Christmas Archives - My Manna

Don't revel in the wrappings!

MyManna — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 22:00:08 +0000

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
The classic Christmas joke in families with really young children is that they enjoy the boxes more than the toys.
They hide in them, make forts out of them, stack them up and knock them down-
– while the parents watch and wonder, “Why didn’t we just get them an assortment of boxes for Christmas?”
If that’s what happens with little kids at Christmas-
– something similar happens to almost everyone:
We enjoy our presents for Christmas Day-
– maybe for a week, even a month.
And then they tend to lose their luster.
We revert back to the life we were living before Christmas Day.
It’s what was comfortable, what we’re used to.
It’s not that we didn’t appreciate our gifts.
We just get busy with the post-Christmas routine.
Is it possible to treat the gift of Jesus that way?
Not that we’re not grateful.
But once we stop hearing “Christmas” every day-
– we tend to forget about the Gift.
Don’t let that happen to you this year.
Keep your Gift close by staying in the Word and in prayer.
Plan now to take Jesus with you into the year, to benefit from your Gift every day.
Don’t revel in the wrappings of the season
And forget not that the Gift is yours to keep.
If Christmas isn’t found in your heart-
– you won’t find it in your home or under a tree.

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The Word Became Flesh

MyManna — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 22:00:34 +0000

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
Words are used for communication.
Jesus is called the Word of God because He is the communication of God to man.
How are we to know what God is like? Well, God sent His Son to tell us what He is like.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
The wonderful Son of God, full of God’s grace and truth, came to this world to communicate God’s love to us.
Man has mistaken notions of God. Some see Him like a traffic policeman, ready to issue a summons at the slightest traffic offence.
Others think He will just overlook sin and let everyone else go to heaven.
In Jesus, we find grace and truth. Grace to forgive the repentant sinner. Truth to judge evil doers.
Jesus came to save us from our sins.
We need a God who is strong enough to save us. A sinner cannot save another sinner.
This God must die for our sins. But God cannot die.
God solved the dilemma in the person of Jesus.
On Christmas day, God became flesh so that as God, He can save, and as Man, He can die.
Bow your heart and confess Jesus as your Saviour today. Let Jesus be born in your heart.

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Worship the Christ

MyManna — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 22:00:46 +0000

“Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (Luke 2:20).
The shepherds heard the message, found the child, shared the news, everyone was amazed, and then what happened?
They returned, glorifying and praising God. They worshiped.
On a hillside, surrounded by sheep, they worshiped. They glorified and praised God.
And that is what we are called to in this season. Each of us should find ways to worship Christ this Christmas season.
In spite of the busyness. In spite of the familiarity. Take the time and opportunity to kneel before the manger, to be filled with awe at the fact that all that we imagine God to be and more is present in that little human child.
Worship Christ the newborn King!

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Spread the Word

MyManna — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 22:00:52 +0000

“Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child” (Luke 2:17).
What did the shepherds do in response to what they had seen and heard? They spread the word.
In keeping with their active nature, we dont read about them hanging around Mary and Joseph for a long time. They got moving again. There is a sense of energy about these shepherds, of enthusiasm, of contagious excitement.
The news and experience was so great that it had to be shared. Have you had an experience like that recently where something really positive happened and you couldn’t wait to share it with someone? So you called your best friend or your spouse or someone else as quickly as possible, just to share the good news. This is what happened with the shepherds. They shared the amazement with others.
What God has done for us needs to be shared. Picture them like excited children, running up to people, jumping around, stammering out the facts like it was just so amazing! “You should have seen it! The angel appeared, and then there was a multitude, and it was all true the baby was right like they said, and they said it is the Christ,” and then grabbing the next person and saying the same thing.
Now maybe that isn’t your personality type and that is alright. But the principle stands that the good news needs to be shared.
Maybe you share it on a quiet note to a friend. Maybe it is in a deliberate action that demonstrates concretely the love of God. Or maybe it is excited, energetic, and lively. The important thing is that the message gets shared. Find or create opportunities to follow the example of the shepherds to invite someone to share the amazement and the wonder of the fact that God became man so that we could be in relationship with Him.

