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Luke 2:10-11 - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Luke 2:10-11 (KJV) And the angel said unto 
them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good 
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 
For unto you is born this day in the city of 
David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

COMMENTARY PEARLS

Oh, How God Loves His Children!

   Christmas Eve. We made it once again. 
Now, suddenly, I want time to stop. I want to fly 
back and feel the expectation of lighting the 
first Advent candle, and sit snuggled in the 
living room as David reads about the Magi. I want 
to lean my face into the scratchy cedar tree 
and then realize the blessing of my mother's 
long life. 
   Christmas Eve. It's come too soon.
   Oh well, there's nothing to do now but 
pull my Santa hat from the top closet shelf and 
get ready to laugh. Our tradition is to open our 
gifts to each other on Christmas Eve. Santa comes 
later. 
   Brock and Keri and their giggling tribes 
will arrive shortly, unloading presents until 
there's a sea of bright boxes piled all around the 
tree. There will be much hurrying as we eat bowls 
of hot vegetable soup and devour homemade 
pimento cheese sandwiches. 
   And then the Santa hat! It was a splurge 
some years back, this red velvet hat with a 
foot-high bouncy, twirly thing, complete with a bell 
on the top. 
   When I don the hat, everyone knows it's 
time. I drag in my big red Santa bag, and peek 
inside. The room grows quiet. 
   "Now, what have we here?" I say.
   I pull out a gift for each person. I've 
been working toward this moment for months. 
Saving up, searching the Internet, poring through 
catalogues, and walking the malls until I find the most 
perfect gift possible for each of the people I 
treasure. 
   Some, I know, call this conspicuous 
consumption. I call it love. 
   Father, thank You for creating me to 
laugh, for the delight I can take in giving gifts, 
for the joy and anticipation of Your ultimate 
gift! Pam Kidd [Walking in Grace 2021 Devotional 
by Guideposts and Zondervan re 1 Timothy 4:14] 

   The other morning, I went down into the 
garage where my three teenage boys play video 
games. The floor was littered with soda cans and 
empty popcorn bags. Napkins and old socks peeked 
out from under the couch cushions where they 
sit. When I looked behind the couch, I needed a 
moment. The volume of trash crammed in between it 
and the wall was breathtaking. I thought, I need 
go no farther. I called to them, "Boys! Come 
clean up!" The clutter was disheartening. I didn't 
want to get my hands dirty. I wanted the boys to 
clean up their own mess. 
   Jesus took the opposite approach when He 
came to earth on that holy Christmas night so 
long ago. Instead of picking a pristine palace or 
a comfortable home to make His appearance, He 
chose a smelly stable. Surrounded by animals and 
nestled in a bed of hay, the Son of God made Himself 
known. He also made His heart known. He is not 
afraid of our mess. In fact, He knows that He is 
the only One Who can clean up our hearts, minds, 
and situations. Try though we might, we always 
come up short when it comes to cleaning ourselves 
up. But Jesus - Emmanuel, God with us - is here, 
and He's willing and able to create order out of 
chaos, wrapping us in His righteousness and 
cleansing us from all sin. Susanna Foth Aughtmon 
   Faith Step: Today as you tidy your house, 
recognize how Jesus has entered the mess of your life 
willingly and know He is not put off by it. His heart 
is for you. He has come to make you whole. 
[Mornings With Jesus 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and 
Zondervan] 

COMMENTARY

   There once lived a farmer who became 
jaded about Christmas and all things "Christian." 
   Late one raw winter night, he sat alone 
in the house, reading. In the quiet he heard an 
irregular thumping against the back porch door. He 
flipped on the light. To his surprise, the birds 
that had made their nests in a nearby tree were 
flying against the glass, almost as if knocking to 
come inside. The limb on which they had built 
their nest had fallen under the weight of the ice. 
His heart went out to them. 
   He pulled on his snow boots and overcoat 
and pushed open the storm door. Immediately the 
birds fluttered away. Against knee-deep snow, he 
made his way out to the barn. He slid open the 
barn door and wondered how he could get the 
frightened birds into its warmth and safety. 
   He built a massive nest out of hay, but 
they wouldn't come near. He sprinkled some 
crackers in a path from their tree toward the barn. 
But they didn't follow. He tried to shoo them 
in, but they only scattered. He even lit a 
couple of candles inside the barn, hoping the added 
warmth would draw them. But to the birds, he was 
only something to be afraid of. He knew nothing 
of their language and nothing of their world. 
   He thought, If there were just some way 
that I could become a bird. If only for a few 
moments I could communicate to them how much I care, 
I could get them into the barn and they would 
be safe and warm. 
   At that moment, as only God would plan 
it, church bells began to ring in the distance. 
The farmer suddenly remembered, as he looked at 
his watch and checked the date, that it was 
Christmas morning. 
   At that moment, he grasped the true 
meaning of Christmas. A man becoming a bird is 
nothing to be compared to God's becoming a man. This 
was what the Savior did - He came to rescue the 
farmer himself and all humanity from the cold of 
sin. There in the deep snow on the back porch he 
fell to his knees, softened his heart, and 
returned to the Lord his God. [Chuck Swindoll 
www.insight.org.] 

CLOSING PEARL

Don't Miss Christmas
   This Christmas, dont miss the point of 
celebrating Christmas. Dont be like the innkeeper who 
missed Jesus because he was too busy (see Luke 2). 
Make time for the Lord. Dont be like King 
Herod who was too afraid to let Christ rule his 
life (see Matthew 2). Turn your heart over to 
Christ. 
   Finally, dont run your life like those 
in the Roman Empire, who missed Christmas 
because other gods took the place of Christ in their 
lives. Allow nothing else to take the place of 
worshipping Jesus Christ. 
   On Christmas morning we will unwrap our 
Christmas presents, but eventually the novelty of it 
all will wear off. The present that was once so 
precious to you will end up stuffed in the closet or 
handed off to someone else. A newer version of your 
latest gadget will arrive that has more megapixels, 
or is smaller, or faster, or has better battery 
life. In time, your Christmas gifts will mostly be 
forgotten. But God has given us the ultimate gift - the 
gift of His Son Jesus Christ. 
   Dont miss Christmas this year. As 
Watts and Handel once wrote, Let evry heart 
prepare Him room. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest 
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

LINK TO SPECIAL VIDEO ON THIS PASSAGE

The Chosen Special Christmas Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paOjgZZDads

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC

Luke 2:10, 11 - Good News of Great Joy for 
All People! 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20091225-1210.html 

Luke 2:7 - Prepare For Jesus.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2014/20141224-1609.html 

John 3:16 - LOVE SUPREME!

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211206-0816.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: 
https://stepstopeace.org/ 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study 
Guides: 
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible 

Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/  

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657  

Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The 
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE