The Unfinished Story of Christmas

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“…when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels…

When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe…” 2 Thessalonians 1: 7, 10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The Jesus who came the first time is coming again, and Christmas is not complete without the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The incarnation without the coronation would be like east without west. It would be like an engagement without a marriage. The story is not complete until Jesus comes again. 

You may have thought that this was a good Christmas for you—but, friend, I want to tell you…the best is yet to come! The Heavenly Father has so much more in store for us when Jesus comes again. 

You see, we get all wrapped up in the little baby, the baby that was born, and we then go beyond the birth of the baby, saying, “Yes, He came to die for our sins” (thank God He did that), but I want to remind you that the First Coming of Jesus and the Second Coming are linked together.

The Christmas Story in Luke 1 and 2 speaks not only of the Jesus who redeemed, but the Jesus who reigned. Not only Jesus who came the first time, but Jesus who is coming the second time to sit upon the throne of His father David, to rule over the house of Jacob forever and ever.

ACTION POINT:

Imagine for a moment what your life would be like without the Resurrection, the Rapture, and the Second Coming of Jesus. The most glorious fact of the past is that Jesus came the first time. The most glorious fact of the future is that this Jesus is coming again. The one sure hope of this jittery old world is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

LWF Dr.Adrian Rogers

THE PROMISE OF HIS ETERNAL REIGN

2 Samuel 7
1 Now when the king lived in his house and the LORDhad given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,
2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent."
3 And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you."
4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,
5 "Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?
6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.
7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"'
8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.
9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,
15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.
16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.Your throne shall be established forever.'"
17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David's Prayer of Gratitude
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD!
20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD!
21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.
22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods?
24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God.
25 And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken.
26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,' and the house of your servant David will be established before you.
27 For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.
28 And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.
29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever."

The Davidic Kingdom…
God’s People…
A continual seed will endure.
An honored son will reign.
In God’s Place…
A place where they will enjoy God’s rest.
A place where they will encounter God’s glory.
For God’s Purpose.
To redeem a chosen people.
To extol the incomparable God.
Nations will come to the temple and
behold God’s greatness.
The Divine King…
God’s People…
Jesus came from the seed of David.
Jesus came as the Son of God.
In God’s Place…
In Christ, we find our rest.
In Christ, we see His glory.
For God’s Purpose.
To save a chosen people.
To exalt the incomparable God.
The temple now goes to the nations to
declare God’s greatness.
The Bottom Line…
Put all your trust in this King.
Spend all your life proclaiming His kingdom.

Thanks Pastor David!

The Promise of His Death and Resurrection

Isaiah 53:1-12
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Messiah, in the Eye of the Beholder
Christ’s Suffering: The Servant-Lamb
The OT Sacrificial System
Limitation: His Birth (53:2)
Jesus willingly embraced our frame with all its limitations.
[Isaiah 53:2; Philippians 2:7; John 4:6; Mark 11:12; Luke 2:52]
Rejection: His Life (53:3-4)
Jesus volunteered to pour himself out in ministry to people who would
reject him. (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11; Mark 3:21; Luke 4:28-29; Matthew 23:37;
Hebrews 10:1-7)

Substitution: His Death (53:5-10a, 12b)
“He who hung the earth is hanging; He who fixed the heavens has been fixed;
He who fastened the universe has been fastened to a tree…
O unprecedented murder! Unprecedented crime!
The Sovereign has been made unrecognizable by his naked body,
And is not even allowed a garment to keep him from view.
That is why the lights of heaven turned away,
And the day was darkened.”
-Melito, Bishop of Sardis (2nd century)
Jesus drank the cup of wrath (Isaiah 51:17; John 18:11) which
we deserved so that we might drink the cup of blessing. (1 Corinthians 10:16;
11:25)

Christ’s Triumph: The Risen Lord
Vindication: His Resurrection (53:10b-12a)
Jesus’ resurrection was a demonstration that His message was
true (Acts 17:31; Romans 1:4), that His death did in fact secure
our forgiveness (1 Corinthians 15:17, 20-22), that we who believe have
life in him (Ephesians 2:5; Romans 6:1-4), and that our final resurrection
is certain. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

Thanks Matt!

Why Frankincense and Myrrh?

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Take unto thee sweet spices…with pure frankincense…And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord.” Exodus 30:34-37

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Not only did the Wise Men bring gold, they brought frankincense and myrrh. Frankincense speaks of His sinless deity, myrrh of His sacrificial death.

In Bible times they worshiped the Lord by burning incense, a sweet perfume rising up to the nostrils of God. It was a symbol of worship—to be used in the worship of God alone. Frankincense tells of the beauties, the fragrance, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Frankincense represents Jesus, our Intercessor, and His intercessory prayers for us. Its fragrance speaks of the love and mercy of God.

