RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THANKS AND PRAISE

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In Christ, Mark

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

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

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

Do you have a special New Year’s Eve tradition?

What will you be doing as the seconds tick off until that moment when one year ends and a new one commences, possibly watching that giant illuminated ball descend in Times Square?

Typically, my wife and I are spending that time quietly together, toasting as the new year begins with a couple of plastic faux champagne glasses filled with non-alcoholic cider as neither of us drink alcohol. We exchange a kiss and hug before heading to bed for some rest before enjoying the New Year’s Day holiday.

Maybe you have your own New Year’s Eve customs. Some people like to go and stay at a hotel which offers a nice New Year’s Eve package, including a party where people can dance and bring in the new year together. Typically, there are plenty of imbibements and party favors which add to the festivities.

Of course, if you’re really brave, maybe you will go to New York City and watch the infamous aforementioned ball drop in person. I did this once and it was an amazing experience, although one I wouldn’t want to do again for there were way too many people drinking openly amongst a throng of humanity that was actually wedged into a small area where a lot of pushing and shoving occurred. Also, you can call me a wimp but I’m definitely not one for cold temperatures and I remember that it was freezing that night I stood with the masses. I learned that it’s much more comfortable bringing in the new year with the one I love in a warm house, watching all the people standing frozen where I once was experiencing the same.

Now, maybe you noticed something missing in all this. For I hope you caught that there was no mention of the Lord anywhere, the One who gives us the days that come one after another to form months and those months gathered into subsequent collective years.

Indeed, we get so caught up in time, with seconds counting down until a new year begins, that we tend to forget about the One who gave us that time. Perhaps, we could (and should) have a change of heart this New Year’s Eve and ring in the new year with our thoughts focused on the God and we can use the closing verses of the 100th Psalm to give us guidance as to how to go about it:

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. Vv. 4-5

You see, as the seconds tick down tonight, maybe we should be preparing our hearts to enter into the gates and courts of the Lord instead of a party or into a massive crowd watching a ball drop or even sitting quietly at home getting ready to toast. And maybe in place of raising our glasses and hearts in jubilation while exclaiming, “Happy New Year!”, we can instead of raising up our hands, simply giving thanks and praising the Lord for His goodness, love, and faithfulness that we experienced in the year past and look forward to in the one to come. It’s a goodness, love, and faithfulness that have existed within every year since the dawn of creation and across every generation.

And the good news is that it always will because our God never changes. He is always good and just and trustworthy and loving.

Friends, maybe this year instead of singing the words to “Auld Lang Syne” to enter into the new year, we could instead sing these words written by one of the best Christian music artists of this generation, Chris Tomlin, while entering into the gates and courts of the Lord to praise Him and give thanks for all He has done while looking forward to all He is yet to do in the days to come.

Give thanks to the Lord our God and King

His love endures forever

For He is good, He is above all things

His love endures forever

 

Sing praise, sing praise

 

With a mighty hand and outstretched arm

His love endures forever

For the life that's been reborn

His love endures forever

 

Sing praise, sing praise

 

Forever God is faithful

Forever God is strong

Forever God is with us

Forever

 

From the rising to the setting sun

His love endures forever

By the grace of God we will carry on

His love endures forever

 

Sing praise, sing praise

 

Forever God is faithful

Forever God is strong

Forever God is with us

Forever

 

Listen and sing along here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6xxWGWpaUQ

 

Happy New Year from The Christian Walk Ministry!

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 to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

FINDING THE TRUE KING

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In Christ, Mark

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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 this 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.

We know 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 city. But when the wise men arrived, they discovered that the only king in Jerusalem was the appointed Roman ruler, King Herod, who had his own interest in the news that a child had been born who was considered the King of the Jews. Unfortunately, this interest wasn’t out of any devotion or desire 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 so murdering 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, the scriptures tell us that Herod’s advisors told Herod that the Messiah was to be born in the small town of Bethlehem, about six miles to the south of Jerusalem. And with that news in hand, the wise men set out 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 that they had followed to Jerusalem before.

We read where this divine star moved ahead of the Magi until it was directly over the place where Jesus was. From there, it was easy for them to find the child who wasn’t in a manger as so many nativity scenes get wrong, but in a house for Jesus was no longer a baby and He and His parents, Joseph and Mary, were no longer without a place to stay.

