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Experience Christmas

Impassioned Life

December 31, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading God . . . has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, . . . through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. HEBREWS 1:1–4 ####Impassioned Life The life that Jesus gives is not dull or common. It is vibrant and impassioned. That life should be lived with a passionate, emotional, blazing love for the Lord Jesus Christ. His name towers above all others. H. G. Wells once listed the ten greatest men of history; Jesus Christ was number one on the list. Yet He has no business in a list like that. He is more than a man. We may speak of Charlemagne the Great, Peter the Great, or Alexander the Great. But Jesus is the One and Only. There is no one like Jesus Christ. It is the uniqueness of Jesus that sets the Christ of Christmas apart from all others. Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed were all leaders, but one can follow their religion without knowing them personally. This is not so with Christ. To take Christ from Christianity would be like taking water from a well, notes from music, and numbers from mathematics. The key phrase in the book of Hebrews uses the word better. It is used thirteen times. God is saying that we can come to know Jesus better, but we can never find anything better than knowing Jesus. He is indeed the superlative Savior. Let’s think about His name. There is wisdom in that name. This is the earthshaking declaration: that God Who has spoken through nature, conscience, history, law, and the prophets said His last word to humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ. God is love, and love cannot be silent. Jesus stood in the wings of history waiting for His time. He cast a long shadow throughout the Old Testament. All of the books of the Old Testament, like tributaries in a mighty river, merge into the last word of God to man—Jesus. There is wonder in that name. Jesus is the wonderful reason of creation. “He made the worlds.” The Baby in Matthew 1 was the Creator of Genesis 1. It is all by Him, for Him, and it is coming to Him. Jesus is the wonderful regent of creation, “upholding all things by the word of His power.” To uphold means to bear a load. Jesus is the glue of the galaxies. Without Him, the cosmos would become a chaos. Jesus is the wonderful redeemer of creation. “He had by Himself purged our sins.” We will be saved by Him alone, or we will not be saved at all. There is no other Savior. There is worship in that name. Jesus deserves our impassioned worship because of His superior name. “He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name” than even the angels. We know the names of some of the angels. Michael means “who is like God.” Gabriel means “man of God.” These angels were, and are, mighty and glorious, but Jesus has a more excellent name than they. He is not a messenger of God like Gabriel, but the Word of God Himself. We worship Him because He is God. He is God upon the throne. Some tell us that we need to “make Him Lord.” We are too late for that. He already is Lord. A billion years from now He will still be God upon the throne. All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name! ####Activity Let the family members think of as many names for Jesus as they can. Is one of Jesus’ names especially precious to you? Perhaps you would want to write this in a beautiful way on a card and keep it somewhere to remind you of Who Jesus is. Talk about His wonderful names and what they mean to us. Remember that Jesus’ name Immanuel means “God with Us”—not just at Christmastime but every day of the year! Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

Expectant Life

December 30, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just 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. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus . . . 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.” LUKE 2:25–30 ####Expectant Life Birthdays are a time of celebration. Yet if it were not for the birthday of our King, what would every other birthday mean? It could only mean that we are one year nearer death and judgment. Because of Christmas, we can live the abundant life of anticipation and expectation. Today’s Scripture tells of Simeon, a name that means “listening one.” Simeon was anticipating the first coming of Jesus. The Christ of Christmas is coming again. As Simeon prepared for His first coming, we should prepare for His glorious Second Coming. Many devout men of God believe that Christ again is at the door. Joseph and Mary brought the baby Jesus to the temple. Simeon took that little baby in his arms, held Him close to his heart, and I imagine him declaring, “Now I am ready to die. I am completely satisfied. My heart is at rest.” Simeon proclaimed some things about Jesus that need to be proclaimed clearly today. He is the Christ of deliverance. “My eyes have seen Your salvation” (Luke 2:30). No one really is ready for Christmas, much less His Second Coming, unless they have received this glorious salvation. He is the Christ of delight. He is “a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32). There is now no need to stumble in darkness when we can walk in the glorious light of Christmas. He is the Christ of derision. Christ is “a sign which will be spoken against” (Luke 2:34). Not all will love Jesus. He is called mad, devil possessed, a winebibber and glutton, a blasphemer. If the gospel is not spoken against, it is not the Bible gospel that is being presented. He is the Christ of division. “A sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:35). Jesus sends a sword that divides. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). He brings a new nature that conflicts with our old nature. He is the Christ of destiny. “This child is destined for the fall and rising of many” (Luke 2:34). Jesus is a stone of stumbling or a sure foundation upon which we build. In the Christ Who came, we are ready for the Christ Who is coming again. We have expectant life. ####Activity Let family members tell the dates of their personal birthdays, and then testify of their spiritual birthday. Make a birthday cake or cupcakes and let the children light a candle and sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

