TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 13:1-9
- 2 Corinthians 6:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
When word came that the White Star ocean liner Titanic had sunk off the coast of Newfoundland, huge crowds gathered outside the White Star office in Liverpool, England. Relatives of passengers on the ill-fated ship thronged the street outside the office, waiting for word on their loved ones. Two large boards were placed by the entrance: one board was labeled “Known to Be Saved,” and the other “Known to Be Lost.” As word on a passenger’s status reached White Star, somebody would emerge from the office and post the person’s name under the appropriate heading.third category. Every Titanic passenger was either saved or lost, dead or alive.eternal judgment and the need to repent. The popular thinking was that the people who died in Siloam when the tower collapsed on them were somehow deserving of their fate.Pontius Pilate apparently ordered some Jews killed as they were offering sacrifices. Jesus used the occasion to teach a vital lesson about God’s judgment. Then He underscored the point by His reference to the Siloam tragedy, which must have been well known in that day. added the fact of God’s patience as He waits for the fruit of repentance from unbelievers.emphasized. It is true that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). But it is also true that God is patient, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). vineyard keeper asked for one more year to cultivate the tree before cutting it down reminds us that God will keep His promise concerning judgment. When His patience is at an end, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Pet. 3:10). We need to be calling people to repentance during these days of God’s patience.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Back on December 8 we encouraged you to share the gospel with an unsaved friend this Christmas.your Christmas cards and letters. There are plenty of titles available to fit the need of the person you’re trying to reach. Ask your local bookstore staff for assistance in selecting tracts that will carry the message of Christ to a spiritually needy heart.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 13:10-17
- Hebrews 13:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
Although the Hollywood film Casablanca drew on the mystery and intrigue of its North African namesake city, the entire film was shot in a studio. The cafe in Casablanca and the streets of Paris were simply Hollywood re-creations. A cut-out airplane and piped-in fog used to simulate an airport for the farewell scene added to the illusion.religious tradition. They tried to give the impression that they were zealous servants of God, doing the right thing by holding fast to the law and laying the same requirements on the people. healing of a crippled woman in a synagogue on the Sabbath aroused the ire of the synagogue ruler, who certainly knew his laws (v. 14). According to the rule book, Jesus had done the wrong thing on the wrong day. heart of the hypocrisy under which Israel’s leaders operated by comparing this poor woman to an animal. made special rules, or exceptions to the rules, to take care of their concerns. But this man had no real compassion for the woman Jesus healed. What’s worse, he groused instead of gloried at the wonderful display of God’s power he had just witnessed!leaders’ hypocrisy. The “have-nots,” like the woman Jesus healed, often chafed under the yoke of the “haves.” So it’s not surprising that they delighted in seeing someone who cared more for the poor and helpless than He did for manmade regulations.sidetracked because someone’s tidy program had become upset. Healing this woman was the right thing to do, and she made the right response by immediately praising God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:10 that doing good for others is always in season.than each of us has time to do. Why not get the family together and reach out to someone in need this Christmas? Your church should be able to supply you with the name of a needy individual or family. Or, serve a meal to someone in need at a local shelter.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 14:15-24
- Luke 14:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
According to one source, America’s rescue missions serve more than 75ꯠ meals a day to the hungry and the homeless. If you have ever ministered in a such a setting, you know that hungry people seldom make all sorts of excuses for why they cannot accept the meal being offered. Only the well-fed can afford to pick and choose among their banquet invitations. to illustrate how those in Israel who thought they were well-fed would wind up being hungry. Israel’s Messiah was making His way to Jerusalem for what would become His formal rejection and death. are in this story: Israel’s transgression meant salvation for Gentiles, the outsiders who were invited to the kingdom banquet Jesus was talking about (see Rom. 11:11-12).compassion (Luke 14:1-6), humility (vv. 7-11), and the expansion of His kingdom (vv. 12-14). Then, beginning with today’s text, He illustrated Israel’s rejection of Him.to such lavish preparations would be angered by His guests’ feeble excuses for rejecting his gracious invitation. After all, this banquet was the best ticket in town.bring in any outsider willing to come. And he wasn’t satisfied until his banquet hall was filled.symbolized a gospel invitation. The original guests, Israel, refused God’s invitation. This parable foreshadowed what would happen in the book of Acts when the gospel was freely offered to the Gentile world. redeemed will sit down at a great banquet called the “wedding supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Can you imagine how joyful a group of hopeless, hungry people would be to find themselves invited to a banquet given by the most prominent man in town? we received Him as Savior. That provides us with a good reason to sing! Take a few minutes to sing your favorite hymn of praise to the Lord. Or, share your joy with a friend or a family member and make it a duet.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 14:25-35
- Luke 14:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
Have you ever started a project without considering all the time and energy you would have to put into it? Maybe you had lofty dreams of making a quilt for your granddaughter’s wedding. Or, maybe you found a great deal on a classic car that needed “just a little fixing up.” Then, you got caught up in the day-to-day duties. Before you knew it, the wedding day or the much-awaited auto show arrived—and your projects were not yet completed. You just didn’t realize it was going to be that much work!ever accuse Jesus of not making the cost of discipleship clear to His followers. His immediate future was a crown of thorns and a cross, not a golden crown and a throne. So He wanted to make sure His disciples knew that following Him would cost them everything in terms of earthly values.to count the cost. Why did He do this? Given our modern fetish with numbers, we would be excited by the “large crowds” that were following Jesus (v. 25). bread or a miracle, not a cross. They wanted to make Him king so they could eat well (see John 6:15). When Jesus began explaining what it really means to be His disciple, the crowd thinned out in a hurry (John 6:66). attachments that might otherwise keep us from giving Jesus our full obedience. We started this month by reviewing the three men who either said they wanted to follow Jesus or were called by Jesus Himself (see December 2).prevent their obedience to Christ. Obviously, Jesus is not telling us to hate our families. This is a comparative term to emphasize how great our love for Him should be. disciple must choose to set aside everything, even life itself, in order to follow Jesus (Luke 14:33). He demands and deserves first place in our lives.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Notice that half-hearted or incomplete disciples eventually lose their “saltiness” (v. 34), their effectiveness for Christ.want them to quit halfway through a commitment. Today, let’s turn the searchlight of Scripture on ourselves and examine the quality of our commitment to Christ. If the Holy Spirit reveals an area of need, let’s be quick to obey His leading.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 15:11-32
- Luke 15:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
From the department of interesting statistics comes this tidbit: the average American spends one full year of his or her life looking for items that have been misplaced.though you spent a year’s worth of energy in one day looking for them! It seems amazing that we would spend that much time looking for lost things.story we read today is perhaps the best example of His seeking heart in all of the Gospels. We want to look at this parable in light of Jesus’ determined journey to Jerusalem and the cross. distract Him. But in the person of this watching father, it’s as if the Lord willingly pauses in His journey to wait for the prodigal’s return. The reason is that an individual, a human being, is worth waiting for. People like the prodigal son are the ones the Savior came to seek and save (Luke 19:10).the joy the father felt when his son came home (vv. 22-24, 32). The shepherd and the woman shared the same joy when they found their lost items (Luke 15:7, 10).what to mourn about. Jesus said that when a sinner comes to repentance, heaven breaks out in celebration. had sent out. He was disturbed that the synagogue ruler did not praise God and rejoice over the healing of an afflicted woman (Luke 13:10-16). And we can be sure there was a smile on His face when He announced the salvation of Zacchaeus and his family (Luke 19:9). excited about?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jesus was walking a determined path to Jerusalem, but He gladly paused whenever He had the opportunity to touch a life or bring someone to repentance.else’s life. We think of Christmas as a season of joy, but the holidays also bring real hurts and needs to the surface in many people’s lives. Pray today that God will lead you to someone this week who needs a friend, an encouraging word, and the Savior. If you help lead someone to Christ, he or she will experience the real joy of Christmas this season.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 16:1-13
- Luke 16:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
