Pre-Christmas Exaltation for Work

SCRIPTURE

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 

12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 

13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 

14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 

15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 

16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 

17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 

18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 

19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. ~ Psalm 103:11-19 (ESV)

REFLECTION

As we prepare ourselves and check our hearts and minds this Christmas, may we not forget the true meaning of Christmas: is for Christ to be crucified on the cross as a payment for the penalty of our sins.

Our disobedience, our wrongdoings, our mistakes are to be paid only in our death and destination to hell. For the wages of sin is death.

But the gift of God is eternal life which is in Christ, the Son of God, perfect and without fault, came to take our punishment as a lamb sacrificed to permanently cleanse sins. The blood of a lamb poured as a sign to those who believe in Christ and condemn their old sinful dirty faulty life.

A sign to seal that the believer is justified before God the Father through Christ the Son alone, by faith alone, by grace alone. And I warn everyone that Christ will come again to judge us guilty or not and take those who believed and obeyed to be with Him and the Father for eternity. These have happened and will happen, all for the Glory of God alone.

PRAYER

Our Father in heaven

Holy be your name

May your kingdom come

May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Give us today and the rest of the week as a remembrance of the real and true meaning of Christmas.

Father, we pray. Enable us to work not for our own gain or to please others, but to work all for your glory. Father bless us, bless our work, bless this company. May we bring all glory back to you.

Father, we pray also. Enable us to know you more and know your Word more.

We pray, Father, that may we lay our pain and sorrows, joy and excitement to you.

Father, forgive us for there is nothing good in us, not even a tiny bit. Enable us also to pray for our enemies, to forgive them, and to love them the way you love us though we are sinners and unworthy to be in your holy presence for we are not holy.

Father, I am not worthy to pray this prayer for I am a sinner but thank you for letting me know who you are.

Father, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to take our place, our punishment. And also, so that we can have a close intimate relationship with you as our Father and as your adopted children. Father, we await for Christ's second coming and to be with you forever.

For yours is your kingdom, your power, your glory

Forever and ever. Amen. Amen. And Amen.

Why Jesus Came (John Piper, Good News of Great Joy Daily Readings for Advent 12.12.12)

Oh how great it is to know why Jesus came to earth, and what the true meaning of Christmas is.
I dread Christmas because of the seasonal blues and loneliness Christmas can bring to me, but now my dread has become an excitement.
Thank you, dear God for the Advent Season.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
—Hebrews 2:14–15

Hebrews 2:14–15 is worth more than two minutes in an Advent devotional. These verses connect the beginning and the end of Jesus’s earthly life. They make clear why he came. They would be great to use with an unbelieving friend or family member to take them step by step through your Christian view of Christmas.It might go something like this…

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood…”

The term “children” is taken from the previous verse and refers to the spiritual offspring of Christ, the Messiah (see Isaiah 8:18; 53:10). These are also the “children of God.” In other words, in sending Christ, God has the salvation of his “children" specially in view. It is true that “God so loved the world, that he sent [Jesus] (John 3:16).” But it is also true that God was especially “gathering the children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:52). God’s design was to offer Christ to the world, and to effect the salvation of his “children” (see 1 Timothy 4:10). You may experience adoption by receiving Christ (John 1:12).

“…he himself likewise partook of the same things [flesh and
blood]…”

Christ existed before the incarnation. He was spirit. He was the eternal Word. He was with God and was God (John 1:1; Colossians 2:9). But he took on flesh and blood and clothed his deity with humanity. He became fully man and remained fully God. It is a great mystery in many ways. But it is at the heart of our faith and is what the Bible teaches.

“…that through death…”

The reason Jesus became man was to die. As God, he could not die for sinners. But as man he could. His aim was to die. Therefore he had to be born human. He was born to die. Good Friday is the reason for Christmas. This is what needs to be said today about the meaning of Christmas.

“…he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil…”

In dying, Christ de-fanged the devil. How? By covering all our sin. This means that Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33). On what grounds does he justify? Through the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:9).

Satan’s ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. If the death of Jesus takes it away, the chief weapon of the devil is taken out of his hand. He cannot make a case for our death penalty, because the Judge has acquitted us by the death of his Son!

“…and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

So we are free from the fear of death. God has justified us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. And God means for our ultimate safety to have an immediate effect on our lives. He means for the happy ending to take away the slavery and fear of the now. If we do not need to fear our last and greatest enemy, death, then we do not need to fear anything. We can be free: free for joy, free for others.

What a great Christmas present from God to us! And from us to the world!

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/good-news-of-great-joy-free-advent-ebook

Max Lucado (Beliefs)

How are your beliefs changing? Growing or dissolving? Maturing or disintegrating? Hang on to the elements in your life that promote growth. Cut off activities and relationships that cause you to sin and replace them with ones that help you grow. ~Max Lucado

Discipleship Training

During my first assignment, I looked back and asked (I even want to ask those from the past...including those that ended painfully),

"How have they shown God to me?"