Ennobled Life

December 29, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. LUKE 2:7 ####Ennobled Life With Christmas past, many are trying to recover from days of rush, frustration, indigestion, and industrial-strength irritation. Jesus seems to be forgotten and left standing behind the door. No wonder a little girl was heard to pray, “Forgive us our Christmases.” If the world has little room for Jesus even on Christmas, what about the rest of the year? That incident in Bethlehem foreshadowed the lifetime rejection that heaven’s King would receive. Not only was He born in a stable, but He was crucified outside the city walls between two thieves and buried in a borrowed tomb. Indeed, He was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3). What caused this blunder at Bethlehem so long ago? Could it have been ignorance? With a more receptive heart, the innkeeper might have known. Mary and Joseph knew. The shepherds and the wise men knew. God reveals Himself to those who really want to know. Could it have been indifference? Mary was “great with child.” Couldn’t the innkeeper have given his own room to her? Could it have been involvement? Maybe the innkeeper was just too busy making money. The inn was filled with guests, and his pockets were filled with money. The spirit of King Midas may have caused him to miss heaven’s King. I wonder if it might have been different if Mary and Joseph had held up a purse of gold! Ignorance, indifference, involvement—these are still the Christmas killers. Yet the Christ of Christmas brings ennobling life to those who still seek Him. If you want to find Him, don’t ask the crowd where He is. You will find Him where you will always find Him—despised and rejected of men. He will be on the outside of the stable, not on the inside with the crowd. “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come” (Hebrews 13:12–14). When you find Him, you will discover the enduring glory of Christmas. His presence will transform the barn into a palace, and the manger will become a throne. ####Activity Find today’s news stories and divide them among family members and see how the Christmas season has room for everything but Jesus. Let the family members consider what it means to bear His shame and share His glory. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org. • Streaming Christmas music • Planning calendar & activities • A resource for each day to dive deeper into the topic • A video Christmas card • Easy access to purchase the book, A Family Christmas Treasury

Empowered Life

December 28, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading I . . . do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, . . . that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, . . . EPHESIANS 1:15–19 ####Empowered Life The power locked up in an atomic particle waiting to be released through nuclear fission is incredible. When the atom is split, it releases power in a ratio of one to six million. This power is insignificant, however, when compared to the power wrapped up in a seemingly helpless baby lying on the straw in a cattle barn. Jesus came to earth that first Christmas to cause a release of spiritual energy that would shake universes. Paul wanted the saints at Ephesus to open their spiritual eyes to this power that was inherently theirs through the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Savior. The abundant life that Jesus offers brings with it abundant power. God made the first Adam and gave to him incredible power and authority (Genesis 1:26). Adam was to have dominion over all the earth. He was to be king of the earth. The tragedy is that the first Adam “blew it.” He gave his power and authority over to Satan. No doubt about it—Satan was a con artist who deceived Adam. Nonetheless, faithless and disobedient Adam yielded his authority to Satan and became Satan’s slave. The authority that God had graciously given to the human race was now legally lost. Here is the reason God was born a man at Christmas. Dominion was graciously given, and then legally lost. Now it must be righteously regained. The authority was given at first to a man. It was lost by a man. It had to be regained by a Man. Jesus became a man and took flesh and blood so “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14). Satan is now a defeated foe. God did not defeat him as God but rather defeated him as Holy Man. That Man is the Christ of Christmas. Dominion was legally lost by a man; it has been righteously regained by the God Man. Now through the miracle of abundant life that same incredible power that Jesus displayed when He arose triumphant from the grave has been graciously given to a new race of creatures—the twice born. ####Activity Discuss demonstrations of earthly power that you have seen or know about. Then search the news sources and stories for illustrations of satanic power. Next, rejoice in the abundant power we have that overcomes Satan because of the birth of Bethlehem’s Babe. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

