2 Peter 3:11-18
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Joshua was filled with the Holy Spirit. In all seasons, Joshua lived 40 years in the desert knowing his advice to take the Promised Land should have been listened to. He served Moses well even if Moses had cost the former slaves and now Children of Israel and Moses had blessed them. Joshua was planning on seeing the Blessings of God.
Christmas has this tug as well. The Puritans and Oliver Cromwell were stoic. They believe inherently in following Jesus and His Sacrifice as seriously as possible. This is to be commended. Yet, Jesus spent John 14, 15, 16, 17 reflecting on His Life and His Joy for Jesus' Calling from Father God.
The Puritans were so fed up with the gaiety and poverty of England and Europe - they hated Christmas and put people in stockades for eating ham to even think of Celebrating Christmas. Still the Puritans started something amazingly Good. The New World. USA. And in starting the New World half a million young adults arrived to start a new world. 55,000 were forced into servitude. The first wave all died. And the next waves until supplies were left by the dead for the new arrivals to depend upon as stability was found. Servitude numbers were about Half a million...
The point being this - we all have a part to play in God's Family. Some people are not going to think that the excess of Christmas is of Christ. The idea is Joy. Rejoice in the different levels of faith. Encouragement and teaching with kindness.
And others realize a Father is much rather going to look at the happy times of His Son's Life and not focus on the death. The death is serious and invites a life time of gratitude for what we never, ever, ever could repay. But we miss all the Point of Jesus' Love for the Whole World if we forget the Joy of Jesus He speaks of in the many Chapters of John. Jesus was about to give again - His Life - and He wanted to leave a record of the Love He has for us.
Keep Christ in Christmas. And remember - the excess of Christmas - sparks wonder in many people to find out what caused all this Joy. The Chapters of God in the entire Bible is Vast. We can never ask the elbow of the Body of Christ to be the nose. But all parts are needed.
We all have some faith. Romans 1 says so. We just should be Salt and Light and Joy. John knew Jesus from years of observing our Wonderful Jesus. And found Him to be - God of Love.
Keep Christ in Christmas. Count the Joy. Savor the Savior.
Be diligent. Be Loving. Grow in Grace - be be generous with praise and forgiveness. Love Yourself as a Child of God. Bringing Love, Joy, Encouragement, Heaven to Earth Glory.
Praise be to You, Lord Jesus. Lord of All since Your Birth.
Amen !
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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