Max Lucado Daily: THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST
The virgin birth is more…much more than a Christmas story. It’s a story of how close Christ will come to you!
The first stop on His itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world? Look deep within Mary for an answer. Better still—look deep within yourself. “Christ in you, the hope of glory!” Scripture says in Colossians 1:27.
Christ grew in Mary until He had to come out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions, in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Bethlehem. And every day you live will be a Christmas. Deliver Christ into the world…into your world.
In this day of Advent,
Max Lucado
Psalm 42
A psalm of the sons of Korah
A white-tailed deer drinks
from the creek;
I want to drink God,
deep draughts of God.
I’m thirsty for God-alive.
I wonder, “Will I ever make it—
arrive and drink in God’s presence?”
I’m on a diet of tears—
tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
All day long
people knock at my door,
Pestering,
“Where is this God of yours?”
4 These are the things I go over and over,
emptying out the pockets of my life.
I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
right out in front,
Leading them all,
eager to arrive and worship,
Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!
5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
6-8 When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
sing songs all through the night!
My life is God’s prayer.
9-10 Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
“Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
harassed by enemies?”
They’re out for the kill, these
tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
“Where is this God of yours?”
11 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
2 Corinthians 8:1–9
The Collection for the Lord’s People
8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedoniang churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.h 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,i and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharingj in this servicek to the Lord’s people.l 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urgedm Titus,n just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completiono this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everythingp—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,q in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in youa—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
8 I am not commanding you,r but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the graces of our Lord Jesus Christ,t that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,u so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Insight
Paul motivates the Corinthian church by citing the inspiring example of the Macedonians. He’s also asking for a generosity that will demonstrate unity between churches. Division between the Jewish and gentile believers in Jesus plagued the early church. By giving to the church in Jerusalem, gentile disciples of Christ in Corinth and Macedonia would be contributing to a Jewish congregation, sending an implicit message of love and acceptance. Paul further notes how the Macedonian believers faced severe trials, yet gave out of “overflowing joy” and “extreme poverty” (2 Corinthians 8:2–3). This joy is a natural response to “the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches” (v. 1). Our circumstances don’t destroy our ability to give, and they can’t steal the joy that flows out of the grace God gives us. By: Tim Gustafson
Growing into Giving
Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:8
“I got you a present!” my two-year-old grandson shouted excitedly as he pressed a box into my hands. “He picked it out all by himself,” my wife smiled.
I opened the box to find a Christmas ornament of his favorite cartoon character. “Can I see it?” he asked anxiously. Then he played with “my” present for the rest of the evening, and as I watched him, I smiled.
I smiled because I remembered gifts I had given loved ones in the past, like the music album I gave my older brother one Christmas when I was in high school that I really wanted to listen to (and did). And I realized how years later God was still stretching me and teaching me to give more unselfishly.
Giving is something we grow into. Paul wrote, “But since you excel in everything . . . see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). Grace fills our giving as we understand that all we have is from God, and He has shown us “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
God generously gave us the most unselfish gift of all: His only Son, who would die on a cross for our sins and be raised to life. Any who receive this ultimate gift are rich beyond measure. As our hearts are focused on Him, our hands open in love to others. By: James Banks
Reflect & Pray
In what ways do you need to grow in giving? What could you do today?
Thank You, Father, for giving me the best gift of all: Your Son! Help me to share Your generosity with others today.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
His Birth and Our New Birth
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." —Matthew 1:23
His Birth in History. “…that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of— He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form.
His Birth in Me. “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…” (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God? I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born again from above by a birth totally unlike physical birth. “You must be born again” (John 3:7). This is not a command, but a fact based on the authority of God. The evidence of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that “Christ is formed” in me. And once “Christ is formed” in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me.
God Evident in the Flesh. This is what is made so profoundly possible for you and for me through the redemption of man by Jesus Christ.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
It is an easy thing to argue from precedent because it makes everything simple, but it is a risky thing to do. Give God “elbow room”; let Him come into His universe as He pleases. If we confine God in His working to religious people or to certain ways, we place ourselves on an equality with God. Baffled to Fight Better, 51 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
The Name on the Gift - #8598
Who needs Santa Claus? Our family sure doesn't. Not with our little grandson around. No, you know, with the family all gathered around in our living room for opening our gifts, we could get the best gift-deliverer around. Our grandson used to get so excited about each gift, no matter who it's for. He would identify what name was on the tag on each present and then he'd run to deliver it to them. Of course, there are certain gifts he's more excited about than others - the ones that have his name on them.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and on this Christmas Day, I want to have A Word With You about "The Name on the Gift."
I can't think of anything more exciting for you this Christmas than to look at the gift and realize it's got your name on it. The gift that God sent Jesus to give you, that is. It could be that He's been standing there in front of you, offering you this greatest gift of all for a long time. But you've never really realized that it had your name on it. You've never reached out and received it. It's time.
In Luke 2:11, our word for today from the Word of God, right out of the Christmas Story, the Lord presents His gift and who it's for. The angel who announced Jesus' birth said, "Today a Savior has been born to you." I want to ask you to take that "you" very, very personally. Jesus was born for you, to die for you, for every wrong thing you have ever done. That's why He can rescue you from the eternal death penalty that you deserve - that we all deserve - for hijacking our life from God. Behind His Christmas cradle stands the shadow of the Good Friday cross where He loved you enough to die for you. For you!
One of the writers of the New Testament realized how intensely personal that cross really is when he put it this way, "I live my life by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). A friend of mine met a man on an airplane who was talking about his lifelong search for spiritual answers and spiritual peace, and he hadn't found it. Then one day he said he paid a visit to the church that he had grown up in years ago. And standing there alone, he saw the cross up front. He said, "I had seen that cross so many times. I'd known about that cross my whole life. But I suddenly realized what I had missed all these years. I was suddenly overwhelmed by the realization that was for me." And that day his search ended.
That's the day yours will too. When, in your heart, you walk up to the cross where Jesus gave His life, and you say those two words that change everything, "For me. Jesus, this was for me. What You did there was for me." If you've never done that, wouldn't this be a great day - a memorable day - to give Him the life that He paid for on that cross? To finally start to belong to the One who loves you the most.
The gift God gave that first Christmas wasn't a religion or some rituals or some beliefs. He gave His only Son. And His Son is waiting to give you the gift of His forgiveness for every wrong thing you've ever done, His peace, and His heaven forever. What a day to begin your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This Christmas Day, why don't you just say, "Jesus, You came for me. You died for me. You walked out of your grave under your own power so I could have life forever. Jesus, I'm done running my life. You died for me and from this day on I am yours!" Wow!
I hope you'll do that now. And then I hope you'll just check out our website where the information is there to help you begin this relationship. It might be exactly what you need to cross over. Our website is ANewStory.com. Yours could begin today.
Your name is on the greatest gift that God ever gave. This Christmas, take the gift for yourself. It cost Him everything.