Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 60

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Sometimes those words are tossed out to say, “Have a happy day on December 25th.”

But there is a much deeper meaning. Christmas is a combination of the words Christ and mass. Mass is derived from a word meaning to send or is sent. Merry relates to joy.

Let us rejoice because Christ was sent. I do hope you have a joyous day with family, a happy day of giving and receiving gifts, a cheery day of food and celebration. But more than that, I hope you rejoice because Christ was sent and You have received him in your heart!

GOD, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thine only Son Jesus Christ; Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Christmas Eve

Matthew 2:1-23

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;

For out of you shall come forth a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”

So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,

Weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children;

And she refused to be comforted,

Because they were no more.”

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

So many prophecies were fulfilled with the birth of Jesus. God shared His plan with His people through His prophets centuries before Jesus was born. Yet when the time came Jesus was not at all what most people expected. Most Jews, suffering under the cruelties of Roman rule, looked for a conquering warrior or a mighty king. They didn’t recognize the tiny babe or the Suffering Servant as the Messiah. But there will be no mistaking who He is when Jesus comes again. Prophecies of the Second Coming don’t talk about obscure villages or mothers weeping for dead children. They talk about a ruler who will rule the nations with a rod of iron, the conquering warrior with a sword in His mouth, One who will reign forever and ever and ever.

Thank You, Father, that You sent Jesus to save us from our sins, and thank You that He will return again in glory so we can rule with Him forever and ever. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/realinemedia

Friday after Advent 4

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17  

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

When Jesus comes again, none of His followers will be forgotten or ignored. Those who have died will rise first, then those are alive at the time of the Second Coming will be caught up in the clouds with Jesus Himself, along with the dead who have been raised. Jesus will announce Himself and sound a trumpet so we can’t miss Him. Our job is to be ready so we aren’t left behind.

Father God, we can’t envision the return of Jesus. He will be clothed with so much power and might and glory that we can’t comprehend it. Empower me by the Holy Spirit to be ready. Maranatha, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

Thursday after Advent 4

Jeremiah 33:14-17

‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the Lord is our righteousness.’ For thus says the Lord, ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.’

When it comes to Christmas, we tend to focus on the earthly birth of Jesus. And the Incarnation is extremely important. But Jesus didn’t just come to live thirty-three years and die. He rose again and ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of God. And one day—no one knows when, but we know it will happen, He will assume His rightful place as ruler of His Kingdom. The promise was first made to Israel, but all Christians are grafted into Israel’s tree, so the promise is for us also. He will bring justice and righteousness—He will be our righteousness.

Thank You, Lord, that Jesus is coming again to reign over the whole world with justice and righteousness. Amazingly, all followers of Jesus will participate with Him in his rule. Maranatha, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Image: © Depositphotos.com/ingridhs

Wednesday after Advent 4

Luke 2:1-40

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation

that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel.”

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

While there are many amazing things about the birth of our Savior, two things always capture my attention. First, God orchestrated so many things to make it happen just as it should. He arranged for a pagan king to call for a census, requiring everyone to register in his hometown to get Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem at the right time. He filled all the inns but led a kindly innkeeper to let them stay in his stable. He coordinated the angels and the shepherds and even arranged for the Holy Family to meet Simeon and Anna when they took Jesus to the temple to make a sacrifice. The Star of Bethlehem and the Wise Men—so many events and people came together perfectly for prophecy to be fulfilled and the Messiah to be born. Secondly, even though Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, his parents “performed everything according to the Law of the Lord.” We often try to take shortcuts, but Jesus did not bypass the Law of God. If He did everything according to God’s law, so should we.

Lord, You are so amazing! It boggles our minds to even consider every detail You had to coordinate for the birth of Jesus to be the way it was supposed to be, yet You arranged everything perfectly. Help us to trust You more to handle our lives. When we try to manage them ourselves, we usually get in trouble. Lead us, Lord, the way we should go. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/piotr_marcinski

Tuesday after Advent 4

Luke 1:68-79

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

for he has visited and redeemed his people

and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of his servant David,

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

that we should be saved from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us;

to show the mercy promised to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

might serve him without fear,

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

in the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

God is in control and has been from before time began. He knew man would abuse his free will, leading to sin and death. He was holy and could not tolerate sin—wickedness had to be punished. But He loves us so much that He couldn’t bear to give us justice for our sins. Instead He planned how He would give us mercy while at the same time giving just punishment for our sins—to His Son Jesus Christ who was holy and pure instead of to us who are sinful and impure. His prophets told God’s people His plan for centuries and allowed Zacharias to recognize that his son John, who became known as John the Baptist, was the forerunner to the Messiah. Zacharias praised the Lord for fulfilling His promise, even though John was a newborn babe, and it would be decades more before the plan came to fruition. If God says something, we can be assured that He will do exactly what He says in His perfect timing. We can thank Him and praise Him for fulfilling His promises.

Thank You, Lord, that always do what You say You will do. We thank You that Jesus will come again to take us with Him to Heaven to spend eternity with You. It may be soon, it may be centuries from now—but it will happen, just as You have said. Make us ready for that great day. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/justinkendra

Monday after Advent 4

Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

I’m amazed that Mary so calmly accepted God’s will for her life even though her unplanned pregnancy would cause a major scandal. And more than accepting God’s will, she praised and thanked God for His mercy, for keeping His promises, and for blessing her with carrying baby Jesus. She was a teenaged girl in a society when men were the ones who had religious training. Yet she knew Scripture, she knew God’s nature, and she knew His promises. She didn’t weigh the cost of fulfilling God’s will—she thanked them that she was chosen as a vessel for Him to use.

Lord, give me a heart like Mary to rejoice that You are in control and You always keep Your promises. Take away fear, embarrassment, and confusion so I clearly see what You want me to do and boldly do what You ask. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Advent

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

No matter how often I read about the Annunciation, I am always amazed at Mary’s reaction. Faced with total disruption of her life and major scandal, her only question is how it is physically possible for her to become pregnant. But once the angel tells her she will conceive supernaturally by the power of the Holy Spirit, she has no further questions. She calmly announces that she is the Lord’s servant and she is willing to accept God’s will. Most of us are not so accepting of God’s will when what He asks of us is much simpler that what Mary faced. But instead of worrying about hardships or expressing fear, Mary rejoiced at the opportunity to serve the Lord.

Lord God, You know that I don’t react as well as Mary did when You call on me to do something difficult for You. Give me a servant’s heart like that of Mary. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Christmas Giving Memories

Author’s Den has a special Christmas page featuring books, articles, stories, and poems about the holidays.

I have shared two of my favorite memories of giving to others at Christmas.

A Special Christmas Memory recounts the story of giving Christmas to battered women and their children that blessed me and my fellow givers as much or more than the recipients.

Delivering Santa Gifts in a Rough Neighborhood shares how a scary moment was turned into a beautiful moment in the spirit of Christmas.

Saturday after Advent 3

Isaiah 40:11

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

This passage brings to mind those beautiful pictures of Jesus holding a tiny lamb to his bosom, so gentle and loving. He will do that with each of us if we but let Him—but that means we have to put ourselves into His loving care. We lean on His chest rather than trying to stand on our own power. We are helpless, just like tiny lambs totally dependent on their shepherd. If we follow Jesus, we will depend fully on Him to care for us and lead us in His paths.

Thank You, Lord, that we can put ourselves in Jesus’ hands, and He will carry us gently and give us His strength. In His name we pray. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/jamesgroup