Archive for December, 2024
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:7, ESV
God showed His love by sending Jesus to become human like us, and He knew need and loss like the rest of us. We have a God who understands what wr go through, because of His love.
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21, ESV
God’s love is shown in Jesus becoming a human, through childbirth, to save us from our sins.
This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Pray for my child’s baptism would be opportunity for the Gospel to be considered with the other kids at church.
This Sunday at Church: Pray for my child’s baptism would be opportunity for the Gospel to be considered with the other kids at church
I enjoy the Christmas season. I enjoy celebrating Advent.
The first week of Advent can be found here.
The second week of Advent can be found here.
The third week of Advent can be found here.
The fourth week of Advent is traditionally seen as being a time for looking at love. This year, I am using some of the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.
Let’s get into (a slightly longer devotional for)
Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Micah 5:2-5a, CSB
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.
Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of the ruler’s brothers will return
to the people of Israel.
He will stand and shepherd them
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majestic name of the Lord his God.
They will live securely,
for then his greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.
He will be their peace.
God revealed that The Messiah would be born in the town of Bethlehem after a period of silence from God. But this Messiah would be the King of Israel and His fame and rule would go around the world, bringing peace and hope. We can see the love of God in this King being a loving shepherd, and there is evidence of this being God Himself based on His being born yet also “from antiquity.”
Listen, Shepherd of Israel,
Psalm 80:1-7, CSB
who leads Joseph like a flock;
you who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine on Ephraim,
Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Rally your power and come to save us.
Restore us, God;
make your face shine on us,
so that we may be saved.
Lord God of Armies,
how long will you be angry
with your people’s prayers?
You fed them the bread of tears
and gave them a full measure[a]
of tears to drink.
You put us at odds with our neighbors;
our enemies mock us.
Restore us, God of Armies;
make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.
The writer of Psalm 80 shows us that this King is God, the God of angel armies who sits above the cherubim. He will restore His people through forgiveness and salvation as their loving shepherd.
Therefore, as he was coming into the world, he said:
Hebrews 10:5-10, CSB
You did not desire sacrifice and offering,
but you prepared a body for me.
You did not delight
in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.
Then I said, “See—
it is written about me
in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, God.”
After he says above, You did not desire or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings (which are offered according to the law), he then says, See, I have come to do your will.[b] He takes away the first to establish the second. By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.
The writer of Hebrews then quotes Psalm 40 to show that this Shepherd King is also a Priest who does God’s will to make a new covenant of salvation from sin. God Himself is our Shepherd King and High Priest who became a human to save us from our sin.
“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
Luke 1:45, CSB
Mary believed that God had chosen her to bring this Priestly Shepherd King into the world.
Now, we are called to believe that God came to us through her, that Jesus came to save us from our sin, and that He loves us enough to have taken our shame upon Himself.
“If you love me, you will keep my commands.”
John 14:15, CSB
We are now called to love the world in the same way. If we love our God, we will lay down our very lives to proclaim His love to a lost and hurting world, giving them the hope of eternity in the joy and peace of Christ.
Lord, we thank You for the love that saves us. By the power of the Holy Spirit, please guide us in Your love to share the hope of Christ, to live in the peace of Christ, and to discover the joy we have in Christ. Thank You for loving us. Thank You for coming for us. Thank You for promising to come for us again. Thank You, Jesus, our Immanuel.
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”
Luke 1:46-47, ESV
We find joy in Christ, and it comes in knowing He has saved us from sin and filled us with the Holy Spirit. Let us rejoice with our Immanuel.
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”
Luke 1:35, ESV
We find joy in Christ, the Son of God who became a human. God dwelt with us to redeem us, and we can find joy in His offered salvation.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6, ESV
We find joy in Christ, knowing the King and Creator of the universe came to us as an infant to become one of us to save us. Our great God knows us and offers hope and peace, bringing us joy.
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.
Micah 5:2, ESV
We find joy in Christ, realizing our God became a smalltown human to join in our suffering and redeem us through His own suffering for the joy of eternity.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14, ESV
We find joy in Christ, our God who became one of us. He came as a baby, but He grew into a man who took our sin and shame to draw us into relationship with God. Let us rejoice!
Just in case anyone wanted another look at this devotional booklet for Christmas, I am re-sharing it through this link.
Daniel
a simple man of God 