The scriptures tell us that when the wise men entered the house and saw Jesus with His mother Mary, they “bowed down and worshiped Him” before presenting treasures, “gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” We should note that 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 wise men:

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, adore, and worship Him.

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

If we do this, 2026 has the potential to be our best year ever.

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 to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE TRUE KING CONFIRMED

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In Christ, Mark

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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 this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In yesterday’s message, we were introduced to the Magi, wise men who had traveled from the east towards Jerusalem in search of one who was predicted to be born King of the Jews, a child who was so divine that a distant star lit the way to where He was. The scriptures told us that these men journeyed so to worship this newborn King and for them, it only seemed logical to search for royalty in Israel’s most holy city.

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

For the Jews already had a king appointed over them, a Roman ruler named Herod, who the scriptures tell us was left disturbed when the wise men made an inquiry about where they could find the King of the Jews. Anyone who knew anything about Herod would know that this wasn’t a good thing for he had a reputation of killing anyone who posed a threat to his authority and tried to get in the way of his selfish ambitions. This included his wife, three sons, and many of his family members. Indeed, the city of Jerusalem knew that when King Herod was disturbed, bad things were to follow and this is why the city was on edge, unsure of what their maniacal ruler might do.

But as we see in this scripture passage from the second chapter of Matthew, Herod’s first attention was directed more on locating his new challenger, the prophesied Messiah. This wasn’t so he could worship him, as he falsely professed to the Magi, but rather to eliminate him.

To pinpoint where the child was born, God’s word tells us that Herod summoned his chief priests and teachers of the Law, those who would be authorities on the prophecies of old. We read where they quickly had an answer the king, sharing the words of the prophet Micah, who had foretold the following:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2

This prophecy made it clear that Israel’s God intended for Israel’s new ruler to be born in the town of Bethlehem, also known as the City of David. Like Jerusalem, it was also located in Judea, approximately six miles south of the ancient holy city. The words of the chief priests and teachers of the Law 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 as the prophet Isaiah proclaimed (Isaiah 9:6).

And so the Magi were on the right track. The King of the Jews had been born, just not where they thought. All they needed to do is journey a little further south to Bethlehem to find and worship Him.

Yes, a true King had been born and King Herod believed it. He knew that the words of the Jewish prophets had come to be because if he didn’t believe it, he would have never asked the wise men to come back and make a report to him concerning the exact location of the child.

Indeed, a King had been born to fulfill all the prophecies of old, with the events unfolding just as God had promised they would for His plans always happen in His perfect way and in His perfect time.

In the end translation, Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem, was the confirmed true King, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the long awaited Messiah who came to deliver, and God’s only Son who was sent by His Father to save His people from their sins.

Today and forever more, He is the true King who reigns over all things in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).

Tomorrow, we carry this through as the wise men seek and find the true King Jesus.

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 to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

SEEKING THE TRUE KING

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In Christ, Mark

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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 this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Jesus, the Son of God and the long prophesied Messiah, had been born in humble surroundings within a stable in Bethlehem, the hometown of Israel’s renowned King 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. The divine appearance happened on the occasion of 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 as the shepherds rushed into Bethlehem to see this little baby who was the Lord.

After seeing Jesus, the scriptures tell us the shepherds returned to their fields as changed men, “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen”. This was after they took time to spread “the word concerning what had been told them” about Jesus, sharing the good news of great joy with everyone they encountered in the town. For they had seen the true King of all kings and Lord of lords first-hand and all who heard their testimony were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

Now, one can never know 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. We know this by reading the second chapter of Matthew’s Gospel and here’s what we learn in the opening two 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.” 

We should note that 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 Judea. These men came from the east looking for a child who had been born to be the King of the Jews and it’s widely believed they were well-versed in the Jewish prophecies of old and also astrology. In regard to the latter, they would have carefully examined the night skies regularly and in doing so, observed an unusual star which they felt would lead them to the child they sought. So they set out and traveled west to the holy city of Jerusalem, the place they assumed that a King of the Jews would be found.    

Once they arrived, we read where they began to inquire about where they might find the one they sought, an inquiry that brought more than a little anxiety in the heart of the Roman King Herod which we will see in tomorrow’s devotion.