On his twenty-second birthday, the future president Theodore Roosevelt married his first wife, Alice, who died a few years later in childbirth. To deal with his grief, Roosevelt left New York to operate two ranches in the Dakota Territory. One day he found his best ranch hand about to put Roosevelt’s brand on a steer that belonged to the neighboring rancher. Roosevelt told the man to stop, but he continued with the branding. Finally, Roosevelt had to tell the man to drop the iron and go back to the ranch to collect his pay, because he was being fired. When the cowboy expressed amazement at Roosevelt being upset, Teddy replied, “Any man who will steal for me will steal from me.”this case was the manager of a rich man’s estate. He was a person of considerable responsibility, in charge of all his master’s business operations.papers. This turn of events brought Jesus to the point He wanted to make in the parable. The crooked manager was also very shrewd. He knew he would need some friends in the days ahead, because he was about to be unemployed and probably homeless.a nice discount on their bills. It was dishonest, in keeping with the manager’s character; but it was very clever, too. We can almost see the owner of the estate, shaking his head in grudging amazement at the ingenuity of his manager.deceit. We should be as resourceful in using what we have for eternal purposes. Everything we have falls under the two conditions Jesus mentioned in verses 11-12. First, it is worldly wealth, not the “true riches,” which are spiritual. Second, it all belongs to someone else—to God. Our possessions are only on temporary loan from Him. We need to make our wealth a servant, using it to help win others to Christ and build His kingdom, rather than letting our wealth rule over us. When the Master calls for an accounting, we’ll be glad we did things His way!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Since as Jesus’ disciples we can’t afford to get our priorities out of whack, it stands to reason that our finances should also reflect our commitment to Him.temptation to overspend at Christmas. Can you say today that your money is a useful servant that is helping you win friends for eternity?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 17:7-10
- Luke 12:37
TODAY IN THE WORD
If you’ve ever read a book on the Wild West or watched a good Western movie, you may have noticed the herds of cattle. The cows are branded with symbols on their hides. One might have a letter “B” with a circle around it to signify that the cow belongs to the “Circle B Ranch.” So if a cow gets lost, the people who find it know who it belongs to.they do. They serve—faithfully, dutifully, without expecting fanfare and a parade for every act of service they perform.Lord described here was the normal situation for a servant/master relationship in that day. A servant’s job was to make sure that the duties of the master’s household and the desires of the master were carried out. The expectations for a servant were clear. He was expected to fulfill his duty.that’s not the case. He was simply making the expectations clear for those who wanted to be His servants. cost and the demands of following Him. But if Jesus was not putting down His servants, why did He teach us to say, “We are unworthy servants” (v. 10)? as people He has purchased from the slave block of sin at the cost of His blood. putting Him in our debt. We shouldn’t expect a medal every time we are faithful to Him.faithful act of service we do for Christ, even a cup of cold water, will not fail to bring a reward (Matt. 10:42).determining the reward, and our trumpeting our own cause. Servants do their job and let someone else praise them.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We might say that as Christians, servant is our middle name. It’s our spiritual occupation. doing an unexpected act of service for your spouse, a co-worker, or someone else in your life. Offer to take on an extra task at home or go the second mile at work. Jesus is the audience for our service, and He is the ultimate rewarder of those who serve for His glory.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 18:18-30
- Luke 12:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
The great nineteenth-century Dutch leader Abraham Kuyper was brought up in a pastor’s home. He went to divinity school and became a pastor himself. But something was missing. Some of his parishioners became concerned about their young pastor’s weak theology and prayed for his “complete conversion.” One peasant woman made a deep impact on Kuyper. Through many conversations she brought him to a decision that Kuyper described as complete and unequivocal surrender to God.Christ that day. He was a man who had evidently been brought up on the law of God: he knew what God required, and he professed to be God’s servant. That’s where the comparison ends, however, because the ruler of Luke 18 turned away from Jesus.Him? Not at all. Jesus saw into this man’s heart, just as He knew the hearts of the other would-be disciples who declared their desire to follow Him. with the issue of your wealth later?” We can’t say for sure, but the Gospels are filled with people who half-heartedly followed Jesus. They didn’t last as disciples. people who weren’t ready to commit their lives to Him. Besides, He didn’t ask anything of this ruler that the Twelve had not been asked to do. Peter’s statement in verse 28 makes that clear. The only difference was that this man had more material wealth than most people have.him to give up his money. But the truly sad thing is that he traded his soul for some coins. And he didn’t stay around long enough to hear Jesus’ promise (v. 30). Praise God that we have been allowed to hear it!