Category: Our Exceptional God

The Real Joy of Christmas

Celebrating the Real Joy of Christmas

'Tis the season

In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, often the real reason for celebrating Christmas gets lost in the shuffle.

Gifts may be piling up under Christmas trees everywhere, but the only “gift” that really matters is the gift of Jesus.

Immanuel – God with us.

Jesus is God’s gift to our broken world to save us from our sins.

It’s through our belief in His saving grace alone that we can have eternal life.

What will that look like?

How about celebrating the real joy of Christmas every day and for the rest of our lives in the presence of our Lord?!

The immense step from the Babe at Bethlehem to the living, reigning triumphant Lord Jesus, returning to earth for His own people – that is the glorious truth proclaimed throughout Scripture. As the bells ring out the joys of Christmas, may we also be alert for the final trumpet that will announce His return, when we shall always be with Him.
– Alan Redpath, pastor, author, and theologian.1

What is the Real Joy of Christmas?

One of my favorite online Bible teachers, who also has a flair for writing wonderful Christian poetry, is Jill Briscoe.

Here, she encourages all of us to focus on the real “reason for the season.”

Joy Is Jesus
by Jill Briscoe

Joy is Jesus wrapped in swaddling bands,
Joy is Jesus in Mary’s loving hands.
Joy is Jesus making sorrow sing,
Mending deepest heartaches – what a gift to bring!

For from the highest heavens, knowing well His plan,
God laid Him in our hostile arms, the Precious Son of Man.
Knowing all before Him – the crib, the cross, the cost –
He came to die at Calvary and seek and save the lost.

That’s you and me and everyone who’s living on this earth,
That’s men and women, black and white, who need and want new birth,
That’s those of us with broken hearts, and those who celebrate,
It’s those of us who love and laugh, and those of us who hate.

If empty was the manger, and empty was the cross,
If Jesus’ tomb was occupied, then all of us are lost.
But here lies heaven’s treasure, God’s precious, dearest prize,
In Him will all our future hopes and dreams be realized.
So may His joy now fill you, and the peace of God be known
Till we celebrate our Christ-masses around our Savior’s throne.

Joy Is Jesus by Jill Briscoe © 1995

 

The real Joy of Christmas

Joy to the World, indeed!

1Quotation from Alan Redpath, former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, as quoted from Christian quotes.info.

2 Poetry courtesy of author and Bible teacher, Jill Briscoe. “Joy Is Jesus.” [online post]. From Christmas poems © 1995. Posted November 30, 2017, Web. Accessed December 2, 2023 from Telling The Truth.org.

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Stand For Your Faith

Taking A Stand For Your Faith

Have you ever had to take a stand for your faith?

In Joshua 1:9, God told Joshua (Moses’ right-hand man) to be “strong and courageous” in battle, and that He (the Lord) would be with him wherever he went.

Of course, in context, that assurance applied to Joshua.

Thankfully, and only by God’s grace, today’s Christian can also rely on God’s promises.

While the promise of Joshua 1:9 was specific to Joshua, the principle is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture as applicable to all believers today. God calls us to live courageously, without fear, knowing that God is with us at all times. – gotquestions.org.1

“Be strong and courageous”

I like to think of that Joshua verse when faced with life’s challenges.

Taking A Stand May Cost You Some Friendships

Looking back, I remember this company I used to work for years ago.

One of my coworkers was getting ready to celebrate her 50th birthday.

Birthday ideasAll of the girls in the office secretly got together so we could plan the big surprise.

We tossed out ideas at the first meeting.

Unfortunately, someone suggested we include some R-rated options and gifts.

Ughhhh.

Admittedly, before I became a Christian, I wouldn’t have had a problem with that.

Now, the thought just made me cringe.

Don’t we get enough of that garbage on TV now?

Not to rain on anyone else’s parade, I said that I would come for just the dinner portion of the party, but would sneak out during the R-rated part.

I thought that was a pretty good solution.

They didn’t.

Even so, their obvious frowns and complaints really didn’t matter.

I wasn’t interested in following the crowd.

Taking a Stand: Be Prepared For Negative Reactions

As Christians, we have to be prepared.

Taking a stand can earn you some disdain or even a few enemies, even on a smaller scale like at this former job.

The whispers of “church lady” said within my earshot were not hard to miss.

For several days, the gossip and sneers continued.

Even so, I stuck to my plan.

I wasn’t going to stop “them”,  but I didn’t have to take part in anything that would make me feel uncomfortable.

My faith is precious to me.

I try to remember what Christ has done for us on the cross when tempted by others to act like the world.

After a few, let’s call it “interesting” days at work, one of my coworkers came up to me and asked if I had any other party suggestions.

Thank You Lord for this outcome!

The R-rated stuff was dropped.

A Surprise Ending

You know what happened?

That surprise party turned out to be a “huge” success – complete with great food, a “this-is-your-life” script I co-wrote with the birthday girl’s husband, and an arranged surprise appearance by her best friends from outside of work.

Everyone agreed afterwards what a great time it was.

Did the sneering at me stop?

Not completely.

Days afterward, the whispers of “church lady” and gossip about me still surfaced every now and then.

You know what? 

Name-calling doesn’t bother me anymore.

I am His child.

If someone messes with a Christian for taking a stand for Godly values, they’re messing with Him.

