Celebrating the Birth of Jesus!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Bruce and Sharon are in South Africa as we speak, ministering the love of Jesus to the people He loves so much.
As you have seen from the latest JOHN eNewsletter, there are many precious saints around the world, working so hard to create awareness about this soul-winning project...and the work of JOHN continues on until the day the lights go down, a screen flickers to life, and a young child or a teenager or a man or woman sits down and "sees" Jesus, the Word of God, revealed in THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN... (It gives me goosebumps just to think about that day!)
I want to wish every one a blessed time of celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus!
And I'll see you in the New Year.
Right now, I hear "Be still and know that I am God."
This holiday season--while busy--will be a time of rest for me. I want to know the peace that surpasses all understanding as the Word says, "He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him."
So let's do just that: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!"
Shalom.
21 comments:
Shalom Ron -
Imagine the angels singing in Heaven as many, many folk receive the gift of salvation in South Africa at the Crusade at this very special time of year. What a precious gift - Jesus Himself.
Blessings to you !
Turn your eyes upon JESUS,
Look full in His Wonderful Face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
IN the LIGHT of His Glory and Grace......
Oh Holy Father....
we ask that You are the only reason for the season....
Let our light so shine that others will be pleasantly blinded by Your Love....
Like moths to a flame...they will come.....
Like lost and helpless hobos..they will seek warmth from the heat in the 44 gallon drum!
Let us all gather 'round the camp-fire of our Precious Saviour,and wish Him a Happy Birthday,
He is the Light of the World....
He is the warmth to a cold and frigid world....
He is the Lantern that guides our steps
..a light to our path...
The words of Almighty God Light the Way..
Blessed are they who walk in the
LIGHT!!!!
Let us only be Light and Love right now ,to all around us...true reflections of You Lord...
The Christmas Lights are only a reminder of The Brightest Light of All....
Oh..that the radiance surrounds us,and shows us the way...to the hearts of others.
Bless you Ronald...thank you for your contribution to the declaration of Christ's Power and Love that pours forth to all humanity!
Amen Esme....
As we offer our prayers to The Almighty....we thank Him for the immediate Salvation that thousands are receiving in South Africa...It will be a CHRISTmas they will never forget!
For ALL the precious hearts that now belong to The Lord we Cry HALLELUJAH!!!!
These souls that are now In Christ Jesus ..are the future of South Africa!!!
Could we ever pray for a better HOPE?!!!!
The foundation for a brighter existence is being laid as we speak....
Thank you Father for having so much LOVE for Your Children.
Thank You for all those involved in bringing JESUS to the cherished ones in Africa.
Yes Lord, YOu are Passionate about being visible to the lost!!
AMEN.
I can see Your Radiance ...rivalling the hot African sun,drawing these dear ones upwards,and into Your Love...forever!
The ultimate Christmas Gift!
Remember the storm in the Matthew movie,and Jesus raises His arm,and rebukes it,and there is instant calm?
I believe that for you right now..
The disciples just laughed,they could hardly believe it!
With Jesus..it's as easy as that!
I saw this for you right now Ronald...Peace,and Calm...serenity and gentleness.Amen..
rd,
amen, i receive it!
blessings...
kris_in_wa,
love ur poem...
esme',
i can hear those angels singing God's praise, too!
Ron -
I, too, am praying for that moment of rest and peace and often hear the Word of the Lord repeated in my ear, "Be Still and Know that I am God." Sometimes it is a hard commandment to obey, especially with the hussel and bussel of the holiday season, the send of my first semester as a doctoral student, and the list could go on but it is important to remember that in those quiet moments of rest in Jesus, is when we are able to truly hear what he has to say to us and oh what precious moments those are and how they refresh us. They prepare us to carry on in the glorious work he has set before us.
So I wish you all the best and the precious peace that can only be Jesus.
