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Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: JOY is the Heart of Christmas! (LISTEN HERE)

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“You’ve got to see this!”

When someone comes running to you out of breath and wants you to come and see, their energy, their directness and bated breath compel you to go and see what they have seen.

This is the perspective that comes from the angels as they came to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth.

“You’ve got to see this!”

Once the shepherds got over their fear, they went to see what the angel had told them.

Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 

The reason I perceive the angels enthusiasm is because the message they had to bring was one of “good news” and the KNEW it would cause great JOY for all the people.

All people!

Not just the shepherds.  Not just Mary and Joseph.  But EVERYONE who heard the news.  

Because the news was nothing BUT good news.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Messiah, the Lord.

Perhaps for centuries the angels had been waiting for the direction to “go and tell.”

Like a child who has an amazing secret who can barely contain their energy and enthusiasm, were the angels waiting for the Lord God to say, “OK, now.  Go and tell the world the good news.”

Good news is easy to tell because you know it will bring external happiness and internal joy.  The message of Christmas is intended to generate and INTERNAL joy.  While the external circumstances were amazing of a baby born of Mary and Joseph (who doesn’t like to tell people of a birth of a new baby?), yet the joy was from the faithful work of the Lord.  The birth wasn’t just another baby.  The baby was “Messiah.”  The baby was “Savior.”

In Jesus was the culmination of the plan and promises of God.  In the baby of Bethlehem was captured God himself in human flesh come to this earth to live with us, die for us, and rise to assure us.

Joy is generated because of the work of God on our behalf.  When we see the love, grace and mercy of God at work on OUR behalf, this…THIS causes great joy inside of us.  To think that God thought enough of you and me to send his Son into this world is truly good news that causes great joy.

This joy is not determined by our current or external circumstances, but simply by the faithfulness and grace of God working on our behalf.  In the manger of Bethlehem is the greatest gift you and I could ever receive.  He is a gift that causes great joy in every circumstance of life.  It’s this gift we will reflect on this week as the heart of Christmas focuses on the joy God gives to us in the manger of Bethlehem.

Apply: If you were the shepherds, how would the words of the angels affected you?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love and faithfulness to send Jesus for us.  This is truly good news that instills great joy in our hearts.  Let that never be forgotten or falter.  AMEN.

 

Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Peace is the Heart of Christmas! (LISTEN HERE)

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John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

To end the week, let’s hear Jesus’ words and allow them to sink into our hearts. 

Here’s the key truth that has resonated in my heart.  Does it resonate with you?

If we seek peace in things that are temporal, our peace will be temporary.

If we seek peace from the ONE who is eternal, our peace will be eternal.

Jesus gives us a peace the world cannot give…yet we still are tempted to seek a peace from the world. 

We seek peace from our wealth.  We seek peace in a stable career.  We seek peace from the work of politicians and governing officials.  We seek peace through avoidance.  We seek peace through alcohol and other addictions.  We seek peace by escape and mindless entertainment.  

The list goes on, but the peace doesn’t.  All the world can do is offer a temporary peace.

Which God knew and chose to do something about.

The Baby born in the manger of Bethlehem was the eternal Son of God.  The peace that he brought to earth was the favor of the almighty, eternal, loving God who wanted to give us a peace the world could not give.

Our hearts will still get troubled, worried and afraid.  When they do, the source of peace is still the same: Jesus.

The peace he gives allows our hearts to be calm amidst the chaos and challenges of the world around us.  Why? Because with Jesus we have our biggest problem of sin covered, we have the one who can do all things on our side, and the one who rules over all doing so for our blessing and benefit.

So as you peer in the manger of Bethlehem, receive God’s gift of peace.

He assures you everything is whole, balanced and right with him.  When shalom is secure with the Lord, we truly have a peace that transcends all understanding.

Apply: What changes when you find eternal peace with the gift of Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to bring a true, lasting, eternal peace to my heart.  AMEN.

Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Peace is the Heart of Christmas! (LISTEN HERE)

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How are your relationships doing?

Are your relationships at peace?

It may be easy to answer, “Yes, they are!” to this question.

But are they?

How do you know?  Perhaps a few questions.

Is there someone in your work place, school, or church with whom you are ok not interacting and avoiding?

Is there someone with whom you have to interact regularly that irritates you, but you put on a happy facade and pretend everything is ok?

When someone asks you, “How are you doing?” you say, “OK” but really you want to lay into them and “let them have it”?

Because very few of us enjoy or willing to engage in conflict, we often settle for a superficial peace with others.  On the outside, it “seems” like everything is good…we may even say that it is, but inside there is a rift and resentment that is growing.

So how does the gift of Jesus in Bethlehem affect peace in our relationships with others?

While I’m not a huge fan of the “What would Jesus do?” phrase, I do appreciate the thought, “What has Jesus done?”  When I look at what Jesus has done for me, it inspires and motivates me to interact with others the same way.  It is not easy, but there is blessing when Jesus’ interaction with me can inspire and empower me to engage with others in a similar way.

• Jesus came for me because he loved me.  Jesus helps me to see people and love them.

We love because he first loved us.  I was not the perfect, huggable, lovable person we seek to have in other people.  I was a natural enemy of God, yet Jesus came because he loved me.  While I was still sinful, Jesus loved me.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

• Jesus came for me to forgive me.  Jesus helps me to interact with people and forgive them.

Jesus came to this world to restore my relationship with his heavenly Father.  In order to do that a perfect life was needed and payment for sin was needed.  He did both…for me.  Only because of the forgiveness of Jesus am I able to now “forgive as I have been forgiven.”

