BETHLEHEM

MICAH 5:2 (MSG)
But you, Bethlehem, David’s country,
the runt of the litter—
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule Israel.
He’ll be no upstart, no pretender.
His family tree is ancient and distinguished.

MATTHEW 2:1-2 (TCEB)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in the province of Judea, when Herod the Great was king of the Jews. Later, a group of wise men known as magi showed up in Jerusalem. They came from a distant land somewhere in the east. They started asking around, “Where’s the boy who’s going to become king of the Jews? We saw the sign of his birth: a rising star. We came to honor him.”

THE ESSENCE
   Bethlehem illustrates God's propensity for putting small, faithful, and insignificant actors center stage at critical moments.    

DAILY FODDER
   In Hebrew Bethlehem means "House of Bread." Before King David was born and raised there, Bethlehem was the setting for the story of Ruth and Boaz. It was a small but happening place, the significance of which was most evident in retrospect. Although, the prophet Micah saw it as the future birthplace of a king who would change the whole world. 

   You don't have to be big or flashy to have an impact in God's economy.

PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, for choosing a small insignificant place to play a pivotal role in the renewal of the world. Forgive me for thinking that my small life is unimportant to your kingdom. Encourage me with the story of Bethlehem. Bless the people who live there now with your peace, as it has experienced so much undeserved viloence recently. Continue to pour out your grace from that small place, and from all the small but faithful people who find their true identity in Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

YOU WILL BE REWARDED

2 Chronicles 15:7 (GNT)
But you must be strong and not be discouraged. The work that you do will be rewarded.

Matthew 25:21 (TCEB)
The boss said, ‘Wow! Good job. That’s what I call devotion. I’m going to put you in charge of a lot more work. This is a win for me and a win for you. Let’s celebrate.’

THE ESSENCE
Your efforts rooted in faithfulness will pay off. 

DAILY FODDER
If our efforts rooted in faithfulness will eventually pay off, we don't sweat it if there is no immediate recognition. We can stick with it, confident that God rewards faithfulness. 

PRAYER
Generous God, thank you for bringing me on as a junior partner in your transformation endeavor. I admit that I'm not worthy of the honor and I continually mess up. You must see something in me that no one else can see. Help me to trust your vision and to stay faithful to my calling. Even though no one seems to notice me now, I am confident that my close association with you will payoff big time at some point in the future. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

PROVE IT!

ISAIAH 64:9 (MSG)
Don’t be too angry with us, O God.
Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing.
Keep in mind, please, we are your people—all of us.

MATTHEW 3:8 (TCEB)
If you’ve repented of your sins, act like it. Prove it by the way you live.

THE ESSENCE
If you say you've turned to God, you have to prove it by living according to God's way of doing things.

DAILY FODDER
It's ironic that so many of us are obsessed with proving God exists or that the Bible is his authoritative word for the world, but we aren't nearly as consumed with proving through the way we live that we actually believe in him. Shallow Christianity is simple and simplistic.

PRAYER
Lord of love and mercy, I have fallen short of what you expect from me, what I expect from myself, and what others need from me. I repent. Turn me around toward you and those around me. Help me to live faithfully and fruitfully among your people. May my actions align with what I have learned from you. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

BREAKING THE DEATH-BARRIER

PSALM 68:20 (TCEB)
God is the one who saves us.
He knows how to keep us alive.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:14 (NLT)
God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.

THE ESSENCE
The finality of death is no longer a worry because we know that God is in the business of raising the dead; and he has proven he has the power to do so. 

DAILY FODDER
So, if death is no longer to be feared, what is left to worry over? 

PRAYER
Almighty God, I praise you as the great life-giver and the awesome life-saver. Forgive us for the times we lose sight of what Jesus accomplished on our behalf when he voluntarily died so he could break the death-barrier. So much of the craziness of our world catches us off-guard and we start to worry about how things are going to turn out. Keep your life-giving feats on the forefront of my mind so that I'm continually encouraged by everlasting life. I'm going to live today with such vigor that those around me are drawn to Jesus and his resurrection-powered life. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.