On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11
The Magi, or Wise Men — as young ones, my children though they were clever when they called them the “Wise Guys” — traveled long, far, and no doubt uncomfortably to worship a baby King. We know the story. We’ve heard and can recite it. But have we considered the surprise of it: that Gentile kings (or those working for kings) would humble themselves to come worship a Jewish baby?
Their choice to come in itself includes an element of humility. Great men from powerful places choosing to worship an infant from an insignificant place. And indeed, the Gospel itself comes with many upside-down surprises – God became man, we lose our life to gain it, the last shall be first, death brings life.
If an element of humility was needed to launch their trip, we certainly also see it at the conclusion of their trip. Note their actions when they saw the babe: they bowed down and worshiped.
This phrase is seen often in scripture. The order is important: first they bowed down and then they worshiped.
The act of bowing was most likely physical here, but it points to a heart and mind that follows suit; an attitude of humility is necessary to worship our great God. When we come into the presence of our Creator, when we see our Lord and who He is — and, in contrast, who we are and are not — we will be, we must be humbled.
And from that humility, our worship will flow.
We mirror the response of the wise men when we come to God in confession, acknowledging His sovereignty, greatness, and provision. Our worship will naturally flow from our humility. Pride evaporates when we come into the presence of Jesus.
As you and I meet Him in His Word and in prayer, may the response of the Wise Men be our response, as well: bow down and (then) worship.
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
‘LET’S GO
to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15
When a celestial choir lights up the night sky with a glorious message from heaven, you don’t roll back over, reposition your pillow (in this case, more likely a rock) and go back to sleep! The visit from Gabriel and the “heavenly host” (maybe your Bible translation says, “multitude”) jolted the shepherds awake and prompted them to take action. They heard the message but wanted to see for themselves.
Have you heard about Jesus? Have you seen Him for yourself?
The shepherds took off for Bethlehem and their journey was rewarded: they beheld the
newborn King. Jesus. Immanuel. God with us. I don’t think they ever got over it.
What about you? Are you “over it?” Has the message become so familiar that has become stale or irrelevant in your life? Has the good news become old news for you?
After seeing Jesus – the good news in living proof human flesh – verse 17 tells us they spread the word about Jesus. That’s the thing about good news. It just must be shared. It can’t notbe shared. Those who heard it were “amazed” (verse 18).
And the shepherds were also changed – transformed into worshipers who glorified Jesus:
“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God
for all the things that they had heard and seen,
which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:20
Carrying the good news and walking in worship are responses to seeing Jesus.
Have you seen Him? Do you know Him? Are you a news-bearing worshiper?
I hope you will commit to writing the WORD with us during December. You can access the Characters of Christmas bookmark on our Downloads page. You can also view the teaching video on The Shepherds below:
During our five week Christmas study, the third week’s focus was the shepherds, those bottom-of-the-social-ladder men who received a cosmic message of peace and joy from heaven — a message that changed their lives. As we examine their response to the good news of Christ’s birth, we pray it challenges each of us to evaluate our own responses to Jesus.
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In this week’s Martha Monday video, Laura makes cookies with her granddaughters!
The whole Macfarlan clan loves this recipe for Double Chocolate Double Delights, a cookie that Laura adapted from a Quaker Oatmeal ad years ago … and we think you will, too! We hope you enjoy watching the Mac Girls in the kitchen.
Download your own copy of the printable recipe here.
When Joseph woke up, he did what
the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took Mary home as his wife. Matthew 1:24
Joseph may well be the most overlooked character in the entire Christmas story. Matthew 1 focuses on him, but have you noticed that Joseph doesn’t say one word? And yet, as is often the case, actions speak louder than words. Perhaps the originator of this wise saying had Joseph in mind when it was penned!
Joseph is righteous, yet compassionate. Willing to forgo his rights (and no doubt swallow his wounded pride), he was leaning towards a quiet divorce … and then he had his own angelic messenger who brought a divine command in a dream.
While Joseph may have wrestled with the decision before the dream, after he hears from the angel of the Lord, he is resolute. His obedience is immediate. He wastes no time, but steps immediately into the responsibility of being the earthly father of Jesus.
His example and his response truly challenge me to lean into obedience. How about you? Could God have a Christmas-sized, gospel assignment for us in the weeks ahead? What does immediate obedience look like in your life and mine?
