EPHESIANS 4;1-2 - BEARING WITH EACH OTHER

Lord, help me to live appropriately

That the world may know I’m your daughter.

May I learn to be humble, gentle, and patient,

Reflecting the image of my Father.

Help me bear with my brothers and sisters

Even when we do not agree.

Help us to hold each other up

So, your love is what others see.

“As a prisoner of the Lord, then, 

I urge you to live a life worthy 

of the calling you have received. 

Be completely humble and gentle; 

be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

Ephesians 4:1-2 (NIV)

axiōs⁵¹⁶ – appropriately: - as becometh, after a godly sort, worthily (-thy).

anĕchŏmai⁴³⁰ – to hold oneself up against, i.e. (fig.) put up with: - bear with, endure, forbear, suffer.

agapē²⁶ – love, i.e. affection or benevolence; spec. (plur.) a love-feast: - (feast of) charity

([-ably]), dear, love.

            “How long must I put up with Icky? She follows me everywhere and wants to dress like ‘twinsies’ all the time. Baby sisters are a pain.”

            I’m sure that’s how my sister felt about me when I was about five, and she was nearly eleven. I was a pest and a half. There was even more of an age difference between my older sister and me. I was still in elementary school when she was dating the man who would ultimately become her husband. I would find excuses to walk through the living room and spy on them when he came over. And to top it off, I was a “gifted” child who breezed through school and never had to study. I was a very annoying little sister. However, both sisters put up with me and endured my childish pranks. They loved me because I was a part of their family. The three of us are still very close.

            We are called to be members of God’s family. Part of living a life worthy of that awesome privilege is bearing with many brothers and sisters who have the potential to drive us nuts. We are to be humble, thinking of others more than ourselves. I’m reminded a portion of the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, “Lord, grant that I might seek not so much to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand, not so much to be loved, as to love another.” Being one of God’s children is first of all about loving God and secondly about loving others (Mark 12:28-31). We are to hold our fellow believers dear even when we do not agree with them or they have habits that really bother us. If we ask God to help us obey the command he has given us to love each other, he will help us overlook our differences.

            Father, help me to be humble, gentle, patient, and kind with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me to put up with those who seem difficult to me. Help me to stand shoulder to shoulder with other believers that we may hold each other up. Lord, thank you for loving me even when I am the most unlovable. Help me to pass on to others the love I have been given. 

EPHESIANS 3:20-21 - RE-CREATED

EPHESIANS 3:17b-19 - PRAYER FOR FELLOW BELIEVERS

Prayer for Fellow Believers

Lord, for my friends and family,

I pray you would grant them strength

To fathom the depth and height of your love

To grasp its width and its length.

“…And I pray that you, 

being rooted and established in love, 

may have power,

together with all the saints, 

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep 

is the love of Christ, and to know this love 

that surpasses knowledge –

that you may be filled to the measure 

of all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:17b-19 (NIV)

ĕxischuō – to have full strength, i.e. be entirely competent: - be able.

plĕrŏō – to make replete, i.e. (lit.) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (fig.) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish ( a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.: - accomplish, X after, (be) complete, and, expire, fill (up), fulfill, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.

            Once again Paul knows how to pray for fellow believers. Notice he prayed that the Ephesians would be given the strength and competence to understanding something that is beyond human ability to grasp – the love of Christ. We can only come to God’s grace when his Spirit calls us, and we are only able to understand the depth of his love as he empowers us to do so. Then Paul prayed that they would be crammed full of God.

            When I was teaching middle school, I often prayed that God would give my students the ability to even begin understanding how much the Lord loved them. One day an illustration popped into my brain (wonder where it came from), and I asked my students to imagine themselves creating a Playdough™ world and people that would really come to life. They would be like a god to those people. I wove the story of their created world for awhile and then asked them to imagine that the people ceased to believe they were real and taught their children that there were no such things as kindly giants that created them. I described a rebellion in Playdough™ world. Then I asked them if they would be willing to become a Playdough™ person and die for their rebellious creatures. Suddenly the light came on in a 6^th grader’s head, and he said, “Miss Hale! God created us from clay. We are the Playdough™ people, and Jesus did come into our world to die for us!” The room was silent for a moment as this truth sank in. I thought this would be the highlight of our week in Bible class.

            However, the next day we read the verses above. I asked the class if anyone could explain what they meant. A student raised his hand and said, “Isn’t that what God did for us yesterday? He put that story in your head to help us all understand his love.” What a teachable moment supplied by the grace of God! I know those students were being given a firm foundation of biblical truth, and I now pray that they are continuing to be filled with all God’s Spirit has to offer them.

