Written By TWFT
Saturday, December 23
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” Lk 1:31 NIV
We have sung the words of this Christmas carol since infancy. But those words actually do not come from Scripture. “Silent Night” was a poem written by an Austrian priest in 1816. The words conjure up a serene picture with the happy couple watching their newborn baby. It’s not likely, however, that there was silence. After an exhausting journey on a donkey, Joseph and a very pregnant Mary didn’t check into the master suite of the Bethlehem Grand Hotel. They begged the use of an animal shelter, complete with the clatter and scents of barnyard animals—anything but silent! Ask any mother about giving birth. Even with the help of modern pain-reducing medicines and sterilized environments, the bravest woman rarely remains silent while giving birth. For Mary, Joseph, and Jesus—this was hardly a silent night! “O Holy night”: Of all the nights in history, this was the most Holy. God set in motion His eternal plan to come to earth as the Redeemer of lost people. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them” (2Co 5:19 NKJV). Jesus came to take on Himself the sins of doomed humanity, so “that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (v. 21 NKJV). It doesn’t get any holier than that! “All is calm, all is bright”: On that holiest of nights, our spiritual and moral darkness was forever dispelled by Jesus, the Light of the World. And our fears as lost sinners were replaced by the peace and joyful assurance that we are His eternally forgiven people.
Saturday, December 23
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” Lk 1:31 NIV
We have sung the words of this Christmas carol since infancy. But those words actually do not come from Scripture. “Silent Night” was a poem written by an Austrian priest in 1816. The words conjure up a serene picture with the happy couple watching their newborn baby. It’s not likely, however, that there was silence. After an exhausting journey on a donkey, Joseph and a very pregnant Mary didn’t check into the master suite of the Bethlehem Grand Hotel. They begged the use of an animal shelter, complete with the clatter and scents of barnyard animals—anything but silent! Ask any mother about giving birth. Even with the help of modern pain-reducing medicines and sterilized environments, the bravest woman rarely remains silent while giving birth. For Mary, Joseph, and Jesus—this was hardly a silent night! “O Holy night”: Of all the nights in history, this was the most Holy. God set in motion His eternal plan to come to earth as the Redeemer of lost people. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them” (2Co 5:19 NKJV). Jesus came to take on Himself the sins of doomed humanity, so “that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (v. 21 NKJV). It doesn’t get any holier than that! “All is calm, all is bright”: On that holiest of nights, our spiritual and moral darkness was forever dispelled by Jesus, the Light of the World. And our fears as lost sinners were replaced by the peace and joyful assurance that we are His eternally forgiven people.
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January
A NEW YEAR, A NEW STARTTHIS YEAR, DO FIRST THINGS FIRSTNEVER STOP LEARNING (1)NEVER STOP LEARNING (2)GET OUT OF DEBT AND STAY OUT OF DEBTDON'T BE SO CONTROLLINGTHE SEVEN-DAY CHALLENGEPARENT, KEEP PERSEVERINGTURNING TWO FAMILIES INTO ONEPUT YOUR HEART INTO YOUR PARTFOUR PRINCIPLES FOR VICTORIOUS LIVINGTAKE CONTROL OF THE SMALL THINGSDON’T GIVE UPLEARNING TO LISTEN TO GOD (1)LEARNING TO LISTEN TO GOD (2)LEARNING TO LISTEN TO GOD (3)LEARNING TO LISTEN TO GOD (4)SET OTHER THINGS ASIDE AND SERVEGOD AND WORKHOW TO ENRICH AND STRENGTHEN YOUR RELATIONSHIPSPROPHECY FULFILLEDDON'T SHOUT ABOUT ITYOU'RE GROWING IN GRACEWALKING WITH GODYOUR SECRET PLACEWORK ON GROWING CLOSERARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT RETIREMENT?GIDEON'S GOD IS YOUR GODTO GROW WE MUST KEEP ASKING QUESTIONSBE INTERESTED IN EVERYTHING GOD DOES
February
GOD WILL SPEAK TO YOU–IF YOU LISTENDO THE WORDPRAYING WITHOUT SAYING A WORDSHOW GRACE UNDER FIREHAVING JOB SECURITY (1)HAVING JOB SECURITY (2)HAVING JOB SECURITY (3)HAVING JOB SECURITY (4)THE HOLY SPIRIT PRAYS THROUGH YOUYOUR PERSONAL GUIDESTOP AND ASK FOR DIRECTIONSYOUR HARVEST IS ON THE WAYGIVE YOUR CHILDREN CONVICTIONS TO LIVE BYYOUR LIMITED WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITYPULL DOWN THOSE STRONGHOLDSUSE THE GIFT GO GAVE YOUFINDING SELF-WORTHMUZZLE YOUR MOUTHCHOOSING A LEADERGOD KNOW'S WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUARE YOU TIRED OF LIVING IN DEFEAT?MAKE AN IMPACTBE PATIENT, GOD IS AT WORKLIVE THE LIVING WORDTAKE TIME TO WONDER AND WORSHIPBE A DISCIPLE OF JESUSTO BE CONFORMED IS TO BE CREATIVELIVE IN THE “HERE AND NOW”YOU NEED GOD'S HELP
March
GOING FORWARD OR GOING BACKCOME OUT OF THAT CORNERTELL THE TRUTHBELIEVE GOD FOR GREATER THINGSHONOR GOD, AND HE WILL HONOR YOUMOVING FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS (1)MOVING FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS (2)THE RIGHT ATTITUDE (1)THE RIGHT ATTITUDE (2)STRONG, FIRM AND STEADFASTRAISING GREAT KIDS IN A TROUBLED WORLDRAISING GREAT KIDS IN A TROUBLED WORLD (2)RAISING GREAT KIDS IN A TROUBLED WORLD (3)RAISING GREAT KIDS IN A TROUBLED WORLD (4)RAISING GREAT KIDS IN A TROUBLED WORLD (5)ARE YOU HOOKED ON PORNOGRAPHY?YOU CAN RISE ABOVE WORRY (1)YOU CAN RISE ABOVE WORRY (2)YOUR BOAZ SEASONSTAND ON GOD'S WORD (1)STAND ON GOD'S WORD (3)STAND ON GOD'S WORD (4)STAND ON GOD'S WORD (5)GOD WILL FORGIVE AND RESTORE YOUDON'T STRIKE BACKARE YOU A TRUE FRIEND?
April
EVIDENCES OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION (3)EVIDENCES OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION (2)EVIDENCES OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION (1)THE RIGHT BALANCEWHEN YOU GO THROUGH DIFFICULTIES (3)WHEN YOU GO THROUGH DIFFICULTIES (2)WHEN YOU GO THROUGH DIFFICULTIES (1)STORMPROOFED FOR LIFEARE YOU STRESSED OUT? (1)LEARN TO LISTEN TO YOUR MARRIAGE PARTNERREADY…GO!ARE YOU STRESSED OUT? (2)ARE YOU STRESSED? (3)DO WHAT GOD’S WORD SAYSSTOP COVERING IT UP