Enriched Life

December 27, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. JOHN 10:10 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 CORINTHIANS 8:9 ####Enriched Life Jesus came that we might have abundant life. There is a vast difference between mere existence and abundant life. Every soul made in the image of God will exist forever. The human personality could no more cease to exist than God Himself could cease to exist. There was a time when you did not exist. There never will be a time, however, when you will cease to be. The human personality will go on—endless, timeless, dateless through all eternity. While we have existence with our first (physical) birth, we have abundant life through our second (spiritual) birth. It is this abundant life that we all desperately need. There are some who think they want to live forever who do not even know what to do on a rainy afternoon. Jesus came not necessarily to add years to our lives, but to add life to our years. Some college students were asked to define life for the school paper. Here are some definitions that won honorable mention: “Life is a jail sentence that we get for the crime of being born.” “Life is a disease for which the only cure is death.” “Life is a joke that isn’t even funny.” These young people were privileged enough to be in college, and supposedly they have fine minds. Nonetheless, they have gotten it backward. The Scripture teaches that Jesus Christ became poor that we might become rich. Our dear Savior left the splendors of heaven and was born into deep poverty. Heaven’s King was born in a barn—a Monarch in a manger. When He came into Jerusalem in what is known as His triumphant entry, He came riding on a borrowed donkey; and when He was buried, He was laid away in a borrowed tomb. Yet it is through His poverty that we have this abundant life. Christmas means a life abundantly rich. We are not talking about the gospel of cash and Cadillacs with the key to Fort Knox. We are talking about true riches. We are sons and daughters of God. We are kings and priests unto God. We possess all things that pertain to life and godliness. To understand how rich Christmas has made you, add up everything you have in Christ that money cannot buy and death cannot take away. ####Activity Ask the members of your family to take inventory of their true riches and to give thanks for all that God has provided. Make a list of the riches that you have in Christ—things that money cannot buy. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

Eternal Life

December 26, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. ISAIAH 7:14 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. JOHN 3:16 ####Eternal Life Jesus did not come into this world at Christmastime to make us nice people. He came to make us new creatures. He was born of a virgin so that we might be born again. He became the Son of Man so that we might become the sons and daughters of God. Our Lord came to earth in order for us to go to heaven. The Savior laid down His life to give us eternal life. The birth of Jesus is a foundation stone of this world’s redemption. It is not incidental but fundamental to our faith. Without the virgin birth, our faith would collapse like the proverbial house built on the sand. We must remember that God cannot merely overlook our sin and call it mercy. If He did so, He would cease to be a holy God. God’s holiness demands that all sin must be punished. If a judge knowingly acquits a guilty man, the judge himself is condemned. God’s holiness demands that there must be a full payment for sin. This full payment was made by the substitutionary death of the virgin-born Son of God. He had to be a man in order to die for our sins, but He had to be sinless in order to pay the sin debt. By means of both the cradle and the cross, God is now just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus. Remember: He came as He did—virgin born— To be what He was—the God man. He was what He was, to do what He did—die as a substitute. He did what He did, to change what we were—lost sinners. He changed what we were, to make us what we are—new creatures. ####Activity Let family members share their own salvation experience. Pray for others in your immediate and extended family who do not have a clear testimony of having received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

