Christmas Memories..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Christmas Memories

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 2:1-20

The first Christmas I remember was when I was three years old. My aunts and uncles came to visit, and when they opened the trunk of the car, I discovered that it was full of presents—and all of them were for me! I’m sure you, too, can recall memories from past Christmases, whether good or bad. There’s just something about that day that sticks in our minds.

You can be sure that all of the people who experienced the first Christmas never forgot it. Joseph remembered the weight of responsibility on his shoulders as he cared for Mary during their journey and searched for a place where she could give birth. And we can imagine that the shepherds often replayed in their minds the scene of glorious angels and the sight of the newborn Messiah. But Scripture mentions only one who “treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart” (v. 19). Mary had carried this baby in her womb for nine months, but now she saw what no one else had ever seen—the face of God!

What was it like to see deity displayed in the body of a newborn baby? Though we can never see what Mary saw, we can each remember when we first recognized our Savior—the moment we realized He died for us.

This Christmas, take time to remember when you first met Jesus. What was going on in your life? How did you feel after accepting His offer of forgiveness? How has your life changed since that day? Now imagine what it will be like when you finally see Him face to face in heaven.

Sensitivity in Busyness..... Craig Denison

 

Sensitivity in Busyness

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

The Christmas season is a powerful and unique time of year to remember that Jesus came to make a way for us to be near God. In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus built a bridge between us and God allowing us to have continual, unhindered communion with our Creator. But God can’t force us into nearness with him. Even as believers filled with the Holy Spirit, we can choose to live as if God is still far off. So this Christmas season, may we choose to open our hearts to the living God that we might experience fullness of joy in his loving presence.

Scripture:

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

Devotional:

In Ephesians 5:15-17 Paul writes, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Do you ever feel like your days are evil? Do you ever feel like the busyness of your life rules you?

Society today loves busyness. We love to fill our plates to the brim and find purpose in what we’re doing rather than why we’re doing it. We speak ill of our own lives, as if we have no choice in the ways we spend our time. We talk about how church, work, family, and friends all pull from us as if the word “no” didn’t exist. And the season of Christmas can be even worse! With finishing work up to be able to take time off and the stress of family, parties, and expectations, Christmas can be one of the busiest times of the year.

Maybe God would have you set better boundaries this season. Or maybe he would have you do everything you’re doing. Only you and the Holy Spirit can know. But regardless of how busy you are, the key to walking in the joy and peace of God is sensitivity.

Even in the most rushed times of life, God is there, beckoning you to let him in to all your doing and feeling that you might do life with him. Even in difficult relationships and too much work, God has wisdom and truth for you that you might have a better perspective on life.

Through the power of the Spirit you can take ownership of your life. By God’s grace you can walk wisely and make every moment a chance to see God’s kingdom come both in your life and the lives of others. Your ears have been opened to the voice of God by the filling of the Spirit. Your nature as a believer is one filled and fed by the very presence of God. You have life within you, the glory of God manifest as the fruit of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Take time today to hear the voice of God. Find God’s heart that you might be sensitive to what he’s saying and where he’s leading, even in the busyness of today. May you find rest for your soul that transcends your circumstances as God fills your every moment with his loving-kindness.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the availability and importance of being sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

2. What truth would God have you know today? What perspective would he give you on your life? Ask him for wisdom and vision. Take some time to listen to God. 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

3. Rest in the presence of God. Discover his nearness that you might stay connected to him throughout your day today.

“But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” Psalm 73:28

God longs to be a refuge for you. He longs to be a shelter to which you can run when life overwhelms you from any and all fronts. He longs to speak peace over your heart when storms arise. He longs to wrap you up with wisdom and love that you might walk a path laid out before you by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Peace and joy are yours in the Spirit if you will grab hold of him today and trust him with all you are. May you be sensitive to who God is and all he’s doing—even in the midst of busyness.

