Search

“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.”

Acts 8:4–6

During his days as a university professor, long before his political career began, Woodrow Wilson went to the barbershop for a haircut. He described what happened this way: “A man had come quietly in upon the same errand as myself and sat in the chair next to me. Every word he uttered, though it was not in the least didactic, showed a personal interest in the man who was serving him; and before I got through with what was being done for me, I was aware that I had attended an evangelistic service, because Mr. D. L. Moody was in the next chair. I purposely lingered after he had left and noted the singular effect his visit had upon the barbers in that shop. They did not know his name, but they knew that something had elevated their thoughts. And I felt that I left that place as I should have left a place of worship.”

It is certainly good to have set and determined times for soulwinning, but in truth, we are to take the Good News with us everywhere we go in the world. Many times throughout each week, we have opportunities to speak to others. Yet many times, we do not speak those words that could mean the difference between Heaven and Hell. Perhaps we think that it will cause embarrassment or create a scene. Perhaps we are afraid that our witness will not be welcome. But recognizing the importance of eternity we should be faithful to share the gospel at every chance we get. None of us know when someone’s last opportunity for salvation will be.

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

Philippians 3:17–20

The Scottish preacher Ambrose Shepherd was forced to begin working at a very young age to help support his family. Already a Christian, he stood out in an ungodly environment. Shepherd wrote, “My earlier years were spent in a Lancashire cloth mill. In it I wrought from morning to night side by side with youths of my own age and men who were older. For the most part, young and old, they were practiced in almost every conceivable coarse and brutal way of casting their existence as rubbish to the void. But I think I can truthfully say, that while I tried to be loyal to the conditions of contract, and as a comrade in the ranks was not unpopular, yet they knew that neither within those grim walls nor without them was I of their world.”

God did not call us to fit in with those around us. Instead, He calls us to live on a different level. It should be apparent to everyone who knows us that there is something that sets us apart from the rest of the world. This does not come about from a hypocritical outward holiness such as the Pharisees practiced, but rather from a heart that is in love with God and longs for the day when we will see His face. If we love the things of this world, we will never love Him as we should.

“Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.”

Psalm 119:65–68

There are many in our day who repeat the error of Job’s friends and teach that every problem and every pain is the result of failure in the life of a Christian. While there are certainly consequences for sin, and God does chasten His children, pain in life is not always the result of wrong doing. But whatever the source, whether it is a rebuke for wrongdoing, or a result of living in a fallen world, it is important that we respond properly to the hardships of life.

Many people become bitter and angry at God for what they endure. They forget that the good things they have enjoyed are not a result of their merit, but of God’s grace. Job expressed this truth during his time of great loss and tragedy. “But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).

Charles Spurgeon, who knew firsthand a great deal about both physical and emotional pain wrote, “There is not one moment of your life in which you can do without Christ. Therefore be always at His door, and the wants which you bemoan shall be remembrances to turn your heart unto your Saviour. Thirst makes the heart pant for the water-brooks, and pain reminds man of the physician. Let your wants conduct you to Jesus, and may the blessed Spirit reveal Him unto you while He lovingly affords you the rich supplies of His love!”

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”

Luke 17:15–18

In Gulliver’s Travels, the brilliant satirist Jonathan Swift told of a fanciful trip taken by Lemuel Gulliver, a medical doctor who had become a ship’s captain. After a shipwreck, Gulliver washes ashore on the island of Lilliput, where the residents are only six inches tall. The Lilliputians had very strict rules which Gulliver recounts. Swift wrote, “Ingratitude is reckoned among them a capital crime; for they reason thus, that whoever makes ill return to his benefactors must needs be a common enemy to the rest of mankind, from whom he hath received no obligation. And, therefore, such a man is not fit to live.”

Lack of gratitude is frequently condemned in Scripture—often enough to point out the major implications of this sin. At the beginning of Paul’s description of the path of a people going away from God, we find ingratitude as one of the signs of decline. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:21).

Being grateful produces wonderful results in our hearts and lives because it helps keep us from being filled with pride. When we are thankful to God we acknowledge that He is the source of our blessings and successes, and He deserves the credit for them. It is simply impossible to be proud and thankful at the same time. Yet so often people boast of their accomplishments, not giving thanks to the God who provides so graciously for all that we need.

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:13–16

When Dr. Alexander McKenzie was teaching at Andover Seminary, in the late 1800s, he wanted a way to help his students grasp the nature of Christ. He gave them this assignment: “I [told] them to get a sheet of paper and divide it into three columns. In the first column, they were to write every passage where Christ is spoken of as God-man; in the second column, all the passages where Christ is spoken of as God alone; and in the third, all the passages where He is spoken of as man alone. The first column and the second column filled right up, but as to the third column, I never found a passage speaking of Christ as man alone.”

Misunderstandings about Jesus abound in our day. Most people do not see Him as both completely God and completely man, and the only Saviour and hope of Heaven. Some Christians have been influenced by the opinions and doctrines of the world and fail to understand the true nature and character of the Lord. Jesus is perfect, high and holy and the Messiah whose coming was promised for centuries before He appeared. God’s plan for us is that we become like His Son. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). If our vision of who Jesus is becomes clouded, we will not be shaped into His image.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.”

Isaiah 26:3–5

In 1555, England was riven by religious disputes. Queen Mary was a staunch Catholic and determined to undo the work of her father, Henry VIII, in establishing the Church of England. All those who were not Catholic were at risk. Nearly three hundred were executed during her five year reign, and one of those was a prominent theologian named Nicholas Ridley.

The night before Ridley was to be burned at the stake, his brother visited him and offered to spend the night with him. Ridley declined, saying, “I intend (God willing) to go to bed, and sleep as quietly tonight, as ever I did.” As he was being tied to the stake the next day, Ridley prayed, “Oh, Heavenly Father, I give unto Thee most hearty thanks that Thou hast called me to be a professor of Thee, even unto death. I beseech Thee, Lord God, have mercy on this realm of England, and deliver it from all her enemies.”

