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12/22/2016

OUR FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM

And the child grew and became strong in spirit
(Luke 1:80a).
 
It's fun to look through our family photo albums.
Christmas after Christmas each of us grows taller.
Before too long girlfriends start showing up, and
then wives, and children of our own. Now the father
of a teenager myself, it's fun to sit down and watch
videos of past Christmases and see my son
growing into a young man-strong in body, mind and
spirit.
 
Luke concludes the account of John's birth with
an interesting footnote and a reminder: John "grew
and became strong in spirit, and he was in the
wilderness until the day of his public appearance to
Israel." Since Zechariah and Elizabeth were both a
dvanced in years before John was conceived, it is
quite possible neither of them lived long enough to
see him grow to adulthood. When John was grown
he lived in the wilderness, awaiting the moment the
Spirit of God would stir him to begin his work,
preparing the people of Israel for their Savior.
John wasn't born to remain a little baby and neither
was Jesus. As Christmas Day draws near we take
a moment to look back into the photo album of our
human family. When we do we see our Brother Jesus
on the day of His birth. But Jesus didn't stay that little
Baby in the manger; He grew to be a remarkable man
whose story will unfold more clearly and completely in
the accounts of His adult life. This we will see in the
upcoming Lenten devotions, especially His death and
resurrection that set us free.
 
In the meantime, as our Christmas devotions continue,
we rejoin Mary and remember the birth of her special
Baby Jesus
 
THE PRAYER:
 
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to
save us. Open my mind to watch Jesus grow from that
tiny Baby to be my powerful Savior and Lord. In Jesus'
Name. Amen.

13:47 Posted in Blog, RELIGION | Permalink | Comments (0)

12/21/2016

ALEPPO

Verse
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I
was a stranger and you did not invite me in ... I
was sick and in prison and you did not look after
me.      - Matthew 25:42-43
 
Voice
 
you have to understand,
no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land.
- Warsan Shire
 
Prayer
 
Lord, be with the citizens of Aleppo as they
mourn, seek shelter, and pray for peace.
Teach us how to share their burden of sorrow
and address their pain.
 
(Sojourners,   sojo.net)

21:08 Posted in Blog, RELIGION | Permalink | Comments (0)

DEATH'S SHADOW

(Zechariah said) "because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light
to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death"
(Luke 1:78-79a).       Read Luke 1:76-79.
 
In Charles Dickens' book The Christmas Carol, Bob
Cratchit looks at his eldest son, nearly grown and about to
leave home, and tells his family, "But however and
whenever we part from one another, I am sure we shall
none of us forget poor Tiny Tim -- shall we -- or this first
parting that there was among us."
 
The first parting among my family was my father's death.
The next Christmas we tried hard to recapture the joy
and laughter of former Christmases, but we all felt the
empty place his parting had left behind.
 
In Zechariah's words of praise to God, he briefly turns to
speak of his son John and the great work God would
accomplish through him as Jesus' great prophet and
forerunner. But now he turns back to Jesus' far greater
work.
 
He describes Jesus as the sun that comes to us from
heaven. Just as the morning sun rises to scatter the
darkness of night, Jesus Christ will arise to shatter the
darkness of sin, doubt and death. Jesus comes to those
sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. They are
sitting because they have no power or hope; they have
given up the fight. But through His life, death and
resurrection, Jesus has scattered the shadow that death
casts across us. Raising us to our feet by faith, He sets
us moving toward heaven again. He guides our feet along
the way of peace that leads to God the Father's
presence in heaven-and a joyous eternal reunion with
our loved ones-those who have died in faith.
 
THE PRAYER:
 
Lord Jesus, shine Your light on our darkness, comfort us
in our grief, and set our feet once again on the path of
peace -- the road to heaven. Amen.
 
(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

13:55 Posted in Blog, RELIGION | Permalink | Comments (0)