Christmas devotional

The Light of Christmas

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:4-5 ESV

Often our Christmas celebrations end on Christmas Eve. We’ve remembered the stable, the star, the wise men shepherds and Mary. But Christmas morning after the presents are opened and the Christmas dinner is over, everyone starts to watch football, makes a few phone calls or even just takes a nap. The same happened in Bethlehem. The very next day the shepherds went back to their sheep, the angels disappeared; Joseph probably got a room at the inn and life pretty much got back to normal – or did it?

The Bible tells us that in Jesus was life and that life was the light of men. Did you ever stop and wonder when that tiny baby begin to shine God’s light? Could it have happened as Mary comforted his cries as they fled from Herod’s soldiers? Could it have begun in Egypt where they lived as immigrants and fugitives? Maybe it began at the temple where He was asking the elders questions or at the river where John baptized him. The Bible isn’t specific about all the details, but it tells us that in some miraculous way God’s light was shining in Jesus through every big day and small and that all through the ages the darkness has never put it out…

Merry Christmas and God Bless you. May His light shine in your heart today!

Christmas Eve – 12th Gift – Love

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

12th Gift of Christmas – The Love of God

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

We often think of the baby in the manger as the giving of God’s ultimate gift. But looking more deeply into the story we see that yes it was at Bethlehem that God’s gift came, but it was not until the cross that His gift was given. God’s gift of love became ours as the blood poured from the wound in Jesus’ side. Why not make Christmas the start of a new life’s journey that will last forever? He has given you these twelve gifts and so much more. Christmas is the perfect time to give your life to Him!

Here is my poem for you as my gift and the Mullett girls singing on a fresh new video about the Glorious Night Jesus was born! Merry Christmas all!

 12 Gifts of Christmas

 The gift of being a neighbor
 Do I know my neighbor’s name?
 The gift of Kindness
 That puts prejudice to shame
 The gift of Prayer
 That calls help down from God
 The gift of Faith
 That believes when times are hard
 The gift of Hope
 That sees our Lord in all
 The gift of Joy
 That helps us when we fall
 The gift of Grace
 That washes away sin
 The gift of Rest
 That spends sweet time with Him
 The Living gift of Water
 That fills our thirty souls
 The gift of Mercy
 That answers law’s demands
 The gift of a Star
 That guides us through strange lands
 The gift of Love
 The greatest one of all
 And Jesus - gift of gifts In a manger low and small! 

12 Gifts of Christmas by Peter Caligiuri
Copyright 2017 All rights reserved

11th Gift of Christmas – His Star

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy Matthew 2:10

Recently the news has been filled with stories of the 2020 “Christmas Star”; which is the almost perfect conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn happening for the first time in 400 years. We have no idea if this was what God used to guide the wise men but we do know that the star they saw led them to Bethlehem. Their journey was long; in danger of thieves attacking their small camel train and complicated by uncertainty after they stopped in for visit with King Herod. Big city lights can obscure our view of the stars and maybe that is what happened while they were in Jerusalem. It seems they lost sight of it there for a while, but the good news is that after they left the king, the Bible tells us that:

They went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. Matthew 2:9

Maybe they paused just over the horizon from Bethlehem, and gave thanks for God’s guidance all through their long journey. As our own journey to Christmas draws near its end we also need to take time to remember how on our darkest nights God sent His star for us as well. He sent His star to help us know the Savior was born. He sent His star to guide our path to Him. He sent His star to light our way. He sent His star to come and stand over the place where Jesus is so we can present our gifts to Him and worship. Thank God for this amazing gift that leads us to Jesus Christ. Thank God for His bright and morning star!

Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com