Category: Daily Bread

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Follow The Good Shepherd

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 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. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ~ Luke 2:8-12

The very first people to hear the good news of the long-awaited Messiah were shepherds. Not kings. Not rabbis. Not the teachers, prophets. None that you would expect to be the first to greet the King of kings and LORD of lords. The Great I Am. God Himself. So, this begs the question, why were the shepherds the first to hear?

Jesus, the LORD, is the Good Shepherd, and we, the Church, are His sheep. God told the shepherds first because they represent the head of the Church. Leaders of the Church are shepherds under Christ, the Good Shepherd. The shepherds being the first to hear about and see Jesus isn’t random or strange. It’s setting the stage for the leaders of the Church to take their rightful place and shepherd the flock of Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow The Good Shepherd.

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Dwell In The Light

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has Light shone. ~ Isaiah 9:2

In the ancient world, the darkest and longest night of the year, today/tonight, was often marked by offerings and/or sacrifices to the gods in the hope of bringing the sun back with blessings for the next year. December, a month of coldness, long nights, and short days. A time often associated with mourning, because it’s when the crops die, and there is no harvest, is the time the Church celebrates.

The Church celebrates the birth of Christ—the birth of the God-man, Jesus Christ, the very Light of the World. The ancient world mourned, sacrificed, and brought offerings in hope of gaining favor from the gods, some even going as far as to sacrifice humans during this time, but our God shows His love for us by sending His Son as a gift to the whole world in order that we might be saved.

During a time of deep darkness, God came into our world and brought within Him the Light, which is the life of men. We are no longer in darkness. No. We are now dwelling in the Light of the LORD. No matter how dark the world may get, always remember the Light can never be overcome by it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Dwell In The Light.

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A Specific Genealogy

6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. ~ Matthew 1:6-16

23 Jesus, when He began His ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ~ Luke 3:23-31

Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, is the long-awaited Messiah. The son of David. He was a direct descendant of the king of Israel, whom God loved and made a promise to. Both Matthew and Luke give an account of Jesus’ genealogy, one through His mother, Mary, and the other through His earthly father, Joseph. Now, Luke, who gives His father’s genealogy in his account, made it clear that it was only thought to be the son of Joseph. So, what does that mean?

Jesus’ genealogy didn’t come through Joseph, but through Mary because He is the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). Mary was a virgin when she conceived and gave birth to Him (Luke 1:26-38), yet Luke records Joseph’s genealogy instead of Mary’s. Matthew, on the other hand, records Jesus’ genealogy through Mary. Here’s what I find interesting: both Mary and Joseph came through the line of King David. One through King Solomon, the heir to the throne, and the other through Nathan. I find it even more interesting that both of these sons were born to David through Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, but I’ll leave that for another day.

Jesus, the descendant of kings, was the rightful heir to the throne of His father David. At just the right time, He was born to a virgin, born pure, stainless, and without sin in order to fulfill God’s promise not only to Abraham (Genesis 22:15-18), but to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Now, if Jesus’ genealogy came through Mary, why did Luke record Joseph’s genealogy? That’s because Luke was a gentile writing to a gentile.

See, each Gospel is written from a different perspective for a different purpose. Luke’s Gospel was written to ensure Theophilus, a Roman of high social or official rank, who had heard of Jesus and wanted to know if all that he had heard was true. What does that have to do with anything? Theophilus was a Roman, and in ancient Roman culture, it didn’t matter who the mother was or who the child was or even who the birth father was; it only mattered who the father who accepted and raised the child was.

See, in ancient Rome, if a father didn’t accept their child, the child was abandoned. The baby was left at the wall to die. So, even though Jesus wasn’t Joseph’s biological child, Joseph accepted Jesus as his own and raised Him as such. In the ancient Roman culture, adoption meant more than just being taken in; it meant your past identity was removed, and you now took on the sole identity of your adoptive father. So, Theophilus didn’t care if Jesus came through the line of David through Mary. It only mattered whether Joseph accepted Jesus, and thus Jesus’ genealogy depended solely on Joseph being from the house of David for Theophilus. Whereas Matthew, writing to the Jews, showed that Jesus, being the biological child of the virgin Mary, fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 that they had been waiting for.

Each Gospel, letter, poem, prophecy has a different audience and purpose. When we understand the audience that each writing was intended for, we can truly understand what the author intended their audience to understand. So, with that said, it doesn’t matter which side you look at, whether mother or father, Jesus is the rightful King of the Jews. The rightful heir to David’s throne.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Understand The Author.

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End Well

14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:14-16

So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun

These are the thought-provoking first lines of John Lennon’s most famous Christmas song, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” Now, I’m not a Lennon fan, but when I hear these lyrics I really start to think, “Christmas is here, the year is over, New Year is right around the corner and what have I done, really?” each year, each day, is a gift from God, and how do we use our gifts from God? Do we honor Him? Spread the knowledge of His name? Do we complete our New Year’s resolutions? Or do we get distracted? Do we waste the time God has allotted to us?