No matter how severe a trial we may be called to face, God’s peace is available if we trust in Him and pray. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). The problems we face are not meant to be faced alone, but as children of God we never have to act alone. He is always there when we call on Him.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

Ephesians 6:11–13

After his graduation from Harvard, Samuel Langdon pastored a church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for many years. Just before the Revolutionary War began, Langdon returned to Boston to serve as president of Harvard. But when the fighting started, Langdon, with a great burden for the spiritual health and well-being of the American soldiers, announced to his church that he was going to join the army as a chaplain.

In his diary, Langdon recounted the shocked response of the congregation. Finally he wrote that an elderly deacon stood and said, “Brethren, our minister has acted right. This is God’s cause, and as in days of old, the priests bore the ark into the midst of the battle, so must they do it now. We should be unworthy of the fathers and mothers who landed on Plymouth Rock if we do not cheerfully bear what Providence shall put upon us in the great conflict now before us.”

The freedom we enjoy was purchased at great cost by those “who more than self their country loved.” Many took up the cause, not just in that first American conflict but in all those that have followed. Many of those people went to war because of their faith, believing God had equipped them for the task. As we reflect on those who paid the price for serving our country, we should be grateful for their faith and courage and give thanks to God.

“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”

1 Corinthians 2:13–15

In 1799, Pierre-Francois Bouchard, a soldier in Napoleon’s army fighting in Egypt made one of the most important archaeological discoveries in history—what is now known as the Rosetta Stone. Students of history had long recognized Egyptian hieroglyphic pictures as a written record, but had been unable to decipher what they meant. The stone contained the same text in both hieroglyphics and in ancient Greek, allowing the Egyptian written language to be understood for the first time. Information that they had not previously been able to translate could now be learned.

The Bible is a perfect book, inspired by God and completely without error. Yet the truth in its pages is like a foreign language to those who do not know the Lord. They may see the words, but they cannot comprehend the truth of Scripture. Such understanding and comprehension only comes through the work of the Holy Spirit.

And even as believers, we are not meant to rely on our own intellect and understanding when it comes to handling the Word of God. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Instead we are to rely on the indwelling Spirit of God. One of His primary works in our lives is to help us understand and apply what God has given us in His Word. Of course we should study and try to learn as much as we can from the Bible, but we cannot succeed without His help.

“But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.”

Philippians 2:19–22

In the late 1800s, a preacher in England went to visit a member of his congregation who had taken ill. The man worked the lowly job of a street sweeper. The preacher inquired as to whether anyone had visited the sick man, and was shocked to be told that William Gladstone, the Prime Minister of England, had just left the home. When he asked why Gladstone had visited a man without position or power, the sick man replied, “He always had a nice word for me when he passed my crossing, and when I was not there, he missed me. He asked the man who had taken my place where I was, and when he was told, he put it down on paper, so he called to see me.” He went on to tell his pastor that Gladstone had taken time to read the Bible and pray with him before leaving.

All of us have people in our lives who need a kind and comforting word from someone who cares. Too many times we fail to give it to them because we are not attentive and alert to what is happening around us. It is easy for us to be caught up in the busyness of our daily lives, without noticing those who are in need. Instead, we should take time to consider the needs of those around us, and offer the kind and caring words that can make all the difference to someone with a hurting heart.

“And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.”

2 Samuel 11:1–2

The beginning of the greatest failure of David’s life was a simple decision—he stayed behind in Jerusalem when it was time to fight rather than going into the field with the army. We are not told what led to David’s foolish choice, but we do know the tragic result. He was exposed to a temptation that he would never have seen if he had been where he was supposed to be, and doing what he was supposed to be doing. While there is a time and a place for rest, and it is important for us to care for our health and our bodies, there is also a great danger in avoiding responsibilities and remaining idle.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Some temptations come to the industrious, but all temptations attack the idle.” When we are not doing what we should, we are opening the door to all kinds of trouble. We must never forget that we have an active, aggressive adversary who is constantly looking for ways to bring us down. Peter, who knew about failing to be alert to Satan’s attacks—if he had watched and prayed with Jesus instead of falling asleep, he might have claimed the Lord rather than denying Him—wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

“Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?”

Romans 2:21–23

In 1953, Fred Vinson died unexpectedly from a heart attack at sixty-three years of age. He had a long and distinguished record of service to his country, having been a Congressman, Secretary of the Treasury, and for seven years the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But when Vinson’s heirs attempted to probate his will, it was ruled invalid, because it did not contain the necessary signatures of witnesses. Despite his legal background and many years of training, Vinson had failed to properly execute his own will.

It is not the things we know or believe or proclaim, but what we actually do that determines the course of our lives. There are so many people in our day who think that the problem with conduct is a lack of education, so that if people only knew more they would do better. That ignores the teaching of Scripture and the example of history. Because of our sin nature, knowing what is right does not guarantee good conduct.

In fact, God’s Word specifically warns us of the danger of not putting our knowledge into action. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). God is measuring us by the standard of how much we do of what we know, rather than the standard of how much we know. Satan has often lured people into complacency, and then into sin, by convincing them that knowledge substitutes for obedience. Our focus should be on doing what God has revealed to us in obedience to His commands.

“For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

2 Corinthians 5:13–15

Dr. A. T. Schofield got a new dog when he assumed a pastorate in London. The dog had come from the country, and was not used to city traffic. Schofield always put a stout leash on his collar before taking Jock for a walk. Soon the dog came to love his master, and one day Schofield let him off his leash. The dog ran down to the corner, but then quickly returned. Schofield said, “What was the invisible chain that brought him back without fail? It was the simple fact that the dog had given me his heart from which he could not run away. The law of liberty is the law of love.”

The thing that should most keep us from sin and faithful in service is not the rules God has laid out for us to follow, though those are important and must be followed. It is not primarily our fear that we will be chastened if we stray and suffer consequences for our sin. The first and foremost reason for us to do right and serve God is our love for Him in appreciation for what He has done for us.

So many people in our day are focused on liberty so that they can do as they wish. But the proper focus is on our love for God. We must remember that we have been set free, not so we can live however we please, but so that sin no longer can keep us from doing what God commands.

