NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS FROM THE WORD OF GOD (PART 1)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and advise one another with all wisdom, as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:12-17

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Several years ago, I was asked to deliver a message at a church service just before New Year’s Day. The Lord placed the following words on my heart as I was thinking about what He would want our resolutions to be for the coming year, ten resolutions from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. I pray they will be a blessing to you as get set to enter 2022.

I will count down the resolutions across two devotions today and tomorrow. Feel free to share with others and may the Lord richly bless you and yours in all things. I will continue our journey through Paul's letter to the Romans on January 2nd.

Here are resolutions 10 through 6 for you to consider as you approach the coming year:

10. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

How many of you are very selective in the things you wear?

Most people are.

Dressing properly takes time and careful consideration over season, occasion, style, and color as we choose what we’ll put on. We often want to ensure we look our best as we enter a world where others will see us.

Given this, are we just as selective and careful about the way we clothe ourselves with our attitudes and demeanors? Before we venture out, do we take as much time to properly prepare ourselves for others to see what we look like on the inside?

Look at the things that God’s word says should be part of our inner wardrobe:

- Compassion which consists of affection, tenderness, pity, and mercy.

- Kindness which can include courtesy, favor, good deeds, and goodwill.

- Humility which is defined as a spirit of mildness, humbleness, surrender, and modesty.

- Gentleness which involves sensitivity, friendliness and politeness

and

- Patience, or one’s ability to remain calm, composed, and cool under pressure.

God’s word wants us to assess how well dressed we are on the inside?

In this new year, maybe a makeover might be in order.

9. Bear with each other.

What does it mean to bear with one another?

Perhaps it’s easier to ask:

Can you think of someone right now who just seems to get under your skin, someone who annoys you to no end?

Maybe we all have that ONE person.

The scriptures through the words of Paul are commanding us to be more tolerant in the new year.

To respect others.

To stop looking so closely at another person’s shortfalls while ignoring our own, for we’re all flawed and imperfect when we get down to the truth of the matter.

So seek to be more understanding of others and strive to resolve differences when they occur.

Seek to rebuild bridges instead of burning or tearing them down.

Pray for those who you differ with and seek reconciliation in the year ahead.

Bear with one another.

8. Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

We all know what forgiveness is.

Putting it into action is often the real problem.

If left to our own devices, we could easily wiggle our way out of forgiving some people by deciding who we wanted to forgive and who we didn’t want to. We would turn forgiveness into a selective process and we would serve as the judge.

That’s why God had to put down strict guidelines to govern our forgiveness, saying:

“Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

WOW!

This takes any compromise out of the matter of forgiveness.

For we must forgive everyone without exception. If you doubt that, then I ask you to name anything you have done that the Lord is not willing to forgive you for. You won’t come up with anything and thus the power that comes in God’s statement. It is a checkmate to any consideration we might have to not forgive someone.  

In the end translation, the Lord wants us to see that the first steps to inner healing when you are burdened with anger or hatred toward another is to say the words, “I forgive,” then resign to pray for that person who is in the same state you are, a sinner who is only saved through the amazing grace of God through Jesus Christ.

The word of God is clear when it comes to the matter of pardon.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

7. Over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity.

The package of prior resolutions all revolve around love which is central to the greatest commandments of Jesus.

Remember His answer when asked about the greatest commandments?

He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." Then He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36-40)

If you truly love God with all that you are, you will easily embody compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with and forgiving one another, all in the name of love through the One who showed and taught us what love is all about.

So when you unwrap the gift of this new year, take off the ribbon and paper that is on the gift of Jesus and see what is inside. If you do, you will find priceless treasures in and of the Savior, the Christ who we should be seeking to be like in every way…and the first thing we see when we look at Him is love.

So put Him in your heart in this coming year and watch love rule supreme in all you do.

6. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

In a world full of violence, confusion, problems and constant change, peace is sometimes very hard to come by, isn’t it?

I think that’s why we were given these words from God found in Philippians 4:6-7:

"Do not be anxious about anything but give your concerns to God in prayer and petition and with thanksgiving. So you might find the peace of God that transcends all understanding and your hearts and minds will be guarded in Christ Jesus."

In 2018, God would want us to remember that He is the only One who is fully able and ready to handle any problem we have. And when we truly lay our burdens at His feet and allow Him to work awesome miracles in our lives, then we can fully experience that peace that transcends all understanding, a peace that will ensure our hearts are guarded by Christ Jesus.

