Joshua 2, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado: Jesus is the Gift

Little Carol with the pigtails, freckles, and shiny back shoes. Don’t let her sweet description fool you.  She broke my heart!  On the day of the great gift exchange in my fourth-grade class, I ripped the wrapping paper off the box to find—stationery.  Stationery!  Brown envelopes and folded note cards with a picture of a cowboy lassoing a horse.  What ten-year-old boy uses stationery?  There’s a term for this kind of gift:  obligatory!

I know we shouldn’t complain, but don’t you detect a lack of originality? And when a person gives a genuine gift, don’t you cherish the presence of a gift just for you?  Have you ever received such a gift?  Yes, you have.  You’ve been given a perfect personal gift.  One just for you. God says to anyone who’ll listen:  ”There has been born for you…a Savior…. ”  Jesus is the gift!

 “There has been born for you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11”

From GRACE

Joshua 2

Rahab

1  2 Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out from Shittim two men as spies: “Go. Look over the land. Check out Jericho.” They left and arrived at the house of a harlot named Rahab and stayed there.

2  The king of Jericho was told, “We’ve just learned that men arrived tonight to spy out the land. They’re from the People of Israel.”

3  The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you to stay the night in your house. They’re spies; they’ve come to spy out the whole country.”

4–7  The woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, two men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they’d come from. At dark, when the gate was about to be shut, the men left. But I have no idea where they went. Hurry up! Chase them—you can still catch them!” (She had actually taken them up on the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax that were spread out for her on the roof.) So the men set chase down the Jordan road toward the fords. As soon as they were gone, the gate was shut.

8–11  Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof and said, “I know that God has given you the land. We’re all afraid. Everyone in the country feels hopeless. We heard how God dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under a holy curse and destroyed. We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and God, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below.

12–13  “Now promise me by God. I showed you mercy; now show my family mercy. And give me some tangible proof, a guarantee of life for my father and mother, my brothers and sisters—everyone connected with my family. Save our souls from death!”

14  “Our lives for yours!” said the men. “But don’t tell anyone our business. When God turns this land over to us, we’ll do right by you in loyal mercy.”

15–16  She lowered them down out a window with a rope because her house was on the city wall to the outside. She told them, “Run for the hills so your pursuers won’t find you. Hide out for three days and give your pursuers time to return. Then get on your way.”

17–20  The men told her, “In order to keep this oath you made us swear, here is what you must do: Hang this red rope out the window through which you let us down and gather your entire family with you in your house—father, mother, brothers, and sisters. Anyone who goes out the doors of your house into the street and is killed, it’s his own fault—we aren’t responsible. But for everyone within the house we take full responsibility. If anyone lays a hand on one of them, it’s our fault. But if you tell anyone of our business here, the oath you made us swear is canceled—we’re no longer responsible.”

21  She said, “If that’s what you say, that’s the way it is,” and sent them off. They left and she hung the red rope out the window.

22  They headed for the hills and stayed there for three days until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers had looked high and low but found nothing.

23–24  The men headed back. They came down out of the hills, crossed the river, and returned to Joshua son of Nun and reported all their experiences. They told Joshua, “Yes! God has given the whole country to us. Everybody there is in a state of panic because of us.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, December 28, 2025

by Tom Felten

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Jeremiah 31:31-34

  “That’s right. The time is coming when I will make a brand-new covenant with Israel and Judah. It won’t be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master.” God’s Decree.

33–34  “This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them—write it on their hearts!—and be their God. And they will be my people. They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They’ll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I’ll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I’ll forget they ever sinned!” God’s Decree.

Today's Insights

Jeremiah 31:31-34 is quoted in Hebrews 8:8-12 (the longest Old Testament Scripture quotation in the New Testament). The author of Hebrews says that Jesus, who is seated at God’s right hand (8:1), is the mediator of the new and better covenant between God and His people (vv. 6-7). Chapter 10 emphasizes the superior work of Christ: “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God . . . . For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (vv. 12, 14). Jeremiah 31 is quoted again in verses 16-17, reminding us that through Christ, God transforms the hearts of those who trust in Him. When we confess our sins, He forgives them and “will remember [them] no more” (Hebrews 10:17).

Hear more about Jesus' role as High Priest and atoning sacrifice.

Hearts Transformed by God

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God. Jeremiah 31:33

Today's Devotional

Like many people who struggle with pornography, Russell was exposed to it at a young age. The desire to use it was overpowering, and it poisoned his heart. “My life [became] completely saturated by it,” he writes, “so much so that it was like a cancer that was deeply rooted into my very fiber.” By God’s grace, he was finally set free of porn’s power—along with other addictions—when he received salvation in Jesus and was transformed from the inside out. “I credit it all to Jesus Christ, . . . [He’s] the one who delivered me,” Russell says.

Jeremiah delivered a message from God to Israel that one day He would “put [His] law in their minds and write it on their hearts” (31:33). Under this new covenant, fulfilled in Christ (Hebrews 8:6-13), all people could be transformed by God’s grace through faith. And now, “his Spirit . . . lives in [us]” (Romans 8:11), and God’s moral law has been written on our hearts. For Russell, and for all who believe, the Holy Spirit’s power provides what’s needed to turn from harmful behavior that displeases God and seeks to destroy us.

