Facets of Faith

Conversations about life, faith, and friendship.

The Holy Spirit’s Role in the Story of Christmas

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The Story of Christmas: Holy Spirit (T. Stella)

Welcome to Christmas, a magical time of year because we celebrate Christ. I know this season can stir up feelings that don’t feel like celebration for some.  If you find yourself in a hard place this Christmas, I pray you feel God’s closeness even more.  I pray the presence of Immanuel (God with us) overwhelm you with His love, hope, joy, peace, and goodness.  I pray He ministers to you through the power of His Spirit. 

And if you find yourself on top of life’s mountains, I pray you take time to thank Jesus for all the beauty He has brought into your life.  I pray you are generous with your love and blessings out of the overflow of His goodness to you.   May you bring light, hope, and love to those whom God brings across your path this Christmas season.

The Light of the World did that for us, so too should we for others.

But these things don’t happen of our own accord. Love, hope, joy, peace, goodness, and light come as a result of the power of the Holy Spirit.  Generosity is a mindset He breeds in us.  Courage is an attribute He calls out in us.  It is through His deposit that we can carry out our high calling to love one another well.

The Holy Spirit prompts Christmas love. He always did. He always will. 

He is evidenced in the story of Christ from the very beginning.  Angels reassured Mary of His coming.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,  to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.  Luke 1:26-38 NLT (Emphasis Mine)

Imagine being greeted by an angel (frightening enough in and of itself) and then being told you were going to birth the Son of God through the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. 

Think of Mary’s courage.  Christmas not possible without it.  An ordinary young woman made a difference in each of our eternal destiny, because she allowed the Holy Spirit to guide her.

One of the beautiful things I have found as I walk with Christ is the harder and higher our calling, the sweeter the intimacy with Him. And through that intimacy He speaks.  When our calling is of extreme significance, I believe God goes out of His way to confirm for us that we are on the right track.   The good news of following Christ is we can’t make a mistake.  Notice I said following Christ.  He won’t lead us astray, even if He has us traverse some difficult terrain from time to time.

If we’re not following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we’re bound to make mistakes.

Even as we follow, God knows we need reassurance. And He shows up, even as He’s always there.  However, sometimes in His all-knowing way, God decides to turn up the volume of His presence.  He gives Christmas reassurance in unexpected places.

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.  Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?  When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.  You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:39-45 NLT (Emphasis Mine)

Baby John (the Baptist) was the fulfillment of prophecy.  He would be the one to go in advance to proclaim Christ.  John recognized divinity while still in his mother’s womb.  And the Holy Spirit continued to fill His role in the Christmas story by providing encouragement to a virgin girl named Mary, 3 months pregnant, and likely afraid even as she was courageous.  The Lord knew exactly the words Mary needed to hear and the Holy Spirit divinely inspired Elizabeth to speak words of encouragement and acknowledgement of Christ Jesus to her.

Notice the Holy Spirit’s words to Mary, that she was blessed because she believed.

When situations seem unusual they do require an extra measure of belief.

Faith in the Christmas story requires an extra measure of belief.

God blesses those who do.

Yes, with eternal life (John 3:16). But blessings here on earth too in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13).  One of the biggest blessings we have been given as believers is the deposit of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us.

It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NLT

Just as Mary was encouraged by the Holy Spirit, we can be too.  We can have the promise of Christmas – God alive inside of us that leads and guides us into His presence and into His love.  Out of that overflow, we are empowered to extend Christmas love to others.  The Holy Spirit enables us to do all things that God calls us to, even the hard things. 

Without the hard things Mary cooperated with God for, we wouldn’t have Christmas.

The Holy Spirit birthed the beauty of Christmas in Mary. What does He desire to birth in you this Christmas season?  After all, His story is our story.

Remember, favored woman! The Lord is with you!

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page. 

And don’t forget to check back with us to see what Jennifer and Kim have to say about the Story of Christmas.

Signature Image: Tracy Stella

What Enduring Attribute of God’s is Most Precious to You?

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Welcome! Whether this is your first time or you are a regular reader, we pray God meets you in the midst of these pages. We don’t write from a position of “having arrived”.  Rather, we share what God is doing in our lives as broken jars of clay in the hands of the Heavenly Potter who holds us, forms us, and sends us forth to make disciples.

This month the Facets team decided to engage with our question differently.  We’ve never taken a passage of the same Scripture and explored it together, but from our own unique perspective.  Tune in throughout November to see what Jennifer, Kim, and our guest contributor have to say. It’s always interesting to see the themes God brings forward.

There is much to be grateful for, and our passage of Scripture reminds us of that this holiday season. It’s a longer than normal excerpt, but I encourage you to read it through. Please don’t skim it like a too-thin coat of paint that doesn’t cover. Take your time. Linger with it. Let the words saturate your spirit as you consider God and what He wants to say to you through it.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:

4 To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
7 To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever—
8 The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.

10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;
11 And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;
12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;
13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;
14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;
16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;
17 To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;
18 And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—
19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;
20 And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—
21 And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;
22 A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.