From my observations of people, there are two kinds of them.

One who would say "Just read the Bible and God will teach you." (People who said they didn't have mentors yet blessed for they have learned.)

Another who would say "Find a mentor. Find someone who can properly guide and understand you." (People who are blessed to have mentors and learned from them and their example.)

This is also in connection to my remembering which I shared to you:

"This is one of those times when I look back and remember what God has done in my life.... I thank God for a very lot. I cannot help but drop tears from my eyes right now for how much God is great."

I titled that "Transitions in Life.....Testimony".

In most of the transitions in my life, God sends people to help, love, nurture, and care. I am beginning to understand that in every new chapter of my life story, God sends people. When I was smaller, I knew there was something or someone watching over me. Though most times I would turn away from that something/someone, but I still return. Only lately (last year maybe), words that I hadn't described God before, "God preserved me." He has been preserving me. I don't know why. At times when I didn't want to exist, there is still that something that I need to yet stay on this earth.

Anyway.....also...I came across the verses 1 Peter 2:2-3, "2 As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure and simple teaching. By it you can mature in your salvation, 3 because you have already examined and seen how good the Lord is. NCV"

I've met verse 2 all the time, but only now I see:

I've been a "Christian" for a long time but doubted my salvation. I would even be categorized as an old Christian, even told that I "don't need to be taught Bible stories anymore" because I'm "no longer a baby [Christian]" for I "have been in Sunday Schools and went to a Christian school unlike __(name)__." However, I still SO MUCH "want to be taught of the Bible" (those have always been my words). Yet, how painful it is to be denied to be taught of the Bible when it's a simple request "because I want to know God; I want God". Still, no "just read the Bible and God will teach you" or "you're old already" could stop me from wanting "to be taught of the Bible".

Though an old "Christian", only have I known God so much and His Word recently.

After that verse, I checked commentaries (biblegateway.com):

From Matthew Henry's Commentary --
"Strong desires and affections to the word of God are a sure evidence of a person’s being born again. If they be such desires as the babe has for the milk, they prove that the person is new-born. They are the lowest evidence, but yet they are certain."

As much as I want to acknowledge --- Soli Deo Gloria

If without God's givens, no matter how long it took me, would my cravings & yearnings "to be taught of the Bible" be met?

If without that one-on-one Bible Study, would I be able to read the Bible now as joyous and glad? Even the known hardest part of the Bible (Pentateuch), I am reading it with less difficulty and never finding boredom. People disliked Leviticus, but I could now read it without the thought of skipping it.

If without the reminder and made the words "God loves you" & "God chose you" real to me by letting me hear those words rather than by reading it from a book, would I have known God more personally? The first time I heard "God loves you" was 4yrs ago but no longer hearing those words a year later. When I heard those three words, I felt God touching my heart. And I longed for that. And when I heard "God chose you" for the first time, here's my thought "God, I await for your coming."

The more I am knowing God personally, the more I want to share Him to people, the more I want to learn to teach and lead others.

Though there are years wasted by wrong guidance (because I didn't know), God still has preserved me,  and it could be that the time has not yet come for me.

I thank God for the experiences...for now, I have known better.

I am still the same sinner...yet I thank God for His love and discipline molding me to become better each day. I still can make mistakes but I thank God for making me aware and I have to remember to "repent and not do it again". However, asking apologies from other people still cowers me.

"Today you have learned, Tomorrow you will be wiser." 

It may be a "turn off" from the first kind of people that I have mentors and I depend on them for my growth.......well, there are two of these kinds of people: one who are like them, one who are like me. And we're both blessed the same but in different ways.

Crave Pure Spiritual Milk

2 As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure and simple teaching. By it you can mature in your salvation, 3 because you have already examined and seen how good the Lord is. (1 Pet 2:2-3)

It may have been that I am Christian for a very long time. I grew up in a "Christian" home. My father was the son of a reverend pastor. I had been told of the Bible stories, went to Sunday School, went to a Christian school, and went to church almost everyday during my late youth years.

I am now in my prime youth years. I have just entered the professional and adulthood chapter of my life.

I am a Christian for so long, but only this year have I been taught the Bible well and have known God more.

Has been for a very long time have I craved to learn the Bible, have I craved to know God and His Word.

From Matthew Henry's Commentary about the passage above:
"Strong desires and affections to the word of God are a sure evidence of a person’s being born again. If they be such desires as the babe has for the milk, they prove that the person is new-born. They are the lowest evidence, but yet they are certain."

I thank God for making himself known to me though the many years that I turn my back on Him and rebel....looking for Him in the wrong places and wrong people. However, though I do not know these places or people are the wrong ones, I still have learned though painful.