On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Six Geese A-laying
The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

CRI/Voice, Institute, Copyright © 2006 CRI/Voice, Institute

Genesis 1:1 (NASB) ¹In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Day 1 – Space, earth and light

Day 2 - Separation of the waters - atmosphere

Day 3 – Dry Land, seas & Vegetation

Day 4 – Sun, Moon, Planets & Stars

Day 5 – Fish (Sea Creatures) & Birds (Flying Creatures)

Day 6 – Animals & Man

Genesis 2:2 - 3 (NASB) ²By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. ³Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

John 1:1 – 3, 14 (KJV) ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Five Gold Rings
The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

CRI/Voice, Institute, Copyright © 2006 CRI/Voice, Institute

"Roots" was a mini series that came out in 1977. It shows the history of a man named Kunta Kinte who was abducted from his village in Africa, sold into slavery and taken to America. 85% of America watched it on their television sets. African-Americans identified with Kunta Kinte. This was the history of their ancestors, where they had come from, and they could then be even prouder of where they had arrived, what they had become.

The Torah is a history of where all humanity has come from, beginning with Creation and the Garden of Eden. It shows how sin entered the world and how God has graciously tried to woo His people back to Himself. It is our history.

The word Torah actually means teaching or instruction. We can learn much from its pages. I wonder if 85% of America has read it. I wonder if 85% of Christians have read it.

Let us not forget where we have come from and the price that God paid to bring us to where we are today.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Four Calling Birds
The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

CRI/Voice, Institute, Copyright © 2006 CRI/Voice, Institute

Four different men confirm through their writings the truth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. If only one had written the story, we might have cause to question but this is not the case.

Four different views of the same man and yet no disharmony as to the facts so that all might believe in the name of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

The word “gospel” means “good news!”

Luke 2:10 (NASB) But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

Romans 1:16 (NASB) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Three French Hens
The Three Theological Virtues: 1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

CRI/Voice, Institute, Copyright © 2006 CRI/Voice, Institute

Look around at the virtue put before you every day on television, in the books you read, in the friends that you converse with, on the computer or anything else that comes into your life…And see if there be any good thing in them, any virtue.

Philippians 4:8 (NASB) Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Two Turtle Doves
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

CRI/Voice, Institute, Copyright © 2006 CRI/Voice, Institute.

Quoted from the website... http://www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html

How fortunate we are to have God’s Word! It has within its pages everything we need for life.

2 Timothy 3:16 - 17 (NASB) All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Hebrews 4:12 (NASB) ¹²For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM…

JESUS

Quoted from the website... http://www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html

By Dennis Bratcher

The origin of the Twelve Days is complicated, and is related to differences in calendars, church traditions, and ways to observe this holy day in various cultures (see Christmas). In the Western church, Epiphany is usually celebrated as the time the Wise Men or Magi arrived to present gifts to the young Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12). Traditionally there were three Magi, probably from the fact of three gifts, even though the biblical narrative never says how many Magi came. In some cultures, especially Hispanic and Latin American culture, January 6th is observed as Three Kings Day, or simply the Day of the Kings (Span: la Fiesta de Reyes, el Dia de los Tres Reyes, or el Dia de los Reyes Magos; Dutch: Driekoningendag).

The popular song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is usually seen as simply a nonsense song for children. However, some have suggested that it is a song of Christian instruction dating to the 16th century religious wars in England, with hidden references to the basic teachings of the Faith. They contend that it was a mnemonic device to teach the catechism to youngsters. The "true love" mentioned in the song is not an earthly suitor, but refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person who is part of the Christian Faith. Each of the "days" represents some aspect of the Christian Faith that was important for children to learn.

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . .. ." (Luke 13:34)

CRI/Voice, Institute, Copyright © 2006 CRI/Voice, Institute

Some traditions observe the day after Christmas as the 1st day of Christmas with the 12th day of Christmas being "Epiphany" or the time when it is said that the Wise Men visited the Christ Child. That is the time table that we will be following.

For unto you

is born this day

in the city of David

a Saviour,

which is

Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 (KJV)

Merry Christmas

WAIT

The presents are wrapped, or at least most of them, and placed under the tree if not in the mail to their final destinations. There is only one more day until Christmas. Some of us are better at waiting than others. Some exhibit patience, some excitement and still others display both as they await the arrival of the “big event.”

Is it excitement about the presents or an eagerness to say “Happy Birthday, Jesus?” I’m hoping the latter, but understand the reality, especially for the young ones, about the eagerness to open their presents.