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Respond by Faith

MyManna — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 22:00:17 +0000

“The shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15).
When the shepherds heard the news, they didn’t seek out the religious professionals for a second opinion. They simply accepted what the angels told them. When they were invited to visit Bethlehem to see the newborn Messiah, they didn’t worry about who was going to watch their sheep. They didn’t get bogged down in debates about how they were going to find one small baby in such a large town. They simply obeyed and went.
Will you do that today? God didn’t send an angel to give you the news, but He did give you His Word, the Bible. God is inviting you today, just like he invited the shepherds.
Will you receive His love? Will you believe what He says and do what He asks? Will you acknowledge your need of forgiveness and put your trust in Jesus Christ for salvation? You don’t need to be a genius or a member of the “in” crowd. You just need to believe and obey. Listen to Christ’s promise:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“Whoever comes to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
I pray you will make that decision to trust Christ today.
But what if you don’t identify with these lowly shepherds? What if you identify with the social and religious elite, the gifted, the accomplished, the powerful?
Then recognize that in God’s sight, you are on the same level as everyone else. You don’t have a head start with God. In fact, anything that causes you to think too highly of yourself; anything that stimulates pride, actually puts you farther behind.
If that’s the case, then ask God to purify your heart and grant you true humility. Understand that you are accepted before God on the same basis as anyone else, only because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who gave His life and suffered the penalty for your sin so that you could have eternal life and receive forgiveness. Humble yourself before God, so that He doesn’t have to do it for you.

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The Shepherds

MyManna — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 22:00:44 +0000

Who did God announce the birth of His Son to? A group of unknown shepherds! There is only one announcement of Christ’s birth recorded in the Scriptures. And that one invitation goes to a group of shepherds.
They were the last people you’d expect God to take notice of. Why?
First of all, they were religious outcasts.
Their line of work prevented them from participating in the feasts and holy days that made up the Jewish religious calendar. Well, somebody had to watch the sheep. They weren’t able to participate fully in the religious life of the community.
Since they were constantly on the move to find new pasture for their flocks, they were looked on with suspicion. They were often accused of being thieves.
And on top of all that, they really didn’t have much contact with other people. Most of the time, they were living out in the fields.
Being a shepherd was lonely, wearisome, usually very boring and tedious, and sometimes extremely dangerous.
Imagine you’re God and you want to announce the most amazing, incredible, joyous news ever; an event which will literally change the course of history – the birth of your only Son, Jesus Christ. The birth of the One who will be the Savior of the whole world.
Who do you announce it to? Who do you invite to come and see?
When a child is born to a member of British royalty; for instance, when Princess Diana’s sons Harry and William were born, they didn’t send a messenger down to the docks to break the news first to the harbour workers and the fishmongers. If any announcements or invitations were sent out, they were first delivered to political leaders and foreign heads of state.
The point is that you would expect an event like the birth of Christ to be announced to the most important people in the nation – kings, governors, magistrates, even Caesar – might be invited to come and pay homage to the future ruler.
Why did God send His angels to announce the birth of Christ to these shepherds, to invite them, and them only, to come and see the child?
God wanted to show that His love does not discriminate on the basis of class, or wealth, or social standing. He does not respect kings and princes more than hourly laborers, he does not value priests and pastors above the people in the pews. God does not show favoritism; He does not give preferential treatment to one group of people over another. His love is available to all on the same basis – faith in Jesus Christ, and faith alone.
So, what does all this mean to me? Well, if you identify with the shepherds, it should be very encouraging.
You think that if God is even aware you exist, He probably doesn’t have a very favorable opinion of you.
I have good news for you. The best news possible. God loves you. Just like He loved those shepherds. And you are special to Him. Just like those shepherds were special to Him, so special that He gave them the incredible privilege of being the first to hear of Christ’s birth, being the first people other than Joseph and Mary to lay eyes on the Son of God, being the first to tell others about Christ. He didn’t give those privileges to the Roman Caesar or to the Jewish high priest, he gave it to the shepherds. Not in spite of who they were, but because of who they were – humble, ordinary people with no high opinions of themselves. Simple people who were willing to simply believe what God told them and to simply do what God commanded them.
Would you just simply trust in Jesus as your Saviour and do what God commands?

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That is the Gift He extends!

