ECC - Christmas Devotions 2010 Page A

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Romans 8:17 (NIV)

In the fall of 1944, most of Holland had been liberated from the Germans but the province of North Holland was still in the hands of the Germans. My family lived in the town of Andyk (on the dike) in North Holland. It was an especially harsh winter with very cold temperatures. The Germans had confiscated most of the produce that the farmers produced for their own use. In the cities, the times were especially brutal because there was no food. I still have a vivid image of all those people going past our home asking for food. I still see our large table with many strangers sitting around it as my mother, with the help of my sisters, passed out the food to those starving people. And that evening as our family sat around the table, along with some we had taken in, and sang “Glory to God in the Highest”, the adults were discussing why God would allow some to starve.

So my dad would explain the whole story about Christmas. “We are serving a God who on the one hand had to deal with His infinite wrath of our sins and on the other hand gave us the infinite love by sending us His son to suffer and die in our place, taking our sins upon himself and wrapping us in His cloak of righteousness. God wants to reach out to each one of us in love and compassion but because of our sins, we see these terrible consequences that sin produces”. I cannot say that I understood all this as a reason for such suffering for all these people, but I began to see the love of God for me and the Glory and Majesty He manifested for me by sending us His only son to die for me. I began to see that it is not enough to “love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul and mind. The second command like onto it is this – love your neighbor as yourself.” And what was true then is true for us today as we see so many Christians facing such fierce trials, be it in joblessness, physical or mental health problems or persecution. We are running a race and we have to keep the final goal in mind, using all of the strength and faculties God has endowed us with. Anything short of that will mean failure to reach our goals Christ has set for us.. So why do we give glory to God on Christmas? As we remember His birth, we can look to Psalm 32:10 to be encouraged that the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him. So we can sing “Oh, that will be glory for me. Glory for me, glory for me. When by His grace I shall look on His face, that will be glory, be glory for me.” (lyrics from “Oh, That Will Be Glory” by Charles H. Gabriel)

—Francis Lieuwen

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AN AWAITED CHILD

“My times are in your hands . . .” Psalm 31:15a (NIV)

Our theme this year is the Glory of God revealed at Christmas. It seems the Lord has chosen several Christmas seasons to reveal His Glory to our family starting in 1959. Here is one example I’ve chosen to share from 1987.

God's healing power brought about the birth of a very special baby at Christmastime in 1987. That year on December 23rd we celebrated the birth of our first grandson. Our daughter, Terri, had been married for five years and desperately wanted a child. I can still see her holding their little dog in her arms and rocking it like it was her baby. Why was God not answering the cry of her heart? The Bible says that our times are in His hands. God was listening to our prayers. His answer was to wait. He had a special encounter scheduled with Terri. He planned for her to experience the power and faithfulness of her Heavenly father in a dramatic way.

Terri heard a radio announcement of a couple coming to minister in the area and it said that the woman had a gift of ministering to barren women. Charles and Francis Hunter were the speakers. Dean and Terri attended the service. After the message, Terri went forward for prayer. Francis Hunter laid hands on her and began to pray for God to cause her to conceive. The power of God came over Terri so strongly that she fell to the floor and began to laugh in the spirit. She felt a warmth begin in her toes and work its way up her entire body. When she got up, Francis said, "Now I will pray for the delivery of your baby." Within weeks, Terri was pregnant and Adam Paul Burnside was delivered that Christmas. Some of you have seen Adam. In 2009, we shared a video of him proposing to his girlfriend at their Christmas Eve Service.

Our family remains grateful to God for releasing His healing power through His servant, Francis Hunter, and blessing us with Adam. We are also thankful that from his conception, through today, Adam's life continues to glorify God!

—Sherry Smith

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THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)

The music of Christmas can have pleasant effects. The secular music heard in the department stores is here to stay. However, the church cantatas are a different story. Hopefully the music is not only for enjoyment but also as a vehicle of praise to God. In our home, Handel’s Messiah comes through the stereo with all its majesty. Also we have the National Christian Choir coming forth with a variety of Christmas songs. Then there are the church choirs celebrating the season.