O Come, Let Us Adore Him, Christ, the Lord

December 25, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. PSALM 95:6 . . . where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. MATTHEW 2:2 O Come, Let Us Adore Him, Christ, the Lord The long-awaited day is here. For weeks we have all been preparing for this great day of celebration. The Christmas programs are over. The cookies are baked. The tree is trimmed. The shopping is done. And the gifts are ready, just waiting to be given—and gotten. I am sure that in the last few days you checked your Christmas list many times so that you didn’t miss anyone. Double checked it to make sure you had bought each and every present for those on your list. And now it is over. If you missed someone or were not able to get that one special gift, now it’s too late. So tell me, did you get anything for Jesus this year? Was He on your Christmas list? You know it is His birthday we are celebrating. What could we give Him? We all seem to struggle with this at Christmas and end up overlooking Jesus on the very day we celebrate His coming. We get busy at church or in the kitchen or under the tree, and we fail to consider our Lord and Savior. We don’t mean to or choose to or want to. But we get so busy with the celebration itself that we sometimes forget whom we are celebrating. This year, what can we give Jesus? What would He want? A Gift for Him: Read Matthew 2:1–12 This wonderful account recorded by Matthew helps us understand exactly what Jesus wants for Christmas. What is it that the wise men gave Him? Many would say frankincense, myrrh, and gold. But look carefully. Why is it they came? That’s right. It was to worship the King of the Jews. That’s what our Lord wants from us this Christmas—our worship. The Magi traveled all those miles to see, not a child, but a King. And their response was to worship Him. They understood the truth of the Christmas hymn, “Though an infant now we view him, / he will share his Father’s throne, / gather all the nations to him; / every knee shall then bow down. / Come and worship, come and worship, / worship Christ, the newborn King.” This Christmas, our great Lord and Savior wants our worship— that’s all. Just like the wise men knelt before Him so long ago, we need to come today and bow before Him. The three gifts the Magi brought help us understand exactly Who it is we worship this Christmas. We Worship the Son of God: Read John 1:1–3 The little child the Magi worshiped, and the Jesus we worship today, is not just another man who walked on this earth two thousand years ago. He is the incarnate Son of God, the One Who created us and everything we see and smell and touch. He is very God of very God. The Magi’s gift of frankincense to the young child Jesus pointed to Him as the Son of God. This costly, fragrant perfume was used only on the most special of occasions and for worship. Throughout Scripture, the burning of incense represents the offering up of prayers and praise to Almighty God. So the Magi’s gift demonstrated that Jesus was worthy of worship because of Who He was—the Son of God. Today we must stop and reflect on all that means to us. Because of the marvelous truth that “. . . in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9), those who know Him as Lord and Savior have a sure salvation, power over sin, a glorious message, and much, much more. I believe Michael Card said it well when he wrote these lyrics, “Immanuel, our God is with us. And if God is with us who can stand against us? Our God is with us, Immanuel.” This is the One we worship today—Jesus, Immanuel, the Son of God. We Worship the Son of Man: Read Isaiah 53:4–5 It is true that when the Magi came to Bethlehem, they bowed before the very Son of God. But just as true is that they came and bowed before a child who would one day become a man. And this Jesus, the Son of Man, was beaten and punished, suffered, and eventually died on the cross for our sins. The gift of myrrh brought by the Magi to the young Jesus demonstrated His humanity. Myrrh is a bitter spice used in Jesus’ day to prepare a body for burial. Their gift of myrrh looked forward to the day the Son of Man would suffer and die as a man for your sins and mine. On this Christmas Day, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus as a baby, we must never forget what He suffered as the Son of Man on our behalf, the pain and sorrow He went through to provide for us so great a salvation. If it were not for the Son of Man, we would never know salvation, because “. . . without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). So today let us worship Him as the Son of Man Who purchased our redemption through His suffering and death. We Worship the King of Kings: Read Philippians 2:5–11 There is no doubt that the baby whose birth we celebrate was no ordinary child. He came as the Son of God and Son of Man, but there is more. The words from “What Child Is This?” say it so well. So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh; / come peasant, king to own him. / The King of kings salvation brings; / let loving hearts enthrone him.” He is the King of kings. It is clear that when the Magi came to Jerusalem, they were seeking a king. Their gift of gold, the most precious of metals, indicated that they understood the one they would find was royalty. But what they may not have realized is that the child king they bowed before was none other than the King of all kings. This Christmas as we celebrate Jesus’ virgin birth, His sinless life, His sacrificial death, and His triumphant resurrection, may we keep in mind that one day He will return as King of kings. On that day “. . . every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those in earth, and of those under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). And we will reign with Him forevermore. This year, let us remember to give Jesus a very special gift. Let us worship before Him today as the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the King of kings. It is the only thing He wants. And it is a gift He richly deserves! ####Activity Have everyone in the family make a list of at least five things they have because Jesus came to earth, died for our sins, rose again, and reigns in heaven. Then gather around the Christmas tree and sing “He Is Lord!” Conclude this time by thanking God for what He has done for you through Jesus Christ. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

