“And being found in the form of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

— Philippians 2:8

A strategic way to oppose Christmas is by distorting its meaning. Tragically, this has been done very successfully by millions of Americans who would never think of denying the facts of Christmas, and yet, they haven’t the foggiest idea of what Christmas is really all about.

There is the method of commercialization. They keep their eyes on Santa Claus and they never see the cross that stands in the shadows behind a manger. And if not commercialization, then pure, unadulterated sentimentality. Christmas is so sweet, and light, and loving they say with vague generalities and a foggy haze.

Christmas, of course, is all about the gift of the Son of God. When we come to experientially know the saving power of Jesus Christ, He transforms our lives. He was not only born in a filthy stable some 2,000 years ago, but when we come to know Him, He is born in our sinful heart and He cleanses us. He died in our place, paying for a gift that we could never buy, and He offers it to us freely when we trust in His saving work. This is the meaning of Christmas and of One who was born to die, and pay the wages of sin, who came into this slimy world and took all of the slime upon Himself and endured the penalty for it.

Do not let the true message of Christmas be crowded out by the celebration of Christmas.

Thank You, God, for the gift of Your Son, as we give gifts this season, help us to be truly generous, reflecting Your heart and love. Give us the strength to celebrate this Christmas right…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
REFLECT GOD’S GENEROSITY.

“But He emptied Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

— Philippians 2:7

As Christmas approaches, it is interesting to reflect on the impact of Jesus. Consider a sampling:

• Suppose we would gather a group of literary men together and ask them what is the greatest masterpiece of literature ever written by man, and many will tell, perhaps the majority, the greatest work ever penned by merely human hands was Paradise Lost, written by John Milton—a believer of what some would call “the delusion of the Christian faith”—a believer in the Bible.
• Even the sagacious Ben Franklin, not known for his piety in his life, in his later years wrote to Thomas Paine and implored him not to release the manuscript, of his Age of Reason. Of Jesus of Nazareth, Franklin said, “I have this to say, that the system of morals that He left us, and the religion that He has given to the world is the greatest thing that it has ever seen, or is ever likely to see.”
• How about men like Patrick Henry, that great speaker who championed freedom? He said, “The book worth all other books in the world is the Bible.”
• And then there was Dr. Benjamin Rush, anatomist and physiologist, who said that the only true and perfect religion that man has ever seen is the religion of Jesus Christ.
• And Isaac Newton, the scientist and philosopher, said that the only perfect philosophy in the world is the philosophy of the Gospel.

We are all infinitely better off for Jesus Christ’s having been born.

Lord Jesus, thank You for coming and thank You for the Christmas celebration. Thank You for changing our world in so many positive ways. Give us strength to live out the Christian life so we, too, may be a source for good…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN IMPACT
THE WORLD AROUND US.

“…who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.”

— Philippians 2:6

Jesus Christ was not merely a man, and Christmas doesn’t celebrate the birth of a man. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of the God-man. This is not some apotheosis like that of the Caesars in which a man was elevated to “God” status. This is the great condescension of the Trinity when almighty God deigned to become one of us and to be born among men.

This fact, however, of the supernatural origin and essence of Christianity is often denied today in our world. For example, consider the remnant Communist countries where the idea is inculcated daily into people’s minds, both young and old, that Christianity is a myth and an opiate of the people.

But these denials are not restricted to other lands—in our own midst on many campuses parents have found that children have come back from school and have been divested of their earlier beliefs.

The essential supernatural character that Christmas is a birth of God into the world is often denied. But the fact is that Christmas cannot be successfully denied, though it has been tried for twenty centuries. No, the victories are too many.

The historical record is clear that Jesus Christ lived a remarkable life, and He changed all of history through His death and resurrection. In a sense you could say: At Christmas time, we also celebrate Good Friday and Easter.

Lord, give me strength for today to live on the supernatural plane, as we praise You for the grand miracle of Your incarnation. Help me to be Christ-like to those around me…

BY HIS STRENGTH, WE CAN DAILY
RELY ON HIS MIRACULOUS POWER.

“…and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

— Philippians 2:11

Times do change don’t they? 100 years ago the voices of the apostles of human perfectibility were heard throughout the land, loud and clear. Millions of Americans got up in the morning and stood before their windows and recited ten times, “Every day, in every way, we’re getting better, and better, and better.” And so, this philosophy was rampant in America.

