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12/22/2012 recording date. audio/video is 10 minutes takes a few minutes to load so be patient please. Or just read ahead. Also the following week it is air on utube on turtle30cshell channel. Just type in website name when you got to utube. Christmas Message I am your host Christina Farris coming from turtle30cshell.com. Over the last several years my husband and I have not had a lot of money to spend extravagantly on Christmas. As family grow older the reality that gift giving becomes less and less and phone calls from far away seem more like gold. Those close by treasure the simplicity of Christmas with preparing for their little ones’ Christmas with packages under the tree. With that comes the thought Christmas will be another simple Christmas with family and perhaps a few friends. Some preparing duck, I preparing a chicken, and others preparing the traditional Christmas turkey and ham. Yet Christmas has never been about the gifts, or the meal, nor about the time with family and friends. In truth as a Christian I celebrate the birth of my Savior. Many churches have had their Christmas cantatas and plays, all in sweet memory of our Savior birth. While others are envisioning St. Nick coming down the chimney. As a little girl remembering back to a time when Christmas was simple, the story of the birth of Christ read after a month long rendition of the Christmas story at church, it seem fitting before presents were open, to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. Yet this year not much different then last, a sweet reminder of the caring people of this world reaching out to strangers in need, not in hopes to gain something back, but to give without ever hearing from these people again or even acknowledgement of necessarily the gifts received. The gift of donated money to help with fuel and electric bills, the clothes donated to charity, the Christmas turkey given to food pantries past out to dozen of families, the needed surgery given to a person in need and that special treat given to old person abandoned in a nursing home, because no friend or family calls. All a demonstration of the love of Christ. Love that is in the word of God. God provision for our daily needs. God giving His only Son that we might have life more abundantly. If no one teaches the love of God, then the hope and forgiveness never comes to people around the globe. Love being compassion despite one’s fault, and forgiveness to continue to treat others with that same forgiveness you hope to receive as well from those around you. Christ died on the cross for all man’s sin. He of all people did not have to forgive what people did to Him, but on the cross He said Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Yet Christ story is told from cradle, to the grave and to victory of the resurrection. Giving each us the hope that we to upon belief will have victory over death. That we will make our home in heaven, until Christ returns. Today passage is about the hope of victory. Daniel 12:1-3 KJV (1) And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (2) And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (3) And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. A few days ago the devil was knocked down again with another false prophesy of doomsday prediction of the ancient Mayans. There beliefs on stone similar to the creation story found in the Bible. Yet even so they felt they knew the time of the global disaster of the entire world. Christ said no man knows the hour of His return. Man might be able to tell when the next wind storm is coming, the next earthquake, tornado, hurricane and more, but what the world can not tell you is the return of Christ for one they believe not in the coming of Christ. Rumor has it that even the devil knows he only got a short time left. If that be so, he fail to understand he lost with the resurrection of Christ. For Christ had the victory over death the punishment for sin. The grave can not hold a believer. Daniel speaks of the resurrection of mankind. The resurrection that is yet to come. It might sound a little confusing to some, when one knows that there are two resurrections. The first resurrection at the time of Christ when the holy men of old came from the grave. Yet this was not the judgment of Christ or the return of Christ that believers are looking for, for angels told the disciples when Jesus went up to heaven that He would return the same way He left. No Daniel is talking about the final judgment, when Christ intercedes on our behalf to the Father. When the final victory is taken place. See Christ already won in the heart of every believer. Yet those that do not believe will face destruction for Christ defends them not in the final war. He defends the ignorance of the cross, but the ignorance of last battle. There are two deaths for unbelievers. Spiritual death and physical death. Spiritual death is when a person is cast in the eternal lake of fire, that burns continual. No soul escapes that place. Physical death is when the body is worn out and can not live any longer on this earth. We all will experience that unless Christ returns. So what happens to unbeliever is simple they will die physically and their soul goes to a place called hell, until the final judgment and on the day of final judgment they will be resurrected from the grave to face death in the eternal lake of fire, if their names are not written in the lamb’s book of life. Who name is worthy to be in the Lamb’s book of life, those that receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Michael the prince to many scholars believe this is speaking of the Christ the intercessor. The one that fights the devil and defeats him, the one that leads the angels of heaven. Who are the angels of heaven but ministers of God. See everyone is either a minister of God or a minister of Satan. There are no in between. If you serving the devil, you still got time to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, until He returns. However are you serving God or Satan. If you are out of the will of God, then you not living for Jesus. You not living for godly road, but the devils road. On judgment day you do not want to be without Jesus. Will you receive him today. Will you be in the resurrection of the saints or the lost. It is your choice. The resurrection of the believer happens upon death we go to be present with the Lord. Our names already written done, our fait sealed by the Holy Spirit upon salvation. Salvation comes upon belief. Do you want to go home to be with Christ or do you want to spend time in hell before the judgment. It your choice. You can have the good doctor or you can have a coffin of torture while you wait to see God. It is your choice. Pray this prayer with me if you want Jesus to be Lord of your life. If you want to serve the risen Savior today. Dear Heavenly Father I know I am a sinner and that Jesus died for me. I receive your gift of salvation that is only found through Christ Jesus for forgiveness of sin. I receive the promise of your seal by the Holy Spirit in Jesus precious name, Amen. Upon praying you have received Jesus as Salvation, the Holy Spirit marks you has His. God by His Spirit will instruct and teach you His ways. Welcome to the family of God. There some New Christian helps in the Bible study section of my website at http://www. turtle30cshell.com If you do nothing else read the Bible. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and may the joy of Christ shine in your heart and mind this Christmas. May God way of salvation shine in your heart. For we can not reach God trying to do it our way. |