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

Philippians 2:14–16

In November of 1905, a massive storm swept across the Great Lakes, damaging or sinking nearly thirty freighters on Lake Superior. Business and shipping owners went to Congress and obtained funding to build the Split Rock Lighthouse north of Duluth, Minnesota, to warn ships of the dangerous rocks along the shoreline. The lighthouse was built on a cliff overlooking the spot where two different ships had been driven aground, a region one writer called “the most dangerous piece of water in the world.” The light burned steadily until 1969 when GPS and satellite navigation gave ships the ability to determine their exact location on the lake.

The world we inhabit is a dangerous place, filled with temptations and lures that lead people astray. Many pass on through life heedlessly, ignoring the immediate and eternal dangers that surround them. They sail into the storms, only to find themselves hopelessly lost and headed for disaster. In those dark moments, it is critical that they have a point of warning and hope that shows them the way to safety and deliverance.

That is the role God has called us to play in the world. We have the only hope for those lost on the sea of the world and headed for eternal destruction, and we must be certain that our light shines brightly for those who need to see it. Jesus commanded, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

Matthew 10:28–31

One of the martyrs of the early church, a man named Pionius, was sentenced to be burned to death because he would not renounce his faith. In fact, not only did he refuse to deny the Lord, he spent his last days on earth witnessing to his guards and attempting to convince them to put their faith in Christ. According to the account of his execution, the guards refused Christ, knowing what it would cost them and saying, “You can’t make us willing to burn alive.” Pionius replied, “It is far worse to be burned when you are dead.”

The promises God has given to us are not a guarantee that we will not have problems but instead a guarantee that we will never be forsaken. And when we place the struggles and pains of this life in the context of eternity, it is easy to see that doing what God says is the best choice, regardless of the immediate consequences. This world is not our destination or our purpose. It is merely a temporary residence on the way to eternity.

Those Christians who understand this truth are prepared no matter what trials they may face. No fire can destroy God’s love and care for us. We have His presence in this life, and His promise of Heaven to look forward to in the next. Paul wrote “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

“Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”

Psalm 150:1–6

In October 1789, during his first year as the first president of the United States, George Washington called on the new nation to stop and give thanks to God. Washington issued this proclamation: “WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection, aid and favors...Now, THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country, and for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.”

Praise and thanksgiving are not optional for the Christian. They are a requirement of God for obedient living. As long as you are breathing, you have a duty to give thanks to God for all that He has done for you. We live in an ungrateful society, where expressions of gratitude and appreciation have become rare. We must not allow that spirit to infect our hearts, or it will have a devastating effect on our walk with God.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Psalm 103:1–5

Calvin Coolidge did not expect to sit in the Oval Office, but the sudden death of President Warren Harding in August of 1923 saw him elevated to lead the United States of America. Coolidge relied on his devout faith in God to meet the challenges he faced. Three months after taking the oath of office, Coolidge issued his first Thanksgiving proclamation.

Coolidge wrote, “The American people, from their earliest days, have observed the wise custom of acknowledging each year the bounty with which divine Providence has favored them. We have never failed to find reasons for being grateful to God for a generous preponderance of the good. Even in the least propitious times, a broad contemplation of our whole position has never failed to disclose overwhelming reasons for thankfulness. Thus viewing our situation, we have found warrant for a more hopeful and confident attitude toward the future.”

All of us have received numerous blessings from the Lord for which we should be grateful, not just at one special time of the year, but day after day after day. There is no excuse for us not to be thankful because of the amazing and undeserved blessings God pours out on us day after day. Too many times, we think His blessings are the result of our merit rather than His grace. But all good things come from Him, and we must humbly recognize His role and give Him praise and thanks.

“O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.”

Psalm 67:4–7

Though Henry Alford ended his ministry pastoring large churches in London and Canterbury, he spent the early formative years of his work in a small rural farming community. Life there revolved around the annual cycle of planting, cultivating, and harvesting the crops. A good harvest was not a matter of convenience, but rather a matter of sustenance. If there was no harvest, there would be nothing to eat during the long winter months. During his pastorate, Alford penned this well-loved Thanksgiving hymn:

Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin.

God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.

In a world of plenty and abundance, it is easy for us to forget how dependent we are on God’s gracious provision. Those who have lived through a major natural disaster like an earthquake or a hurricane quickly realize how fragile the chain that fills the shelves of stores and ensures we have multiple choices really is. And we must recognize that ultimately, it is God who makes it possible for us to live and thrive from day to day. Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Yet in truth most of us take our food supply for granted. Instead, we should stop to reflect that even in a wealthy society, it is only God’s grace that keeps things running.

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Psalm 100:1–5

Through the centuries, people have tried many different routes to achieving closeness and a sense of God’s presence. Many of these are part of false religions, and no matter how elaborate the ceremonies or how extravagant the sacrifices, they are praying to gods that cannot see or hear or respond. There may be some semblance of a religious experience, but there can never be the close connection that Christians have with the Father in Heaven who loves and cares for them.

If we want to be close to God, to come into His presence as we have been invited and commanded to do, we must be people of praise. God’s goodness to us is overwhelming. It is beyond our ability to fully comprehend, and no matter how grateful we are, we will never exhaust the list of things for which we are indebted to Him. When we praise God, it brings us into His very presence. David wrote, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3).

The pathway to God’s presence is paved with the praises of His people. When we insist on prideful self-reliance, we should not be surprised to find ourselves feeling distant from God. He has already warned us that would happen. “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). Lift your heart to God today in grateful thanks and humble praise.

“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.”

Zechariah 4:8–10

The rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem following the Babylonian Captivity was a lengthy and arduous process. When Solomon built the first Temple, he had access to vast financial resources, and the kingdom was safe and prosperous. In contrast, the building project undertaken in the days of Ezra by Nehemiah and Zerubbabel was done while surrounded by enemies and threats. One of the problems that delayed the construction was the feeling of some people that because what they were doing was so much smaller and less than the original, it was not worthy of their commitment and sacrifice. God sent the prophet Zechariah to challenge them to do all that they could, trusting God to provide the rest.

