12/16 Luke 2:16-17
They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
CHILD
The Son of God was lying in a manger. Where would you have birthed the CHILD? This was the plan of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost before anything was. Amazing because the Lord knows the end from the beginning. He knows you, all about you and He loves you without reservation. Jesus loves you.
Author - Clay Corvin
12/15 Luke 2:13-15
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others — the armies of heaven — praising God: 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors. ” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
INTERESTING
It is interesting how the shepherds responded. They were ignored in Jerusalem by the religious leadership but here in the fields next to Bethlehem the Lord sent His angels to announce the birth of His son Jesus. The vast hordes of angels were desperately seeking to know how this birth would turn out and were praising the Lord God Almighty. The Bible tells us that God favors you. His word to you is that Christ came into your world and under the same constraints that you are lived a perfect life by faith. You have access to the Father. Praise Him, trust Him and step out in faith to live like Jesus-one step, one day at a time. Your life is precious and you are favored of God in Christ.
12/14 Luke 2:12
And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!”
WHAT
No trappings of power and at the mercy of the world, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. His parents trusted the Lord. This birth had been planned since before anything began and the Lord chose this birth. Jesus was in every way fully man. He knew difficulty and powerlessness just like we do. In every way Jesus was fully God and as such His faith conquered every obstacle He faced. Let us learn faith one day at a time. Jesus is alive. Jesus is Lord of all.
12/13 Luke 2:8-11
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! 11 The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!
UNLIKELY
Bethlehem is an unlikely place for the king of the Universe to be born. It is in a way like us. Most of us are ordinary to a fault. I am certainly not exemplary in any way. Yet the Lord can use any one of us to accomplish His will. TODAY I want to be used by the Lord to accomplish His purpose. Use me Lord. I will not be afraid.
12/12 Luke 2:6-7
And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
LIFE
All of us are seeking to live life. The tragedy is that too many people are waiting for life to happen. It happens every minute of every hour of every day. Life is the time that is passing while we are here on earth. No one at the birth place of Jesus knew that the world was fixing to change but it was. His birth divides history- Before Christ came and after His birth. Live your life with quality and insight. Ask Jesus to give you wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding. He will and YOU will be better equipped to live the minutes of your life. Rejoice our king has been born in a manger in Bethlehem.
12/11 Luke 2:4-5
And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancé, who was obviously pregnant by this time.
DIFFERENT
This is different than what we are used to or what we think. People didn’t count in this day. Leaders were often evil oppressive men and sometimes women. What to Joseph was a difficult trip translates across the centuries to us as the activity of God in His world. Jesus was the creator. Jesus was fully God and fully man and this was how He arranged His visit to our world. Where are you hurting? What oppressive thing has the world done to you or maybe there is someone you have mistreated. Jesus loves you. Go to Him. A simple Lord help me will receive immediate attention. No busy signals with Jesus. He will help you.
12/10 Luke 2:1-3
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own towns to register for this census.
HISTORY
History is divided by this event-the birth of a child. Not any child or an ordinary child but in fact the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Jesus was coming. Predicted in the Old Testament He was almost here. The Lord of Glory stepped down off of His throne in Glory to come into our world-not to condemn us but in fact He loved us so much that He came to save us from our sin and reunite us with the Father.
12/09 Luke 11:16
Trying to test Jesus, others asked for a miraculous sign from heaven to see if he was from God. 17 He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom at war with itself is doomed. A divided home is also doomed. 18 You say I am empowered by the prince of demons. But if Satan is fighting against himself by empowering me to cast out his demons, how can his kingdom survive? 19 And if I am empowered by the prince of demons, what about your own followers? They cast out demons, too, so they will judge you for what you have said. 20 But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 21 For when Satan, who is completely armed, guards his palace, it is safe — 22 until someone who is stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.
JESUS
Jesus is from God. He came because He loves you. He gave His life for you and by the power of God was raised from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He walks with you and talks with you about the things that matter in your life. Jesus is real. He is here and is here for you. Go to Jesus, put your life in His hands and He will lead you in the right way. Jesus is Lord.
12/08 Luke 11:14-15
One day Jesus cast a demon out of a man who couldn’t speak, and the man’s voice returned to him. The crowd was amazed, 15 but some said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons!”
FOOLISH
Lost people are foolish. They are not able to understand what the Lord tells us. The Bible tells us they are dead in their trespasses and sin. And yet they want to talk about spiritual things. Tragic. Make sure that you are focused on Jesus as you deal with spiritual matters. It is easy for us to be foolish even though we are in God’s family.
12/07 LUKE 11:11-13
“You fathers — if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
HOLY SPIRIT
Ask the Lord for what you need. The Holy Spirit will indwell us guiding us in Jesus and to Jesus equipping us to hear. Jesus will tell us what we need to do. Father, Spirit, Son, three in one, giving us what we need and cannot earn. Jesus is God’s everything and He came that we might have life and light. He came because He loves you and lives today to pour out God’s love on you.