Monthly Archives: December 2017

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – PROMISED PRESENCE

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John 14:25–27; 16:7–14

In today’s technological age, family members can now easily stay in touch with each other even when they are separated by thousands of miles. Through WhatsApp, Skype, iMessage, and more, distance no longer needs to keep people from talking and seeing one another.

When Jesus announced to His disciples that He would be departing from Earth, He offered something far better than a video chat to stay in touch. His bodily presence would be replaced with the coming of “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit” (14:26). The name itself, Advocate, means “one who comes alongside.” With Christ’s departure, we now have one who remains with us. Our hearts should not be troubled, for Jesus has left us His peace (14:27).

The Holy Spirit brings us more than merely a sense of comfort and security. Jesus promised that He would “teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (14:26). The Spirit’s presence in the world opens our eyes to the truth of sin, the reality of Christ’s identity, and the assurance of a coming judgment in the world. In short, the Spirit makes it possible for us to know the truth (16:13). Far from God being absent, the Spirit is continually at work, making the gospel known in our own hearts and around the world.

As Jesus prepared to depart, He promised His presence in a new way. The Holy Spirit does not bring a different truth but the very same truth that belongs to the Father and the Son. As Christ said, “It is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine” (16:14–15). Thanks be to God, we are not left as orphans in the world.

APPLY THE WORD

During the holidays, many people struggle with depression and loneliness. Are there those in your church or neighborhood who might be alone—perhaps international students or the elderly? Invite them to share in your holiday celebrations. Sharing the gift of presence with them reflects God’s promise of presence with us through the Holy Spirit.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Why me, Lord? 

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The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:28-30

From time to time I fear I am not up to the task of the Lord’s call on my life. I put pressure on myself to produce—though God’s Spirit reminds me to remain in His strength and not depend on my own energy. I feel the tug to tell the Lord I am tired and that it’s hard to trust Him during a time of transition. Thankfully, His sweet Spirit settles my soul with reassurance. He says, “Boyd, it’s not about your ability, but about Me and my favor. Be available, for I am able.”

Mary faced a similar circumstance in her crisis of faith. When the angel declared her to be highly favored by the Lord, she was troubled. Maybe she didn’t like being the center of attention. The thought of being a vessel of God’s blessing felt overwhelming. Perhaps she feared failure. She did not want to let down the Lord. She thought her modest background disqualified her, but in reality, it qualified her. The Lord highly favors the humble hearted for the glory of His son Jesus.

“If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you” (Exodus 33:13).

What is the Lord asking you to do that might move you out of your comfort zone? Pregnancy, job change, increased giving, missions, lead a Bible study or volunteer at your church? Be thankful, not afraid of the Lord’s favor on your life. Where He calls you, He will equip you. Where He leads you, He will love you through the process. Like grace, God’s favor is a gift to be managed well. Be grateful for any season of success by giving God the glory for His blessings.

False humility may cause us to say, “Why me, Lord?” But true humility bows in grateful praise to God and confesses, “Why not me, Lord?” Like an eager athlete sits on the bench next to the coach awaiting an opportunity to get into the game, so we anticipate our heavenly Father’s instructions to selflessly serve with Him. We steward well the favor of our Lord when we point people to Jesus through our words and deeds. During this Christmas season praise God for the gift of His son Jesus Christ. We testify of His saving faith in our lives. In Christ, we are highly favored!

“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am available for You and I trust You to use me for Your glory.

Application: How can I better manage the opportunities I have been blessed with by God?

Related Readings: Genesis 6:8; Exodus 33:12; Psalm 90:17; Luke 2:14, 52; James 4:6

 

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Jesus: What a Name!

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Luke 1:26-33

There has never been a birth announcement equal to that of the Lord Jesus. Who else’s birth has been proclaimed by angels—not just once, but three times? First, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, informing her that she would be the mother of the Son of God, who would sit on the throne of David and rule forever. Next, an angel came to tell Joseph that the child Mary carried was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-21). And finally, a host of angels appeared to shepherds, announcing that the Savior had been born (Luke 2:8-14).

