THE MASTERS LIST Dean W. Masters

The Serpent on the Pole and the Cross of Christ

When Jesus explained the nature of His atoning death on the cross to the 
Israelites of His day, He appealed to what is arguably the most fascinating 
of
the redemptive symbols from the history of Israel's wilderness 
wandering--namely, the bronze serpent on the pole (Numbers 21:4-9; John 
3:14). The bronze
serpent is the clearest type of the saving work of Jesus at Calvary. Of all 
the types and shadows, there was not any that showed forth the principal 
work
of the Savior better than this type. Jesus could have pointed to the 
passover, or to any of the sacrificial types that foreshadowed His atoning 
death,
but He chose to point to this type in his discussion with Nicodemus. Here 
are 14 points drawn from John Brinsely's
The Mystical Brazen Serpent with the Magnetical Virtue Therefore, or Christ 
Exalted Upon the Cross,
Tim Keller's sermon "
Moses and the Bronze Serpent"
and Robert Murray M'Cheyne's
Brief Exposition of the Epistles to the Seven Churches in Asia
that are meant to teach us how the account of Numbers 21:4-9 serves to 
deepen our understanding of the Gospel:

1. The bronze serpent was God’s means of salvation for the Israelites who 
were bitten by the serpents in the wilderness. Jesus Christ crucified is God’s
means of salvation for everyone who has been bitten by the deadly venom of 
sin in the wilderness of this fallen world.

2. The bronze serpent was God’s only way of salvation for the Israelites. 
Jesus Christ crucified is God’s only way of salvation for Jew and Gentile 
(consider
the redemptive-historical reading of John 3:16 in light of John 3:15. In the 
OT the Israelites were loved by God and so given a typological way of 
healing/
).

3. The bronze serpent was a visual representation of the wrath of God 
against a grumbling and complaining people. Christ crucified is a visual 
representation
of the wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

4. The bronze serpent represented the propitiation of the wrath of God. 
Whoever looked at the serpent would know that the wrath of God was turned 
away.
The cross of Christ displays the wrath of God as well as the turning away of 
that wrath. Mercy and truth meet together at the cross; righteousness and
peace kiss one another in the death of Jesus.

5. The bronze serpent was a symbolic representation of the venomous serpents 
that bit the people and brought deadly consequences on account of their sin;
however, it was without the venom that caused their death. Christ 
represented those who were ruined by sin, taking to Himself a body in the 
likeness of
sinful flesh–yet without sin–so that He might, through His death, save those 
who by their own sin were poisoned unto death. He was made a curse for us
that we might receive the blessings of God.

6. The bronze serpent was meant to remind the Israelites of the cause of 
their sin. It was meant to carry their minds back to the Garden of Eden 
where
Satan came in the form of a serpent to tempt their first parents. The 
punishment for the sin, brought into the world through the temptation of 
that Serpent
of Old, was laid on Jesus at the cross. The penalty for our sin fell on Him. 
He became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

7. With respect to the serpent in the wilderness, the healing was dependent 
upon the word of God concerning His means of salvation. With Christ 
crucified,
salvation is dependent on God’s word concerning His means of that salvation.

8. As the poisoned Israelites were called to believe God’s command--and the 
bronze serpent was made the object of that command--we see that both the 
means
and the instrument of God’s salvation are typified. In the account of Jesus’ 
interaction with Nicodemus both the means and the instrument of God’s 
salvation
are pointed out. A crucified Savior is the means of God’s salvation. Faith 
(or looking to Him) is the instrument of salvation.

9. The plagued Israelites were externally called to look upon the bronze 
serpent in order to be healed. Sinners are externally called to look upon 
the
crucified Son of God to be saved.

10. The serpent was lifted up before the Israelites in the midst of the camp 
so that those who were bitten might look and be healed. Christ was lifted
up–first on the cross, then in His resurrection, then in His ascension, and 
finally in the preaching of the Gospel–so that sinners might look on Him and
be saved.

11. The bronze serpent was the central and all sufficient means of healing 
for the Israelites. The cross is the central and all-sufficient means of the
saving work of Christ for the healing of all who believe in Him.

12. Just as God chose a man, Moses, to lift up the bronze serpent on the 
pole so that men might look and be healed, God has chosen ministers to hold 
up
Jesus in the preaching of Christ crucified so that men might look to Him and 
be saved.

13. Just as looking to a bronze serpent was a foolish means of healing 
poisoned Israelites, so looking to a crucified Savior (an publicly executed 
Man)
is a foolish means, in the world’s eyes, for the salvation of a sinners 
condemned to death.

14. The bronze serpent was held up for many for salvation from the wrath of 
God and the deadly consequences of sin. Christ was lifted up for many for 
the
salvation of men from the wrath of God and the deadly consequences of sin.

The Christward Collective is a conversation of the Alliance of Confessing 
Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians 
like you.-

The Alliance is a coalition of pastors, scholars, and churchmen who hold the 
historic creeds and confessions of the Reformed faith and who proclaim 
biblical doctrine in order to foster a Reformed awakening in today's Church.


Inflexible Unbelief
By Skip Heitzig

Have you ever met an inflexible unbeliever? It doesn't matter what you say 
or how much evidence you give them for faith in Christ. They don't believe,
and they won't believe. It's like they're saying, "Don't confuse me with the 
facts."

In John 9, a man was healed who was born blind, and the chapter relates the 
attempts of the Pharisees to counter his irresistible logic. They end up 
responding
with a personal attack: "Who do you think you are to be lecturing us?"

You know, rejecting Jesus Christ is not always a matter of the mind. It is 
often really a matter of the will. A lot of people want to make it about the
mind: "I'd like to believe that, but I can't. I deal with reality. I'd like 
to believe in that fairy tale you believe, but I can't because I'm too smart
for that." But go past that smoke screen and you'll discover something quite 
different.

More than once I've engaged people this way: "If I could prove to you, 
unmistakably, that Jesus was who He claimed He was and that the Scriptures 
are true
and reliable and are the very Word of God, would you then believe in Jesus 
Christ?" You know what they tell me? "No!" (Not always; I've had a few say,
"Yes, I would," and I say, "Good; let's talk.") But when they say, "No!" I 
know it's not a matter of the mind, but of the will. They're not saying, "I
can't believe" but "I will not believe." It's an inflexible unbelief.

The unbelief of a searching heart is "I don't know, but I really want to 
know. I'm searching to find out, and if you can give me compelling evidence, 
I'll
believe." That's a true agnostic. That's different from the unbelief of a 
hardened heart. You can give evidence to a hardened heart, and they'll want 
more
evidence. Give it to them, and they'll demand more. They're never satisfied. 
They have said, "I will not believe."

So what do you do when you encounter unbelief?

To those for whom it's all about ritual,
religion,
and ceremony (see John 9:16-17), don't let it be about that. Make it all 
about Jesus. Don't get sidetracked into what one denomination believes 
versus
another, but instead say, "What does Jesus say? Who is Jesus Christ? Do you 
have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?"

To those who are skeptical (see vv. 18-25), remember 1 Peter 3:15: "Always 
be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope 
that
is in you." Ask, "Why are you skeptical? I was a skeptic once. Let me tell 
you my story."

To those who are irrational (see vv. 26-33), you'll need to bone up on your 
apologetics. Let me encourage you to do that. Move beyond where you are 
spiritually
and get a good dose of apologetics under your belt. Having conversations 
with unbelievers is fun as you watch the Lord open up doors in their minds 
and
hearts.

What about those who are inflexible and hard-hearted, who continually reject 
the truth? Stay away from them. Jesus said, "Do not…cast your pearls before
swine" (Matthew 7:6). Don't keep throwing out the treasure of the gospel 
only to have it trodden on time and time again, if that's the kind of person 
you're
dealing with.

And if you're the one with the questions, know that you can have a satisfied 
mind and a peaceful heart. I've known many smart people who have questioned
the
Christian faith
only to become devoted, committed followers of Christ. You're not the first 
to have all those questions, and there are answers. Just let go of your 
inflexibility!

Copyright © 2014 by Connection Communications. All rights reserved.

Thankful in Trials

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among 
the people.”
1 Chronicles 16:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
If you are a child of God, you ought to be able to thank God every moment of 
every day no matter what happens to you.

Have you ever stopped to thank God for the water that you drink? Did you 
know that in some countries in the world, the majority of the population 
doesn’t
have reasonably pure drinking water? Millions of people die annually just 
from water-related diseases.

If you wear a hearing aid, do you ever thank God for that? Some people wish 
they had a hearing aid.

If you are a student in the midst of final exams, do you thank God that you 
have an exam to take? There are many who wish they could afford college.

Do you thank God for your next breath?

ACTION POINT:
Take whatever it is that looks like a trial in your life today and thank God 
for it! Thank Him every time the thought enters your mind to grumble or 
complain.
Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

© 2014 Love Worth Finding Ministries | PO Box 38300 - Memphis, TN 38183-0300

Light from a Distant Star
Friday, December 19, 2014

“Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been 
born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to 
worship
Him.’...and the star...went on before them until it came and stood over the 
place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly
with great joy.” – Matthew 2:1-10 NASB
There have been many theories about the star the magi followed. But one 
thing is certain: This star was located far from earth.

According to NASA, it takes 4.3 years for the light of the nearest star 
(besides the sun) to reach us. The light from other stars takes much longer. 
For
some, thousands of years.

In other words, the light seen by those magi would have begun its journey 
across the universe years earlier, and then traveled across millions of 
miles
of space. Yet the path of that light was so perfect that it led them to one 
specific place: a manger in Bethlehem. The mathematical calculations 
necessary
for such a trajectory are beyond our comprehension.

When the magi saw the baby Jesus, these travelers instantly knew their 
journey was complete. Overwhelmed with joy and adoration, they laid down 
their earthly
treasures at His feet.

What do you think about when you look at the night sky? Many feel 
overwhelmed and even unimportant. But the story of the magi reminds us that 
there is
a God who is sovereign over the universe. How mighty is His control. How 
sure are His plans. And how much He cares for His people.

Today, that same God invites you to remember that He already has declared 
“the end from the beginning” and promises to accomplish His purposes (Isaiah
46:10). He is sovereign over space and time, and you can entrust your life 
to Him.

Join those magi and bend your knees before Jesus. Worship Him with your 
gifts, your treasures, and your life—both today and throughout eternity.

Today's Inspiration Prayer

Father, the story of the magi reminds me of Your sovereignty and control. 
Thank You that I can trust my life to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Further Reading: Matthew 2

Reflecting on Light

Genesis 1:4

Light might well be good since it sprang from that fiat of goodness, "Let 
there be light." We who enjoy it should be more grateful for it than we are,
and see more of God in it and by it. Physical light is said by Solomon to be 
sweet, but gospel light is infinitely more precious, for it reveals eternal
things and ministers to our immortal natures. When the Holy Spirit gives us 
spiritual light and opens our eyes to behold the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ, we behold sin in its true colors, and ourselves in our real 
position; we see the Most Holy God as He reveals Himself, the plan of mercy 
as
He propounds it, and the world to come as the Word describes it. Spiritual 
light has many beams and prismatic colors, but whether they be knowledge, 
joy,
holiness, or life, all are divinely good. If the light received be thus 
good, what must the essential light be, and how glorious must be the place 
where
He reveals Himself. O Lord, since light is so good, give us more of it, and 
more of Yourself, the true light.

No sooner is there a good thing in the world than a division is necessary. 
Light and darkness have no communion; God has divided them--let us not 
confound
them. Sons of light must not have fellowship with deeds, doctrines, or 
deceits of darkness. The children of the day must be sober, honest, and bold 
in
their Lord's work, leaving the works of darkness to those who will dwell in 
it forever.

Our churches should by discipline divide the light from the darkness, and we 
should by our distinct separation from the world do the same. In judgment,
in action, in hearing, in teaching, in association, we must discern between 
the precious and the vile, and maintain the great distinction that the Lord
made upon the world's first day.

O Lord Jesus, be our light throughout the whole of this day, for Your light 
is the light of men.

Family Bible reading plan

verse 1 Genesis 5

verse 2 Matthew 5

From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003. 
Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News 

The Christ of Epiphany

Posted: 15 Dec 2014 06:00 AM PST

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in 
the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2, NIV)

During Epiphany, Jesus is the Light of the Father, drawing all people to 
Himself.

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness the peoples;
But the Lord will rise upon you
And His glory will appear upon you.
Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
(Isaiah 60:1-3, NASB)

Among the very first people to be told of Messiah’s coming,
among His very first worshipers,
were visitors from a far away land and a different religion.
Jesus did not come as just the Jewish Messiah or the Christian Savior,
but as the Light of the World.

I will also make You a light of the nations
So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
(Isaiah 49:6, NASB)

Jesus is the knowledge of our universal God shining out to
every people and culture, to
every individual, for
every human need.
He is understanding in our profound ignorance.
He is wisdom in our foolishness.
He is God’s glory in our darkness and shame.
He is pure, beautiful, living truth.

During Epiphany, Jesus is the Light of the Father.
Come to the Light.
Walk in the Light.
Lift the light so that
all can see Him for all He is.
KenBible.com

A NORVELL NOTE by Tom Norvell
- http://www.anorvellnote.com

A Norvell Note

Vol. 17 No. 01 January 5, 2015

At Just The Right Time

Year end reflections invariably reveal the remarkable impact of God's 
providential care of His children. The evidence is impossible to ignore for 
the
conscientious follower of Jesus. If you have not taken inventory of how God 
has worked in your life over the last twelve months, please reward yourself
by acknowledging how God has stepped into your world at just the right time 
and in just the right way.

Remember how your world seemed to have no meaning when the relationship to 
end all relationships ended? You were devastated. You were heart broken. You
wept. You grieved. You wondered if you would ever laugh again. Then, at just 
the right time a new special person came along, filled the void and opened
new avenues of love and joy that you had never imagined.

Remember that horrible day when your boss told you that he had to terminate 
your employment? You were stunned. You did not have a clue this was going to
happen. Having to go home and tell our wife that you had lost your job was 
the worst day of your life. Then, at the just the right time when you were 
not
sure how you were going to pay your mortgage and health insurance, you got a 
call from company offering you a new job, with a higher salary, and better
working conditions.

Remember that afternoon when your daughter received the rejection from the 
university she had dreamed of attending? She dropped the letter, burst into
tears, went into her room, and did not come out for hours. She was 
embarrassed. She was angry. She was sad. She was confused. There was nothing 
you could
do to make things better. You prayed for her. You listened to her when she 
wanted to talk. Then, one day when she was at her lowest, at just the right
time, she received an acceptance letter and an offer for a full-scholarship 
at another university. She started in the fall, has a wonderful roommate,
and cannot imagine being at the other school.

Remember that Sunday at church when the minister announced he had accepted a 
ministry position with another church in another state? The whole church was
shocked. He had been here for years. He is the only minister your family has 
ever known. You wondered if the church would survive. Then, at just the 
right
time when you were discouraged and many o the members were grumbling and 
complaining about how things were, the new man showed up. You loved him 
immediately.
His fresh vision and loving ways has brought new life and vitality to the 
church.

Remember that morning when your doctor told you he had seen something 
unusual on some of scans? You were terrified. You immediately started 
imagining the
worst possible scenarios. They did more tests. Then, they did more tests. 
What they thought they were looking for turned out to be nothing, but while 
doing
the tests they discovered a tumor. Surgery to remove the tumor was 
completely successful. At just the right time when you did know anything was 
wrong your
life was saved.

Remember when you committed that horrible sin? The worst sin anyone ever 
committed. A sin you could not have ever imagined you could commit. You felt 
awful.
In your mind you could not conceive of anyone being able to forgive you or 
love you ever again. Then, at just the right time when you were absolutely 
powerless
you read Romans 5:6-8: You see, at just the right time, when we were 
still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die 
for a
righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to 
die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still 
sinners,
Christ died for us.(NIV)

When we take the time at the end of a year, or any other time, we are likely 
to discover that God has been working for our good in ways we never dreamed
of. And at just the right time He steps in to do what only He can do to 
change the course of our lives. Acknowledge His involvement in your life. 
Give
Him credit. Praise His activity in your life. Live the rest of your life as 
an expression of gratitude for what He did at just the right time.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2014. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

The Smallest Faith

It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
 (Romans 9:16)
Let us make crystal clear at the beginning of the year that all we will get 
from God this year as believers in Jesus is mercy. Whatever pleasures or 
pains come our way will all be mercy.

This is why Christ came into the world in order that the Gentiles might 
glorify God for his mercy (Romans 15:9).
We were born again according to his great mercy (1 Peter 1:3).
We pray daily that we may receive mercy (Hebrews 4:16); 
and we are now waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads 
to eternal life (Jude 1:21).
If any Christian proves trustworthy, it is by the Lord's mercy [he] is 
trustworthy (1 Corinthians 7:25).
In
Luke 17:5,
the apostles plead with the Lord, Increase our faith! And Jesus says, If 
you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry
tree, ˜Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you
 (Luke 17:6).
In other words, the issue in your Christian life and ministry is not the 
strength or quantity of your faith, because that is not what uproots trees. 
God does. Therefore, the smallest faith that truly connects you with Christ will 
engage enough of his power for all you need.

But what about your successes? Does your obedience move you out of the 
category of supplicant of mercy? Jesus gives the answer in the following 
versesof
Luke 17:7 10.

Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him 
when he has come in from the field, Come at once and sit down at table? 
Will he not rather say to him, Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and 
serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink? Does 
he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you 
have done all that you were commanded, say, We are unworthy servants; we 
have only done what was our duty.

Therefore, I conclude, the fullest obedience and the smallest faith obtain 
the same thing from God: mercy. A mere mustard seed of faith taps into the 
mercy of tree-moving power. And flawless obedience leaves us utterly dependent on 
mercy.

The point is this: Whatever the timing or form of God's mercy, we never rise 
above the status of beneficiaries of mercy. We are always utterly dependent
on the undeserved.

Therefore let us humble ourselves and rejoice and glorify God for his 
mercy!

For more about John Piper's ministry and writing, see
DesiringGod.org.

A New Beginning

Saturday, January 3, 2015

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was 
God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and
without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life 
was the light of men.John 1:1-4 NKJV
The beginning of a new year provides an opportunity to think about our past, 
and our future. As we think back, what brings us joy? And what do we regret?
What would we like to do differently?

The Bible has a great deal to say about beginnings. John declares simply 
that in the beginning was the Word. The Bible also makes clear that this 
Word
was Jesus. He was the logos, Gods revealed Word.

Through these truths, the Bible reveals a pattern that can apply to any 
situation: The key is to start with Jesus. To start with the Word. With this 
focus,
we can know that our hearts and minds are in tune with God. That we are 
building a strong foundation. That He will lead and guide us, and correct us 
if
necessary.

Many people say they are Christians, but fail to live according to the 
Bible. Yet, they wonder why they do not have the joy, peace, love, and power 
that
God promises. How different their lives would be if they truly focused on 
the Word, and make it their foundation!

This year, make a commitment to read and study the Bible every day. In your 
life, make sure that you begin every day with the Word. As you have 
difficult
decisions to make, fill your mind with the Word. Let it provide your 
standards.

The Word will give you wisdom, and will help shape your mind and heart, and 
give you discernment and a victorious lifestyle. And it will prepare you to
receive more of Gods blessings, today, and every day.

Today's Inspiration Prayer

Father, thank You for being with You in the past. I commit my future to You. 
Thank You that I can begin anew with You. Thank You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Further Reading: John 1

Eight Tiny Reindeer

At Christmas time we read and hear a lot of poems, stories and songs about 
reindeer. There are those eight tiny reindeer, Rudolph the red-nosed 
reindeer and the ones that ran over Grandma. Once a missionary who had 
traveled to a number of countries spoke at our church. He told of going to 
Siberia which is in the northern part of Russia. The missionary wondered how 
he could let those people know of the love of God and what Jesus Christ had 
done for them. Then one day he saw one of the men sacrifice a reindeer to 
their god. He found out this was done on a regular basis. The missionary 
then thought of the following Scripture from the book of Hebrews:

" Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the 
true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are 
continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach. 
Otherwise, would they not have ceased being offered, since the worshipers, 
cleansed once for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sin? But in 
these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year. For it is 
impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (
Hebrews 10:1-4, NRSV)

"But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he 
sat down at the right hand of God,â€" (Hebrews 10:12, NRSV)

the missionary told the people of that tribe about Jesus Christ and all He 
did including giving His life. The missionary told the people that Jesus 
Christ was their reindeer. All the sacrifices they had made were useless. 
There was only one sacrifice for sin and that was made by Jesus Christ.

We also must remember that the blood of eight tiny reindeer or millions of 
animals will not pay the sin debt for us but only Jesus Christ giving His 
life will if we turn to Him. Praise God we don't have to do anything to 
appease God to get Him to love us. God showed his love by sending his Son to 
live a human life then die on the cross, one sacrifice for sin.

At Christmas time it is nice to remember the manger but we have to leave 
there and remember that Jesus came to be our sacrifice. And then to remember 
that He didn't just die but rose from the dead to sit at the right hand of 
God.

