This Christmas is going to be so completely different than any I’ve ever had before. Maybe because I will be in AFRICA! Our contact is excited to share Christmas dinner with us. They will be buying and killing a goat, pure delicacy.
I’m going to miss spending the holiday with my family and friends back home. But inside I am so grateful that I am where I’m at. Would I like electricity.. yes.. would I like snow..yes. But this is where God has called me to spend the holiday this year, and I trust with all my heart that my Father knows what is best.
Falling more and more in love with Jesus makes this Christmas even more meaningful. This is the day we celebrate the birth of my Savior. He is the greatest gift ever given to mankind. And God’s gift is FREE. No strings attached. The only thing in life that is truly free… God’s loving gift of His Son Jesus.
He’s the gift that I pray you all receive this Christmas holiday. I remember the day I finally “opened up” the Gift, and my life has not ever been the same. I’m so humbled and blessed to be living a life that allows Jesus to be my Lord.
I just finished reading a book called Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers. It’s a fictional love story influenced by the book Hosea in the Bible. The PASSIONATE, and PURSUING love that the man has for the lady in the book is fire sparking. It is life renewing. And that’s the same love that God has for me… its the same love that God has for you. It’s a love that redeems, and protects, forgives, fights for, and gives a second chance at life, it brings true life and freedom. (also gives ladies a gauge of how a godly man should love them.. but that’s a WHOLE other blog)
Reading that book made me fall so much even more in love with God and be that much more thankful for His love. His love that pursued me, and fought for me, and protects me. I’m so much more thankful for the gift of Jesus, that enables me to receive this love and life from God my Father.
Another book I’m currently reading is “The Heavenly Man.” It’s about a Chinese pastor and his life of persecution and blessings serving Jesus Christ. The crazy thing is that he counts his persecutions AS blessings.. and when I say persecution, i mean hardcore persecution. It’s been a challenging and convicting book to read. He writes many songs. And I want to leave you all with this song as a present this Christmas. (you can make up the melody, because I have no idea how it goes):
“The north wind blows, but the southern breeze will arise
In everything God’s will be done
The north wind is bitterly cold, but it will not last long
Soon the southern breeze will arise.
Chorus
Be patient and wait, be patient and wait
The Lord will make everything beautiful in his time
When the time has come, when the time has come
Abundant grace will overflow to you.
You who are burdened with sorrow, don’t sigh any longer
The Lord will undertake for you
If the Heavenly Father does not permit it
Who can do anything to you?”
He wrote that in prison. After being brutally beat and electricuted for days. He was also fasting. He wrote the song to encourage the other prisoners and, through it, led many of them to Christ.
I admire, and highly respect men and women like Brother Yun. Reading about their selfless lives is a gift to me. I pray God could work through me in that way as well. I had the privilege of sharing about the gift of Jesus with basically the entire village. It was humbling. A few villagers made a decision to have an early Christmas present, and receive God’s gift that day.
May you feel the warmth of God’s love and peace this Christmas. May God bless you, your family and your loved ones this holiday season. And may you fully experience the reality of Immanuel “God is with us”
“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
‘Look! the virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’ -Matthew 1:21-23
Agenda Love:
Bethsaida