Though these lyrics are good and make you think, Lennon isn’t quite right. Yes, Christmas has come, but the year isn’t over yet. There is still time to end the year positive and start the New Year on a high note. So, this Christmas, don’t waste the little time you have left this year. Use it to make a difference in your life and in others.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and End Well.

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Let Them Know It’s Christmas

41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). ~ John 1:41

Do They Know It’s Christmas?, performed by some of the biggest stars at the time, was and still is an anthem of compassion. While the lyrics definitely mischaracterize an entire continent, the words do hit a soft spot in our hearts with lines like:

And in our world of plenty
We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
At Christmas time

And another:

And the Christmas bells that ring there
Are the clanging chimes of doom
Well, tonight, thank God it’s them
Instead of you

Do they know it’s Christmas time at all? is specifically a line we should all ask ourselves. What do I mean by that? Do they know Jesus, the Messiah, has finally come? No matter how hard the world tries, they can’t separate Christ from Christmas. Christmas will forever be a symbol of hope because it singlehandedly marks the birth of the Messiah—the birth of the Light of the World.

So, this Christmas, ask yourself, “Do my children, family, friends, coworkers, neighbors know it’s Christmas time at all?” Do they know the Messiah, Jesus? Or are they still looking for something? A Messiah? Peace? Freedom? Joy? Hope? Something to fill the emptiness inside? This Christmas, don’t wait to share Jesus with others. Don’t hesitate, be afraid, or intimidated to share Christ with anyone and everyone willing to listen because without Christ, they have no hope.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let Them Know It’s Christmas.

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A Time of Rededication

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. ~ John 10:22-23

During the Christmas season, another Jewish holiday takes place as well, Hanukkah. Hanukkah is the celebration or remembrance of the rededication of the Temple and the miracle that took place. See, the Greeks, specifically the Seleucid Empire, looted the Temple, massacred the Jews, and put a stop to Jewish religious practices. They didn’t stop there; the king of the Seleucid Empire, Antiochus IV, ordered a statue of Zeus and an altar to Zeus to be erected in the Temple. He defiled the Temple of the LORD, not just with an altar to Zeus being built in the Temple of the LORD, but he had pigs sacrificed to Zeus on the altar he had built.

An unclean animal sacrificed to a pagan god on a pagan altar in the Holy Temple. Antiochus IV had successfully defiled the Temple of the LORD. The statue of Zeus, the altar of Zeus, and the unclean sacrifice to Zeus stirred the anger and increased the courage of the Jews. A man named Matthias, along with his five sons, launched a revolt. Though he didn’t see his efforts rewarded in his lifetime, his son, Judah (later known as Judah Maccabee), took over as leader and led them to victory. They reclaimed Jerusalem and the Temple of the LORD.

Now, they had to purify and rededicate the Temple of the LORD that had been defiled by the Greeks. They had to light the lamp (the Menorah) in the Temple with pure oil, but they could only find one sealed jar of consecrated pure olive oil, enough for one night. They, just being in battle, were unclean and couldn’t make more, and it would take seven days to purify them selves. So, in faith, they lit the lamp in the Temple and thereby rededicated the Temple to the LORD. The miracle that happened?

Instead of the oil lasting one night, the oil lasted for eight nights, allowing the men to purify themselves to make more oil in order to keep the statute of the LORD given to Moses so many years before.

Almost 200 years later, Jesus is walking in the Temple (in the colonnades of Solomon) during Hanukkah, and the Jews come up to Him and ask Him out right, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus holds nothing back and tells them that “I told you, and you do not believe.” It’s in this same conversation that Jesus publicly declares to be one with the Father (John 10:30).

It’s during the Feast of Dedication that remembers Judah Maccabee rededicating the Temple to the LORD that Jesus publicly declared to be the Christ and to be one with the Father. Judah Maccabee rededicated the physical Temple to the LORD, but Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, came to rededicate us, the spiritual eternal temple of the LORD.

This Christmas season and eight nights of Hanukkah, ask yourself, am I dedicated to the LORD? Have I allowed anything to defile me? Have I allowed anything to stifle the light in my lamp? Has the love you had at first grown cold, and your lampstand at risk of being taken from you (Revelation 2:4-5)? Christmas, Hanukkah, this season is a time of rededication, purification, and returning to the LORD. Don’t let the year end without relighting your lampstand.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Embrace The Time of Rededication.

