Reference: Warren, Rick (2008). The Purpose of Christmas. Howard Books, pp. 67-78.
As we move closer to the birth of the Christ Child, we stop to remember that He did not have to come. There was no endearing trait in us that would justify His leaving Heaven to come and get us. He came, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. This is what we mean by grace. When there was nothing the human race could do to reconcile itself to a holy God, Christ stepped in and paid the bill for us.
Grace is a hard concept for me to grasp. I grew up believing love was something you received when you followed the rules and lost when you failed to do so. Most people I know struggle to escape that man-made mentality. We can quote Ephesians 2:8 until the cows come home (“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith”), but what does that mean, exactly? I like Rick Warren’s explanation:
“God came to earth as Jesus essentially to say: You guys have got it all wrong! Of course doing good things matters, but it doesn’t make me love you any more or any less. My love for you is unlimited, unconditional, unchanging, and undeserved. You can’t purchase it, work for it, or be good enough to merit it. It’s a gift that will cost me a lot, but it is free to you” (p. 69).
Today, we pause to ponder the miracle of grace. We revel in its expression as the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us.
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
As we know Jesus better, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, He has given us all of His rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in His divine nature.
2 Peter 1: 3, 4, NLT.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Twelve Days for Christmas: Day 6
Reference: Warren, Rick (2008). The Purpose of Christmas. Howard Books, pp. 61-66.
How are we doing, ladies? I hope coming by this blog is a moment of refreshing for you – remember, this mini-study is intended to help us relax amid the rush and to focus, however briefly, on the core of Christmas. If it has become one more thing you need to do, that’s Satan talking, loud and clear! (He’s the only one I know who talks more than I do – I will be so glad when God shuts him up for good).
Oh, yes, back to our study . . . .
Today, we continue our look at Christmas through the lens of salvation. If Christ only came to save us from sin and death, that would be a gift beyond measure. But that is just the beginning! The good tidings of great joy are that He not only saves us from something; He saves us for something. Warren writes, "Although God created each of us for a purpose, we’ve all taken many detours in life, thinking we knew better. [OUCH] So God had to send Jesus as our Savior – to redeem us from sin, to reset the directions of our lives, and to restore us to His original purposes for our lives" (p. 62, emphasis added).
The babe in Bethlehem’s manger holds the key to all my happiness in the here and the hereafter. Because He came, I can find relief from the sin that binds me AND I can jump into the flow of furthering His kingdom. That’s where it really gets exciting! Christmas is a time to pause and remember the things that bring me the greatest joy: my family, my work and the certainty that this life is just a precursor to eternity with the Lover of my soul.
What about you? What has Christ saved you for? Take time to think about the things that bring you the greatest joy; take time to thank a tender Baby for making it all possible!
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 8: 28, 29, NIV.
How are we doing, ladies? I hope coming by this blog is a moment of refreshing for you – remember, this mini-study is intended to help us relax amid the rush and to focus, however briefly, on the core of Christmas. If it has become one more thing you need to do, that’s Satan talking, loud and clear! (He’s the only one I know who talks more than I do – I will be so glad when God shuts him up for good).
Oh, yes, back to our study . . . .
Today, we continue our look at Christmas through the lens of salvation. If Christ only came to save us from sin and death, that would be a gift beyond measure. But that is just the beginning! The good tidings of great joy are that He not only saves us from something; He saves us for something. Warren writes, "Although God created each of us for a purpose, we’ve all taken many detours in life, thinking we knew better. [OUCH] So God had to send Jesus as our Savior – to redeem us from sin, to reset the directions of our lives, and to restore us to His original purposes for our lives" (p. 62, emphasis added).
The babe in Bethlehem’s manger holds the key to all my happiness in the here and the hereafter. Because He came, I can find relief from the sin that binds me AND I can jump into the flow of furthering His kingdom. That’s where it really gets exciting! Christmas is a time to pause and remember the things that bring me the greatest joy: my family, my work and the certainty that this life is just a precursor to eternity with the Lover of my soul.
What about you? What has Christ saved you for? Take time to think about the things that bring you the greatest joy; take time to thank a tender Baby for making it all possible!
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 8: 28, 29, NIV.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Twelve Days for Christmas: Day 5
Reference: Warren, Rick (2008). The Purpose of Christmas. Howard Books, pp. 41-50.
