...With a Promise!

Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."

Around 735 years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah made the above promise. He later would describe in great detail the suffering that Christ would endure in chapter 53. At the time of this prophecy, it had no real impact and it wouldn't be until Christ was born that it's significance would be revealed. Here is the point. This nation was given a promise during a very troubling time. The promise did not fix their problem immediately or how they thought it should be fixed. In the end, the promise was kept. How many times have we began to lose hope in God, because He didn't show up the way we wanted him to? God has given us a promise, and He is faithful to provide. As Christians, we need to learn to be patient and wait on God rather than expecting God to wait on us.
During this holiday season, it is important to remember that we not only celebrate the birth of Christ, but also a promise that was kept to God's people almost 735 years after it was made. God never forgets us and has a plan that will be worked out in His timing.

...For Love!

1 Peter 4:8 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

There is no doubt that we were created for love! In the beginning, Adam had the companionship of all the animals, but this wasn't enough. God created a partner for him, so that they may share in a love for one another. Still today, we long for the love of a partner, a parent, or a friend.
Seven years ago, I married my wife and made a lifelong commitment. Why? Because of a love we shared for each other. There is no way anyone could ever convince me that we are not made for love after the the way I felt the day she said "I do," or the day I saw my children for the first time.
It was for love that Christ paid the greatest price for all of us. He was beaten, mocked and crucified all for love. Though we were undeserving, His love granted us forgiveness of sin. As Christians we are told the greatest thing to have is love. Acting on love will lead to forgiveness, as well as restored friendships, marriage and families.

...For Worship!

Hebrews 13:15 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

We have been created to worship God with praise continuously. So, what does it mean to worship God? Many people think of worship happening on Sunday morning as a group of people gather in church to sing songs. That's it. Worship for the week done, but that is not what we were created for.
We are to worship God continuously, but how can that be done? Won't we all get hoarse if we sing all day everyday?
The definition of worship is: To honor and love as a deity. There is nothing stated about singing. It is simply to honor and love. Every act of everyday should be dedicated to the love and honor of God. Don't get me wrong, I love a good music oriented worship service, but there is so much more than that. Every act we do out of love is worship toward God!
A few months back, I stopped to help a man on the side of the road, and I ended up being the one who was helped. This man had just lost is job and run out of gas on the side of the road. I had just started a new job and was driving around in a brand new car. My life was about me. That changed on the side of the road that day. As he poured his heart out, I came to realize that there is a responsibility to share the blessings we are given. I realized that this was true worship. By helping this man out, I had shown honor to God and shared His love with a stranger.
I am far from perfect in this category, but a lesson was learned that day that I hope to use as my spiritual growth continues. As was stated above in Hebrews, my lips gave praise to God that day for my blessings and the humbling experience of helping a man named Harold.