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Friday, December 24, 2021

Revelation 5:11-14 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/24/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


MARY HAD THE LITTLE LAMB


Mary had the little Lamb, who lived before His birth; Self-existent Son of God, from Heaven He came to Earth. (Micah 5:2)


Mary had the little Lamb; see Him in yonder stall—Virgin-born Son of God, to save man from the Fall. (Isaiah 7:14)


Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son of God; Everywhere the Father led, His feet were sure to trod. (John 6:38)


Mary had the little Lamb, crucified on the tree, The rejected Son of God, He died to set men free. (1 Peter 1:18)


Mary had the little Lamb—men placed Him in the grave, Thinking they were done with Him; to death He was no slave! (Matthew 28:6)


Mary had the little Lamb, ascended now is He; All work on Earth is ended, our Advocate to be. (Hebrews 4:14–16)


Mary had the little Lame—mystery to behold! From the Lamb of Calvary, a Lion will unfold. (Revelation 5: 5, 6)


When the Day Star comes again, of this be very sure: It won't be Lamb-like silence, but with the Lion's roar. (Psalm 2:12; Revelation 19:11–16) 

by Marv & Marbeth Rosenthal


Revelation 5:11-14 (NLT) Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” 

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” 

And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.


Image: CC (unknown origin)

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Matthew 1:18-21 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/23/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“Some who claim to be Christians do deny the Virgin Birth. Yet if Jesus was not both God and man, united through a miracle in Mary’s womb, He was merely a man. And no mere man, doomed to struggle with his own sins, would be free to save us from ours. Without the Virgin Birth there is no biblical Christianity. With it, our destiny is secure. For with it, the Jesus on whom we rely is God, and as God He guarantees the salvation He won for us on Calvary.”

Lawrence O. Richards

“The 365 Day Devotional”


Matthew‬ ‭1:18-25‬ ‭(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. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” 

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

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Image: CC (https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/5983139738)

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Luke 2:8-14 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/22/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“How we all would like to have been there—to be a fly on the ear of one of the shepherds’ sheep. But actually, though the choir in Heaven played a major role, we on earth have the best part because we are the ones who receive God’s grace. God became a man, not an angel. God redeemed us, not angels. Ours is the best part, and we will praise God for it for all eternity.”

R. Kent Hughes

“Luke, volume 1”


Luke‬ ‭2:8-14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”


Image: CC (flickr.com/Dennis Jarvis)

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Luke 2:8-12 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/21/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“This mystery is beyond earthly analogy or understanding. Truly human, the Son subjected himself to his own creation and its physical laws, its ups and downs. He would experience the development of human reason and language. He would be taught things he did not know. He walked like a baby before he walked like a man. He thought and talked like a baby before he thought and talked like a man. The growing pains of the Son of God were just as real for him as they were for us…He had to learn to be a carpenter from his earthly father, Joseph. Jesus Christ lived with a human body, mind, and soul with all their limitations, except for sin.”

R. Kent Hughes

“Luke, volume 1”


Luke‬ ‭2:8-12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”


John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.


1 Timothy‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.

Image: Public Domain

Monday, December 20, 2021

Luke 2:6-7 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/20/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“Yet it is worthy of our consideration that Jesus was born poor. He did not inherit a princely estate. He was not cradled, as many are, in a palace. He had no rich friends. He had virtuous, pious parents, of more value to a child than many riches. And in this we are shown that it is no dishonour to be poor. Happy is that child who, whether his parents be rich or poor, has a pious father and mother. It is no matter if he has not as much wealth, as fine clothes, or as splendid a house as another. It is enough for him to be as Jesus was, and God will bless him.”

Albert Barnes (1798-1870)

“Notes on the New Testament”


Luke‬ ‭2:6-7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.


Image: Public Domain

Friday, December 17, 2021

Luke 2:12 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/17/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


Luke‬ 2:12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.


“It’s impossible to think of these words of Luke 2:12 without remembering the burial of Christ, when He was again tightly swathed in white reams of cloth and laid to rest in a cave under the watchful eyes of angels. The parallels between His birth and His burial are remarkable. Swaddled in white strips. In a cave. Resting. Redemptive. His mother watching. Angels hovering near.

And He didn’t stay in either cave very long.

Bethlehem and Jerusalem are only about five miles apart, and the events were separated by only thirty-three years. But what mystery! Who can comprehend the Almighty lying in a manger, or the God of glory in a tomb?”

Robert J. Morgan 

“100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart”


Luke‬ ‭2:8-14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”


Image: Public Domain

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/16/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“Mary would bear a Son. He was to be named JESUS, (which means “Jehovah is salvation” or “Jehovah, the Savior”). True to His Name, He would save His people from their sins. This Child of destiny was Jehovah Himself, visiting earth to save people from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and eventually from the very presence of sin.”