But before we get there, a quick question:

What led these wise men to seek this predicted king with such intent although there was no certainty that they would find anything?

After all, they had no guarantee that there even was a baby born to be the King of the Jews and so truly, their actions were a pure act of faith as they desired to find the newborn king so to bow down and worship Him. Their motivation was grounded completely in 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 the prophets had foretold.

Friends, as we get set to turn the calendars over to a new year, we would be well suited and served to adopt the same heart attitude of the wise men, pursuing Jesus with a renewed vigor and zeal that shows our fullest adoration and devotion as we worship Him and continue to diligently seek to be like 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 over all things in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life as well as the only way to God the Father and eternal life (John 3:16, 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 to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

HOW TO RESPOND TO JESUS

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In Christ, Mark

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

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 2:16-20

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

Following the Christmas story always takes one on a journey through the holiday season.

It begins with the angel Gabriel telling the priest Zechariah that his wife would have a son despite her advanced age. You may remember that his disbelief landed him in trouble as Gabriel brought muteness on him until the time would come for the son to be named, the day when Zechariah names the boy John just as the angel had instructed.

Gabriel then transitions to a young, Nazarene virgin teen named Mary who was betrothed to a man named Joseph. He tells Mary that she would conceive, not by a man but by way of the Holy Spirit and the very power of God Himself. He finishes sharing that her son would be named Jesus and that He would be the Son of the Lord Most High. In response, Mary simply submitted herself to be the Lord’s servant, fully permitting Him to do as He wished.

Next, the very busy Gabriel visited Joseph after Mary had become pregnant. You’ll recall that Joseph was deeply distressed and upset about what had happened and knowing he wasn’t the father of the child Mary was carrying, he decided to quietly divorce her and end their engagement. But Gabriel intervened and convinced Joseph to do otherwise, explaining the divine way that Mary had become pregnant and exhorting him to not abandon taking her as his wife. The scriptures tell us that Joseph honored that request.

Moving forward to the place where Mary was reaching full term, the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, ordered a census to be taken, commanding everyone to go to their own towns to register. And since Joseph and Mary were both of the line of David, they were to register in Bethlehem, the city of David. And so a very pregnant Mary accompanied Joseph on the difficult journey to the city, a four to seven day trip depending on the route taken. Once there, Mary gave birth to their son Jesus in a lowly stable because there was no room for them in the inn.

Right after Jesus emerged from Mary’s womb, some shepherds were tending to their flocks just outside of Bethlehem when an angel suddenly appeared to them, announcing Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, calling Him Savior and Messiah. And as if this wasn’t spectacular enough, a company of the heavenly host appeared singing glory to God and proclaiming peace to all on earth.

It was an amazing experience for the humble shepherds and they decided to go quickly to Bethlehem to see for themselves what the angels had announced and in yesterday’s message, we noted how we need to go forth from Christmas to seek and find Jesus with the same sense of expedience and excitement. It’s the only proper way to react to the One who was and is the Savior of the world, the only One who can bring anyone to God the Father to spend now and eternity (John 14:8).

This brings us to today’s message as we carry on with the shepherds and see the impact they had on Jesus’ parents, especially Mary. Look again at today’s scripture passage:

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 2:16-20

Looking at this passage, we see other things we need to do as we react to encountering Jesus in life:

First, we should make sure we tell others about Him, an action that is at the heart of evangelism and obedient to the following command from Christ:

“…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20

The shepherds had not only received the message about Jesus’ coming from the angel. They had been eyewitnesses to the very truth of that message, that the Messiah had indeed been born in Bethlehem. They saw Him with their own eyes and after leaving the stable, they went the town spreading the word about what they had been told about Jesus. The scriptures tell us that their testimony left all who heard it amazed and indeed our sharing of the Gospel will have a similar effect on others as we share wonderful, incredible words about a perfectly, amazing Lord and Savior.

Second, as we look at Mary’s response to what the shepherds had said, we see that she treasured everything that had happened to her as she pondered over it within her heart. For her son Jesus came to be everything for everyone. He came to save every single person on earth and there is no greater or more significant person in the history of mankind than Him. Therefore, He should be at the center of our heart’s pondering as we see Him as our greatest treasure.

