Tag: faith

The Promise — Foretold Through the Prophets

This week will reveal how God set His redemption plan in motion long before Jesus’ birth. We’ll show that Christmas wasn’t an accident, but the fulfillment of divine promise.

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Scripture Focus: Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 9:6–7, Genesis 12:3

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Ever since the beginning of time, God has been weaving a story of redemption. This is a story that finds its climax with the birth of Jesus Christ. The manger in Bethlehem wasn’t an afterthought; it was a promise that was fulfilled. It had been foretold through the lips of prophets, sustained through generations of waiting hearts, and delivered in the fullness of God’s perfect timing.

The coming of Jesus is the golden thread that ties all of Scripture together. From Genesis to Malachi, all of the prophets pointed forward to a Savior who would mend what sin had shattered. Every single prophecy whispered hope into dark times. They remind God’s people that no matter how bleak the circumstances, God had not forgotten them.

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God’s Promise in the Beginning

The first promise of the coming Savior appears as early as Genesis 3:15 — spoken in the aftermath of humanity’s first sin. God declared to the serpent:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.”

When humanity fell into sin, God already promised a Redeemer who would crush the power of evil. That single verse is known as the Protoevangelium: the “first gospel.” It foretells the coming of Jesus, born of a woman, who would conquer sin and death forever.

As the centuries passed, God continued to expand that promise and reassure His followers. To Abraham He said:

“Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

That blessing was not a reference to material prosperity, but spiritual redemption! Foretelling of the arrival of the Messiah who would bring salvation to every nation. The promises of God are and will never be forgotten; they simply unfold in His perfect time. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

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The Prophets Declare the Coming King

As Israel’s history unfolded through slavery, freedom, kings, and exile. God’s prophets spoke with ever increasing clarity about the coming of the Messiah. Their words, God’s Word, became a light to generations who waited in faith.

In Isaiah 7:14, we read:

“The Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.”

Immanuel meaning “God with us.” Not distant or far away, not abstract or theoretical, but present and near. God’s promise was not just deliverance from oppression but His very presence among His people.

Then, in Micah 5:2, written 700 years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet revealed the exact birthplace of the Messiah:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Think of that there were seven centuries before the first Christmas morning. 700 years before Christ was born God named the small village where His Son would enter the world. Even the humble setting of the manger was part of His eternal plan.

Isaiah painted an even grander picture in Isaiah 9:6–7:

“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.”

These names describe more than a child. They describe the attributes of God Himself stepping into human history. The promised Messiah would not just bring peace; He is Peace.

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The Faithfulness of God in Every Generation

Between the last Old Testament prophet and the birth of Christ, 400 silent years passed. There were no new prophecies, no angelic voices, no visions. However God was still working behind the scenes. His silence didn’t mean absence; it meant preparation.

While Israel waited, there were empires that rose and fell. The Greek and Roman worlds brought common languages and roads that would one day carry the gospel far beyond Jerusalem. God was setting the stage for the arrival of His Son.

When we feel like God is silent, we always have to remember this truth: He never breaks His promises. What seems like delays are usually divine timing. Just as God fulfilled His Word perfectly in Bethlehem, He will fulfill every promise He has spoken to you.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20,

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.”

Every prophecy, every covenant, every hope finds its “Yes” in Jesus. Christmas is the ultimate evidence of God’s faithfulness, a living testimony that what He says, He will do.

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The Promise Still Speaks Today

The prophets didn’t just predict the coming of Christ; their words continue to speak into us guiding us through our “waiting seasons”. We all have areas of life where we are longing for God’s promises to come to pass. We have needs like healing, direction, reconciliation, and breakthroughs physical and spiritual.

The story of Christmas teaches us and is proof that God’s promises are never empty. The same God who orchestrated centuries of prophecy to bring forth the Savior is still faithful to every word He has ever spoken over your life.

Perhaps you are in a “Micah moment” feeling small and unnoticed, wondering if God sees you. Remember Bethlehem: being small, humble, but chosen.

