7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

 

 

When we read this story of the mysterious Magi from the East (Babalon), most of us miss the connection.   These Wise Men who sought out the Messiah, the Christ, the King that was foretold, the one who would change the world forever.  We know that Nebuchadnezzar had taken the treasures from the first temple in Jerusalem, frankincense, gold, and myrrh among them.   The connection:  (Dan. 5:11) The men that Daniel was put in charge of were called Magi; Daniel was the chief of the Magi.   We also know that Daniel's visions of the coming Christ would have been told to these men.  These men were no accident; they were converts, they were more than likely descendants of these men that Daniel was made chief over.    So when we read this Christmas story, the coming of these wise men from the east we should not miss that they had brought back to honor God the things that had been taken from the temple.  

 

 

This is a reminder that we should all the days of our lives seek to honor the Lord, to pursue the things of God in Christ Jesus, and bring our sacrifice of praise and honor Him with our lives, serving Him with all that is within us.

 

 

 

I pray that you would be caught up in the ahh that is Christ this Christmas, that you would read the coming of Christ, and that God would reveal the depth of its power, that you hearts would burn within you, that your desire to serve Him in this new year would be greater than ever before.  In Jesus' name, amen! 

 

 

 

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 

~Luke 2:9-10

 

The greatest birth announcement in the history of man, the Son of the Most High God, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Great I Am, it was not before Kings and men of great position, but it was brought to everyday dudes, working me, guys doing the work that most would not do.   If anyone fit John 3:16 "Whosoever", these guys did.   That is the good news, that it is for "Everyone", the least likely, the most unexpected, it is for all who "Receive" it.

 

Something about these shepherds, many were uneducated and unskilled, they were not only considered social outcasts but were also considered spiritually unclean. Shepherds had to constantly care for the sheep and were not able to adhere to all the extra ceremonial laws and cleanliness stipulations that Pharisees were imposing on the people. 

 

But let's not completely overlook that these shepherds were more than likely tending sacrificial lambs for the Jerusalem Temples.  Is that not something to cause pause, cause you to stop for a moment to ponder, those tending sacrificial lambs would meet the lamb of God given for the sins of the world.   Let that sink in!

 

This is a reminder that:

• It is not your position.
• It is not your education.
• It is not based on how good you are.
• It is not based on your past.
• It is not based on your family tree, the stock you come from.

 

You are a "Whosoever!"

 

 

These shepherds would share the good news everywhere they went; they had experienced the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World, the Lamb of God.

 

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,~Luke 1:17

The application here is to share the good news of Christ the Savior, so that everyone you encounter would know the good news.

 

 

I pray that we would be bolder this year, reach more with your good news, that we, like these lowly shepherds, would not keep quiet, that we would shout it from the rooftops, that no one would miss it, because Joy and Peace have come to us, and it is a gift to be shared.  

 

Luke 1:38

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

 

 

I think when we read of the virgin birth, we are caught up in the overall picture, but we lose sight of the fact that Mary is a teenage girl who is to be married to Joseph when the angel arrives on the scene to tell her, "Mary, you are to be with child through the Holy Spirit."   Imagine the things that would race through your mind:  "How will I manage this news, my husband, my reputation, most importantly, my life?"   I don't think we fully understand the strength of this young lady, it is no wonder she was chosen.   A heart so surrendered to the Lord, she says, "May your word to me be fulfilled."    This is: "Strength in Surrender!" 

 

The power comes when we surrender to God, that is when the impossible becomes possible through this Strength in Humility, this Sweet Surrender to the Lord. 

 

 

The takeaway, the application here is to surrender to God, to listen for His movement, to be obedient to His leading.    As we listen for His voice, we must prepare our hearts to be read to move, to accept it, to step into it, to be obedient to it.   James said don't just merely listen to the word, do what it says.   We must respond to the word of God.

 

 

Lord, I pray that all of us could step into the stream of obedience, that we would experience this Strength in Surrender, that you would do the impossible in and through us, that we might see the miraculous, that we might be sent to do the impossible, in Jesus' name, Amen!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

 

I was reminded of this wondrous truth: Imagine that Christmas, all of heaven watched, thousands upon thousands of angels watched Jesus leave his throne.  The word became flesh, God becoming man, the supernatural crashed into the natural, eternity collided with time.  

 

The baby 100% God, yet 100% man.  Let that simmer in your heart.

 

• Love was born that day.
• Hope was born that day.
• Truth was born that day.

The all-powerful became powerless in that moment, and the infinite became finite, He entered into the human experience.  Why?  So that He could be near us, this is the greatest gift ever given to mankind, that God would come to have a personal relationship with His creation, to step down and put humanity on and know us in a personal way, that we would know Him and that ultimately He would give Himself for us.    

 

Of all the gifts you and I will ever get, they will in no way compare to the gift of Christ.

 

 

The application here is to have a personal relationship with a personal God, who came down so that you could know Him personally.   To remember the sacrifice He made for you, that He held nothing back.

 

• Seek Him.
• Draw Near to Him.
• Be Transformed by Him.
• Be at Peace Because of Him.
• Discover Joy in Him.

 

It is my prayer that we would take a moment to reflect on Christ today, that it would impact our hearts, that we would in turn draw nearer today to Him, that our reflection would be on the relationship that He came to have, to reconcile us, to restore what was lost in Eden, that we would seek Him with all our hearts, in Jesus' name, Amen!

 

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ~Isaiah 9:2

 

 

Light has so many good properties. At night, it dispels darkness, provides security on a dark paths, and it reveals what's ahead. When you're in the light, you can see the dusty cabinets and counters; it exposes every spec, the areas that need attention; that is what light does.   It provides warmth.

 

So when Jesus says that He is the light of the world in John 8:12, we understand that His presence in our lives dispels the darkness, provides security for our future, it exposes the things that do not belong, it brings clarity to our shortfalls and gives us a path to change them, it dispels the darkness around us and even those who live in it.

 

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~John 8:12

• A Great Light (Christ) has dawned in our lives.
• No longer should we wander in the darkness lost because we have been found.

 

 

Light and Darkness do not exists in the same place, because light dispels darkness, so those who live in the light they have no part in the darkness, that is what Jesus is saying, He is the light of the world whoever follows Him will no longer walk in darkness, it is our proximity to the light of the world Jesus that rids our lives of the things that do not belong, provides a path to where we should be, clarity to see what we should.   We need Jesus, just like we need light.

 

 

Lord, I pray that we would draw closer to you in this season, that you would shine your light into the deepest areas of our lives that we would see our need for you in all the areas of our lives, that you would provide direction, protection, that you would dispel darkness that would seek to consume us, and that you would light our paths, direct our feet in Jesus' name, Amen!