Simplifying Service

December 24, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. PHILIPPIANS 2:9–11 ####Simplifying Service Confessing the Lordship of Christ also simplifies our service. We hear a lot these days about cutting back, trimming our schedules, and simplifying our lives. If you want to simplify your life, just ask the two questions Paul asked on the road to Damascus when he met Jesus: “Who are You, Lord?” (Acts 9:5) and “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (v. 6). Consider also the advice that Mary herself gave to the servants at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. When the wine gave out, Mary said to the servants concerning her son Jesus, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5). Can you see how following Jesus simplifies your service? You simply say, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then do whatever He tells you. A young preacher was called to a church known for its divisions. One of the women in the church came to him and said, “You’re going to have a very difficult job here, trying to please several hundred of us.” The preacher said, “I shall not be trying to please several hundred of you. I shall be trying to please one Person only. If I please my Lord, that ought to be good enough for you.” That young preacher gave a wise answer. It doesn’t matter whom we displease so long as we please the Lord. And if we displease the Lord, it doesn’t matter how many others we please. Philippians 2:9–11 reminds us that someday every knee shall bow before Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord. For many, however, it will be too late. This Christmas, we need to go boldly to those who have not yet bowed their knee to Jesus and tell them the greatest news anyone could ever hear: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). ####Activity I have already encouraged your family to make a list of people who need to know Christ and to pray for opportunities to witness to them. Review your list together today. Has God been answering prayer? If so praise Him! Are there still people who need your witness? Keep praying! Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

Saving Sinners

December 23, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ACTS 16:31 ####Saving Sinners Confessing the Christ of Christmas as Lord also saves sinners. Acts 16:31 is one of the most powerful and crystal-clear verses in all the New Testament. The jailer at Philippi didn’t want a theological treatise. He was trembling. It was the middle of the night. His life was on the line. All he wanted to know was how to be saved. Paul cut through all the jargon to give him the essence of the gospel. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” We can’t all be preachers like Paul, but we can all be reachers. We can all be testifiers. As we are rubbing elbows with so many people this Christmas season, wouldn’t it be wonderful if every believer would share the “good tidings of great joy” with at least one other person? When believers are bold in their witness for Christ, history can be changed. The apostle Paul is the best example of that. He not only shook things up in Philippi, but he and his fellow servants also turned the whole Roman world on its head. Do you remember the revolution in the country of Romania when the Iron Curtain of communism fell? As the truth came out, we learned that what happened in Romania was not really a political revolution. It was a spiritual revival. It started with a pastor who had been told he couldn’t freely preach the message of Jesus. One day this pastor got on his knees, and God told him to be bold. He called a few other believers around him, and they agreed that whether they lived or died, they were going to stand for God. The Communist soldiers came to this pastor’s house to arrest him. But he stood there, unflinching, and his church members came and stood between the soldiers and their pastor. Then more and more people came, until there were thousands shouting, “There is a God! There is a God!” And a brutal Communist regime eventually fell. Let’s not be intimidated into silence! Let’s be bold in making the glad Christmas confession, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” ####Activity Go through the Christmas cards you have received this year. Select any that are from friends or loved ones who don’t know Christ as Savior. Put these cards on the kitchen table, and begin praying for one or two of these people at each meal. Write them an encouraging letter letting them know that you are praying for them. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

