by tascha
Jesus left Heaven’s glory….
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Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Luke 2:1-19
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 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. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Matthew 2:1-15
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Have a BLESSED Christmas Day!
originally posted on December 25, 2011
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by tascha |
60 days of THANKSGIVING
{2011}
Right in the middle of October, when Halloween was looming and Thanksgiving was around the corner {and Christmas after that!}, I wanted to do something with my family that would take their minds off the candy and scary costumes and put it on being thankful!
But I also did not want this Thankfulness to stop with “Turkey day!” I wanted something to keep THANKFULNESS in our hearts through the hustle and bustle that has begun!
So, I asked the Lord to guide my thoughts- for something we could do that could be VISIBLE to my children at all times and require no trip to the store!
I enjoy computer graphics [my children prefer crayons! as you can see] so I used a computer to make this grid, but you could just as easily draw it with ruler and marker. I already had these little crayon papers. so I made the box size accordingly. I put a few Bible verses about thankfulness and thanksgiving on it.
Every evening during our family devotions we talk about what we are thankful for. If we have been to church [thus making our night a little late], we pick one thing as a family. Otherwise, each of us say one thing we are thankful for. Occasionally we have repeats. but we try to combat them. Some days our hearts are turned by what happened that day. other times we just think of things like friends and church and toys.
It is taped to a shelf on our bookshelf in our living room. We all see it multiple times daily. and now that we are half way through… it adds a lot of color! {smiles}
by tascha
Maybe you have an approach to God that can be stated like this: “If I just work hard enough and do enough good in my life, God will approve of me.” You are attempting to negotiate good works for God’s acceptance.
God accepts you! But you are having trouble accepting God’s love.
You may have difficulty accepting the mercy of God because you have never fully received God’s love. Or you may be so accustomed to the give-and-take, buy-and-sell nature of our culture that you assume you can deal with God the same way: “You do this for me, and I’ll do this for you.” God does not operate according to that human principle.
God’s principle is one of total acceptance of you when you ask for His forgiveness and seek to do His will. If He desires to change something in your life -always for your good and for your eventual blessing- His chastisement is patient and kind (never beyond your ability to bear). and His love is constant (never withheld or removed). You cannot negotiate your way around God’s will. Stop trying.
What should be your approach instead of negotiating?
–Trust God. Ask Him for what you desire, and then trust Him to answer your prayer according to His wisdom and infinite provision.
We base so much of our acceptance on the world’s standards rather than God’s grace.
In 1900, the Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR] elected social reformer Jane Addams to honorary membership. But Addams’ antiwar stance during World War I and her insistence that even subversives had a right to trial by due process caused them to expel her. She commented that she had thought her election to the DAR was for life, but now knew it was for good behavior.
Aren’t you glad that God does not operate that way? Ephesians 1:6-7 says, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he had made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
I encourage you to put these verse to memory. I would also encourage you to read Zechariah 3:1-4, and always understand our acceptance from God is not based on what works we do but the work done by Jesus on Calvary.
written by Dr. Mike Rouse
used by permission
by tascha |
The best book is the Bible. It’s words show us Jesus. It convicts and teaches and restores our soul. The more I read of it, the more I want to read.
Yet there are times I relish leisure. a fun story. a researched historical novel. a good mystery.
and other times, I like to study a subject. I enjoy finding out what influenced good men. what influenced the bad. how times changed-and why.
If God had not given us language, we could not read His Story.
or have leisure reading.
or be able to learn of the past
[without the aid of a human teacher].
I enjoy a good conversation. sharing burdens and triumphs. reminding others of His love through the circumstances. finding out how God has blessed. sharing with others of His love through Jesus’ death.
So today, I am thankful for language.
the ability to read.
write.
speak.
to communicate.
for the Thankful Challenge link-up!
Tomorrow, I will share what we have done as a family during this Thanksgiving season. and how we are carrying it through until Christmas!
by tascha
I thank God for His hand in my life.
Not everything that occurs in this world is THE will of God [there is always the sin factor], but nothing happens without His knowledge. And He CAN work EVERY situation for my good.
And I am so thankful.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:
for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth
what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the saints
according to the will of God.
And we know that all things
work together for good
to them that love God,
to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
Romans 8:26-28
for the Thankful Challenge link-up!
by tascha
Today, I am thankful for my refrigerator.
If it were not for the ability to consistently keep foods cold, we could not have leftovers! and I would have to cook today. I love cooking, but after yesterday I am very thankful to be able to simply reheat foods!
A refrigerator also allows me to buy certain foods in larger quantities at a time than if we did not have one. I am thankful we do not have to stop by the market every single day to gather certain things needed for our supper that day.
Also, I am planning to can some apple sauce today-since I do not have to cook! YEAH.
by tascha
ALL people have something about themselves – their personalities, their backgrounds, their abilities – that they do not like. Everyone has a tendency to concentrate more on the flaws and points of weakness than on the strengths.
origin
Some things in life are givens. For example, you cannot change the family into which you were born, the nation in which you were born, your race, your physical stature and basic genetic code and so forth. Certain physical weaknesses or disabilities cannot be changed. When you face these unchangeable things about yourself, you are wise to accept the way God made you. To do anything else is counterproductive. You need to assume God had a plan and purpose for every detail of your creation.
Some things in life are givens because of the state of the world in which you live. For example, you may not be able to do anything to alter the fact that your parents are divorced or that your children are divorced. But you can pray that the Lord will bring healing in you and your loved ones.
In yet another area, elements of your personality can be changed. For example, you may think that you are jealous by nature. Let me assure you, envy is an acquired trait. You can ask the Lord to heal you of your jealousy and to help you to trust Him and, in your trust of Him, to trust others.
How do you become healed?
–First, you identify the character or personality trait tha you know is displeasing to the Lord and ask Him to forgive you for allowing this trait to develop.
–Second, you ask Him to heal you of this tendency.
–Third, you give Him permission to do whatever He needs to do in your life to make you whole.
–Fourth, accept with your faith that God is at work in your life and taht He will make you whole in His timing and according to His methods.
God is merciful. He forgives. He heals. He enters with His divine presence any area of your life that you open up to Him.
I would encourage you to read I Thessalonians 5:23,24 and Jeremiah 18:3-6.
written by Dr. Mike Rouse
used by permission
