DAY 1 – December 14, 2009
THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS
TITLE: “IN THOSE DAYS”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” Luke 2:1
The opening words, “In those days,” sounds like the beginning of many stories that have been told through the years. However, this story is not just another story in a book. It is a story of God’s work in the world recorded in the Bible. The Bible is greater than the printed page. Behind and beneath the Bible, above and beyond the Bible, is the powerful God of the Bible. It is more than the world’s greatest piece of literature. It is God’s written revelation of His will, conveying the redemptive plan of God for the human race. It is a book unlike all others. The word of God is alive because the God of the Bible is alive. As reformer Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”
The story of Jesus has a historical context, for the birth of Jesus really took place in history. However, this story is more than just a story of the past, for the Bible is more than just a story book. The Old Testament is an account of the Hebrew nation. However, I need to clarify that the Old Testament was not written to record the history of the Jewish people, though along the way a history of this great people is revealed. The primary objective was to tell of God's dealings with this nation, to tell God's story and how God interacted with them. This is a theology book, not a historical record.
All that I have said is to make the point that God's word offers us more than a detailed historical record. It offers us a picture of God Himself, and about how He relates to us, His created. It is not just that, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree,” but in those days God was at work fulfilling His plan. In history, we discover some of the things that took place in those days, but we must not miss the reality that in those days God was working out His plan for our lives today. It shows us that in history, as well as today, that the God who loves us calls us into a relationship with Him by providing a redeemer in His Son, Jesus. What took place in those days impacts our lives today. The Bible was not just written to give us information about things that took place in those days. As evangelist Dwight Moody said, “The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.” What took place in those days, changes our lives today.
DAY 2 – December 15, 2009
THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS
TITLE: “O LITTLE TOWN OF
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “So Joseph
also went up from the town of
Micah was a prophet who lived back around 750 B.C., yet he
saw something and said something filled him with hope that is relevant for you
and I today. Micah, the prophet, saw the promise of better days. He wrote, “But
you,
The adjective small here, is not
just a quantity, but a quality for elsewhere it occurs in connection with weak
and despised. On Christmas Eve in 1741, David Nitschmann
and Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf, leading a small group of Moravians,
founded the city of
The hope of Micah was that God
would raise up an ideal ruler from
John 7:42
Phillips Brooks was pastor of the
“O little town of
Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”
DAY 3 – December 16, 2009
THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS
TITLE: “EXPECTATIONS”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.” Luke 2:5
Years ago now when Sharon and I were hoping to adopt a child, we prayed with expectation. We fixed up a nursery and went in there often praying with expectation that God would grant the desires of our heart. Some days were hard, but we kept praying with expectation and hope. The Psalmist said, “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3. It was with thankful hearts that our expectations became a reality and God gave us a little girl we named, Amanda.
Mary had been told by the angel she was to going to give birth. When Mary asked how this could be since she was a virgin, the angel responded with these words. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” The angel then added, “For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:35 & 37
As Mary traveled with Joseph to
To expect is to look out for, or await something. Webster says it means to look for with some confidence. The word expect usually implies a high degree of certainty and also involves the idea of making preparation. Yesterday a young man told me that he and his wife had just found out they were expecting. There was a glow on his face as he shared the news. They are looking forward to having another baby and all that is involved in raising that precious child. They are filled with expectations.
Will you let the reality of the coming of Jesus fill your heart with expectation today?
“Come Thou long
expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and
sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee
Israel’s Strength and
Consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every
nation, Joy of every longing heart!”
Born
Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King.
Born to reign in us
forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By
Thine own eternal Spirit. Rule
in all our hearts alone:
By Thine all sufficient merit. Raise us to Thy Glorious throne.” Charles Wesley
DAY 4 – December 17, 2009
THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS
TITLE: “THE TIME CAME”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “When they were there, the time came for the baby to be born.” Luke 2:6
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
The writer of Ecclesiastes reveals we go through a variety of seasons. Some seasons are passing quickly and others seem to linger. Some seasons of life are cloudy and gray filled with sadness. Other seasons are warm and bright, filled with hope. God is God in all seasons and in all seasons God is at work in our lives. Often we don’t understand the seasons, but God does. His timing is always right. Seasons of life change, but there is one we can trust in all the seasons of life.
God’s timing is always right. God is never late. Jesus was
born at just the right time. In God’s perfect plan the time came for Jesus to
be born. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when
the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to
redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
Jesus died on the cross for us in just the right time. Paul wrote to the church
at
“In His time, In His
time,
He makes all things beautiful, in His time.
Lord please show me everyday, As You’re teaching me Your way,
That You do just what You say, In Your time.
In Your time, In Your time,
You make all things beautiful, in Your time.
Lord my life to You I bring, May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing, In Your Time”
DAY 5 – December 18, 2009
THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS
TITLE: “NO ROOM”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7
Some years ago Guidepost magazine printed a story told by Dina Donahue that has become one of my favorites. It was about a 9-year-old boy, named Wally Purling, who was big for his age and was also a little slow mentally. Everybody liked him and he was nice to all the little children. During a Christmas program, Wally was assigned the role of the innkeeper. He practiced hard. The play was going smoothly when it came time for Joseph to knock on the door of the inn. Wally, who was the innkeeper, opened the door and said his line. “What do you want?” Joseph replied, “We need a place to stay for the night.” “You’ve got to find somewhere else, the inn is full,” Wally replied. “Are you sure?” Joseph asked, “We have come a long way, and it’s cold.” “No, there’s no place here, go someplace else.” Joseph said pleadingly, “But my wife is going to have a baby, isn’t there a corner we can hide in?” At this part in the play there was silence. It was one of those embarrassing silences that made you believe that somebody had forgotten his line. Wally stood there not saying anything. The prompter whispered, “No, be gone!” So Wally said, “No, be gone!” Joseph put his arm about Mary and turned to walk away from the inn. It was at this point, that this Christmas play, took an unusual twist. Wally was big, but he had a heart just as big and he couldn’t stand seeing Mary and Joseph walk away. He suddenly said, “Wait a minute, Joseph. Bring Mary on back. You can have my room; I’ll sleep in the cold.” Though some may have thought the play was ruined, a message came through loud and clear. We need to make room for Jesus in our hearts.
There was no room for Jesus in the inn the night Mary gave
birth. The inhabitants of
Today the inns of many hearts are full of other things and there will be no room for Jesus. Is there room in your heart and life for Jesus today? We are the innkeepers of our hearts. Each of us will either make room for Jesus or push Him out of our lives. Don’t allow the busyness of the day to crowd out Jesus. Will you make room for Jesus in every decision you make, words you speak, and things you do today?