Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

"The people of this generation ... are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.'"¹

On a December day back in 1903 at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright, after numerous failures to fly a heavier-than-air machine, made amazing history. They achieved something that no man had ever done before. Ecstatic, they sent a telegram to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 852 feet. Will be home for Christmas."

Overjoyed, Katherine ran down to the local newspaper and pushed the telegram—the greatest news story of the new century—into the hand of the editor. After reading it, he smiled and said, "Well, well! How nice the boys will be home for Christmas."

The religious people of Christ's day who were actually anticipating his coming as their Messiah also totally missed the point. They failed to recognize him—and ironically had him crucified—because he didn't come, and didn't operate, the way they expected him to.

How sad it is that so many miss the full meaning of Christmas in that they have never thanked Jesus for dying for their sins, nor accepted the most profound and precious Christmas gift ever given ... the gift of the Savior and his pardon for all their sins and his gift of eternal life.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for the most wonderful Christmas gift ever given—the gift of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Please use me to share Your great gift of salvation with as many people as possible for as long as I shall live. Use me every day to be 'as Jesus' in some way to whomever You bring into my life, and grant that they, seeing Jesus in me, will want You for themselves. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

Note: If you have never accepted God's gift of forgiveness, for help go to: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. Jesus Christ in Luke 7:32 (NIV).

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