December 31, 2023
Psalms 105:5 “Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth”
This verse speaks not only of what the Lord has done in general through His creation and power but also of how He has worked in our lives personally to bless us and help us. As we close out 2023, we are looking forward to a new year but we are called to remember the goodness of God and how He has answered our prayers, remained faithful to us, and caused us to triumph throughout 2023. Whenever God did mighty acts in the Old Testament, people would often build an altar on the spot as a testimony of what God had done. That altar served as a reminder to them of God’s goodness and whenever they passed by it, it spoke of God’s faithfulness to His people. While we do not build physical altars, we still need to have markers of remembrance whenever the Lord delivers us, heals us, answers our prayers, and comes to our aid in times of trouble. Some people make a note in their Bible, some keep a journal, and some just keep telling the account of what happened over and over until it becomes a well-known part of their story. How will others know of God’s goodness in your life unless you tell them? The times He protected you, the day He saved you, the miracles He performed to get you out of deadly situations, and the ways He provided for your needs when it seemed there was no answer are all His marvelous works and need to be remembered and shared. People sometimes remember all of what they consider bad luck or terrible circumstances and that’s how they view their lives. But for believers, the goodness of God far outweighs everything else because even when we have seasons of trouble, God brings us through the trouble and out victoriously. He never fails and this is what the enemy tries to silence. The enemy wants us to forget God’s marvelous works and the wonders of His grace, mercy, and power towards us. Spurgeon once said, “We are far more ready to recollect foolish and evil things than to retain in our minds the glorious deeds of Jehovah”. Let’s make it a point to remember what God has done for us and let’s remember to tell others of the goodness of God. Psalms 34:1-3, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
________________________________________________
December 30, 2023
Philippians 1:15-18 “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice”
The Apostle Paul writes here that people preach about Jesus for a lot of different reasons. Some preach motivated by competition among themselves, each one trying to gain some sort of higher position over others. There is a religious struggle among them as to who is the best, the most successful, and the most popular. It reminds us of the selfish ambitions of the disciples in Luke 22:24, “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest”. Sometimes there is jealousy against people who are mightily used by the Lord, by others in the church world as mentioned by the Apostle John in 3 John 1:9, “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not”. And then, there are those who preach from a place of love and goodwill. It’s not for us to judge people’s motives because only the Lord searches hearts and He alone knows why we do what we do. The Biblical response to all this is that no matter what the motives are, if Jesus Christ is preached, that’s a good thing and we can rejoice that His name is being declared. The Bible says in today’s verses that no matter whether in pretense, meaning an outward showing with perhaps dishonest motives, or in truth meaning sincerely from a place of honesty and excellence, we can see God bringing good out of it all. Whenever we get tempted to be discouraged or doubtful of the condition of the church and the message of the gospel, may the Holy Spirit help us to remember that God is on the throne, He sees and knows everything, and His Word will never return to Him void or powerless but it will always accomplish God’s will. The name of Jesus is being proclaimed daily in pulpits, by believers everywhere, over the airwaves of radio and television, by shortwave radio into foreign countries, and by other methods known only to God. He is still at work to draw people to the cross and He will not stop. As the Apostle Paul says here, “Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice”.
_______________________________________
December 29, 2023
Numbers 6:24-26 “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”
These are the words of the blessing God instructed the priests of Israel to speak over God’s people. We sometimes hear them in our worship services in the lyrics of a song or when the minister speaks them to the congregation at the conclusion of the service. They reveal the heart of God towards His people and His desire that they live blessed and in peace with the favor of God upon them. Even though the words were specifically given to the priests to speak over the Israelites, they carry a meaning to us because the nature of God’s love and desire for us has been made certain by the offering of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Three times “The Lord” is called upon to show favor upon His children and even though the Trinity is not expounded in the Old Testament, it seems to be foreshadowed here. Jesus speaks of the Father’s will to keep us in John 17:11, “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me”. The word “keep” here means to place a barrier or hedge of protection around something to protect it. Through the Son of God, God shines His light of love and truth upon us as the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. Jesus is the true light that shines into the darkness of sin. And the Holy Spirit, by the fruit of the Spirit, is God’s instrument of peace within us. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that God’s presence or countenance is seen in us. We can use the words of this blessing to make our own statements of blessing to speak to others. That’s what we’re doing when we say things like, “May the Lord bless you and keep you safe”. God has given us a Bible filled with promises and blessings and may He help us use our words to speak words of His promises and blessings to others, especially our children and grandchildren. They hear words of cursing and discouragement from the world around them and need to hear words of blessings, promises, and hope from God’s Word.
___________________________________________
December 28, 2023
Colossians 2:9-10 “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power”
This verse looks back to Colossians 1:15, “Who is the image of the invisible God” and verse 19, “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell”. We believe Jesus is God but it is important to understand that all the fulness of God, a term that means the sum-total of the divine powers and attributes of Almighty God was in Jesus Christ. When this truth is firmly established first in our minds and then we allow it to sink into our beings, it will elevate our level of trust in Christ to where we know that He is Lord of all things. The Bible says in Colossians 1:16-17, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist”. Once we begin to understand and walk in that reality it will open our understanding to the second part of today’s verses, “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power”. To live victorious in our faith, with the freedom Jesus intended for us, we must live knowing that we are linked and identified to everything Christ is. He is the fullness of God, He is the image of God and we, in Him, are filled with His fullness. That’s the meaning of the word, “complete”. It means nothing can be added and that nothing is needed to finish what God purposed in us. Jesus is completely God and we are completely a new creation and we have all we need to become what God wants us to be. Because we are complete in Christ, we are not broken, failures, victims, outcasts, unworthy, unwelcome, and powerless losers. Some people, even though they are saved, still see themselves as pitiful, bedraggled, and undeserving nobodies. But Jesus is the fullness of God, we are complete in Him, and we are more than conquerors. We are the children of God and we are completely saved, completely forgiven, completely provided for, completely secure, and completely worthy by the new birth, of all heaven has to offer us. It’s not that we are going to be complete someday if and when we get our act together, but we are complete here, and now, and forever shall be!
