Let It Be Christmas

  Well, its Christmas eve and Santa bettter have a wet suit.  It’s raining hard here in Mississippi.  I am about to head out for the in-laws for Christmas.

  Somebody asked me why I loved Christmas, after all, they noted, its the death-burial-resurrection-enthronement of Jesus that saves us.  And I understand that, (although that seems problematic without the incarnation).  And, yes, for those wondering, I know its not really Jesus’ birthday… but its as good a time to celebrate it as any other.

  Actually, however, my appreciation for Christmas goes a totally different direction.  Jesus prayed, and taught his disciples to pray for the kingdom of God… ie. His will (dreams) be done on earth just as in Heaven.  That possibility seems so far away.  Yet, for just a little while, at least in our imagination, we can see it.  We can dream of a day when the world may be, just for a short time, what God wishes.  If that day is ever going to come….  If on any one day everyone in the world eats, no one is left out and lonely, peace and hope wipe away suffering and despair, and everyone knows and appreciates God…if that ever occurs on any one day… I bet it will be a Christmas day.  So to that end, I pray you’ll have a merry Christmas, and enjoy one more of my favorite Christmas songs.  Here’s the video.  Maybe one day it will be Christmas everywhere.

If They Could Be Home…

  In a Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas production a man notes that the girl standing be the pay phone booth must be homeless.  When someone asks him how he knows, he replies, “It’s Christmas eve, if they could be home they would already be there.”  Hope you find a home for the holidays.

To listen to the devotional click here: 

Tennessee Christmas is performed by Babbie Mason and Guy Penrod from the Gaither Homecoming album, Christmas in The Country.

Let Earth Receive Her King

When a king comes it makes all the difference in the world.  How amazing it is to think of all the people strolling through Bethlehem’s streets who had no clue that  the history of the universe was reaching its zenith moment right in their presence.  But then again, maybe its not so unbelievable at all.  It could happen again.

Hear the devotional here:

The Difference A Night Makes

The hills around Bethlehem were filled with sheep.  However you approached the city you were bound to pass them in the valleys around.  In addition to food, the herds provided the sacrafices for people’s sins.  Watching these herds were dutiful shepherds.  In one wonderful stroke God set the record straight about people like them.

The First Noel is performed by Acapella, from their Family Christmas album

How He Came

 

When you are poor even some of the simplest things can become difficult.  So the question is “Why?”.  Surely God could have made it easier… so “Why?”

Listen to the devotional here

New Star Shining is performed by the Gaither Vocal Band

Cherished In Her Heart

  When Luke went to write his gospel, there was one perspective he had to include.  Of all the people who watched Jesus bring the kingdom of God to earth, her vantage point may be the most interesting.

Listen to the devotional here

Mary Did You Know is written by Mark Lowry and performed here by Acapella

The Least of These

God has come to save us… and we’d so like to overwhelm Him with our gratitude.  We’d hope to impress Him with our glorious service.  But, standing before the manger we find ourselves poor beyond measure.  Yet, we posess the one thing He considers a priceless treasure.

The song and the story are fiction, but it sounds exactly like the kind of thing Jesus would do.

  To hear the devotional click here

“The Gift” was written by Stephanie Davis and performed here by Aslin Debison.  It has also been covered by Garth Brooks.

Little Towns

Bethlehem, O Bethlehem… from your front door you could see the whole world revolving before your eyes.  Little would anyone have guessed that the biggest news would have been seen looking in. 

To hear the devotional click here

O’ Little Town of Bethlehem is performed by the Vienna Boys Choir, and Rose of Bethlehem is performed by Greatful.  If you want a copy of Rose of Bethlehem I suggest you find Selah’s original version from the self same titled album.

Do You Recall?

  Its a good thing retail doesn’t control the calendar.  We’d go straight from October 31 to December 13.  It would be Halloween… then immediately to the twelve days of Christmas, (with a little overlap to make sure you were ready to shop.)  Thanksgiving would be squashed between these two economic heavyweights.  However, commercialism isn’t all bad; at least a couple of good things come out of it.  Hope you enjoy this devotional.  If it strikes you as meaningful, share a comment, and share it with a friend.

You can hear the devotional here: 

**Note: if you have had any trouble opening the devotionals, we have “tweeked” them a little which has helped some.

Silent Night?

  Some of the greatest preaching about the holidays is wrapped up in its hymns.  Many of those hymns are so woven into the Christmas tradition you can scarcely wedge a whisper between them.  They have themselves become part of the holidays, and fill our hearts with visions of that night so long ago.

You can hear the devotional here…. 

Silent Night is performed by Celtic Woman, from the “Christmas Celebration” Album.