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And now I am coming to You; I say these things while I am still in the world, so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts].
—John 17:13

When Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:13, He actually prayed that we would have joy. He said, “I say these things . . . so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them...” With Jesus Himself speaking and praying such powerful words about His desire for us to have joy, how could we ever doubt that God wants us to be happy and enjoy our lives?

If it is God’s desire that we enjoy life, then why are so many people miserable and unhappy? Perhaps it is because we fail to set our minds to enjoy life. We can easily fall into a pattern of merely surviving and enduring rather than enjoying. But a new mind-set will release you to begin enjoying life like never before. The more you enjoy life, the more enjoyable you will be to be around, so get started today and don’t delay.

Prayer of Thanks: I thank You, Father, that it is Your will for me to have joy. Regardless of what my circumstances look like around me, I will choose to live the kind of life You have for me. Thank You that I can have overwhelming, abundant joy every day of my life.

“The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.” (Psalm 145:9 NLT, second edition)

One of my pet peeves is water-saving shower heads. I can’t stand them! It’s just a tiny stream coming down. It’s not a shower; it’s a dribble! I’m a pretty big guy, and it takes me a long time to get wet with one little dribble.

Don’t call it a shower unless it’s a shower!

That’s why I think it’s so important what the Bible tells us about God’s love.

The Bible says, “The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation” (Psalm 145:9 NLT, second edition).

God’s love for you is no dribble. The Bible says God showers his love on us. He isn’t stingy like water-saving showe heads are with water.

Psalm 42:8 says, “Each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me.”

When I use salad dressing, I’m not one of these people who dips the fork in the salad dressing for a little bit of taste. I pour it on! In fact, sometimes it looks like I want more dressing than salad!

That’s how God loves you. God pours his love on you all the time. He doesn’t approve of everything you do, but he loves you unconditionally.

How can you know God loves you?

God pays attention to every detail of your life. He watched every point of your life from conception. He’s seen every up, down, good, bad, and ugly moment, and he’s never had his eyes off you. God pays attention to all the details. That’s what love does. You pay attention to what you love.
God took action on your behalf. Love is about giving. When you love people, you make their problems your problems. Jesus did that. He made your problems his problems before you even knew you had them. In fact, he solved your biggest problem by dying for you on the cross before you were even born. Love is action. And Jesus takes initiative on your behalf before you even know you need it. He came to be your Savior.
In the Christmas story, the Bible says, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11 NIV).

You need a Savior! If you didn’t need one, God wouldn’t have sent Jesus.

If there was any other way you could get into Heaven except God’s way, believe me — God wouldn’t have wasted the effort. He wouldn’t have sent Jesus to die for no purpose. And that is the greatest example of love — one person giving his life for another.

Memorise:
For it became him, for whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to
make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Hebrews 2:10

Read: Genesis 22:15-18, 15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Bible in one year: 
Proverbs 27:23-31:31,
1st John 2:28-3:24

Message:
Your love for God is something you must prove to be genuine. God is not satisfied with verbal affirmations only. He is not satisfied with promises to love surrounded by procrastination. He wants to see your love for real; hence, 1st John 3:18 says:

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
Have you been able to prove your love for God beyond words? One beautiful truth here is that whenever you demonstrate your love for God, it will attract greater love from Him. This principle can also be seen in the natural world. If I smile at you, unless you are angry with me, you will return the smile. Every time you prove to God that you love Him, He will reciprocate by showing you greater love. In Acts 20:35, Apostle Paul echoed the words of our Lord Jesus Christ that is better to give than to receive. Many people find it hard to understand this. Simply put, it is better to give because when you give, you automatically open the door to receive more than what you gave.

The act of giving is subject to the law of harvest; therefore, everyone who gives receives something
much more than what was given, because the harvest is usually greater than the seed sown. Harvest 2:9-10 tells us that when God gave His only begotten Son, He brought many more sons into glory. God gave one Son and now has millions of sons and daughters from different parts of the world. There are some desires that you may not receive until you give. There are certain great requests that may appear illusive until you requests, you must first be prepared to pay any price by giving anything God wants you to. What you are prepared to give determines the extent to which God is compelled to give to you in return. Are you ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice? Sacrificial giving never goes unrewarded. After Jesus laid down His life for the sins of the world, He was rewarded with the Name above every other name (Philippians 2:8-11). Similarly, after Abraham demonstrated his love for God, the Lord swore to bless Abraham and his children beyond measure, promising to multiply his generations like the sand on the seashore. What are you doing to prove your love for God today?