____________________________________
December 27, 2023
Ephesians 5:18-19 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”
The holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year is a season of debauchery and drunkenness for many. Booze is the fuel for their celebrations and parties and the statistics from insurance companies show that there are more traffic fatalities and accidents during this time which can often be related to people driving impaired by alcohol. The Bible contrasts being drunk with alcohol with being filled by the Holy Spirit and that comparison tells us it’s about what is controlling us. We’ve all seen the effects of drunkenness by alcohol and how it has the power to reduce people to their lowest, basest state. Slurred speech, foolish behaviors, blatant inhibitions, and idiotic choices are their patterns of behavior. Alcohol has the power to take the most intelligent, resourceful, and wonderful people and turn them into blubbering, embarrassing messes. In Christ, we’re called to a higher standard of living and God is leading us into the Spirit-filled life where the Holy Spirit powers us to live in a place of peace, joy, and honor. He lives within us and we seek the fullness of His presence. We want to be led by the Holy Spirit, taught by Him and have Him be the influencer of what we think, say, and do. The scriptures here tell us that we talk to ourselves with the language of the Word of God and we sing from our hearts, songs of worship and praise. It’s not a church experience being taught us here, but a manner of life, a way of living. In the world, people who follow strong drink follow the lifestyle it demands and they submit themselves to its ways of thinking, behaving, and expectations. People who follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit immerse themselves in the things of God and the Word of God. They grow in grace and faith and live their lives aware that they are under the favor of God’s goodness and mercy. This coming New Year’s weekend, the world will be staggering in the muck of alcohol but we will be looking back, thanking God for His faithfulness in 2023, and praising Him for even greater things in 2024! Our daily prayer will continue to be, “Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me to be faithful to follow Jesus”.
__________________________________________________
December 26, 2023
Romans 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost”
If we look around us at the misery of the world, the darkness of what sin is doing, and the failing, crumbling pillars of society, it might seem hopeless. Thirty minutes of the nightly news for a week or so paints a picture of gloom and doom in every corner of the earth. And then, there’s the 2024 elections looming ahead of us. For years, in the middle of the winter when everything was dead, dark, and frozen, the seed companies would mail me seed catalogs filled with pictures of all kinds of fresh vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers along with an ordering form and return envelope. I would start planning my garden and thinking about which kinds of varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans, corn, and peppers I might plant for the summer season. Even though it was dark, cold, and dead outside, the knowledge that spring would soon follow the winter gave me hope and expectation that it wouldn’t be long until the days got longer, the weather warmer, the soil could be tilled, seeds planted, and then there would be fresh vegetables for the table. I would make out my order form, mail it in, and get my seeds while the ground was still frozen. In the coldest months of the year when there is no sign of new, green life, hope for a resurrection of life abounds. In today’s verse, our God, our amazing, everlasting, and all-powerful God is called, “The God of hope”. He never changes and when the world looks like it’s falling to pieces, when it seems there are no answers to all the trouble, His Word never fails and that alone is the foundation of all our hope. There is never been any hope for this world outside of Jesus Christ and there never will be so to expect to be able to look to the world for any kind of hope is a dead-end street. But praise God when we trust in Him, there is the joy and peace of believing and the scripture tells us that by the power of the Holy Ghost, hope will overflow. There’s not a problem God can’t solve, no situation He can’t handle, nothing ever escapes His knowledge, and He is always with us to keep us steady, help us in our trials, and will always bring us through the storms. He is our hope and He is still the same as we move from 2023 to 2024. We have hope as an anchor for our souls.
_________________________________________________
December 25, 2023
Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn”
This little verse, less than 30 words, sums up the birth of Jesus and always speaks to us about the humbleness of the Savior’s entrance into the world. Born in a stable and laid in a manger, His birth set the course for His entire life. At one time in His ministry, the Bible says in Matthew 8:19, “And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head”. Perhaps seeing the Lord’s power to perform miracles and the throngs of people following Him caused this man to think that a life of following Christ would be one of excitement and adventure. But Jesus pointed out the reality of His life by saying that even the animals have a place to call home but He did not have a permanent place on this earth. His job was not for long because when He began it at 30 years old, He finished it in about 3 years. His only possessions were the clothes on His back and those were seized and gambled off by the Roman soldiers while He was dying on the cross. He died without a penny to His name, no property, and no earthly possessions. Even the tomb in which He was buried, He borrowed for only 3 days. But consider the words of 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich”. Even though He was rich beyond comprehension in Heaven’s glory, He took on our poverty and became all that we are except for our sinfulness so that He might lift us from our poverty into the kingdom of His eternal riches. The baby in the manger has opened a door into heaven’s splendor as described in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”. Like Jesus, there is no room for us on this earth because this earth is not our home. But our Savior has prepared a place for us in the Father’s House.