Today, we take an expanded look at the gift of salvation that Christmas brings. In The Purpose of Christmas, Warren writes,
“When people think of spiritual salvation, they often have a very narrow concept of it: they think that salvation is being saved from hell. But God had so much more in mind than just fire insurance when He sent Jesus to be our Savior” (p. 44).
Webster’s dictionary defines “salvation” as preservation from destruction or failure; deliverance from danger or difficulty. The word “save” is to rescue or deliver from danger or harm, to preserve or guard from injury, destruction or loss.
“I am my own worst enemy.” How often do we hear this; how often do we think it of ourselves? It is no secret that many (most, speaking for myself) of our troubles are of our own making. Even when other people, places and things create chaos in our lives, we make matters worse by the way we respond.
The apostle Paul described our problem perfectly: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate is what I do . . . I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it (Romans 7: 15-20).
Sin is real, and I need to be preserved from its destruction. Every day. Salvation is not just a card to cash in at the gates to eternity. It is a tool for living every moment of every day. Through salvation, God chips away at our hearts of stone, molding us into the image of His Son. When we accept Christ as Savior, we give consent to the Sculptor to begin work with our rough materials. Through the ongoing work of salvation, God will use what we bring to create the masterpiece He knows is within us.
Christmas is for salvation.
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day unto now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1: 3-6, NIV.
Today, we take an expanded look at the gift of salvation that Christmas brings. In The Purpose of Christmas, Warren writes,
“When people think of spiritual salvation, they often have a very narrow concept of it: they think that salvation is being saved from hell. But God had so much more in mind than just fire insurance when He sent Jesus to be our Savior” (p. 44).
Webster’s dictionary defines “salvation” as preservation from destruction or failure; deliverance from danger or difficulty. The word “save” is to rescue or deliver from danger or harm, to preserve or guard from injury, destruction or loss.
“I am my own worst enemy.” How often do we hear this; how often do we think it of ourselves? It is no secret that many (most, speaking for myself) of our troubles are of our own making. Even when other people, places and things create chaos in our lives, we make matters worse by the way we respond.
The apostle Paul described our problem perfectly: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate is what I do . . . I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it (Romans 7: 15-20).
Sin is real, and I need to be preserved from its destruction. Every day. Salvation is not just a card to cash in at the gates to eternity. It is a tool for living every moment of every day. Through salvation, God chips away at our hearts of stone, molding us into the image of His Son. When we accept Christ as Savior, we give consent to the Sculptor to begin work with our rough materials. Through the ongoing work of salvation, God will use what we bring to create the masterpiece He knows is within us.
Christmas is for salvation.
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day unto now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1: 3-6, NIV.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Twelve Days for Christmas: Day 4
Reference: Warren, Rick (2008). The Purpose of Christmas. Howard Books, pp. 29-37.
In today’s reading, we continue to ask, “What, exactly, are we celebrating at Christmas?” Using the angel’s pronouncement to the shepherds, Rick Warren focuses on the eternal Truth that God is for us. “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
For many years, I pictured God as a giant man with a flowing white beard and a ready supply of punishments for those who did not toe the line. Satan uses our guilty conscience and a wrong understanding of God to make us forget that God is on our side. At Christmas, we celebrate that God is rooting for each of us with all the love and power that heaven holds.
The apostle Paul, writing to the church at Rome, posed the question we must daily ask ourselves: If God is for us, who can be against us? Our reading points out that God plus one is always a majority! We do well to follow Moses’ advice to the children of Israel, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today . . . the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Take time today to remember that God is for you, that Christ came not to condemn the world but to save it.
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27: 1, 5, NIV.
In today’s reading, we continue to ask, “What, exactly, are we celebrating at Christmas?” Using the angel’s pronouncement to the shepherds, Rick Warren focuses on the eternal Truth that God is for us. “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
For many years, I pictured God as a giant man with a flowing white beard and a ready supply of punishments for those who did not toe the line. Satan uses our guilty conscience and a wrong understanding of God to make us forget that God is on our side. At Christmas, we celebrate that God is rooting for each of us with all the love and power that heaven holds.
The apostle Paul, writing to the church at Rome, posed the question we must daily ask ourselves: If God is for us, who can be against us? Our reading points out that God plus one is always a majority! We do well to follow Moses’ advice to the children of Israel, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today . . . the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Take time today to remember that God is for you, that Christ came not to condemn the world but to save it.