But times do change, don’t they? It was about the same time that a British lord stood up in Parliament and declared, “Gentlemen, we are about to usher in the Golden Age.” And then it came—the Argonne, the Marne, Flanders Field, where blood was mingled with mud, and the apocalyptic horseman on the pale horse rode across the continent of Europe and left a carnage in his wake. But still the voices of some continued, “Every day we’re getting better and better,” for this was a war to end all wars, and then, Pearl Harbor, Dunkirk, and D-Day, the Bataan death march, Hiroshima—and the voices grew weaker, “Every day, in every way, we’re getting…”

Today wars continue, though not worldwide. How wrong they were—the Golden Years didn’t come, the bloody years came. Now, even some psychiatrists have come to realize that man is far from perfectible. But it is in just such darkness as this, in just such a black night as this, that we must see that first star that shone over Bethlehem. Jesus is the real hope of the world.

Lord, give me strength for today to follow after You and Your ways in a world that is largely following after the evil one. We praise You that one day all mankind will bow down before You…

BY HIS STRENGTH, WE BOW
THE KNEE TO JESUS CHRIST.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, although you are small among the tribes of Judah, from you will come forth for Me one who will be ruler over Israel. His origins are from of old, from ancient days.”

— Micah 5:2

Before Jesus was born, there were hundreds of texts found in the Old Testament describing His birth and life and ministry and passion and death and resurrection. There is nothing vaguely like this anywhere else in the world.

We find many of these prophecies in Isaiah; so much so, that some have called it the Gospel of Isaiah. And yet it was written seven hundred and some years before Jesus Christ was born. Absolutely phenomenal! This is proof positive the Scriptures were inspired by Almighty God, who alone knows the end from the beginning and all things that will come to pass.

The Bible tells us the name of the very town where Jesus would be born, as we see in Micah 5:2. There were two Bethlehems. This particular one is spelled out: Ephrathah.

Some might say, “Jesus lived there for only a couple of years, at most. What about the fact that He grew up in Nazareth, and, furthermore, that He did most of His ministry out of Capernaum on the coast of the Sea of Galilee, and not in Bethlehem? Why doesn’t the Old Testament say anything about Nazareth?” There is one good reason: No such city existed when Isaiah lived and didn’t for several hundred more years.

God of heaven and earth, we thank You for the prophecies that show us so clearly Your foreknowledge and omniscience. Thank You for sending Your only Son, and telling us about it, hundreds of years before it came to pass…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
SEE AND KNOW THE TRUTH.

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’”

— Matthew 16:15

A Christless Christmas is what many will have again this year. Perhaps the first person listed, at least indirectly, who had a Christless Christmas would be the innkeeper. The Bible says there was no room for Mary and Joseph at the inn.

The innkeeper probably said, “Oh, folks, I am so sorry. I can see you are in a bad way, but this is enrollment time. Caesar has issued an edict, and we are just jam-packed. That is true of every hostel in town. I only wish you would have let me know you were coming.” Why did the innkeeper have a Christless Christmas that day? It was because he just didn’t know.

There are millions in this country today who will have a Christless Christmas this year because of spiritual ignorance.

Some of our TV staff took our cameras out on the street and interviewed people. They asked all sorts of people the question: “Who would you say that Jesus is?” We got some of the most incredible statements you have ever heard.

There are millions of people in America who do not know that He is the incarnate God, the Creator of the universe, the second Person of the Trinity, the Maker of all things, the Judge of heaven and earth—that He is God Almighty, incarnate in human flesh. They don’t know why He came.

This Christmas, let us pray for opportunities to tell others about Jesus, so they will no longer have a Christless Christmas.

Lord, give us strength today so that we may share Who You are with someone who does not know You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN KNOW
THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS.

“Jesus replied, ‘The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.’”

— Matthew 8:20

There are two very touching texts found in the Bible that are touching only when they are touched together. Most people never see the connection because they are separated by a chapter heading. These are John 8:1 and John 7:53. In 8:1 we are told that Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives, and in 7:53 we read, “Then everyone went to his own house.”

Jesus had been teaching the multitude, and when evening came they all went to their own homes. He had no place to go. Not even the homes of the foxes or the nests of the birds.