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you ever have times when the enemy gets you thinking of all the things you have given up and missed out on to follow Christ?the sentence of eternal condemnation that was on us. We gave up our futile self-efforts to make it to heaven. We gave up our guilt, frustration, fear, and lack of purpose. And the only thing we will miss out on is judgment and eternity in hell. If that makes you want to praise God, go ahead!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 18:31-34
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Someone has observed that we often suffer as much at the hands of our friends as we do at the hands of our enemies. It’s not that our friends set out to hurt us. It’s just that sometimes well-meaning people can care too much, expressing their concern in a way that only complicates the situation.disciples of not loving Jesus enough. Peter spoke for them all when he said, “We have left all we had to follow you!” (Luke 18:28).their devotion to Him clouded their thinking and actually made them somewhat of an obstacle in His path. Peter even scolded Jesus at one point. They did not get the message about Jesus’ death, and Luke suggests that this knowledge was supernaturally withheld from them for the time being (v. 34).that the Gentiles were equally guilty in the crucifixion of Christ (v. 32). Those who have mistreated Jewish people throughout church history are either woefully and sometimes willfully ignorant of the fact that it was our sin, the sin of each of us, that nailed Jesus to the cross. suffering and death. In the second volume of Luke’s inspired history, the book of Acts, he shows that even at the moment of Jesus’ ascension the apostles were still hoping He would set up His kingdom on earth (Acts 1:6).James and John had asked for the places of honor at Jesus’ side, and the other ten became angry because they hadn’t thought of this idea first.suffering, death, and resurrection. He had no time to play games or cater to His disciples’ lack of spiritual perception. They needed to understand what awaited Him, and them, in Jerusalem.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If we’re honest, we have all made well-intentioned mistakes in trying to shield loved ones from pain and disappointment, or in trying to help them along what we perceive as the right path.parents to try to protect their children from life’s bumps. But sometimes the most loving thing we can do is not to get in the way of God’s work. Pray today for wisdom to know when to step in and when to stand back in the lives of those who are closest to you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 19:1-10
- Luke 19:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1947 a Bible distribution worker traveled deep into the mountains of the eastern U.S., where he came upon a tiny, isolated settlement. When he asked the people if they had Bibles, he was met with puzzled looks. Then he asked them if they had heard of Jesus.through here. We feel sure that no one by the name of Jesus has gone through.”have not heard the name of Jesus. That faithful Bible worker certainly had good news to bring to those mountain dwellers! after meeting Him.government. More than that, Zacchaeus was a “chief” collector who probably supervised other collectors. Since these people were well-known for extorting more taxes than were due, Zacchaeus was part of a despised band of Israelites. Zacchaeus is most famous for being short.undeserving sinner. Change the names, the details, and the era, and Zacchaeus’s story is the story of us all. Jesus came to save people just like Zacchaeus—because as we said earlier this month, there is only one category of sinners: lost sinners.of Zacchaeus. Upon hearing this, Jesus announced that salvation had come to this man and his household. Does that mean Zacchaeus was saved by repaying his victims? No, not any more than the rich young ruler would have been saved by selling his possessions (see December 18). evidence of his inward change. Zacchaeus met Jesus—and was never the same again.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The familiarity of the Christmas story makes many people think they know Jesus, when all they really know is a warm-hearted story of a baby in a manger.with Jesus Christ and ever be the same again. As we come to these final few days before Christmas, let’s pray that many lost people will come to grips with the truth about why Jesus came and then invite Him into their lives.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 19:45-48
- Luke 19:46
TODAY IN THE WORD
