Priceless Gift!

Wow! I cannot believe it's been almost a year since I have written on this blog. I did not plan to stay away that long. The good news is that I am back and I have received so much insight that I cannot wait to share with you. As we celebrate today the birth of our Savior Jesus, it is also a time for reflection about things and events that transpired in both our personal and spiritual lives. Let me just say the Lord took me to school this year. He made me wean from the bottle and challenged me to graduate from Kindergarten to a higher level where I can begin to eat some solid food such as meat. So, I have tested the "meat of the Word" and I can tell you that it is good and it gets better day by day. That's why I have no intention of reverting back to "baby food". I am praising God for spiritual upgrade and for allowing me to graduate to higher level in Christ. Throughout the upcoming blogs, I will write about the lessons I have learned and how I dealt with life's unexpected turns.
However, I just stop today to say a prayer for you but most importantly to bring my gift to Jesus: a Thanksgiving offering.
Indeed we don't need a special day to say thank you. We all know how the world becomes so frantic during this season as I mentioned it on a previous blog .  We can dare to be different by being less self-centered and more Christ-centered. After all, it is His Birthday.
Imagine for a moment being the guest of honor at a celebration that was the talk of the town. Your transportation, your clothes, your shoes, your jewelry were all paid for by the same person who invited you. Not to leave anything undone, He even booked you a room at a "Taj-Mahal" like hotel.You could hardly believe your eyes when you entered the place where the festivities were taking place : exquisite foods, "out-of-this world" delicacies and drinks" Did I mention "precious stones" cutlery and diamond plates that you did not have to return ? How about the "professional staff assigned to cater to every one of your needs. But wait, you were not just like any guest ! You were seated at the table of Honor and treated like Royalty. In addition, you were not required to bring any gift or even contribute anything. Rather, it was written in golden letters on the invitation cards:

"Come as you are, Grace will be supplied in Abundance at no Cost to you"

This is not a fantasy but a reality that anyone can live when they understand the reason why Jesus came. I don't know about you but I am going to tell you few among countless blessings He bestowed upon me when I accepted His invitation :

- He gave me a second lease as far as my life is concerned with a much better proposal that I could not refuse: "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." (John 10:10, NLT)

- He covered my nakedness, made me over and crowned me with Glory: “ I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments.I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck,and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. " (Ezekiel 16:9-12, NIV)

- He covered all my unrighteous acts with His grace and made me right with Him: "For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17, NLT).

- He did not disqualify me because of pre-existing conditions but He accepted me with all the baggage from my past: "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved." 
(Ephesians 1:6, KJV).

He looked me straight in the eye and told me to believe until it sunk deep within my soul that: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:14, NIV)

The list goes on. I would not have enough room to tell it all. Jesus is the "Man". How can I ever repay Him back? It is impossible. Nevertheless, I know I can do this much, which is to glorify God for bringing Emmanuel, who wanted to tabernacle among lowly men. I am so glad you came, Jesus, my Lord, my Brother and Best Friend more than two thousand years ago on a Christmas day! Happy Birthday!

Merry Christmas to all! May you be rooted in the love of God and may this wonderful season grant you an Abundance of Christ's Peace that will linger forever. Joyeux Noël!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come with a grateful heart to present to you a Thank offering. Nothing can compare to the most precious gift that you have freely given us, your Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we have received salvation, eternal life, restoration, deliverance, freedom, peace and so much more. May your Name be praised! Power, Glory, Dominion and Honor belong to you Emmanuel, King of Kings, Prince of Peace, Bread of Life, Adonai !  I love you! I Adore You! In Jesus' Name! Amen!

May your life be a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God !

Abi



 


 

 

A New Chapter.

The city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia has been my home for almost five years. As the Bible instructs us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NASB):

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-"

I thoroughly enjoyed my season in Philadelphia. I am grateful to God for many blessings He bestowed upon me:

Friendships, valuable life's lessons, spiritual growth and maturity. Most importantly, this is where I really experienced God's unchanging Hand. Despite living in a foreign land, I always had a roof above my head, food on my table, clothes on my back, God's protection, God's provision and God's providence. On many occasions where I could have found myself in a pit, God intervened and showered me with Fresh Manna from Heaven. Manna is defined in the dictionary as :

" food miraculously provided, spiritual nourishment of divine origin, something of value that a person receives unexpectedly."

