JCSM's Weekly Devotions (click here to listen!)

"Jesus and the Christmas Account"

Luke 1:26-38  "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin’s name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!'  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.'  Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?'  And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible.'  Then Mary said, 'Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word.'  And the angel departed from her."

Matthew 1:18-25  "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.'  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.'  Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS."

Colossians 2:8-10  "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."

Insight: Jesus Christ was born of a virgin in a manger in Bethlehem.  He came to save the world from its sins.  Jesus is uncreated and part of the triune Godhead, existing before time began.  He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave.  Celebrate Jesus' birth because His life makes our salvation and eternal life possible.

Prayer: "Dear Lord, thank you for loving us so much.  Bless us and make us like You.  Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to Earth to live a perfect life and give His life for us.  Forgive our sins and help us to see You as You really are.  Put our feet on a rock and purify us.  Increase our faith and our love for You and others.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

On January 16, 1786, the state of Virginia adopted a freedom of religious statute, drafted by Thomas Jefferson. It forbade religious discrimination, and any government requirement to support a particular church. This law later became the model for the First Amendment to the Constitution which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof....” Forgetting this last phrase, the First Amendment in recent years has been used improperly to banish religion entirely from public schools and buildings.

This excerpt was taken from Donald DeYoung's book called, "365 Fascinating Facts From the World of Discovery."

(This explanation came from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained", by Dr. Jason Gastrich.  This book is on CD and gives over 4,000 answers to alleged Bible errors, regarding the entire Bible at http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.org.  There is also a 300 question workbook that accompanies the CD-ROM.)

Luke is the only Gentile author in the New Testament.

Luke's gospel is the longest.

Luke spoke to the eyewitnesses of Christ's ministry, death, and resurrection in order to write his gospel.

There are lots of details about Christ's birth in his gospel because he probably spoke to Jesus' mother.

Having a relationship with God and being filled with the Holy Spirit are spiritually and humanly enriching experiences.

Luke mentions more stories about women and more women by name than any other gospel.

Even when you give up on your dreams, God remembers them and may still fulfill them.

God will accomplish His will on your life, whether you like it or not.

Jesus isn't just the reason for the season.  He's the reason for everything.

Take time to reflect on the important things.

The virgin birth wasn't the beginning or the end of God's plan.

All throughout time, God has done His perfect work through imperfect beings.

God's Word sustains natural laws.

The Devil twists the truth to suit his own purposes.

Christians believe that Jesus was fully God before time began.

Jesus felt all the emotions that we have felt.

Jesus didn't want to symbolize a servant.  He wanted to be a servant.

If you want a high place in eternity, live in a low place on Earth.

The easy road destroys our need to depend on God.

We don't know a word Joseph said, but we know he wanted to please God by his actions.

It's good to protect your children, but you have to give them freedom to become who God wants them to be.

Removing the hedge of protection around your children will allow them to walk with God outside of a bubble.

Don't avoid reconciliation, crisis, or seeing the truth this Christmas.

Christians who are only drinking the milk of the Word do little things for Him, but Christians eating spiritual meat do great things for His kingdom.

These quotes came from the Holy Spirit, Jason Gastrich, Ray Bentley, and Howard Everett.  If you'd like to read more quotes, you'll want a copy of Dr. Gastrich's book called, "10,000 Wise Quotes and Spiritual Sayings"!  It's the largest collection of Bible-based quotations in the world.