Greetings in the name of our very present help, the Lord Jesus. Michelle and I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas. It is time to celebrate our Savor’s birth, Emmanuel, being interpreted as “God with us.” As believers, that should be a most encouraging thought, having God with us. God the Father has never wanted to break fellowship with His creation, man.
Sin caused a breach between the Father and His creation. Being Holy, He could not have the same relationship He once had when He walked with Adam in the cool of the day. You could say that sin made it necessary for God to social distance Himself from man who now tested positive for sin. There was only one cure for the plague of sin that separated God from mankind—blood. It could not be just any blood, but it had to be the pure, spotless blood of God Himself to cleanse the stain of sin.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. —John 3:16
God gave His very blood through His Son Jesus, who willingly laid down His life for us. We are all familiar with the biblical account of Jesus’ birth; He was born to Mary the virgin, pure and righteous, to whom Gabriel said, “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee” (Luke 1:28). The Holy Spirit overshadowed her, and by His creative power, God’s blood became mingled with the blood of mankind. Jesus was born both fully God and fully man. He positioned Himself to overcome the flesh and offer the perfect, holy sacrifice of God for man’s sin. This great sacrifice brought about a supernatural restoration of God and man.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. —Luke 2:14
On the night Jesus was born, the angels announced that God was to be praised for He had sent His everything to the earth, proving He willed nothing but good to mankind. Now, you and I know that bad things happen upon the earth, but I’m here to tell you they are NOT God’s will. You must come to grasp with John 10:10, knowing the nature of God and Satan. Jesus says,
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” —John 10:10
Our heavenly Father knows the end from the beginning. That means He knows all the bad things that will happen and all the good. So why doesn’t He stop the bad? For God has given dominion over to man (Gen. 1:26), and man gave his loyalty and authority over to Satan, believing him over God in the Garden. Jesus’ sacrifice paid the price to get the authority back for mankind (Matt. 28:18). Now, we can operate in that authority once again; however, our loyalty does affect the amount of power in which we walk.
We live in a time when you must choose who you will serve. Serving yourself is the default for serving Satan. God is the only one we can serve and reap the rewards of life abundant and eternal. Your loyalty to the ways of God will affect your victory over your adversity. For adversity comes to all of us, but through God’s Word, we find the weapons of our warfare (II Cor. 10:4). Such knowledge should give us total peace through the battle to victory in Jesus because of our faith.
You have heard in the Last Days perilous times will come, and that things will become worse and worse—rightfully so, for God has proclaimed it in His Word. He does know the end from the beginning. However, He has told you these things and warned you not to let your heart be troubled (John 14:1). God does not change! You have heard it said that the Word of God is living. He did not always have a holy book to speak to His people, but He always caused them to hear His Word.
Perilous times have always been on the earth for God’s people. Read through your Bible. Job lived in a perilous time, and how dangerous it must have been to live when the flood came in Noah’s time. Think about the dangers during the time of the prophets being thrown into fiery furnaces and to hungry lions. The Apostles and Jesus died at the very hands of the religious church and the government. Yes, this world has always been a dangerous place.
God has always been with us, though! If we make Him first in our lives, He will always make a way of escape from every tribulation. There is no reason to fear the end of the Age, for Jesus is our victor and champion. He has come to dwell with us and in us. Becoming one with us is something Old Testament believers never had. The exact troubles and times may be different, but our God remains the same.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. —Psalm 46:1-3
The rest of this Psalm is worth reading over as well. So, get out the Book and see that the Lord is good, and His mercies are forever. Don’t be troubled by what you see and hear, even if it may be a fact. Truth changes facts. Believe that God is with you, Emmanuel. Believe that His Word is truth, and He will sanctify you by His Word. He will show you the way of life, granting you the joy of His presence and the pleasures of living with Him forever (Psalm 16:11 NLT, paraphrased).
Thank you for being our friends and partners in the ministry of Jesus Christ. May your Christmas be bright because of His presence.
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