BEAUTY IN HEART

I’m often impressed and content when I see all the pictures of my photo album assembled perfectly to a color background, or on motif paper. The enhancement on the scrapbook makes them stand out beautifully. The right pieces: paper, colors or patterns on each design only perfects the projection of a message on each picture.

In many ways, like the scrapbook pieces, God has given us many parts with which we reflect ourselves to others. For instance, we have the hands to eat with, our ears to listen to, and feet to walk with. Each member has its own function and they enhance our personality; but they are all part of one body or one picture, that is, self. Much like the scrapbook we try to beautify each part so that the whole body may be appealing to those who see it. In some ways we scrap our body by using modern techniques, for example, some may use surgery to get rid of excess fat in the body, facial reconstruction, creams, exercise, diets, etc. There are many methods used in the world to make people look and feel beautiful, so that the picture of self will be more appealing, or healthier in our scrapbook-life. What about the heart? Jesus said:

“What comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.” Mark 7:20-23 NIV

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”1 Samuel 16:7 NIV

When we look in a mirror we see a poor reflection of ourselves, because we don’t see the whole picture of who we are. And even if the appearance of a person is improved with things the world offers, the whole picture is not yet revealed. On Judgment Day we will see face to face and “…know fully even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians. 13:12 NIV) Let us begin to be known by the acting in accordance to the fruit of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22 NIV) May the picture we project to the world be always enhanced by the beauty that is within our hearts and not by what others think of us; so that the pages of our scrapbook (life) be portrayed with a message of love and not worldliness.

CHOICES

God has the freedom to make choices and he always makes the right choices for us. There are times when we think that our choices are better and disregard our heavenly Father to give us guidance. The Old and New Testaments provide us with examples of those who engaged in bad choices that led to dire consequence and some even to death as a result of sin. For example: Adam and Eve (Gen. 3: 1-20); King David (2 Samuel 11:1-4); Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5: 1-10); and even the apostle Peter when he denied our Lord Jesus (Matt.26: 69-75) Just like them, we are not immune to making bad choices in our sinful nature. It wants us to always go the opposite direction of what God wants for us. It is a battle we fight on a daily basis, but we can have victory when we accept Christ into our lives. Then, but only then will our minds be transformed. Our mindset becomes one with Christ as we allow him to take charge of our life. It says in Romans 8:1 that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” We are powerless to do anything right, because of our sinful nature. The Bible says that “those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit (of God) desires.” (Romans 8:5) Clearly, then, the answer to making right choices is found in our relationship with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. His Spirit will live in us once we accept Him to be our righteousness, empowering us with his Spirit to help us fight wrongful choices hurtful to us.

Application
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12: 2)

MY CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

It isn’t often that I have Christmas Dinner with my husband’s side of the family, but when we do, all 23 were expected this year at my house. The excitement and joy of having loved ones you haven’t seen for a while and those nearby makes Christmas a special day. But on Christmas morning I became ill. I didn’t know if what I had was the flu or something like it. All I knew was that in a few hours people would be knocking at my front door and there was still much to do. My husband and children try to get the preparations going as best as they could.

This was a day we usually take our traditional Christmas home picture on the stairs of our home. We normally do this on Christmas morning, but seeing how sick I was they refused. At my insistence, they went ahead and took the picture. Afterwards, I went straight to bed. My sick body was still taking its toll. As I lay in bed I lifted my Lord in prayer and praised Him, I knew I was not alone. I didn’t complain to the Lord of my misery, but said to him ‘may your will be done’. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and the most wonderful thing happened. It was in those seconds that something miraculous happened. All I know is when I opened my eyes I WAS HEALED! Yes, it was a miracle. Only Jesus could heal me from what was ailing me, and only He could turn my sadness into Joy. It was Jesus’ birthday and he gave me his gift, the miracle of healing me – what a merciful and compassionate God we serve. Praise His Name!

When I went downstairs and saw my husband and my children - they were amazed at the transformation. I was jumping with joy, and told them Christ had healed me. I had witnessed to them the miracle my Savior had performed. We celebrated Christmas with a spirit of humbleness and thanksgiving, because my God is an awesome God, he is Jehovajirah “God can see” (literal translation), but means “God will provide” and he met my need providing me with a Christmas miracle.

May you and loved ones have a blessed New Year and continue to uphold our Lord and King who is coming soon. God Bless!

THE TRUE LIGHT

“The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” (John 1:9)

This true light the Scripture refers to in the book of John is Jesus Christ. He came into this world to bring us light, but it says that the world did not receive him. (v. 12) Here we have a glorious God sending his son Jesus into this world of darkness and yet he was not greeted with honor, or sounding trumpets, or a parade. Yet instead, he was hounded like a criminal by king Herod, who ordered the death of all children in Jerusalem. And was born in a stable where animals were kept – not a four star hotel – not a pretty picture. In spite all of this; Jesus’ birth symbolizes incomparable gifts of love, humbleness, peace and joy that are grasped in this story of one night’s miracle gift to all humanity.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12)

It is in Jesus that we find hope of becoming a new person – yes in him we can surrender all our faults and know that we can find forgiveness. He came to this world with grace and truth (v.17), only found in Jesus Christ. It is by his grace that we are saved. Therefore, once we are justified through faith, we have peace with God and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2) Those gifts of peace and joy represent Jesus and are enfold in the Christmas story as we read it from the bible to our children.

