IMMANUEL – GOD WITH US

” The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel – which means,” God with us ” Matthew1:23.
We, the Percykids’Family wish our dear readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2012.May our God of Hope crown the year with His Bounty and be with us throughout the year.One can not “see” God or “show” Him to an unbeliever,but the difference that God makes in one’s life can be perceived. A pure and holy life and good works manifest the Living God and make His Presence obvious. The Presence of God in Abraham was seen by Abimalech. The king of Babylon perceived the Presence of God with Daniel. The Pharaoh could not deny that the Lord was with Joseph, whom he raised to the highest level in Egypt.If God is with us,this will be obvious to others. Our God of Hope is a Miraculous God with whom nothing is impossible. The accusers of Daniel thought there was no way out for him as they didn’t know God. Remember the Jews in the fiery furnace,yet God made a way.” Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom”(Psalm 145:3). We are indeed blessed to have such a great God, our Father. Our Lord provides our every need.Faith pleases God. Let us show a little faith in our Father today, and thank Him in advance for His wonderful Provision. Mary magnified the Lord and brought the Greatest Miracle into the world. Thanksgiving magnifies God in our lives. Thinking about God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives,builds faith. In this New Year,let us start magnifying the Lord and watch our perception of God’s greatness increase.
” Dear Lord, I will exalt You my God the King and extol Your Name for ever and ever. Give me the faith to go with courage that Your Hand is leading me and Your Love is supporting me. In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.

EBENEZER

” Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying,” Thus far has the Lord helped us ” 1Samuel7:12.
The Israelites had great difficulty with the Philistines, but God had won a great victory for them. The people cried out to God for help, and the Lord thundered with a loud thunder and routed the Philistines before the Israelites.Samuel placed a large stone as a memorial of God’s great help, at the site of the battle and called it Ebenezer. The stone was a visual reminder for everyone present, and generations to come that God has helped the Israelites defeat their enemies. Psalm 103:2 says, “Forget not all His benefits”. We are commanded not to forget, otherwise, we will if we don’t make an effort to remember. That is what the stone Ebenezer was for. At the end of this old year and the beginning of the new one, it is beneficial to look back and thank god for His help and deliverance. During tough times,we need to remember the crucial turning points in our past to help us through the present.Each one of us has many instances where God has been faithful.Memory of the past faithfulness helps us remember God’s past victories and gain confidence and strength for the present and the future. While we stand at the gateway of another year with a grateful heart, let us remember God’s great goodness, in times of stress and strain, His patience,His kindness and Divine guidance throughout all the days of this year and praise Him for His Grace.
” Dear Lord, as I face the coming days of a New year,knowing that each day brings Christ’s Return nearer, let me lay aside everything harmful and look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life of faith in Christ. In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.

GET READY AND BE PREPARED

” Get ready;be prepared,you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them ” Ezekiel 38:7.
Though God warned Israelites through famine, drought and plagues, they still ignored Him as they did not get the message that they would have to meet God face to face. Having celebrated Christmas, the first Advent of Christ, we ought to get ready for His Second Coming and prepare ourselves to meet God.We would have to face the One, whom we have ignored, rejected and moreover refused to obey when He commanded us to care for the poor. One day each of us will meet God face to face to account for what we have done or refused to obey. In Matthew 25:1-13, we read Jesus’parable of ten bridesmaids. These ten virgins were waiting to participate in the wedding banquet. When the bride-groom didn’t come at the expected time, they fell asleep. Five of them were out of lamp oil. By the time they had purchased extra oil, it was too late to join the feast. The fact that Jesus’Second Coming will be sudden and unexpected, should motivate us to be prepared at all time. There will be no opportunity for last-minute repentance. When Jesus comes to take His people to heaven, we must be ready. Spiritual preparation cannot be bought or borrowed at the last minute.Jesus said that before He returns, the Gospel of the Kingdom should be preached throughout the world.
” Dear Lord, as Christ’s Second Coming is drawing near, let me strive daily to remain faithful and be ready for His Glorious Return. Let me talk of Jesus to those I meet and share with them His Word. In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.