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The Ultimate Christmas Gift

16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ~ John 3:16

John 3:16 isn’t usually thought of or seen as a Christmas verse, but when you think about it, this is a perfect Christmas verse. It’s literally Jesus proclaiming that because the Father loves us, He gave us His one and only Son (Jesus), fulfilling His promise from so many years ago. It’s Jesus literally saying all of those promises from Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, etc. have finally been fulfilled. “Here I am, the perfect gift. The ultimate Christmas Gift.”

This Christmas, as you finish your Christmas shopping, take a moment to think about the ultimate gift. Does your family have the gift? Do they know Jesus? Do they believe in Him and follow Him? Most importantly, does He know them?

Christmas is a time of family, friends, goodwill towards men, charity, gift giving, and hope, but without Christ, we have nothing. No hope. No purpose. Nothing. So, this Christmas, take the time to share the ultimate gift with others.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Embrace The Ultimate Gift.

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Keep An Eye On The Star

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. ~ Matthew 2:10-11

The wise men had been following the star that led them westward for weeks, maybe months. But somehow, over Jerusalem, they got separated from the star and seem to have lost their way.

It would stand to reason that they did not know exactly where they were headed, only that they were on their way to Israel. So, they closely followed the star, but when they got to Jerusalem, they thought surely this is the place. They began asking around, “Where is He who is born king of the Jews?” But no one seemed to know.

Then the King, Herod, called them and told them the Messiah would be born somewhere in Bethlehem. And when they got back on the right track, they saw the star again and rejoiced greatly.

It’s the same with us. We believe we know exactly what we’re doing, and we don’t have to depend on our guiding light, Jesus, anymore, and we lose our way.

Isn’t that how it is with us? When we’re down and out with no hope and no way out, we lean on the everlasting arm of God, and as soon as He delivers us out of our mess and we begin to see the light at the end of our tunnel, we stop leaning on that strong and mighty arm. We don’t pray as hard as we did, and consequently, we stop hearing the voice of God.

But we get into another situation, and we are forced to return to seeking, and we begin to hear the voice of God again, and we rejoice greatly, just like the wise men did. This Christmas, let us not stop following the direction of the star and start relying on our own understanding.

Father, thank You for the gift of fellowship so that we can have close communication with You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Christmas Favor

49 And He said to them, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that He spoke to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And His mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. ~ Luke 2:48-52

This is a part of the Christmas story that we don’t usually associate with Christmas. At the tender age of 12, Jesus was fully aware of His responsibilities and His calling. But it was not just downloaded to Him; He had to seek, He had to ask, and He had to study for Himself.

On this occasion, Jesus and His family had gone down to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Passover. After the feast was over, His parents and the rest of the family packed up and headed back home, but Jesus stayed behind and went to the temple to find the most knowledgeable teachers of the Scriptures. For three days, He sat with them, listening, asking questions, and learning. Jesus was listening, learning, and developing His faith. The learned men were amazed at His understanding of Scripture and His answers to their questions.

But you might think, well, this isn’t about Christmas at all. Oh, but it is. What we must take away from this is, Jesus, the Son of God, the Word made flesh, had to learn Scripture, had to ask questions, and to seek God, and develop His faith. How much more do we? Jesus never stopped being God; He merely set aside His divine prerogative and emptied Himself so that He might fill Himself again, as we must do.

The beauty of this is, the LORD Jesus came as a human baby 2,000 years ago, born in the manger because there was no room for them in the inn, born an ordinary child so that we too can seek God for ourselves. That is the Christmas story: A Savior who is Christ the LORD has been born in Bethlehem to reconcile man back to our Heavenly Father.

Now we have the privilege, the authority, and the power to seek an all-loving, Almighty God. For without Jesus’ birth as a mere human on that first Christmas morning, we would be lost forever, and unable to find God. But Jesus, our Savior, did come and did show us the way to the Father, because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. Now, because of Jesus, we can increase in wisdom and in favor with our Heavenly Father.

Father, thank You for the gift of life through Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for salvation and for loving me, and thank You for the privilege to know You as Father, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Embrace Your Christmas

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” ~ Luke 2:14

We just finished watching one of our yearly Christmas movies, “Snowglobe,” where a young woman feels unsatisfied with her Christmas and yearns for the complete opposite. Once she gets the Christmas she has been dreaming and fantasizing about, she basically ditches her life for the other. It takes her a little while, but she eventually realizes what she was missing in her life was gratitude.

When we constantly look at the grass on the other side and never appreciate the grass on our side, we will never be satisfied. Constant comparisons are not good for anyone. It breeds envy and covetousness, which lead to unsatisfying feelings, discontentment, and, eventually, hatred, and sometimes, even murder. When we only pay attention to what we’re missing and don’t have, then we’ll never be thankful or grateful for what we do have. We are all given a hand to play in this game called life. It’s not always the easiest hand to play, but because Christ has come, we have hope regardless of our hand. He works all things out for our good. So, regardless of your hand, make the most of the life God has given you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Embrace Your Christmas.

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