            Father, help me to pray powerfully for fellow believers as Paul did. I pray the verses above for my family and friends and myself right now.  Help us to grasp your love and be filled to the brim with your Spirit. 

EPHESIANS 3:12 - WITH CONFIDENCE BEFORE GOD'S THRONE

With Confidence 

Before God’s Throne

I have the freedom to approach Almighty God

Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

For I know that his promise is for my good.

In him, I have eternal life.

I can be frank, even blunt before him

For he knows my heart before I speak.

So, in honesty I approach his throne

And admit that I am weak.

“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus…

…In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Ephesians 3:6 & 12 (NIV)

ĕpaggĕlia – an announcement (for information, assent or pledge: espec. a divine assurance of good): message, promise.

parrhēsia³⁹⁵⁴ – all out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness, publicity; by impl. assurance: - bold (X –ly, -ness, -ness of speech), confidence, X freely, X openly, X plainly (-ness).

            Recently some friends and I were discussing our over-familiarity with God. I fear that we take Ephesians 3:12 as license to approach the Lord flippantly. When taken in the context of the rest of the Bible, this cannot be the meaning. God created the world and all that is in it (Genesis 1 & 2). God is our provider and holds the power of life and death (Psalm 104:27-30). He is so overwhelming that no one may see his face and live (Exodus 33:20). When John saw the resurrected Jesus in his vision on the isle of Patmos, he fell at his feet like a dead man (Revelation 1:17). God is holy and all-powerful. We must always remember that.

            With all that in mind, I am even more amazed that all-powerful God has granted me the freedom to approach him with confidence. As my loving Father, he wants to have fellowship with me. He knows my heart and mind, chooses to forgive my sins, and has compassion on me remembering that he formed man out of dust (Psalm 103:10-14).  In Jesus, we have a high priest who enables us to approach a throne, not of wrath, but of grace (Hebrews 4:15-16). Our freedom and confidence come from the relationship with Christ as our Savior and God as our Father. We must never take the privilege lightly.

            Father, thank you for granting me the awesome privilege of communicating honestly with you. Since I know that you already know all that I think and feel, I can come honestly before you with my hurts and misunderstandings. Thank you for the grace that forgives my sins and loves me when I am unable to understand what you are doing in my life. Thank you for the assurance of your everlasting love. Let me never take the privilege of prayer for granted!

EPHESIANS 3:7 - EMPOWERED BY GOD'S GRACE

EMPOWERED BY GOD’S GRACE

The year I (Susan) was sixteen, I major surgery to insert two metal rods, six screws, and corresponding wires in my back to correct scoliosis. As I was recovering in the hospital, God spoke to me in an audible voice similar to booming thunder assuring me I would be all right and would serve as His megaphone. The Lord continued to work on me for six years as I presented all the reasons I was sure there were other people much more suited to be His megaphone than I, a woman in a wheelchair. I could visualize being His minister if and when He healed me outwardly but not while I still suffered all the problems associated with cerebral palsy. While interceding in prayer for someone precious to me, I finally surrendered to being on the same page with God in every area of my life. I had been obediently attending Oral Roberts University but had not been convinced God could use me in the way He was proposing. I publicly surrendered to the ministry in 1988, but it has taken many years to get to the point of full-time service as president of Precious Jewels Ministries. The Lord was tenacious, and it is only by His power that I am enabled to serve Him.  

          Once the Holy Spirit made salvation clear to me (Susie) the summer after my freshman year in high school, I seemed more drawn to a life of service than many of my Christian friends. Ironically, it was not until my husband left me in 1980, that I began to believe I should be in full-time ministry. What? Me? I’m DIVORCED! After completing a degree in music education and while pursuing a master’s in education, I entered the ministry as a teacher at Glenview Christian School. Many years passed, and I found myself being my mother’s full-time caregiver. I publicly surrendered to ministry assuming I was to be a hospice chaplain. However, the Lord was preparing me to be Susan’s facilitator and VP of Precious Jewels Ministries. In this capacity, my education and experience as a teacher and the skills I learned as a caregiver. God’s power was directing both of us throughout the years to bring us to this point of sharing the Good News as a team! 

EPHESIANS 2:19-22 - THE TEMPLE OF GOD

The Temple of God

God is building himself a temple,

And we are the stones he is using.

Christians being built together

Is the residence of his choosing.

