Holiday

14 posts

Give Your Heart to God

Banner image saying Give your Heart To God this Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is Wednesday, February 14th, and this is the perfect time to reflect upon the pure agape love God has for His children.

Agape love is a selfless, unconditional love. It’s what God displayed when he sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to walk among us, teach us, heal us, and ultimately take our place on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.

If you haven’t done so already, consider giving your heart to God this Valentine’s Day.

The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:15-16, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

And remember Romans 5:5-8, which tells us, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

Unto Us a Child is Born

Image of a stable with animals and people surrounding the baby Jesus after his birth
Jesus Christ is the reason we celebrate this season, rejoicing in His birth and unending love for us. There’s no greater message to share than the good news of the miraculous birth of God’s precious Son, Jesus Christ!
During this special holiday, Isaiah 9:1-7 reminds us of the true reason for our joy…

 

The Government of the Promised Son

1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward more heavily oppressed her,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.
The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation
And increased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
As in the day of Midian.
For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Thanksgiving & Gratitude

O Taste and See that the LORD is Good: blessed is the man that trustest in him Psalm 34:8

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our wonderful family and friends!
In this special season of giving thanks, Psalm 34 reminds us of the One who deserves all our thanks and praise…

Psalm 34 (NKJV)

A Psalm of David

1I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
To [c]cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

 

Labor Day 2023

It's Labor Day banner

Labor Day is Monday, September 4, 2023. This is a holiday set aside to celebrate the American workers who contribute to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our great nation…a worthy holiday indeed!
Below are just a few Bible verses to reflect upon as you rest in the Lord this Labor Day weekend:

Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. ~ Exodus 20:8-10 [ESV]

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. ~ Deuteronomy 15:10 [NIV]

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. ~ Psalm 128:2 [ESV]

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; ~ Colossians 3:23 [KJV]

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ~ Matthew 11:28 [NKJV]