Transformation isn’t always instantaneous or easy. But let’s remember that when we’re dealing with difficult—even addictive—sin, God can transform our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). He says, you “will know me” (v. 34 nlt), and we can also know His heart-changing power.

Reflect & Pray

Why is it possible to turn from even chronic sin in God’s power? How can you live out your new heart with the Spirit’s help?

Loving God, thank You for transforming my heart.

Learn more by listenting to When We Sin.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, December 28, 2025

Continuous Conversion

Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. — Matthew 18:3

Our Lord is speaking here of the change that marks our initial conversion. But this isn’t a change we make just once at the start of our walk with him. We have to be continuously converted all the days of our lives, to continually turn to God as little children.

If we trust in our intelligence instead of in God, we’ll produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. Whenever our bodies are brought into new conditions by his providence, we have to see that our natural life obeys the dictates of his Spirit. Just because we’ve done it once is no proof that we’ll do it again. The relation of the natural to the spiritual has to be one of continuous conversion. And yet continually converting our natural impulses into spiritual obedience is the one thing we object to.

In every new setting in which God places us, his Spirit remains unchanged and his salvation unaltered. But we have to “put on the new self” (Ephesians 4:24) by undergoing another conversion. God holds us responsible every time we refuse to convert ourselves, because he knows that our reason for refusing is natural willfulness.

Our natural impulses must not rule; God must. The obstacle in our spiritual life is that we have great wedges of obstinacy inside us, places where pride spits at the throne of God and says, “I won’t.” We refuse to be continually converted, deifying independence and willfulness and calling them by the wrong name. We call them “strength,” while God sees them as obstinate weakness. There are whole regions of our lives that we haven’t yet brought into subjection to him. The only way we can make them submit is by continuous conversion. Slowly but surely, we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God.

Zechariah 5-8; Revelation 19

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The great point of Abraham’s faith in God was that he was prepared to do anything for God.

Not Knowing Whither

Joshua 1, and daily devotions

 Max Lucado Daily: Divine Warnings

Warnings.  Red lights in life that signal us of impending danger. They exist in all parts of life. Sirens scream as a marriage starts to sour; alarms blare when a faith weakens.

We usually know when trouble is just around the corner. Christians whove fallen away felt the fire waning long before it went out.  Unwanted pregnancies or explosions of anger are usually the result of a history of ignoring warnings about an impending fire.

Are your senses numb? Are your eyes trained to turn and roll when they should pause and observe?  One-night stands.  Dust-covered Bibles.  Careless choice of companions.  Denial of Christ.

Proverbs 19:27 says, "Cease listening to [My] instruction and you will stray from the words of knowledge."

Divine warnings.  Inspired by God; tested by time. Heed them and safety is yours to enjoy!

From God Came Near

Joshua 1

The Message

1 1-9 After the death of Moses the servant of God, God spoke to Joshua, Moses’ assistant:

“Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the Hittite country—and then west to the Great Sea. It’s all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.”

The Taking of the Land

10-11 Then Joshua gave orders to the people’s leaders: “Go through the camp and give this order to the people: ‘Pack your bags. In three days you will cross this Jordan River to enter and take the land God, your God, is giving you to possess.’”

12-15 Then Joshua addressed the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He said, “Remember what Moses the servant of God commanded you: God, your God, gives you rest and he gives you this land. Your wives, your children, and your livestock can stay here east of the Jordan, the country Moses gave you; but you, tough soldiers all, must cross the River in battle formation, leading your brothers, helping them until God, your God, gives your brothers a place of rest just as he has done for you. They also will take possession of the land that God, your God, is giving them. Then you will be free to return to your possession, given to you by Moses the servant of God, across the Jordan to the east.”

16-18 They answered Joshua: “Everything you commanded us, we’ll do. Wherever you send us, we’ll go. We obeyed Moses to the letter; we’ll also obey you—we just pray that God, your God, will be with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who questions what you say and refuses to obey whatever you command him will be put to death. Strength! Courage!”

Our Loving Rescuer

Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. Psalm 55:17

By Xochitl Dixon

December 27, 2025

TODAYS SCRIPTURE

Psalm 55:1-5, 16-22

Open your ears, God, to my prayer;

    don’t pretend you don’t hear me knocking.

Come close and whisper your answer.

    I really need you.

I shudder at the mean voice,

    quail before the evil eye,

As they pile on the guilt,

    stockpile angry slander.

4-8 My insides are turned inside out;

    specters of death have me down.

I shake with fear,

    I shudder from head to foot.

“Who will give me wings,” I ask—

    “wings like a dove?”

Get me out of here on dove wings;

    I want some peace and quiet.

I want a walk in the country,

    I want a cabin in the woods.

I’m desperate for a change

    from rage and stormy weather.

16-19 I call to God;

    God will help me.

At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh

    deep sighs—he hears, he rescues.

My life is well and whole, secure

    in the middle of danger

Even while thousands

    are lined up against me.

God hears it all, and from his judge’s bench

    puts them in their place.

But, set in their ways, they won’t change;

    they pay him no mind.

20-21 And this, my best friend, betrayed his best friends;

    his life betrayed his word.

All my life I’ve been charmed by his speech,

    never dreaming he’d turn on me.

His words, which were music to my ears,

    turned to daggers in my heart.

22-23 Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—

    he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out.

He’ll never let good people

    topple into ruin.

But you, God, will throw the others

    into a muddy bog,

Cut the lifespan of assassins

    and traitors in half.