______________________________________
December 24, 2023
Matthew 2:1-2 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him”
There are many traditions and legends about the wise men even as far as giving them names. In Cologne Germany, in the cathedral, there are three skulls on display that supposedly belonged to these men. But the Bible does not say there were three and the Bible does not call them kings as in the Christmas Song, “We Three Kings of Orient Are”. Perhaps people have tried to make them fit the prophecy of Isaiah 60:3, “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising”. But we know they were aware of the prophecy of the Messiah, that He would be a king, and that He would be the ruler of the Jews. It’s wonderful to know that the Lord has His hand upon people in every place and that He uses people from the lowest shepherds to the gifted and intelligent like the wise men to fulfill His purpose. A remarkable thing is that these men traveled a great distance to see the Messiah but the religious leaders in Jerusalem would not travel the three miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to see if the prophecies they knew about had been fulfilled. It’s the same with many people nowadays. They will drive for hours, fly, cruise on ships, and ride bicycles in the blistering heat of summer for recreation but will barely lift a finger to acknowledge the Lord. The phrase here, “we have seen his star in the east” doesn’t mean the star was in the east but means “we have seen his start while we were in the east” and notice they said, “We have seen his star”. One of my favorite Christmas Hymns is, “O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” which reminds us that Jesus the light that shines into the darkness, and when we look to His light, we always find hope. This journey the wise men took to follow his star, may have been the most significant event of their lifetimes especially when we read that when they reached the house where Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were living, the Bible says in Matthew 2:11, “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him”. We can bow before the manger and we can bow before the cross but His Star still shines and everywhere Jesus is exalted, darkness vanishes.
____________________________________________
December 23, 2023
Luke 2:19 “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart”
The Bible tells us that the shepherds went to the stable and witnessed the nativity: Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in the manger. Then the scriptures tell us in verse 17, “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child”. They shared the account with other people and the Bible says, “All they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds”. Mary’s response was different and the words of today’s verse tell us she “kept” all the details of the birth of Jesus. The word “kept” used here means she guarded them as if guarding a treasure. Very few people see the gospel of Christ as a treasure and very few people value the things of the Lord above all this world offers. But Mary pondered all that concerned the birth of Jesus a word that means she would take all the facts of what had happened and compare them with what was said by the Angel and with the course of events that took place. Our unbelief is such that many people seldom think about the things of the Lord and most never meditate on heavenly things. We are sometimes so preoccupied with this world and all of our day-after-day routines that the Lord and His Word get pushed aside or we give God only a couple of hours on Sunday mornings. But what happened to Mary and the birth of her child were far from ordinary and were worthy of great consideration just as what God has done, is doing, and will do for us is priceless beyond human esteem. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:15, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them” and in Psalms 143:5, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands”. A quick prayer, an occasional, brief moment spent reading God’s Word, and an hour here and there in God’s house are not enough to treasure up in our hearts the priceless gift we have been given. Let’s take the Christmas Story with its birth of baby Jesus and our own story of our new birth into the family of God as things so wonderful, so rare, and so eternally satisfying that they are worthy of our time to ponder again and again.
_________________________________________
December 22, 2023
Hebrews 10:5-7 “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God”
These verses quote from Psalms 40:6-8 and they speak to us of the necessity that Jesus took a human body. It is a sweet story of the baby in a manger but there was something far more demanding upon the Christ Child. The infinitely Holy God can only deal with sin by destroying it and the only way to destroy sin is to destroy the sinner. He has no satisfaction in the sacrifice of animals because they could never completely identify with people and the fact that they had to be continually killed, continually brought the picture of sin before God’s eyes and also before the consciousness of the people. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:1-3, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices, there is a remembrance again made of sins every year”. When Jesus came in a human body, it was so that the problem of sin could be eternally settled once and for all. The animals were sacrificed without any willingness or obedience on their part as they had no ability to willingly submit to God. But Jesus, praise the Lord forevermore, came to this earth willingly, took a human body willingly, obeyed the Father willingly, and gave His life in our place willingly. So, it is declared of Him in Hebrews 10:9-10, “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”. The Christmas story is about the willingness of Jesus to come to our aid and to willingly submit Himself to all the Father’s demands to take away our sins. As it has been said, when He was in the manger, He was already upon the cross because that was His destiny. Because of Him and His obedience in His human body, we can rest in His finished work and appear before God sinless, completely righteous, and justified as though we had never sinned.
_____________________________________________
December 21, 2023
Matthew 2:13-14 “And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt”
When the wise men left Bethlehem to return to their country, God sent an angel to warn Joseph to take his little family and go to Egypt because King Herod would try to kill Jesus. It is uncertain how long they were in Egypt and guesses range from a few days to a few years. But the Lord’s journey to Egypt is a wonderful study of that country in the light of Biblical prophecy. It foreshadowed and prophesied by the Lord’s journey there, a glorious event of the Millennial reign of Jesus when Egypt will be blessed and saved. The scripture says in Isaiah 19:21-22 “And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them”. And despite the animosity we see between Israel, Egypt and Syria, the Bible promises the threefold unity of the three nations in Isaiah 19:24-25 “In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance”. Egypt, which was cursed and plagued and has lived for centuries in the grip and power of sin, will be cleansed and set free. The young child Jesus has already been there on a visit, as an Ambassador of the Father’s will. But when He returns as King of King and Lord of Lords, He comes with healing and salvation to the outcast nation of Egypt as the Bible declares in verse 20 “and he shall send them a Saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them”. The Christmas story encompasses the glory of Jesus the Savior who was, and is, and is to come!
_____________________________________________________
December 20, 2023
Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”
In the shepherd’s field that first Christmas night, the angel of the Lord appeared to announce the birth of Jesus the Messiah. The news of His birth came first to the lowliest of people reminding us of His mission as He declared in His first sermon about 30 years later in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord”. But the angels of God were greatly involved in the birth of Christ for the scripture tells us in Hebrews 1:6, “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him”. God sent a multitude of angels to worship that night, the word multitude meaning an army of a great number. The identity of Jesus was known to these heavenly creatures and the Bible declares it. When God called Moses to go to Egypt and tell the Israelites the Lord had come to deliver them, Moses replied in Exodus 3:13, “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?”. The Bible says in verse 14, “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you”. The revealed name of God to His people is: I AM. Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8:58, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am”. The shepherds and the angels of God were worshiping the great I AM lying in a manger. Psalms 145:3, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable”. And, in Romans 11:33, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”. Immanuel, God with us!
