12/23          Luke 2:8-11

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! 

HERE

Prophesied for centuries in the Old Testament.

Someone is coming from God to save mankind.

Now He is here.

Jesus saves.

Turn to Christ the Lord and be saved.

Jesus loves you. 

12/22          Isaiah 11:1

Out of the stump of David’s family^[a] will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.

FAITHFUL

God is faithful.

His prophecies came true and our salvation too. 

God is Here with us.

He knows us, loves us, and shepherds us to a home with Him. 

Praise the Lord, I am just passing through, on the way home. 

12/21          Galatians 4:4-5

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

WE

We are children of God.

Adopted by action of the Father in Jesus Christ.

He remembered us and our plea-save us O Lord.

He forgave us and brought us close.

We are no longer slaved but free persons in the Family of God. 

Jesus is indeed Lord, Creator, Lord of all. 

Praise God our Father, amen!

12/20          Isaiah 7:14

14All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin^[a] will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

IMMANUEL

Jesus was born in Bethlehem as prophesied. 

He is the Son of God.

Worship Him.

Follow Immanuel. 
God is with us. 

12/19          Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

SURE

God’s ways are sure. 

He never goes awry.

His hand moves with absolute knowledge.

Trust in the Lord.

He will make your pathway straight. 

12/18          Hebrews 12:28

28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

WORSHIP

Worship the Lord.

Worship our awesome God, the Lord.

Worship Him with holy fear and awe.

He is different from us, His mercy and grace is great.

Wow, He is a wonderful, amazing, Holy God. 

Praise the Lord, He is our God. 

12/17          Matthew 1:24-25

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. 

OBEDIENCE

Joseph believed God.

He obeyed God. 

He was the earthly father of Jesus. 

We honor him for his great faith. 

Obey God-do what He says. 

12/16          Matthew 1:18-23

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement[h] quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,[i] for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,^[j]
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

STORY

God is in control. 

Everything has an appointed time. 

The time has come-the Father will become the Son.

A woman chosen.

A time designated.

Christ came in the form of a child-raised by common, poor folk in Israel. 

HE came to be with us-to die for us-to save us. 

12/15          Luke 6:38

38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

MIRACLE

The miracle of sowing and reaping.

We reap what we sow.

Sow little, reap little.

Sow big, you reap big. 

A truth of God.

Sow-it is better to give than receive.

Reap-gloriously from God. 

12/14          James 1:17

17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.^[a] He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

SAME

God is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

His Word declares His truth.

Seek Him and find Him when you obey Him. 

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.