Someone put it very well when he said that Jesus was born in another man’s stable, laid in another man’s manger, preached from another man’s boat, rode on another man’s colt, ate the final supper in another man’s room, died on another man’s cross for other men’s sin, and He was laid in another man’s tomb. There was just not any place for Him in this world—not at His birth (no room in the inn), not during His life, not even at His death. We never even provided for Him a place to die. We lifted Him up off the earth and between heaven and earth He hung and He died. There was no room for Him here on this earth—an earth that He created, an earth that He gave life—but there was no room for Him. He became poor for us that we might become rich. What a Savior!

Lord, give us the strength to be ever thankful and mindful of what You did for us when You lived and died in this world…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE HAVE A
HOME IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS.

“And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in strips of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

— Luke 2:7

There are probably few, if any, words more poignant than these: “…because there was no room for them in the inn.” How sad, indeed, that when the supreme Potentate of paradise condescended to make a visit to this sin-cursed world, there was no room to be found for Him in the inn.

Infinitely lesser kings of infinitely lesser domains visit this nation and there are dignitaries waiting at the airport, there are bands playing, there are whole suites of rooms reserved for them at the finest hotels. I remember reading of one visit when three floors at one of the finest hotels in New York was reserved for the retinue of some potentate of some pipsqueak country somewhere that most people never even heard of.

But when the King of heaven was born, there were no dignitaries waiting to receive Him. Oh, yes, there was a band sent by the king—but it was a band of soldiers sent to kill Him, not to welcome Him. How tragic that when Jesus was born into this world, there was no room for Him here on earth.

Jump ahead to our time, and even though He rules on high and will one day call each of us to give an account to Him, there is still no room for Him—in our schools, our government, our malls (which ironically cash in on His birthday, no less), or the public square. Blessed are those who make room for Him in their lives.

Lord Jesus, give me strength for today to unashamedly embrace You as my own. Forgive me for any inkling of denying You, Savior, before people because it’s not the “in” thing to embrace You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE ARE HONORED
TO BE CALLED CHRISTIANS.

“…whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report…think on these things.”

— Philippians 4:8

As we continue with devotional messages on this beautiful verse, we see that Paul tells the Philippians to think on good and positive things. They include:

• Whatever things are honest. Those things which are respectful, these are the kinds of things that he is saying we should think about.
• Whatever things are just. Though we as Christians are not of this world, we do live in it. We must live our lives justly and fairly, above reproach.
• Whatever things are pure. The Bible exhorts us frequently to purity of heart and mind. The Bible says that the pure in heart shall see God. If God seems distant, it could be because of impure thoughts (and actions).
• Whatever things are lovely. Now this means not only amiable, lovely, but also amicable as well, as opposed to discordant, loveable. The lovely and the beautiful draws us to God.
• Whatever is of good report. We ought to be thinking good things of people, and we ought to be speaking well of people because these are the kinds of things that build people up instead of tearing them down. Indeed, we can be not only good finders but good tellers as well, and as we share good reports we build up the body of Christ, instead of ripping it apart.

We choose our thoughts. Let us choose wisely.

Oh Lord, You who are the Altogether Lovely One, give me the strength to think wholesome thoughts. As the hymn says, May Your mind, Oh, Christ my Savior, live in me from day to day…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN DWELL
ON WHAT IS WHOLESOME AND GOOD.

“…casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

— 2 Corinthians 10:5

Christianity involves our actions, our words. Every thought is to be brought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ. This is a tremendous statement.

This kind of thought is reiterated, even the wise Solomon said many centuries before, “…for as he thinks in his heart so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). What you really are is what you think in your heart. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies,” and so on, said Christ (Matthew 15:19).

If people continue to think negative thoughts, those channels seem to be worn down as it were in the mind, and the thoughts like streams running down the side of a mountain find a channel to run in and so our thoughts will run more and more in those kinds of channels. If they are spiritual and heavenly and positive and loving, they will tend to flow more in those directions.

Therefore, it is so important that we learn to control our thoughts because it is out of the thoughts, the heart, and the mind that our lives proceed. You have no doubt heard the old maxim: Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny. Ultimately your destiny will be determined by what you think. There is no way you can escape that. You are what you think.

Lord, give us strength today to think Your thoughts and not sin against You in our mind today. Please break the bad habits of wrong-thinking within us…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
LOVE THE LORD WITH OUR MIND.