Not only that, but God Himself chose the name of this special child. Both Mary and Joseph were instructed to call Him “Jesus.” Although this was a common name in Israel at that time, it took on great significance when given to the Son of God. Philippians 2:9-10 says that “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name”—and a day will come when everyone bows at the name of Jesus and confesses Him as Lord.

Yet so often today, the precious name of Jesus is used in a derogatory or profane way. When I hear people abuse and misuse His name, my first reaction is to feel angry that He’s not treated with the reverence He deserves. But anger quickly turns to compassion because I realize they do not know Him or understand how much He means to me.

What about you? How do you feel when the name of your Savior is degraded by unaware, unbelieving people? What can you do to help them see the greatness of that name and the one who bears it?

Bible in One Year: 1 Peter 1-5

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — God with Us

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Read: Matthew 1:18–23

Bible in a Year: Nahum 1–3; Revelation 14

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.—Matthew 1:23

“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left . . .” These hymn lyrics, written by the fifth-century Celtic Christian St. Patrick, echo in my mind when I read Matthew’s account of Jesus’s birth. They feel like a warm embrace, reminding me that I’m never alone.

Matthew’s account tells us that God dwelling with His people is at the heart of Christmas. Quoting Isaiah’s prophecy of a child who would be called Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (Isa. 7:14), Matthew points to the ultimate fulfillment of that prophecy—Jesus, the One born by the power of the Holy Spirit to be God with us. This truth is so central that Matthew begins and ends his gospel with it, concluding with Jesus’s words to His disciples: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

St. Patrick’s lyrics remind me that Christ is with believers always through His Spirit living within. When I’m nervous or afraid, I can hold fast to His promises that He will never leave me. When I can’t fall asleep, I can ask Him to give me His peace. When I’m celebrating and filled with joy, I can thank Him for His gracious work in my life.

Jesus, Immanuel—God with us. —Amy Boucher Pye

Father God, thank You for sending Your Son to be God with us. May we experience Your presence this day.

God’s love became Incarnate at Bethlehem.

INSIGHT: We can only imagine the emotions Joseph experienced when he discovered his fiancée was pregnant. But in a dream he was told that Mary’s child was conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. In obedience to this divine revelation, Joseph took her as his wife and did not consummate the marriage until she had given birth to the child.

The Father, Son, and Spirit all share in our redemption. God took on human form and came to Earth to live among us. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and the Spirit now dwells within us (1 Peter 1:11; Gal. 4:6; 1 Cor. 6:19).

How does knowing Christ is present in your life through the ministry of the Holy Spirit encourage you? Dennis Fisher

 

http://www.odb.org

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – REJECTING THE GOD-IN-FLESH

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John 8:39–59

In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis notes that the same person might both be a fool and have a graduate degree. Being highly educated does not guarantee wisdom and spiritual insight. We see this combination of foolishness and education in the way that the religious leaders interacted with Jesus in today’s reading.

The identity of Jesus was abundantly clear. He had “come here from God” (v. 42), sent by the Father to teach His truth. More than that, Jesus had His life-giving power (v. 51). Jesus intensifies His bold claim about His true identity at the end of the passage when He declared: “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (v. 58). Using the very name of God given to Moses in Exodus 3:14, Jesus identified Himself as the God of Israel now standing before them.

The well-educated religious leaders displayed only foolishness and spiritual blindness in their response. Instead of receiving Christ’s teaching, they were trying to kill Him. Instead of loving and following Christ, they insulted Him and accused Him of being demon possessed. Ultimately Jesus identified the underlying cause of their rejection of His teaching: “The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (v. 47).

These stinging words should have brought humility and repentance. Instead, when Jesus revealed His full identity as the great “I AM,” their response deepened from hostility to attempted execution (v. 59). God had come in the flesh to bring light and life to His creation, and He was met with rejection. That rejection would ultimately lead to the cross, confirming the opening words of John’s Gospel: “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11).

