Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”     
Jeremiah 1: 5 (NLT)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
John 3: 16-17 (NKJV)

“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Mark 10: 43-45 (NKJV)

“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’”
Matthew 25: 40 (NASB)

Here we are. Why?  

Where are we going?  

Toward the celebration of the birth and life of Jesus Christ. God’s Son.

It was a Holy Night. 

What was He all about? What is He all about? If you asked Him, what do you suppose He would say?

Maybe something like—Everyone else.

As we read through God’s Word, including Jesus’ own words, it becomes clear that Jesus came for everyone, including you and me, and all the world.  

It was not about Him.

He came to offer us abundant life.  

And to offer the free gift of salvation, assuring us when we accept that and ask Him into our lives—that after our journey here is complete, we will spend eternity with Him in Heaven, rather than the other option.

He went around healing, helping, teaching, sharing, saving, encouraging, forgiving, lifting others, you and me, from powerless, passionless lives of mediocrity and irrelevance—to lives capable of having an impact for good on everyone around us.

Setting an example for each of us to leave a legacy marked by lifting lives everywhere around us so they reach their full God-given purpose and potential.

He came to save the world, to lift us, and to change the world.  

Jesus went around finding people where they were and helped them to get to where they should be.  

And by His example—we are to do the same.

We are to lift the lives of others all around us, all over the world.

And when we do that for others, we are reminded of His words in Matthew 25, verse 40— “to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.”

Reflect on these words from “O Holy Night” for a moment, then at the end of these “Thoughts” watch the video and listen to the wonderful group Gentri sing “O Holy Night,” and get a glimpse from the hymn and the compelling video of what being the example of Jesus Christ really looks like—

…Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace;
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name;
Christ is the Lord!
And ever, ever praise we!
Noel, Noel.
O night when Christ was born, O night!…

He came for us. To show us and call us by His example to do the same—to lift the world around us.

Everyone. With every breath. Until our last breath here.

Just as He did.

In His Name–Scott

Be blessed and reminded of what following Christ really requires of each of us, as you watch the video, while Gentri sings “O Holy Night.”