Tag: Jesus

WHEN FIRST I DISCOVERED THE REASON ~ Repost from December 2012 & 2013 By Tony Casson

On By Tony CassonIn Christmas, WHEN FIRST I DISCOVERED THE REASONLeave a comment

I lived for a long time not seeing,
Like many at this time of year;
I discovered the Truth and it shocked me,
As it filled my whole body with fear.

Embarrassment first and then numbness,
As the gravity of it took hold;
My blood chilled, my mind reeled, my heart raced,
When I first felt what I’d always been told.

“Sounds strange”, you say, so I’ll explain it,
For I’m quite sure that It’s not just me
Who has looked at a thing for a lifetime,
Seeing just what I wanted to see.

I saw lights and I saw all the presents,
And I relished the peace of the season;
Enjoying the sparkle and glitter,
I gave not one thought to the reason.

I knew what I’d heard about Jesus,
The One who was born long ago;
Part of me believed it, I’m certain,
But still I ignored all the things I now know.

I know now that the gift God gave us that day,
Cannot be described with a pen;
The gift that he gave was a Son who would die
So we all could be born once again.

The importance of Christmas was lost in my life,
With eyes open that just would not see;
It became so much less than the Son who was born
To die for both you and for me.

So many years lost that will never return,
And I feel somehow guilty of treason;
But Jesus was born to die for my sins,
I’m forgiven, and I know now the reason.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas by Faith – Repost from December 2010 By Tony Casson

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This time of year can be difficult for people in the BEST of circumstances. For those who have loved ones who are incarcerated, and for those who ARE incarcerated, it can be more so.

BELIEVING in the reason FOR Christmas can help – a lot. I know this, BECAUSE I believe. BY FAITH, I am content in all circumstances. BY FAITH, I am convinced that this, too, shall pass for ALL of us. BY FAITH, I am grateful for my very life in this world today as it was the Lord’s WILL that I not leave it at MY choosing. BY FAITH, I am thankful for every breath I take, and I am thankful to God for the greatest gift of all – the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, whom he allowed to be born unto us so humbly in order that He may one day DIE to save us all! BY FAITH, I believe that his birth resulted in his death, and his death gave me the grace that I may live today to celebrate that birth. BY FAITH, I am able to do that with peace, love, and joy in my heart.

May God grant each and every one of you that same peace, joy, and love today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your time in this world.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; It gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

TODAY IS… an awesome day to thank God for the greatest gift of all. By Tony Casson

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Time for another excerpt from the book, “Today Is….A Gift From God.”

http://www.amazon.com/TODAY-IS-Gift-From-God/dp/1497365244

 

December 25

TODAY IS…

an awesome day to
thank God for the greatest gift of all.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2:11 NIV

As the title of this book reminds us, each day is A Gift From God. The days of our lives are precious, each and every one. They hold out promise and hope. The days of our lives are among the most valuable of all gifts that God gives us, and there are many, as the devotionals in this book have attempted to demonstrate.

But the most precious gift ever given by the One who gave us this world in which to live, and our very lives with which to enjoy it, was the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, the One whose birth would change the world forever.

Zechariah used these beautiful words to describe the gift that the world would soon be given: “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” (Luke 1:79 NLT). The morning has broken, and it is surely a beautiful day!

Jesus came to occupy our hearts, but it is not a forced occupation. We must want Him there, and we must seek the light that He will shine upon those dark areas of our souls that we would like to say good-bye to. We must desire the life that will come when we learn the savior’s lessons that will teach us to die to ourselves. We must volunteer to serve and be willing to sacrifice all that we are and all that we have in order to receive all that He came to give.

Hopefully we are all aware that we must thank God each and every day for all of His grace, all of His love, and all of His mercy. But on this day that has been set aside to mark the arrival of the most valuable gift ever given, we must all be sure to give special thanks to God.

With this gift in our possession, we can feed those who are hungry, clothe those who are naked, house those who are homeless, and heal those who are sick. With this gift we can refuse to fall prey to the temptations of Satan and those he has corrupted on this earth. With this gift we can live in a significant manner and we can understand the concept of humble service to our brothers and sisters.

By accepting this remarkable, priceless gift of love, we can be better spouses, better parents, better friends, and better neighbors.

Let us all humbly, gratefully, joyfully, and tearfully accept this gift and say “Thank You” to Almighty God.

TODAY IS… a perfect day to be led astray. By Tony Casson

On By Tony CassonIn Today IsLeave a comment

Time for another excerpt from the book, “Today Is….A Gift From God.

http://www.amazon.com/TODAY-IS-Gift-From-God/dp/1497365244

December 20

TODAY IS…

a perfect day to be led astray.

“The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, ‘Why did you not bring Him?’”  John 7:45 NASB

When the religious leaders and Pharisees sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus, they returned empty handed. When they were asked why they had not done what they were instructed, “The officers answered, ‘Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.’” (John 7:46 NASB). Of course, the religious leaders were incredulous. Not fully believing the response, “The Pharisees then answered them, ‘You have not also been led astray, have you?’” (John 7:47 NASB).

If we, like the soldiers, have been led astray by the words that Jesus spoke, then the only thing we can do is – Praise God!

It is unusual, perhaps, to “Praise God” for being led astray, but if this is what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day consider being led astray, then there is not much else that we can do.

The truth of the matter, as we all know it to be, is that the soldiers were not led astray, they were led to the truth. The religious leaders and the Pharisees could not see the truth because it did not meet their expectations of what the truth should have been. When God selected Mary to give birth to Christ – a birth which we are preparing to celebrate in just a few days – He did not find it necessary to consult with anyone else before He made that selection. He saw in Mary’s heart what He needed to see to make His choice. The fact that the One He sent to save the world did not meet the expectations of the most learned religious leaders of the day has caused many people through history to believe that those who recognized Christ as the One sent by God to offer salvation to the world and to die for the sins of all mankind, were all led astray.

In actuality, those who really are being led astray are those who fail to accept the gift that Christ was sent to offer with His death.

If being led astray means that we are lining up behind Jesus Christ to follow Him into the Kingdom of God, then let us pray that we are all led astray. If being led astray means that we are being led to an everlasting life full of peace, joy, happiness, and love, then the choice is clear. When the temple guards chose not to arrest Jesus, they were thought to be fools by those who should have known better.

God sent His Son to us in exactly the way that He chose to, and if we choose to follow Him and be “led astray” then we have made the right choice.

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