SPIRITUAL ACT OF WORSHIP

” … offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship ” Romans 12:1.
On Christmas morning, a little boy was perplexed by all the exchanging of gifts, for he had been taught in the Sunday School that it was the birthday of our Saviour Jesus Christ. He asked,” Mom,when are we going to give gift to Jesus? I thought today it was his birthday “. It is a good and thought provoking question, indeed! Most of us give gifts to everyone and we are busy with the celebrations, forgetting the One whose birthday we celebrate. What shall we give to the Lord? If we have never trusted in Him as our Saviour, the thing He desires from us , is a Believing Heart. We should put our faith in Jesus’Sacrificial death on the Cross, so that we can be saved from our sins. If by faith, we already know Christ, He is pleased to receive from us our bodies as living sacrifices. In the Old Testament period, while sacrificing an animal according to God’s Law, a priest would kill the animal, cut it in pieces and place it in the altar. Sacrifice was important, but even in the Old Testament, God made it clear that obedience from the heart was much more important. God wants us to offer ourselves, not animals, as living sacrifices – daily laying aside our own desires to follow Him, putting all our energy and resources at His disposal and trusting Him to guide us. We do this out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven.
” Dear Lord, as I have accepted the Gift of Salvation from Christ, I offer my love, my life and my talents to be used for God’s purposes. In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.

MEANINGFUL GIFTS OF THE MAGI

” On coming to the house,they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh ” Matthew 2:11.
The Magi said they saw Jesus’star. Balaam in his oracle referred to the coming of ” Star out of Jacob ” (Numbers 24:17). It was probably this prophecy that convinced the Magi to travel thousands of miles to Israel to search for the Baby Jesus. When they finally found Him, they responded with joy, worship and gifts. This is different from the approach, people often take today.We expect God to come looking for us, to explain Himself,prove who He is and give us gifts. But,those who are wise,still seek and worship Jesus today, not for what they can get,but for who He is. It is said that Jesus was probably one or two years old, when the Magi found Him. By this time,Mary and Joseph were married, living in a house and intending to stay in Bethlehem for a while. The Magi gave expensive gifts of gold, incense and myrrh, because they were worthy presents for a future King. These gifts are symbolic of Christ’s identity and what He would accomplish. Gold was a gift for a King,incense a gift for Chief Priest,and myrrh, a spice for a person who was going to die. The Magi brought the gifts and worshiped Jesus for who He was. This is the essence of true worship. Let us worship Jesus wholeheartedly because He is the perfect, just and Almighty Creator of the Universe, worthy of the best we have to give.
” Dear Lord,You gifted Your Son to transform me with renewed mind. Let me give myself as living sacrifice for Your valuable service.In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.

HURRY OFF TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL

” When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them ” Luke 2:17,18.
The greatest event in the History had just happened. For ages, the Jews had waited for the Messiah,when it finally occurred, the announcement came to humble shepherds. The good news about Jesus is that He comes to all,not for a particular sect.First, the shepherds were terrified,but their fear turned to joy. The shepherds hurried off to see the Baby Jesus;then they spread the word concerning what had been told by the angels about Jesus. They said,” Jesus is your Messiah, your Saviour “. Luke records that Jesus’birth was announced to shepherds in the fields. They may have been the shepherds who supplied the lambs for the temple sacrifices that were performed for the forgiveness of sins. Here, the angels invited these shepherds to greet the Lamb of God(John 1:36) who would take away the sins of the whole world forever.Shepherds were the first to receive the birth announcement. Jesus comes to anyone with a heart, humble enough to accept him. Whoever we are, whatever we do, we can have Jesus in our lives. Jesus Christ will rule the whole world and judge all according to their deeds.Do we still picture Jesus as a tiny, helpless baby in a manger – OR is He our Lord? Let us make Him grow up in our lives and like the shepherds, let us hurry off to spread His Gospel.
” Dear Lord,while we await Your Second Coming, let me be quick to spread the visible and inevitable Return of Christ and prepare myself and others to meet You joyfully. In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.

WILLING ACCEPTANCE OF MARY

” I am the Lord’s servant “, Mary answered,” May it be to me as you have said “. Then the angel left her. ( Luke 1:30 )
When Gabriel appeared and greeted Mary twice, she was greatly troubled and wondered what kind of greeting that might be. Mary was young, poor, female – all these characteristics that to the people of her day, would make her seem unusuable for any major task. But, God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience. God’s announcement of a child to be born, was met with various responses throughout Scripture. Sarah, Abraham’s wife laughed ( Genesis 18:9-15 ). Zechariah doubted ( Luke 1:18 ). By contrast, Mary submitted. She believed the angel’s words and agreed to bear the child, even under humanly impossible circumstances. God is able to do the impossible but, our response to His demands should not be laughter or doubt but, willing acceptance.A young unmarried girl who became pregnant, risked disaster. Unless the father of the child agreed to marry her, she oould possibly remain unmarried for life.If he own father rejected her, she could be forced into begging. Mary, with her story about being made pregnant by the Holy Spirit, risked being considered craze as well. Despite the possible risks, Mary said,” May it be to me as you have said “. When Mary said that,she didnot know about the tremendous opportunity she would have. She only knew that God was asking her to serve Him and she willingly obeyed and because of this total submission and obedience, she is honoured by the whole world throughout ages.
” Dear Lord, You always provide a plan. Let me provide my obedience and boldness. Lord, give me the courage to stand for what is right and what pleases You. In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.

