Coming Soon!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season with your family.  This year may have been the best for our family!  I will be continuing family devotions in the new year.  Please check back on January 1st, 2011 for a whole new year of learning and sharing together.

Day 25: Merry Christmas!

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.  

Day 23: Birth of the Messiah

"While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."  Luke 2:6-7

Main Character:  Jesus
Scripture:  Luke 2:1-7
Symbol:  Manger

The initial results of the 2010 United States Census were released just a few days ago.  This year, the government received the highest response than any year in the past.  About 74% of households returned their surveys by mail, and the rest were collected through a door-to-door campaign.  If you are like me, you remember the endless television commercials explaining the census process that also encouraged families to respond as soon as possible.  This information is extremely important as it is used to delegate representative seats and helps to determine how over $20 billion in federal funds are distributed.

Luckily for us, we can fill out the simple ten response questionnaire and stick it in the mail.  Things were much different when the census was conducted the year of Christ's birth.  Instead of mail in response, every male was require to return to his hometown.  Joseph and Mary definitely did not want to be separated at this late stage of her pregnancy, so she decided to make the seventy mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem along with him.  Having two children of my own, I can't imagine sitting on a donkey for seventy miles at nine months pregnant!

There was no such thing as searching the Internet for a room on Priceline before heading out the door.  Joseph found himself without a place for his family to lay their heads once they arrived in Bethlehem late at night.  All the hotel rooms were full, and innkeeper's dream; Mary would find herself taking shelter in a manger instead of finding comfort on a plush bed.

Despite all this discomfort, the Christ child was born fulfilling all of the prophecies we have studied this month.  Just imagine what it would have been like to actually hear the cry of God.  After all the public shame of being pregnant out of wedlock, after nine months of physically carrying a baby, after a seventy mile journey, after sleeping in a cave - how wonderful it must have been to hear that little baby cry out as if expelling all the joy and frustration you had felt at once.  It was all worth it because the Messiah was born!

Ponder Points:

• God has never promised us that fulfilling his plan for our lives will be easy.  Have you ever felt frustrated at how your life is playing out?
• Discuss how Joseph and Mary must have felt the moment that they heard Jesus cry.  Do you ever wish you could actually hear the voice of God.
• Remind your children that in a few days we will celebrate Jesus' birthday.  Start getting excited today!
• As a special treat, check out this video:  A Social Network Christmas

Day 22: The Christ

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."  John 1:12-13

Main Character:  John the Apostle
Scripture:  John 1:1-18
Symbol:  Candle

Have you ever made bread from scratch?  If so, you know how rewarding it is to take that first bite of a loaf hot out of the oven.  For those of you that have never had the opportunity or desire, let's take a moment to look at what goes into the process.

First, you must proof the yeast which consists of adding water at the perfect temperature to the dry yeast with a sprinkle of sugar until it literally starts to puff up in the measuring cup.  Water that is too hot will kill the yeast, and water that is too cold will cause it to remain dormant.  The yeast is the most crucial ingredient as it causes the bread to rise and take shape.

After you mix the yeast with flour and other ingredients, you must knead the dough for a good 10 minutes.  Hopefully, you have been going to the gym because this is quite a workout.  The dough will then need to rest covered in a warm place for the next 2 hours.  Once it doubles in volume, you have to punch it down and let it rest again.  Some recipes call for several rounds for rising, punching, and resting.  The dough is formed, brushed with butter, egg, or milk, and then bakes for an hour or more.  It takes close to a whole day to get the perfect bite.

Compare all the work that went into making this bread with the work of creation.  Think of all the planning, calculating, and dreaming that went into God's creation story.  If one little thing had been off, the world we know would not exist.  I believe that while God was creating our universe, He knew that the pinnacle of his creation, man, would make the choice to mess things up.  We know from our lesson on Adam and Eve that their lust for power and stature with God caused them to be eternally separated.  We have also seen how their decision has rocked the rest of history.  How would you feel if your day's work at bread making was ruined because one of your eggs was bad?