And I trust in you.

Todays Devotional

During a raging wildfire, a forest ranger saved a bear cub. At a recovery site safely away from those still fighting the inferno, he placed the rescued animal on the ground. Standing on its tiny back paws, the cub hugged the man’s calf. The ranger gently pried himself away. Mouth wide as if crying out in desperation, the little bear clambered and clawed in an attempt to remain in the refuge of his rescuer’s embrace. As the cub clung to his arm, the kind man relented and rubbed his furry friend’s head.

What if we pursued our ultimate rescuer—Jesus—with the same fierce desperation and confidence as the bear cub who pursued and clung to the one who saved him from death?

All people God made need saving. The psalmist David confessed his need for a rescuer—for God to hear and answer his prayers (Psalm 55:1-2). Admitting he faced troubles, threats, suffering, and fear (vv. 3-5), David pursued God with assurance. “As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me,” he said (v. 16). “Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice” (v. 17). David prayed continually. He believed God listened and trusted that He would rescue him “unharmed” (v. 18).

When we face difficulties or suffering of any kind, like David, we can cry out to God. Our loving Rescuer, who pursues us, hears and saves us when we pursue Him too.

Reflect & Pray

How can you pursue God today? When has God rescued you from trouble or suffering?

Dear God, thank You for rescuing me from death through Christ and for being my refuge every day.

For further study, watch Threshing Sledge: Isaiah 21 & Purposeful Pain.

 

Todays Insights

David was in intense emotional anguish and was enduring devastating pain (Psalm 55:4-5). This pain was caused by the betrayal of someone he trusted, one whom he described in endearing terms: “my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship” (vv. 13-14). Initially, the psalmist had considered hiding in the desert to escape the storm, hoping to isolate himself from the pain. He pictures himself as a bird taking flight into the desert, which he thought would provide him with a safe place of refuge (vv. 6-8). Eventually, David chose to run to God instead, affirming that only He could rescue him and keep him safe (vv. 16-18). He says to “give your burdens to the Lord and he will take care of you” (v. 22 nlt). Just as God pursued David, He hears us and pursues us when we face difficulties.

Where the Battle’s Lost or Won

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

“If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the Lord. — Jeremiah 4:1

Every spiritual battle is lost or won before God, in the secret places of the will, never first out in the world. Whenever I am faced with a moral dilemma, God’s Spirit apprehends me and obliges me to get alone with God and fight it out. If I don’t do this before I try to fight the battle in the external world, I’ll lose every time. The battle may take one minute or one year—how long depends on me, not on God. But it must be wrestled out first before him. Alone in his presence, I must go through the hell of a renunciation.

Nothing has power over the person who has fought and won a battle before God. If I say, “I’ll wait till I get out into the world, then put God to the test,” I’ll find that I can’t. I must settle the matter between myself and God first, in the secret places of my soul where no stranger intermeddles. Afterward, I can go forth with the certainty that the battle is won. But if I lose the battle in my will, calamity and disaster are sure to follow.

Abandonment to God always begins as an issue of will. Every now and then—not often, but sometimes—God brings us to a milestone, a point that marks a great divide in our lives. Either we go on from that point toward a more and more useless type of Christian life, or we become more and more ablaze for the glory of God, more and more our utmost for his highest.

Zechariah 1-4; Revelation 18

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We are in danger of being stern where God is tender, and of being tender where God is stern. 

The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 673 

Bible reading and daily devotionals

 The Joy of God maxlucado.com

The Joy of God - December 26, 2025

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich”  (2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV).

No man had more reason to be miserable than Jesus, yet no one was more joyful. He was ridiculed. Those who didn’t ridicule him wanted favors. Then they wanted to kill him. He was accused of a crime he had never committed. Witnesses were hired to lie. They crucified him. He left as he came—penniless.

He should have been miserable and bitter. But he wasn’t. He was joyful! He possessed a joy that possessed him. I call it a sacred delight. Sacred because it’s not of the earth. Delight because it’s just that: the joy of God. He offers it to you, my friend—a sacred delight!

Luke 8:26-56

The Message

The Madman and the Pigs

26-29 They sailed on to the country of the Gerasenes, directly opposite Galilee. As he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him; he was a victim of demons. He hadn’t worn clothes for a long time, nor lived at home; he lived in the cemetery. When he saw Jesus he screamed, fell before him, and howled, “What business do you have messing with me? You’re Jesus, Son of the High God, but don’t give me a hard time!” (The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him.) Time after time the demon threw the man into convulsions. He had been placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds.

30-31 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Mob. My name is Mob,” he said, because many demons afflicted him. And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them to the bottomless pit.

32-33 A large herd of pigs was grazing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the lake and drowned.

34-36 Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had been sent, sitting there at Jesus’ feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense. It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than curious. Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been saved.

37-39 Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave—too much change, too fast, and they were scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. The man whom he had delivered from the demons asked to go with him, but he sent him back, saying, “Go home and tell everything God did in you.” So he went back and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in him.

His Touch

40-42 On his return, Jesus was welcomed by a crowd. They were all there expecting him. A man came up, Jairus by name. He was president of the meeting place. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his home because his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, was dying. Jesus went with him, making his way through the pushing, jostling crowd.

43-45 In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. Jesus said, “Who touched me?”

When no one stepped forward, Peter said, “But Master, we’ve got crowds of people on our hands. Dozens have touched you.”