This child named Jesus would grow up into adult ministry and during His first extended sermon, He had this to say:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Mary’s treasure was her child Jesus and her heart was centered on Him. As Christian believers and brothers and sisters of Jesus, we need to be likewise.

Finally, the shepherds eventually returned to their fields but they had been changed. We read where they were in a spirit of rejoicing, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Before they ran off to find Jesus, they encountered the company of the heavenly host glorifying and praising God for Jesus’ coming. Once finished, the angels returned to the heavens but they were replaced by the shepherds who were now the ones who were doing the glorifying and praising. They had not just heard of Jesus but they saw Him in the flesh themselves. Indeed, the long awaited Messiah had come.

Friends, we need to examine ourselves and the way we have responded to Jesus since Christmas.

Have we glorified and praised God daily for the gift of His Son, going out of our way to tell others about Him?

Have we pondered the treasure of Jesus in our hearts, allowing ourselves to be overcome by joy after being reminded once again that we have the promise of everlasting life because God sent Jesus to us to bear the cost of our sins?

A new year is nearly upon us with fresh opportunities to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission and share the good news about Him with others. As we do, let’s mimic the actions of the shepherds and Mary.

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 to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A GREAT PROCLAMATION

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In Christ, Mark

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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.”

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.”

Luke 2:8-15

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

The baby Jesus was born with no fanfare, no celebration outside of the joy within the hearts of the young couple Joseph and Mary inside that Bethlehem stable. It was a humble scene for the Son of God, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the Savior of the world to enter into creation. Emmanuel had come, God leaving Heaven to come to earth so to dwell among His people but He did so in peace and relative solitude.

That soon changed for as we shift to what happened next, we find lowly shepherds enjoying a solitude of their own. They were minding their business and doing what shepherds do, “keeping watch over their flocks at night.” in the fields nearby Bethlehem, the city of David.

The night sky above them was dark and the air surrounding them carried a chill as it was in the winter months. As they tended to the sheep, they were probably holding conversations about the day or events that had been happening to pass the time. Perhaps they were talking about their sheep because shepherds of the special relationships they had with their flocks. In fact, the shepherds were so close to their sheep that any member of their flock could recognize and know the sound of their voice, responding to it and it alone.

Yes, on the surface it seemed like just any other ordinary night but suddenly the scriptures tell us that an “angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.” The spontaneous, supernatural experience left the shepherds terrified much like Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph were in their prior encounters with Gabriel (Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 1:11-20, 26-38). And so we find the angel doing as he had done before, seeking to calm the shepherds’ fears by simply saying, “Do not be afraid” before delivering what would be a great proclamation, the first formal announcement of Jesus’ birth.

“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.”

I have always found this totally amazing because the announcement that the long awaited Messiah had come was not given to the most renowned Jewish priest or teacher of the law. It was not given to anyone in a significant leadership position in any of the main Jewish locales like Judea or Galilee. Ditto for anyone in Roman authority like Emperor Caesar Augustus or Syria’s governor Quirinius or Jerusalem’s King Herod. No, the divine public statement of Christ’s birth came to a group of humble shepherds, a cultural group who were considered near the bottom of Jewish societal hierarchy. They would have been the last group that any Jew would have picked for such a declaration but as we know, God does not move at the will of any man or woman. Rather, He does things in His perfect way at His perfect time.

And so the shepherds were the recipients of one of the greatest proclamations in human history and that would have been enough on its own but there was one more amazing experience in store for them.

For we read where “a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel” suddenly, “praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest Heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.’”

The angel had no more brought the good news of Jesus’ birth when the sky burst into the light surrounding a “great company of the heavenly host”. We don’t know how many angels were in this company but they could have been as many as would be in an army. That’s a lot of angels and they formed quite a choir as they praised God and pronounced the glory and peace on earth that had come through the holy baby lying in the Bethlehem manger, the One who came to save the world.

And then, it was over.

The angels disappeared into Heaven as quickly as they had come and the shepherds were left where they were before the great proclamation happened. Their surroundings had not changed but they, they were changed forever having gone through an experience they would never forget. This experience was so incredible that the scriptures tell us they quickly decided to “go to Bethlehem and see” what had happened, the thing that the Lord had told them about. Unable to harness the thrill and excitement within, they couldn’t wait to go, seek, and find the baby Messiah.

