Month: December 2015

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PWTE Daily Devotion

Joy in the Sacrifice

Colorado Springs, Colorado

The gift that brings joy comes from sacrifice.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“…but God shows his love for us
in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.”  
Romans 5:8 English Standard Version

DISCLAIMER: I have nothing against Santa Claus. One of my fondest childhood memories was one of our Christmas Eve celebrations at my grandparents. We waited outside the house looking for Santa to fly over us in his sleigh. When my grandparents opened the house we saw that Santa had already been there and he had left a Lionel train.

Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado

But what I also remember about that night was spending time at Grace Lutheran Church telling and hearing the story of Jesus’ birth. There is a difference between the story of Santa Claus and the truth of Jesus Christ. No sacrifice is needed for the gifts that Santa brings. The gift Jesus brings is his sacrifice. Santa makes us feel happy for a moment. Jesus brings joy that lasts for eternity.

Santa didn’t die for anyone. Christ has died for the world. The gifts placed under our trees are expressions of love and a tradition worth holding on to, but they will grow old, break and lose their attraction. The gift that Jesus brings will never fade. It will never break. It will never lose its appeal. Why? Because his gift is born of sacrifice.

There is joy in the sacrifice of Christ.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner

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PWTE Daily Devotion

Joy in Our New Birth

Colorado Springs, Colorado

 Joy is experienced in the ordinary.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“But when the fullness of time had come,
God sent forth his Son, born of woman,
born under the law,
to redeem those who were under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.”  
Galatians 4:4-5 English Standard Version

No one understands the fullness of time like a pregnant woman. We guys don’t have a clue what it’s like to have our bodies consumed by another person growing inside of us. (The grossest movie I have ever seen is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Junior.”  DON’T watch it.  It’s just not right.)

Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado

I’m sure that Mary was ready to give birth when the time came for Jesus to be born (and Joseph was probably ready for her to give birth too). What an amazing way for the Son of God to enter human history. He came through a mother who felt the full effect of labor. He had an umbilical cord that had to be cut, a body that needed to be washed and a stomach that needed to be nourished by his mother’s milk.

This is how we came into the world whether we lived with our birth parents or were adopted into a loving family. Even if the circumstances of our birth were less than what we expect, we all were dependent on someone to care for us. And our God understands this human condition because this is how he chose to be born.

We have received a new birth. In the same way that Jesus’ birth was in a rather earthy way, so is our new birth. It comes in water splashed on us and words spoken.  We are now the children of God as a result of this new birth; this adoption into the family of God.

There is joy in birth.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

Joy in the Promise

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Joy is found in knowing that God is always with us.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14 English Standard Version

The context of this verse is rather interesting. God tells King Ahaz of Judah to ask for a sign. Did you get that? God tells Ahaz to ask for a sign. The sign can be as high as heaven and as deep as Sheol. His response?  “I will not ask and I will not put the Lord to the test.”  Sounds rather pious doesn’t it?

Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Yet, this is God inviting Ahaz to ask for a sign.

The most telling note of Ahaz character is found in 2 Chronicles 28:1 where it says that he didn’t do what was right in God’s sight and he didn’t follow in his ancestor, David’s, footsteps. In spite of the fact that Ahaz could not ask for a sign because of his faithlessness, God would take the initiative and give a sign. It is a sign of impossible proportions: a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son.

Immanuel, God with us. Out of the evil of this world we hear a promise that God would dwell among his people. This God still dwells with us. When Jesus ascended back to the Father he promised to be with us to end of the age. God kept his promise in sending a child who was born of a virgin. God keeps his promise to be with you always, even to the end of the age.

This is a promise that brings joy.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner