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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Making the Christian Life Work   CURRENT TV SERIES Songs of Daily Inspiration

Over the next 25 days we are going to change things up a bit.  I will be sending you devotionals every day till Christmas from my new Advent devotional book, The Cost of Christmas.          I wrote this book because we all know of the increasing costs of Christmas.  But there are other costs of Christmas, bills no credit cards can cover.          Mary, pregnant and unwed, heard the buzz of the small-town gossips and saw the uncertainty in the eyes of Joseph, her betrothed. And he wrestled with the thought that Mary had been unfaithful to him.          An angel brought Joseph the assurance he needed, but he still had to take his very pregnant wife on a 70-mile journey to Bethlehem, where she delivered a son in a stable, “because there was no place for them in the inn.”          The shepherds who heard the host of angels announce the birth of the Savior abandoned their flocks and set off for Bethlehem, risking their livelihood “to see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”          The mysterious wisemen saw something in a particular star and followed it over hundreds of miles of desert to see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.          But it was that baby boy, born in Bethlehem centuries ago, who bore the true Cost of Christmas. He came from heaven to spend a few decades among us. And then Jesus took on all the sins of this sinful world and died for us, a cost we could never pay on our own.          Over the next 25 days, I pray you’ll discover the true Cost of Christmas. On Christmas Day, when we’re surrounded by family, the tree lighted and the gifts scattered around the living room, give thanks to the One who gave Himself for you.

Seeing Jesus as He Truly Is

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:13–16

Most people in our society have some knowledge of Jesus, but the picture they have of Him is often different than the one found in the pages of the Bible. I came across a list someone had put together of some of the ways in which our world views the Lord.

•They have Republican Jesus and Democrat Jesus who favors whichever government policies they happen to prefer.
•They have Therapist Jesus, who helps us cope with life’s problems and tells us how valuable we are and not to be so hard on ourselves.
•They have Open-minded Jesus—who loves everyone all the time no matter what (except for people who are not as open-minded as you).
•They have Touchdown Jesus—who helps athletes run faster and jump higher.
•They have Hippie Jesus—who teaches everyone to give peace a chance, imagines a world without religion, and helps us remember that “all you need is love.”
•They have Guru Jesus—a wise, inspirational teacher who believes in you and helps you find your center.

The reality is that Jesus is exactly what Peter declared Him to be—the Messiah, and the Son of God. Jesus was not just a teacher, or an example or a prophet. He was Divine. He came as the Saviour for all who believe, and no one who views Him as less than that has any hope of salvation. We need to elevate Jesus in our thinking, and follow Him daily.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Only when we see Jesus for who He truly is can we experience the salvation and hope He offers.