Many times we are tempted to overlook what seems to us to be small things, not realizing that those may be the very things that make the biggest difference. The world may ignore or mock what we are able to do, but God does not. He keeps track of even the smallest investments that we make in His work, and rewards us for them. Jesus said, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). Doing nothing because we are only able to do a little is foolish, and keeps us from reaching our best for God.

“And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.”

Acts 10:13–16

Oswald Smith recounted the story of a Christian young lady who was struggling with the issue of God’s will for her life. After hearing a powerful sermon on obedience and discipleship from the British preacher Graham Scroggie, she went forward and told him she was struggling with yielding her life completely to God. When he asked why, she told him that she was afraid God would call her to China as a missionary. Scroggie opened his Bible to Acts 10 and read her Peter’s words, “Not so, Lord.” He explained that this was an impossible contradiction. Either Jesus is really Lord, in which case we cannot decline, or we are lord in His rightful place. He told the young lady to either cross out “Not so” or else cross out “Lord” for she could not have both. After she prayed, she took the pen and crossed out “Not so,” yielding her life to God completely.

We have a culture that celebrates what they call freedom, which is usually simply a more polite word for unrestrained license to do whatever someone wants. Of course that is not true freedom, because sin always leads to bondage in the end. But as Christians, we must guard our hearts and minds to ensure that we are not influenced by the world into thinking that we can pick and choose which commandments we will obey and which we will regard as optional. We are not in charge of our lives. We do not belong to ourselves. And we have no right to say “Not so, Lord.”

“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”

Hebrews 12:15–17

The devil is a deceiver, and one of his most effective lies is to tell us that sin is not really that dangerous. In the Garden of Eden he used this lie to persuade Eve to take the forbidden fruit. “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). But sin is deadly, and it has consequences that reach far beyond what we expect. Indeed if we saw those consequences clearly, we would never yield to temptation. But sin is deceitful, and we must remain on guard.

Dr. John Rice said, “Sin always leads to a hardened heart. You cannot sin and be the same. You think you can play with sin and when you are ready, leave sin alone. When you are ready to leave sin alone, sin is not ready to leave you alone. Sin of itself, necessarily and always, changes the character, hardens the heart, dulls the sensibilities to right and wrong, sears the conscience as with a hot iron, makes it so you do not want to do right, though you once did. Sin itself hardens the heart. It always turns out that way.”

We do not develop immunity to sin by being exposed to small doses of it. Instead small doses of sin damage our conscience and our sensibilities, and leave us vulnerable to even deeper sin. We must treat every sin, even the “little” ones, as the deadly poison that it is.

“And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

Mark 1:32–35

Jesus had many purposes for His time here on Earth. His overarching mission was to be the Saviour of the world, but He also spent a great deal of time touching the lives of hurting people, offering them healing and hope. And He poured years of His life into training a small group of disciples who would carry on His work after He returned to Heaven. Yet even with His busy days and nights of teaching and ministry and so much that needed to be accomplished while with others, Jesus often took time to be alone to commune with the Father.

We live in a hyper-connected world where technology has made it easy for us to be in contact with others pretty much around the clock. But while we must be invested and connected to others in order to minister to them, there must also be times of solitude and quiet when we are alone with God. Andrew Bonar wrote, “In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone. It is not in society that the soul grows most vigorously. In one single quiet hour of prayer it will often make more progress than in days of company with others. It is in the desert that the dew falls freshest and the air is purest.” The voice of God can easily be drowned out by the hustle and bustle of life unless we intentionally take time to be in His presence.

“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”

2 Chronicles 5:13–14

Thomas Hooker was a powerful preacher and effective author in the early 1600s. He fled from England to America because of religious persecution, and helped establish the city of Hartford, Connecticut. Even today he is known as the “Father of Connecticut.” Hooker’s life made a difference, and he accomplished a great deal for the Lord, but he never forgot what God had done for him. It is said that on his deathbed, one of Hooker’s friends told him, “You are going to receive the reward of your labors.” The dying pastor replied, “No, I am going to receive mercy.”

The unfailing need that we have for God’s mercy because of our fallen state is matched by the unfailing supply of mercy that God provides to those who trust in Him. “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). No matter how much we work for God, how much we give, how much we witness, how much we accomplish, we are still utterly dependent on His mercy. Our best attempts fail to measure up to God’s standard. But mercy covers our faults with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, allowing God to see us as acceptable unto Him.

“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.”

1 Corinthians 9:16–18

In 1841, Michael Culbertson left a promising military career for a new line of work. Culbertson, who had graduated sixth in his class from West Point in 1839 and later taught at that school, determined God was calling him to China as a missionary. He left behind the US Army for God’s army. Culbertson was in China when the American Civil War began, and many of those he had trained at West Point were now leaders of the army.

A friend told Culbertson that if he had remained in America and was still part of the army, he would surely have been a general in the war. Culbertson responded, “No doubt I might. Men I drilled are in that position. Among these are Sherman, Thomas, Rosecrans. But there is not one with whom I would be willing to exchange. There is no post of influence on earth equal to that of a man who is permitted to give the Word of God to four hundred million of his fellow men.”

There are many things in this life which are valuable and important and worthy of our effort, but there is one task that above all others focuses on the next life, and that is reaching out to others with the gospel. If we accomplish great temporal things but do nothing which impacts eternity, the world may praise us, but eternity will not.

“And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.”

1 Samuel 3:1–4

The amount of labor required to produce a hand written copy of even the first five books of the Bible was intense and meant that God’s people for thousands of years did not have easy access to much of what He had spoken. During the time of Samuel, the priests kept the sacred scrolls and ensured they were preserved, but most people did not have entire copies that they could read and study for themselves. As a result, they treasured the chance when they could hear the words of God read to them.

In our day the Bible is readily available. Thanks to modern technology, we can take it with us everywhere we go and read it in any number of different formats. We can even access study guides and resources to help us understand more clearly what we read. Yet with all of that available to us, we too often do not take the time to actually read the Bible and value it for the great treasure that it is. Charles Spurgeon said, “The Old and the New Testaments, are my heritage. I rejoice to accept them as the estate of my mind, the treasure of my thought, the mint of the heavenly realm, the mine from which I can explore fresh veins of thought as long as I live, claiming all as my heritage forever.”

