Tag: Daily Bread

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Take Some Time

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). — Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

As we celebrate Christmas, we are reminded of the most beautiful and profound truth: God chose to be with us. The name “Immanuel” captures the heart of the Christmas story: God with us. This simple yet powerful name declares that the Creator of the universe came to dwell among us in the person of Jesus Christ. That we, though unworthy, are loved by God, and He desires to have us with Him.

Jesus’ birth was not just a historical event; it was the fulfillment of God’s promise to be with His people. For generations, the people of Israel longed for the Messiah. They hoped for a Savior who would deliver them from oppression, bring peace, and restore the kingdom of Israel. Little did they know that this Savior would come to parents of no esteem or valor but regular, common people.

When God chose to send Jesus, He didn’t come in glory or might. He came in humility and simplicity. He wasn’t born to nobles in a palace or scholars in the temple but to two commoners. Why? Because their hearts were willing to follow the LORD and be used by Him, however He saw fit. In the midst of our busyness and distractions during this Christmas season, I want you to take some time and think about what it means that God chose to come near to us in such an intimate and personal way. How, unlike many other religions, ours has a savior that is near and not far off. A savior who dwells with us, in us, and through us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Take Some Time.

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Let’s Celebrate Christmas

17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:17

Christmas is the epitome of gift exchange. I’m not sure why Christians are so up in arms over the commercialization of Christmas. Yes, Christmas is exploited. Yes, Christmas has become commercialized. Yes, Christmas has become consumer-driven. Yes, Christmas is all of these things. But I want to bring this to your attention what Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church.

See, what was happening was that men began to preach the message of the Cross for a profit. But that did not stop Paul from preaching, nor did it knock him off his commission, like it does us today. We have a huge opportunity to preach Jesus because of Christmas. Because Christmas is celebrated by believers as well as nonbelievers alike. Why would we miss out on such a huge opportunity?

Then, later, they preached the Good News to bring more trouble down upon Paul. But Paul did not become disillusioned with the insincerity. He actually rejoiced. Paul rejoiced that no matter what, no matter how the Gospel was being preached. But Christians can’t seem to see the good in things. Everything does not need to be negative. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”

Let’s Celebrate Christmas. Let’s not look at the overindulgence and criticize, but rather, let us say, as Paul said, “…at least the Gospel of Jesus is being preached.” Understand this, no matter what, Jesus is the reason for the season, and they can’t take that away from us. So, rejoice; Jesus came to earth for our benefit. He came for you and for me. He came for your family and for my family.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let’s Celebrate Christmas.

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Seek Til Faith

“Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2).Th

ese wise men were not Christians. They were not Jewish people; they came from a pagan society. They were star gazers. Yet they were seeking the Messiah, and therefore, saw and recognized His star when it rose.

For the ancients, they actually believed in the literalness and the reliability of Scripture. They believed that stars are what we call planets and what we call stars are actually lights in the heavens (Genesis 1:14–19). Just like God declared in Genesis chapter one.

These were pagans but they believed in the promised Messiah. We’re not told whether they converted to Christianity after seeing and worshiping baby Jesus or not, but they set out to seek and to find Him.

Today, if only we had an ounce of faith as these pagan men did, I can only imagine what we would see in our lifetimes. This Christmas, take the time to truly search the Scriptures for Truth and have faith that it is intact, true. Let the LORD build your faith through the hearing and reading of His Word.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek Til Faith.

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A Merry Time

Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men (Luke 2:14)

Christmas is a time for family and for gathering together. It is a time to reconcile with both friends and loved ones alike. A time to create, nurture, and treasure up loving and lasting memories.

Christmas is a time for giving, and for volunteering one’s time for the service of Jesus. It is the season of generosity and kindness.

And Because God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross so that whomsoever believes in Him should themselves, not die, but gain eternal life, we too commemorate the day, by exchanging gifts and expressions of goodwill toward our fellow humans. Yes, we say, Merry Christmas! Why?

Because when we say merry Christmas, we are speaking blessings over that person. We are pronouncing all of what God intended for us to have over them. Peace. Joy. Goodwill. God’s favor. Shalom. And many, many more blessings. Why would you not want that?Peace.

Love. Go Forth and Embrace The Season.

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Know Thy Savior

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. ~ Micah‬ ‭5:2‬‬‬

The prophecy of Jesus dates all the way back to creation. Jesus Himself brought forth the prophecy of His coming, as all things were created through Him, by Him, and for Him. It wasn’t just by coincidence that Jesus came 4,000 years after Adam. On the fourth day of creation, the sun was created. That was a sign, that Jesus would come in the 4th millennia of this earth. His coming was proclaimed from ancient days by He Himself.