To achieve this, here’s an exercise you can do to put Philippians 4:6-7 to work in your life this year and avoid the pitfalls of stress, anxiety, worry, and fear. There are four easy steps:

Step 1: Get out a piece of paper and begin to write down everything that you are stressed over, worried and anxious about, or afraid of. Make sure you list everything and it doesn’t matter how long or short your list is.

Step 2: Take a moment to remember that God can do all things. He has assured us in the scriptures that there is nothing impossible for Him and that includes anything you are stressed about, worried or anxious over, or afraid of. You have to trust God can and will do what He said He could do or none of this works.

Step 3: Go to the first item on your list and say a simple prayer over it. It could sound like this:

Dear God, I trust you and know you can do all things. I need help right now as I try and deal with (whatever is on your list). The problem is too big for me but I know it isn’t too big for you and so I am giving it over to you out of faith. Thank You Lord for being there for me and giving me Your help. Amen.

When you’re done, cross out the item on your list and let it go. You’ve given it to God. There is no need for you to carry it anymore.

Step 4: Repeat Step 3 until you have covered every item on your list and if you have done this properly, leaving all your burdens at the feet of God, the only One who can so all things, you should feel a relief unlike what you have ever felt before, a peace that only comes from fully trusting God with whatever would seek to weigh you down.

I pray that peace, the peace of Christ, will rule in your hearts and the hearts of all creation in the new year.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at the top 5.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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FINDING THE TRUE KING

 Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com
 

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Matthew 2:9-12

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It had been a quite a journey for the wise men.

They started in a land somewhere to the east of the holy city of Jerusalem. The scriptures really don’t tell us where and perhaps that’s not what’s really important when we look at their story. For the focal point need not be on where they came from but rather where they were trying to go, something God’s word does spend a lot of time on, and rightfully so since the Magi were trying to find Jesus, the newborn King.

The first stop in their quest was Jerusalem. After all, if one was going to look for a Jewish king, there would be no better place to begin looking because Israel’s throne was always seen as being in the divine metropolis. But when the wise men arrived, they found that the only king in Jerusalem was the appointed Roman ruler, Herod, who had his own interest in the news that a child had been born who was considered the King of the Jews. Unfortunately, Herod’s interest wasn’t to worship Jesus as he tried to get the Magi to believe, but rather to eliminate him. And as we learned in yesterday’s devotion, Herod had a murderous reputation, having even killed his own family members. Killing a young child who he saw as a threat would not trouble him at all.

And so Herod summoned his chief priests and teachers of the law, consulting them as to what the prophecies of old had to say about the Messiah, specifically where he would be born. Sharing the words of the prophet Micah, Herod’s advisors shared that the Messiah was to be born in the small town of Bethlehem, about six miles to the south of Jerusalem. With that, the wise men set out from Jerusalem to finally find the child they had traveled so far to worship and they were overjoyed when they looked into the night sky and saw the same star they had followed to Jerusalem when they traveled from the east.

But this time, the star’s path was different because the scriptures tell us that it moved ahead of the Magi until it was directly over the place where Jesus was. It was easy for them to find them from there, not in a manger as so many nativity scenes get wrong, but in a house as Jesus was no longer a baby and Joseph and Mary were no longer without a place to stay. And when the wise men entered the house and saw Jesus with His mother Mary, the scriptures say that they “bowed down and worshiped Him” before presenting Him with treasures and “gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Note they brought nothing but their best for Jesus because this Messiah, the Son of God and Savior of the world, deserved nothing less than that.

Friends, as we get set to enter into a new year, I pray that we take forward three main attitudes found in the Magi:

First, I pray we will never rest in our efforts to seek and find Jesus, our Savior, the One we are to model our lives after as Christians.

Second, I pray that we as we seek and find Jesus, we may do so with the primary ambition to bow down and worship Him.

And finally, I pray that as we bow down and worship Jesus, we’ll vow to bring Him our best time and talent and treasure, willing to give everything up for Him just as He was willing to give up everything for us.

Tomorrow, we look at a two part devotion on ten New Year’s resolutions found in the scriptures.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests toGods4all@aol.com

THE TRUE KING CONFIRMED

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:”

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Matthew 2:2-8

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In yesterday’s devotion, we were introduced to the Magi, wise men who had traveled from the east in search of one who was born to be the King of the Jews, a child who was so divine that a star lit the way to where He was, a newborn ruler of Israel who they sought to worship. These Magi went to what seemed to be a logical place to search for royalty, the holy city of Jerusalem, and once there inquired where they might find the infant King.

