Luke 2:10-14, ESV And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. … And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”   Peace and joy. Those are the two words which have been pounding in my s

Luke 2:7, NASB And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Last week we looked at this verse and talked about how there’s no such thing as an oversight by God—that what appears to be an oversight is always ordained. But there’s one more thing I felt prompted to point out this year as we meditate on this verse—the symbolism in the fact that there was no room for them in the inn

Luke 2:7, NASB And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.   We don’t know for certain if this birthplace of Jesus was a wooden stable or the mouth of a cave, but what we do know is that it was probably dirty, full of animals, and less comfortable than a room in the inn would have been. The birthplace of the Son of God, at first glance, appears to be an oversight.   But it mos

Luke 1:18-20, NIV Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” Luke 1:34-37, 45, NIV “How will this be,” Mary asked

John 3:16, NIV For God so loved  [emphasis mine] the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   The motive of Christmas was love.   God loves you.  I don’t know how old you are reading this today, but there is never an age in our lives when this ceases to be one of the most vital truths—if not  the  most vital truth—of our lives.    The purpose  of the birth of Christ was multi-faceted, but the motive  was l

Daniel 9:3-5, ESV Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “ O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments , we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. Just like Esther, Daniel rose up by going low—by