“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:”

2 Corinthians 6:1–3

The story goes that long before England was united into a single nation, one of the ancient Saxon kings faced a rebellion on the part of his nobles. He assembled his forces and marched into the field, where he defeated the armies arrayed against him. In an effort to heal the divisions, he extended an offer of amnesty to anyone who would come before him and renew their oath of allegiance. However, the offer was not extended indefinitely. The king set up a large candle by the entrance to the castle and sent the word out, “You must come before the king before the candle burns out.”

We often talk about the deadline for receiving God’s gift of salvation, because that offer expires when life here on earth ends. While that is true, that is not the only opportunity that can be missed. When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth to instruct them in how to work effectively for God, he quoted the words of Isaiah, a prophet not to the heathen, but to God’s people. These words of warning about missed opportunities are meant for us.

Life is not meant to be lived in a careless and casual manner. Each day brings us opportunities for service to God and others that will never come again. We are not promised tomorrow. Knowing that life is uncertain and brief, we must be busy while we are alive, doing all that we can to do God’s work in this world.

“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

Matthew 1:22–25

Thousands of years before Jesus was born, the first prophecy about His coming was made to Adam and Eve. Over the centuries that followed, more and more promises were made concerning the time, location, and manner of His birth. Every one of those was fulfilled in exact detail, not as a result of coincidence or happenstance, but because God arranged it perfectly. He worked on the hearts of powerful world leaders as well as ordinary common people, and did all that was required to keep His promises.

The story of Christmas is a powerful faith-building story if we look at it through the lens of fulfilled prophecy. All of the promises God has made to us, even ones not yet fulfilled, are just as certain and sure as those which have already come to pass. Every promise is kept because God will make whatever arrangements are necessary to fulfill them.

The challenges we face are not more daunting than those Mary and Joseph faced. The same power that watched over them and kept them safe on the long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and then the even longer journey from Bethlehem to Egypt is at work in our lives today. We can confidently expect God to do all that He has said. His promises are the power that we need for victory in daily living.

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

Daniel 9:25–26

Henry Heinz was building a successful company in the years following the American Civil War, but that rapid growth left them poorly prepared to deal with the national economic upheaval that came to be known as the Panic of 1873. After two years of struggle to keep his company afloat, Heinz finally filed for bankruptcy. Though the court case meant that the debts were no longer legally owed, Heinz felt responsible for them. When his new company began to prosper, he paid off every creditor in full, even though he was not obligated to do so.

The debt of our sin is far beyond our ability to pay. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Without God’s salvation, we are condemned to spend eternity apart from Him in Hell. No amount of good works, religious activity, or keeping the law can meet His perfect standard of holiness. We are completely hopeless and doomed without Him. But God’s love for us sent His own Son into to the world to save us. Jesus said, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour” (John 12:27). Jesus came in a manger to pay for our sins on the cross. He didn’t die for Himself—for His sin, because He never sinned. He died for our sin, and He lives today and offers salvation as a free gift.

“Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”

Luke 19:42–44

The fact that there was no room for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem was the result of two factors. First, the town was overcrowded due to the census that required everyone to return to their family’s hometown to register. The more important factor, however, was not that the town was full, but that the people of the town did not recognize what was happening. Any observant Jewish family would have welcomed the Messiah with open arms. However, since He did not come in the fashion they expected, they missed the opportunity to give a birthplace to Jesus.

The same pattern followed during His ministry on earth. Though there were some who heard the Good News and believed Jesus was the Messiah, many were looking for a conquering leader who would expel the Romans and restore independence to Israel instead. The message Jesus preached did not satisfy their desires, so they rejected Him, despite the clear evidence of God’s power in the many miracles that He worked and the truth He taught.

There are many times God does not do what we expect or want Him to do, but that does not mean He is absent or uncaring. Often He works in ways different than we imagine. If we are bound by our expectations, we may miss a wonderful opportunity God has set before us through a failure to recognize what it is.

“And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?”

2 Samuel 7:16–18

The promises that God made to David concerning the continuation of his royal line were not broken by the destruction and conquest of Israel. Though Israel has not had an earthly king for thousands of years, the promise of God was not just for a ruler to sit in Jerusalem. Instead He was declaring, long before it came to pass, that the Messiah and Saviour would be born from David’s family. And both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David through different sons, fulfilling what God had said.

Christ did not come to the world as a ruler. Instead, He came in humility and poverty, set aside all that was His rightful glory, and lived a sinless life as a man. He chose a manger over a palace for a birthplace and spent most of His years on earth in obscurity in a small village in northern Israel. In the three years of His public ministry Jesus attracted a small group of followers, but for the most part He was rejected or ignored by those in power.

Yet despite leaving behind all the trappings of glory, Jesus was and will be the King. When His ministry was completed on earth, He returned to Heaven to resume His rightful place. “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;” (Hebrews 10:12). The next time He appears, it will be in full kingly power, and all the world will bow down and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.

“These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”

John 1:28–31

Most of us have at least one person on our Christmas list who is really hard to shop for or pick out a present that we think they will really appreciate. We struggle to come up with something that they don’t already have. Somebody told me about a Christmas card display that said, “Only a few more shopping days left until your loved ones find out how little you understand them!”

When it comes to true needs, what you and I needed most of all was a Saviour, and that is why Jesus is the true gift of Christmas. The burden and debt of our sin was beyond our ability to remedy. In Old Testament times faith in God’s offer of salvation was demonstrated through sacrifices. Once a year, a goat was chosen to symbolically take the sins of the people away into the desert. But that was only a temporary solution that did not resolve the problem. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).

The Christmas story is the story that was planned before the world was ever created. God knew what we would need most, and His Son carried out that plan so that our sin could be more than just covered. Through His sacrificial death in our place, Jesus paid for our sin. Many people trace the custom of giving Christmas presents to the gifts brought by the wise men, but in reality, the first gift of Christmas was Jesus, who was exactly the gift we needed most.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

John 1:12–14

The greatest miracle of Christmas was not the empire spanning census that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth, or the star that announced His arrival or any of the other things that had to come into place for prophecies to be fulfilled. The greatest miracle was the incarnation—that the Son of God also became the Son of man, taking on a fully human body while still being fully God. Though Jesus laid aside His glory to come to earth, He did not lay aside His deity.