Yes, Miracles still happen and I have been the recipient of many. As I am getting ready to close a chapter of my life in Philadelphia, I am counting of the faithfulness of the "Miracle-Wonder-Working" God to carry me over. Our God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the one who will walk with me as I relocate back home to Canada.
Life will take us trough different changes. Some might even be unexpected and difficult but I encourage you to be opened during the process. While times of transition can be scary because of the fear of the unknown or leaving the familiar, we should always remember that God is immutable. He is constant in His Love for you. Therefore, He will be with you to help you navigate through periods of uncertainties. He is the God of your past, present and future. He is the Alpha and the Omega. Some doors may close, others open or be in a limbo stage but God does not change. He reminds us himself in Malachi 3:6 (NLT):

"I am the LORD, and I do not change"

What a wonderful promise! I am holding it close to my heart and looking forward to a new beginning while I continue to be in awe of God's amazing plans for all of us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we worship you today for who you are. We magnify and bless your Holy Name! You are immutable! You are incredible !You are amazing! We thank you Lord for your constant love and faithfulness towards us as we experience periods of transitions. Our circumstances and surroundings may change but we know that your unchanging Hand is stretched towards us in every season that you have ordained in our lives as Isaiah 59:1 proclaims: "Listen! The Lord's arm is not too weak to save you, nor His ear too deaf to hear you call." Help us, Jesus to firmly believe in these promises when change comes knocking at our doors. In Jesus' Name! Amen!

May your life be a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God !

Abi

Who would Imagine a King?

The buzz! If you haven't heard by now, you must be sleeping under a rock.It is everywhere.People are doing their last minute shopping , picking up gifts, going over and beyond their spending limits. Come on y'all! There is a birthday celebration and no one wants to be left behind. It's Christmas time in the city!
I absolutely love this time of the year. I love the colors. I love the decorations. I love the scents. I love the mint flavored and pumpkin spiced hot chocolate. I love the sweet potato pies. I love the elaborated designs done with the Christmas lights. Did I mention the Christmas cartoons? Charlie Brown's Christmas , anyone? Above all, I love the one who inspired all this joy and excitement: Jesus Christ. Over the years, our society has trivialized Christmas and reduced it to a season of high consumerism and commercialism.
What about the birthday's boy? Jesus? For many of us, He has just become a cute porcelain figurine that we can include in the nativity display if we even bother to have one. For others, we  just pay him some "lip service" during a special Christmas' Eve or Midnight worship service. After that, let's just be merry and happy! Jesus? Oh, well! He understands our hearts, don't you agree?
I am not trying to be a "Grinch" and steal your Christmas. However, I want us to remember what the prophet Isaiah foretold about  Mary's baby boy:

" 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. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end." Isaiah 9: 6-7 (NIV)

Yes, Emmanuel came to us as a baby boy, born in a manger but His initial status should not make us forget who He really is:

Jesus is  Mighty God.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

Jesus is the Author of Life.

Jesus is the Giver of all blessings.

Jesus is the Lord of Lords.

Jesus is my King. He is your King. He is truly the reason for this season. This is just not a slogan but it is the essence of Christmas. So, as you are celebrating with friends, family and counting your blessings, just pause with me for a moment and say: "Thank You, Jesus!" . Better yet, Let's sing: " Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus." We don't need to be pitch perfect, all we have to do is to make a "Joyful Noise" unto Jesus. Trust me,St. Paul was right when he said:

"remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20: 35 (NIV)

Dear Friends, in the Spirit of Christmas, Let us offer to Jesus the best gift we can give Him: Our Gratitude. Merry Christmas to all of you!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I would like to wish you a Happy Birthday! I don't have myrrh to present to you. I don't have frankincense to offer to you. I don't have gold to adorn you. So, I am offering you the fruit of my lips. I am giving you my praise and thanksgiving. Thank you Jesus for coming into the world to bring me Joy, Peace, Liberty and the most precious of all gifts: Salvation and Eternal life. I love you Lord for being my Savior and King. Amen!

May your life be a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God !

Abi