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Pondering God's promises TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 2:15-21

MORE: New Year's Eve Posted by Violet Nesdoly at 2:00 AM 0 comments 


God's portable house TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 21:1-7

MORE: Michael Card sings “The New Jerusalem”

(From the archives) 


Stephen - a kitchen worker's role model TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 6:8-7:2a

MORE: Feast of St. Stephen 


Joseph's Dilemma 

Joseph has always intrigued me. I think of him as thoughtful and deep, the strong, silent type. Here he faced the dilemma of his life: his beautiful fiancee was pregnant.

My Bible's study notes explain about Jewish betrothals:

Did the culture allow private conversations between engaged young people? If it did, I can imagine Mary's explanation, probably tearful (how could you not be emotional when the love of your life, the man who had your future in his hands, was looking at you with utter shock, disbelief and...revulsion?) even though this was a holy, joyful thing that had happened to her.

Have you noticed how God showing up here just in the nick of time, just as He often comes to us in our emergencies. It never feels soon enough for our likes, but neither is it too late for the situation. God could have alerted Joseph to what was about to happen before any of it transpired, saving him the stress, worry, and crisis. But He didn't. Why? I believe it was because God was developing Joseph's faith at the same time He was working out His plans for the earth in sending Jesus.

God's response to Joseph reminds me of some paragraphs I came across in J. I. Packer's Knowing God. Packer, speaking of another Joseph and his reaction to his brothers in Genesis 45:4-8 says: 

(From the archives.) Advent Calendar - December 24

Christmas Fact:

The magi brought the baby Jesus kingly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The sap of the frankincense tree (Boswellia carteri or Boswellia thurifera) dries into hard, yellowish brown lumps of bum resin known as frankincense. .... The English word “frankincense” comes from the Old French words franc encens, meaning pure or high-quality incense. Although it was most commonly used as incense in ancient times, frankincense was also prescribed as medicine.

The sap of the myrrh tree (Commiphora myrrha) dries into hard, reddish brown lumps of gum resin known as myrrh. It was used as a medicine and a component of perfume and incense.

– Encyclopedia of Christmas pp. 219 & 395

Open December 24
Frankincense tree
Myrrh tree Labels: Advent calendar, Christmas, God's sovereignty, incarnation, J. I. Packer, Joseph, Matthew, quote, re-post


Jesus--is He your King?

"Adoration of the Magi"
attributed to Joseph Christophe (c. 1690-1700) TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 17:16-27

TO CHEW ON: "'And now O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as you have said.'" - 1 Chronicles 17:23

After hearing the prophecy about his kingly line, David went to God and poured out his heart in thanks and agreement: "... let it be established... So let it be established ... let the house of Your servant David be established before You" - 1 Chronicles 17:23-24.

[Establish means to make secure, stable or permanent, to fix firmly, to set up, to found or institute on a firm or lasting basis, to cause to be widely or unquestionably recognized and accepted. Two Hebrew words for 'established' are used here. 'Aman' (vs. 23, 24) means to support, confirm, be faithful to, uphold, and nourish. Kuwn  (vs. 24 second occurrence) means to be firm, stable, secure, enduring.]
If Jesus was indeed the descendant of David through whom this kingly line was established, we would expect to find evidence of that. Let's take a brief look through the Bible for signs of Jesus' kingship.

1. Other prophetic writings thought to refer to Jesus speak of Him as a king (Isaiah 9:7 and Jeremiah 23:5 are two).

2. The angel Gabriel's words to Mary spoke of Jesus' kingly destiny (Luke 1:32-33).

3. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, of which the prophet Micah said, "...out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel" - Micah 5:2.

4. Jesus' lineage connects Him to King David - Matthew 1:1-16.

5. Wise men from the east, guided by a supernatural star came seeking a "King of the Jews" and presented the baby Jesus with gifts associated with royalty - Matthew 2:1-12.

6. Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey shortly before His death was an unmistakeable dramatization of who He was - Matthew 21:1-9.

7. Jesus Himself admitted He was a king, and Herod announced it to the world with an "accusation" nailed to the cross - Matthew 27:11,37.

8. The disciples believed Jesus was a king. They were persecuted and accused because of that belief - Acts 17:5-9. In another place Paul invoked Jesus' kingly power in a prayer - 1 Timothy 6:15.

9. John's visions of Jesus' reveal Him as King - Revelation 14:14; 19:15.

It seems abundantly clear that David's kingly line was established and fulfilled in Jesus. Perhaps all that's left to ponder is, what have we done with King Jesus? Have I established Him as King in my heart? Have you?