What does matter is my relationship with Jesus Christ and my desire to glorify Him.

Who knows – maybe I planted a seed with someone there.

As the world gets darker around us, there will come a time for you to be courageous as well, for something temporary like a coworker’s birthday to actual persecution by our enemies.

taking a stand

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1 Quotation from gotquestions.org, from “How would it impact the Christian faith if it was discovered that aliens exist? n.d., para. 6. Web. Accessed June 19, 2023. Joshua 1:9 application.

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Happy Thanksgiving 2023

 

Wishing You a Very Happy Thanksgiving 2023

Happy Thanksgiving 2023

Can you believe it’s Thanksgiving 2023 already?

It seems like time always flies at the end of the year.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say “thank you.”

My heart is overflowing with appreciation for all of you who have visited my blog, Delight in God, through the years.

It means a lot to me that you have followed me on my faith journey.

Whether it’s celebrating in God’s blessings, or working through the trials that He allows in our lives, we can know that our Father will lead and guide us – always to a greater good.

I am so thankful we have a loving God who cares about us.

We deserve His wrath, and yet He gave us His Son to pay the price for our sins so that repentant sinners will have eternal life.

Who would demonstrate such incomprehensible love like that for you and me?

Only a Holy Sovereign God, who deserves ALL of our praise.

On this Thanksgiving Day 2023, we give thanks to the One who created all things.

In closing, I wanted to share this encouragement from the psalmist in Psalm 146:

1Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
2I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. – Psalm 146:1-2, (NASB).

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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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Veterans Day 2023

Celebrating Veterans Day 2023

One of the best days of my life was when my husband surprised me with a trip to Charleston, South Carolina.

The highlight of the trip was our visit to the USS Yorktown, (CV-10), also known as World War II’s “Fighting Lady.”

My father served on this ship and the growing excitement to see the inside was off the charts.

USS Yorktown

I am so grateful for my father’s military service to our country and also for all military veterans who dedicate (and dedicated) their lives to keeping our country safe.

We are flying our flag to honor veterans, and we hope you do too.

Veterans Day 2023 is our Nation’s “thank you” for their selfless service.

Veterans Day 2023

Thank you Veterans!

Not just today, but every day.

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Witness For Christ

A Witness For Christ Every Day

Not that long ago, my car was in desperate need of gas.

My husband and I pulled into the local gas station and he got out to fill the tank.

I was looking down at my phone when all of a sudden, I heard a lot of shouting right next to us.

It was loud cursing that went on and on.

Unwholesome talk = terrible witness

Curious and also horrified, I looked over at the fill-up lane next to us.

It was two teenagers – a boy and a girl.

As I looked closer, a highly-visible cross was hanging around the young man’s neck.

Are you kidding me?

My heart sank.

I hoped no other kids were around to hear them.

If I had been “on the fence” about my faith and had heard all of that, I would have been completely turned off.

If that’s how Christians treat each other, well then . . .

Our witness for Christ is for every single day.

We should all be more cognizant of how we treat others because the world is watching.

Our talk . . . our walk.

Think about it.

All of us outside that gas station got to hear the verbal beat down.

A Witness For Christ – That Means Every Day of the Week

Are you a different person on Sunday than you are the rest of the week?

Do you profess your faith on social media and yet throw out a string of obscenities in front of family when someone cuts you off in traffic?

The fact is, we’re all sinners in a fallen world.

And by the grace of God, when we truly repent, our Heavenly Father forgives us.

He deserves our reverence, praise, and worship.

Our mouths that lovingly praise God at church can easily tear someone else apart with our words.

With that in mind, our witness for Christ should be on our minds as soon as we walk out the door every morning.

Recently, I came across an interesting little poem.

Although short in length, the message it contained spoke volumes.

Check this out . . . 

Unless my talk about my faith  
Is mirrored in my walk,  
The faith that glibly I profess
Is merely empty talk.  – Anonymous. 

Convicting, right? 

I would much rather be around people who lift each other up, wouldn’t you?

Instead, a godly person will use words to build up others and show them grace: encouragement, praise, appreciation, gratefulness, cheerfulness, understanding, sympathy, testimony, truth, caring correction and warning, and helpful counsel. – Stephen J. Cole, author and theologian.1

Witness for Christ

I think D.L. Moody is right on point with the following perspective. He doesn’t mince words.

Words are very empty, if there is nothing back of them. Your testimony is poor and worthless, if there is not a record back of that testimony consistent with what you profess. What we need is to pray to God to lift us up out of this low, cold, formal state that we live in, that we may dwell in the atmosphere of God continually, and that the Lord may lift upon us the light of His countenance, and that we may shine in this world, reflecting His grace and glory.  – Evangelist D. L. Moody2

Pray that we always be cognizant of our witness and shine our light to a world of lost sinners.

Shine your light, Christian!

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1 Steven J. Cole quotation is courtesy of bible.org. from “Lesson 14: Your Walk And Your Work For Christ (1 Timothy 4:11-16).”  April 12, 2013. Web. Accessed November 5, 2023.  Retrieved from https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-14-your-walk-and-your-work-christ-1-timothy-411-16

2 As quoted from influential American evangelist, Dwight L. Moody. From “Hypocrisy-Hypocrites” [2018] Courtesy of Precept Austin, Subheading, “Quotes, Illustrations, Devotionals” Web. Accessed 5 November, 2023.

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