Henry Law wrote, “A lowly Babe lies in the lowly cradle of a lowly town, the offspring of a lowly mother. Look again. That child is the eternal ‘I AM.’ He whose Deity never had birth, is born ‘the woman’s Seed.’ He, whom no infinitudes can hold, is contained within infant’s age, and infant’s form. He, who never began to be, as God, here begins to be, as man.”

The work of the incarnation that allowed Jesus to be both God and man is beyond our capacity to fully grasp. But it was vital because we needed a Saviour who understood our faults and failings, and would leave us an example of victory to follow in our daily lives. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

Luke 2:8–10

One of the most expensive and exclusive products in the world is Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty Perfume. The perfume comes in a special bottle that features 18 carat gold and a five carat diamond. The scent comes from a combination of vanilla, roses, cinnamon, jasmine, and other ingredients not made public. The perfume sells for more than $12,700 per ounce. It is not meant for everyone, but only those with the means to indulge in such a luxury item.

There are many things in our world which are off-limits to all but a favored few people. But when God sent His Son, He provided the gift of salvation without restriction as to age, race, gender, class, wealth, health, or any other condition. The Good News is meant to be spread “to all people.” All are included without limitation. “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37).

After the shepherds went to Bethlehem and saw that Jesus was born just as the angels said, they did not keep the news to themselves. “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child” (Luke 2:17). Those of us who have received the gift of salvation by the gift of God’s Son have an obligation to share that message with others. It is meant for all, but they will not hear unless someone tells them.

“And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

Luke 2:27–32

Most of the Jewish people at the time of Christ’s birth were eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come. Some looked for Him as a leader who would overthrow the Romans and restore Israel’s place as a free nation. Others longed for a religion that was not mixed with the elements of Greek and Roman practice. But some, like Simeon, were looking for the Messiah because He would be the Saviour they needed.

This elderly man had faithfully served God for many years, and He was prophetically told that he would live until the Messiah arrived. While we know little about his life, we know that he believed the promises of God. When Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Temple for His dedication, Simeon was led to be there by God and met them. When he saw the baby Jesus, Simeon realized that the long-awaited promise had been fulfilled.

None of us have seen Jesus, but we have the promise that He will return for His children. God’s plan for our lives is not for us to find satisfaction in this world, but to have hearts that are fixed on Him. Only in Him are we to find contentment. David said, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15). The promise of His return is just as true as the promise of His first coming.

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 1:10–13

Jesus was not greeted with open arms when He arrived in Bethlehem. Even on the night of His birth there was no place available for Mary and Joseph indoors. When He began His ministry, that pattern was repeated. Despite the miracles He performed, Jesus was frequently not welcomed, especially by the leaders of the day. After beginning His work, Jesus never had a permanent home. “And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).

There are few sadder phrases in all of the Bible than, “His own received him not.” The very people who should have been most open and receptive to Jesus turned their back on Him, and eventually they demanded that Pilate crucify the Messiah who had come to save them. The opposition He faced during His ministry has not abated in the centuries since Jesus returned to Heaven. Much of the world still refuses to accept Him and receive His message of salvation through grace alone.

The world’s rejection of the Lord is one we rightly condemn, but there are many times when we refuse to yield to His will as revealed in the Bible. We would never say that we reject Jesus, but if we do not obey what He commanded, that is exactly what we are doing. “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

“And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

1 Peter 1:17–19

It is believed that somewhere around 1500, Louis XII the king of France commissioned a painting of Jesus from the great artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. In the painting, known as Salvator Mundi, which means “Saviour of the World” in Latin, Leonardo depicted Christ holding a crystal orb that symbolizes the entire world. The painting remained in royal hands for centuries and then was thought to have been lost. But a group of experts restored a painting that had been thought to be only a copy and found an original lost work by da Vinci himself. In November of 2017 it sold at auction for $450 million dollars, the most ever paid for a single painting.

The world values things that are ancient and rare. God values things that are eternal. And to provide the means of our salvation, He was willing to send His Son to pour out His very life’s blood on the cross. Nothing is more precious than that. The measure of God’s love for us is the lengths to which He was willing to go to allow sinners to become part of His family. Of course, every day we should be grateful for the salvation we freely received, but during Christmas we get an extra reminder of the greatness of God’s love for us. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” (1 John 3:1).

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Luke 1:30–33

In 1865 a young manager at a maritime insurance company in Glasgow, Scotland, named William Chatterton Dix. was diagnosed with a serious illness. The doctors thought he was likely to die, and Dix fell into a serious depression. During that time while he was confined to his bed, he began reading the Bible and, as a result, turned back to God. When he recovered, Dix began writing hymns of praise to God, and one of the first was the Christmas carol, “What Child Is This?”

What Child is this
Who laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

The baby born in Bethlehem was not an ordinary baby. Although Jesus was fully human, He was also still completely God, and He came to be our Saviour. The angel Gabriel told Mary who Jesus was and what He would do before His birth. And in His life Jesus perfectly fulfilled the will of His Father in Heaven. Like the wise men, we must acknowledge who Jesus really is and worship Him. “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

Isaiah 9:6–7

The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was the beginning of His earthly life and ministry, but He existed from eternity, and He was always fully Divine. The arrival of the Lord on earth was the culmination of thousands of years of promises and prophecies, and every one of them was kept. The guarantee that we have for the fulfillment of promises that have not yet been realized is the nature and character of God. He has guaranteed to perform all that He has promised.

There is nothing that we could or need to add to God’s plan. He made the promise, and He did all that was necessary to ensure that it was carried out. Christmas is a wonderful reminder that all God says will come to pass. Corrie ten Boom said, “Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.”

The challenges and struggles of life can tempt us to doubt whether God is able or willing to back up His Word, but we must not fall into doubt. The ending of the story was already written long before we were born or this world was brought into existence. And God’s promise means that all will be as He planned.

