Devotions December 29 2018

Devotions December 29th

Jesus during his ministry, started by urging people to “come and 

see.” And they did! People began to follow him. But then Jesus 

slowly turned up the heat. He began adding qualifiers, statements 

that start with “You’re my disciple if”:

You love one another (John 13:35)

You abide in his Word (John 8:31)

You deny yourself (Matthew 16:24)

You make Jesus your top priority.  (Luke 14:26)

Eventually, Jesus took it a step further and said that a person had to 

“come and die” (Luke 14:27) to be a disciple.

But Jesus didn’t start with “come and die.” He moved people slowly 

from “come and see” to “come and die.”  That’s what discipleship is 

all about. That is how we grow step by step.  It's how we grasp God's 

promises one decision at a time.  Today, what step will you take 

towards securing your growth in Christ?

Devotions December 28, 2018

We are called to become more personal, to become persons, to face old age with all our personal resources.  

We have given things priority over persons, we have built a civilization based on things rather than on persons.  Old people are discounted because they are purely and simply persons, whose only value is as persons and not as producers anymore.  When we are old. . . we have the time and qualifications necessary to a true ministry of personal relationships.  Dr. Paul Tournier  Learning to Grow old.

Recently, I had someone say to me; "You know Roger, you have an aging congregation."  The body language and tone made it clear, an aging congregation was a deficit.

Could it be, God has formed Elbert Christian Church as an aging congregation, to teach the "young whippersnappers a thing or two about the value of a person?  The value of needing others and being needed?

Things are to be used and People are to be loved.  Maybe, we have put too much value on things and production and not enough on persons.  To borrow a phrase from an 80's hit; "The Futures so bright I have to wear shades."  Remember if you are getting a little long in the tooth; God's not through with you yet.  And if your that young whippersnapper: "You have much to learn.

God promises in Isaiah 46:3-4 LB, “Listen to me, all Israel who are left; I have created you and cared for you since you were born. 4 I will be your God through all your lifetime, yes, even when your hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you. I will carry you along and be your Savior.  Don’t be afraid, 

Christian. You will persevere. You will make it home. Sooner than you think. Live dangerously for the one who loved you and died for you at age 33. Don’t throw your life away on the American dream of retirement.   You are as secure as Christ is righteous and God is just. 

Evergreen Devotions December 27

And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study[c] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5:37-40  NIV

In other words, Jesus claimed that his life and career was predicted and prophesied by the Old Testament books written by the Hebrew prophets that preceded him by hundreds of years. These prophets had claimed that God inspired their writings. Since no human mind can predict in such detail hundreds of years into the future, this became a line of evidence that Jesus said his contemporaries could use to verify if indeed Jesus came as part of a Divine Plan or if the whole gospel account was the product of some elaborate human scheme. Two thousand years later, the data that Jesus referred to is still available for us to examine and consider for ourselves.

Please study the following Prophecies; Messiah was to be born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:18-25 Luke 1:26-38 3. Messiah was to be a prophet like Moses Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19 John 7:40 4. Messiah was to enter Jerusalem in triumph Zechariah 9:9 Matthew 21:1-9 John 12:12-16

Tyndale. Life Application Study Bible NIV (Kindle Locations 148976-148983). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. 

Evergreen Devotions December 26th

The Advent reading during the Christmas Eve service alluded to the fact during the birth of Jesus, the

Spirit of Prophecy was alive. Some Bible scholars suggest there are more than 300 prophetic

Scriptures completed in the life of Jesus. Circumstances such as his birthplace, lineage, and method

of execution were beyond his control and could not have been accidentally or deliberately fulfilled.

In the book Science Speaks, Peter Stoner and Robert Newman, discuss the statistical improbability of

one man, whether accidentally or deliberately, fulfilling just eight of the prophecies Jesus fulfilled.

The chance of this happening, they say, is 1 in 1017 power. Stoner gives an illustration that helps

visualize the magnitude of such odds:

Suppose that we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the

state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over

the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one

silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one?

Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having

them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using

their own wisdom.

The mathematical improbability of 300, or 44, or even just eight fulfilled prophesies of Jesus stands

as evidence to his messiahship. For the Gospel writers, one of the main reasons for believing in Jesus

was the way his life fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah.

