GOD DWELLS IN OUR DARKNESS

God sent Jesus in the darkness cos He can be a light to us in our darkness

-God doesnt bring us out of the darkness immediately.. if we wants God to bring us immediately, we will be disappointed

-God dont work according to our timetable... God has a plan for us

   we must learn to trust God

-challenges of life will come.. but God promise that He will be with us!

-dont go through the challenges, but grow through the challenges

TREASURES IN DARKNESS

-God uses Christmas to remind us that in dark season, God is always with us

-God uses dark places to bring us to higher places

-we must plant the seed in a soil, a dark place so tt it will come to life

   -we are the seed.. too much of the good things can hinder us from growth

-God doesn't send the bad things, but uses the bad things to let us grow

-in the dark places, we pray more, seek God more, prioritize more

-going through all good will not bring out the best of us

3 things to do when in a dark place

1. believe

-bring God into our situation 

-keep believing and speaking out the promises of God

-go through dark places believing!

2. trust

-God is working for us, in us

-learn to trust God's timing

3. surrender whole heartedly

stay in faith, but whatever the outcome, joyfully surrender

-faith is trusting God even if life doesn't make sense

unless the seed is placed in the dark place, it can't grow and one day something beautiful blossom!

THE VISION OF THE CHRISTMAS STAR christmas2020

on the nite Jesus was born, the wise man saw the star

4 power of visions
1. vision give us a purpose for living

if theres no vision, ppl perish

-ability to see how things could develop in the future

-vision is not the same as goals and objectives

   -can't brainstorm to have a vision

-having visions, doesn't mean a bed of rose but a purpose meaning life

-not just a good idea but created in the realm of the Holy Spirit

2. vision provides a route map to guide our next step

-the star shows the wise man which direction

-visions guide our decisions, steps

-when we have a vision, we dont choose our decision, but its our vision.. making decisions based on vision

-we need to stay focus

-we need to commit what is impt

-our visions create our habits

3. a vision will come under attack

every vision will have distraction

-the bigger the vision, the bigger the obstacles, the more distractions

-our faith will be tested

   -God wants us to be clear with our vision.. is tt exactly what we want

   -so tt we can have confidence in God's promises..

-put doubts in our mind, discouragements

-family's desire to protect.. afraid of failure

-rivalry amg siblings

-Satan put temptation along the way..

-fear of failure.. afraid of judgment

-burnt out, worn out.. tired of trying, hoping

4. Our vision always lead us to Jesus

-a good vision will always lead us to God, make good decisions..

-stay focus on the vision

-vision should draw us to Jesus

-if a vision makes us so busy or tired and draw us away from God.. it's a bad vision

   -it's time to renew our vision

-its so tired to lean our ladder on the wrong wall and after much climbing then realized tt its the wrong side

-no matter what, how bad or how dark, focus on the vision.. -dont give up on God!

-God knows our potential, our worth.. we may not understand what we are going through, God is in control!

   -our dream has not turned out as we wanted, but God have something better in His mind

-God sees our value.. 

-we can trust God that He has great plans

-be wise, stay focus on drawing near to Jesus

3 CHRISTMAS GIFTS FROM GOD

happiness and peace is what ppl are searching for

whats the point of having wealth and procession where we dont have happiness and peace?

-worries, anger causes anxiety

-ppl are always thinking and living in the future... stress, anxiety, tiredness increases

-happiness is often described as a feeling, a positive quick sensation... to many, happy is a craving for a pleasurable feeling

are these really happiness?

-feel great

-feel appreciated (appreciated and recognition)

-feel in control (in control of things)

-feel safe (enough $$ in the bank account for the future

-feel less tired (solve the problem and get some rest so tt wont feel so tired anymore)

It's just a sensation trigger by something and make us feel good

-problem is they dont last.. only for awhile.. come and go very quickly

   -looking for the next thing to feel good again, but nv satisfied

-being at the top is becoming addictive

Jesus is born to tell us that theres a happiness tt doesnt come and go... this kind of happiness is JOY

-joy comes directly from God

when Jesus is in our life, it doesnt matter how ppl look at us

-happiness is not just a feeling tt comes and go depending on situation

JOY is the 1st Christmas present from God

PEACE is the 2nd Christmas present from God

-peace doesnt mean theres no trouble, but not troubled by troubles

-when we are in a stress out situation, we tend to react negatively

-inner peace overcomes from all the troubles of the world

-take time to sleep, rest, pray

plan for the future, but not over plan... dont dwell in it

   -learn to enjoy today

   -learn to be calm and trust God more

FAVOUR is 3rd Christmas present from God

-favor = demonstrated delight

   -God protect, preserve and heal us

- favor = preferential treatment

   -God's righteous will make us stand out from the crowd (better jobs, increment, healing in the mist of troubles)

-Christmas is abt favor especially in family (relationship with family members)

-Christmas is abt the birth of Jesus

-Jesus maybe born a thousand times, but if He's not born in our hearts, we will still be in our sins

   -all we have to do is just to receive Jesus into our heart

JESUS THE WORD OF GOD

because of Christmas, we can end the year with hope no matter what we goes through

3 things abt Jesus

1. Jesus is eternal

   -the universal is nothing... and Jesus was alr there

   -if he's not eternal, He cant give us eternal life

2. Jesus is with God.. he is a real person

-God is love.. there must be communication in love...

   -before Adam is created, love in God the Father and Jesus 

-if Jesus is not a real person, he cant talk to us

3. Jesus is God

Jesus forgives sin, which only God can

Jesus, a new name

2 reasons why John describe Jesus as "the Word"

1. the Word expresses thoughts and can 'enter' into hearts

-once a word is received, it enter straight into the mind and heart

-word can lift up or weigh down a person

2. the Word is the logos of life

-word = logos (logic)

-Jesus is the logic of life

-without Jesus, we work hard to gain fame, wealth which we are not able to bring along with us when we die

-Jesus is the truth, the way and the life

   -this is why Jesus come into the world

abide in the Word

-to believe in Jesus is to believe in the Word

-no matter what we go through, as long as we can find a promise in the Word for our situation.. half of the battle has won!

all God want is for us to believe

let the promise saturate in our heart.. our

thoughts, affection, desires, visions and dreams, motives, concerns, morality

-God is going to cause a miraculous virgin birth

-all Mary have to do is abide in the Word

Mary was stress at what Gabriel is saying

-Holy Spirit is the power of the highest

-God only works accordingly to a pattern based on a principle

   -God can work in anyway he wants but in His sovereignty has chosen to work only through His word

God work through Word

   this is how God works

its not Mary's work but the work of the Holy Spirit

no work from God will ever fail

by faith, Mary receive the word

-Mary has faith!

-simply by faith, Mary believed that its alr done even if she feel nothing

-boldly speaking her faith to the ppl she trusted

we must carefully guard the visions the Holy Spirit gives to us

-find a promise from the bible, cultivate it

   -pray abt it, believe in it and God will bring a miracle