On Friday we talked about how in their misguided zeal, the disciples wanted to keep Jesus from going to the cross. By misunderstanding His teaching and His mission so badly, they became an obstacle to the accomplishment of God’s purpose for His Son. Jesus had to shock Peter into reality by telling him, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matt. 16:23). up call. With few exceptions, Jesus had experienced opposition and hatred from the members of the religious establishment all along the way on His journey toward Jerusalem. And things weren’t in any better spiritual shape in the holy city itself.disciples (Luke 19:28-44). The purpose for which He had been born in Bethlehem was about to be realized, and His heart and mind were set on doing His Father’s will.worship. He had every right to be there and take charge, because it was His house and His Father’s house (Luke 2:49). selling animals for sacrifice and exchanging money for out-of-town visitors. Luke gives a brief account of Jesus’ actions, not mentioning the whip He made or the fact that He upset the merchants’ tables. have been present, because Mark 11 says specifically that the Twelve accompanied Jesus to Jerusalem from Bethany. glory of God and the purity of the temple. After Jesus sent the moneychangers packing and scattered the animals, He continued to go back to the temple and teach (Luke 19:47).Him. But things would change. Many of those who “hung on His words” (v. 48) were soon calling for Him to be hung on a cross.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
No matter how often we read the Gospel accounts, it still seems amazing that so many people could change their tune so quickly as did the crowds in Jerusalem. use the same mouth to bless God and to curse people (James 3:9). This ought not to be, James says—but they are too often the case. We’re all capable of stumbling; but as you look ahead to the new year, ask God for the strength to serve Him with an undivided heart in 1998.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 22:7-20
- Luke 22:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
A. W. Tozer once wrote, “When the heart on its knees moves into God’s awesome presence and hears with fear and wonder things not lawful to utter, the mind falls flat. Words, which were previously [the mind’s] faithful servants, become weak and totally incapable of telling what the heart hears and sees.”in that upper room in Jerusalem. Without a doubt, the atmosphere in the room was solemn. Jesus was celebrating the final Passover with His men and preparing for His agony in the garden and His crucifixion.resolutely for Jerusalem. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the cross cast its shadow even over the manger of Bethlehem, because Jesus was the man born to die for the sins of the world. handed the disciples the bread and the cup, representing His body and blood. His resolute commitment to go to the cross meant salvation for us when He gave His body and blood as a sacrifice for our sins.remember His death even as we celebrate His birth. The very name given to the baby—Jesus, or “Savior” (Matt. 1:21)—pointed to His future death on the cross. We don’t know for sure if at any point in the evening they were overcome with awe and left speechless, as Tozer describes. confused about Jesus’ comments to Judas in particular. Also, John says that they arrived in an argumentative mood, refusing to wash one another’s feet.15). Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus endured the cross with joy because of the salvation His death would provide. What better reason for us to be joyful today?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As the shopping days before Christmas shrink to a handful, why not stop to make a conscious decision not to let the last-minute holiday preparations steal your joy. dealing with: hectic shopping ahead, plans that are not coming together, rush projects at work, Christmas costumes waiting to be sewn. Now ask God to give you His joy as you mark off each item.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 1:5-38
- Luke 1:31
TODAY IN THE WORD
Louis XIV ascended to the throne of France in 1643, when he was only four years old. He reigned for seventy-two years, longer than any other monarch in modern European history. Famous for building the palace at Versailles Louis XIV declared, “I am the state.” Even the king’s daily routines, such as getting up and getting dressed, were treated as affairs of state, becoming elaborate rituals carried out by dozens of royal attendants.by no such pomp. With the exception of the magi, the principal human players in the Christmas drama were outwardly ordinary Israelites. Consider the three people who feature prominently in Luke’s opening report of Jesus’ birth. Jerusalem. His wife Elizabeth was an elderly woman who did not even have a child. And we have no reason to believe that Mary would have caused any stir as she walked the streets of Nazareth, itself an obscure village with a humble reputation.“upright in the sight of God” (v. 6). And Mary revealed her holiness of heart when she responded to the angel’s announcement with humble acceptance (v. 38). birth of the Savior. When the time was right, heaven communicated God’s will to this godly trio. Zechariah was disciplined for his disbelief at the angel’s announcement of John the Baptist’s coming birth (v. 18), but Zechariah’s eloquent statement of praise and prophecy (Luke 1:68-79) reveals the depth of his faith and hope in God.unbelief. The angel did not reveal the method of Jesus’ birth until Mary asked. And when she heard God’s plan, she immediately responded in faith. This is the kind of heart response we need in 1998!