Key Point
Every act of love towards God is a seed sown on the best soil, which will definitely generate a great harvest of love.

John 10:10: "I came so that you might have life—abundant life!" Beyond the lights, beyond the music, beyond the gifts, God's message is still the same. He wants you to have abundant life and extend that life to others.

Everywhere you go there are people who are in need. They may be smiling on the outside but on the inside they're hurting. Even your friends and family members may be going through things that you aren't aware of. You have the power and influence to make a difference in their lives.

When you see someone who is down and you go over and encourage them, you are releasing God's goodness and grace. When you call a friend who is discouraged and say, "I'm thinking about you. I know there are good days up ahead for you." You just poured life into them. Maybe you are the one going through something difficult. When you share life with others you are sowing a seed that God can use to bring a harvest of healing and blessing into your future.

As you are gathered with family and friends, look for ways to share the gift of life. Remember that the true of gift Christmas is wrapped up in John 3:16—"God loves us so much that He gave His Son, Jesus, so that we can have eternal Life." Because He loved us and gave to us, we can love others and share the gift of life with them!

From my heart and home to yours, Merry Christmas

Luke 2:12
And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

You are probably familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The Bible says that when the time had come, Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger”. (Luke 2:6–7) But have you ever wondered why the angel told the shepherds that the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger was a “sign”?

A manger is actually a feeding trough for livestock. Do you know what a feeding trough in those days looks like? I have seen a similar one at Solomon’s stables in Meggido, Israel. It is basically a big rectangular block of stone with the trough hewn out of it. So baby Jesus, who was wrapped in swaddling cloths, was placed in such a stone trough.

But why was that a sign? Because if you have seen the empty tomb of Jesus at a place called The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, you would have noticed that the place where His body was laid, inside a tomb hewn out of rock, resembles a stone trough. The Bible says that after Jesus’ crucifixion and death, Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen and laid it in a tomb hewn out of a rock. (Mark 15:43–46)

Can you see the similarities? Wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger, baby Jesus would one day be wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb. That was the sign the angel was referring to. It pointed to Jesus’ death.

Jesus was the only child in all of humanity born to die. Once you realize that, you will realize how much God loves you. You will realize that He gave up His Son for that one purpose, and that His Son willingly came for that one purpose—to die for your sins and mine.

Beloved, can you imagine living your life knowing that you are just qualifying yourself to die on the cross to save the world? That was the life that Jesus lived. He lived to die, so that we might live and enjoy life abundantly today!

Thought For The Day
Jesus was born to die and He lived to die, so that we might live and enjoy life abundantly today!

Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him...Until seventy times seven.

Matthew 18:21-22

Remember when...? That's a question we hear a lot this time of year. Reminiscing with family and friends, we browse through Christmases gone by, enjoying the memories until inevitably, we stumble across the memories we would rather forget.

Suddenly, the pain comes rushing back. The sting of a parent's criticism, the broken promise of a friend, the rejections, the disappointments, the heartaches....

What should we do with memories like that? Do we have to drag them along, like so much baggage, from year to year?

No. We can leave them behind. In fact, we must leave them behind. And there's only one way to do it—through forgiveness.

Forgiving someone sounds like a simple thing to do. Yet few of us actually do it. We treat forgiveness as if it were one of life's additional options, something we can take or leave alone. But it's not. It's a basic requirement for every believer. In fact, as far as God is concerned, unforgiveness is wickedness. And in Matthew 18, Jesus tells a parable that illustrates the terrible consequences of it. The parable involves a servant who owed his lord a debt equivalent to millions of dollars. When the debt came due, he pleaded with his master, "Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all" (verse 26). His master was so moved that he canceled the entire debt!

