SUNDAY
Christmas Brings Saving Mercy And Grace To A Lost Soul
We can talk about all the good things of Christmas, but the most important part of Christmas is the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ. One day I was thinking about Jesus coming to save me. It became a strong reality to my heart and mind that if Jesus had not come to pay the punishment for my sin, by giving me mercy, I would have to pay the awful penalty throughout eternity. I would be afraid to live, and afraid to die, in fear of eternal suffering. And I also realized that if Jesus had not given me grace and the gift of salvation, I would not be able to spend eternity in heaven. I have no goodness within myself to deserve salvation. I don’t have the wealth to buy my way to heaven, for all that I have belongs to God. And I can’t work enough to go to heaven. Jesus came from heaven to be born in a stable, and to live perfect and holy, to be the sacrifice offered for lost sinners. That’s Christmas. That’s my Savior. I am not afraid to live, and I am not afraid to die because I asked the Lord to forgive me and save me, and He did. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)
MONDAY
Christmas Is A Time For Wrapping Gifts
As Pastor Rick Byerly was preaching Sunday, he pointed out something that I don’t know if I had ever thought of before. His message was on “The Unwanted Gift”. His text was II Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” God’s gift to everyone who will believe, is unwanted by the world. He is unrecognized by the world. The world is uninterested in the Savior. But, this gift is unparalleled. He is God’s unspeakable gift! He read, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7) Mary wrapped God’s gift and laid Him in a manger. As you are wrapping your gifts this Christmas, think about the Babe in a manger, God’s gift to you, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes. It wasn’t much to be wrapped in, but the gift is what’s important. And God’s gift of salvation is the most important gift you will ever receive.
TUESDAY
Christmas Time Brings Tidings Of Great Joy
I like Christmas cards. Several years ago we started putting a mailbox at the entrance of the church at Christmas Time. People can write their Christmas cards to one another and leave them at the mailbox. We sort them and deliver them before our church services. I enjoy opening the cards and reading the special messages in them. I also enjoy getting Christmas cards from friends that I don’t see very often. This is a special way to receive tidings of joy. The angels brought the first Christmas tidings of great joy to the shepherds. I am glad we have this way of sharing our Christmas joy! “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”
“8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11)
WEDNESDAY
Happiness Is...
Years ago my grandchildren gave me the book, “Happiness Is A Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown” by Charles M. Schulz. Many of the pages have wide open spaces around the colorful pictures and words. In 2013, I wrote, “Happiness Is…” on the top of the first page, just inside the cover. I asked our family and visiting friends to write what happiness was to them. Parents asked the little ones what made them happy and filled in the words for them. Each year I tried to remember to ask them to write down sources of their happiness as we turned to another page. I found the book when I was getting our Christmas decorations out of the closet. It is wonderful to look back at things that gave them happiness. It is fun to see how their writing has improved with time. Some of the answers have changed through the past 11 years, and some of the answers seem to stay much the same, year to year. God and family are seen on most pages. I missed the last two years, but I found my colored pens, and I hope to get them to write again this year. I have been writing about Christmas during the month of December. I would love to read what Christmas means to some of you. Begin, “Christmas Is…” and send me a message. You can email, text, or post on Facebook. I would love to share some of your answers with my readers. I have shared what Christmas is to me. What is Christmas to you?
THURSDAY
Christmas Is A Blessing
A blessing in so many ways. First and foremost is that God would send His only begotten Son to this sinful world, just so that he could “right, that which was wrong” so that we can come to him in faith. He could have just as easily left us in our sinful state, but His love for us, couldn’t allow us to remain in that state, and gives us that choice to choose His Son.
A blessing to have family and friends to love and share in the good and not so good in our life.
Beverly, I do thank God for you and for sending me to your page years ago. Thank you for these daily devotions.
Merry Christmas,
Sally
FRIDAY
Christmas Is, by Betty
Christmas is Jesus coming to earth to live and die for us.
Christmas is all about family and seeing them again.
Christmas is about memories of sweet family members who have gone to Glory.
Betty
SATURDAY
"Christmas Is..." by Michael
(This is Michael, filling in for my wife Beverly on her Devotions page. Please pray for her as she struggles with her pulse rate, which is fluctuating from very low to very high.)
Christmas is the story of God’s redemption of man. As much as we love the story of the nativity, it is not a pleasant one. No one in Bethlehem would give a place to a woman who was nine months pregnant. So her Son had to be born in a stable, or perhaps even a cave, and laid in a manger. It does not really matter how much you know about that story. In fact, you can throw out the shepherds, the angels, the wise men. You can forget about the star and the stable. It is only important that you know one thing: the identity of that baby. To paraphrase J.I. Packer, the baby in that manger was God. And the baby in that manger was God made man. The God who created everything, the God who keeps this world spinning through space, the God who sustains all life on this planet—that same God became flesh. He was not 50 percent God and 50 percent man. He was 100 percent God, and 100 percent man. That God lived a human life, and so He knows and understands everything that we go through in life. That God died on the cross, taking our sins upon Himself. I hope you know the identity of that baby, and have accepted what He did on Calvary for you. That is the only thing that matters in your life…