Prayer: Lord god, we thank You for sending your Son as a baby in a manger. 
But we thank You and praise You more for sending him to be our sacrifice. In 
the name of Jesus Christ who lived and died for us, Amen.

by Dean W. Masters

Christina Fox / October 7, 2014
One Question God Always Answers

I remember when my oldest son first started asking questions about life and 
the world around him. It was amazing to watch him think through what he 
learned
and make sense of it all. Mommy, why are germs bad? Mommy, how does the 
car radio work? Mommy, will there be Legos in heaven?

The Questions of Life

Just as my children ask questions about life, I have questions of my own. 
When the storms of life come upon me suddenly, I immediately ask, Why is 
this
happening to me? That is followed shortly by How can I get this to stop? 
As the trial rages on I ask, What's going to happen to me? When will it 
end?
Where can I find the cause to keep this from happening again?

Questions such as Why? and How? are questions we all ask in the face of 
hardship and trial. I don't know about you, but my first response to such 
questions
usually involves searching for the answer. I tend to do what the rest of our 
society does when faced with a problem: I google it, search blogs and pins,
or look for the latest self-help book. If that doesnt work, I will worry 
and fret and then maybe find something to distract me like shopping, eating,
or watching hours of Netflix.

Yet Scripture shows us a different response. It shows us that we can bring 
these and all our questions to God. The psalmist had hard questions about 
life,
just like we do. He too wanted to know why difficult things were happening 
to him and how long he would have to endure them. He brought those questions
right to God in a prayer of lament. How long, Lord? Will you forget me 
forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle 
with
my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my 
enemy triumph over me? (Psalm 13:1 2). Why, Lord, do you stand far off? 
Why do
you hide yourself in times of trouble? (Psalm 10:1).

The Psalms show us that asking questions is a normal response to the painful 
circumstances of life. We need to bring those questions to God  not in a
defiant, shake-our-fists-in-the-air kind of way like the Israelites did 
during the desert wanderings, but as one who trusts that God hears and that 
he
cares. We ask these questions because we know that God is the source of all 
our answers. Just as our children come to us with all their questions, we 
need
to come to our Heavenly Father with everything that is on our heart.

The One Question

While questions such as, Why?How? and What?are all questions our 
hearts naturally cry out and are questions we ought to ask, there is one 
question
we don't want to fail to ask. This question is one that God loves to answer: 
Who?This question asks: Who will save me? Who will give me mercy? Who 
will
rescue me? Who loves me unconditionally? Who knows my every thought? Who 
cares for my every need? Who sustains me?

The psalmist didnt ask Why?and How long?and leave it at that. He 
stayed in the journey and moved forward, focusing his heart on who God is, 
what
he has done, and what he has promised for his people. As he dwelled on those 
truths, the psalmist found the answer to the one question we always need to
ask. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your 
salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me (Psalm 
13:5“6).
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief 
and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the 
helper
of the fatherless (Psalm 10:14).

As the psalmist concluded, God is the answer. He is the one who loves, who 
saves, and who helps. On this side of redemptive history, Jesus is the 
answer
to our question of Who?He is the answer to the deepest longings of our 
heart. He is the source of all our hope, our peace, our love, our strength, 
our
salvation, and our life. He is our everything and without him, we are 
nothing.

God doesnt promise to answer all of our questions. Like Job, we may never 
know why some things have happened to us. But in Christ he has given us the
answer to what we desperately need most:

Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will 
never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 
6:35)

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in 
heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28 29)

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you 
blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, 
our
Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and 
authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24“25)

We serve a God who wants us to cry out to him with all the questions on our 
heart. Sometimes he answers those questions and sometimes he does not. But
the one question he always answers is Who? And when we know the answer to 
Who? we've found the answer to the most important question we could ever
ask.

KenBible.com

New Post on KenBible.com - How Much of a God?
----------------------------------------------------------

How Much of a God?

Posted: 07 Oct 2014 09:55 PM PDT

I'm convinced that a question lurks down inside each of us that we'd like to 
ask God. We've probably never formulated this question in our minds, much
less in our mouths, but I think our hearts ask it. As we seek God in the 
face of our needs, whether big or small, we probe for an answer:

How much of a God are You willing to be in my life?

I believe God exists up there somewhere. I believe He is real, that He 
forgave my sins, and that someday He’ll bring me to heaven. But I have needs 
now,
especially on the inside. I want to know what He is really willing to do and 
be in me. How much of a practical part can He play, or will He play, in my
daily life? For example:
 I have anxieties that waste my energy and destroy my peace of mind.
 I need guidance and wisdom in a thousand hourly decisions and problems, 
big and small. Uncertainty and inadequacy eat away at me.
 The same old temptations keep returning, and they're hard to face. Can I 
really be the victor every time and escape all the guilt and frustration 
that
failure brings?
 Can I be free from self-centeredness to be thoroughly loving all the time?
 Am I good enough? Am I who I should be, and can I ever totally please God?

I've been a Christian for more than fifty years, and I grasp for such 
answers. I want to know how constant and how sufficient God will be in all 
such areas.

But I continue to make exciting discoveries. I'm finding that whenever I 
turn to Him with anything, no matter how daily or small, He is there, my 
refuge
and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1, NASB).

When I remember to take my problems to Him, specifically, simply, openly, I 
find Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or 
think,
according to the power that works within us (Ephesians 3:20, NASB).

I find a God who constantly prompts me to speak to Him; who hears and 
understands every murmur of my heart, every unspoken question, every secret 
shame;
who longs to draw me closer and never stops forgiving me; who, for His part, 
will never let anything come between us.

And I realize that if any silence is in my life and in my relationship with 
Him, He is not the silent One. The silence is from my own preoccupation with
other things. It is the silence of my indifference to Him. It is the silence 
of my unbelief.

What needs does your Father see you face, yet never hear you share with Him? 
What concerns does He deeply feel with you that you never bring to Him?

How many simple prayers would our God gladly, beautifully, bountifully 
answer if we simply prayed them?

How much of a God am I willing to let Him be?

Who Do You Trust?

Isaiah 36:5

Reader, this is an important question. Listen to the Christian's answer, and 
see if it is yours. "In whom do you now trust?" "I trust," says the 
Christian,
"in a triune God. I trust the Father, believing that He has chosen me from 
before the foundations of the world; I trust Him to provide for me in 
providence,
to teach me, to guide me, to correct me if need be, and to bring me home to 
His own house where there are many rooms.

I trust the Son. He is very God of very God ”the man Christ Jesus. I trust in 
Him to take away all my sins by His own sacrifice and to clothe me with His
perfect righteousness. I trust Him to be my Intercessor, to present my 
prayers and desires before His Father's throne, and I trust Him to be my 
Advocate
at the last great day, to plead my cause, and to justify me. I trust Him for 
what He is, for what He has done, and for what He has promised still to do.

And I trust the Holy Spirit ”He has begun to save me from my inbred sins; I 
trust Him to drive them all out; I trust Him to curb my temper, to subdue my
will, to enlighten my understanding, to check my passions, to comfort my 
despondency, to help my weakness, to illuminate my darkness. I trust Him to 
dwell
in me as my life, to reign in me as my King, to sanctify me completely, 
spirit, soul, and body, and then to take me up to dwell with the saints in 
light
forever."

What blessed trust to trust Him whose power will never be exhausted, whose 
love will never weaken, whose kindness will never change, whose faithfulness
will never fail, whose wisdom will never be overruled, and whose perfect 
goodness can never be impaired! You are happy, reader, if this trust is 
yours!
So trusting, you will enjoy sweet peace now and glory later, and the 
foundation of your trust will never be removed.

Family Bible reading plan

verse 1 Ezekiel 40

verse 2 Psalms 91
From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003.



I used to get really ticked about preachers who talked too much about grace, 
because they tempted me to not be disciplined. I figured what people needed
was a kick in the butt... I believed that if word got out about grace, the 
whole church was going to turn into a brothel. I was a real jerk, I think. 
Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

Is there anything wrong with reading your Bible every day? Of course not.

Is there anything wrong with wanting to pray every day? Of course not.

But here's what some of us do: We come up with a contract“ a plan of action 
that we think will make us better
Christians
and produce fruits of godliness in our lives. Then we get pretty proud of 
ourselves when we stick to the contract. We start to notice others don't 
have
contracts like ours, compare ourselves to them, and feel better about 
ourselves because we are "godlier" since our faith is being supplemented by 
so many
spiritual exercises.

It's a workout. But is it working out?

There are those of us who have made up a contract and realize that everyone 
else in the world could probably keep this contract except us. So we suck it
up, make a new spiritual New Year's resolution, and try again (or finally 
give it up) because deep down, we know we stink at contracts. So each 
morning
we wake up and count up the number of failures from the day before, and 
pretty soon we feel like the bottom turd in the manure pile of spiritual 
immaturity.

Whether we're really proud of ourselves or really beating ourselves up 
doesn't matter. Contracts with ourselves never end well. The end is either 
self-righteousness
or self-condemnation. The same thing is missing from both scenarios  
Jesus  faith, trust, and intimacy with Jesus who alone can lead us in the 
dance.

By saying we need to supplement our faith with works and contracts, what we 
are really saying is Jesus isn't enough.

"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and 
whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
(John 6:35)

No, Jesus really is enough. And not just enough  He becomes more than we 
could ever imagine when we say no to contracts and walk with Him by faith, 
moment
by moment, song by song.

Jesus, I know You are enough. I have this memorized but not internalized. I 
desire more more intimacy, more adventure  but rather than turning to 
You,
I fill up with the latest spiritual workout. I'm shredding the contract “ 
whatever deal I've made with myself, I'm ripping it up. It's just You and 
me.
And that's exactly enough. Now... lead me please...

Listen to Pete, Jill & Stuart Briscoe on the
Telling the Truth broadcast
at OnePlace.com

A New Year's Resolution!
(Matthew Henry)

"My times are in Your hand!" Psalm 31:15

Firmly believing that my times are in God's hand, I here submit myself and 
all my affairs for the ensuing year, to the wise and gracious disposal of 
God's
divine providence. Whether God appoints for me . . . .
health--or sickness,
peace--or trouble,
comforts--or crosses,
life--or death
--may His holy will be done!

All my time, strength, and service, I devote to the honor of the Lord 
Jesus--and even my common actions. It is my earnest expectation, hope, and 
desire,
my constant aim and endeavor--that Jesus Christ may be magnified in me.

In everything I have to do--my entire dependence is upon Jesus Christ for 
strength. And whatever I do in word or deed, I desire to do all in His name,
to make Him my Alpha and Omega. I have all from Him--and I would use all for 
Him.

If this should prove a year of affliction, a sorrowful year to me--I will 
fetch all my supports and comforts from the Lord Jesus and stay myself upon 
Him,
His everlasting consolations, and the good hope I have in Him through grace.

And if it should be my dying year--then my times are in the hand of the Lord 
Jesus. And with a humble reliance upon His mediation, I would venture into
the eternal world looking for the blessed hope. Dying as well as 
living--Jesus Christ will, I trust, be gain and advantage to me.

Oh, that the grace of God may be sufficient for me, to keep me always in a 
humble sense of my own unworthiness, weakness, folly, and 
infirmity--together
with a humble dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ for daily grace and 
strength.
Feel free to forward these gems to others who may be encouraged or profited 
by them!
Grace Gems (choice ELECTRONIC books, sermons & quotes)

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - A Word With You
Daily Devotional
Looking Out the Wrong Window - #7239

My wife was on this airplane flight, and she was sitting in the aisle seat, 
and a mother was sitting next to her in the middle. And this little 
four-year-old
girl, the daughter of that mom, was at the window. The daughter had never 
flown before, so she wanted to be where she could see. So as they taxied out
on the runway the little girl was kind of looking straight ahead like a 
business woman. Then as they climbed up through the clouds; it was one of 
those
cloud-covered days, the little girl occasionally glanced out the window.

But when they got above the clouds, all of a sudden her nose was pressed to 
the glass; she's looking intently all over back and forth, and after a few
minutes of inspecting the sky, she turned to her Mom. She said with real 
concern, "Where are they?" And her Mom said, "What are you talking about?" 
She
said, "I can't see them, Mommy! Where are they?" And her Mom said, "But 
where are what?" She said, "The angels, Mommy! Where are the angels?" The 
poor
little girl! She thought she knew where to find these spiritual beings, but 
they weren't where she thought they would be.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Looking 
Out the Wrong Window."

That poor little girl! She searched, but she was disappointed. She didn't 
find what she was hoping she would find. She's not the only one this has 
happened
to. It could have happened to you. A lot of people are looking for spiritual 
reality today. They're looking intently, and they're not finding it where
they thought they would. You look out that window spiritually and you go, 
"Where is God? Where is this spiritual peace? Where is eternal life? Where 
is
the love I thought I'd find here?"

Jesus answers that in our word for today from the Word of God in John 6:35, 
where He declares, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go
hungry. And he who believes in Me will never be thirsty." Now, Jesus is 
addressing something that is throbbing inside of each one of us; this 
spiritual
hunger and thirst. It's what the Bible calls eternity in our hearts.

I think you already know that we need something spiritual to fill the hole 
in our heart. Maybe you would classify yourself as a spiritual seeker. 
You've
lived long enough to know that earth stuff and earth relationships are not 
enough to complete us. Jesus says He's the end of that search. We're always
seeking; seems like we're never finding.

Maybe in a sense you've been looking out spiritual windows hoping to find 
some peace and some reality. You've looked in maybe this religion or that 
religion,
maybe crystals, or horoscopes, or psychic powers, or whatever. You've 
checked out an unconventional spiritual group that maybe some would call a 
cult.
So many windows you could look through today, but each view has ended up 
unsatisfying and disappointing.

There are reasons why all the roads except the one to Jesus and His cross 
leave us hollow inside. It's because what we really need is not spiritual 
experiences
or warm feelings or beliefs, or even a caring group. We need to get rid of 
the sin that's blocking us from our relationship with our Creator. It's a 
sin
wall. The Bible says in Isaiah 59:2, "Your sins have separated you from your 
God." And what we're searching for is a bridge across that separation. How
do we cross this Grand Canyon between us and God? We're trying hard. We're 
looking in all these things, but we haven't found a way to get to Him.

Romans 5:8 says, "But God proved His love for you in that while we were yet 
sinners Christ died for us." See, only one person can remove that wall and
it's Jesus. Are you tired of looking out that window for spiritual reality 
and coming up disappointed? Where is God? Where is the love and peace I need
from Him? It begins at the cross when you say those two words with all your 
heart. As you observe Jesus' death on the cross, you say, "For me! This is
for me, Jesus, wasn't it?"

If you want to know this Jesus, if you want to get started with Him and 
finally find what has eluded you in all your searching, the One you've been 
looking
for, His name is Jesus. Then I invite you to go to our website 
ANewStory.com. There I will have the privilege of just sharing with you 
briefly how you
can begin this personal relationship with Jesus. That's ANewStory.com.

A religion won't do it for you, or an experience, or a group. See, you're 
looking for a love relationship with the One you were made by and made for. 
Why
don't you look His way? Because Jesus is everything your heart has ever 
looked for.
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. · P.O. Box 400 · Harrison, Arkansas 72602 · 
USA

Today's Devotional

Psalms 39:4, ESV "O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my 
days; let me know how fleeting I am!"

At some point in our lives all of us wonder what impact we have had on the 
world. We wonder what is the use of life itself. God has the answers for us.
Those who serve Him and work towards extending His Kingdom are making a huge 
difference. Think of what those who work with these weavers are 
accomplishing.
They are helping poor people to earn a living, and giving them a chance to 
become born again subjects of the King of kings!

Pray that people who fill our churches will understand that they can be used 
by Him to extend the Kingdom. Pray that they will make good use of their 
days.

Today's People Group

Ahmed's people have an ancient tradition of beautiful textile weaving; 
however, it is quickly being lost. He believes he can find a market for 
these traditional
textiles if he can only encourage weavers to continue in their craft. But 
Ahmed's vision is not just about preserving a tradition. He also sees the 
opportunity
to use this project to build relationships in this remote region of Muslim 
Central Asia where there is almost no witness for Christ. Ahmed shares his 
faith
in Jesus as he visits the weavers. He offers them audio Scriptures so they 
can be bathed in God's Word while they weave. They were vaguely familiar 
with
the Bible stories before, but now they can hear them directly from God's 
Word. He sees the impact of the Scriptures during conversations when he 
visits
his weavers to check on their work. Not just the weaver, but her whole 
family, begins to see their need for a savior and to follow Jesus. 
Thankfully, more
and more women are practicing the craft, reestablishing the value of their 
textiles and being exposed to the gospel.

While these women recreate their ancient textiles, pray that they will 
connect with their heavenly Creator who wants to restore them to economic 
and spiritual
wholeness. Pray for a great movement of the Holy Spirit to bring these 
weavers and their families to Christ. Pray for new markets for these goods 
so that
people throughout the world can enjoy what God has done through these 
Central Asian weavers.
Learn more at
Joshua Project.
Ministry to textile weavers in Central Asia
forward to a friend
Copyright © 2014 U.S. Center for World Mission, All rights reserved.

December 29, 2014 

Others and Us 
by Charles R. Swindoll 

Matthew 5 

"Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matt. 7:2). That single sentence is perhaps the most famous statement Jesus ever made. It is the "Everest of Ethics," as one man put it. In some ways it is the cornerstone of true Christianity, certainly the capstone of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. 

I appreciate the positive emphasis. Instead of saying, "Don' t do this," He says, "Do this." If you have wondered about how to get started in a lifetime of simple faith, here it is. 
The principle? Modeling must accompany our message. 
You want to be forgiven? Forgive. 
You need affirmation? Affirm. 
You feel hurt, wounded, broken, and could stand a gentle touch? Be gentle with others. 
You have discovered the value of tact when something sensitive needed to be addressed? Be tactful. 

The examples are endless. Unfortunately, models of such greathearted behavior are rare. Is it any wonder the non-Christian world looks with suspicion in our direction? 

The best part of the whole principle? It is so simple. Living by the Golden Rule prevents the need for laying down an endless list of little rules and regulations to govern conduct. Just put yourself in the other person's place and think, What is it I would need if I were him or her? And then? Do it. When you do, you will fulfill the essence of "the Law and the Prophets." 

Do you know the greatest message we can deliver? It is the message of Christlike character. No message on earth is more needed or more powerful. 

You want to impact your family, your church, your community, your place of employment? You want to make a difference in the life of your mate, a family member, a friend (Christian or not), some person in the workplace? Demonstrate the characteristics of Christ. 

It has been said that the only Bible most folks ever read is the daily life of the Christian. If that is true, I believe the world needs a revised version. Our problem is not that too many of us are being ignored; it's that we are all being observed! 

Words fitly spoken are powerful, but they are nothing compared to the power of a life fitly lived. 
Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

A New Thing – Teachers

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

Luke 2:41-47 (NIV)
41 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 
42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the 
custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, 
the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 
Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they 
began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did 
not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three 
days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, 
listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was 
amazed at his understanding and his answers.

The things in the account above may not be new but they are rare. At least, 
they are rare when compared to the way things are today. Could you imagine a 
twelve-year-old sitting around talking to his teachers? Today most of them 
would rather be out playing with their friends, playing video games or many 
other things. Today we do hear of young people who are super intelligent who 
have at least one college degree by their mid-teens. We hear of others who 
are talented in certain areas that are eager to spend time with those who 
can help them develop their talent further.

The one thing that might be new here is the way Jesus understood what the 
teachers were telling Him and also the answers He gave to their questions. 
Why should we be surprised at this? If they had believed He was the Son of 
God then they would have known that He was the Word of God.

Jesus is the answer to all our questions. WE must spend time with Him 
through reading the Bible and through prayer not just to know the answers 
but to know the Word of God. WE can ask him anything and He will provide 
what we need. WE can talk straight to him and not have to go through someone 
else. WE don’t have to ask someone else to pray for us. WE can go straight 
to the throne room of God and talk to Jesus ourselves. Jesus told us to ask 
and it will be given to us. Seek and we shall find. Knock and the door will 
be opened.

All Christians need to have a time for daily Bible study and prayer. This 
may be a new thing for you but it must be done to find out all that Jesus 
has for you. Just as Jesus spent time with the teachers, each one of us 
needs to spend time with our Teacher, Jesus Christ, the Word of God.
by Dean W. Masters
Unedited redistribution approved 

Holding It Together

Once a year during the advent season, my friends and I invite our Muslim 
friends to a special Christmas dinner at our church. It is a night always 
filled
with deep emotion and God's Spirit. Each year, the crowd has gotten bigger. 
Our Muslim friends often bring their entire families. I make sure to have 
Sharon
and as many of our children as possible along with me. This year, I sat next 
to my Muslim friend, Ermin. As the food was being served, Ermin turned to
me and said, "We love your church. We have found nothing like it in the 
entire Chicagoland area, if not the United States. You are the most special 
people.
We feel humbled to be with you. In fact, I have recently determined that you 
are better Muslims than we are."

Knowing that this was the highest compliment he could possibly be paying me, 
I responded by saying something like, "You are the most wonderful people in
the world, too." But, he kept going. He was determined to tell me a lot of 
things he had been thinking about since we last met in our small group 
discussions
concerning Islam and Christianity. He continued; "Islam is in a mess in the 
world today. You just went to Egypt. I would never go to Egypt. It like so
many other Muslim countries in the world today is corrupt, chaotic, 
inefficient, unproductive, dirty, and dangerous. If there were a contest in 
the world
today for kindness, Christianity would be winning by miles over Islam. The 
ugliest side of Islam is on display for the whole world to see right now. It
is awful."

