Devotions

O Holy Night, O Night Divine. That glorious night when Christ came the first time to redeem His own. It changed everything!

The angel who appeared to Joseph set the parameters for Christ Jesus’ first coming, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” [Matthew 2:21 HCSB]

God sent His Son to save us from our sins, from the death and punishment that our sins deserved. He brought grace and truth to us. He took our punishment. He suffered our death. He rose that we might have life and that life more abundant.

No matter how many times I write these things, no matter how many times you read these things, they still have an amazing and marvelous hold on our hearts. I will never grow tired of hearing them.  It is not all about the new things I can find in the Scriptures, it is about those old Gospel truths of our salvation which thrill my soul.  Tell me again and again about what my Savior has done for me!

But there is another truth, a promise that also thrills my soul – that is, Christ is coming again. He promised He would come back for His own. [John 14:3b HCSB]

This time when He appears it will not be about sin – that issue has already been settled. This time it will be about taking us home to the Father’s House.

“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” [1 Corinthians 15:51 HCSB]

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” [1 Thessalonians 4:17 HCSB]

Are you listening for the trumpet?

We have spent much of the last few weeks with an inversion in the Treasure Valley, which means bitter cold, damp fog and no sunshine for days on end. The colder air is trapped in the valley by the warmer air above it.  If you travel a little way, about 1000 feet higher, the sun is shining and warmer temperatures abound.  It’s the one part of living here that I hate.  It happens almost every December and/or January.  Sometimes it lasts for weeks.

Going weeks without sunshine really depletes my good cheer.  In other words, I get a bit grumpy.  I like light.

I realized this morning that I’ve gone weeks without reading my Bible.  I’ve been in the Scriptures looking up verses for messages and devotions.  I’ve studied some, but I have been busy, or distracted, and haven’t picked up my Bible just to read.  I’m finding that without that daily Sonshine my spirit has become a bit depleted as well.  My prayer life has suffered, my praise and worship has been lacking.

I was reading a commentator who said we should be studying our Bibles, not reading them.  I both agree and disagree with that.  Yes, we should be studying our Bibles, delving into original words and meanings, into the culture of the day, understanding the problems that prompted the writing of the letters, etc.  That is vitally important to our understanding and growth.

But I also think we should just be reading.  The Scriptures are God’s voice to us.  Reading is one way we listen to His voice.  For me reading causes my spirit to swell with praise and worship.  Hearing God speak to me personally through His Word, powers my prayers and refreshes my thoughts.  I fall in love again with our great and wonderful God.

Lord, open my eyes and ears as I read your Word – let me receive Your words into my heart.  Amen.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” [Luke 1:30-33]

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  [Isaiah 9:6]

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  [Luke 2:11-12]

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God . . .. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” [Revelation 19:11-16]

His name is Jesus, Jehovah saves.  His name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  His name is Savior; He is Christ the Lord.

His name is Faithful and True.  This babe who was born in Bethlehem, this man who died on a cross on a hill called Calvary, who ascended into the heavens to sit at the right hand of the throne of God, He is Faithful and True.  He is the KING of Kings and the LORD of Lords.

We celebrate His coming to Bethlehem long ago.  We rejoice in His Promise to return one day to claim the kingdoms of this world as the Kingdom of our God.  Amen, even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

“O Holy Night.” It is one of the most beautiful of the Christmas songs. I especially love the second verse.

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Til He appeared And the soul felt It’s worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new And glorious morn…”

Those words, those beautiful words, remind us that when Christ Jesus came as that Babe in a Manger, it assured us of just how much God loved us and just how much we are worth.  (Remember, we are not worthy of that love, but we are worth what God was willing to pay for us, the precious life’s blood of His Very Son.)

Knowing that, and allowing that to dig deep into our souls, brings a thrilling hope that cannot be destroyed!  No matter how bad this world may get, nothing can destroy that new and glorious morning when God became Immanuel, God with Us.

He is with us in our sorrow and tears. He is with us in our weaknesses, our hungers, and our thirsts. He is with us in our dying and with us in our death!

That truly was a “Night Divine.” And now as we celebrate it, we fall our knees in worship to our Great God who came for His own.  O Holy Night!

Bill & Gloria Gaither - O Holy Night (Live) ft. David Phelps - YouTube

One of my favorite traditional Christ-mas carols is “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”

It came upon the midnight clear / That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth / To touch their harps of gold! Peace on the earth, good will to men / From heaven’s all gracious King! The world in solemn stillness lay / To hear the angels sing.

Ah, but if we are honest, we must admit there is no peace on this earth.  Daily we see war in nations, battles on social media and in government, discord in families and among friends and neighbors.  We are always at odds with someone.  We long for the “peace on earth, good will to men” that the Christ-mas carols remind us of each year.  Have we mistaken the message of the angels?

No, not mistaken, but perhaps misinterpreted?  The old KJV says, “On earth peace, good will toward men.”  The NIV says, “On earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”   (Luke 2:14)

Neither one promises a world-wide, all-encompassing peace—at least not yet.  The promise of peace sung by the angels, flowing from heaven’s all gracious King, is not a general peacefulness with prosperity and a trouble-free life.

