Daily Devotional for Friday December 21, 2018

Give yourself a great present this Christmas!

(Isaiah 59:2)

***A MOST BLESSED CHRISTMAS FROM MYSELF AND THOSE WHO LABOR AT LIVEPRAYER FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO HAVE A MOST BLESSED CHRISTMAS!!! A Christmas blessing: https://liveprayer.com/mc18/

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, help me to stand strong in these difficult days. I know that in the end, YOU...and YOU alone will have the final word. Give me boldness and courage to stand for you as evil abounds. In the name of Jesus I pray..AMEN!!!

***SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SEASON THOUGHT! God is the creator of all things good and perfect. Satan takes the perfection of God and perverts it...EVERYTHING! Even most with hardened hearts who hate God. have a soft spot for the Christmas season. We are all aware of the God-haters attempts to cleanse our culture of anything to do with God, such as the never-ending attempts around Christmas to remove public displays such a nativity scenes. However this Christmas, anything to do with this season is under attack in an attempt to ruin the “joy” this time of year brings out in most people!

Mattel, creator of the iconic Christmas gift “Barbie,” is deciding to create two male dolls who are married for your children. There have been many visible “transsexual Santa’s” this season. Rudolph lover are bigoted since he is a maligned reindeer, verbally bullied by his father, made fun of for his “disability,” while his elf friend Hermey is ridiculed for wanting to be a dentist. Classic Christmas song “Santa Baby” is sexist. Candy canes are evil since they are shaped like a J...for Jesus. One church protesting immigration policy put the baby Jesus in its’ nativity scene in a CAGE. Charlie Brown’s Christmas is intolerant to other religions for the scene where Linus tells Charlie Brown the real meaning of Christmas by reciting a passage from the Christmas story in chapter 2 of Luke’s gospel. A teacher of 5-6 year olds told her students there is no Santa Claus. Next to the nativity scene in the Illinois statehouse is a statue worshipping satan. God is a sexual predator for impregnating Mary without her consent.

These are clear and current examples of what happens to a culture where the church has purposely departed to its’ own safe, comfortable, and PROFITABLE space, leaving the culture WE ARE PART OF to the wolves of satan to destroy. This is why Jesus told His followers when in Matthew 5:13-16 He said, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

As we are only a few days from Christmas Day, there is much laughter and joy all around. It is really an incredible time of the year. However, for many of you, you don't have that joy or that peace this Christmas because of sin in your life. I am talking of that sin deep down, the sin you keep to yourself, the sin nobody else knows about.

On the outside, everything looks fine. But deep inside, you are dying because of sin you have refused to deal with, sin you have held on to and not dealt with. THAT is the sin that is robbing you of your joy this Christmas season. THAT is the sin that is keeping you from the close, intimate daily relationship Christ desires to have with you. THAT is the sin that is slowly destroying your life and effectiveness for the Kingdom of God.

The problem you have is that you have learned how to live with the sin. You have learned how to bury it, hide it, and live with it, rather than get victory over it. Oh I know. You have tried. You have prayed and worked at it, but in the end, you have given in and rather than fight any longer, you have accepted it.

IT IS THAT SIN IN YOUR LIFE THAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM THE PEACE, THE JOY, AND THE ABUNDANCE THAT CHRIST HAS PROMISED US IN THIS LIFE.

You have settled for less than the best God has for you because of sin that has beaten you!!!

My friend, this kind of sin is not just "going away.” It will be part of your life, holding you back, until you are serious about getting victory over it once and for all. The key question though is this. Do you WANT victory over this sin? That may seem like a dumb question, but trust me, it isn't. Many people are actually OK with this sin in their life. They know it is wrong, but the power over them is so strong, they don't really want to let go.

Until you are ready to do all that is necessary to get victory, nothing will change. That is why some drug addicts and alcoholics will go through rehab program after rehab program and never get better. They don't WANT to get better. Until you WANT to get better, you won't. Until you really WANT victory, you will never get it.

I love you and care about you so much. If you are serious about victory over that sin in your life, here is a place to start. You are in a battle. To win a battle, you must have a battle plan. Pray, sit down, and let God give you a plan you can faithfully work each day. Then you need someone you can be accountable to on a daily basis. You can't win this fight alone, you need someone to stand with you, and to hold you accountable.

Lastly, you need the strength you can only get from God. That comes from your daily relationship through prayer and the Word, from being in church, from finding ways to serve the Lord. All of this working together will help you overcome this battle and see victory. I will stand with you and be praying. Never forget, He is able!!!

This Christmas, give yourself the best present you ever could...victory over that sin in your life!!! Know that during this upcoming weekend, I have committed time to pray for you and whatever that sin may be. It will be an honor and privilege to spend part of my weekend praying for you and victory over that sin in your life. God loves you.

It is NO ACCIDENT that you are reading this now. God could not be talking to you any louder than if He bellowed your name from the Heavens!!!

This Devotional needs to be sent to everyone you know. What an act of love this Christmas season to plant a seed in someone's life who is struggling secretly with sin, letting them know God really does care. My friend, this IS answered prayer!!! Victory is in sight!!! The battle can be won! God has heard your cries!!! He is able!!! The only question that remains is are you ready to put that sin out of your life once and for all?

Know that I will be praying for you...praying for VICTORY over the sin in your life this Christmas!!!!

In His love and service,

Your friend, brother, and co-laborer in Christ,

Bill Keller