Friends, Christmas has come and gone for another year and we have returned to our familiar surroundings, most of us working in ways we did before we celebrated Jesus’ birth. With this, we have a choice to either just let things return to normal or like the shepherds, run to Bethlehem to seek and find Jesus anew in our hearts and minds.

The great proclamation of the heavenly host announced that hope and peace for all mankind had come through Jesus and this hope and peace is still here, no matter how world events might try to have us believe otherwise.

With this, shouldn’t we be just as excited as those shepherds were on that chilly Judean night after receiving the good news of great joy for all people?

Today and forever more, let us rejoice in Jesus, the One who has brought us salvation and reigns in authority over all things in Heaven and earth, despite beginning His life in a lowly stable with only His parents there to witness His birth. Truly, it is the greatest rags to divine riches story ever.

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 to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A MANGER FOR FOR A KING?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.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

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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

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

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him 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 Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:26-38

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.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Luke 2:1-7

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

Royal births are a very big deal and throughout history have drawn great fanfare and attention, mostly because they establish continuity in royal succession. And while there was a place of power for women as queens, the prize gender was male, so much so that there was incredible pressure at the time of birth for a boy to be born so to establish an heir to the throne.

Further, these births in days past were actually public events as mothers would deliver their children before crowds of people. While this would seem crazy in our modern times, there were always concerns in the past that perhaps a baby might be swapped out at birth, creating a situation where an illegitimate successor might grow up and into great power.

We should also know that there were dedicated gynecologists in the service of the royals. They could afford the best in care for the expecting mother as she moved toward and through delivery.

Finally, the baby born into royalty would only have the finest of everything. The finest clothes, food, and crib to sleep in would be provided.

With all this in mind, we move to the reason for this special day called Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. As we see in the verses from the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, His lineage and future were foretold before He was even conceived by the Holy Spirit within a young virgin woman named Mary. Here’s what the angel Gabriel said about the long predicted Messiah:

- He will be great and be called Son of the Most High, the Son of God.

- He would be given the throne of David, the very former king of Israel of which both she and Joseph were in the line of.

- He would reign over Jacob’s descendants (all who descended from the twelve tribes of Israel).

- His kingdom would never end.

We can sum all this up with this truth:

This baby would carry a level of royalty that had never been seen before Him and would never be seen afterwards for all eternity. This is how special and imperial Jesus was and will be forever.

So given all this, Mary would only have the best as she prepared to give birth and her baby Jesus would be born in the most exceptional of accommodations, right?

Not exactly.

For what we know in the scriptures, the pregnancy didn’t hold significance for anyone with the exception of the couple who would parent Him. In fact, no other authorities were aware of His pending birth.

Not the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus who “issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world”.

Not the Roman governor Quirinius who had been placed in power over Syria.

Not King Herod who the Romans had placed in authority over the holy city of Jerusalem.

No, there was no fanfare or excited anticipation of Jesus’ coming. Rather, it was mostly business as usual across Galilee and Judea as Joseph and Mary set out for Bethlehem to Nazareth to register as Caesar Augustus had ordered. It definitely wasn’t something a woman at the end of her pregnancy term should have been doing as the journey was harrowing. It was a trip on foot for seventy to ninety miles, depending on the route taken and this would last anywhere from four to seven days. Perhaps Mary getting all the way to Bethlehem without problems is a miracle in and of itself within this story.

We should note that no one was standing by and ready for Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem. No room had been set aside for the mother who would deliver the very Son of the Most High into the world. In fact, the couple could only find a stable to shelter from the night chill and it was there that “she gave birth to her firstborn, a son”. There was no medical assistance here and we can only assume that Joseph served as her attendant because none of the animals in the stable would have been of any help outside of witnessing the coming of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

The scriptures tell us that Mary took the baby King Jesus and “wrapped Him in cloths” before putting Him “in a manger”, what would have been a stone feeding trough for the animals that was probably lined with hay so to provide a cushion for the newborn baby.

And that was that.

God’s one and only Son born in the lowest, humblest circumstances and only a cadre of common shepherds tending their flocks outside the city would receive the news (Luke 2:8-20). Indeed, this King had come for everyone, the poor and the rich and everyone in between. Through Him, God gave His created people the best gift ever, the gift of salvation from the sins that had everyone destined for eternal damnation and torment in Hell.

