Hey its Christmas – The best Christmas Carol

Courtesy – Cory Draper

What’s your favorite Christmas song? I bet if I asked you to whistle or hum it right now, you’d hit the melody pretty well. As you know, a melody is a sequence of individual notes that are played one after another, creating a song.

Now think of your favorite performance of that same song. I’m willing to bet that you thought of a version that included beautiful harmonies, either by voice or instrument.

A harmony is when two or more different-sounding notes come together to make a stronger and more beautiful sound. Sure, all you need is a melody to make a simple song, but harmony is what makes a song whole. A melody is what gives a song its body. A harmony is what gives that body a soul.

The birth of Jesus was a harmonic introduction to a world of individual songs. The human race could never reach its full potential and constantly yearned for its meaning. We needed Jesus to change that. Because of his birth, his sacrifice, and his resurrection, we are now able to be more than just individual notes. As my favorite Christmas carol, O Holy Night, says . . .

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Til he appeared and the soul felt its worth.

Jesus brought us into harmony with God the Father. He makes our songs beautiful.

But it doesn’t end there. Not only are we now able to live in harmony with our Creator, but we are called to be the harmony for the world. Paul said it best in his letter to the Romans . . .

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. – Romans 12:16

God is not calling us to be just a bunch of different melodies, competing with one another, trying to make the best song. He is calling us to live in harmony—bringing everyone together to make a unified song that glorifies him.

Christmas is a time when we all come together, but it is easy to get distracted by our own differences. This month, ask God to make apparent the harmony you have with him, and thank him for it. In turn, reflect that harmony for those whose songs are yearning to be made more beautiful.

What’s so good about Good Friday

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should like unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” – 1 Peter 2: 24.

As we join with Christians all over the world to celebrate Resurrection Day, I am awed by Jesus’ reactions to the events that preceded his death. He experienced pain before he ever endured the cross.

“We may say that on the first Good Friday afternoon was completed that great act by which light conquered darkness and goodness conquered sin. That is the wonder of our Savior’s crucifixion.” – Phillips Brooks

The Bible states that everyone sins and falls short. We should strive for perfection, but we are humans, and we will fail at times. Jesus’ love for his people wouldn’t allow him to hold a grudge against those that betrayed him either. In fact, he chose to serve and have dinner with them. He washed the feet of his betrayers. He sat at the dinner table and broke bread with a known backstabber. In so many words, Jesus told Judas, “You’re going to turn on me for some pocket money, but I’m OK with that. I still love you and I’m still going to die for you.”

That’s amazing, but his ability to love beyond the pain didn’t stop there. When he was arrested and handed over to Pilate, his best friend Peter denied ever knowing him. On several occasions, people approached him about their association with Jesus and told, “I never knew the man.” All these people were giving up on Jesus, but he never gave up on them. Even as he was stripped of his clothes, spit upon, and struck in the head; forgiveness was still in his heart.

What’s so good about Good Friday? The fact that Jesus never hesitated to die for those who hurt him deeply and he chose to die for me is what’s good about “Good Friday.”

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.'” – John 11:25-26

Grace and Peace Multiplied to You

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” – 2 Peter 1:2–3

Imagine if God were to visit you in a dream tonight and ask you what He could do for you. What would you say to Him? Would you ask Him to give you a deeper knowledge of Jesus our Lord?

God’s Word tells us that when you receive revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, it will cause grace and peace to be multiplied in your life. It will cause you to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. What is grace? It is the unmerited, unearned and undeserved favour of God shown to us. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace. But the more we learn of the beauty and love of our Lord Jesus, the more we see His perfect work on the cross, and the more we position ourselves to receive a multiplication of God’s grace in our lives.

The verse says that peace too, is multiplied to us through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord. The peace of God sets our hearts free from fear, stress, worries, anxieties and cares. Wouldn’t you want to have the peace of God presiding over your heart always? God’s divine power has given us all things that pertain not just to godliness, but to life as well. Wouldn’t you say that health, money, a good job and a nice home for your family pertain to life? Well, all these things and everything else which God has already given is released to you through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord.

So let’s ask God every day, “Father, give me wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus.” For to know Jesus is to have grace and peace multiplied to us. To know Jesus is to receive all things pertaining to life and godliness! (As narrated).

Be a bounce back person

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold…” I Peter 1:6-7

We all face disappointments and setbacks. Life is full of things that try to push us down. Maybe you got bad news concerning your health. A relationship didn’t work out. Maybe you lost your job. It was a setback. When we face setbacks, it’s easy to get discouraged or lose our enthusiasm. Too often we are tempted to just settle where we are. But if we’re going to see God’s best, we have to have a bounce-back mentality. That means when you get knocked down, you don’t stay down. You get back up again. It means when disappointments come, you shake them off knowing that what the enemy meant for your harm God is going to turn around and use for your good.

When you’re a bounce-back person, you know that adversity is not permanent. Weeping may endure for a night, but you know joy is coming in the morning. There is wonderful joy ahead on the other side of this trial. Keep standing, keep believing, and choose to be a bounce-back person because you are coming out better off than you were before! You are rising higher, and you will fulfill the destiny God has in store for you!

Unhindered Prayers

“…Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered” – 1 Peter 3:7

Did you know that the way you treat people has an impact on the effectiveness of your prayers? The Bible says that the prayer of the righteous person is powerful, but if we aren’t treating others with honor, kindness and respect, then we aren’t allowing His righteousness to operate in us. When we don’t treat others the way we should, it closes the door to God’s power and hinders our prayers.

This is especially true in a marriage relationship. Marriage isn’t just an agreement between two people to live life together. Marriage is a God-ordained institution that helps us understand love and unity. When two people are married, they become one physically, spiritually and emotionally. This particular passage is directed toward husbands, but it applies to all. We should always treat others “with understanding,” which means considering their needs above our own. We should always aim to treat others with kindness, dignity, and respect and quickly choose forgiveness.

Today, choose love. Choose to treat others with respect. Let righteousness flow through you and open the door for His power in every area of your life!