Blessed Christmas to You!

This year we have made no Christmas plans and we have put up no Christmas decorations.  Its not that we don't want to celebrate Christmas.  Its more that we are exhausted and it started out being that we didn't want the fuss and bother.

And, because of that, my focus has been more on Jesus.  Because we have eliminated the shopping and the hype, the inviting or being invited, we seem to have eliminated the expectations of all that Christmases are becoming and that has made room for what Christmas is truly about.

We want to go to church tonight, Christmas eve!  We want to go the church tomorrow morning, Christmas morning!  I am embarrassed to say, we never go to church on Christmas!  But this year, with all the other "stuff" out the way, I am so looking forward to doing exactly that!  And so for me, and my hubby, this year Christmas is about Christ!  What a feeling!  This is as it should be!  We can justify gift-giving and say that Christmas is all about giving, as God has given us His Son, the ultimate gift, which is true!  But truly, is that what Christmas is about, gift-giving?  I know for me it sometimes feels like its about expectations being met or not.  Did we put on a big enough spread?  Did we invite the right people?  Are we disappointing with out gifts?  Probably much of that is self-inflicted right?!  Well, none of that is on the agenda this year!  Only Christ!  Only God's gift to us!  What a great feeling!

Having said all the above, I pray you have a very blessed and love-filled Christmas and that the time spent with family and friends is awesome and truly blessed.  Lets end 2017 honouring our Saviour and our God.

Isaiah 9 v 6:  For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;  And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!

God bless
Tracy

Does it Matter?

A friend of ours is very big into the Hebraic roots and it permeates his every word with regards to church, fellowship, end-times, etc!  I enjoy listening to him but am cautious in just following his thoughts as, truly, I do not know enough to know if he is right or not.

Currently he speaks a lot of "The Two House" concept which, with my very basic understanding of things means that the 10 tribes of Israel that are "lost" are known as Ephraim and are to be found in the greater western Christian population.  God is seeking to bring them back to Israel so that Judah (the current Jews of the day) and Israel are reunited.

There is that theory....

Then there is the more widely recognised and accepted theory that the lost 10 tribes of Israel are the Jewish people spread all around the world, and it is they the Lord is seeking to restore back to Israel.  Each tribe can be traced to a certain area of the world etc.

There is that theory....

And then I ask myself, which ever theory is correct, be it Two House, or be it the Jewish diaspora, does it really matter?  And if it matters, why?

God calls us to love Israel:
Psalm 122 v 6:  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee.
Gen 12 v 2-3:  (2) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; (3)And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." 

God says that upon our salvation we are grafted into the vine and we become sons of Abraham, to whom His promises are made:
Rom 11 v 23: …And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 

Gal 3 v 27-29:  (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.

So my question is again, does it matter if we are part of the missing tribes of Israel or not?  Because by Paul's words we can see that we are adopted into the family of God, and thus we are part of, His tribe shall we say, anyway!

If you can set me straight on the above matter with biblical reference I would be very grateful.  As things stand, for me, it matters not where I have come from, but it matters greatly to Whom I belong, and where I am headed.

I do also believe that as a Christian, whose responsibility it is to love Israel, I need to learn more about that nation and its history.  Not to change my walk with Christ, but to understand His love for Israel and for me, more deeply.

God bless
Tracy