“In him the whole building is joined together

 and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

And in him you too are being built together

to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

Ephesians 2:21-22 (NIV)

sunŏikŏdŏmĕō – to construct, i.e. (pass.) to compose (in company with other Christians,

fig.): - build together.

katŏikētēriŏn – from a der. of katŏikĕō, a dwelling place – habitation.

katŏikĕō – to house permanently, i.e. reside (lit. or fig.): - dwell (-er), inhabitant (-ter).

            Someday I hope to go house hunting. I’ve either lived in my parents’ home or an apartment all my life. My dream is to have a modest house for which I will choose the furnishings and landscaping. It will never make the cover of Better Homes and Gardens or even the back page for that matter because my taste is rather eclectic. However, it will be a reflection of my personality and my desire to create an atmosphere where friends will feel at ease. I look forward, God willing, to putting the place together a bit at a time as my budget will allow.

            It’s amazing to me that when God looked for a residence, he chose to inhabit his people. Talk about eclectic taste! We come in all shapes and sizes, ethnic groups, and denominations; but he has chosen to build us together into his holy temple. He has taken up permanent residence in each believer by his Holy Spirit. I am a part of the body of Christ (possibly an elbow), but I am also a stone or brick in his temple. Maybe a better analogy would be that I am one Lego™ that God is snapping together with other Legos™ to make a fantastic building. A single building block is not too impressive, but masterfully put together they are fascinating.

            I love that word permanently. God has chosen me as his dwelling place, and he will not move out. The Ephesians were Gentiles, but Paul was emphasizing that they were a part of God’s family, his body, and his dwelling place along with the Jewish believers. This is only possible in Christ; and in him, I am being built together with Christians throughout history to be a dwelling place for the Spirit of God. Amazing!

            Thank you, Lord, for choosing to dwell in me. Thank you for fitting me together with other Christians to be a strong building in which your Spirit can dwell and from which you can minister to the world. Help me to serve you fully and gladly each day. Daily mold me into the servant you would have me to be. Thank you for your mercy and grace in choosing me while I was still a sinner. 

EPHESIANS 2:8-10 - SAVED BY GRACE

EPHESIANS 2:4-5 - TRULY ALIVE

Truly Alive

When God raised Christ from his earthly grave,

He raised me, too. By his grace, I’m saved.

In trusting Christ, my will was crucified;

He lives in me, and I’m truly alive.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions –

it is by grace you have been saved.”

Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

suzōŏpŏiĕō – to reanimate conjointly with (fig.) – quicken together with

charis – graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstr. or concr.’ Lit., fig. or spiritual: espec. The divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).

sōzō – to save, i.e. deliver or protect (lit. or fig.): - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

            (originally written a few years ago) I was dead. No, I didn’t have an out of body experience when I had my heart catheterization yesterday. I’m talking about before I accepted God’s gift of salvation through Jesus. I was dead in my sin. My body was living and breathing. I was an active teenager. I made good grades and was the model child at church, the type that Mark Twain was describing when he said Tom Sawyer “knew the model boy, and loathed him.” I’m sure there were girls that were quite weary of hearing their mothers ask them to be like me. I would have never admitted my sin of pride, but it was definitely there.

            It was that pride that held me back from being reanimated. What would people think if I walked down a church aisle asking about salvation? I was active in the youth group, sang in and occasionally accompanied the choir on piano, and helped with children’s choir. I couldn’t admit that I didn’t really know the Lord! But God’s grace overcame my pride. By his grace, he put me in a witnessing training class at church. When asked to write my testimony, I realized I didn’t have one; so, I made one up. Then, by his grace, he sent me to camp to hear a musical called “Real” that addressed the topic of faking Christianity. I stood up at campfire and sang a song I’d written about the Lord I’d only heard about. God’s love would not give up on me. He sent an old-fashioned, hell-fire-and-brimstone preacher for our church revival. Afraid of the man, I could not bring myself to go forward.

            When that summer of God banging on my door ended, he kept quietly whispering to me. One Sunday afternoon when I was scheduled to play piano, sing a duet, and sing in the choir that night, I demanded that our Education-Music-Youth Minister stop his quartet rehearsal and talk to me. He led me through Romans, and I accepted the gift of God’s grace. Since that moment, I have been alive in Christ, and any “good” seen in me is the result of “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.” I am who I am by the grace of God.

            Father, thank you for taking my dead self and filling it with your Holy Spirit that I might be truly made alive. Help me to continue to live by grace as I was saved by grace. Thank you for the promise that you will complete the good work you began in me (Philippians 1:6). 

