Tuesday Tunes: Merry Christmas! :)

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

 

 

 

 

I would just like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!

 

I hope you're having a wonderful day celebrating Christ's birth with family and friends.

 

 

I just wanted to share with you one of my favourite Christmas songs.

 

 

 

 

 

What I love about it is how powerful the lyrics are:

 

"How many kings stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many gods have poured out their hearts, to romance a world that has torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

 

Only ONE did that for me."

 

God Almighty, who spoke and the world was made, sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to come to this world in the humblest of ways...and He did that so He could die for our sins so that He could have a relationship with you and with me. He did all that because He loves you SO incredibley much.

What I like about this song is that it really puts into perspective the great sacrifice God did. He gave up His Son. Jesus left the throne of Heaven and came to this earth as a little helpless baby.

 

I challenge you this Christmas to just think about these lyrics and think about how amazing and great God is.

 

To think that the God of the universe could love someone like me that much, is unfathomable! But He does! And He loves you too! :)

 

Have a blessed day!

 

-Anna

 

 

 

 

 



Scripture Snack: Living Out Your Faith, Part 2

In Isaiah  58, people were complaining to God, saying that they're  praying and fasting, but He's not answering their prayers. This is God's response:


"For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'

Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists.

You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Is this the kind of fasting I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?

Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--
when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here I am.

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and the malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

The LORD will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

 (Isaiah 58: 2-11)



WOW!

What a response, eh? God calls them out.  The people in Isaiah were complaining to God, saying that they're doing this and that, but God's not answering them and doing what they want Him to do. They ask Him what's the point.
God's response to them never ceases to amaze me and convict me.
God tells them that they're just going through the motions of their faith (ex.: fasting), rather than really living it out. God tells them, that on the very day they are fasting, they're exploiting their workers and fighting with one another.
In this passage, God says that these people say they want to please God, and yet, they're not really following in His ways. They fast because they want God's help- they want Him to direct them and lead them. And yet, they do not follow what He says. They do not live out their faith.

In this passage, it is clear that God cares about the oppressed and the disadvantaged. He cares about those going through a hard time. He also cares about what we are doing: are we just going through the motions of faith (such as going to church, singing songs, etc), rather than living out our faith?

Notice, that there is a pattern of "if"s and "then"s in this passage. God says that if we help the helpless, then we will be a light in this world.

This Christmas season and in the coming new year, please remember that we are called to live out our faith. Rather than just say we love God, we must show it. Our hearts must break for what God's heart breaks for. We must do what He says. We must be good, merciful, strive for justice, live a life of integrity, and help the helpless.

It is when we live out our faith, that we will be a light in the darkness. 

Scripture Snack: Living Out Your Faith, Part 1

Luke 3:8-18

"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 

'What should we do then?' the crowd asked. John answered, 'The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.'

Tax collectors also came to be baptized. 'Teacher,' they asked, 'what should we do?' 
'Don't collect any more than you are required to,' he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, 'And what should we do?' He replied, ' Don't extort money and don't accuse falsely--be content with your pay.'

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, 'I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am unworthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather wheat into his barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.' " 

There is so much to learn from these verses!


In this passage, John the Baptist is speaking to the crowds, telling them to live out their faith. He tells them to produce fruit that reflects their repentance. 

Essentially, in this passage, John warns the crowds that Jesus is coming, and He will gather up His believers in heaven (to gather wheat in His barn), but He will also punish those who refuse Him (burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire). The crowd, not wanting this, asks John what they can do to escape this. He answers them by telling them to live out their faith. 

He tells them to help those in need (the poor, the hungry), he tells them to be fair, truthful, and content. 

 Rather than just say we believe, we need to live it out. Are we helping the least of these? Do we lend a helping hand to someone in trouble? Are we fair and honest in our workplace? 



In this passage, it is so clear what God's heart breaks for, and ours should break for the same things. We need to start living out our faith.

It is so important to ask yourself, are you living out your faith, like God's calling you to? 

If you are, great!! Keep going! :) 
If you're not, then now's the perfect time to start! :)

God bless you!

-Anna