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behold Jesus

Do Not Be Afraid…The Lord Sees You

by GOD TV December 19, 2022

written by GOD TV

It is a glorious but cold day here in Norway today. My name is Edward John. I’m Regional Director for GOD TV here in the Nordics, and I have some good news for you! God sees you, so don’t worry about anything. He knows who you are and He has a great plan for you!

Today, we have a word about Zacchaeus, from Luke19:2-5, and I want to read this incredible story about this tax collector who was a very short man, but had a deep desire to meet and see the Lord Jesus Christ. It says about him that, “There was a man there by the name of Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and he was wealthy. He wanted to see Jesus, but he was short so he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.'”

Now listen, friend, I believe that the Lord knows that you desire to see Him. As a matter of fact, I know that He does, because the word says, “Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, I knew you.” And it says that His eyes are seeking to and fro throughout the whole earth to find those who seek Him with their whole heart.” It says, “I Am the Alpha, the Omega, the beginning and the end,” and the Lord just sees and knows everything.

So here’s this man, Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, by the way, a wealthy man, but he had something that not everybody has. He had a desire to see Jesus. Whether it looked stupid or not, he didn’t care about it, he just wanted to see the Master. So he thought, well, I’m short. I can’t see over the crowd, but what I’ll do is I’ll climb a tree. Can you imagine if today you say, “I don’t care what it looks like. I don’t care what people think, what matters is that I can see the Master.” Well, here’s the nice thing about it. Before Zacchaeus climbed this tree, the Lord already knew. So what does He say? He says, “Come down immediately, Zacchaeus, come on down. I want to be a guest at your house today.”

And you know what, my friend? Simply because you desire to see Jesus, He says the same thing to you: “Come here. I want to stay at your house today. I want to be a guest in your heart. I want to be a guest at your place,” because He sees your desire. So don’t be afraid that you’re not seen. Don’t doubt that God sees you. He knows you. And even before you had your desire, He knew you would have it right now at this time and this moment.

So let me just say this as an ending from Norway today, that no matter what you’re going through, no matter where you are in life, what matters is not so much if you’re good, or if it looks stupid, or if it looks ridiculous what you’re doing. What matters is that you just desire to see Jesus, because He’s looking for you and He sees you, but He’s waiting for you to come and grab ahold of Him. Just like the woman with the issue of blood. She had been struggling with sickness for many, many years. No one could help her, but she thought, I’ll just press through the crowd and I’ll touch the hem of His garment. And in that very moment, she was healed. The very moment Zacchaeus decided, I’ll climb the tree, I wanna see Jesus. At that very moment, the Lord looked up and said, “Come on down, Zacchaeus, I want to stay with you today.”

Friend, don’t be afraid. Just know this in your heart. The very moment you decide to seek Him and see Him, He’s already seen you and He’s there for you. He says, “I’ll never leave you nor forsake you. I’m always with you.” Friend, Merry Christmas to you from Norway. I’ll see you again soon.

Friend, there’s a heart, there’s a life, there’s a person, there’s a real person that needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ at this very moment. Today, I appeal to you to join with us and become a media missionary. Sow financially into GOD TV, and let’s take this good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth. Through your giving, through your prayer, through your support, this world is going to be changed, and the good news of Jesus Christ is going be heard around the world. God bless you.

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Do Not Be Afraid…You Can Be Made Whole In Christ

by GOD TV December 13, 2022

written by GOD TV

Do not be afraid, for you can be made whole in Jesus Christ. Today’s reading is from Luke 13, and it’s the story about the lady who had been crippled by an evil spirit for 18 years. Now, picture this: Jesus was there in the Synagogue preaching a word. We don’t know how many people were there, but let’s say the room was full. Then all of a sudden, He stops because He sees this lady who has been crippled by this evil spirit for 18 years. He goes up to her and He says, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness,” and she was completely healed and restored; made whole by the Lord Jesus Christ.

What I find so wonderful about that, is thatJesus is never, ever too busy, too wrapped up in what He’s doing to focus in on the one. He is concerned about our small needs, and He is concerned about our big needs. He will come to our side and pick us up just as He did, “Dear woman, you are healed and made whole.”

Maybe like this woman, you feel bent over with the burden and the stress that this year or these last few years have caused you. But you can come to the Lord, you can give Him your burdens and He will take them from you so that you can walk straight again.

I want to encourage you today, if there are burdens and heaviness on your back that you have been carrying, I just want to encourage you and pray with you right now, that they be lifted off in Jesus’ Name, that you may be whole.

Yes, Lord, we thank you that you are our Healer. We thank you, Lord, that you are our eternal Savior, the Messiah, Emmanuel God with us. Lord Jesus, I pray right now for all of the people watching today, that if they’re carrying burdens, Father, if they are carrying sickness or illness or crippled by evil spirits, I pray right now in Jesus’ name that they would be lifted off of them and that they would be made whole. That they would be walking straight again with you. So I just pray right now that you be healed in the Name of the Almighty Jesus Christ. Amen.