APPLY THE WORD

Many people “celebrate” Christmas while rejecting its true meaning. They are content to have a babe in the manger without recognizing Him as the coming of God in the flesh. Spend time in prayer today for your loved ones who need to accept Jesus as the Son of God, and ask the Holy Spirit to open their hearts to God’s love this Christmas.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Discernment is the Key to a Clear Conscience

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Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men.— Acts 24:16

It’s critical to keep your conscience clear because nothing will keep you from enjoying life as much as guilt.

In Acts, Paul said that he pursued discipline and avoided worldly desires so that he could walk blameless and guilt-free before God. The same applies to us. Walking in the confidence of a clear conscience will keep us free and happy.

That sounds easy when it comes to clear-cut, right and wrong issues, but what about the “gray” areas of life? How do we keep our conscience clear when we’re unsure what the right or wrong choice is? What if we accidentally sin without realizing it? I’ve found that God’s discernment solves this problem.

Discernment is spiritual understanding, and it’s the key to living with a clear conscience. It takes practice, but it simply involves paying attention to your heart. God will let you know when you shouldn’t do something that will bring guilt later on.

I encourage you to live in a way that will keep your conscience clear. Don’t do things you know you shouldn’t, and rely on God’s discernment when you’re facing an issue you’re not sure about. He will never lead you wrong.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Power Over Discouragement

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“And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up” (Galatians 6:9).

“Yes, I do get tired inthe work, but I never get tired ofthe work.” I have heard many missionaries, ministers and other Christian leaders make such a statement. I echo their sentiments.

The first half of this wonderful verse is the sower’s imperative; the second half is the sower’s reward. The first half is my responsibility; the second is God’s – which of course means that I should concern myself only with the first half, since our faithful God always keeps His promises.

One of the enemy’s greatest weapons is discouragement. Years ago that great saint and prophet, A.W. Tozer, preached a sermon on this subject in which he recognized discouragement solely as a tool of the devil, hence one he would refuse to accept in his own life.

It is because of Satan’s wiles in this regard – in causing us to be discouraged and give up – that one of God’s greatest gifts to His children is the gift of exhortation and encouragement, with emphasis on the latter. How many believers have been strengthened to carry on because of the helpful, encouraging word of a friend! And how important that you and I become that kind of friend. Yet, God’s promise of encouragement is far more important.

To “keep on keeping on” is easier when we know that God is faithful.

Bible Reading: Galatians 6:1-8

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With power from the Holy Spirit who lives within me, I will refuse to allow Satan’s trick of discouragement to hinder my work, my walk and my witness for the Lord.

 

http://www.cru.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Voice of Gabriel: Nothing Is Impossible with God

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Read: Luke 1:26-38

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. (v. 32)

The angel Gabriel appears to young Mary with an amazing promise. God is about to perform an extraordinary act that was prefigured in Isaac’s birth to Abraham and Sarah and Samuel’s birth to Hannah. Yet Luke wants us to know that this is a miracle of another kind. The wording parallels the creation account where God’s Spirit is “hovering over” the chaotic waters before the world is formed and filled (Gen. 1:2). The conception and birth of Jesus our Savior is a special miracle of God’s creative power. Just as the earth was initially “without form and void,” Mary’s womb is void until God, through the Holy Spirit, “overshadows” her so she conceives a child who is “called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

As Jesus came to Mary, he comes to each of us as a once-in-a lifetime gift of God’s creative grace. Our Lord brings order out of chaos and creates life where there is no life. If you are in Christ, you are God’s new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Yet we will never discover what God can do through our individual lives or our congregations until we are ready to respond like Mary. There are still empty places in our lives where chaos reigns, but that’s where the Spirit is eager to bring order and create new life. Are you open to God’s initiatives? —Ken Eriks

Prayer: Lord God, by your Spirit, bring forth new life in us this Christmas. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

https://woh.org/

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Why me, Lord? 

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The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:28-30

From time to time I fear I am not up to the task of the Lord’s call on my life. I put pressure on myself to produce—though God’s Spirit reminds me to remain in His strength and not depend on my own energy. I feel the tug to tell the Lord I am tired and that it’s hard to trust Him during a time of transition. Thankfully, His sweet Spirit settles my soul with reassurance. He says, “Boyd, it’s not about your ability, but about Me and my favor. Be available, for I am able.”