Perhaps they would understand better if we related to the young ones why we are excited about His birthday and how the anticipation of opening an earthly present relates to the blessed hope we have of “unwrapping” eternity with our Savior.

In any case, we wait…one more day…to celebrate Christ’s birth.

Perhaps your thoughts are poised toward the coming again of our precious Savior to the earth.

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. Philippians 3:20 (NLT)

What will you do while you wait? Do you tell other people why you are anxiously awaiting the return of your Savior, Jesus Christ?

All year long, we face situations and decisions that affect our lives. We can either rely upon God for His guidance or make decisions based on or own thoughts and desires. Regardless of the importance of the decision, we are better off waiting for Gods timing.

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

RENEW

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Psalms 51:10 - 13 (KJV)

Dear Lord,

Renew in me the true meaning of Christmas…

Fear

• Renew in me the true awe of You, ALMIGHTY GOD who Created man. You knew what would cause man’s downfall and planned our Salvation from the beginning.

Luke 2:8 - 9 (KJV) 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.

Proverbs 9:10 (NASB) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah Psalms 9:20 (KJV)

Joy

• Renew in me the eternal joy rooted in the experiential knowledge of the Christ of Christmas.

Matthew 2:10 (KJV) ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Philippians 4:4(KJV) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Wonder

• Renew in me the wonder of 4000 years of prophecy culminating in the birth of Christ.

Genesis 3:15; 49:10 – 4,000 years before Christ

Isaiah 7:14; 9:1-2, 6-7 – 700 before Christ

Micah 5:2 – 700 years before Christ

Zechariah – 520 years before Christ.

Excitement

• Renew in me the excitement of having the ONE TRUE GOD love me!

John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.

Light

• Renew in me the ability to reflect the light of Christ. Help me to live a holy lifestyle in this world filled with the darkness of sin and evil and point all men to Christ.

Matthew 5:14 - 16 (NASB) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 ”nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Thank you for your grace and mercy towards me, Father. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ into this world and into my life. I thank you now for what you are going to do in me and through me in the year to come as I experience your renewal in my life. AMEN.

ROOM?

Young children have been telling the Christmas story every year for as long as I can remember. The scene that most often catches our attention is when Joseph knocks on the door of the Inn. The Innkeeper answers the door and those famous words echo once again,

“NO ROOM”

This taken from Luke 2:7 where the writer tells us,

And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (NASB)

That scene has been running through my mind lately. Last night I picked up a book that had a sermon by Dwight L. Moody called, “No Room for Jesus”. This famous preacher was active in the mid to late 1800’s. We might think that he would be a little “out of date or style” but listen to a few of his points:

• No room for Jesus in the United States or any other nation
• No room in the Church
• No room in the hearts of church members

December 20, 2006 George Barna released a list of the twelve most significant findings from his research in the year 2006. The first one on the list states:

Although large majorities of the public claim to be “deeply spiritual” and say that their religious faith is “very important” in their life, only 15% of those who regularly attend a Christian church ranked their relationship with God as the top priority in their life. As alarming as that finding was, its significance was magnified by research showing that on average pastors believe that 70% of the adults in their congregation consider their relationship with God to be their highest priority in life.

It would appear that there is still no room for Jesus or, at the very least, a miniscule space in the hearts of man.

Moody made the statement towards the end of the previously mentioned sermon,

“The only room the world found for him was just on the cross.”

What about you, is there room in your heart for Christ this year? Is there room in your life for Christ this year?

Don’t push him aside. Don’t give him just a little corner of your life. Give it all to him and have the best Christmas that you have ever had. Don’t let him have to say, “I came to you and found no room.”

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

REPENT

In preparation for a visit by a dignitary or special friend, we might prepare our house by vacuuming, dusting, polishing and a myriad of other things. We would shine the “surface” so to speak.

As John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus, his advice to those around him went beyond surface. It went straight to the heart. We hear his cry in Matthew 3:2,

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The New Living Translation says, “Repent of your sins….” We generally refer to the act of repentance as turning away from doing wrong and going in the opposite direction, presumably doing right!

John the Baptist illuminates this somewhat in verse 8 when he tells the Pharisees and Sadducees,

“Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

Or, as the New Living Translation puts it, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.”