46 Jesus insisted, “Someone touched me. I felt power discharging from me.”

47 When the woman realized that she couldn’t remain hidden, she knelt trembling before him. In front of all the people, she blurted out her story—why she touched him and how at that same moment she was healed.

48 Jesus said, “Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!”

49 While he was still talking, someone from the leader’s house came up and told him, “Your daughter died. No need now to bother the Teacher.”

50-51 Jesus overheard and said, “Don’t be upset. Just trust me and everything will be all right.” Going into the house, he wouldn’t let anyone enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s parents.

52-53 Everyone was crying and carrying on over her. Jesus said, “Don’t cry. She didn’t die; she’s sleeping.” They laughed at him. They knew she was dead.

54-56 Then Jesus, gripping her hand, called, “My dear child, get up.” She was up in an instant, up and breathing again! He told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were ecstatic, but Jesus warned them to keep quiet. “Don’t tell a soul what happened in this room.”

Our Daily Bread Devotional 

Eyes Opened by God

Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. Luke 10:23

By Sheridan Voysey

TODAYS SCRIPTURE

Luke 10:21-24

21In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 22All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

23And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Todays Devotional

In a café one afternoon, I noticed a toddler with her parents at an adjacent table. As the parents talked with their friends, a pigeon flew in and started pecking crumbs from the floor. Filled with awe at this sight, the little girl tried getting the adults’ attention by squealing with delight. But they never got to see what she saw. They just smiled at her and returned to their conversation.

Jesus once sent His disciples on a preaching mission, which turned out to be tremendously successful (Luke 10:17). “I praise you, Father,” Jesus prayed in response, “because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children” (v. 21). In this case, “little children” didn’t refer to age but status. It was humble, everyday “sinners” who responded to the gospel, while “wise and learned” religious leaders ignored it (7:29-34). While God decides who He reveals Himself to, Jesus always explained more about the kingdom to those who asked (see Matthew 13:36). The leaders had missed seeing who Jesus was because they didn’t really want to know.

The little girl in the café saw something wonderful while her parents missed out. May we never be so distracted by the world’s chatter, or lacking in humility to seek more understanding, that we miss what God wants to show us about Himself.

Reflect & Pray

What first opened your eyes and heart to the gospel? How hungry are you to know more of God right now?

Father God, please open my eyes to see everything You want me to see about You and the gospel.

Learn more about God by watching Asking Who Is God.

Todays Insights

Although the word trinity is never used in Scripture, we see clear evidence in Luke 10 of God’s triune nature. “Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit” praises His Father, the “Lord of heaven and earth” (v. 21). The Son accomplishes the Father’s will by the power of the Spirit. Then Christ speaks of Himself when He says, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father” (v. 22). But didn’t the disciples know Him? Jesus is using the word knows in the sense of knowing someone completely and perfectly. Christ knew they were in danger of being distracted by the miracles they’d just performed (v. 17). So He turned their focus back to what mattered: “your names are written in heaven” (v. 20). Step by step, He revealed Himself to them. May we also keep our eyes open to see what God wants to reveal to us about Himself.

My Utmost for His Highest 

Placed in the Light

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, . . . the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. — 1 John 1:7

To mistake conscious freedom from sin for deliverance from sin by the atonement is a great error. Sin is what Jesus Christ faced on the cross; it is only through his sacrifice that we have deliverance. Conscious freedom from sin is how I experience this deliverance in my own life; the evidence that I am delivered is that I know the real nature of sin in me. No one can know the real nature of sin until they are born again. It takes the power of Jesus Christ’s atonement inside me—that is, the impartation to me of his absolute perfection by the Holy Spirit—to make me know what sin is.

The Holy Spirit applies the atonement to our entire being—to the realm we are conscious of and to the realm we’re unconscious of. Only when we grasp the full scope of the power of the Spirit inside us do we understand the meaning of 1 John 1:7: “The blood of Jesus . . . purifies us from all sin.” This verse doesn’t refer only to sin I’m aware of; it speaks to the tremendously profound understanding of sin which only the Holy Spirit inside me has.

If I walk in the light as God is in the light—not in the light of my conscience but in the light of God—and walk with nothing hidden, nothing folded up, then I am let in on the amazing revelation that the blood of Jesus purifies me from all sin, so thoroughly that God Almighty can see nothing to censure in me. In my consciousness, this freedom from sin works through a clear knowledge of what sin is. The love of God at work in me makes me hate with the hatred of the Holy Spirit all that is not in keeping with God’s holiness. To walk in the light means that everything that’s of the darkness drives me closer to the center of the light.

Haggai 1-2; Revelation 17

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The fiery furnaces are there by God’s direct permission. It is misleading to imagine that we are developed in spite of our circumstances; we are developed because of them. It is mastery in circumstances that is needed, not mastery over them.

The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 674 R

TELL THE PERSON WHO CAN FIX IT - #10165

By Ron Hutchcraft

December 26, 2025

00:2703:58

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If you live in a place like Florida for example, this word probably doesnt mean much to you - winter, cold, or furnace. See, during the summer you dont give your furnace a thought, but in the winter up north it makes life bearable. Thats why when we lived in New Jersey I was not a very happy camper when I woke up and felt a very cold nose coming out of the covers. (No, I didnt sleep with a dog...it was my nose!) And I felt a cold floor under my feet where there was no carpet. And then I would peek out the window and see a very low temperature out there.