(https://www.thoughtco.com/prophecies-of-jesus-fulfilled-700159)

Closing out the Evergreen Sermon Series; study some of the following promises: 1. Messiah was to

be born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1-6 Luke 2:1-20. 2. Messiah was to be born of a virgin

Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:18-25 Luke 1:26-38

Evergreen Devotions December 25

“You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you will name Him Jesus . . .The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David.”
Luke 1:31-32

Well, you made it! It’s Christmas Day and chances are the fun is just beginning.

What do you consider to be a good representation of Christmas? The potbellied Santa Claus? The nativity scene complete with shepherds, hay-filled manger, and donkeys? The iconic Christmas tree? For Luke, Christmas was best represented by a cradle, a cross, and a crown.

A cradle. The angel Gabriel told a confused young virgin that she “would conceive and give birth to a son.” (Luke 1:31) This supernaturally conceived baby would be Mary’s own flesh and blood. Imagine, the all-powerful Creator in a cradle as a helpless infant, a real baby with a belly button! Mary’s boy child is the human son of Mary and the divine Son of God! (Luke 1:32,35)

A cross. “You will name Him Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) Jesus, the Greek means “the Lord saves” or simply “Savior.” The angel reiterated Jesus’ name in an appearance to Mary’s fiancé, Joseph, and spoke of His mission: “You are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)  Jesus became our Savior “when He was hung on the cross.” (Galatians 3:13)

A crown. “The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David.” (Luke 1:32) Some 1,000 years before, God had promised that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. This baby would be born King of the Jews. “And He will reign forever; His Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:33)

Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and nativity scenes will be familiar sights today. But Jesus is the One we must seek and celebrate. Let’s bow before the Son of God in the cradle, the Savior on the cross, and the King on the throne.

Thought of the Day: Just sit back and watch. The fun is about to happen. While it may have little to do with the real reason we have Christmas, enjoy your day and enjoy your family. Periodically, however, take a glance at the nativity scene in your home, and thank God for the cradle, for the cross, and for the crown.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
December 25 , 2018
Dr. Joe Pettigrew

Evergreen Devotions December 24th

It is by far the most amazing miracle in the whole Bible - far more amazing than the resurrection and more amazing than the creation of the universe. The fact that the infinite, omnipotent, eternal Son of God could become man and join Himself to a human nature forever, so that infinite God became one person with finite man, will remain for eternity the most profound miracle and the most profound mystery in all the universe.  Wayne Grudem Systematic Theology, p. 563.

In the beginning, the Word already existed.

    The Word was with God,

    and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God.

God created everything through him,

    and nothing was created except through him.

The Word gave life to everything that was created,

    and his life brought light to everyone.

 The light shines in the darkness,

    and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:1-5 NLT

What Jesus taught and what he did are tied inseparably to who he is. John shows Jesus as fully human and fully God. Although Jesus took upon himself full humanity and lived as a man, he never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the source of eternal life. This is the truth about Jesus and the foundation of all truth.

Tyndale. Life Application Study Bible NIV (Kindle Locations 191291-191294). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. 

Evergreen Devotions December 23 PEACE ON EARTH December 23 , 2018 Dr. Joe Pettigrew

"Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.” 

John 14:27

The Christmas season is a wonderful time of year. Families gather for joyous celebrations and we see individuals we haven't seen since last year. Small towns and neighborhood communities put up Christmas lights and even the air itself smells special—all raising “peace on earth, goodwill to all” expectations all-around.

But contrary to the famous Hallmark Christmas movies, trials and tribulations do not take the holidays off. While we look forward to Christmas and hope it will be a great time, we live in a fallen world which can even make Christmas very painful.

For some families, there will be an empty place at the table because a loved one is no longer here. For some parents, the hope for a prodigal child returning in time for Christmas will be met with their continued absence. Some will be surrounded by people, but still feel outcast and abandoned. Others will find themselves alone during this season wishing that someone would visit them.

Whatever happened to “peace on earth, good will toward men?” Regardless of where you find yourself in life, be reminded that Christ loved the world so much that He came down from Heaven. And He did not come to just sit around in a manger. He came to bear the cross for sin and its consequences—provide salvation to anyone who will believe in Him.

Living in a fallen world means there is chaos—instead of peace—chaos that we contribute to daily. Yet Christ came into this chaotic world and bore upon Himself the sins of the whole world. Why? Because He loves everyone, including you. 

Thought of the Day: No matter where we find ourselves this Christmas season, we can find hope and comfort in the person of Christ, if we will seek Him! “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”