Sunday, December 30, 2012

the priceless gift of Christmas...

Now Christmas is a season
For joy and merrymaking,
A time for gifts and presents,
For giving and for taking;
A festive, friendly, happy time
When everyone is gay ...
But have we ever really felt
The greatness of the Day?
For through the centuries the world
Has wandered far away
From the beauty and the meaning
Of the Holy Christmas Day.
For Christmas is a heavenly gift
That only God can give,
It's ours just for the asking,
For as long as we shall live.
It can't be bought or bartered,
It can't be won or sold,
It doesn't cost a penny,
And it's worth far more than gold.
It isn't bright and gleaming
For eager eyes to see,
It can't be wrapped in tinsel
Or placed beneath a tree.
It isn't soft and shimmering
For reaching hands to touch,
Or some expensive luxury
You've wanted very much.
For the priceless gift of Christmas
Is meant just for the heart,
And we receive it only
When we become a part
Of the kingdom and the glory
Which is ours to freely take,
For God sent the Holy Christ Child
At Christmas for our sake,
So man might come to know Him
And feel His Presence near
And see the many miracles
Performed while He was here.
And this Priceless Gift of Christmas
Is within the reach of all,
The rich, the poor, the young and old
The greatest and the small.
So take His Priceless Gift of Love,
Reach out and you receive,
And the only payment that God asks,
Is just that you believe.

A Poem by Helen Steiner Rice

Thursday, December 27, 2012

luke 1:68-75

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us - to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days." (Luke 1:68-75)


Blessings! XOXOX!

~Victoria

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

luke 1:46-55

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1:46-55)

Blessings! XOXOX!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

with us

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."


All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us."


When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25)


His name is Jesus and He will save us from our sins!
Our God is with us!

Hallelujah to the King of Kings!

XOX!

~Victoria

Monday, December 24, 2012

luke 1:26-45

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:26-45)

Merry Christmas, DW's!
Praise our Lord for He fulfills His promises! Happy Happy Holidays!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

matthew 1

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.


But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1)

Merry Christmas, DW's!
His name is Jesus and He will save us from our sins! Hallelujah to the King of Kings!

Saturday, December 8, 2012

God's protecting care is over us.

"Safely covered with His feathers -
Oh, the blest security!
Sheltered from all kinds and weathers,
Covert from the enemy.

In all confidence abiding,
'Neath His strong protecting wings,
Oh, how sweet is such confiding,
While the trustful spirit sings.

Covered? Yes, as He can cover.
Sheltered? Who could shelter thus?
O'er His own His love doth hover -
His, because of Calv'ry's cross.

Covered, trusting, watching ever,
Knowing there is naught to fear,
Sweet the confident assurance,
While His coming draweth near."

(By Helen McDowell)

God bless YOU as you seek His Majesty today!

XOX!

~Victoria