John 12:46 - Christmas Eve thoughts

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.”

John 12:46 (NIV)

In the Middle Ages people did not know how to read. Since the people did not know how to read they often held plays to teach biblical truths. The play they put on during the Christmas season was always about Adam and Eve. You may be wondering what Adam and Eve had to do with Christmas. The play started with apples hung on an evergreen tree. Germany had no apple trees so they used an evergreen tree with apples tied to it. Adam and Eve had decided to disobey the voice and will of the Lord and ate fruit from the tree of life. They chose to rebel and their relationship with God changed significantly. They immediately went into hiding. God went looking for them. He removed them from the garden of Eden. Since this day sin has been with mankind. That is why we experience death in the world. Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” But how can our sin be paid for? Who could make us clean again? God had a plan. For there was only one way he could save us and reconcile us to himself and this is through His only begotten Son. At Christmas we celebrate Jesus’ birth. It pays Adam and Eve’s debt. It pays our debts as well. Jesus came, lived a holy, faultless life. He died on the cross. This paid for our sin once and for all. Why was there an apple on the evergreen tree during the Middle Ages? It was to remind us of our sinful choices. Why do we put lights on our Christmas trees? It is to signify the light of the world. John 12:46 says “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.” We have three colors that are used mainly at Christmas. They are red, green, and white. These colors signify different things. The color red signifies the forbidden fruit as well as Christ’s blood that he shed on the cross. The color green signifies the tree of life. And the color white signifies Jesus, the light of the world. The play that they put on in the Middle Ages was spiritually good for the people. They could understand and comprehend the true meaning of Christmas. Just hearing about their play can help us believers today understand the connection between the Old and New Testaments. Tonight is Christmas Eve. I encourage you to go to a Christmas Eve service somewhere. God will bless you for it and it will remind you of the true meaning of Christmas and what Christmas is all about.

Father, thank You for reminding us of Adam and Eve and how sin entered the world. Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son. That whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. You are such a good and wonderful God. We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Acts 20:35 - It is more blessed to give than to receive

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35

Many of Jesus’ words were recorded in the four gospels. Today’s verse shows us that not all of them were written down. Some of them were passed around by word of mouth. Luke mentions in Acts 20:35 that Jesus informed them that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I can totally relate with that. This Christmas I had so much fun picking out gifts for my family. My excitement level was so high that I lost some sleep at night because I was thinking while I lay upon my bed just how happy I was to give so and so this and that. I knew they would be so excited when they saw what I had gotten for them. I also knew it would make them feel special, loved. God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says “You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don’t give relunctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully.” Giving cheerfully brings joy to the giver. This joy overflows. We don’t have to give a lot. A small gift with much meaning can mean so much to the receiver. Be a good receiver. Think about all the love that went into the gift. Be sure to give thanks to the Lord with what He has blessed you with through them. And last, but not least, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. Also remember that He is the best gift of all.

Father, it truly is all about You. You are the reason for the season. You shared Your Son to take away the sins of the world. Thank You, Lord, for Your gift. Jesus truly is the best gift of all. In the spirit of giving we thank You that we are able to share with others Your love for them as well. Use our love for others and our gifts for them to bless them and make them feel loved. May our generosity and thoughtfulness let them know that they are special to us and that we love and appreciate them. May they even feel Your love for them too. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

1 John 2:16 - Be careful little eyes, what you see

“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of this world.”

1 John 2:16

The world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Lord. They are from this evil world. Wordliness is from this evil world as well. It begins in the heart. We are born again. We should live this way. Our lifestyle should reflect Whose we are. We are the temple of His Holy Spirit. He has put His divine nature within us. We are to keep the internal part of us clean and pure. One of these ways we can do this is by feasting our eyes only on good things. The song we learned in our childhood still rings through. “Oh be careful little eyes what we see. Oh be careful little eyes what we see. For the Father up above is looking down below. Oh be careful little eyes what we see.” The song goes on and warns us to be careful where we go, what our hands do, what we say, and what we hear. God’s Word even tells us to be careful what we think about. Philippians 4:8 says “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” To think on these good things you have to be surrounded with good things. This is why it is important to read the Word, daily devotionals, and wholesome books. This is why it is important to only watch clean shows on television. This is why it is important to listen to Christian music so that you are built up and edified. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. This is also why we should surround ourselves with good, godly people. What comes in us is what will come out in our lives. Make sure what you are putting in You is good.

Father, we thank You for making us a part of Your world. We are in the world, but may we not be of it. May we feast our eyes only on good things. May we go to only good places. May we be careful what we do with our hands, what we say, and what we hear. May we also be careful with what we think. May we fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, and right. May we think about things that are pure, lovely, and admirable. May we think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. May You bless us with good, godly people to be around. May we read Your Words, daily devotionals, and wholesome books. May we watch clean television. May our music choices be good and acceptable to You. We know that what comes in us is what is going to come out. We reap what we so. May we make sure that what we are putting in us is good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 Chronicles 28:20 - May God help us with all we need to do

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you.”

