Ordinary People

“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.” Matthew 1: 1-17

Ordinary People

By David Thompson

It was a common story – an arranged marriage between an older man and a younger woman. Maybe they didn’t know each other that well, maybe they had only met a few times. But then a complication; the young woman is already pregnant! The man’s first instinct is to cancel the arrangement; after all, this certainly isn’t the bargain he struck with her family. And then the most unexpected thing happens. God speaks into His creation, after centuries of silence. Who would ever have guessed that the Creator would take an interest in this ordinary and unremarkable situation? Don’t back out of the marriage, the angel tells the man; this is a special child. And by the way, he already has a name, and it isn’t your family name!

The rest of the story is so well known to us, that maybe we sometimes skip ahead and forget how extraordinary it all really was. Of course the man swallowed his pride and doubt, and took a young woman pregnant with a child not his own as his wife. Of course the young woman accepted her circumstance in faith, and set off on a difficult journey with a man she hardly knew.

But what if they hadn’t? What if they, like Moses, had asked God to choose someone else? Would Messiah still have come at that time and place, or would God have waited for another opportunity, another couple, to bring salvation into the world? What if, in our own time, all that is needed for Messiah to come again is for perfectly ordinary people to accept in faith God’s plan for us?

Oh God our Creator, today we are thankful for ordinary people who put their trust in You. May we, like them, accept Your extraordinary call in our lives. Until Messiah comes again in power, Amen!

December 13, 2017December 8, 2017

God’s Work

“In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:5-17

God’s Work

By Osasu Ehiorobo

The Bible tells us that both Zechariah and Elizabeth were Godly people and righteous in God’s eyes. They obeyed and feared the Lord but in all these characteristics, they had no child. It was a terrible hardship to have no children; they must have suffered painfully. Until God intervened, this had also happened to the parents of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, and Samuel. That’s quite a list—these are some of the most famous people in Israel’s history!

On a day that Zechariah least expected, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the sanctuary. The angel assured him that God had answered his prayers: his wife will bear a child and they should call him John. John (meaning “YAHWEH has been gracious”) would have the spirit and power of Elijah and would prepare the coming of the Lord.

Brethren, your present hardship does not mean life will always be difficult. The fact that God has not responded to your prayer request does not mean He has abandoned you and your household. At the appointed time God will make His will be done in our lives. As long as we keep our faith strong and do God’s work, He will not let us down.

Do not be discouraged. God sends good, surprising things to those who wait and pray. Never underestimate what God can do at any time of His choosing. God will decide both the ‘what’ and the ‘when’ of everything.

Prayer

Father, forgive us for doubting your power when the going gets tough. No matter what we are going through, help us to follow Your will and gain victory. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

December 12, 2017December 8, 2017

Kings and Prostitutes

Bering Drive Church of Christ Christmas Devotional

“An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.” Matthew 1: 1-17

Kings and Prostitutes

By David Pybus

“Where are you from?” the nurse asked. “From Houston,” I said. She told me she was from Angleton, and I told her I know the place quite well. “No one ever knows where that is,” she said. But as it happens, my family is from near there. It told me a little of who she was and who her people are.

Matthew begins the story of Jesus by telling us who his people are. His lineage is grand, going back through a line of kings, back to Solomon and David himself, and on to Judah in Egypt, and to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has the right pedigree. Yet he and his family no longer live in a palace; he is—it is supposed—the illegitimate son of a young woman in a small town. Joseph isn’t even his real father. What does this royal lineage have to do with Jesus and his young mother?

The key is buried in the lineage, where women just like Mary are hiding in plain sight. Tamar, a woman who tricked her untrustworthy father-in-law into having sex with her, so she could have children. Rahab, a prostitute whose treason saved her life. Ruth, a young foreigner who married an older man, after losing her own husband. And Uriah’s wife, a woman forced into adultery, with her husband murdered soon after.

Jesus comes from a long line of people who aren’t kings and who haven’t done the right thing and who aren’t from the right place. Mary is certainly not from anywhere, and the world assumes the worst about her. Yet she is Jesus’ people, just as these women were. And we are his people, too, even if we are not of royal lineage, or we don’t live in palaces, and even if we come from people who have lived life outside the lines. If we belong to Jesus, we fit right in among the kings and the prostitutes.