Perhaps you feel like you are in the silence between the Old and New Testaments waiting for a word, a sign, a move. Think and focus on Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth”. Remember: God is preparing something greater than you can see.

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Reflection for the Week

• How does seeing Jesus in the Old Testament strengthen your faith?
• What promise from God are you waiting to see fulfilled?
• How can you use this Advent season to renew your trust in His timing?

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Personal Application

Take time this week to write down one promise from God’s Word that you are believing for. Meditate on Isaiah 9:6 let each title of Jesus remind you of His nature and His power to fulfill what He has spoken.
When you feel discouraged, speak these words aloud:

“God, You are faithful. You fulfilled Your promise in Jesus, and You will fulfill Your promises in me.”

As you wait, worship because the same God who brought light to Bethlehem will bring light to your path. John 8:12

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for everything You have done. Thank you for my life, every breath I take, the health that I have, the list is endless. Thank you for going through the pain and anguish that You did not have to do. But You did and made so even though I am imperfect and do not always get things right You have held out Your hand and said come here it’ll be alright. Thank you lord. In Jesus Name Amen

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..

The Promise of a Savior — God’s Plan from the Beginning

Scripture: Genesis 3:15

From the moment sin entered the world, God promised redemption. In Genesis 3:15, He declared that the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head a prophecy pointing directly to Jesus.

This is the first glimpse of the coming Christmas in Scripture the promise that a Savior would come to defeat evil and restore creation. God didn’t abandon humanity after the fall; on the other hand He began a rescue mission that would unfold through generations.

Every story in Scripture, from Noah to Abraham to David, leads toward this promise fulfilled in Christ.

Reflection:
Even when we fail, God’s plan of grace never stops.

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your promise of redemption was written long before I was born. Help me trust and see that You are always working for my good. In Jesus Name Amen

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..

The Eternal Word

Scripture Focus: John 1:1–5, Colossians 1:15–17, Genesis 1:26

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Before there was time, before anything had been created, before galaxies spun into motion, before the first dawn broke across a formless earth Jesus already was.

The full story of Jesus doesn’t begin in Bethlehem; it begins in eternity. The manger has never been His origin, but His arrival. The baby that was lying in a feed trough was the eternal Word made flesh. God Himself stepped into His own creation to rescue and redeem it.

When John opened his Gospel, he didn’t start with angels, Mother Mary, or shepherds, but gave a definition of eternity:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

John intentionally echoes Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Before creation, the Word already was. This phrase tells us something profound: Jesus was not created; He is the Creator. He is never part of time; time is part of Him.

Paul affirms this in Colossians 1:16–17:

“For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Every molecule, mountain, heartbeat, river, animal, and human all find their existence in Him. That means that the same hands that were later stretched out on a wooden cross first stretched out and created the stars. The One who cried as a newborn also spoke the universe into being.

The Word — God’s Expression of Himself

The Greek word Logos when translated is “Word” it means more than just speech it means the full expression of thought, reason, and purpose. Jesus is the perfect expression of who God is.
Hebrews 1:3 declares,

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”

If you want to know what God is like, take a look at Jesus. His compassion, His justice, His mercy, His truth His actions and who He is all reveal the heart of the Father. He is not a messenger, or a prophet telling us about God; He is God revealed.

This help us change how we read the Christmas story. It was never just about a child born in humble circumstances, it’s always been about the Eternal entering the temporary, the Infinite becoming an infant.

When we read, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14), we’re reading about the greatest act of humility and love there has ever been in all of history. God our eternal Creator took on skin, weakness, and mortality, just to bring us life.

Jesus, the Life and Light of the World

John continues,

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4).

Jesus doesn’t just bring life, He is life. Every living soul owes its breath to Him. However when He entered the world that He created, many didn’t recognize Him. Even today, people search for meaning, purpose, and light apart from Him, yet He remains the one and only true source.