Galatians 4:3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

• Jesus came to serve me.  Jesus helps me see people’s needs and serve them.

Jesus had every right to demand others serve him.  He had the right to refuse to serve people who sinned against him.  But he didn’t.  Without any return on his investment of time, he served us to save us.  So, as hard as it is, we serve others because we have been served by Jesus…even when it is hard or “not deserved.”

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Is living at peace, true peace, with people easy?  Nope.  But true peace is much more a blessing than superficial peace.  So receive the gift of Jesus as a gift to your relationships and learn from him to love, forgive and serve as you have been loved, forgiven and served.

Apply:  Think of a relationship in which you are experiencing a more superficial peace.  How might Jesus’ love, forgiveness, or service motivate you to work to restore a true peace with that individual?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving, forgiving and serving me.  Help me to build peace with others by loving, forgiving and serving them.  AMEN.

Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Peace is the Heart of Christmas! (LISTEN HERE)

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“I don’t feel like praying.”

“I’ll get to church next week.”

“God just doesn’t seem real to me right now.”

“We should probably find a church for the kids.”

Have you ever found yourself thinking or saying these things or similar? 

Perhaps there is little significance in the words.  However, articulating these thoughts could be symptomatic of a deeper issue:

You are lacking peace with God.

Deflections, excuses, busyness and more can all be reasons we drift from God.  It’s not just that we “got busy,” but subconsciously we really don’t want to be around God.  A person may just say, “I don’t believe in God anymore.” Or they may concede, “They should…but just don’t see the need for it.”

Perhaps the real reason is they have no peace with God…and are concerned what he would communicate to them if they interacted with him.

After the first sin the reaction of Adam and Eve was to hide from God.

Genesis 3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 

God hadn’t changed, but the behavior of Adam and Eve broke the peace they enjoyed with God.

This reality happens in human relationships.  If you wronged someone, or they wronged you and their is a relational strain, the natural tendency is to avoid that person…or hide from them. (Why do fugitives run from the law?  They know their behavior has broken the peace between them and their community!)

So an avoidance of God, in whatever fashion for whatever amount of time is a sign of a lack of peace with God.

The solution?

Perhaps we think we can do more good to balance the scale, try harder or do better than most others…but the reality,  our performance, since it lacks in perfection, will always leave a question of whether we have peace with God.

So what we cannot establish on our own, God does for us.  He takes the initiative and does the work to establish peace with us.  How?  The Apostle Paul describes:

Colossians 1:19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

What reestablishes peace with God is the perfect life, innocent death, and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Feel a lack of peace with God?  The place to look is the cross and hear God say to you, “You are forgiven.  Jesus died for you.  We are at peace.”

And then you don’t have to hide from God ever again!

Apply: Evaluate your relationship with God. Are you close to him or avoiding him?  What unresolved sin can you take to Jesus at the cross and hear his words and see his work of forgiveness?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for establishing peace with my soul through the blood of Jesus. AMEN.

Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Peace is the Heart of Christmas! (LISTEN HERE)

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“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)

These words of the angels are familiar at Christmas time.  Perhaps the phrase that is taken from this context is “Peace on earth.”  This phrase appears all over decorations, store decor, home wall-hangings, and words of radio DJ’s.  

Peace on earth resonates so well because we all want it.  Perhaps for a brief season of the year we can bring to an end, or at least a pause, all the things that disrupt our peace.

And they are many.

A short listen to the news and the word of inflation and economic woes coupled with crime and wars and rumors of war, scandals, and political corruption.  Can’t that all just go away?

It doesn’t take much to disrupt the peace in our hearts.  An email that carries bad news.  A text message that expresses frustration.  A smash and grab of your purse from your car. An illness that is worse than expected.  A loved one lost to disease and death.  A financial emergency that you don’t have money to cover.  

Again the list is long.

Sometimes it may feel that the words of the angels are like the false prophets in Jeremiah 6:13-14 whom God condemned as they proclaimed a false peace.

Jeremiah 6:13-14 “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain;

prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.

14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.

‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.

That’s just how it feels sometimes.  Peace on earth?   Ba humbug!

Yet the pithy phrase that seems superficial has a depth that God wants us all to receive as his gift and enjoy…amidst all the things that go on in our life and around us that give reason for our peace to be disrupted.

At the heart of the gift of peace is the Son of God wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

But how?

Perhaps a nuance of the word “Shalom” helps.  At the heart of this Hebrew word is a “perfection” or “balance.”  Shalom, often translated “peace,” is a rich picture of what our hearts desire and what God gives.

Like a scale, our hearts desire a balance, a perfect equilibrium.  When things are out of balance, it disrupts our peace.  Shalom is also a wholeness, a state of being where there is no imperfection.

Are you beginning to see the heart of God to bring “shalom” (peace) at Christmas?

Peace comes to those “on whom God’s favor rests.”

The world offers temporary solutions to a lack of peace (peace treaties, financial stimuli, relationship quick fixes, etc.), but the result is simply a temporary fix.  However the eternal God sends an eternal peace to the world and specifically to our hearts.  It’s this peace that truly puts our hearts at balance and a state of wholeness…even when the circumstances around us are a bit in chaos.

More to come this week.

Apply: List the things that are disrupting your peace today.  How might God’s gift of peace through Jesus begin to restore peace in your heart?

Prayer: Lord, you give a peace the world cannot give.  Help us discover or rediscover the wonderful gift you give us at Christmas in the reality of Shalom!  AMEN.