Our Daily Bread — The Day after Christmas

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Bible in a Year :

Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Luke 2:15–20

After all the joy of Christmas Day, the following day felt like a letdown. We’d stayed overnight with friends but hadn’t slept well. Then our car broke down as we were driving home. Then it started to snow. We had abandoned the car and taxied home in the snow and sleet feeling blah.

We’re not the only ones who’ve felt low after Christmas Day. Whether it’s from excessive eating, the way carols suddenly disappear from the radio, or the fact that the gifts we bought last week are now on sale half price, the magic of Christmas Day can quickly dissipate!

The Bible never tells us about the day after Jesus’ birth. But we can imagine that after walking to Bethlehem, scrambling for accommodation, Mary’s pain in giving birth, and having shepherds drop by unannounced (Luke 2:4–18), Mary and Joseph were exhausted. Yet as Mary cradled her newborn, I can imagine her reflecting on her angelic visitation (1:30–33), Elizabeth’s blessing (vv. 42–45), and her own realization of her baby’s destiny (vv. 46–55). Mary “pondered” such things in her heart (2:19), which must’ve lightened the tiredness and physical pain of that day.

We’ll all have “blah” days, perhaps even the day after Christmas. Like Mary, let’s face them by pondering the One who came into our world, forever brightening it with His presence.

By: Sheridan Voysey

Reflect & Pray

When are you prone to feeling a “low” after a “high”? How can you ponder today all that Jesus has brought into the world?

Dear Jesus, I praise You for entering our dark world, forever brightening my days with Your presence.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Defending the Faith

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him” (Colossians 1:15-19).

A believer should defend the faith.

Despite the diligent labors of Epaphras, the Colossian church was in jeopardy. A serious heresy had arisen, and Epaphras was so concerned that he traveled to Rome to visit Paul in prison. The Colossian church had not yet been infected by that heresy, and Paul warns them against its dangers.

The heretics, denying the humanity of Christ, viewed Him as one of many lesser, descending spirit beings that emanated from God. They taught a form of philosophic dualism, postulating that spirit was good and matter was evil. Hence, a good emanation like Christ could never take on a body composed of evil matter. The idea that God Himself could become man was absurd to them. Thus, the false teachers also denied His deity.

Christ was also not adequate for salvation, according to the heretics. Salvation required a superior, mystical, secret knowledge, beyond that of the gospel of Christ. It also involved worshiping the good emanations (angels) and keeping Jewish ceremonial laws.

By far the most serious aspect of the Colossian heresy was its rejection of Christ’s deity. Before getting to the other issues, Paul makes an emphatic defense of that crucial doctrine. In Colossians 1:15-19 Paul reveals our Lord’s true identity by viewing Him in relation to God, the universe, and the church.

Perhaps you’ve met people who deny Christ’s deity, but you weren’t sure what to say to them. In the next few days, let Paul be your guide in showing you how to confront cultists in a biblical manner. By following his example, you’ll be able to defend our precious faith.

Suggestions for Prayer

Ask the Lord to teach you from His Word how to refute false teaching.

For Further Study

In verse 3 of Jude, what exhortation does Jude give to believers?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Own Your Actions

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work….

— Galatians 6:4 (AMPC)

When offenses come and we are tempted to get into strife, it is wise for us to examine our thoughts and take ownership of our actions.

If you find that you are justifying having a bad attitude, I encourage you to realize that justifying any bad behavior that the Word of God condemns is a dangerous thing. It keeps us deceived and unable to take ownership of our faults.

Nobody enjoys saying, “I was wrong—please forgive me,” but it is one of the most powerful six-word sentences in the world. It brings peace to turmoil; joy replaces frustration, and this attitude puts a smile on God’s face. He is delighted when we follow His ways instead of our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me to see myself as You see me and to leave the past behind once and for all. Please help me to renew my mind and embrace my identity as Your child—made right in You, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Responses to the King

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet.”

