Merry Christmas!

Dec 23, 2012

Merry Christmas!!

I woke up early this morning knowing I could not sleep anymore.  I needed to write down the key scriptures that have been brought to my mind this season by the Holy Spirit.  I know they are true.  I have walked in faith and seen the fruit… I can only hope that 2013 I can walk in God’s truths and not get side tracked by all of life’s small shinny objects along the way J

Romans 10:17 so faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Isaiah 53 Who has believed what he has heard from us?  And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of the dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and o beauty that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hid their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought peace. And with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-everyone-to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.  By oppression and judgement he was taken away; and for his generation, considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?  And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, ad there was no deceipt in his mouth.  Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his would makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

1 Peter 2:21 for to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to who judges justly.  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed.  For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Mark 16:14-20 The Great Commission – Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.  And he said to them “Go into the entire world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever believes and baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on their sick, and they will recover.”  So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. 

Hebrews 11:1 now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

It is my Christmas prayer that all those that I love so dearly will make time to read the words of Christ so their faith will come.  That they will know more and more everyday all that was fulfilled that first Christmas and all that these truths mean to those of us who believe them.  That they would have the courage to follow in our good Shepherd’s footsteps.  Have faith that pleases God and draw near to him.  And that they would seek to fulfill God’s great commission.  I pray that the Holy Spirit would bring an undeniable conviction into each heart as he continues to testify to the truth.

Merry Christmas!!

Terrie