Mary faced a similar circumstance in her crisis of faith. When the angel declared her to be highly favored by the Lord, she was troubled. Maybe she didn’t like being the center of attention. The thought of being a vessel of God’s blessing felt overwhelming. Perhaps she feared failure. She did not want to let down the Lord. She thought her modest background disqualified her, but in reality, it qualified her. The Lord highly favors the humble hearted for the glory of His son Jesus.

“If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you” (Exodus 33:13).

What is the Lord asking you to do that might move you out of your comfort zone? Pregnancy, job change, increased giving, missions, lead a Bible study or volunteer at your church? Be thankful, not afraid of the Lord’s favor on your life. Where He calls you, He will equip you. Where He leads you, He will love you through the process. Like grace, God’s favor is a gift to be managed well. Be grateful for any season of success by giving God the glory for His blessings.

False humility may cause us to say, “Why me, Lord?” But true humility bows in grateful praise to God and confesses, “Why not me, Lord?” Like an eager athlete sits on the bench next to the coach awaiting an opportunity to get into the game, so we anticipate our heavenly Father’s instructions to selflessly serve with Him. We steward well the favor of our Lord when we point people to Jesus through our words and deeds. During this Christmas season praise God for the gift of His son Jesus Christ. We testify of His saving faith in our lives. In Christ, we are highly favored!

“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am available for You and I trust You to use me for Your glory.

Application: How can I better manage the opportunities I have been blessed with by God?

Related Readings: Genesis 6:8; Exodus 33:12; Psalm 90:17; Luke 2:14, 52; James 4:6

 

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Manifestations of the Teaching Gift

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Titus 2:7-8

We make effective use of our spiritual gift when we are filled with the Spirit; relying on ourselves will just send us off track. Let’s look at both godly and fleshly manifestations of the teaching gift.

Depending upon human reasoning leads to self-indulgence. But by faithfully absorbing and applying Scripture, a Christian gifted in teaching reaps the fruit of self-control (Gal. 5:23). Through one’s desire to learn, the Spirit develops dependability and diligence, yet unless the believer abides in Christ, he or she can become careless and inconsistent. The fruit of peace and patience grows as studies lead to deeper faith, whereas anxiety and impatience result if the focus shifts to “self.”

For those of us who don’t have this gift, it’s possible to incorrectly perceive the ones who do—we might assume they are overemphasizing their studies or being prideful because of their knowledge. However, the characteristics of the gift of teaching show that the opposite is true. These believers desire accurate, thorough understanding so they can share it with us for our benefit. At times, we might regard people with this ability as boring because of the quantity of information they present. We might even suspect that they rely more on knowledge than on God’s Spirit. And yet it is the Holy Spirit who helps them to learn and to speak. We should realize teachers want us to have enough truth so that we can live God’s way and please Him.

As you exercise your God-given gift, pray for the Spirit’s leading. That is how to have the greatest impact for the kingdom.

Bible in One Year: James 1-5

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Silent Night of the Soul

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Read: 2 Corinthians 5:14–21

Bible in a Year: Micah 6–7; Revelation 13

If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone; the new is here!—2 Corinthians 5:17

Long before Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber created the familiar carol “Silent Night,” Angelus Silesius had written:

Lo! in the silent night a child to God is born,

And all is brought again that ere was lost or lorn.

Could but thy soul, O man, become a silent night

God would be born in thee and set all things aright.

Silesius, a Polish monk, published the poem in 1657 in The Cherubic Pilgrim. During our church’s annual Christmas Eve service, the choir sang a beautiful rendition of the song titled “Could but Thy Soul Become a Silent Night.”

The twofold mystery of Christmas is that God became one of us so that we might become one with Him. Jesus suffered everything that was wrong so that we could be made right. That’s why the apostle Paul could write, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone; the new is here! All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17–18).

Whether our Christmas is filled with family and friends or empty of all we long for, we know that Jesus came to be born in us.

Ah, would thy heart but be a manger for the birth,

God would once more become a child on earth. —David C. McCasland

Lord Jesus, thank You for being born into this dark world so that we might be born again into Your life and light.