As we concluded our dinner, our pastor rose and gave a wonderful talk on 
Jesus the Prince of Peace within the kingdom of God, the heart of the 
Christmas
story. He then asked the Muslims if it would be ok for us to sing our 
favorite Christmas hymns, and for them to sing along with us if they would 
like.
They were delighted with the idea. Fortunately, we had many people from our 
choir at the dinner; therefore, the songs came bursting forth in a most 
beautiful
sound. For the last song, Silent Night, we turned the lights down low, 
highlighting the candles we had burning at each table. Tears began to flow 
down
the cheeks of our Muslim friends as they sang along with us. They were 
incredibly moved by the songs and the evening. No one wanted to move when 
the last
word had been sung. The Spirit of Christ filled the air. Hugging and 
embracing amongst the Christians and Muslims concluded the evening.

The next night, the Imam called me, saying he had just returned from taking 
people from his mosque to serve food to the homeless along with other 
Presbyterians
in one of the tougher areas in Chicago. For the past couple of years, he has 
told me he felt convicted that Muslims do not do enough to care for the 
poor,
homeless and impoverished. I had told him about this one Christian soup 
kitchen in the city. Completely on his own, he called that kitchen, marched 
down
with his friends and became the first Muslim group to join other Christians 
serving the hungry. He also told me that he and his group will return in 
early
January to serve the homeless on the prophet Muhammad's birthday. I could 
only smile, thank God, and marvel at the way our Muslim friends are 
discovering
the beauty and path of Jesus - all on their own.

Without Christ to hold together our own lives, we become a mess, too. As 
hard as we may try to be integrity-filled, honest, and true, without Christ 
holding
us together, we fail ourselves and others - every time. Our Muslim friends 
are very close to embracing this truth. There is a reason Jesus spent so 
much
time talking about hypocrisy in the Gospels. Hypocrisy happens when we try 
to be consistent, honest, and integrity-filled on our own - without God's 
help.
There is only one spirit that can fully integrate our souls, help us be 
consistent, stay in the truth, and be strong. It is the Holy Spirit of God. 
God
has determined that we need help from the inside out.

When I was in the United Arab Emirates last month, I was face-to-face with 
an Iranian Muslim who had just become a follower of Christ. He told me that
in his past he was a member of the special police force that guarded the 
inner circle of Muslim clerics and government officials of the Ayatollah's 
regime.
He told me story after story of these officials being filled with hypocrisy; 
appearing so holy and devout on the outside, but pursuing numerous worldly
pleasures on the inside. In fact, his job at times was to guard the public 
from knowing what was happening behind closed doors. He said that this kind
of attitude was prevalent throughout Iran, especially in the abusive 
behavior of many male employers with women employees. He told me that when 
he accepted
Christ into his heart, he discovered a new "power and light" in his life 
that made his ability to pursue higher morals and character possible. He 
said
that Muslims all around the world are endlessly striving for a moral 
standard of conduct that is impossible, apart from the inner, healing work 
of Christ
in their hearts.

Let us remember the following words of Jesus; "Woe to you, scribes and 
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the 
plate, but
inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First 
clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean. Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed 
tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the 
bones
of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look 
righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." 
(Matthew
23:25-28).

The Christmas season is an intense time of year. Those of us in ministry 
know all too well how many injuries, deaths and broken relationships happen 
during
these weeks of December. There is a general accounting of our lives and 
relationships that occur before the end of each calendar year. We either 
feel good
about ourselves, or awful about ourselves, or some wild combination of the 
two. We are often quick to identify the ways we are falling short in our 
lives
- not achieving what we want to achieve, not being the person we want to 
become. As a result, we become hard on ourselves - and others, too.

"To us a Savior is born," is one of the most famous lines of the hymns we 
traditionally sing at Christmas. Until we truly see our need to be saved 
from
ourselves and our inconsistent ways, we will always keep God at a distance, 
preferring to achieve integrity and truthfulness on our own. Jesus came to
the world to make our lives whole; to pull together all the various strands, 
treasures and talents God gave us at birth in order for them to shine, bring
us peace, and give life to others. If you are tired of being inconsistent, 
settling for a lack of peace in your life, setting goals and never achieving
them, you may want to make special room in your heart this Christmas for the 
Savior of the world to dwell in you, changing you - from the inside out.

Sharon, the children and I want to wish you a most Merry Christmas - may the 
Prince of Peace fill your hearts and home throughout the New Year!
Rev. Daniel McNerney
Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship

Who could have thought!
(James Smith,
"The Love of Christ! The Fullness, Freeness, and Immutability of the 
Savior's Grace Displayed!")

"But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people!" 
Psalm 22:6

How wondrously did Jesus display His love, when He . . .
assumed our nature,
took upon Him the form of a slave, and
was found in appearance as a man!

What love--to stoop so low as to . . .
be conceived in a virgin's womb,
be brought forth in pain, and
experience all the weakness and ignorance of infancy!

Yes, He was brought forth in poverty--a stable for His birth-place, and a 
feeding-trough for His bed! He passed by the palaces of the noble, and the 
mansions
of the great--yes, even the comfortable cottages of the poor--and was born 
in circumstances of misery and degradation!

Who could have thought, if they had entered that stable and seen that infant 
nursing on His mother's bosom--that that infant was the mighty God, the 
everlasting
Father, and the Prince of peace! That all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt 
in that little babe! That it was love--incomparable and inconceivable love,
which brought Deity and humanity together in such a wonderful and 
indescribable union! This is the mystery of Godliness--the mystery of love! 
He left .
. .
the bright abodes of blessedness and glory,
the songs of Cherubim and Seraphim,
the bosom of His Father, and
the infinite delights which He had eternally enjoyed--
to be a worm and not a man; to be scorned and despised by all!

What privations He suffered, even from the very beginning of His career on 
earth! What pain He endured--from His birth unto His death! He went 
sorrowing,
sighing, and groaning--from the stable, to gloomy Calvary; where He . . .
finished His work,
proved His love,
conquered His foes,
delighted His Father, and
merited everlasting honors and glories for His people!

Jesus was once a helpless infant, a feeble child; and yet, at the same 
moment--He was the Almighty, the self-sufficient God!

O mystery of mercy!

Here is love beyond measure and degree!

O my soul, admire and adore!

~ ~ ~ ~

We have published Robert Trench's uplifting short article, "
The Beneficent Design of Affliction!"

~ ~ ~ ~

Feel free to forward these gems to others who may be encouraged or profited 
by them!

Grace Gems (choice ELECTRONIC books, sermons & quotes)

Blessed are You among Women!
by Sarah Phillips

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to the 
city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted 
Elizabeth.
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; 
and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud
cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 
And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 
For
behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb 
leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a 
fulfillment
of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
Luke 1: 39 - 45

You don't need me to tell you Christmas is here. Chances are, this past 
week, you've been rushing around trying to get last-minute errands 
completed. I
had a mental list of "must do's" running through my own head.

So as I read the gospel for the final Sunday of Advent, I was struck by how 
Mary prepared for Christ's coming. Mary received the biggest news of human
history, the coming of the Messiah (through her?!), and what did she do? 
Mary set aside her own agenda and "went with haste" to visit her cousin 
Elizabeth.
At this point, Elizabeth's pregnancy is entering the final trimester and no 
doubt this older mother is tired and in need of assistance.

I imagine Mary must have had a lot of thoughts running through her head on 
the way to Judah. "Is Elizabeth really pregnant in her old age? She must be…
but really? And how am I going to explain my situation to Elizabeth? Will 
she believe me?"

Mary's arrival is one of those great moments in history - a moment that 
reverberates throughout the ages that follow. This simple story of two 
pregnant
women meeting carries so many implications. Some of the themes that stick 
out to me include:

1. Mary's
faith.
Mary was obedient to God and put faith in him. She set aside her own comfort 
and questions to help Elizabeth. Mary's virtue shines through here, and God
throws in a little reward - a miraculous and joyful greeting from Elizabeth.

2. Elizabeth's selflessness. Elizabeth's news is a pretty big deal. Her 
husband receives a vision from an angel and she conceives in her old age 
after
years of waiting. Yet, her first response focuses not on her big news, but 
on Mary's. This reveals Elizabeth's virtue and also adds emphasis to the 
reality
that Mary's news holds even more profound implications for humanity than 
Elizabeth's miracle.

3. The humanity of the unborn. In those days, pregnant women didn't 
enjoy the luxury of ultrasound technology. Yet, God makes the humanity of 
these
little ones very clear here. Elizabeth exclaims, "And why is this granted 
me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Elizabeth refers to Mary 
as
"mother" in the present tense and she refers to the growing baby inside of 
Mary (who probably wasn't even showing yet) with his proper title: Lord. 
God
was "with us" the moment Mary conceived, and even the unborn John the 
Baptist recognized this!

4. God works through fellow human beings. God could have found any 
number of ways to communicate his message that day. He chose to speak 
through Elizabeth
and John and the communion between Mary and Elizabeth. He also brought help 
to Elizabeth during her last trimester through Mary and comfort to the newly
pregnant Mary through Elizabeth.

5. God's love for women. How can there be any doubt that God has a 
special place in his heart for the fairer sex after reading of Mary and 
Elizabeth's
stories? God could have arrived on earth in any form he chose… and while the 
rest of the world remained ignorant, two women basked in the presence and
knowledge of the Lord.

I am sure great theologians can extract even more from this story, but I'll 
leave it here for today. As you celebrate Christmas, imitate Mary who 
"treasured
up" the mysteries revealed to her and "pondered them in her heart" (Luke 
2:19).

Intersecting Faith & Life: How has God been present in your life this 
holiday season? Think of the little ways God makes his presence known and 
brings
you comfort and joy even in the midst of trials.

Further Reading

Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Hebrews 10:5-10
Women of Advent and Christmas: Elizabeth
Women of Advent and Christmas: Mary, Not Just a Womb

Today's Turning Point with David Jeremiah
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Today's

Turning Point
Wednesday, December 24

The Never-Ending Wonder

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?
Matthew 2:2

Recommended Reading
Matthew 2:1-6
The Baptist Press reported about a missionary who saw a collection of 
nativity sets in an open-air market in a staunchly Buddhist area of 
Southeast Asia.
This region had no knowledge of Christianity. The missionary tracked down 
the family making the nativities and learned they had started selling them 
after
a French tourist suggested it. The family had no idea what the nativity sets 
meant. They just started making the figures for business based on the 
tourist’s
description. This missionary had the joy of taking up the various characters 
of the set, one at a time, and telling the family the story of the Lord 
Jesus.
Now the whole village is responding. 1

Imagine hearing about Christmas for the first time! Imagine first learning 
about the One born King of the Jews! The wonder of the Christmas message is
that God revealed Himself and His love to us by becoming a man.

Keep Christmas fresh in your heart. Our Lord is a Savior worth worshiping, 
and His Gospel is a message worth sharing.

1Evelyn Adamson, Nativity Set Maker in Asia Begins Learning the Real 
Story,Baptist Press, November 1, 2013.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 John 1-3 John 1
25 Days of Christmas - Open Today's Gift

Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah
Copyright © 2014 Turning Point for God. All rights reserved.

Dean MASTERS LIST
Anna - Living a Life of Praise

As we open to Luke 2:36, and are introduced to the life of Anna, I'd ask you 
to underline two words in your mind. First, in v. 36 "she was of great 
age"—underline
in your mind OLD. Second, in v. 37 "a widow of about 84 years"—underline in 
your mind ALONE.

In two words you could describe the woman we are going to meet today. Anna 
was OLD and ALONE. Yet from this account God gives to us, this old and alone
woman was also vibrant, filled with joy, overflowing with God's Word and in 
love with the Lord. She is just what any woman who knows the Lord would want
to become…

Senior citizens, both men and women, have some challenges. Elderly people 
(anyone over 65) need to learn to live the grace-energized Psalm 92 life.

A Psalm 92, grace-energized saint like Anna sees:

…how useless self pity is

…how dangerous selfishness becomes

…how worthless greedy people end up

…how hopeless those who fight for independence can be

…how restless those characterized by discontentment will be; and finally,

…how empty human pleasures become so quickly.

However, by God's grace, an older woman knows:

…how priceless real friends truly become

…gets to experience how endless Christ's joys can be

…how numerous ministry opportunities are all around us

…how utterly satisfying Christ's presence becomes the more we are alone

…and finally, how comforting prayer grows to be in our lives.

The presence of God brings life and hope to even those who by every other 
measure should be hopeless. Anna lived and walked in hope and saw God's Hand
all about her life. She was willing to be what God wanted her to be—even if 
it's not much by others estimation! She was a "nobody" to everyone except to
God.

Lesson number one: Grace-energized women like Anna

Can be old but not hopeless.

Lesson number two: Grace-energized women like Anna

Can know pain but not bitterness.

Lesson number three: Grace-energized women like Anna

Can know limits but not uselessness.

Lesson number four: Grace-energized women like Anna

Can know loneliness but not emptiness.

Anna was a woman with a life energized by grace, and dominated by the 
consequences of wonderful choices that she made.

I believe Anna is a model of what a godly, grace-energized woman ought to 
be. She heard, read, and believed God's Word enough to want live it by God's
grace! That is all that God is looking for today. Women who believe Him 
enough to want to do His will as declared in the Bible. I hope that you are 
such
a woman today!

To continue reading this message on Anna please copy and paste this URL into 
your browser bar:
http://www.dtbm.org/sermon/anna-living-a-life-of-praise-/

For more from Discover the Book Ministries, please visit
discoverthebook.org


That You May Believe

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are 
not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life 
in his name.
(John 20:30–31)

I feel so strongly that among those of us who have grown up in church and 
who can recite the great doctrines of our faith in our sleep and who yawn 
through
the Apostles Creed — that among us something must be done to help us once 
more feel the awe, the fear, the astonishment, the wonder of the Son of God,
begotten by the Father from all eternity, reflecting all the glory of God, 
being the very image of his person, through whom all things were created, 
upholding
the universe by the word of his power.

You can read every fairy tale that was ever written, every mystery thriller, 
every ghost story, and you will never find anything so shocking, so strange,
so weird and spellbinding as the story of the incarnation of the Son of God.

How dead we are! How callous and unfeeling to your glory and your story! How 
often have I had to repent and say, “God, I am sorry that the stories men
have made up stir my emotions, my awe and wonder and admiration and joy, 
more than your own true story.â€

The space thrillers of our day, like Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, 
can do this great good for us: they can humble us and bring us to 
repentance,
by showing us that we really are capable of some of the wonder and awe and 
amazement that we so seldom feel when we contemplate the eternal God and the
cosmic Christ and a real living contact between them and us in Jesus of 
Nazareth.

When Jesus said, “For this I have come into the world,†he said something as 
crazy and weird and strange and eerie as any statement in science fiction
that you have ever read.

O, how I pray for a breaking forth of the Spirit of God upon me and upon 
you; for the Holy Spirit to break into my experience in a frightening way, 
to
wake me up to the unimaginable reality of God.

One of these days lightning is going to fill the sky from the rising of the 
sun to its setting, and there is going to appear in the clouds one like a 
son
of man with his mighty angels in flaming fire. And we will see him clearly. 
And whether from terror or sheer excitement, we will tremble and we will 
wonder
how, how we ever lived so long with such a domesticated, harmless Christ.

These things are written that you might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son 
of God who came into the world. Really believe.

For more about John Piper's ministry and writing, see
DesiringGod.org.

The FAX of Life

Title: Why Christmas Matters

Date: For the Week of December 22, 2014

The Christian gospel is really quite simple: God created us, loves us, and 
will not - in spite of our sinfulness - leave us to the horrible fate we 
deserve.

He pursues us. He wants us to live as we were meant to live. So he came 
among us as Jesus of Nazareth and paid the debt we owed because of sin. Now 
he
invites us to belong to him by grace. And we have baptism, holy communion, 
and the church as divine gifts to affirm his presence among us today.

Precisely because the gospel is true, the Christmas Story must be told. It 
must not get lost among the tales and yarns - innocent and sweet as they may
be - that we tell our children about Frosty, Rudolph, or the Little Drummer 
Boy.

Every so often, you hear about a teacher being reprimanded for telling 
children there is no Santa Claus. He or she may have to send a letter of 
apology
to the parents who are upset. I have a longer list of theologians who should 
apologize to their students, denominations, and congregants for the biblical
truths they have denied in their presence.

The story of how God's love was made flesh in Jesus is the most important 
message in all of human history. The story of a baby, shepherds, and Wise 
Men
is important because it is true. It is history with theological content. It 
is setting into motion the purpose of God from eternity past to reconcile 
humans
to himself through the one who is both God and man.

For me, a "white Christmas" is less a snow-covered December 25 than the 
vision of human uncleanness washed white by Jesus' blood. It is inviting men 
and
women to come to Christ for new life, hope, and empowerment. It is an appeal 
for weary, discouraged, and despairing souls to come in their defilement to
find a love great enough to give them a reason to live.

The "Christmas spirit" is kindness and compassion, forgiveness and love. It 
is giving these priceless gifts to others because they have already been 
given
to us. It was not a man in a red suit who brought them. It was a baby born 
in a manger - a baby who grew up and became strong enough to carry a cross 
to
a hill on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Because the Christmas Story is true, it matters more than anything else.

For back issues and other resources please visit
www.RubelShelly.com

All I Want for Christmas
Shannon Perry

“I want…I want…I want.†Those words screamed through my aching head like 
fingernails on a chalkboard as the four year old in front of me at the 
check-out
line threw himself at his mother’s feet. “Zip it kid.†That’s what I wanted.

This year, I had wanted a LOT of things. I wanted my husband to have more 
joy and less stress on his job. I wanted my mother in law and sister in law 
to
be healed of disease. I wanted my son and daughter-in-law to conceive the 
child they so desperately desired. I wanted my mother, my best friend, to be
given the “all clear†on her cancer report.

While some of my “wants†came to fruition, others lay lifeless on a shelf. 
Prayers containing my “wants†seemed like nothing more than bowling balls 
hitting
the floor of Heaven. They were heavy going up, and seemed to do less than 
penetrate the floor of Heaven from my human perspective.

Another year, another Christmas, and my heart was heavy with hidden 
disappointment. My sister in law and mother in law passed away within ten 
days of each
other. My mother was given the news that she would take more chemo once 
again the following year. It’s enough to get this kind of news during the 
year,
but why during the holidays! Feeling alone and unheard, I struggled with the 
“w†word. Not “want, “but “why!?†Why them? Why death? Why sickness? Why 
now?

My soul shuddered at the disappointment and uncertainty. I had been a 
Christian since I was six years old and I am in the ministry! I tell people 
to have

faith!
I thought to myself, “What in the world is wrong with you, Shannon?†I had 
no idea what to do with all the fear and uncertainty rolling around inside,
but I was determined to get a grip on it all. After all, that’s what we good 
“control freaks†do.

I have a favorite place at the beach, so with little notice to anyone, I 
grabbed my puppy dog and headed south. Upon arrival, I found a favorite spot 
on
the sand tucked among the tall grass. It was a great spot in case I had that 
“snot in the carpet†cry while reflecting and praying. I would not embarrass
myself--or my dog.

As I prayed, I poured my heart out to God with my “patterned†prayer. 
Unfortunately, it’s one we all know too well. Each line began with two 
words…â€I want.â€
Just like that kid at the store, I was doing the same thing to God. It was 
much more distinguished, of course. Most importantly, I was able to justify
WHY he should do things MY way.

As I rambled through my wish list like a kid sitting on Santa’s lap, I was 
stopped cold in my tracks by a voice. It was not audible, loud or intrusive,
but rather, soft and loving. “Shannon, why don’t you thank me for what you 
already have?†I knew it was God. I knew it was real. And I knew I had 
better
listen. A war ensued inside of me.

“But God, I was taught to pray specifically, and if I don’t tell you my 
needs, I’m afraid you won’t work!†Silence. I argued again, “You say in your 
Word
to ask whatever we will and you will do it for us if it’s in line with your 
will. Praying is asking-and I’m asking!†Silence again.

Although my arguments were scriptural, my heart was selfish. I didn’t want 
to do things God’s way. I wanted things MY way! I wanted my mom to be cancer
free! I wanted my son and his wife to conceive! I wanted…I wanted…I wanted!

As the silence grew stronger, I heard the words again: “Thank me.â€

At first my heart was stubborn. I didn’t want to thank God! I was actually 
mad at God. Mad that he hadn’t done things my way. Mad that people I loved 
had
left this world. Mad that it was Christmas and I wasn’t getting my Christmas 
miracle. I heard the voice again. “It’s ok. I can handle your 
disappointment.
I can handle your anger. Thank me anyway.†I broke.

With tears down my face, I began thanking God for everything he was doing in 
the middle of my “wants.†Instead of asking God for my mom to be healed, I
thanked him that I had another day with her. Rather than asking God to 
remove my husband’s stress, I thanked him that my husband is able to work. 
For the
next two hours in that gritty sand, I did NOTHING but thank God for 
something about each person and situation that came to my mind. Somehow, 
that afternoon,
a Christmas miracle did take place. I left that beach with a heart of fewer 
“wants†and more “thanks.â€

Now, my Christmas “want†list looks very different. There is only one thing 
on my list. No presents, but only his presence.
John 4:23
reminds us, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true 
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is 
seeking
such people to worship him. “ That’s what I want to do.