Matthew 2:4–5

When Jesus was born, seven centuries after the prophet Micah had prophesied where He would appear, His arrival was met with a variety of different reactions—and those responses are the same today as they were then: hostility, indifference, or faith.

King Herod was the epitome of hostility toward Jesus. He stands for everyone who says to themselves, “I don’t mind some religious person sitting quietly in the back seat, but I don’t want anybody driving the car of my life.” A religious leader who keeps quiet is acceptable; one who makes claims on a person’s life and who does not agree with what they already think is not. Herod did all he could to ensure there would be no king to rival him (Matthew 2:16-18). And many do so still today.

Jerusalem’s religious professionals responded to the arrival of Jesus with indifference. When Herod asked them about the coming of the Christ, they were able to answer his questions with great specificity. They were aware that Micah had prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem; but they simply didn’t care. They wouldn’t even take the time to make a six-mile journey to meet and worship the newly born, long-awaited King of the Jews. They completely disregarded Him. They were too busy with their religion to make time for their rescuing King.

Then there were the wise men, this group of foreign astrologers who saw a star in the heavens, worked out what it was announcing, packed their bags, and responded to Jesus in faith. What moved men who were authorities in their field to bow down at the cradle of a child? How does that happen? Only by the power of God. And it was they, and not Herod or the priests, who were the ones who “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matthew 2:10).

There is only one true dividing line between people. It has nothing to do with skin color, intellect, or social status. It is the dividing line between unbelief—whether that unbelief manifests itself as hostility or indifference—and unbelief. We may note that the Western world grows in hostility to a God who insists on ruling His world, but we should also note that “religious” people are also at risk of unbelief: the unbelief of indifference. Those of us who have heard the Christmas story countless times, who know our Old Testaments, and who are in church Sunday by Sunday are not immune to the indifference that is seen in a lack of joy over the Lord and a lack of response to His word when it calls us to change our plans. And whoever we are, if we won’t have Jesus as our King in this life, we won’t live in His kingdom on the other side of death. If you choose to ask Jesus to leave you alone, either in your hostility or in your religiosity, He will leave you alone—forever. Your response to Jesus has eternal significance. Look on Him who came to die for hostile and indifferent sinners, then, and allow His great love to soften your heart so that you respond to Him in real, joyful, obedient faith, today and every day.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Responses to the King

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet.”

Matthew 2:4–5

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is Worthy of Public Praise

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.” (Judges 5:3)

During this Christmas season, some people are going out to do “caroling.” “Caroling” is when a group of people gather together and visit the homes of their family and friends, where they sing Christmas carols – songs about Jesus’ birth. Sometimes they bring cookies or hot chocolate or presents to give to the people they visit. But most of all, they give their time – they come sing as a way of saying “Merry Christmas!” and cheering up people who might be feeling sad or lonely. Often, groups of carolers will visit nursing homes or hospitals, in hopes of bringing some Christmas cheer to the residents and patients. Elderly people or sick people are usually unable to get out around town, or else they may not have friends and family – which is especially hard during the holiday season.

Some carolers even go out into the streets or public shopping malls and stand together and sing as crowds of people walk by. Unlike other times of the year, Christmas is a time where it is considered acceptable to sing religious songs in public. Even people who do not really know Jesus as their personal Savior are happy to hear Christmas carols as they go about their errands and do their last-minute Christmas shopping.

Have you ever gone caroling? Some of the more popular carols are very familiar songs to us – like “Silent Night” or “Joy to the World” or “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” Have you ever gotten so excited about singing Christmas carols that you discover you have forgotten to listen to the words you have been singing? In all the hustle and bustle of Christmastime, it can be easy to forget why we have so many popular songs about Jesus’ birth.