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27: 1, 5, NIV.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Sabbath Rest
Pause today to reflect on what we've been reminded of so far:
Christmas is a time to take courage.
Christmas is a time to celebrate that God loves you.
Christmas is a time to celebrate that God is with you.
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.
Isaiah 30: 15, NIV.
Christmas is a time to take courage.
Christmas is a time to celebrate that God loves you.
Christmas is a time to celebrate that God is with you.
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.
Isaiah 30: 15, NIV.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Twelve Days for Christmas: Day 3
Reference: Warren, Rick (2008). The Purpose of Christmas. Howard Books, pp. 25-28.
Immanuel. God with us. Here we find another reason to celebrate Christmas. God is with us. God is with you. God is with me. What could be greater cause to rejoice?
I often marvel at how unbelievers can get up and face the world each day without the Savior. What gratitude comes from knowing, The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Today, you may feel alone, but feelings are not facts. The Fact is The Great I AM is with us, every day, everywhere. He has not left us here as orphans. The God who came to Bethlehem in the form of a baby still comes to us today. He is right here, right now. Sounds like time for the happy dance to me!
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
Psalm 121:4-8, NKJV.
Immanuel. God with us. Here we find another reason to celebrate Christmas. God is with us. God is with you. God is with me. What could be greater cause to rejoice?
I often marvel at how unbelievers can get up and face the world each day without the Savior. What gratitude comes from knowing, The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Today, you may feel alone, but feelings are not facts. The Fact is The Great I AM is with us, every day, everywhere. He has not left us here as orphans. The God who came to Bethlehem in the form of a baby still comes to us today. He is right here, right now. Sounds like time for the happy dance to me!
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
Psalm 121:4-8, NKJV.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Twelve Days for Christmas: Day 2
Today’s reference:
Warren, Rick (2008). The Purpose of Christmas. Howard Books, pp. 10-24. (Don’t panic; most of those pages are pictures!)
Based on the angel’s pronouncement, Rick Warren cites three purposes of Jesus’ birth. The greatest holiday on Earth is a time for celebration, for salvation and for reconciliation. We begin by examining Christmas as a time for celebration.
The carol asks, “Shepherds, why your jubilee?” What, exactly, will we be celebrating on December 25? A few paid days off from work? That the planning, shopping, cooking, decorating frenzy of the past month has finally come to an end? These are reasons the world celebrates Christmas. But what about those of us who know the Savior’s birth as the unfolding of God’s gracious plan?
When we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating the nature of God. The bedrock truth revealed in the manger is that God loves us. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son. Through the prophet Isaiah, Christ foretold His purpose in coming to Earth:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Isaiah 61: 1, 2).
The joy of Christmas is that the Creator of the universe loves us with an everlasting love. He loved us more than He loved His own life. Pause for a moment and think of the glories of nature. Now think about the fact that God’s love for you far exceeds anything our human eyes can see. Cause to celebrate, indeed.
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man . . . but God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 6-8, NIV.
Warren, Rick (2008). The Purpose of Christmas. Howard Books, pp. 10-24. (Don’t panic; most of those pages are pictures!)
Based on the angel’s pronouncement, Rick Warren cites three purposes of Jesus’ birth. The greatest holiday on Earth is a time for celebration, for salvation and for reconciliation. We begin by examining Christmas as a time for celebration.
The carol asks, “Shepherds, why your jubilee?” What, exactly, will we be celebrating on December 25? A few paid days off from work? That the planning, shopping, cooking, decorating frenzy of the past month has finally come to an end? These are reasons the world celebrates Christmas. But what about those of us who know the Savior’s birth as the unfolding of God’s gracious plan?
When we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating the nature of God. The bedrock truth revealed in the manger is that God loves us. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son. Through the prophet Isaiah, Christ foretold His purpose in coming to Earth:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Isaiah 61: 1, 2).
The joy of Christmas is that the Creator of the universe loves us with an everlasting love. He loved us more than He loved His own life. Pause for a moment and think of the glories of nature. Now think about the fact that God’s love for you far exceeds anything our human eyes can see. Cause to celebrate, indeed.
May you feel His grace today,
Gail W.
The last Word:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man . . . but God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 6-8, NIV.
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