Now, we come to our passage out of the book of John today.  John's writings are much more philosophical than the other gospel writers which can make them harder to understand.  But verse fourteen sums everything up - "...he gave them the right to become children of God."  Today is the day to reflect on God's foreknowledge and His reaction to our sin.  He did not ignore the inevitable, but instead created a plan to be carried out through history leading us to Christ.  Christ came to restore order, and it is up to us to accept this best gift of all.

Ponder Points:

• Think about all the other planets in our solar system.  As far as we know, none of them are inhabitable for one reason or another - too hot, too cold, not the right atmosphere.  Do you think that our earth is perfect for life on purpose or by coincidence?
• Have you ever made a plan that fell through?  What was your reaction?  Show your children that although God had a plan, he also made a back up plan and stuck with it.  Things were harder, but He still came through.
• If you children are old enough to understand and articulate the feeling of disappointment, discuss how God must have felt at the time of the first sin.  How do they show their disappointment when things go wrong?
• Most of us react poorly to disappointment.  Point out that God reacted by creating another way for us to eventually dwell with him through Christ. 
• You can also discuss how Jesus was not viewed by all as the Messiah.  He is continually rejected by people reacting poorly to disappointment in their lives.  Do you know someone who rejects Christ?  How can you set a good example for them?

Day 21: Trust

"But after he had considered this, an angle of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'"  Matthew 1:18-25

Main Character:  Joseph
Scripture:  Matthew 1:18-25
Symbol:  Hammer

I must admit that I struggled to come up with an illustration for today's lesson.  After some pondering, I have decided to simply explore this story with you directly from the text.  It is overwhelming to think of a situation that would mirror what Joseph was experiencing.

Picture this.  You are about to be married to a beautiful young woman when you discover that she is pregnant...and you KNOW it is not your baby.  Then, she comes to you and tells you that the child in her womb is actually conceived by God.  I know that I would have gone running in the other direction.  Instead, Joseph in his wisdom takes time to think and pray before he acts.  God rewards Joseph by sending him an angel in his dreams to ensure him that Mary is being honest.  Stick with Mary, Joseph, and you will be rewarded for your trust and faith.

Let's first look at Joseph's decision making process.  He did not rush to judgment and divorce Mary instantly.  At first, he thought he only had two decisions - divorce Mary quietly or bring her to the courts to have her stoned.  Through his patience and faith in God, he was shown the third option, which he took.  He stood by Mary and is now known as one of the most faithful men in history.

Another point to note, the text is very specific that the baby was conceived in Mary through the Holy Spirit.  This is a critical verse where God points out that our new Savior will be perfectly God and perfectly human at the same time.  He would have the ability to fully understand us in a way that no other false Messiah could.  In fact, the name Jesus means "the Lord saves" and the reference in verse 23 to Immanuel means "God with us."  Jesus could save us from our humanness and dwell fully with us as God.

Take today to remember what it truly means to trust and be faithful.  We need to take time in our decision making processes and focus on what God's will is in every situation.

Ponder Points:

• Talk about trust.  What does that word mean to each person?
• How do you know that you can trust someone or in something?  How did Joseph show trust?
• Have you ever reacted to a situation hastily?  How did that work out?  How would things have been different if you had taken time to act as Joseph did?
• Discuss what it would be like to stand out in society as Joseph.  How can we be more sensitive and welcoming as a church to people that are seen as societal outcasts?

Day 20: Repentance

"John answered them all, 'I baptize you with water.  But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'"  Luke 3:16

Main Character:  John the Baptist
Scripture:  Luke 1:57-80, 3:1-18
Symbol:  Scallop Shell

I distinctly remember in elementary school a "game" that our teachers created to encourage good behavior.  They cut out strips in three different colors - yellow, blue, and red.  You could earn these strips of paper by sitting quietly at your desk, helping a classmate, keeping your desk neat, and completing assignments in a timely manner.  Ten yellow strips could be turned in for one blue strip.  Five blue strips could equal one red strip.  Lastly, ten red strips equaled a reward of pancakes with strawberries at a local diner.  I tried so hard to earn those strips, and I was devastated when one of my yellow prizes was taken away for speaking out of turn one day. 