Myrrh was used to embalm the dead. When the Lord Jesus Christ was being buried, they poured spices and myrrh into His grave clothes. “And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.” (John 19:39) Myrrh to embalm the body of Jesus.

In the gifts the Wise Men brought to the young boy Jesus, we see His sovereign dominion, sinless deity, and sacrificial death. He was born to die.

He is King and they brought gold.
He is God and they brought Him frankincense.
He is our Savior and they brought myrrh.

ACTION POINT:
Give—worship—witness—serve. These are what a wise man will do. I wonder, are you really wise? Do you understand that He was born to die?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Symbol of Gold ~ His Sovereign Dominion

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart's desire…with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.” Psalm 21:1-3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Gold was a gift that was fit for a king. The Wise Men asked, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” Our verse today speaks of kings. They wear a crown, and it is a crown of gold.

When the Wise Men brought gold, they were saying, “We recognize this child is the king of the Jews. He’s destined to reign. He has sovereign dominion.” 

“Well, how am I going to crown Him?” you may ask. You can crown Him the way they did—with gold. If all of your wealth is not under His control, you’ve not recognized Him as your sovereign king. He has a right to all you own. You say, “It’s mine.” If He is not Lord of everything you have, He’s not your Savior. His throne is not a duplex.

ACTION POINT:

How will you serve Him? One way is to serve Him with your wealth. As the saying goes, “He has no hands but our hands.” Serve Him is by showing His love to those in need. He requires your absolute surrender to His lordship. He is the king.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Three Symbolic Gifts

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“…they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Many people think these three gifts were just something incidental. No, they’re fundamental. They carry deep significance. These were not trinkets; these were treasures that didn’t occur by happenstance. This was something the wise men had planned. 

Why these specific gifts? They are highly symbolic. Gold speaks of His sovereign dominion—He was born a King. Frankincense speaks of His sinless deity—He is God in human flesh. And myrrh speaks of His sacrificial death—He was born to die that we might live

He is a king and they brought Him gold. He is God and they brought Him frankincense. He is a Savior and they brought Him myrrh. Sovereign dominion, sinless deity, sacrificial death.

ACTION POINT:

Because He is a King, He has my wealth. Because He is God, He has my worship. And because He died, He has my witness. All that I am, all that I have, all that I do, belongs to this One. That is wisdom. That’s what a wise man will do. Do some soul-searching today. Are you really wise?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

We Must Repent

Romans 3:10-12

10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; 

11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." 

As a fellow sinner who has a daily need to repent of my sin, I will pose a question to you!

Who is the judge of man?

Is it his neighbor?

Is it a peer?

Is it the world?

Or is it the Creator of the universe who made man and everything in it?

This Creator has very clearly, in His word, told us to spread His gospel of truth with the expectation of persecution.

Why then are we so shocked when the world condemns us for speaking the truth?

When we speak the truth of God’s holy word, it forces us to examine ourselves.

It is uncomfortable!

We are wicked by our very nature so we want to do as we please!

God did indeed give us free will but that free will of rebellion or obedience will bring consequences, bad and good!

Are we prepared to stand before God?

We will be judged on whether we presented the gospel in truth or whether we changed the doctrine of God to suit man.

God is a God of love but also "The Judge" who will judge the sins of His people!

Unforgiven sin is to be punished!

This world has continually grown wicked with each passing day.

There will come a time of judgment.

You will die.

You have an appointment with a holy God who has the right to judge you.

You can deny that and Him.

Your free will works for good or evil.

God has made a way for you to rest assured in His salvation and forgiveness.
Jesus Christ, whom God His Father sent as the only acceptable
ransom is drawing all men to Himself.

The purchase price, death of a sinless man, Jesus Christ.

Christ, the propitiation of my sin and your sin, even when the world denies the truth.

Christ is the only way for eternal salvation!

The assurance of grace is found in the resurrection of Christ on the third day!

God has shown His power in creating life from tiny cells and raising the dead.

Man will be without excuse for his unbelief. 

Creation is solid evidence and can't be denied!

Will you stand before God politically correct or as a humble soul who spoke the truth of the bible in love to a world headed for eternal hell?

God is the Creator and judge of man.

Ps.50:6

The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah 

Ecc.3:17

I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

We preach the truth of salvation in Christ.

Acts 10:42-43

42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

We will be persecuted because the world will hate us.

2 Tim.4:1-5

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

All face death and judgment.
Heb.9:27

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Power and authority of Christ.

John 12:32

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."

Romans 5:18-21

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Tim.2:5-6

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Heb.2:9

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

1John 2:2

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Eternal separation, some forgiven, some not forgiven

1Cor.6:9-11

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Lord, I pray for hearts to be changed by Your Word! Amen