December 7, 2017December 7, 2017

A Light Shines in the Darkness

“But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
    on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
    and the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
    and all the garments rolled in blood
    shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
    and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
    and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
    He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” Isaiah 9:1-7

A Light Shines in the Darkness

By Sara Faye Fudge

In the darkest of times, for the nation Israel and for us today, the light that is the Lord breaks through the gloom. It shines and rescues from oppressors, both marauding armies with brute force and blood, and those forces of wickedness that seem to pervade our culture and sadly, our own lives. These dark times are actually the best times for seeing God work in his own transformative way. The light that illumined the created universe again shines through our own darkness, filling his creation with light and goodness.

The astounding way God accomplished this for Israel was not with stronger armies or crusading causes, but through the life of an innocent child. This child, this son given to us, would be the manifestation of the very essence of God and his names reflect the wonderful, wise, mighty, eternal nature of God. His power and might would conquer this world, his favor and protection would prosper the nation, and his rule of peace and righteousness would know no end.

As we await again the celebration of the coming of Jesus, we praise God for his incredible gift that shines light into our dark hearts of sin and doubt. He offers us rescue from our sins which oppress us, comfort and counsel for each day’s needs, and continuing peace for now and forever. And in his presence we find gladness of heart.

December 4, 2017December 4, 2017

Continually Restored

“Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all their sin. Selah
You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
so that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.” Psalm 85

Continually Restored

By Ginny Smith

God created mankind and had a covenant with his chosen people. He cared for them, restored them and forgave them. But there was a pattern of his people returning to him and, as the psalmist says, always asking God to “restore us again” and “revive us again.” It seems that all they felt was his displeasure and anger. They realized they weren’t living up to his expectations. They fell short.

We fall short.

What our amazing God does when he sends Jesus, Emmanuel, to earth to live among us, is His ultimate act of restoration and revival.

God in all his righteousness and goodness reaches down from heaven and kisses the earth with the gift of his son. He provides access to Himself so we can be continually restored. He allows His “glory” to live in our land. He shows us that His “peace” can live in our hearts. He provides a living example of how to get along in this world He created.

Not only do we have written and oral expectations on how to live, we have a personal gift, a guide who now lives within us.

“The LORD will indeed give what is good.”

Our prayer O Lord is to recognize this wonderful gift you have given us. We are so amazed at your desire to be with us and to help us in all ways. Help us unwrap the present of your son and get to know him during this season of advent.

Through him we pray,

Amen

December 3, 2017December 3, 2017

The Gentle Work of Creation

Bering Drive Church of Christ Christmas Devotionals

“Now you are walled around with a wall; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel upon the cheek. But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace. If the Assyrians come into our land and tread upon our soil, we will raise against them seven shepherds and eight installed as rulers. They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword; they shall rescue us from the Assyrians if they come into our land or tread within our border. Then the remnant of Jacob, surrounded by many peoples, shall be like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not depend upon people or wait for any mortal. And among the nations the remnant of Jacob, surrounded by many peoples, shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver. Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.” Micah 5: 1-9

The Gentle Work of Creation

By Jeff Christian

As Jesus draws us nearer to him, we cannot help but become more like the Savior. During the season of Advent, we anticipate what the Lord has in store for our lives. How will Jesus shape us, create us, use us for glory?

We find ourselves somewhere in the middle of creation. The Lord has already done so much in our lives. Jesus has brought us salvation and taught us how to follow the way of ultimate truth. All we have to do is say “Yes” each day as we follow Jesus.

Since Jesus is from the beginning, “whose origin is from old, from ancient of days,” we join the Savior in the work that began before time. Micah 5 promises that “he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord.” Micah wrote this because his audience was mainly the leaders, the national figures who were so overtaken by their own greed that they forgot to care for the poor. This is likely why Micah 5:7 speaks of our dependence upon God far above the politicians and celebrities who fade faster than a twice-marked-down shirt off the sale rack.

God always preserves a remnant of the faithful, those who repent with gratitude, those of us who anticipate more to come. We need no credentials to apply, much less to continue. So, we meet Jesus in a manger, a gentle reminder that the entire world is made new in the humblest of moments.