I hope you will commit to writing the WORD with us this month. (You can access our free Characters of Christmas bookmark here: https://bit.ly/3snHFR8). And if you are willing, I’m confident that, like me, you will develop a new appreciation for Joseph and certainly an understanding of why he was chosen to be the earthly father of Jesus.
We invite you to view our teaching video on Joseph at the Cross My Heart YouTube channel:
If you have not yet subscribed to our mailing list, we hope you’ll take a moment to do so today. You’ll be one of the first to know each time we publish a new blog post … and because we value and respect your support of our ministry, we will never share your email address with anyone, for any reason.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered.
“May it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38a
More often than not, we read through the exchange between Mary and Gabriel all in one sitting. The advantage of writing the WORD with us this month (you can download our Characters of Christmas bookmark here: https://bit.ly/3snHFR8) is that we can process the sequence of events a little more slowly … which may prompt a new appreciation for each of these familiar characters.
God’s message, delivered to Mary through Gabriel, came with a God-sized blessing: she was chosen to be the mother of God’s son. Gabriel called her “favored” and Elizabeth called her “blessed.”
But this big blessing also came with significant consequences:
no white wedding dress
fodder for the rumor mill
raised eyebrows and turned shoulders
possible death, according to Old Testament law
This first-century teenage girl raised none of these concerns. She assumed the posture of servant – which meant she acknowledged God as her Lord. Her response simultaneously humbles and inspires me. I hope it does you, too.
There is much we 21st -century women can learn from this first-century teenager. We invite you to read and write along with us in December, and come back to share your take-aways from Mary in the comments.
And if you haven’t yet seen it, we invite you to watch the video teaching on Mary from our five-week study on The Characters of Christmas:
December may be the very best month to give our Do It! List a try. Laura has distilled years of experience in caring for a home and family, to create a simple, single-page chore list that can help you manage your home so that you are free to show Christ’s love to family, friends, and neighbors during the holiday season (and beyond).
Visit our Download page today for your free copy of our monthly list. We offer a pre-filled version, with tasks that are applicable for most households, or a fully customizable blank version that you can personalize to fit your family’s unique situation.
We hope you also accept Laura’s challenge to bless your delivery drivers as they enter the busiest, most stressful time of the year. After watching to hear her idea, you can download your free porch sign here: https://bit.ly/3QGCYPm
As 2024 approaches, we are again making available our set of 12 Write the WORD bookmarks for the new year. If you’d like to receive twelve pre-printed, full color bookmarks for the coming year, please reach out to us via email to learn more about getting a set for yourself or a friend.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control… Galatians 5:22-23a
Oh, the irony. We come to our last week of writing the Word—for two months we have worked our way through verses on the nine traits comprising the Fruit of the Spirit!—and we just happen to reach self-control on Thanksgiving weekend. Along with spurring on our lovelies to exhibit grateful spirits, many of us have just over-indulged in a weekend of spending and eating. How appropriate is today’s topic!
It’s Not Just About the Binging
When we hear the phrase self-control, most (if not all) of us may feel a twinge, pinch, prod, or kick of shame. But placing self-control in its proper context may bring some less shallow or fleshly thoughts and push us to deeper, more spiritual thinking on the topic.
A negative connotation may be our first response to self-control, but when we see it in the context of a fruit produced by the Spirit, it is a good and positive thing.
Whatever we can’t not do controls us. It owns us. In extreme cases that might be gambling, heroin, alcohol, or pornography. But the list might also include chocolate … shopping … chestnut praline lattes from the Starbucks drive-thru … Zumba class … or the 24-hour Christmas movie channel.
Even a good thing can become an obsession that controls us.
Our identity in Christ means we can live free—free from the compulsive urges to do what we really don’t want to do, and free to enjoy good things in moderation. Before Christ, we were slaves to sin (Romans 6:6), but “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1a). The presence of the Holy Spirit means we are free to live out love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness for His glory!
Self-Control is Listed Last
As I study Scripture, I’ve learned to pay attention to the order when a list is given. If it’s a list of brothers, they may be in chronological order, oldest to youngest. If it’s a list of people, the most prominent or important may come first. There’s a reason for the order of things.