EPHESIANS 1:18-19a - POWERFUL PRAYER

Powerful Prayer

“When I am weak,

My Lord, you’re strong.”

Those aren’t just the words

Of an old-time song.

Miraculous power

For us who believe

Is there at the moment

We need to receive.

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the glorious Father,

may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, 

so that you may know him better.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart 

may be enlightened in order that you may know

the hope to which he has called you, 

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 

and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

Ephesians 1:17-19a (NIV)

dunamis – force (lit. or fig.); spec. miraculous power (usually by impl. A miracle itself):- ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle(-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible)

            (Written in 2005 or 2006 by Susie) As I write this I feel powerless. I feel like my cell phone…I need to be plugged in and recharged. I’m exhausted, have no energy, and am scheduled for an angiogram the day after tomorrow. However, I know that Paul proclaimed, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (II Corinthians 12:10b NIV). Although physically I may not be strong at this moment, I know the Lord’s grace is sufficient to see me through this time. His strength will enable me to accomplish what he wants me to do. He can give me power to not just endure trials but to be victorious over them and have joy in the midst of them.

            I love reading Paul’s prayers for those he encouraged through his letters. They show me how to pray for my friends, loved ones, and myself.  I can pray that the Spirit will give my children wisdom and revelation to help them grow closer to the Lord. I can pray that the eyes of a new believer’s heart will be opened up to more fully understand the hope he now has. I can pray for others and myself to be infused with God’s power (the power that raised Christ from the dead) in order to accomplish the Lord’s purposes each day. I can pray for fellow believers just as Paul did.

            I believe God will answer those prayers. He already has. He gave me the power to read my Bible and write on a night when I was feeling powerless.

            Father, I pray the verses above for all who will read this page. Lord, make our hearts jump to life as we read your word. Help us to have a deeper awareness of the hope we have in Christ. And, Jesus, when we are weak, recharge our batteries with your power that we may accomplish that which you have called us to do.

EPHESIANS 1:7-8A - IN HIM

In Him

by Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

In Him…we are chose

     To be holy and blameless in His sight.
In Him…we are redeemed

     From our helpless, enslaved plight.

In Him…we are forgiven

     According to the riches of God’s grace.

In Him…we are marked with a seal

     The earnest of our heavenly place!

“In him we have redemption through his blood, 

the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

that he lavished on us with 

all wisdom and understanding.”

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)

charis⁵⁴⁸⁵ – graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstr. or concr.’ Lit., fig. or spiritual: espec. The divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).

pĕrissĕuō – to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; also (trans.) to cause to superabound or excel: - (make, more) abound, (have, have more) abundance, (be more) abundant, be the better, enough and to spare, exceed, excel, increase, be left, redound, remain (over and above).

            “The divine influence upon the heart” has been lavished on me that it might be reflected in my life. I’ve done more than one study of Ephesians that encouraged me to mark every occurrence of “in Christ” and “in him” in order to get a clear picture of all that is mine because of Jesus. I want to take that thought to its next level. God has provided abundantly for me because he expects me to share the overflow with others.

            I cannot, in and of myself, be holy and blameless. However, the Holy Spirit is doing the work of conforming me to the likeness of Christ. This is not so that I can sit up and say, “look how holy I’m becoming.” No, it is so that others may see Jesus in me and desire to know him. The Lord marks me with his seal, and I know that my home is with him. He has given me “enough and to spare,” and it is his intent that I share the increase with others.

            Lord, help me share the overflow of the grace you have lavished on me. Mold me and make me more and more into the image of Christ that others would see Jesus flowing through my life. Thank you for all that I have in Christ. Stir me to be more generous in sharing the abundance of your grace.

Ephesians 1:4 - CHOSEN

Chosen

by Susie Hale, Precious Jewels Ministries

“Pick me! Pick me!” the children shout,

For no one wants to be left out.

The one who cannot catch the ball,

Who isn’t a very good player at all,

Knows that she’ll be the very last one.

Being chosen last is not much fun.

I am that child of little skill,

But gracious God gives my heart a thrill

By telling me he chose me in Christ

Before the beginning of my earthly life.

Even before he created the world,

He chose this imperfect, sinful girl.

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world 
to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth,

the gospel of your salvation.

Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption

of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)

ĕklĕgŏmai – to select: - make choice, choose (out), chosen.

arrhabōn – a pledge, i.e. part of the purchase money or property given in advance as a security for the rest: - earnest. (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible)

            “Oh dear, the teacher is about to make us choose teams.  If I’m appointed as a captain, I’ll end up choosing the losing team.  If I’m not a captain, I’ll be one of the last chosen. Either way, I can’t win. I wish I could be chosen first for a change.”  

            At an early age, we learn the value of being chosen and the pain of being left out. As life progresses we want to be chosen for the team, chosen for a date, or chosen for a job. We work hard at being desirable to the one doing the choosing.

            Praise the Lord, the most important choice was made before the foundation of the world. God chose me to be his child and be made new by trusting in Jesus Christ. This incredible gift was given to me, not because I deserved it, but because God CHOSE to love me.

            Not only did God choose me, but he gave me proof that I am his. He placed his Holy Spirit within me to confirm my relationship to him, to nurture me in learning his will and ways (John 16:13), and to allow me to communicate with him even when I am unable to put my needs into words (Romans 8:26-27). The Spirit’s work in my life is just a security deposit on the tremendous relationship I’ll have with the Lord when I live eternally with him. He is the earnest money of my inheritance in the Lord Jesus.

            Father, thank you for choosing me to be your child long before my parents even knew I would be theirs. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who communicates for me and to me that I may draw nearer to you.  Thank you for the promised inheritance I have because Christ is preparing a place for me. 

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

For the next six weeks, we will be studying the book of Ephesians on our Bible study blog - www.biblestudy-pjm.blogspot.com - and posting companion devotionals from Ephesians on this blog. The Bible study will be posted on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week at www.biblestudy-pjm.blogspot.com, and we hope you will join us there. 

On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of each week we will post on this blog with an occasional bonus post on one of the other days.

We will not post on Sunday, but everything remains archived on both blogs if you desire to catch up or go back and re-read what we have posted in the past. 

We hope you will all visit both blogs and comment on how the Lord has ministered to you through them or ways you believe we can improve the content.

Susan Renee Slade and Susie Hale

ROMANS 1:1a, 8, 9 LIKE PAUL

Next week, we will begin a study of Ephesians which was a letter written by the Apostle Paul, so I thought it appropriate to post this devotional even though it was based on verses from Romans, another of Paul's epistles which I studied a few years ago. (Susie)

Like Paul

Father, is it possible that I could be like Paul?

Could I serve you with my whole heart and give to you my all?

The Holy Spirit that led the apostle, you’ve placed in me today.

Help me to listen for your call and your perfect will obey.

Strengthen me to serve you and to walk the paths you show,

Being not ashamed of the Gospel and not afraid to go.

Let me live by faith in the Christ who died for me.

Let me speak and write of him boldly so others may be free.

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God…”

Romans 1:1a

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.”

Romans 1:8-9

servant – dŏulŏs – a slave (lit. or fig., invol. or vol.; frequently therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviencey): bond-servant. (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible)

            Christ has called us to be his people. He has set us apart to share the gospel with the world through the power of his Holy Spirit within us (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). Paul understood this well and often referred to himself as a bond-servant or slave of Jesus.  He was completely committed to serving the Lord no matter what the cost.  He served with his whole heart, fulfilling what the Lord Jesus named as the first and greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind.” (Matthew 22:37-38). Because of this dedication, Paul reached a tremendous number of people both through his journeys and his letters. In fact, the books of the Bible ascribed to him have continued to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus throughout history.

            I have thought in the past, “All that was well and good for Paul who had the experience on the Damascus road of being confronted by the Lord in a blinding light!” But, of course, I’m just an ordinary person. I could never do great things.  Paul was an ordinary person as well.  He struggled with temptation (Romans 7:15), but he continued to “press on” (Philippians 3:14). The driving force behind Paul was the Holy Spirit.  He chose to be a slave to the Lord rather than to the desires of his flesh.

            The Lord has saved me from sin, and I will be with him in heaven when he returns. However, I must choose daily to walk according to the spirit or the flesh. The more I choose to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit in my life, the more I will be like Paul and, more importantly, like Christ.  As I feed my spirit with reading and obeying God’s word and praising and worshiping my Lord, the flesh will have less and less power over me. As I seek to know Jesus more each day and to be his servant, he will use me to further the gospel and minister effectively in the specific ways he has called me.

            Father, moment by moment may I choose to obey your will. May I be able to honestly identify myself as a servant of Christ Jesus.