Darkness cannot overcome light. That statement is true physically and spiritually. When the light of Christ shines into a heart, sin, shame, and despair have to flee. Darkness doesn’t stand a chance against His radiance.

As we begin this eight-week journey toward Christmas, this truth must be our foundation: Jesus has always been and always will be. Christmas is not merely a commemoration of His beginning, it’s a celebration of His coming.

The Eternal Became Personal

It’s breathtaking to think that the God who existed before time now desires to dwell in the hearts of those He created. The same Word who was “with God” from the beginning now says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20).
He who formed the universe with a word now waits for our invitation to enter.

This is the miracle of the incarnation not that God simply appeared as a man, but that He came to restore creation to Himself. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:19,

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.”

Every Christmas light we see, every carol we sing, every nativity scene we admire should remind us of this staggering truth: the Eternal Word became human so we could know the heart of God.

Reflection for the Week

• What does it mean to you that Jesus existed before all creation?
• How does His eternal nature shape your view of Christmas?
• In what ways can you honor Jesus as both Creator and Savior this week?

Personal Application

Take time this week to worship Jesus as the Eternal Word. Before rushing into the Christmas season, take a minute and remember who He truly is; not just the baby in the manger, but the Alpha and Omega, the One through whom all things were made. Begin each morning this week by declaring:

“Jesus, You are Lord over all — my life, my time, my future. You were before all things, and in You, all things hold together.”

Let this truth settle in your heart: the One who holds the universe together also holds you.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for everything You have done. Thank you for my life, every breath I take, the health that I have, the list is endless. Thank you for going through the pain and anguish that You did not have to do. But You did and made so even though I am imperfect and do not always get things right You have held out Your hand and said come here it’ll be alright. Thank you lord. In Jesus Name Amen

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..

Tempted in Every Way

Why Christians Should Not Celebrate Halloween

Every year, as October 31st approaches, millions of people will decorate their homes with jack-o’-lanterns, ghosts, and skeletons, preparing for a night of costumes, candy, and frightful fun. For a lot of people, Halloween is seen as harmless entertainment and a cultural tradition. However, if you are a Christian seeking to honor God in all things, it’s worth asking yourself—should a follower of Christ take part in Halloween?

The Bible advises believers to live as “children of light” and not to participate in the “works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11). If we look into and examine the origins, symbols, and spiritual implications of Halloween, you’ll see, and it is made clear that this holiday is deeply rooted in themes that oppose and are opposite of God’s Word.

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1. The Pagan and Occult Roots of Halloween

Halloween’s origins trace back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a pagan holiday marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that on this night, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, and spirits could roam the earth. People lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off wandering souls.

Though the name “Halloween” (from All Hallows’ Eve) came later through the Christianized calendar, much of this festival’s imagery the ghosts, witches, skulls, and the glorification of death still remains firmly tied to paganism and the occult.

God clearly warns His people against involvement in practices that invoke spirits, magic, or the dead:

“When you come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone… who practices witchcraft… or calls up the dead.”
— Deuteronomy 18:9–12 (NKJV)

Participating in or trivializing the themes of witchcraft, death, and the supernatural darkness celebrated in Halloween directly contradicts God’s Word.

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2. The Bible’s Call to Separate from Darkness

Halloween thrives on the imagery and activities that glorify fear, death, and darkness all of these things the Bible identifies as being opposed to the light of Christ. Scripture commands believers to live differently from the world:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
— Romans 12:2 (ESV)

The Apostle Paul also wrote:

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
— Ephesians 5:11 (NKJV)

Dressing up as demons, ghosts, or horror characters, even if it just “for fun”, blurs the line between the sacred and the profane. Doing this sends a confusing message to the world about where a Christian’s allegiance truly lies.

Light and darkness cannot coexist (2 Corinthians 6:14). As a Christian we are called not to mix with the darkness but to shine brightly against it.