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Zechariah and Elizabeth, after the birth of their son, were quick to say, “Praise be to the Lord.” And Mary, too, began to rejoice over the coming birth of her baby, Jesus.Why not begin to pray as a family and plan together how you can carry out the Lord’s will in this area? In the spirit of the true meaning of Christmas, we suggest that you close your time together by praying that each one in your family will give more than he or she receives this Christmas.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 1:18-25
- Matthew 1:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the most refreshing things about reading the Christmas story is the simplicity of it all. Our culture is so saturated in information, statistics, and so-called news that it takes a major media event to capture our attention even for a few minutes. One source says that one weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than a seventeenth-century English person would encounter in his or her entire lifetime. of wonder at the story of Jesus’ birth. Joseph was another key participant in the divine drama of Christmas. He was a “righteous man” (v. 19), another godly Israelite whom God chose to love and raise Jesus as His earthly father.Christmas. It was an angel who assured Joseph of Mary’s purity. Later, an angel warned Joseph to escape with Jesus to Egypt to avoid King Herod’s murderous rage (Matt. 2:13). Angels told Joseph when it was safe to return to Israel (vv. 19-20), and to avoid Judah (v. 22). first angel that visited him. All he was told was that the baby in Mary’s womb was from God and that Joseph was to give Him the name Jesus. wouldn’t be surprising if he did. But we do know that based on those two facts, Joseph responded in obedience—showing that God knew exactly what He was doing when He chose this man for his special ministry. was unfaithfulness to him. Evidently, Mary had not revealed the details of her angelic visitation to her future husband. But the angel’s visit turned Joseph’s plans completely around in one night. Jesus was twelve years old (Luke 2). Whatever the case, Joseph leaves us with another worthy example of obedience to follow as we celebrate Christmas and look ahead to a new year.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The evidence of God’s presence is all over the Christmas story. There is no mistaking the fact that Joseph, Mary, Zechariah, and Elizabeth were people who believed in and trusted God.an interesting and fruitful dinnertime or devotional time discussion. If someone were to spend Christmas with your family, what evidence would they see and hear that this is a home where Jesus is Lord and Savior?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 2:1-20
- Luke 2:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
Pastor and Bible teacher Adrian Rogers says: “It was not incidental or accidental that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. That little village about five miles south of Jerusalem would probably have passed into obscurity except for that one wonderful night. It was fitting that Mary’s Lamb would be born in Bethlehem. Why? Because for centuries, the Jewish priests had been raising Passover lambs in Bethlehem! In those shepherds’ fields outside of Bethlehem, a very special breed of sacrificial lamb was raised and nurtured.”birth of Jesus Christ. He was born in the right place (see Micah 5:2), at the right time (Gal. 4:4), and for the right purpose (John 1:29)—to take away the sin of the world.will rejoice with us in God’s provision of the Savior. He was the Man who was born to die, to give His life as a ransom for our sins. There was tremendous symbolism in the angel’s announcement to the shepherds, since Jesus was God’s sacrificial Lamb. born as a helpless baby. Although Israel’s leaders missed the arrival of their King, the angels made sure that Jesus’ birth would be attended by worshipers who realized the importance of what had happened (Luke 2:13-14).message. They hurried to Bethlehem to see the baby for themselves. Once they had met Jesus, they went out and told everyone that they could find about the good news that had been told to them.“glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen” (v. 20). That’s a great pattern for us to follow today. Much of the world will stop its celebration in a few hours and head back to work. We as Christians have a message to carry with us that will be just as glorious tomorrow as it is today.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Here’s one way you can share the message of Christ with someone you care about. and select one from a friend or a loved one you know who needs Christ. Write a note to that person, expressing your love and your thanks for the thoughtful card. Then tell your friend how you celebrated Christmas and gently point him or her to the Savior. Including a gospel tract in your letter can also help get the message across.