Wednesday (Day 25)

VERSES: Hebrews 11:13-16, 2 Corinthians 5:8-10, & John 14:1-6

In this reading plan, we have walked through the theme “Home for Christmas.”  The first seven days looked at the hometown of Jesus’ birth, Bethlehem.  The second seven days looked at the events in and around the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth in the days when Mary was pregnant with Jesus.  The third set of seven days looked at the humble home of Jesus on that first Christmas night, a manger.  And finally, the past three days looked at how God leads us home to Him, so that He might shine His light into our lives.

In today’s reading, we conclude our study by asking a bigger question, “Where is our true home?”  Years ago, my grandmother was struggling with dementia and would often call our house confused and ask to go “home.”  Problem was, she could not identify where home was.  Time and disease had sadly confused her.

Where is your home?  Many of us have lived in many different houses and in many different towns.  As I write this, I am 51 years old and have lived in 13 different houses/apartments in 7 different cities.  I spent all of my “growing up years” in one location, but have spent nearly 30 years in another.  So which of these places is “home”?

Followers of Jesus, we actually share a home.  Our home is not on this earth, but is in heaven.  Our primary identity is not bound by this world, but by the God who made it.  God has promised us an everlasting home, peace on the earth, and an environment where every need is met and every tear is dried.  And yet, we live in a world where homes break down, nations war, and many tears are cried.  Are God’s promises for real?  Yes, they are!  However, not all of them will be fulfilled in this life.  When we arrive in our heavenly home, and when God creates the new heaven and the new earth described in Revelation 21-22, then all His promises will come true.  We can count on it. 

Our citizenship is in His city, so let us live today in light of who we really are, and the values of our “homeland.”  One day, we will see Jesus face to face and give an account for our lives.  May we follow Him home, expectant for that day.

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org  Merry Christmas!

Tuesday (Day 24)

VERSES:  John 1:9-18

Many years ago in a 1964 game against the 49ers, a Minnesota Viking defensive end recovered a fumble and (in the confusion of the moment) got turned around and ran 66 yards THE WRONG WAY into his own end zone.  Thinking he just scored a touchdown, he threw the ball out of bounds in celebration, resulting in a safety.  Though he worked hard and sincerely thought he scored, he was mistaken.  Instead of “winning,” he was “losing” – that moment at least.

In today’s passage, Jesus is referred to as both “life” and “light.”  These are two things that all of humanity wants and needs.  In fact, they are intimately connected.  You cannot have life without light.  When God created the world at the beginning of all things, He FIRST created light, as it was necessary for everything else to survive (Genesis 1:3).  Though all of us want and need life and light, we sometimes run the wrong way to find them.

In the confusion of life, it is all too easy for us to get turned around and headed in the wrong direction.  Sometimes we think that Jesus wants death and darkness for us . . . to remove the fun out of life by telling us what we cannot do.  In the temptation of everyday life, we scoop up an “opportunity” and run in the opposite direction of Christ, headed towards drugs, pornography, an affair, gossip, greed, etc., thinking that if we run hard enough in that direction, we will “win.”  The problem is, these temptations do not produce the celebrations we desire.  When we reach that “end zone,” like the Vikings “wrong way run,” we find shame and not satisfaction.

When John tells us that Jesus is both life and light, he is like a coach reminding us which goal line we were created to move towards.  Jesus does ask us to follow Him as He heads in a particular direction . . . but that direction is always life and not death; it is light and not darkness.  This is not to say that there will not be challenges as we follow Christ . . . but it is to say that those challenges are momentary, while the “win” is eternal.  When we do not follow Christ, it is just the opposite . . . the ecstatic feelings are fleeting, but the “loss” lasts.

Jesus wants to light your house this Christmas with His life.  Will you follow Him?

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Monday (Day 23)

VERSES:  Matthew 2:6-12

How did God lead you “home” to Him?  For some, God uses the encouragement and testimonies of friends and family.  For others, God uses the preaching of His Word or the reading of devotional material.  Still for others, God uses natural revelation that illuminates the awesome power and divine identity of God.  For others, God uses a bit of each of these things, all utilized by the Holy Spirit to draw us to God.

The point is, if we have a relationship with God, it is because He has invited us to have a relationship with Him.  If the universe were a game of hide-and-go seek and God did not want to be found, we would never find Him.  But God does not want to hide.  Instead, God wants a relationship with us and has reached out in His grace, revealing Himself to us and leading us home to Him.