Shannon Perry is a conference speaker, author, recording artist, TV and 
Radio show host whose new book is entitled
The Overlooked Generation: Parenting Teens and Tweens in a Complicated 
Culture.
Prior to going into full-time ministry, Shannon taught for over 14 years in 
the public school system and holds a Master’s degree in Education and 
Counseling
and is a Certified Instructor for Crisis Counseling and
Parenting
Classes. Her TV show, “Grace in High Heels†airs in over 72 million homes. 
Her website address is
www.ShannonPerry.com.

Publication date: December 17, 2014

A Next Door Savior

There was something wrong with the picture.

We used to look at such scenes in elementary school. To keep us occupied, 
the teacher would pass out drawings with the question at the bottom, "What's
wrong with this picture?" Remember them? We'd look closely for something 
that didn't fit. A farmyard scene with a piano near the water trough. A 
classroom
with a pirate seated on the back row. An astronaut on the moon with a pay 
phone in the background. We'd ponder the picture and point to the piano or 
pirate
or pay phone and say, "This doesn't fit." Something is out of place. 
Something is absurd. Pianos don't belong in farmyards. Pirates don't sit in 
classrooms.
Pay phones aren't found on the moon, and God doesn't chum with the common 
folk or snooze in fishing boats.

But according to the Bible he did. "For in Christ there is all of God in a 
human body" (
Col. 2:9
TLB). Jesus was not a godlike man, nor a manlike God. He was God-man.

Midwifed by a carpenter. Bathed by a peasant girl. The maker of the world 
with a belly button. The author of the Torah being taught the Torah.

Heaven's human. And because he was, we are left with scratch-your-head, 
double-blink, what's-wrong-with-this-picture? moments like these:

Bordeaux instead of H2O. A cripple sponsoring the town dance. A sack lunch 
satisfying five thousand tummies. And, most of all, a grave: guarded by 
soldiers,
sealed by a rock, yet vacated by a three-days-dead man.

What do we do with such moments?

What do we do with such a person? We applaud men for doing good things. We 
enshrine God for doing great things. But when a man does God things?

One thing is certain, we can't ignore him. Why would we want to? If these 
moments are factual, if the claim of Christ is actual, then he was, at once,
man and God.

There he was, the single most significant person who ever lived. Forget MVP; 
he is the entire league. The head of the parade? Hardly. No one else shares
the street. Who comes close? Humanity's best and brightest fade like 
dime-store rubies next to him.

Dismiss him? We can't.

Resist him? Equally difficult. Don't we need a God-man Savior? A just-God 
Jesus could make us but not understand us. A just-man Jesus could love us 
but
never save us. But a God-man Jesus? Near enough to touch. Strong enough to 
trust. A next door Savior.

ADVERTISEMENT

This excerpt is taken from
Next Door Savior
.
Master storyteller Lucado presents the stunning contrasts of Jesus--his 
irresistible humanity and undeniable deity. You'll see, as never before, a 
complete
picture of our Lord.

Order Max Lucado's Savior Next Door at the Bible Gateway store!
Copyright 2014 Max Lucado. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Purpose of Christmas

Monday, December 22, 2014

“God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the 
world might be saved through Him.†– John 3:17 NASB
Many in our consumer-crazed culture would be amazed to realize that the 
original focus of Christians celebrating Christmas was not giving gifts, 
engaging
in parties, or even spreading good will. Rather, it was evangelism..

During the first few centuries of the Church, Believers often struggled in 
the midst of a hostile culture, obsessed with gods and idols, cultic rituals
and revelry, and festivals and feasts.

Gradually, more people became Believers and the persecution diminished. Yet 
pagan customs and beliefs continued to dominate. Believers wondered how they
could reach Souls for Christ. One way was to focus on the birth of Jesus and 
make this an event everyone could embrace.

This is a reason Christmas is celebrated on December 25. In many ancient 
societies, this day was set aside for pagan purposes. But Church leaders 
intentionally
picked this day because they wanted to capture the attention of all people. 
As part of their goal to spread the Gospel, Christians converted these 
cultural
customs into opportunities to focus on Jesus.

Today, Christmas still presents a great opportunity for evangelism. On the 
surface, many people might be focused on parties and gifts, good times and 
family.
But the very fabric of this holiday still is a focus on Jesus. The carols 
declare the Gospel. The imagery, for all its commercialism, still draws our 
minds
and hearts to the manger and the magi, the shepherds, angels, Mary, Joseph, 
and baby Jesus. Churches are filled with Gospel-centered programs and the 
singing
of timeless music.

This also is a time when many are seeking answers and asking questions. What 
a glorious time to share the Good News.

This Christmas season, ask God to open up doors to share your faith. Let 
your light shine, and tell others what Jesus has meant to you. Let them know 
He’s
the real reason for the season.

Today's Inspiration Prayer

Father, thank You for sending Jesus into this world. Thank You that He died 
for my sins. Use me to reach others with this Good News. In Jesus’ name. 
Amen.

Further Reading: John 3

A Norvell Note
Vol. 17 No. 51 December 22, 2014
Give It All To God
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and 
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your 
minds in Christ Jesus.†(Philippians 4:6,7, NIV)
We fret and we worry and we stew and we fear and we have sleepless nights 
and tense days. Paul has a better idea. Give it to God.
Not just a few things. Not just the big things. Not just the small things. 
Not just the things we cannot fix. Not just the things we do not want to 
deal
with. Not just the things we wish we did not have to handle. Paul says 
anything and in every situation.
With thanksgiving and in prayer present all requests to God. Give it to Him. 
Leave it with Him. Lay it down. Give it a rest. Stop hanging on to it. Tell
it goodbye.
When you give it to God something amazing happens. You will receive a peace 
unlike anything you have ever experienced. How about that for a Christmas 
gift?
How about that for a way to start a new year.
Peace. That is what the angel of the Lord announced at the coming of the 
Lord. Peace on earth.
Imagine being at peace. Imagine really being at peace. Imagine not carrying 
your anxieties with you through Christmas. Imagine beginning the new year 
without
the burden of your cares and anxieties.
You do not to have to imagine. It can be reality. You can have this peace. 
You do not need to worry about getting rid of your worries. Just give them 
to
God. You do not need to be anxious about trying to deal with your anxieties. 
Give them to God.
It is not complicated. It is not difficult. Present your requests to God. 
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your 
hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The only thing you have too lose is your anxiety, your worries and some of 
your stress, so why not give it a try. Give it all to God.
Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2014. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

Daily Devotional by John Piper

The Birth of the Ancient of Days

Then Pilate said to him, So you are a king? Jesus answered, You say that 
I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come 
into
the world  to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth 
listens to my voice.
(John 18:37)

This is a great Christmas text even though it comes from the end of Jesus'
life on earth, not the beginning.

The uniqueness of his birth is that he did not originate at his birth. He 
existed before he was born in a manger. The personhood, the character, the 
personality
of Jesus of Nazareth existed before the man Jesus of Nazareth was born.

The theological word to describe this mystery is not creation, but 
incarnation. The person, not the body, but the essential personhood of Jesus 
existed
before he was born as man. His birth was not a coming into being of a new 
person, but a coming into the world of an infinitely old person.

Micah 5:2
puts it like this, 700 years before Jesus was born:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of 
Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, 
whose
coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

The mystery of the birth of Jesus is not merely that he was born of a 
virgin. That miracle was intended by God to witness to an even greater one 
namely,
that the child born at Christmas was a person who existed from of old, from 
ancient days.

For more about John Piper's ministry and writing, see
DesiringGod.org.

Love Worth Finding Ministries

God's Provision, A Living Testimony

BIBLE MEDITATION:
But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by 
Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
What is it about your life that you cannot explain apart from God? Do you 
know thats the only part of you that is believable? Let me illustrate. If 
your
neighbor can explain you, then you are just like hiM”only you're religious.

Friend, your life as a religious person is not going to convince him of the 
power of God. But when he sees God supernaturally meeting your needs, then,
you’re going to be believable.

ACTION POINT:
How is your life radiating the light of our Lord in your neighborhood? 
Invite your neighbors over for a night of fellowship and share with them the 
Good News of the divine birth of Jesus.
Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

© 2014 Love Worth Finding Ministries | PO Box 38300 - Memphis, TN 38183-0300

Today's Daily Encounter

For Those Who Mourn

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be
comforted."1

A Daily Encounter reader asks: I have a friend who
grieves her husband's death. He was a Pastor. How can I
comfort her?"

One of the best things we can do for grieving friends
is to be there for them--to give them our presence.
That is, to lend them a listening ear and a shoulder to
cry on as well as to pray for them. Better still is to
weep with those who weep.

This is needed at holiday times, especially so as we
come into the Christmas season. Such times can be
bitterly lonely for the grieving.

What our grieving friends don't need is someone to give
them advice, preach at them, or tell them they
shouldn't feel the way they feel. When we lose a loved
one, we grieve deeply. The pain can be insufferable.
When Jesus' friend Lazarus died, Jesus wept. We need to
do the same when we lose a loved one--and grieve/weep
with our friends when they suffer loss. Rare is the
friend who knows how to weep with those who weep.

Realize, too, that grieving is a process that takes
time. Broken bones heal in six weeks. Broken hearts
don't. They take so much longer to heal, so always be
patient and understanding with grieving friends.

However, if a friend's grieving continues, say, for
more than a year and it is obvious that they are not
recovering, kindly suggest that they might consider
joining a grief recovery group and/or seeing a skilled
counselor to help them.

For further help, read the article, Grief and Loss
Recovery" at:
http://tinyurl.com/7l5xd

Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank You for the gift of
tears that helps relieve our pain when we lose a loved
one. Grant that all my grieving friends will know Your
presence and blessing in a very special way at this
time of loss and pain. And please help me to be a
supporting friend and comfort to them. Thank You for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus'
name, amen."

1. Matthew 5:4 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on:
http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php.
Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on
http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php
to note this.

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3699 cdd In the Beginning
Monday December 22, 2014
Volume 15 Number 263

Today's Author: Pastor Bill

Scripture: Luke 2:11
"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is 
Christ the Lord" NKJV

Maryjane decided to spend the day Christmas shopping with her three 
children, at the biggest mall in the county. The enthusiastic shoppers left 
home bright
and early in the morning just after dad left for work. They stopped for a 
breakfast burrito and then on to the mall. The drive was about 45 minutes 
and
the kids fell fast asleep. Once at the mall all were jettisoned from the van 
and ready for action. That was 10:00 AM.

By noon they had barely put a dent in their shopping list and it was time 
for lunch. Hot dogs and hamburgers were on the menu and everyone enjoyed 
their
short respite with food. Then it was time to get serious about the list.

The stores peeled by one by one and great pleasure was found in crossing off 
more than three quarters of the items on the list. Now it was getting a 
little
testy after hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else 
imaginable. And hearing the kids ask for everything they saw --- mom was at 
the
breaking point as they made it to the elevator.

Maryjane was a reflection of most in the mall with their kids. An 
overwhelming pressure to get that perfect gift for everyone on the list.

Finally the crowded elevator doors opened --- with the deamination of a 
fullback plunging across the end zone for the winning TD --- Maryjane 
reacted with
keen instincts --- it's now or never! She pushed her way into the car 
dragging, prodding and directing everyone into the box --- including all the 
packages.
It was a well-executed play resulting in a touchdown. When the doors closed 
she couldn't take it anymore and spoke up, "Who started this whole Christmas
thing? They should be found and..."

Just then the moving elevator stopped as a knob was pulled and a bell rang. 
A voice came from the back of the car that was strong, clear and calming. 
The
voice said, "ladies, take a deep breath and before this young mom who just 
entered desecrates this entire Christmas Season let's just rest here a 
minute
and remember what this season is all about.

A lady on the other side of the elevation said, "The Savior Christ the Lord 
is born", another chimed in, "The king of kings has come," another "let's 
rejoice
and be glad of it." The tension was cut, the resentment removed and a lady 
in the middle began singing, Silent night, Holy night and everyone joined 
in.

The knob was pushed in and as the elevator slowly glided to the main floor 
everyone on the elevator exited while singing. As the elevator emptied 
others
in the store considered it an opportunity to share in worship to the Lord 
and began singing.

It was a sight to behold. Capitalism never had a finer moment as frowns, 
grumbles and stress were subjected to the King of kings. And the Holy Spirit 
delivered
the answer to Maryjane's question and PEACE ON EARTH was refreshed once 
again.

Prayer: Father thank you for sending Your Holy Spirit to bring a special 
peace into the life of every one who reads this devotion --- because in the 
beginning
as it is still today --- let us never forget this season is all about Jesus. 
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Christmas All Year
by Charles R. Swindoll

Matthew 1-2

Have you ever thought about giving something away every day of the year 
leading up to Christmas? These daily gifts could be called our "Christmas 
projects,"
one per day, every day till Christmas. Just think of the fun of being able 
to say "Merry Christmas" in July!

Here are a few suggestions:

Mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Write a long overdue love note.
Hug someone tightly and whisper, "I love you so."
Forgive an enemy.
Be gentle and patient with an angry person.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Find the time to keep a promise.
Make or bake something for someone else. Anonymously.
Release a grudge.
Listen.
Speak kindly to a stranger.
Enter into another's sorrow.
Smile.
Laugh a little.
Laugh a little more.
Take a walk with a friend.
Lessen your demands on others.
Play some beautiful music during the evening meal.
Apologize if you were wrong.
Turn off the television and talk.
Treat someone to an ice-cream cone (yogurt would be fine).
Do the dishes for the family.
Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt.
Fix breakfast on Saturday morning.
Give a soft answer even though you feel strongly.
Encourage an older person.
Point out one thing you appreciate most about someone you work with or live 
near.
Offer to babysit for a weary mother.

Let's make Christmas one long, extended gift of ourselves to others. 
Unselfishly. Without announcement. Or obligation. Or reservation. Or 
hypocrisy.

This is Christianity, isn't it?

When you give yourself, the gift never has to be returned.

Excerpted from
Day by Day with Charles Swindoll,
Copyright  2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). 
All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.
Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

A New Thing  Magi

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
18 Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

Matthew 2:9-11 (NIV)
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they 
had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place 
where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On 
coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed 
down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him 
with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

In this part of the Christmas story, one new thing is a star that moved to 
show the magi where to find Jesus, the King they were looking for. Another 
new thing is the magi bringing expensive gifts to a peasant child.

The magi brought their gifts but what can we give to Jesus? He wants us to 
give him our lives. He wants us to surrender our lives to Him as our gift to 
Him. The magi brought their gifts one time. We must have that one time we 
give our lives to Him but then we are to give ourselves to Him every day. He 
has told us how we can do that:

Matthew 25:34-36 (NIV)
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed 
by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the 
creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, 
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you 
invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you 
looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Many people think of helping people especially around Christmas time but 
these people are around us all the time. By helping them out during the rest 
of the year we are also giving to Jesus. So our gift to Him isn't just once 
a year but day by day. May we live as David Grayson who is quoted here:

I sometimes think we expect two much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into 
it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, 
I like to take my Christmas a little at time, all through
the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays- let them overtake me 
unexpectedly- waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: 
"Why, this is Christmas Day!"

by Dean W. Masters

The Real Santa Claus
by Sarah Phillips

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the 
salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Romans 1:16
NIV

His eyes-how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
~ "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore (1823)

My dad used to take my sisters and me down to Miller & Rhodes for a visit 
with the "Real Santa Claus." The trip made for some of my favorite childhood
memories. This Santa wasn't some ordinary mall Santa. The "Real Santa" 
arrived via reindeer-pulled sleigh and -- you bet – slid down a chimney. His 
full,
white beard was genuine, and his beautiful friend, the Snow Queen, glittered 
as she greeted each awe-struck child.

But the real clincher occurred when, after waiting for hours in a sea of 
overexcited children, Santa called my siblings and me by name to join him on 
his
big, comfy lap.

Of course, come adulthood, I discovered the beloved "Real Santa" was 
actually a local man with a local legacy -- a kind-hearted, Christian 
grandfather
who delighted in bringing joy to children like me. (And, if you're 
wondering, the friendly Snow Queen was wired so "Santa" could hear our names 
as we approached).

I suppose we all have to step off the Polar Express at some point and accept 
that Santa is just a mythological figure. Or is he? As it turns out, there
really was a Santa Claus. He went by the less marketable title Bishop 
Nicholas of Myra. While he never wore a red suit, smoked a pipe, or slid 
down chimneys,
his story actually has a lot to do with the true meaning of Christmas.

Stories of the Real St. Nick

Researching the life of St. Nicholas presents a challenge – he seems 
destined to be obscured by legend, even in the history books. But even if 
the facts
are a bit murky, there are some things we know with relative certainty.

We first encounter Nicholas as a compassionate young man in 4th century Asia 
Minor (modern-day Turkey). Both of his parents had passed away, leaving the
grief-stricken youth a substantial inheritance. Nicholas decided the money 
would go to charity.

It wasn't long after this decision that he encountered a
family
in need. The father had lost his daughters' dowries, and in those days this 
meant the three women had no hope for
marriage.
As a last resort, the father decided to sell them into prostitution.

When Nicholas heard of the family's plight, and the father's horrific 
solution, he did something very much in the spirit of Santa Claus: He 
secretly visited
their home by night, throwing a bag of gold coins through the family's 
window. He repeated his covert act of charity three times, resulting in the 
marriages
of all three sisters. During his third visit, the father discovered his 
identity and expressed deep gratitude for his kindness.

St. Nicholas went on to assist many others, often anonymously. His generous 
and creative commitment to the needy gave rise to many unconfirmed legends
and miracles over the centuries, but one fact is known for certain: his 
virtue resulted in his appointment as Bishop of Myra.

Defender of the Faith

Though less magical sounding, Nicholas' role as Bishop gives us even greater 
reason to associate this Saint with Christmas.

That's because Nicholas' life unfolded during a pivotal era of Christendom. 
After years of terrible persecution, the rise of Roman Emperor Constantine
in 313 A.D. brought legal acceptance of Christianity. Legend has it that 
Bishop Nicholas was among the many Christians who endured imprisonment and 
torture
for the faith until Constantine freed him.

But the joys of freedom were short-lived because the Church faced a threat 
from within: A heresy called Arianism was spreading confusion among the 
faithful.

Arianism, named after its promoter Arius, denied Christianity's central 
doctrine of the Trinity by claiming that while Jesus was the Son of God, the 
Son
was not one (united in essence, nature, or substance) with the Father. In 
other words, Arius claimed Jesus Christ was not the eternal Word made flesh 
(John
1: 14), relegating Him to a lesser status -- a sort of "secondary god."

St. Nicholas was one of the defenders of the true Gospel, clarifying Jesus' 
identity against Arius' confusing teachings. Some stories even claim Bishop
Nicholas boldly confronted Arius at the historic Council of Nicea (although 
there are no official records of Nicholas' presence at the Council.)

Thanks to the devotion of Christians like St. Nicholas, St. Athanasius, and 
St. Gregory of Nyssa, Arianism eventually died out. But had it prevailed, we
could not celebrate the true miracle of Christmas: the Incarnation, the Word 
made Flesh, realized in the birth of Jesus Christ. And without fully 
understanding
Christmas we ultimately would have lost the meaning of the Cross, too.

When Did St. Nick become "Santa Claus"?

When did St. Nick trade in the Bishop's miter for a fuzzy, red hat? Not for 
a long time. Bishop Nicholas' generosity and devotion endeared him to the 
masses.
After his death, churches were named after him, and artists portrayed him in 
their works, spreading his popularity throughout the Mediterranean, Europe
and Asia. Over time, St. Nick's legacy was associated with love of children 
and gift-giving, but the widespread lore kept much of the original Christian
context for centuries.

"Santa Claus" is actually a very modern and very American version of the 
Saint. It wasn't until Dutch and German settlers brought their magical tales 
of Sankt
Niklaus (German) and Sinterklaas (Dutch) to the New World that St. Nick 
began to look a little like Santa. From there, St. Nicholas still didn't 
take on
his plump, elfin appearance or slide down chimney's until the early 1800's 
thanks to a satirical work called Knickerbocker's History of New York by 
Washington
Irving.

In 1823, the red-suited image of an elf transported by flying reindeer 
finally solidified thanks to the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (later 
renamed
"'Twas the Night Before Christmas") penned by New Yorker, Clement Clark 
Moore. Popular culture and marketing by companies like Coca-Cola further 
ingrained
the icon into American tradition.

While 4th century Christians would not recognize the modern Santa, it's hard 
to imagine a better candidate for the job than a man who helped preserve the
real meaning of Christmas. Bishop Nicholas exemplified the Christian life by 
giving his all to Christ and to those in need. Hopefully, in the midst of
all the glittery commercialism surrounding our modern holiday celebrations, 
we'll be able to prepare for Christmas '08 in a way that genuinely reflects
the spirit of (the real) St. Nick.

