Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

SUNDAY DECEMBER 6


THE BIRTH OF CHRISTMAS

READ:
Matthew 1:24
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When Joseph woke
up, he did what
the angel of the
Lord commanded
him and took Mary
home as his wife.
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When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and then to shepherds with good news for the world (LUKE 1:26-27; 2-10), was it good news to this teenage girl? Perhaps Mary was thinking: How do i explain my pregnancy to my family? Will my fiance Joseph call off the betrothal? What will the townspeople say? Even if my life is spared, how will I survive as a mother all alone?

When Joseph learned about Mary's pregnancy, he was troubled. He had three options. Go ahead with the marriage, divorce her publicly and allow her to be publicly scorned, or break off the engagement quietly. Joseph chose option three, but God intervened. He told Joseph in a dream, "Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit" (MATT. 1:20).

For Mary and Joseph, Christmas began with submitting themselves to God in spirit of the unthinkable emotional challenges before them. They entrusted themselves to God and in doing so demonstrated for us the promise of 1 John 2:5: "If anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them."

May God's love fill our hearts this Christmas season__and every day__as we walk with him. ______ALBERT LEE

**Fill my heart, Lord, with rejoicing at the gift of Your love and forgiveness
found in Your son Jesus.
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Obedience to God flows freely from a heart of love.

*****************************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 1:26-38*********************************
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent
the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a
virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a
descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The
angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly
favored! The Lord is with you."

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered
what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to
her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call
him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the
Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father
David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his
kingdom will never end."

34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a
virgin?"

35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the
holy one to be born will be called the son of God. 36 Even
Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age,
and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth
month. 37 For no word from God will ever fall."

38 "I am the Lord's servant, "Mary answered. "May your word
to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The announcement that Mary would become
pregnant and give birth to the Messiah is nestled in the middle
of another pregnancy story__that of Zacharias and Elizabeth,
relatives of Mary. This too was a miraculous pregnancy, as the
couple was old and had never been able to have children. Their
child, who would be John the baptist, would preach repentance
and prepare the way for the Messiah. ___Bill Crowder