Now, my first stop was the furnace downstairs. If it wasnt working I knew what to do. I called our family doctor. You say, "What? You dont call..." No, thats right, I didnt call the doctor. I called our neighbors and told them the furnace wasnt working. You say, "Wait a minute, what good does that do?" No, I called the newspaper delivery boy and said, "My furnace isnt working!" I called the post office and said, "Hey, can you fix my furnace?" You say, "Ron, none of those calls will help. Call the furnace man!" I did.

Im Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Tell the Person Who Can Fix It."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 5. We begin at verse 23. Jesus said, "If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember your brother has something against you, leave your gift..." He says forget the religious stuff. Dont do your spiritual thing. No, "leave your gift in front of the altar. First (in other words, before you do your thing with God), go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift."

Theres a parallel passage in Matthew 18:15 - "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over." It talks about involving other people from the church if that doesnt work. But the pattern is the same in both cases - go straight to the person. Now, were not talking about a furnace here, but were talking about a relationship thats not working. And Jesus addresses one of these dark corners of human nature.

Weve got this tendency to talk to everyone about the problem we have with this person except the person we have the problem with. And that sin divides families, it divides friends, it divides churches, it divides ministries, and maybe you are in the middle of one of those poisonous situations right now. Jesus says theres only one way to go when you have a problem with another person - straight to that person.

Wed rather gripe to other people, wed rather gather support for our side, get sympathy, form some power block of people who agree with us, and give the Devil an open door he can drive a truck through. The irony is that none of those other people can fix whats wrong. The problem youve got is with this person.

Now, we know it would be dumb to tell the letter carrier about our cold furnace, or the garbage man. Wouldnt that make you ask, "Hey, do you just want to gripe or do you want a solution?" Then why do we go to all the wrong people when theres a break in a relationship or some hurt? Going to the person involved is the only way it can really be fixed. You can be a relationship radical if youll covenant to go direct in a world that would rather gossip and backstab.

You can be an agent of real love and real peace if you always stay away from the back room, the back-biting, and you speak directly to that other person. That other person? They may respond or they may not respond, but you have done the only thing Jesus can bless, and you can sleep well tonight.

So, whether its a furnace, a family member or a friend, tell the person who can fix it

Bible reading, daily devotions, and more

And He Called His Name Jesus - December 25, 2025

“And Joseph took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called his name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25).

Joseph was literally willing to tank his reputation. And he did – he traded it in for a pregnant fiancée and an illegitimate son and made the big decision of discipleship. He placed God’s plan ahead of his own. Rather than make a name for himself, he made a home for Christ. And because he did, a great reward came his way.

“And he called his name Jesus!” Of all the saints, sinners, prodigals, and preachers who’ve spoken the name, Joseph—a blue-collar, small-town construction worker—said it first. Joseph cradled the wrinkle-faced prince of heaven, and with an audience of angels and pigs, he whispered, “Jesus, Jesus, you’ll be called Jesus.” 

From maxlucado.com

Deuteronomy 34

The Message

The Death of Moses

34 1-3 Moses climbed from the Plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah facing Jericho. God showed him all the land from Gilead to Dan, all Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh; all Judah reaching to the Mediterranean Sea; the Negev and the plains which encircle Jericho, City of Palms, as far south as Zoar.

4 Then and there God said to him, “This is the land I promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the words ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I’ve let you see it with your own eyes. There it is. But you’re not going to go in.”

5-6 Moses died there in the land of Moab, Moses the servant of God, just as God said. God buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor. No one knows his burial site to this very day.

7-8 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight was sharp; he still walked with a spring in his step. The People of Israel wept for Moses in the Plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.

9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. The People of Israel listened obediently to him and did the same as when God had commanded Moses.

10-12 No prophet has risen since in Israel like Moses, whom God knew face-to-face. Never since has there been anything like the signs and miracle-wonders that God sent him to do in Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land—nothing to compare with that all-powerful hand of his and all the great and terrible things Moses did as every eye in Israel watched.

Our Daily bread by 

Karen Pimpo

TODAYS SCRIPTURE

Matthew 2:1-2, 7-12

Matthew 2:1-2

1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 

Matthew 2:7-12

7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11And 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. 12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another.

Jesus, the Greatest Gift

They opened their treasures and presented [Jesus] with gifts. Matthew 2:11

Todays Devotional

“What sweeter music can we bring/ Than a carol for to sing/ The birth of this our heavenly King?” The lines of this seventeenth-century poem “What Sweeter Music” by Robert Herrick were reimagined by modern-day choral composer John Rutter to become an Advent season favorite. Its gentle melody describes a long, cold season of waiting that’s thawed by the springtime feeling of Jesus’ arrival. The singers bring Him a Christmas carol; the listeners are invited to bring their hearts.

Rutter’s arrangement was commissioned to correspond with a church reading on the wise men who brought Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These mysterious magi traveled a great distance to meet baby Jesus with the express purpose of worshiping Him (Matthew 2:1-2). When they finally found Him, they “were overjoyed,” bowed down in reverence, and “opened their treasures” at His feet (vv. 10-11). Warned in a dream, they left without informing wicked King Herod (v. 12).

The Christmas season shouldn’t focus on material gifts—but it’s certainly about giving and receiving gifts. God gave His Son to heal a broken world. If we’ve never given Him our hearts, today’s a wonderful day to do so. If He already reigns there, let’s offer a carol of peace and joy as we think about His arrival all those years ago in Bethlehem—and wait for His return.

