Pastor John D Jakes

Pastor, author, husband, father (the roles keep switching day by day)

Christmas All Year

How do we know people love us?  Sometimes we know because they tell us.  However, most often we know that people love us because of what they do.  These actions are pictures of love.

One of the great surprises we experience in life is the love of others. We are surprised that others value us.  We are surprised at their commitment.  The same is true of God. We are surprised to the point of disbelief at the love of God. Before we get too far away from it, I thought that we could think back to the expressions of love that God shows us as Christ comes to us. Together, all of these acts tell us of the glorious ways that He has shown us His love in Jesus:

1. In Jesus God has given us His protection.  All through the Scriptures we see that God watches over those who are His.  When we think of God’s interaction with Joseph and Mary, we see God’s protection. God gave Mary a good man as husband.  God then encourages that man to stick by Mary.  God protected Mary.  God protects us.

2. In Jesus God has given us salvation. Joseph is told to give the Child a name. The name is unique.  It is ‘Jehovah saves’.  That is what ‘Jesus’ means.  His name means that Jehovah saves. This isn’t a name that was prophesied by Isaiah. This is a very personal name.  It is Jesus’ mission.  It is God’s passion.

3. Jesus has another name.  This is the one that was prophesied.  The name is Immanuel.  It means, “God with us.” God does not abandon His people. God stays with them.

4. The fourth picture of God’s love is what Joseph does.  He obeys.  He does what God told him to do.  Joseph is God’s living expression of the love of God.  Joseph protects Mary.  Joseph helps Mary to Bethlehem.  Joseph takes her to Egypt to escape Herod.  Joseph provides for Mary. Isn’t that amazing? Of all the ways that God shows us His love in the present day, God desires to use us to show it most clearly. 

5. And then we fast forward to our Lord’s death. The Bible declares that He died for us. He died in our place. He died because God loves us so much. That One, who was born in a manger, was born for this purpose – to die for us.

Jesus said, “All men shall know you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13) We now are a picture of God’s love.  When we do what God has instructed, when we live in love of others, and when we reach out in kindness and the gospel we are showing others that God’s love is real.  Let’s do it!  Someone did it for us.  Someone else showed us God’s love.  Let’s share it with each other!

Something to think about,

Pastor John

Pastor John

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

One response to “Christmas All Year”

  1. annetteb8578136af Avatar
    annetteb8578136af

     Dear John,

    This makes me think on how much love affects people.  Those who live love-less lives are considered abandoned in one way or another.  Orphans are abandoned.  Homeless are abandoned people.  Sometimes people in our very own society and circle feel abandoned by those around them….until someone shows them the love of Jesus.  Love can cause those who feel abandoned or unloved to blossom.  One woman I knew told me that before she met our group of Christians, she felt like no one cared about her.  She felt alone.  Then she started meeting our Christian group, and she said that our group truly has the love of Jesus in it.  She said THIS is how it’s supposed to be.  Thank you for your reminder to continue to love one another. 

    It is good to remember what God has done for us.  It is good to remember how He cares for us.   I loved reading about how God took care of Mary.  I hadn’t ever thought of it in that way before. 

    This caused me to think on other stories.  I remember watching a TV show where they showed a study on children who were orphaned.  They discovered that children who were left alone in their cribs and unloved completely did not develop the same as those who were loved by just one person.  In fact, even into adulthood, they saw the correlation between those who were loved by one person and those who were not.  The unloved ones became adults with a lot of problems, but those who were loved by one person found that they could function better in life.  Therefore, we can be grateful for the unfailing love of those in our lives, even if we all were not raised by two loving parents. 

    However, even in these instances where there is only one loving parent or significant person in a child’s life, if they are without the love of a father, they can picture the love of God in the flawed way that they view their earthly father.  God is not limited, though, and He can reach out to them, through their relationship with Him.  So, on that day that they realize, truly realize that God loves them, it fills them with an overwhelming wonderment that touches their lives in a miraculous way.  God’s love touches their spirits and souls, and they are never the same again, because true Love from the Father brings true joy that profoundly amazes them.  Knowing the Father’s love changes our faith and the way that we reach out to others.  We can trust Him completely, knowing that He is truly looking out for us. 

    For me, having that love of the Father behind me helps me to reach out to others, wherever God puts me.  I want them to feel His love too, especially when I know that He has placed them in my life on purpose.  I just keep trusting Him.   

    On another note, I was looking at my Bible study this morning with Romans 12:11-12.  These verses I wanted to share with you because they go along in reminding us as we rejoice in the hope of our Savior.  Many times in the Bible we see examples of humans like us who were discouraged.  Over and over, God came to them.  You see Hagar in the wilderness with her son, discouraged to the point of death, but God came to her.  Elijah the prophet was discouraged and felt all alone.  God comforted and fed him and reminded him that he was not alone.  Jonah was discouraged and God came to him.  God knows we are but dust, and He comes to us.  I praise God that we can look to these verses in Romans 12 and others to remind us to rejoice in hope when we don’t feel like rejoicing; be patient when things get hard; pray because He hears us!!! (All while being fervent and serving the Lord!).  I love the verse that says, wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart.  Psalm 27:14.  That verse reminds me that God knows that we feel weak, and He promises to strengthen us and to be our strength! 

    Thank you for your message in this blog today.  I am so grateful that God is with us and doesn’t abandon us.  When we are not abandoned, we bloom in His love!

    Praising God,

    Reply

Leave a reply to annetteb8578136af Cancel reply