Silencing Satan and Strengthening Saints

December 22, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. REVELATION 12:11 ####Silencing Satan and Strengthening Saints Confessing Christ not only seals salvation, as we saw yesterday, but it also silences Satan. How Satan hopes that you and I will not learn to believe and confess that Christ is Lord. In Revelation 12:11, John writes that one way the saints overcame Satan was “by the word of their testimony.” What is this testimony? “Jesus is Lord.” Satan is not afraid of you and me, but he is terrified by our testimony! Satan is conquered by confession. When you take the name of Jesus Christ and boldly fling it in the face of Satan, he cowers. I have seen firsthand the power of the name of Jesus and the power of the confession that Jesus is Lord. This is why Satan tried to destroy the infant Jesus through the evil King Herod. The devil knew full well Who that Baby in Bethlehem was. Satan tried to kill Jesus because he knew that the manger of Bethlehem held his defeat. Confessing Jesus as Lord not only seals salvation and silences Satan, it also strengthens saints. Do you want to be a strong Christian? Begin to confess openly and gladly that Jesus Christ is Lord—that He is your Lord! If you want your faith to be strong, put your faith in your mouth. Begin to articulate it. You’ll find that it will begin to grow. The more you assert something, the stronger its power will become in your own life. Confessing Jesus will increase your love for Him! ####Activity In Acts 10:14, Peter said, “Not so, Lord!” in response to a command from heaven to eat “unclean” animals. Explain to your family that these two statements cannot go together. If Jesus is Lord, we must obey immediately, and we cannot say no to what He commands. Buy a box of Christmas ball ornaments and decorate them with the words “Jesus is Lord” or “Lord.” Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org. • Streaming Christmas music • Planning calendar & activities • A resource for each day to dive deeper into the topic • A video Christmas card • Easy access to purchase the book, A Family Christmas Treasury

Sealing Salvation

December 21, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading . . . that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ROMANS 10:9–10 ####Sealing Salvation I want to take the next four days to show you some of the wonderful things believing and confessing Jesus as Lord will do for you. We might call them Christmas presents that you will never have to exchange or return! The first thing that believing and confessing Christ will do is seal your salvation. That’s what Paul is talking about in Romans 10:9– 10. He writes, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” It’s very clear. If Jesus is not your Lord, He’s not your Savior. Today we hear people say, “You’ve accepted Christ as your Savior. Why not make Him Lord of your life?” But let me say it again. If Jesus Christ is not your Lord, He is not your Savior. Christ is not divided. Dr. Vance Havner used to say that salvation is not a cafeteria line where we order “a little Saviorhood today, but no Lordship, thank you.” The Christmas message is so plain. The word from heaven was clear. The Baby of Bethlehem was, and is, the Lord of the universe. The wise men who came so far to bow before Jesus and present their gifts acknowledged Him as the Sovereign Lord. The angels rejoiced at the glad announcement that the Messiah had been born. Even the thief on the cross who was crucified next to Jesus confessed His Lordship and pleaded for salvation when he cried, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus instantly accepted his confession, telling him, “. . . today you will be with Me in Paradise” (v. 43). The good news of Christmas is that when you call on Jesus and say, “Lord, save me,” He says to you, “Today it is done.” Salvation is by grace through faith, and it is immediate and total. But you must be committed to Jesus’ Lordship if you want His salvation. ####Activity Christ has given us Himself this Christmas. There is a gift we can give Him that He wants very much: our hearts! Have family members write a short poem or song or draw a picture that expresses their desire to give God their hearts this Christmas. Show God's love by calling an out of town friend or family member that you haven't talked to in awhile and wish them a Merry Christmas. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