PRAYER: Dear King Jesus, please be the ruler supreme in my heart and life. Amen.

MORE: Only 2 more sleeps! Advent Calendar - December 23

Christmas Fact: In Matthew 2, Magi from the East led by a star journey to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem to worship the newborn king.
The word "magi" comes from the ancient Greek magoi, plural of magos and from the Old Persian word magu. Both terms referred specifically to a class of scholar-priests originally from the ancient land of Media, now part of Iran... The magi were famed for their knowledge of astronomy, astrology, dream interpretation, philosophy, and religious ritual.

- Encyclopedia of Christmas p. 346

Open December 23
Adoration of the Magi - painting by Leonardo da Vinci Labels: 1 Chronicles, Advent calendar, Christmas, incarnation, Jesus our King, prophecy


Captives no more TODAY'S SPECIAL: Amos 9:1-15

MORE: Only four more sleeps Advent Calendar - December 21


– Encyclopedia of Christmas pp. 47,48

Open December 21

Virtual tour of the Church of the Nativity - Bethlehem TODAY'S SPECIAL: Titus 1:1-16

Titus isn't the only place the Bible mentions rebuke/reproof.

MORE: Only 10 more sleeps Advent Calendar - December 1

Open December 15

Here’s a simple computer puzzle to try. 


How far will God bring you? TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 7:18-29

As Joyce Meyer puts it:

MORE: Only 12 more sleeps Advent Calendar - December 13


In 1803 small clay statuettes from Provence, called santons (or "little saints") appeared at the Christmas fair in Marseille. These santons became an essential element of the French Nativity scene. In addition to characters mentioned in the biblical accounts of the Nativity, the Provencal santons represented a wide variety of ordinary French townspeople, such as the baker, the mayor, the fishmonger, the village idiot and others. . . Like their Italian counterparts, French Nativity scenes depicted the birth of Christ taking place in a local setting, such as a village in Provence.

Encyclopedia of Christmas p. 409

Open December 13
The Provence tradition of Nativity scenes and santons carries on. Labels: 2 Samuel, Advent calendar, Christmas, David, destiny, God's promises, Joyce Meyer, quote


King forever TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 7:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne will be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:16

David's desire to build God a stationary house of worship ended in quite a tradeoff. Through Nathan the prophet, God said to David, "...the Lord tells you that He will make you a house" 2 Samuel 7:16.

[House (bayit) can mean a dwelling, a family or a temple. Here God was making a promise to David about the permanence of his family and unendingness of his kingdom (2 Samuel 7:11, 16).]
We know that in the short term David saw his son Solomon succeed him. But David's human line eventually petered out. So we see that this was a promise about something bigger than a mere earthly dynasty. Matthew Henry explains:

"These promises relate to Solomon... but they also relate to Christ, who is often called David and the Son of David. To him God gave all power in heaven and earth with authority to execute judgment. He was to build the gospel Temple, a house for God's name; the spiritual temple of true believers, to be a habitation of God through the Spirit. The establishing of his house, his throne and his kingdom forever can be applied to no other than to Christ and his Kingdom" - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary.

Note how the Bible bears this out:

This is the King whose birth we celebrate this season. Let's sing with the carollers:

"Who is He that from His throne
Rules through all the world alone?
'Tis the Lord...the King of glory"  (from "Who is He in Yonder Stall" - Benjamin R. Hanby).

"Hark! the herald angels sing,
'Glory to the newborn King...'" (from "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" by Charles Wesley).

"So bring Him incense gold and myrrh
Come, peasant, king to own Him;
The King of Kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him" (from "What Child is This" by William C. Dix).

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, I pledge my allegiance and loyalty to You again today. I am honoured to be Your subject. Be the King of my heart, my mind, my home, and my life today. Amen.

MORE: Only 13 more sleeps Advent Calendar - December 12


The popularity of living Nativity scenes gave rise to another custom, recreating the crib scene with figurines...

In the 17th century families began to create their own Nativity scenes. These became more elaborate with time. The art form reached spectacular heights in eighteenth-century Naples Italy. Families competed with each other to produce the most elegant and elaborate crib scenes. These scenes expanded far beyond the manger to include village backdrops, ordinary villagers, ruined Roman temples, angels and even foreigners whom the families thought might have rushed to Bethlehem had they known of the miraculous birth.
– Encyclopedia of Christmas p. 408-9

Open December 12

Some nativity scenes - Italy. Labels: 2 Samuel, Advent calendar, Christmas, Jesus our King, prophecy


Inspired communique TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Timothy 3:10-17

We toss around the word "inspired" almost as loosely as we do the word "love." We describe a variety of things as inspired from ways of preparing food to how we feel when we experience an aha moment. So we are not to be blamed when we ask, what does Paul mean, here, when he says, "All scripture is given by the inspiration of God"?