___________________________________________
December 19, 2023
1 Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”
This one magnificent verse sums up the incarnation and declares the deity of Jesus Christ. God, the eternal Spirit who is indescribable and beyond comprehension came to our rescue. The only true and living God who exists outside of time and who created all things took a human body and became a humble servant to the creatures He created. The Bible says in Philippians 2:7-8, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”. From our perspective, it makes no sense why and how God, who doesn’t need us because He is complete in Himself, would do such a thing. And the mystery as it is called here, can not be understood by human reason but must be accepted by faith. One part of this verse tells us that He was, “seen of angels”. This may not seem significant on the surface but remember that the angels had never seen God in any way but in splendor and all glorious power. But when He became human and allowed Himself the limitations of a human body, except for sinfulness, it must have been something very mysterious thing to the angels as alluded to in 1 Peter 1:12, “Which things the angels desire to look into”. The God of Glory, who can not be understood by human minds, became human and we can now more fully see and understand His nature of compassion, grace, love, and mercy as we look at Him in the person of Christ. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. God wants us to know Him, to understand His love for us, and to believe that His purpose for us is to forgive us and give us eternal life. And He wants us to love Him by following His example of the love He showed us that first Christmas morning.
________________________________________________
December 18, 2023
Luke 2:1 “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed”
For Jesus to be born in Bethlehem to fulfill God’s will, Mary and Joseph needed to get there from their hometown of Nazareth, a journey of almost 90 miles. And, they needed to get there when Mary was ready to deliver the Christ Child. God used a decree from the Roman Caesar to set them on the road to Bethlehem and that decree came with perfect timing. The mystery of the event that caused the young couple to set out on a journey that took them traveling by foot or with Mary on a donkey as tradition suggests, was an unusual occurrence because it required all people to travel to the city where they were born and register to pay tax to the Roman Empire. It was a great upheaval of people and an expensive inconvenience as they had to stop whatever they were doing and travel, some of them great distances. They had to quit working to make their journeys and camped out at night as they traveled or, as was the case in Bethlehem, stay in an inn or boarding house. So, Joseph and Mary ended up in Bethlehem, not of their own will but forced to travel there even though Mary was nearing the time to give birth. All the miracles of the birth of Jesus, along with the thousands of others that appear in the Bible and those we can testify to in our own lives point us to the workings of the Almighty God who never ceases to orchestrate all things according to His will. Without faith in God’s purpose, this life can seem to be a random, senseless mess of meaningless circumstances. Without knowing and believing God is at work in His creation and fulfilling His design leaves us hopeless, victims to all the forces that are against us, and ultimately losers in the end when death appears to reign over all creation. But trusting that God uses all things for our good just like the tax decree in the Christmas story, we can have complete trust and hope that what is happening to us is for our good and that our lives are following God’s plan. The detail of the taxation decree doesn’t say God caused the taxation process but it does say that He at least foreknew it and used it to bring Mary and Joseph to the little town of Bethlehem that first Christmas night. This same God is at work in us and the details of our lives and, the hope of Bethlehem is alive in us today.
__________________________________
December 17, 2023
Luke 1:54-55 “He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever”
These words, a part of Mary’s praise to the Lord when she met her cousin Elizabeth, speak of God’s unfailing mercy. The verb phrase, “He hath holpen”, comes from the meaning to lay hold on another person, to embrace them, and to assist, help them by partaking in their situation. God became flesh and the Bible says He touched us and we touched Him as in 1 John 1:1, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life”. It is very similar to the meaning of “succour” in Hebrews 2:18, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted”. The reason God became man was to show us mercy, something we didn’t deserve. But because of God’s great love for us and the depth of His grace, He purposed, chose willingly, to give to us mercy freely. Thayer’s Greek Definitions describes it as, “kindness or goodwill towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them”. Jesus offered the mercy and forgiveness of God to the Jews first but they rejected God’s gift and demanded the death of the Savior. Yet the Lord, rich in mercy, did not set Israel aside forever and promised to restore them. God then, since the beginning of the early church age, has opened the door of mercy to the Gentiles by providing us with favor through the faith of Abraham. As such, we are welcomed recipients into the covenant God made with Abraham. The words in today’s verses, “to Abraham, and to his seed forever”, speak both to the natural, blood descendants of Abraham and also to us who by faith in Jesus Christ, are adopted into God’s family. We speak a lot about this in our devotions because many people haven’t grasped that God does all things according to His Word. And our salvation, including our Jewish Savior, rests upon promises God made to save Israel and also the Gentiles through the covenant He made with Abraham. Praise the Lord for the promise of the Christ Child of whom the Bible says, John 1:11-13, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.
______________________________________
December 16, 2023
Luke 1:34 “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”
Mary’s question to Gabriel was not one of unbelief but asked from her perplexity of the situation. Gabriel appeared to her out of the blue with her having no advanced warning or any inclination of what was happening. When he appeared, he offered no lengthy introduction and began telling her immediately what was going to come to pass. The surprise Mary felt is reflected by Luke 1:29, “And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be”. Her next words after hearing God’s plan, was to ask the question in today’s verse. She didn’t argue against God’s plan like Moses who kept giving the Lord excuses at the burning bush as to why he couldn’t carry out his mission. Nor did she laugh like Sarah who thought God’s plan for a 90-year-old woman to have a baby was incredulous. Gabriel did something for Mary the Lord usually doesn’t tell in advance: How God will perform His miracles. He told her how the conception would take place. Sometimes we see how God is working in our lives because, with our eyes of faith, we see the progress of His providence. He moves things along, opens doors for us, and shuts doors to keep us headed in the right direction. He heals us slowly sometimes, taking us on a journey of healing and wellness that we can experience step by step and we know it is the hand of God leading us. But the miracle of Jesus’ birth is unlike any other. Isaac was a promised child and his birth was a miracle but not in the same way as Jesus’. Samuel’s birth was a miracle but not like the lord’s. Jesus Christ was the fusing together of God and man and was an act of God’s wisdom to redeem our fallen race in such a way that even satan, who was carefully watching it all, was dumbfounded. When we need a miracle from the Lord, because we have the account of the Christmas miracle, we can pray not, “How are You going to do it Lord” but,” Jesus I can’t see a way but I know with You there is always a way. Because, the very truth of who You are proves God is able to do the impossible”.