There was only one problem, one the wise men were most probably unaware of.

The Jews already had a king appointed over them, a Roman ruler named Herod, who the scriptures tell us was left disturbed by the inquiry of the wise men and that wasn’t a good thing. For when one looked at King Herod’s track record, they would find that he had a reputation of killing anyone who got in the way of his selfish ambitions, including his wife, three sons, and many of his family members. Jerusalem knew that when Herod was disturbed, bad things were to follow and thus the city was on edge, unsure of what the maniacal king might do.

But Herod’s attention was more on finding his new challenger, the prophesied Messiah, not to worship him, as he tried to convince the Magi, but rather to eliminate him. To pinpoint where the child was born, God’s word tells us Herod summoned his chief priests and teachers of the law, those who would be authorities on the prophecies of old. They quickly had an answer for Herod, sharing the words of the prophet Micah, who had foretold that the newborn ruler and shepherd of Israel would be born in Bethlehem which was in Judea.

The words served as confirmation that a true King had indeed arrived, the One who would be named Jesus, the One who would have authority over all governments and be the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace for all people.

A King had been born and the Magi were on the right track. They just needed to head about six more miles south to find him

A King had been born and Herod believed it. He knew that the words of the Jewish prophets had come to be. If he didn’t believe, he would have never asked the wise men to come back and report to him concerning the exact location of the child, not to revere him but rather murder him.

A King had been born to fulfill all the prophecies of old, with events unfolding just as God had promised they would.

Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem, was the confirmed true King, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the predicted Messiah, and God’s only Son who was sent by His Father to save His people from their sins. He is the true King who still reigns over us all.

Tomorrow, we will see how the wise men found the true King Jesus.

Amen.

Let us pray.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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SEEKING THE TRUE KING

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.”

Matthew 2:1-2

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Jesus, the Son of God and prophesied Messiah, was born in humble surroundings in Bethlehem, the little hometown of David. He came into the world with little fanfare outside of the angel and company of the heavenly host who appeared before a group of shepherds who were in the fields outside of town watching over their flocks by night, proclaiming the birth of a Savior who would be found wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. And with that, Jesus had His first visitors who would come to see this little child who was the Lord.

After seeing Jesus, the scriptures tell us the shepherds returned “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen” while spreading “the word concerning what had been told them” about Jesus. They had seen first-hand the true King of all kings and all who heard the news were amazed at what the shepherds had told them.

One never knows how far news may have traveled during biblical times but we do know that there were others who were specifically seeking this newborn Messiah, the One who was born to be the ruler of Israel and thus considered the true King of the Jews.

Who were these men who set out on a quest to find Jesus?

We go to the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew to find out. Look at these opening verses:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.”  Matthew 2:1-2

We’re not given a specific time when the wise men (or Magi) came looking for Jesus. We only know it was some time after His birth in Bethlehem, a time during the reign of King Herod, the appointed Roman ruler over the Jews. The men came from the east looking for a child who had been born to be the King of the Jews. The belief is that these men were well-versed, not only in the Jewish prophecies of old but also astronomy as they watched the skies and saw a star which they felt would lead them to the child they sought. As they traveled west, they started where one would assume a king would be, in the holy city of Jerusalem.   

Upon arrival, they began to inquire about where they might find the one who had been born the King of the Jews, a question that brought more than a little anxiety in the heart of the Roman King Herod which we will see in tomorrow’s devotion.

Why were they seeking this king?

Note that they weren’t simply sightseers, wanting to just catch a glimpse of the child for themselves. No, the Magi made it clear that their goal in finding this newborn King was to bow down and worship Him. Thus, they were driven by hearts that were full of reverence and adoration toward what God had done in bringing this little child, His only Son, into the world just as had been predicted.

As we get set to turn the calendars over to a new year, perhaps we would be well suited to adopt the heart attitude of the wise men and pursue Jesus in a way that shows our fullest adoration and devotion in the way we worship Him, diligently seeking Him always with an ever present desire to be like in Him in every way.