MyManna — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 22:00:06 +0000

“Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:7.
As we look at our world today-
– we realize that part of the promise of Isaiah 9:6–7 has not yet been fulfilled.
The Child has been born.
The Son has been given.
But-
He has not yet taken the government upon His shoulders.
We do not yet have peace with judgment and justice.
But the good news is that there will come a day when Christ will return.
He will establish His kingdom on this earth.
And it will be the righteous rule of God himself.
Before Jesus could take the government upon His shoulder-
He had to take the cross upon His shoulder.
Before He could wear the crown of glory as King of Kings-
He had to wear the shameful crown of thorns and give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
The first time, a star marked His arrival.
But the next time He comes, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, all of the stars will fall from the sky, and He himself will light it.
Christ came to this earth.
God came near to you so you can come near to Him-
– to give your life purpose and meaning,
– to forgive you of your sins, and
– to give you the hope of heaven beyond the grave.
Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or presents.
Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree.
Rather-
Christmas is about the gift that was given on the tree-
-when Christ died there for our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life.
That is the Gift He extends!
That is what Christmas is all about.

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Undeserved Gift

MyManna — Sun, 18 Dec 2016 22:00:05 +0000

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
Who is on your gift list this Christmas?
Usually, we give gifts to family and friends.
We want to buy gifts for people we love and people we care about.
We tend to give gifts to those who treat us well, people who are kind and considerate to us.
And often we will give gifts in return for gifts that we have received.
Some of us will even buy gifts for our pets.
However, we generally don’t buy gifts for our enemies, do we?
We don’t give a gift to the person who has slandered us in the past year.
We don’t give a gift to the irate neighbour who never has a kind word to say.
We don’t give a gift to someone who has tried to run us out of business.
Nor do we send a gift to the thief who stole the car stereo last month.
But think about this!
When God sent Jesus Christ, His Son, and gave us this ultimate gift-
He gave it to us while we were still His enemies.
The Bible tells us:
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
We did nothing whatsoever to merit or deserve this gift.
In fact, what we really deserve is judgment, because we all have sinned against God.
We all have deliberately crossed that line.
The amazing truth of Christmas is that-
– in spite of our sins,
God sent His Son to save us.
In that tiny manger in Bethlehem-
He gave us an undeserved gift!

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Noel

MyManna — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 22:00:16 +0000

This story comes from a Christian school teacher.
Having rehearsed, she felt brave enough to take the students for caroling.
They went to a number of places where the people were homebound.
After each place, the children talked about how the older folks had smiled as they sang.
The children had never seen such smiles.
The wandering concert ended up in the community’s only nursing home.
There, the teacher, with her charges in tow, wandered the hallways giving a song at the doorway of each resident.
Only then did she notice that one of her more enthusiastic singers had rewritten the words to one of the songs.
Where he was supposed to be singing-
“Noel, Noel” (Noel, meaning Christmas or Christmastide),
– he was belting out, for all to hear:
“No hell, no hell, born is the King of Israel.”
I like the boy’s interpretation.
“No hell” certainly explains the purpose of Christ’s coming, doesn’t it?
Because God’s Son came into this world-
– all who believe on Him no longer have to fear sin, death, the devil, or hell.
Because of Jesus-
– all who believe in Him as Saviour know they need not fear hell.
The job is done; our redemption is complete.
Believers have God’s Good News of great joy that the angels first announced to the Bethlehem shepherds.
Christians have a Saviour-
Christ the Lord!
It is regretful that so many people seem to question-
– the reality, the completeness, and the truth of Jesus atonement.
If you are among those who are looking-
– let me assure you that Jesus’ work is real, total, and effective.
Like the little boy-
– you can believe that because of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection, there is, for you, no hell.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned…” (John 3:16-18).

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Christ at Christmas

MyManna — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 22:00:43 +0000

“…whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13.
Despite man’s efforts to eliminate Christ-
– out of Christmas…
– out of everyday life…
– out of government…
– out of schools…
– out of the marketplace…
He just won’t go away!
Despite our efforts to keep Him out-
God intrudes!
The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities:
– a virgin’s womb
– and an empty tomb.
Jesus-
– entered our world through a door marked ‘No Entrance’
– and left through a door marked ‘No Exit.’
That first Christmas-
– there was no room for Him in the inn.
The world never wants to make room for Christ at Christmas and in everyday life.
Man killed Him and sealed the tomb with a huge stone to shut Him out of our lives once and for all.
But God removed the stone to prove that-
Jesus will not be shut up or shut out of His plans.
One day Jesus will intrude on history again.
The way to be ready is to invite Him into your life today.
Will you-
– shut Him out
– or let Him in?

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