Intersecting Faith & Life: : St. Nicholas' legacy demonstrates a balance 
often difficult to achieve: a life steeped in both truth and love. What ways 
can
you show the love of Christ more effectively during the holidays? What ways 
can you stand up for the truth of the Gospel more effectively?

Further Reading

Is 40:1-5, 9-11
Ps 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14
2 Pt 3:8-14
Mk 1:1-8
The Real St. Nick
- Dr. Warren Throckmorton

God Came Near
by Max Lucado

It all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment. God became a man! 
Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb. 
Jesus
came, not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one 
whose first cries were heard by a peasant girl and a sleepy carpenter. The
hands that first held him were un-manicured, calloused, and dirty. For 
thirty-three years he would feel everything you and I have ever felt. Weak 
and weary;
and afraid of failure. His feelings got hurt.

To think of Jesus in such a light seems almost irreverent. There's something 
about keeping him divine that keeps him distant and predictable. But don't
do it! For heaven's sake, don't! Let him be as human as he intended to be. 
Let him into the mire and muck of our world. For only if we let him in can 
he pull us out!

Listen to
UpWords with Max Lucado
at OnePlace.com

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - A Word With You

A Word With You
Daily Devotional
The Baby and Roaring Camp - #7290

The short story writer, Bret Hart, gives us a story out of the Old West 
about a town called Roaring Camp. I think it's a story that brings the 
miracle
of Christmas into very sharp focus into our lives today and I want to share 
it with you.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Baby 
and Roaring Camp."

Roaring Camp was probably the most lawless town in the Old West. It was a 
mining town and populated almost entirely, therefore, by miners. No sheriff,
no marshal, very difficult to survive, so every man was sort of a law unto 
himself. It was like a 24-hour town, roaring and rocking and brawling and 
shooting
all night long. There was murder. There was theft. There was assault, and 
they were never punished. It was just a wild place to live.

Now, very few women, of course, could survive in a place like that. There 
was a woman named Ole Sal who was sort of like everybody's woman, and Sal 
had
a baby. And Sal died in childbirth. So the miners were left in this grimy 
old mining town with a baby to raise. They took the baby into one of the 
cabins
and put it in a little crate and lined it with some oily clothes. And that's 
where they put the baby.

Very quickly they said, "You know, this isn't right. We can't keep him in 
this." So they sent one of the miners off to Sacramento, and he came back 
with
this beautiful cradle. They put the baby in that. Suddenly somehow that oily 
cloth didn't look right in that beautiful rosewood cradle. So they sent 
another
miner out to Sacramento, and he came back with some beautiful lace cloth and 
lined it with this elegant material.

Then they came into the cabin and looked around and said, "Look at this 
dirty floor. It never looked so bad before, but now with this beautiful 
cradle
here it looks terrible." So they scrubbed the floor. Well, that created 
another problem. When the floor was clean, it showed how dirty the walls 
were and
the roof.

So, all the miners pitched in, and pretty soon this cabin began to shine. A 
couple of others began to clean their cabin because they realized how dirty
it was after they'd seen the cabin the baby was in. Then the baby had to 
sleep, so that meant there were quiet hours. Yes, in Roaring Camp! No one 
could
believe it! There were nap times when you had to be quiet; night time when 
you had to be quiet. And all of a sudden Roaring Camp wasn't roaring so much
any more.

As the baby began to grow, he needed a place to walk and to crawl. So, you 
know what? They took him down to the mine entrance each day. Now that's a 
dirty
place. So guess what they did? They planted a garden at the entrance to the 
mine. In fact, word had it that they were starting to sell mirrors down at
Sutter's Store; then some shirts and some shaving equipment, and even a suit 
or two. See, the baby had come to Roaring Camp, and the baby changed 
everything.

Two thousand years ago the world was a roaring camp. It was a place where 
baby girls were thought to be so valueless they were placed in jars and left
on the street corner to die. It was a place where every other person in Rome 
was a slave, where babies were slaughtered, where murder was sport. But then
the baby came and made all the difference.

You know, there's a roaring camp inside of all of us; and we still live in a 
Roaring Camp world. And in us is selfishness, and bitterness, anger, 
loneliness,
scars, self-destructive instincts. But the baby comes and the baby can 
change everything; the baby who was born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.

The promise of the Jesus who came that Christmas is our word for today from 
the Word of God in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
Not like the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it 
be afraid." This Jesus re-makes families, re-makes relationships, and 
rebuilds
broken lives. You don't have to live in the madness of Roaring Camp any 
longer, because of the baby - the Savior, Christ the Lord.

If you want help in finding Him, would you go to our website ANewStory.com 
so this could be Day 1, Page 1 of your new story? Yes, the baby has come, 
and
the baby will change everything.

Let Him change you this Christmas!

Why This Jubilee?
By Skip Heitzig

Some years ago, about a week before Christmas, I was flying into Amman, 
Jordan. We were coming in over Israel, and we flew right over Bethlehem. I 
remember
thinking, "I'm over Bethlehem; I'm looking right down at it!" And I expected 
that any moment the pilot would say, "We are now entering into angelic 
airspace."
It would have been a perfect opportunity.

Those angels were there 2,000 years ago to announce the birth of the Savior, 
and the old Christmas carol "Angels We Have Heard on High" asks an important
question: "Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? 
What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song?"

Why were they so joyous? Put yourself in their sandals for a moment. Just 
imagine the shepherds out there in the field, and all of a sudden they saw 
an
appearance of angels. Shepherds didn't see a lot of excitement, but now "the 
glory of the Lord shone around them" (Luke 2:9), and the angel said "Do not
be afraid" (v. 10). These heavenly messengers were making an announcement to 
ordinary shepherds.

Truth be told, none of us would care about these shepherds were they not in 
the Christmas story. Even back then, people didn't care about shepherds. 
They
were ceremonially unclean because they kept animals. They were the 
overlooked people, the outcasts of society.

But here's what's interesting: when God wanted to tell really big news to 
the world—the news that His Son, the Savior, was born—He didn't go to the 
mayor
of Bethlehem, the blue bloods living in Rome, Herod the Great in his palace, 
or the religious elite in Jerusalem. He went to the shepherds. That's God's
grace!

And when the angel said the sign would be a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths 
lying in a feeding trough, to the shepherds that meant, "He's one of us."
The angel was inviting them to encounter the Savior of the world.

So "they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe" (v. 16). 
They ran into the city to check it out, and they found Him. The word found 
means
to find after a period of intense search. They came seeking Him, and they 
walked away with Jesus now occupying a place of prominence in their hearts.

These shepherds are great examples for us. Number one, they received the 
news about Christ by faith. Number two, they immediately responded to what 
the
angel said, and they went themselves to check it out. Number three, they 
recounted what they saw and heard to people around them. They told the 
story.

Question: Does Jesus occupy a position of importance and greatness in your 
life? Then tell someone! The shepherds believed it. They checked it out for
themselves, and then they told others.

There are a lot of people who come to church week after week, hear sermons, 
see changed lives around them and the commitments that people have made, but
they never check it out themselves and never allow Jesus to change their 
lives. That's a pity.

When you come to Christ and live for Him, people may not understand; you 
might have people who "unfriend" you. But God will be your friend. And 
that's
the best part. So today, may the joy those shepherds experienced be yours as 
well.

Merry Christmas!

Copyright © 2014 by Connection Communications. All rights reserved.

For more from Skip Heitzig, visit
ConnectionRadio.org,
and listen to today's broadcast of The Connection with
Skip Heitzig
at OnePlace.com.

Jesus is for People who Hate Christmas
by Stephen Altrogge

Don't get me wrong, I really do like Christmas. I like getting together with 
my family to open presents and sit around the tree and watch reruns of 
Seinfeld
and The Andy Griffith Show. Im happy when it snows on Christmas. I like 
seeing tastefully decorated houses. Heck, I even like some Christmas music 
(don't
get me started on Mary Did You Know).

But Christmas often brings out the gloomy side of me as well. Im reminded 
of one of my favorite families who, because of cancer, no longer has a dad 
around
the house. Im reminded of some of my favorite people who, after many years 
of patiently waiting, are still single. Im reminded of my sister, who has
been dealing with migraine headaches for years without much relief. Im 
reminded of my own ongoing battles with intense physical anxiety.

After the tree is down and the wrapping paper put away and the music 
silenced and the egg nog polished off, all the problems still remain. I 
think one
of the reasons we cling so tightly to Christmas is that it helps us forget 
about our problems for awhile. For a few, brief days, everything seems as it
should be. We long for a white Christmas because the snow covers up all the 
mud and muck.

My propensity toward Christmas gloom is one of the reasons I am so grateful 
for Jesus. Not in a Jesus is the reason for the season, kind of way, but
in a, Jesus is a holy warrior, kind of way.

This morning I was reading in
Matthew 8-9.
In these chapters Jesus cleanses a leper, heals a centurions servant, heals 
Peters mother-in-law, calms a storm, drives demons out of two raving 
madmen,
heals a paralytic, raises a girl from the dead, heals two blind men, and 
heals a man who is unable to speak. In the comments section of The Gospel 
Transformation
Bible it says:

Wherever Jesus goes he brings the reign of God, and where God reigns, the 
invisible powers of the universe in rebellion against him are banished and 
left
powerless to do anyone ultimate harm Since believers are united with 
Christ, they share Christ's victory over evil.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the true meaning of Christmas. Wherever Jesus 
goes he brings the reign of God! Christmas is ultimately about the kingdom
of God coming to this sad, broken, sin-marred world. Christmas is ultimately 
about a baby who would grow into a mighty warrior a warrior who would crush
Satan, undo sadness, defeat death, and ensure that it would be always 
Christmas and never winter.

Listen closely. For just a moment, tune out the Christmas music and 
television commercials. Do you hear that slow creaking and cracking noise? 
Its themsound of Satans skull being slowly crushed underneath the foot of our 
conquering Savior. Now we suffer. Now we experience cancer and migraines and 
anxiety
and singleness and sadness and loneliness and poverty. Now we are afflicted 
by sin and Satan and our flesh. But not always.

Ultimately, Christmas should give the most hope to those who hate Christmas. 
Things wont always be this way. As it says in
1 John 3:8,
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Those are such sweet words. Christmas is a celebration of war! Jesus himself
has declared open season on Satan. He came to destroy all the works of the 
evil one. He came to wipe away tears and heal broken bodies and lift up 
despondent
hearts and drive out fear and destroy loneliness.

If youre feeling gloomy, take heart. Jesus is for those who hate Christmas.

Stephen Altrogge serves as a pastor at
Sovereign Grace Church.
Find out more at
The Blazing Center.

It's Not about "Keeping Christ in Christmas"
Kelly Balarie

Every Christmas I hear people say the phrase "keep Christ in Christmas." I 
get the idea. I get the motivation. I get that things are changing in our
world and we must continually keep Christ before us.

But, still, I think we are missing the point. It's not about "Keeping Christ 
in Christmas"; it is about keeping Christ alive in our hearts.

You see, "keeping Christ in Christmas", is about saying Merry Christmas, 
it's about including the words on cards, it's about ensuring stores 
acknowledge
it and it's about monitoring their display of red and green colors on their 
signage. It's about making sure people don’t trample the name.

But, by "keeping Christ in Christmas" - we are sometimes led astray. Because 
even if we speak the words, or see the colors, or witness the tree 
decorations,
we can often altogether miss Christ.

We can focus on the wrong things. It is so easy to do. It is so easy to 
get distracted by it all. To get lured in by the fanfare. I understand. I 
do.

But, I don't want to be so concerned with the decorations that I miss the 
adoration.
I don't want to be so annoyed by the word Xmas that I miss the hurting 
person speaking it.
I don't want to be so consumed with others that I miss the one who stands 
above all others.

Do you know what I mean?

Truly "Keeping Christ in Christmas" transcends formalities and external 
traditions. People are going to do what they are going to do. But, we have 
to
follow what God wants us to do. And, Christ wants us to be less concerned 
with others - and more concerned with Him. His purposes. His ways. His 
gift.

The more concerned we are with Him, the more like Him we become. We become 
living testimonies and sacrifices who project the image of Christ. We 
become
ones who will give it all to love another. We become the greatest gift to 
people in need.

This is Christmas.

We no longer need lights adorned outside our house or stores, because we 
become the shining lights.

When Christ is in us - and we are in him - we portray Christ through 
Christmas. It's not about "keeping Christ in Christmas" it's about "Keeping 
Christ
in us this Christmas". It's about keeping our passions set on Him.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in 
me. The life I now live in the body, I live by
faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)

Christ is not illustrated through shallow words, colors or decorations.

"...The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the 
outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Sam. 16:7)

Christ is most exalted through true believers, not trendy decorators.

Christ is best displayed in Christmas, not through colors, words or 
displays, but through displays of affection towards him and towards his 
creation.

Let's not keep our eyes on trees and stores, but let's keep our eyes on the 
one who came as a baby to set the captives free, to extend all grace and to
bring all joy.

"Keeping Christ in Christmas" - is less about the external and more about 
our internal. Our internal beliefs and our reliance on Christ will determine
whether Christ really is in Christmas.

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." 
(Matt. 5:14)

So, this Christmas let's not stress about "keeping Christ in Christmas", 
but, instead, let's "Keep Christ in Our Hearts," so we can shine his light 
throughout
the entire Christmas season.

Join Kelly at
www.kellybalarie.com,

How Joyful Are You This Christmas?
by Mark Altrogge

As Paul McCartney sings, Simply having a wonderful Christmas time, I see 
haggard looking parents pushing their gift-laden baskets through the aisles
of stores yelling at their kids, “If you ask one more time, we're going home 
and never coming back ever again. And you will eat oatmeal from now on. 
Without
sugar. And we're never going to McDonald's again either! (I once threatened 
to never take my kids to McDonald's again. Empty threat #302).

Would people describe you as joyful?

Would your co-workers and neighbors? Would your classmates and roommates say 
you're cheerful? If your friends knew no other Christians but you, what 
would
their impression of Christianity be? Would little kids describe you as happy 
or fun? This quote by D Martin Lloyd Jones challenges me:

Nothing is more important, therefore, than that we should be delivered from 
the condition which gives other people, looking at us, the impression that
to be a Christian means to be unhappy, to be sad, to be morbid, and that the 
Christian is one who scorns delights and lives laborious days.. It 
behooves
us, therefore, not only for our own sakes, but also for the sake of the 
Kingdom of God and the glory of the Christ in whom we believe, to represent 
Him
and His cause, His message and His power in such a way that men and women, 
far from being antagonized, will be drawn and attracted as they observe us,
whatever our circumstances or condition. We must so live that they will be 
compelled to say: would to God I could be like that, would to God I could 
live
in this world and go through this world as that person does.

Christians should be joy radiators. And not just at Christmas. This doesn't 
mean we're rosy-eyed Pollyannas who wear pasted on fake smiles all the time.
This doesn't even necessarily mean we feel happy. But there's a joy in 
Christ that's deep and lasting and real. And others should see something of 
it in us.

And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of 
great joy that will be for all the people. (
Luke 2:10)

Jesus said, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, 
and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11)

Think about it. God has freely forgiven our multitudes of sins, counted us 
righteous in Christ, adopted as his own children, and given us the hope of 
eternally
gazing on Christ's beauty. His mercies are new every morning and he has 
promised to never cease doing good to us. Are you feeling joyful yet? No? 
Ok,
he redeems your life from the pit, crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 
satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's (Psalms 103:4-5).
I hope you are at least smiling a little.

The somber, depressed looking Jesus portrayed in movies wouldn't attract 
anyone, much less children, as he mutters in a flat Shakesperian accent, 
Suffuh
the little children to come unto to me,†with about as much delight as an 
annoyed junior high school principal talking to a troublemaker for the 
hundredth
time.

Let's ask Jesus to fill us with so much of his joy that people say, Would 
to God I could be like that, would to God I could live in this world and go
through this world as that person does.

Don't be a Christmas Jerk
Isaiah 9:6

One of my favorite Christmas stories is the classic Christmas Carol by 
Charles Dickens. Last year my wife and I enjoyed a fantastic stage 
production of
this wonderful old story.

It seems every Christmas story has to have a Scrooge, from predictable 
Hallmark dramas to children's books. The reason we always write a jerk into 
our
holiday stories is because it's true. It's real life.

Today I want to encourage you not to be a Christmas jerk. Don't be the 
Scrooge. It's all too easy. Maybe you're expecting an Xbox and you get a 
sweater.
Maybe your parents have to tighten the belt and you have fewer packages 
under the tree. Maybe Christmas is a tough time because you're reminded 
again of
the fragility and dysfunction of your family. Perhaps you wish your family 
would be like the others who seem to have it all together.

Or... maybe you're stressed out because you have a ton of stuff to do. 
Recitals, plays, people, parties.

The circumstances and environment around the holidays make it all too easy 
to fall into jerk mode. And I'm saying, don't let it happen. Why? Because, 
of
all people, it is
Christians
who should be full of joy on Christmas. Why? Becasuse this is the 
celebration of our story, how God moved dramatically to rescue His creation 
by sending
Jesus to live, first as a baby, then as a growing boy, and then as a man.

Christmas is good news. It is God's entrance into the world. God didn't stay 
in Heaven as a detached deity, he moved to become flesh. What a powerful 
story.

How do you avoid becoming a Christmas jerk? First, meditate on the story. Go 
back to the chapters in Isaiah and Matthew and Luke. Remember why we 
celebrate.
Second, go with the flow. What I mean is hold your Christmas plans loosely. 
Remember its about love, about giving, about peace. So if you get stiffed on
the Xbox, let it go. Third, find ways to give back this Christmas. Is there 
a needy child, a program at your church, a community center that needs 
you're
time and perhaps your money? Give. Fourth, don't get hung up on frivolous 
stuff. Don't be a Christian who whines about commercialization, about the 
"War on Christmas." Just fight against those with genuine, Holy-Spirit-led 
Christmas cheer.

Strive this year, to be part of the good at Christmas. And leave the 
jerkiness to Dickens, Hallmark Channel, and others.

Check out our Christmas Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/LuvChristmas.

Daniel Darling is an author, pastor, and public speaker. His latest book is 
Crash Course, Forming a Faith Foundation for Life. Visit him on Facebook

What Kind of Christmas Memories are you Creating?

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart Luke 2:19 (NIV).
An 87-year-old woman shares a pew with me each Sunday at church. Several 
weeks ago, Patti told me she almost didn’t come to church that day. She was 
running
later than usual because she had started going through a stack of Christmas 
cards and had lost track of the time. Like me, Patti usually arrives early.
As Patti went through the stack, she began thinking about her friends and 
the memories they had made. What's remarkable about her collection of cards 
is
that she has been saving them since 1998, the year she moved from California 
to Oklahoma. Her collection, contained in a special holder, is designed just
for that saving Christmas cards. Each year, she has added to the collection. 
Instead of discarding the previous 16 years worth of greeting cards, she
has saved each one.
I enjoyed looking through the cards some of which contained photos of my 
friends children and grandchildren. They include graduation and wedding 
photos,she said. She didn't finish going through the collection before church that 
morning but admitted finishing the job when she returned home that day. It
was a real trip down memory lane a real pleasure,she added.
When I recall Christmases past, my memories are not of gifts received but of 
those given, of seeing the delight on another's face because you found the
perfect present to give. My memories include hunting for a Christmas tree in 
the woods with my family, discussing the merits of each one, finally 
agreeing
on the one that fit our needs.
Recalling the past means letting go of the times when the memories weren't 
quite what you thought they should have been at the time. Like clumps of 
silver
tinsel tossed on the tree instead of carefully placed in strands, we can 
forget the true meaning of making Christmas memories. It doesn't have to be 
perfect.
While we might strive to create the ideal Christmas, what really matters is 
in the heart and that's what Christmas is all about.
Bob Hope, American film actor and comedian, once said, When we recall 
Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things  not the great 
occasions give off the greatest glow of happiness.
True Christmas joy is found in family and friends. While Christmas 
traditions tie us together, we must encompass the need for our precious 
Jesus whose
birth is behind the celebration. It's remembering why we put up and decorate 
trees, why we send greeting cards, why we purchase gifts and embrace other
holiday customs.
American writer Marjorie Holmes, wrote, It comes every year and will go on 
forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. 
Those
humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the 
secret spaces of her heart.
Yes, Christmas is a matter of the heart. You won't find it in a long 
checkout line. Instead, it will be found in the memories you make together.

Carol Round
Columnist/Author/Speaker

Pleasure, Peace, and Persecution

Monday, December 15, 2014

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of 
evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for 
great
is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were 
before you.Matthew 5:11-12 NKJV
Today, for many Christmas is associated with parties and festivities. It is 
a commercial goldmine, the annual focal point for merchants. It is also a 
time
of lights, revelry, and family gatherings.

Yet how easily we can forget that, for Believers in the early years of the 
church, a decision to celebrate Jesus birth could cost their lives. This 
celebration
announced to everyone that they were not just honoring His birth but were 
His followers, and that, regardless of what was popular, they believed in 
His
teachings, death, and Resurrection.

This could be a dangerous commitment not just for first-century Believers, 
but also in the following centuries. We know, for example, how in 303 AD, 
the
Roman Emperor Diocletian marked the birth of Jesus by putting 20,000 
Christians to death by fire.