The Magi are just another example of God leading people to Himself.  Through the testimony of His people (Daniel), and through the authentication of His Word (the quotation of Micah 5:2 recorded in Matthew 2:6), and through the star in the sky (Matthew 2:9), God wooed the Magi from their eastern home, across a rugged desert, past societal expectations, and above ethnic divisions and into the presence of the King of Kings and the Savior of the World. 

And when the Magi arrive in Bethlehem, they bow down and worship Jesus with all that they had, offering symbolic gifts highlighting the identity and ministry that Jesus would reveal over His lifetime. 

God has invited you home to Him.  Like the Magi, have you responded to that invitation? 

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

WEEK 4:  He leads us home

Sunday (Day 22)

VERSES:  Numbers 24:17, Daniel 2:46-49 & Matthew 2:1-6

In the days following Jesus’ birth, a group of Magi from the east (probably Iraq or Iran), saw a new star and made a long journey to Jerusalem.  This is a familiar story to us, so it seems “normal” that Magi would journey hundreds of miles across a desert in response to a new star … BUT, we would do well to ask a few questions.

First, who were these Magi?  The Magi were a group of star gazers who were prominent in Babylon and Persia for hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus.  As a matter of fact, during the time of the Babylonian captivity, several young Jews were carted off to Babylon, and one of them (Daniel) was placed in charge of (you guessed it) the Magi in Nebuchadnezzar’s court! 

Second, why would these star gazers associate a new star with a new king in Jerusalem?  Daniel lived in Babylon among the Magi 500 years before Jesus was born, but Daniel prophesied about the time when Messiah would come.  He put a time table on it in Daniel 9:24-27 that pointed towards Jesus’ day.  Additionally, the Jews had another Scripture that alluded to a star representing the arrival of a liberating leader (Numbers 24:17).  Daniel may very well have referenced this hope to the Magi during their decades together.  It is difficult to know for sure, but it is easy to see Daniel’s influence prompting the Magi to watch for the arrival of a new star around the time of Jesus’ birth.

Third, we also need to ask, why were Herod’s priests and scribes not also looking for Messiah’s arrival?  This will come even more clear if you read Matthew 2:13-18, but Herod was a ruthless and jealous man and saw Jesus as a threat.  The priests and scribes knew where Messiah would be born, but they were too afraid of Herod to check it out.

It is interesting to see God’s pursuit of the Gentile Magi, using Daniel to teach God’s prophetic promises and create a Messianic hope.  The Magi embraced that message and were ready to act and respond when the star appeared.  God is still speaking through His Word and through His world today.  Like the Magi, will we come and worship or, like the priests and scribes, will we stay at home?

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Saturday (Day 21)

VERSES:  Luke 2:15-21

I recently read an account by Colin Webster of a woman named Thelma Howard.  In 1951, Howard was hired by Walt Disney to be his housekeeper.  She worked in that role for 30 years, becoming a real life Mary Poppins to Disney’s children and grandchildren.  Like many other members of Disney’s staff, Howard was given a share of stock each year for Christmas.  Howard collected all these shares, but never cashed them in, simply keeping them in a box beneath her bed.

According to an LA Times article from 1994, nearing the end of her life, Howard was living in poor conditions sharing a room with three other people in a very modest nursing home without a view.  Disney’s children found her in this condition and moved her to a better location for her last days but nothing indicative of what she was really worth.  Upon her death, Thelma Howard’s estate was valued at $9 million (mostly due to the Disney stock she owned but never cashed in.) When those Christmas gifts from Walt were eventually “opened” and cashed in, they ultimately would be used to bless many through her foundation helping those in need.

This story reminds us that for Christmas gifts to be activated, they must be opened.  Upon learning that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the shepherds had an option.  Would they “open” this gift and go and see the newborn King, or would they stay in the field and keep this gift under their bed?  The shepherds responded with faith and visited Jesus and told all the wonders of what they saw.

How about you?  Jesus has come to offer you the Christmas gift of peace with God and forgiveness of sin.  Will you open this gift and place your faith in Him today?  Like Mary, will you treasure in your heart the person of Christ and rely on Him and Him alone for your salvation?  You can open this Christmas gift today by praying to God and expressing your faith and trust in Him.

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Friday (Day 20)

VERSES:  Luke 2:6-14

Have you ever rewatched a movie with a surprise ending?  The first time you saw it, your jaw dropped with the plot twist, but by the tenth time seeing the movie, you come to expect the previously unexpected turn.

In today’s verses we see the birth of Jesus followed by a number of surprising twists and turns. 

First of all, Jesus is laid in a manger.  A MANGER!  An animal’s feeding trough.  This was the humble abode where Jesus, the King of Kings, would spend His first night on the earth.  How rare was this?  Well, the angels tell the shepherds that they will be able to identify which baby was Jesus because Jesus was the only baby in Bethlehem lying in a manger!  We are so familiar with this story, that we are no longer shocked by this reality.  Even more shocking, though, is WHY Jesus was laid in a manger … because there was no room for Him indoors.  No one else was willing to be inconvenienced so that Jesus could be born in a more accommodating setting.

The next big surprise came with angels filling the sky outside Bethlehem.  Again, we are so familiar with this story that we just think that angels ALWAYS fill the night sky around Bethlehem, but remember, those who first saw them were terrified.  Why?  Because it was not normal for angels to be in Bethlehem’s sky.  And, who did the angels first inform of the birth of Jesus?  The shepherds of course!  Again, we have lived an entire lifetime seeing shepherds in our nativity scenes, so their angelic visit makes sense to us, but it was a shock to the first century.  Shepherds were not people invited to formal events, and due to their proximity to the elements they interacted with in their vocation, they were deemed ritually unclean, making them religious outsiders.

May you read these very familiar verses today with fresh eyes.  As you “rewatch” this familiar piece of history, don’t be desensitized to its amazing message.  Unto the religious outsiders and those stained by sin, a Savior is born!  “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”  May your heart do what the residents of Bethlehem did not – make room for Jesus to be honored and worshiped with our obedience, affection, and faith.

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Thursday (Day 19)

VERSES:  Luke 2:1-5 & Micah 5:2

In today’s verses we see Luke describing the events that led to Joseph and Mary arriving in Bethlehem before Jesus was born.  We might remember from earlier in this reading plan, that the Messiah was to be born in that little town. Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, not Bethlehem, so a journey was required so that Jesus might be born in the correct place.  Notice the precision with which Luke details this history.  Fairy tales begin “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” or “once upon a time,” but the birth of Jesus is no fairy tale; it is a historical fact.  So Luke describes the real world events that led to Jesus being born in the correct location.

Caesar Augustus, who reigned over the Roman Empire for the 40 years leading up to the birth of Jesus, called a census requiring all people in the Empire to travel to their ancestral home to be counted.  This “counting” was done to both bolster the ego of the Emperor (“I have SO MANY people in my kingdom”) and also to set the requirements for taxation.  Caesar called three different censuses during his reign, but this particular one was the census taken before Quirinias’ first go ‘round as Governor of Syria (the phrasing “first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria” can also be translated “the registration before Quirinias became Governor of Syria.”)  Extra-biblical historical records confirm that there was indeed a census taken at the time of Jesus’ birth, and these details included by Luke help us verify when Jesus was born.

So, Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem.  They were thinking this was to fulfill Caesar’s requirements.  Caesar, who had no knowledge of who Joseph and Mary were, sends them (along with 50 million other residents of the Roman Empire) to their ancestral homes to satisfy his own ego and fill his own pockets.  These are the earthly explanations for what happened, but because of the prophecy of Micah 5:2, we know that God was working behind the scenes to orchestrate a heavenly purpose. 

Reading these verses reminds us that Jesus really came into history to save us.  It also reminds us that God is sovereign over the events of history and works all things together for His good purposes.  Our God is not the God of myths and fables but of reality and history.

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Wednesday (Day 18)

VERSES:  Matthew 1:18-25

For good reason, Mary gets a lot of attention in the Christmas story. After all, Luke’s Gospel seems to give us Mary’s experiences while Jesus was in the womb and at His birth. Further, it seems as though Joseph died by the time Jesus’ public ministry took off, while Mary lived on. Therefore, there are more biblical records of Mary’s experience than Joseph’s.  All that said, it is important for us to think through Joseph’s experience in the story of Jesus’ birth – as it is a remarkable story of faith and faithfulness.

