Isaiah 9:6 ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’

DAILY READING; Acts 9:26-43; Joshua 5:2-6:27; Job 23

On Christmas Day 2008, the Assemblies of God Church in Liberia celebrated their 100th anniversary.
The story of how the Gospel first came to them is an amazing manifestation of God’s wonder.
In 1908, in one of the Liberian villages lived a man named Jasper Toe. He had faithfully followed the tribal animistic religious rituals, but within him he longed to personally know the creator of the universe.
One night in December 1908, as Jasper looked at the sky, his heart hunger reached a point of desperation and he cried out, “If there is a creator God, help me find you.”
Suddenly, he began to hear vivid instructions within his heart and he was told to go to Garraway Beach, where people would come from a ship to tell him about God.
Jasper followed these directions, and walked for seven days from his inland village to get to the beach where he waited, scanning the horizon. He had never heard the Name of Jesus, and he had no idea that day—Christmas Day, 1908—was a time of celebrating the birth of God’s Son on earth.

At the same time, a young American missionary named John Perkins and his wife were on a ship to Liberia after they had felt prompted by God to travel there to evangelize.
While crossing the ocean, they spent time in prayer seeking God’s guidance. When they got to the coastal town of Garraway John Perkins felt they should disembark there. However, the ship’s captain feared for their safety and told them “It’s cannibal country. People go in there and disappear,”
However, the Holy Spirit’s direction was urgent and John insisted until finally the captain relented and brought them ashore.
When they got to the shore they were surprised to see the native man, Jasper Toe already waiting, who received them with great joy. Using hand signals and a few words of tribal languages and broken English, Jasper communicated that the missionaries should follow him.
Jasper led them back through the jungle to his village, where the missionaries began to learn the language and share the Gospel. Jasper was their first convert. The missionaries built a mission station and opened a school. In a few months an outpouring of the Holy Spirit brought revival and from there, the Gospel began to spread throughout Liberia.

Just as God answered the hunger in Jasper Toe’s heart on that Christmas day, the longing in the human heart was met when God sent Christ into the world.
For thousands of years mankind was held captive in sin. They were under wrath and under a curse and had no access to God.
The birth of Christ, over 2000 years ago, was God’s invasion of planet earth to set humanity free from the bondages and oppressions of darkness.
We were doomed to be forever separated from God, but Jesus came into the world and saved mankind from wrath.
Today at Christmas, we celebrate that the Almighty, Glorious God became a man, taking on the limitations of time and space, that we might behold and receive His glory.
He is Emmanuel, meaning God with us. He is the incarnate Word. He is our Savior. He is our healer. He is our baptizer. He is our deliverer. His Name is called wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
He is our eternal hope of salvation and our help from ages past. He is the everlasting Father. He is the hope of glory. He is the rock of ages. He is the light to those who stumble in darkness. He is the great shepherd of our soul, He’s the soon-coming king!
Without Him we had no hope. But today, through Him, every chain of captivity has been broken off and we are able to serve and worship God in spirit and in truth.
Because of Jesus, we can be called the sons of God. Through His Blood we have been washed from sin and now have the victory over hell and its horde.
Christmas therefore, is a yearly reminder of God’s love. And out of gratitude for what He did for us, we should respond by giving thanks to God today and for eternity, daily rejoicing and praising Him for the amazing gift of Christ, which has brought joy to the world!

PRAYER: Father God, I thank You for the gift of Jesus that You gave unto me to save me from sin and unrighteousness. I thank You because through Your priceless gift of the Savior, I have eternal victory today and always, in Jesus’ Name.

QUOTE
Praise always guarantees you power for a raise. Learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORDBITE 222.