Reflect & Pray

What are some of the greatest gifts of Christmastime? What might you be reluctant to give over to God?

Dear Jesus, You’re the greatest gift of all. Everything I am, and everything I have, I give back to You.

Discover more about the Christmas story.

Todays Insights

Matthew’s gospel is bookended by the worship of Jesus (2:1; 28:17). In both accounts, readers see what the proper response to Christ should be. Based on what had been revealed to them, “Magi from the east came to Jerusalem” (2:1), bearing gifts to honor Jesus. They asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (v. 2). “Worship[ed]” (vv. 2, 8, 11) translates the word proskyneō—meaning “to fawn,” “to “crouch down” (literally or figuratively), “to prostrate oneself in homage” (reverence, adore). Matthew’s account of Christ shows that worship is the proper response to Him (see 8:2-3; 9:18-22; 14:33; 15:25-28; 28:9). The final use of the word worship[ed] in this gospel occurs in the last scene of the book, after the resurrection: “When they saw him, they worshiped him” (28:17). Today, as we celebrate Jesus—the greatest gift ever given—may we also respond with worship. 

From odbm.org

His Birth and Our New Birth

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).— Matthew 1:23

His birth in history. “The holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He didn’t evolve out of history; he came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ isn’t the best human being; he is a Being who can’t be accounted for by humanity at all. He isn’t man becoming God; he is God incarnate, God coming into human flesh from the outside. His life is the highest and the holiest, entering through the lowliest door. Our Lord’s birth was an advent, an arrival with no precedent.

His birth in me. “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you . . .” (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from the outside, so he must come into me from the outside. Have I allowed my personal life to become a Bethlehem for the Son of God? I can’t enter into the realm of the kingdom of God unless I’m born again from above in a birth totally unlike natural birth.

Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). This isn’t a command; it’s a statement of fact, the fact upon which our entrance into the kingdom depends. The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me. The instant he is formed in me, his nature begins to work through me. God manifest in my flesh: this is what is made possible for you and for me by the redemption.

Zephaniah 1-3; Revelation 16

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth.

COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS - #10164

December 25, 2025

It was a Kleenex moment that Christmas season, for sure. Like the first Christmas, there was a newborn baby involved, but no manger. How about a Jumbotron screen at an Anaheim Ducks hockey game, of all places?

Sergeant First Class Robert Vandenberg had been gone for ten months. Hed never seen his newborn son. He was far away in Afghanistan when little Travis was born. So all eyes were on the big screen when he appeared suddenly to - at least in this small way - be "home" for Christmas.

Skype from Romania. Thats how his wife, and his one-year-old son, little Travis would make a connection this Christmas season. But with thousands watching this touching reunion by screen, the technology Grinch suddenly showed up. There was barely time for "hellos" before the sergeant started disappearing in a spasm of static. Sadly, his wife handed the microphone back to a team rep.

At that very moment, Sergeant Vandenberg walked down the steps of the arena and right into the arms of his wife! Then he picked up his new son and held him up in front of him - looking in his eyes for the very first time.

Im Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Coming Home for Christmas."

I dont know if they sell Kleenex at the stadium concession stands, but if they do, you can bet they sold out that night. I confess I reached for some when I saw it on TV. I think one of the reasons it touched me is that I saw something else in that moving reunion. I saw the first Christmas. I saw myself.

Christmas - when a God we thought was so far away came down to where we are. To hold us close. In fact, the ancient prophecy of the coming Messiah predicted it. And its our word for today from the Word of God recorded in Matthew 1:23, "A virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, God with us." Not just God projected on the screen of some church or religion. But God right here. God up close.

Too often, though, He has seemed far away hasnt He? Like theres a lot of distance between me and the God I really need. It turns out that distance is not just a feeling. Its real. But its not Gods fault. Its mine.

Lets face it, Ive wanted to believe in God, but I also want to run my own life. In essence, occupying the drivers seat in my life - a life He gave me. We have, in the words of the Bible, "left Gods path to follow our own" (Isaiah 53:6 NLT) and at great cost. Isaiah 59:2 says, "Your sins have cut you off from God." Actually, I knew that. I think we can all feel the distance.

But then...Christmas. As Linus so eloquently quoted to Charlie Brown, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11 KJVA). In that stable in Bethlehem, God stepped out of eternity and into time. So He could step into my life and your life and change it forever. Not God as a fuzzy image. Not God far away. God with us. With me. In my home. In my office. In the doctors office. In my grief. In my loneliness. In my pain. In "the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4 KJVA).

But it would come at great expense to Jesus, because 33 years later, the hands of the Bethlehem baby would be nailed to a Roman cross. And today, this one who loved you enough to die for you, who came that Christmas for you and me is reaching out and saying, "On this Christmas day, would you give yourself to Me?" Hes been waiting a long time. Hes ready now for you to come. You can tell it by the tug you feel in your heart. That wont always be there.

So, right now while you can, say, "Jesus, Im Yours." Go to our website today if you want more information because there youll see how to be sure youve begun this relationship on this Christmas day. Its ANewStory.com.

See, Jesus came in Bethlehem to go to a cross so God could be your Father. And so you could be, forever, a child in His arms.