Confessing Jesus as Lord

December 20, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. ACTS 2:36 ####Confessing Jesus as Lord Have you crowned Jesus as Lord in your personal and family life? Are you gladly, freely, and openly confessing Him as Lord? In Luke 2:10 the angel said that the announcement of Jesus’ birth was “good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” God wants this message known around the world. You see, the Lordship of Jesus is what separates the crowds at Christmas. Anybody can get sentimental about a little baby lying in a manger. Now make no mistake—I thank God for the “sweet little Jesus boy.” The Bible’s emphasis, however, is not on Jesus the infant, but on Jesus the Lord. Many of the same worldly people who stand around the manger this week singing Christmas carols will be drunkenly singing “Auld Lang Syne” in a few days at New Year’s Eve parties. They do not confess Jesus as Lord. In Bible times, to openly and boldly confess “Jesus is Lord” really meant something. For a Jew to say that Jesus was Lord meant that He was Jehovah God, the eternal, self-existing God of the Old Testament. The Jews held God’s name in such reverence that they would not even pronounce it. The scribes copying the Scriptures would pick up a new pen to write the word Lord. For a Jew to confess Jesus as Lord meant paying a price—being excluded from the nation of Israel. But this was the truth that Peter declared to Israel in his great message at Pentecost in Acts 2. He said, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus . . . both Lord and Christ” (v. 36). Gentiles also had to pay a price for that confession, because it was deemed treason against Caesar to confess anyone else as Lord. It cost many early Christians persecution, and oftentimes death, to confess Jesus as Lord and Christ. I wonder at this Christmas season, is Jesus your Lord in this way? Do you see Him as God? Do you confess Him as Lord no matter what the cost may be? Jesus does not want prominence in your life; He deserves and demands preeminence. He is Lord! ####Activity Consider this question as a family: What would you be willing to give up in order to maintain your confession of Jesus as Lord? Fill a stocking and give it away. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

Jesus is Savior and Lord

December 19, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. LUKE 2:11 ####Jesus is Savior and Lord The Lordship of Jesus Christ is of paramount importance to you and your loved ones. No matter where you turn in the New Testament, you are confronted with the indisputable fact that Jesus is Lord. If I had only one statement I could make to the world at this Christmas season, only one sentence I could utter, it would be the confession: “Jesus is Lord.” Look how we are confronted with Jesus’ Lordship at the first Christmas. The angel announced to the shepherds that the One born in Bethlehem was the Savior, “who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). We see two things in this glorious verse. First, we see the Christmas provision. This provision is a Savior. It has been well said that if our greatest need had been information, our Creator would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, we would have been given an economist. But as our greatest needs were salvation and forgiveness, God sent a Savior! That’s the Christmas provision. Notice also the Christmas profession, which is the profession that “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Now I dare say that many people say they believe in Christ’s Lordship. But not everyone who says they believe Jesus is Lord is living in the light of that truth. The question is whether or not we have crowned Him Lord. Is Jesus Lord of all you are, all you have, and all you do? Is He the Lord of your tongue? Is He the Lord of your thoughts? Is He the Lord of your time? Is He the Lord of your temper? Is He the Lord of your treasure? The angel’s declaration on that Christmas night is one we all have to recognize and deal with. The Christ of Christmas is Lord of all creation and Lord of His people! ####Activity Answer this question: If people were to do an in-depth investigation of your family’s Christmas celebration this year, what evidence would they find that you have crowned Jesus as Lord of your home? Do you have any family Christmas traditions that include Jesus? Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