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3. Halloween Glorifies Fear and Death

Overwhelmingly, Fear and death dominate Halloween’s imagery. The haunted houses, graveyards, and horror films all center on the idea of celebrating what Christ came to overcome. Yet Scripture reminds us that God “has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

To the believer, death has been defeated through Jesus Christ:

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:26 (ESV)

As a Christians when we participate in celebrations that glorify death, we risk minimizing the victory Christ achieved on the cross. Halloween normalizes fear and darkness; the Gospel proclaims light, hope, and eternal life.

Instead of celebrating the grave, Christians celebrate the resurrection.

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4. Our Testimony Matters

Even if a believer claims to celebrate Halloween “just for fun,” others, especially unbelievers, tend to interpret that differently. Like in every other aspect of our lives our actions often speak louder than our words. The Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians that while some actions may seem permissible, not all are beneficial or edifying (1 Corinthians 10:23).

We are called to be ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), representing Him in all we do. Participating in a holiday rooted in darkness and deception undermines that witness.

Jesus Himself said:

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
— Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

When we abstain from worldly celebrations that glorify sin, we are not being judgmental we are in fact choosing holiness. Our refusal to compromise becomes a powerful testimony to the transformative grace of Christ.

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5. Replacing Halloween with Holiness

Instead of engaging with the culture’s celebration of darkness, Christians can redeem the day by focusing on light, love, and outreach. Many churches host “Harvest Festivals” or “Light Nights,” emphasizing gratitude, community, and sharing the Gospel.

This reflects the biblical principle found in Romans 12:21:

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Parents can use Halloween to teach their children about the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–18), the reality of the need for spiritual warfare, and the importance of discernment. October can be a powerful opportunity for discipleship, reminding believers that Satan often disguises himself “as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

By replacing fear with faith and darkness with devotion, Christians can shine a powerful light during one of the darkest times of the year.

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6. Guarding Our Hearts and Minds

The Bible over and over again highlights how believers need to guard their hearts, for everything we do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). So the movies we watch, the decorations we display, and the activities we engage in influence our spiritual condition more than we realize.

Halloween often normalizes and celebrates sin and desensitizes people to evil. The horror entertainment syndicate glorifies violence, sorcery, and the demonic realm. Remember all of this garbage Scripture commands us to resist.

“Abstain from every form of evil.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (NKJV)

Celebrating Halloween, even passively, can open subtle doors to fear, confusion, and even a fascination with darkness. Instead, believers are called to meditate on things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable” (Philippians 4:8).

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7. Living as Children of the Light

Ultimately, the Christian life is a call to holiness, we are to be set apart for God’s glory. Halloween promotes the satin, the very opposite. It celebrates spiritual confusion and darkness, while the Gospel calls us into light and truth.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
— Ephesians 5:8 (NKJV)

Choosing not to celebrate Halloween is not about excessive legalism, it’s about loyalty. It’s about loving God more than culture, it is about walking in the light rather than flirting with the darkness.

When Christians take a stand against Halloween, they declare that their joy and identity come from Jesus, not from some worldly tradition. We proclaim it is all about Him! 👆

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Final Reflection

Halloween may appear harmless, but its underlying themes and symbols contradict the Christian faith we profess. While the world overwhelmingly celebrates ghosts, zombies, murders and goblins, Christians are called to proclaim grace, love, truth and light.

We can love our neighbors without compromising our convictions. We can share the Gospel without dressing it in darkness. We do not have to wrap the good news in a false package that contradicts who He is. And we can honor God by choosing light over shadow.

As Joshua declared long ago:

“Choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
— Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)

This October, may we as believers boldly walk in the light of Christ always rejecting the works of darkness and reflecting His glory to a world that desperately needs to see it.

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, when temptation feels too overwhelming, remind me of Jesus’ victory. Help me lean on Your Word, just like He did. Lord help those around me to see what this “holiday” represents. Please help them to see You for the good You are and the light that You can bring into their lives. In Jesus Name Amen.

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..