Today, many Believers around the world experience various types of 
persecution. And just this past year, many have lost their lives. But this 
persecution
also can be subtle. Some seek to silence Believers or keep us from sharing 
our testimony. We can be mocked and ridiculed for our faith.

During this season, as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, let your heart be 
filled with joy. But never forget that following Him is a lifelong 
commitment,
something that involves every part of our lives. Remember that He came to 
die and that He calls us to pick up our cross daily and follow Him.

No matter what people around you might think, make sure that you focus on 
Him during the holiday season. May this be a time when you renew your 
commitment
to let Him lead you as the Lord of your life.

Today's Inspiration Prayer

Father, I commit my life to You. Help me to serve You with my time, talent, 
and treasure. Bring revival in our time. Use me to impact lives for the 
Gospel.
In Jesus name. Amen.

Further Reading: Matthew 5


Life and Death at Christmas

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may 
have life and have it abundantly.
(John 10:10)

As I was about to begin this devotional, I received word that Marion 
Newstrum had just died. Marion and her husband Elmer have been part of 
Bethlehem longer
than most of our members have been alive. She was 87. They had been married 
64 years.

When I spoke to Elmer and told him I wanted him to be strong in the Lord and 
not give up on life, he said, He has been a true friend. I pray that all
Christians will be able to say at the end of life, Christ has been a true 
friend.

Each Advent I mark the anniversary of my mothers death. She was cut off in 
her 56th year in a bus accident in Israel. It was December 16, 1974. Those
events are incredibly real to me even today. If I allow myself, I can easily 
come to tears  for example, thinking that my sons never knew her. We buried
her the day after Christmas. What a precious Christmas it was!

Many of you will feel your loss this Christmas more pointedly than before. 
Don't block it out. Let it come. Feel it. What is love for, if not to 
intensify
our affections both in life and death? But, O, do not be bitter. It is 
tragically self-destructive to be bitter.

Jesus came at Christmas that we might have eternal life. came that they 
might have life, and have it abundantly(
John 10:10).
Elmer and Marion had discussed where they would spend their final years. 
Elmer said, Marion and I agreed that our final home would be with the 
Lord.

Do you feel restless for home? I have family coming home for the holidays. 
It feels good. I think the bottom line reason for why it feels good is that
they and I are destined in the depths of our being for an ultimate 
Homecoming. All other homecomings are foretastes. And foretastes are good.

Unless they become substitutes. O, don't let all the sweet things of this 
season become substitutes of the final great, all-satisfying Sweetness. Let 
every
loss and every delight send your hearts a-homing after heaven.

Christmas. What is it but this: I came that they might have life? Marion 
Newstrum, Ruth Piper, and you and I  that we might have Life, now and 
forever.

Make your Now the richer and deeper this Christmas by drinking at the 
fountain of Forever. It is so near.

For more about John Piper's ministry and writing, see
DesiringGod.org.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Today's Devotional

Old Wood And Rotten Fish

Old buildings are full of mystery to me. First Presbyterian Church in Prince 
Rupert, British Columbia, Canada, where I served as a student minister for
the summer, is a perfect example. Built in 1925, it has stood as one of the 
pillars of the community for nearly 90 years. When I first walked through 
its
antiquated doors, I knew that I was standing in an old building right away. 
It smelled old — not the nasty smell of mould, but that of a building full
of wood and lacquer that gave off that "old wood" smell.

I was mesmerized by its size and seemingly endless passages and stairwells, 
some leading up to the tower standing three stories above the street, and 
others
leading down, down, down into the bowels of the building where the concrete 
floor continued for about 10 feet until it turned into solid rock and 
tapered
up toward the ceiling. There is not much topsoil in Prince Rupert. Most 
buildings are built on solid rock or perched on muskeg.

The thing about old buildings is that the forgotten nooks and crannies 
usually become depositories for unwanted items. This was the case with the 
church.
Brian, the husband of one of the elders, was the building superintendent, 
and his summer project was to clean out the accumulated stuff. He gleefully 
commented
to me that he was going to have a dumpster delivered to the church and was 
going to pile everything that wasn't bolted down into it.

A Saturday was selected for the clean-up day, and all able-bodied members 
were invited to help out. Apparently, an epidemic of physical maladies 
descended
on the members of First Presbyterian on that weekend. That is the only 
reason I can think of why Brian and I were the only ones there at 9 a.m. A 
little
later on, another man arrived and worked hard for the rest of the day, 
mostly because by that time, I was packing nails out one at a time. He was 
lugging
out boards, plywood, old bits of metal, and occasionally, a frantic family 
of spiders. This clean-up work was hard. To make things worse, we discovered
that when a new room was built for the new furnace in the basement, a whole 
bunch of old wood had been left trapped between the foundation wall and the
new frame wall with only a narrow space to fit through.

Finally, the work was done. The basement was free of clutter, and the 
dumpster had become a goldmine of eclectic odds and ends: doors, windows, 
metal grates,
pipes, boards, and an overpowering smell of rotten fish. I am not sure how 
the garbage disposal company operates, but it seemed as though the dumpster
they gave us had most recently been used at the fish processing plant — a 
very generous gesture by the disposal company!

I couldn't help but compare the church clean-out with my life as a believer. 
It has been my experience that as life goes on, little things settle into
the nooks and crannies of my person without my express desire that they be 
there. It may be habits, or how I use my time, or, more aptly put, how my 
time
gets used. A good example is that when more and more activities are added to 
my schedule, consequently, I have less time to spend praying or reading the
Word. I think that after years of accumulation, it would be a good idea to 
have a clean-out time.

2 Corinthians 13:5 – Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. 
Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —
unless indeed you are disqualified. (NKJV)

An important aspect of Advent is that it is a season of self-examination and 
repentance. We should take a good look at our lives and see what things are
important and what things just ended up there. The end result of a cleanup 
is not only a more useful church building, but also a more dedicated me!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You see how our lives can become cluttered with 
unimportant things. Reveal those things to us so that we can be free to 
serve
You better. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Mark Carter <
markatranch@hotmail.com>
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Thought for Today: We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.


Have Yourself an Uncomfortable Christmas
Whitney Hopler

I nearly choked on the Christmas cookie I was eating when one of my friends 
blurted out, “My husband just left me. He’s been having an affair.” My 
friend
continued to unfold the shocking story of how her
marriage
had fallen apart, and how that crisis was causing tremendous suffering for 
her and their three children. As she spoke, tears ran down her face and fell
onto a stack of Christmas cards piled up on her kitchen counter.

This friend was someone who was known for hosting a fun, festive Christmas 
party every year – an event that many neighbors looked forward to attending
to enjoy Christmas cheer together. There would be no party that Christmas 
for my friend and her family.

I faced a choice in my friendship with her that year: Either I could avoid 
her because she made me feel uncomfortable with her raw emotions and serious
needs, or I could draw closer to her in the midst of her suffering. Setting 
my cookie down on a napkin, I reached out to embrace her in a hug.

Our culture often emphasizes ways to feel comfortable during the Christmas 
season, like creating a cozy atmosphere at home and indulging in expensive 
gifts
to celebrate. But when Jesus came to Earth on the first Christmas in 
Bethlehem, he chose to do so in extremely uncomfortable circumstances. His 
birth occurred
in a smelly stable for animals, miles away from his family’s home, in an 
overcrowded place. Soldiers roamed outside, enforcing their government’s 
requirement
that everyone who traveled there for a census pay the taxes they owed.

Jesus chose to enter our fallen world in a way that drew attention to the 
suffering in it. He didn’t look away from difficult circumstances such as 
poverty
and conflict. When we celebrate his birth at Christmas, we shouldn’t look 
away, either. The Bible urges us in
Galatians 6:2
to, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of 
Christ.”

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating at Christmas. After all, Jesus is the 
best gift the world has ever received! The problem comes if we let our 
celebrations
turn inward on ourselves, acting as if we live in bubbles that are separate 
from the uncomfortable realities of the world around us. Although the 
classic
Christmas carol “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” declares that Jesus’ birth 
should bring us “tidings of comfort and joy,” we should still allow God to 
make
us feel uncomfortable at Christmas.

If we dare to look beyond our bright lights and shiny ornaments out into the 
darkness of the suffering that surrounds us this Christmas, we can join God
in his work redeeming that suffering. If we’re willing to face the problems 
that bother God about this fallen world – no matter how uncomfortable they
may make us – God will empower us to help solve them.

Here are some questions to think and pray about as you consider how to break 
out of your comfort zone this Christmas season:

What’s on your December calendar? Is it so full of events and activities you 
enjoy – such as concerts, parties, baking, and shopping – that there’s no
time left for you to say “yes” to God when he brings a hurting person into 
your life to help? If you’re too busy to respond to God’s interruptions, 
clear
your calendar enough so you’ll have some free time this month.

How much are you planning to do this Christmas season to serve people you 
already know about who are in need? This can be anything from volunteering 
at
an organization like your local hospital or food bank to donating funds to a 
charity. When you compare the time, energy, and money you plan to use to 
serve
others this Christmas to the resources you plan to spend on your own 
enjoyment, is the amount equitable? If not, how can you increase what you 
give to
people in need this Christmas?

Who do you know personally who is going through a crisis this Christmas 
season? You can probably think of at least several people among your family, 
friends,
coworkers, and neighbors who are struggling with some sort of crisis, such 
as grief over the death of a loved one, unemployment, or an illness or 
injury.
Make a list of the people you know who are going through a crisis right now. 
Then pray over your list, asking the Holy Spirit to let you know specific
ways you can encourage them and/or help them in practical ways this 
Christmas.

What sins do you need to confess and repent of this Christmas? Pray about 
the sins in your life and turn away from them, toward God. Thank God for his
blessings to you on Christmas by renewing your commitment to honoring him 
and pursuing a closer relationship with him – in every part of your life. 
While
it will be uncomfortable to face your sins at first, the healing you’ll 
experience will make doing so worthwhile.

Who do you need to apologize to or forgive this Christmas? Don’t ignore the 
broken relationships in your life this Christmas season. Even though it will
be uncomfortable to reach out to people you’ve hurt or who have hurt you, 
risk doing so, since Jesus has reached out to you with the ultimate 
forgiveness.

This year, do more than just having yourself a “merry little Christmas” 
where “troubles will be out of sight” as the carol says. Dare to have 
yourself
an uncomfortable Christmas – just like Jesus himself did when he entered our 
world on the first Christmas. In the process, you’ll discover a deeper 
Christmas
joy than you ever could otherwise!

Whitney Hopler, who has served as a Crosswalk.com contributing writer for 
many years, is author of the Christian novel
Dream Factory,
which is set during Hollywood's golden age. She produced
a site about angels and miracles for About.com.
Now she writes about the power of thoughts on her
“Renewing Your Mind” blog.
Publication date: December 12, 2014

IT TOOK A CENSUS

“And Joseph went up from Galilee, from Nazareth, to the city of David, in 
order to register, along with Mary, who was with child. And it came about 
that
while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.”
Luke 2:4-6

Caesar Augustus gave a decree that a census was to be taken. The law touched 
the most common of people in the most obscure places. It reached Joseph and
Mary at a most inopportune time, tucked away in Galilee. Mary was nine 
months pregnant. Nonetheless, a journey to Bethlehem became necessary so 
that they
might comply with the law and register for the census. Did they strain 
against such news? I would think so. Was God in it? Absolutely.

Prophetic words from ages past foretold that a Savior would arise out of 
Bethlehem. God used Caesar’s mouth, a census, and a difficult journey for a 
pregnant
woman to fulfill prophetic words.

God is in the ordinary events of my day, too. When I am hit with 
unemployment, sickness, an unexpected move out-of-state, I can despair 
thinking that God
has turned His back momentarily and that I am just being tossed by the wind. 
Little do I know that these events are like the ‘census’, steering me on to
the next thing God has for me. The seemingly catastrophic event is a 
rudder – getting me to Bethlehem. I can’t see it at the time but I need to 
remember
that my trust in God need not be shaken. Not then, not ever.

Oftentimes, I have cried out, “I can’t believe this happened to me!” Yet, 
where I am, and who I am today, have depended on those unexpected events. I 
have
absolute confidence in You, God. In Jesus name, Amen

For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit
www.daughtersofpromise.org

Welcome to the Illustrator
Today's Bible Verse:

Luke 2:11 "To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is 
the Messiah, the Lord."
By Answers2Prayer
War Christmas

Why is it that we rarely appreciate what we have, until it is taken from us 
by financial circumstances, natural disasters, or war?

It was on November 30, 1939, my tenth birthday, that Russia attacked eastern 
Finland. We said goodbye to my father, who was called to the front lines,
and we were evacuated from our homes to seek shelter away from the war zone. 
We found the first roof over our heads in a farm cabin. There were eleven
of us, and room was made on the cabin floor for us to lie down for the 
night. In a few days, some left for another place, but some of us stayed 
with the
family of five over Christmas until March, when the Winter War was over. 
During that time, I became a candidate to take in God's Word.

In Finland, Christmas Eve is the big day, but the church was 10 kilometres 
away, and we had no warm clothes to wear in the minus 40 degrees Celsius 
weather.
In many respects, it was a day like all the others. Everyone did their daily 
chores and the feeding of the animals. Enemy planes flew low overhead and
the sounds of war were heard clearly in the far distance. Every cannon fired 
seemed to echo the sound of death all around, yet I felt as if we were 
covered
with a divine shield that bounced the fear and noise away. I did not 
understand what it all meant, but it had a lasting effect in developing my 
faith in
God. I knew God saw everything. It was as if we were enveloped in the inner 
peace of the Prince of Peace.

I remember the farm woman singing hymns, and I would hum with her until she 
handed me a hymnal and asked me to sing Martin Luther's A Mighty Fortress Is
Our God. I sat on the window bench of the cabin singing, with everyone 
listening. That hymn was instilled in my heart that war Christmas, and I 
have sung
it hundreds of times since in church services.

A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious.
He breaks the cruel oppressor's rod
And wins salvation glorious.

The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe!
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.

On earth he has no equal.
No strength of ours can match his might!
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,

Whom God himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is he!
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God's only Son, adored,
He holds the field victorious.

But of course, on Christmas Eve, we had our traditional cleansing smoke 
sauna before the simple supper, after which we sat around as one big family. 
The
sometimes static-y radio on a shelf on the wall was our well of information. 
That evening, the church broadcast a special service. Everyone had to be 
quiet
from six until seven p.m. so that the war news and the encouraging message 
from the president of the nation could be heard. I was wondering if my dad 
was
among the casualties that were reported, as if his name would be especially 
mentioned.

After that, a single candle was lit on the large wooden table. In thought, 
we were at the manger as the father read the Christmas story from Luke's 
gospel.
A Saviour was born. A Son was given. Then he led in a deep bass voice, 
"Silent night, holy night". It was a Christmas with no earthly treasures but 
of
heavenly riches that have lasted a lifetime.

It has occurred to me that Paul writes a lot about Christians being in all 
sorts of trouble, yet persevering through it all and building on hope in 
Christ
Jesus, who has said, "I will be with you always." And so, our life in Christ 
gets built from ruins and loss of any kind even today. Jesus Christ with us
is the solid answer.

Prayer: Our heavenly Father, You gave us Your Son, who would give His life 
as a sacrifice for the sin-wrecked world for our sin. Enable us to receive 
Jesus
and conform our lives to His life. May this Christmas be the changing of 
hearts and minds to the glory of God the Father. In Jesus name, we pray. 
Amen.

Kirsti Sipila
Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Thanks to
Daily Presbytarian

Announcement:

Would you like to be blessed by reading testimonies of people who've 
experienced answered prayers? Go to
the Sermon Illustrator
and enjoy! You will discover how awesome our God is!

©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely 
give."

God with Us
By Skip Heitzig

God sent His Son because He wanted to reveal Himself to the world, and the 
best way to do that was to be here in our midst. Jesus Christ is Immanuel, 
which
means "God with us" (see Matthew 1:23), and that is what we celebrate at 
Christmas.

Jesus said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). In other 
words: "Ifyou want to know what God is like, just watch Me and listen to Me.
I embody the will of My Father in heaven." That's powerful!

That means when you see Jesus healing a blind man, you are seeing a 
compassionate God. When you see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, you're seeing 
a brokenhearted
God. When you see Jesus teaching a crowd, you're seeing a concerned God, 
concerned that people know truth. When you see Jesus dying on a cross, you 
are
seeing a determined God, determined to do something about the sin that has 
plagued this world.

"If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father" means that God is not aloof and 
apart from all of the tragedy going on here on earth. No—we have a God who
feels our pain. He knows everything we go through. And He came to this earth 
with all the resources of heaven to deal with those things.

Jesus was surrendered to God. Look at Galatians 4:4: "God sent forth His 
Son, born of a woman, born under the law." This emphasizes the humanity of 
Jesus.
He was God in a preincarnate state, of the same nature of the Father, but He 
was also born into our world as a man. He was not only 100 percent God; He
was 100 percent human.

In order for Jesus Christ to be a Savior, He had to be both God and man. If 
He wasn't, we're doomed, we're damned, we're hopeless. He had to be God, and
He had to be man.

He had to be God for His sacrifice to have the infinite value to atone for 
all sin. Only God has the power to deliver us from the power of sin, death,
and hell. If Jesus Christ was not God, then He was not perfect, and He can't 
impute any righteousness to us. And when He died, He could only die for 
Himself,
not for anybody else. So we are all doomed and hopeless if He is not God.

But Jesus must also be man, because only a man can substitute in death for 
another man. To be an adequate substitute, He must be a man.

So, in a nutshell, He had to be God to have the power of
salvation,
and He had to be man to have the privilege of substitution. That's why Paul 
put it, very neatly and theologically, that He was "born under the law." As
a Jewish man, He had the responsibility to obey God's law. But unlike any 
mere man, He obeyed it perfectly. He lived the perfect life we could never 
live.

Somebody once said, "Jesus Christ is God spelling Himself out in a language 
we can understand." Not only can we understand it, but we can worship our 
great
God for His immeasurable love to us!

Copyright © 2014 by Connection Communications. All rights reserved.

For more from Skip Heitzig, visit
ConnectionRadio.org,
and listen to today's broadcast of The Connection with
Skip Heitzig
at OnePlace.com.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

Her character: So desperate for healing, she ignored the conventions of the 
day for the chance to touch Jesus.
Her sorrow: To have suffered a chronic illness that isolated her from 
others.
Her joy: That after long years of suffering, she finally found peace and 
freedom.
Key Scriptures:
Matthew 9:20-22
;
Mark 5:25-34
;
Luke 8:43-48

Her Story

The woman hovered at the edge of the crowd. Nobody watched as she melted 
into the throng of bodies—just one more bee entering the hive. Her shame 
faded,
replaced by a rush of relief. No one had prevented her from joining in. No 
one had recoiled at her touch.

She pressed closer, but a noisy swarm of men still blocked her view. She 
could hear Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, raising his voice above the 
others,
pleading with Jesus to come and heal his daughter before it was too late.

Suddenly the group in front of her shifted, parting like the waters of the 
Jordan before the children of promise. It was all she needed. Her arm darted
through the opening, fingers brushing the hem of his garment. Instantly, she 
felt a warmth spread through her, flushing out the pain, clearing out the
decay. Her skin prickled and shivered. She felt strong and able, like a 
young girl coming into her own—so glad and giddy, in fact, that her feet 
wanted
to rush her away before she created a spectacle by laughing out loud at her 
quiet miracle.

But Jesus blocked her escape and silenced the crowd with a curious question: 
"Who touched me?"

"Who touched him? He must be joking!" voices murmured. "People are pushing 
and shoving just to get near him!"

Shaking now, the woman fell at his feet: "For twelve years, I have been 
hemorrhaging and have spent all my money on doctors but only grown worse. 
Today,
I knew that if I could just touch your garment, I would be healed." But 
touching, she knew, meant spreading her defilement—even to the rabbi.

Twelve years of loneliness. Twelve years in which physicians had bled her of 
all her money. Her private affliction becoming a matter of public record.
Every cup she handled, every chair she sat on could transmit defilement to 
others. Even though her impurity was considered a ritual matter rather than
an ethical one, it had rendered her an outcast, making it impossible for her 
to live with a husband, bear a child, or enjoy the intimacy of friends and
family. Surely the rabbi would censure her.

But instead of scolding and shaming her, Jesus praised her: "Daughter, your 
faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

His words must have been like water breaching a dam, breaking through her 
isolation and setting her free. He had addressed her not harshly, but 
tenderly—not
as "woman" or "sinner," but rather as "daughter." She was no longer alone, 
but part of his family by virtue of her faith.

That day, countless men and women had brushed against Jesus, but only one 
had truly touched him. And instead of being defiled by contact with her, his
own touch had proven the more contagious, rendering her pure and whole 
again.

Her Promise

God promises to heal us. That statement may seem to fly in the face of the 
many who have suffered from illness and disability for years on end, but we
need to remember that our concept of healing is not necessarily the same as 
God's. For some, healing may not take place here on earth. True healing—the
healing that will cure even those who don't suffer from any particular 
physical ailment here on earth—will take place not here but in heaven. 
There, God
promises the ultimate healing from our sickness, our disabilities, our 
inclination to sin.

Today's devotional is drawn from
Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture
by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Visit
AnnSpangler.com
to learn more about Ann's writing and ministry.

