Category: Holidays

Merry Christmas!

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Christian holidays, Holidays, Scripture, Theology

John 1:14

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

God incarnate became a man, and He died for our sins and rose the third day. Don’t let that ever cease to amaze you! God very God, the Almighty Creator of the universe, humbled Himself and became a human being, clothing Himself in flesh. Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, was born as a baby in Bethlehem, fulfilling hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. The joy of Christmas is that God loves you so much that He Himself came to die on the cross and rescue you from your sin. He is the Holy One–the Messiah! He came to save us, and He died and rose so that we can have eternal life with Him. What a miracle–what a Savior! What a God we serve!

Philippians 2:5-8

5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Merry Christmas to you and your family! May you draw closer to our precious Lord and Savior this new year!

Happy 4th of July!

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Current Events, Holidays, Scripture, The Christian Walk

Galatians 5:1 (NKJV)
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

“Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. God will not hold us guiltless.” –attributed to Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Happy 4th of July!! Today, may we thank God for His amazing blessing of freedom in this country! It is truly such a privilege that God has blessed us with, living in such a wonderful country, and I pray we do not take this gift for granted. Many in other nations do not have freedom of religion, the press, or any other freedoms. God has granted our country many freedoms!

But the question is, will we use that freedom for His glory? I received an email update this morning from the president of a prominent pro-life ministry, where he remarked, “independence from tyrants presumes a right to one’s own life.” He went on to explain that the Constitution is clearly against abortion and that Christians must fight for the unborn and stand up for life. Will we speak for those who have no voices, when the Lord has given us a free country in which we may do so? Or will our silence display our agreement with those who take life?

As we celebrate the freedom God has so graciously granted to our nation, may we pray that He continues to guide it on the right paths–that all Christians and government leaders will stand for life, Israel, marriage, and other Biblical values. God bless America! 🎆🎇

Life Out of Death

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Christian holidays, Holidays, Praise and Worship, Scripture, The Christian Walk

One crisp morning, as I was out for a walk, a barren tree caught my eye. Its branches looked dead, and it appeared lifeless, buried under winter’s gloom.

As I examined it more closely, however, I spotted three distinct species of colorful birds playing in it, one of which was a rare kind I had never seen before. Even as I glanced below, a bonus surprise awaited me: an adorable rabbit fed on the grass underneath.

The sight of this tree and the life hidden among its branches reminded me of Christ’s resurrection. He brings new life to the things that are dead in our lives. We might look at a painful or disastrous situation and only see dead, dry, barren sticks. But what encouragement to remember that God will cause new life to spring forth, and one day soon, we will see all the marvelous ways in which He will resurrect the things that have died.

Christ is risen! The grave could not keep our Savior. He arose in glory and power, and because He lives, we have hope in Him. Without His resurrection, our faith would be very empty indeed, as Paul asserts in 1 Corinthians 15.

As we celebrate Christ’s bodily resurrection, let us rejoice in the fact that He also brings resurrection to our everyday lives.

HE IS RISEN!!!

Breath of Heaven: Mary’s Song

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Art, Christian holidays, Holidays, Music, Scripture, The Christian Walk, Theology, Womanhood

When I was younger, I thought that God’s plan for Mary was the very best calling for any woman who has ever lived and that nothing else could ever be as special as being Jesus’ mother. At the root of these thoughts lay the deep desire to do great things for God.

Last year, as I was listening to the Christmas song “Breath of Heaven”, which speaks of the Nativity from Mary’s imagined perspective, I gained fresh insight. As Mark 3:35 says, “For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” Only one woman was called to be Christ’s literal mother, but each and every believer, in a very special way, carries Christ within them. He dwells in their heart.

Just like Mary, we wonder what we’ve done that the Father has chosen us to bear the image of His Son. We wonder if wiser people could have taken our place, and yet we offer all we are to His plan.

As Mary did, may each of us strive to surrender entirely to the Lord and say “Behold, the …servant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to Your word.” (Luke 1:38)

Luke 1:45 NKJV

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

Praying for America

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Current Events, Holidays, Prayer, Scripture, The Christian Walk

As we celebrate our nation this week, let us be sure to pray for America. (If you are a citizen of a different country, please pray also!) In a day when only 76% of Americans consider themselves patriotic, I believe that fervent prayer and firm patriotism are greatly needed in this precious nation today.

I am convinced that those who revile this country and stand for evil are a vocal minority. We as Christians ought to stand up for Christ and His Word, and only through His strength and wisdom can we be the citizens He wants us to be in this beautiful land of liberty.

Here are some prayer points for our country:

  1. That the Lord would cleanse our own hearts from our personal sins and evil and set us afire again for Him.
  2. That the Lord would bring powerful revival and a great awakening to our nation–that believers would be revived in the faith and that unbelievers would turn to their Creator.
  3. That Jesus would continue to give people an awareness of respect for the sanctity of human life, from the moment of conception until final breath.
  4. That the public school system would turn to the Lord and His ways.
  5. That each of our leaders would come to know the Lord personally and serve Him with all their beings.
  6. That all believers will be united in the Lord and with each other.

Let us pray fervently for America, stand firm for the truth, and exhibit a patriotic attitude as we praise the Lord for our freedoms!