CHRISTMAS GIFT

” For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life ” John3:16.
We, the Percykids’Family wish our dear readers a blessed and a meaningful Christmas. May the Joy of Christmas Peace rise in our hearts and reign in our homes forever. The entire Gospel comes to a focus in the above Verse and here, God sets the pattern of true love and sacrifice, the essence of Christmas. Ben, a ten year old boy was admitted in a hospital, owing to chronic tuberculosis. He was a regular Sunday School student and he made it a point to win atleast one soul for Christ every year. The nurse Mary was very kind to him but, his ailment was getting worse. Ben told Mary,” Tomorrow, is my 11th birthday. I am happy to have given Jesus ten gifts. Now,I am searching for the 11th gift. Will you please help me?” The nurse was eager to do any help for Ben. When she asked him what help she could do, he told her to give her heart to Jesus. He also told that he had already won ten souls for Christ and on his eleventh birthday, he would like to give the precious gift of eleventh soul. The nurse could not answer positively at that time, and she went to look after the other patient. The next morning with the positive reply, she came to Ben’s room; there was absolute silence and Ben was dead. The nurse cried loudly and said that she would certainly give her heart for Jesus as Ben’s eleventh gift. Then, the doctor who was an atheist, noticed everything and said solemnly,”Mine is his twelfth gift for Jesus!”.Beloved in Christ,let us ponder over this incident. Let us think of our age,How many years have passed? How many souls have we won for Jesus and how many gifts have we given to the Lord, who had paid dearly with the life of His Son, the Highest Gift in this world?.Let us be ready for Jesus’Second Coming with as many Gifts as possible.” He who wins souls is wise”. Proverbs11:30.
” Dear Lord,let me be wise enough to give gift of souls for Christ who has come to this world to give me eternal life. In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.

CHRISTMAS DRESS

” Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jusus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature ” Romans 13:14.
Jesus Christ,who was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, should be born in our hearts and that is true Christmas! Usually, on Christmas we go to Church wearing new dress, whitewash our houses, prepare variety of delicious dishes, invite friends, attend parties and so on. When we buy new dresses for ourselves, we should buy for the needy people also as Jesus said,” Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,you did for Me”.(Matthew 25:40).There is a saying that we eat for ourselves but,dress for others. There are variety of dresses for the young and the old,the rich and the poor. Above all these dresses,it is much better to clothe ourselves with Jesus Christ. Then only, we will be eligible to be called as “Christians”. Our Lord does not want us wearing filthy clothes or clothes stained with sin. When Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel, God revealed His mercy by taking away his filthy clothes and putting rich garments on him (Zechariah 3:1-3).In the same way, when the prodigal son returned to his father,out of love and compassion his father told his servants to bring the best robe and put it on his son.Paul says that the Galatian believers by becoming Christians and being baptized, they had laid aside their old clothes of law and were putting on Christ’s new robe of Righteousness.In Revelation 19:7, John describes the Wedding of the Lamb and His bride(the Church).The bride’s clothing is of fine linen bright and clean and this stands for the righteousness of the saints.Without eradicating all evil desires and acts, we can never clothe ourselves with Christ.When Christ returns, He wants to find us clean on the inside as well as on the outside.
” Dear Lord, let me exemplify the qualities of Jesus such as love,humility,truth and service and thus clothe myself with the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,” Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests ‘ Luke 2:13,14.
The story of Jesus’birth resounds with music that has inspired composers for 2011 years.The angels’song is an all-time favourite. Often called the ” Gloria ” after its first word in the Latin translation, it is the basis of modern choral works, traditional Christmas carols and ancient liturgical chants. In the 13th century, these joyful carols were first written by the priest by name Jacopone da Fodi in Italy. At the same time, in the town of St.Francis Assisi, in a small Church they had manger scene, sang Christmas songs and celebrated Christmas. ” Silent Night, Holy Night “, is the most famous Christmas song. In Austria in Obern Top town, the Church organ was damaged by some rats. The choir master, who felt sad about his inability to play the organ during Christmas, requested the pastor to compose a song that could be played by the guitar. Father Josef Mohr composed this beautiful song and the congregation sang joyfully with guitar accompaniment. During First World War, on the Christmas eve, the English soldiers began to sing Christmas songs. When they sang ” Silent Night, Holy Night “, the German soldiers from the opposite side, joined with them and sang loudly. War was stopped for awhile, and Peace on Earth through Christ’s birth, was felt by those people at war.
Silent Night! Holy Night!
Son of God, loves pure light
Radiant beams from Thy Holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth!.–Amen.