1 Chronicles 28:20

David was speaking these words to his son, Solomon. He was encouraging Solomon to be strong and courageous, and to do the work God has called him to do (which was to build a great temple for God). David didn’t want his son to be afraid or discouraged. He reminded him that God was with him. Over the holiday season we have so much work to do. We decorate our houses, spend a lot of time shopping, wrap presents, bake cookies, clean our houses, and we still have to make and take the time to keep our relationship with the Lord fresh. It seems to be that we have more work than we normally have to do. The words of David to his son can be said to us to “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord … is with you.” Ask God to help you make a list. Listen to praise and worship songs, hymns, or Christmas songs as you work. You will find that the Lord will give you a joy as you work and added energy. Accept His peace, and don’t be anxious. You will accomplish all that He intends you to do.

Oh, Father, we come to You this day. The Christmas season is a joyous season even with all the added work. To celebrate Jesus and His birth makes this one of the happiest times of the year. Thank You for the greatest gift of all. Be with us father. Help us to make our list each day and to do have joy as we do all the things we have to do. May we be strong and courageous, and do the work. May we not be afraid or discouraged in any way for You are with us. May peace reign in our hearts and may we not be anxious. May we accomplish all that You intend for us to do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Matthew 2:1-2 - Wise Men Still Seek Him

“Now after Jesus was born … wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’”

Matthew 2:1-2

The wise men saw the signs in the sky and knew that the infant King had been born. They wanted to join in the heavenly worship of Him so they gathered their gifts and set off to follow the star in the sky so they could find Him. Unlike the shepherds, they probably didn’t see Jesus until He was about two. They must have traveled for quite some time. They saw a young child rather than an infant. And saw Him in a “house” instead of a “stable.” The wise men were an important part of the celebration that surrounded our Savior’s birth. They represent the Lord’s great ability to reveal His Son to those that were not necessarily Abraham’s descendants but still wanted to choose for themselves to worship the Son of God. Through your own seeking, you became part of the heavenly symphony that worships and adores Jesus. God revealed His Son to you and you personally accepted Him into your heart and life. You have joined the great multitude in never ending worship.

Father, we thank You that from the very beginning You were revealing Your Son to others and drawing them to You. We still have people in this day and age that need to know You too. Draw them to You, Father. Reveal Yourself to them and make You Son known to them. We want others to come to know You like we do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.   

John 14:2 -- God is preparing a custom-made place for you in heaven

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

John 14:2

God assures His children of their future. We have eternal life. Jesus told us in His gospel that He is preparing a place for us. When it is our time He will come and get us. He has a book and our names are written in it. It is the Lamb’s Book of Life. Not everyone’s name will be written in it. Revelations 21:27 says “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” There will be no evil, darkness or sin in our eternal home. His glory will be everywhere. In some restaurants you have to have a reservation to get in. We have a reservation in heaven that can never be changed. And the place Jesus is making ready for us is custom-made just for you. In fact, we aren’t to think of our life on earth as our home. We are to think of heaven as our home. We are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). We are separate from this world. We are His and His precious Holy Spirit lives within us. What makes us tick is different than what makes those that are in and of this world tick. We live to please Him. We follow His ways. We have the heart and mind of God. We also have God’s guarantee: no mansion on earth can compare to the eternal home that is waiting in heaven for you.

Father, we thank You for the eternal home that is waiting in heaven for us. We thank You that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We thank You that there will be no evil, darkness or sin in our eternal home. We thank You that Your glory will be everywhere. Heaven is our home and we are so grateful. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

Psalm 9:10 - Run to Jesus

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You. For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

Psalm 9:10

The Lord never forsakes His children who place their trust in Him and seek Him. Our friends and family are not always available, but God is 24/7. He never even goes to sleep. Psalm 121:4 says “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber or sleep.” This really reassures us of His availability and His love. He is the best person we can talk to about things as He is the only person that can turn any situation that we have or are in and turn it around for the good. He is worthy of our trust. We can depend and count on Him. He won’t fail us or let us down. I encourage you to turn to Him the next time you go reaching for the phone to lean on a friend or loved one. Hang up the phone and go and pray to Him instead. Get in the habit of doing this often. You will find that He is faithful, that He cares, that He understands, and that He’s the absolute best. Your trust in Him will grow. And you will learn to love Him more.

Father, we thank You that You never forsake those that are Yours that place their trust in You and seek You with all their hearts. May we get into the habit of turning to You when we need a friend. We thank You that You are available 24/7. We also thank You that You care. May we grow closer to You and learn to trust You more. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.