Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Hillsong singing a contemporary arrangement of the classic Advent carol … Joy to the World … joyously singing of the coming of our Savior … our eternal King, Jesus!
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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 2:10-11 [NKJV] …
10 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. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
… God’s messenger angels proclaim the coming of Messiah to the Bethlehem shepherds.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 2:8-14 … USE THIS LINK …
… And the Angels proclaim to the shepherds near Bethlehem of the joy which has come to the world in that Babe born in a manger near them.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … John 3:16-17 …
16 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. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
… Jesus explains the joyful good news of God’s love and His coming to save mankind.
Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Philippians 2:5-11 … USE THIS LINK … … And Paul writes of the humbling of our King, Who came to live/die for mankind.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David McCasland, used a contemporary story to represent the eternal joy we have when we celebrate the coming of our King Jesus, Who came to save us from our sin. The ODB author writes: On the final day of a Christian publishing conference in Singapore, 280 participants from 50 countries gathered in the outdoor plaza of a hotel for a group photo. From the second-floor balcony, the photographer took many shots from different angles before finally saying, “We’re through.” A voice from the crowd shouted with relief, “Well, joy to the world!” Immediately, someone replied by singing, “The Lord is come.” Others began to join in. Soon the entire group was singing the familiar carol in beautiful harmony. It was a moving display of unity and joy that I will never forget.
This morning my wife and I will be with our family to share the joy of Christmas; but our family love and celebration will only be a brief remnant of the joy which those chosen and lowly shepherds must’ve felt when God’s Messenger Angels came to them to proclaim the coming of God’s greatest gift to mankind … that Babe, … being born in Bethlehem as the fulfillment of God’s plan to save mankind from our sin.
When you take in the linked song and the Scriptures provided above, meditate on the incredible joy in knowing that God, Himself, came to us as a Babe, grew and walked among man, and then died and was raised again to give us a way to eternal life with Him. So, let’s celebrate the joy of the Advent Season!! … JOY, JOY, JOY!!!
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, our joy is always and forever in You and Your gift to mankind. Glory, Glory, Glory! … ALLELUIA!!! ... Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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