A New Thing The Shepherds

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
18 Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

Luke 2:10-17 (NIV)
10 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of 
great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a 
Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign 
to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.13 
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, 
praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace 
to men on whom his favor rests. 15 When the angels had left them and gone 
into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let's go to Bethlehem and 
see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about 16 So 
they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in 
the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what 
had been told them about this child,

It was not a new thing for an angel to appear with a message but one thing 
was new in the message that the single angel brought to the shepherds. The 
message an angel had brought in the past had been for one person or one 
group of people. This message was the Good News for all the people. Another 
new thing in this account is the baby being found in a manger.

What did the shepherds do when they heard what the angel said? They trusted 
the message and did what the angel told them to do. They looked in the 
mangers of Bethlehem until they found a baby. After that, they went out 
praising God and telling everyone what they had seen and Who they had seen. 
They did not know any theology but just what had been told to them and what 
they had seen. That is what they told others

This message is a message for all peoples. Like the shepherds, we need to 
tell all peoples the Good News of Jesus Christ. WE need to tell them just 
what we know. WE don’t have to know all the whys and wherefores, we just 
need to tell them what we have been told and what we have experienced.

I saw the results of a survey on a Christian web site of atheists about what 
might reach them. The one thing they thought might turn them to Jesus Christ 
was testimonies of Jesus and how He has worked in someone’s life.

Jesus commands us to go teach disciples. This may be a new thing god wants 
you to do.

May we obey what the psalmist has told us to do:

Psalm 9:11 (NIV)
11 Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations 
what he has done.

by Dean W. Masters

Today's Topical Bible Study

Mary: Portrait of a Woman Used by God
by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

One of my favorite biblical role models is Mary of Nazareth. In her life I 
have found a wealth of wisdom for my own walk with God. Her story 
illustrates
many of the characteristics of the kind of woman God uses to fulfill His 
redemptive purposes in our world.

An ordinary woman

There was nothing particularly unusual about Mary. She was not from a 
wealthy or illustrious family. When the angel appeared to this young teenage 
girl,
she was engaged to be married and was undoubtedly doing what engaged girls 
do—dreaming of being married to Joseph, of the home they would live in, of 
the
family they would have. I don’t believe she was expecting her life to be 
used in any extraordinary way.

The significance of Mary’s life was not based on any of the things our world 
values so highly—background, physical beauty, intelligence, education, 
natural
gifts, and abilities. It was Mary’s relationship to Jesus that gave her life 
significance. “The Lord is with you,†the angel told her (
Luke 1:28, NIV).
That is what made all the difference in this young woman’s life. And it is 
what makes all the difference in our lives.

An undeserving woman

God did not choose this young woman because she was worthy of the honor of 
being the mother of the Savior. The angel said to Mary, “Greetings, you who
are highly favored!†(
v. 28,
emphasis added). That phrase could be translated, “You who are graciously 
accepted.†If any of us is to be accepted by God, it will be because of 
grace—not
because of anything we have done.

It’s all because of grace. Over and over again in
Scripture,
we see that God chooses people who are undeserving. God didn’t look down 
from heaven and say, “I see a woman who has something to offer Me; I think I’ll
use her.†Mary did not deserve to be used by God; to the contrary, she 
marveled at God’s grace in choosing her.

The moment we cease to see ourselves as undeserving instruments, chances are 
we will cease to be useful in the hand of God.

A Spirit-filled woman

We, too, must be filled with the Spirit if we are to fulfill the purpose for 
which God has chosen us. When the angel said to Mary, “You’re going to have
a child,†Mary responded, “How can this be? I’ve never been intimate with a 
man!†God had chosen her for a task that was humanly impossible.

The task for which God has chosen you and me is no less impossible. We can 
share the Gospel of Christ with our lost friends, but we cannot give them 
repentance
and faith. You can provide a climate that is conducive to the spiritual 
growth of your children, but you can’t make them have a heart for God. We 
are totally
dependent on Him to produce any fruit of eternal value.

In response to Mary’s expression of weakness and inadequacy, the angel 
promised her God’s strength and adequacy: “The Holy Spirit will come upon 
you, and
the power of the Most High will overshadow you†(
v. 35).

Don’t ever forget that you cannot do what God has called you to do. You 
cannot parent that child, love that husband, care for that elderly parent, 
submit
to that boss, teach that Sunday school class, or lead that small-group
Bible study.

God specializes in the impossible so that when the victory is won and the 
task is complete, we cannot take any credit. Others know we didn’t do it, 
and
we know we didn’t do it. We must always remember that we can only live the 
Christian life and serve God through the power of His Holy Spirit. As soon 
as
we think we can handle it on our own, we become useless to Him. We have to 
be willing to get out of the way, let God take over, and let Him overshadow
us.

An available woman

Equipped with the promises of God, Mary’s response was simply, “I am the 
Lord’s servant.... May it be to me as you have said†(
v. 38).
In other words, “Lord, I’m available. You are my master; I am Your servant. 
I’m willing to be used however You choose. My body is Yours; my womb is 
Yours;
my life is Yours.â€

In that act of surrender, Mary offered herself to God as a living sacrifice. 
She was willing to be used by God for His purposes—willing to endure the 
loss
of reputation that was certain to follow when people realized she was with 
child, willing to endure the ridicule and even the possible stoning 
permitted
by the Mosaic law, willing to go through nine months of increasing 
discomfort and sleeplessness, willing to endure the labor pains of giving 
birth to the
Child. Mary was willing to give up her own plans and agenda so that she 
might link arms with God in fulfilling His agenda.

A praising woman

When God puts challenging circumstances in our lives, we either worship or 
we whine. I’m ashamed to say I’ve done more than my share of whining—even 
about
ministry. “Oh, Lord, I’m tired of traveling. Do I have to go there? This is 
so hard! Why do I have to deal with that person?†I am reminded of the 
children
of Israel in the wilderness who murmured incessantly. “If only God had just 
let us die in the wilderness,†they whined. One day God finally said, in 
essence,
“You want to die in the wilderness? Okay, you’ll die in the wilderness!†
(see
Num. 14:2, 28–30).
Be careful what you say when you murmur—God may take you up on it.

But when Mary’s world was turned topsy-turvy, when she was faced with a 
drastic change in plans, she responded in worship and praise. “My soul 
glorifies
the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior†(
vv. 46–47).
So begins her Magnificat—one of the greatest hymns of praise ever lifted up 
to heaven. She worshiped God for His wonderful acts, for His mercy, and for
choosing her to be a part of His great redemptive plan.

A woman of the Word

Her prayer in
Luke 1:46–55
includes at least a dozen quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures. In 
those days women did not have a formal education; Mary was probably 
illiterate.
But she had listened to the reading of the Word and had hidden it in her 
heart. Her life and her prayers were filled with Scripture.

One of our greatest needs as women is to become women of the Word so that 
our prayers, our responses, and our words are saturated with God’s way of 
thinking.
The world does not need to hear our opinions. When friends approach us for 
advice about dealing with their children, their boss, their finances, their
fears, their depression, or other issues, they don’t need to hear what we 
think. We should be able to take them to the Word and say, “I don’t have the
answers you need, but I know Someone who does. Here’s what God’s Word has to 
say about this situation.â€

A wounded woman

Eight days after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph took the infant to the 
temple (
Luke 2:21–35).
Simeon, who had been waiting for the appearance of the Messiah, took the 
Christ-Child in his arms and blessed Him. Simeon spoke of how the Child 
would
be a sign that would be spoken against—foreshadowing the cross and the 
suffering He would undergo. Then Simeon looked at Mary and spoke words that 
she
would not fully understand until she stood beneath the cross of her Son 33 
years later. On that day she surely remembered Simeon’s words, “A sword will
pierce your own soul too†(
v. 35).

There at Calvary I believe that sword pierced Mary’s soul in more than one 
sense. First, as a mother she was losing her Son. She was giving up His 
life.
Even as He laid down His life, she gave up her Son for the salvation and the 
redemption of the world.

Mothers, have you laid down your children for the sake of Christ and His 
kingdom? How sad it is on occasion to see Christian parents stand in the way 
of
their children laying down their lives for the sake of Christ. And what a 
joy to see parents who gladly release their children to the will of God.

Another wound pierced Mary’s heart—this one even more deeply than the first. 
You see, she understood that her Son was dying not only for the sins of the
world, but for her sins. Even before He was born, she had recognized Him as 
“God my Savior†(
Luke 1:47,
emphasis added). As good as she was, Mary was not good enough to get to 
heaven on her own. As is true with each of us, she had to place her faith in 
the
crucified Son of God, who died in her place. As she stood beneath that 
cross, perhaps she recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah: “He was pierced 
for
[my] transgressions, he was crushed for [my] iniquities... and by his wounds 
[I am] healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned
to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (
Isa. 53:5–6).

Mary was a wounded woman–wounded not only by her suffering, but by her sin. 
As she gazed upon her crucified Son, she realized that He was taking her 
wounds
upon Himself. And as she believed, she was healed—cleansed of her sin. Three 
days later when she learned that He had conquered death and was alive, 
knowing
she had been made whole by His death, she joined the other disciples in 
taking the Good News of His atonement to a wounded, sinful world, that they, 
too,
might know His healing salvation.

For more than 2,000 years her life has provided a portrait of godliness for 
women who, like Mary, long to be used of God.

----------------------------------------------------------

© Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. Excerpted from Portrait of a 
Woman Used by God by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Content provided by
OnePlace.com.

What Day Was He Born?

The Day Jesus Was Born

Someone has said, "This coming December 25th most parents will be lying to 
their children about old St. Nick. Some of us will be celebrating the birth
of our Savior. But was he really born on this day? Was Jesus really born on 
December 25th? Virtually every month on the calendar has been proposed by 
biblical
scholars. So why do we celebrate his birth in December?

The tradition for December 25th is actually quite ancient. Hippolytus, in 
the second century A.D., argued that this was Christ's birthday. Meanwhile, 
in
the Eastern Church, January 6th was the date followed. But in the fourth 
century, John Chrysostom argued that December 25th was the correct date and 
from
that day till now, the Church in the East, as well as the West, has observed 
the 25th of December as the official date of Christ's birth.

In modern times, the traditional date has been challenged. Modern scholars 
point out that when Jesus was born, shepherds were watching their sheep in 
the
hills around Bethlehem. Luke tells us that an angel appeared to "some 
shepherds staying out in the fields [who were] keeping watch over their 
flock by
night" (2:8).

Some scholars feel that the sheep were usually brought under cover from 
November to March; as well, they were not normally in the field at night. 
But there
is no hard evidence for this. In fact, early Jewish sources suggest that the 
sheep around Bethlehem were outside year-round. So you can see, December 
25th
fits both tradition and the biblical narrative well. There is no sound 
objection to it.

Now admittedly, the sheep around Bethlehem were the exception, not the rule. 
But these were no ordinary sheep. They were sacrificial lambs. In the early
spring they would be slaughtered at the Passover.

And God first revealed the Messiah's birth to these shepherds--shepherds who 
protected harmless lambs which would soon die on behalf of sinful men. When
they saw the baby, could they have known? Might they have whispered in their 
hearts what John the Baptist later thundered, "Behold, the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world!"

The True Glory of Christmas is how perfectly God entered our world that 
first Christmas. There are six perfections we will see:

• His TIMING was Perfect because it was in the Fullness of Time.
• His NAMES were Perfect because they reveal we deeply need what only God 
gives.
• His PLAN was Perfect because it was God with us.
• His PROMISES were Perfect because they were the culmination of ALL 
PROPHESY.
• His RECEPTION was Perfect because He was found by all who were looking for 
Him.
• His TRADITIONS were Perfect because all the season points to Him.

Thus the world that cradled Christ was the world that
Christianity
entered - and

by God's definition was the Fullness of Time.

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For more from Discover the Book Ministries, please visit
discoverthebook.org

Today's Devotional

Our Wintery Advent

Revelation 22:20b – Come, Lord Jesus. (NIV)

We who regularly endure the clutch of winter's deepfreeze know what it's 
like to crave for spring. As each day passes, we look forward to spring with 
intensified
longing. We may even come to the point where we cannot handle another day of 
icy misery. We simply must see a burst of refreshing new life. This is the
essence of Advent. It's the anticipation of something that we know will 
come — and must come.

Advent is a tradition observed before Christmas in many churches. It 
prepares worshippers for the celebration of the advent or coming of Christ 
at His
birth. I began thinking: Perhaps winter's miseries can help us grasp the 
essence of Advent more easily than the warm delight of candles and carols. 
Let's
consider this:

Christ came to forgive and free us from sin's icy grip. Winter's miseries 
easily depict sin's ghastly blast, such as cold-heartedness, which inflicts 
untold
sorrows on its victims, or the icy edge of bitter words, which tempts one to 
recoil behind layers of self protection — much like donning a heavy winter
coat. Chilly, outdoor air can feel as inhospitable as a loveless community. 
In essence, it's a climate of unforgiveness rooted in the human heart, 
working
as a toxin which erodes relationships, damages health, and depletes the 
energy for human potential.

Deep down, we long desperately to break free from this frigid grip on 
humanity. We long to run freely in the warm breeze. Yet, winter clings on. 
Where
is God? In our impatience, we try to fix the disruptive effects of human 
brokenness. As if chipping away at ice, we clatter away with our chisels, 
our
endless noise, and our groans — but with little effect.

That's not how the Creator turns winter into spring. He does not send angels 
to break up the ice or strip away the snow. By the power of His Spirit, He
simply breathes mild warmth into the frozen air. The ice of hatred melts 
into love; the snow of conflict is replaced by peace; and the rivers of fear 
thaw
into faith and flow again. The earth awakens, and life spontaneously bursts 
forth in response to His warm breath. The Spirit is working, breathing 
quietly.
It is an irresistible power at work. We cannot create this power. We can 
only wait and watch for it. In this manner, God frees humanity from the 
wintery
grip of sin. We watch for evidence of forgiveness, God's supreme gift of 
salvation. We know we must see it. This is our Advent longing.

In truth, Christ has already come, and we anticipate His second advent when 
all sin and death are wiped away. Yes, He is indeed present in our wintery
Advent — this season before His return. How? By breathing His life into the 
hearts of fallen people, and quietly transforming them from the inside out.

I share an example of a married couple, who have been friends of mine for 40 
years. As church servants, they have endured many frostbites — church hurts,
some would say. These hard experiences could have stalled this couple in the 
frozen ice of bitterness. But instead, they listened to the quiet breath of
God within their own hearts. As He had forgiven them, so they forgave their 
offenders. I've been quietly watching the results over the years. This 
couple
has been free to live forgivingly among fallen people. Their energy has been 
free to practice lavish, gracious hospitality. Countless people, including
myself, have experienced the warmth.

Let us learn to hear God's quiet breathing, lest our hearts become frosted 
over with doubt. But we cannot sense it if our minds are noisily preoccupied
with anxious thoughts and busy strategies. We must learn to be silent. Only 
when we are still can we hear His breath and sense His irresistible power at
work.

Prayer: Lord, work in us so that we may learn to recognize Your quiet, warm 
breathing in and around us — even as we fervently long for Christ's final 
advent.
Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Diane Eaton 
Paisley, Ontario, Canada
Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

The Happy Christmas
Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is 
pleased! Luke 2:14 ESV
All around him, Nikolai Grundtvig saw churchgoers who increasingly embraced 
a watered-down faith. Churches throughout his native Denmark were 
everywhere.
Yet when he urged a return to Biblical standards, he was criticized, and 
even prohibited from preaching.

He might have become a pastor, but instead became an author and teacher, and 
an important voice for reform within Denmark politics. Through these 
circumstances,
he sought to serve the Lord, particularly as the author of important hymns.

As the Christmas season approached in 1817 (when he was 34), he penned a 
hymn that reinforced the centrality of Jesus for Christians. The title The 
Happy
Christmas Comes Once More) does not focus on the revelry many associate 
with Christmas, but on Jesus.

Grundtvig described how “the heavenly Guest is at the door. How thrilled 
the shepherds were to hear the angels message. How wonderful the joyous 
tidings
of peace and good will. While the world could scarcely find for You a bed,
His cradle was a manger stall.

In our hearts, we symbolically have the opportunity to go with quiet mind 
to that manger. As we gaze on the gentle Babe,we will see the lowly 
Savior.

His presence should fill our heart with singing: O wake, our hearts, in 
gladness sing, and keep our Christmas with our King, till living song, from 
loving
souls, like sound of mighty water rolls. What joy He brings to our hearts, 
as the Son of Man, incarnate Word.

But Grundtvig knew that each person needed to have a personal encounter with 
that Child: Come, Jesus, glorious heavenly Guest, keep Thine own Christmas
in our breast. As we fellowship with Him, and declare Him our Lord, our 
hearts will be filled with joy.

As Grundtvig knew, the real joy-at Christmastime and throughout the year-is 
knowing Jesus. Worship Him. Celebrate His birth. Make Him your Lord.

Today's Inspiration Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I worship You. Thank You for filling me with joy. Help me 
share this joyful message with others. In Your name. Amen.

Further Reading: Luke 2
Inspiration Ministries

Christmas: The Only Gift Everyone Really Needs
by Dr. John Barnett

Christmas is all about gifts; gift giving, gift buying, and gift receiving 
make up so much of these weeks of the year. Many are looking for the most 
"wanted"
gifts; so much so that often these gifts are sold out and become even more 
sought after. As we open to the last dozen
verses
of Luke 1, think about the most wanted gifts.

The Most Wanted Gifts

The world's largest retailers sent out a beautiful, full-color, glossy flyer 
a few weeks ago with the "gifts everyone wants this Christmas." I was 
driving
as Bonnie read through the items offered: diamonds, home theaters, complete 
"dream vacation" packages to be with music stars backstage, and on went the
list. Then the "ultimate" gift was presented—a million and a half dollar 
personal jet that seats four!
Is that what we all really want—diamonds, dream vacations, and private jets?

Christmas in America is mostly about gifts given and received. Billions and 
billions of dollars of sales attest to the fact that for these 4–6 weeks we
flood the retail outlets and search for and buy the gifts that are most 
wanted, most sought after, most unique, and most memorable.

But the real Christmas was the very first one, when God confronted the world 
with the only gift everyone really needs. Christmas is about the gift no one
seeks but everyone needs. In fact, God came to provide the only gift that 
everyone absolutely, critically needs—the substitutionary death of His Son, 
who
came to meet our critical, eternal-life-threatening need prompted by our 
sins.

To help us understand Christmas from God's perspective, look over the 
holiday crowds that always seem to get in front of us everywhere we want to 
go these
days; look beyond our house, our street, our city, our state, and even our 
planet; look above and remember to see our God on His Throne.

God Is On His Throne

This very moment, as the billions of souls in this world go through their 
routines of eating, sleeping, working and living, our God is enthroned in 
the
Heavens. He is sitting in power and majesty; He is surrounded by countless 
angelic hosts bowing before Him and reverently crying out Holy, Holy, Holy.
Before Him, the Ancient of Days, burn seven fires, reflected in the 
mirror-like surface of the crystal sea. Around Him, the King of Glory, peal 
endless
claps of thunder and flashes of lightning as angelic hosts and saved sinners 
rise and fall in adoration. In front of Him, the Almighty God, rise the 
constant
incense of prayers and worship songs from His redeemed creatures.

Our God sits enthroned in Heaven as Ruler over the entire Universe. As the 
Lord looks down from His Throne upon this planet overspread with people, it
looks pretty dark down here. Listen to one picture that God left us; this is 
His analysis of our human plight.

Luke 1:78–79
"Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high 
has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow
of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

We Are Lost In Darkness

From God's perspective, all of humanity is hopelessly lost, sitting in the 
dark and awaiting destruction.

Christmas is the story of the Lord God Almighty, motivated by His great 
love, sending Jesus to provide the way of salvation to lost humanity sitting 
in
that complete darkness.

Jesus came to Earth as the sunrise from God to shine the light of God upon 
all of the lost and sin darkened people of this world.

It is always darkest just before dawn, and that is just how it was. The 
Roman world of the 1st Century had reached the highest levels of science, 
literature,
culture, engineering, transportation, and medicine known since Adam and Eve 
stepped from the Garden.

Yet with all that advancement, most people were still hopelessly lost and 
endlessly troubled by an inability to even control their own fears and 
desires,
let alone know how to come to know the Awesome God of the Universe.

So in that darkest hour, God sends the only gift everyone really needs.

God Visits Us

As the Christmas story unfolds, we see more and more of God's plan to come 
and rescue lost humanity. This Christmas, we need to see ourselves as God 
saw
us.

We are born spiritually blind, and we grow up sitting lost, helpless, and 
hopeless in the darkness of sin. As sinners who have sinned even once in 
God's
sight, we are guilty of breaking all of God's commandments (
James 2:10).

Christmas from the Divine vantage point, as explained in the Bible, should 
make us see ourselves as worse than we think, rather than better; because 
Christ's
death is only for the guilty, only for the hopelessly stained, and only for 
the helplessly lost. It is in that condition that we find God's grace.

Do You See Your Critical Needs?

All sinners (so that means all humans that have ever lived on planet earth 
except Jesus Christ) have seven basic Biblically described critical and 
soul-threatening
needs.