Therefore His coming is from Ancient Days, which is why He is the Ancient of Days. So, be encouraged today, our savior isn’t a random man. He wasn’t just some person God created to bear our sins and redeem. No, our savior is the creator Himself. The Ancient of Days. The Beginning and The End. The First and The Last. The Alpha and The Omega. The very first Christmas gift was the Ancient of Days.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Know The Savior.

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Simeon The Faithful

Luke 2:25-32 CSB

[25] There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. [26] It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. [27] Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, [28] Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, [29] Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. [30] For my eyes have seen your salvation. [31] You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples — [32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.

The Scripture calls this Simeon a righteous and devout man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel.

In other words, Simeon was on a Christmas quest. Which is amazing when you consider this. This period of time that both Simeon and Anna lived in is known theologically as the Silent Years.

But wait, what are the Silent Years?

The Silent Years refers to the period of time between the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is also known as the Intertestamental Period.

During this period of time there is no recorded message from God. It seems like He did not speak to the prophets, nor give messages through them. Nevertheless, Simeon remained seeking the Messiah, as he clung hopeful to God’s promise to him.

How many of us can say we’ve remained faithful, hoping in anticipation for the fulfillment of a promise made to us by God during a time of silence? So many of us allow the time we’re in to directly impact our faith. Therefore, this Christmas, whether it is a season of communication or silence, cling to the Words of the LORD. Cling to His promises, so that you might see them in your lifetime, just as Simeon did. So that you might not miss out on what the LORD has for you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Believe As Simeon.

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God Here With Us

13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel.” ~ Isaiah 7:13-14

Isaiah uttered the prophecy of the virgin birth of the coming Messiah on the behalf of God around 700 years before its fulfillment. King Ahaz of Judah was about to be attacked by Rezin, the king of Syria, and Pekah, the king of Israel. The two kings had conspired together to overtake Judah and place someone else on the throne.

When King Ahaz was advised about the impending doom, he and all his people were terrified at the news, and their hands trembled and their knees knocked together. But God, in His great mercy and in His grace, had other plans for Judah. He said, “No, nothing like that is going to happen here. Matter of fact, I will bring disaster on both of those kings and their countries. Then, He told Ahaz to ask for a sign, but Ahaz would not. So, God said alright then, since you will not ask for a sign, I will give you and the whole world a sign. The sign is, the virgin will give birth to a Son, and His Name shall be called Immanuel.

This was a prophecy about Jesus and His virgin birth. The virgin was Mary. Now, think about this. Mary could very well have read that same portion of Scripture herself, maybe several times before, or she could have heard that Scripture, but never once did she realize that the virgin prophesied about it was her. God Himself had prophesied about her that she would deliver hope to the world. Jesus is our hope, and the only hope for the whole world.

Ahaz and Judah found themselves in a hopeless situation. The two kings were way too strong for them. Therefore, they were terrified, but God…

When life happens, and it seems like the whole world has teamed up with all of hell against you and there is no way out. Remember the promise of Christmas. God is with us. The Scripture says, “…If God is for us, who can be against us?” NIV Romans 8:31b. God has sent His Son Immanuel, which means God with us because He is always with us. When trouble comes, or temptations, or persecutions, do not fear what the world will throw at you or what the enemy’s plans for you are; just remember that God has better plans because God is for you, and God is with you, and if He is with you, He will never leave you, nor will He let you be overcome by the enemy. Repeat it, God is with us.

Father, thank You for giving us Your Son Jesus, who is actually God with us. I surrender my will to You and ask that You be king of my heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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My Christmas Submission

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” ~ Luke 1:26-33

When we read these stories, we associate them with Christmas because Jesus was and is the only real Christmas present. He is the gift, as they say, the gift that keeps on giving. These are real and true accounts of events that actually took place just over 2,000 years ago. This is not a fairytale or a fable, but true and real history. The Word, which was God, and still is God, became flesh and was born of a virgin named Mary. She was not royalty, although she descended from the royal line of King David. She was not a famous author, although she composed a beautiful song of praise. She was not a famous general in a mighty army, yet she gave birth to the commander of heaven’s army, a force so powerful that the whole world must submit to His authority, and His kingdom will never, ever end.

Mary was not chosen because of who she was, or because she was extremely special, but rather, she was chosen because she was humble and willing, no matter the consequences, and her consequences could have been extremely dire. But she put her trust and her faith in God because she made Him her hope. She believed what God said through the angel Gabriel and was determined to follow her God.

Let us, therefore, not count the cost of following Jesus but grab the bull by the horns and believe Jesus for great and mighty things. For if we are willing to submit and obey, God will be willing to use us. What greater way to live our life than in service to the One who gave His life so that we might find our life in Him? God always partners with man to help man. He does not operate as a lone wolf or as a solitary soldier. Therefore, if you are willing and obedient, not filled with pride, but walk humbly before your God, He will see you, and He will use you.