I put before you the following definition for repent from the internet

Repentance is the feeling and act in which one recognizes and tries to right a wrong, or gain forgiveness from someone that they wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to repenting for a sin against God. It always includes an admission of guilt, and also includes at least one of: a solemn promise or resolve not to repeat the offense; an attempt to make restitution for the wrong, or in some way to reverse the harmful effects of the wrong where possible. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repent

I especially like the part about trying to right a wrong and attempting to reverse the harmful effects of the wrong. Isn’t that what we do when we tell people about the Savior that has come into our lives?

This year as you prepare your heart for the celebration of Christ’s birthday I urge you to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Tell someone the real meaning of the One for whom this holiday was named. Tell someone what a difference He has made in your life and point them to the hope that they too can have in Him.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

NAMES...

What’s in a name? Remember the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me”? Well, actually they can hurt your feelings if you think about it. Did kids ever call you “fatty”, “pudgy”, “plain Jane” or “dopey”? That didn’t make you feel too good.

The name or more properly, knick name that others call you is often how they perceive you or identify you. “Doll”, “brain”, “sweetie” or “wiz kid” may all be knick names that some might call you. I walked into the grocery store the other day and somebody said to me, “Aren’t you the Music Man?”

In six more days, we are going to be celebrating the birth of Jesus. The scriptures list many different names by which we know Jesus…

Matthew 1:23 quotes a passage from Isaiah 7:14 calling the child…

IMMANUEL (God with us)

In Luke 2:11 the child is referred to as…

SAVIOR

CHRIST

MESSIAH

Another prophecy concerning Jesus is found in Isaiah 9:6…

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

I looked up an article on the names of Jesus in Nave’s Topical Bible and they listed 261 different names with verse references! Among them are…

The Alpha and Omega

The Cornerstone

Bread of Life

Living Water

When you stop to think about it, they all describe different aspects of who Jesus is. Do a study on your own and discover the depth and majesty of the One whose birthday we shall soon celebrate.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

OBSCURE...

“There’s nothing to do in this little hick town. I’m moving out and going to a big city.”

I have heard this more than once living here in this rural setting. The truth of the matter is that it doesn’t matter what size your town is or how obscure your town is. What matters is what God has done, is doing or will do in your town and, whether or not you are willing to be a part of His plan right now.

Bethlehem was a rather obscure place, being a village 5 or 6 miles to the south of Jerusalem. The Bible first mentions Bethlehem as the place where Rachel died (Genesis 48:7) and later as the place where a shepherd boy named David was born. That shepherd boy had tremendous faith in God and later became the King of Israel (1 Samuel 16:4-13).

The prophet Micah also wrote of this small village:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

are only a small village among all the people of Judah.

Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,

one whose origins are from the distant past. Micah 5:2 (NLT)

That ruler was none other than Jesus Christ. His origins as we see from the Gospel of John are from the distant past. John tells us “He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2).

Why would God bring His only Son into the world in a little village like Bethlehem? Perhaps it was to encourage those of us living in small towns to persevere and be faithful to Him.

Remember Jesus came from the family tree of King David. God had honored King David because he loved the Lord with all of his heart. We have all heard of the story of David and Goliath. David was just a boy, but he couldn’t stand to hear the giant Goliath making fun of Israel’s army. David went forward “in the name of the LORD,” killed the giant and gave all the glory to the LORD (1 Samuel 17).

Can God do something great in your little town? Absolutely! Be faithful to Him, give God the glory for your victories and be His servant no matter the circumstances. He has placed you where He wants you to be at this moment in time.

What was once an obscure little village became one of the most famous cities in the entire world. Songs are sung about it. People from far away places spend thousands of dollars to go and see it. All because of the faithfulness and devotion to God of a young shepherd boy and one of his descendants whose birthday we celebrate every December 25.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

They read about him in an old book. They had never met him, yet they brought him expensive gifts.

The Wisemen’s search was over. They had found the One they were looking for.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:10 - 11 (KJV)

Have you found the Christ of Christmas? If not continue seeking Him. If you search with all your heart He promises that you will find Him.

If you do know the Jesus about whom I am speaking then I would ask you this,

What did you get Him for His birthday this year?

These wisemen or astrologers that searched and found Jesus, brought him very expensive gifts. I’m sure that these came in handy for Mary and Joseph as the two new parents set about providing for the baby Jesus.

Yet those of us who have accepted Him as Savior and Lord have even more of a responsibility to give from our thankful hearts. What do we give?

Money to the local church that we see doing the Lord’s work.

Money to missionaries or other organizations that are being faithful to His call.