The whole celebration of Christmas is a very big reminder that God does exist, that we are a world full of natural sinners, and that we need a Savior. For some people, Christmastime is a very difficult season because it brings them face-to-face with the reality of God and their sins against Him. But it is also a time of great hope, because Jesus came to Earth to seek and save sinners like us.

During Israel’s early years as a nation, the people were ruled by judges whom God appointed. During the time of the judges, the Israelites often behaved very wickedly. They did not act like God’s people at all. The world was full of sinners, people who did whatever they thought was right for themselves – not even caring whether God thought their choices were right. But there were some people who knew God and loved Him. Deborah was a godly leader during the time of the judges. In the book of Judges, chapter 5, we can read a song that Deborah sang publicly in praise to God.

In Judges 5:3, Deborah sang, “Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.” She did not mind who heard her. Even the greatest rulers alive back then (kings and princes of other nations) could not compare to the Israelites’ God, Jehovah. From her heart, Deborah sang about God and all that He had done for His people, because she knew He was worthy of public praise.

This Christmas, you might have an opportunity to sing in public. Not just in front of the church and people who know and love your LORD, but maybe even in front of unbelievers who do not know Him. Isn’t it good news that God has come to Earth to seek and save sinners like you, and like those sick people or those shoppers at the mall? A God like that is worth singing about. We should not be bashful or scared when it comes to praising God. No one compares to Him, not even the greatest of human beings. We should listen to the words we sing, and we should mean them from our hearts, because God is worthy of genuine, heart-felt praise from His people.

God deserves to be praised publicly by His people.

My Response:
» Am I acting like a worldly person even though I say I am a Christian?
» How can I praise God publicly with my actions and words (and even songs)?
» Is there someone I can encourage today with the good news of the Savior?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – The most notable Nativity scene in Bethlehem this Christmas

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Santa Claus delivered 7,883,693,263 gifts around the world yesterday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which has been tracking his movements each year since 1955. But Christmas isn’t over in Rovaniemi, Finland, where the holiday is celebrated 365 days a year and you can visit Mrs. Claus any time you wish. Towns in Iceland, Alaska, Norway, Sweden, Michigan, and Canada similarly participate in Christmas all year long.

Things were far different in the home of the first Christmas, where streets in Bethlehem were deserted and stores were shuttered after churches canceled celebrations due to the war between Hamas and Israel. Presiding at Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis said, “Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world.”

The most notable Christmas decoration in Bethlehem was a large Nativity scene in ruins, with shepherds climbing piles of rubble and Jesus, Mary, and Joseph huddled in the midst of destruction.

While I understand the pope’s sentiment, I think the Nativity scene in Bethlehem is more correct. Nothing humans do can prevent Jesus from “finding room in the world.” To the contrary, he is just as present on this day after Christmas as he was on that first Christmas two millennia ago.

Even more so, in fact, in ways that are deeply hopeful and urgent for our world and our souls.

Crossing the Delaware, changing the world

George Washington, along with 2,400 soldiers, successfully crossed the icy and freezing Delaware River on Christmas Day in 1776. The next morning, he won the first major US victory in the War for Independence.

Many believe Christmas is still relevant in the same way—an historic event we remember with gratitude for the One who was born into our world to die for our sins. St. Augustine asked, “What greater grace could God have made to dawn on us than to make his only Son become the son of man, so that a son of man might in his turn become a son of God?”

Others who do not recognize the saving purpose of Christmas nonetheless might seek spiritual lessons in its story. They see it as a religious tradition or myth which, as psychologist Carl Jung suggested, “channels some great truth beyond itself.” And still others celebrate Christmas for its secular traditions that bring them together as families and friends.

Whether you see yesterday’s celebration as a holy day or a holiday, if you’re like most people, when the decorations go back into their boxes over the next few days and we return to the “real world,” Christmas will be over.

How can we do “greater works” than Jesus?

