John 1:14 – And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joseph must have been frantically looking for a place to stay for the night. Mary was probably already in labor. She was young, it was her first child and she was going through the same pain in childbirth that every mother has when giving birth. Bethlehem was full of travelers. It was a small village with a very limited number of inns. Maybe only one, and the was no room. The innkeeper took pity on Joseph and Mary and allowed them room in his stable.
Most people look at the innkeeper as unfeeling but if you think about it he really did an act of kindness, plus scripture was being fulfilled.
If the innkeeper had known who was to be born in his stable, maybe he would have given up his own room for JESUS.
JESUS wants the best from us. Our gift to Him this Christmas should be giving Him every room in our heart.
Luke 2:7 And 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.
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus was foretold by Micah 700 years before Christ’s birth. Micah named the exact town and Matthew records the event. Bethlehem is still standing today and both Biblically and historically is proven to be the actual place where Jesus was born.
The journey to Bethlehem took Mary and Joseph about 4 days. It was not an easy journey for a woman about to give birth. Tradition says she rode on a donkey but that is not in the Bible account. She may have had to walk that distance.
Today take a few minutes from your busy Christmas preparation and think about the obedience of Joseph and Mary. They were willing to sacrifice time, ridicule, and hardship to bring JESUS into the world.
Two humans that made a difference to everyone from that time for all eternity.
Luke 2:4 And 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:)
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
One week until Christmas Day! Are we so busy that we forget the most important thing we need to do this season and everyday?
That is to Praise the Lord in everything. If we are not doing that, we have missed what Christmas is all about.
God sent His Son, the LORD JESUS to be born. Not as King but as a lowly baby, to grow up and die on the cross for payment for our sin. That alone is worthy of all our praise.
Then our daily blessings. Too many to even count. So stop today and right now give Him the praise He deserves. Take time from your business to honor the One who give you everything.
Can you imagine Elizabeth’s joy to share with her friends and family that, after all this time, in her old age, she was finally going to be a mother? And how exciting that her son was the one God had chosen to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah!
Elizabeth had a visitor. Mary, her cousin came to see her, probably to share the news that she was expecting a baby, who was to be the Savior.
When Elizabeth saw Mary, her baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth what is overjoyed that the mother of the Savior came to visit her.
Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Luke 1:41-42 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
Mary, a young virgin, was engaged to Joseph. God chose her to be the mother of the Lord Jesus. When Gabriel came to her she was frightened at first, listened to his message and then was humbled and honored.
In those days being pregnant without marriage was a great disgrace but Mary was willing to obey.
When the angel told her of Elisabeth’s pregnancy, Mary, went to stay with her. Elisabeth confirmed what the angel had told her because the baby leaped in her womb.
If you have not read and thought about the people in the unfolding Christmas story it would be good to read it again. We learn much about obedience and love of God as we realize that every person was human and had the same emotions, fears, joys and problems we do. Mary is a great example to us and she surely was blessed among women.
Luke 1:30-31 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary:for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
The next 10 days for a lot of people will be the busiest time of year preparing for that perfect Christmas gift. Shopping in crowded stores, looking at catalogs, shopping on line.
The best gift you can give anyone is telling them about Jesus. For your unsaved friend, coworker or relative their best gift would be receiving Jesus as their Savior.
For your Christian loved ones a time of fellowship, a phone call or a message. Your time is more precious than any gift you could possibly buy.
Enjoy the Christmas season but don’t forget the best gift ever given…..Jesus.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that HE gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life
If you think about it, it’s a bit strange for someone to put goodies in an old sock. But like many Christmas traditions, the tradition of Christmas stockings comes from an old legend.
A long time ago (so the story goes), a poor man had three daughters and couldn’t afford to give them a dowry (money or goods given to the groom’s family by the bride’s family). In those days, it was very hard for a woman to get married without a dowry. A Christian bishop named Nicholas heard about the problem and wanted to help, but the man refused to accept money. One night, Nicholas threw three balls made of pure gold in through the open window of the man’s house. Each one landed in a stocking hung by the fire to dry. The next morning, each daughter found a gold ball in her stocking. With this bounty, they were all able to get married.
Stockings can remind us of the importance of service. The greatest example of service is Jesus Christ. He always “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38).
Take some time to think about the Savior’s selfless acts of service. How can you give Christlike service and show kindness to others this Christmas Season?
Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
It wasn’t until about the nineteenth century that we find Christianity absorbing the bright, cheery symbolism of the Christmas tree. The Christians had long held the fir as a symbol of the Tree of Life.
Early Christians knew their symbolism well, as they added candles and apples to their Christmas firs. These candles represented the light of Christ. The apples symbolized knowledge which spawned man’s original sin according to Christian belief.
Here we see the light of Christ forgiving the “fall of man” within the symbol of the Christmas tree.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
It’s hard to go anywhere during Christmas without seeing stars hanging from street lamps or sitting on top of Christmas trees.
The star is one of the most recognizable symbols of Christmas. It represents the star that appeared in the sky when Jesus Christ was born. The star led the Wise Men to Jesus and reminds us to follow the light of the Savior just as the Wise Men followed the light of the star to find Him.
Have you found Him?
Matthew 2:1&2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Center for Evangelists 
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