God became one of us so that we might become one with Him.

INSIGHT: At the heart of the concept of becoming one with Christ is His work of reconciliation in us. In today’s passage, Paul weaves several themes together—life, love, new creation, and the ministry of reconciliation—all framed by a call to act with urgency. It is because of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection that we can be reconciled to God. Those who accept Christ’s gift of reconciliation must “no longer live for themselves” (2 Cor. 5:15). Instead, we are compelled to view everyone differently (v. 16), as people in dire need of Christ’s reconciliation. And what is this reconciliation? God will no longer “[count] people’s sins against them” (v. 19). With urgency, Paul tells us that we are now Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation and says, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (v. 20, emphasis added).

With whom can you share this offer of reconciliation today? Tim Gustaftson

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Claimed or Rejected

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There are some stories that move us whether we hear them at five or fifty-five. The 1965 release of the first Peanuts movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas, was instantly loved by adults and children alike. But it almost did not make it past the television executives who hated it. The movie was criticized for everything from being too contemporary in music, to being too religious in tone. But audiences everywhere confidently disagreed. Having aired every year since its debut in 1965, it is now the longest-running cartoon special in history.

One of my predictably favorite scenes finds Charlie Brown on a hunt for the perfect “great big, shiny, aluminum tree—maybe even a pink one” as instructed by Lucy for their Christmas pageant. At the tree lot, Charlie Brown walks through row after row of flashing, shiny spectacles of color, trying his best to choose well and please his friends. But then he sees a small, natural tree, nearly overshadowed by the flash and glitter of the rest. It is pitiful and loosing its needles, but it is the only real tree on the lot. In an unlikely moment of confidence, Charlie Brown chooses the pitiful sapling over all the others (and is thus the target of laughter and mockery by all).

Even as children, we seem to know intuitively that there is something remarkable—perhaps something even sacred—about being selected long before we understand the implications of choice at all. That someone saw anything worth choosing in this sickly little tree is a turn in the plot that quiets us. Charlie Brown claims the unlikely, pathetic tree as his own, and there is a part of us that feels claimed too.

The Christian story of God among the world is filled with the language of claiming and calling, gathering and choosing. Yet, stripped of the story and its characters, these words often offend us. We speak of the injustice of a God who claims anyone, who shows signs of favoritism, or calls anyone particularly. We forget what we felt deeply as children—namely, that being claimed among a group of the prettiest and the smartest and the fastest is not about deserving it at all.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Claimed or Rejected →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Wisdom is Calling Out to You

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I [Wisdom] was inaugurated and ordained from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth existed.— Proverbs 8:23

Along the way on our journey through life, we will have to make many decisions, and we will always get into trouble if we make them emotionally or according to what we think or want.

God wants us to make wise decisions. I believe having wisdom is choosing to do now what we will be happy with later.

Proverbs says that wisdom is calling out to us. You must walk in God’s wisdom and realize that the choices you make today will affect your tomorrow. So many people never enjoy life because they’re always dealing with messes resulting from a lack of wisdom.

Don’t do something selfish, gambling that things will turn out right. Wisdom does not gamble; it invests in the future. Wisdom doesn’t settle for instant gratification. Instead, it follows God into a better tomorrow.

So what about you? Are you walking in wisdom today? If you’re not, the good news is that wisdom is already calling out to you. God’s ready and willing to provide you with His wisdom. Just ask Him for it and make the decisions that will invest in a godly future.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Proof of His Love

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“For when He punishes you, it proves that He loves you. When He whips you it proves you are really His child” (Hebrews 12:6).

Most of us prefer more pleasant ways of having others prove their love for us. Children, for example, never particularly relish the idea of having the “board of education” applied to the “seat of learning,” but sometimes the disciplinary spanking is necessary.

We do that to our children because we love them. How much more important that our heavenly Father discipline us to keep us in line with His perfect plan and will for our lives. Sometimes that discipline is tough and painful.

