The Joy of Christmas – God Joins the Human Race

A quick update since I published these points and scriptures last year leading up to Christmas, I have tried to focus on the Joy of being in fellowship with Jesus throughout each day.  I can tell you that I certainly can recognize the difference that this effort has made in my life.

In the past, I would have great days and then not so great days due to my circumstances or, quite frankly, just other people’s behaviors and words.  Now, I have come to realize that if I am going try to find my joy in this world or in my circumstances, then I will continue to be be greatly disappointed.   So when I am not feeling my most optimistic, I go right to prayer and ask the Lord to provision His joy to me.

It’s significant in itself to just acknowledging that my joy comes from Jesus, which then points me and my thoughts to focusing on His blessings.  All that God has already provisioned to me, to us, to this world.  The fact that God laid the foundations of the world and that He sustains all things!  That He sent his Son Jesus Christ so I could be reconciled to God and have a relationship HIM.  The fact that God is always accessible, faithful, loving, good, and soverign.  He controls all things.  He hears my prayers, He knows my thoughts, He knows my heart, and He wants to bless me and provide good things to me and in my life.   God also wants a relationship with me.  So I acknowledge His Joy, His gift of Jesus Christ, and I talk to him, and I thank God for all his blessing.

I also found a 365 Devotions from Author Sarah Young called “Embracing JOY in His Presence”  Jesus Always which I now seem to seek first thing in the morning for inspiration and daily intentions.  It has great scripture references for the daily topic and helps direct me on the right path each day.

In his grip!!!  Right where I want to be!  God Bless You.

Original Post – December 2018

Jesus is eternal /  He was not created / He has always existed/ He was born a baby / He is the Joy of Christmas!  

The Joy of Christmas    – God Joins the Human Race

 Part 1 of 3         Luke 1: 31-35

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.

Fellowship with God alone is our undiminished earthly and eternal joy

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of GREAT JOY, which shall be to all people.  Luke 2:10

Though you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and GLORIOUS JOY for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.    1 Peter 1:8, 9

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our JOY COMPLETE. 1 John 1: 3, 4

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with GREAT JOY.  Jude 24

God is inaccessible to men because of sin

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.   Romans 3:23

But God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.   Romans 5:8

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ his son.   Romans 6:23

If you really keep the whole law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  For whosoever keeps the whole law, yet offends in one point, he is guilty of all.   James 2:10

Additional reading in Exodus 19: 12-21 and Numbers 3:4 where man needed to be shielded and veiled from God (due to sin) or they were killed instantly.

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.  But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read.  It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away   2 Corinthians 3: 13, 14

 Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.  Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance ad unbelief.  The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.    Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.   1 Timothy 1:20

God is patient and when you ask forgiveness for yours sins he hears you and is merciful!

“Who he is to you” determines if you really know him

I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.  John 8:24

Be careful as Satan will blind your mind and the anti-Christ is here on earth today!

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.:  This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God; Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.  This is the spirit of the anti-christ, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.  1 John 4: 1,2

Jesus is eternal /  He was not created / He has always existed/ He was born a baby / A perfect embryo — He did not take another baby’s body / He is the Joy of Christmas!

“How will this be,” since I am a virgin?  The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon 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”   Luke 1: 34

The Word Became Flesh (he already existed)! – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  John 1:1

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.  John 1:8

The Word became Flesh and made his dwelling among us.   We have seen his glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth   John 1:1