______________________________________
December 15, 2023
Zechariah 13:1 “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
The Christmas story is the revelation of God’s plan to wash away the sins of the world. The Bible says in Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood”. God’s purpose in Jesus Christ was to do what we could not do for ourselves. The Bible says in Isaiah 59:12, “For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them”. Then our hope is declared in verse 16, “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him”. Without Jesus who is here alluded to as the arm of God, there is no man and no intercessor to deal with our sins and transgressions. The world claims there are many paths to God but the world has no fountain, no sacrifice that can take our place, and no way to remove sin as if it had never happened. The cleansing power of God’s love is described as a fountain and Jesus explained it to the woman at the well as a well of water, a gushing fountain that springs up to everlasting life. Praise the Lord that the fountain is available to all who will trust in Christ. We sing about it in the old hymn, “There is a fountain filled with blood. Drawn from Immanuel’s veins; And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains”. For the Jews who have been set aside for almost 2,000 years, today’s verse, tells us the fountain of cleansing is in their future. The horrific trials they are going through right now, foreshadow their persecution during the tribulation where Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:21-22, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened”. Then, the child that was born in the manger will return as the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. And the fountain to wash away Israel’s sin, the one they nailed to a cross, will flow freely for His people.
__________________________________________
December 14, 2023
Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons”
The phrase, “When the fulness of the time was come”, means at the right time. It gives us the understanding that although God had purposed the birth of Jesus and the salvation of sinners in His great plan before the world was created, Jesus was born at the exact time when God had planned it. Our reasoning might question God’s timing because we know He has the infinite power and the unlimited ability to do anything and sometimes it seems He is slow to act. Joseph, always doing what was right, endured many years of hardships and injustices until God finally honored him and fulfilled his destiny. Then, God waited 400 years while the Hebrew people were suffering in bondage until He sent Moses and the miracles of the Exodus. Samuel anointed David as the king of Israel when he was a youth but then David waited almost 15 years until he was crowned king. In the bigger picture, Adam and Eve sinned and plunged the entire human race into sin and death and God waited about 4,000 years to bring Jesus into the world on that first Christmas day. But God’s Word tells us that Jesus came at exactly the right time. When the Bible says in Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD”, the Lord is telling us that He works according to His own wisdom and purpose and for our part, we learn to trust not only His providence but His timing. We don’t usually pray for the Lord to take His time when answering our prayers but we want the opposite: we want Him to hurry up and do it now. But just as there was a “fullness of time” for Jesus to be born, there is a fullness of time for all things in God’s plans, including how he works in our lives. Maybe we should change our prayers to something like, “Thank You Lord for always being faithful and for answering right on time” and, “Thank You, Lord, for answering my prayers the way that’s best and at the time You know is best for me”. In the light of today’s verses, the celebration of Christmas with the stable, the manger, the shepherds, the wise men, and the details and settings of that day and of that time, are more precious than ever.
______________________________________
December 13, 2023
Luke 1:46-47 “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour”
These verses in Luke, 46-55, comprise what we usually call, “Mary’s Song” and are some of the most beautiful words of praise in the scriptures. Mary spoke these words when she was visiting her cousin Elizabeth and the infant John the Baptist had leaped in Elizabeth’s womb and she was filled with the Holy Ghost. They reveal the heart of Mary and show she was not just some little country bumpkin of a teenager but she had a heart for God and had depth in her understanding of scriptures. Her words give all the glory to God for what He was doing and she shows she has wisdom about the birth of Jesus that extends far beyond the miracle of His conception. Bible students have pointed out that Mary’s Song has at least 12 references to the Old Testament and that her words sound very similar to those of Hanna in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Hanna, praising God for the miracle birth of her son Samuel, began her praise in 1 Samuel 2:1-2, “My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God”. God’s plan to use Mary and Joseph was not some random, haphazard action but their character and devotion to the truth were as much a part of His plan as all the other details of the Christmas story. Some might argue that it was just the Holy Spirit speaking through Mary and that she was just a simple tool in God’s plan but the Bible says in Matthew 12:34, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”. We speak what is within us and when we love the Lord and honor His Word and His ways, our words will be words of faith and blessing. They will testify as to what lies within us and when, like Mary, people have a mouth that glorifies God and is filled with praise for Him, they speak life and truth. The world is filled with those who are full of cursing, unbelief, slander, and wickedness. May this Christmas remind us that the servants of the Lord are called to a higher standard. May we say with Mary, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior”.
___________________________________________
December 12, 2023
Luke 2:29-30 “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation”
The Bible tells us about Simeon, a man who walked closely with God, and the Lord had promised him he would not die until He had seen Christ. When Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus into the temple to dedicate Him according to the law, Simeon held Jesus, praised the Lord, and spoke the words in today’s verse. The words tell us that salvation is not a church, a baptism, a confirmation, or anything we can do or say that is religious. Salvation is a person and that person is Jesus Christ. When we place our faith in Jesus, what happens to us is not something we do but what He does for us. He forgives our sins as if we had never sinned and makes us brand-new creations. Salvation originated in heaven, came to the earth, was born as a baby, and grew up to die on a cross in our place. Salvation was buried in a borrowed tomb and three days later, salvation arose from the grave with the promise Jesus gave us in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die”. It might seem like a play on words when we see Jesus as salvation but also call what happens to us salvation but it’s all one and the same. From our creation to our new creation and then our eternity with God as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, it’s all about Jesus. We have erroneously made it about churches, preachers, priests, laws, rules, programs, and all the other hubbub we associate with religion. But praise God there is a move among God’s people to get the focus back to where it belongs. There is an emphasis in the praise music and a lot of preaching that is proclaiming the name of Jesus above all else. Like Simeon, we’re declaring that Jesus is salvation and we’re testifying the truth of Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. To celebrate Christmas in its true meaning is to celebrate the ever-living, eternally-saving, and soon-appearing Savior of the world! The angel said in Matthew 1:21, “And thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”.