The Lamb in Victory and Majesty

December 18, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading . . . in the midst of the throne . . . stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, . . . Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” REVELATION 5:6, 11–12 ####The Lamb in Victory and Majesty There are two more glimpses of Mary’s little Lamb I want to show you. The first one is the Lamb in victory. In Revelation chapter 5, the apostle John had a glimpse into glory. He saw the throne of God, and then he noticed, in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne, a book sealed with seven seals. This seven-sealed book is the title deed to the earth, the heavens, and the netherworld. It represents the right to rule. John saw that there was no one who could break the seals and open the book, and because of this he began to weep. One of the elders, however, said to him, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals” (v. 5). Now when John looked, he saw not a lion but a lamb (v. 6). The word used here for lamb is a special word, for it literally means “little lamb,” that is, a pet lamb. This is Mary’s little Lamb. What an amazing picture of the glorified Jesus! John also saw a slain Lamb (v. 6), bearing the marks of the nails with which He was crucified. He will bear these marks forever. When we go to heaven, we will see those nail prints in His hands. Jesus is not only a small Lamb and a slain Lamb, He is also a standing Lamb (v. 6). He laid down in death in a grave, but the grave could not hold Him. He stood up in resurrection, and He is standing in heaven today, making intercession for us. This Lamb is also strong. He has “seven horns.” In the Bible, horns are emblematic of power. This Lamb is omnipotent. He is also a searching Lamb, having “seven eyes” that speak of omniscience. And then Jesus is the sovereign Lamb. Verse 7 says that He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. He alone is worthy to open it. This is the Lamb in victory. The second glimpse I want to show you is of the Lamb in majesty (Revelation 5:8-14). The song of the glorious heavenly beings is offered to Mary’s little Lamb. Join me this Christmas season in saying with the heavenly hosts, “Worthy is the Lamb—exclusively, exceedingly, eternally worthy!” ####Activity Spend a few minutes worshiping the Lamb of God. Sing quietly together the final line of the Christmas carol “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” adding these words, “For He alone is worthy, Christ the Lord.” Sing carols together or go caroling. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

A Perfect Lamb

December 17, 2019 • Adrian Rogers

####Today’s Reading Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” LUKE 2:8–10 ####A Perfect Lamb What a wonderful Savior we have in Mary’s Lamb, the Son of God born that first Christmas night! Jesus came as He did, born of a virgin, to be what He was—the sinless Lamb of God. He was what He was, sinless, to do what He did—die for our sins. And He died for our sins so that He, being what He was, might make us what we are not and ought to be— children of God. Remember those Passover lambs being raised in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth? Those were the lambs the shepherds kept watching over when the angel appeared to them announcing the birth of the Savior. Even though we are observing Christmas, the first week of Jesus’ earthly life, I want to “fast forward” to the last week of His life. On Palm Sunday, the Lord Jesus came down the Mount of Olives and ascended to the temple mount. At the very same time, the lambs for the upcoming Passover were brought in through the sheep gate. The priests examined those lambs to make certain they were perfect for sacrifice. At the same time, God’s Lamb was examined by His enemies. No charge whatsoever could be made against Jesus. Even Pilate had to confess, “I find no fault in Him” (John 19:4). Jesus was a perfect Lamb. Jesus went from the temple mount to the Last Supper and then out to dark Gethsemane. By nine o’clock the next morning, He was on His way to the cross. Then at three o’clock that afternoon, as the priests offered the Passover lambs in the temple, Mary’s Lamb was hanging on the cross. Suddenly He cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Our sin debt had been paid in full! Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? ####Activity Use today’s lesson to lead into a discussion of salvation. Prayerfully make sure each member of your family understands what it means to be saved and has made that all-important decision to trust Christ alone. Finish by thanking the Lord for your salvation and for the assurance we can have. Take advantage of the related activities and resources at http://experiencechristmas.org.

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