But consider this: When you made Christ your Lord, the Holy Spirit of God came to live in your body just as fully as Jesus came to live in his earthly body (1 Corinthians 3:16). Now Jesus is continuing his earthly life and ministry through you:

As he was born in Bethlehem, you were “born again” at your salvation (John 3:3). Now “Christ [is] in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
As he prayed to his Father when he was on earth, now his Spirit prays through us (Romans 8:26).
As he healed bodies through his hands, he heals now through ours (cf. Acts 3:7).
As he preached the gospel, now he sends us to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17).
As he returned to heaven, he will one day take us to heaven (John 14:3).
As he will return to our planet one day (Acts 1:11), so “the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and “we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (v. 17).
In the meantime, as Jesus was present with his first followers, so he is present with us “to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

In short, you and I are literally “the body of Christ” continuing Jesus’ ministry as his hands and feet in our world (1 Corinthians 12:27).

But there’s even more: Jesus promised that after he returned to his Father, we would do “greater works” than he did (John 14:12). He did not mean “greater” in power but in extent—he was limited to a single body when he walked on our planet, but today he is living in billions of Christians around the globe.

Imagine a world in which every Christian thought with the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), spoke with the wisdom of Christ (Colossians 2:3), lived with the character of Christ (Romans 8:29), and loved with the compassion of Christ (John 13:14–15).

This is the world Jesus wants to create through you and me today.

“God manifest in the flesh”

In his Christmas Day meditation, Oswald Chambers observed:

The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me. Immediately Christ is formed in me, his nature begins to work through me. God manifest in the flesh—that is what is made profoundly possible for you and me by the Redemption.

Will you “yield yourself so completely to God that Christ is formed” in you? Every day you do, Christmas comes again.

And our world can never be the same.

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee – Daily Devotion

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.

Psalm 143:5

As the year draws to a close, a wonderful opportunity exists to ponder the events of the past year and prepare for the promise of a new year.

Set aside some time to remember God’s faithfulness. Look for the places where His hand has been at work, where you have experienced breakthrough and abundance.

It is easy to see Him there in the marriages, births, promotions, and celebrations. How amazing to find His love shining brightly – maybe more so – in the disappointments, death, or divorce!

The Israelites insisted on remembering God’s enduring compassion and undying faithfulness. They established memorials to remind themselves and their children. They sang songs, designed dances, and penned poetry. They assembled altars, designated days of celebration, wrote in their record books, and offered oblations to God.

For them and the following generations, those memorials pointed to how the Lord delivered them from enemies, brought them through deep waters, and provided for every need.

Today, revisit the yesterdays of this year. Meditate and wonder at the work of His hands. Find a way to memorialize His goodness: write it in your journal, sing a new song of worship, capture it in a photo. When your family or friends ask, tell them: “This is how God revealed Himself to me this year.”

Blessing

Heavenly Father, I look back at a year where You walked beside me every step in every season. You never left me undefended or alone. I pause to remember how You sustained me through every heartache and delighted in every celebration. I see You there. With humble gratitude, and in Jesus’ name, I thank You.

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

New Testament

Psalms & Proverbs

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Are You Ready?

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive.
Psalm 86:5

Recommended Reading: Psalm 86:1-5

Puritan Richard Baxter once preached a sermon to those who needed to give their lives to Christ. He said, “Heaven itself is ready; the Lord will receive you into the glory of His saints, a vile brute as you have been. If you will be cleansed, you may have a place before His throne. His angels will be ready to guard your soul to the place of joy, if you but sincerely come in. And God is ready, the sacrifice of Christ is ready, the promise is ready, the pardon is ready.”

Then he asked his audience: “But are you ready?”

Because of Adam’s sin, death entered into the world. Because of Christ’s resurrection, we have life. Though everyone is born in sin and will one day die, if we are in Christ, we’ll be resurrected. All of heaven is ready for you to make that decision, which you can make today.

Say, “Yes, Lord, I am ready to follow You!”

