Isaiah 7:14 - The Anticipation of Christmas.
Isaiah 7:14 (NLT) The Lord himself will
give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive
a child! She will give birth to a son and will
call him Immanuel (which means God is with
us).
COMMENTARY PEARL
On the first Christmas Eve, there were no
brightly colored lights on any homes. There were no
stockings that had been hung with care and no visions
of sugar plums on anyones mind. It was just
another night in Bethlehem.
But world history was about to change.
When Mary and Joseph arrived in town, there was
no room in the inn. So the Son of God entered
our world in a stable or, most likely, a cave.
Now when parents have a child, especially
their first child, they call their loved ones and
tell them the weight and length of the baby and
the actual time of birth. On the first
Christmas, God the Father also made an announcement
that His Son had been born.
Whom did He tell? You would think He
would have told Caesar that the Son of God had
been born. But instead, God directed His message
toward shepherds who were out in the fields at
night, watching over their flocks.
The angel told them, I bring you good
news that will bring great joy to all people. The
Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born
today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you
will recognize him by this sign: You will find a
baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in
a manger (Luke 2:10-11 NLT).
So the shepherds went to Bethlehem, where
they found Joseph and Mary, and the baby in her
arms.
There are a lot of good things about
Christmas, of course, but as we anticipate its arrival,
lets realize that Christmas cannot deliver on its
promises. I think deep down inside, what were
really longing for is not Christmas but Christ. I
think the anticipation we have for Christmas is a
longing for God Himself. And thats the message of
Christmas: Immanuel, God is with us. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
Have you ever considered what the
innkeeper must have thought that first Christmas when
he realized he didnt make room for the Son
of God? Heres how I think his testimony
might have been written:
It was the busiest season I had ever
seen as an innkeeper, a once-in-a-lifetime
business bonanza for me, courtesy of Caesar Augustus
and his census. Overnight lodging was in great
demand. My inn was booked solid for a month, and
that income set me up for life.
But then that couple showed up. How
was I to know who they were? They looked no
different than a dozen other families that Id
already turned away. So I just said, Sorry,
were booked. We have no vacancies. There is no
room for you.
I thought I would at least do them a
favor and allow them to sleep with the animals in
the stable behind the inn. Obviously, I didnt
know who they were. But for all of history and
the rest of eternity, Ill be known as the man
who said, Sorry, no room. Im the one
who put the Savior of the world out back with
the animals. Thats my legacy: I didnt make
room for Jesus.
I missed Jesus because I was too busy
to realize what God was doing right in front of
me. It was an inconvenient time for Jesus to
show up, so I just pushed him off in a corner.
But now that I think about it, it seems that
theres always some distraction, inconvenience, or
preoccupation to use as an excuse not to make room for
Jesus.
If I could do it all over, I would
have given him the whole inn. I missed the knock
on my door. But for you, theres still time
to receive him. Theres still time to look at
your life, to consider whether your rooms are
filled with what matters most or if theyre just
cluttered. You still have time to reserve a place for
the most important guest of all.
When Jesus knocks, you can give him the
welcome and the reception that he deserves as your
Creator and Savior and King of Kings. And he will
knock, because your heart was designed for God to
live in. In fact, hes knocking right now. Can
you hear him? Are you paying attention? Will you
open the door? [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/ re Rev. 3:20]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
One Of The Three Major Ways We Grow In A
Relationship With God.
Growing Deeper in the Scriptures
[Wednesday] I stressed the value of
memorizing Gods Word and talked about how doing so
has benefited me in practical ways throughout
the years. Memorization, however, is only one of
many ways to interact with Scripture.
First, we can hear Scripture. This is the
simplest, least difficult method of learning the
precepts and principles of the Bible. There are
plenty of trustworthy Bible teachers and preachers
around the world. There are churches and schools,
trustworthy radio and TV programs, audio and video
recordings, and countless online resources that
specialize in scriptural instruction. Except for those
individuals whose physical hearing is impaired, no one
in the world has any excuse for not hearing
Gods Word.
Second, we can read Scripture. Hearing
can too easily be a primarily passive encounter
with the Bible, but reading requires more
personal involvement - a greater investment of energy
- than simply listening to instruction on the
Scriptures. People who start getting serious about their
spiritual maturity will purchase a copy of the Bible
and begin reading. Numerous versions,
paraphrases, and styles can be found on the shelves of
almost any bookstore, and the Internet offers free
access to virtually any translation available in
print. To get the most out of reading, you might
consider a through-the-year Bible: its reading
plan guides an individual through all sixty-six
books of Scripture in 365 days.
Third, we can study Scripture. While I
prefer reading a print Bible, many people have
discovered the power and convenience of electronic
Bible resources. This kind of Bible study makes
sense, considering that almost everything else we
do involves a computer. Some of the better
programs take Bible reading to a completely different
level, integrating the Scripture text with links to
dictionaries, maps, encyclopedias, photographs, diagrams,
and commentaries. A click of a mouse on an
unfamiliar word brings a wealth of information to the
screen, and you can easily lose the better part of
an entire afternoon discovering the background
and meaning of just one verse. Combine that kind
of study with an online course or one of the
many excellent programs offered in churches, and
the average believer can be prepared to meet any
spiritual challenge.
Fourth, we can memorize Scripture. As I
stated yesterday, committing Bible verses to memory
is the best way to displace alien, unholy, and
demoralizing thoughts! In all honesty, I know of no more
effective way to cultivate a biblical mindset and to
accelerate spiritual growth than this discipline.
Fifth, we can meditate on Scripture. As
we hear, read, and study Gods Word, our mind
becomes a reservoir of biblical truth. We can then
think through, ponder, personalize, and apply to
our lives these truths weve hidden in our
hearts. In times of quiet meditation, we allow the
Word to seep into our cells, to speak to us,
reprove us, warn us, comfort us, and transform us.
Remember these two great verses from the book of
Hebrews?
For the word of God is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword, and
piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
of both joints and marrow, and able to judge
the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And
there is no creature hidden from His sight, but
all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of
Him with whom we have to do. (4:12"13) [Chuck
Swindoll www.insight.org.]
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
