Thank you, God, that our Savior lives! Jesus rose again, and conquered Satan, death and the grave for us – He is the Risen Savior, our reason for life.

Posted by Rick Warren

But the angel said to them, “… I bring you good news of greatjoy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10 (NIV)

Knowing that Christmastime is God’s chosen time teaches us that Christmas is the time for us to renew our faith.

We need not fear God because of the Good News of Christ’s arrival; it is a Good News meant to “bring great joy to all people.” (Luke 2:10 NLT)

What is the Good News?

* You matter to God: God knows everything about you — the good, the bad, and the ugly — and He still loves you. He cares about you. He loves you more than you could ever know. God is for you, not against you.

* You are not an accident: Regardless of the circumstances of your birth, you were not the result of an accident. God has a plan and a purpose for your life. The only way you will find meaning and satisfaction is to discover God’s purpose for your life and then to get right into the center of his will.

God sent Jesus so you could know what He’s like. If God wanted to communicate to birds, He would have become a bird. If God had wanted to communicate to cows, He would have become a cow. If He wanted to communicate to dogs, He would have become a dog. But God wanted to relate to you and to me, so He became like us — a human being.

The thing is this — I don’t have the foggiest idea of what it means to relate to something like ‘The Force’ — some impersonal power in the sky. But when I see Jesus in human form, I can say, “That’s what God’s like. I can understand that.”

This is why Christmas is not about a religion. You may be Catholic; you may be Jewish; you may be Presbyterian, or Buddhist, or Baptist, or Lutheran; I don’t care what your religious background is, Jesus didn’t come to give you religion. He came to give you a relationship.

Christmas is God saying, “I want to relate to you. I want you to know Me as much as I know you.” That’s joyful news. It’s good news!

via Daily Hope.

I am accepted . .

• John 1:12 – I am God’s child.
• John 15:15 – As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.
• Romans 5:1 – I have been justified.
• 1 Corinthians 6:17 – I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.
• 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 – I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.
• 1 Corinthians 12:27 – I am a member of Christ’s body.
• Ephesians 1: 3-8 – I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
• Colossians 1: 13-14 – I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
• Colossians 2: 9-10 – I am complete in Christ.
• Hebrews 4: 14-16 – I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.

I am secure . . .

• Romans 8: 1-2 – I am free from condemnation.
• Romans 8: 28 - I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
• Romans 8: 31-39 – I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.
• 2 Corinthians 1: 21-22 – have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.
• Colossians 3: 1-4 – I am hidden with Christ in God.
• Philippians 1: 6 -I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.
• Philippians 3: 20 – I am a citizen of Heaven.
• 2 Timothy 1: 7 – I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
• 1 John 5: 18 – I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

I am significant . . .

• John 15: 5 – I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.
• John 15: 16 – I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
• 1 Corinthians 3: 16 – I am God’s temple.
• Ephesians 2: 6 – I am seated with Jesus Christ in the Heavenly realm.
• Ephesians 2:10 – I am God’s workmanship.
• Ephesians 3: 12 – I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
• Philippians 4: 13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

A message by Pastor Al Keech, shared on December 13, 2009 at The Rock at Church Ranch. Based on John 10:10, Pastor Al outlines the difference between life and life more abundant, as Jesus promises.

Read Ephesians 2:11-22

You were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. -1 Peter 2:25 (NRSV)

SHEEP roam over the hills in England’s Lake District. Do they belong to someone? If you ask a local shepherd, he will say, “All the sheep on this side of the hill belong to me. They’re a hardy breed. They stay out in all kinds of weather, and they find their food up in the hills. I bring them down for dipping, worming, lambing, and shearing.”

“But what if they wander off?”

read the rest via Upper Room | Devotional.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”- John 15:5,8

We can often times get caught up in programs, methods, and curriculum surrounding the subject of discipleship. After all, Jesus told us to go into all nations and make disciples. We, as Christians, should place great importance on the subject.

But, when I read the verses above, I’m reminded that the most basic way to both BE a disciple and help to MAKE disciples is to simply abide in Christ. When we do this, we bear fruit – and the right kind of fruit.

Let’s abide in Him today…and all days!

Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? – (Galatians 3:5 NRSV Bible)

In an old Guideposts magazine, there was the story of Elizabeth English and her husband Herman who owned an appliance store. They also sold toys. In the Christmas of 1946, they had sold about all of their toys. Elizabeth had been uneasy about leaving the store that Christmas Eve because one package on lay-a-way had not been picked up. So Elizabeth and Herman stayed open as long as they could. No one came.

The next day, Christmas day, Elizabeth could not get into the Christmas spirit. Strangely, she began to get the urge to go to the store that morning. After an hour, Elizabeth gave up fighting the urge and told Herman she was going down to the store. As she got to the store, she noticed two small boys standing in front of the store. The little fellows got very excited when they saw Elizabeth coming. They were almost frozen.

The older boy explained to Elizabeth that his younger brother didn’t get anything for Christmas, and so they came to get Jimmy some skates. He then pulled out three dollars. Sadly, Elizabeth knew she had sold just about all of her toys.

But she happened to glance at the lone package on the lay-a-way shelf.

She walked over and ripped off the wrapping to find that it contained a pair of child’s skates! Jimmy reached for them and tried them on. They fit perfectly. When the boys tried to pay Elizabeth for the skates, she told them to use their money to buy some gloves. The boys grinned in amazement at the free gift of roller skates.

Elizabeth asked the boys, “How did you know I would come?” The older boy answered, “I knew you would come. I asked Jesus to send you.” Now, Elizabeth was in the Christmas spirit.

Just like the miracle these boys experienced, can you imagine the excitement and spirit that must have over come Mary as she began to grasp the miracle that was happening to her.

How about the miracles that God has preformed in your life?

via Today’s Devotion.