Month: December 2017

Why did God sent Jesus to earth? What will His birth, life, death, and resurrection cause us to do? Did God send Jesus to erase the law of Moses? Did He come to condemn us? It is written in the gospels that God sent Jesus to complete the law, to redeem us from sin and to teach us the truth. Jesus taught people about God’s Kingdom, a government in heaven which will ultimately bring peace to all mankind. Oh, how badly we’re in need of peace on earth right now, are we not?!

Living in peace can be compared to the warmth of sunshine on a cold day, or walking in the moonlight on the beach. Those peaceful moments in our lives unfold as we learn more about God and what He has done for us. We can’t see God face to face, but there is plenty of evidence around us, pointing us to the reality that God exists. The beautiful world that surrounds us, the birth of a child, our bodies, and the love we have for each other are the affirmation of God’s love for us.
We all know the drill, how we were conceived and born. Based on biblical evidence and other religious and historical writings – God did something miraculously different over 2,000 years ago. A happening that human minds can’t comprehend, one of the greatest events to occur in the history of the universe – the birth of a baby boy, Christ Jesus.
Since God is pure light and Holy, we can’t begin to reach to His holiness without a bridge between himself and us. So He sent His Spirit over a young girl about the age of 16, a virgin named Mary (she is called Mariam in other languages).
Because of her purity, God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah, the prince of peace, and the promised son. She became pregnant by the Spirit, with no physical contact. I can’t imagine how shocked and surprised she must have been when an angel appeared to her and told her the news. I can’t fathom what was going through her mind. But she loved the Lord God with all her heart and obeyed His command. And she gave birth to a baby boy, Jesus, whose name was chosen by God. So if Jesus is born of God’s Spirit, than He is definitely part of God, right? God delivered His promise. The story of His birth written in (Matthew 1:18-25) and (Luke 2:8-12)
The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16)
God provided a WAY for us to come close to Him so that we might become the true children of God. Jesus is the WAY for our life. He is the WORD of God. God sent His WORD (His beloved son) to teach us how to live righteously. In (John 14:6) Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
When we acknowledge that Jesus is the “WORD” of God in flesh and born of the Spirit of God, then He (Jesus) must be part of Him (God). No argument! The Spirit of God, the “Holy Spirit” is dwelling in Him. As we believe in Jesus and put our trust in Him, the same spirit that dwells in Him will be dwelling in us. It is now clear to me that the Trinity is three is in one – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Someone has said it this way: “If try to explain the Trinity, you will lose your mind, but if you deny it you will lose your soul.”
As I studied, I discovered that not only Christians but followers of other religions also agree that Jesus is the Messiah. If we believe that he is the Messiah, then he is the Word of God in human flesh. He is co-eternal and has existed forever. That is why he is the one who is coming again. John 1:1 says; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God.” For me, His birth was the one confirmation that He is who He claims to be.
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”—a complete life full of purpose (John 10:10).

 

You may look at her and think, as Billy Joel said in his song, “She can kill with her smile, she can wound with her eyes.” But do you really know who lives behind the smile? Can you tell what has she been through by looking at her? If you peer into her stormy eyes, you may see a tiny bit of sunlight inside her – the pretty sparkle of innocence. Her angelic and stormy eyes are like a book telling you a story. She may reside in pain of her own making or perhaps her pain is caused by the blind, deluded, and sinful world. Whatever the reason, the pain that she feels is the result of deep wounds which cause her to see things much too clearly as her thoughts wander off the edge of the world. The bruises on her body or her tears may be visible to the people around her, but the wounds in her heart and the scars on her mind are invisible to most. You may think she’s happy but look again – don’t let her painted-on smile fool you. Can you see the scars that are hidden just below the surface? No! Years upon years of practice have made her a master of disguise. Her dreams are not just a fairy tale, they are her reality. No one knows the sadness in her eyes, her lullabies or her goodbyes.

The only place where she finds comfort is in the dark corners where she cries. She feels as if nobody notices when she is gone, and no one even misses her. She knows the teardrops that run down her chin tell the story of her pain to the heavens above. After all, tears are a kind of prayer. They travel to God, when words fail. Her sacred tears are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They are the story of unspeakable love that no one could offer her, except the One whose Spirit is always with her and carries her. In spite of her brokenness, she knows she is blessed, because the God of heaven tells her so. She knows that the lover of her soul keeps track of all her sorrows, wipes away every tear from her eyes, and collects them all in His bottle. God records each one in His book (Psalm 56:8) and He tells her that she is worth far more than rubies. He reminds her to use His word as a sword to fight her battles, instead of her tears.
Do not judge her. She may not tell you her story, but stop for a moment and try to hear her silent cry and listen to what she says with her eyes. Beneath her pain, you will notice the beauty of her loving heart shining brighter than the sparkle in her eyes. Undoubtedly, your heart will weep with her. You’ll want to protect her and others just like her. Sometimes she wonders if there is anyone who can see the kindness in her heart and smile at her like Jesus would. Will you be the one who can gauge the sadness in her gaze and will try to speak the language of her kind heart?
If you see a woman (young or old) who needs your help, whether you’re a man or woman, would you be willing to step out of the shadows and protect her, respect her, and honor her? Be careful and gentle with her because, “Heaven knows her story, for the Lord’s eyes are on her, and His ears are attentive to her cry.”(Psalm 34:15)