God Bless and Merry Christmas,
Marlena
Esme, Kris, rd, ib and all -
Your words always encourage and bless me and it truly is wonderful to be united in such a wonderful vision. May God Bless you and keep you this holiday season and always! Merry Christmas!
Marlena
p.s. Kris, from one writer to another, I loved your poem!
As we are remembering the days that our Lord Jesus came into this world, here is a practical tip that can enhance the viewing of "Matthew" as well as alert more people to "John":
Numerous people have loved "Matthew" but the comments on it on the Internet Movie Data Base are few. That is a website visited by millions world-wide every day.
So how about writing your opinion on "Visual Bible: Matthew" on www.imdb.com
hello Anonymous,
that's a wonderful idea! Thanks!
Here's the link everyone. Just click.
and please tell us who you are next time. we'd love for u to continue to be a part of this blog community.
MERRY CHRISTMAS. all of ur words, never fail to bless me. you ARE my Christmas gift. i couldn't ask for more. PRAISE JESUS!
How do i describe the PEACE that washes over me?
In the midst of my uncertainty!
JESUS
I am compelled to mention,in light of recent discoveries,and viewings.....
We often think ..that Jesus gives peace when we are
at peace...
Today...it has been proven otherwise!
In the MIDST of the storm...
not in the quiet place..
Jesus surprises us,at the height of our personal storm...with His Peace!
That is what is so miraculous!
We expect it,when all is quiet...but after long,fervent,believing prayer...all of a sudden ,out of the blue....
it comes!
Driving along...literally...out of the blue...it comes!
That is what is so God!
Prayer:Truly Amazing....
1-God listens when we pray,"If you believe,you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer"...
You may not have much clout anywhere else,but when you pray..God listens.
2-we have the greatest privilege imagineable-access to the control centre of the Universe!
Why place such a premium on prayer?
"When two or more get together,on anything,and make a prayer of it,Our Father in Heaven goes into Action!
When we work,we work...but when we PRAY...God works!
When we stand in the gap ,we "Soothe The Face Of God!"
" I love You for wearing the thorns on Your Brow...If ever i loved You....Lord Jesus tis now"
I don't know about you ,but,i can't get through that without collapsing in a heap of indescribable loving paralysis..!
The weakness that God renders to the truth of His Love!
We crumble,we are motionless!
The Gift That Almighty God gave to us!
The spikes,the sharpness,the piercing...the pain,the blood-shed,the LOVE!
We think we have painful things in everyday life! Oh friend...we don't know the half of it !
Praise God we have been spared!
Thank YOu Lord for the ultimate Sacrifice,that spared us from pain!
Thank You Jesus ,for willingly taking our place for pain!
How can we ever thank you?
WE LOVE YOU!and HONOUR YOU,and PLEDGE to SERVE YOU ,ALL THE DAYS of OUR LIVES!
May our lives be eternally offered up yo YOU for YOUR Glory!
AMEN!
Hi from sunny South Africa ! reading all of your comments has blessed me so much - then thought that if I am so blessed - Jesus must be doubly blessed as well as a lot of the comments are directed to Him. I can imagine Jesus reading each and every one and smiling a great big loving smile - can you just see it in your heart ?
Merry Christmas All and a Happy and Blessed New Year!!
Please accept this poem that I wrote as a Christmas gift from me to you and may it bless you in the reading of it, as it blessed me in the writing of it.
First Light
Sweet, noble, loving and kind,
Our hearts implore,
Our lives rewind,
To a much simpler time and place,
Where soft, enchanting melodies we sing
To evoke a gentle harmony among the harkening human race.
We become like children once again,
From our previous state
Of the Wisest of Men.
Our innocence returns from our former youth,
As our eyes our opened
To the purely displayed site of the truth.
T’is not the site of truth
That we believe,
But it is the spirit within us
With which we first grab hold.
The Spirit of Christmas, God’s Part of Three,
His holy presence shines strongly,
Cutting through the deepening darkness,
Illuminating the predestined path before us,
Where it is our own Free Will which will prove our fate.