Thank You, Father, that You do not use only the rich and famous but will use whoever is obedient and willing to be used. Help me make a decision this Christmas to live my life willingly for You and to be obedient to all Your commands. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Our Christmas Inheritance

16 Thus says the LORD God: If the prince makes a gift to any of his sons as his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons. It is their property by inheritance. 17 But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty. Then it shall revert to the prince; surely it is his inheritance—it shall belong to his sons. ~ Ezekiel 46:16-17

The Father has given us Christians, His children, a share in the inheritance, thus making us coheirs with Jesus, His Son. It is, if you will, a Christmas present from our Heavenly Father. The Scriptures teach that the whole earth and everything in it are His, even the people, because He created everything. Jesus declared in Matthew 5:5,

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

That is a promise from our LORD and Savior. He looked for the most perfect gift that He could give us and found that there is no gift greater than the love of His Son Jesus, who gave His life for everyone who will accept His forgiveness. Then He made us joint heirs with Him so that we will reign and rule with Him. It was the perfect Christmas gift.

There is a Christmas song by Buck Owens called Christmas Shopping, and in the song he explains that he is trying his best to get everybody something that they wanted, then he says, “But I didn’t know what to get you.” Our God, however, was not confused at what to get us. He gave us Jesus, born of a virgin, laid in a manager, the perfect Lamb of God. But it doesn’t end there. The song says:

Well, I must’ve walked a hundred miles or more
I went to every store in town
My feet started swellin’ and my head started achin’
And I couldn’t find a place to sit down
But to tell you the truth well, I really don’t mind it
I could even walk another mile
‘Cause on Christmas mornin’
When they open up the presents
Well it’s worth it just to see them smile

That is what Jesus did for us, but the only thing is, He did it to the extreme. He walked hundreds, even thousands of miles, during His earthly ministry, healing the sick, preaching the good news, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, and just all around doing good. Then He was falsely accused, found guilty, although there was no guilt to be found, wrongly sentenced to capital punishment on the cross, He suffered terribly and there He died. But on the third day, He rose again and is coming back for us, those who love Him, to give us our inheritance. His death and resurrection are the perfect Christmas gift. For Him, it was worth it to go through all of that because, on Resurrection Morning, when the dead in Christ rise, we will be with Him forever. It will be our Christmas morning.

God declared through Ezekiel that if the prince gives a gift to any of His children, it shall belong to us. Therefore, what Jesus has given us, no one can take it from us, it is ours forever. So, don’t give up, and don’t give in; hold on to Jesus so that you will receive your Christmas Inheritance.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to die so that we might live. Help me to live my life pleasing to You so that when Jesus comes back, I might receive my Christmas Inheritance. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Peace On Earth

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” ~ Luke 2:13-14

By the time the angel appeared to the shepherds, Jesus had already been born. The angel told them that a Savior was just born. Then, a great multitude of heavenly hosts appeared with the angel praising God and declaring peace to those on earth with whom He is pleased. Isaiah prophesied that when Jesus, the coming messiah, is born, He will be called Prince of Peace.

On the night that He was betrayed, Jesus told His disciples,

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you … (John 14:27a).

Jesus gave us His peace so that we are not shaken no matter what comes against us, so that in all situations, no matter what, we can have peace because peace comes from Him.

I read a story once about a king who loved paintings. He announced that any artist who could paint a picture depicting peace would be greatly rewarded. The day came, and many paintings were presented to the king. After examining them, the king chose two. One was a scene of a beautiful calm lake, with water so still and so clear that even the inner surface of the lake was visible. The sky was blue with white fluffy cotton clouds floating and drifting lazily overhead. The air was so still that not a leaf was waving.

The second was of mountains, which were completely dry and lifeless. Over the mountains were thick, angry black clouds with lightning flashing and the wind blowing. The heavy rains were pelting down on the landscape, causing the river to swell and overflow. The storm swept over the scene, causing the trees to sway terribly. Everyone thought the first picture would surely win.

After a few days of being on display, the king announced, to everyone’s shock, that the second picture would be the winner. When questioned about his decision, he said, “Look at this tree bent to one side by the wind on the left side of the waterfall. Look at the nest on its branch. See how a bird is feeding its chicks with such tenderness, calmness, and love.”

That is the kind of peace that the Prince of Peace gives us. Even amidst the haste, noise, and confusion, even when problems threaten to topple our stability and our whole world comes crashing down, the Shalom Peace of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, will keep us and preserve our joy. We are not alone, the Prince of Peace is with us, therefore, we will say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus Christ, Your Son. Thank You, LORD Jesus, that You give us Your peace that passes all understanding and will keep us calm and at peace even in the most difficult times. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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