Extended Reading: Psalm 91

Learning To Enjoy the “Good Old Days” Today..... MEREDITH HOUSTON CARR

 Learning To Enjoy the “Good Old Days” Today

MEREDITH HOUSTON CARR

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

I saw him standing at the end of our shared driveway, gingerly placing a letter in the mailbox. I wanted to wave and drive on by — but at the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I stopped to chat with my neighbor.

We covered a few pleasantries and caught up on each other’s lives before wrapping up our conversation. With tears in his eyes, my neighbor smiled at my young daughter in the back seat and said to me, “Enjoy this season. These really are the good old days.”

The urgency in his voice struck me, and I chewed on his words as I headed for the carpool line. Honestly, he held a perspective I struggled to understand. These are the good old days? I thought. “Summer mom craziness” had worn me thin, and all I could think was that life would be better when all my children were in school. Or when they were a bit older. Or when this pandemic passed and life went back to “normal” again.

But as I listened to my daughter sing happily from her car seat, my neighbor’s wise words pierced my weary heart. When these days are but a memory, I won’t remember all the piles of laundry and grating kid shows and food crumbs all over the car. Instead, I will remember my daughter’s sweet voice and the excited after-school chatter of my older children. I’ll recall their tiny hands and precious expressions and bedtime prayers.

And I will miss it all.

Silent tears fell as the Lord gently convicted me of how deeply I’d fallen into the trap of thinking, “Life will be better when …”

I wonder if you’ve ever tumbled into this trap? Maybe you’re in it now. Like me, you’re so focused on the future that you’re missing the good right in front of you. I believe we all have a propensity to idealize the future — and in the sometimes underwhelming light of today, we think tomorrow holds the keys to happiness.

Much to our enemy’s delight, we end up discontented, disappointed and determined that one day we’ll find the joy and peace we desire. As a result, we miss all God is trying to teach us today. So what’s a Jesus-loving gal to do?

Thankfully, today’s key verse helps us embrace the present and escape the trap of always looking ahead. Written by Moses, Psalm 90 beautifully laments the trials we face while also directing our hearts back to God Almighty, our rock-solid source of hope. In verse 12, Moses writes:

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

In one simple sentence, Moses reminds us of what’s true: Our lives are short and fleeting! In the humdrum of our daily routines, it might feel like we’ll always have tomorrow — yet today might be all we’re given.

But we can learn to “number our days” by adopting a new perspective. Numbering our days means we recognize that each day holds immense value in and of itself. It means we wake up each morning with the realization that this day counts. This day has a divine purpose. Today isn’t merely a stepping stone to tomorrow.

I find it comforting that Moses prayed “teach us” — he acknowledges we must learn this skill! Numbing our days comes naturally. But numbering them requires the work of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit’s power, we can learn to embrace each day with reverence and thanksgiving.

And when we do? Our hearts grow in the priceless gift of wisdom. Wisdom recognizes that the ho-hum and the holy can walk side by side in a single day. It says, “I can be honest about my irritations and disappointments and give thanks for the sweet, subtle blessings of this day.” And wisdom opens our eyes to the truth my neighbor so readily saw: Indeed, the “good old days” are today.

Dear one, will you take a moment to stop and take stock of your day? Let’s grow in wisdom and refuse to allow the promise of tomorrow to block the beauty of today.

Lord, thank You for the gift of today. Open our eyes, and teach us how to steward it for our good and Your glory. May we grow in wisdom and grace today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Manger Was a Clue..... By Paul David Tripp

 The Manger Was a Clue

By Paul David Tripp

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. - Isaiah 53:2-5

In truth, that beautifully decorated tree, those gorgeously wrapped presents, and all that tasty holiday food, which make us happy during the Christmas season, are poor representations of the world into which Jesus was born and what his everyday life would be like. Jesus didn’t show up for a celebration. He wasn’t here for a vacation. His world wasn’t well decorated, and he surely wasn’t well fed. He came to a world that had been dramatically broken by sin, and his calling was to expose himself to the full range of its brokenness. This is where the details of Christ’s birth are important. It means something profoundly important that the cradle of his birth was a feeding trough in a borrowed barn. You are meant to pay attention to the fact that he wasn’t in a palace, attended to by servants. It’s important to notice that the first smells that entered his infant nostrils weren’t oils and perfumes, but animal smells.

