December 27, 2012
Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord” ), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
(Luke 2:21-32 (NIV))
Did you breathe a big sigh of relief yesterday? Or maybe yours came this morning because you went out to the after Christmas sales yesterday and you didn’t have time to do anything else. Whatever may have happened, many people look upon the day after Christmas as being the end of the season.
It is only the beginning! Just as Jesus’ birth marked the beginning of our promised hope and salvation, Christmas marks the beginning of our celebration of this gift from God. Simeon knew that Jesus’ birth marked the beginning of salvation, and not the salvation itself. Many things needed to happen before the promise would be fulfilled.
Jesus did not come into the world in a miraculous manner and then spend the next thirty years in quiet solitude preparing for His ministry and crucifixion. We know that He amazed the scholars and priests before His baptism and the temptation in the wilderness.
We do not need to celebrate His birth and the promise that He fulfilled only on the days that we have set aside to remember His birth and His resurrection. We need to look at Christmas as the start of our opportunity to present His light to others as it was presented to us. We have several months until we celebrate His resurrection at Easter. What can we do to show the world the amazing gift that God gave us through Jesus Christ, His only Son? What can we do that will make those around us amazed at the resurrection and the promise fulfilled by it?
Copyright 1998 – 2012 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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a child is born, abounding in love, Abraham's seed, amazing, amazing gift, amazing grace, be filled with the Spirit, birth of Jesus, celebrate, Celebration, Christmas, consecration, Easter, faith, find Jesus, freedom, gain, Gentiles, gift, glory of God, God, God so love the world, God's Laws, God's love, holy, Holy Spirit, hope, Jerusalem, Jesus is Lord, Jesus' birth, Jesus' return, Jews and Gentiles, Light of the World, Obedience, oppressed, order and righteousness, Perseverance, praising God, promise of God, promises fulfilled, resurrection, Righteousness, waiting, wisdom, Word made flesh, worship God | Tagged: amazing gift, Be still, celebrate His birth, circumcise, consecrated, devout, eighth day, firstborn, His resurrection, Holy Spirit, hope, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jesus' birth, Joseph and Mary, Law of the Lord, praised God, promises fulfilled, righteous, salvation, Simeon, the Beginning, waiting | 
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Posted by dailylivingministries
October 10, 2012
Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
(Galatians 3:26-29 (NIV))
There are people who say that Jesus was only a good man. If He were only a good man, would the original twelve have followed Him like they did?
I do not know of anybody who would be willing to die for something as radical as what Jesus was saying if they did not see first-hand that it was true!
If we accept that basic premise, then the words from Galatians have a very definitive meaning to us today, just as they did two thousand years ago. These people who witnessed the events surrounding Jesus’ life had such a powerful presence and such an honest and sincere story, that people believed them, and still believe them today.
Jesus came so that ALL people could be set free from the bondage of sin and death. This promise was given through Abraham and fulfilled through Jesus Christ. If we accept the promise, then we need to accept the fact that we are heirs to the Kingdom. All of this has only come about because of the love of God the Father in sending His only Son, Jesus Christ.
Are you an heir to the promise?
Copyright 1998 – 2012 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Posted by dailylivingministries
Daily Living Ministries 