Merry Christmas!
Thanks for stopping by the A Shepherd's Heart site!
In case you're not connected with A Shepherd's Heart on social media (Instagram and Facebook), I wanted to share a digest of 5 recent post that were featured there to encourage you in your faith and as you celebrate The Savior's Birth!
Please see the below posts where you'll find a picture followed by an encouragement.
Your Brother and Servant in Christ,
Randolph Koch
My Friend,
I truly love Christmas time. From Celebrating Jesus' birthday, (The Reason for the season), enjoying the music, the decorations, the lights, food, exchanging gifts, enjoying fellowship with others, and much more.
While we celebrate the birth of Jesus, may we remember God loves you and I so much that He sent Jesus down as a baby so that we might have salvation, forgiveness, and life eternal thanks to Jesus' sacrifice.
Christmas is a wonderful time to receive The Gift (Salvation) from THE GIFT, Jesus Christ Himself.
Unfortunately, some have bought into the thought that "they are too far gone" for God to love and forgive them.
Let me plainly tell you that this is not true as Jesus is The Light of the world and His light will pierce even the darkest places, even the places where you've gone or currently are that you think He can't reach. No one this side of eternity is too far gone!
Furthermore, once you know Him through receiving His free gift of salvation, be encouraged that nothing can ever separate you from Him!
May you allow the Light of Christ to pierce through the darkest of places in your heart, mind, soul and life in Jesus name I pray.
Here are a few verses to encourage you as you remember Jesus is The Light of the world and there's never a place you can go that He will not already gone first to redeem you.
John 8:12, John 9:5, John 12:35-36, John 12:46, Romans 8:38-39
My Friend,
As we continue to contemplate this Christmas season, I am reminded that another gift from The Heart of God is that as we receive His free gift of salvation through Jesus (The Gift), we're then adopted as sons and daughters.
I'm so thankful to be a part of His family now as God is my/our Perfect Heavenly Father!
No matter how your earthly father is or was, may you take comfort in how unconditionally Your Heavenly Father loves you and when He adopts you as His own, it's forever!
May you celebrate Christmas anew as you remember Jesus' birth and God's Gift of salvation which includes your adoption into His family.
Here are a few of many of the verses to read, study, take to heart and to encourage you with a reminder of your adoption in Him: John 1:12, 1 John 3:2, and Ephesians 1:5.
Merry Christmas!
Because of God's great love for you and I, He sent His only son so that we might have forgiveness of our sins, salvation, and new life in and through Him.
Jesus humbled Himself entering this world as a baby. He did this so He could then later on sacrifice Himself for all our sins so that we might have life.
If this doesn't speak volumes to you of His great love for you, I don't know what does.
Maybe you doubt His love for you sometimes? If so, let me lovingly tell you to stop it!
Don't doubt Him and His love and don't allow the enemy of your soul, satan, or other people, to try and fool you into buying the lie that God doesn't or can't love you!
His love for you is relentless. He pursues you from and through His great love for you!
His love for you will never change.
God Loves you completely and showed His great love for you through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for you.
May you pause this Christmas to stand in awe of and celebrate God's perfect and relentless love for you.
I love the rich truths of God's Word as well as the rich truth of The Reason we celebrate Christmas which is the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.
When I read Colossians 1:27, the phrase, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" comes to life, especially during Christmas.
As we celebrate The Savior's Birth, we should consider anew one of the great wonders of Christmas which is the true hope we have in Jesus.
Why can we have hope? Because Jesus is our hope! He is Emmanuel, God with us and in our case, thanks to His free gift of salvation, God is in us through His Holy Spirit!
As followers of Christ we have The Hope that is unstoppable and irreplaceable because Christ is our hope and again, He has taken up residency within each of us. (I Corinthians 16:9)
No matter how horrible your current situation is, you can always have and find true hope in The Lord. He is your hope!
This Christmas time and all year through, may you put your hope in Him as He truly is the hope of glory.
Take a moment to read, study, and take to heart, Colossians 1:27 as Christ is in you.
My friend,
It's December 1st! Merry Christmas!
As we begin to celebrate the Christmas season, may we prepare Him room in our hearts, minds, and in every area of our lives.
Preparing Him room begins with our hearts and we need to pause regularly to ask The Lord "Am I making room for You Lord?"
Prepare Him room my friend and don't allow anything in your life, including people, to block His work in and through you.
I pray that each of us continue to prepare Him room every day.
Take a moment to read and be encouraged by Luke 2:1-7 and John 1:1-5.