These seemingly unimportant details set up a sharp contrast between our celebrations at Christmas and the true conditions of the Messiah’s entry into our world. Most of us would be in a complete panic if we had to birth a baby in such conditions. But none of this was an accident. These conditions were God’s plan. They announce to us that the Messiah came not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28). Since he came to rescue sufferers, it was essential that he suffer too. And his suffering wasn’t reserved for the cross; it started the moment he was born. Everything he suffered was on our behalf. He would suffer but not lose his way. He would suffer and not quit and walk away. He would suffer and not grow bitter and angry. He would suffer and not respond with vengeance. He would suffer without thinking, desiring, saying, or doing even one wrong thing. He exposed himself to our world, to live as we could not live, so that as the righteous One, he could pay the penalty for our sin and give us not only peace with God, but a ticket to a future where suffering would be no more.

Jesus suffered because he did not demand what was his right; he endured what was wrong so that we may be right with God.

The manger of his birth is a clue to what he came to do and what every day of his life would be like. The way God chose to rescue sufferers was by becoming a sufferer himself. Every moment of his suffering was done with us in view. Every dark moment of physical, relational, societal, and judicial suffering had a high and holy purpose to it: our salvation. You see, Jesus came to suffer because he came to be our Savior.

There’s nothing wrong with the shiny ornaments and bright lights. Your celebration of what Jesus willingly did for you should be a festival of overflowing joy. So celebrate the blessings you’ve received, the best of those being the gift of Jesus, by passing that blessing on to others with gifts of love. Eat wonderful food, but let it remind you of the lavish spiritual food that God feeds you with every day because of the willing sacrifice of his Son, Jesus.

Tell Everybody!..... by Anna Kuta

 Tell Everybody!

by Anna Kuta

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds (Luke 2:15-18).

Every December my church puts on an event called Bethlehem Walk, an interactive living nativity of sorts that takes people through a recreation of first-century Bethlehem and then through scenes of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Thousands of people from the community and even all over the state come each year to hear about the real meaning of Christmas. I’ve been a cast member almost every year, but this year for the first time I played the part of a guide, who leads groups of people through the city and from one drama scene to the next.

If I thought it would get monotonous saying the same lines, hearing the same story and seeing the same things acted out on repeat for 20 hours in one weekend, I could not have been further from the truth. One of my favorite parts was seeing the reactions of people in my groups to each of the scenes, especially the kids.

After the group watches the angels appear to the shepherds in the field and tell them of Jesus’ birth, we hurry with the shepherds to the stable to see it for ourselves. After we learn that this baby really is the Messiah, the guide is supposed to tell the group, “Come, let us go tell others what we have seen!” (From there, the group stumbles upon the three kings and points the way to them.) One night, however, I had a group of kids who were as enthralled with the whole story as anyone I’d ever seen. When we got to the manger, they crowded in close, eyes wide, like they’d never seen anything like it. They watched with awe as Mary sang “Silent Night” and rocked the baby Jesus in her arms. And just when she finished and I opened my mouth to speak my lines, I was upstaged – one little boy in the front jumped up and shouted, “It’s Jesus! We gotta tell everybody!”

Sure, we all crack a smile, but the little boy had it absolutely right. Tell everybody! The shepherds did just that after the angels pointed them to baby Jesus – they made it “widely known,” according to Luke 2:17. How could they keep quiet, having seen what they had seen? How can I keep quiet, having been redeemed by Christ?

If you, like me, ever feel unqualified or unworthy to share the Gospel, remember the shepherds. They were the most unlikely messengers of the Messiah’s birth – rough, poor, dirty; outcasts of society. God could have sent the angels to proclaim the news to anyone, but he chose the shepherds. He used them as the first-ever preachers of the Gospel.

