For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;

Born vs Given. The two words have a vast difference in meaning.

Born – something that is a great and wonderful process but filled with stress, pain, struggle, wonder, weakness, miraculous, small, feeble, needy, giving, sacrifice.

Given – passed over to, not earned, from a place of compassion, to bless, a supply of plenty. Desire to share. Give to one unable to repay. Give to one unable to manufacture.

Christ chose to be born to mankind. Christ was God’s Son given to mankind. Meditate on these thoughts and come up with more of your own as the wonder of this truth floods your heart.

Born into darkness. God has given us a great light.
Born into limitations. God has given us the power to overcome.
Born into weakness and sickness. God has given us healing and power.
Born into bondage. God has given us a savior.
Born into temptations. God has given us the cross to overcome the power of sin.
Born into humankind’s emotions. God has given us an eternal priest who understands our life.
Born to dream and dread. God has given us a future and eternal hope.
Born to mature through pain. God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us.
Born to love and experience loss. God has given us eternity and joy.

Christ was born into our broken limited world so that we could become a part of His eternal, glorious world. Christ was given to humanity to die so that we can give Him our heart and live in His presence forever.

What will you do with this thought of birth and a gift?

Have you experienced Christ’s birth in your world? Have you taken hold of the gift of God’s son? Unto you, the Christ the Child was born. Unto you, the Son of God, was given. Let these holy words sink into your heart, mind, and soul this Christmas Season, and allow your lightnside to be merry and bright.

Luke 1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

How many times has Mary talked to Elizabeth?  Over the years probably hundreds of times. But this time,  when Mary spoke,  the baby leaped for joy inside Elizabeth and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

When was the last time you heard someone say something and inside you felt joy leap inside?  At a wedding or birth.  A young child singing their first song on stage.  Someone’s testimony freed from addiction.  A soldier coming home and surprising family. You felt hope, honor, joy, or respect.

Many times when I see the flag of America being honored by the military and the jets fly over I feel proud, honored,  patriotic because of the bravery and sacrifice of our men and women fighting for our freedom.

“But when Mary spoke…the baby in her womb leaped for joy and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Why?  A savior is born.  Jesus signed up for battle against darkness.  He came to fight death.  He came to offer life through His sacrifice.

Hope and Joy leaps in our hearts.

On the road to Emmas, Luke tells the story of Jesus walking and talking with two men about the death and resurrection of, well, himself. After breaking bread,  Jesus allowed their eyes to recognize himself, and then Jesus disappeared. Luke 24:30-32 NIV They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” It is the same at Christmas time.  Jesus came as a baby.  Jesus the Son of God,  Jesus the equal with God, Jesus who was with God at the beginning of creation,  entered into service to bring freedom to mankind.

Consider these verses and their reactions  Luke 2:8-20 

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

God sent Jesus to set us free from addiction, depression, hopelessness, and the bondage of sin.  We were captive by the sin we allowed in our lives.  Satan and his demons continued to tell us lies and set up traps to keep us hopeless.

A Savior has been born to you

Something leaps in my heart about the goodness of Jesus. Allow this Christmas season your heart and spirit to leap and hearts burn as you hear or read the story of Jesus as He came to set us free.  Let the patriotic spirit rise up in thanks as the Christmas story is told.  This truth will cause a joyful, grateful lighnside.

Feeling hopeless or stressed?

If this Christmas season you are feeling hopeless and overcome by stress, read this story of Jesus in Luke 1&2. Jesus has come to set you free from hopelessness and to heal your heart.  He entered this world to fight for you.  Christ has won the battle over sin for you.  You only need to believe in Him and ask Christ to come into your heart.  Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to begin a new work transforming your life.  You will immediately feel joyfulness in your heart.  Find a good church to help guide you and encourage your growth.

Luke 2:11 NIV Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Isaiah 60:1  “Arise, shine, for your light has come,  and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

My wife and I love to drive around our town and see the Christmas lights set up to celebrate the Christmas season. Even though many lights are not promoting a Christian theme, there is something about a light in the darkness. I do want to celebrate those families who do place a Christian theme with their lights. Today in my blog, I want to focus on the scriptures that have the word “light” in it. As you read these scriptures, take them as lights in your heart as you go to work and school in the darkness of today. Allow these verses of “light” to illuminate your faith, hope, and the wonder of Christ in a dark world.

Isaiah 9:2  

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.

Psalms 27:1  

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalms 43:3-4 

Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

Psalms 119:130  

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

Luke 2:25-32

 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying  “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation,  which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

John 1:4

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

John 12:36  

Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 John 1:7  

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Revelation 22:5

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.

Let your lightnside shine the power and truth of Christ outward for all the world to see.

Matthew 2:2 “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

We are in a culture of soaking.

There are so many entertainment outlets that attract our time. Multiple streaming TV apps are seeking your attention. Social media takes away our actual social time in real life. People in restaurants and walking together are soaking their lives away with their phones. We are in danger of losing the benefits of seeking and searching using our minds and hearts that produce real personal growth and maturity. Today’s blog will focus on three scriptures that describe seeking and the outcome.

Wise men from the east

Matthew chapter two describes some wise men noticing a star. Probably a supernatural event. These men were in the process of seeking new leadership for their country. As astrologers, they were looking in the heavens for answers (this was forbidden by God in the Old Testament.) God sent a supernatural star to attract them. It cost them much effort to follow the star. They had to leave what was comfortable and easy to cast off for an unknown journey. But the star drew something in their hearts. No one recorded how long they traveled. We know there were times of discouragement. The Wise men, in their journey, lost sight of the star and were asking, “Where is the newborn king? We saw the star and have come to worship him.” Then a short time later, they once again found the star which led them to Christ. When they found Jesus, their lives were forever changed.

Is God placing a star in your heart? Is there some supernatural attraction in your everyday life that is shining and beckoning you to follow? I encourage you to carve out some of the soaking time and begin to seek this Godly attraction in your life. It will cost you time and patience…but when you find your revelation, it will change you forever.

Behold I stand at the door and knock  

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

This verse speaks of Christ knocking at the doors of his people. It was written to the church of Laodicea. It was a church that was rebuked because of their soaking instead of seeking. They were neither hot nor cold. They thought of themselves as rich but did not realize they were poor. Jesus is trying to turn their soaking into seeking. Jesus is trying to restore their first love.

Jesus says, ” I stand at the door and knock.” Notice the progression that takes place to turn soaking into seeking. Jesus said, “If anyone hears my voice.” He did not say if anyone heard the knocking. The progression goes from noticing a knocking at our hearts. As we begin to listen more closely, we begin to hear His voice call us. That is still not enough to change from soaking to seeking. How often have I heard Christ talk to me, and I continued doing whatever I was doing? But to him who STOPS, STANDS UP, and WALKS TO THE DOOR, and OPENS THE DOOR, Christ will come in. In this busy holiday season, take time out of the busy day to stop and open the door to Christ. Join a group, seek an online Bible study. Take some time to open the door to Christ. He will come in and bring His blessings with Him.

Jeremiah 13:29 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Matthew 2:10-11 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.

Rev 3:20  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Let us determine to increase our seeking time by daily prayer, bible reading, and meditating on Christ. You will be delighted by what you find as you seek God. Seeking will fuel your lightnside with the presence of Hope and Peace.