If you listen to the messages that God gave about His purposes in sending 
Jesus to the earth, you find the critical needs we have:

• Matthew 1:21
is forgiveness of our sins.
• Matthew 1:23
is justification so God can be with us.
• Galatians 4:4–5
is redemption and adoption for us who are slaves to sin and strangers to 
God.
• Luke 1:79
is peace with God and life to us at war with Him and dead in sin.

Briefly summed up, all humans are hopelessly lost, sitting in the dark and 
awaiting destruction unless seven critical needs are met by God through 
Jesus.
These are forgiveness, justification, regeneration, reconciliation, 
adoption, redemption, and sanctification.

The Only Gift Everyone Really Needs

As you think about Christmas, gifts, presents, giving and receiving, why not 
check and be sure that you have received the most important of all gifts.

Only if we have received Him, Jesus who came to save us from sin, do we 
really have anything in our possession that matters. Every other possession 
and
gift can be stripped away from us by death, disease, or disaster. Only Jesus 
will never leave us nor be lost; only He can save and keep us forever.

Have you received the one and only gift that you (and everyone else) really 
needs?
----------------------------------------------------------
This article was selected from Dr. John Barnett's MP3 CD, The Glory of 
Christmas. For more resources, visit our website at
www.DiscoverTheBook.org.
Or to read the rest of this article, insert the following URL into your 
browser bar:
http://www.dtbm.org/sermon/christmas-the-only-gift-everyone-really-needs/

[Content provided by
OnePlace.com]


More Loving

Posted: 08 Dec 2014 07:40 AM PST

This Christmas, Father, help me to be more loving.
Reshape me by the Spirit of Christ.
Make me more like You.

Add or subtract from me.
Edit and revise me as You see fit.
Tune me up, Lord.
Challenge me,
teach me,
inspire me by Your example.

I am listening, Father.
Lead, and I will follow.

Open my eyes to the needs all around me.
Help me to see You standing among us,
eager to supply each need from Your great abundance.

This Christmas,
make me as humble as the newborn Christ.
Keep me as patient as You, my Father,
and as faithful as Your unfailing promises.
Help me to share the good news about Jesus
as naturally and eagerly as the shepherds.
With the magi, may I bow in worship and
offer You only my very best.

Bring your love to life, O kind, compassionate Father.
Make it flesh and blood in me.
Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand in
the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our
Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and
authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

Welcome to the Illustrator
Today's Bible Verse:

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, 
because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)

By Answers2Prayer
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Until the End of Time

Off in the distance the old record player is stacked with the sounds of the 
very best of days gone by. One by one the lp's drop, skid into place, and 
the
sounds of Christmas fill the room.

Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme and Ella Fitzgerald take turns 
serenading the old man as he opens the box marked "Christmas."

"It's not the same, but it is the best it can be considering."

"Considering what?" I ask.

"Considering the fact that my love is not with me," he says quietly.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas" he sings above the scratchy sounds 
of Perry Como.

If records are well before your time you would not appreciate this. But 
there are many who believe the purest sounds come from a 33 1/3 lp even with 
the
scratches. You learn to tune them out.

He pulls the box a little closer, then resting his hands on it for a moment, 
almost like the laying on of hands at a prayer meeting, he pauses, then 
unties
the string.

It appears that the string he used, like his dreams, is old, a little frayed 
and unraveled, but still serving a greater purpose.

Lifting the lid, he stops once more and gazes into the box.

"Ah, Christmas!" He says.

Like a surgeon, he places his hands gently, slowly into the box before him 
and carefully removes the contents placing it on the table.

Whatever this treasure may be, it is wrapped in plain brown paper.

Moving it side to side, he pulls and tugs until it is revealed.

"This, this is Christmas," he says.

Then lifting it up slightly above his head he looks underneath as if 
searching for something.

It is a classic old mantel clock.

"Oh, my friend that is beautiful!" I said.

"Mahogany wood?"

He doesn't answer me.

He sat there lost in a place and time perhaps when you and I did not even 
exist. He held the clock, no embraced it like he was holding the most 
precious
thing on earth.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I love this clock. It means the world to me," he said.

"I can tell," I reply. He smiles and glances back at me.

"This is Christmas," he whispers.

"May I ask why? Why do you see it as Christmas?" He then went on to explain.

His wife had been very ill for some time. In the spring of that year she 
could no longer walk.

By fall, her interest in things around her dimmed. Then with the approach of 
Christmas she seemed to rise above it all. Her husband thought that this was
a sure sign that she would recover.

Just before Christmas she told him to go to the local store. He was to ask 
for the "Christmas Box" with her name on it. She made him promise not to 
open
it nor ask what was inside.

He did and as requested he returned with the box in hand.

"Place it under the bed," she asked of him.

It was on that Christmas Eve that she presented him with the box. Now 
weakened from the cold dampness and the return of her symptoms, she could 
hardly
make it through the night.

"Open it," she told him.

He untied the string, unwrapped the contents and read the small card inside.

"This is a symbol of my love for you...forever until the end of time."

She reached under the clock and removed a small key. Opening the front glass 
covering the face of the clock, she took the key and began to wind it. With
all her strength she could only manage to turn the key a few times.

She carefully closed the door and laid her head on his shoulder.

"We fell asleep that way," he said to me.

The next morning, Christmas day, she was gone.

"With all her strength she could not manage to wind the clock completely. It 
stopped just minutes short of midnight on Christmas day," he said.

Then turning toward where I was standing he said, "She loved me until the 
end of time, her time. I have never wound that clock again.

It holds Christmas, our last Christmas inside."

We sat together until the last record dropped.

How appropriate it was.

"I'm dreamin' tonight of a place I love,
Even more then I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you. I'll be home for Christmas ..."

May the most valuable gift you receive this Christmas be found not in a box, 
but in the hearts of those you love... "until the end of time."

Bob Perks

Announcement:

May we hunger for God during this Christmas season. He sure is awesome!

©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely 
give."

Running Wild with Hope
by Russ Ramsey

The details surrounding Jesus' birth became part of the lore of his 
community. Born in Bethlehem but raised in Nazareth, west of the Sea of 
Galilee, some
said he was conceived while his mother was still a virgin and that his birth 
was a miracle from God, heralded by angels themselves.1 Others assumed that
the timing of his arrival”so soon after his parents wedding meant that if 
he wasn't an illegitimate son, then at the very least temptation had gotten
the best of his parents before they wed.

Still, it was hard to deny that there was something unusual about Joseph and 
Mary's son. Even from a young age, his wisdom, understanding, and learning
mystified the religious leaders when they heard him speak. His own community 
regarded him as a man who had found favor with God.2 As his parents watched
Jesus mature, they couldn't help but see his Nazareth years as a time of 
preparation for a calling they knew would inevitably lead him away from 
them.

Jesus was around thirty years old when he left Nazareth to begin his public 
ministry.3 The first thing he did was journey to Bethany beyond the Jordan
to find his cousin John.

John was a preacher who lived in the wilderness proclaiming a bap- tism of 
repentance for the forgiveness of sins.4 Dressed in a camel hair coat like 
the
prophet Elijah, he looked like the child of a feral, violent land, but he 
spoke as one privy to the mysteries of God. People from all over were drawn 
to
hear him.

His message was simple and pointed: Hope is here. The Lord is with us. 
Many in Israel responded to Johns message by coming to confess their 
darkest
secrets to begin again a conversation with the Maker who promised to never 
forsake them.5

It had been a long time since the people of Israel had reason to think God 
was near, let alone active. Their recent history was a sad tale of sifting 
through
the rubble of exile. Yes, they had come home. But like Job, though they were 
able to reconstruct much of what fell to the Babylonians and Assyrians who
had carried them off, what they rebuilt could not replace all they had 
lost.6 Neither could it take away their grief. They were poor in 
spirit mourners,
meek and hungry for righteousness. Estranged from comfort and unsure of 
their inheritance, they wanted to see God, and if not God himself then at 
least
traces of his presence with them.7

Generations earlier, when their ancestors followed Joshua across the river 
where John now stood, they passed from being slaves in the wilderness to a 
mighty
kingdom built on the promises of their God.8 But now, every Roman sword that 
clinked against the armor moving through their streets and alleys reminded
them that they had again returned to the wilderness of oppression. So when 
John emerged from the wild, proclaiming the nearness of God, many regarded 
him
more as a guide than a stranger. They came to John, and he led one person 
after another down into this river that ran through their history as a 
people one
bank marking who they had been and the other who they would become. And in 
those waters, between those banks, he baptized them.

John grew up with the stories of how God opened his own mother's barren womb 
to bring him into this world. He knew he was born to proclaim the salvation
of the Lord.9 He also knew that the Lord had given his mother's cousin Mary 
a son of her own only Mary's miracle wasn't that she overcame barrenness to
conceive. It was that she conceived while she was yet a virgin.

Back when Mary was pledged to marry Joseph, the angel of the Lord appeared 
to tell her that the Lord was giving her a boy and he would be called the 
Son
of the Most High God. God was going to give this child David's throne where 
he would reign forever over the house of Jacob, and his kingdom would never
end.10 Mary would carry in her womb the King of Glory, the Savior of the 
world.

John's mother, Elizabeth, used to tell him about the time Mary, whom she 
sometimes referred to as the mother of my Lord,11 came to visit and how 
when
she entered their house, John leapt inside Elizabeth's belly. It was as 
though he couldn't wait to begin proclaiming the Lord's salvation, she told 
him.

John knew this was his path. He would never be wealthy. He would hold no 
position of power. He was the courier of the news that God was giving his 
forgetful
creation the Savior he had promised so long ago.12 John's purpose was to run 
wild with the hope that the Messiah had come.

Notes

1.
Luke 1:26 38
;
2:8 21

2.
Luke 2:41 52

3.
Luke 3:23

4.
Luke 3:3

5.
Deut. 31:8

6.
Job 42:10 “11

7.
Matt. 5:2 6, 8

8.
Joshua 3

9.
Matt. 3:11

10.
Luke 1:32-33

11.
Luke 1:43

12.
Gen. 3:17
-----------------------------

Taken from
Behold the King of Glory: A Narrative of the Life, Death, and Resurrection 
of Jesus Christ,
by Russ Ramsey. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of 
Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Il 60187,
www.crossway.org.
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus stand at the heart of the 
Christian faith. For many, however, the story is so familiar that it no 
longer instills
a profound sense of awe and wonder. In this carefully researched retelling 
of the gospel story, pastor Russ Ramsey seeks to reinvigorate readers 
appreciation
for Jesus Christ by helping believers and nonbelievers alike encounter the 
truth about Jesus' life, work, and message in a fresh and compelling way. 
Designed
to be read at any time of the year, Behold the King of Glory follows the 
ministry of Jesus in one continuous narrative, culminating in his dramatic 
arrest,
execution, and resurrection. Creatively written yet rooted in the Bible, 
this resource will reawaken readers appreciation for Jesus Christ, the King 
of Glory.

Featured Sermon
from
LightSource.com
Bayless Conley
Answers with Bayless Conley

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also ”Matthew 
6:21(NIV).
Pulling the warm blanket closer, I watched the gentle rain falling outside 
my sunroom window one recent morning. Birds huddled underneath the bushes, 
reminding
me of a scene I'd witnessed in a large city nearby the day before.
I was running late to meet a friend for lunch after I had stopped to pick up 
some medical records. I also had to get my vehicle to the shop for servicing
before meeting her. Seeking the shortest route between my doctor's office 
and my destination, I used my phone's navigation aid to help me. I wasn't 
familiar
with the route but trusted the voice giving me directions to get me there 
safely.
Turning a corner, I prepared to enter a freeway ramp but was stopped by a 
red light. Nearby, in a vacant lot, were two homeless people”a man and a 
woman.
While I had witnessed people standing alongside the road with signs pleading 
for money, food or a job, I'd never actually seen someone camped out in a
metropolitan area. With their meager belongings piled beside them, the two 
seemed oblivious of the busy traffic around them. Huddled under a blanket, 
the
woman stared off into space. With a large dog curled at his feet, the man 
was writing in a notebook.
Before I could take in anymore of the scene, the light turned green and I 
moved forward to the ramp. I lifted the couple up in prayer as I continued 
on my way. Questions swirled through my mind.
What could I do to help I was already running behind and on the 
freeway headed in the opposite direction. It was an excuse that haunted me 
the rest of the day and for days afterward. I could have called my friend to explain 
my delay or returned later in the day but I didn't.
What was the story behind their present condition I didn't judge as I 
might have in the past”meaning why on earth did he have a dog when he couldn't
afford shelter? I understand the comfort a dog brings.
What was the man writing in his notebook? Since I am a writer, I was 
naturally curious about the contents of the lined pages.
I thought of the paradox of their location, which was less than three miles 
from a large shopping hub where luxury stores tempt consumers to part with
their money. I rarely shop there because of the steep prices.
In Matthew 6:20, Jesus tells us, Instead, store up your treasures in 
heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break 
in and
steal them.He goes on to remind us in Matthew 6:21 that our treasure 
cannot be found in stuff.
Our pastor often reminds us that our checkbook and calendar reveal our 
priorities in life. Are we spending our money and time to advance God's 
kingdom
or are we hoarding it for ourselves? Let us remember this as we consider our 
shopping and to-do-list this season.
Where is your treasure?

Carol Round
Columnist/Author/Speaker

A Note of Encouragement

from Ciloa

Send this Note of Encouragement to a Friend

One bright star in the night
Whose light will we follow?

May God lead the way!

Volume XIV, Issue 49

December 8, 2014

----------------------------------------------------------

The poor become poorer. The sick grow sicker. People are taxed to death. 
Many live on the streets. Discrimination exists everywhere. People have no 
voice.
And many charged with protecting others abuse their power and authority. 
They drag away the innocent, beat them, treat them less than human, even 
kill
them.

Dark, utterly hopeless times.

Sound familiar? You may be thinking of a certain city, region, or an entire 
country. Perhaps this is something you've seen in the news or out your 
window...touching
another's life or your own.

That was the world Jesus was born into. A world of intense persecution, 
ruled by selfish ambition, arrogance, pride, greed, envy, malice, and 
deceit. A
world where people loved themselves more than God. This was true of those in 
power, as well as self-proclaimed leaders eagerly desiring it, who...

...pointed to God's will while clinging to their own. But Jesus relinquished 
His will in order to follow His Heavenly Father's.

...denounced all who opposed them and stirred the people's hatred. But Jesus 
cautioned against anger and judging others as worthless.

...promised they would take what was rightly theirs. But Jesus taught His 
people how to pray to their Heavenly Father who knew what they needed.

...stoked the fire of blind rage against their sworn enemies. But Jesus led 
His disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.

...called their admirers to a path of fear, violence, and destruction. But 
Jesus said to follow Him, for He is the way, the truth, and the life.

...became the instruments of death and darkness. But Jesus commanded His own 
to be the light of the world.

Such was the world that Jesus knew. Is today any different? Are we quicker 
at judging others than seeking the truth? Do we praise violence rather than
compassion? Have we held onto anger, shunning forgiveness? Do we feed our 
hatred instead of encouraging those who need God's love?

Is it possible we do not understand Christmas...after all?

Jesus did not come to judge, but to save. He walked in peace, grace, mercy, 
and love. He reached out to those who hated Him and treated them with 
dignity
and respect---which they did not deserve. And in a world that preached "an 
eye for an eye", He said, Follow me, love one another, and treat others the
same as you would want them to treat you.

Each of us were once fools---demanding, deceived, blinded by emotion and 
desire. We lived in malice and envy, hating and being hated. But Jesus saved 
us!
As Paul warned, we must remember this, so that we who trust in God may be 
careful to devote ourselves to doing what is good (see Titus 3:8).

This Christmas Season and every day for the rest of your life, ask yourself: 
Who do I follow...a person, the crowd, my own desires...or do I follow 
Jesus,
the Son of God?

May we look beyond the presents we hold in our hands to the Presence who 
holds us in His.

Take care & be God's,

Chuck
Ciloa is a registered trademark of Ciloa, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) 
organization.
A Note of Encouragement is a copyright interest held by Ciloa, Inc.

It's Okay if We Don't Understand the Whole Bible
WENDY POPE

"The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for 
them." Deuteronomy 29:29a (NLT)

Read the Bible? The whole thing? From cover to cover? Leviticus, Numbers and 
Deuteronomy? I've heard they're hard. Do I have to read the Old Testament?
Jesus wasn't even born then. What if I don't understand everything?

These concerns plagued me as I sensed God nudging me to read the entire 
Bible. I'd grown up in the church and attended Sunday School and mid-week 
Bible
study every week. But the thought of reading the whole Bible intimidated me. 
My greatest fears were failure to finish and not being able to understand
what I read.

To ease my anxiety, I went to my local Christian bookstore with this 
thought: If I'm going to read the whole Bible, certainly I need a new Bible.

I previewed various types of Bibles in an array of colors, styles and 
formats. It seemed like hours had passed. And just when I was about to give 
up, I
pulled the One Year Chronological Bible from the shelf.

The format intrigued me. Short readings. An easy-to-follow daily plan. An 
attractive cover. The best part to me was knowing I would read the Bible in 
the
order the events occurred. Yes! This is the Bible for me.

That year I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I stumbled some, but 
I also learned a lot. I learned Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy really 
are
difficult to read. They are full of laws, actual numbers and more laws. But 
through those books and the rest of the Old Testament, I learned to really
appreciate the wonderful sacrifice Jesus made for me (because there's no way 
any human on the planet could keep all of those laws). And, I learned it's
okay if I don't understand the whole Bible.

What a relief! You see, I thought a Christian should be able to understand 
the Bible completely. And because I didn't, I thought something must be 
wrong
with me.

Truth is, we're not meant to understand everything in the Bible the first 
time we read it. If we were, we could read it once and put it on our shelf.

The Bible is unlike any other book. Hebrews describes God's Word as living 
and active (Hebrews 4:12). It is meant to help us live life. Therefore, it's
necessary to have it as a part of our daily living.

Our key verse says, "The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are 
not accountable for them." God reveals the truths He wants us to understand 
when
He feels we are ready to understand and apply them.

When we don't understand something, it doesn't mean we are less of a 
Christian or not as smart as another. God, in His infinite wisdom, keeps 
some things
hidden from us until just the right time.

With this truth in mind I set out to read the Bible one day at a time. Now 
many years later, I've read the Bible in its entirety year after year. Not 
because
I'm a super Christian, but because my first reading of the entire Bible 
taught me that amazing truth ... and I wanted more.

What about you? Have you ever thought about reading the entire Bible but 
were too intimidated to get started? If so, now is your chance. Let's be 
women
who read God's Book. I promise it will be a life-changer.

Dear Lord, thank You for giving us Your Word to help us through life. Give 
me the desire to read the Bible every day. Will You teach me Your truths and
keep me from becoming overwhelmed with what I don't understand? In Jesus' 
Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 141:11, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin 
against you." (NIV)

Psalm 119:105, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 
(KJV)

2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for 
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the 
servant of
God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (NIV)

The FAX of Life

Title: Christmas Is About . . .

Date: For the Week of December 8, 2014

Santa is still strong this time of year. So are Rudolph, Prancer, and the 
other reindeer. Frosty is good. I've even seen larger-than-life replicas of 
The
Grinch of Whoville. But it seems increasingly difficult to find shepherds 
and angels. Where are the Wise Men? What became of Joseph and Mary? Does 
anyone
else recall when Jesus was center stage during this holiday season?

Did I just say "holiday season"? Why, there's another evidence of our loss. 
What used to be "Merry Christmas!" is now more often just "Happy Holidays!"
A penchant for political correctness has taken us to the point that 
strangers to our culture would hardly guess there was once a religious motif 
to this
time of year.

Several years ago, Dave Barry wrote: "To avoid offending anybody, the 
schools dropped religion altogether and started singing about the weather. 
At my
son's school, they now hold the winter program in February and sing 
increasingly non-memorable songs such as 'Winter Wonderland,' 'Frosty the 
Snowman'
and - this is a real song - 'Suzy Snowflake,' all of which is pretty funny 
since we live in Miami. A visitor from another planet would assume that the
children belonged to the Church of Meteorology."

In trying not to offend her community, a music teacher in Bethel, 
Washington, replaced the word "Christmas" with "winter" in an elementary 
school concert.
Although a few parents said they were offended by his action, school 
officials backed the teacher. Thus Christmas carols became holiday jingles.

You might simply glance over the selection of greeting cards in your 
favorite store. My guess is that you'll find what I've noticed. Some stores 
don't
even stock cards with a religious theme - Star over Bethlehem, Madonna and 
child, Baby Jesus in a manger. Christmas has been sanitized. It has been 
stripped
of its historic connection to Jesus Christ. It is a "secular" holiday.

There is no biblical commandment requiring Christians to celebrate Mothers 
Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. But Paul does lay down the principle that 
any
holiday Christians elect to keep should be celebrated "in honor of the Lord" 
(Romans 14:5-6). So I'm not suggesting that you tear down the secular 
trappings
of the season. I'm not proposing that we mount a protest against how others 
use the next couple of weeks. If you do honor this holiday, however, do so
with holy intent. Sing of Jesus. Read of Bethlehem. Tell the real Christmas 
story.

The root of Christmas lies deep in God's love. Its fruit is borne by 
generous hearts, confessing lips, and surrendered lives during this holy 
time of year.

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