1 I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth

as long as the wicked are in my presence." NIV

Ps 141:3-4 Post a guard at my mouth, God, set a watch at the door of my lips. 4 Don't let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong — don't let them lure me with their sweet talk!

Prov 21:23-24 Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief. 24 You know their names — Brash, Impudent, Blasphemer — intemperate hotheads, every one.

Let’s pray

Lord, I admit that I'm guilty of occasionally talking behind people's backs, and I'm wrong for doing it. I ask You to please forgive me for allowing the devil to use me in this way. I am asking You to help me keep a tight rein on my tongue and to refrain from gossiping about other people. When I find myself in a situation where the conversation turns to gossip, help me know how to graciously dismiss myself from the conversation so I can avoid participating in this sin and falling back into this trap. I repent for my activity in gossip, and I turn from it in Jesus' name! I confess that I will no longer participate in the sin of gossip. If it can't be said publicly, I refuse to say it. If I have to whisper it, I will not repeat it. I refrain from gossip, and I stay away from those who practice it. Gossip is a sin, and I refuse to be a part of it. My mouth speaks only what is good for the use of edifying those who hear me! I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1.            Do you find that you are tempted to repeat information about other people, even though what you are repeating has nothing to do with you and is none of your business? Be honest in your answer, because God has already observed your behavior and knows the truth!

2.            Sometimes gossip happens during prayer meetings. Have you ever witnessed a moment when a prayer request turned into a gossip session, and you felt guilty for talking so badly about that person before you prayed for him or her?

3.            If you've been involved in gossip, have you sensed the conviction of the Holy Spirit trying to tell you to stop this activity?

thanks to Sparkling Gems in Greek

 

 

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