Even those that didn’t really know Jesus gave Him monetary gifts. What more can we give? What more does He desire?

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalms 51:17 (NLT)

In other words, He wants us totally sold out to Him. This Christmas, give Christ the only present He really desires…YOU

Give Him ALL of you

• Your wants, wishes and desires
• Your problems, fears and phobias
• Your talents, dreams and aspirations.

There is a great song called “Surrender” by Marc James that puts it this way:

I'm giving You my heart and all that is within;

I lay it all down for the sake of You my King.

I'm giving You my dreams, I'm laying down my rights,

I'm giving up my pride for the promise of new life.

Chorus

And I surrender

All to You, all to You.

And I surrender

All to You, all to You.

© 2000 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire) (Admin. by Music Services)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

TROUBLED

Have you ever noticed that others often perceive what you consider good news as bad news?

It can be something as simple as a basketball game where your favorite team won and theirs lost. There are always those rooting for the other side.

It is no different when it comes to the celebration of Jesus’ birthday.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:3 (NASB)

• We look at the world around us and are amazed that Charlie Sheen sings ungodly lyrics to a favorite Christmas carol.
• We are amazed when stores like Target, Loews and others call their decorations “holiday” decorations and eliminate Christ’s name from everything.
• We are astounded at the suggestion that “One nation under God” be taken out of the Pledge of Allegiance.

The truth of the matter is we should already expect those things. Jesus himself told us that only those that belonged to Him could hear His voice. Only those that believe in Christ can accept the Truth of the scriptures (John 10:26-27).

Our job is to live our lives in such away as to glorify Jesus Christ. We are to reflect His light in this dark world. As it has been said, we may be the only Jesus that some will see. We may be the only scriptures that some will “read.”

So next time someone is bashing Christmas, remember that they do not know the Jesus that you know. Pray for them. Introduce them to him. But don’t be angry with them. They can not hear His voice. You need to be the voice of Christ to them, keeping in mind that it is indeed a loving voice, for God is love.

Many unsaved people will be “troubled” by the Christ of Christmas this year. Help them to get to know His tremendous love by loving them and praying for them.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

WORSHIP

Have you ever had a chance to meet someone famous? Perhaps it was a musician, a politician, an author or a television personality. If not, maybe you have witnessed someone else meeting someone famous.

The reactions usually range from “You’re the greatest ___________ I’ve ever known” to “I’ll never wash that hand again!” We tend to look up to celebrities. People still drive hundreds (and some fly) even thousands of miles to see the house where Elvis Presley lived.

Some foreign scholars felt it was worth it to travel a great distance to see Jesus when he was very young. Matthew 2:2 records the event:

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

They traveled to see someone they had only read about in the prophecies of the Old Testament scriptures. What they read told them that this child was worthy of worship.

While worship can mean many things, the word used here literally means “to bow down.” When we bow to something, though not very common in our culture today, we are saying that we are nothing and the one we are bowing to is greater. They are worthy of our placing ourselves in the humble position of bowing.

Can we bow in other ways? How about "bowing" our wills to Jesus, our Lord? What about bowing in humility before His awesome Word and placing ourselves in submission to Him?

As you continue to prepare your heart for the birthday of Christ the King, ask Him what areas in your life are still in need of “bowing,” of being laid at His feet acknowledging that He alone has the answer, that He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Worship the Lord in humility and acknowledge the true Master of the Universe.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

SEEK

You hear that a new DVD has been released and you run down to the store in hope of renting it.

There is a new job opening up that is supposed to pay really well. You hurry down to put in your application because it is definitely worth going after.

You had a problem at school when you were younger. The first thing you did was to seek out your mom or your dad and ask for help.

Some astrologers from an eastern country saw a star that they believe signaled the arrival of the King of the Jews. They left there homes and families to seek him out. The story is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1 - 2 (NKJV)

We will seek after things that are of no consequence like a new DVD, the latest mp3 player or fashion and yet, when it comes to God, we are somewhat less passionate.

As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus, we need to earnestly seek his will for our lives.

Consider the advice King David gave to his son Solomon:

“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 1 Chronicles 28:9 (NLT)

In a world that wants to take the Christ out of Christmas, seek to know the Christ for which the day is named.

His promise is clear. If we seek Him, we will find Him. What better Christmas could there be than to enjoy sweet fellowship with Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords? What a sweet eternity we shall enjoy as we worship and serve him with our whole heart and our willing mind.