Looking at the nine traits, perhaps self-control comes last because it is the culmination of all the others. Because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, we can constrain our old self and give full reign to the Spirit living in us. With His Spirit leading out and our flesh being curbed, it is possible to:
Love unconditionally … even when we are not loved back or appreciated.
Find joy even in hard things.
Abide in His peace when our day-to-day existence feels like a war zone.
Choose patience over irritation and frustration.
Be intentionally kind when others are rude.
Release goodness even when circumstances are stressful and chaotic.
Walk in faithfulness, even when we see no change in our situation.
It Means We’ve Grown Up
As parents and grandparents, we may find ourselves telling a three-year-old when it’s time for bed, a nine-year-old to resist that third cookie because dinner will be served shortly, or a 15-year-old that it’s time to put down the phone and engage with the rest of the family. As I used to tell my now grown-children when they were young: Maturity means you can say no to yourself. (And I’m sure there were times I shared that wisdom, got them all in bed, then treated myself to two dips of Rocky Road!)
Spiritually speaking, we are mature in Christ when we can say no to ourselves and yes to the leading of the Spirit. Rather than seeing those things we are leaving behind as negatives or sacrifices, we begin to see them as things that hold us back from being all we can be and are meant to be in Christ.
When it comes to self-control, losing our way means we have forgotten who we are. Our identity is in Christ. We are filled with the Holy Spirit. We can choose to squelch our flesh—to “stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:2b).
To live self-controlled is to live in step with the Spirit. Paul says it this way:
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25
If you are walking (or dancing) with a partner and find yourself out of step, the best thing to do is stop, then begin again. It’s the Microsoft solution when our computer goes nuts: just reboot. The same works for our spiritual lives. If you are out of step, stop. Make time to abide in Him. Pray. Repent. Read the Word. Start again. Remember who you are. Get back in step.
It’s not just about remembering what not to do. It’s about remembering who you are.
The best way to keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas is to stay in the WORD! In honor of the birth of our Lord, our Write the WORD study will be focusing on five characters in the nativity during the month of December. In this week’s devotional video, Laura introduces our new Characters of Christmas study, as we dig deeper into the stories of Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, the Wise Men, and Jesus. We invite you to watch now:
As 2024 approaches, we are again making available our set of 12 Write the WORD bookmarks for the entire new year. If you’d like to receive twelve pre-printed, full color bookmarks for the coming year, please reach out to us via email to learn more about getting a set for yourself or a friend.
Who comes to mind when you think of a gentle person? Your grandma? Your third grade Sunday School teacher? Your local librarian?
Gentleness is not just a natural result of a phlegmatic personality or meek temperament. It is a Fruit of the Spirit … and if we are growing in Christ, this fruit will be evident.
Gentleness is often a choice — a deliberate act of restraint, a letting go of what we want to say or do and even what we have the right to say or do. The old adage “meekness, not weakness” certainly applies when choosing to walk out gentleness.
Several of this month’s Write the WORD verses (you can download the bookmark here) offer good thoughts to ponder on the topic of gentleness:
God’s gentleness brings us the great gift of salvation. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great. Psalm 18:35
Humility and gentleness work together. By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! II Corinthians 10:1
We are told to pursue gentleness. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. I Timothy 6:11
The imminent return of Christ should prompt us to let gentleness lead out in our walk. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5
Several years ago, the small group I sat in on at the weekly Bible study I teach was discussing evangelism. One lady commented that we know we should share the gospel, but so often we don’t. It’s the best news ever, so why don’t we share it? Answers might be:
It’s awkward.
I don’t know what to say.
I don’t want to offend.
We often feel like we’re trying to sell someone something they don’t want … instead of realizing we’re telling them about a free gift everyone needs!
Instead of trying to conjure up the courage and figure out the words, maybe we can start by just be being NICE — kind and gentle in our words and actions. As God’s love begins to soften our words and prompt kind actions, Paul is right: it will be “evident to all.”
When our kindness is so extraordinary, when it contrasts so sharply with the attitudes of the world, those in our sphere of influence will notice. And we can pray that when they do, they will ask the powerful question: Why?
Why are you like you are?
Why are you gentle instead of harsh?
Why are you kind instead of mean?
Why are you patient instead of angry?
Let’s expect folks to ask. Let’s want them to ask. Let’s have a ready answer when they ask. Peter challenges us:
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect… I Peter 3:15
It’s so much easier to walk on through an open door than to try to knock one down!