For He, Jesus, is the true King, the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords, the One who God has given all authority to over all things in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), the One who is the way and the truth and the life and the only way to God the Father (John 14:6).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests toGods4all@aol.com

THE GREAT PROCLAMATION

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Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

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

Luke 2:8-14

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

To the shepherds who were in the fields outside of Bethlehem keeping watch over their flocks by night, it must as seemed like a night just like the countless others they had spent doing what shepherds do. The sheep were together and milling about, safe under the constant scrutiny and protection of their keepers. As long as they had a shepherd, they were in good shape.

But not far from where this scene was taking place, a remarkable birth was occurring, a baby who had been foretold by prophets 700 years earlier, a baby who had been conceived within a virgin by the Holy Spirit, a baby named Jesus who came to save the people from their sins.

This predicted Messiah - the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace – did not come with any fanfare. He wasn’t given royal chambers to be born in under the care of the finest Old Testament medical specialists. There wasn’t a thong of people gathered outside of where the virgin gave birth awaiting the news of His arrival. No, this baby Jesus who the prophets said would lead Israel and have the authority of the governments on His shoulders, was born in the most improbable town, the little town of Bethlehem, and was laid to rest in the most improbable place, a manger which was nothing more than a feeding trough for the animals. Indeed, this newborn Jesus, the coming King of kings and Lord of lords, had no crib for a bed. His mattress became the cloths He was wrapped and nestled in before He was placed in the manger.

But this great fulfillment of the prophecies of old could not go unnoticed, right? God certainly could not let His Son be born without a Great Proclamation of His coming, could He?

Well, as we see in our scripture passage today, a Great Proclamation did come and it couldn’t have been more spectacular or glorious in nature. Look again at our scripture passage for today:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”  Luke 2:8-14

Note that Jesus’ coming was not announced to any prophet or priest. His coming wasn’t first broadcast to the kings and rulers of the world. No, this baby Jesus, who was born in humble circumstances to be the Savior of the world, was first declared to a group of lowly shepherds who were hanging out in the fields with their sheep. And as we saw in the scriptures, God spared no expense to make the Great Proclamation the spectacle it should have been in making the Messiah’s birth public.

For the darkness of the night sky was suddenly disrupted by the brilliance of the glory of the Lord as an angel appeared before the shepherds who obviously had never seen such a thing before. Their initial reaction was immediate fear but the angel quickly moved to comfort them saying, “Do not be afraid”, for the heavenly being had not come to pronounce God’s judgment but rather bring words that punctuated His deep mercy, grace, and love for all mankind. The angel was bringing good news, tidings of great joy, not just for the shepherds but for all people.

For “in the town of David (the town of Bethlehem) a Savior was born, a baby who was the Messiah that had been foretold by the prophets. And just so the shepherds could find this baby, the angel told them where He was located, lying in a manger and wrapped in cloths within the town’s borders.

Now, that would have been an amazing enough on its own but as we see God wasn’t finished yet with His Great Proclamation.

For just as the angel had finished telling the shepherds where they could find the Savior Messiah baby, a

“great company of the heavenly host” burst onto the scene, appearing with the angel and praising God while exclaiming:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

You see, Christ’s birth was all part of God’s plan to save His people, a plan that had been orchestrated from the dawn of mankind. And so all glory and honor was to be given to Him first, the Maker and Master over all creation who dwells in the highest heaven, the Lord God Almighty who sent His Son to save His people and bring peace, light, and hope on earth to a people who were living in the darkness of despair, sin, and judgment. Through this baby Jesus, God’s people would have a chance to be justified, their sins reconciled through the sacrifice His Son would make on Calvary’s cross some 33 years after He was born.

In the end translation, Jesus’ birth was God’s greatest event to hit the world since He created it and everything in it at the very beginning.

And the first to know about it were the shepherds.

What a blessing God had given them through His Great Proclamation!

Tomorrow, we see how they responded to that blessing.   

Amen.

Let us pray.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests toGods4all@aol.com

CHRIST THE SAVIOR IS BORN! SPREAD THE WORD!

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In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

Luke 2:15-20

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In yesterday’s devotion, we saw where the first news of Jesus’ birth was not given to kings or priests but to lowly shepherds who were watching over their flocks in the fields outside Bethlehem at night. It wasn’t high ranking authority or respected spiritual leaders but instead humble sheep tenders who were blessed with the honor of a visiting angel and accompanying company of the heavenly host who provided this Great Proclamation:

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” Luke 2:10-14

So what did the shepherds do in response to this message?