I quickly grasped that the more good you did, the more you would be rewarded.  My motivation was not to have good behavior but to do what I could to earn a strip.  If I was going to do something naughty, I would check first to make sure there were no teachers around!  In our society, we are so quick to focus on strange forms of repentance.  We cut corners and work the system until we get our hands on the prize.  It seems like we are all taught to be good for the reward not because that's how we should act towards our fellow man.

John came to preach a different message.  Baptism was not to be done just as a sign to others that you were a good person; instead it was a turning of your mind and soul towards following the commands God had established.  I find it very interesting that John selected a quote from Isaiah when he was preaching to the crowds in Luke 3:4.  He wanted to point out that this turning, this salvation, was not just for the Jews.  It is for all mankind.  He gives specific examples in Luke 3:11-14 about how this "turning" is played out in real life situations.

Remind yourself today about the true meaning of baptism - it is an outward sign of an inward faith.  John baptized with water, but he did so only to point to the true savior, Jesus Christ, who would soon follow in his footsteps.

Ponder Points:

• If you have been baptized, take some time to discuss the experience with your children.  How was your life different before and after you made the choice to accept an inward faith?
• Is there something that you would like forgiveness for in this Christmas season?  How can you practically go about repenting for this particular action?
• John preached to both the outwardly good and bad alike.  Talk with your children about this concept.  Remind them that we all make mistakes and need forgiveness no matter how good our outward appearance.  Does your striving to look good on the outside prevent you from noticing your need for forgiveness on the inside?

Day 19: Joy

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."  Luke 1:41

Main Character:  Elizabeth
Scripture:  Luke 1:39-56
Symbol:  Mother Holding Child

One of the most joyous occasions in my life was the day I found out that my son, Brady, had a ninety percent chance of being born a healthy baby.  You may remember from my writings a few days ago that I experienced a miscarriage for my first pregnancy.  Once I conceived again, I had a viability ultrasound at 6 1/2 weeks along.  I saw a heart beat, and Dr. Lipscomb came into the room afterwards to let us know that everything looked wonderful with our little baby.

After my experience, I can only imagine what Mary must have felt like when meeting Elizabeth after her encounter with the angel Gabriel.  Mary was told that she was pregnant with the Son of God, but how could she be sure?  Yes, she said she believed, but wouldn't you still have a little voice of doubt in the back of your mind?  Elizabeth was delighted to have a miracle child growing in her own womb, and when she encountered Mary that first time her baby literally leaped in her womb.

Now, I want you to take a moment to think about the sanctity of life.  This little baby in Mary's womb was maybe three or four days old (about 70-100 cells) when she arrived at Elizabeth's home.  Already, the life of Jesus was forming, and His power was strong enough to have influence on the baby in Elizabeth's body.  Pretty amazing in my opinion!

Once Elizabeth confirmed to Mary that she was pregnant, she immediately began to praise God for the blessing she had received.  The power of the Holy Spirit surrounded their family and gave them encouragement instantaneously.

Ponder Points:

• When have you felt the most joyful?  Share these memories with one another.
• Do you find that you experience joy more from an object or an experience?  If you're like us, you take more joy in experiences.  Think about this when fretting over Christmas gifts!
• Do you immediately stop and thank God when you have a joyful experience?  How can you get better as a family for thanking God instead of just asking for things in prayer?
• Have you ever doubted yourself?  Was there someone in your life that reassured you that you were headed in the right direction?  Talk about that "Elizabeth" in your life and think of a way to thank that person for their help.