Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

"Suddenly, the angel was
joined by a vast host of others
—the armies of heaven—praising God:

"Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and peace on earth
to all whom God favors."
Luke 2:13-14 NLT
"

Reflection:

"No doubt life for the average
person wasn't all that noticeably
different on the night Jesus was
born. Inns and taverns were busy
with their customers. Shepherds
gathered around the fire to keep
warm as they watched over their
sheep. But in a secluded corner
of Bethlehem, in an out-of-the-way
stable, a baby slept in a manger.
And as the shepherds settled down
for a quiet night, the angels
assembled into a vast choir and
shattered the silence of that night
by loud praises. Imagine the
shepherds' response: shock, fear,
and then, awe. They knew that
they had to find this extraordinary
child whose birth the angels had
announced.

As you celebrate Christ's birth on
this joyous day, seek out Jesus as
the shepherds did years ago. Use
this heavenly song to rejoice in Jesus' birth.

Prayer:

Glory to you, God, in the
highest heaven and peace on earth
to all whom you favor…
­
HAVE A BLESSED AND PEACE FILLED
CHRISTMAS. GLORY TO GOD ON
THE HIGHEST.
­

Scripture:

Luke 2:1-20 (King James Version)

1And it came to pass in those days, that
there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be taxed.
2(And this taxing was first made when
Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3And all
went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4And 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:)
5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife,
being great with child.6And so it was, that,
while they were there, the days were accomplished
that she should be delivered.7And 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.8And there were
in the same country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon
them, and the glory of the Lord shone round
about them: and they were sore afraid.
10And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all people.
11For unto you is born this day in the
city of David a Savior, which is Christ
the Lord.12And this shall be a sign unto
you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying,14Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men.15And it came
to pass, as the angels were gone away
from them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another, Let us now go
even unto Bethlehem, and see this
thing which is come to pass, which
the Lord hath made known unto us.
16And they came with haste, and
found Mary, and Joseph, and the
babe lying in a manger.17And when
they had seen it, they made known
abroad the saying which was told
them concerning this child.18And
all they that heard it wondered at
those things which were told them
by the shepherds.19But Mary kept
all these things, and pondered them
in her heart.20And the shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God
for all the things that they had heard
and seen, as it was told unto them.

Reflection:

There is a reason why I choose to
copy all 20 verses of the account of
the birth of Jesus Christ. It's a reminder
that "This is what it's all about".

BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 5:3 (New International Version)

3 As a dream comes when there are many cares,
so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

Christmas slippers

A woman died, leaving behind her
husband and one daughter. The
little girl soon became the very
apple of her daddy's eye. He l
oved to spend time with her,
but because he had to work,
they had only their evenings
together. After dinner each night
they would talk and play games;
sometimes she sang for him.
He treasured every moment.
One night the little girl announced,
"Daddy, I need to go to my room
early tonight. I have something
I have to do!"
He felt very disappointed, but he
let her go. She continued this
pattern for a solid month. Finally,
Christmas Day arrived, and early
in the morning she burst in on her
daddy and proudly displayed a pair
of crude crocheted slippers she had
made for him. It was this project that
had taken her away from her father
for every evening that month.
Her father thanked her warmly and
gave her a big hug, but then he said,
"Honey, I would rather have had you
with me all those lonely evenings than
to have these slippers, as beautiful
and comfortable as they are."

{1from the TouchPoint Bible with
commentaries by Ron Beers and
Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 1298
2from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg
Laurie (Tyndale) p 141 "}
Content is derived from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation and other
publications of Tyndale Publishing House


Reflection:

Guess What? God wants us to be with
him more than our slippers! He wants
our dedication and devotion more than
our work. GOD WANTS US! Not a
part of us when we may have the time,
BUT ALL OF US ALL OF THE TIME!
While certainly God wants us to work
hard, it is important that we make
absolutely sure that our time,
doesn't so preoccupy us that we
in fact put our health in danger, our
relationships, or our time with
God. You see it is a matter of
balance, with God, not us, at the
center. This Christmas season
is a perfect time to put Christ
at the center of our lives.

Prayer:

Lord God my Savior Jesus Christ
help me to recognize that You are
the center of my life. As I work, as
I do all this worrying and running
around for Christmas, let me keep
in my mind that we are celebrating
your birth and you life. Guide me as
I make Your life the center of my life.
In Jesus Name Amen