Scripture is clear, our most fundamental need for peace is peace with God.  We have been at war with God since the rebellion in the Garden.  We are hostile to Him and His rule in our lives.  We do everything we can to keep control for ourselves.  There is no peace on earth because there is no peace with God.

But that all changed that night.  Peace was now born into this world.  The true peace had come and will never depart – that true peace lives in the hearts of all those who accept God’s offer.  We now look forward to a time when the King of King comes to reign and all war will be banished forever.  Only then will true peace be world-wide and all-encompassing.  We look forward to that time  …

When peace shall over all the earth / Its ancient splendors fling / And all the world give back the song / Which now the angels sing.

If you have been reading through the Gospel of Luke one chapter a day in December, you have come to the Garden.

Jesus had prepared and warned his disciples about what was coming. Now He leads them to the Garden of Gethsemane and tells them to pray that they do not fall into temptation.

Going on a little farther, He also prays about what was ahead for Him. He prays so fervently that an angel is sent to provide strength. He sweats great drops of blood as He sees the Cross and the Bitter Cup He must drink.

He asks of His Father … “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” [Luke 22:41 HCSB]

“Nevertheless.” What a glorious word. Such a little word. An adverb, plén, it is sometimes translated as “yet” or “however.”

And on that little word hinges the salvation of mankind. Jesus prayed for the cup to be taken away – if the Father was willing to do so. But even if He did not take the bitter cup away, Jesus would do the will of the Father. That’s what nevertheless means.

From that moment on Jesus never wavered, never looked back. He was in complete control, during the betrayal, during the trials, on the cross. He finished the will of the Father, and it will forever be finished!

And because He did, we have an eternity to spend in the glorious presence of our LORD. Amen.

I found my way to Psalm 47 this morning. It is a song of the sons of Korah and in my Bible it is titled, God Our King!

It begins with a shout of triumph. “Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a jubilant cry. For Yahweh, the Most High, is awe-inspiring, a great King over all the earth.” [vss 1-2 HCSB]

In the middle we are commanded to sing praise! “God ascends among shouts of joy, the Lord, among the sound of trumpets. Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our King, sing praise!” [vss 5-6 HCSB]

And at the end we are reminded that God reigns. “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne…. For the leaders of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.” [vss 8-9b HCSB]

God came that first Christ-mas morning as a Babe in a Manger. We celebrate His birth. But our LORD and Master Christ Jesus is no longer in that manger.

God came to walk among us. He died on a Roman cross to take away our sins. He was buried in a borrowed grave. But our LORD and Master Christ Jesus is no longer in that grave.

He has ascended to the Right Hand of the Father. He reigns over the nations. He is seated on His Holy Throne. It may not look like it, but the leaders of this earth belong to Him. [Acts 2:33a]

So clap your hands. Shout to God with a triumphant voice! Sing Praise! Exalt the LORD our God for He Reigns – FOREVER! Amen.

A few days ago, Pastor Monte posted on Facebook, “A thousand times in history a baby has become a king. But only once has a king become a baby.”

As I read it, I immediately began to sing the chorus from a song I heard years ago written by David Phelps, “One King.” [Released 2006] Here are the lyrics. They speak for themselves.

In the beginning there was the Word / Pure love was spoken to reach every man / They stopped and listened but all that they heard / Was language that they could not understand / No joy, no peace, no hope in sight

So He came with starlight and love in His eyes / No regal welcome for His infant cries / There have been many babies to become a king / But only one King became a baby

He left behind His throne of pure light / Gave up His crown that we might be free / He chose a manger that Bethlehem night / And reaching through time and space He saw me / With no joy, no peace, no hope in sight

So He came with starlight and love in His eyes / No regal welcome for His infant cries / There have been many babies to become a king / But only one King became a baby

He could have chosen to break through the sky / With anthem and angel wing / But He knew we’d understand a baby’s cry / And learn love from a servant King

So He came with starlight and love in His eyes / No regal welcome for His infant cries / There have been so many babies to become a king / Only one King, one King became a baby

(LINK to Song:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb1Uof_gWF0 )

A few years ago I was floundering spiritually. Not in the sense that I was in danger of falling away, but I was physically tired, emotionally drained, and wondering where things were going with the church.

I received an invitation to a pastors’ prayer summit, but when I inquired about going, it was an event that did not welcome women pastors. (Because of some delightful young pastors, that restriction was lifted, and women were able to attend the following year.)

But that year I knew I needed to do something. I decided to do my own prayer summit, found a local hotel, and tucked myself away for four days. I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed. I read my Bible, studied, tried to quiet my spirit before the LORD and got … nothing. Nothing for three days.

Then on the fourth day, the Holy Spirit took me to Revelation Chapter 3, and as I read, my heart quickened on -the message to the Philadelphia church. [vs 7-13]

Two phrases in that passage ministered to my soul – Verse 8 “you have limited strength,” and verse 9 “Hold on to what you have.”   

It wasn’t a grand message, but it was a quiet reaffirmation. First, I came away knowing that God understood my physical limitations (since this was right after my auto-immune diagnosis). Second, I came away reassured that I was to “hold on” at The Way.

I had no idea what “holding on” would create. But every Sunday when I walk into Christian Faith Center Middleton, I am blessing knowing that sometimes just “holding on” is a foundation stone in God’s plan!