Friend, there’s a heart, there’s a life, there’s a person, there’s a real person that needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ at this very moment. Today, I appeal to you to join with us and become a media missionary. Sow financially into GOD TV, and let’s take this good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth. Through your giving, through your prayer, through your support, this world is going to be changed and the good news of Jesus Christ is going to be heard around the world. God bless you.

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3 Ways To Behold Jesus This Advent Season

by Lauren Koch December 5, 2022

written by Lauren Koch

What does it mean to behold Jesus?

Beholding Him means much more than merely looking. It means to gaze upon or keep, possess or obtain. When we behold Jesus, we keep Him close. We keep Him with us. Beholding requires that we pause, that we draw our attention towards something. This Advent, as you anticipate the holidays, and truly immerse yourself in the rest, life, and connection this season brings, focus your heart to behold Jesus. He longs for belonging with you.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Read below for 3 practical ways to keep Jesus close this Christmas season.

1. Anticipate His birth

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:45)

Consider Mary, who spent her entire pregnancy in anticipation for this child of hers. Immaculately conceiving the savior of the world, Mary possessed a profound experience of anticipation. Not only did she wait to see the God fulfill His promise sent to her (throughout her pregnancy), but spent the entirety of Jesus’s life waiting, in anticipation, for how the world might behold her son.

Maybe you identify with Mary in her waiting. With the holiday season, there comes an increased awareness of the “what-if’s” and things we consider lacking in our lives. Are you longing for a child, a miracle, or even an outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Maybe you’re longing for someone in your family to be saved. I want to encourage your heart today: behold Jesus. Trust that He is who He says He is. When we, like Mary, believe that God will fulfill what He speaks, we no longer have to worry about our timelines or agendas for our lives. We can trust Jesus.

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7)

Communion

This December, as we approach Christmas Day, intentionally prepare your heart of the wonder Mary too experienced. Even a few intentional moments of taking communion remind us of the miracle of Him coming to earth. As we do this, we train our body to taste and experience Him in a way our spirits cannot. We teach ourselves to anticipate Him through our physical sense. We develop trust in our anticipation. When the promise has yet to be fulfilled, when the world mocks us, when nothing makes sense, we discover trust. We learn to behold Jesus–not because of what He has done, but because of who He is.

“Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26)

2. Engage with His voice

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Jesus coming into our present reality is the greatest gift we have been given. He put on our humanity to experience life alongside us–as one of us–both fully man and God. If you have felt misunderstood this year, Jesus gets you! Not only does He know everything about you, but He’s experienced the living reality we endure as people.

This season, choose to engage with the voice of truth, His voice. He longs to know you. To be in relationship with you, just where you’re at. His loves is waiting for you.

Some practical ways to behold Jesus through engaging with His voice:

Ask Him specific questions while driving, shopping, or working. Listen for His responses and write them down to reference later.
Make an effort to just share about your day and ask that He make clear any direction or thing you should know
Start a prayer journal and set a daily 5 minute timer to write your requests and anything your heart needs to let go of

“And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.” (John 12:44-45)

3. Recall who He’s been

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” (Psalm 77:11)

Advent is often about reflecting. Considering your life, relationships, and connection to God. A practical and beautiful way to reflect is to recall who Jesus has been to you. Behold Jesus through your remembrance. Not only will you stir your heart with fresh hope and joy of your history together, you will be led to consider how you might give to others as you’ve been given to. The beauty of recalling who Jesus has been to us personally empowers our ability to give. Wonderfully, when our hearts are aligned with His presence, we suddenly have everything we need. Instead of looking upon things and people, we see Him for who He is and who He has always been. We behold Jesus.

A great way to recall who He’s been is creating a running journal entry where you simply remember. Maybe start back to the beginning, when you first tasted His love. Recall where your heart and life were. What did your day-to-day life look like then? How did His love show up and transform you from the inside out? From this place, more and more awareness of His goodness will come to your mind. Psalm 22:3 tells us that Jesus inhabits the praises of His people. As you thank and praise Jesus, he will inhabit those very words and circumstances once again.

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Set your intention

As you consider these three ways to behold Jesus this advent, steer your heart to set intention of the practices you want to incorporate, and the things you’d like to let go of. Though the calendar year may be ending, you always have the opportunity to start fresh. Let this advent be a breath of fresh air for you–where you aren’t looking at the past or the future, but simply beholding Jesus as Lord, and actively seeking His heart for your life.

I pray you are blessed this Christmas with hope–the kind that abounds and touches everything and everyone around. And I pray that the conversations you share with the Lord impact you richly. This season can be about slowing down. It can be about connection, intimacy, and vulnerability with the Lord.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)

behold Jesus

December 5, 2022 0 comment