Today’s passage tells the story of Joseph’s experience during the time Jesus was inside Mary’s womb. Joseph and Mary were engaged/betrothed, but not yet married. In this reading plan, we have already looked at Mary’s experience from Luke 1 as God announced (through an angel) that Mary would be pregnant (even though she was a virgin) and have a Son who would be the Messiah. This was HUGE news, and certainly would have been hard to believe for anyone who was not talking to angels! And at first, Joseph was NOT talking to angels. God first brought the news to Mary before He brought the news to Joseph. So, with Mary pregnant, and Joseph looking only to natural explanations for this situation, Joseph decides to divorce Mary quietly – probably so that she could then marry whoever was the father of the child.

But it was not God’s will that Joseph would leave Mary. So, an angel intervened and visited Joseph to tell him that Mary’s child was indeed supernatural, and that Mary was telling the truth that the Baby was the Messiah. Can you imagine being a fly on the wall of Joseph’s room as he prays aloud, processing the news of Mary’s pregnancy and the angel’s visit?  Ultimately, Joseph chooses to trust the Lord (and not his emotion, reason, or logic) and stay with Mary. As a result, generations of people all over the world have named their kids “Joe” and put statues of him out each Christmas season. What a great choice Joseph made!

Take a moment and ponder the things about God that don’t make sense to you. Things you might wish to “dismiss quietly” instead of receiving them as true. Allow Joseph’s account to help us remember that many times God’s ways are simply higher (and better) than ours!

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Tuesday (Day 17)

VERSES:  Matthew 1:1-17 & Hebrews 4:15-16

You are a part of a family tree. Your experience may be very positive or your experience may have been rocky. For good or for bad, we are still connected to and marked by our lineage.  Personally, it bears great meaning to each of us.

However, there are some people whose family trees are not just PERSONALLY interesting  but have implications that impact the world. Think about members of the British Royal Family. Their blood lines bring with them responsibility and authority that impacts the society around them.

In Matthew 1:1-17, we see the family tree of Jesus Christ. This family tree lets us know at least two things:

1. It shows us that Jesus (the Son of God) became fully human at His earthly birth. He did not just become “human-like,” He PERSONALLY took on flesh and dwelt among us. Therefore, we do not have a Savior who cannot relate to us, but we have One who knows what it means to live in this world. His lineage is a reminder of that.

2. It shows us that Jesus’ genealogy sets Him up for a WORLD-WIDE impact. He is a descendant of Abraham, reminding us that He is ethnically a Jew, thus continuing the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people long ago. Also, we see that Jesus’ great, great, great, great, great grandpa was David – a reminder that Jesus would be the promised descendant of David to sit on the throne of God and reign forever. His family tree supports and qualifies Him for not just personal influence.

At Christmastime, we sometimes skip the beginning verses of Matthew 1:1-17 and begin our Scripture reading when the angels show up in 1:18ff. When we do that, we miss the blessing of generations . . . reminding us of the PERSONAL and WORLD shaping reality of Jesus’ life. He really did take on flesh and dwell among us, so He can relate to us and provide the help we require in times of need.  Scan over the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 and see how many names you recognize.

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Monday (Day 16)

VERSES:  Philippians 2:1-11

There is a fundamental problem with humanity today.  This problem is not the economy or immigration or national defense or disease or whatever other issue makes the evening news.  The fundamental problem with humanity is sin. 

The word sin means to miss the mark, to err.  Ultimately humanity has a condition that has sinned against God and wandered away from His direction and design.  While the effects of our sin show up in the issues we see on the news each night, the root cause lies within the hearts of us all.  In fact, we even bring it to church.

Churches all over the world for the past 2000 years are made up of sinners.  Did you know that?  Of course those who have turned to Christ are forgiven sinners, and have a declared new identity before God as “saint” or “one made holy,” but even the “saints” inside the church sin in what they think, do, and say.  It is a real problem.

At its core, sin compels people to act in selfish ways, looking out for only themselves, to the neglect of the needs of those around them.  When a person places themselves and their desires above everything else, including God and the needs of others, they are moving in the direction of sin. 

So how can humanity escape this vicious loop?  Well, in today’s verses, the Apostle Paul describes a path out … by following the pattern and thinking of Jesus Christ.  As we saw yesterday, Jesus is God, and has resided forever in heaven above, yet He did not cling to the luxury of heaven, but instead chose to come to this earth to serve our needs.  He informed our ignorance, healed our diseases, identified with our existence, and ultimately died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.  He did all of this for us.  He looked “not only to His interests but also to the interests of others.”

The birth, life, and death of Jesus create a beautiful model for Christians to serve one another, and not always look out for number one.  How can you serve others and consider them as more important than yourself this week?

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org