________________________________________
December 11, 2023
Revelation 12:4 “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born”
The account of Christ’s birth includes the attempt by King Herod to murder the infant Jesus. It is one of the dark and evil parts of the Christmas story and today’s verse explains it was not Herod who contrived the plan although he was the human agent who tried to carry it out. The dragon in Revelation 12 is satan and the third part of heaven’s stars are the angels who joined with him in his rebellion against God. The woman is Israel, referenced from Genesis 37:9-11, and her child is Jesus. Satan had known for centuries that the Messiah would come although he didn’t understand God’s plan. But as he watched the events surrounding Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the angelic host proclaiming Christ’s birth, the saga of the wise man, and the other aspects of the Christmas story, he knew baby Jesus was a part in something big. The evil King Herod with his pride and insanity was satan’s tool to try to annihilate Jesus. God sent Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to Egypt until Herod’s death but satan’s attempts to kill Jesus continued. In Luke 4, there is the account of when Jesus visited His hometown of Nazareth and a mob of people tried to throw Him off a cliff and kill Him. The hatred of Jesus by the Pharisees is shown in Matthew 12:14, “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him”. And finally, at the end of Jesus’s ministry, the plan to kill Christ brought a lot of people together to finish what satan started at His birth. The Bible says in Luke 22:3, “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve”. We sometimes forget that evil has a driving force behind it and the actions of people like King Herod, the Pharisees, and Judas reflect a greater spiritual warfare where the enemy is fighting against all that belongs to God. Praise God for the victory of Jesus Christ when He defeated death, hell, and the grave, and now He is alive forevermore. Satan didn’t kill Jesus, our Lord laid down His life willingly and in full accordance with God’s plan to redeem us and set us free. The baby Jesus is now the Champion of all creation.
____________________
December 10, 2023
John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”
Matthew and Luke give us the Christmas story from a human view. When we combine elements from both books, we get accounts of the human genealogy of Jesus, the annunciation of Gabriel, the journey to Bethlehem, the birth in a manger, the shepherds, the wise men, the hatred and wrath of Herod, and the other details that make the birth of Jesus Christ such a wonderful account. Mark completely bypasses the Christmas story and begins with the ministry of John the Baptist and Christ appears as a grown man, ready to begin His ministry. St John, on the other hand, is set apart from the other gospels in that it begins with Christ not in His human form but as preexisting creation with God and reveals Him as the Word of God and as such, the Creator of all things. We can identify with the Lord’s birth on a human level, even accepting His miraculous conception by faith that God has power over the natural order of life. But seeing Jesus Christ as He is presented in John takes a leap of faith that dives into the spiritual realm of God, into the mysterious knowledge of the everlasting God who is not subject to the nature of time and space but is the creator of time and space. It goes infinitely beyond our ability to understand Christ as the eternal God with such statements as verses 1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men”. There is a reverence when bowing before the little baby Jesus in the manger but there is an unspeakable awe when we see the baby as the earthly manifestation of the God who spoke all creation into existence with just the power of His Word and that Christ Child is the same Word made human. No one can figure that out. No theologian with multiple doctorates can explain it and to try will be foolish babbling. It is received by faith until that day when we behold Him face to face, all human limitations are dropped away, and He allows us to understand in eternity what we can not grasp with our present human minds. Glory to God in the highest!
____________________________________________
December 9, 2023
Luke 1:38 “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her”
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her God’s plan for her, this verse is her response. She replied to Gabriel that she was the Lord’s servant and she accepted God’s purpose for her. At no time do we ever read that Mary complained or questioned God and even when it came time for Baby Jesus to be born, she made the 90-mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a tough journey which took them at least 4 days either on foot or as tradition suggests, with Mary riding a donkey. It is no wonder that Gabriel told Mary when He appeared to her, “Thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” and, “Thou hast found favour with God”. Among protestants, perhaps because of the veneration some denominations give to Mary to the point of making her almost equal with Christ, there has been a push-back in giving honor to Mary as the mother of Jesus and the wonderful place she holds in the blessed Christmas story. Today’s verse tells of Mary’s humble submission to God’s will as she placed herself completely in God’s hands at the very first of her part in Jesus’ birth. We can only imagine what thoughts were going through her mind as possibilities became more and more real. Would Joesph still want her as his wife? And if they got married, what would people think and say when they counted the months between their marriage and the birth of Jesus? And, just what kind of baby was she carrying that would be called, “The Son of the highest”, and what did it mean that he would reign over the house of Jacob in an eternal kingdom? Yet, in all these things, Mary remained the faithful servant of the Lord and followed the ways of the Lord without fail. May this Christmas season, we remember with thanksgiving and honor that young virgin girl who gave herself completely to God’s plan, and through Her, we have a wonderful Savior. Nothing is given to us in the scriptures to tell us of the childhood of Jesus and the time he spent with His mother but we know the words of Gabriel to her as they have resounded through the ages, “Blessed art thou among women”. And Mary’s words in Luke 1:46-49, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name”.
