Love Come Down

SCRIPTURE

Nativity of Our Lord - Christmas Eve
Titus 2:11-14 (NRSV)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.


ADVENT DEVOTION

On this CHRISTmas Eve, my prayer for all of us is that we would intimately experience the love, joy, hope, and peace that comes with knowing that "the grace of God has appeared."

Because of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and promise to come again, we are able to live into the "blessed hope" of knowing the glory of our "great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Jesus is Love come down, wrapped in flesh, "who gave himself for us that [we might] be redeemed."

Halleljuah!

God's love, salvation, and redemption is the best CHRISTmas gift of all.

On tomorrow, I want to invite you to wake up, sing "Happy Birthday to Jesus," eat some birthday cake, read the CHRISTmas story (e.g., Luke 2, Matthew 1), and rejoice with your family in prayer. The tree will be there. The presents will be enjoyed. But, please remember, that tomrrow is JESUS' BIRTHDAY!

Let's have a party for our Lord and Savior and give thanks to God for the good news that Jesus came down from heaven, to redeem us from our sin, and open the door to our eternal lives in Heaven!

Hallelujah!


PRAYER

Oh God, you are great and greatly to be praised! Thank you for Jesus, who is the greatest CHRISTmas gift of all! Please help me to celebrate your birthday with great joy. In Jesus' Name, Amen.