Are you prepared when they ask? Just remember: it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to be gentle when our flesh would be harsh, who helps us forgo retaliation when we are justifiably offended. And it is the same Holy Spirit who will put His words on our tongue when someone asks us to give the reason for the hope we have.
The holidays bring great opportunities to walk out gentleness. In the stress and chaos that so often can bring on impatience, even rudeness, our gentleness can shine brightly in a dark world. Let’s pray they ask why … and let’s ask God to give us the answer when they do.
If you’ve got the Holy Spirit, then you’ve got gentleness!
The third week of our Characters of Christmas study finds us focusing on the shepherds. How wonderful that God chose these men — ones that may have been considered rough and rude, and certainly among the “least of these” in the social order of the day — to receive a heavenly message of peace and joy that changed not only their lives, but all of creation for eternity. As we examine the shepherds’ response to the good news of Jesus, we pray that we are challenged to evaluate our own response to Him.
If you are studying along with us online, please read Luke 2:8-20 to help prepare for this week’s teaching lecture.
If you’ve missed teaching lectures for the previous weeks of our Characters of Christmas study, you can find all of the videos here. When you visit our YouTube channel, we invite you to become a subscriber. It costs nothing to sign up, and is a great way to show your support of Cross My Heart Ministry!
We wish you and your loved ones a blessed and happy Thanksgiving,as we celebrate all of God’s good gifts … and especially, His priceless gift of eternal salvation.
In this week’s Martha Monday video, Laura shared a recipe for NEXT week: a delicious way to use up the leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
This “Turkey Pie” is a re-mix of a chicken recipe Laura’s family has been using for years. By substituting turkey for the chicken and adding canned vegetables, you have a meal that not only helps use up leftovers but is easy and quick enough for a weeknight (or the day after Thanksgiving, when you’re all “cooked out”). This recipe, when made with either turkey or chicken, is also fabulous as a make-and-take for a family with a new baby or one who has suffered loss. It may become your go-to “Ministry Meal.”
We invite you to watch as Laura demonstrates her easy Turkey Pie recipe, and to download your own printable copy of here: http://bit.ly/3BLiRaS
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? There is no cost to you and it requires only a Gmail account, but subscribing (and sharing!) our videos is a great way to show your support for Cross My Heart Ministry.
Paul used the Greek word pistis to describe the seventh trait of the fruit produced by the Spirit working through a believer. This Greek word is translated faithfulness in Galatians 5:
But the fruit of the Spirit is … faithfulness …
But it is also translated faith in many other New Testament passages:
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. James 2:18
Do faith and faithfulness have different connotations? Does faith suggest an internal belief, while faithfulness denotes an external behavior?
Dictionary.com defines faith: confidence or trust in a person or thing. For the Christian, of course, that person is Jesus Christ. Our belief in Him is the only way to receive God’s free gift of salvation. It cannot be earned, purchased, or inherited from our parents.
If we are filled with faith, would/should/are we prompted, then, to live faithfully? Paul wrote to the Romans about “…the obedience that comes from faith” in Romans 1:5.
Obedience without faith spirals quickly downward to legalism. It is not sustainable. But through faith in Christ, obedience is a joy – an easy burden, an offering to God, and a demonstration of our love for Him.
In the Old Testament, we often see the phrase “love and faithfulness” used to describe God. These two words capture His character in a sweet, reassuring way. Aren’t we grateful we never have to doubt His love? He is loving. He is faithful.
While we may think of faith and faithfulness as two different concepts, for the New Testament reader (or listener) of Greek, they were the same: faith would produce faithfulness.
Perhaps for the 21st-century believer, they should push us – in healthy ways – to embrace both. If I am filled with faith, if I have accepted the gift of salvation that comes by faith, then shouldn’t the faith on the inside work itself out to faithfulness on the outside?
How does being filled with faith prompt faithfulness in your life and mine? How can we show others our faith by our deeds?
For the second week of our five-week Christmas study, we focus on Joseph, the man chosen by God to be the earthly father of Jesus. (If you are studying along with us online, please read Matthew 1:18-25 as you prepare to hear this week’s teaching lecture.) We invite you to watch as Laura shares insights on Joseph, a crucial character in the Christmas story.
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