And in looking at our lives today, what should we do?

We’ll look at the first question now because in it we find the answer to the second.

Note that the shepherds wasted no time in going to find this newborn baby who the angel announced was the Messiah, the Lord. In fact , the scriptures tell us that they hurried off to Bethlehem, the town of David, where Joseph had brought Mary while still pregnant to register as ordered by Caesar Augustus. And when they arrived, they discovered a scene just as the angels had described. For there was Mary and Joseph surrounding their little baby Jesus who was lying in a manger.

The shepherds had seen the miracle child which had been prophesied 700 years earlier!

Jesus Christ, the Savior, was born!

It had to be an amazing moment for the shepherds but what happened next is perhaps as important as their haste and excitement to find Jesus in the first place. For the word of God tells us that the shepherds didn’t just return to their fields and continue to keep watch over their flock. They didn’t return to business as usual. No, they felt compelled to spread the word and tell others about this baby Jesus and what the angels had proclaimed about Him. They could not, nor would not keep Jesus a secret. Instead, they shared their amazement with others, “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen”, things that happened just as the prophets said they would.

Friends, now that Christmas has come and gone, do we hold the same thrill and excitement of the humble shepherds as we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ the Savior of us all?

Are we anxious to tell others about how God’s salvation plan for all mankind began with the divine birth of His Son who had been conceived within the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit?

Do we have an enthusiasm for sharing the good news of the Gospel with others with the intent of them building their own relationship with Jesus and finding their way to eternal life?

If we’re truly Christian, the answer to all these questions had better be a resounding “yes”!

For indeed, Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and the world has never been the same since.

Like the shepherds, it’s time for all of us to get out and spread the word.

Amen.

Let us pray.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE IMPETUS FOR GLORY TO COME

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

Luke 2:1-5

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When put together, the words of the prophets painted a picture of what was to come, even if they weren’t quite sure when. What they shared with the people of Israel in Old Testament times (and us today as we read the scriptures) is that a Messiah was coming, one who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. He would be born of a virgin and be named Immanuel which meant “God with us” and the government would be on His shoulders. His greatness would have no end and He would come as a light to a people who were walking in great darkness, such would be the hope that would be found in this newborn baby that would come from Bethlehem (drawn from Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:2, 6-7, and Micah 5:2).

It was this latter prophecy from Micah giving the location where Jesus that would be born which had to leave one wondering whether or not it would come to be.

You see, Joseph and Mary were both residents of Nazareth nearly seventy miles north of Bethlehem. When Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit after the visit from the angel Gabriel, she had no idea that on the verge of delivering her son into the world, she would have to journey to a place completely alien to her and Joseph. Neither did Joseph and left up to their own preferences, I’m sure they would have had Jesus right there in Nazareth.

But that wasn’t God’s plan as revealed by the prophets and an impetus was needed in order for the glory found in the Savior of the world to happen in the right place.

Enter the census ordered by the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus:

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

Caesar was interested in getting a formal count of people because each person meant income for him and the Roman empire through taxation. For some people, this decree was no big deal as they were already in their hometown and could just easily line up and register. But for Joseph, it simply wasn’t going to be that easy. This is because he “belonged to the house and line of David” and Bethlehem was called “the town of David”. And so to meet the requirements of the command from Caesar, Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to register and took Mary along with him as he was “pledged to be married” to her and she was “expecting a child”.

Travel was harsh and dangerous in those days. You didn’t get in a car nor could you fly or take a train. Rather, you traveled on foot with most of your time spent in the wilderness where wild animals roamed and thieves lurked prowling on vulnerable, unprotected travelers. It would have been hard enough for someone if they weren’t pregnant so you can imagine how difficult it was for Mary. If she were living in the 21st century, no doctor would have recommended such an endeavor because of the heavy risk of creating complications with the pregnancy but we’re talking more than 2,000 years ago when medical practices were archaic and ancient at best. We’re not told how long the journey took but all I know is that seventy miles on foot would take some time, especially with a very pregnant woman in tow. Most theologians believe the journey was three days.

On the outside looking in, it seemed way too perilous and precarious but that’s if we look at it through our human lenses and reason. If we look at the same matter through the lens of the Lord, then we see that it was His will for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem and nothing was going to get in the way of that taking place successfully - not any social brow-beating after Mary became pregnant during her engagement, not any overtures of killing Mary because of the law’s penalties for adultery, not any distance needed to travel to ensure the birth of Jesus happened where the prophets said it would.