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

Revelation 19:7–9

Though we are not given a great amount of detail regarding Heaven, the things we are told are so wonderful that they are beyond our ability to fully comprehend. One of the exciting things that will happen is the great banquet that will be held to celebrate our eternal union with Jesus Christ. In the Jewish culture, every wedding was celebrated with a feast to honor the new couple. This is the picture God gave John in Revelation 19 of what lies before us.

However, none of that would have been possible without the coming of Christ to be our Saviour. As we celebrate His birth at Christmas, we are marking more than a birth. It was a momentous event that changed both history and our eternal destiny. The promise of Heaven is only possible because of the willingness of Jesus to come to earth and take on a human body.

Christmas is a time for happy celebration, not just of what God has already done, but the wonderful things that still lie ahead. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Feast, Christians, feast; you have a right to feast... But in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem. Let Him have a place in your hearts, give Him the glory, think of the virgin who conceived Him, but think most of all of the Man born, the Child given. I finish by again saying, A happy Christmas to you all!”

“Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”

1 Peter 1:9–11

In 1744, Charles Wesley published a collection of songs for Christmas titled Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord. One of the new songs he had written for the Christmas season that quickly became one of his most popular hymns was “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”.

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart

We have the privilege of looking back on the birth of Christ, but for thousands of years, those who loved and followed God were looking forward to that great event with eager anticipation. There are more than 350 Old Testament prophesies about the first or second coming of Christ. Peter tells us that even the men who were inspired to pen the Bible did not fully understand what they were given to write down regarding the future.

Through the long years they watched with eager anticipation for His first coming, just as we now watch for His second coming. Most of those who came before Christ did not live to see the promises fulfilled, but they still believed. None of us know whether we will live until His return, but we can be fully confident that it will happen in God’s perfect time, just as the birth of Jesus did. Hearing the Christmas story should inspire us to be more faithful and diligent in looking forward to His return.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Philippians 2:5–8

All of the glory and majesty of Heaven were rightfully in the person of Jesus Christ before He came into the world. The infinite perfection of God was His nature and had been since eternity past. The radiance of His beauty was and is beyond the ability of human tongues to explain or human minds to fully grasp. Anything that He purposed to accomplish could be done simply by speaking it into existence, just as He created everything we see in the world around us. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

Yet despite all that He had, Jesus willingly laid it aside. As Charles Wesley put it, Jesus “emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race.” This was not a forced sacrifice, but one that Jesus chose despite knowing what it would cost. His love for us was so great that He was willing to pay the price. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Many people struggle with feelings of failure and inadequacy. They wonder if anyone loves them, or if anyone would still love them if what they truly were became public knowledge. The birth of Jesus is the answer to that question. God loves us, and the fact that Christ emptied Himself proves it.

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Luke 2:4–7

Though Jesus Christ was divine, His birth was like that of any other baby. His mother endured labor pains, no doubt complicated by the fact that, because the city of Bethlehem was crowded by all those who had come to register in their ancestors’ hometown, there was not even a place indoors where Mary could give birth. They used a manger for the baby’s bed, but before Jesus was placed in it, Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes.

In those days, people would take strips of cloth and wind them around a new baby. This was similar to the practice that was followed when someone died. Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus took possession of the body of Jesus after His death on the cross and prepared it for burial, using long strips of cloth and putting in spices to delay the decay of the body. “Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury” (John 19:40).

From the very moment of His birth, Jesus was destined for the cross. Even His first baby clothes were symbolic of His purpose. Every day of His ministry was lived with the full knowledge of what waited. And even though He knew the cost that was coming, Jesus loved us enough to fulfill His mission.

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

Luke 1:35–38

For us, Christmas is a beautiful memory that we look back on fondly, appreciating what amazing love God displayed for us in sending His Son. But for Mary, one of the central characters of the story, the announcement of the impending birth of the Messiah was a life-shattering event. Everything she had planned for her future was threatened by what Gabriel told her. She knew that her true explanation of innocence and purity would be regarded by most people as a flimsy excuse for immoral behavior. Her impending marriage to Joseph was threatened. In fact, it took a direct message from an angel for Joseph not to carry out his plan to end their betrothal.

Yet in spite of the certain consequences, Mary received the impossible news with an amazing expression of submission to the will and purpose of God. This is what faith looks like in action. Faith believes that God knows better than we do, and is willing to trust Him even when we do not see the way ahead. Faith is not so much what we express in church, as it is what we do in hardship and difficulty. Do we still believe God when the diagnosis is critical, the job is lost, the child is ill, or the relationship is strained? Are we willing to trust Him then? Mary was.

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Matthew 1:21–23

Nothing associated with the Christmas story was a coincidence. Instead, it is the story of God acting on individuals and empires alike to fulfill the things that He had promised to the final detail. Many times because of our own limitations, we do not fully believe that God is truly able to do what He has said. But Matthew reminds us that the prophecies will be fulfilled, regardless of what is required for that to happen.

Dr. Tom Malone said, “When God is going to do something wonderful, He starts with the difficult. When God is going to do something miraculous, He starts with the impossible.” Over the centuries, all those who have trusted Him and claimed His promises in faith, despite their circumstances, have found Him faithful. There is no such thing as hopeless when God is involved.

When Lazarus got sick, Mary and Martha sent an urgent message to Jesus, asking Him to come and heal their brother. Instead, Jesus delayed until Lazarus had died. The situation was completely hopeless, yet when Martha went out to meet Jesus on His arrival, she expressed faith. Martha knew that Jesus could have kept her brother from dying, but she also believed that death was no obstacle to God’s power. She said, “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee” (John 11:22). The same power that raised Lazarus from the dead and arranged the miracles of Christmas is at work in our lives today.

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”

2 Corinthians 4:7–10

I read that years ago the giant British retail chain Tesco placed an advertisement for seasonal help during the Christmas season. They were not looking for greeters, or stock people, or checkout clerks. Instead, they wanted people who would help untangle their massive quantity of Christmas lights. The ad specified that the people they were looking for had to be “passionate about Christmas” and be able to “untangle three meters of Christmas lights in under three minutes.”