One year, I don’t remember which, we were seated at College Hill Presbyterian for the annual Christmas Cantata. After a few words from the Pastor the lights were lowered. Then behind us came the choir on the outer aisles, each holding candles and softly singing an unfamiliar song that was absolutely beautiful. It was “We Have Come to Worship You.” To our amazement both Lorraine and I felt the hair of our arms rise and sensed we were in the presence of God. (This is hard to explain.) It was a holy moment; a time to praise the living God. The words of the song were remarkable. We have come to worship You, Your Spirit to embrace; May Your glory be revealed As Your presence fills this place. Alleluia, Alleluia. (By C. Harry Causey) The convergence of lyrics and experience led us into a new realm of praise, which still bears fruit up to the present Christmas celebration.

The remainder of the Cantata was beautiful but it was the procession that captured our attention. I think it is appropriate that the Glory of God should manifest itself in the celebration of the birth of Jesus. It also displays the power of music.

We look forward to the ECC Christmas Cantata and the praise to our glorious God.

—Maurie Loomans

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THE SKIES PROCLAIM HIS GLORY

“¹The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. ²Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” Psalm 19:1- 2 (NIV)

Have you ever thought about natural creation actually speaking to us? The skies truly do proclaim God’s glory to me, especially when I am back in my native North Dakota with it’s clear skies and unrestricted views across the open prairies. The stars in the night sky, particularly in winter, shine gloriously, clear, twinkling, and brilliantly bright.

They are so numerous that no one could possibly count them, and yet God set each one in its place.

The sunrises and sunsets light up the entire eastern and western skies, filling the whole horizon with the most gorgeous shades of red, pink, rose, and as the sun sinks lower in the evening, lavender and aqua. Then I thank God that he has given me eyes to see the lovely colors He has created. I love the colors and cannot help but give Him glory.

When we take the dogs for a walk I see the snow, pristine and sparkling like diamonds in the winter sun. It crunches underfoot in the cold, crisp air, and I am once again thankful for God’s provision of nice warm clothing for me and a snug house to return to. Even the snow serves God’s purpose. It camouflages the jackrabbits which turn white in wintertime and protects them from predators. The tall dry prairie grasses still in the ditches along the roadsides provide good winter cover, housing and food for the flocks of pheasant and partridge who shelter there year round.

When spring comes the grasses and wild flowers come to life again, with their multiple shades of green and pretty yellows, blues, purples and pinks. Migrating birds return, and their songs call out God’s praise.

I think of resurrection and renewal and ask with the Psalmist, “what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:4(ESV), yet His word assures us that He values us, provides for us and has each of us in His care. “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:9 (ESV)

—Nancy Stauffer

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GIFTS THAT WE CAN'T MATCH

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, . . .” Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)

Christmas time has always been, and always will be, one of my favorite times of year. However, as a kid, a temptation for me is to focus on that shimmery silver jewelry set from my favorite store, the deluxe paint set that I’ve been saving up for (now on sale!), and not on the treasures of heaven. I like to be ambitious, and year-round, I love to make a long list of goals to earn and buy gifts for others. Gifts are great, and earthly things can be used to bless others in many ways, but if we lose our focus on God, we miss something important.

One way to redeem gift giving is to remember in whose honor we give. We give presents in memory of our Savior. Why not start a tradition of giving in your family, where we remember Christ as the greatest gift? After all, Ephesians 2 says that it is God’s gift to us that we are saved. We can give gifts to others who can’t give back, since Christ gave to us when we could not give anything back. Anyone in the family can start this kind of tradition. At our house, we older kids choose an item from the World Vision or Samaritan’s Purse catalog, and then use our carefully saved money to buy it. It is possible that those who receive the gifts of farm equipment or tools may be generous people, but they won’t know who gave my gift, and therefore can’t give back. That's why it’s so special. I think that this helps me to remember to keep my focus on the true meaning of Christmas: to celebrate the One who saved me, who was spiritually impoverished, and is redeeming me and filling me with His Spirit- a gift I could never, ever match.