Just as the shepherds could not keep quiet about what they saw when they found Jesus, so it should be for us. This Christmas season, share the good news – not just of Jesus as the baby in the manger, but of Jesus who came to save us from our sin.

Intersecting Faith & Life: With whom can you share the good news of Jesus?

Further Reading
Luke 2
Mark 16:15
Ephesians 6:19-20

A Prayer to Remain Steadfast Under Trials..... By Tiffany Thibaullt

 A Prayer to Remain Steadfast Under Trials

By Tiffany Thibaullt

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. - James 1:12

Little girls love to dress up. They are drawn to sparkly jewelry, and if they are blessed with a pretty tiara (though it might be just plastic) will excitedly wear it as they go grocery shopping with one of their parents. They wear their crown proudly, carrying their head high as they expect everyone around to notice their regality, their beauty, and their presence.

James 1:12 gives us the promise of something that only royalty can get. A crown. We, with not even one drop of royal blood in our veins, are promised a crown! And not just any old crown found in a costume box; definitely not the plastic one from the toy section. Oh no, not those. God has promised us that we will most definitely receive a crown to sit upon our head. We will be crowned with a crown of life by the King of Kings himself!

My little girls received a crown to match their princess dresses because I loved them, and I loved seeing them dress up and have tea parties. The way they walked, acted, danced and entertained themselves while wearing their tiaras brought me great joy. It blessed me.

Our Heavenly Father also dearly loves us. He promises to give us the crown of life, but James 1:12 says we must first do something. We must persevere under our trials. We must successfully walk through the tests that come our way. We must accept the word that God calls us when those trials come our way - BLESSED.

What?!? How can trouble, how can something hard and painful, how can that thing that we are facing, how could it be considered a blessing?

It is a blessing if we view it as such. You see, as the troubles come and we cling to the Lord, our faith grows. Our determination to stay holding onto the Lord despite the struggles we find ourselves in, strengthens our faith. Stronger faith is a blessing!

God is rooting for us when we remain steadfast under our trials. He is thrilled when we stand against the tests that come our way. Steadfastness is a blessing!

As the troubles continue and we grow in our faith and steadfastness, we will pass this test. That is a blessing!

God is proud to put that crown of life upon our heads, because we love Him and He loves us. Let’s go through our struggles and our tests with a new perspective. God is with us and He will help us to walk through them. He will help us as we grow our faith. Let’s believe Him in this. Let’s walk through the next trouble with our head held high, anticipating that sparkly, beautiful, priceless crown of life perched perfectly upon that lovely head of ours. Let’s walk through the next trouble that comes our way and face it regally. We have the King of Kings on our side. We are indeed blessed.

Dear Lord,

I love you. Thank you that you are with me as I journey through this life with all its troubles. Please increase my faith as I cling to the promises you give me during my struggles. Be with me, help me, guide me, draw me closer to you. Thank you for the promise that if I stand firm in my faith during the test, that you will reward me with the crown of life. Help me remember each day that you love me, that you are with me, and that I am your beloved child.

In your name, I pray,

Amen.

What Christmas Is About..... Pastor Greg Laurie

 What Christmas Is About

Pastor Greg Laurie

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. —Isaiah 9:7

As we look at our world today, we realize that part of the promise of Isaiah 9:6–7 has not yet been fulfilled. The Son has been given. The Child has been born. But He has not yet taken the government upon His shoulders. We do not yet have peace with judgment and justice. But the good news is that there will come a day when Christ will return. He will establish His kingdom on this earth. And it will be the righteous rule of God himself.

Before Jesus could take the government upon His shoulder, He had to take the cross upon His shoulder. Before He could wear the crown of glory as King of Kings, He had to wear the shameful crown of thorns and give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. The first time, a star marked His arrival. But the next time He comes, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, all of the stars will fall from the sky, and He himself will light it.

Christ came to this earth. God came near to you so you can come near to Him—to give your life purpose and meaning, to forgive you of your sins, and to give you the hope of heaven beyond the grave. Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or presents. Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree. Rather, Christmas is about the gift that was given on the tree when Christ died there for our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life.