Home Page of ACTS International
Home Page of ACTS InternationalHow to Find and Know God without having to be religiousLife Help Articles dealing with faith, family, and practical helps for purposeful livingDaily and Weekend Encounters with more than a third-of-a-million worldwide subscribersSupport the Work of ACTS International a not-for-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible for U.S. donorsCurrent report on the ministries and services of ACTS InternationalOnline Store of ACTS ... ACTS CommunicationsAbout ACTS International
         
     
   
 
  Site Map Email Share and/or Bookmark
   
   

Add Daily Encounter to your website without charge

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

Friday, December 23, 2011


Missing the Point

Wishing all a very Merry Christmas

"The people of this generation ... are like children sitting in the market-place 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."

I wonder how often we miss the point when God is doing a work among us. The religious people of Christ's day who were actually anticipating his coming as their Messiah failed totally to recognize him—and ironically had him crucified—because he didn't come and didn't operate in the way that they expected.

And how tragic is it that so many people today are also missing the whole point of Christmas? The point being that on the birth of Christmas Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, clothing himself in an external garment of human flesh, stepped out of the "ivory palaces of heaven" to identify himself with lost mankind and came to earth to die on a cruel Roman cross to pay the penalty for your sins and mine so that we could be freely forgiven by God for all our sins and receive God's gift of eternal life.

There is no greater tragedy in all of life than to miss out on God's gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

Whatever you do, don't miss out on the meaning and purpose of Christmas. Be sure to accept God's gift of forgiveness and eternal life today. For help read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" online at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me understand the true meaning and purpose of Christmas and be sure that I have been forgiven and have received your gift of eternal life and thereby know that I know that I know that I am a true Christian and follower of Jesus Christ. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

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

<:))))><

 
  • Next Devotional
  • Previous Devotional

  • 2. To Know God and be sure you're a real
        Christian click on:

    3. Donate: To help send Daily Encounter
        without charge to people around the world
        click on:

    4. To send today's Daily Encounter to a friend
        click on:

    Email

    5. To share your faith in a simple, attractive
        way with a friend click on:

    6. For today's featured article click on:

    7. This week's chuckle as seen "On the Lighter
        Side"  on Weekend Encounter click on:

    8. Change Address of your subscription to
        Daily Encounter
    click on:

       
        Back to Return to previous page Previous Page    
       
    Site Map   Top
       
         
             
    Find Peace With God footer
     
      ARTICLES
    About God
    About Faith
    Relationships
    Success/Failure
    Solutions
    Recovery
    Ask the Teacher
    Better Living Tips
    Friendship
    Words of Love
    Words of Inspiration
    People Power for Jesus
    Simple and Effective Witnessing for Christ

    SITE TRANSLATIONS
    Spanish Espanol
    French Francois

      DEVOTIONS
    Devotionals
    Daily Encounter
    Weekend Encounter
    Encuentros Diarios
    Archives
    Subscribe
    When God Is Silent
    Prayer Partners
      Needed

    Special Needs

    BIBLE HELPS
    Helps and Studies
    Today's Reading
    Annual Reading

      QUOTES AND TESTS
    Today's Quotes
    Happiness Test
    Stress Test

    ACTS IN ACTION

    ACTS Websites
    ACTS in Action Report

    COMMUNICATIONS

    Syndicate ACTS Articles
    "I Hate Witnessing"
       Audio—No Charge

    Opening Closed Minds
    Effective Communications
    Jesus, the Communicator
    Punching Holes in
       the Darkness

      REPORTS
    About ACTS
    Be an ACTS Friend

    MISC.
    People Power Invite
    Links
    Weather
    Privacy Policy
    Snail-Mail List
    Contact Us/Feedback

    ACTS BOOKSTORE
    Online Bookstore


    Site Map
    Report problems to ACTS International
    All pages in this site © Copyright 2005-2024 by ACTS International
    P.O. Box 73545, San Clemente, CA 92673 U.S.A.
     
    HOME   Daily Encounter  Find Peace With God