Today, the Savior of the world is born, the One who rules and reigns in all authority over everything in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Make room in your heart for Him, rejoice in Him with abundant gladness, and celebrate the promise of Heaven found in believing in Him.

Merry CHRISTmas everyone.

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 to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

ADVENT SERIES: THE ONLY LOVE THAT SAVES FOREVER

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.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

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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

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

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:9-10

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

It’s Christmas Eve and the last day of the Advent. Tomorrow, we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus.

It’s also the last day of messages that have spanned this Advent season. Since November 30th, the Lord has given me weekly series, centered on the Advent theme of that week. First, it was hope followed by peace and joy before entering this last week by looking at the matter of love.

To date, we have learned the following:

1. The scriptures command us to love.

https://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com/2025/12/advent-series-commanded-to-love.html

2. True love, the love defined by the Bible, can never be taken away from a Christ believer.

https://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com/2025/12/advent-series-permanent-love.html

Finally, we saw that when we love as we’re commanded, it never fails because it is a love dictated by a perfect God who gives us flawless scriptures.

https://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com/2025/12/advent-series-love-never-fails.html

That brings us today and the hope found in baby Jesus that forms our joy on Christmas, a hope that was birthed from the love of God the Father. Look at our two passages today, both from John:

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

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

Since mankind’s great fall into sin through Adam and Eve’s indiscretion at Eden’s tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3), all people became transgressors who fell short of God’s glory. Indeed, they were at enmity with the omnipotent Maker and Master of all things, not a place anyone should want to be.

This enmity created a chasm between the Creator and His created people, a separation that removed any possibility of eternal salvation. Rather, all were destined for the everlasting torment and damnation of Hell.

It was into this dilemma that we find God resolving this issue and He did so out of love. Before this resolution could happen, atonement was needed, not by way of the endless procession of animal sacrifices that were only temporary but through a divine offering that would bring mercy, grace, forgiveness, and salvation once and for all.

This sacrifice was Jesus, God’s “one and only Son” who would be God’s perfect and unblemished Lamb (John 1:29), sent from Heaven to earth so to serve as “an atoning sacrifice for our sins”. All one needed to do in order to be saved was believe in Christ, therefore becoming a Christian. This simple decision carried eternal blessings for it delivered the believer from perishing and ushered them into eternal life.

We should note that there isn’t anything that anyone can do to earn this redemption. There’s no to-do list of items one needs to accomplish such as loving God so He could love in the best way ever in return. Rather, God saves us through His Son, not because we loved Him first but because “He loved us” and desired to save us strictly by way of His deep compassion and kindness.

Friends, as we finish up this Advent season and look to Bethlehem tomorrow on Christmas Day, may we also keep one eye on the cross because this little infant who will be wrapped in swaddling cloth and laid in a manger will grow up to die in our place, purchasing our pardon with His own life before being resurrected in power three days later so that we can have the chance to do likewise for placing our faith and trust in Him.

Until that time, the day when this earthly life ends and our forever life in Heaven begins, let us continue to rejoice in our Savior Jesus, the One God gave freely so that “we might live through Him” every day He blesses us with here on earth.

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 to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

ADVENT SERIES: LOVE NEVER FAILS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.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

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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

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

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:8a

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

God’s Word is inerrant, perfectly true, and without flaw. One affirmation of this is in the Book of Proverbs, chapter 30, verse 5:

Every word of God is flawless.

We also see this in the 119th chapter of the Book of Psalms:

See how I love Your precepts; preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with Your love. All Your words are true. Vv. 159-160a

Finally, while praying for His disciples, Jesus said these words to His Father God:

“My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:15-17

Now, you might be wondering why this message on love, the third of this short series as we wrap up the season of Advent, would begin with a discussion about the complete infallibility of the scriptures. Well, we need to establish and verify this because of these three very important words found within what is known as the Bible’s love chapter: 1 Corinthians, chapter 13.

Love never fails. v.8a

It really doesn’t.

You see, we are the ones who fail. We fail to properly exercise the faultless love of the Bible in our dealings with one another, a love that first begins by giving all our devotion to God, every bit of it from our heart and soul and mind. As we saw in the first message in this series, we’re commanded to do this and when we’re obedient to that command, giving the Lord our full devotion, then His love becomes our love as we are completely yoked with Him. We can then go onto fulfill the second great commandment spoken by Jesus to love our neighbors (Matthew 24:34-39).

