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Clear the Way for Jesus

Clear the Way for Jesus

Have you ever wondered why there is so much talk about John the Baptist during the Advent season? John the Baptist is the last of the old Testament prophets, but he was also a waymaker for Jesus. John was a sign that the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets were being fulfilled: The Savior was soon to come. The word Advent means waiting, and the purpose of this waiting period is to prepare us for the birth of Jesus. At…

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Perfect Peace Is for Those Who Abide in Jesus

Perfect Peace Is for Those Who Abide in Jesus

Inner peace is something we all want. Yet it seems to be the one thing that escapes us. The culture around us is an enemy of inner peace. How then can we have it? Perfect peace is for those who abide in Jesus. You see, peace is a person, Jesus Christ. So peace does not come by performance but by surrender to God. When we abide in Jesus, we have perfect peace. “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is…

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Our Expectations for Jesus

Our Expectations for Jesus

Singing Hosanna on the first Advent Sunday is a must. This year, due to Covid-19, I did so at home while virtually attending the service. Nonetheless, it is a powerful experience. It is good to cry for help with the body of Christ. Especially this year, don’t you think? We do need help. Hence our expectations for Jesus are high. Hosanna could be translated as “Please, save us” or “Please, help us”. The crowd welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem was enthusiastic,…

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Rushing to Christmas?

Rushing to Christmas?

Less than three weeks to Christmas – how are you doing? Are you feeling expectant or are you rushing through the season of Advent? Are you rushing to Christmas without seeing the beauty of waiting? The worst case of the scenario for you is rushing to Christmas by stringing together a constant stream of trivial pursuits, leaving you overwhelmed, exhausted, and your credit card maxed out. Let me tell you, this is not the purpose of the Advent season. A…

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Love Jesus More

Love Jesus More

Getting ready for Christmas is not about finishing your shopping lists. It’s not about cleaning your house or preparing scrumptious meals. It’s not about getting the Christmas cards out on time. It’s not about trimming your tree beautifully or decorating your house festively. It’s entirely something else. All these other things can be fun but the one thing that really makes or breaks our Christmas is our heart condition: Do we love Jesus more than anything? Jesus: Simon, son of…

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Time to Prepare

Time to Prepare

We have entered the Advent season. It is time to make sure there is room in our Inn for Jesus. It’s time to prepare our hearts and minds for Jesus. Let’s see what Mary can show us about being ready for God. Gabriel brings Mary a promise, an order, and a prophecy: When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph,…

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Prepare Your Heart

Prepare Your Heart

Preparation is a big part of any celebration. The bigger the celebration, the larger-scale preparations are needed. As human beings we need time to get ready. But also God carefully prepared the creation of the world and the way of salvation long before they happened: In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1, AMP,*) How wonderful to know that God took time to prepare everything in the world, including you and me….

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Why Was Jesus Born?

Why Was Jesus Born?

Even Christians don’t always understand why Jesus had to be born. Couldn’t God just love us without fussing about old sins? There really wasn’t other way to make us right with him. God is holy and he wants us to be holy, too. We needed a redeemer and it had to be a human being. But nobody could do it. So God sent his only son to the world. Christ was chosen before the creation of the world, but was…

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Claiming the True Colors of Christmas

Claiming the True Colors of Christmas

I love the season of Advent. But I detest the commercializing of the season of Christmas. I hate the lies we are tried to make to believe.  I hate the lies that try to take away the real meaning of Christmas, the lies that try to take away the true colors of Christmas.Here’s an example: a department store add stating boldly: “Luxury belongs to Christmas!” WHAT? Christmas has NOTHING to do with luxury. The birth of Jesus was as far…

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Less Junk, More Jesus!

Less Junk, More Jesus!

What does John the Baptist have to do with Christmas? First of all, his life was fully intertwined with Jesus. He was only few months older than Jesus and he was called to clear the way for Jesus. John knew his place in God’s salvation plan. He had dedicated his whole life for serving God. His message for us this advent season is: prepare your hearts for Jesus. What needs to go that we’d be able to fully concentrate in…

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