Calendars & Memories

Last year at this time, I was in Germany with a dear Mercy Ships friend.  I had just left Mercy Ships and stopped over to visit my friend before coming home to Canada.  It was the beginning of Advent, but I didn't know much about this holiday other than chocolate advent calendars.  My friend was given a homemade advent calendar, and I remember wishing someone would do that for me.

Fast forward to almost one year later, and I'm cleaning house, listening to a combination of African and Christmas music, and look at what my sister made for me!!  A beautiful advent calendar!

Advent

I was surprised and completely blessed to receive this calendar, because it reminded me that God knows our hearts intimately.  He knows the secret thoughts and desires we have.  I waited an entire year, and do not remember ever praying for an advent calendar, but My gracious Father saw fit to provide one.  In doing so, He is showing the love that my sister has for me, but He is also displaying an even greater Love in His tender mercies and kindness.  God gave this sweet gift to remind me to depend on Him.  He will never fail to give His children what we need in order to shape us to become more like Jesus.

God has been working immensely in my life this past year.  Often, I am sure that people look at me and talk to me without noticing any difference, as there are still too many rough edges.  But in His faithfulness, God is working (Philippians 1:6).

This Christmas and Advent season, I want to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ, the perfect Man, who was at the same time one hundred percent God (John 1:29-34).  Jesus is the One who came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).  I am so grateful to God for providing a way to be washed clean of the dirty, disgusting sin that clings to my heart and actions (Psalm 51:6-7).

Cleansing From Sin

A cleansed heart comes as a person recognizes his or her sinfulness (Romans 3:23) and slavery to sin (Romans 6:23).  We are all slaves of something.  Either to sin with the inability to do anything other than sin, or to God with the freedom that comes from being His slave...a freedom to be able to do righteousness and justice (Romans 6:22)!

This freedom and a relationship with God can only come as we realize that our sin is actually rebellion against God (1 Samuel 15:22-23).  We cannot keep our sin and still love God (1 John 2:15-17).  We must have in ourselves a love for God and a hatred for anything we do or anything that we are which rejects God.  But the only way this change can take place is as we surrender to Jesus.  His blood is the only thing that can wash us clean (1 John 3:5).  Putting our trust into Him and surrendering all to Jesus brings freedom and a relationship with God (1 John 1:9).

God cannot look at us while we are in our sinful, dirty, unholy state, but once washed by Jesus, He comes to reside in us (Romans 3:24-25) and promised to never leave us (Matthew 1:23).  It is not worth trying to live out life on your own without God.  He has given us a marvelous gift, His Son (John 3:16), who will cleanse you if you ask Him to.  Surrender your life to Jesus, and you will never regret following Him.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.

~ John 3:16-21

Day 1: Chocolate

This Advent season, while awaiting the time where we celebrate the coming of Christ, remember that He was named Emmanuel, which means, "God with us."

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which translated means, "God with us."

~ Matthew 1:23

Sound of Joy

If you're interested in a great Christmas album, with the same message, pointing us back to Christ, check out Seeker & Servant and download "Sound of Joy" for free! 

Here's the YouTube link to the Christmas music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcFVxEfEYUI

Be blessed.