ACCEPT HIS GIFT< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 14:16-22

Jesus came to a synagogue in Nazareth where He was brought up, ÒAnd He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written 18 Ò The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed MeTo preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.Ó Jesus identified Himself by pointing out the gifts that He had brought to every man and none could relate with all that He was reading, as recorded by the prophet Isaiah long before the birth of Jesus. As many have failed to receive that gift then, so many are refusing to accept the gift today.  So many know His name, so many celebrate His birth, so many claim to know about Him, but greater numbers are yet to take to all that He brought for an abundant life. He said in John 10:10, ÓThe thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.Ó The thief is the devil, and he has been working vigorously to deny as many as possible all that Jesus came to give a present. Jesus, the Anointed One is here to heal every broken heart but the broken hearted are not open and He will not force Himself to enter someoneÕs heart that is broken for it to be fixed. The Spirit of the Lord that He, Jesus, was carrying is a gentle Spirit, not a forceful or competitive spirit. The captives remain captive because they have yet to capitalize on the privilege of grace that came for their freedom. The blind remain blind because they refused to look up to Jesus. Many are attempting to see through other gods instead of the One and Only God and many are putting man in the place of Jesus. And by that virtue the vision is not clear enough for them to move in the right direction. Jesus is the Lord and Savior and that demands looking up to God through Jesus. The birth of Jesus made salvation available that is not to be manipulated neither to be monopolized by any man because it is not from man, but from God to every man. Jesus came for the poor so that He can make them rich in the things of the Lord. Knowing about Jesus is half knowledge, to know Jesus is not enough when your behavior does not comprehend with Jesus. He wants us to be like Him and to be like Him is to behave like Him. Do you believe in Him? If you believe in Jesus then behave like Jesus. Behaving like Jesus is being known in Him. Behaving like Jesus is not of determination, but it is by the grace of God. Ask God for the grace to be known in Him today.  

WORD WAS BORN< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 1:39-45, John 1:1-8

ÒIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.Ó (John 1:1-2) Mary through the Holy Spirit conceived the Word that was in the beginning. The Word is the Word of God by whom all that was made was through Him. The Word of God is power and was described by God in Jeremiah 23:29, ÒIs not my word like a fire?Ó says the LORD.Ó  And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?Ó The word of God that was, and still is the same Word of God that is and forever will be the Word of God and will be, because the Word inhabits eternity. The same Word, when conceived by Mary, made Mary more than ordinary because there was no way to carry the Word as described by God and continue to be the same. Are you carrying the Word of God? Have you given the Word a dwelling place in your inn? While Mary was carrying the Word, she went and visited Elizabeth who was carrying John the Baptist (at the time of MaryÕs visit) the Bible recorded during that visit as she ÒÉentered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.Ó(Luke 1:40-41) Have you been speaking the Word with nothing happening? How many times have you received the spoken Word of God and have not encountered any visitation? When the Word is heard and nothing happens something must be happening that is not right in the life of the one that receives the Word. When Elizabeth heard the word of greetings from the one that was carrying, the Word of God, the babe, leaped and the effect the Holy Spirit had, made Elizabeth speak out with a loud voice. After she spoke she testified, ÒFor indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.Ó Jesus, the Word of God, was on His way to the face of earth in human form when He began to operate as a source of joy. He came with joy and joy was His mission. Once in royal DavidÕs City, in a lonely cattle shed, joy came to this world by the grace of the Almighty Gracious God of gods with a plan and purpose to deliver all that had been held captive, to give hope to the hopeless and to make life everlasting a possibility for all that will turn to the Word and accept living in the way of the Word. Ask in this season as you celebrate the birth of Jesus that His Word will have more power and meaning in your life for His name to be glorified.