[Of the nine shades of meaning my dictionary gives for "inspire" three seem related to the kind of inspiration Paul is talking about: * to impart or suggest by divine intervention, *to breathe or blow upon, and * to breathe in or inhale.]
In a sidebar article about our focus verse, Jack Hayford explains the method and extent of divine inspiration:

1. It (the Word of God, the Bible) is the word of the Holy Spirit. "Theopneustos" (Greek, meaning inspiration of God) literally means "God breathed." This describes the source of the whole Bible's derivation...the Bible is not the product of elevated human consciousness or enlightened human intellect but is directly "breathed" from God Himself.

2. 2 Peter 1:20-21 elaborates this truth and adds that none of what was given was merely the private opinion of the writer and that each writer involved... was 'moved by' (literally "being borne along") the Holy Spirit ...

3. 1 Corinthians 2:10-13...says that even the words used in the giving of the Bible (not just the ideas but the precise terminology) were planned by the Holy Spirit, who deployed the respective authors of the Bible books to write "comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (literally "matching spiritual words to spiritual ideas"). This biblical view of the Bible's derivation is called the plenary verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, meaning every word is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God." - Jack Hayford, "The Divine Inspiration of the Bible," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, pp. 1714-15.

Have you not felt awe and amazement as you have seen evidence of this divine inspiration yourself? Take for example, how various Bible writers expound on similar ideas, using similar images in passages that were written centuries apart. They do it about:

Let's view God's word as the miracle communique it is, and let it speak into our lives as doctrine, reproof and instruction, equipping us for "every good work."

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Bible. Help me to apply its teachings and truths in my everyday life. Amen.

MORE: Only 14 more sleeps Advent Calendar - December 11


The earliest known Christmas tree ornaments were apples. Medieval actors used them to decorate the paradise tree, the central prop of the paradise play, a medieval European mystery play often performed on December 24th. The apples represented the temptation of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Later, unconsecrated communion wafers were added to the tree, representing the salvation offered to humankind by Jesus Christ.

– Encyclopedia of Christmas, p. 439

Open December 11

Directions to make homemade Christmas ornaments here. Labels: 2 Timothy, Advent calendar, Bible, Christmas, God's word, inspiration, Jack Hayford, quote


The extravagant ministry of Jesus TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 61:1-11

TO CHEW ON: "To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes
The oil of joy for mourning
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:3
The whole of Isaiah 61 refers to the ministry of God's anointed. Who is that? Jesus said these words when He was in the synagogue in Nazareth—a direct quote from Isaiah 61:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives"
He concluded with, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:17-21) telling us that He is that anointed one. So we're pretty safe in saying that the words in today's reading describe the ministry of Jesus.

Let's dig out some of the goodness of the rich images in our focus verse to understand what Jesus' presence in our lives can mean.

1. It is a comfort and a consolation - Isaiah 61:2b-3a.

2. It is a favourable exchange
3. It leads to a stable, productive life.
We become God's planting, His trees of righteousness. This imagery recalls other tree verses:

All this is meant to enhance God's glory, declaring His power and adequacy in living colour through the transformed lives of us, His people.

Let's claim and apply these ministries of Jesus to our lives today.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to exchange my disappointments, griefs and heavinesses for beauty, joy, and praise. I want to be one of Your flourishing, God-honouring trees. Amen.

MORE: Only 15 more sleeps Advent Calendar - December 10


The first carols were not singable songs at all, but ring dances. They were used to celebrate many occasions as well as Christmas, but were not allowed in church. As carols changed and became songs to sing, many of these folk songs, lullabies and hymns were written about Jesus’ birth. Legend says that St. Francis of Assisi first allowed carols to be part of a Christmas midnight service in the 1200s.

Open December 10
“Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” often sung at Christmas, was written by Aurelius Prudentius in the 4th century. It was set to plainsong in the 13th century. Here is a John Michael Talbot rendering of it. Labels: Advent calendar, Christmas, Isaiah, Jesus, Messiah


Thanks and thanks again TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 

MORE: Only 17 more sleeps Advent Calendar - December 8


– Encyclopedia of Christmas p. 474

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Will God answer my prayer? TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 John 5:1-21

That note sums up:

I'll let you know how this turns out.

MORE: Only 18 more sleeps Advent Calendar - December 7


Open December 7 Labels: 1 John, Advent calendar, Christmas, prayer, unanswered prayer