MATTHEW 2:23 - HE SHALL BE CALLED A NAZARENE

HE SHALL BE CALLED A NAZARENE

          When the Lord told Joseph and Mary to come back from Egypt where they had fled due to Herod’s plan to murder all the boys up to two years of age in Bethlehem, they set their course for the town where they had met and married – Nazareth. Matthew’s gospel notes that prophets had foretold that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. By the time of Jesus, Nazarene was synonymous with despised or detestable. Apparently, the people from that city had a horrible reputation. This is why Nathanael questioned whether the Messiah could truly be from Nazareth. Jesus was so identified with Nazareth that people did not realize He was born in Bethlehem as evidenced in chapter seven of John’s gospel.

          Have you ever experienced discrimination because of the place you grew up or currently live? Or perhaps due to your ethnicity or color? Our Lord experienced that discrimination as well. The word tells us that God doesn’t look at those things about us. Passages such as James 2, Romans 12:9-21, and 1 Peter chapter 3 speak about God’s impartiality and how we are to treat one another with non-judgmental love. Avoid discriminating against others by remembering how God looks at them and at you:

1 Samuel 16:7b (NASB) God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

MATTHEW 2:10 - STAR GAZERS

Excerpt from A Life’s Symphony of Joy

By Rev. Susan R. Slade

Day 31 – Star Gazers

Matthew 2:10 (ESV)

When they saw the star,

they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

The magi (wise men) had seen a great star from their country in the east and had read a prophecy of a king to be born of the Jews. They had set out following the star, but it disappeared for a time. They inquired of the Jews’ current king, Herod, where this child was to be born. After his scholars informed them the child was to be born in Bethlehem, they set back out on their journey, and the star reappeared. The wise men were not just full of joy when the star came back into view: their joy was exponentially overwhelming. It was also a relief that they could now fulfill their hearts’ desire to worship the baby King. They may or may not have understood that the God of the universe was Jesus’ Father, but they saw the celestial birthday candle, the ultimate celebratory sign in the heavens, to celebrate the birth of His chosen one. The star, which may have even been the Sh’khinah glory of God, led them to the house where Jesus and His earthly parents were staying, and they worshipped Him and gave Him gifts.

Think for just a moment about the glory Jesus left behind in Heaven to endure the sacrifice and humiliation of the cross in order to redeem His forever family. The next time He comes to earth, He WILL come in His full regal kingship. Does this not make you burst with great joy?!

LUKE 2:38 - ANNA - INTERCESSOR, PROPHETESS, EVANGELIST

GALATIANS 3:13 - REDEEMER REDEEMED

Redeemer Redeemed

By Susie Hale and Susan Slade

Precious Jewels Ministries

The Baby lovingly placed in a wooden manger

Would someday die on a cross made of wood.

Jesus was born to be our Redeemer

Which meant He must do everything as He should.

In order to be the spotless Lamb of God

He must obey every point of the Law.

So, Mary and Joseph brought two shekels of silver

To redeem the Baby they had laid on the straw.

Our Redeemer as firstborn had to be redeemed

and his mother purified by offering two doves.

Mary could not even afford a spotless lamb

When presenting the Lamb of our Father’s love.

The parents God chose to raise His Son

Fulfilled all that the Law demanded.

Mary and Joseph obeyed Gabriel’s message,

Doing everything the Lord commanded. 

LUKE 2:15-20 SHEPHERDS HERALD GOOD SHEPHERD'S ARRIVAL

SHEPHERDS HERALD GOOD SHEPHERD’S ARRIVAL

By Susie Hale & Susan Slade, Precious Jewels Ministries

An angel appeared to a group of mere shepherds and made the astonishing announcement that the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem and gave them the even more surprising news that this Holy Baby would be found sleeping in a feeding trough for animals! Then as quickly as the host of angels had appeared in glorious light, they vanished, and the shepherds were once again alone in the dark. The shepherds, like excited children on Christmas morning, ran to see God’s gift to the world. They found everything exactly like the angel had said. Afterward they did the same thing we did as children – they told the entire neighborhood the best gift they had received – a baby born to be the Messiah. They went back to the drudgery of guarding their sheep but with a newfound awe of the Lord. They praised and glorified God as they returned. I wonder if the sheep could sense the change in their shepherds or if even they were aware that the best Shepherd of all was now living among men? Just as we share about our “best Christmas ever,” I am certain those shepherds passed down the story of the night they found their Savior lying in a manger. I imagine their children and grandchildren, eyes bright with wonder, saying, “Tell it again! Tell about the angels and the Baby!” May the wide-eyed wonder of the Christmas story fill our hearts throughout this New Year!