God was not bound to provide us a Saviour, nor open to us a door of hope, nor call us to repent and turn when once we had cast ourselves away by sin, but he hath freely done it to magnify his mercy.
Richard Baxter

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Authentic Friendship

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

—Proverbs 27:6

Scripture:

Proverbs 27:6

One trait of friendship with people and with God is that true friends will tell each other the truth. That’s a mark of friendship.

When you’re uncomfortable with someone, when you don’t know them that well, you don’t really want to say what you’re thinking. Maybe you just bought a new outfit that you’re not sure about. So, you say to your friend, “Hey, what do you think?”

Someone who doesn’t really care about you will say, “It looks great! Now let’s go!”

But a true friend will say, “Honestly, you look like a fool. You need to return that.”

The Bible says, “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6 NLT).

An enemy will flatter you and tell you to your face that you’re great and that everything is wonderful. But behind your back, the same person will cut you down.

As Oscar Wilde said, “A true friend always stabs you in the front.”

True friends will say, “Because I love you, because I care about you, I must share this with you. I think you’re making a mistake. I don’t think you should do this.” Because your friends care about you, they will tell you the truth.

That is why we want to look for godly friends. You cannot control your environment at all times. You cannot always control who your neighbors will be or who your coworkers will be. But you can decide who your friends will be.

We must give serious consideration to the people we spend our free time with, the people we bare our hearts to. It’s important to look for others who love God and will encourage us spiritually.

The apostle Paul warned, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT). You will be influenced by the people you hang around. And they will be influenced by you.

Paul also wrote, “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT).

Look for friends who love the Lord. Look for people who will encourage you in your commitment to Christ. And if you’re presently engaged in a friendship, or even worse, in a romantic entanglement, that is dragging you down spiritually and is detrimental to your walk with God, then it’s time to sever it.

Look for people who will encourage you in the things of the Lord. And be a person who will encourage others in the things of the Lord as well.

Sadly, people will disappoint. People will let us down. But we have a friend who never will betray our confidence. We have a friend to whom we can bare our secrets and who also will declare His secrets to us. We have the ultimate friend in Jesus Christ.

Yes, He wants to be your God. Yes, He wants to be your Savior and Lord. But don’t forget that He also wants to be your friend.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – David’s Great-Grandmother

December 26, 2023 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17)

No one knows for certain who the human author of the fascinating book of Ruth may have been, but it must at least have been written by a contemporary of David, able to carry the genealogy of Ruth’s descendants down to her great-grandson, David. Quite possibly the story was told directly to David himself by his great-grandmother.

In any case, when David later became king, he must surely have been intrigued by the providential circumstances that had led to his anointing. He would have read Genesis 49:8-12, in which Israel had said that a member of the tribe of Judah would be the ruler of the children of Israel some day. He must also have marveled at the wonderful grace of God that brought Ruth, a Moabitess, into his ancestry, despite the proscription in Deuteronomy 23:3 stipulating that Moabites should not be brought into the congregation of the Lord. He undoubtedly noted also that Nahshon, who was the grandfather of Ruth’s husband, Boaz, had been the chief captain of the tribe of Judah when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt (Numbers 1:4-5, 7) but that he had apparently failed in that role and perished in the wilderness, with his fellow tribesman Caleb being permitted to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:22-24). Yet, Nahshon, rather than Caleb, became David’s ancestor.

David, like Ruth and like Nahshon, and like everyone of us, has been brought into the great family of the King not because of his own merits but by His marvelous grace! We have been born again “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5). HMM

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Daily Archives: December 26, 2023

Our Daily Bread — The Day after Christmas

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Defending the Faith

Joyce Meyer – Own Your Actions

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Responses to the King

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Responses to the King

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is Worthy of Public Praise

Denison Forum – The most notable Nativity scene in Bethlehem this Christmas

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee – Daily Devotion

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Are You Ready?

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Authentic Friendship

Days of Praise – David’s Great-Grandmother

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.