William MacDonald

Bible Believer’s Commentary


‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:18-25‬ ‭(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. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” 

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.


Image: CC (commons.wikimedia.org)

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Luke 1:46-49 (NIV)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/15/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“Humility is like a pair of scales; the lower one side falls, the higher rises the other. Let us humble ourselves like the blessed virgin and we shall be exalted.”

John Vianney (1786-1859)


Luke‬ ‭1:46-49‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.

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James‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

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Image: CC (commons.wikimedia.org)

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Luke 1:26-38 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/14/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


Luke 1:38 (NLT) Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.


“How fascinating to see a young girl, certainly not out of her teens, unhesitatingly accept Gabriel’s promise of a Virgin Birth. Zechariah, a godly and aged priest, had doubted the same angel’s promise of a far less wonder!

Mary is certainly one of Scripture’s most appealing characters. She reminds us that finding favor with God and having faith in God do not depend on age, theological training, or high religious position. The youngest and the simplest of us can have a vital faith in God and be loved deeply by Him”

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary


Luke‬ ‭1:26-38‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.” 

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.


Image: CC (Unsplash.com)

Monday, December 13, 2021

Luke 1:34-35 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/13/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


Luke‬ ‭1:34-35‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.”

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“Those of us who have experienced the birth of Christ within us have also experienced the presence of God and the miraculous life-giving work of the Holy Spirit as he has come upon us, bestowing life within…This is one of the wonders Christ offers each one of us—new life from above—something we cannot do for ourselves—something palpable and living and growing—something we can know for sure!”

R. Kent Hughes

Luke, Vol. 1 - That You May Know The Truth


John‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.


Romans‬ ‭8:16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

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‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:13‬ (‭NLT‬‬)…But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.


Image: Public Domain. Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) “The Annuncitation”

Friday, December 10, 2021

3 John 1:2 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/10/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…I used this quote previously and thought it a good reminder for this Christmas season. 


“When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmastime. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?”

C. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)


3 John‬ ‭1:2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.


Image: CC (Unsplash.com)

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Luke 1:26-35 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/9/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“[Mary] is a spiritual model for all who experience the birth of the Savior in their lives because this is a believing question. It is the question that all those who know Jesus have asked: “God, how is it possible?” Do you have this blessed inquisitiveness? Have you asked, “God, how can I experience the life of Jesus within me?”

R. Kent Hughes

Luke, Vol. 1 - That You May Know The Truth


Luke‬ ‭1:26-35‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.”


John‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.


Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Luke 1:26-33 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/8/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“Whenever we consider those to whom the good news came, we must recite a list punctuated by the words ‘poor’ and ‘humble.’ Martin Luther remarked, ‘He might have gone to Jerusalem and picked out Caiaphas’s daughter, who was fair, rich, clad in gold embroidered raiment and attended by a retinue of maids in waiting. But God preferred a lowly maid from a mean town.’ And if the Incarnation happened today, it would be the same. The Lord would not be born in Jerusalem or Rome or Geneva or Canterbury, but on the ordinary streets of some nameless town.”

R. Kent Hughes

Luke, Vol. 1 - That You May Know The Truth


Luke‬ ‭1:26-33‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

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Image: CC (commons.wikimedia.org)

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Luke 1:29-33 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/7/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.”

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)


‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:29-33‬ ‭(NLT)‬ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”


 Luke‬ ‭18:16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”


Image: CC (pxhere.com)

Monday, December 6, 2021

Hebrews 2:9-10 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/6/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“There is no connection between the worship of idols and the use of Christmas trees. We should not be anxious about baseless arguments against Christmas decorations. Rather, we should be focused on the Christ of Christmas and giving all diligence to remembering the real reason for the season.”

Pastor John MacArthur

Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California


Hebrews‬ ‭2:9-10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

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Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Friday, December 3, 2021

Romans 12:1 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/3/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God to man - His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift of man to God - when we present our bodies a living sacrifice.”

Vance Havner (1901-1986)


Romans‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

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Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.


2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:15‬ ‭(NLT) Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!


Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Thursday, December 2, 2021

John 3:16-17 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/2/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“Who can add to Christmas

The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. 

The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. 

The only requirement is to believe in Him. 

The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.”

Corrie Ten Boom


John‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

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Romans‬ ‭6:23‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.


Photo by Tofros.com from Pexels

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/1/2021)…

CHRISTMAS THOTS…


“Jesus Christ is the main thing, and its our job to keep the main thing the main thing.”

Pastor Sandy Adams

Calvary Chapel Stone Mountain, Atlanta, GA


1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:30-31‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

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Photo by Jameel Hassan from Pexels.com