Bible League: Living His Word An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."— Luke 2:9-10 NIV What do you do when you hear good news? You tell others, right? "Did you hear? I'm going to be a grandma again!" "I've got good news! My son is going to graduate at the top of his class!" "Mom and Dad, I got the job!" "Guess what! We're getting married!" When we hear good news, we want to tell people, don't we? We love to share good news. Why? It is because good news brings great joy. On the night that the Savior was born in Bethlehem, an angel appeared to lowly shepherds and told them that he was bringing them good news that would cause great joy for all the people. Luke 2:17 says that when they saw Him, they spread the word concerning Him. Good news makes you want to tell others all about it so that they can share in your joy. What is interesting about the book of Luke is that it begins with great joy, and it ends with great joy. Luke 24:51-52 says, "While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy." Jesus was blessing His eleven remaining disciples; and while He was blessing them, He ascended into Heaven. Luke says that the disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy. What happened after that? They shared the good news that Jesus was alive, and it has been bringing great joy to the world ever since. The challenge for us this Christmas season is not only to remember the good news that has brought us great joy, but also to share it with others. Church-growth experts will tell you that Christmas is the time of year when people who are far from God are the most likely to respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ. What better way to bring great joy into someone's life than to share with them the best news ever? God loved this world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life with Him. Pray for an opportunity this Christmas season to share the Good News that brings great joy for all the people. By Shawn Cornett, Bible League International staff, Illinois U.S. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingAmos 4, 5, 6 Amos 4 -- Israel Has Not Returned to Me NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Amos 5 -- Seek Me that You May Live NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Amos 6 -- Woe to those at ease in Zion; Abhorrence of Israel's Pride NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Revelation 6 Revelation 6 -- The First Six Seals NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?Insight Jesus summarized the law as love for God and neighbor, and Paul said that love demonstrated toward a neighbor would fully satisfy the law. When we fail to love, we are actually breaking God's law. Challenge Examine your attitude and actions toward others. Do you build people up or tear them down? When you're ready to criticize someone, remember God's law of love and say something good instead. Saying something beneficial to others will cure you of finding fault and increase your ability to obey God's law of love. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Ruth 1:14 Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.Both of them had an affection for Naomi, and therefore set out with her upon her return to the land of Judah. But the hour of test came; Naomi most unselfishly set before each of them the trials which awaited them, and bade them if they cared for ease and comfort to return to their Moabitish friends. At first both of them declared that they would cast in their lot with the Lord's people; but upon still further consideration Orpah with much grief and a respectful kiss left her mother in law, and her people, and her God, and went back to her idolatrous friends, while Ruth with all her heart gave herself up to the God of her mother in law. It is one thing to love the ways of the Lord when all is fair, and quite another to cleave to them under all discouragements and difficulties. The kiss of outward profession is very cheap and easy, but the practical cleaving to the Lord, which must show itself in holy decision for truth and holiness, is not so small a matter. How stands the case with us, is our heart fixed upon Jesus, is the sacrifice bound with cords to the horns of the altar? Have we counted the cost, and are we solemnly ready to suffer all worldly loss for the Master's sake? The after gain will be an abundant recompense, for Egypt's treasures are not to be compared with the glory to be revealed. Orpah is heard of no more; in glorious ease and idolatrous pleasure her life melts into the gloom of death; but Ruth lives in history and in heaven, for grace has placed her in the noble line whence sprung the King of kings. Blessed among women shall those be who for Christ's sake can renounce all; but forgotten and worse than forgotten shall those be who in the hour of temptation do violence to conscience and turn back unto the world. O that this morning we may not be content with the form of devotion, which may be no better than Orpah's kiss, but may the Holy Spirit work in us a cleaving of our whole heart to our Lord Jesus. Daily Light on the Daily Path Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.Philippians 2:4,5,7 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. • Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, • but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." 2 Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, John 11:35 Jesus wept. Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 1 Peter 3:8,9 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; • not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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