Well church another holiday season is upon us, isn’t it? In contemplating and meditation regarding this week’s message, I believe the Lord brought to mind a message I presented to you a couple of years ago. The title of that message was “Peace be with you.” Something we all need during the holidays, don’t we? Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service. Everyone is welcome in this place.
This week’s message will be based on the message I mentioned above. I know you will be blessed by the anointed preaching of the Word of God. What was true two years ago is still true today. So let’s get started. Thanksgiving should be a daily occurrence. Let me say this to you – I am very thankful to God for allowing me to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to you. I am also thankful for your faithful attendance. Your comments and emails are an inspiration to me.
This is not a one way ministry, my friends. The message of Jesus that we offer is not a mandate or a command from a pulpit that feels our viewpoint is the gospel. But, rather a sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ, based only on the Word of God (The Bible). We preach the revealed word of truth given to us by the Holy Spirit and the Bible. If our preaching is not based on the Bible, it is not truth but opinion. In other words folks, this is a two way ministry. We preach words of life to you and we ask you to share your words of life with us. Let’s discuss God’s Word together. We would be more than happy to share your testimonies, your thoughts and your love for Jesus in the salvation he has freely given to you.
We are entering the holiday season and we all know that as much pleasure that we derive from seeing family and friends during this time of year, there is a spirit of stress and anxiety that always tries to invade our thoughts and actions. Most psychologists will tell you that loneliness, feelings of depression (another evil spirit) and suicides leap upward during the holiday season. We miss our loved ones and friends who are far away and those who have passed on. All this designed by Satan to destroy us and to take away the fun and love the holidays should be.
Is there an antidote to these negative and destructive feelings? I am very happy to say a very emphatic yes. Let me repeat myself – Yes, Yes, Yes!! The answer in short form is the joy and peace that Jesus gave you the very day you accepted his free gift of salvation. Remember that day, my friends? Remember the peace that came over you? Remember the joy that flooded your soul? It is still there waiting for you to once again tap into it. God loves you, church. You are his family. You are his kids. He wants you to always experience his peace. Turn to John 14:27. These are the words of Jesus to you.
“Peace I leave to you, my peace I give unto you: Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”Jesus gave these words at the last Passover feast before his death. Words spoken to the followers of that day and to the present and future. Peace be with you, my friends. God’s peace. The only true peace men will ever know. Be encouraged during this holiday season, my believing brothers and sisters. God is with you because of your belief in his son and what he did on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. When I think of you, my online church family, I see you as God sees you - blessed and righteous with peace and joy in your soul. I know God sees when we fall. After all, with all that holiness we are still human. But I also see the hand of our Father reaching out and lifting us up and setting us back on the right track. Wouldn’t we do just that for our kids? How much more would our heavenly Father do for us? Rejoice in your salvation, my friends. Be thankful to God for who he is and what he is doing in your lives. Please turn with me to Philippians 4:4-7.
“Rejoice in the Lord always: And again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men the Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”What a great encouragement the above scriptures are. God is saying in these verses that he is with you always. He is at hand, my friends. During the holiday season and each day of your life , give thanks and don’t worry about anything. The peace of God, which passes all understanding will keep you strong, loving and steadfast in him. This Thanksgiving season let’s exercise our God given right to thank God for all he has done for us. I think of a song that says “Thank you Jesus for saving me and keeping me from what I might have been” We have victory over the spirits mentioned earlier in this message. The peace and joy that God gives us will always trump the devices of Satan and his demonic influences. Remember, we have the fruit of the Spirit abiding in us. Oops, I know sometimes we forget the basic things we were taught, but let us remind ourselves of these truths again. What is the fruit of the Spirit that we are to display and share with the world? Turn to Galatians 5:22-23:
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: Against such there is no law.”That is what this ministry prays for you. The ability to display the fruit of the spirit that you possess no matter what circumstances or conditions you find yourself in. There is nothing that can prevent you from displaying these attributes. They are you!! Just be who you are in Christ. Don’t get beat down by what the world system says about you or even what some misguided churches and preachers say. My friends, you are under grace, not the law. Be yourself during this holiday season. Be the believers you are. Show the love of Christ. Show the same mercy to others that God freely gives to you.
My friends, be what God has made you to be. A blessing and a light to all, both saved or unsaved. You are going to do just fine during this holiday season. You will have peace and joy in your heart and soul. Your heavenly Father will see to it. As we begin this season of sharing, our prayer for you is the same prayer Paul had for believers at Ephesus. Turn to Ephesians 1:16-23:
“(we) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. Which he wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church (us) which is his body, The fullness of Him that filleth all in all.”We pray that prayer for you, we know our Father answers our prayers . Stay strong and in Him. You truly are a blessed people, church. We give thanks to God for putting you in our lives and we say, in Jesus name, during this holiday season peace be with you.
God Bless You,
Bro. Bob
Bro. Bob
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