12/25               Matthew 2:7-12

7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.  8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!  11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. 

ACTIVITY

His plan in place everything begins to unfold as written by the Lord. 

12/24               Matthew 2:1-6                                  

1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”  3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.  4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”  5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:  6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ” 

HE IS HERE WITH US

Jesus arrives in Bethlehem and is now among His Creation.  Praise the Lord that He came for us 2,000 plus years ago in that little town of Bethlehem.  Thank you Lord.  Thank you Lord. 

12/23               Luke 2:17-20

17After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 

19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  20The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. 

TESTIMONY

This is the testimony of a bunch of shepherds independent of the establishment or the government.  They were ordinary people changed by the arrival of an extraordinary Lord and Savior Jesus. 

12/22               Luke 2:6-16

6 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 lodging available for them. 8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, 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 terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”  13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,  14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”  15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 

UNIQUE

This story is not about what or how man did but instead is an account of the Lord God Almighty acting in time and space in our world to intervene and do something about out lostness.  Jesus came that we might be saved from out sin.  We have a victorious Savior in Jesus Christ. 

12/21               Luke 2:1-5                

1 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 ancestral towns to register for this census. 

4 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 fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

HE IS COMING

Foretold and forthtold the Messiah was coming in the little town of Bethlehem.  It was a town that was just out of sight of the Temple Mount and the religious of Israel. 

12/20               Hebrews 12:2

2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 

CHAMPION

Jesus is Champion, He is our champion and He brings into the presence of the Father.  We think the things we see, feel and touch are real and they are but they are passing away.  The things of Christ are the real things and we need to focus on them. Jesus is Lord. 

12/19               Romans 14:7

7 For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 

LIFE

Our life is hidden in Christ and we belong to Him.  We live for Him.  We will die for Him.  We will be with Him from this very moment into forever.  Jesus will never leave us.  He has won the victory and we will live in His victory.  Life is to be lived and in Christ we can live real life, a victorious life, a life without limits because He is Lord of all. 

12/18               Psalm 30:5

5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. 

CONFIDENCE

We belong to Jesus. He will not forsake us nor will we be destroyed.  We can have confidence that we will overcome whatever we face in Christ.  Things may get very bad but hold on for we will not be overcome.  Jesus is Lord.  Nothing surprises Him.  He will stand with you and deliver you safely on that day to the Father and we will have life like the Father-eternal life. 

12/17               John 16:22

22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 

WE

We are not alone. Jesus is with us.  Life today is our choice on how it will be played out. Will we follow Jesus, spending time with Him-listening to Him-obeying Him or will we do our own thing ignoring Jesus? If we will let Him guide us we can live with confidence whatever happens that Jesus knows where we are, what is happening and what we need.  He will not disappoint us and at the right time will bring rejoicing to our heart. Jesus is Lord. 

12/16               Proverbs 15:23

23Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time! 

LOVE

Truth comes from love. When we love one another, we will know the right thing to say, the right thing to do.  Jesus indwells us, and the Holy Spirit willingly directs us.  When we trust the Lord for everything in our life we will know the right to say or not say at the appropriate time.  Love the Lord, serve Him and care about those around you.  Fitting replies will be in you to share with those in need.  Jesus is Lord in your daily life.