For His hand only guides our way,
It is up to us whether or not we take the first step.
He laid our gift out in a manger before us,
A many Christmas’ ago,
A young babe,
An ever present sign of life.
Some threatened,
Sought it to destroy,
While others blessed by the Spirit,
Sang with the angles His sweet anthem of Joy.
Now thousands of years later the story still stands,
His fate He had chosen,
So ours could lie in our hands.
Let not your heart be troubled or weary with grief,
Christ-mas is upon us,
Thus, let us awaken from our unbelief.
The Spirit within you is telling you to grab hold,
The truth shines before you,
If only you will see,
What the wise men and shepherds saw that first Christmas Eve.
As the snow fell around them,
Their presents they gave to this sweet infant king,
Yet it is they, who received the best gift of all,
For they took that first step of faith and believed.
Because as you must know by now,
The sight of the eyes,
Is not as clear as the vision of the heart,
Where the Spirit lives,
And Christmas resides,
Lighting our way to the manger, cross and sky,
Where we will celebrate the season,
With Jesus in the Sweet, By and By.
Written By Marlena H. Johnston
c 2006
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
- John 1: 4-5
“…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”
- I John 1:5b
Where is everyone ? busy buying gifts? getting the turkey ready ? decorating the tree ? Dont you all just love Christmas ????? blessings to Ron and "the Blog" - May Jesus be glorified in your Christmas celebrations. Have a wonderful day ! lots of love Esme'
Hello Esme!!!!Not too busy to check our favourite site EH?!!!
I pray tonight,that we all ask The Lord to plant in us,the Fear of God,to live ...despising sin ,and in complete awe before Him.....loving Justice,showing mercy,and loving each other as we should.
With this in place in our hearts,taking root,i am sure that the fruits will be beyond belief!
Have a fabulous Christmas time,full of all the Joy and Blessings that our Heavenly Father Loves to pour out to His children....
Happy Birthday JESUS!
Hello Esme!!!!Not too busy to check our favourite site EH?!!!
I pray tonight,that we all ask The Lord to plant in us,the Fear of God,to live ...despising sin ,and in complete awe before Him.....loving Justice,showing mercy,and loving each other as we should.
With this in place in our hearts,taking root,i am sure that the fruits will be beyond belief!
Have a fabulous Christmas time,full of all the Joy and Blessings that our Heavenly Father Loves to pour out to His children....
Happy Birthday JESUS!
There's a baby warm on straw,
Witnesses blanketed by breathtaking awe,
There's a life that was fully unfurled,
The Greatest Gift to our fallen world,
There's a Love so Divine,
His Love is yours
His Love is mine.....
Thank You Thank You Thank YOU!
esme' -
I'm still here, just things have been crazy with the rush of the holiday season. I just finished my first semester on my PhD and am still telling all about JOHN. I have been busy networking as well and working a friend who is a campus minister for the university and local church to bring Bruce to our university to speak about JOHN and his amazing life and career, most important about Jesus. I have also been busy writing, (my profession and one of my passions). I have also been helping everyone prepare for Christmas. Never a dull moment, which is why Ron's message on resting, being still and knowing that God Is, is very appropriate. I love the quiet times I share with Jesus and I look forward to finding a few of those this holiday season. May God Bless each and everyone of you with the peace and rest that only He can give and with the Merriest of Christmas'.
Marlena
Hi there Marlena - So nice to hear about your life in the States. Isnt it wonderful that we are sisters in Christ Jesus and that one day we will meet in Glory. I wonder if we will recognise each other. Imagine this - seeing you in heaven and knowing immediately who you are - doesnt that sound great ? There we will be sitting chatting and chatting about JOHN, and the MarchMin Ministry etc, etc. Anyway before I get too carried away - a very blessed new year to you and all on this BLOG.
Esme'
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