Soon after, that same servant sought out a man who owed him $15. Finding him unable to pay, he ignored the man's pleas for mercy and had him cast into prison.

When his lord heard about it, he was incensed. He called him a wicked servant and delivered him to the tormentors until he paid all that was due.

Look again at the size of that unforgiven debt. Fifteen dollars. The little debts are the ones that most often trip us up. The petty resentments between husband and wife, between brother and sister. Tiny bits of unforgiveness that seem too insignificant to bother with. Beware. Those are the kinds of debts Satan uses to torment you.

After all, Jesus paid off a mountain of debts for you. You can afford to be generous about the nickel and dime debts of others.

Spend time with the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to reveal the unforgiveness in you. Then repent and release it. Make this Christmas more than just a time for remembering. Make it a time to forget.

Scripture Reading:
Matthew 18:21-35

“For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity — the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT, second edition)

Christmas without the cross is irrelevant. If Jesus had just stayed a baby in a manger, you could stop reading this right now — it’s pointless. Without the cross, there’s no reason to spend an entire month getting ready for the celebration of his birth. There’s no reason to put up Christmas lights, play music, send cards, or buy gifts.

The whole world shuts down one day a year to celebrate a day that split history into A.D. and B.C. God came to Earth and invaded human history. And because he did, the world will never be the same.

But it wouldn’t have mattered a lick without the cross. God sent his Son as the Savior for the whole world so that all people can know him.

The Bible says, “For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity — the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT, second edition).

In the Bible the symbol of Jesus’ sacrifice of himself is called the “Sacrificial Lamb.” The Bible uses this metaphor because lambs are harmless. They’re not predators. They’re innocent. Jesus didn’t hurt anyone, and he did not deserve to die. He was the Son of God, but God allowed him to be sacrificed for us — all of us.

God knows the pain of losing a child, because he sent his Son to die in your place. And he did that for every person who has ever walked the planet. No person is beyond the love and reach of God.

Not even you.

I grant you My Peace, Beloved. This supernatural Peace of Mine shall guard your heart and mind. The past season has been one of great turmoil and upheavel for the powers of darkness have been unrelenting in their attacks upon the heirs of salvation. Do not fear, Little One. I came as the Prince of Peace. I am the Lord of Peace.

I am with you, Beloved. Let not the enemy steal your peace. The chastisement of your peace was laid upon Me, Dear One. I took your worries, cares, pains and sorrows upon My own body, so that you could have peace in every way. Be of good cheer, My Child, for I have overcome the world. I give you peace always by all means.

And great shall be the peace of your children. You are My counselors of peace in this evil world. My peace reigning in your heart shall bring you great joy. I am still the One who says to your storms," Peace, be still." Nothing stands between us, Beloved. I am with you always. That is why the angels are still proclaiming," Peace on earth, good will toward men."


Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our PEACE was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the PEACE of your children.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Genesis 49:10 “The scepter [of royalty] shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh [the Messiah, the PEACEFUL ONE] comes Numbers 6:26

The Lord lift up His countenance (smiling face) upon you [with divine approval], And give you PEACE [a tranquil heart and life].
Proverbs 12:20 - Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.
1 Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Isaiah 26:3 - You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You.

John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Luke 2:13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
2 Thessalonians 3:16 - Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, Ask what I shall give you.

 [Solomon said] So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad.
-1 Kings 3:5,9a

A friend confessed to me one day, “Instead of seeking God’s face, I’ve been guilty of seeking God’s gifts. Too many times I have been more excited about what He does for me than I’ve been about seeking His face and rejoicing in who He is.” She went on to say that she craved the blessings and wonderful things God did in her life. The Lord had used her in praying for the sick and had opened doors for her to minister to people.

We’ve all known ministers of the gospel who were truly blessed and used by God. We also know some of them who had great downfalls. What happened? I don’t know all the details, but I know enough about Satan’s tactics that I can explain the pattern.

God raises up servants—godly people who truly desire to serve Him and help others. They become successful, and perhaps that’s when Satan first attacks them. He reminds them of who they are and how greatly God has used them. (Satan sometimes tells the truth to lead to a lie.) He encourages them to become even more successful or famous—whatever their weaknesses, he plays on those.