This does not mean, of course, that God sends chastisement which is not deserved, or that He sends it for the mere purpose of inflicting pain. But it does mean that He is showing His paternal, loving care for us as His children when He punishes us.

As a child, a practical illustration helped me with this concept, so much so that it still sticks with me. When I allow my life to be flexible, like putty or soft clay, God can take it and mold it as He chooses. When I decide to be stubborn and resistant – hard like concrete – He sometimes has to smooth the rough edges, and that always hurts.

We sing a chorus about the Spirit of God falling afresh on us. “Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.” When you and I are like putty in His hands, yielded and committed to Him, He can indeed mold us in His image.

Bible Reading: Revelation 3:19-22

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will surrender to God’s disciplinary action in my life realizing that as a kind, loving heavenly Father He must take such action for my own good and benefit, when I am in need of correction.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – An Unlikely King

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

In Bethlehem, the human being who best understood who God was and what He was doing, was a teenage girl in a smelly stable. As Mary looked into the face of the baby, her son, her Lord. His majesty—she couldn’t take her eyes off Him. Somehow Mary knew she was holding God. So this is He.

And she remembered the words of the angel when he said, “His kingdom will never end!” He looked like anything but a King. His cry, though strong and healthy, was still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter. God came near! And Luke 1:33 says, “His kingdom will never end!” May you be a part of it.

Read more God Came Near

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Why is Christmas on December 25?

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Congratulations—you survived the longest night of the year. (Unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere; more on that in a moment.)

The planet you inhabit tilts on its axis at a 23.44-degree angle. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun, we get summer. When it tilts away, we get winter. When earth tilts as far from the sun as possible, which happened yesterday, the sun sets earlier than it does all year and we have the annual Winter Solstice. The Southern Hemisphere experiences precisely the opposite phenomena.

Our meteorological experience relates directly to Christmas, but in an indirect way.

When was Jesus born?

It is unlikely that Jesus was born on December 25. Shepherds were “out in the field, keeping watch over the flocks by night” when the angels announced the Messiah’s birth to them (Luke 2:8). In the cold month of December, their sheep would have been corralled around a fire. Luke’s reference points to the spring lambing season as the more likely time of Jesus’ birth.

Why, then, do we celebrate Christmas on December 25?

One explanation relates to pagan celebrations. The Romans held their mid-winter Saturnalia festival in late December, a Mardi Gras-like party marked by immorality. In AD 274, the Roman emperor Aurelian established the feast of the birth of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) on December 25, coinciding with the winter solstice. In response, Christians located the birth of God’s Son on that day as a way of inviting pagans to his worship.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why is Christmas on December 25? →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Gift of Teaching

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Romans 12:6-8

God has given each believer at least one spiritual gift to build up the body of Christ and to minister in this hurting world. If our gift is prophecy, we’ll proclaim God’s view of right and wrong. If it is service, we will desire to meet others’ needs. The gift of teaching has these characteristics:

Organized. Whether in conversation or in a more formal setting, we will seek to communicate information clearly so the listener can follow. God has wired us to analyze material and present it logically.

Thorough. We want others to understand not simply the conclusion but the steps leading up to it. We also desire to help them think matters through.

Accurate. Our priority is to know the truth, so we ask questions in an attempt to validate the accuracy of what we learn. We will also inquire about the trustworthiness of our source of information.

Studious. We derive great delight from studying and researching and are strongly motivated to share what we learn. Truth is presented not simply to share knowledge but with the goal that God will transform the hearer’s life.

Bible-oriented. With this gift comes a strong desire to know what the Lord has to say. While we may recognize the value of others’ experiences, we are less motivated by personal illustrations than by the actual words of Scripture.

All of the spiritual gifts can be used in the workplace, in our communities, and in our homes. If your gift is teaching, allow the Spirit to direct your ability for God’s glory and others’ gain.

Bible in One Year: Hebrews 12-13

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Home for Christmas

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Read: Genesis 28:10–17

Bible in a Year: Micah 4–5; Revelation 12

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.—Genesis 28:15

One year Christmas found me on assignment in a place many of my friends couldn’t locate on a map. Trudging from my worksite back to my room, I braced against the chill wind blowing off the bleak Black Sea. I missed home.