________________________________________
December 8, 2023
Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible”
The angel Gabriel spoke these words to Mary when he was telling her how she would miraculously be the mother of Jesus and how her cousin, Elizabeth, would also have a miracle baby in her old age. The words, “For with God nothing shall be impossible”, are some of the greatest words of hope in the scriptures because they tell us God is unlimited in His ability to do what looks like can’t be done. And yet, there are people teaching today that the time of miracles is past. I copied and pasted the following statement from a church’s website just this afternoon: “The age of miracles has ceased”. How would you like to be sitting in such a church and hearing someone claiming to be “A man of God” teach you and your family that God no longer does miracles? If God no longer does miracles, where is our hope? Where do we go when illness strikes, our children run awry, or we find ourselves in desperate situations with no way out? Where do we find help for addictions and for people who are so deep in sin they are at the bottom of a pit? The church’s website goes on to say, “There are also those sincere folks that have been led to believe that God does perform miracles today, consequently they are easily deceived. But there simply is no reason for miracles to exist today”. If churches and their leaders don’t believe in miracles, they’re just a part of the growing darkness of unbelief that’s been sweeping through churches for decades with their forms of godliness that deny the power of God. The Bible is a book of miracles, God’s people are people of miracles, salvation itself is a miracle, and God is still saving people, healing people, delivering people, and doing His work in miraculous ways. Almost everyone has or knows someone who has seen the power of God miraculously manifested in their lives. This Christmas Season reminds us that Jesus’ birth was the result of so many miracles we can’t know them all and that the same God who sent His miracle baby boy to be our Savior is still proclaiming to us today, “For with God nothing shall be impossible”.
___________________________________
December 7, 2023
Luke 1:33 “And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end”
The Christmas story of Christ born in a manger is about the Savior coming to rescue and save a lost world. The world hates that message so much that there have been battles to remove all publicly displayed nativity scenes and to stop people from saying, “Merry Christmas”. Some people say that the “War on Christmas” is just something the media pumped up to have something controversial to talk about. But the phrase, “Happy Holidays” is pushed on us as being more “Inclusive” than the traditional “Merry Christmas”. The world has never wanted Jesus and even the celebration of Baby Jesus in a manger is the beginning of His story that resulted in Him being rejected by the people He loved and them nailing Him to a cross. It might seem that the reasoning behind it is, that if we kill God then we won’t have to answer to Him in judgment. But today’s verse tells us Jesus is more than a Savior, He is the Eternal King of Glory. We, in mockery, crowned Him with thorns. Soon, He will be crowned with many crowns and take His rightful place as the Almighty King of heaven and earth. Long before He was born, Isaiah 32:1 declared, “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment” and Jeremiah prophesied in Chapter 23:5-6, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”. The world that does not want Him as their Savior will see Him appear as King of all the earth and the Bible says in Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen”. Today’s verse are the words of the Angel Gabriel who told Mary about the Child she would deliver to a lost and dying world. Baby Jesus had a destiny far beyond what we can think or imagine. Isaiah 9:6-7, “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. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever”.
______________________________________________________
December 6, 2023
Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”
God loves to bless and use small things, weak things, and things that seem valueless to people for His purposes. 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah pinpointed the little village where Jesus would be born and said that even though it was a small place among the thousands of cities, towns, and villages of Judah, God was going to bring the King of Kings from that small place. The Christmas story is filled with such doings. Joseph and Mary, humble and low on the social order, were placed front and center in God’s plan of redemption. The birthplace of Jesus, a stable and a manger seemed a strange place for the Creator and Ruler of the universe to be born. And then there were the shepherds. They were the people God chose to be the first witnesses of His Son. Shepherds were the lowest on the rungs of society’s ladder and were despised and outcasts in the eyes of people. They were not even allowed to worship in the temple and yet God chose them to witness an angelic display of worship and praise and He led them to Bethlehem to meet Joseph, Mary, and the Christ child that first Christmas. Ordinary people like you and me have been who the Lord has used through the centuries to fulfill His will as the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence”. In God’s plan, stuttering men like Moses become great leaders. Unknown men like Gideon become mighty heroes. Shepherd boys like David kill giants and become kings. And babies born in poverty and humble homes, like Jesus, grow up and change the world for God’s glory. If people were writing this story, it might be about human strength and ability but God wants to display what He can do despite our weaknesses. Our testimony is that of Psalms 126:3, “The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad”.
_________________________________________
December 5, 2023
Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”
Throughout the Bible, God reveals Himself by His many names. But for believers, the name that’s above all names, the name that carries the meaning and weight of all the other names of God is the name of Jesus Christ. Today’s verses tell us that the name of Jesus is so magnificent, so enshrouded with power and glory that every created being will bow at that name and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is the Sovern Lord. Satan himself and all the fallen angels that followed him in heaven’s rebellion will bow their knees at the mighty name of Jesus and they will confess that He is Lord of all. The angel of the Lord appeared to both Joseph and Mary separately before Christ was born, telling them to name Mary’s supernatural Son, Jesus. The Bible says in Matthew 1:20-21, “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”. And, in Luke 1:30-31, “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS”. We enter this Christmas Season with the knowledge that the baby born in the manger was Immanuel, God with us. And we know Him by the name which is above every name: Jesus. Untold millions on this earth do not know Him and they look to other gods and other religions that have no power to save and no name worthy of worship. The scriptures tell us in Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. We have already bowed our knees and confessed with our mouths that Jesus is Lord. Let’s speak His name, pray in His name, worship in His name, and do all we do in His name. Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him”.