If they don’t rebuke the evil voice, they soon push forward and seek greater spiritual gifts. They want to be the best-known healers in the world or the greatest evangelists. Too often, they don’t hear God’s quiet voice or sense His sadness as they push forward.

Before long, they want what God gives, but they don’t really want God. That’s one of Satan’s oldest tricks. He tried to accuse God of bribing His followers. In the first chapter of Job, God called Job blameless and upright, one who feared God and shunned evil (see Job 1:8b).

“Then Satan answered the Lord, Does Job [reverently] fear God for nothing? Have You not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have conferred prosperity and happiness upon him in the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face” (Job 1:9-11).

Of course, we know that Job didn’t give in to the devil. He had truly sought God and not His gifts. The book of Job tells of one hardship and trial after another, including the devil using his friends to plead with him to give up. Job never did quit because he sought God more than he sought His gifts.

By contrast, think of King Saul—Israel’s first king. He was tall, handsome, and chosen by God. He could have been a great leader, but he allowed Satan to win the battle over his mind. Later, Saul was so possessed by evil spirits that he needed young David to play his lute to calm the troubled spirit. At the end of his life, Saul went to a witch for an answer because he knew God had departed from him. That’s a man who yielded to the devil. He sought gifts and power more than he sought God.

Our heavenly Father delights in giving His children good things—but only if you seek after Him first. In the verses above, when Solomon asked for wisdom, God not only gave him wisdom but he commended him for not asking for long life or riches. And because he didn’t ask for those things, God said, “I’m going to give them to you anyway.” That’s the generous way the Lord works. When you seek Him, He gives generously; when you seek only His gifts, you may receive those gifts, but you will also get an empty life. Or worse, you may allow Satan to advance.

Great and all-wise God, forgive me for looking at the wrong things. Help me to seek You, to yearn only for You and how I may please You. I want You to use me to serve You, but most of all, I want to know that my life pleases You. I ask for Your help, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Memorise: 
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10
Read: Luke 19:1-10, 19 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.


7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Bible in one year: 
Proverbs 24:23-27:22,
1st John 2:7-27

Message:
While on earth, Jesus demonstrated the nature and character of God to man (John 14:8-11). There was no one who came in contact with Him that did not testify on His goodness. Why was this always the case? It is because Jesus knew the purpose of His coming to earth. When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. Because Jesus knew why He was here,

He never wasted any opportunity. He was so committed to the business of seeking the lost that He even became the guest of sinners. There is so mach potential being wasted today, because very few people are committed to the business of winning souls; whereas this is the global mandate given to every believer by the Lord. There is no one in Jesus’ cabinet that is useless. Before He came into their lives, they might have been ordinary men, but after they became citizens of His kingdom, they became valuable instruments in the hands of God.

Anyone could be lost, irrespective of their position, titles or academic achievement. Even if you are a renowned professor, as long as you do not have Jesus in your heart, you are lost. There is no one who Jesus cannot receive. He is waiting earnestly for everyone to come to Him. In our Bible reading today, a chief sinner came to Jesus, and he got his salvation. This is the beauty of salvation: all you need to do is come to Jesus and receive Him as your Lord and Saviour. Salvation is for all. No matter how terrible you have been, just try Jesus, and He will make sense out of your life. He will not only receive you to Himself, He will polish away your rough ends to the point where you become a testimony to the entire world. All you need to do is make straight your crooked ways. Even if you have backslidden, He is waiting to accept you back by His love. To be lost in sin is a terrible thing. Sin has wages, and the wages of sin is death. It is sin that produces sickness, affliction, bondage and distress; but the moment you are found by the Lord through salvation, you begin to enjoy good health, abundant life and the peace of God, and live a holy life that counts to His glory. When you allow yourself to be found by the Lord, you can be assured that in your salvation lies your breakthroughs and victory. I was formally lost, but when Jesus came into my life, everything changed. This can be your testimony too. Your past will no longer matter to God; He will only use it as a testimony of His faithfulness.

Prayer Point
Father, please save all those who are lost in my family.