Though Christmas is a joyous season, it is also a time of great stress for many people. There are financial pressures, family ruptures, time crunches, long lines, backed up traffic at stores, and many other worries that can easily tangle up our lives and make Christmas a time of defeat and hassle, instead of joy and celebration. Too many people go through the holidays like Ebenezer Scrooge before he learned the importance of Christmas instead of like Tiny Tim. The key to avoid becoming tangled up is found in our source of power.

The Christian life cannot be lived in our own strength. The power for successful living can only come from God. And when we have that power, it does not matter if we are troubled, perplexed, persecuted, or cast down. We will still be at peace. We will not be distressed, in despair, forsaken, or destroyed. This is the key to peaceful living not only during the holidays, but every day of the year. Rest in God’s strength rather than your own.

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

Matthew 1:23–25

The challenge Joseph faced when he discovered that his future wife Mary was pregnant was heartbreaking. He knew that he was not the father of her child and made the natural assumption that Mary had been unfaithful to him. But before he could carry out his plan to end their relationship, an angel appeared to him in a dream and told Joseph that this was all part of God’s plan. And despite what must have been at least some misgivings in his heart and with the knowledge of the ridicule that would follow, Joseph carried out his part in God’s design.

In 2006, a Duke University research study was conducted to determine why and how people act as they do. The study revealed that more than 40 percent of most people’s actions each day are dictated by habit rather than by decision. Almost half of what we do from day to day is determined by patterns we have already either deliberately set or allowed to take root in our lives. The reason we are such creatures of habit is that it is comfortable to have a set routine and follow it.

But God’s plan for our lives often requires something more than reflex or habit. His purpose is not our comfort but His glory. When Jesus selected His disciples, He turned their lives upside down. Peter, Andrew, James, and John abandoned their fishing business. Matthew left behind his profitable tax collector’s position. Simon gave up his political activism. They were willing to follow Him no matter what.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 2:8-10

In November of 2014, the Gay family of Lagrangeville, New York, received official certification from Guinness World Records for “Most Lights on a Residential Property.” They began putting up outside lights when their first child was born. That year they put up 600 lights. In 2014, they filled their two-acre property with 601,736 lights. The glow of so many lights was visible from miles away. It took almost two months to set up the massive display which was choreographed to music visitors could listen to in their cars as they drove through the light show. It was so large it was impossible to miss.

It is hard for us in the modern electrified world to grasp how dark it is at night without any illumination beyond whatever is provided by the moon and stars. But long before electricity came, as shepherds watched over their sheep in the dark night hours, the entire sky was filled with the bright and shining glory of God Himself. What had brought this amazing change? The announcement of the birth of the Messiah.

The impact on the shepherds was immediate. Having seen the angels and the bright light, they rushed to Bethlehem, leaving their sheep behind. After seeing Jesus lying in a manger, just as they had been told, they immediately began spreading the word. They were reflecting the light they had seen to others. This is the same task that God has given us—to take the Good News of the Saviour to the world.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

John 8:9-11

Dr. R. A. Torrey told the story of a man who visited his office in Minnesota. Torrey was not present, but his assistant, George Sanborn was present. Torrey recounted: “Mr. Sanborn is not a large man, and the Scandinavian [guest] was a big, burly fellow. He rushed towards Mr. Sanborn as if he were going to do him personal violence. Though small, Mr. Sanborn was fearless. He sprang to his feet and said, What do you want?’ ‘I want sympathy,’ the man cried. ‘No,’ said Mr. Sanborn, ‘you want Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone can help you.’ Mr. Sanborn explained to him the way of life and he accepted the Saviour. On the following Christmas Day at our testimony service, this man arose and said, ‘I am so happy today. This is the first sober Christmas that I have spent in ten years. Jesus Christ has saved me.’

Christ did not come into the world to leave us as we were. All those who met Him during His life on earth were changed. Some believed His message and were saved. Many were delivered from sickness and demons that had tormented them. Some were even raised from the dead. Others were hardened by their refusal to believe that a lowly carpenter from Nazareth could possibly be the Messiah they had waited for to come and deliver them. No one who truly sees the Christ of Christmas will ever be the same.

And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Zechariah 9:8-9

Jesus had all the splendor and glory and honor of Heaven, and it was right as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Yet, He laid all that aside, humbling Himself to become a man. Part of the reason for that great sacrifice is that it was necessary for the plan for redemption to be fulfilled. Only by living perfectly according to God's law could Jesus be qualified to pay the price for our sins rather than for His own. There is another reason for His choice to take on very humble circumstances, and that was to serve as a hope and inspiration to those of us who also are not part of the elite of this world.

Many years ago in a special Christmas sermon T. DeWitt Talmage proclaimed, “Ye who think yourselves far down, aspire to go higher up. I stir your holy ambitions today and I want to tell you, although the world may be opposed to you, and inside and outside of your occupations or professions there may be those who would hinder your ascent, on your side and enlisted in your behalf are the sympathetic heart and the almighty arm of One who one Christmas night about eighteen hundred and eighty years ago was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.” Christmas reminds us that no matter how lowly we may seem in the eyes of the world, God has a plan and purpose for us.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 1:14-17

The greatest miracle of Christmas is not angels appearing in the night sky to shepherds watching their flocks, or a star guiding the wise men to the baby whose birth it had announced, or even the virgin birth. The greatest miracle of Christmas is that Jesus Christ, the eternal God who created the world, came into that world and took on the body and nature of man without ceasing to be God. It is beyond our ability to fully understand, but it was essential for God's plan of salvation. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus, the Word of God Himself, being made flesh.

In his Christmas sermon “The Song of the Angels,” Charles Spurgeon said, “Sing, sing, oh universe, till thou hast exhausted thyself; thou canst not afford a song so sweet as the song of Incarnation! Though creation may be a majestic organ of praise, it cannot reach the compass of the golden canticle—Incarnation! There is more in that than in the creation, more melody in Jesus in the manger, than in worlds on worlds rolling their grandeur round the throne of the Most High.”

This Christmas, like every Christmas and indeed every day, should be marked with gratitude, joy, and praise. It is a celebration of the amazing love of God for us! It is a celebration of the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.