ACCORDING TO THE PLAN

“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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.”–John 3:16–18

Even before the creation of the world and Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, God’s plan for our redemption had already been established. Nothing in the Christmas story happened by accident or coincidence. It was all arranged and ordered ahead of time. John wrote, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). The need for a Saviour did not take God by surprise. He was not caught off guard when man fell and death entered the world. There was no search for a solution to the problem of sin—it was already in place.

Jesus made the necessity of salvation crystal clear when He talked to Nicodemus. Every person is born under the condemnation of sin. Our destiny is not determined by our actions, thoughts or intentions, but by our nature. We start out as sinners, opposed to God. The Saviour did not come for the good, but those hopelessly lost without Him. Jesus said, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13). Our most desperate need—salvation from our sins—can only be obtained by faith in Jesus as our substitute and Saviour according to God’s plan. God’s love for us is clearly seen in His plan that brought Jesus into the world at Christmas. (Daily in the Word)

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

GOD WITH US

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”–Matthew 1:21–23

Dr. Lee Roberson told the story of a little boy whose mother died unexpectedly. He was too young to understand everything about death and Heaven, but he knew that his mother was gone. After the funeral, father and son returned home. When it was time for bed, the little boy asked to sleep with his father. But even that proved scant comfort when the lights were turned off. Through the darkness his soft voice whispered, “Daddy, is your face turned toward me?”

All of us have an empty place in our hearts that only God can fill. No amount of success, money, fame, accomplishment or earthly love can supply the need only God can meet. And so often in the darkness when no one else can hear, we ask if God sees us and knows the burdens that we are carrying. Jesus is the answer to that question—and the answer is YES! God sees and knows every burden and heartache that we feel. 

Yet so many times we do not feel a real sense of God’s presence and care in our lives. That is because of the effects of sin. Jesus came into the world to bridge the divide that had existed between God and man since Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden. We do not serve a distant God who is far off and hard to reach. We serve a God who is present with us, and who accepts us into His family through the blood of His Son Jesus. Through the coming of Jesus into the world, the gap between us and God has been filled.–Daily in the Word

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

LIGHT HAS COME

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”–John 3:18–20

One of the best known classic Christmas movies is It’s a Wonderful Life. It tells the story of a man named George Bailey who reaches the point where he wishes he had never been born. An angel named Clarence (second class—no wings) shows him what the world would be like without his influence. George comes to realize the impact his life has had on so many others, and finally tells Clarence, “I want to live!” In the end, the townspeople George has helped so much come to his aid and everyone gets a happy ending, even Clarence who finally gets wings. Of course that’s fiction, and things don’t work like that in the real world. 

But Christmas is a powerful reminder of the impact Jesus Christ made when He was born in Bethlehem so long ago. Every part of human life, even down to our calendar, is touched by His arrival to bring light into a world of darkness. This is just as true for those who do not believe in Jesus as it is for those of us who are saved. The darkness may hate the light, but it cannot defeat it. “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:5), Those of us who have come to His light have a great responsibility to be faithful reflectors of the light to those around us. This is the way to truly celebrate the birth of Christ. Christmas is a celebration of the light of God’s love that has come into the darkness of a world filled with sin.– Daily in the Word

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”–Galatians 4:3–6

Politicians are not always known for keeping the promises they make, but I came across an old news story about one who did. When George Jelinek was running for the Kansas state legislature back in the 1960s, he printed up flyers that read, “I will work for you.” According to the article Jelinek won his election and then had an unexpected request from a constituent. “One farmer,” Jelinek said, “told me he voted for me and now he needed some help putting up some alfalfa in the barn. And I did it. But I’m going to have to watch what I say!”

Man may break promises, but God is always faithful. He does not work on our timetable, but everything He says will be done. Thousands of years passed between the time God told Adam and Eve about the coming Messiah who would defeat Satan and the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. But it happened just as God said. In fact there are a large number of Old Testament references to the coming of Jesus—the location, timing, and circumstances are given in great detail—and every one of those prophecies were fulfilled.

The Christmas story is not just a baby in a manger, shepherds, angels, and wise men. It is a vivid reminder that everything God says happens just as He promises. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Christmas is a reminder that we can fully rely on everything that God has promised in His Word. — Daily in the Word

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

A MESSAGE OF COMFORT

“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”–Matthew 1:20–21

The dawn of Christmas 1863 found Henry Wadsworth Longfellow gripped by sadness. His beloved wife Fanny had perished in a tragic fire in 1861. His oldest son Charles—who had joined the Union Army against Longfellow’s wishes—had been critically injured the month before while fighting in Virginia. As he heard the church bells ringing and pondered all he had lost even as others were rejoicing, Longfellow’s grief poured forth in a poem. But as he continued to listen to the bells—and reflect on the truths of Scripture, Longfellow’s mood began to change. He ended his poem, which we know as the carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” with these words:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

The birth of Jesus that we celebrate on Christmas Day, and the purpose and meaning of His life is the greatest source of hope that our troubled world will ever know. Jesus did not come merely to be an example or a teacher or a prophet. He came to be our Saviour. The greatest need of our sinful hearts can only be met by the sinless Son of God, born of a virgin and come into the world for the express purpose of bringing salvation. Jesus Himself said, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The trouble of the world around us can never overcome the power of God’s love revealed in the birth of Jesus.(Daily in the Word)

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346