23 Who remembered us in our lowly state,
For His mercy endures forever;
24 And rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;
25 Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.

26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.

─Psalm 136 NKJV

Of course, our ministry team couldn’t help but notice the theme repeated ensuring none of us would miss it.  For His mercy endures forever.

Those words got us thinking, what attribute of God’s endures forever – and which were we presently most thankful for?

Today, it is one word. He keeps bringing me around to it.

Faithful.

God is so faithful!

Attribute of God: Faithful (T. Stella)In His mercy, His faithfulness endures forever.

It’s His mercy that helped (and helps) me to be in a position to experience His faithfulness.  It’s because He is good, that I can experience His goodness.

He is faithful. Forever.  On our best day, we can’t say we are faithful 100% of the time. But God is. Forever!  He is Steady and True. Constant. Never-Changing. He won’t leave us by the wayside. He meets us along the way, wherever we are at, wherever He finds us.

And in His faithfulness, He doesn’t leave us there.

I have so much to be grateful to God for, so much! Where He found me, isn’t where He left me. It’s important for me to remember, to pause and reflect, and then to ponder where He might bring me next.  Until I die, He will be faithful to transform me.  You too. He loves us that much!

When I lean in and “let Him” change me, it’s a beautiful thing.  Transformation takes cooperation.

A few weeks back God spoke to me in an intimate, sweet way, helping me to remember just how faithful He has been in my life.  From when we first met to where I find myself today, I stand amazed.  It’s really quite incredible what God can do in His faithfulness.  When we stop throwing fits. When we lean in and listen to His sweet whispers. When we let Him lead. He is faithful to lead us to green pastures. The places of peace and love, joy and hope, strength and perseverance.

Often, God catches me off guard. He takes my breath away. Not always am I able to articulate it. He’s God after all, and not always explainable.

But if you notice when you read the numerous examples in Psalm 136, time and time again God was faithful to Israel. He is STILL FAITHFUL to His children today.

I stood in the crowd, lights dim and stage lit up as I listened to the words I’d heard and connected with even before I’d officially crossed the line of faith.  I identified with the woman in the song, ripped jeans, dented fender, a little worse for the wear when I’d met God.

You may be familiar with Francesca Battistelli. You may not, but it was her song Free to Be Me.  It’s as if that song was a promise to me back before I could believe it.  (Click here if you’d like to listen to it.)

I felt like damaged goods. Perhaps, my shelf life expired. Past my prime. Used up. Broken.

But somewhere, somehow God broke through my brokenness.  He gave me hope that He had a good future for me in spite of the fact that I was a bit banged up.

He is faithful.  So very faithful.  Take hope if this is where you find yourself, feeling like damaged goods, expired, past your prime, used up and broken.

It’s not true if you let the Heavenly Potter fashion you into what He intended all along.  He wants you to feel free to be you, who He really intended for you to be all along.  (Me too.)

I stood in the concert, so touched.  Overwhelmed, I stood next to my husband, worshiping God with joy, dancing with movement and in spirit knowing God had brought me out into this spacious place.  In Christ.  I am not who I once was, but I am most free to be me, who He really intended me to be.

Floods of gratitude and incredulity at the contrast of where I once was to where God has brought me, I cried silent tears of joy. Spirit tears. With God my life has turned out much better than I could have hoped or imagined back then.

God is faithful.

To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
─Psalm 136:4 NKJV

God is still in the business of doing GREAT WONDERS in and through you and me.  He is Faithful.  He’s not just faithful to some. He is faithful to all. To you. To me. To all. Let Him show you. Let Him remind you. Let Him reveal His faithfulness to you.

Perhaps one day about a decade later you’ll listen to lyrics He’ll use as a spiritual mile marker showing you just how far He has brought you. He’ll etch into your memory who you were, who you are, and who you are becoming.

This is a message for us all, His beautiful masterpieces being molded into His image. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is Royalty. And so are we!

This is what I believe God wants me to leave you with, no matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of understanding who Christ is, how much He loves you, and His faithfulness to bring us into the fullness of our identity as His sons and daughters.

He is Royalty. So are we … dents and all. Don’t let the enemy steal one more day of your destiny. He will try, but God is Faithful and True, and the enemy has already been defeated. The enemy can’t win, because he’s already lost.

If you are in Christ (having accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior) you are an heir to the throne. Royalty. Because God is faithful!

As I continued to stand in the crowd singing along, a song came on I hadn’t heard before. It’s from Francesca’s newest album.  (Here is a link to the song, Royalty.)

Another spiritual mile marker.  It was as if God leaned in and whispered to my heart, You know who you are, Tracy. You are mine. And that makes you royal.  More spirit tears. Sweet tears at the Heavenly Potter’s tender touch.

Talk about being free to be me!  God is faithful.  You are royal, sweet friend. Royal!

And in case you need a spiritual mile marker of your own, listen to the song and claim it for yourself too.  Treasure it up in your heart. Because God wants you to know you are royal.

We are, we are, we are … royalty.

