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Many people will deny Christ's deity, calling Him simply a "prophet" or "good teacher." But Jesus was never merely human. As complex as it is for us to comprehend, He was fully God and fully man. This is the unique way in which our Heavenly Father chose to demonstrate His eternal love for us.

Do you know Him? " Emmanuel " ~ King of Kings ~ Lord of Lords ~ The Great I AM ~ He who Is with Us!

Please join me in prayer:

Dear God of every nation and all Your people,

From the beginning of Creation You have made known Your love through the gift of Your Son who bears the name Emmanuel, " God with Us." In the fullness of time the Christ child came to be the Good News to all mankind.

Emmanuel, God lives with us as one of us; Christ, the Word made flesh has come to us as a vulnerable, weak and dependent babe; a God who hungered and thirsted, and longed for human touch and affection; a God who chose to be born in obscurity and shame, to a virgin, an unwed maiden, with a dirty stable as a home and a borrowed manger as a bed, in a tiny, insignificant town called Bethlehem.

Oh, Mighty God, of humble origins, Christ, the Messiah, whom the prophets foretold, You were born at a time, and in a place where few welcomed You or even recognized You.

Have we, too, lost a sense of joy and anticipation in what the Christ-child may bring? Have we been preoccupied with endless activities, distracted by the tinsel, decorations, and gifts— busy preparing for the birthday of Christ; so busy that there's no room in our cluttered lives to welcome Him when He comes?

God, grant us the grace to be patient and vigilant in watching, waiting, and listening attentively so that we won't miss Christ this Christmas when He comes knocking at our door. Remove all that hinders us from receiving the gifts which the Savior brings ~ Joy, Peace, Hope, Mercy, and Love. These are the gifts we are to share with the downtrodden, the oppressed, the outcasts, the weak, and the defenseless.

Christ, You are the Hope of all peoples, the wisdom who teaches and guides us, the wonderful Counselor who encourages and consoles, The Prince of Peace who calms our troubled minds and restless spirits ~ granting us true inner peace.

Christ, You who are the radiant dawn. Shine on those who live in darkness and in shadows, dispel fears, anxieties, and insecurities. Restore hearts that have grown cold and distant, enlighten minds which have become darkened through greed, anger, hatred and bitterness.

We remember those who are living in shadows of a marginal existence. We pray for the homeless, jobless and retrenched, those struggling to keep their lives together, We lift up families, especially the children who may not experience the joy of Christmas celebrations this season.

We pray for those living alone, the widowed, the orphans, the elderly, the sick and bedridden, and the migrant workers for whom the Christ-event may hold no special significance. As happens with most festive seasons, may it not deepen their sense of abandonment and alienation.

Lord Jesus, You who are the Light of the World, please help us to radiate the warmth of Your presence. Enable us to give of ourselves generously and compassionately in bringing Your Joy, Peace, and Hope to others.

As we wait for the dawn of the coming of the Christ-child, we do so with anticipation of new and unexpected challenges. Like Mary, we sense the birth pangs of a new era, a new kingdom waiting to be born.

May we, like Mary, be filled with courage, openness, and receptivity to be the bearers of the Christ-child in receiving and bringing forth the Good News as we continue to be witnesses of God's truth and justice, as we walk along the path of peace, as we are strengthened in our love for Christ and for each other...

In the words of Isaiah: 

"Arise, shine, for your light has come. The glory of the LORD has risen upon you. Even though darkness shall cover the earth. And over its people, Yet the LORD will be your everlasting light."

Amen!

God Bless Us Everyone! 
your brother and friend in Christ,

Hiker Dan

                                      click to view full size > YouTube

Keeping Christ in Christmas ~ we all need 'more' Jesus this year.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, only true Peace comes from You and I pray many will meet you at the manger this year. You are the Reason for this Season and I thank God for You are the greatest gift of all. ~ Amen! 

God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me, He expects my personal life to be a "Bethlehem". Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God's ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me. ~ Oswald Chambers

For as the song goes ~ I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to man
And the bells are ringing
Like a choir their singing
In my heart I hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men.

May Peace and Love abound in our hearts as we share blessings and celebrate God's gift of Jesus at Christmas.

God Bless Us Everyone!

Hiker Dan

                                     click to view full size > YouTube

Dear Friend,

Watching this video fills me with both joy and sadness. I rejoice with all those who stood up and celebrated Jesus  and I'm equally sad for those who looked on with 'blank stares' because maybe they didn't even have a clue why anyone was standing up and singing in the first place.

Why in this great country of ours has celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ become taboo and out of style? I wonder about what I see happening around me when I go out shopping and it all becomes too much. 

How do we keep Christ in Christmas and alive in our hearts this year? How do we deal with all the hustle, bustle, materialism, spend, spend, spend ~ and for what? 

I do get it ~ the part about buying and giving gifts, if given from one's heart and sharing in the joy of 'giving' ~ though I have to wonder how many people these days just buy gifts to give something to their children, relatives, co-workers and friends ~ without 'really' knowing or understanding what the true deeper meaning of giving from one's heart is all about.

I do know that Jesus gave not just from His heart; He gave all of Himself completely and fully, every single day to every single one of us on this planet. 

We do not deserve what He gives us and can do nothing to measure up to His perfect love. But we can ask Him to show us the way and teach us how to be more like Him by setting an example for Him in how we treat each other not just at Christmastime but right now today.

How amazing it is that Jesus is still giving and yet we are still taking more and more, without being thankful and appreciative of our Heavenly Father and Creator who gives us all we will ever need and more. 

What do you really have in all the gift giving and buying of things and stuff if when you boil it all down you are still lacking and find yourself empty and unfulfilled? What do you really have if you don't know and include Jesus in your Christmas gift giving and celebration?

Please examine your heart during this holiday season and ask yourself ~ " What gift can I give back to Jesus this year? "  the answer my friend to that simple question is ~ your heart and soul.

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. Most Holy be His Name ~ He IS above all names. He IS LORD GOD Almighty and King of Kings ~ We should be shouting His Name [JESUS] from the rooftops this year to Honor and Praise Him ~ Glory to God on High and Peace to ALL men ~ Amen!

Jesus is the ‘only’ gift of Hope and Peace that keeps on giving ~ your whole lifetime and beyond. I pray for all peoples, believers and nonbelievers of this entire world to join me in celebrating His birth and His life this Christmas. 

You can become part of His life story everlasting. He is waiting to meet you today! I pray that you will give Him the chance to show you what He has shown me.

I leave this final question today for anyone who wants to answer. If a situation as portrayed in this video arose for you to stand up and sing for Jesus ~ would you?

Please remember Jesus this Christmas because He never forgets about you!

God bless you all ~ in the name of Jesus!

Prayers and Blessings,
a brother in Christ,
Hiker Dan

                                         click to view full size >  YouTube