Seek the Christ of Christmas. He is waiting for you, not just to accept Him, but to fellowship with Him, to love Him and to follow Him.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

ETERNAL

There are only twelve days remaining until we celebrate the birthday of Jesus. As we continue to prepare our hearts and hopefully the hearts of others, we turn to the Gospel of John.

The writer of this Gospel starts with the eternal nature of Christ. He takes us to a point before even time began and says here is the Messiah, the Christ. He was there in the beginning of beginnings. He was not only with God, he was God. Jesus was the instrument of Creation and had a part in all that exists. Jesus was, and is, the picture of perfection against which we cannot measure up.

It is for all these reasons that we acknowledge Him as King of kings, Lord of lords and joyfully accept His offer of eternal life. These are the reasons that we continue to celebrate the birth of a baby, a baby that was already older than everyone who ever lived and who had the power to create life.

God had come down to earth in the form of man, His own creation, to rescue him from his failings.

John 1:1 - 5 (NASB) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… John 1:14

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

OBEDIENT

It is one thing to know what you should do.

It is an entirely different thing to do it.

Two things that keep us from acting on what we know to be true and right are:

• Fear
• Selfish desires

The second one, selfish desires, is an easy one to see. We simply do not want to do it. We believe that it would not bring us as much satisfaction to do the right thing so we choose the other option ignoring any possible consequences.

The Christian Motorcycle Association has defined fear as:

False

Evidence (that)

Appears

Real

God’s Word says that,

…Perfect love casts out fear… (1 John 4:18)

Joseph heard the angel of the Lord speak and DID what he said.

And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:24-25 (NASB)

The fear of what others might have said could have stopped him.

The selfish desire to father Mary’s first child might have stopped him.

They did not.

Joseph did what God told him to do. As a result, Jesus had an earthly father to teach him and love him.

We hear from God through His Holy Word whenever we read it. We have the same choice that Joseph did, obey or not.

Choose God’s way.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM…

FORETOLD...

It seems that quite a few people are interested in Psychics these days. Call a toll free number and somebody you never met before will tell you what is going to happen in your life. Of course, there is always the person willing to read you palm to predict your future. Today there seems to be a preoccupation with speaking to the dead reflected in the programming on television.

God’s Word denounces these things. They are not of God. If you want to read what He says start with Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:11 and Jeremiah 27:9.

God does however talk to his people through prophets. What’s the difference? Psychics, mediums and fortune tellers deal with what the individual person consulting them wishes to know. Prophets deal with what God wishes to convey to his people and may in fact be far out in the future.

Isaiah was a prophet of God who spoke approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ. Here are his words from Isaiah 7:13 - 14 (NASB):

Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? 14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

His prophecy would appear in scrolls for 700 years before it’s fulfillment which we read about in the Gospel of Matthew. An angel of the Lord had just appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him that Mary would conceive a child by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:21-25

The birth of the Christ of Christmas had been foretold 700 years earlier.

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MESSAGE

He had just found out that his fiancée was pregnant. What thoughts had to have run through, not only his mind but also hers. They hadn’t even slept together!

While contemplating what to do he doses off for just a few seconds…but what an incredible few seconds it was.

Matthew 1:20 - 21 (KJV) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

An angel, a messenger of God, talking to him; this was big. He had to be from God, he knew his name. He even knew who his great, great, great grandfather was! How could he help but believe what the angel said about how she got pregnant? This had to be from God.

Now, the angel was telling him what to name the baby! He was to call him Jesus. This last part of the message, what could that possibly mean? He was going save his people from their sins?

One could possibly believe that the baby might become a mighty general and lead the people in a successful revolt against the oppression of the Roman Empire but…

Save them from their sins…

This was indeed incredible, so much to think about. Yet, there was no doubt that God had sent the message.

Every one of the prophets has said that all who have faith in Jesus will have their sins forgiven in his name. Acts 10:43 (CEV)

Believe the message. Accept the Savior. He is coming again….

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WONDER...

Matthew 1:18 (NLT) 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.

I don’t know about you, but if I had a daughter and she came to me saying that she was pregnant and had never had relations with a man, I would think she was either a terrible liar or crazy.

How then are we to accept what the writer tells us here? How are we to believe that the Holy Spirit could cause this young woman to become pregnant? Well, if we first remember that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the same God that gathered up some dirt, formed a man and breathed life into it, the feasibility of such an event taking place isn’t too hard to imagine.