Jesus is stretching out his arms telling you to come. There are no strings attached, but to love him with all your heart and soul. He wants you to become his child, so just come to Him and partake of his gifts of love, humility, peace and joy. WON’T YOU BECOME A CHILD OF GOD?

KNOWING HIS PEACE

“Peace I leave with you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do
Not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

The Lord Jesus knew how easy the human spirit could become unrest in this world. It’s easy to get frazzled when things don’t go our way or when we anxiously await hearing from the family member who is in Iraq or of the missionary in a distant land. I know as a veteran when I was in the midst of the Vietnam War how my concerns were not for myself as such, because I knew my Lord was my shield and protection from the explosions I heard nearby. But not knowing how my family back home was arose concerns, but God kept telling me to let it go and be at peace, because He was going to take care of my concerns. My friend, Jesus knows our needs, especially of unsaved loved ones, or of the sickness that’s crept into your body. He tells us not to be alarmed, but to have faith that He will take care of our needs. Remember he is our Savior, healer, comforter, provider, and he listens to our prayers.

When king David’s enemies sought to defeat him David called on the Lord (2 Samuel 5:19); when he sinned he had no peace and David confessed to the Lord (2 Samuel 12:13); Mary and Martha sought comfort in Jesus who were grieved by their brother’s death (John 11: 1-25); the angels announced Jesus birth proclaiming his peace to all of mankind (Luke 2:14). If those who knew our Lord recognized him as a peacemaker, then think of the peace that only is found in Jesus Christ who is our peace. When we have Christ in us his spirit will give us peace – it is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) His peace is there for you. It is one of the gifts he has for you -but all you have to do is come, know Him and he will give you Peace, Peace, glorious Peace!

THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST
“He that shall come will come””
(Habakkuk 2 & Hebrews 10 v 35-39)

The only hope for a troubled world is Jesus Christ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) My friend, we are now living in “troublous times.” Nationally and internationally, politically, socially, and morally, a decline has taken place without precedence in history. These conditions surely testify that not all is well and there is a failure in religion, and how far present “Christianity” has gone astray from the Biblical standards. Where then do we find true hope?
True hope can only be found in Jesus Christ and his return at the “appointed time” as the Messiah, as promised, ~ to raise many from the grave, ~ to give the reward of Immortality, ~to rule the world in righteousness from Jerusalem, ~ to cause all corruption, wars and violence to cease to the ends of the earth, and to establish a universal PEACE, as Lord of a Sabbath of 1000 years, and for ever. (See II Samuel 7, Psalm 2; Ps 46 v 9; Ps 72; Isaiah, 2; Isaiah 32; Jeremiah chs 30; 31; 33; Ezekiel; Daniel; Zech. 9 v 9-10; Matt. 12 v 8; Acts. 17 v 31; Revelation 5 & 20)

This has been, though now Almost Forgotten, The Hope of early believers, as foretold by all the Bible prophets, 2500 years ago, and by Jesus Christ in the parable of the Fig Tree, in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 17 & 21, etc.

Many signs in World affairs and particularly in the Middle East indicate that the ‘appointed time’ for the return of Jesus Christ to this earth, is near, ~ to fulfill his promise, “I will come again: (John 14 v 3), ~ and to fulfill the promises made to Abraham and David, and their Seed ~ and to Mary.

My friend, think this day, this moment if Christ were to come, would you be ready?
“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
BE READY, BELIEVE!

OVERCOMING FEAR THAT LEADS TO ANGER

At the heart of problems that many people including Christians are experiencing is fear along with anger. It seems that the more we grasp the negative problems we are confronting in our society with finances, marital relationships, the environment, and the world situation there are growing concern that the level of fear and anger are increasing. It seems that the world is growing smaller and each problem becomes a bigger risk for peace in the home, in relationship with others, and in the world. I have noticed that the word used a lot these days is “fear” and so this feeling is causing many to escape from the realities that our society and world are facing by committing suicides and violence. But as a Christian, I know “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) We must outweigh with our faith in Christ these negative feelings of fear and anger, because these are evil driven force. We should look to Jesus Christ who can calm the storm and bring peace.

Fear is like a growing cancer that spreads and tends to take away people’s dignity and hope. I remember the words found in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” My friend, we are going through tough times and we don’t know when things will be right again, but we must not let fear get in the way of our hope. I recently heard a young woman call a talk show host and told her how angry she felt, but could not explain why? She considered herself a good Christian, but lately she felt like all the bad news she was hearing in the news and reading in the papers was making her angry. She was allowing herself to be influenced by the trash that is played over and over in our media. Are we to let the enemy steal our joy, kill our hope and destroy our faith in Christ? No! We are to be victorious – how? When negative thoughts and feelings embrace you, fall on your knees and pray. Ask Jesus to take away your anger and then take a good dose of God’s word. Along with that medicine “Sing for joy to the Lord, shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” (Psalm 95:1-2) Keep in mind that “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”(Proverbs 17:22)

In conclusion, whenever you are being swayed by fear or anger do like the hymn says ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer’ and as we pray about issues of concern or worry, let’s give those anxious thoughts to the Lord. Yet, we cannot stop there. We must practice mental discipline and begin to control those things on which our mind dwells. Think about these things: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable and excellent and praiseworthy. (Philippians 4:8) Let us take Paul’s advise given to Timothy, that is, to be a good workman to “watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16)