Christmas devotional

Christmas Communion Service

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 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 1 Corinthians 11:23 ESV

Since our meetings at Watermark are only on the 1st and 3rd weeks each month, this past Sunday was our last service of 2023. What a beautiful time we shared together. If you watch the video, you may notice one of our ladies passing by the camera as she serves communion. Maybe it feels so right to be singing Silent NIght, as we take the bread and the cup, because, in the words we are remembering the birth of Jesus and in the elements, we remember His death. I pray that you also find the peace of our Lord, through the shed blood of Jesus, not only at Christmas time, but even on those moments when you feel betrayed by life. Jesus gave us His example, washed our feet and then laid down His life. At birth, He was laid in the manger, and in death He was laid on the cross. At birth He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and nursed by Mary. In death He was stripped, and while soldiers gambling for His clothing, they gave Him vinegar to drink. These are two silent nights that bring us hope and salvation. The first in Bethlehem, the second at the garden tomb. At Christmas we should remember both of them, as the precious gifts of God’s love that they are, and then fully surrender our hearts and lives to Him.

Why Did God Choose Mary?

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In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 
Luke 1:26-27 ESV

Now it should be no secret, that we Protestants, neither pray to Mary, nor seek her favors. But, in our zeal to be Biblically correct, we sadly simply skip over the life of the mother of Jesus entirely. Just think of all hundreds of thousands of women who were living in Israel. Why did God choose to come to Mary, and what lessons did He intend for us to learn from her?

Grace – And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Luke 1:30

     I can still remember, sitting on the floor around our teacher’s feet in kindergarten, and listening to her read the Christmas story from second chapter of Luke. Our little faces lit up with wonder as we listened to the story of shepherds, angels and a baby born in a manger. But the Bible’s account of Christmas actually began, not in Bethlehem, but in Nazareth. God sent the angel Gabriel to the small village of Nazareth, to tell Mary about His plan, and God chose Mary by His unmerited favor, which is what we call grace.

Impossibility ‘- And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin? Luke 1:34  

      On hearing the angel’s message, Mary, in a respectful manner, immediately points out something she thinks that the angel may have misunderstood. What He was telling her was impossible. I wonder if she blushed! “Mr. Angel, you might not know this but, I am still a virgin!” But God is not bothered by our impossibilities. In fact, He chooses us, not because of our achievements, but because of His plans.

Miracles – And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. Luke 1:35  

      Mary was God’s choice, first by grace, then because she was a virgin and last because she was the perfect person to show the world the miracle of Immanuel, “God with us.” She was the one with whom this was impossible. But our impossibilities are the perfect canvas upon which God may paint His miracles, and there was no greater miracle than God becoming man, living among us and then giving His life on the cross. Yes, Mary was not only the perfect choice, but she is the perfect example for every believer. We are His by grace. Our impossibilities are God’s opportunities, and there is no greater miracle than the life of Jesus being lived out in our hearts, day by day, to show the world our Christ!

Sometimes you just might stop to ask 

What God wants of you 

What kind of an important task 

Has He called you to do 



The Bible makes it very clear

 That God made us unique 

Just like eyes and nose appear 

Quite different from our feet 



We each by God's own loving grace 

Through faith and humble life 

Are given a way in His design

To show the world our Christ!

To Show the World Our Christ
by Peter Caligiuri
copyright 2023
All rights reserved

The Christmas Star

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When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11 KJV

The story of the wisemen did not begin with who they were – it started with a star. The Bible explains that, while they were still far away, they saw a star. Now, we don’t know if God spoke directly to them, or if they learned about it by reading the Hebrew scriptures, but they believed that this star signaled the birth of a miraculous king. Then they made the biggest decision of their lives and left everything behind to follow the star. Where the wise men came from remains a mystery, but who they were going to see is known around the world. In a similar way, some of us come from broken homes with difficult or even dangerous circumstances. Others have been born into families with every need provided and are eager about our future. But whatever circumstances of where we are from doesn’t matter to God. He sends a star so that anyone can follow, if we choose.

Those wise men of long ago, also came with a purpose of which they were not ashamed. “We have come to worship Him.” they told everyone, when they arrived in Bethlehem. They weren’t bothered by the fact that there was no palace for this king. Instead, they humbly offered their gifts, bowed before the King of Kings and worshipped at His feet. Today, though the wise men have returned home, the Christmas star still shines and can lead anyone who will follow it to Bethlehem. There at the manger, Jesus still welcomes both wise men and wise women, who have come to worship Him!