OUR DAILY BREAD : STONES CRY OUT

[cimi]

December 8
Monday


STONES CRY
OUT

READ:
Luke 19:28-40
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I tell you that if these
should keep silent,
the stones would
immediately cry out.
__Luke 19:40
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Every year it seems that christmas becomes more and more commercialized. Even in nations where the majority of people call themselves "Christian," the season has become more about shopping than worshipping. The pressure to buy gifts and plan elaborate parties makes it increasingly difficult to stay focused on the real meaning of the holiday__the birth of Jesus, God's only Son, the Savior of the world..

But every holiday I also hear the gospel coming from surprising places__that so commercialize Christmas_shopping malls. When I hear "Joy to the World! the Lord is come; let earth receive her King" ringing from public address systems, I think of the words Jesus said to the Pharisees who told Him to silence the crowds who were praising Him. "If they keep quiet," Jesus said, "the stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40NIV).

At Christmas we hear stones cry out. Even people spiritually dead sing carols written by Christians long dead, reminding us that no matter how hard people try to squelch the real message of Christmas, they will never succeed.

Despite the commercialism that threatens to muddle the message of christ's birth, God will make His good news known as "far as the curse if found." __Julie Ackerman Link.

``````````````````````No more let sins and sorrows grow;`````````````````````
````````````````````````Nor thorns infest the ground;````````````````````````
`````````````````````He comes to make his blessings flow`````````````````````
``````````````````````far as the curse if found. __Watts`````````````````````
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Keeping Christ out of Christmas
is as futile as holding back the oceans' tide.

********************Today's BIble Reading __ Luke 19:28-40**********************

28 When He had said this,
he went on ahead, going up
to Jerusalem. 29 And it came
to pass, when he drew near
to Bethphage and Bethany, at
the mountain called Olivet,
that He sent two of His
disciples, 30 saying, "Go in to
the village opposite you,
where as you enter you will
find a colt tried, on which no
one has ever sat. Loose it and
bring it here. 31 And if anyone
asks you, "Why are you
loosing it?' this you shall say
to him, 'becasue the Lord
has need of it.' " 32 So those
who were sent their
way and found it just as He
had said to them. 33 But as
they were loosing the colt,
the owners of it said to them,
"Why are youy loosing the
colt?" 14 And they said, "The
Lord has need of him,."

35 Then they brought him to
Jesus. And they threw their
own clothes on the colt, and
they set Jesus on him. 36 And
as He went, many spread
their clothes on the road.

37 Then, as He was now
drawing near the descent of
the Mount of Olives, the
whole multitude of the
disciples began to rejoice and
praise God with a loud voice
for all the mighty works they
had seen. 38 saying:

" 'Blessed is the King who
comes in the name of the
LORD!' Peace in heaven and
glory in the highest!"

39 And some of the
Pharisees called to him from
the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke
your disciples."

40 But He answered and said
to them, "I tell you that if
these should keep silent, the
stones would immediately
cry out."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey's colt was a fulfillment
of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. The salvation Christ brings is what
all creation is waiting for (see rom. *19-20) and is a message that
cannot be silenced (luke 19:40).