Daily devotionals, Deuteronomy 33 and more

 To Meet Our Greatest Need

To Meet Our Greatest Need - December 24, 2025

Christmas cards. Punctuated promises. On this day, can I share words from my favorite Christmas cards?

“He became like us, so we could become like Him.” “Angels still sing and the star still beckons.” And from Isaiah 9:6, “God has given a Son to us. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, and Prince of Peace.”

And my favorite: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.”

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Deuteronomy 33

The Message

The Blessing

33 1-5 Moses, man of God, blessed the People of Israel with this blessing before his death. He said,

God came down from Sinai,

    he dawned from Seir upon them;

He radiated light from Mount Paran,

    coming with ten thousand holy angels

And tongues of fire

    streaming from his right hand.

Oh, how you love the people,

    all his holy ones are palmed in your left hand.

They sit at your feet,

    honoring your teaching,

The Revelation commanded by Moses,

    as the assembly of Jacob’s inheritance.

Thus God became king in Jeshurun

    as the leaders and tribes of Israel gathered.

6 Reuben:

“Let Reuben live and not die,

    but just barely, in diminishing numbers.”

7 Judah:

“Listen, God, to the Voice of Judah,

    bring him to his people;

Strengthen his grip,

    be his helper against his foes.”

8-11 Levi:

“Let your Thummim and Urim

    belong to your loyal saint;

The one you tested at Massah,

    whom you fought with at the Waters of Meribah,

Who said of his father and mother,

    ‘I no longer recognize them.’

He turned his back on his brothers

    and neglected his children,

Because he was guarding your sayings

    and watching over your Covenant.

Let him teach your rules to Jacob

    and your Revelation to Israel,

Let him keep the incense rising to your nostrils

    and the Whole-Burnt-Offerings on your Altar.

God bless his commitment,

    stamp your seal of approval on what he does;

Disable the loins of those who defy him,

    make sure we’ve heard the last from those who hate him.”

12 Benjamin:

“God’s beloved;

    God’s permanent residence.

Encircled by God all day long,

    within whom God is at home.”

13-17 Joseph:

“Blessed by God be his land:

    The best fresh dew from high heaven,

    and fountains springing from the depths;

The best radiance streaming from the sun

    and the best the moon has to offer;

Beauty pouring off the tops of the mountains

    and the best from the everlasting hills;

The best of Earth’s exuberant gifts,

    the smile of the Burning-Bush Dweller.

All this on the head of Joseph,

    on the brow of the set-apart one among his brothers.

In splendor he’s like a firstborn bull,

    his horns the horns of a wild ox;

He’ll gore the nations with those horns,

    push them all to the ends of the Earth.

Ephraim by the ten thousands will do this,

    Manasseh by the thousands will do this.”

18-19 Zebulun and Issachar:

“Celebrate, Zebulun, as you go out,

    and Issachar, as you stay home.

They’ll invite people to the Mountain

    and offer sacrifices of right worship,

For they will have hauled riches in from the sea

    and gleaned treasures from the beaches.”

20-21 Gad:

“Blessed is he who makes Gad large.

    Gad roams like a lion,

    tears off an arm, rips open a skull.

He took one look and grabbed the best place for himself,

    the portion just made for someone in charge.

He took his place at the head,

    carried out God’s right ways

    and his rules for life in Israel.”

22 Dan:

“Dan is a lion’s cub

    leaping out of Bashan.”

23 Naphtali:

“Naphtali brims with blessings,

    spills over with God’s blessings

As he takes possession

    of the sea and southland.”

24-25 Asher:

“Asher, best blessed of the sons!

    May he be the favorite of his brothers,

    his feet massaged in oil.

Safe behind iron-clad doors and gates,

    your strength like iron as long as you live.”

* * *

26-28 There is none like God, Jeshurun,

    riding to your rescue through the skies,

    his dignity haloed by clouds.

The ancient God is home

    on a foundation of everlasting arms.

He drove out the enemy before you

    and commanded, “Destroy!”

Israel lived securely,

    the fountain of Jacob undisturbed

In grain and wine country

    and, oh yes, his heavens drip dew.

29 Lucky Israel! Who has it as good as you?

    A people saved by God!

The Shield who defends you,

    the Sword who brings triumph.

Your enemies will come crawling on their bellies

    and you’ll march on their backs.

Luke 2:8-14

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Todays Insights

In Luke 1, we read Mary’s song in which she “glorifies . . . God my Savior” (vv. 46-47). She includes herself by referring to “the humble state of [God’s] servant” (v. 48) and notes how God “has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble” (v. 52). In Luke 2, God lifts up the humble when the angel appears first to shepherds with the good news of Jesus’ birth (vv. 9-12). Shepherds lived “on the margins,” rendered ceremonially unclean by a job whose requirements kept them outside the city limits and outside civic norms. Shepherds found it difficult even to participate in the religious festivals and sacrifices. Yet they were the chosen eyewitnesses for the angelic celebration on a Bethlehem hillside (vv. 13-14). The angel spoke of “great joy for all the people” (v. 10)—shepherds included. We’re included too. May we celebrate the wonder of Christ’s birth.

Delight

Many historians believe the first-ever radio broadcast of music and speech was heard by radio operators on US Navy and other ships in the Atlantic on Christmas Eve, 1906. Instead of the usual beeps and pulses to transmit codes, they listened to Reginald Fessenden play a violin solo of the Christmas carol “O, Holy Night.” Fessenden closed his broadcast by echoing the angels’ praise: “Glory to God in the highest heaven!” (Luke 2:14). The listeners must have been startled by the evocative music and statement of praise over the birth of Jesus.

The first people surprised by Jesus’ birth were the shepherds who’d been keeping to their usual business of watching their sheep at night (Luke 2:8). Then an angel appeared, shining with the glory of God and giving the shepherds a fright (v. 9). The angel urged them not to be afraid and declared: “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (vv. 10-11). The shepherds left their sheep to investigate the angel’s words and found the baby lying in a manger, just as they had been told (vv. 16, 20).

The shepherds accepted this good news of great joy. May we too rejoice and share the wonders of Jesus’ birth and life.

The Hidden Life

​

 Summary

​

The Spirit of God witnesses to the simple, almighty security of the life that is hidden with Christ in God. This is continually brought out in the Epistles. We talk as if living the sanctified life were the most precarious thing, when actually it’s the most secure thing. The sanctified life has God in and behind it. Trying to live without God is what is precarious. If we’re born again, it is the easiest thing to live in right relationship to God and the most difficult thing to go wrong. All we have to do is heed his warnings and walk in the light (1 John 1:7).

When we think of being delivered from sin, of being filled with the Spirit and walking in the light, we picture the peak of a great mountain, very high and wonderful—a peak so removed from everyday life that we think, “I could never live up there!” But when, by God’s grace, we do get up there, we find that it isn’t a peak at all but a great plateau with ample room to live and grow: “You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way” (Psalm 18:36).

When you really do see Jesus, I defy you to doubt him. When he appears to you and says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1), I defy you to trouble your mind. It’s a moral impossibility to doubt when he is there. Every time you get into personal contact with Jesus, his words are real.

“My peace I give you” (v. 27). It’s a peace all over—from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, an irrepressible confidence. “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God,” and the unshakable peace of Jesus Christ is imparted to you.

The Christmas Invitation - #10163

December 24, 2025

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It was the biggest night of the year in a little town called Cornwall. It was the night of the annual Christmas pageant. Since there are no nearby malls or cities to compete with, the pageant is pretty much packed out every year. Its an especially big deal for the children in town. They get to try out for the roles in the Christmas story, and everybody wants a part.

Which leads us to the problem of Harold. See, Harold wanted to be in the play, too, but he was...well, he was kind of a slow and simple kid. The directors were ambivalent, I mean, they knew Harold would be crushed if he didnt have a part, but they were afraid he might mess up the towns magic moment if he did. Finally, they decided to cast Harold as the innkeeper - the one who turns Mary and Joseph away the night Jesus is to be born. He only has one line: "Im sorry, we have no room." Well, no one could imagine what that one line was going to do to everyones Christmas.

Im Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Christmas Invitation."

The night of the pageant the church was packed, as usual. I mean, the set was in place, and there was an entire wall with scenes of Bethlehem painted on it, including the door of the inn where Harold would greet - and then turn away - the young Jewish travelers.

Backstage, the angels were playing Frisbee with their halos, and the shepherds were waiting till the last minute to put on their annually laundered bathrobes, and Harold was being personally coached by the nervous directors. "Now remember, Harold, when Joseph says, Do you have a room for the night? you say...you say..." Hesitantly, Harold said, "Im sorry. We... We have no room." The directors looked at each other somewhat hopefully. Theyd done all they could.

Well, the Christmas story unfolded according to plan - angels singing, Josephs dream, the trip to Bethlehem. Finally, Joseph and Mary arrived at the door of the Bethlehem Inn, looking appropriately tired, discussing whether the baby might come tonight. Joseph knocked on the inn door. Backstage, the directors were just out of sight, coaching Harold to open the door now. And wouldnt you know it - the door was stuck! The whole set shook; Harold tried to get that door open. When he finally did, Joseph asked his question on cue: "Do you have a room for the night?"

Harold froze. From backstage, a loud whisper: "Im sorry. We have no room." And Harold mumbled, "Im sorry. We have no room." And, with a little coaching, he shut the door. Well, the directors heaved a sigh of relief - prematurely. As Mary and Joseph disappeared into the night, the set suddenly started shaking again, and the door opened. Harold was back! And then, in an unrehearsed moment that folks would never forget, Harold went running after the young couple, shouting as loud as he could, "Wait! Wait! You can have my room!"

I think little Harold may have understood the real issue of Christmas better than anyone there that night. How can you leave Jesus outside? You have to make room for Jesus. And that may be the issue for you this Christmas season. What will you do with this Son of God who came to earth to find you? This One who trades a throne room for a stable, angel praise for human mockery, this Creator who gives Himself on a cross? The Bible gives us the only appropriate response in Galatians 2:20, our word for today from the Word of God: "The life I now live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." You look at what Jesus did to pay for your sin on that cross, and you say those life-changing words - "For me."

Jesus is at your door this Christmas. Maybe Hes been knocking for a long time and maybe He wont keep knocking much longer. All your life - even in the events of the last few months - its been to prepare you for this crossroads moment with Jesus your Savior.

Id love to help you cross over as the Bible says, "from death to life" belonging to Jesus. Our website is there for that purpose - ANewStory.com. Dont leave Him outside any longer. Open the door this Christmas season. "Jesus, I cannot keep You out any longer. Come on in. You can have my room. You can have my life."