The faith involved in believing that the event took place is not so difficult when we remember all of the mighty miracles that God has done before this point in history:

• God told Noah to build an ark and saved his family from the flood.
• God caused Abraham and Sarah to have a baby after they were in their 90’s.
• God allowed Joseph to be taken from his family and put him in a position of importance in Egypt in order to save his father and brothers. His father was Jacob, also know as Israel.
• God called Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and demonstrated His power by ten plagues, leading the people with a pillar of fire and causing the waters of the Red Sea to part allowing His people to walk across on dry land.
• God fed His people manna and quail while they wandered in the desert and caused water to come out of a rock to satisfy their thirst.
• God caused the walls of Jericho to fall after Joshua was faithful in doing what he was told.
• God gave His people victory over their enemies and moved them into the Promised Land.

And the list goes on and on and on….

God caused Mary to become pregnant by the power of His Holy Spirit. The baby to be born would be called Jesus and would offer Salvation to all who would believe.

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RECOGNIZE

John 1:30-34 (NLT)

He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

Many in the world do not know Jesus Christ as the Messiah. They may believe he existed as a man and that he did good things. They may even believe that he was the son of God. Unless they accept the gift of Salvation that he offers and FOLLOW him, obeying his commands, their limited knowledge is of no benefit to them.

According to the pollster George Barna, over 50% of the 20-30 year olds today have never even been in a church. Chances are they do not have any idea who Jesus is. How are they to recognize Him let alone know Him as Savior?

The scripture says whoever will call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13, NASB). It goes on to say in verse fourteen of the same chapter,

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

And in verse 17 (NLT)

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ

It has been said that you and I (Christians) may be the only Jesus someone ever sees. Will they recognize Jesus in your life? Will you be the one who shares Christ with them?

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COMING...

Do you get excited when a friend is coming to visit you? How about when your very best friend is having a birthday, do you get excited and throw them a party? Do you buy them presents?

Wouldn’t it be great if this Christmas, we threw a party for Jesus and gave Him presents? After all, isn’t Christmas the celebration of His birthday?

What can you give the King of kings as a present? How about…

Your love

Your attention

Your devotion to His Word

What about a renewed commitment to…

Seek His will even in the little things

Give a portion of your income to His work

Be used by Him no matter what it is

We have turned the celebration of Christ’s birthday into something for ourselves. We buy presents for other people and expect presents from them. We decorate our houses with lights, tinsel, plastic reindeer, Santa and an occasional Nativity Scene. And, more often than not, it turns out to be a competition to see who can do the most lights, or the fanciest tree.

This year, let us worship the Almighty God for the awesome gift of His Son. Let us rejoice at the birth of Jesus, not as a baby who came into the world, but as God who came down to earth in the flesh so that we might have life eternal.

Finally, let us celebrate with eager anticipation of His return. Jesus is coming back for his people. He is coming to take those of us who follow Him to live with Him in heaven.

Do you know the Christ of Christmas? Do your friends know Him? Give Christ a present this Christmas. Pick out something special for His birthday. He is coming again…it could even be today.

John 1:29 (NLT) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

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UNWORTHY

John, the Baptizer, when questioned by the Priests and Levites as to what gave him the authority to baptize, told them he was not the Messiah, or the prophet they were waiting for and that he was not a re-incarnated version of Elijah. He pointed to one greater than himself, Jesus.

Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal. John 1:27

His calling was to prepare people to meet the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, a high calling indeed. Yet, his response was one of humility as he gave such a vivid picture of his unworthiness for the task.

Most of us would consider ourselves above being someone’s slave or the menial task of stooping down to untie someone’s shoes. However, John causes us to see just how great this man called Jesus was; that he was indeed much more than a mere man; he was the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. He was far above and beyond anything or anyone John had ever had contact with before. After all, this was God Himself in the flesh.

It is reminiscent of the attitude of the Centurion in Matthew 8:8 when he said, “I am unworthy” to have you (Jesus) even come under my roof. In spite of that, Jesus healed the man’s servant because of the faith and humility that he demonstrated.

God doesn’t desire that we grovel at His feet, but I believe He wants us to recognize His greatness and subsequently our weakness. The hymn writer reminds us in the first line of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee;”

I am weak but Thou art strong.

There is nothing we can do to earn salvation. We cannot be “good enough” to get to heaven on our own.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8 - 10 (KJV)

Despite our unworthiness, God has loved and still loves us so much…

For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:7 - 8 (NASB)

His love is without end. Humble yourself before the Almighty God.

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