John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

Merry Christmas...

“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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Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭49‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

Merry Christmas...

"Today we should honor Mary, and thank God for her simple trust. But the best way to honor Mary is not to pray to her. Rather the best way to honor Mary is to model our own relationship with God on the traits she displayed. The acts of recognition of which Mary would approve remain the same: to readily submit to our Lord, to nurture a humble spirit, and to express our appreciation to God in praise, as Mary did so long ago."

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-1916)

The 365 Day Daily Devotional 

Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭49‬ ‭(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. 

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” 

Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.”

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Image: Public Domain (The Annunciation - Henry Ossawa Tanner - Philadelphia Museum of Art)

John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

Merry Christmas...

"The Word (Jesus) became flesh when Jesus was born as a Baby in the manger at Bethlehem. He had always existed as the Son of God with the Father in heaven, but now chose to come into the world in a human body. He dwelt among us. It was not just a short appearance, about which there might be some mistake or misunderstanding. God actually came to this earth and lived here as a Man among men. The word “dwelt” means “tabernacled” or “pitched His tent.” His body was the tent in which He lived among men for thirty-three years."

William MacDonald (1917-2007)

President of Emmaus Bible College

John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭28‬-‭29‬, ‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

Merry Christmas...

I thought the following instruction from Apostle Paul was appropriate for the Christmas shopping season 😇...

Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭28‬-‭29‬, ‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

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Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

Merry Christmas...

"...humility means denying self for the sake of serving others. Christ did not selfishly grasp for the supreme glory of heaven, even though it was his by right (for he was God). Rather he became a servant for the sake of sinful humankind. He became a man, and accepted the restrictions and hardships that human nature placed upon him. But, unlike all other members of the human race, he did not sin. He entered the world of human beings in order to save human beings from their sins. As a servant he spent his earthly life doing whatever his Father required, even though it meant that he suffered and eventually died on a cross."

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

by Bridgeway Books

Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

 FROM TODAY'S READING...

Merry Christmas...

“A thousand times in history a baby has become a king, but only once in history did a King become a baby.”

Unknown

Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

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John 8:12 (NLT)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

Merry Christmas...

"Lights and candles remind us of Jesus, the light of the world. Jesus was the true light, who, coming into the world, enlightens every person. He was in our world – the world that He created – and yet, too many of us who were created by Him have not received Him. But if we receive Him – if we believe on His name – He gives us the right to be children of God. Jesus came as the light of the world so that everyone who believes in Him shall not remain in the darkness of sin and death but have the light of life."

Biblereasons.com

John‬ ‭8‬:‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John‬ ‭12‬:‭46‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.

 ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.

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