_____________________________________________________
December 4, 2023
1 John 4:17 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world”
When the Bible speaks here of our love being made perfect, it uses two Greek words which means absolutely perfect or, perfectly perfect. God’s love is complete and nothing can be added to it to make it better or stronger. God’s love can not be improved upon or altered to make it more complete because it is final. We may not always follow God’s ways of love perfectly but that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with the love, just the way we carry out its mandates. But as we walk in love, we are fulfilling God’s perfect will for us and it is the power of that love, that perfectly perfect love that will allow us to stand before the Lord with no reservations. The Bible says here, “That we may have boldness in the day of judgment”. It is not because we have accomplished great deeds, built big churches, or lived super holy, consecrated lives that will give us boldness to stand before the Lord but it is because God’s love was alive and working through us will prepare us for that day. When the Bible says, “God is love”, it’s not just saying that to fill up space on the page, it is describing the essence of God as He relates to His creation. Jesus, the human manifestation of the Almighty God brought God’s love down to us and God’s Word describes the incarnation in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Because of God’s love for us and the plan He purposed to make us His children, we have become like Jesus through the new birth as the Bible says in today’s verse, “As he is, so are we in this world”. How is Jesus now? He is perfect in love, justified before God, fully pleasing to the Father, eternally the Son of God, and complete in every way and that’s how we also appear, covered in the righteousness of Christ. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:1-2, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us”. The wrath of God will appear for only a moment in eternity when He does away with sin forever. And when that moment has passed, the eternal, perfectly perfect love of God will be all we know forever.
__________________________________________
December 3, 2023
Romans 13:11-12 “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light”
These verses are about preparedness, getting ready for the appearing of Jesus Christ. Today, Sunday the 3rd, is the beginning of this year’s Advent, a Christian tradition that marks the four weeks before Christmas when believers begin a sort of countdown to the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord. And, although we are celebrating an event that took place almost two thousand years ago, we celebrate as if we are reliving the Christmas story and each day we wait and watch with anticipation for that precious day when the Christ Child was born and laid in a manger. Sadly, many believers have abandoned this custom which began over 1500 years ago. Because, when families celebrate Christmas by remembering its meaning and do so by focusing on the anticipation of the first Christmas Day, it takes us back to the spiritual reality of the holiday. For so many, even among believers, it is just a time of decorations, gifts, food, and drink, and all done in a crazy, mad rush. So much so, that many people say, “I’ll be glad when it’s over”. But there’s another Advent on the horizon and it is to this that today’s verses point. Jesus is coming again. The Bible tells us here that the night of darkness is almost over and we should wake up to the certainty of His appearing. We should be casting off anything that is not pleasing to our Lord and covering ourselves with the light of truth. These words come from a picture of changing one’s clothing to reflect the circumstance. The clothing of darkness speaks of the works of the flesh and its sinfulness and the armour or clothing of light speaks of living for the Lord and doing what is right in God’s eyes. May we all begin today, with joy, to mark the days as we get ever closer to Christmas Day. And, while we do that, may we be aware that with each day we are getting closer to the great advent of our Lord’s second coming in clouds of Glory. Not as a sweet baby in a manger but as He describes Himself in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death”.
___________________________________________
December 2, 2023
Ephesians 1:4-5 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”
The certainty and security of our salvation reach back before time began. When the enemy attacks us, whispering his lies that God might cast us aside, that He might not save us after all, or that He might take away our gift of eternal life, he wants us to think that our salvation is fragile and that we might lose it somehow. But saving us was God’s plan before He created the universe. Before He created time and before He spoke the first words of creation the good pleasure of His will was already in His mind to make creatures in His own image. And then, after those creatures rebelled against Him, His good pleasure was to redeem them and adopt them as His children. It does not matter how you interpret God’s predestination, either from what we call the extremes of Calvinism or Arminianism, or if you’re like me and choose not to take sides, the splendor of salvation is that it’s the centerpiece of creation. And the centerpiece of salvation is Jesus Christ. The Bible calls Jesus in Revelation 13:8, “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. While all this is beyond our human reasoning, it anchors our faith in something that God planned for us, something that is precious to our Heavenly Father, and something that is surer than the earth we live on because it predates the earth. We make life’s meaning about material things, human accomplishments, and temporary pleasures. We struggle with death, money matters, continual concerns about our emotions and physical health, and quite frankly, loads of stuff that soon pass away. People sometimes waste their entire lives in misery because of things that happened to them and they are never able to glimpse the huge, wonderful big picture of what this temporary and soon-to-pass life is about. God made us for eternity and He planned our eternal destiny before He ever made us. And although we don’t want to take it out of its kingdom context, nevertheless we long for the day we see the fulfillment of Matthew 25:34, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”.
____________________________________________________
December 1, 2023
Micah 7:7 “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me”
God does not move or act to meet our expected time schedules. The past, present, and future are bound together in His ways and He moves according to the wisdom of His will and purpose. That can be troubling to us when we are impatient for Him to answer a prayer or help us in a troubling time. On our part, when He seems to be moving too slowly or perhaps, we doubt He’s going to help us at all, we sometimes try to answer our own prayers or scheme a plan to get what we want quickly. But the Bible often references this with such verses as today’s verse and reminds us to put on the brakes and trust God that He is at work on our behalf. Here’s what we know with certainty: We belong to the Lord and He is our Heavenly Father. He promised us that He always knows our situation and is listening to our prayers. He also promised us that He is always working everything for our good. We have to get these truths settled deep within us and confess them as God’s unfailing truth. Then, when we’ve done what is right and acted as best as we can to do our part in any situation, what’s left for us is to stop trying to force God’s hand and wait for Him to keep His promise. The Bible references this in Hebrews 10:36, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise”. While we wait for the Lord to move in His timing, it’s important that we thank Him and praise Him for what He is doing. Even though we may not see any evidence that He is working, we have His promise that He is and our part is to stand in faith, believing His Word. “Thank You, Lord, that You are working all things for my good and that You will soon bring the answer”. During the time we’re waiting, the enemy will try to get us to waver in our faith but that’s the time to stand firm, looking to Jesus and praising Him for His faithfulness. We might be tempted to take matters into our own hands or compromise our faith to speed things along. Instead, we declare Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”. Psalms 37:7, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him”.
___________________________________________________