Encouraging Word

Intro

Hope, joy, faith, peace and love. This is weekend of Christmas and we will take these simple, basic words and weave them into the reality of a baby born in a manger to bring God to us. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day, during the advent season. As we look at love this Christmas, I believe that you will be encouraged to love others like Jesus does during Christmas and always. Jesus came so that we could receive His love and then give it to others. Here is your encouraging word about love for Christmas.

Friday

Love came near – not only near but in. Love didn’t stay far off, it came close, it came close enough to touch! Jesus was love with skin on! Somebody once said that the almighty had to come as a baby so we could have someone to wrap our arms around. Don’t you love that? Why not let his love embrace you as well this Christmas? I hope you truly realize that God’s love sent in the form of a baby was for you! He loves you that much. We are only good at loving others when we realize how much we are loved. When we experience unconditional, uninhibited love that comes from God, we can take what we have been given and share it with others. Romans 5:5 says that the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Another thing we know the Holy Spirit came to do as it says in Act 1:8 is to give us power to be a witness. We have the love of God on the inside of us, and the power to show compassion to others as a gift from the Holy Spirit. If you put them together, we have the power to love within us! How powerful is that. Love came in, and now we get to love others with the same love that we have received. When we look at the big picture from the cradle to the grave and through Jesus’ resurrection, we see that love motivated it all. He was born to die, but then He came alive with resurrection power, so that we could live the abundant life that Jesus came to the earth to give us. How precious is that little one in the manger. It is love that we can wrap our arms around. How precious is it that He wraps His arms around us, with His amazing love. How wonderful it is that we can wrap our arms of love around others, and show God’s love to the world. Jesus so loved the world, He gave us Jesus. Jesus so loved us that He gave His life. We can so love God, that we give our lives back to him, and serve, love and bless others with all of the love He put in our hearts. What a wonderful way to spend Christmas.

Saturday – Love

Something amazing had happened in Bethlehem. A heavenly announcement about this special event was broadcast throughout the airwaves. In the heavenlies, angels made it known that this event would bring good tidings of great joy for all people. A very special baby was born. The amazing thing about this announcement was that it wasn’t made before kings or people of great worldly importance, it was made to shepherds out taking care of their flocks in the nearby hills. Often shepherds go about what they do quietly. They take care of their animals. They are rarely in the spotlight, so the brightness of the glory of the Lord was a new experience for them! They do their work behind the scenes, most often, unnoticed. But God noticed them. He knew they were faithful and committed and they were the first to know God’s own Son made His entrance on the earth.

The angels told the shepherds to go and see. This baby was God’s own son, the Savior who was Christ the Lord. Once they saw, THEY decided to go and tell. Once they had seen HIM, they made it known abroad. (Luke 2:17) Without satellite television, without FOX News or CNN, someone got the news out. It was those faithful, behind the scenes shepherds. Whether they were ready for prime time or not, they had something to tell. The news they shared would have a life altering impact. Their magnanimous message of the GOOD NEWS was spread abroad.

What was so great about this baby? He was the manifested presence and goodness of God. He came to bring great comfort and joy. He came to bring peace on the earth, and good will toward men. Their world badly needed comfort and joy. It was aching for peace on the earth, and good will towards all men. Hearing the message of Christ’s entrance into our world was for then and is for now. Jesus came to bring comfort, joy, peace and good to all. He still uses ordinary people, just like us, who often go unnoticed in the big scheme of things, to do important jobs for Him. Let us make the good news known abroad. Someone you know needs to hear it. They need to know the comfort and joy that comes through Jesus. They need His peace. Go and tell!

Sunday – love

The last candle of advent has been lit and we can still feel it’s glow. Have you been changed by the love of God during this season of Advent? How has the little baby in a manger affected your world? Are you living a hope filled life, excited about the possibilities in your future? Have you experienced the joy of the Lord that is only found in Jesus? Are you using your faith, and exercising your faith on a daily basis? Do you have a peaceful spirit and have you determined within yourself to become a peacemaker, peace keeper, and a reconciler in your own relationships? Have you been changed from the inside out because of God’s love penetrating your heart? Do you really know how loved you are? Do you desire for others to know that too? My prayer is that not only have you had a meaningful advent season, but that you are growing daily in your walk with God. I pray that your daily rituals include spending time with God, and getting fed by his Word! We make time for natural things on a daily basis, like grooming, cleansing, and feeding. Let’s do the same thing for our spirit. We can definitely be washed by the Word and feed on it daily to make our outward appearance more pleasing to those who are around us, through our attitudes and our actions. You don’t have to feel like change happens for everyone else but you. You are not the exception to the rule. The Word states it very clearly that if we give ourselves daily to the word, to worship and to fellowship, we will become more like Jesus. Isn’t that our goal? Isn’t it our goal to have others be drawn to the Jesus in us? Let’s take what we have learned, and experienced this Advent, and put it into practice. We can be hope filled, joyful, faith filled, peaceful, and love filled people. When we are full, we have overflow, and spilling over the top is a great way to live. Let’s let the overflow of hope, joy, faith, peace and love fill up someone else around us. We have it in us, let’s let it out. We have the light of the world living within, and we don’t have to let the glow fade. Let it shine, and let the warmth of God’s love permeate even the hardest hearts of those you know. Let’s make this a banner year for spiritual growth and numerical growth in our own church body. When we grow spiritually, we become encouragers to others around us to do the same. When we grow numerically, we get to reach more people for Christ. When each number represents a life, we realize that Jesus came for individuals, and his desire is that all would come to know him, and live with hope, joy, faith, peace and love. That’s how love changes the world…..one life a time.