His mercy endures forever.  Isn’t He faithful?

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Signature Image: Tracy Stella

How has God multiplied your little into much?

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Welcome to FACETS OF FAITH and this month’s inspiration from above. As we seek God, we desire to share His heart with you. We pray we reflect His heart, His thoughts, and His desires for He alone knows whom He is bringing to read each week. He alone knows what needs to be said.

We pray you take away nuggets of truth that God continues to water and nourish as you grow more and more into the precious royalty you are – His precious princes and princesses whom He desires to do great things in and through. That’s you, sweet one! You! Precious. Repeated three times so you don’t forget.

This month we are looking at the question: How has God multiplied your little into much?  Sometimes I don’t have much, nothing much at all. I’m challenged for inspiration. I’m challenged for time. I’m challenged for words (and this coming from the woman who wrestles with word count, generally having far too many).

How has God multiplied your little into much? (T. Stella)Truth be told, I don’t have much to offer in this blog post. I’m a day late, and probably more than a dollar short.  Honestly, this has never happened where I have nothing – nothing at all to go on. Normally, I’ll have a sense of what God wants to say.  All too often I have more ideas than I know what to do with. But I’m really at a loss.

Sigh.

So this is my little. I’ll show up.  Let’s see (and hope and pray) that God multiplies it into much.  I only have a fish snack and not enough to feed thousands.  What’s a woman to do?

Give the basket to God. Let Him do what only He can do …. And stay out of His way.  That’s my prayer. Help me stay out of Your way, God.

I’m reading an interesting book called, God Secrets by Shawn Bolz. It’s fascinating.  It is teaching me how to connect to God’s heart more and more.

God is faithful to teach us as we stay connected to Him, rooted and planted in the nutrient rich soil of His Word which guides us into all truth and gives us a godly perspective as we navigate this big, bad, sometimes scary world. There are times of uncertainty. We don’t know what the future holds (hear on earth). We know eternity is ours if we are in Christ. But what about the hear and now? What about the going through of each day as an ambassador of Christ in a frightened world more inclined to slander and insults, hatred and unrest than love and kindness, peace and joy.

How do we act in light of all that the world has to offer? There is sadness, despair, terror and fright. There is hope dashed against the rocks.  According to Annie, “It’s a hard knock life.” And sometimes it is.

I can look upon what the world’s people are doing to one another, and it saddens my heart.  I can look upon what the church’s people are doing to one another, and that saddens my heart sometimes too.  I can look in the mirror at my own unkindness sometimes and that is the saddest (to me) of all. I should know better. The fact is, I do. I just don’t always listen to that still, small voice. I try. But sometimes I can’t hear a word He is saying because I’m too busy speaking to let Him get a word in edgewise.

This is our lot.

Or is it?

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.─Galatians 5:22-23 The Message

What fruit speaks to you most? Affection for others? Exuberance about life? Serenity? Willingness to stick with things? A sense of compassion in the heart? A basic conviction of holiness that permeates things and people? Loyal commitments? No need to force your way in life? Able to marshal and direct our energies wisely?

It’s all good. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all lived our lives in light of this truth?

After first coming to Christ, I would have said the most precious gift God gave me was Serenity. Coming from a tumultuous life, serenity felt safe. Finally safe. My need for safety was mostly emotional, and being tucked in God’s loving arms gave me His precious gift of peace. Praise Jesus!

Today, when I was reading through the list, I sensed Exuberance about Life. I DO want to live a life exuberant, lit up for Christ. There have been seasons where I felt like I embraced that exuberance. There have been others when I’ve chosen what is safe, or just what would cost me little (or less). I don’t want a languishing life, but sometimes I’m tired. Being tired and time aren’t really luxuries we have, at least not here on earth.

God has a harvest He wants to bring. The soil needs to be tilled. It is not prepared, or not enough, to receive Him. If anything, it is getting harder. I see it. I got a prayer picture of hard, cracked, parched soil.  The soil needs to be overturned, disrupted, and exposed to Christ (not exposed to shame or exposed in a publicly vulnerable way).  Exposed to Christ and His immeasurable LOVE.  As God tills the soil, HE will water it well.  HE will nourish it.  HE will tend to it. HE will bring the harvest.

We may never see our part of His overall, over-arching plan this side of heaven. Oh, sometimes He will give us glimpses to encourage us, to strengthen us. But others … He may keep that secret until we stand before Him, face-to-face in the radiance of His glory in heaven and His holy presence forever and ever.  He wants us all to be gathered like wheat and safely stored in His barn. Sadly, not every seed will desire to grow. But we can pray that the seeds grow so large that an eagle nests in it. Strong. Spiritually certain, because that’s what faith can do.

 “He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you’ll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I’ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.’”

Another story. “God’s kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it.”─Matthew 13:29-31 The Message

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

And don’t forget to stop by in the weeks ahead to see what Jennifer, Kim, and our guest contributor have to say. I can’t wait to see how God multiplies their little into much!

Please share how God does that in your life. It would encourage our hearts much!

Signature Image: Tracy Stella