Morning, December 23
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But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you.  — Luke 14:10
Bible League: Living His Word
The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. Today your Savior was born in David's town. He is the Messiah, the Lord."
— Luke 2:10-11 ERV

Christmas is one of the most important times of the year. Many people in the world celebrate Christmas, but unfortunately, they do not realize and know the real meaning of it. Our Lord's birth was unique on this earth.

With His birth, Jesus Christ brought us the world's greatest gift. In the New Testament, Jesus is called the second Adam. By His birth, Jesus brought salvation. The Bible tells us what we have as Christians through His incarnation.

We see an interesting passage in Romans 5:12-14, which says, that our Lord is the second Adam and that His grace was a gift for us for salvation and being free from sin. Surely those people who accept Him will have true life through Jesus Christ.

By the birth and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we received the following important "gifts."

1) We received God's grace as a gift from God's hands. We all are sinners by birth. Because of sin-nature, man cannot live a life pleasing to God. Sin brought spiritual death to man, corrupted man, and the sinful nature was transmitted from Adam to all mankind. This means that God's salvation is a gift through His grace. Not one of us is worthy to have salvation without His grace.

2) We received justification as a free gift. Adam brought sin and death to humankind. But Jesus Christ brought to mankind justification and reconciliation.

3) We received eternal life as a gift. Through Christ, we received eternal life. To those who accept Him, they become God's children.

We see that the meaning of Christmas is very great. Jesus came to the world as a GIFT from God to humankind. So let us celebrate Christmas, realizing its main meaning.

By Arman Gevorgyan, Bible League International partner, Armenia
Bible in a Year
Old Testament Reading
Habakkuk


Habakkuk 1 -- The Oracle to Habakkuk: Habakkuk's Complaints, Chaldeans Used to Punish Judah

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


Habakkuk 2 -- God Answers that Habakkuk Must Wait by Faith; The Judgment upon the Chaldeans

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


Habakkuk 3 -- Habakkuk, in his prayer, trembles at God's majesty; God's Deliverance

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


New Testament Reading
Revelation 14


Revelation 14 -- The Lamb and the 144,000; The Three Angels; The Reapers

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library.
Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
Insight
Some people, well aware of their abilities, believe that they have the right to use their abilities as they please. Others feel that they have no special talents at all. Peter addresses both groups in these verses.
Challenge
Everyone has some gifts; find yours and use them. All our abilities should be used in serving others; none are for our own exclusive enjoyment. Peter mentions speaking and serving.
Morning and Evening by Spurgeon
Luke 14:10  Friend, go up higher.

When first the life of grace begins in the soul, we do indeed draw near to God, but it is with great fear and trembling. The soul conscious of guilt, and humbled thereby, is overawed with the solemnity of its position; it is cast to the earth by a sense of the grandeur of Jehovah, in whose presence it stands. With unfeigned bashfulness it takes the lowest room.

But, in after life, as the Christian grows in grace, although he will never forget the solemnity of his position, and will never lose that holy awe which must encompass a gracious man when he is in the presence of the God who can create or can destroy; yet his fear has all its terror taken out of it; it becomes a holy reverence, and no more an overshadowing dread. He is called up higher, to greater access to God in Christ Jesus. Then the man of God, walking amid the splendours of Deity, and veiling his face like the glorious cherubim, with those twin wings, the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, will, reverent and bowed in spirit, approach the throne; and seeing there a God of love, of goodness, and of mercy, he will realize rather the covenant character of God than his absolute Deity. He will see in God rather his goodness than his greatness, and more of his love than of his majesty. Then will the soul, bowing still as humbly as aforetime, enjoy a more sacred liberty of intercession; for while prostrate before the glory of the Infinite God, it will be sustained by the refreshing consciousness of being in the presence of boundless mercy and infinite love, and by the realization of acceptance "in the Beloved." Thus the believer is bidden to come up higher, and is enabled to exercise the privilege of rejoicing in God, and drawing near to him in holy confidence, saying, "Abba, Father."

"So may we go from strength to strength,

And daily grow in grace,

Till in thine image raised at length,

We see thee face to face."

Daily Light on the Daily Path
Isaiah 27:5  "Or let him rely on My protection, Let him make peace with Me, Let him make peace with Me."

Jeremiah 29:11  'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Isaiah 48:22  "There is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD.

Ephesians 2:13,14  But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. • For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

Colossians 1:19,20  For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, • and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Romans 3:24-26  being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; • whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; • for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 26:4  "Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.

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.

Evening December 22
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