Sunday, December 16, 2007

Jesus' Name @ Christmas

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6


For the first part of 2007 I preached on the names of God: Elohim, Adonai, and Yahweh to name just a few. In bible times names revealed the character of an individual. The same is true with God. His names revealed His character along with His relationship with His people.

The same is true of the names of Jesus. Jesus means “the Lord who saves.” Along with the name Jesus the Son of God was given names by the prophets of old that reveals His character and what should be our relationship to Him. He is called…

Wonderful Counselor. Jesus loves us. He understands us. There is nothing impossible for Him. He can be there and provide help for every decision and situation in life.

Mighty God. Jesus is a powerful help in every temptation and struggle in life. Jesus will give you the victory!

Everlasting Father. Jesus is our forever provider. He will never leave you, never forsake you, and always take care of you.

Prince of Peace. Jesus brings the peace and wholeness to our broken lives.

Jesus is these names and so much more. This Christmas season take a moment to evaluate your relationship with God. Is Jesus your Wonderful Counselor? Your Mighty God? Your Everlasting Father? Your Prince of Peace? He wants to be. He can be. Take time this Christmas to invite Jesus to come into your life and be all He desires to be!

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Advent

As we begin the Christmas Advent season the following are some helpful hints from Jerry Lankford at Biblical Wellness Ministries to help you survive the busiest time of the year…
  • Remember what all the fuss is about. This is the time to give thanks for all that God has done and to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Let's keep that in focus. It's not about cooking the perfect dinner, throwing the perfect party or buying the perfect gift.
  • Don't overdo it. Plan your activities and then stick to the plan. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in all the hustle and bustle unless you enjoy it and it charges your batteries.
  • Plan time to rest and reflect. Take some time with a journal to write about your feelings and thoughts. Read a good book. Be alone with God.
  • Remember and honor those that you miss. One of the toughest things about these special times is being reminded of who isn't with us. Loss is always painful, but it can be worse when we try to ignore it and don't acknowledge it. Instead, take some time to remember those who will be missing. Spend some time looking through the picture album and reminiscing about them. Then remember that they are with you in spirit and that they would want you to be happy and blessed.
  • Build your own traditions. The things we learn from our families are wonderful, but remember to build your own traditions. Make them your own and enjoy them. Don't feel like you have to do it a particular way because grandma did it that way. Remember the story about the lady that always cut the end off her pot roast because her mother did it that way? It turns out that her mother's pan was too small and she had to cut off the end.
  • The greatest gift is time spent with our loved ones. Make sure you get plenty of time with family and worry less about all the extra stuff. After all, it's just stuff. Love is the real thing.