What comes to your mind or heart when you hear the word “promises?” Have you ever had a promise made to you that was never kept or have you ever made a promise that was impossible to keep and to fulfill? Of course, you and I both have experienced broken promises on both ends of the promise. That’s why, famous country pop turned gospel singer, Lynn Anderson’s song back in 1968 was such a hit: Promises, promises, that’s all I ever get, that’s all I ever get. Promises, promises, that’s all I get. All you gave me since the day we met. You break my heart in two again I’ll bet. But promises, promises, that’s all I ever get, that’s all I ever get. We’ve all been let down in life, and we’ve let other people down, too.
AND then comes Christmas! Do you know that there are very specific Christmas promises that God made for us? Let’s look at some of these glorious and wondrous Christmas promises that He made just for you and me. The Mighty God has pledged troth, vowed and made a covenant for you and for me—our Christmas promises! He always, always keeps His promises.
For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
“For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders.” Just think—Yahweh would raise up a child, a newborn no less, to deliver his people to establish peace, justice, and righteousness! Now that is a promise to behold! “His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This child would become a man Who would fulfill the promise of these four amazing names, which express the essential character of this new, coming King and what He will do for me and for you.
- The Promise of a WONDERFUL COUNSELOR: The child will be a wise Counselor, the divine Counselor that will guide, counsel, and direct His people in times of distress and anguish. This Wonderful Counselor loves His people enough to become involved in their everyday lives and situations no matter how small or no matter how big. How many of us need a Wonderful Counselor in this season of our lives? How many of us need hope for our future, directions into our Promised Land, and His Blessed Assurance of His abiding Presence? Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:6)
- The Promise of a MIGHTY GOD: He is filled with Godly power to lead faithfully. His power will protect us against the fiery darts of Satan and even our own foolish minds. Our Mighty God has the power to preserve when strength fails, when promises aren’t kept, when all seems too overwhelming or too impossible. Further, He will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) The Mighty God has the power to provide, power to heal, the power to deliver, and the power to release freedom. Isn’t this the kind of leader we are looking for and hoping for in today’s world but can never truly find outside of our great, Mighty God?
- The Promise of an EVERLASTING FATHER: Our earthly fathers (including father-figures such as kings) live and reign for only a period of time, and then they are gone. This child will become a father whose reign will last forever. The promise of an Everlasting Father is one who loves us unconditionally, totally, and unreservedly, a Father who is always, permanently and constantly there. The Everlasting Father will usher in great joy, great love, and great hope as our Kingly Protector. Don’t we all need a Father like this since in most cases this Everlasting Father is so unlike our own, fallible father that we had growing up? Isn’t He like the true Father that we always have longed for? What a comforting promise!
- The Promise of a PRINCE OF PEACE: This Prince offers Peace, wonderful peace that rains into all the areas of our lives, our minds, and our hearts, that comes when all seemingly looks lost or destroyed in our circumstances and situations. His perfect peace is given to us as our Christmas Promise, as an anchor to hold onto when we are in fear, in distress, and tossed to and fro from pain, disappointment, betrayal, and broken promises. In Jesus Christ, we see eternity revealed. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. Isn’t this Peace something—no SOMEONE—we are all longing for in this uncertain, tentative, and faltering world?
So you’re not getting empty promises this Christmas. You’re getting God’s faithful promise of a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peach in your life! Hold these Christmas promises near and dear to your heart, believing that these characteristics of our Savior Jesus Christ are YOUR Christmas Promises to unwrap and take great delight in. These are promises that you can definitely count on!
The promises that Jesus Christ has given to us at Freedom House are based upon this promised character of the Christ-Child who is born at Christmas:
- We counsel through the Wonderful Counselor’s guidance.
- We rely on the Mighty God who has the power to heal every area of our temporal lives.
- The Everlasting Father is the good daddy who will be with us forever.
- And through the Prince of Peace, we will know His quietness and confidence in our everyday lives.
Freedom House continues to operate under our specific mandates and promises that the Lord has released to us. We want to share a brief update with amazing outcomes of those promises in 2016:
- We are to Proclaim Liberty to those who are spiritually imprisoned, to heal the brokenhearted, and to comfort those who grieve:
He has extended our reach to minister to more hurting people in Chicagoland, but also in faraway places like, Dubai, Norway, Canada, England, Washington, New York, and California via Skype. - Through the promise of Releasing Destiny, we empower believers to go forth in their gifts and talents doing good works, which the heavenly Father prepared in advance for His sons and daughters:
28 students are in our Course 201 and 202 classes this School year and are indeed flourishing as they discover their God-given gifts, purpose, and design, which is the ultimate goal of prayer ministry. - The promise of Harvesting Humanity, which releases His children into being mature sons and daughters for the great-end time harvest as the Body of Christ taking its rightful place in the Kingdom is manifesting:
More people are stepping up into leadership roles: 7 Small Group Leaders and 3 Shadows in our Schools and 5 more Counselors on our website ready to do prayer counseling ministry.
We at Freedom House thank you for allowing us to fulfill these mandates and promises, which were given to us by Jesus Christ—the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. We are blessed by the privilege and honor we have as we hold your hearts close while walking through your healing and promises. Freedom House says thank you faithful friends, wounded warriors, and our brothers and sisters in Christ.
As we approach the end of 2016, we humbly ask if you would donate a love gift to Freedom House that will help us to reach more people, to help us continue to fulfill our mandates and promises, and to release more of the captives that are hurt, empty, and in need of healing. We are living in challenging times financially so that Freedom House is being stretched in many directions while God our Father is doing great NEW things as well as DIFFERENT things.
We need your help, our brothers and sisters, to achieve what He is calling us to do. I would personally like to ask you to prayerfully consider blessing Freedom House this December with one of the biggest donations you have ever given, as we end 2016 and go into the New Year, 2017.
May God our Father bless you, heal you, and release you into YOUR fullness this coming New Year. May our Holy Spirit rekindle and refresh YOUR promises that you have been given for your life and for your loved ones. Remember: God loves to answer our prayers as well as seeing His promises being released through His matchless character revealed in Jesus’ coming at Christmas.
Merry Christmas and a Very Blessed New Year!
Thankfully and Prayerfully,
– Mari Anne Andersen
Write Mari Anne Andersen with any thoughts, questions or comments you may have: marianne@freedomhouseministry.net