ANY ROOM?< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 2:1-7, John 2:13-25

Every possible avenue to our inn must have failed or must have been exhausted before the merciful and gracious God finally sent His most beloved son. The bible also recorded, ÒÉbrought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn.Ó(Luke 2:7) Moneychangers, deceivers, have filled up the inn and those that have no regard for the business of the Lord so when the Lord arrived in a town where there was no room for Him to lay and dwell a manger became an inn for Him. If you will consider yourself as an inn for a moment, do you have a place for the Lord to enter? Just as He could not be brought forth in the inn so He could not be brought into life in the temple while He was doing the business of His Father. The temple was supposed to be used differently for God to be glorified, but it was being used as a den of thieves.  Jesus, ÒÉ found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changersÕ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, ÒTake these things away! Do not make My FatherÕs house a house of merchandise!Ó (John 2:14-16) What was going on and all that was in place when He came did not change till the time He started His mission. He was not recognized at the inn during the time of his birth and the temple was relegated with no respect for its purpose, as the house of prayer. Today if you will consider yourself as the inn or the temple, have you made a place available for Him? How are you keeping the temple of God? 1 Corinthians 3:16, ÒDo you not know you are that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him, For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are?Ó The first time He came, there was no place for Him in the inn, but it was quiet and silent. The next time that He is coming, any temple that is not in compliance with His word will not be complete in Him and will miss the purpose of the journey of life. How are you keeping the temple of God? Create a place for Him in your temple, allow Him to reign so you will reign with Him and your Christmas will not be limited only to this earth. Celebrate Jesus forever. 

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE

Luke 2:1-24< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

As a believer in the name and the power of the Almighty God, you can be rest assured from this day that nothing should be considered as a accident anymore based on the understanding that God has delivered you. If the work of God is not an accident, then all that comes your way, as child of God, should not be declared as accidental anymore. Our father that is heaven has never been a God of accidents, but a God with a divine purpose and agenda. It was not an accident when the angel of the Lord visited Zacharias to announce the birth of John the Baptist neither was it an accident when it was revealed to the Virgin Mary that she was going to be having a child that is to be named Emmanuel. That same angel during his visit to Mary to reveal the birth of Jesus, Mary stated, ÒNow indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.Ó(Luke 1:36-37) It is evident that there are so many impossible issues that are situations, positions, for man to overcome, but with God on the side of those that have accepted Him as the Lord and savior, nothing will be impossible. Are you experiencing or dealing with a situation that seems not to have any way out? The angel from the Lord said, there is nothing impossible if you are with God. The One that came through an avenue that is impossible has made every situation to become possible with God only if we choose to let Him be our God. Also, it was not an accident when Caesar Augustus was passing a decree that requested for the entire world to register for census. Caesar August was ignorantly passing a decree for the divine plan and purpose of God to come to a manifestation at the appointed time in the appointed place. At the time of registrations for the census Joseph went with Mary to go and register in Bethlehem where it had been foretold that it would be the birthplace for Jesus Christ. Luke 2: 6-7, ÒSo it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.Ó It was not an accident that Shepherds were the only available ones, and not doctors, teachers, priests or government officials to pay the first visit to Jesus.  Accidents happen and if you have entered into any kind of accident that is beyond your control and you begin to see through the eyes of God, it is never too late for Him to turn around all the impossibilities to possibilities that will take you out of every accident. Believe in Him that came through an impossible avenue and He will turn it all to possibility.

UNDERSTANDING< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Matthew 1:1-25

ÒFor this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joyÓ (Colossians 1:9-11) The Apostle Paul prayed this prayer with a purpose: for the people of Colossians. This prayer is also worthy to be prayed with a purpose in mind for the season that is in place. The Christmas season is not a season for commercialization, neither it is a season for decoration. However, where understanding is lacking, seasons will be celebrated without a reason in focus. To be filled with the knowledge of His will is to be filled up with the wisdom and spiritual understanding. Jesus mentioned in John 6:40, Ò And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.Ó (John 6:40) There is a reason for the season, but to many the season has become the season of celebration without the reason. Jesus is the reason for the season and many have the idea, but lack the understanding; knowing about it is not the same as having the information and actually knowing it.. The ones that have the understanding have shifted the focus and flow with the crowd in celebration with the reason out of place. There is a need to be filled with the knowledge of His will and understanding otherwise it will be impossible to walk worthy of His calling. Walking worthy of the calling is what pleases the Father that sent down the Reason for the season. Whenever there is walking worth the calling, the father Himself will make His presence to dwell constantly with the ones that believe and know how to walk worthy of His calling. Jesus testifies to the fact that the Father does not leave alone those who walk worthy of His calling, Ò And He who sent Me is with Me, The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.Ó (John 8:29) It is all about pleasing Him, and pleasing Him is rooted in being filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. He is the reason for the season. Christmas is not just a season to be celebrated. Pray the Apostle PaulÕs prayer over yourself.