Nothing was going to get in the way of God’s plan being fulfilled in the way He wanted it.

Nothing.

And so the census triggered the events that led to Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem. It was the impetus for glory to come and tomorrow, we will see that glory will arrive in the way of the baby Jesus.

Have a blessed Christmas Eve everyone.

Amen.

Let us pray.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

MARY: THE PRAISE

 
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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is His name.”

^“His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and His descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1:46-55

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Mary just wasn’t any servant. She was a servant of the Lord God Almighty.

She said so herself after hearing the proposition from God brought to her by the angel Gabriel, her words underscoring an amazing display of faith and trust in her Lord whose plan would change her life and the lives of all mankind forever. Without reservation or question, Mary accepted that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a son named Jesus who would save the world from their sins. She did so knowing that there would be social ramifications from the general public as well as Joseph, the man she was engaged to be married, for she had no sexual relations with him or any man for that matter but yet everyone would assume that she had.  

You would think all this would have left Mary a nervous wreck as she pondered the days and months ahead but she showed nothing but a calm, blessed assurance in the wake of learning her divine, holy destiny.

As we see in today’s scripture passage, Mary was full of nothing but praise toward the Lord for blessing her with the honor to bear and give birth to His Son. Look again at her words here:

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is His name.”

^“His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and His descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors.”  Luke 1:46-55

Note her praise was directed toward first what God had done for her and then what He had done for others. Before she discussed each, Mary opened a window into her heart and let us see her emotional and spiritual state as she praised:

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

We would all be well suited to adopt this as a daily life attitude and even lead off each daily prayer with Mary’s words. For one of the greatest responsibilities any believer holds is to conscientiously seek to bring honor and glory to the Lord in all we do. Each day is chocked full of opportunities to do so and we should be laser-focused in our ambition to let everyone see our spirits rejoicing in God, our Savior. After all, don’t the scriptures command us to do this while approaching every day the Lord grants:

“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”  Psalm 118:24

Through her words, we know that Mary got this principle and as we see, she put it into action as she then went onto to detail why she was in a spirit of praise unto the Lord:

“For He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is His name.”

There were plenty of other Jewish virgins who were of higher stature than Mary, a resident of the small town of Nazareth which had such a negative reputation that a person would ask later in the scriptures whether anything good could ever come out of it (John 1:46).

Well as we know, something very good did come from there as Nazareth became Jesus’ hometown, all because God, the Mighty One whose name is holy, chose a servant-centered virgin who lived in a humble state to do a great thing and make the way for her to give birth to the Savior of the world. Since then, indeed all generations have called her blessed and admired her for the courageous loyalty, obedience, and resolve she displayed.

Yes, Mary had been blessed to where she praised God for all He had done for her but she wasn’t finished because God was good to far more than just her. Here’s how she praised Him for the way He blessed others:

^“His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and His descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors.”    

God’s blessings and His keeping of covenant promises had not started with Mary. Not by a long shot. Rather, she was an addition to a list of others who had accepted God’s propositions with faith, particularly Abraham who Mary mentions. God’s favor on His people Israel began in large part through His covenant agreements with Abraham who He made the father of many nations. From that point on, God had helped His people over and over again, delivering them in their times of need and disciplining them when they needed it, all out of the deep love He had for them and His hatred for sin.

It was a merciful God who ensured that the people of Israel were His people and He their God, despite their history of failing and falling. And the scriptures affirm that from generation to generation, He extended His grace and forgiveness and performed mighty deeds with His arm. He did it through the time of Mary and He has never stopped doing it since.

Friends, God is good, not just some of the time but all of the time, and He is worthy of all our praise. Like Mary, our souls need to be glorifying Him and our spirits rejoicing in Him, not just occasionally but always.

For we are just two days away from celebrating the birth of a baby by a young virgin from humble origins, a baby who would be named Jesus and would one day bring salvation to all who would place their faith and trust in Him. Through this baby, hope was born and victory over sin and death were to follow, paving the way for us to live eternally with God and Jesus forever.

I pray you will you join me in praising God for the gift of His Son today and every day He blesses us with through His deep mercy, compassion, and love.

For this is the day the Lord has made and I know I am going to rejoice and be glad in it.

Will you join me?

Amen.

Let us pray.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com