Sunday Writing by Jan Andersen... Christmas Day 12/25/16

Good morning and Merry Christmas!

The devotion for today was written by Jan Andersen, titled "CHRIST'S STORY BEGINNING TO END" and recounts the story of Jesus Christ from the very beginning.  It is a collection of many of the scriptures that foretold the Christ Story and continues through to the end times.  You can read these aloud today, sharing them with others, celebrating the birth of Jesus.  Do you think you know the Christmas story well?  Just for fun you might want to take the quiz at the following link first and see how well you do!
http://www.challies.com/resources/a-christmas-quiz-how-well-do-you-know-the-nativity-story?utm_source=ThomRainer.com&utm_campaign=faa4a797e3-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_TEDS&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10c78481d1-faa4a797e3-81479249

May you have a blessed Christmas celebrating the birthday of Christ!
God Bless,
Corinne and Jan

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Today's Devotional

"CHRIST'S STORY BEGINNING TO END"

by

Jan Andersen

Directly from God's Word, the story of Christ from the time the world began...

In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [Jesus] was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 NIV

The LORD God said to the serpent [Satan], “Because you have [deceived Adam and Eve], “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He [Jesus] will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 NIV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin [Mary] will conceive and give birth to a son [Jesus], and will call him Immanuel ["God with us"].Isaiah 7:14 NIV

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder.  And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6 KJV

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 NIV

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child [John, the Baptist] in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38 NIV

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  Matthew 1:18-24 NIV

And in those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken... And everyone went to their own town to register.  So Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.  And there were shepherd living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Luke 2:1, 2-12 NIV

The Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. John 1:14-18 NIV

And finally, the very last verse and a half at the very end of the Bible offered up as my prayer, after God has promised to return:

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people.  Amen.  (Rev. 22:20-21 NIV)

Merry Christmas to all - may your life abound with blessings.  

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(acapella singing is beautiful)

Pentatonix:
"Mary Did You Know?"

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Prayers are lifted up daily for 

you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff

of Women's Focus Ministries.

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