When I arrived at my room, I opened the door to a magical moment. My artistic roommate had completed his latest project—a nineteen-inch ceramic Christmas tree that now illuminated our darkened room with sparkling dots of color. If only for a moment, I was home again!

As Jacob fled from his brother Esau, he found himself in a strange and lonely place too. Asleep on the hard ground, he met God in a dream. And God promised Jacob a home. “I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying,” He told him. “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring” (Gen. 28:13–14).

From Jacob, of course, would come the promised Messiah, the One who left His home to draw us to Himself. “I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am,” Jesus told His disciples (John 14:3).

That December night I sat in the darkness of my room and gazed at that Christmas tree. Perhaps inevitably I thought of the Light that entered the world to show us the way home. —Tim Gustafson

Lord, no matter where we are today, we can thank You for preparing a place for us to be with You. And we have the presence of Your Spirit today!

Home is not so much a place on a map, as it is a place to belong. God gives us that place.

INSIGHT: Sometimes our perceptions of God get a startling adjustment. That was the case for Jacob in today’s passage. From our perspective we know through the Old and New Testament Scriptures that God is everywhere and is always with us. But Jacob’s knowledge was limited. His statement in Genesis 28:16 hints that he thought he was out of “God’s area.” How comforting it must have been to Jacob to realize that though he had left his family and his home, he was still in the presence of God.

How does knowing that God is always present comfort you? J.R. Hudberg

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Nativity Scenes

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A general position on December birthdays (particularly for those of us who hold them) seems to be that its proprietors are easily neglected. We are over-shadowed by Christmas decorations in November and over-looked in December by relatives busy with Christmas errands and office parties. And yet, I suspect that others, like me, have always secretly loved it. In the season of our births, the world was awake, decking the halls, and a great number of them were looking to the birth of another infant. The spirit of Christmas seems a part of our own, the birth of Christ reminding us each year that we, too, were born, that we were fragile, that we were held. For those born in December (and for any who remember their own beginnings in the scenes of Advent), the season offers a time of contemplating infantile beginnings, a lesson in what it means to be human like no other. Stories and celebrations of one’s birth are juxtaposed with a nativity story told long before we were born and one that will continue to be told long after us.

In fact, the story of Christianity is a story filled with nativity scenes. In these stories, we find a God present before we have accomplished anything and longing to gather us long before we know it is happening. Thus David can pray, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” And God can say to the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” And those who witnessed the miracle of Elizabeth and Zechariah can rightly exclaim God’s hand upon the child before that child could say his own name: “The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, ‘What then is this child going to be?’ For the Lord’s hand was with him.”(1)

In a world where significance and identity are earned by what we do, by what we have accomplished, by what we own, by what we earn, and Christmas is about the lines we fought, the lists we finished, the gifts we were able to secure, the kingdom of God arrives scandalously, jarringly—even offensively—into our captive and often content lives. In this kingdom, a person’s value begins before she has said or done the right things, before he has accumulated the right lifestyle, or even made the right lists. In this kingdom, God not only uses children in the story of salvation, not only calls us to embrace the kingdom as little children, but so the very God of creation steps into the world as a child.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Decisive!

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But above all [things], my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath; but let your yes be [a simple] yes, and your no be [a simple] no, so that you may not sin and fall under condemnation.— James 5:12

Indecision is a miserable state to be in and certainly is not a fruit of the simple life. The apostle James said the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Being indecisive because you’re afraid you’ll make wrong decisions will get you nowhere. How much time do you think we waste when we can’t make up our minds?

We often labor over the choices before us when we just need to make a decision and let it stand. This may be a simple example, but think about it: When you stand in front of your closet in the morning looking at all your clothes, just choose something and put it on. Don’t go back and forth until you make yourself late for work!

Let me encourage you to start making decisions without second-guessing yourself or worrying about the choices you make. Don’t be double-minded or wishy-washy because doubting your decisions after you make them will steal the enjoyment from everything you do. Make the best decisions you can and trust God with the results.

 

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