Friends, the love that comes from God is as indefective as His Word and when shared with others, this love never fails. Going back to 1 Corinthians 13, it’s a love that looks like this:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Vv. 4-7

These verses show us where things go wrong in our relationship with God and the people of this world. For we are the ones who are imperfect and therefore to blame when the love we’re commanded to doesn’t work out, not that love itself.

And so if we’re ever going to hope to love as we should, to love in a way that never fails, then we need to love as Jesus did for as we know, He was God in the flesh, a truth that started with His birth in Bethlehem’s manger, a birth we’re ready to celebrate with great joy and excitement in two days.

Before I close, let me address one more thing that’s very important. For what do we do when we extend the love prescribed by the scriptures to someone and they don’t love us back in return?

The answer is simple.

Don’t stop loving that person because we know that love never fails.

Here’s a real life illustration for you, one that’s very personal for me.

My wife, Grace, and I just celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary, a testimony to how the Lord’s love endures between two people over time, bringing abundant blessings within a relationship between a man and woman who truly become one flesh. And although it has been a joyous ride together, things didn’t exactly begin in storybook fashion for we faced a major dilemma at the very beginning of our relationship.

You see, Grace and I are a bi-racial couple. She is black and I am white...and although skin color obviously wasn’t a big deal for us as we were fell in love with one another, it surprisingly became an issue with my parents, especially my father who essentially excommunicated me.  

And so my dad didn’t attend our wedding, although my mother did and after that, Grace and I went north to visit several times but my father conveniently left the house, leaving us to just visit with my mom. To say it was hurtful is an understatement and if I’m honest, I was angry, angry that I was never raised with a bias that obviously was under the surface of what my dad believed.

With all this, I wasn’t sure how to respond.

On one hand, the world and Satan were urging me to respond in kind to my father. An eye for an eye. If he didn’t want me (us) in his life, then I can do likewise.

But the Lord had other things in mind and I was drawn to the love chapter in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, specifically to those three magic words:

Love never fails.

And so the Lord, through His perfect Word, led me to keep loving my father, even if he didn’t love us back. I sent him cards on his birthday and Christmas with gifts inside, letting him know that I (we) loved him. There was never reciprocation but I refused to give up.

Finally, I was contacted by my sister who lives about an hour from my parents and asked if we would attend a family reunion she was coordinating. My other siblings were all going to be able to attend and of course my first concern was regarding my father and how he would receive us. My sister told me that he wanted to reconcile.

And so we made an eight hour drive to attend the reunion and when we arrived at my parent’s home, my dad was inside and so I went in first as Grace opted to remain outside for the moment. I can honestly say that I had never seen my father so overcome with emotion. He was weeping inconsolably and so I went and sat next to him on the couch, put my arm around him, and told him it was okay, that I loved and forgave him.

He couldn’t understand that. How could I love him when he had treated me (us) so horribly?

In answer to his question, I told him that if God could love and forgive a sinner like me by willingly giving up His only Son to save me, then I could love and forgive anyone the same.

Then, Grace came into the house and met my dad for the very first time. He began sobbing again, much worse than the first time, and my wife did just what I did, embracing my father and letting him know she loved him.

Brothers and sisters, from that day on until his passing some twenty-one years later in 2011, my dad treated Grace as if she was one of his own. To this day, I believe he was really trying to make amends for what he had done and what helped this effort was the wonderful miracle that also came from that day. For my dad, who would only go to church if he was forced to on major holidays like Easter and Christmas, began attending a small church every single Sunday. He gave his life to Jesus and truly became a new creation through Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).

After this, I couldn’t help but think how either Grace or I or the both of us together could have messed things up if we hadn’t chosen the right option, to love and forgive as Christ does, a love and forgiveness that never fails.

I don’t know what your relationships look like as we get set to rejoice in the birth of our Savior but I pray that this message can offer you encouragement and hope where things may be strained or broken. In those instances, don’t ever stop loving as your commanded and never lose faith in what the Lord might be doing in the process because God’s Word is truth and His Word says that love never fails.

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 to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.