—Ruthie Claydon

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GOD'S GLORY IN THE GENEALOGY

Matthew 1:1-16.
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
Matthew 1:1 (ESV)

My favorite character in the lineage is Rahab. Rahab lived in Jericho and hid the spies. She had faith in God. She lived on the wall of Jericho and as the wall came tumbling down, her faith kept her and her family safe.

David was a king. When he sinned, he was sorry about it. He even wrote a passage in the Bible about how sorry he was. He was called a man after God’s own heart.

There are also bad kings, like Manasseh, who rebuilt the idols that his dad, Hezekiah, tore down. Uzziah was king for 52 years. He burned incense in the temple instead of asking the priests to do it. It showed that he didn’t respect God.

Josiah was a king at age 8. Everyone worshipped idols until a priest found God’s Word and Josiah had all the idols destroyed. The nation repented and everyone worshipped God alone.

Zerubbabel grew up as a servant, with the Israelites in captivity. He never forgot who he was, because later, he led people back to their promised land and rebuilt it.

There were other guys who were not especially bad or good. God used all of them to create the genealogy of Christ and fulfill prophecy. The genealogy shows the glory of God in the way God used all these people to redeem us. It gives us hope, too.

Angels above us see God’s glory giving us strength to make good choices. They see God’s glory when we sin and repent, because our Prince of Peace is still saving us. God uses us despite ourselves! Like David, we can be a child after God’s own heart, and love Him, even though we mess up. And that is really good to know.

—Laura and Christy Claydon

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THANKS BE TO GOD

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! ” 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)

What brings about the glory of God? How has God’s glory shone into Christmas?

Some characterize me as a “joyful Christian,” but what IS the secret of enduring joy? Isn’t it the quality we so often envy in children at Christmas, the anticipation of surprising grace and abundance? In them we see the wonder that fills the Christmas story, beginning with Gabriel’s announcement to Mary. The Impossible becomes reality, as she opens herself to God’s plan. What trembling risks she took! (Have you done that?) She risked her reputation, marriage and life itself, resting in expectation of God’s faithfulness. What a gift she made a home for ~ the “indescribable gift” of the Savior of the world.

What makes us laugh with pure joy? Isn’t it surprising grace? (Have you experienced that lately?) God delights in surprises and ironic juxtapositions! Think of pillars of protecting glory-fire in the desert leading to freedom, shepherds glory-blinded becoming messengers for a king, stars so unexpected they impelled wise men to follow, and amazing gifts for a newborn King in a cradle.

Sometimes we cynically think God’s gifts a flash-in-the-pan and prepare our hearts for disappointment, curbing our hopes and desires. But Jesus went out of his way to show the extent of the gift embodied in himself. Besides proclaiming good news to the poor (Isaiah 61:1-4), he brought surprising comfort and joy through the healing of untouchable lepers, women and the dead. He compassionately provided two all-you-can-eat feasts for hungry crowds, showing himself to be the God who provides. He gave freedom to those imprisoned in darkness by evil spirits, or shackled by lies of the enemy of souls.

Where does that leave the poor, mourning, captive or lonely today? How is God’s joy and glory available to each of us this Advent and Christmas? The invitation to intimacy he offered all who believe in him is an invitation to a relationship of wonder, enjoyment and meaning, as we introduce others to our best friend.

Have you told anyone about the last time he brought you joy? How have you seen His glory yourself?

Jesus came to bring God’s light into the darkest corners, joy into the saddest hearts, hope into the most despairing lives, and a surprised laugh into the most challenging days. His was the chosen glory of infinity limited by flesh, eternity limited by time, and inexpressible wealth limited by a carpenter’s poverty.

“For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)

May your Advent and Christmas be filled with the Glory and Presence of the One Who loves you most!

Recommended Book: One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp, Zondervan 2011.

—Anne Alexander

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